the company of wickâ—ed Men and God taketh away merciful 〈◊〉 righteous men from the evil to come So 〈◊〉 dealt with Josiah I will gather thee to thâ— Fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grâ—â— in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the 〈◊〉 which I will bring upon this place And Goâ— hides them for a while in the grave untill 〈◊〉 indignation pass over So that as Paradise 〈◊〉 the Heaven of the soul's joy so the Graâ—â— may be term'd the Heaven of the bodies 〈◊〉 3. Whereas this wicked Body lives in a world of wickedness so that the poor Soul cannot look out at the Eye and not be infected nor hear by the Ear and not be distracted nor smell at the Nostrils and not be tainted nor taste with the Tongue and not be allured nor touch by the Hand and not be defiled and every sense upon every temptation is ready to betray the Soul by death the Soul shall be delivered from this Thraldom and this corruptible body shall put on incorruption and this mortal immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. O blessed thrice blessed be that Death in the Lord which delivers us out of so evil a World and freeth us from such a body of bondage and corruption The third sort of Meditations are to consider what good Death will bring unto thee 1. DEATH bringeth the godly Man's Soul to enjoy an immediate Communion with the blessed Trinity in everlastâ—ng bliss and glory 2. It translates the Soul from the Miseâ—ies of this world the contagion of sin and â—â—ciety of Sinners to the City of the living â—ed the Celestial Jerusalem and the comâ—any of innumerable Angels and to the assemâ—ly and congregation of the first-born which 〈◊〉 written in Heaven and to God the Judge 〈◊〉 all and to the Souls of just Men made perâ—ect and to Jesus the Mediator of the new â—ovenant 3. Death putteth the Soul into the aactual and full possession of all the inheritance and happiness which Christ hath either promised unto thee in his Word or purchased for thee by his blood This is the good and happiness whereunto a blessed death will bring thee And what truly Religious Christian that is young would not wish himself old that his appointed time might the sooner approach to enter into this celestial Paradise where thou maist exchange thy Brass for Gold thy Vanity for Felicity thy Vileness for Honour thy Bondage for Freedom thy Lease for an Inheritance and thy mortal State for an immortal Life He that doth not daily desire this blessedness above all things of all others he is less worthy to enjoy it If Cato Vticensis and Cleombrotus two Heathen-men reading Plato's Book oâ— the Immortality of the Soul did voluntarily the one break his Neck the other run upon his Sword that they might thâ— sooner as they thought have enjoyed those joys what a shame is it for Christianâ— knowing those things in a more excellent measure and manner out of God's owâ— Book not to be willing to enter into these heavenly Joys especially when their Master calls for them thither If thereforâ— there be in thee any love of God or desirâ— of thine own happiness or salvation wheâ— the time of thy departing draweth nearâ— that time I say and manner of Death which God in his unchangeable Counsel hath appointed and determined beâ—fore thou wast born yield and surrender up willingly and chearfully thy Soul into the merciful hands of Jesus Christ thy Saviour And to this end when the time is come as the Angel in the â—ight of Manoah and his Wife ascended from the Altar up to heaven in the flame of the sacrifice so endeavour thou that thy spirit in the sight of thy friends may from the altar of a contrite heart ascend up to Heaven in the sweet perfume of this or the like spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer A Prayer for a sick Man when he is told that he is not a Man for this World but must prepare himself to go unto God O Heavenly Father who art the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh and hast made us these souls and hâ—st appointed us the time as to come into this World so having finished our course to go out of the same the number of my days which thou hast determined are now expired and I am come to the utmost bounds which thou hast appointed beyond which I cannot pass I know O Lord that if thou enterest into judgment no flesh can be justified in thy sight And I O Lord of all others should appear most impure and unjust for I have not fought that good â—ight for the defence of thy Faith and Religion with that zeal and constancy that I should but for fear of displeasing the World I have given way unto sins and errours and for desire to please my flesh I have broken all thy Commandments in thought word and deed so that my sins have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up and they are more in number than the hairs on my head If thou wilt straitly mark mine iniquities O Lord where shall I stand if thou weighest me in the balance I shall be found too light For I am void of all righteousness that might merit thy mercy and loaden with all iniquities that most justly deserve thy heaviest wrath Buâ— O my Lord and my God for Jesus Christ thy Son's sake in whom only thou art well pleased with all penitent and believing sinners take pity and compassion upon me who am the chief of sinners Blot out all my sins out of thy remembrance and wash away all my transgressions out of thy sight with the precious blood of thy Son which I believe that he as an undefiled Lamb hath shed for the cleansing of my sins In this faith I lived in this faith I die believing that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again for my justification And seeing that he hath endured that Death and born the burthen of that Judgment which was due unto my sins O Father for his Death and Passion 's sake now that I am coming to appear before thy Judgment-seat acquit and deliver me from that fearful Judgment which my sins have justly deserved And perform unto me that gracious and comfortable Promise which thou hast made in thy Gospel That whosoever believeth in thee hath everlasting life and shall not come into Judgment but shall pass from death unto life Strengthen O Christ my Faith that I may put the whole confidence of my salvation in the merits of thy obedience and Blood Encrease O holy Spirit my patience lay no more upon me than I am able to bear and enable me to bear so much as shall stand with thy blessed will and pleasure O blessed Trinity in Unity my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier vouchsafe that as my
now called to Repetitions in Christ's School to see how much Faith Patience and Godliness you have learned all this while and whether you can like Job receive at the hand of God some evil as well as you have hitherto received a great deal of good As therefore you have always prayed Thy will be done so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will 7. That all things shall work together for the best to them that love God Insomuch that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Assure your self that every pang is a prevention of the pains of hell every resâ—ite an earnest of Heavens rest and how many stripes do you esteem heaven worth As your life hath been a comfort to others so give your friends a Christian example to die and deceive the Devil as Job did It is but the â—â—oss of Christ sent before to crucifie the love of the World in thee that thou mâ—â—st go eternally to live with Christ who was crucified for thee As thou art therefore a true Christian take up like Simon of Cyrâ—nâ— with both thy arms his holy Cross carry it after him 〈◊〉 him thy pains will shortly pass thy joys shall never pass away Consolations against the fear of Death IF in the time of thy sickness thou findest thy self fearful to die meditate 1. That it argueth a dastardly mind to fear that which is nor For in the Church of Christ there is no death Isa. 25. 7 8. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ shall never die Job 11. 26. Let them fear death who live without Christ. Christians die not but when they please God they are like 〈◊〉 translated unto God Their pains are but Elijah's fiery chariot to carry them up to heaven or like Lazarâ—â—'s sores sending them to Abraham's Bosom In a word if thou be one of them that like Lazarus lovest Jesus thy sickness is not unto the death but for the glory of God who of his love changeth thy living death to an everlasting life And if mans heathen men as Socratâ—s Câ—â—tiuâ— Seneca c. died willingâ—â— when they might have lived in hâ—pe of the immortality of the soul wilt thou being traiâ—â—d so loâ—g in Châ—â—st's Schâ—ol and now câ—llâ—d to the Marriage Supper of the blessed Lâ—â—h Rev. 19 7. be one of those Guests thâ—â— refuse to go to that joyful banquet God forbid 2 Remember that thy abode here is but the second degree of thy life for after thou hadst first lived nine Months in thy Mothers Womb thou wast of necessity driven thence to live here in a second degree of life And when that number of months which God hath determined for this life are expired thou must likewise leave this and pass to a third degree in the other world which never ends Which to them that live and die in the Lord surpasseth as far this kind of life as this doth that which one lives in his Mothers Womb. To this last and excellentest degree of life through this door passed Christ himself and all his Saints that were before thee and so shall all the rest after them and thee Why shouldst thou fear that which is common to all God's Elect Why should that be uncouth to thee which was so welcom to all them Fear not death for as it is the Exodus of a bad so it is the Genesis of a better World the end of a temporal but the beginning of an eternal life 3. Consider that there are but three things that can make death so fearful unto thee 1. The loss thou hast thereby 2. The pain that is therein 3. The terrible effects which follow after All these are but false â—res and causeless fears For the first if thou leavest here uncertain goods which Thieves may rob thou shalt find in heaven a true Treasure that can never be taken away these were but lent thee as a Steward upon accounts those shall be given thee as thy reward for ever If thou leavesâ— a loâ—ing Wise thou shalt be married to Christ which is more lovely If thou leavest Children and Friends thou shalt there find all thy religious Ancestors and Children departed yea Christ and all his blessed Saints and Angels and as many of thy Children as be God's Children shall thither follow after thee Thou leavest an earthly pâ—ssession and a house of clay and thou shalt enjoy an heavenly inheritance and mansion of glory which is purchased prepared and reserved for thee What hast thou lost Nay is not death unto thee gain Go home go 〈◊〉 and we will follow after thee Secondly For the pain in death the fear of death more pains many than the very paâ—gs of death for many a Christian dies without any great pangs or pains â—itch the 〈◊〉 of thy Hope on the firm ground of the Woâ—d of God who hath promised in thy weakness to perfect his strength and not to suffer thee to be tempted above that thou art able to bear And Christ will shortly turn all thy temporal pains to his eternal joys Lastly As for the terrible effects which follow after death they belong not unto thee being a member of Christ for Christ by his death hath taken away the sting of death to the faithful so that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Christ hath protested that he that believeth in him hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but haâ—â— passed from death unto life Hereupon the holy Spirit from Heaven saith Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord and that from thenceforth they rest from their labours and their works do follow them In respect therefore of the faithful death is swallowed up in victory and his sting which is sin and the punishment thereof is taken away by Christ. Hence death is called in respect of our bodies a sleep and rest In respect of our Souls a going to our heavenly Father a departing in peace a removing from this body to go to the Lord a dissolving of soul and body to be with Christ. What shall I say Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints These pains are but thy throes and travail to bring forth eternal life And who would not pass through Hell to go to Paradise much more through death There is nothing after death that thou needest feaâ— not thy sinsâ— because Chrâ—st hath payed thy ransom not the Judge for hâ— is thy loving brother not the grave 〈◊〉 iâ— is the Lord's bed not he for thy Redeemâ—r keeps the keys not the Devil for God's holy Angels pitch their Tents about thee and will not leave thee till they bring thee to Heaven Thou wast never 〈◊〉 etâ—â—nal life glorifie therefore â—â—ist by a
Turning the curses which he deserved to crosses and fartherly corrections yea all things all calamities of this life Death it self yea his very sins unto his good 5. God gives him his Holy Spirit which 1. Sanctifieth him by Degrees throughout so that he doth more and more die to sin and live to righteousness 2. Assures him of his Adoption and that he is by Grace the Child of God 3. Encourageth him to come with boldness and confidence into the presence of God 4. Moveth him without fear to say unto him Abba Father 5. Poureth into his heart the gift of sanctified Prayer 6. Perswadeth him that both he and his Prayers are accepted and heard of God for Christ his Mediator's sake 7. Fills him with 1. Peace of Conscience 2. Joy in the holy Ghost in comparison whereof all earthly joys seem vile and vain unto him 6. He hath a recovery of his sovereignty over the creatures which he lost by Adam's fall and from thence free liberty of using all things which God hath not restrained so that he may use them with a good conscience For to all things in Heaven and Earth he hath a sure title in this life and he shall have the Plenary and peaceable possession of them in the life to come Hence it is that all Reprobates are but usurpers of all that they possess and have no place of their own but Hell 7. He hath the assurance of God's Fatherly care and protection day and night over him which care consists in three things 1. In providing all things necessary for his Soul and Body concerning this life and that which is to come so that he shall be sure ever either to have enough or patience to be content with that he hath 2. In that God gives his Holy Angels as Ministers a charge to attend upon him always for his good yea in danger to pitch their Tents about him for his safety where ever he be Yea GOD's Protection shall defend him as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night and his providence shall hedge him from the power of the Devil 3. In that the eyes of the Lord are upon him and his ears continually open to see his state and to hear his complaint and in his good time to deliver him out of all his troubles Thus far of the blessed Estate of the Godly and Regenerate Man in this life Now of his blessed Estate in Death 2. Meditations of the blessed Estate of a Regenerate Man in his Death WHen GOD sends Death as his Messenger for the Regenerate Man he meets him half the way to Heaven for his conversation and affection is there before him Death is neither strange nor fearful unto him Not strange because he died daily not fearful because whilst he lived he was dead and his life was hid with God in Christ. To die unto him therefore is nothing else in effect but to rest from his labour in this world to go home to his Father's house unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Whilst his body is sick his mind is sound for God maketh all his bed in his sickness and strengtheneth him with Faith and Patience upon his bed of sorrow And when he begins to enter into the way of all the World he giveth like Jacob Moses and Joshua to his Children and Friends godly Exhortations and Counsels to serve the true God to worship him truly all the days of their life His blessed Soul breatheth nothing but blessings and such speeches as savour a sanctified spirit As his outward man decayeth so his inward man increaseth and waxeth stronger When the speech of his Tongue faltereth the sighs of his heart speak louder unto God when the sight of the eyes faileth the Holy Ghost illuminates him inwardly with abundance of spiritual light His Soul feareth not but is bold to go out of the Body and to dwell with her Lord. He sigheth out with Paul Cupio dissolvi I desire to to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And with David As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God He prayeth with the Saints How long O Lord which art holy and true Come Lord JESVS come quickly And when the appointed time of his dissolution is come knowing that he goeth to his Father and redeemer in the peace of a good Conscience and the assured perswasion of the forgiveness of all his sins in the blood of the Lamb he sings with blessed old Simeon his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. And surrenders up his Soul as it were with his own hands into the hands of his heavenly Father saying with David Into thy hands O Father I commend my Soul for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth And saying with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit He no sooner yields up his sacred Ghost but immediately the holy Angels who attended upon him from his Birth unto his Death carry and accompany his Soul into Heaven as they did the Soul of Lazarus into Abraham's bosom which is the Kingdom of Heaven whither only good Angels and good works do accompany the Soul the one to deliver their charge the other to receive their reward The Body in convenient time as the sanctified Temple of the Holy Ghost the Members of Christ nourished by his Body the price of the blood of the Son of God is by his fellow Brethren reverently laid to sleep in his grave as in the Bed of Christ in an assured hope to awake in the Resurrection of the Just at the last Day to be partaker with the Soul of life and glory everlasting And in this respect not only the Souls but the very Bodies of the Faithful also are termed blessed Thus far of the Blessedness of the Soul and Body of the regenerate Man in death Now let us see the Blessedness of his Soul and Body after death 3. Meditations of the Blessed Estate of the Regenerate Man after Death THis Estate hath Three Degrees 1. From the Day of Death to the Resurrection 2. From the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the Sentence 3. After the Sentence which lasts eternally As soon as ever the regenerate Man hath yielded up his Soul unto Christ the holy Angels take her into their Custody and
that God should forget to save thee in thy death who art so unmindful now to serve him in thy life the fear of Death will drive many at that time to cry Lord Lord but Christ protesteth that he will not then know them for his Yea many shall then like Esau with tears seek to repent and yet find no place of repentance For Man hath not free-will to repent when he will but when God will give him grace And if Mercy shewed her self so inexorable that she would not open her gates to so tender suitors as Virgins to so earnest suitors as kneâ—kers because they knocked too late How thinkest thou that she will ever suffer thee to enter her gates being so impure a wretch that nâ—ver thinkest to leave sin till sin first leaveth thee and didst never yet knock with thine own fists upon the breasts of a penitent heart and justly doth her grace deny to open the gates of Heaven when thou knockest in thine adversity who in thy prosperity wouldest not suffer Christ whilst he knocked to enter in at the door of thy heart Trust not either late repentance or long life not late repentance because it is much to be feared lest that the repentance which the fear of Death enforceth dies with a man dying And the Hypocrite who deceived others in his life may deceive himself in his death God accepteth none but free-will offerings and the repentance that pleaseth him must be voluntary and not of constraint Not long life for old age will fall upon the neck of youth and as nothing is more sure than Death so nothing is more uncertain than the time of dying Yea often times when ripeness of sin is hastened by outragiousness of sinning God suddenly cutteth off such vicious livers either with the sword intemperateness luxury surfeit or some other fearful manner of sickness Mayst thou not see that it is the evil spirit that persuades thee to deferr thy repentance till old Age when experience tells thee that not one of a thousand that takes thy course doth ever attain unto it Let Goa's holy Spirit move thee not to give thy self any longer to eat and drink with the drunken lest thy master send death for thee in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an hour that thou art not aware of and so suddenly cut thee off and appoint thee thy portion with the hâ—pocrites where shall be weeping aâ—d gnashing of teeth But if thou lovest long life fear God and long for life everlasting The longest life here when it is come to the Period will appear to have been but as a tale that is told a vanishing vapour a flitting shadow a seeming dream a glorious flower growing and flourishing in the morning but in the evening cut down and withered or like a Weavers shuttle which by winding here and there swiftly unwinded it self to an end It is but a moment saith St. Paul O then the madness of Man that for a moment of sinful pleasure will hazard the loss of an Eternal weight of glory These are the seven chief hinderers of Piety which must be cast out like Mary Magdalen 's seven Devils before ever thou canst become a true Practicer of Piety or have any sound hope to enjoy either favour from Christ by grace or fellowship with him in glory The Conclusion TO conclude all for as much as thou seest that without Christ thou art but a slave of sin Death's Vassal and Worms Meat whose thoughts are vain whose deeds are vile whose pleasures have scarce beginnings whose miseries never know end what wise Man would incurr these helâ—ish torments tho' he might by living in sin purchase to himself for a time the Empire of Augustus the riches of Croesus the pleasures of Solomon the policy of Achitophel the voluptuous fair and fine apparel of Dives for what should it avail a Man as our Saviour saith to win the whole world far a time and then to lose his soul in hell for ever And seeing that likewise thou seest how great is thy happiness in Christ and how vain are the hindrances that debar thee from the same bâ—ware as the Apostle exhorteth of the deceitfulness of sin For that sin which seems now to be so pleasing to thy corrupt nature will one day prove the bitterest enemy to thy distressed soul and in the mean while harden unawares thine impenitent heart Sin as a Serpent seems beautiful to the eye but take heed of the sting behind whose venomous Effects if thou knewest thou wouldest as carefully fly from sin as from a Serpent For 1. Sin did never any Man good and the more sin a Man hath committed the more odious he hath made himself to God the more hateful to all good Men. 2. Sin brought upon thee all the evil crosses losses disgraces and sicknesses that ever befel thee Fools saith David by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted Jeremy in lamenting manner asketh the question Wherefore is the living man sorrowful The Holy Ghost answereth him Man suffereth for his sin Hereupon the Prophet takes up that doleful out-cry against sin as the cause of all their miseries Wo now unto us that ever we have sinned 3 If thou dost not speedily repent thee of thy sins they will bring upon thee yet far greater plagues losses crosses shame and judgments than ever hitherto befel thee Read Levit. 26. ver 18 c. Deut. 28 15 c. 4. And lastly if thou wilt not cast off thy sin God when the measure of thine iniquity is full will cast thee off for thy sin for as he is just so he hath power to kill and cast into hell all hardened and impenitent sinners If therefore thou wilt avoid the cursed effects of sin in this life and the eternal wrath due thereto in the world to come and be assured that thou art not one of those who are given over to a reprobate sense Let then O sinner my counsel be acceptable unto thee break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy towards the poor O let there at length be an healing of thine error Nathan used but one Parable and David was converted Jonas preached but once to Nineveh and the whole City repented Christ looked but once on Peter and be went out and wept bitterly And now that thou art oft and so lovingly intreated not by a Prophet but by Christ the Lord of Prophets yea that God himself by his Embassadors doth pray thee to be reconciled unto him leave off thine adultery with David repent of thy sins like a true Ninevite and whilst Christ looketh in mercy upon thee leave thy wicked companions and weep bitterly for thine offences Content not thy self with that formal Religion which unregenerated Men have framed to themselves instead of
grace and mercy Yea we read of many in the Gospel that by sicknesses and afflictions were driven to câ—me unto Christ who if they had had health and prosperity as others would have like others neglected or contemn'd their Saviour and never have sought unto him for his saving health and grace For as the Ark of Noah the higher it was tossed with the Flood the nearer it mounted towards Heaven so the sanctified Soul the more it is exercised with affliction the nearer it is lifted towards God O blessed is that Cross that draweth a sinner to come upon the knees of his heart unto Christ to confess his own misery and to implore his endless mercy Oh blessed ever blessed be that Christ that never refuseth the sinner that cometh unto him though weather-driven by affliction and misery 7. Affliction worketh in us pity and compassion towards our fellow brethren that be in distress and misery whereby we learn to have a fellow-feeling of their Calamities and to condole their estate as if we suffer'd with them And for this cause Christ himself would suffer and be tempted in all things like unto us sin only excepted that he might be a merciful High Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities For none can so heartily bemoan the misery of another as he who first suffered himself the same affliction Hereupon a Sinner in misery may boldly say unto Christ Non ignare mali miseris succurito Christe Our frailty sith O Christ thou didst perceive Condole our state who still in frailty cleave 8. God useth our sicknesses and afflictions as means and examples both to manifest unto others the faith and vertues which he hath bestowed upon us as also to strengthen those who have not received so great a measure of Faith as we For there can be no greater encouragement to a weak Christian than behold a true Professor in the extreamest sickness of his Body supported with greater patience and consolation in his Soul And the comfortable and blessed departure of such a man will arm him against the fear of death and assure him that the hope of the godly is a far more precious thing than that flesh and blood can understand or mortal eyes behold in this vale of misery And were it not that we did see many of those whom we know to be the undoubted Children of God to have endured such afflictions and calamities before us the greatness of the miseries and crosses which oft-times we endure would make us doubt whether we be the Children of God or no. And to this purpose St. James saith God made Job and the Prophets an example of suffering adversity and of long patience 9. By afflictions God makes us conformable to the Image of Christ his Son who being the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through sufferings And therefore he first bare the Cross in shame before he was crowned with glory and did first taste gall before he did eat the honey-comb and was first derided King of the Jews by the Soldiers in the High-Priests Hall before he was saluted King of Glory by the angels in his Father's Court. And the more lively our Heavenly Father shall perceive the Image of his natural Son to appear in us the better he will love us and when we have for a time born his likeness in his sufferings and fought and overcome we shall be crowned by Christ and with Christ sit on his Throne and of Christ receive the precious white Stone and morning Star that shall make us shine like Christ for ever in his Glory 10. Lastly That the godly may be humbled in respect of their own state and misery and God glorified by delivering them out of their Troubles and Afflictions when they call upon him for his help and succour For though there be no Man so pure but if the Lord will straitly mark Iniquities he shall find in him just cause to punish him for his sin yet the Lord in mercy doth not always in the affliction of his Children respect their sins but sometimes layeth afflictions and crosses upon them for his glories sake Thus our Saviour Christ told his Disciples That the man was not born blind for his own or his Parents sin but that the work of God should be shewed on him So he told them likewise that Lazarus's sickness was not unto the death but for the glory of God O the unspeakable goodness of God which turneth those afflictions which are the shame and punishment due to our sins to be the subject of his honour and glory These are the blessed and profitable ends wherefore God sendeth sickness and affliction upon his Children whereby it may plainly appear that afflictions are not signs either of God's hatred or of our reprobation but rather tokens and pledges of his fatherly love unto his Children whom he loveth and therefore chasteneth them in this life where upon repentance there remains hope of pardon rather than to refer the punishment to that life where there is no hope of pardon nor end of punishment For this cause the Christians in the Primitive Church were wont to give God great thanks for afflicting them in this life So the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's Name Acts 5. 41. And the Christian Hebrews suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10. 34. And in respect of those holy Ends the Apostle saith That though no affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness to them who are thereby exercised Pray therefore heartily that as God hath sent unto thee this sickness so it would please him to come himself unto thee with thy sickness by teaching thee to make those sanctified uses of it for which he hath inflicted the same upon thee Meditations for one that is recovered from Sickness IF God hath of his mercy heard thy Prayers and restored thee to thy health again consider with thy self 1. That thou hast now received from God as it were another life Spend it therefore to the honour of God in newness of life Let thy sin die with thy sickness but live thou by grace to holiness 2. Be not the more secure that thou art restored to health neither insult in thy self that thou hast escaped Death but think rather that God seeing how unprepared thou wast hath of his mercy heard thy Prayer spared thee and given thee some little longer time of respite that thou maist both amend thy life and put thy self in a better readiness against the time that he shall call for thee without further delay out of this World For though thou hast escaped this it may be thou shalt not escape the next sickness 3. Consider how fearful a reckoning
Israelites to convey them to Canaan's possession so death to the wicked is a sink to hell and condemnation but to the godly the gate to everlasting life and salvation And one day of a blessed death will make amends for all the sorrows of a bitter life When therefore thou perceivest thy soul departing from thy body pray with thy Tongue if thou canst else pray in thy heart and mind these words fixing the eyes of thy soul upon Jesus Christ thy Saviour A Prayer at the yielding up of the Ghost O Lamb of God which by thy blood hast taken away the sins of the world have mercy upon me a sinner Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen When the sick party is departing let the faithful that are present kneel down and commend his soul to God in these or the like words O Gracious God and merciful Father who art our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble lift up the light of thy favourable countenance at this Instant upon thy servant that now cometh to appear in thy presence wash away good Lord all his sins by the merits of Christ Jesus's blood that they may never be laid to his charge Increase his faith preserve and keep safe his soul from the danger of the Devil and his Wicked Angels Comfort him with thy Holy Spirit cause him now to feel that thou art his loving Father and that he is thy child by Adoption and Grace Save O Christ the price of thine own blood and suffer him not to be lost whom thou hast bought so dearly Receive his soul as thou didst the penitent thief into thy heavenly Paradise Let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither as they carried the soul of Laâ—arus and grant unto him a joyful resurrection at the last day O Father hear us for him and hear thine own Son our only Mediator that sits at thy right hand for him and us all even for the merits of that bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for us In confidence whereof we now recommend his soul into thy fatherly hands in that blessed Prayer which our Saviour hath taught us in all times of our troubles to say unto thee Our Father c. Thus far of the Practice of Piety in dying in the Lord. Now followeth the Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord. THE Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord is termed Martyrdom Martyrdom is the testimony which a Christian beareth to the Doctrine of the Gospel by enduring any kind of death to invite many and to confirm all to embrace the truth thereof To this kind of death Christ hath promised a Crown Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life Which promise the Church so firmly believed that they termed martyrdom it self a Crown And God to animate Christians to this excellent prize would by a prediction that Stephen the first Christian Martyr should have his name of a Crown Of Martyrdom there are Three kinds 1. Solâ voluntate in will only as John the Evangelist who being boiled in a Cauldron of Oil came out rather annointed than sod and died of old age at Ephesus 2. Solo opere in deed only as the Innocents of Bethlehem 3. Voluntate opere both in will and deed as in the Primitive Church Stephen Polycarpus Ignatius Laurentius Romanus Antiochianus and thousands And in our days Cranmer Latimer Hooper Ridley Farrar Bradford Philpot Sanders Glover Taylor and others innumerable whose fiery zeal to God's Truth brought them to the flames of Martyrdom to seal Christ's Faith It is not the cruelty of the death but the innocency and holiness of the cause that maketh a Martyr Neither is an erroneous Conscience a sufficient warrant to suffer Martyrdom because Science in God's Word must direct Conscience in man's heart For they who killed the Apostles in their erroneous Consciences thought they did God good service and Paul of zeal breathed out slaughters against the Lord's Saints Now whether the cause of our Seminary Priests and Jesuits be so holy true and innocent as that it may warrant their Conscience to suffer death and to hazard their eternal salvation thereon let Paul's Epistle written to the ancient Christian Romans but against our new Antichristian Romans be judge And it will plainly appear that the Doctrine which St. Paul taught to the ancient Church of Rome is ex diametro opposite in 26 fundamental points of true Religion to that which the new Church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth For St. Paul taught the Primitive Church of Rome 1. That our Election is of God's free Grace and not ex operibus praevisis Rom. 9. 11. Rom. 11. 5 6. 2. That we are justified before God by faith only without good works Rom. 3. 20 28. Rom. 4. 2 c. Rom. 1. 17. 3. That the good works of the regenerate are not of their own condignity meritorious nor such as can deserve Heaven Rom. 8. 18. Rom. 11. 6. Rom. 6. 23. 4. That these Books only are God's Oracles and Canonical Scripture which were committed to the custody and credit of the Jews Rom. 3. 2. Rom. 1. 2. Rom. 16. 26. such were never the Apocrypha 5. That the Holy Scriptures have God's authority Rom. 9. 17. Rom. 3. 4. Rom. 11. 32. conferred with Gal. 3. 22. Therefore above the authority of the Church 6. That all as well Laity as Clergy that will be saved must familiarly read or know the Holy Scripture Rom. 15. 4. Rom. 10. 1 2 8. Rom. 16. 26. 7. That all Images made of the true God are very Idols R. 1. 23. R. 2. 22. conferr'd 8. That to bow the knee religiously to an Image or to worship any Creature is meer Idolatry R. 11. 4. and a lying service R. 1. 25. 9. That we must not pray unto any but to God only in whom we believe Rom. 10. 13 14. Rom. 8. 15 27. therefore not to Saints and Angels 10. That Christ is our only intercessor in Heaven Rom. 8. 34 Rom. 5. 2 Rom. 16. 27. 11. That the only Sacrifice of Christians is nothing but the spiritual Sacrificing of their souls and bodies to serve God in holiness and righteousness R. 12. 1 R. 15. 16. therefore no real sacrificing of Christ in the Mass. 12. That the religious worship called dulia as well as latria belongeth to God alone Rom. 1. 9. Rom. 12. 11. R. 16. 18. conferr'd 13. That all Christians are to pray unto God in their own native language R. 14. 11. 14. That we have not of our selves in the state of corruption free will unto good Rom. 7. 18 c. Rom. 9. 16. 15. That Concupiscence in the regenerate is sin Rom. 7. 7 8 10. 16. That the Sacraments do not confer grace ex opere operato but sign and seal that â—t is conferred already unto us Rom. 4. 11 12. Rom. 2. 28 29. 17. That every
estate for evermore Therefore it is termed everlasting life and Christ saith that our joy no man shall take from us All other joys be they never so great have an end Ahasuerus's Feast lasted an hundred and eighty days but he and it and all his joys are gone For mortal man to be assumed to heavenly glory to be associated to Angels to be satiated with an delights and joys but for a time were much but to enjoy them for ever without intermission of end who can hear it and not admire it who can muse of it and not â—e amazed at it All the Saints of Christ as soon as they felt once but a true taste of these eternal joys counted all the riches and pleasures of this life to be but loss and dung in respect of that And therefore with uncessant prayers fastings alms-deeds tears faith and good life they laboured to ascertain themselves of this eternal life and for the love thereof they willingly either sold or parted with all their earthly goods and possessions Christ calleth all Christians Merchants Luke 19. and Eternal Life a precious Pearl which a wise Merchant will purchase tho' it cost him all that he hath Matth. 13. Alexander hearing the report of the great riches of the Eastern Country divided forthwith among his Captains and Soldiers all his Kingdom of Macedonia He phaestion asking him what he meant in so doing Alexander answered That he preferr'd the riches of India whereof he hoped shortly to be master before all that his Father Philip had left him in Macedonia And should not Christians then preferr the eternal riches of Heaven so greatly renowned which they shall enjoy ere long before the corruptible trash of the Earth which lasts but for a season Abraham and Sarah left their own Country and Possessions to look for a City whose builder and maker is God and therefore bought no Land but only a place of Burial David preferred one day in this place before a thousand elsewhere yea to be a door-keeper in the house of God rather than to dwell in the richest Tabernacles of wickedness Elias earnestly besought the Lord to receive his Soul into his Kingdom and went willingly tho in a fiery Chariot thitherâ— St. Paul having once seen Heaven continually desired to be dissolved that he might be with Christ. St. Peter having espied but a glimpse of that eternal glory in the Mount wished â—hat he might dwell there all the days of his life saying Master it is good for us to be here How much better doth Peter now think it to be in Heaven it self Christ a little before his death prayeth his Father to receive him into that excellent Glory And the Apostle witnesseth that for the joy which was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the shame If a Man did but once see those joys if it were possible he would endure a hundred deaths to enjoy that happiness but one day Saint Augustine saith That he would be content to endure the torments of hell to gain this joy rather than to lose it Ignatius St. Paul's Scholar Being threatned as he was going to suffer with the cruelty of Torments answered with great courage of Faith Fire Gallows Beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body all the torments of the devil together let them come upon me so I may enjoy my Lord Jesus and his Kingdom The same constancy shewed Polycarp who could not by any terrours of any kind of death be moved to deny Christ in the least measure With the like resolution answered Basil his persecutors when they would terrifie him with death I will never said he fear Death which can do no more than restore me to him that made me If Ruth left her own Country and followed Naâ—â—i her Mother-in-law to go and dwell with her in the land of Canaan which was by a type of Heaven only upon the fame which she heard of the God of Israel though she had no promise of any portion therein how shouldst thou follow thy holy Mother the Chruch to go unto Christ into the heavenly Canaan wherein God hath given thee an eternal inheritance assured by an holy Covenaâ—t made in the word of God signed with the Blood of his Son and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments this shall be rhine eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven where thy life shall be a communion with the blessed Trinity thy joy the presence of the Lamb thy exercise singing thy ditty hallelujah thy consorts Saints and Angels where youth flâ—urisheth that never waxeth old beauty lasteth that never fadeth love aboundeth that never cooleth health continueth that never slacketh and â—ife remaineth that never endeth Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himself without delay the aforesaid knowledge of God and himself THou seest therefore O Man how wretched and cursed thy state is by corruption of â—â—ture without Christ insomuch that whereas the Scriptures do liken wicked men unto Lions Bears Bulls Horses Dogs and such like savage Creatures in their lives it is certain that the condition of an unregenerate man is in his Death more vile than a Dog or the filthiest Creature in the World For the Beast being made but for Man's use when he dieth endeth all his miseries with his death But Man endued with a reasonable and immortal soul made after God's image to serve God when he ends the miseries of this life must account for all his misdeeds and begin to endure these miseries that never shall know end No creature but man is liable to yield at his death an account for his life The brute creatures not having reason shall not be required to make any account for their deeds and good Angels tho' they have reason yet shall they yield no account because they have no sin And as for evil Angels they are without all hope already condemned so that they need not make any further accounts Man only in his death must be God's accountant for his life On the other side thou seest O Man how happy and blessed thy estate is being truly reconciled unto God in Christ in that through the restauration of God's Image and thy restitution into thy soveraignty over other creatures thou art in this life little inferiour to the Angels and shall be in the life to come equal to the Angels Yea in respect of thy Nature exalted by a personal Vnion to the Son of God and by him to the glory of the Trinity superior to the Angels a Fellow-Brother with Angels in spiritual Grace and everlasting Glory Thou hast seen how glorious and perfect God is and how that all thy chief bliss and happiness consisteth in having an eternal Communion with his Majesty Now therefore O impenitent sinner in the bowels of Christ Jesus I intreat thee nay I conjure thee as thou tenderest thy own salvation seriously
to Consider with me how false how vain how vile are those things which still retain and chain thee in this wretched and cursed estate wherein thou livest and do hinder thee from the favour of God and the hope of eternal life and happiness Meditations on the hindrances which keep back a Sinner from the Practice of Piety THose hindrances are chiefly seven 1. An ignorant mistaking of the true meaning of certain places of the holy Scriptures and some other chief grounds of Christian Religion The Scriptures mistaken are these 1. Ezek. 33. 13 16. At what time soever a sinner repenteth him of his sin I will blot out all c. Hence the carnal Christian gathereth that he may repent when he will It is true whensoever a sinner doth repent God will forgive but the Text saith not that a sinner may repent whensoever he will but when God will give him Grace Many saith the Scripture when they would have repented were rejected and could not repent tho' they sought it carefully with tears What comfort yields this Text to thee who hast not repented nor knowest whether thou shalt have grace to repent hereafter 2. Matth. 11. 26. Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Hence the lewdest man collects that he may come unto Christ when he list But he must know that no man ever comes to Christ but he who as Peter saith Having known the way of righteousness hath escaped the pollutions of this world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To come unto Christ is to repent and believe and this no man can do unless his heavenly Father draweth him by his grace 3. Rom 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus True but they are such who walk not after the flesh as thou dost but after the Spirit which thou didst never yet resolve to do 4. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners c. True but such sinners who like St. Paul are converted from their wicked life not like thee who still continuest in thy lewdness For that Grace of God which bringeth salvation unto all men teacheth us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 5. Prov. 24. 16. A just man falleth seven times in a day and riseth c. In a day is not in the Text which means not falling into sin but falling into trouble which his malicious enemy plots against the just and from which God delivers him And though it meant falling in and rising out of sin what is this to thee whose falls all men may see every day but neither God nor Man can at any time see thy rising again by repentance 6. Isa. 64. 6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Hence the Carnal Christian gathers that seeing the best works of the best Saints are no better then his are good enough and therefore he needs not much grieve that his devotions are so imperfect But Isaiah means not in this place the righteous Works of the Regenerate as fervent Prayers in the name of God charitable Alms from the bowels of mercy suffering in the Gospel's defence the spoil of Goods and spilling of Blood and such works which Saint Paul calls the fruits of the Spirit But the Prophet making an humble confession in the name of the Jewish Church when she had fallen from God to Idolatry acknowledgeth that whilst they were by their filthy sins separated from God as Lepers are by their infected sores and polluted cloaths from Men their chiefest Righteousness could not but be abominable in his sight And though our best works compared with Christ's righteousness are no better than unclean rags yet in God's acceptation for Christ's sake they are called white rayment yea pure sine linen and shining far unlike the Leopard's spots and filthy garments 7. James â— 2. In many things we sin all True but God's Children sin not in all things as thou dost without either bridling their lusts or mortifying their corruptions and though the relicks of sin remain in the dearest children of God that they had need daily to cry Our Father which art in heaven forgive us our trespasses yet in the New Testament none are properly called Sinners but the unregenerate but the Regenerate in respect of their Zealous endeavour to serve God in unfeigned holiness are every where called Saints Insomuch that St. John saith that whosoever is born of God sinneth not that is liveth not in wilful filthiness suffering sin to reign in him as thou dost Deceive not thy self with the name of a Christian whosoever liveth in any customary gross sin he liveth not in the state of grace Let therefore saith St. Paul every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The regenerate sin but upon â—railty they repent and God doth pardon therefore they sin not to death The Reprobate sin maliciously sinfully and delight there in so that by their good will sin shall leave them before they leave it They will not repent and God will not pardon Therefore their sins are mortal saith St. John or rather immortal as saith St. Paul Rom. 2. 5. It is no excuse therefore to say we are all sinners True Christians thou seest are all Saints 8. Luke 23. 43. The Thief converted at the last gasp was received to Paradise what then If I may have but time to say when I am dying Lord have mercy upon me I shall likewise be saved But what if thou shalt not And yet many in that day shall say Lord Lord and the Lord will not know them The Thief was saved for he repented but his fellow had no grace to repent and was damned Beware therefore lest trusting to too late repentance at thy last end on Earth thou be not driven to repent too late without end in Hell 9. 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin And 1 John 2. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous c. Oh comfortable But hear what Sâ— John saith in the same place My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not If therefore thou leavest thy sin these Comforts are thine else they belong not to thee 10. Rom. 5. 20. Where sin abounded grace did abound much more O sweet But hear what St. Paul addeth What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6. 1 2. This place teacheth us not to presume but that we should not despair None therefore of these Promises promiseth any grace to any but to the penitent heart The grounds of Religion mistaken are these 1. From the Doctrine of Justification
by Faith only a carnal Christian gathereth That good works are not necessary He commends others that do good works but he persuades himself that he shall be saved by his Faith without doing any such matter But he should know that though good works are not necessary to justification yet they are necessary to salvation for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath predestinated that we should walk in them Whosoever therefore in years of discretion bringeth not forth good works after he is called he cannot be saved neither was he ever predestinated to life eternal Therefore the Scripture saith that Christ will reward every man according to his works Christ respects in the Angels of the seven Churches nothing but their works and at the last day he will give the heavenly inheritance only to them who have done good works in feeding the hungry clothing the naked c At that day righteousness shall wear the Crown No righteousness no crown no good works according to a man's talent no reward from God unless it be vengeance To be rich in good works is the surest foundation of our assurance to obtain eternal liâ—e For good works are the true fruits of a true faith which apprehendeth Christ and his obedience unto salvation And no other faith availeth in Christ but that which worketh by love and but in the act of justification that faith which only justifieth is never alone but ever accompanied with good works as the Tree with his fruits the Sun with his light the fire with his heat the water with his moisture And the faith which doth not justifie her self by good works before men is but a dead faith which will never justifie a man's soul before God But a justifying faith purifieth the heart and sanctifieth the whole man throughout II From the Doctrine of God's eternal Predestination and unchangeable Decree he gathereth that if he be predestinated to be saved he cannot but be saved if to be damned no means can do any good Therefore all works of Piety are but in vain But he should learn that God hath predestinated to the means as well as to the end Whom therefore God hath predestinated to be saved which is the end he hath likewise predestinated to be first called justified and made conformable to the Image of his Son which is the means And the saith St. Peter who are elect unto salvation are also elect unto the sanctification of the spirit If therefore upon thy calling thou conformest thy self to the Word and Example of Christ thy Master and obeyest the good motions of the Holy Spirit in leaving sin and living a godly life then assure thy self that thou art one of those who are infallibly predestinated to everlasting salvation If otherwise blame not God's predestination but thine own sin and rebellion Do thou but return unto God and God will graciously receive thee as the Father did the prodigal Son and by thy conversion it shall appear both to Angels and Men that thou didst belong to his Election If thou wilt not why should God save thee III. When a carnal Christian hears that Man hath not free will unto good he looseth the reins to his own corrupt will as tho' it lay not in him to bridle or to subdue it Implicitly making God the Author of sin in suffering Man to run into this necessity But he should know that God gave Adam free-will to stand in his integrity if he would Man abusing his free-will lost both himself and it Since the Fall Man in his state of corruption hath free-will to evil but not to good for in this state we are not saith the Apostle sufficient to think a good thought And God is not bound to restore us what we lost so wretchedly and take no more care to recover again But as soon as a Man is regenerated the grace of God freeth his will unto good so that he doth all the good things he doth with a free-will For so the Apostle saith That God of his own good pleasure worketh both the will and the deed in us who as the Apostle expoundeth cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and finish our sanctification in the fear of God And in this state every true Christian hath free-will and as he increaseth in grace so doth his will in freedom for when the Son shall make us free then shall we be free indeed and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty for the holy spirit draws their minds not by coaction but by the Cords of Love Cant. 1. 4. by illuminating their minds to know the truth by changing their hearts to love the known truth and by enabling every one of them according to the measure of grace which he hath received to do the good which he loveth but thou wilt not use the freedom of thy will so far as God hath freed it for thou dost many times wilfully against God's Law to the hazard of thy Soul that which if the King's Laws forbid under the penalty of death or loss of thy worldly Estate thou wouldst not do Make not therefore thy want of free-will unto good to be so much the cause of thy sin as thy want of a loving heart to serve thy heavenly Father IV. When the natural man hears that no man since the Fall is able to fulfil the Law of God and keep all his Commandments he boldly presumes to sin as others do he contents himself with a few good thoughts and if he be not altogether as bad as the worst he concludes that he is as truly regenerate as the best And every voluntary refusal of doing good or withstanding evil he counts the impossibility of the Law But he should learn that though since the Fall no man but Christ who was both God and Man did or can perfectly fulfil the whole Law yet every true Christian as soon as he is regenerated begins to keep all God's Commandments in truth though he cannot in absolute perfection Thus with David they apply their hearts to fulfil God's Commandments always unto the end And then the spirit of grace which was promised to be more abundantly poured forth under the Gospel helpeth them in their good endeavours and assisteth them to do what he commands them to do And in so doing God accepteth their good will and endeavour instead of perfect fulfilling of the Law supplying out of the merits of Christ who fulfilled the Law for us whatsoever wanteth in our obedience And in this respect Saint John saith that God's Commandments are not burthenous And St. Paul saith I am able to do all things through the help of him that strengtheneth me And Zachary and Elizabeth are said to walk in all the Commandments of the Lord
a bare remembrance What trust should a man repose in long life seeing the whole life of man is nothing but a lingring death so that as the Apostle protests a man dieth daily Hark in thine ear O secure fellow thy life is but a puff of breath in thy nostrils trust not to it Thy Soul dwells in a house of clay that will fall ere it be long as may appear by the dimness of thy eyes the deafness of thy ears the wrinkles in thy cheeks the rottenness of thy teeth the weakness of thy sinews the trembling of thy hands the kalender in thy bones the shortness of thy sleep and every gray hair as so many Summoners bids thee prepare for thy long home Come let us in the mean while walk to thy Fathers Coffin break open the lid see here how that corruption is thy Father and the worm thy Mother and Sister seest thou how these are so must thou be ere long fool thou knowest not how soon Thy Hour-glass runneth apace and in all places Death in the mean while waiteth for thee The whole life of man save what is spent in God's service is but a foolery for a man lives forty years before he knows himself to be a fool and by that time he seeth his folly his life is finished Hark Husbandman before thou seest many more crops of Harvest thy self shall be ripe and Death will cut thee down with his sickle Hark Tradseman ere many six months go over thy last month will come on after which thou shalt trace away and trade no longer Hark most grave Judge within a few terms the term of thy life approacheth wherein thou shalt cease to judge others and go thy self to be judged Hark O man of God that goest to the Pulpit preach this Sermon as it were thy last that thou shouldest make to thy people Hark Noble man lay aside the high conceit of thy honour Death ere it be long will lay thine honour in the dust and make thee as base as the Earth that thou treadest under thy feet Hark thou that now readest this book assure thy self ere it be long there will be but two holes where now thy two eyes are placed and others shall read the truth of this lesson upon thy bare Skull which now thou readest in this little book how soon I know not but this I am sure of that thy time is appointed thy months are determined thy days are numbred and thy very last hour is limited beyond which thou shalt not pass For then the first-horn of death mounted on his pale horse shall alight at thy door and notwithstanding all thy wealth and honour and the tears of thy dearest friends will carry thee away bound hand and foot as his Prisoner and keep thy body under a load of earth until that day come wherein thou must be brought forth to receive according to the things which thou hast done in the body whether it be good or evil O let not then the false hope of an uncertain long life hinder thee from becoming a present Practiser of religious Piety God offereth grace to day but who promiseth to morrow there are now in Hell many young Men who had purposed to repent in their old age but Death cut them off in their impenitency ere ever they could attain to the time they set for their repentance The longer a man runs in a disease the harder it is to be cured for custom of sin breeds hardness of heart and the impediments which hinder thee from repenting now will hinder thee more when thou art more aged A wise Man being to go a far and foul journey will not lay the heaviest burthen upon the weakest horse And with what conscience canst thou lay the great load of repentance on thy feeble and tired old age whereas now in thy chiefest strength thou canst not lift it but art ready to stagger under it Is it wisdom for him that is to sail a long and dangerous Voyage to lie playing and sleeping whilst the Wind serveth and the Sea is calm the Ship sound the Pilot well Mariners strong and then set forth when the Winds are contrary the Weather tempestuous the Sea raging the Ship rotten the Pilot sick and the Sailers languishing Therefore O sinful Soul begin now thy conversion to God whilst life health strength and youth last before those years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them God ever required in his service the first-boorn and the first-fruits and those to be â—ffered unto him without delay So just Abel offered unto God his firstlings and fattest Lambs and reason good that the best Lord should be first and best served All God's servants should therefore remember to serve their Creator in the days of their youth and early in the morning like Abraham to sacrifice unto God the Young Isaac of their Age. Ye shall not see my face saith Joseph to his Brethren except you bring your younger brother with you And how shalt thou look in the face of Jesus if thou givest thy younger years to the devil and bringest him nothing but thy blind lame and decrepid old age Offer it unto thy Prince saith Malachy If he will not accept such a one to serve him how shall the Prince of Princes admit such a one to be his servant If the King of Babel would have young men well favoured and such as had ability in them to stand in his palace shall the King of Heaven have none to stand in his Courts but the blind the lame such as the soul of David hated Thinkest thou when thou hast served Satan with thy prime years to satisfie God with thy dotage take heed lâ—st God turn thee over to thy old Master again that as thou hast all the days of thy life done his Work so he may in the end pay thee thy Wages Is that time fit to undertake by the serious exercises of repentance which is the work of works to turn thy sinful soul to God when thou art not able with all thy strength to turn thy weary bones on thy soft bed If thou find'st it so hard a matter now thou shalt find it far harder then For thy sin will wax stronger thy strength will grow weaker thy conscience will clog thee pain will distract thee the fear of death will amaze thee and the visitation of friends will so disturb thee that if thou be not furnished afore-hand with store of faith patience and consolation thou shalt not be able either to mediâ—ate thy self or to hear the word of comfort from others not to pray alone nor to joyn with others who pray for thee It may be thou shalt be taken with a dumb palsie or such a deadly senselesness that thou shall neither remember God nor think upon thine own estate and dost thou not well deserve
their sins and that they might be found ready at the coming of Christ. And how that David was not concent to pray at Morning at Evening and at Noon but he would also rise up at midnight to pray unto God And if Christ did chide his Disciples because they would not watch with him one hour in praying what chiding dost thou deserve who thinkest it too long to continue in prayer but one quarter of an hour If thou hast spent divers hours in seeing a vain Mask or Play yea whole days and nights in carding and dicing to please thy flesh be ashamed to think a Prayer of a quarter of an hour long to be too long an exercise for the service of God 5. Consider that if the Papists in their blind superstition do in an unknown and therefore unedifying Tongue fit only for the Children of mystical Babylon mutter over upon their Beads every morning and evening so many scores of Ave-Maries Pater-Nosters and idolatrous prayers how shall they in their superstitious devotion rise up in judgment against thee professing thy self to be a true worshipper of Christ If that thou thinkest these Prayers to be too long a task being shorter for quantity than theirs but far more profitable for quality tending only to God's glory and thy good and so compiled of Scripture phrase as that thou may'st speak to God as well in his own holy words as in thine own native language Be ashamed that Papists in their superstitious worshipping of creatures should shew themselves more devout than thou in the sincere worshipping of the true and only God And indeed a prayer in private devotion should be one continued speech rather than many broken fragments 6. Lastly When such thoughts come into thy head either to keep thee from prayer or to distract thee in praying remember that those are the Fowls which the evil one sends to devour the good seed and the carcases of thy spiritual Sacrifices but endeavour with Abraham to drive them away Yet notwithstanding if thou perceivest at some times that thy spirits are dull and thy mind not apt for Prayer and holy devotion strive not too much for that time but humbling thy self at the sense of thine infirmity and dulness knowing that God accepteth the willing mind tho' it be oppressed with the heaviness of the flesh endeavour the next time to recompence this dulness by redoubling the zeal and for the time present commend thy soul to God in this or the like short Prayer Another shorter Morning Prayer O Most gracious God and merciful Father I thine unworthy Servant do here acknowledge that as I have been born in sin so I have lived in iniquity and broken every one of thy Commandments in thought word and deed following the desires of mine own will and lusts of my flesh not caring to be governed by thy holy Word and Spirit and therefore I have justly deserved all shame and misery in this life and everlasting condemnation in hell-fire if thou shouldest but deal with me according to thy Justice and my desert Wherefore O heavenly Father I beseech thee for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake and for the Merits of that bitter Death and bloody Passion which I believe that he hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto me all my sins and deliver me from the shame and vengeance which is due to me for them And send thy Holy Spirit into my heart which may assure me that thou art my Father and that I am thy Child and that thou lovest me with an unchangeable love and let the same thy good Spirit lead me in thy truth and crucifie in me more and more all worldly and carnal lusts that my sins may more and more die in me and that I may serve thee in unfeigned righteousness and holiness this day and all the days of my life That when this mortal life is ended I may through thy mercy in CHRIST be made partaker of everlasting glory in thy heavenly Kingdom And here O Lord from the bottom of my heart I thank thee for all thy blessings which thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for electing me in thy love redeeming me by thy Son sanctifying me by thy Spirit and preserving me from my youth up until this present day and hour by thy most gracious providence I thaâ—k thee more especially for that thou hast defended me this night from all perils and dangers and hast brought me safe to the beginning of this day And now good Lord I beseech thee keep me this day from all evil that may hurt me and from falliâ—g into any gross sin that should offend thee Set thy fear before mine eyes and let thy spirit so rule my heart that all that I shall think do or speak this day may tend to thy glory the good of others and the peace of mine own conscience And to this end I commend my self and all my ways and actions together with all that do belong unto me unto thy gracious direction and protection praying thee to keep both them and me from all evil and to give a blessing to all our honest labours and endeavours Defend thy whole Church from the tyranny of the world and of Antichrist Preserve our gracious King from all conspiracies and treasons grant him a long and prosperous reign over us Bless our gracious Queen Mary Prince Charles the Lady Maâ—â— the Lady Elizabeth and her Princely â—â—sue endue them with thy grace and defend them from all evil Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with those graces and gifts which thou knowest necessary for their places Be favourable to all that fear thee and tremble at thy judgments comfort all those that are sick and comfortless Lord keep me in a continual readiness by faith and repentance â—or my last end that whether I live or die I may be found thine own to thine eternal glory and mine everlasting salvation through Jesus Christ my only Saviour In whose blessed name I beg these mercies at thy hands and give unto thee thy praise and glory in that praâ—er which he hath sanctifyed with his own lips saving Our Father which art in Heaven hallâ—â—â—d be thy Name c. Further Meditations to stir us up to Prayer in the Morning THink not any business or haste though never so great a sufficient excuse to omit prayer in the Morning but meditate 1. That the greater thy business is by so much the more need thou hast to pray for God's good speed and blessing thereon seeing it is certain that nothing can prosper without his blessing 2. That many a Man when he thought himself surest hath been soonest crossed so maist thou 3. That many a Man hath gone out of his door and never come in again Many a Man who rose well and lively in the morning hath been seen a dead Man ere night So may it befal thee and if thou
day 5. Praying for rest and protection that night 6. Remembering the state of the Church the King and the Royal Posterity our Ministers and Magistrates and all our Brethren visited or persecuted 7. Lastly commending thy self and all thine to his gracious custody All which thou maist do in these or the like words A Prayer for the Evening O Most gracious God and loving Father who art about my bed and knowest my down-lying and mine up-rising and art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and sincerity I wretched sinner do beseech thee to look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy and not to behold me as I am in my self For then thou shalt see but an unclean and defiled creature conceived in sin and living in iniquity so that I am ashamed to lift up mine eyes to heaven knowing how grievously I have sinned against heaven and before thee For O Lord I have transgressed all thy Commandments and righteous Laws not only through negligence and infirmity but oftentimes through willful presumption contrary to my knowledge yea contrary to the motions of thy Holy spirit reclaiming me from them so that I have wounded my conscience and grieved thy Holy Spirit by whom thou hast sealed me to the day of redemption Thou hast consecrated my soul and body to be the temples of the Holy Ghost I wretched sinner have defiled both with all manner of pollution and uncleanness My eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanity mine ears in hearing impure and unchaste speeches my tongue in leasing and evil speaking my hands are so full of impurity that I am ashamed to lift them up unto thee and my feet have carried me after mine own ways my understanding and reasoning which are so quick in all earthly matters are only blind and stupid when I come to meditate or discourse of spiritual and heavenly things my memory which should be the treasury of all goodness is not so apt to remember any thing as those things which are vile and vain Yea Lord by woful experience I find that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of mine heart are only evil continually And these my sins are more in number than the hairs upon mine head and they have grown over me like a loathsom leprosie that from the Crown of my head to the sole of my feet there remains no part which they have not infected They make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more abominable must I then appear in thy sight And the custom of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sin and pulled upon me such dullness of sense and hardness of heart that thy judgments denounced against my sins by the faithful Preachers of thy Word do not terrifie me to return unto thee by unfeigned repentance for them And if thou Lord shouldest but deal with me according to thy justice and my desert I should utterly be confounded and condemned But seeing that of thine infinite mercy thou hast spared me so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the bitter death and bloody passion sake which Jesus Christ hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto me all my sins and offences and open unto me that ever streaming fountain of the blood of Christ which thou hast promised to open under the New Testament to the penitent of the house of David that all my sins and uncleanness may be so bathed in his blood buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they may never be more seen to shame me in this life or to condemn me before thy Judgment-seat in the World which is to come And for as much O Lord as thou know'st that it is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert and seeing that it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to bid me to be such O my God give me grace to do what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt and thou shalt find me willing to do thy blessed will And to this end give unto me thine Holy Spirit which thou hast promised to give to the world's end unto all thine Elect people And let the same thy holy Spirit purge my heart heal my corruption sanctifie my nature and consecrate my soul and body that they may become the temples of the Holy Ghost to serve thee in righteousness and holiness all the days of my life that when by the direction and assistance of thy holy Spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may chearfully leave this world and resign my soul into thy Fatherly hands in the assured confidence of enjoying everlasting life with thee in thine heavenly Kingdom which thou hast prepared for thine elect Saints who love the Lord Jesus and expect his appearing In the mean while O Father I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit work in me such a serious repentance as that I may with tears lament my sins past with grief of heart be humble for my sins present and with all mine endeavour resist the like filthy sins in time to come And let the same thy holy Spirit likewise keep me in the Vnity of thy Church lead me in the truth of thy Word and preserve me that I never swerve from the same to Popery nor any other errour or false worship And let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may daily defend thy truth and set forth thy praise Increase in me those good gifts which of thy mercy thou hast already bestowed upon me and give unto me a patient spirit a chast heart a contented mind pure affections wise behaviour and all other graces which thou feest to be necessary for me to govern my heart in thy fear and to guide all my life in thy favour that whether I live or die I may live and die unto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render unto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thanks for all those blessings and benefits which so graciously and plentuously thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for this life and for that which is to come namely for mine Election Creation Redemption Vocation Justification Sanctification and Preservation from my child-hood until this present day and hour and for the firm hope which thou hast given me of my Glorification Likewise for my health wealth food raiment and prosperity and more especially for that thou hast defended me this day now past from all perils and dangers both of body and soul furnishing me with all necessary good things that I stand in need of And as thou hast ordained the day for
man to travel in and the night for him to take his rest so I beseech thee sanctifie unto me this night's rest and sleep that I may enjoy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit That so this dull and wearied body of mine being refreshed with moderate sleep and rest I may be the better enabled to walk before thee doing all such good works as thou hast appointed when it shall please thee by thy divine Power to waken me the next morning And whilst I sleep do thou O Lord who art the keeper of Israel that neither slamberest nor sleepest watch over me in thy holy providence to protect me from all dangers so that neither the evil Angels of Satan nor any wicked enemy may have any power to do me any harm or evil And to this end give a charge unto thy holy Angels that they at thine appointment may pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safety as thou hast promised that they should do about them that fear thy name And knowing that thy name is a strong Tower of defence unto all those that trust therein I here recommend my self and all that do belong unto me unto thy holy protection and custody If it be thy blessed will to call for me in my sleep O Lord for Christ his sake have mercy upon me and receive my soul into thy heavenly kingdom And if it be thy blessed pleasure to add more days unto my Life O Lord add more amendment unto my days and wean my mind from the love of the world and worldly vanities and cause me more and more to settle my conversation on heaven and heavenly things And perfect daily in me that good work which thou hast begun to the glory of thy Name and the salvation of my sinful soul. O Lord I beseech thee likewise save and defend from all evil and danger thy whole Church our King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the religious Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue keep them all in the sincerity of thy Truth and prosper them in all grace and happiness Bless the Nobility Ministers and Magistrates of these Churches and Kingdoms each of them with those graces which are expedient for their place and calling And be thou O Lord a comfort and consolation to all thy people whom thou hast thought meet to visit with any kind of sickness cross or calamity Hasten O Father the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Make me ever mindful of my last end and of the reckoning that I am to make unto thee therein and in the mean while careful so to foâ—â—ow Christ in the regeneration during this life as that with Christ I may have a portion in the resurrection of the just when this mortal life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou O Father knowest to be requisite and necessary for me I humbly beg and crave at thy hands in the name and meditation of Jesus Christ thy Son and in that form of Prayer which he himself hath taught me to say unto thee Our Father which art in Heaven c. Another short Evening Prayer O Eternal God and heavenly Father if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy Gospel and the examples of Peter Mary Magdalen the Publican the Prodigal child and many other penitent sinners that thou art so full of Compassion and so ready to forgive the greatest sinners who are heaviest laden with sin at what time soever they return unto thee with penitent hearts lamenting their sins and imploring thy grace I should despair for mine own sins and be utterly discouraged from presuming to come into thy presence considering the hardness of my heart the unruliness of my affections and the uncleanness of my conversation by means whereof I have trangressed all thy laws and deserved thy curse which might cause my body to be smitten with some fearful disease my soul to languish with the death of sin my good name to be traduced with scandalous reproaches and make mine estate liable to all manner of crosses and casualties And I confess O Lord that thy mercy is the cause that I have not been long ago confounded But O my God as thy mercy only staied thy judgment from falling upon me hitherto so I humbly beseech thee in the bowels of the mercy of Jesus Christ in whom only thou art well pleased that thou wilt not deal with me according to my deserts but that thou wouldst freely and fully remit unto me all my sins and transgressions and that thou wouldst wash them clean from me with the vertue of that most precious blood which thy Son Jesus Christ hath shed for me For he alone is the Phâ—sician and his blood only is the medicine that ean heal my sickness And he is the true brazen Serpent that can cure that poison wherewith the fiery Serpent of my sins have stung and poisoned my sick and wounded soul. And give me I beseech thee thine holy Spirit which may assure me of mine adoption and that may confirm my faith encrease my repentance enlighten my understanding purifie my heart rectifie my will and affections and so sanctifie me â—hroughout that my whole body soul and spiâ—it may be kept unblameable until the glorious â—oming of my Lord Jesus Christ. And now O Lord I give thee most hearty thanks â—nd praise for that thou hast this day preserved me from all harms and perils notwithstanding all my sins and ill deserts And I beseech thee likewise defend me â—his night from the roaring Lyon which â—ight and day seeketh to devour me Watch â—hou O Lord over me this night to keep â—e from his temptations and tyranny and â—et thy mercy shield me from his unappeaâ—ble rage and malice And to this end I â—ommend my self into thy hands and proâ—ection beseeching thee O my Lord and God not to suffer Satan nor any of his eâ—il members to have power to do unto me â—ny hurt or violence this night And grant â—ood Lord that whether I sleep or wake â—ve or die I may sleep wake live and die â—nto thee and to the glory of thy name â—nd the salvation of my soul. Lord bless â—nd defend all thy chosen People every â—here Grant our King a long and happy â—eign over us Bless our gracious Queen Mary with their Princely Progeny the â—ady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and â—er Princely Issue together with all our â—agistrates and Ministers comfort them â—ho are in misery need or sickness good â—ord give me grace to be one of those â—ise Virgins which may have my heart â—repared like a Lamp furnished with the 〈◊〉 of faith and light of good works to meet the Lord Jesus the sweet Bridegroom of my soul
iniquities are full he will make the land to spue out every Canaanite Religion then and the Service of God in a Family is the best building and surest entailing of House and Land to a Man and his Posterity for the righteous Man shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever As therefore thou desirest to have the blessing of God upon thy self and upon thy family either before or after thy own private devotions call every morning all thy family to some convenient room and first either read thy self unto them a Chapter in the Word of God or cause it to be read distinctly by some other If leisure serve thou maist admonish them of some remarkable notes and then kneeling down with them in reverent sort as is before described pray with them in this manner Morning Prayer for a Family O Lord our God and heavenly Father who art the only Creator and Governour of heaven and earth and all things therein contained we confess that we are unworthy to appear in thy sight and presence considering our manifold sins which we have committed against heaven and before thee and how that we have been born in sin and do daily break thy holy Laws and Commandments contrary to our knowledge and consciences albeit that we know that thou art our Creator who hast made us our Redeemer who hast bought us with the blood of thine only begotten Son and our Comforter who bestowest upon us all the good and holy graces which we enjoy in our souls and bodies And if thou should'st but deal with us as our wickedness and unthankfulness have deserved what other thing might we O Lord expect from thee but shame and confusion in this life and in the World to come wrath and everlasting condemnation Yet O Lord in the obedience of thy Commandment and in the confidence which we have in thy unspeakable and endless mercy in thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ we thy poor servants appealing from thy Throne of Justice where we are justly lost and condemned to thy Throne of grace where mercy reigneth to pardon abounding sin do from the bottom of our hearts most humbly beseech thee to remit and forgive unto us all our offences and misdeeds that by the virtue of the precious blood of Jesus Christ thine innocent Lamb which he so abundantly shed to take away the sins of the world all our sins both original and actual may be so cleansed and washed from us as that they may never be laid to our charge nor ever have power to rise up in judgment against us And we beseech thee good Fatherâ— for Christ his death and passions sake thaâ— thou wilt not suffer to fall upon us thaâ— fearful curse and vengeance which thy laâ—â— hath threatned and our sins have justly deserved And for as much O Lord as we arâ— taught by thy word that Idolaters Adulterrers covetous Men contentious Persons Drunkards Gluttons and such like inordinate livers shall not inherit the kingdom of God pour the grace of thy Holy Spirit into our hearts whereby we may be enlightned to see the filthiness of our sins to abhor them and may be more and more stirred up to live in newness of life and love of thy Majesty so that we may daily increase in the obedience of thy Word and in a conscionable care of keeping thy Commandments And now O Lord we render unto thee most hearty thanks for that thou hast elected created redeemed called justified and sanctified us in good measure in this life and given us an assured hope that thou wilt glorifie us in thy heavenly kingdom when this mortal life is ended Likewise we thank thee for our life health wealth liberty prosperity and peace especially O Lord for the continuance of thy holy Gospel among us and for sparing us so long and granting us so gracious a time of repentance Also we praise thee for all other thy mercies bestowed upon us more especially for preserving us this night past from all dangers that might have befaln our souls or bodies And seeing thou hast now brought us safe to the beginning of this day we beseech thee protect and direct us in the same Bless and defend us in our going out and coming in this day and evermore Shield us O Lord from the temptations of the Devil and grant us the custody of thy holy Angels to defend and direct us in all our ways And to this end we recommend our selves and all those that belong unto us and are abroad from us into thy hands and Almighty tuition Lord defend them from all evil prosper them in all graces and fill them with thy goodness Preserve us likewise this day from falling into any gross sin especially those whereunto our Natures are most prone Set a watch before the door of our lips that we offend not thy Majesty by any rash or false Oaths or by any lewd or lying Speeches give unto us patient Minds pure and chaste Hearts and all other graces of thy Spirit which thou knowest to be needful for us that we may the better be enabled to serve thee in holiness and righteousness And seeing that all Man's labour without thy blessing is in vain bless every one of us in our several places and callings direct thou the work of our hands upon us even prosper thou our handy-work for except thou guide us with thy grace our endeavours can have no good success And provide for us all things which thou O Father knowest to be needful for every one of us in our Souls and Bodies this day And grant that we may so pass through the pilgrimage of this short life that our hearts being not setled upon any transitory things which we meet with in the way our Souls may every day be more and more ravished with the love of our home and thine everlasting Kingdom Defend likewise O Lord thy universal Church and every particular Member thereof especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live Preserve and defend from all evils and dangers our gracious King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue Multiply their days in bliss and felicity and afterwards crown them with everlasting Joy and Glory Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with all graces needful for their places and govern thou them that they may govern us in peace and godliness and of thy mercy O Lord comfort all our brethren that are distressed sick or any way comfortless especially those who are afflicted either with an evil conscience because they have sinned against thy Word or for a good conscience because they will not sin against thy truth Make the first to know that not one drop of the blood of Christ was a drop of vengeance but all drops of grace powerful to procure pardon upon repentance for
and eyes unto the great Creator and Feeder of all Creatures and before Meat pray unto him thus Grace before Meat O Most gracious God and loving Father who feedest all creatures living which depend upon thy divine providence we beseech the sanctifie these creatures which thou hast ordained for us give them virtue to nourish our bodies in life and health and give us grace to receive them soberly and thankfully as from thy hands that so in the strength of these and other thy blessings we may walk in the uprightness of our hearts before thy face this day and all the days of our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Or thus MOst gracious God and merciful Father we beseech thee sanctifie these Creatures to our use make them healthful for our nourishment and us thankful for all thy blessings through Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Another Grace before Meat O Eternal God in whom we live move and have our being we beseech thee bless unto thy Servants these Creatures that in the strength of them we may live to the setting forth of thy praise and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen After every meal be careful of thy self and family as Job was for himself and his Children Job 1. 4. lest that in the chearfulness of eating and drinking some speech hath slipped out which might be either offensive to God or injurious to man and therefore with the like comely gâ—sture and reverence give thanks unto God and pâ—ay in this manner BLessed be thy holy Name O Lord our God for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast so plentifully at this time refreshed our bodies O Lord vouchsafe likewise to feed our souls with the spiritual food of thy holy Word and Spirit unto life everlasting Lord defend and save thy whole Church our gracious King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the royal progeny the Lady Elizabeth the Kings only Sister and her Princely issue Forgive us our sins and unthankfulness pass by our manifold infirmities make us all mindful of our last end and of the reckoning that we are to make to thee therein and in the mean while grant unto us health peace and truth in Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Or thus BLessed be thy Holy name O Lord for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast refreshed us at this time Lord forgive us all our sins and frailties save and defend thy whole Church our King and his Royal posterity and grant us health peace and truth in Christ our only Saviour Amen Or thus WE give thee thanks O heavenly Father for feeding our bodies so graciously with thy good creatures to this temporal life beseeching thee likewise to feed our souls with thy holy Word unto life everlasting Defend O Lord thine universal Church the King and his royal Posterity and grant us continuance of thy grace and mercy in Christ our only Saviour Amen The Practice of Piety at Evening At Evening when the due time of repairing to rest approacheth call together again all thy Family Read a Chapter in the same manner that was prescribed in the morning Then in holy imitation of our Lord and his Disciples sing a Psalm But in singing of Psalms either after Supper or at any other time observe these rules Rules to be observed in singing of Psalm 1. BEware of singing divine Psalms for an ordinary recreation as do men of impure Spirits who sing holy Psalms intermingled with prophane Ballads They are God's Word take them not in thy mouth in vain 2 Remember to sing David's Psalms with David's Spirit 3. Practise Saint Paul's rule I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the understanding also 4. As you sing uncover your heads and behave your selves in comely reverence as in the sight of God singing to God in God's own words but be sure that the matter make more melody in your hearts than the Musick in your ear for the singing with grace in our hearts is that which the Lord is delighted withal according to that old verse Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans psallit in aure Dei 'T is not the voice but vow Sound heart not sounding string True zeal not outward show That in God's ear doth ring 5. Thou maiest if thou thinkest good sing all the Psalms over in order for all are most divine and comfortable But if thou wilt chuse some special Psalms as more fit for some times and purposes and such as by the oft usage thy people may the easilier commit to memory Then sing In the Morning Psal. 3. 5. 16. 22. 144. In the Evening Psal. 4. 127. 141. For mercy after a sin committed Psal 51. 103. In sickness or heaviness Psal. 6. 13. 89. 90. 91. 137. 146. When thou art recovered Psal. 30. 32. On the Sabbath day Psal. 19. 92. 95. In time of joy Psal. 80. 98. 107. 136. 145. Before Sermon Psal. 1. 12. 147. the 1. and 5. Part of the 119. After Sermon any Psalm which concerneth the chief argument of the Sermon At the Communion Psal. 22. 23. 103. 111. 116. For spiritual solace Psal. 15. 19. 25. 46. 67. 112. 116. After wrong and disgrace received Psal. 42. 69. 70. 140. 144. After the Psalm all kneeling down in reverent manner as is before described let the Father of the Family or the chiefest in his absence pray thus Evening Prayer for a Family O Eternal God and most gracious Father we thine unworthy Servants here assembled do cast down our selves at the footstool of thy grace acknowledging that we have inherited our Fathers corruption and actually in thought word and deed transgressed all thy holy Commandments so that in us naturally there dwelleth nothing that is good for our hearts are full of secret pride anger impatience dissembling lying lust vanity prophanâ—ness distruâ—â— too much love of our selves and the World too little love of thee and thy Kingdom but empty and void of faith love patience and every spiritual grace If thou therefore shouldst but enter into judgment with us and search out our natural corruption and observe all the cursed fruits and effects that we have derived from thence Satan might justly challenge us for his own and we could noâ— expect any thing from thy Majesty but thy wrath and our condemnation which we have long ago deserved But good Father for Jesus Christ thy dear Son's sake in whom only thou art well pleased and for the merits of that bitter death and bloody passion which we believe that he hath suffered for us have mercy upon us pardon and forgive us all our sins and free us from the shame and confusion which are due unto us for them that they may never seize upon us to our confusion in this life nor to our condemnation in the world
which is to come And for as much as thou hast created us to serve thee as all other Creatures to serve us so we beseech thee inspire thy holy Spirit into our hearts that by his illumination and effectual working we may have the inward sight and feeling of our sins and natural corruptions and that we may not be blinded in them through custom as the Reprobates are but that we may more and more loath them and be heartily grieved for them endeavouring by the use of all good means to overcome and get out of them O let us feel the Power of Christ's Death killing sin in our mortal Bodies and the vertue of his Resurrection raising up our Souls to newness of life Convert our hearts subdue our affections regenerate our minds and purifie our nature and suffer us not to be drowned in the stream of those filthy vices and sinful pleasures of thâ—s time where with thousands are carried headlong to eternal destruction but daily frame us more and more to the likeness of thy Son Jesus Christ that in righteousness and true holiness we may so serve and glorifie thee that living in thy fear and dying in thy favour we may in thine appointed time attain to the blessed resurrection of the just unto eternal life In the mean while O Lord increase our faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel and our repentance from dead works the assurance of our hope in thy promises our fear of thy name the hatred of all our sins and our love unto thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in need of our help and comfort that so by the fruits of Piety and a righteous life we may be assured that thy Holy Spirit doth dwell in us and that we are thy Children by Grace and Adoption And grant us good Father the continuance of health peace maintenance and all other outward things so far forth as thy Divine Wisdom shall think meet and necessary for every one of us And here O Lord according to our bounden duty we confess that thou hast been exceeding merciful unto us all in things of this life but infinitely more merciful in the things of a better life and therefore we do here from our very souls render unto thee all humble and hearty thanks for all thy blessings and benefits bestowed upon our souls and bodies acknowledging thee to be that Father of lights from whom we have received all those good and perfect gifts and unto thee alone for them we ascribe to be due all glory honour and praise both now and evermore But more especially we praise thy divine Majesty for that thou hast defended us this day from all perils and dangersâ— so that none of those judgments which our sins have deserved have fall'n upon any one of us Good Lord forgive us the sins which this day we have committed against thy Divine Majesty and our brethren for Christ his sake be reconciled unto us for them And we beseech thee likewise of the same thine infinite goodness and mercy to defend and protect us and all that belong unto us this night from all dangers of fire robberry terrours of evil angels or any other fear or peril which for our sins might justly fall upon us And that we may be safe under the shadow of thy wings we here commend our Bodies and Souls and all that we have unto thine Almighty protection Lord bless and defend both us and them from all evil And whilst we sleep do thou O Father who never slumberest nor sleepest watch over thy Children and give a charge to thy Holy Angels to pitch their tents round about our House and Dwelling to gâ—ard us from all dangers that sleeping wiâ—h thee we may in the next morning be awakened by thee and so being reâ—reshed with moderate sleep we may be the fitter to set forth thy glory in the conscionable duties of our callings And we beseech thee O Lord to be merciful likewise to thy whole Church and to continue the tranquility of these Kingdoms wherein we live turning from us those plagues which the crying sins of this Nation do cry for Preserve our Religious King Charles Queen Mary the Noble and Hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the religious Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue all our Magistrates and Ministers all that fear thee and call upon thy Name all our Christian Brethren and Sisters that suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery especially those who any where do suffer persecution for the testimony of thy holy Gospel grant them patience to bear thy cross and deliverance when and which way it shall seem best to thy Divine Wisdom And Lord suffer us never to forget our last end and those reckonings which then we must render unto thee In health and prosperity mâ—ke us mindful of sickness and of the evil day that is behind that these things may not overtake us as a 〈◊〉 but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins be found prepared for the coming of Christ the sweet Bridegroom of our Souls And now O Lord most holy and just we coâ—fess that there is no cause why thou who art so much displeased with sin shouldest hear the prayer of sinners but for his sake only who suffered for sin and sinned not In the only mediation therefore of thine eternal Son Jesus our Lord and Saviour we humbly beg these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needful for us shutting up these our imperfect requests in that most holy Prayer which Christ himself hath taught us to say unto thee Our Father c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with us and remain with us this night and for evermore Amen Then saluting one another as becometh Christians who are the Vessels of grace and Temples of the holy Ghost let them in the fear of God depart every one to his rest using some of the former private Meditations for Evening Thus far of the Housholder's publick Practice of Piety with his Family every day Now followeth his Practice of Piety with the Church on the Sabbath-day Meditations of the true manner of practising Piety on the Sabbath-day ALmighty God will have himself worshipped not only in a private manner by private Persons and Families but also in a more publick sort of all the godly joyned together in a visible Church that by this means he may be known not only to be the God and Lord of every singular Person but also of the Creatures of the whole universal World Quest. But why do not we Christians under the New keep the Sabbath on the same seventh day whereon it was kept under the Old Testament I answer because that our Lord Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law
invention a greater measure of solemnity and sanctification than upon the Lord's day which is God's Commandment which in effect is to preferr Antichrist before Christ. Our Church hath justly abolished all superstitious and idolatrous Feasts and only retains a few Holy-days to the Honour of God alone and easing of Servants Deut. 5. 14. tho' long custom forceth to use the old Names for civil distinction as Luke used the prophane Names of Castor and Pollux Acts 28. 11. and Christians of Fortunatus 1 Cor. 16. 17. Mercurius Rom. 16. 14. and Jews of Mardochaeus's day 2 Maccab. 15. 37. 10. Lastly The Examples of God's Judgments on Sabbath-breakers may sufficiently seal unto them whose Hearts are not seared how wrathfully Almighty God is displeased with them who are wilful prophaners of the Lord's day The Lord who is otherwise the God of mercy commanded Moses to stone to death the man who of a presumptuous mind would openly go to gather sticks on the Sabbath day The fact was small true but his sin was the greater that for so small an occasion would presume to break so great a Commandment Nicanor offering to fight against the Jews on the Sabbath day was slain himself and thirty five thousand of his men A Husbandman grinding Corn upon the Lord's-day had his Mill burned to ashes Another carrying Corn on this day had his Barn and all his Corn therein burnt with fire from Heaven the next night after Also a certain Noble man prophaning the Sabbath usually in hunting had a Child by his Wife with a head like a Dog and with Ears and Chaps crying like a Hound A covetous Flax-wife at Kinstat in France Anno 1559 using with her maids to work at her Trade on the Lord's-day it seemed unto them that fire issued out of the Flax but did no harm the next Sabbath it took fire indeed but was quickly quenched but not taking warning by this the third Sunday after it took fire again burnt the House and so scorched the wretched Woman with two of her Children that they died the next day but through God's mercy a Child in the Cradle was taken out of the fire alive and unhurt On the 13th of January An. Dom. 1582 being the Lord's-day the Scaffolds sell in Paris Garden under the People at a Bear-baiting so that eight were suddenly slain innumerable hurt and maimed A warning to such who take more pleasure on the Lord's-day to be in a Theatre beholding carnal sports than to be in the Church serving God with the spiritual works of Piety Many fearful examples of God's Judgments by fire have in our days been shewed upon divers Towns where the prophanation of the Lord's day hath been openly countenanced Stratford upon Avon was twice on the same day twelve-month being the Lord's-day almost consumed with fire chiefly for prophaning the Lord's-Sabbaths and for contemning his Word in the mouth of his faithful Ministers Teverton in Devonshire whose remembrance makes my heart bleed was oftentimes admonished by her godly Preacher that God would bring some heavy Judgment on the Town for their horrible prophanation of the Lord's-day occasioned chiefly by their Market on the day following Not long after his death on the third of April Anno Dom. 1598 God in less than half an hour consumed with a sudden and fearful fire the whole Town except only the Church the Court-house and the Alms-houses or a few poor Peoples dwellings where a man might have seen 400 dwelling-houses all at once on fire and above fifty Persons consumed with the flame And now again since the former Edition of this Book on the fifth of August last 1612 fourteen years since the former fire the whole Towâ— was again fired and consumed except some thirty houses of poor people with the School-house and Alms-houses they are blind who see not in this the finger of God God grant them grace when it is next built to change their Market-day and to remove all occasions of prophaning the Lord's-day Let other Towns remember the Tower of Siloe Luke 13. 4. and take warning by their neighbours chastisements fear God's threatning Jer. â—7 27. and believe God's Prophets if they will prosper 1 Chron. 20. 20. Many other examples of God's judgments might be alledged but if these are not sufficient to terrifie thy heart from the wilful prophanation of the Lord's-day proceed in thy prophanation it may be the Lord will make thee the next example to teach others to keep his Sabbaths â—etter He punisheth some in this life to signifie how he will plague all wilful transgressors of his Sabbaths at the last day Thus we have proved that the Commandment of the Sabbath is Moral and that the change of it from the seventh to the first day of the week was instituted by the authority of Christ and of his Apostles But as in promulgating of the Law divers Ceremonies peculiar to the Jews were annexed the rather to bind that people to the more careful performance thereof as to the first Commandment their deliverance from Egypt shadowing their redemption from hell to the fifth Commandment length of days in Canaan typifying eternal life in heaven to the sixth Commandment abstinence from blood and things strangled figuring the care to abstain from all kind of Murther and to the whole Law the Ceremony of Parchment lace putting them in mind to keep within the limits of the Law so likewise to the fourth Commandment were added some ceremonies which peculiarly belonged to the Jews and to no other people as first the double Sacrifices appointed for them on the Sabbath day shadowing how God will be served on the Sabbath with greater obedience than on the week days 2 The rigid and strict ceasing from making of fire dressing of meat and all bodily labour both remembring them of their full deliverance by Moses's conduct from the fiery Furnaces and slavery of Egypt upon that day as also shadowing unto them the eternal redemption of their souls from Hell by the death of Christ. 3. The keeping of the Sabbath upon the precise seventh day in order of the creation shadowing to the Jews that Christ by his death and resting on their Sabbath in the grave should bring them rest and ease from the burthen and yoke of the Legal Ceremonies which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear Act. 15. 10. Col. 2. 16 17. And howsoever in Paradise before Man's Fall the keeping of the Sabbath on the seventh day of the Creation was not a Ceremony but an Argument of perfection yet after the Fall it became Ceremonial and subject to change in respect of the Restauration by Christ. As man's life before the fall being immortal became afterwards mortal and nakedness being an ornament before became afterwards a shame and Marriage became a type of the Mystical Vnion betwixt Christ and his Church Ephes. 5. and to fulfill the Ceremonies added for the Jews sake
is to be baptized as other Christians did in the like case for thee that God would give him the inward effects of Baptism by his Blood and Spirit Fourthly that thou maist assist the Church in praising God for grafting another Member into his mystical Body Fifthly That thou maist prove whether the effects of Christ's death killeth sin in thee and whether thou be raised to newness of life by the virtue of his Resurrection and so to be humbled for thy wants and to be thankful for his graces Sixthly to shew thy self to be a freeman of Christ's Corporation having a voice or consent in the admission of others into that Holy Society 3. If there be any Collection for the poor freely without grudging bestow thine Alms as God hath blessed thee with ability And thus far of the duties to be performed in the Holy Assembly Now of the third sort of Duties after the Holy Assembly AS thou returnest home or when thou art entred into thy house meditate a little while upon those things which thou hast heard And as the clean Beasts which chew the Cud so must thou bring again to thy remembrance that which thou hast heard in the Church And then kneeling down turn all to a prayer beseeching God to give such a blessing to those things which thou hast heard that they may be a direction to thy life and a consolation unto thy Soul For till the Word be made thus our own and as it were close hidden in our hearts we are in danger lest Satan steal it away and we shall receive no profit thereby And when thou goest to dinner in that reverend and thankful manner before prescribed remember according to thine ability to have one or more poor Christians whose hungry bowels may be refreshed with thy meat imitating holy Job who protested that he did never eat his morsels alone without the good company of the poor and fatherless That is the Commandment of Christ our Master Luke 14. 13. Or at leastwise send some part of thy Dinner to the poor who lie sick in the back-lane without any food For this will bring a blessing upon all thy works and labours and it will one day more rejoyce thy Soul than it doth now refresh his Body when Christ shall say unto thee O blessed child of God I was an hungered and thou gavest me meat c And for as much as thou hast done it for my sake to the least of these my brethren I take it in as good part as if thou hadst done it to mine own self When dinner is ended and the Lord praised call thy Family together examine what they have learned in the Sermon commend them that do well yet discourage not them whose memories or capacities are weaker but rather help them for their will and minds may be as good Turn to the proofs which the Preacher alledged and rub those good things over their memories again Then sing a Psalm or more If time permit thou maist teach and examine them in some part of the Catechism conferring every point with the proofs of the Holy Scripture This will both increase our knowledge and sharpen our memory seeing by experience we find that in every Trade they who are most exercised are ever best expert But in any wise remember so to dispose all these private exercises as that thou maist be with the first in the holy Congregation at the Evening Exercise where behave thy self in the like devoâ—â—â—n and reverence as was prescribed for the holy Exercise of the Morning After Evening Prayer and at thy Supper behave thy self in the like religious and holy manner as was formerly prescribed And either before or after Supper if the season of the year and weather do serve 1. Walk into the fields and meditate upon the Works of God for in every Creature thou maist read as in an open Book the Wisdom Power Providence and Goodness of Almighty God And how that none is able to make all these things in the variety of their forms virtues beauties life motions and qualities but our most glorious God 2. Consider how gracious he is that made all these things to serve us 3. Take occasion hereby to stir up both thy self and others to admire and adore his Power Wisdom and Goodness and to think what ungrateful wretches we are if we will not in all obedience serve and honour him 4. If any neighbour be sick or in any heaviness go to visit him If any be faln at variance help to reconcile them To conclude three sorts of works may lawfully be done on the Sabbath-day â— Works of Piety which either directly concern the service of God tho' they be performed by bodily labour as under the Law the Priests did labâ—ur in killing and dressing of Sacrifices and burning them on the Altar And Christians under the Gospel when they travel far to the places of God's worship it is but a Sabbath-day's journey like to that of the Shunamite who travelled from home to hear the Prophet on the Sabbath day because she had no teaching near her own dwelling And the Preacher tho' he laboureth in the sweat of his brows to the wearying of his body yet he doth but a Sabbath-day's work For the holy end sanctifieth the work as the Temple did the Gold or the Altar the Gift thereon Or else such bodily labour whereby the People of God are assembled to his worship as the sounding of Trumpets under the Law or the ringing of Bells under the Gospel 2. Works of Charity as to save the life of a man or of a beast to fodder water and dress Cattle to make honest provision of meat and drink to refresh our selves and to relieve the poor to visit the sick to make collections for the poor and such like 3. Works of necessity not feigned but present and imminent and such as could not be prevented before nor can be deferred unto another day As to resist the invasion of enemies or the robberies of thieves to quench the rage of fire and for Physicians to stanch or let blood or to cure any other desperate disease and for Midwives to help Women in labour Mariners may do their labour Soldiers being assailed may fight and Pâ—st may ride for the publick good and such like On these or the like occasions a man may lawfully work Yea and when they are called they may upon any of these occasions go out of the Church and from the holy exercises of the Word and Sacraments provided always that they be humbled that such occasions fall out upon that day 〈…〉 and that they take no Money for their pains on that day but only for their stuff as in the fear of God and conscience of his Commandment When the time of Rest approacheth retire thy self to some private place and knowing that
in the state of Corruption no man living can sanctifie a Sabbath in that spiritual manner that he should but that he commits many breaches thereof in his Thoughts Words and Deeds humbly crave pardon for thy defects and reconcile thy self unto God with this or the like Evening Sacrifice A Private Evening Prayer for the Lord's-day O Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbath suffer me who am but dust and ashes to speak unto thy most glorious Majâ—sty I know that thou art a consuming â—ire I acknowledge that I am but withered stubble My sins are in thy sight and Satan stands at my right-hand to accuse me for them I come not to excuse but to judg my self worthy of all those judgments which thy Justice might most justly inflict upon me a wretched Creature for my sins and transgressions The Number of them is so great the Nature of them is so grievous that they make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more loathsome in thy sight I confess they make me so far from being worthy to be called thy Son that I am altogether unworthy to have the Name of thy meanest Servant And if thou shouldest but recompence me according to my desert the Earth as weary of such a sinful burthen should open her mouth and swallow me up like one of Dathan's Family into the bettomless pit of Hell For if thou didst not spare the natural branches those Angels of glorious Excellency but hurldst them down from the heavenly Habitations into the pains of hellish darkness to be kept unto damnation when they sinned but once against thy Majesty and didst expel our first Parents out of Paradise when they did but transgress one of thy Laws alas what vengeance may I expect who have not offended in one sin only heaping daily un upon sin without any true repentance drinking iniquity as it were water ever pouring in but never pouring out any filthyness and have transgressed not one but all thy holy laws and commandments Yea this present day which thou hast straitly commanded me to keep holy to thy praise and worship I have not so religiously kept and observed nor prepared my soul in that holiness and chastity of heart as was fit to meeâ— thy blessed Majesty in the holy assembly of the Saints I have not attended to the preaching of thy Word nor to the administration of thy Sacraments with that humility reverence and devotion that I should For tho' I was present at those holy exercises in my body yet Lord I was overtaken with much drowsiness And when I was awake my mind was so distracted and carried away with vain and worldly thoughts that my â—oul seemed to be absent and oâ—â— of the Church I have not so duly as I should meditated with my self nor conferred with my Family upon those good instruâ—ctions which we have heard and received out of thy holy Word by the publick Ministry For default whereof Satan hath stoln the most part of those instructions out of my heart and I wretched creature have forgotten them as though they had never been heard And my family doth not thrive in knowledge and sanctification under my government as they should Though I know where many of my poor brethren live in want and necessity and some in pain and comfortless yet I have not remembred to relieve the one with my Alms nor the other with Consolations but I have feasted my self and satisfied mine own Lusts. I have spent the most part of the day in idle talk vain sports and exercises Yea Lord I have c. And for all these my sins my Conscience cries guilty thy Law condemns me and I am in thy hand to receive the sentence and curse that is due to the wilful breach of so holy a Commandment But what if I am by thy Law condemned Yet Lord thy Gospel assures me that thy mercy is above all thy works that thy grace transcends thy Law and thy goodness delighteth there to reign where sins do most abound In the multitude therefore of thy Mercies and for the Merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour I beseech thee O Lord who despiseth not the sighings of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent sinner to pardon and forgive me all those my sins and all the errors of this day and of my whole life and free my soul from that curse and Judgment which is due unto me for them Thou that didst justifie the contrite Publican for Four Words of confession and received'st the Prodigal Child when he had spent all the stock of thy grace into favour upon his repentance pardon my sins likewise O Lord and suffer me not to perish for my transgressions O spare me and receive me into thy favour again Wilâ— thou O Lord reject me who hast received all Publicans Harlots and Sinners that upon repentance sued to thee for grace Shall I alone be excluded from thy mercy Far be it from me to think so for thou art the same God of mercy unto me that thou wast unto them and thy compassions never fail Wherefore O Lord deal not with me after my merits but according to thy great mercy Execute â—ot thy severe Justice against me a sinner but exercise thy long-sufferance in forbearing thine own creature I have nothing to present unto thee for a satisfaction but only those Bloody Wounds bitter Death and Passion which thy blessed Son my only Saviour hath suffered for me Him in whom only thou art well pleased I offer unto thee for all my sins wherewith thou art displeased Him my Mediator the Request of whose Blood speaking better things than that of Abel thy mercy can never gain-say Illuminate my understanding and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit that it may bring to my remembrance all those good and profitable lessons which this day and at other times have been taught me out of thy holy Word that I may remember thy Commandments to keep them thy Judgments to avoid them aâ—d thy sweet Promises to rely upon them in time of misery and distress And now O Lord I resign my self to thy most holy Will O receive me into thy favour and so draw me by thy grace unto thy self that I may as well be thine by love and imitation as by calling and creation and give me grace so to keep holy thy Sabbaths in this life as that when this life is ended I may with all thy Saints and Angels celebrate an eternal Sabbath of joys and praise to the honour of thy most glorious Name in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore Amen And then calling thy Family together shut up the Sabbath with the Meditations and Prayers before prescribed for thy Family And the Lord will give thee 〈◊〉 Night a more sweet and quiet rest than ordinary and prosper thee the better in all the labours of the week following Thus far of the ordinary
Blood And by the frequent use of this Communion Paul will have us to make a shew of the Lord's death till he come from Heaven and till we as Eagles shall be caught up into the air to meet him who is the blessed Carkase and Life of our Souls Thirdly The spiritual Graces are likewise two the Body of Christ as it was with the feeling of God's anger due to us crucified and his blood as it was in the like sort shed for the remission of their sins They are also in number two but in use one viz. whole Christ with all his benefits offered to all and given indeed to the faithful These are the Three integral parts of this blessed Sacrament the Sign the Word and the Grace The Sign without the Word or the Word without the Sign can do nothing and both conjoyned are unprofitable without the Grace signified but all Three concurring make an effectual Sacrament to a worthy Receiver Some receive the outward Sign without the spiritual Grace as Judas who as Austin saith received the bread of the Lord but not the bread which was the Lord. Some receive the spiritual Grace without the outward Sign as the Saint-Thief on the Cross and innumerable of the faithful who dying desire it but cannot receive it through some external impediments but the worthy Receivers to their comfort receive both in the Lord's-Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather than any other Elements to be the outward Signs in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attain unto Secondly to teach us that as man's temporal life is chiefly nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our Souls by his body and blood sustained and quickned unto eternal Life Christ appointed Wine with the Bread to be the outward Signs in this Sacrament to teach us first that as the perfect nourishment of Man's Body consists both of meat and drink so Christ is unto our Souls not in part but in perfection both salvation and nourishment Secondly that by seeing the Sacramental Wine apart from the Bread we should remember how all his precious blood was spilt out of his blessed body for the remission of our sins The outward signs the Pastor gives in the Church and thou dost eat with the mouth of thy body the spiritual grace Christ reacheth from Heaven and thou must eat it with the mouth of thy Faith 3. Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or Fruits for which this blessed Sacrament was ordained are seven Of the first End of the Lord's-Supper 1. To keep Christians in a continual remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death upon the Cross to reconcile us unto God Do this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as ye shall eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the Preaching of the Word Jesus Christ was so evidently set forth before the eyes of the Galatians as if he had been crucified among them for the whole action representeth Christ's death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctifyed wine the shedding of his holy blood Christ was once in himself really offered but as oft as the Sacrament is celebrated so oft is he spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lord's Supper is called a propitiatory Sacrifice not properly or really but figuratively because it is a memorial of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered upon the Cross. And to distinguish it from that real Sacrifice the Fathers call it the * unbloody Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this Action offereth unto God the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for her Redemption effected by the true and only expiatory Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross. If the sight of Moab's King sacrificing on his walls his own son to move his Gods to rescue his 2 King 3. 27. moved the assailing Kings to such pity that they ceas'd the assault and raised their siege how should the spiritual sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Cross his only begotten Son to save thy soul move thee to love God thy Redeemer and to leave sin that could not in justice be expiated by any meaner ransom Of the second end of the Lord's Supper 2. To confirm our Faith For God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seal unto us from Heaven that according to the promise and new covenant which he hath made in Christ he will truly receive into his grace and mercy all penitent believers who duly receive this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ he will as verily forgive them all their sins as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called The seal of the new Covenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts we may therefore receiving this Sacrament undoubtedly say with Samson's Mother If the Lord would kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would at this time have told us such things as these Of the third end of the Lord's Supper 3. To be a pledge and symbol of the most near and effectual communion which Christians have with Christ. the Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectual sign and pledge of our Communion with Christ This union is called abiding in us joyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by divers Similes 1. Of the Vine and branches 2. Of the head and body 3. Of the foundation and building 4. Of one Loaf confected of many Grains 5. Of the matrimonial union 'twixt Man and Wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is natural betwixt our Humane Nature and Christ's Divine Nature in the Person of the Word The second is mystical betwixt our Persons absent from the Lord and the Person of Christ God and Man in one mystical Body The third is celestial betwixt our Persons present with the Lord and the Person of Christ in a body glorified These three Conjunctions depend each upon other For had not our Nature been first Hypostatically united to the Nature of God in the second Person we could never have been united to Christ in a Mystical Body And if we be not in this life though absent united to Christ by a Mystical Union we shall never have Communion of glory with him in his
Not that Christ is brought down from Heaven to the Sacrament but that the holy Spirit by the Sacrament lifts up his mind unto Christ not by any local mutation but by a devout affection so that in the holy contemplation of Faith he is at that present with Christ and Christ with him And thus believing and meditating how Christ his Body was crucified and his precious blood shed for the remission of his sins and the reconciliation of his Soul unto God his Soul is hereby more effectually fed in the assurance of eternal Life than Bread and Wine can nourish his Body to this Temporal life There must be therefore of necessity in the Sacrament both the outward signs to be visibly seen with the eyes of the Body and the Body and Blood of Christ to be spiritually discerned with the Eye of Faith But the form how the Holy Ghost makes the Body of Christ being absent from us in place to be present with us by our union S. Paul terms a great mystery such as our understanding cannot worthily comprehend The Sacramental Bread and Wine therefore are not bare signifying signs but such as wherewith Christ doth indeed exhibite and give to every worthy Receiver not only his divine virtue and efficacy but also his very Body and Blood as verily as he gave to his Disciples the Holy Ghost by the sign of his sacred breath or health to the diseased by the Word of his mouth or touch of his hand or garment And the apprehension by faith is more forcible than the exquisitest comprehension of Sense or Reason To conclude this point this holy Sacrament is that blessed Bread which being eaten opened the eyes of the Emauites that they knew Christ. This is that Lordly Cup by which we are all made to drink into one Spirit This is that Rock flowing with honey that reviveth the fainting spirits of every true Jonathan that tasts it with the mouth of Faith This is that barley loaf which tumbling from above strikes down the tents of the Midianites of infernal darkness Elias's Angelical Cake and Water preserved him forty days in Horeb and Manna Angels food fed the Israelites forty years in the wilderness but this is that true Bread of life and heavenly Manna which if we shall duely eat will nourish our souls for ever unto life eternal How should then our Souls make unto Christ thâ—t request from a spiritual desire which the Capernaites did from a carnal motion Lord evermore give us this bread The fifth end of the Lords Supper 5. To be an assured pledge unto us of our Resurrection The Resurrection of a Christian is Twofold First the spiritual Resurrection of our Souls in this life from the death of sin called the first Resurrection because that by the Trumpet-voice of Christ in the preaching of the Gospel we are raised from the death of sin to the life of Grace Blessed and holy is he saith St. John who hath part in the first Resurrection for on such the second death hath no power The Lord's Supper is both a mean and a pledge unto us of this spiritual and first Resurrection He that eateth me even he shall live by me And then we are fit guests to sit at the table with Christ when like Lazarus we are raised from the death of sin to newness of life The truth of this first Resurrection will appear by the motion wherewith they are internally moved for if when thou art moved to the duties of Religion and practice of Piety thy heart answereth with Samuel Here I am speak Lord for thy servant heareth and with David O God my heart is ready And with Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Then surely thou art raised from the death of sin and hast thy part in the first Resurrection but if thou remainest ignorant of the true grounds of Religion and findest in thy self a kind of secret loathing of the exercises thereof and must be drawn as it were against thy will to do the works of Piety c. then surely thou hast but a name that thou livest but thou art dead as Christ told the Angel of the Church of Sardis and thy soul is but as salt to keep thy body from stinking 2. The corporal resurrection of our bodies at the last day which is called the second resurrection which freeth us from the first death He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eterraâ— life and I â—id raise him up at the last day For this Sacrament signifieth and fealeth unto us that Christ died and rose again for us and that his flesh quickeneth and nourisheth us unto eternal life and that therefore our bodies shall surely be raised to eternal life at the last day For seeing our head is risen all the members of the body shall likewise surely rise again For how can those bodies which being thâ— weapons of righteousness Rom. 16. 13. Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19 and members of Christ have been fed and nourished with the Body and Blood of the Lord of life but be raised up again at the last day And this is the cause that the bodies of the Saints being dead are so reverently buried and laid to sleep in the Lord. And their burial places are termed the beds and dormitories of the Saints The Reprobates shall arise at the last day but by the Almighty Power of Christ as he is Judge bringing them as malefactors out of the Gaol to receive their sentence and deserved execution but the Elect shall arise by virtue of Christ's Resurrection and of the Communion which they have with him as with their Head And his Resurrection is the cause and assurance of ours The Resurrection of Christ is a Christian 's particular faith the Resurrection of the dead is the Child of God's chiefest confidence Therefore Christians in the Primitive Church were wont to salute one another in the Morning with these Phrases The Lord is risen and the other would answer True the Lord is risen indeed The sixth end of the Lord's Supper 6. To seal unto us the assurance of everlasting Life Oh what more wished or loved than life Or what do all men naturally more either fear or abhor than death Yet is this first death nothing if it be compared with the second death neither is this Life any thing worth in comparison of the Life to come If therefore thou desirest to be assured of eternal life prepare thy self to be a worthy receiver of this blessed Sacrament For our Saviour assureth us That if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world He therefore who duly eateth of this holy Sacrament may truly say not only Credo vitam eternam I
pretence of my Calling and Office robbed and purloined from my fellow Christians yea I have received and suffered Christ where I was trusted many a time in his poor members to stand hungry cold and naked at my Door and hungry cold and naked to go away succourless as he came and when the leanness of his checks pleaded pity the hardness of my heart would shew no compassion Where I should have made conscience to speak the truth in simplicity without any falsehood prudently imaging aright and charitably conâ—â—â—ing all things in the best part and should have defended the good name and credit of my Neighbour alas vile wretch that I am I have belyed and slandered my fellow-brother and as soon as I heard an ill report I made my tongue the Instrument of the Devil to blazon that abroad unto others before I knew the truth of it my self I was so far from speaking a good word in defence of his good name that it tickled my heart in secret to hear one that I envied to be taxed with such a blemish tho' I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in abundant measure I made jests of officious and advantage of pernicious lies herein shewing my self a right Certain rather than an upright Christian And lastly O Lord where I should have rested fully contented with that portion which thy Majesty thought mâ—â—râ—st to bestow upon me in this Pilgrimage and rejoyced in anothers good as in mine own alas my life hath been nothing else but a greedy lusting after this Neighbours house and that Neighbours land yea secretly wishing such a man dead that I might have his living or office covâ—â—iâ—g rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather than being thankful for that which thou hast given unto my self Thus I O Lord who am a carnal sinner and sold under sin have transgressed all thy holy and spiritual Commandments from the first to the last from the greatest unto the least and hear I stand guilty before thy Judgment-seat of all the breaches of all thy laws and therefore liable to thy curse and to all the miseries that Justice can pour forth upon so cursed a creature And whether shall I go for deliverance from this misery Angels blush at my Rebellion and will not help me Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot help themselves Shall I then despair with Cain or make away my self with Judas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to begin the endless torments of hell I will rather appeal to thy Throne of Grace where mercy reigns to pardon abounding sins and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with David for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Job put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drown me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Jonas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken up dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast me into the bowels of Hell as Jonas into the belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry unto thee O God the Father of heaven O Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternal God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner And seeing the goodness of thine own Nature first moved thee to send thine only begotten Son to die for my sins that by his Death I might be reconciled to thy Majesty O reject not now my penitent Soul who being displeased with her self for sin desireth to return to serve and please thee in newness of life and reach from Heaven thy helping hand to save me thy poor servant who am like Peter ready to sink in the Sea of my sins and misery Wash away the multitude of my sins with the merits of that Blood which I believe that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receive this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious Body and Blood O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seal unto my soul that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sins are so freely and fully remitted and forgiven that the curses and judgments which my sins have deserved may never have power either to confound me in this life or to condemn me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast died for my sins and risen again for my justification This I believe O Lord help mine unbelief Work in me likewise I beseech thee an unfeigned repentance that I may hearâ—ily bewail my former sins and loath them and serve thee henceforth in newness of life and greater measure of holy devotion And let my soul never forget the infinite love of so sweet a Saviour that hath laid down his life to redeem so vile a sinner And grant Lord that having received these seals and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maiest henceforth so dwell by the Spirit in me and I so live by faith in thee that I may carefully walk all the days of my liâ—e in godliness and piety towards thee and in Christian love and charity towards all my Neighbours that living in thy fear I may die in thy favour and after death he made partaker of eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen 3. Of the means whereby thou maiest become a worthy Receiver THese means are duties of Two sorts the former respecting God the latter our Neighbour Those which respect God are Three First sound Knowledge Secondly true Faith Thirdly unfeigned Repentance That which respecteth our Neighbour is but one sincere Charity 1. of sound Knowledge requisite in a worthy Communicant Sound Knowledge is a sanctified understanding of the first Principles of Religion As first Of the Trinity of Persons in the unity of the God-head Secondly Of the creation of Man and his Fall Thirdly Of the curse and misery due to sin Fourthly Of the Natures and Offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same unto us For as an house cannot be built unless the foundation he first laid so no more can Religion stand unless it be first grounded upon the certain knowledge of God's Word Secondly If we know not God's Will we can neither believe nor do the same For as worldly businesses cannot be done but by them who have skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in divine and spiritual matters And yet in temporal things a Man may do much by the light of nature but in religious misteries the more we rely upon natural reason the further we are from comprehending spiritual Truth Which discovers the fearful estate of those who receive without knowledge and the more
can there be fit under thy ribs for Christ's holiness to dwell in If the Blood-issued sick Woman feared to touch the hem of his garment how should'st thou tremble to eat his flesh and to drink his all-healing Blood Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid unto thy charge and this Sacrament shall seal unto thy Soul that all thy sins and the Judgments due unto them are fully pardoned aâ—d clean washed away by the Blood of Christ. For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners unto perfection Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And he saith that the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Those hath Christ called and when they came them hath he ever helped Witness the whole Gospel which testifieth that not one Sinner who came to Christ for mercy went ever away without his errand Bathe thou likewise thy sick Soul in this fountain of Christ's Blood and doubtless according to his promise Zach. 13. 1. thou shalt be healed of thy sins and uncleanness Not Sinners therefore but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Sacrament Fifthly Meditate that Christ left this Sacrament unto us as the chief token and pledge of his love not when we would have made him a King John 6. 15 which might have seemed a requital of kindness but when Judas and the High-Priests were conspiring his Death therefore wholly of his mere favour When Nathan would shew David how intirely the poor man loved his sheep that was killed by the rich man He gave her saith he to eat of his own Morsels and of his own Cup to drink 2 Sam. 12. 3. and must not then the love of Christ to his Church be unspeakable when he gives her his own flesh to eat and his own blood to drink for her spiritual and eternal nourishment If then there be any love in thine heart take the Cup of Salvation into thy hand and pledge his love with love again Psal. 116. 11. Sixthly when the Minister beginneth the holy Consecration of the Sacrament then lay aside all praying reading and all other cogitations whatsoever and settle thy Meditations only upon those holy actions and rites which according to Christ's institution are used in and about the holy Sacrament For it hath pleased God considering our weakness to appoint those rites as means the better to lift up our Minds to the serious contemplation of his Heavenly Graces When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lord's-Table and consecrating them by Prayers and the rehearsal of Christ's Institution to be a holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his mere love to Mankind set apart and sealed his only begotten Son to be the all-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to his grace and to bring us to his glory When thou seest the Minister break the Bread being blessed thou must meditate that Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was put to death and his blessed Soul and Body with the sense of God's anger broken asunder for thy sins as verily as thou now seest the holy Sacrament to be broken before thine eyes And withal call to mind the heinousness of thy sins and the greatness of God's hatred against the same seeing God's Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When the Minister hath blessed and broken the Sacrament and is addressing himself to distribute it then meditate That the King who is the Master of the Feast stands at the Table to see his guests and looketh upon thee whether thou hast on thee thy Wedding-Garment Think also that all the holy Aâ—gels that attend upon the Elect in the Church and do desire to behold the celebration of these holâ— mysteries do observe thy reverence and behaviour Let thy soul therefore whilst the Minister bringeth the Sacrament unto thee offer this or the like short Soliloquy unto Christ. A sweet Soliloquy to be said betwixt the consecration and receiving of the Sacrament IS it true indeed that God will dwell on earth Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens are not able to contain thee how much more unable iâ— the soul of â—uch a sinful Caitiff as I am to receive thee But seeing it is thy blessed pleasure to come thus to sup with me and to dwell in me I cannot for joy but burst out and say What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou so regardest him What favour soever thou vouchsafest me in the abundance of thy Grace I will freely confess what I am in the wretchedness of my Nature I am in a word a carnal Creature whose very soul is sold under sin a wretched man compassed about with a body of Death Yet Lord seeing thou callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I have thrust my self in among the rest and seeing thou callest all with their heaviest loads I see no reason why I should stay behind O Lord I am sick and whither should I go but unto thee the Physician of my Soul Thou hast cured many but never didst thou meet with a more miserable Patient for I am more leprous than Gehazi more unclean than Magdalen more blind in Soul than Bartimeus was in Body for I have lived all this while and never seen the true light of thy Word my soul runs with a greater flux of sin than was the Hemorrhoise Issue of blood Mephibosheth was not more lame to go than my Soul is to walk after thee in love Jeroboam's Arm was not more withered to strike the Prophet than my Hand is maimed to relieve the Poor Cure me O Lord and thou shalt do as great a work as in curing them all And though I have all their Sins and Sores yet Lord so abundant is thy grace so great is thy skill that if thou wilt thou canst with a word forgive the one and heal the other and why should I doubt of thy good will when to save me will cost thee now but one loving smile who didst shew thy self so willing to redeem me though it should cost thee all thy heart-blood and now offerest so graciously unto me the assured pledge of my Redemption by thy blood Who am I O Lord God and what is my merit that thou hast bought me with so dear a price It is merely thy mercy and I O Lord am not worthy the least of all thy mercies much less to be partaker of this holy Sacrament the greatest pledge of the greatest mercy that ever thou didst bestow upon those sons of men whom thou lovest
How might I in respect of mine own unworthiness cry out for fear at the sight of thy holy Sacrament as the Philistines did when they saw the Ark of God come into the Assembly Wo now unto me a sinner but that thy Angel doth comfort me as he did the woman Fear thou not for I know that thou seekest Jesus which was crucified It is thou indeed that my soul seeketh after And here thou offerest thy self unto me in thy blessed Sacrament If therefore Elizabeth thought her self so much honoured at thy presence in the Womb of thy blessed Mother that the babe sprang in her belly for joy how should my soul leap within me for joy now that thou comest by the holy Sacrament to dwell in my heart for ever Oh what an honour is this not that the Mother of my Lord but my Lord himself should come thus to visit me Indeed Lord I confess with the faithful Centurion that I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof and that if thou didst but speak the word only my soul should be saved yet seeing it hath pleased the riches of thy grace for the better strengthning of my weakness to seal thy mercy unto me by thy visible sign as well as by thy visible word in all thankful humility my soul speaks unto thee with the blessed Virgin Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy Word Knock thou Lord by thy Word and Sacraments at the door of my heart and I will like the Publican with both my fists knock at my breast as fast as I can that thou mayest enter in and if the door will not open fast enough break it open O Lord by thine Almighty Power and then enter in and dwell there for ever that I may have cause with Zaccheus to acknowledge that this day salvation is come into mine house And cast out of me whatsoever shall be offensive unto thee for I resign the whole Possession of my heart unto thy sacred Majesty intreating that I may not live henceforth but that thou mayst live in me speak 〈◊〉 me walk in me and so govern me by thy Spirit that nothing may be pleasing unto me but that which is acceptable unto thee That finishing my course in the life of grace I may afterwards live with thee for ever in the Kingdom of Glory Grant this O Lord Jesus for the merits of thy death and blood shedding Amen When the Minister bringeth towards thee the bread thus blessed and broken and offering it unto thee bids thee Take eat c. then meditate that Christ himself cometh unto thee and both offereth and giveth indeed unto thy faith his very Body and Blood with all the merits of his death and passion to feed thy Soul unto eternal life as surely as the Minister offereth and giveth the outward signs that feed thy Body unto this temporal life The Bread of the Lord is given by the Minister but the Bread which is the Lord is given by Christ himself When thou takest the Bread at the Ministers hand to eat it then rouze up thy Soul to apprehend Christ by faith and to apply his merits to heal thy miseries Embrace him as sweetly with thy faith in the Sacrament as ever Simeon hugged him with his arms in his swadling clouts As thou eatest the Bread imagine that thou seest Christ hanging upon tâ—â— Cross and by his unspeakable tormenâ—â— fully satisfying God's Justice for thy sins and strive to be as verily partaker of the spiritual grace as of the Elemental signs For the truth is not absent from the sign neither doth Christ deceive when he saith This is my Body but he giveth himself indeed to every Soul that spiritually receives him by Faith For as ours is the same Supper which Christ administâ—red so is the same Christ verily present at his own Supper not by any Papal Transubstantiation but by a Sacramental Participiation whereby he doth truly feed the faithful unto eternal life not by coming down out of Heaven unto thee but by lifting thee up from the Earth unto him According to that old saying Sursum corda lift up your hearts And where the carcase is thither will the Eagles resort Matth. 24. When thou seest the Wine brought unto thee apart from the Bread then remember that the Blood of Jesus Christ was as verily separated from his Body upon the Cross for the remission of thy sins And that this is the seal of the new Covenant which God hath made to forgive all the sins of all penitent sinners that believe in the merits of his blood shedding For the Wine is not a Sacrament of Christ's Blood contained in his Veins but as it was shed out of his Body upon the cross for the remission of the sins of all that believe in him As thou drinkest the Wine and pourest it out of the Cup into thy Stomach meditate and believe that by the merits of that Blood which Christ shed upon the Cross all thy sins are as verily forgiven as thou hast now drunk this Sacramental Wine and hast it in thy stomach And in the instant of drinking settle thy meditation upon Christ as he hanged upon the Cross as if like Mary and John thou didst see him nailed and his Blood running down his blessed side out of that gastly wound which the Spear made in his innocent heart wishing thy mouth closed to his side that thou mightest receive that precious Blood before it fell to the dusty Earth And yet the actual drinking of that real Blood with thy mouth would be nothing so effectual as this Sacramental drinking of that blood spiritually by Faith For one of the Souldiers might have drunk that and been still a reprobate but whosoever drinketh it spiritually by Faith in the Sacrament shall surely have the Remission of his sins and life everlasting As thou feelest the Sacramental Wine which thou hast drunk warming thy cold stomach so endeavour to feel the Holy Ghost cherishing thy Soul in the joyful assurance of the forgiveness of all thy sins by the merit of the blood of Christ. And to this end God giveth every faithful Soul together with the Sacramental Blood the Holy Ghost to drink We are all made to drink into one Spirit And so lift up thy mind from the contemplation of Christ as he was crucified upon the Cross to consider how he now sits in glory at the right hand of his Father making intercession for thee by presenting to his Father the unvaluable merits of his death which he once suffered for thee to appease his Justice for the sins which thou dost daily commit against him After thou hast eaten and drunk both the Bread and Wine labour that as those Sacramental Signs do turn to the nourishment of thy body and by the digestion of heat become one with thy substance so by the operation of Faith and the Holy
Ghost thou maist become one with Christ and Christ with thee and so maist feel thy Communion with Christ confirmed and increased daily more and more That as it is impossible to separate the Bread and Wine digested into the blood and substance of thy body so it may be more impossible to part Christ from thy Soul or thy Soul from Christ. Lastly As the Bread of the Sacrament though confected of many Grains yet makes but one Bread so must thou remember that though all the faithful are many yet are they all but one mystical Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore thou must love every Christian as thy self and a member of thy body Thus far of the duties to be done at the receiving of the holy Sacrament called Meditation 3. Of the duties which we are to perform after receiving of the holy Communion called Action or Practice THE duty which we are to perform after the receiving of the Lord's Supper is called Action or Practice without which all the rest will minister unto us no comfort The Action consists of Two sorts of duties First such as we are to perform in the Church or else after that we are gone home Those that we are to perform in the Church are either several from our own souls or else joyntly with the Congregation The several duties which thou must perform from thine own Soul are Three First Thou must be careful that forasmuch as Christ now dwelleth in thee therefore to entertain him in a clean heart and with pure affections for the most holy will be holy with the holy for if Joseph of Arimathea when he had begged of Pilate his dead body to bury it wrapped it in sweet odours and fine Linen and laid it in a new Tomb how much more shouldest thou lodge Christ in a new heart and perfume his Rooms with the odoriferous incense of Prayers and all pure affections If God required Moses to provide a Pot of pure gold to keep the Manna that fell in the Wilderness what a pure heart shouldst thou provide to receive this divine Manna that is come down from Heaven And as thou camest sorrowing like Joseph and Mary to seek Christ in the Temple so now having there found him in the midst of his Word and Sacraments be careful with joy to carry him home with thee as they did And if the man that found but his lost sheep rejoyced so much how canst thou having found the Saviour of the World but rejoyce much more Secondly Thou must offer the Sacrifice of a private thanksgiving unto God for this inestimable grace and mercy for as this action is common unto the whole Church so is it applied particularly to every one of the faithful in the Church and for this particular mercy every soul must joyfully offer up a particular Sacrifice of Thanksgiving For if the Wise Men rejoyced so much when they saw the Star which conducted them unto Christ and worshipped him so devoutly when he lay a Babe in the Manger and offered unto him their Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense how much more shouldest thou rejoyce now that thou hast both seen and received this Sacrament which guideth thy soul unto him where he sitteth at the right hand of his Father in glory And thither lifting up thy heart adore him and offer up unto him the gold of a pure Faith the Myrrhe of a mortified heart and this or the like sweet incense of Prayer and Thanksgiving A Prayer to be said after the receiving of the Communion WHAT shall I render unto thee O blessed Saviour for all these blessings which thou hast so graciously bestowed upon my Soul How can I sufficiently thank thee when I can scarce express them Where thou mightest have made me a Beast thou madest me a Man after thine own Image When by sin I had lost both thine Image and my self thou didst renew in me thine Image by thy Spirit and didst redeem my Soul by thy Blood again and now thou hast given unto me thy Seal and Pledge of my Redemtion nay thou hast given thy self unto me O blessed Redeemer Oh what an inestimable treasure of riches and overflowing Fountain of grace hath he got who hath gained thee No man ever touched thee by Faith but thou didst heal him by Grace for thou art the Author of Salvation the remedy of all evils the medicine of the sick the life of the quick and the resurrection of the dead Seemed it a small matter unto thee to appoint thy holy Angels to attend upon so vile a Creature as I am but that thou would'st enter thy self into my Soul there to preserve nourish and cherish me unto life everlasting If the carcase of the dead Prophet could revive a dead man that touched it how much more shall the living body of the Lord of all Prophets quicken the faithful in whose heart he dwelleth And if thou wilt raise my body at the last day out of the dust how much more wilt thou now revive my Soul which thou hast sanctified with thy Spirit and purified with thy blood O Lord what could I more desire or what couldest thou more bestow upon me than to give me thy body for meat thy blood for drink and to lay down thy Soul for the price of my Redemption Thou Lord enduredst the pain and I do reap the profit I received pardon and thou didst bear the punishment Thy tears were my bath thy wounds my weal and the injustice done to thee satisfied for the Judgment which was due to me Thus by thy birth thou art become my Brother by thy death my ransom by thy mercy my reward and by thy Sacrament my nourishment O divine â—ood by which the sons of men are transformed into the sons of God so that man's nature dieth and God's nature liveth and ruleth in us Indeed all Creatures wondred that the Creator would be inclosed nine Months in the Virgins Womb though her Womb being replenished with the Holy Ghost was more splendid than the Starry Firmament but that thou should'st thus humble thy self to dwell for ever in my heart which thou foundest more unclean than a Dunghill it is able to make all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth to stand amazed But seeing it is thy free Grace and meer pleasure thus to enter and to dwell in my heart I would to God that I had so pure a heart as my heart could wish to entertain thee And who is fit to entertain Christ or who though invited would not chuse with Mary rather to kneel at thy feet than presume to sit with thee at thy Table Though I want a pure heart for thee to dwell in yet weeping eyes shall never be wanting to wash thy blessed feet and to lament my filthy sins And albeit I cannot weep so many tears as may suffice to wash thy holy feet yet Lord it is sufficient that thou hast shed Blood enough to cleanse my sinful Soâ—l And
tempt and move thee to relapse into thy former sins answer them as the Spouse doth in the Canticles I have put off my coat of my former corruption how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them again Lastly If ever thou hast found either joy or comfort in receiving the holy Sacrament let it appear by the eager desire of receiving it often again For the Body of Christ as it was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows so doth it yield a sweeter savour than all the ointments of the world The fragrant smell whereof allureth all Souls who have once tasted the sweetness thereof ever after to desire oftner to taste thereof again Because of the savour of thy good Ointments therefore do the Virgins love thee O taste therefore often and see how good the Lord is saith David This is the Commandment of Christ himself Do this in remembrance of me and in doing this thou shalt shew thy self best mindful and thankful for his death For as oft as ye shall eat this bread and drink this cup ye shall shew the Lord's death until he came And let this be the chief end whereunto both thy receiving and living tendeth that thou maist be a holy Christian zelous of good works purged from sin to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world that thou mayst be acceptable to God profitable to thy brethren and comfortable unto thine own soul. Thus far of the manner of glorifying God in thy life Now followeth the Practice of Piety in glorifying God in the time of sickness and when thou art called to die in the Lord. AS soon as thou perceivest thy self to be visited with any sickness meditate with thy self 1. That misery cometh not forth of the dust neither doth affliction spring out of the earth Sickness comes not by hap or chance as the Philistines supposed that their Mice and Emrods came but from mans wickedness which as sparkles breaketh out Man suffereth saith Jeremy for his sins Fools saith David by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted As therefore Solomon adviseth a man to carry himself towards an earthly Prince If the Spirit of him that ruleth rise up against thee leave not thy place for gentleness pacifieth great sins so counsel I thee to deal with the Prince of Princes If the spirit of him that ruleth heaven and earth rise up against thee let not thy heart despair for repentance pacifieth great sins And who soever returneth in his affliction to the Lord God of Israel and seeks him he will be found of him 2. Shut to thy Chamber door Examine thine own heart upon thy bed search and try thy ways Search as diligently for thy capital sin as Joshua did for Achan till thou findest it For albeit God when he beginneth to chasten his Children hath respect to all their sins yet when his anger is incensed he chiefly taketh occasion to chasten and enter with them into judgment for some one grievous sin wherein they have lived without Repentance 3. When thou hast thus considered all thy sins put thy self before the Judgment-Seat of God as a Felon or Murtherer standing at the Bar of an earthly Judge and with grief and sorrow of heart confess unto God all thy known sins especially thy Capital Offences wherewith God is chiefly displeased Lay them open with all the circumstances of the time place and manner how they were committed as may most serve to aggravate the hainousness of thy sins and to shew the contrition of thy heart for the same Lift up thine hand and acknowledge thy self before the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth guilty of eternal death and damnation for those thy hainous sins and transgressions And having thus accused and judged thy self cast down thy self before the Fcotstool of his Throne of grace assuring thy self that whatsoever the Kings of Israel be yet the God of Israel is a merciful God And cry unto him from a penitent and faithful heart for mercy and forgiveness as eagerly and earnestly as ever thou knewest a malefactor being to receive his sentence crying unto the Judge for favour and pardon vowing amendment of life and by the assistance of his grace never to commit the like sin any more All which thou maist do in these or the like words A Prayer when one begins to be sick O Most righteous Judge yet in JESUS CHRIST my gracious Father I wretched sinner do here return unto thee though driven with pain and sickness like the prodigal Child with want and hunger I acknowledge that this sickness and paiâ— comes not by blind chance or fortune but by thy divine providence and special appointment It is the stroke of thy heavy hand which my sins have justly deserved and the things that I feared are now faln upon me Yet I do well perceive that in wrath thou remembrest mercy when I consider how many and how hainous are my sins and how few and easie are thy corrections Thou mightest have strucken me with some fearful and sudden death whereby I should not have had either time or space to have called upon thee for grace and mercy and so I should have perished in my sins and have been for ever condemned in hell But thou O Lord visitest me with such a fatherly chastisement as thou usest to visit thy dearest Children whom thou best lovest giving me by this sicknes both warning and time to repent and to sue unto thee for grace and pardon I take not therefore O Lord this thy visitation as any sign of thy wrath or hatred but as an assured pledge and token of thy favour and loving kindness whereby thou dost with thy temporal Judgments draw me to judge my self and to repent of my wicked life that I should not be condemned with the godless and unrepentant World For thy holy Word assures me that whom thou lovest thou thus chastenest and that thou scourgest every son that thou receivest That if I endure thy chastening thou offerest thy self unto me as unto a son and that all that continue in sin and yet escape without correction whereof all thy children are partakers are bastards and not sons and that thou chastenest me for my profit that I may be a partaker of thy holiness O Lord how full of goodness is thy Nature that hast dealt with me so graciously in the time of my health and prosperity and now being provoked by my sins and unthankfulness hast such fatherly and profitable ends in inflicting upon me this sickness and correction I confess Lord that thou dost justly afflict my Body with sickness for my Soul was sick before of a long prosperity and surfeited with ease peace plenty and fulness of bread And now O Lord I lament and mourn for my sins I acknowledge my wickedness and mine iniquities
are always in my sight Oh what a wretched sinner am I void of all goodness by nature and full of evil by sinful custom Oh what a world of sin have I committed against thee whilst thy long-sufferance expected my conversion and thy blessings wooed me to repentance Yet O my God seeing it is thy property more to respect the goodness of thine own nature than the deserts of sinners I beseech thee O Father for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that all saving death which he hath voluntarily suffered for all which believe in him Have mercy upon me according to the multitude of thy mercies turn thy face away from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Cast me not out of thy presence neither reward me according to my deserts For if thou dost reject me who will receive me or who will succour me if thou dost forsake me But thou O Lord art the helper of the helpless and in thee the fatherless findeth mercy for though my sins be exceeding great yet thy mercy O Lord far exceedeth them all neither can I commit so many as thy grace can remit and pardon Wash therefore O Christ my sins with the vertue of thy precious Blood especially those sins which from a penitent heart I have confessed unto thee but chiefly O Lord for Christ his sake forgive me And seeing that of thy love thou didst lay down thy life for my ransom when I was thine enemy Oh save now the price of thine own Blood when it shall cost thee but a smile upon me or a gracious appearance in thy Father's sight in my behalf Reconcile me once again O merciful Mediator unto thy Father for though there be nothing in me that can please him yet I know that in thee and for thy sake he is well pleased with all whom thou acceptest and lovest And if it be thy blessed Will remove this sicknes from me and restore me to my former health again that I may live longer to set forth thy glory and to be a comfort to my friends which depend upon me and to procure to my self a more setled assurance of that heavenly inheritance which thou hast prepared for me And then Lord thou shalt see how religiously and wisely I shall redeem the time which heretofore I have so lewdly and prophanely spent And to the end that I may the sooner and the easier be delivered from this pain and sickness direct me O Lord I beseech thee by thy divine providence to such a Physician and helper as that by thy blessing upon the means I may recover my former health and welfare again And good Lord vouchsafe that as thou hast sent this sickness unto me so thou wouldst likewise be pleased to send thy holy Spirit into my heart whereby this present sickness may be sanctified unto me that I may use it as thy School wherein I may learn to know the greatness of my misery and the riches of thy mercy that I may be so humbled at the one that I despair not of the other and that I may so renounce all confidence of help in my self or in any other creature that I may only put the whole rest of my salvation in thy all sufficient merits And forasmuch as thou knowest Lord how weak a vessel I am full of frailty and imperfections and that by Nature I am angry and froward under every Cross and Affliction O Lord who art the giver of all good gifts arm me with patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure and of thy mercy lay no more upon me than I shall be able to endure and suffer Give me grace to behave my self in all patience love and meekness unto those that shall come and visit me that I may thankfully receive and willingly embrace all good counsels and consolations from them and that they may likewise see in me such a good example of Patience and hear from me such godly lessons of comfort as may be arguments of my Christian faith and profession and instructions unto them how to behave themselves when it shall please thee to visit them with the like affliction of sickness I know O Lord I have deserved to die and I desire not longer to live than to amend my wicked life and in some better measure to set forth thy glory Therefore O Father if it be thy blessed will restore me to health again and grant me a longer life But if thou hast according to thine eternal decree appointed by this sickness to call for me out of this transitory life I resign my self into thy hands and holy pleasure thy blessed will be done whether it be by life or by death Only I beseech thee of thy mercy forgive me all my sins and prepare my poor soul that by a true faith and unfeigned repentance she may be ready against the time that thou shalt call for her out of my sick and sinful body O heavenly Father who art the hearer of prayers hear thou in heaven this my prayer and in this extremity grant me these requests not for any worthiness that is in me but for the merits of thy beloved Son Jesus my only Saviour and Mediator for whose sake thou hast promised to hear us and to grant whatsoever we shall ask of thee in his Name In his Name therefore and in his own words I conclude this my imperfect Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed by thy Name c. Having thus reconciled thy self unto God in Christ 1. Let thy next care be to set thy House in order as Esay advised King Hezekias making thy last Will and Testament if it be not already made If it be made then peruse it confirm it and for avoiding all doubts and contention publish it before Wittnesses that if God call for thee out of this life it may stand in force and unalterable as thy last Will and Testament and so deliver it locked or sealed up in some Box to the keeping of a faithful Friend in the presence of honest Witnesses 2. But in making thy Testament take a Religious Divine's Advice how to bestow thy Benevolence and some honest Lawâ—er 's counsel to continue it according to Law Dispatch this before thy sickness doth â—â—crease and thy memory decay lest otherwise thy Testament prove a dotement and so be another man's fancy rather than thy Will 3. To prevent many inconveniences let me recommend to thy discretion two things 1. If God hath blessed thee with any competent state of wealth make thy Will in thy health-time It will neither put thee farther from thy goods nor hasten thee sooner to thy Death but it will be a greater ease to thy mind in freeing thee from a great trouble when thou shalt have most need of quiet for when thy House is set in order thou shalt be better enabled to set thy Soul in order and to dispose of thy
Journey towards God 2. If thou hast Children give to every one of them a Portion according to thy ability in thy life-time that thy life may seem an ease and not a yoak unto them yet so give as that thy Children may still be beholden unto thee and noâ— thou unto them But if thou keep all iâ— thy hands whilst thou livest they may thank Death and not thee for the portion that thou leavest them If thou hast nâ— Children and the Lord hath blest theâ— with a great portion of the goods of thiâ— World and if thou meanest to bestow them upon any charitable or pious uses put not over that good work to the trusâ— of others seeing thou seest how most oâ— other mens Executors prove almost Exeâ—cutioners And if Friends be so unfaithfuâ—â— in a man's life how much greater causâ— hast thou to distrust their fidelity afteâ— thy death Lamentable experience sheweth how many dead men's Wills have of laâ— either been quite concealed utterly overthrown or by cavils and quirks of Law frustrated or altered whereas by the Law of God the will of the dead should not be violated but all his godly intentions conscionably performed and fulfilled as in the sight of God who in the Day of the Resurrection will be just Judge both of the quick and dead And if any thing should hap in his Will to be ambiguous or doubtful it should be construed as it might come nearest to the Honour of God and the honest Intention of the Testator But let the vengeance due to such unchristian Deeds light on the Actors that do them not on the Kingdom wherein they are suffered to be done And let other rich Men be warned by such wretched examples not so to marry their Minds to their Money as that they will do no good with their Goods till Death divorceth them Considering therefore the shortness of thine own life and the uncertainty of others just dealing after thy death in these unjust days let me advise thee whom God hath blessed with ability and an intent to do good to become in thy life time thine own Administrator make thine own Hands thine Executors and thine own Eyes thy Over-seers cause thy Lanthorn to give her light before thee and not behind thee give God the Glory and thou shalt receive of him in due time the reward which of his grace and mercy he hath promised to thy good works 4. Having thus set thy House and Soul in order if the determined number of thy days be not expired God will either have mercy upon thee and say Spare him O killing Malady that he go not down into the pit for I have received a reconciliation Or else his Fatherly providence will direct thee to such a Physician and to such means as that by his blessing upon their endeavours thou shalt recover and be restored to thy former Health again But in any wise take heed that thou nor none for thee send unto Sorcerers Wizards Charmers or Inchanters for help for this were to leave the God of Israel and to go to Baal-zebub the God of Ekron for help as did wicked Ahaziah and to break thy Vow which thou hast made with the blessed Trinity in thy Baptism and be sure that God will never give a Blessing by those means which he hath accursed but if he permit Satan to cure thy Body fear lest it tend to the damnation of thy Soul Thou art tried beware 5. When thou hast sent for the Physician take heed that thou put not thy trust rather in the Physician than in the Lord as Asa did of whom it is said that he sought not to the Lord in his Disease but to the Physician which is a kind of Idolatry that will increase the Lord's anger and make the Physick received uneffectual Use therefore the Physician as God's Instrument and Physick as God's Means And seeing it is not lawful without Prayer to use ordinary food 1 Tim. 4. 4. much less extraordinary Physick whose good effect depends upon the blessing of God before thou takest thy Physick pray therefore heartily unto God to bless it unto thy use in these or the like words A Prayer before taking of Physick O Merciful Father who art the Lord of health and of sickness of life and of death who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the grave and raisest up again I come unto thee as to the only Physician who canst cure my Soul from sin and my Body from sickness I desire neither life nor death but refer my self to thy most holy Will For tho' we must needs die and being dead our lives are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gather'd up again yet hath thy gracious Providence whilst liâ—â— remaineth appointed means which thou wilt have thy Children to use and by the lawful use thereof to expect thy blessing upon thine own means to the curing of their sickness and restitution of their health Aâ—d now O Lord in this my necessity I have according to thine Ordinance seâ—t for thy Servant the Physician who hath prepared for me this Physick which I receive as means sent from thy fatherly hand I beseech thee therefore that as by thy blessing on a lâ—â—p of dry Figs thou didst heal Hezekiah's sore that he recovered and by seven times washing in the river of Jordan didst cleanse Naaman the Syrian of his Leprosie and didst restore the Man that was blind from his birth by anointing his Eyes with Clay and Spittle and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam and by touching the hand of Peter's Wife's Mother didst cure her of her Fever and didst restore the Woman that touched the hem of thy Garment from her bloody Issue So it would please thee of thine infinite goodness and mercy to sanctifie this Physick to my use and to give such a blessing unto it that it may if it be thy Will and Pleasure remove this my sickness and â—ain and restore me to health and strength again But if the number of those days which thou hast appointed for me to live in this Vale of misery be at an end and that thou hast sent this sickness as thy Messenger to call me out of this mortal life then Lord let thy blessed will be done for I submit my will to thy most holy Pleasure Only I beseech thee increase my faith and patience and let thy grace and mercy be never wanting unto me but in the midst of all extremities assist me with thy Holy Spirit that I may willingly and chearfully resign up my Soul the price of thine own Blood into thy most gracious hands and custody Grant this O Father for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory both now and evermore Amen Meditations for the sick WHilst thy sickness remaineth use often for thy comfort these
thou hadst made before the Judgment-seat of Christ by this time if thou hadst died of this Sickness Spend therefore the time that remains so as that thou mayst be able to make a more chearful account of thy life when it must be expired indeed 4. Put not far off the day of Death thou knowest not for all this how near it is at hand and being so fairly warned be wiser For if thou be taken unprovided the next time thy excuse will be less and thy Judgment greater 5. Remember that thou hast vowed amendment and newness of life Thou hast vowed a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he delighteth not in fools pay therefore that thou hast vowed The unclean Spirit is cast out O let him not re-enter with seven worse than himself Thou hast sighed out the groans of Contrition thou hast wept the tears of Repentâ—nce thou are washed in the Pool of Bâ—thesda streaming with five bloody Wounds not of a troubling angel but of the Angel of God's presence troubled with the wrath due to thy sins who descended into Hell to restore thee to saving health and Heaven Return not now with the Dog to thine own vomit nor like the washed Sow to wallow again in the mire of thy former sins and uncleanness lest being intangled and overcome again with the filthiness of sin which now thou hast escaped thy latter end prove worse than thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Saviour Christ give the same cautionary warning to healed Sinners First To the Man cured of his 38 years desease Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing fall upon thee Secondly to the woman taken in adultery Neither do I condemn thee Go thy way and sin no more Teaching us how dangerous a thing it is to relapse and fall again into the former excess of Riot Take heed therefore unto thy ways and pray for grace that thou mayest apply thy heart unto wisdom during that small number of days which yet remain behind And for thy present mercy and health received imitate the thankful Leper and return unto God this or the like Thanksgiving A Thanksgiving to be said of one that is recovered from sickness O Gracious and merciful Father who art the Lord of Health and Sickness of Life and of Death who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the Grave and raisest up again who art the only preserver of all those that trust in thee I thy poor and unworthy Servant having now by experience of my painful sickness felt the grievousness of misery due unto sin and the greatness of thy mercy in forgiving sinners and perceiving with what a fatherly compassion thou hast heard my Prayers and restored me to my health and strength again do here upon the bended knees of my heart return with the thankful Leper to acknowledge thee alone to be the God of my health and salvation and to give thee the praise and glory for my strength and deliverance out of that grievous Disease and Malady and for thus turning my mourning into mirth my sickness into health and my death into life My sins deserved punishment and thou hast corrected me but hast not given me over unto death I looked from the day to the night when thou would'st make an end of me I did chatter like a Crane or a Swallow I mourned as a Dove when the bitterness of sickness oppressed me I lifted up mine eyes unto thee O Lord and thou didst comfort me for thou didst cast all my sins behind thy back and didst deliver my soul from the pit of corruption and when I found no help in my self nor in any other creature saying I am deprived of the residue of my years I shall see man no more among the Inhabitants of the World then didst thou restore me to health again and gavest life unto me I found thee O Lord ready to save me And now Lord I confess that I can never yield unto thee such a measure of thanks as thou hast for this benefit deserved at my hands And seeing that I can never be able to repay thy goodness with acceptable works O that I could with Mary Magdalen testifie the love and thankfulness of my heart with abounding tears O what shall I be able to render unto thee O Lord for all these benefits which thou bestowedst upon my Soul Surely as in my Sickness when I had nothing else to give unto thee I offered Christ and his merits unto thee as a Ransom for my sins so being now restored by thy Grace unto my health and strength and having no better thing to give behold O Lord I do here offer up my self unto thee beseeching thee so to assist me with thy Holy Spirit that the remainder of my life may be wholly spent in setting forth thy praise and glory O Lord forgive me my former follies and unthankfulness that I was no more careful to love thee according to thy goodness nor to serve thee according to thy Will nor to obey thee according to thy Commandments nor to thank thee according to thy Benefits And seeing thou knowest that of my self I am not sufficient so much as to think a good thought much less to do that which is good and acceptable in thy sight assist me with thy grace and holy Spirit that I may in my prosperity as devoutly spend my health in thy service as I was earnest in my sickness to beg it at thy hands And suffer me never to forget either this thy mercy in restoring me to my health or those Vows and Promises which I have made unto thee in my sickness With my new health renew in me O Lord a right Spirit which may free me from the slavery of sin and establish my heart in the service of grace Work in me a greater detestation of all sins which were the causes of thy anger and my sickness and increase my Faith in Jesus Christ who is the Author of my health and salvation Let thy good Spirit lead me in the way that I should walk and teach me to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this world that others by my Example may think better of thy Truth And sith this time which I have yet to live is but a little respite and small remnant of days which cannot long continue Teach me O my God so to number my days that I may apply my heart to that spiritual wisdom which directeth to salvation And to this end make me more zealous than I have been in Religion more devout in Prayer more servent in Spirit more careful to hear and profit by the preaching of thy Gospel more helpful to my poor Brethren more watchful over my ways more faithful in my calling and every way more abundant in all good works Let me in the joyful time of prosperity fear the evil
day of affliction in the time of health think on sickness in the time of sickness make my self ready for death and when death approacheth prepare my self for Judgment Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulness unto thee for thy Grace and Mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottom of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the four Beasts and twentâ— four Elders and all the creatures in heaveâ— and on the earth acknowledge to be due untâ— thee O Father which sittest upon the Throneâ— and to the Lamb thy Son who sitteth at thâ— right hand and to the Holy Spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinity 〈◊〉 Persons in unity of substance all praisâ— honour glory and power from this timâ— forth and for evermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy Sickness be like to encrease unto Death then meditate on Three thingsâ— First how graciously God dealeth with theeâ— Secondly from what evils Death will freâ— thee Thirdly what good Death will brinâ— unto thee First Concerning God's favourable dealing with thee 1. Meditate That God useth this chastisement of thy Body but as a Medicine to cure thy Soul by drawing thee who arâ— sick in Sin to come by Repentance unto Christ thy Physician to have thy Soâ—â— healed 2. That the sorest Sickness or painfulleâ—â— Disease which thou canst endure is nâ—â—thing if it be compared to those dolours and pains which Jesus Christ thy Saviour hath suffered for thee when in a bloody sweat he endured the wrath of God the pains of hell and a cursed death which was due to thy sins Justly therefore may I use those words of Jeremy Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath Hath the Son of God endured so much for thy redemption and wilt not thou a sinful man endure a little sickness for his pleasure especially when it is for thy good 3. That when thy sickness and disease is at the extreamest yet it is less and easier than thy sins have deserved Let thine own Conscience judge whether thou hast not deserved worse than all that thou dost suffer Murmur not therefore but considering thy manifold and grievous sins thank God that thou art not plagued with far more grievous punishments Think how willingly the damned in Hell would endure the extreamest pains a thousand years on condition that they had but the hope to be saved and after so many years to be eased of their eternal torments And seeing that it is his mercy that thou art not rather consumed than corrected how canst thou but bear patiently his temporal correction seeing the end is to save thee from eternal damnation 4. That nothing cometh to pass in this case unto thee but such as ordinarily befell to others thy Brethren who being the beloved and undoubted servants of God when they lived on earth are now most blessed and glorious Saints with Christ in Heaven as Job David Lazarus c. They groaned for a time as thou dost under the like burthen but they are now delivered from all their miseries troubles and calamities And so likewise ere long if thou wilt patiently tarry the Lord's leisure thou shalt also be delivered from thy sickness and pain either by restitution to thy former health with Job or which is far better by being received to heavenly rest with Lazarus 5. Lastly that God hath not given thee over into the hand of thine Enemy to be punished and disgraced but being thy loving Father he correcteth thee with his own merciful hand When David had his wish to chuse his own chastisement he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of God than by any other means Let us fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man Who will not take any affliction in good part when it cometh from the hand of God from whom though no Affliction seemeth joyous for the present we know nothing cometh but what is good The confideration hereof made David to endure Shimei's cursed railing with greater patience and to correct himself another time for his impatiency I should not have opened my mouth because thou didst it and Job to reprove the unadvised speech of his Wife Thou speakest like a foolish Woman What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not receive evil And though the Cup of God's wrath due to our sins was such a horror to our Saviour's humane nature that he earnestly prayed that it might pass from him yet when he considered that it was reached unto him by the hand and will of his Father he willingly submitted himself to drink it to the very dregs thereof Nothing will more arm thee with Patience in thy sickness than to see that it cometh from the hand of thy heavenly Father who would never send it but that he sees it to be unto thee both needful and profitable The second sort of Meditations are to consider from what evils death will free thee IT freeth thee from a corruptible Body which was conceived in the weakness of flesh the heat of lust the stain of sin and born in the blood of filthiness a liviâ—g Prison of thy Soul a lively instrument of â—in a very sack of stinking dung the exâ—â—ements of whose Nostrils Ears Pores and â—ther passages duly considered will seem more loathsome than the uncleanest sink â—r vault Insomuch that whereas Trees and Plants bring forth Leaves Flowers Fruits â—nd sweet smells man's body brings forth â—â—turally nothing but Lice Worms Rottenâ—ss and filthy stinks His affections are alâ—ogether corrupted and the imaginations 〈◊〉 heart are only evil continually Hence 〈◊〉 is that the ungodly is not satisfied with prophaneness nor the voluptuous with pleasures nor the ambitious with perferments nor the curious with preciseness nor the malicious with revenge nor the leacherous with uncleanness nor the covetous with gain nor the drunkard with drinking New passions and fashions do daily grow new Fears and Afflictions do still arise here Wrath lies in wait there Vain-glory vexeth here pride lifts up there disgrace casts down and every one waiteth who shalâ— arise in the ruine of another Now a Maâ— is privily stung with Back-biters like fiery Serpents anon he is in danger to be openly devoured of his enemies like Daniel's Lionsâ— And a godly man where ere he liveth shall ever be vexed like Lot with Sodom's uncleanness 2. Death brings unto the godly an end of sinning and of all the miseries which arâ— due unto sin so that after Death there shaâ—â— be no more sorrow nor crying neither shalâ— there be any more pain for God shall wipe aâ— way all tears from their eyes Yea by death we are separated from
outward man doth decay so my inward man may more and more by thy grace and consolation increase and gather strength O Saviour put my Soul in a readiness that like a wise Virgin having the Wedding Garment of thy Righteousness and holiness she may be ready to meet thee at thy comming with Oyl in her Lamp Marry her unto thy self that she may be one with thee in everlasting love and fellowship O Lord reprove Satan and chase him away Deliver my soul from the power of the Dog Save me from the Lyon's mouth I thank thee O Lord for all thy blessings both spiritual and temporal bestowed upon me especially for my Redemption by the death of my Saviour Christ. I thank thee that thou hast protected me with thy holy Angels from my youth up until now Lord I beseech thee give them a charge to attend upon me till thou callest for my soul and then to carry her as they did the soul of Lazarus into thy Heavenly Kingdom And as the time of my departure shall approach nearer unto me so grant O Lord that my Soul may draw nearer unto thee and that I may joy fully commend my Soul into thy hands as into the hands of a loving Father and merciful Redeemer and at that instant O Lord graciously receive my Spirit All which that I may do assist me I beseech thee with thy Grace and let thy holy spirit continue with me unto the end and in the end for Jesus Christ his sake thy Son my Lord and only Saviour In whose Name I give thee the glory and beg these things at thy hand in that Prayer which Christ himself hath â—aught me saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. Meditations against Despair or doubting of God's Mercy IT is found by continual experience that near the time of Death when the Children of God are weakest then Satan makes the greatest flourish of his strength and assails them with his strongest temptations For he knoweth that either he must now or never prevail for if their souls once go to Heaven he shall never vex nor trouble them any more And therefore he will now bestir himself as much as he can and labour to set before their eyes all the gross sins which ever they committed and the Judgments of God which are due unto them thereby to drive them if he can unto despair which is a grievouser sin than all the sins hat they committed or he can accuse them of If Satan therefore trouble thy Conscience more towards thy death than in thy life 1. Confess thy sins unto God not only in general but also in particular 2. Make satisfaction unto those Men whom thou hast wronged if thou beâ—st able And if thou dost injuriously or fraudulently detain or keep in thy possession any Lands or Goods that of right do belong to any Widow or Fatherless Child presume not as thou tenderest thy Soul's health to look Christ the righteous Judge in the face unless thou dost first make a restitution thereof to the right owners for the Law of God under the penalty of his curse requireth thee to restore whatsoever was given thee to keep or which was committed to thy trust or whatsoever by robbery or violent oppression thou tookest from thy neighbour with a fifth part for amends added to the principal And unless that like Zaccheus thou dost make restitâ—tion of such Goods and Lands according to God's Law thou canst never truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst never be saved But though by the temptation of the Devil thou hast done wrong and injury yet if thou dost truly repent and make restitution to thy power the Lord hath promised to be merciful unto thee to hear the Prayers of his faithful Ministers for thee to forgive thee thy trespass and sin and to receive thy Soul in the Merits of Christ's Blood as a Lamb without blemish 3. Ask God for Christ his sake pardon and forgiveness And then these troubles of mind are no Discouragements but rather Comforts Exercises not Punishments They are assurances unto thee that thou art in the right way for the way to Heaven is by the gates of Hell that is by suffering pains in the body and such doubtings in the mind that thy estate in this life being every way made bitter the joys of eternal life may relish unto thee better and more sweet If Satan tell thee that thou hast no Faith because thou hast no feeling Meditate 1. That the truest Faith hath oftentimes the least feeling and greatest doubts but so long as thou hatest such doubtings they shall not be laid unto thy charge for they belong to the flesh from which thou art divorced When thy flesh shall perish thy weak inward man which hates them and loves the Lord Jesus shall be saved 2. That it is a better Faith to believe without feeling than with feeling The least Faith so much as a grain of Mustard-seed so much as is in an Infant baptized is enough to save the Soul which loveth Christ and believeth in him 3. That the Child of God which desireth to feel the assurance of God's favour shall have his desire when God shall see it to be for his good For God hath promised to give them the Water of Life who thirst for it we have an example in Mr. Glover the holy Martyr who could have no comfortable feeling till he came to the sight of the Stake and then cryed out and clapped his hands for joy to his Friends saying O Austin he is come he is come meaning the feeling joy of Faith and the Holy Ghost Tarry therefore the Lord's leisure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart If Satan shall aggravate unto thee the greatness the multitude and hainousness of thy sins meditate 1. That upon true Repentance it is as easie with God to forgive the greatest sin as the least and he is as willing to forgive many as to pardon one And his mercy shineth more in pardoning great sinners than small offenders as appears in the Examples of Manasses Magdalen Peter Paul c. And where sin most aboundeth there doth his Grace rejoyce to abound much more 2. That God did never forsake any man till a man did first forsake God as appears in the examples of Cain Saul Achitophel Ahazia Judas c. 3. That God calleth all even those sinners who were heavy laden with sin and that he did never deny his mercy to any sinner that asked his mercy with a penitent heart This the history of the Gospel witnesseth There came unto Christ all sorts of sick sinners the blind lame halt Lepers such as were sick of Palsies Dropsies Bloody-fluxes such as were Lunatick and possessed with unclean Spirits and Devils Yet of all these not one that came and asked his mercy and help went
away without his errand If mercy he asked mercy he found were his sin never so great were his Disease never so grievous Nay he offered and gave his mercy to many that never asked it being moved only with the Bowels of his own compassion and the sight of their misery as to the woman of Samaria the widow of Naim and to the sick man that lay at the Pool of Bethesda who had been 38 years sick If he thus willingly gave his mercy to them that did not ask it and was found of them as the Prophet saith that sought him not will he deny mercy unto thee who dost so earnestly pray for it with Tears and dost like the poor Publican so heartily knock for it with penitent fists upon a bruised and broken heart Especially when thou prayest to thy Father in the name and mediation of Christ for whose sake he hath promised to grant whatsoever we shall ask of him as sure as God is true he will not Though Nineve's sins had provoked the Lord to send out his sentence against them yet upon their repentance he recalled it again and spared the City how much more if thou likewise repentest will he spare thee seeing his sentence is not yet gone forth against thee if he deferred the judgments all Ahab's days for the external shew only which he made of humiliation how much more will he clean turn away his vengeance if thou wilt unfeignedly repent of thy sin and return unto him for grace and mercy He offered his mercy unto Cain who murthered his innocent Brother If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted As if he should have said if thou wilt leave thy envy and malice and offer unto me from a faithful and contrite heart both thou and thine Oblation also shall be acceptable unto me And to Judas that so treacherously betray'd him in calling him friend a sweet appellation of love and when Judas offered he willingly consented with that mouth wherein never was found guile to kiss those dissembling lips under which lurked the poyson of Asps. Had Judas apprehended this word friend out of the mouth of Christ as Benhadad did the word Brother from the mouth of Ahab doubtless Judas should have found the God of Israel more merciful than Benhadad found the King of Israel But God was more displeased with Cain for despairing of his mercy than for murthering his Brother and with Judas for hanging himself than for betraying his Master in that they would make the sins of mortal men greater than â—he Infinite mercy of the eternal God or as if they could be more sinful than God was merciful Whereas the least drop of Christ's Blood is of more merit to procure God's mercy for thy salvation than all the sins that thou hast committed can be of force to provoke his wrath to thy damnation If Satan shall suggest that all this is true of God's mercy but that it doth not belong unto thee because thy sins are greater than other mens as being sins of knowledge and of many years continuance and such as whereby others have been undone and all for the most part â—ommitted wilfully and presumptuously against God and thy Conscience And therefore though he will be merciful unto others yet he will not be merciful unto thee Meditate 1. That many who are now in Heaven most blessed and glorious Saints committed in the same kind when they lived on earth as great and greater sins then ever thou hast committed and continued before they repented in those sins as long as ever thou hast done As therefore all their sins and the continuance in them could not hinder God's mercy upon their repentance from forgiving their sins and receiving them into favour no more shall thy sins and continuance therein hinder him from being merciful unto thee if thou dost repent as they did yea upon thy Repentance every one of their examples is a pledge that he will do the same unto thee that he did unto them For as the least sin in God's Justice without repentance is damnable so the greatest sin upon repentance is in his mercy pardonable Thy greatest and inveteratest sins are but the sins of a man but the least of his Mercies is the mercy of God Because thou knowest thine own sins thou doubtest whether they shall be pardoned Mark how this doubtful case is resolved by Good himself Many in Isaiah's days thought as thou dost that they had continued so long in sin that it was too late for them now to seek to return unto God for Grace and Mercy But God answereth them Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found call ye upon him whilst he is near As if he had said whilst life lasteth and my Word is preached I am near to be found of all that seek me and pray unto me The People reply But we O Lord are grievous sinners and therefore dare not presume to call upon thy Name or to come near thine Holiness To this the Lord answereth Let the wicked forsake his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts and let him return unto me and I will have mercy upon him and to his God and I will pardon him abundantly But we would think say the people that if our sins were but ordinary sins this promise of Mercy might belong unto us But because our sins are so great and of such long continuance therefore we fear lest when we appear before God he will reject us To this God answereth again My thoughts of mercy are not your thoughts neither are your ways of pardoning my ways for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts If therefore every sinner in the world were a world of such sinners as thou art do thou but yet what God bids thee repent and believe and the Blood of Jesus Christ being the Blood of God will cleanse both thee and them from all your sins 2. That as God did foresee all the sins which the world should commit and yet all those could not hinder him from loving the world so that he gave his only begotten Son to death to save as many of the world as would believe and repent much less shall thy sins being the sins of the least member of the world be able to hinder God from loving thy soul and forgiving thy sins if thou dost repent and believe 3. That if he loved thee so dearly when thou wast his Enemy that he payed for thee so dear a price as the spilling of his heart blood how can he now but be gracious unto thee when to save thee will cost him but the casting of a gracious look upon thee Look nor thou therefore to the greatness of thy sins but to the infiniteness of his mercy which is so surpassing great that if thou puttest all thine own grievous sins
together and addest unto those the sins of Cain and Judas and puttest unto them all the sins of all the Reprobates in the World doubtless it would be a huge heap yet compare this huge heap with the infinite mercy of God and there will be no more comparison betwixt them than betwixt the least Mole-hill the greatest Mountain in a Country The cry of the grievous est sins that ever we read of could never reach up higher than unto Heaven as the cry of the sins of Sodom but the mercy of God saith David reacheth up higher than the Heavens and so overtoppeth all our sins And if his Mercy be greater than all his works it must needs be greater that all thy sins And so long as his mercy is greater than the sins of the whole world do thou but repent there is do doubt of pardon If â—â—tan shall object that thou hast many times vowed to repent and hast made a shew of repentance for the time and yet didst fall to the same sins again and again and that all thy repentance was but feigned and a mocking of God And that seeing thou hast so often broken thy vow therefore God hath withdrawn his mercy and hath changed his love c. mediâ—ate 1. That though this were true which indeed is hainous yet it is no sufficient cause why thou shouldst despair seeing that this is the common case of all the Children of God in this life who vow so oft to forbear some sin till perceiving their weakness nor able to perform it they vow that they will vow no more Their Vows shew the desires of their spiritual Man their breaking the weakness of their corrupt flesh And our oft slips into the same sins Christ foresaw when he taught us to pray daily Our Father forgive us our trespasses And why doth Christ enjoyn thee who art but a sinful man to forgive thy brother seven times in a day if he shall return seven times in a day and say it repenteth me But to assure thee that he being the God of mercy and goodness it self will forgive unto thee thy seventy times seven-fold sins a day which thou hast committed against him if thou return unto him by truâ— Repentance The Israelites were cured by looking though with weak eyes on the Brazen Serpent as oft as they were stung by the fiery Serpent in the Wilderness to assure thee that upon thy tears of repentance thou shalt be recovered by â—aith in Christ as often as thou are wounded to death by sin 2. That thy salvation is grounded not upon the constancy of thine obedience but upon the firmness of God's Covenant Though thou variest with God and the Covenant be broken on thy behalf yet it is firm on God's part and therefore all is safe enough if thou wilt return for there is no variableness with him neither shadow of change He hath locked up thy salvation and made it sure in his own unchangeable purpose and hath delivered to thy keeping the keys which are Faith and repentance and whilst thou hast them thou mayst perswade thy self that thy salvation is suâ—e and safe For whom God loveth he loveth to the end and never repenteth of bestowing his love on them who repent and believe Lastly If Satan shall perswade thee that thou hast been doubting a long time and that it 's best for thee now to despair seeing thy sins increase and thy judgment draweth near meditate 1. That no sin though never so great should be a cause to move any Christian to despair so long as God's mercy by so many millions of degrees is greater and that every penitent and believing Sinner hath the pardon of all his sins confirmed by the Word and Oath of God two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye His Word is that at what time soever a sinner whosoever doth repent of his sin whatsoever for both time and sins and sinners are indefinite from the bottom of his heart God will blot forth all his sins out of his remembrance that they shall be mentioned unto him no more If we will not take his word which God forbid we should doubt of he hath given us his Oath As I live I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live As if he had said will ye not believe my Word I swear by my life that I delight not to damn any sinner for his sins but rather to save him upon his conversion and repentance The meditation hereof moved Tertullian to exclaim O how happy are we when God sweareth that he wills not our damnation O what miserable wretches are we if we will not believe God when he sweareth this truth unto us Listen O drooping Spirit whose soul is assailed with ways of faithless despair how happy were it to see many like thee and Hezekiah who mourn like Doves for the sense of sin and chatter like Cranes and Swallows for the fear of God's anger rather than to behold many who die like Beasts without any feeling of their own estate or any fear of God's wrath or Tribunal Seat before which they are to appear Comfort thy self O languishing soul for if this earth hath any for whom Christ spilt his blood on the Cross thou assuredly art one Chear up therefore thy self in the all-sufficient atonement of the blood of the Lamb which speaketh better things than that of Abel And pray for those who never yet obtained the grace to have such a sense and detestation of sin Thou art one indeed for whom Christ died and from whom a wounded spirit judging rather according to his feeling than his faith hath wrung that doleful voice of Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And doubt not but ere long thou shalt as truly reign with him as now thou dost suffer with him for Yea and Amen hath spoken it No sin bars a man from salvation but only Incredulity and Impenitency nothing makes the sin against the Holy Ghost unpardonable but want of repentance Thy unfeigned desire to repent is as acceptable unto God as the perfectest repentance that thou couldest wish to pâ—râ—orm unto him Meditate upon these Evangelical comforts and thou shalt see that in the very agonâ— of death God will so assist thee with his spirit that when Satan looketh for the greatest victory he shall receive the foulest foil yea when thy eye-strings are broken that thou canst not see the light Jesus Christ will appear unto thee to comfort thy Soul and his Holy Angels will carry thee into his Heavenly Kingdom Then shall thy Friends behold thee like Manoah's Angel doing wonders indeed when they shall see a frail man in his greatest weakness by the mere assistance of God's Spirit overcoming the strength of sin the bitterness of death and all
the power of Satan and in the fire of Faith and perfume of Prayer ascend up with Angels victoriously into Heaven An Admonition to them who come to visit the sick THey who come to visit the sick must have a special care not to stand dumb and staring in the sick person's face to disquiet him nor yet to speak idly and to ask unprofitable questions as most do If they see therefore that the sick party is like to die let them not dissemble but lovingly and discreetly admonish him of his weakness and to prepare for eternal life One hour well spent when a man's life is almost out-spent may gain a man the assurance of eternal life Sooth him not with the vain hope of this life lest thou betray his Soul to eternal death Admonish him plainly of his estate and ask him briefly these or the like Questions Questions to be asked of a sick Man that is like to die DOst thou believe that Almighty God the Trinity of Persons in Unity of Essence hath by his Power made Heaven and Earth and all things therein and that he doth still by his Divine Providence govern the same So that nothing comes to pass in the world nor to thy self but what his divine hand and counsel had determined before to be done 2. Dost thou confess that thou hast transgressed and broken the holy Commandments of Almighty God in thought word and deed and hast deserved for breaking his holy Laws the Curse of God which containeth all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in Hell fire when this life is ended if so be that God should deal with thee according to thy deserts 3. Art thou not sorry in thy heart that thou hast so broken his Laws and neglected his Service and Worship and so much followed the world and thine own vain pleasures And would'st thou not lead a holier life if thou wert to begin again 4. Dost thou not from thy heart desire to be reconciled unto God in Jesus Christ his blessed Son thy Mediator who is at the right hand of God in heaven now appearing for thee in the sight of God and making request unto him for thy Soul 5. Dost thou renounce all confidence in all other Mediators or Intercessors Saints or Angels believing that Jesus Christ the only Mediator of the New Testament is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them And wilt thou with David say unto Christ whom have I in heaven but thee And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee 6. Dost thou confidently believe and hope to be saved by the only merits of that bloody death and passion which thy Saviour Jesus Christ hath suffered for thee not putting any hope of Salvation in thine own Merits nor in any other means or Creatures being assuredly perswaded that there is no salvation in any other and that there is none other name under Heaven whereby thou must be saved 7. Dost thou heartily forgive all wrongs and offences done or offered unto thee by any manner of Person whatsoever And dost thou as willingly from thy heart ask forgiveness of them whom thou hast grievously wronged in word or deed And dost thou cast out of thy heart all malice and hatred which thou hast born to any body that thou mayest appear before the Face oâ— Christ the Prince of Peace in perfect love and charity 8. Doth thy Conscience tell thee of any thing which thou hast wrongfully taken and dost still withhold from any widow or fatherless Children or from any other persons whomsoever Be assured that unless thou shalt restore like Zaccheus those goods and lands if thou be'st able thou canst not truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst not be saved nor look Christ in the face when thou shalt appear before his Judgment-seat 9. Dost thou firmly believe that thy body shall be raised up out of the Grave at the sound of the last Trumpet and that thy Body and Soul shall be united together again in the Resurrection Day to appear before the Lord Jesus Christ and thence to go with him into the Kingdom of Heaven to live in everlasting bliss and glory If the sick party shall answer to all these questions like a faithful Christian then let all who are present joyn together and pray for him in these or the like words A Prayer to be said for the sick by them who visit him O Merciful Father who art the Lord and giver of life and to whom belong the issues of Death we thy Children here assembled do acknowledge that in respect of our manifold sins we are not worthy to ask any blessing for our selves at thy hands much less to become suiters unto thy Majesty in the behalf of others yet because thou hast commanded us to pray one for another especially for the sick and hast promised that the Prayers of the righteous shall avail much with thee in obedience therefore to thy Commandment and confidence of thy gracious Promise we are bold to become humble Suiters to thy Divine Majesty in the behalf of this our dear Brother or Sister whom thou hast hast visited with the Chastisement of thine own fatherly hand We could gladly wish the Restitution of his health and a longer continuance of his life and Christian â—ellowship amongst us but forasmuch as it â—ppeareth as far as we can discern that â—hou hast appointed by this visitation to â—â—ll for him out of this mortal life we subâ—it our wills to thy blessed will and humâ—ly intreat for Jesus Christ his sake and â—e merits of his bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for him that â—ou would'st pardon and forgive unto â—im all his sins as well that wherein he â—as conceived and born as also all the offenâ—es and transgressions which ever since to â—his day and hour he hath committed in â—hought word and deed against thy Divine â—ajesty Cast them behind thy back reâ—ive them as far from thy presence as the East â— from the West Blot them out of thy reâ—embrance lay them not to his charge â—ash them away with the Blood of Christ â—hat they may no more be seen and deliâ—er him from all the Judgments which are â—ue unto him for his sins that they may â—ever trouble his conscience nor rise in â—udgment against his Soul and impute unâ—o him the righteousness of Jesus Christ whereby he may appear righteous in thy â—â—ght And in his extremity at this time we â—eseech the look down from heaven upâ—n him with those eyes of grace and comâ—assion wherewith thou art wont to look â—pon thy children in their affliction and misery Pity thy wounded Servant like â—he good Samaritan for here is a sick soul â—hat needeth the help of such a heavenâ—â— Physician O Lord increase his Faith that he may believe that Christ died for him and that his blood
cleansâ—th him from all his sins and either asswage his pain or else increase his patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure And good Lord lay no more upon him than thou shalt enable him to bear Heave him up unto thy self with those sighs aâ—d groans which cannot be expressed Make him now to feel what is the hope of his Calling and what is the exceeding greatness of thy Mercy and Power towards them that believe in thee And in his weakness O Lord shew thou thy strength Defend him against the suggestions and temptations of Satan who as he hath all his life time will now in his weakness especially seek to assail him and to devour him O save his Soul and reprove Satan and command thy holy Angels to be about him to aid him and to chase away all evil and malignant Spirits far from him Make him more and more to loath this world and to desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. And when that good hour and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life give him grace peacefully and joyfully to yield up his soul into thy merciful hands and do thou receive her into thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry her into thy kingdom Make his last hour his best hour his last words his best words and his last thoughts his best thoughts And when the sight of his eyes is gone and his tongue shall fail to do its office grant O Lord that his Soul may with Stephen behold Jesus Christ in Heaven ready to receive him and that thy Spirit within him may make request for him with sighs which cannot be expressed Teach us in him to read and see our own end and mortality and therefore to be careful to prepare our selves for our last ends and put our selves in a readiness against the time that thou shalt call for us in the like manner Thus Lord we recommend this our dear Brother or Sister thy sick servant unto thy eternal Grace and Mercy in that Prayer which Christ our Saviour hath taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with us all and especially with this thy sick servant to the end and in the end Amen Let them read often unto the sick some special Chapters of the holy Scripture as The three first Chapters of the Book of Job The 14. and 19. Chapters of Job The 34. Chapter of Deuteronomy The two last Chapters of Joshua The 17. Chapter of the first of Kings The 2 4 and 12. Chapters of the Second of Kings The 38 40 and 65. Chapters of Isaiah The History of the Passion of Christ. The 8. Chapter of the Romans The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The fourth of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians The fifth Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians The first and last Chapters of St. James The 11 and 12 to the Hebrews The first Epistle of Peter The three first and the three last Chapters of the Revelations or some of these And so exhorting the sick party to wait upon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a joyful meeting in the Kingdom of Heaven and a blessed Resurrection at the last day they may depart at their pleasure in the Peace of God Consolations against impatience in sickness IF in thy sickness by extremity of pain thou be driven to impatience meditate 1. That thy sins have deserved the pains of hell therefore thou maist with greater patience endure these fatherly Corrections 2. That these are the scourges of thy heavenly Father and the rod is in his hand If thou didst suffer with reverence being a child the correction of thy earthly Parents how much rather should'st thou now subject thy self being the Child of God to â—he chastisâ—ment of thy heavenly Father seeing it is for thine eternal good 3. That Christ suffered in his soul and body far grievo ser pains for thee therefore thou must more willingly suffer his blessed pleasure for thine own good Therefore saith Peter Christ suffered for you leaving you an example that ye should follow hiâ— steps And Let us saith S. Pauâ— run with joy the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross c. 4. That these afflictions which now you suffer are none other but such as are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world as witnesseth Peter Yea Job's afflictions were far more grievous There is not one of the Saints which now are at rest in heavenly joys but endured as much as you do before they went thither yea â—â—ny of them willingly suffered all the torments that Tyrants could inflict upon them that they might come to those heavenly 〈◊〉 whereunto you are now called And you have a promise that the God of aâ—l grace after that you have suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And that God of his fidelity will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 5. That God hath determined the time when thy affliction shall end as well as the time when it began 38 years were appointed the sick man at Beâ—hesda's Pool Twelve Years to the Woman with the bloody Issueâ— Three months to Moses Ten days tribulation to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna Three days plague to David Yea the number of the godly man's tears are registred in God's book and the quantity kept in his bottle The time of our trouble saith Christ is but a Modicum God's Anger lasts but a moment saith David A little season saith the Lord and therefore calls all the time of our pain but the hour of sorrow Daâ—id for the swiftness thereof compares our present trouble to a Book and Aâ—â—anasius to a Shower Compare the longest misery that Man endures in this 〈◊〉 to the eternity of heavenly joys and they will appear to be nothing And as the sight of a Son safe born makes the Mâ—ther forget all her former deadly pain so the sight of Christ in Heaven who was born for thee will make all these pangs of death to be quite forgotten as if they had never been like Stephen who as soon as he saw Christ forgat his own wounds with the horror of the grave and terror of the stones and sweetly yielded his soul into the hands of his Saviour Forget thine own pain think of Christ's wounds Be faithful unto the death and he will give thee the Crown of eternal life 6. That you are
blessed â—eath Say cheerfully Come Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 thy Servant cometh unto thee I am willing Lord help my weakness Seven sanctified Thoughts and mournful Sighs of a sick Man ready to die NOW forasmuch as God of his infinite mercy doth so temper ouâ— pain and sickness that we are not always oppressed with extremity but gives us in the midst of our extremities some â—espite to ease and refresh our selves thou mâ—st have an espâ—cial caâ—e considâ—ring how short a 〈◊〉 thou hast either for ever to lose or to obtain Heaven to make use of every breathing time which God doth afford thâ— and during that 〈…〉 time of ease 〈…〉 roweth with all his force to arrive at the wished Port and that the Traveller never resteth till he come to his Journeys end we fear to descry our Port and therefore would put back our Bark to be longer tossed in this continual tempest We weep to see our jorneys end and therefore desire our journey to be lengthened that we might be more tired with a foul and cumbersome way The Spiritual Sigh thereupon O Lord this life is but a troublesome pilgrimage few in days but full in evils and I am weary of it by reason of my sins Let me therefore O Lord intreat thy Majesty in this my bed of sickness as Elias did under the Juniper tree in his affliction It is now enough O Lord that I have lived so long in this vale of misery take my soul into thy merciful hands for I am no better than my Fathers The Second Thought THink with what a body of sin thou art loaden what great civil wars are contained in a little world the flesh fighting against the Spirit Passion against Reason Earth against Heaven and the World within thee bending it self for the World without thee and that but 〈◊〉 only means remains to end this conflictâ— death which in God's appointed time will separate thy spirit from thy flesh the pure and regenerate part of thy Soul from that part which is impure and unregenerated The spiritual Sigh upon the second Thought OWretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death O my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ thou hast redeemed me with thy precious blood And be cause thou hast delivered my soul from sin minâ— eyes from tears and my feet from falling I do here from the very bottom of my heart ascribe the whole praise and glory of my salvation to thy only grace and mercy saying with the holy Apostle Thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Third Thought THink how it behoves thee to be assured that thy soul is Christ's for death hath taken sufficient gages to assure himself of thy bodâ— in that all thy senses be all ready to die save only the sense of pain but sith the beginning of thy being began with pâ—in marvel the less it thy end conclude with dolours But if these temporal dolours which only afflict the body be so painful O Lord who can endure the devouring fire who can abide the everlasting burning The spiritual Sigh upon the third Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God who art the only Physician that caâ—st ease my body from pain and restore my soul to life eternal put thy 〈◊〉 Cross and Death betwixt my 〈◊〉 and thy Judgments and let the merits of thy obedience stand betwixt thy Father's justice and my disobedience and from these bodily pains receive my Soul iâ—to thine everlasting peace for I cry unto thee with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The Fourth Thought THink that the worst that Death can do is but to send thy Soul sooner than thy flesh would be willing to Christ and his heavenly Joys remember that that Christ is thy best hope â—he worst therefore of death is rather a help than a harm The spiritual Sigh upon the Fourth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of all them that put their trust in thee fâ—rsake â—or him that in misery flâ—â—â—h unto thy graceâ— fâ—â— succour and mercy Oh sound that sweet Voice in the ears of my Soul which thou spakest unto the penitent thief on the cross This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise For I O Lord do with the Apostle from my Soul speak unto thee I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. The Fifth Thought THiâ—k if thou fearest to die That in Mount Sâ—on there is no Death for â—e that believeth in Christ shall never die And if thou desirest to live without 〈◊〉 the life eternal whereunto this 〈…〉 their miseries live with Christ in joys and thither shall all the godly which survive be gathered out of their troubles to enjoy with him eternal rest The Spiritual Sigh on the Fifth Thought O Lord thou seest the malice of Satan who not contenting himself like a roaring Lion all the days and nights of our life to seek our destruction shews himself busiest when thy Children are weakest and nearest to their end O Lord reprove him and preserve my Soul He seeks to terrifie me with death which my sins have deserved but let thy Holy Spirit comâ—ort my Soul with the assurance of eternal life which thy Blood hath purchased Asswage my pain increase my patience and if it be thy blessed will end my troubles for my Soul beseecheth thee with old blessed Simeon Lord now let me thy servant depart in peace according to thy word The Sixth Thought THink with thy self what a blessing God hath bestowed upon thee above many millions in the world that whereas they are either Pagans who worship not the true God or Idolaters who worship the true God falsly thou hast lived in a true Christian Church and hast grace to die in the true Christian Faith and to be buried in the Sepulchre of God's Servants who all wait for the hope of Israel and raising of their Bodies in the resurrection of the Just. The spiritual Sigh upon the sixth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the life in whom whosoever believeth shall live tho' he were dead I believe that whosover liveth and believeth in thee shall never die I know that I shall rise again in the Resurrection of the last day for I am sure that thou my Redeemer livest And tho' that after my death worms destroy this body yet I shall see thee my Lord and my God in this flesh Grant therefore O Christ for thy bitter death and passions sake that at that day I may be one of them to whom thou wilt pronounce that joyful sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world The Seventh Thought THink with thy self how Christ endured for thee a cursed death and the wrath of God which was due unto thy sins and what
terrible pains and cruel torments the Apostles and Martyrs have voluntarily suffered for the Defence of Christ's Faith when they might have lived by dissembling or denying him how much more wilâ—ing should'st thou be to depart in the â—aith of Christ having 〈◊〉 pains to torment thee and â—ere 〈◊〉 to comfort thee The spiritual sigh upon the seventh Thought O Lord my sins have deserved the pains of Hell and eternal death much more these fatherly corrections wherewith thou dost afflict me But O blessed Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon me and wash away all my filthy sins with thy most precious blood and receive my soul into thy heavenly Kingdom for into thy hands O Father I commend my spirit and thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth The sick Person ought now to send for some godly and religious Pastor IN any wise remember if conveniently it may be to send for some godly and religious Pastor not only to pray for thee at thy death for God in such a caâ—e hath promised to hear the prayers of the righteous Prophets and Elders of the Church but also upon thy confession and unfeigned Repentance to absolve thee of thy sins For as Christ hath given him a calling to baptize thee unto repentance for the remission of thy sins so hath he likewise given him a calling and power and authority upon repentance to absolve thee from the sins I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And again Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye lâ—ose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And again Receive ye the holy Ghost whose soevever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained This Doctrine was as ancient in the Church of God as Job for Elihu tells him That when God strikes a man with malâ—dy on his bed so that his soul draweth near the grace and his life to the burieâ—â— if there be any messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousness then will â—e have mercy upon him c. and answerable hereunto saith St. James if the sick have committed sins upon his repentance and the Prayers of the Elders they shall be forgiven him These have power to shut Heaven and to deliver the scandalous impenitent sinner to Satan For the weapons of their warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to cast down c. and to have vengeance in readiness against all disobedience They have the key of loosing therefore the power of absolving The Bishops and Pastors of the Church do not forgive sin by any absolute power of their own for so only Christ theâ—r Master forgive 〈◊〉 but ministerially as the seâ—vants of Christ and Stâ—wards to whose fidelity their Lord and Master â—ath committed his Keys and that is when they do declare and pronounce either publickly or privately by the Word of God what bindeth what looseth and the meâ—cieâ—â— of God to penitent sinners or his Judgments to impenitent and obstinate persons and so do apply the general promises or threatnings to the penitent or impenitent For Christ from Heaven doth by them as by his Ministers on Earth declare whom he remitteth and bindeth and to whom he will open the gates of heaven and against whom he will shut them And therefore it is not said Whose sins ye signifie to be remitted but whose sins ye remit They then do remit sins because Christ by their Ministry remitteth sins as Christ by his Disciples loosed Lazarâ—s Joh. 11. 44. And as no water could wash away Naaman's Leprosie but the waters of Jordan tho' other Rivers were as clear because the promise was annexed unto the water of Jordan and not of other Rivers so tho' another Man may pronounce the same words yet have they not the like efficacy and power to work on the conscience as when they are pronounced from the Mouth of Christ's Ministers because the promise is annexed to the Word of God in their mouths for them hath he chosen separated and sâ—t apart for this work and to them he hath committed the ministry and word of reconciliation by their holy calling and ordination they have received the holy Ghost and the ministerial power of binding and loosing They are sent forth of the holy Ghost for this work whereunto he hath called them And Christ gives his Ministers power to forgive sins to the penitent in the same words that he teacheth us in the Lord's Prayer to desire God to forgive us our sins to assure all penitent sinners that God by his Minister's absolution doth fully through the merits of Christ's Blood forgive them all their sins So that what Christ decreeth in heaven in â—oro ju â—icii the same he declareth on earth by his reconciling Ministers in foro poenitentie so â—hat as God hath reconciled the world to himself by Jesus Christ so hath he saith the Apostle given unto us the ministry of this reconciliation He that sent them to baptize saying Go and teach all nations baptizing them c. sent them also to remit sins saying As my Father sent me so send I you whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them c. As therefore none can baptize tho' he use the same water and words but only the lawful Minister which Christ hath called and authorized to this Divine and Ministerial Function so tho' others may comfort with good words yet none can absolve from sin but only those to whom Christ â—ath committed the holy Ministry and Word of reconciliation and of their absolution Christ speaketh He that heareth you heareth me In a doubtful Title thou wilt ask the Counsel of a skilful Lawyer In peril of sickness thou wilt know the Advice of the learned Physician and is there no danger in dread of damnation for a sinner to be his own Judge Judicious Calvin teacheth this point of Doctrine most plainly Etsi omnes mutuo â—â—s debeamus consolari c. Altho saith he â—e ought to comfort and confirm one another â—n the confidence of God's Mercy yet we see that the Ministers are appointed as witnesses and sureties to ascertain our Consciences of the â—emission of sins insomuch as they are said tyremit sins and to loose souls Let every faithful man therefore remember that it is his duty if inwardly he be vexed and afflicted with the sense of his sins not to neglect that remedy which is offered unto him by the Lord to wit that for the easing of his conscience he make private confession of
true believing Christian may in this life be assured of his salvation Rom. 8. 9 16 35 c. 18. That no man in this life since Adam's fall can perfectly fulfil the Commandments of God Rom. 7. 10 c. Rom. 3. 19 c. Rom. 11. 32. 19. That to place Religion in the difference of meats and days is superstition Rom. 14. 3. 5 6 17 23. 20. That the imputed righteousness of Christ is that only that makes us just before God Rom. 4. 9 17 23. 21. That Christ's flesh was made of the Seed of David by Incaâ—nation not of a Wafer Cake by Transubstantiation Rom. 1. 3. 22. That all true Christians are Saints and not those whom the Pope only doth Canonize Rom. 1. 7. Rom 8. 27. Rom. 15. 31. Rom. 16. 2. and 15. Rom. 15. 25. 23. That Ipse Christ the God of Peace and not Ipsa the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head Rom. 16. 20. 24. That every soul must of conscience be subject and pay Tribute to the higher powers that is the magistrates which bear the Sword Rom. 13. 1 2. c. and therefore the Pope and all Prelates must be subject to their Emperors Kings and Magistrates unless they will bring damnation upon their souls as Traitors that resist God and his Ordinance Rom. 13. 2. 25. That Paul not Peter was ordained by the grace of God to be the chief Apostle of the Gentiles and consequently of Rome the chief City of the Gentiles Rom. 15. 15 16 19 20 c. Rom 11. 14. Rom. 16. 4. 26. That the Church of Rome may err and fall away from the true Faith as well as the Church of Jerusalem or any other particular Church Rom. 11. 20 21 22. And seeing the new upstart Church of Rome teacheth in all these and in innumerable other points clean contrary to that which the Apostle taught the Primitive Romans let God and this Epistle judge betwixt them and us whether of us both stands in the true ancient Catholick Faith which the Apostle taught the old Romans And whether we have not done well to depart from them so far as they have departed from the Apostles Doctrine And whether it be not better to return to St. Paul's Truth than still to continue in Rome's Error And if this be true then let Jesuites and Seminary Priests take heed and fear lest it be not faith but faction not truth but treason not Religion but Rebellion beginning at Tiber and ending at Tyburn which is the cause of their deaths And being sent from a troublesome Apostatical See rather than from a peaceable Apostolical Seat because they cannot be suffered to perswade Subjects to break their Oaths and to withdraw their Allegiance from their Sovereign to raise Rebellion to move Invasion to stab and poison Queens to kill and murther Kings to blow up whole States with Gun powder they desperately cast away their own bodies to be hanged quartered and their souls saved if they belong to God I wish such honour to all his Saints that sends them And I have just cause to fear that the miracles of Lipsius's Two Ladies Blunstone's Boy Garnet's Straw and the Maid's fiery Apron will not suffice to clear that these men are not Murtherers of themselves rather than Martyrs of Christ. And with what conscience can any Papist count Garnet a Martyr when his own conscience forced him to conâ—ess that it was for Treason and not for Religion that he died But if the Priests of such a Gunpowder Gospel be Martyrs I marvel who are Murtherers if they be Saints who are Scythians who are Canibals if they be Catholicks But leaving these if they will be filthy to their filthiness still let us to whose fidelity the Lord hath committed his true faith as a precious depositum pray unto God that we 〈◊〉 lead a holy life answerable to our holy faith in piety to Christ and obedience to oâ—r King that if our Saviour shall ever count us worthy that honour to suffer Martyrdom for his Gospel's sake be it by open burning at the stake as in Q. Mary's days or by secret murthering as in the Inquisition-house or by outragious massacring as in the Parisians Mattens in being blown up with Gun-powder as was intended in the Parliament-House we may have grace to pray for the assistance of his holy Spirit so to strengthen our frailty and to defend his cause as that we may seal with our deaths the evangelical truth which we have professed in our lives That in the days of our lives we may be blessed by his word in the day of Death be blessed in the Lord and in the day of judgment be the blessed of his Father Even so grant Lord Jesus Amen A Divine Colloquy betwixt the Soul and her Saviour concerning the effectual merits of his dolorous Passion Soul LOrd wherefore didst thou wash thy Disciples feet Christ To teach thee how thou shouldest prepare thy self to come to my Supper S. Lord why would'st thou wash them thy self C. To teach thee humility if thou wilt be my Disciple S. Lord wherefore didst thou before thy death institute thy last Supper C. That thou mightest the better remember my death and be assured that all the merits thereof are thine S. Lord wherefore would'st thou go to such a place where Judas knew to find thee C. That thou mightest know that I went as willingly to suffer for thy sin as ever thou wentest to any place to commit a sin S. Lord wherefore would'st thou begin thy passion in a Garden C. Because that in a Garden thy sin took first beginning S. Lord wherefore did thy three select Disciples fall so fast asleep when thou beganst to fall into thy agony C. To shew that I alone wrought the work of thy Redemption S. Lord why were there so many plots and snares laid for thee C. That I might make thee to escape all the snares of thy Ghostly Hunter S. Lord why would'st thou suffer Judas betraying thee to kiss thee C. That by enduring the words of dissembling Lips I might there begin to expiate sin where 〈◊〉 find brought it into the world S. Lord why would'st thee be sold for thiâ—ty pieces of Silver C. That I might free thee from perpetual bondage S. Lord why didst thou pray with such strâ—ng crying and tears C. That I might 〈◊〉 the fury of God's Justice which was so fiercely kindled against thee S. Lord why wast thou so afraid and cast â—nto such an Aâ—â—ny C. That 〈◊〉 the â—rath due to thy sins thou mightest be more secure in thy deâ—â—h and 〈◊〉 more comfort in thy crosse S. Lord wherâ—fâ—re 〈…〉 and so earnestly 〈…〉 〈◊〉 thee C. That 〈…〉 the horrour of that curseâ—◠〈…〉 being due to thy sin I was 〈…〉 and endure for thee S. Lord wherefore didst thou after 〈◊〉 wish submit thy will unto
hellish pains which I suffered to deliver thee from the endless pains of Hell and everlasting chains of darkness S. Lord why would'st thou have thine arms nailed abroad C. That I might embrace thee more lovingly my sweet Soul S. Lord why did the Thief that never wrought good before obtain Paradise upon so short repentance C. That thou maist see the power of my death to forgive them that repent that no sinner needs despair S. Lord why did not the other Thief which hanged as near thee obtain the like mercy C. because I leave whom I will to harden themselves in their lewdness to destruction that all should fear and none presume S. Lord wherefore didst thou cry with such a loud and strong voice in yielding up the ghost C. That it might appear that no man took my life from me but that I said it down of my self S. Lord wherefore didst thou commend thy soul into thy Father's hands C. To teach thee what thou should'st do being to depart this life S. Lord wherefore did the veil of the Temple rent in twain at thy death C. To shew that the Levitical Law should be no longer a partition-wall between Jews and Gentiles and that the way to Heaven is now open to all believers S. Lord wherefore did the earth quake and the Stones cleave at thy Death C. For horror to bear her Lord dying and to upbraid the cruel hardness of sinners hearts S. Lord wherefore did not the Soldiers break thy Legs as they did the thieves who hanged at thy right and left hand C. That thou mightest know that they had not power to do any more unto me than the Scripture had foretold that they should do and I should suffer to save thee S. Lord wherefore was thy side opened with a Spear C. That thou mightest have a way to come nearer unto my heart S. Lord wherefore ran there out of thy precious side blood and water C. To assure thee that I was slain indeed seeing my heart-blood gushed out and the water which compassed my heart flowed forth after it which once spilt man must needs die S. Lord wherefore ran the blood first by it self and the water afterwards by it self out of thy blessed wound C. To assure thee of two things 1. That by my blood-shedding Justification and Sanctification were effected to save thee Secondly that my Spirit by the conscionable use of the water in Baptism and blood in the Eucharist will effect in thee righteousness and holiness by which thou shalt glorifie me S. Lord wherefore did the graves open at thy death C. To signifie that Death by my death had now received his death's-wound and was overcome S. Lord wherefore woud'st thou be buried C. That thy sins might never rise up to Judgment against thee S Lord wherefore woud'st thou be buried by two such honourable Senators as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea C. That the Truth of my Death the Cause of thy life might more evidently appear unto all S. Lord wherefore wast thou buried in a new Sepulchre wherein was never laid man before C. That it might appear that I and not another arose and that by my own power not by another's vertue like him who reviv'd at the touching of Elisha's Bones S. Lord wherefore didst thou raise up thy body again C. That thou mayst be assured that thy sins are discharged and that thou art justified S. Lord wherefore did so many bodies of thy Saints which slept arise at thy Resurrection C. To give an assurance that all the Saints shall arise by the virtue of my Resurrection at the last day S. Lord what shall I render unto thee for all these benefits C. Love thy Creator and become a new creature The Soul's Soliloquy ravished in contemplation of the Passion of our Lord. WHat hadst thou done O my sweet Saviour and ever blessed Redeemer that thou wast thus betrayed of Judas sold of the Jews apprehended as a Malefactor and led bound as a Lamb to the slaughter What evil hadst thou committed that thou shouldest be thus openly arraigned accused falsly and unjustly condemned before Annas and Caiaphas the Jewish Priests at the judgment-seat of Pilate the Roman President What was thine offence or to whom didst thou ever wrong that thou shouldest be thus pitifully scourged with whips crowned with thorns scoffed with flouts reviled with words buffeted with fists and beaten with staves O Lord what didst thou deserve to have thy blessed face spit upon and covered as it were with shame to have thy Garments parted thy hands and feet nailed to the Cross To be lifted up upon the cursed Tree to be crucified among Thieves and made to taste Gall and Vinegar and in thy deadly extremity to endure such a Sea of God's wrath that made thee to cry out as if thou hadst been forsaken of God thy Father yea to have thy innocent heart pierced with a cruel spear and thy precious blood to be spilt before thy blessed mothers eyes Sweet Saviour how much wast thou tormented to endure all this seeing I am so much amazed but to think upon it I enquire for thine offence but I can find none in thee no not so much as guile to have-been found in thy mouth Thy enemies are challenged and none of them dare rebuke thee of sin thy accusers that are suborn'd agree not in their witness the Judg that condemns thee openly cleareth thy innocency his wife sends him word she was warned in a dream that thou wast a just Man and therefore should take heed of doing injustice unto thee The Centurion that executed thee confessed thee of a truth to be both a just man and the very Son of God The thief that hanged with thee justifieth thee that thou hast done nothing amiss What is the cause then O Lord of this thy cruel ignominy passion and death I O Lord I am the cause of these thy sorrows my sins wrought thy shame my iniquities are the occasion of thy injuries I have committed the fault and thou art plagued for the offence I am guilty and thou art arraigned I committed the sin and thou suffer'st the death I have done the crime thou hangedst on the Cross Oh the deepness of God's love Oh the wonderful disposition of heavenly grace Oh the unmeasurable measure of divine mercy the wicked transgresseth the just is punished the guilty is let escape and the innocent is arraigned the malefactor is acquitted and the harmless condemned what the evil man deserveth the good man suffereth the servant doth the fault the master endures the strokes What shall I say Man sinneth and God dieth O Son of God! who can sufficiently express thy love or commend thy pity or extol thy praise I was proud thou art humbled I was disobedient and thou becam'st obedient I did eat the forbidden
fruit thou didst hang on the cursed tree I plaid the glutton and thou didst fast evil concupiscence drew me to eat the pleasaâ—â— apple and perfect charity led thee to drink of the bitter cup I assayed the sweetness of the fruit and thou didst taste the bitterness of the gall Foolish Eve smiled when I laughed but blessed Mary wept when thy heart bled died O my God here I see thy goodness and my badness thy justice and my injustice the impiety of my flesh and the piety of thy nature And now O blessed Lord thou hast endured all this for my sake what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits bestowed upon me a sinful soul Indeed Lord I acknowledge that I owe thee already for my creation more than I am able to pay for I am in that respect bound with all my powers and affections to love and adore thee If I owed my self unto thee for giving me my self in my creation what shall I now render to thee for giving thy self for me to so cruel a death to procure my Redemption Great was the benefit that thou wouldest create me of nothing but what tongue can express the greatness of this grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse than nothing Surely Lord if I cannot pay the thanks I owe thee and who can pay thee who bestowest thy graces without respect of merit or regard of measure it is the abundance of thy blessings that makes me such a bankrupt that I am so far unable to pay the principal that I cannot possibly pay so much as the interest of thy love But O my Lord thou knowest that since the loss of thine Image by the fall of my first unhappy Parents I cannot love thee with all my might and mind as I should therefore as thou didst first cast thy love upon me when I was a child of wrath and a lump of the lost and condemned world so now I beseech thee shed abroad thy love by thy Spirit through all my faculties and affections that though I can never pay thee in that measure of love which thou hast deserved yet I may endeavour to repay thee in such a manner as thou vouchsafest to accept in mercy that I may in truth of heart love my neighbour for thy sake and love thee above all for thine own sake Let nothing be pleasant unto me but that which is pleasing unto thee And sweet Saviour suffer me never to be lost or cast away whom thou hast bought so dearly with thine own most precious blood O Lord let me never forget thine infinite love and this unspeakable benefit of my Redemption without which it had been better for me never to have been than to have any being And seeing that thou hast vouchsafed me the assistance of thy holy Spirit suffer me O heavenly Father who art the Father of Spirits in the meditation of thy Son to speak a few words in the ears of my Lord. If thou O Father despisest me for mine iniquities as I have deserved yet be merciful unto me for the merits of thy Son who so much for me hath suffered What if thou seest nothing in me but misery which might move anger and passion Yet behold the merits of thy Son and thou shalt see enough to move thee to mercy and compassion Behold the mystery of his incarnation and remit the misery of my transgression And as oft as the wounds of thy Son appear in thy sight O let the woes of my sins be hid from thy presence As oft as the redness of his blood glisters in thine eyes O let the guiltiness of my sins be blotted out of thy Book The wantonness of my flesh provoked thee unto wrath O let the chastity of his flesh perswade thee to mercy that as my flesh seduced me to sin so his flesh may reduce me unto thy favour My disobedience hath deserved a great revenge but his obedience merits a greater weight of mercy for what can man deserve to suffer which God made man cannot merit to have forgiven When I consider the greatness of thy passion then do I see the trueness of that saying That Christ came into the world to save the chiefest sinners Dâ—rest thou O Cain say that thy sins are greater than may be forgiven Thou lâ—est like a murtherer the mercies of one Christ are able to forgive a world of Cains if they 'll believe repent The sins of all sinners are finite the mercies of God are infinite Therefore O Father for the death and passions sake which thy Son Jesu Christ hath suffer'd for me I have now remembred to thee pardon and forgive thou unto me all my sins deliver me from the curse vengeance which they have justly deserved through his merits make me O Lord a partaker of thy mercy It is thy mercy that I so earnestly knock for neither shall mine importunity cease to call and knock with the man that would borrow the loaves until thou arise and open unto me thy gates of grace And if thou wilt not bestow on me thy loaves yet O Lord deny me not the crums of thy mercy and those shall suffice thy hungry hand-mind And seeing thou reqâ—i est nothing for thy benefits but that I love thee in the truth of my inward heart whereof a new creature is the truest outward testimony and that it is as easie for thee to make me a new creature as to bid me to be such create in me O Christ a new heart and renew in me a right spirit and then thou shalt see how mortifying old Adam and his corrupt lust I will serve thee as thy new creature in a new life after a new way with a new tongue and new manners with new words and new works to the glory of thy Name and the winning other sinful souls unto thy Faith by my devout example Keep me for ever O my Saviour from the torments of hell and tyranny of the Devil And when I am to depart this life send thy holy Angels to carry me as they did the soul of Lazarus into thy Kingdom Receive me into that joyful Paradise which thou didst promise to thâ— penitent thief which at his last gasp upon the Cross so devoutly begg'd thy mercy and admission into thy Kingdom Grant this O Christ for thy own Name 's sake to whom as is most due I ascribe all glory and honour praise and dominion both now and for ever Amen FINIS * 1 Tim. 6. 15. Rev. 12. 13. †1 Sam. 20. 20. * 2 Chron. 34. 3. * Qui monet ut facias quod jam facis ipse moneâ— do Laudat hortatu comprobat acta suo 2 Cor. 8. 7. Matth. 15. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 4. * Exemplum accidit mulieris Domino teste quae Theatrum adiit inde cum daemonio â—â—diit Itaque in exorcismo cùm oneraretur immundus spiritus quod ausus est fidelem aggredi