in his corrections To observe and understand his meaning in the troubles that befal us that we may accordingly apply our selves to meet him in his ways These occasions for particular intercession are distinguishable into several kindes comprehending all manner of inward or outward exigences all difficulties and doubts in respect of any weighty businesse or temptation but the two chief kinds of them are troubles of conscience sicknesse of body 1. If the occasion be trouble of Conscience and spiritual desertions in such cases the petitions arguments before-mentioned in our deprecation against the guilt of sin are fitly applyable to which may be added such other desires as these That God would inable them to beleeve and consider that feares and doubts and temptations are an unavoidable part of our Christian warfare that not only his dearest servants Job David c. but also his only Sonne Christ himself hath suffered under them That he being touched with a feeling of our infirmities might be ready to help us in the time of need That God is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to bear it He hath promised that he will not contend for ever nor be alwayes wroth lest the spirits of men should fail before him the souls which he hath made that though for a small moment he doth forsake us yet with great mercies will he gather us though in a little wrath he doth hide his face from us for a moment yet with everlasting kindnes will he have mercy upon us The Lord upholdeth those that fall and raiseth up all those that be bowed down He is nigh unto them that be of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit That as for our infirmities the best men in this life are not without them nor shall they be imputed to us If we do that which we would not it is no more we that do it but sin that dwelleth in us as for our wilful sins if they be particularly repented of and forsaken though they be as red as scarlet yet he will purge us from them if we do count them as a burden and come unto Christ for help he will ease us of them That God in the New Covenant does undertake for both parts that our hopes are not now to be grounded upon our own works or sufficiency but upon the infallible promise of God and the infinite merits of Christ that if we were without sin or could do any thing perfectly we should not in that respect have need of a Mediatour From all which considerations those who are afflicted with spiritual desertions may receive sufficient comfort in respect of their sins past and for the future we should pray in their behalf That God would inable them to put on the breast-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation That they may labour to keep a good conscience to be observant of all those experimenss which they have had of Gods love unto them for experience worketh hope Unto this head concerning comfort against the dejections of mind and trouble of conscience those expressions of the Psalmist may be fitly applied My soul is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Return O Loâ—d deliver my soul O save me for thy mercy sake Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted the troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses look upon mine affliction my pain forgive me all my sins O keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee Let integrity and uprightnes preserve me O hide not thy face from me neither cast thy servant away in displeasure Make thy face to shine upon thy servant O save me for thy mercy sake Withhold not thou thy tender mercy from me O Lord let thy loving kindnes thy truth continually preserve me for inumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Be pleased O Lord to deliver me O Lord make haste to help me Be merciful unto me O Lord be merciful unto me for under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge until my calamities be overpast In the multitude of the sorrowful thoughts within me let thy comforts O Lord delight my soul. Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation That I may see the good of thy chosen and rejoyce with the gladness of thy people and glory with thine inheritance Do thou save me O Lord for thy name sake for I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me 2. If the occasion be Sicknesse of Body in this case we ought to intercede for others That God would teach them quietly to submit unto his afflicting hand as considering that diseases do not arise meerly from naturall or accidentall causes without the particular appointment and disposal of his wise providence which doth extend to the very hairs of our head much more to the dayes of our lives and the health of those dayes and that he is faithful and true having ingaged his promise that all conditions though never so troublesome Tribulation and anguish and sicknesse and death it self shall work together for the good of those that belong unto him That he would sanctifie their pains and troubles unto them giving them a true sight of their sins an unfeigned sorrow for them and a steadfast faith in the merits of Christ for the remission of them That he would recompence the pains and decays of their bodies with comfort and improvement in their souls That as their outward man does decay so their inward man may be renued daily That he would fit them for whatever condition he shall call them unto That Christ may be unto them both in life and death advantage That if it be his will he would recover them from their paines and diseases and restore them to their former health That he would direct them to the most effectual means for their recovery and blesse unto them those that have been or shall be used to that end Of this kinde are those petitions of the Psalmist for himself Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed for in death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit What profit is there in my bloud if I go down into the pit shall the dust praise thee shall that declare thy truth Shall thy loving kindnesse be declared in the grave or thy
Man is like to vanity his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away Isa. 2.22 Whose breath is in his nostrils and wherein is he to be accounted of Isa. 40.17 All Nations before him are as nothing and counted to him lesse then nothing Prodigal children unprofitable servants of polluted lips and uncircumcised hearts c. 1 Tim. 1.15 The chief of sinners III. III. An expression of our purpose to approach unto him in this duty That we do desire Psal. 95.6 To worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Num. 5.15 Num. 29.7 Jer. 17.17 To bring our iniquity to rememberance To afflict our souls in his sight To make him our hope and refuge in the day of evill To seek his face to meet him in his wayes To speak good of his Name To wait upon him in his Ordinances Psal. 65.4 To approach before him in his courts that we may be satisfied with the goodnesse of his house even of his holy Temple Psal. 66.2 To set forth the honour of his Name and make his praise glorious Verse 8. To blesse our God and make the voice of his praise to be heard Psal. 96.8 To give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name to bring an offering and come into his Courts Verse 9. Psal. 99.5 To worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse To exalt the Lord our God and to worship at his footstool Psal. 116.17 Verse 18. To offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving and to call upon the name of the Lord. To pay our vowes unto the Lord in the presence of his people in the Courts of the Lords house Ps. 138.2 To worship towards his holy Temple and to praise his Name for his loving kindnes and for his truth Ps. 145.5 To speak of the glorious honour of his Majesty and of his wonderous works IV. IV. A desire of his assistance acceptance and attention that we may be enabled to performe this duty in an acceptable manner with such holy affections as he hath required Rom. 8.26 Rom. 5.5 Isa. 64.7 That his good spirit may help our infirmities and make intercession for us That he would shed abroad his love in our hearts and stir up our souls to lay hold of him Ps. 51.15 That he would open our lips that our mouthes may shew forth his praise Isa. 45.19 That we may not seek his face in vain Ps. 80.18 That he would quicken us to call upon his name Verse 19. That he would cause his face to shine upon us and lift up the light of his countenance 1 Kings 8.28 Have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication to hearken unto the cry and to the Prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to day Verse 30. Hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and when thou hearest forgive 2 Kings 19.16 Lord bow down thine eares and hear open Lord thine eye and see Neh. 1.6 Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayst hear the prayer of thy servant Psal. 5.1 Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Vers. 2. Hearken to the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray Psal. 18.6 That he would hear our voice out of his holy Temple and let our cry come before him even into his ears Ps. 19.14 That the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts may be alwayes acceptable in his sight Psal. 27.7 Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me Ps. 55.1.2 Give ear to my prayer O God and hide not thy self from my supplication Attend unto me and hear me Psal. 88.2 Let my Prayer come before thee incline thine ear unto my cry Psal. 130 2 Lord hear my voice let thine ear be attentive to the voice of my supplication Psal. 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice Psal. 143.1 Hear my Prayer O Lord give ear to my supplications in thy faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse Vers. 7. Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit Isa 63.15 Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory Some one or more of these Particulars may upon several occasions afford fitting matter for a Preface which is the first thing to be considered and inlarged in conceiving a form of Prayer CHAP. VII Confession of sins by enumeration of them and first of Original sin NExt to the Preface Confession does according to the more usual and ordinary course succeed The first thing to be confessed in the Enumeration of sin as is before expressed in the scheme of Confession is Original sin Whereas God at first made man upright he hath since corrupted himself by seeking out many inventions He planted our first Parents a noble Vine a right seed but they quickly turned into degenerate plants of a strange Vine So that we are transgressors from the wombe Being shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin A seed of evill doers children that are corrupters Branches of the wild Olive Being naturally dead in trespasses and sins Children of wrath bearing about us the old man A body of sin and of death A law of our members Being born only of the flesh Having sin that dwels in us And is alwayes present with us And doth so easily beset us This Originall sin hath been propagated to us both by Imputation Real Communication 1. By Imputation of Adams particular transgression in eating the forbidden fruit for we were legally parties in that Covenant which was at first made with him and therefore cannot but expect to be liable unto the guilt which followed upon the breach of it By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men 2. By reall Communication of evil concupiscence and depravation upon our natures which was the consequent of the first rebellion We were all of us naturally in our first Parents as the streams in the fountaine or the branches in the root and therefore must needs partake the same corrupted nature with them For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean And what is man that he should be clean or he that is borne of woman that he should be righteous This might justly make us more loathsome and abominable in Gods eyes then either Toads or Vipers or any other the most venomous hurtfull creatures are in ours and for this alone he might justly cut us off and condemne us though it were meerly for the prevention of that mischief and enmity against him which the very principles of our natures are infected with Though man were at first made little lower then the Angels being crowned with glory and honour having dominion over the other
creatures all things being put under his feet yet this corruption of our nature hath now made us become more vile then the beasts that perish 'T is the root and the fountaine of all other sin from whence every actual abomination does proceed Atheisme and Pride and basenesse and cruelty and prophanenesse and every other vice which the most wicked wretch in the world is guilty of doth proceed from hence Hell it self which is the proper place of sin is not more full of sin for the kinds of it then our natures are If there be any particular sin which we have not fallen into in our lives 't is not for want of corrupt principles and dispositions in our natures which do incline us to all but by reason of Gods restraining or renuing grace which hath as yet with-held us from them without which we should break out into as great abominations as were ever committed by the vilest of the sons of men All that pravity and basenesse which fils up every part and power about us are but diffusions of our Original corruption what a world of mischief is there in our several parts our Wills Affections our Tongues Eyes And yet all these are but as little rivulets The fountaine or rather the Sea that feeds them is our corrupted nature 'T is this that fils us with enmity against all spiritual truths and Ordinances makes us what we should tremble to think of haters of God though he be the God of our life and of our happinesse in whom we live and move and have our beings Hence is it that when we would do good evil is present with us that we have a law in our members rebelling against the law of our mindes and bringing us into captivity to the law of sin 'T is this that makes us like corrupted vessels to pollute all the gifts that are poured into us those graces and abilities which from God are bestowed upon us pure and excellent when they are by us put forth in duties are not without some favour of our own corruption This containes in it not only an utter deficiency of all good but also a loathing and disliking of it Not only a liablenesse to evil but also an inherent propension and strong desire to it All which is as natural to us as blacknesse to an Ethiopian and like the fretting Leprosie adheres to our natures with so much pertinacy that it cannot be utterly removed while we are on this side the grave till these our earthly tabernacles shall be dissolved No sope or nitre can purge it The general deluge could not wash it away that swept away sinners indeed but not one sinne Neither shall the fire of the last day cleanse it It does totally overspread both our Inward man Outward man 1. Our Inward man is hereby depraved both in respect of 1. Understandings 2. Consciences 3. Affections 4. Wills 5. Memories 1. Our Vnderstandings are hereby become full of vanity inconsideratenesse ignorance neither knowing nor enquiring after God Every thought and imagination of the heart being only evil and that continually So that we are not of our selves sufficient to think any thing that is good being given over to a reprobate minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a minde void of judgement not liking to retaine God in our knowledge Becoming vain in our imaginations having our wicked hearts darkened Being wise to do evil but fooâ—ish to that which is good Counting the things of God foolishnesse Being carnally minded which is enmity against God For it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Full of pride prejudice and contradiction against all sacred truths setting up our own imaginations and fleshly reasonings against the spiritual notions that are dictated to us Being alienated from the life of God through the blindnesse that is in us 2. Our Consciences are hereby become full of stupidity and insensiblenesse past feeling being feared as with an hot iron Altogether defiled Not performing their office of bearing witnesse accusing or excusing us rightly according to several occasions Being deaf unto every holy suggestion of Gods Spirit secure against all the threats and judgements of the Law 3. Our Hearts and Affections being evil from our youth full of wicked policies and unsearchable deceits Deceitful above all things and desparately wicked who can know them Full of lustings against the Spirit of God Sending forth evil thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies full of folly and madnesse preferring empty transitory contentments before those great matters that concerne our eternity Altogether obdurate against the means of grace not to be wrought upon either by hopes or feares by mercies or judgements slighting the threats of God undervaluing his promises distrusting his power abusing his patience quickly revolting and backsliding from every holy desire Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sins 4. Our Wills have now lost their first native freedom making us become servants unto sin Bringing us into bondage unto corruption Being full of loathing and aversnesse full of enmity and obstinacy against any thing that is good Casting Gods laws behinde our backs and hating to be reformed 5. Our Memories being naturally very unfaithful and slippery in letting out things that are good but very tenacious in evill matters II. Our outward man which was at first created with a kinde of divine Majesty above the other creatures is now become weak and vile exposed to all manner of infirmities diseases sins So that we are all over nothing else but a body of sin and of death our members being instruments of unrighteousnesse Eyes full of Adultery Pride Envy Eares uncircumcised deaf unto every holy suggestion easily open and attentive to vanities lies slanders Tongues unruly and full of deadly poyson conteining a world of iniquity defiling the whâ—le body setting on fire the course of nature being themselves set on fire of Hell Given to unsavory unedifying discourses revilings prophanenesse blasphemies That which should be our glory the best member that we have is by this Original corruption become the worst defiling all the rest Our Throat being as an open sepulchre with our tongues we use deceit the poison of aspes is under our lips Our mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse our feet are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in our wayes and the way of peace have we not known there is no fear of God before our eyes All which will yet appear more deformed and loathsome if we look upon our own natures in the rage blasphemies basenesse madnesse of other mens lives There being not any kinde of evil which either man or devil hath committed but there are in our natures the principles and inclinations to it The best of us being by nature as bad as the worst of
and way That our meeting together may prove for the better and not for the worse That we may after the hearing of it digest and settle it in our mindes by prayer meditation conference practice Expressing the power of it in our lives in all well-pleasing conversation and godlinesse Having our fruit unto holinesse that our ends may be everlasting life That he would prosper unto us the precious seed sown amongst us that neither the fowls of the aire devoure it nor the thornes choak it but that it may sinke down into our hearts and spring up in our conversations bringing forth in us the fruit of repentance and amendment of life that it may be effectual for the subduing of our sins the strengthning of our graces Transforming us daily into his Image from glory to glory That we may lead our lives in some measure answerably to the knowledge and means we have had as considering that to whom much is given of them much will be required That we may not receive his grace in vain Not being forgetful hearers but doers of the word That we may be able to say by experience It is good for us to be here and to wait upon God in his Ordinances That we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That he would lead us forward to perfection guiding us by his grace and after bringing us to his glory that in this life beholding his face in righteousnesse when we awake up in the resurrection we may be fully satisfied with his Image 3. Under this Commandment likewise are comprehended the duties that concern our reverent esteem and use of the Sacraments 1. For that of Baptisme That we may be truly sensible of the free mercy of God in making a gracious Covenant to us and our posterity and condescending so far unto our humane frailties as to afford us outward visible signes and seals of this Covenant to present that to our senses which ought to be apprehended by our faith That we may more frequently consider and esteem of this singular prerogative of our being actually admitted into his family and having his name put upon us That therefore we may resign up our selves wholly unto his good pleasure chusing him to be our Governour and our portion for ever that we may be more careful in observing that solemne Covenant which our Baptisme did engage us unto To forsake the Devill and all his works the vanities and lusts of the world and to continue faithfull in our service to him That this Ordinance may not be unto us onely an outward washing away of the filth of the flesh but the laver of regeneration working in us a good conscience towards God and may effctually seal unto us our adoption remission of sins and eternall life with all those promises that are contained in the Covenant of Grace that as we are received into the bosome of the visible Church and distinguished from those that are without so we may labour to walk as becomes this relation that the body of sin may be destroyed in us and his Image may be renued in us daily That we may serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our lives 2. For the Lords Supper That he would continue unto us our liberty unto that precious Ordinance raising our hearts to an higher esteem and love of it Quickening us to a more frequent attendance upon him in it with fervency and delight That he would prepare us for it assist us in it and make it effectual to us afterwards That he would furnish us with all those graces which may make us worthy Communicants at his holy Table Affecting our hearts with an holy awe and reverence upon our neer approaching unto him in this solemn Ordinance left we should be found amongst the guests at his Table without having the wedding garment That we may after a more special manner stirre up in our selves the graces of his holy Spirit impartially examining the condition of our own hearts how we stand to him in regard of knowledge repentance faith to men in respect of our love and chariity that we may renew our Covenant with him by fresh resolutions of strict and circumspect walking and that he would make good his Covenant with us in taking from us the guilt and power of our sins and in giving unto us a new nature with all those other priviledges that were purchased for us by the death of Christ which is herein represented At the receiving of this Sacrament that he would inable us to behave our selves with reverence and true devotion to use it as a sacrifice of praise unto him a memorial of Christs death for us and a means to confirme our faith in him That as we do by our senses receive the common element of bread and wine to our corporal nourishment so we may by our faith receive the body and blood of Christ to our spititual nourishment that he may live in us and we in him that this may renew in our thoughts the remembrance of Christs Death and Passion for us and our own duty of love and obedience to him that it may be a means to weaken our corruptions to strengthen our graces to renew us in the spirit of our mindes according to the Image of him that created us That we may afterwards labour to feel the benefit of it in our lives and conscionably to perform all those good resolutions which in the time of our preparation we have purposed and promised That we may be careful to examine our improvement by it in respect of growth in grace power against corruption comfort and inlargement of heart labouring to walk worthy of the grace of God herein profered and represented as becomes those who have received so great pledges of salvation CHAP. XX. Of the duties required in the third and fourth Commandment THe third Commandment does enjoyn the sanctifying of Gods Name By this we are directed to pray that he would enable us to bear a reverent and high esteem unto all his glorious Titles and Attributes his holy Word the Religion we professe his mighty works That we may fear that glorious and fearful name the Lord our God that we may sanctifie the Lord God in our hearts being more careful to observe and meditate upon his holy Attributes and Titles more solemn and reverent in mentioning his names and word upon every good occasion That we may be more conscionable in observing all those good promises and resolutions which we have made That we may walk worthy of that vocation wherwith we are called labouring by an holy life to adorn our profession and bring glory to his name That we may be blamelesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation amongst whom we may shine as lights in the world That he
thee 2 An expression of our desire to fly utterly out of our selves to renounce all our own righteousnesse How should man be just with God if he should contend with us we could not answer for one of a thousand If thou shouldst be extreame to mark what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it but there is mercy and forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared thou knowest our frame and considerest that we are but dust frail infirme creatures and therefore thou dost not expect perfection from us if we could have no sin we should have no need of a Redeemer we are of our selves altogether impotent and unclean and our righteousnesse as filthy rags 3. A promise of amendment for the future Renuing our Covenant with God by fresh resolutions of astrict and holy conversation Professing our desire to fear his name and to be engaged to him by an everlasting Covenant never to depart from him again O that my wayes were so directed that I might keep thy Commandments alwayes O that thou would'st inable us to repent and be converted that our sins may be bletted out when the times of refreshing shall come It is the desire of our soules to walk more holily and humbly before thee for the future to keep a stricter watch over our own hearts and wayes 4. A brief application unto our selves of such mercies and promises as belong to those that believe and repent Though we have not expressed the dutiful affections of children yet God cannot renounce the tender compassions of a Father and if earthly Parents can give good things to their children will not he be much more ready to be gracious to his With the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins He hath promised to hear and grant the requests that are put up in faith that he will have respect to those of an humble and contrite heart that those who do not hide their sins but confesse and forsake them shall finde mercy That he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted and live That the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart he will not despise And now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised such mercies unto thy servants therefore now let it be unto us according to thy word We desire to lay hold on that word of promise that thou wilt heal our backslidings and love us freely that thou wilt not turn away from us to do us gond but wilt put thy fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from thee O think upon thy servants as concerning this word of thine wherein thou hast caused us to put our trust Truly our hope is even in thee 'T is the desire of our souls to seek after thee and to come unto thee and thou never failest them that seâ—k thee Of those that come unto thee thou puttest away none O be pleased to establish this word of thine unto thy servants and let them not be disappointed of their hope Though the wages of sin be death yet this is our comfort that the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Scripture is very copious in other pertinent expressions for each of these heads and to some of these the most proper matter for Transition is reducible CHAP. XVI Conrerning Deprecation of evill with several Arguments to back our requests of this nature THe chief heads of matter for Petition are summarily comprehended in the Lords Prayer as hath been shewed before All Petition is either for Our selves Deprecation Comprecation Others Intercession In petitioning for our selves the first thing to be explained is Deprecation which concerns the prevention or removal or lessening of evill The first evill to be prayed against is that of sin and therein we should deprecate both the Guilt Power 1. The guilt of sin is that imputation whereby we are obliged to the wrath of God and all the curses of the Law and therefore we have great need to pray that he would forgive us our debts That he would blot out our Transgressions as a cloud That he would open unto us the fountain for sin and for uncleannesse That he would have compassion upon us subduing our iniquities and casting our sins into the depths of the sea That we may be justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ That he would cleanse us from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit That he would blot out the hand-writing that is against us and take it out of the way nailing it to the Crosse of Christ. Of this kinde we have sundry Deprecations in Scripture So David Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions for thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sin Purge me with Hysope and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities O remember not against us our former iniquities help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name Deliver us and purge away our sins for thy names sake Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name Take away all our iniquities and receive us graciously Heal our back-slidings and love us freely Now because this is one of the chief wants against which we should petition therefore we should endeavour to back our requests in this kinde with such Arguments as may serve to stir up our fervency and strengthen our faith in this desire 1. From the mercy of God who desires not the death of a sinner but at what time soever he shall truly repent hath promised to forgive him He hath commanded us to ask daily pardon as well as daily bread shewing thereby that as the best man shall continually need pardon so he is more ready to give it then we are to ask it He has intreated us to be reconciled unto him He does invite and call us when we are impenitent and therefore he will be much more ready to embrace and accept of us when we desire with repentance to return unto him He would not have us send our neighbour away empty when that which he
will without Gods restraining or renewing grace at some time or other dispose us unto And herein more particularly the blindenesse of our understandings our wicked imaginations and fleshly reasonings the perversnesse of our wills the hardnesse and earthinesse of our affections the insensiblenesse of our consciences the depravation of all our faculties 2. The malice and subtilty of the Devil who as a roaring lyon walks about seeking whom he may devour and is still provoking us to those evils which are most suitable to our particular occasions and dispositions Watching for advantage against us desiring to fift and winnow us as wheat and therefore we had need to pray that we may be sober and vigilant having upon us the whole armour of God whereby we may withstand the wiles of the Devil that we may constantly resist him being stedfast in the faith taking heed of the depths of Satan That we do not fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil That the God of Peace would bruise Satan under our feet 3. The allurements or terrours of the world either by profits pleasures honours on the one hand or losses dangers troubles disgrace persecution on the other The rain descending the floods coming the windes blowing and beating upon us The evill customes and examples of the generation wherein we live the slavish hopes and fears of men Besides these kindes of temptation we are likewise to pray against the degrees of it suggestion consent practice delight habitual custome and necessity That God would enable us always to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation And because every man hath some particular sin or temptation to which he is more especially exposed belonging either to his age temper calling therefore he should endeavour to observe and finde out and more fully to inlarge himself in his deprecation against that 3. The last sort of evil to be prayed against is that of Punishment The kindes of which were mentioned before under the head of Confession and are likewise reducible under that other head concerning Protection and therefore it will be needlesse here to make any particular recital of them In the general we are to pray against all those judgements which may be inflicted upon us either in our bodies friends names estates Against those more eminent miseries of Sword Famine Pestilence which three being of a publike nature concerning the Nation and community in which we live may be more particularly insisted upon under the head of Intercession against distraction and sorrow of minde trouble of conscience the losse of Gods holy Ordinances and eternal damnation That no evil may befal us neither any plague come nigh our dwellings That he would not rebuke us in his anger neither chasten us in his displeasure That he would not cast us away from his presence nor take his holy Spirit from us Those judgements ought to be more particularly deprecated with which we are at any time frighted or afflicted CHAP. XVII Of comprecation for spiritual good things The sanctification of our Natures the obedience of our Lives NExt to Deprecation against evil may succeed Comprecation for that which is good Now because good things may be wanting either in whole or in part or in respect of Duration and some intermissions therefore we should petition not onely for the things themselves but also for the increase and continuance of them Good is either Spiritual Temporal In asking of spiritual good things the first and chief matter to be prayed for is the sanctification of our natures That Gods Kingdome may come into our hearts That he would give unto us a new heart and put a new spirit within us That he would take from us our stonie heart and bestow upon us hearts of flesh That he would put within us the law of the Spirit of life which may make us free from the law of sin and death That we may put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse That we may be regenerate and become new creatures being born again of that incorruptible seed the Word of God That God would grant us according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward man That he would establish our hearts unblameable in holinesse before God even our Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints That the Spirit of Christ may dwell in us That we may continue in the grace of God and in the faith grounded and setled and may not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel Of this kinde is that Petition of David for himself Create in me a clean heart O Lord and renew a right spirit within me And the Apostle for others The God of Peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we are more particularly to insist on the renovation of our several Faculties Parts answerable to what we did acknowledge concerning the Depravation of them in the Confession of our Original sin As first for our faculties 1. That we may be transformed by the renuing of our mindes that we may be able to have a spiritual discerning of the things of God being wise to that which is good but simple and harmlesse to that which is evil 2. That he would purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God that they may be tender of his glory and our own good truly performing the offices which belong unto them both in accusing and excusing us according to several occasions 3. That he would circumcise our hearts that we may set our affections on things above and not on earthly matters that we may not be deceived with false appearances but may approve the things that are most excellent 4. That he would reforme and sanctifie our wills that we may in every thing submit them unto his delighting to do his will Not seeking our own wills but the Will of him that sent us 5. That he would rectifie our memories making them more faithful in retaining all such holy Lessons as we shall learne in recalling them to minde according to several opportunities that we may be alwayes ready to stir up our mindes by way of remembrance that we may never forget God And so for our Parts or outward man that we may become the Temple of God where his Spirit may dwell That we may present our bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is our reasonable service That all our parts and members may be instruments of righteousnesse unto holinesse In which desires we may strengthen our faith with such arguments as these 1. God only is able for this great work In us dwelleth nothing that is good It is he that must
Lord our 〈◊〉 may be upon us prospering the work of our hand 〈◊〉 Abrahams servant O Lord my God I beseech 〈◊〉 send me good speed this day and shew kindnes unto me c. It is he alone that must work all our works 〈◊〉 us and for us The way of man being not in himself neither is it in him that walketh to direct his steps that he would therefore lead us in the way that we should go teaching us to make straight paths to our feet and the rather because we are now fallen under a crooked and perverse generation that he would counsel and guide us in all our doubts and difficulties That he would enable us every day to poceed somewhat forward in our spiritual growth to get the mastery over our own evil hearts and affections To renue and practise all those holy purposes and resolutions which we have formerly made that proceeding from grace to grace we may at length come to be perfect in Christ Jesus 2. In our evening prayers we should likewise petition him for his particular protection over us the night following Because he hath commanded his loving kindâ—esse in the dâ—y time therefore in the night shall our song be with him and our prayer unto the Goâ— of our life It is the frailty of our natures to need a continual reparation of our strength by sleep But God is the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth and therefore we should beseech him that he would wake for us watch over us for good Commanding his Angels to incamp round about us that we may not be afraid of any terrors by night but may lie down in peace and sleep and that he would make us to dwell in safety That he who gives his beloved sleep would refresh us with quiet rest That we may hear of his loving kindness betimes in the morning for in him is our trust That in the time of our waking he would fill our souls with the meditations of himself that he would teach us to commune with our own hearts upon our beds and be still To remember his all-seeing eyes that the darknesse hideth not from him but the night shineth as the day the darknes and light to him are boâ—h alike That though perhaps we have foolishly wasted the day past amongst the many other dayes of our lives which he hath alotted for our repentance and amendment yet that he would still be graciously pleased out of his free bouty to continue his former protection and care over us to refresh us with sufficient rest that therby we may be enabled to do him better service in the duties of the following day Expressing our desires of commending our spirits and bodies into his hands who hath redeemed us and is the Lord God of truth That by our sleep this night we may be put in mind of our last sleep by death of the days of darkness which shall be many of that time which will shortly come when these our bodies shall be stretched on a bed of earth That when a few days are come we shall go into the place whence we shall not return That many go well to bed and never rise again till the day of judgement That every day which passeth over us does bring us neerer to our last day our dissolution and that dreadful judgement when we must give a strict account of all our actions and receive an eternal doom according to the works which we have done That these considerations may make us walk warily as being in continual expectation of the time of our departure That we may labour to grow better as we grow older that the neerer we come to our latter ends the neerer we may approach to him and his glory That if he hath determined to take us out of the world before we have another opportunity of approaching unto him in this holy duty that then he would be pleased to pardon our sins and save our souls CHAP. XXIV Concerning Intercession more General both Ordinary and Occasional NExt to praying for our selves we should likewise be careful to intercede for others because we are all fellow-members of one body And the members should have the same care one of another These Intercessions are either General Special Particular 1. General For the whole Catholick Church Militant here on earth dispersed over the face of the whole world That peace and mercy may be upon the Israel of God that he would give his Gospel a free and an effectual passage prospering it where it is and sending it where it is not that it may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men That his delight may be in mount Sion That he would grave her on the palmes of his hands and let her walls be continually before him that her builders may make haste and that he would cause her destroyers and such as would lay her waste to depart from her That he would be merciful unto all his elect people and blesse them and cause his face to shine upon them that his way may be known upon earth and his saving health among all Nations That he would enlarge the borders of Christs Kingdom and adde daily to the Church such as shall be saved Enlightening those that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and guiding their feet into the way of peace And here we may derive arguments from those many promises that are made in Scripture to this purpose that he would give unto Christ the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession That the mountain of the Lords house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it That the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea That the worme Jacob shall thresh the mountains and make the hills as chaffe Speaking of the Kingdom of Christ under he Gospel That all the ends of the earth should see the salvation of God That all the Kingdomes of the world should become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ. And to this purpose that he would afford the means that are requisit to this end that he would informe the ignorant reclaim the erroneous encourage the backward strengthen the weak binde up the broken succour the tempted comfort the sorrowful restore the sick deliver the prisoners relieve the needy break every yoke of the oppressour and hasten the coming of his Kingdome That he would sanctifie the several gifts distributed in the Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of
faithfulnesse in destruction Shall thy wonders be known in the dark or thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfulnesse Hear my prayer O Lord give ear unto my cry hold not thy peace at my teares O spare me a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more seen I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Let I pray thee thy merciful kindnesse be my comfort let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live Thus does Job petition for himself Are not my days few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death And thus the Prophet Jeremiah Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise For the better strengthening of our faith and fervency in this desire there are such considerations as these He hath commanded us to call upon him in the time of trouble and hath promised to deliver us 't is in his power alone to kill to make alive to bring down to the grave and to raise up again He hath stiled himself the God of Salvation to whom belong the issues of death He can give powâ—r to the faint and to them that have no might increase of strength He has profest that the death of his Saints is dear and precious in his sight He hath promised to strengthen them upon the bed of languishing and to make their bed in their sicknesse He hath said that the prayer of faith shall save the sick He hath permitted us concerning his sons his daughters to command him thereby implying that in our intercessions for one another we may be as sure of successe as we are of those things which are in our own power to command To which may be added our former experience of his truth mercy in the like cases from all which we may be encouraged to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy in the time of need But if he hath otherwise determined and the days of their warfare be accomplished that then he would fit them for death and make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of his Saints in light that they may be willing to depart and to be with Christ which is far better then still to be exposed to the evil to come to sinful temptations paines and diseases of the body troubles and vexations of the vain world especially considering that now death hath lost its sting and is swallowed up in victory And that it was the end of our Saviours passion to deliver them who through the fear of death have been all their life-time subject to bondage That neither death nor life nor things present nor things to come shal be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. That by this means we must be brought to enjoy the beatifical vision of God the blessed company of innumerable Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect That he would be pleased to shine graciously upon them with his favour and reconciled countenance to fill their hearts with such divine joyes as belong unto those that are heires of a celestial kingdome and are ready to lay hold on everlasting life That this light affliction which is but for a moment may work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory That when this their earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved they may have an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens That his blessed Angels may convey their soules into Abrahams bosome Now as in such cases we should thus intercede for others so likewise may we hence take fit occasion to pray for our selves That in the diseases and paines of others we may consider the frailties of our own conditions the desert of our own sins and may magnifie his special mercy in sparing of us so much and so long That we may be more seriously mindful of our later ends as knowing that he will bring us also to death and to the house appointed for all the living and that when a few dayes are come we shall go the way whence we shall not returne That we are but strangers and pilgrims in this world dwelling in houses of clay being here to day and not to morrow in the morning and not at night that our dayes on earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding our years passe away as a tale that is told Our life is but as a vapour that appears for a while and then vanisheth away coming forth as a flower that is suddenly cut down flying as a shadow that continueth not Our times are in the hands of God all our dayes are determined the number of our moneths is with him He hath appointed our bounds that we cannot passe Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes that I may know how fraile I am So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome That he would give unto us the Spirit of judgement whereby we may discerne the true difference betwixt this spanne of life and the vast spaces of immortality Betwixt the pleasures of sin for a season and that everlasting fulnesse of joy in his presence Betwixt the vain applause of men and the testimony of a good conscience That in the present days of health and peace and prosperity we may treasure up for our selves such spiritual strength comforts as may hereafter stand us in stead when we come to lie upon our death-beds when all other contentments shall vanish away and prove unable to help us when the conscience of well-doing in any one action shall administer more real comfort to the soul then all our outward advantage or enjoyments whatsoever That our conversations may be in heaven from whence we may continually expect the coming of our Lord and Saviour That all the dayes of our appointed time we may wait till our change shall come That since we all know and cannot but be amazed to consider of that dreadful day of judgement when every one must appear before the Tribunal of God to receive an eternal doome according to his works that therefore he would make us such manner of persons as we ought to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat that we may labour diligently to be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse CHAP. XXVII Concerning Thanksgiving by enumeration of Temporal favours THe third and last part of Prayer is Thanksgiving This according
to the method proposed may be connected with the former by some fitting Transition which for the matter of it may consist of some such considerations as these 1. Our confidence of obtaining the things we petition for by our experience of former mercies though they are many and great things which we are suiters for yet when we reflect upon Gods continual bounty towards us and how much we do every day receive from him we have no reason to doubt of his favour but still to depend upon him in every condition 2. The danger of ingratitude in hindering the successe of our petitions He that is not careful to pay his old debts cannot expect so much credit as to run upon a new score Under the Law when any one came before God to make any special request for himself he was to bring with him a peace-offering that is an offering of thanks for the favours he had already enjoyed thereby to prepare himself for what he expected The matter of our Thanksgiving is reducible to these two general heads 1. The Enumeration of mercies 2. The Amplification or heightning of them 1. In our Enumeration of mercies those particulars before mentioned in our Confessions Deprecations Petitions will each of them administer some help both in respect of matter expression according as our conditions may be in respect of freedom or deliverance from those evils which we confesse or deprecate or the enjoyment of those good things which we have petitioned for and upon this account I shall not need to be so large upon this head as the former 2. The Amplification or heightning of mercies may be either in General by their multitude greatnesse continuance which is capable of a distinct enlargement by its self Or else in particular by their circumstances degrees contraries which are to be insisted upon in the mention of those particular mercies to which they belong In the Enumeration of mercies we are to take notice of those that are either Ordinary Occasional By Ordinary I understand such as we enjoy in our common course without relation to any particular necessity or deliverance these again are either Temporal Spiritual Temporal are those which concern our well-beings in this life as we are men whether in our Private Publick capacities The Private or personal favours which we are to acknowledge do belong either Generally to the whole man in respect of his being nature birth education preservation or more Particularly in regard of his Soul Body Friends Name Estate In the recital of the mercies which we enjoy we are not to be unmindeful of those common favours which are bestowed upon us in respect 1. Of our Creation and Beings that God did not suffer us to beswallow'd up in our primitive nothing 2. Our noble Natures that we were not made senslesse things but endowed with living souls Men and not beasts He might have made us wormes and no men of a despicable perishable condition whereas he hath created us after his own image but little lower then the Angels capable of injoying eternity with himself in the heavens Crowning us with glory and honour putting all things in subjection under our feet 3. Our Birth that we are free-born not slaves of generous not base and ignominious parentage that we were brought forth in a place and time of Religion He might have sent us into the world without the pale of the Church in some place of idolatry or ignorance amongst the blaspheming Turks or wilde Americans We might have been born in those bloody times of persecution and martyrdom And therefore we have reason to acknowledge it for a great mercy that he hath brought us into this world both when and where his Gospel hath been professed and flourished 4. Our Education by honest loving careful Parents and Tutors under good Magistrates pious Ministers in Religious families We might have been forlorn exposed to the wide world as many others are following the dictates of our own corrupt natures without any restraint upon us We might have been put under the Tuition of such Governours as by their Negligence Example Advice would have encouraged us in evil courses and therefore we ought to acknowledge it for a great mercy that we have had such Religious and ingenuous education 5. Our Preservation God might have cut us off in the womb and being children of wrath he might from thence have cast us into hell and therefore we have reason to praise him in that he hath covered us in our mothers womb where we were fearfully and wonderfully made and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth Being cloathed with skin and flesh fenced with bones and sinews Where he granted us life and favour and by his visitation hath preserved our spirits He took us out of the womb and made us hope when we were yet on our mothers breasts We were cast upon him from the womb and he is our God from our mothers belly He might many times since justly have snatched us out of this world with our sins and fears upon us It is from the Lords mercies that we are not yet consumed because his compassions faile not There may be many now in hell who have not been so great sinners as we and therefore we are bound to magnifie his name for his good providence over us through the whole course of our lives That he hath hitherto made us to dwell in safety and watched over us in journeys sicknesses and common dangers whereby so many others have been surprized and swept away round about us For defending us under the shadow of his wings and protecting us by his blessed Angels more particularly for his preservation of us the Night Day past 1. The Night past for refreshing our bodies with rest and sleep For lightening our eyes that we slept not to death For bringing us to the light of another day and that notwithstanding those many opportunities which we have formerly abused It is a good thing to give thanks unto thee O Lord and to sing praises unto thy Name O thou most high to shew forth thy loving kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnesse every night He might have made our beds to be our graves surprized us with our last sleep He might appoint wearisome nights for us so that when we lie down we should say When shall we arise and the night be gone and should be full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day When we expect that our bed should comfort us our couch ease our complaint then he might scare us with dreams and terrifie us through visions and therefore we have very great reason to praise him for our freedome in this kinde that when we lie down he makes our sleep sweet unto us 2. The Day past that he hath not given us over to the sinfulnesse of our own natures the subtiltie and malice of the Devil the