Gospel and strengthen us from above to walk and abound in all the true and sound fruits of faith Let us walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Let us feele the power of thy Sonnes death killing sin in our mortall bodies and the power of his resurrection raising us up to newnesse of life Let us grow daily in the sanctification of the Spirit and the mortification of the flesh Let us live holily justly and soberly in this present evill world shewing forth the vertues of thee in all our particular actions that wee may adorne our most holy profession and shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and froward generation amongst whom wee live being gainfull to all by our lives and conversation and offensive to none To this end wee pray thee fill us with thy Spirit and all spirituall graces as love wisdome patience contentment meeknesse humility temperance chastitie kindnesse and affability and stirre us up to use prayer and watchfulnesse reading and meditation in thy Law and all other good meanes whereby wee may grow and abound in all heavenly vertues Blesse us in the use of the meanes from day to day make us such as thou wouldest have us to be and such as wee desire to be worke in us both will and deed purpose and power For thou O Lord art all in all thou wilt have mercie upon whom thou wilt have mercie and whom thou wilt thou hardenest Have mercy upon us therefore deare Father and never leave us to our selves nor to our owne wills lusts and desires but assist us with thy good Spirit that we may continue to the end in a righteous course that so at length wee may be received into glory and be partakers of that immortall Crowne which thou hast laid up for all that love thee and truly call upon thee Further wee intreat thee O heavenly Father to give us all things necessary for this life as food raiment health peace liberty and such freedome from those manifold miseries which we lie open unto every day as thou seest meet Blesse unto us all the meanes which thou hast put into our hands for the sustenance of this fraile life Blesse our flocke and store corne and cattell trades and occupations and all workes of our hands for thy blessing onely makes rich and it bringeth no sorrowes with it Give us therefore such a competencie and sufficiencie of these outward blessings as thou in thy heavenly wisdome seest most needfull for us Moreover wee humbly beseech thee most loving Father in great mercie looke downe from Heaven upon thy whole Church and every member of it Be favourable unto Sion and build up the walls of Jerusalem Behold with the eye of pitie the great ruines and desolation of thy Church Heale up the wounds and make up the breaches thereof in all Nations Regard it as thine own flocke tender it as thine own family dresse it as thine owne Vineyard love it as thine owne Spouse Thinke thoughts of peace to it and alwayes looke upon it in deep compassion Blesse it with thy grace guide it with thy Spirit and defend it still with thy mighty power scatter the devices consound the counsels and overthrow the forces of all that fight against it Specially wee intreat thee deare Father to set thy selfe against that Antichrist of Rome that man of perdition which setteth himselfe against thee and against all thy people In thine appointed time wee pray thee give him a deadly downfall Beat downe all his power and authority daily more and more give free passage to thy Gospel in all Kingdomes that Babylon may fall and never rise up againe The more the favourites and adherents of Rome labour to uphold their Idolatrous Kingdome the more let it fall downe even as Dagon before the presence of thine Arke Poure downe the Vials of the fulnesse of thy wrath upon the Kingdomes of the Beast and let their riches wealth credit and authority dry up every day more and more as the river Euphrates Let it pitie thee O Father to see thine owne Spouse sit as a deformed and forlorne woman here below weeping and mourning with her haire about her necke having lost all her beauty and comelinesse Cheere her up deare Father glad her with the joy of thy countenance and so decke her and trim her up that thou maist delight in her as a Bridegroome in his Bride Specially wee intreat thee have mercie upon thy Church in this Land intend good unto us and not evill Give us not over into the hands of our cruell enemies as our sinnes have deserved Scatter we pray thee O Lord the devices and breake the plots of all such as have plotted the overthrow and utter subversion of this Church and Common-wealth Blesse this Church more and more with the continuance of true Religion amongst us for thy great Names sake and infinite mercies sake deale graciously and favourably with us and our posterity Turne from us that vengeance which is due unto us for our sinnes For thou seest how iniquity prevaileth and the wicked goe away with the goale Atheisme over-spreadeth every where and Popery seemeth to get a head againe Now therefore deare Father we most humbly beseech thee to take order speedily for the remedying and repressing of these manifold disorders and grievous enormities that are amongst us Be intreated of thy poore children to be good to this English Nation Heare the cries of thine Elect heare the mourning of them that mourne in Sion Let the cries of thy children cry downe all the cries of the sins of the Land and be reconciled unto us in the multitude of thy compassions that so thou maist still continue a most mercifull protectour of this thine English Vineyard Wee pray thee good Father shew speciall mercy to our most Noble and gracious King Charles thine anointed Servant blesse him and keep him in all his wayes blesse his government unto us Let thine Angels encamp about him and let thy holy hand be alwayes over him keep him from treasons and deliver him from the treacheries of his enemies give him to see what belongs to his peace and give 〈◊〉 a heart earnestly bent to set upon the practice of the same give him all graces necessary for his place and necessary for his salvation continue his government peaceable and prosperous amongst us and as thou hast made him the breath of our nostrils and a gracious instrument for the saving of many thousand soules so let his owne soule be saved in the day of thy Sonne Christ Blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellours and give such good successe unto all their counsels and policies in matters of State that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Blesse all the Nobility worke in them a care to glorifie thy Name in their places make them faithfull to thee and faithfull to the Land Direct with thy good Spirit all such as beare the sword of Justice
say in our hearts No evill can come unto us Asun You say very true Sir The world was never so set upon covetousnesse and men were never so greedily given to the world as now adaies And yet in truth there is no cause why men should bee so sharp-set upon this world For this world is but vanity and all is but pels trash Fâ—e on this muck Phil. Many such men as you are can skil to give good words and say Fie on this world all is but vanity yet for all that in your daily practice you are never the lesse set upon the world nor never the more seek after God You hear the word of God no whit the more you reade no whit the more you pray never the moâ—e which evidently sheweth that all your faire speeches and protestations are nought else but hypocrisie and leasing Your heart is not with God for all this All is but words there is no such feeling in the heart And therefore I may justly say to you as God himselfe said to his people This people have said well all that they have said Oh D ut 5.28 that there were an heart in them to feare me and keepe my commandements Theol. His words indeed are good if his heart were according For all things considered there is no cause why men should bee so given to this world for they must leave it when they have done all that they can As wee say To day a man to morrow none And as the Apostle saith 1 Tim. â— Wee brought nothing into this world and it is certaine wee shall carry nothing out Wee must all dye wee know not how soon why therefore should men set their hearts upon such uncertainties and deceiveable things for all things in this world are more light then a feather more brittle than glasse more fleeting than a shadow more vanishing than smoake more unconstant than the winde Doubtlesse saith the Prophet David man walketh in a shadow Psal 3â— 6. and disquieteth himselfe in vaine hee heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them I wonder therefore that these moles and muck-worms of this earth should so minde these shadowish things and so dote on them as they do If they were not altogether hardened and blinded by the Divelâ— they would not be so neerly knit to thee â—â—od and the penny as they are thinking and alwayes imagining that there is no happinesse but in these things which are but dung and drosse and at last they will give us the slip when wee think our selves most sure of them The wise King who had the greatest experience of these things that ever man had for hee enjoyed whatsoever this world could afford upward and downeward backward and forward yet could he finde nothing in them but vanity and vexation of spirit Moreover hee flâ—tâ—y avoucheth That all these things riches wealth honour pleasures and treasures will most notably deceive us in the end give us the slâ—p and be gone For he compareth riches and all the glory of the world to an Eagle or Hawke which a man holdeth upon his fist stroketh her maketh much of her taketh great delight and pleasure in her and saith hee will not take ten pounds for her yet all on the sudden shee taketh her flight and flyeth up into the aire and hee never seeth her more nor shee him The words of the holy Ghost are these Pâ—oâ— 25.5 Wilt thou cause thine eyes to flie after them meaning riches Thou maiest but they will not be found For they wil make themselves wings like to the Eagle which slieth up to heaven From thence wee may learne that though wee set our hearts neversomuch on any thing here below yet at the last it shall bee taken from us or we from it Therefore all worldly men doe but weave the spiders web and may fitly bee compared to the silly spider who toyleth her selfe and laboureth all the weeke long to fluish up her web that shee may lodge her selfe in it as in her owne house and free-hold But alas at the weeks end a maid in a moment with one brush of a broom dispossesseth her of her inheritance which shee had purchased with great labour and much adoe Even so when the men of this world have with much care and travell purchased great lands and revenues and gathered all that they can yet on the sudden death with one stroke of his â—â—refull dart will make them give up the ghost and then where are they It was prettily therefore said of a man in the light of nature Seneca No man hath ever lived so happily in this life but in his life time many things have befallen him for the which hee hath wished rather to die than to live And assuredly I thinke there was never any man lived any one day upon the face of the earth but some griefe or other either did or justly might invade his minde ere night either in the temptations of the World the Flesh or the Divell or in regard of soule body goods or name in regard of wife children friends or neighbours in regard of dangers to Prince Staie Church or Common-wealth in regard of casualties and losse by water by fire by sea or by land What a life therefore is this that hath not our good day in it Who would desire to dwell long in it For it lieth open every day to manifold miseries dangers losses casualties reproaches shame infamy poverty sicknesse diseases cholicks agueâ— tooth-ache head-ache back-ache bone-ache and a thousand calamities Phil. You have very well described unto us the vanity of this life and that no day is free from one sorrow or other one griefe or other the which thing our Lord Jesus ratifieth in the reason which hee bringeth why men should not distrustfully care for to morrow For saith hee sufficient to the day is the evill thereof Or as some read it The day hath enough with his owne griefe Wherein hee doth plainly shew that every day hath his sorrow his evill his griefe and his thwart But I pray you proceed further in this point Theol. This I say further That when men have swinked sweat carked and cared mosled and turmosled drudged and droiled by night by day by sea and by land with much care and sorrow much labour and griefe to rake together the things of this life yet at last all will away againe and wee must end where wee began For as Job said Iob. 1. Naked wee came into the world and naked wee must go out For even as a winde-mill beateth it selfe maketh a great noise whistleth and whisketh about from day to day all the yeare long yet at the yeares end standeth still where it begunne being not moved one foote backward or forward soe when men have blustered and blowne all that they can and have even runne themselves out of breath to scrape up the commodities of the earth yet at last they must spite
stirre up in us a greater care of our salvation Phil. 2.12 that we may be in the number of Christs little flock which make an end of their salvation in feare and trembling Phil. Some make light of all these matters Others say As for the life to come that is the least matter of an hundred to be cared for As for that matter they will leave it to God even as pleaseth him they will not meddle with it For they say God that made them must save them They hope they shall doe as well as others and make as good shift as their neighbours Theol. It is lamentable that men should be so carelesse and make so light of that which of all other things is most weighty and important For what shall it profit a man though hee should win the whole world if hee lose his soule as the Author of all wisedome testifieth Mar. 16.26 Asun I pray you Sir under correction give mee leave to speake my mind in this point I am an ignorant man pardon mee if I speake amisse for a fooles bolt is soon shot Theol. Say on Asun I doe verily thinke that God is stronger then the Divell Therefore I cannot beleeve that he will suffer the Divell to have more then himselfe He will not take it at his hands He loveth mankind better then so Theol. You doe carnally imagine that God will wrestle and strive with the Divell about the â—â—â—ter â—s for Gods power it doth never crosse his will for God can doe nothing against his will and decree because he will not Asun Yea but the Scripture saith God will have all men saved Theol. That is not meant of every particular man but of all sorts some some Iewes some Gentiles some rich some poore some high some low c. Asun Christ died for all therefore all shall be saved Theol. Christ died for all in sufficiencie of his death but not in efficacie unto life For onely the Elect shall be saved by his drath as it is written This is my bloud in the New Testament which is given for you Luke 22.26 meaning his Disciples and chosen children And againe Christ being consecrated is made the Author of salvation to all that obey him Asun God in mercifull and therefore I hope hee will save the greatest part for his mercy sake Theol. The greatest part shall perish but all that shall be saved shall be saved by his mercy as it is written Hee will have mercy on whom hee will have mercy Rom. 9. and whom he will he hardneth And againe It is not in him that willeth or him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Therefore though God be infinite in mercy and Christ infinite in merit yet none shall have mercy but only the vessels of mercy Antil Can you tell who shall be saved and who shall be damned Doe you know Gods secrets When were you in heaven When spake you with God I am of the mind that all men shall be saved For Gods mercy is above all his worke Say you what you will and what you can God did not make us to condemne us Theol. You are very peremptory indeed you are more bold then wise for Christ saith Few shall be saved you say All shall be saved Whether then shall we beleeve Christ or you Antil If there should come two soules one from heaven and another from hell and bring us certain newes how the case stood then I would beleeve it indeed Theol. Put case two soules of the dead should come the one from heaven the other from hell I can tell you afore-hand certainly what they would say and what newes they would bring Antil What I pray Theol. They would say there be few in heaven and many in hell heaven is empty and hell is full Antil How know you that how know you they would say so Theol. I am sure if they speak the truth they must needs say so Antil Must they needs Why I pray you must they needs Theol. Because the Word of God saith so Because Moses and the Prophets say so If you will not beleeve Moses and the Prophets neither will you beleeve though one though two though an hundred should rise from the dead Antil Yes but I would Theol. I pray you let me aske you a question Whether doe you thinke that God and his Word or the soules of dead men are more to be credited Antil If I were sure that God said so then I would beleeve it Theol. If his Word say so doth not he say so Is not he and his Word all one Antil Yet for all that if I might heare God himselfe speake it it would move me much Theol. You shew your selfe to be a notable Infidell You will not beleeve Gods word without signes and miracles and wonders from the dead Antil You speak as though you knew certainly that Hell is full you doe but speake at randome you cannot tell you were never there to see But for mine owne part I beleeve there is no Hell at all but onely the bell of a mans conscience Theol. Now you shew your selfe in kind what you are You say you beleeve no Hell at all And I thinke if you were well examined you beleeve no Heaven at all neither God nor Divell Antil Yes I beleeve there is a Heaven because I see it with mine eyes Theol. You will beleeve no more belike then you see Job 20.28 but Blessed is he that beleeveth and seeth not You are one of the rankest Atheists that ever I talked withall Antil You ought not to judge you know not mens hearts Theol. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 You have sufficiently bewrayed your heart by your words For the tongue is the key of the mind As for judging I judge you onely by your fruits which is lawfull For we may justly say It is a bad tree which bringeth forth bad fruit and hee that doth wickedly is a wicked man But it is you and such as you are that will take upon you to judge mens hearts For though a mans outward actions be religious and honest yet you will condemne him And if a man give himselfe to the Word and Praier reforme his family and abstaine from the grosse sins of the world you will by and by say Hee is an Hypocrite And thus you take upon you to judge mens hearts as though you knew with what affection these things are done Antil I confesse I am a sinner and so are all other for ought I know There is no man but hee may be amended I pray God send us all of his grace that we may please him and get to Heaven at last Theol. Now you would shuffle up all together as though you were as good as the best and as though there were no difference of sinners but you must learne to know that there is a great difference of sinners For there is the penitent and the
keepe his Sabbaths Avoide all the signes of condemnation and labour after all the signes of salvation Above all things take heed of sinne for that is the very out-throat of the soule and of all goodnesse Tremble therfore and sin not for if you sin mark what followeth Six great dangers in sinne God seeth His Angels beare witnesse The Conscience pricketh Death threatneth The Divell accuseth Hell devoureth You see then that sinne is no scar-crow or jesting matter Every sinne that a man committeth is as a thorne thrust deep into the soule which will not be got out againe but with many a sigh and many a sorrowfull Oh oh Every sinne is 〈…〉 Iron â—er 17.1 and the point of a Diamond upon the conscience and shall in the last day when the Booke shall be opened accuse us and give in evidence against us Note this If a man commit sin with pleasure the pleasure posseth away but the conscience and sting of the 〈◊〉 abideth and tormenteth deadly but if a man doe well though with labour and painfulnesse the paine passeth away yet the conscience of well-doing remaineth with much comfort But the best end of sinne is alwaies repentance if not in this life then with we and was when it is doe late Therefore take heed in time take heede I say of sin for Six most hurtfull effects of sinne Sinne hardens the heart Heb. 3.13 Sin gnawes the conscience 1 Sam. 25. Sin fights against the soule 1 Pet. 1.11 Sinne brings forth death James 1.15 Sinne makes ashamed Rom. 6.21 Sin procures plagues of body and soule Deut. 28. Behold therefore the evill effects of sinne For this cause Zophar the Naâ—mathite speakes very wisely to Job saying Job 11. When thou shalt life thy face out of thy sin thou shalt be strong and shalt not feare thou shalt forget all sorrow thou shalt remember it as the waters that are past Where Zophar pleinely sheweth that the avoiding of sinne is our strength and the committing of it our woâ—â—â—ing according to that of Solomon Proâ— 2â— 1â— The way of the Lord is the strength of the upright man Therefore wâ—â—â—e in the way of God and take heede of the wayes of sinne for God punisheth every sin his way some one way and some another and no sin can escape unpunished For because God is just therefore hee must needs punish sin in all men though in divers manners as the wicked in their owne persons the godly in Christ Beware of it therefore and flatter not your selfe in your sins Remember how every disobedience and every transgression hath had a just recompence of reward Nâ—â—â— how God in all ages hath pâ—â—â—hed the breakers of his â—â—w â—â—od 32.10 God hath in all ages matched the cause with the effect that is sin with the punishment of sin The Israelites for breaking the first Commandement in making other gods were often smitten by the hand of God â—â—v 10.2 Nadab and Abibu the sons of Aaron for the breach of the second Commandement in offering strange fire upon Gods Altar were consumed with fire Numb 15. Hee that blasphemed and transgressed the third Commandement was stoned to death Num. 15.52 Hee that brake the fourth Commandement in gathering stickes on the Sabbath was likewise stoned Absalom transgressing the fift was hanged in his owne haire 2 Sam. 18. Gâ—â— 4.15 Cain transgressing the sixt in slaying his brother Abel was branded with the marke of Gods wrath Gen. 34.26 Sichem the son of Hamor transgressing the seventh in defiling Dinah the daughter of Jacob was slain by Simeon and Levi the sons of Jacob. Jos 7.25 Achan sinning against the eighth Commandement in stealing the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment was stoned to death Ananias and Sapphira sinning against the ninth in lying and dissembling Act â—5 6 were suddenly smitten with death Ahab transgressing the tenth Commandement 1 〈◊〉 21.24 in coveting and discontentment was devoured of dogges Or if you will have originall sinne therein onely forbidden then infants are therefore punished with death Rom. 5.14 Thus wee see there is no dallying with God but if wee sin wee are as sure to be jerkt for it as the coate is on our backe Therefore let us not deceive our selves nor make light of sinne for sin is no scar-bug and wee shall one day finde it so And howsoever wee make light of some sins yet in very deed all sin is odious in the sight of God yea all sin is hainous and capitall in this respect that it is against a person of infinite being it is against God himselfe it is against the highest Majestie For the greatnesse of the person offended doth inhaunse and increase the greatnesse of the sinne As for example If a man rail at a Justice of Peace he shall be stocked if he cast at one of his Majesties privy Councell he shall be imprisoned but if hee raile at his owne Majestie hee shall be hanged So then you see how a sin is increased by the dignity of the person offended Now then sith all mortall Princes are but dust in the sight of God and hee is a person of infinite and incomparable Majestie how hainous and how slagitious a thing is it in any wise or after any sort to sin against his most royall and sacred person Well then to grow to some conclusion this I doe advise you as to shunne all vice so to embrace all vertue as to put off the old man so to put on the new man Remember often and alwaies what shall become of you after this life where you shall be forty yeers hence in Hell or Heaven Looke well to that in time and therefore to live that you may live alwaies Consider often is your serious cogitation Nine profitaâ—le consideratiions What you have been What you are What you shall be What God hath done for you What he doth What he will do Gods judgements past Gods judgements present Gods judgements to come Awake at last and take care for your salvation Sâ—â—â—s no longer in sinne lest yes perish eternally For verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judges the earth Psal 58 1â— And this is the best counsell I can give you Asun Your counsell is very good I pray God give me grace to follow it and so to live that I may please God and go to heaven in the end Theol. You must take heede you speake not these words of course and for fashion sake having no settled purpose in your heart to follow those directions For there be numbers that can skill to give good words but they will doe nothing They thinke they highly please God with their good words and that God will take them for payment as though God regarded words They would faine goe to heaven but they will take no paines they will leave no sinnes they will not forget their lusts and pleasures They would
As farre as is the East from the West so farre hath hee removed our sinnes from us As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For he knowes whereof wee be made he remembreth that wee are but dust The History of the lost sonne doth most notably set forth the wonderfull mercy of God towards penitent sinners There is shewed how the Lord doth embrace tender Luke 1â— 20 and made much of such poore sinners as have broken and contrite hearts for their sinnes for it is said that when the Father saw his repenting Sonne a great way off hee had compassion on him and ranne and fell on his neck and kissed him and cloathed him with the best robe put it on him put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet and caused the fat calfe to be killed for him Even so the everlasting Father doth rejoyce at the conversion of any of his lost sonnes Yea there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that converteth Moreover the Lord most lively expresseth his mercifull nature and disposition in this That he is very loth we should perish and willingly cast away our selves Therefore often in the holy Scriptures he mournes for us bewailes our wretchednesse and takes up many pitifull complaints and lamentations for us Psal â—1 13 saying O that my people had hearkened unto mee and Israel had walked in my waies Psa 48.18 And againe O that thou hadst hearkened unto my commandements then had thy prosperity been as the floud and thy righteousnesse as the waters of the sea Againe hee mourningly complaines by his Prophet Hosea saying O Ephraim what shall I doe to thee O Judah how shall I intreat thee And in another place Isa 5. What could I doe more to my Vineyard that I have not done Marke here how compassionately the Almighty God doth yerne over us and even as it were blood upon our wounds The Apostle also notes the rich mercy and marvellous love of GOD to mankind in this that hee doth beseech us and pray us by the Ministers of the Gospel that wee would be reconciled unto him The words are these Now then are wee Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through us wee pray you in Christs stead that you be reconciled unto God Is it not a strange thing that the omnipotent God should fall to entreating of us poore wretches It is all one as if a King should intreat a begger whom hee may will and command But the abundant mercy of God towards mankind doth most of all consist in this That hee hath given his onely Sonne for us when wee were his enemies as it is written God so loved the world that hee hath given his onely begotten Sonne John â— that whosoever beleeves in him should not perish but have everlasting life Againe Gods sets out his love towards us seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his bloud wee shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.1 For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life In all this then wee may cleerely behold the infinite mercy of God towards us poore sinners For is it not a great matter that the Son of God should take our nature upon him should be so abased as he was and should humble himselfe to death Phil. 2. â— even to the death of the crosse For as the shadow of the Diall went backe ten degrees that Ezechias might receive length of dayes and much happinesse so Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse hath gone backe many degrees that we might have eternall life His humiliation therefore is our exaltation his sufferings our joy his death our life For wee have no other remedy or refuge but only his merits and righteousnes He is our City of refuge whither we must flie and where wee must take sanctuary Jer. 9. He is the balme of Gilead whereby our soules are cured He is that poole of Bethesda John â— 2 where every man may be cured of what disease soever he hath 2 Kin. 5. He is the river of Jordan where Naaman may wash away all his leprosie He is that Pelican who by pecking a hole in his owne breast doth restore his young to life againe by his bloud Yet one thing wee must note by the way which hath been partly touched before That all the mercies of God and merits of Christ are to be restrained only to the Elect only to the true members of the Church as plainly appeareth in Psal 103. where the mercies of God which are there largely described are restrained onely to them that feare him keep his Covenant and thinke upon his Commandements to doe them And touching Christ it is said that hee is a Prince and a Saviour unto Israel and that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Againe it is written Psal 130. that Christ being consecrate was made the Authour of eternall salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5.6 None doe or can obey him but only the Elect therefore hee is the Authour of salvation onely to the Elect. And consequently the profane world whatsoever they say whatsoever they brag and boast have no true title or interest in him This thing was figured in the Law in this that the Mercy-seat which was a type of Gods mercy in Christ and the Arke which was a figure of the Church were by the expresse commandement of GOD fitted each to other Exod. 25.10 both in length and breadth For as the Arke was two cubits and a halfe long and a cubit and a halfe broad just so was the Mercy-seat Noting thereby that the mercy of God in Christ should onely be fitted to his Church and belong onely to the Church so as not one without the Church should be saved For hee that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot have God for his Father Lastly we are to observe that as God is infinite in mercy and of great compassion toward penitent sinners so also is hee most constant in the course of his mercies towards his children And therefore one of the Psalmes carries this foot Psal 156. His mercie endureth for ever his mercie endureth for ever his mercie endureth for ever Noting thereby both the constancie and eternitie of Gods mercy To the same purpose it is thus written Lam. 3 2â— It is the Lords mercie that wee are not consumed it is because his compassions faile not Let us know therefore that God as touching his mercy to his children is of a most constant and unchangeable nature As hee saith I am the Lord I change not For if GOD were of a changeable nature as we are and subject to passions then were wee in a most miserable case then must hee
The answers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion pag. 334 The meanes to get out of ignorance pag. 346 347 Ignorance a most dangerous thing pag. 348 The charge of Ministers exceeding weighty and most carefully to be looked unto pag. 353 What is the best course for Ministers to take to bring the people out of ignorance pag. 357 What is the best course for the people to take that they may be brought out of the bondage of sinne and captivity of Sathan pag. 358 359 Preaching a matter of absolute necessity unto eternall life pag. 363 Without preaching the people are in great danger of losing their souls pag. 364 Satans cunning in frustrating the hearing of the Word and making all preaching utterly unprofitable pag. 365 The Preachers counsell to the ignorant man pag. 367 Six great dangers of sin pag. 368 Six most fearfull events of sin pag. 369 God in all ages hath severely punished the transgressors of his Law pag. 370 371 Every sin though never so little in our eyes is hainous and capitall because it is against a person of infinite Majesty pag. 371 Nine profitable considerations pag. 372 If men would leave words and fall to doing great good would come of it pag. 374 Nine things much to be thought upon pag. 376 The description of Christs comming to judgment pag. 376 377 The terror the suddennesse the end the manner and the use of Christs second coming described pag. 378 379 The torments of hell with the extremity perpetuity and remedilesnesse thereof described pag. 389 The ignorant man upon the hearing of the day of judgement and hell fire laid open is pricked in his conscience bewailes his former life repents earnestly for his sin and ignorance and desires spirituall physicke and comfort of the Preacher pag. 398 The Preacher ministers unto him much spirituall comfort and doth in ample manner lay open unto him all the sweet promises of the Gospel and the infinite mercy of God in Christ to all true penitent and broken-hearted sinners pag. 402 403 The ignorant man being afflicted in his conscience is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached unto him and thereupon gathers great inward peace converts unto God with all his heart and exceedingly blesseth God for the Preachers counsell pag. 422 FINIS A Morning Prayer to be used in private Families O Lord our God and heavenly Father we thy unworthy children do here come into thy most holy and heavenly presence to give thee praise and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold blessings toward us especially for that thou hast preserved us this night past from all the dangers and fears thereof hast given us quiet rest to our bodies and brought us now safely to the beginning of this day and dost now afresh renew all thy mercies upon us as the Eagle reneweth her bill giving us all things abundantly to enjoy as food raiment health peace liberty and freedome from many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which we are subject to in this life every minute of an houre and not onely so but also for vouchsafing unto us many good things not onely for necessity but even for delight also But above all dear Father wee praise thy name for the blessings of a better life especially for thy most holy Word and Sacraments and all the good wee enjoy thereby for the continuance of the Gospel amongst us for the death of thy Sonne and all that happinesse which wee have thereby also because thou hast chosen us to life before wee were and that of thy meere goodnesse and undeserved favour toward us and hast called us in thine appointed time justified us by thy grace and sanctified us by thy Spirit and adopted us to be thine owne children and heires apparent to the great Crowne O Lord open our eyes every day more and more to see and consider of thy great and marvellous love to us in all these things that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be drawne yet neerer unto thee even more to love thee feare thee and obey thee that as thou art enlarged towards us in mercy so we may be enlarged towards thee in thanksgiving and as thou dost abound towards us in goodnesse so we may abound towards thee in obedience and love And sith deare Father thou art never weary of doing us good notwithstanding all our unworthinesse and naughtinesse therefore let the consideration of thy great mercy and fatherly kindnesse towards us even as it were force our hearts and compell us to come into thy most glorious presence with new songs of thanksgiving in our mouthes Wee pray thee O most mercifull God to forgive all our unthankfulnesse unkindnesse profanenesse and great abusing of all thy mercies and especially our abuse and contempt of thy Gospel together with all other the sinnes of our life which we confesse are innumerable and more then can be reckoned up both in omission of good things and commission of evill We most humbly entreat thee to set them all over to the reckoning which thy Son Christ hath made up for them upon his Crosse and never to lay any of them to our charge but freely forget all and forgive all Naile down all our sinnes and iniquities to the Crosse of Christ bury them in his death bathe them in his bloud hide them in his wounds let them never rise up in judgement against us Set us free of the miseries that are upon us for sin and keep back the judgements to come both of soule body goods and good name Be reconciled unto us in thy deare Sonne concerning all matters past not once remembring or repeating unto us our old and abominable iniquities but accept us as righteous in him imputing his righteousnesse to us and our sins to him Let his righteousnesse satisfie thy justice for all our unrighteousnesse his obedience for our disobedience his perfection for our imperfection Moreover wee humbly beseech thy good Majesty to give us the true sight and feeling of our manifold sins that we may not be blinded in them through delight or hardened in them through custome as the reprobates are but that we may be even weary of them and much grieved for them labouring and striving by all possible meanes to get out of them Good Father touch our hearts with true repentance for all sinne Let not us take any delight or pleasure in any sinne but howsoever we fall through frailty as wee fall often let us never fall finally let us never lye downe in sin nor continue in sin but let us get up on our feet againe and turne to thee with all our hearts and seek thee whilest thou maist be found and whilest thou dost offer grace and mercy unto us O Lord increase in us that true and lively faith whereby wee may lay sure hold on thy Sonne Christ and rest upon his merits altogether Give us faith assuredly to beleeve all thy great and precious promises made in the