The unconverted Sinners Prayer for a full Conviction of the dangerous state he is in GReat Gracious and most Righteous Lord God blessed for ever be thine unspeakable mercy that desirest not the Death of the worst of Sinners that turn unto thee to live for ever Oh thou that of Persecutors madest glorious Martyrs of an Adultress madest an humble Penitent O shew forth thy Long-suffering Patience and Forbearance upon me Deliver me from all my Sins from thy Wrath to come and that Eternal Judgment that ends in Hell with Devils and damned Impenitents Leave me not in the state of Devils without hope of pardon O pardon that great sin of setting more by Meat and Drink and beastly Pleasures than by thee the God that made me a rational Creature that slighted endless Glory that took more care of an Earthly Tabernacle than an Immortal Soul that took more care to avoid Shame Poverty and Sickness than to avoid everlasting Shame Pain and Horror in Hell Blessed be the Lord that will not leave such sinners as my self to die in their sins but pluck such sire-brands out of the jaws of Hell and gives them to know the evil of sin O that I were once fit to taste and see how gracious the Lord is to believers to them alone he is precious the fairest of Ten thousands O guid my feet into those untrodden paths that lead to the Fountain of Living Waters set open for sinners to wash in and be purged from their filthiness O give me faith to see him whom my sins have pierced Give me the grace and spirit of supplication to mourn after him without which grace I have not nor can have no hope of pardon For what communion hath darkness with light O possess my Soul with this belief That without holiness there can be no happiness without fanctity no salvation nor without heavenly-mindedness no Heaven O be it so unto thy servant for his sake that suffered for great nay the greatest of sinners of whom I am the chief that I may live to praise thee and admire the riches of thy immense and boundless love to Eternity Amen A Prayer for power to believe O Glorious and Merciful Lord God whose abundant and unspeakable goodness has been extended to poor man before he had a being in the World Let the beams of thy loving kindness environ me and as thou hast been pleased to convince me of sin righteousness and iudgment O help me to believe in him whose mercy extends to the ends of the Earth and that I may take iâ—â—â—â— on him by the hand of faith that it may be the substance of things not seen to take holâ— on the rich promise laid down in thy word concerning thy Son who is mighty to save all them that come unto God by him and to accept him in all his Offices as King and Law-giver to rule and defend me as Pâ—ieâ—t to sacrifice for me as Prophet to reveal the will of God unto me Help me to trust in thy holy Spirit to mortifie and kill my sin in me and to illuminate and sanctifie and quicken me that thereby I may be rendered meet for serving thee here and enjoy thee hereafter O help me to demonstrare out of my Conversation what is the hope of my Calling and establish me in a constant belief of Salvation by the apprehension of a renewed mind from fleshly and transitory joys to an heavenly and permanent happiness where there are pleasures for evermore Help thy poor Creature to be Conquerer yea more than Conquerer through Jesus Christ over Devil World and Flesh that I may be renewed in the spirit of my mind Possess me with the New Birth strengthen all my inward Faculties my Faith my Love and Zeal and whereas my desire was to run from God it may now be to run unto him and cast my self upon him for all in Christ Jesus Amen The Converts Prayer MOst powerful Lord God thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory thy ways are perfect and pure Let God be true and every one a liar Blessed be thy Name for thy unspeakable kindness and love to me who am less than the least of all thy mercies Thou hast been pleased to bring me out of darkness and shadow of death and lead me into the way of peace and out of darkness into thy mervellous light and to bring me into the Kingdom of thy dear Son O the immensity the breadth and length depth and height of the loving kindness of God in the Lord Jesus Christ that wast pleased of a Bond-slave to make a Free-denizon of Heaven of a Prisoner of Hell and Death one at Liberty and delivered me from that Eternal Wrath to come Oh! the free mercy of God that hath withholden death from seizing upon me the which if it had where had I been Oh happy and blessed was it that thou shouldst put out thine hand and touch me with the rod of thine affliction so that I may say It is good for me that I was afflicted O blessed Redeemer give me thy Spirit without which I am undone to apply the precious Blood of the New Covenant to my Soul without which I can do nothing that thy good Spirit may direct me into the way everlasting to know God and Jesus Christ which is Life Eternal Inflame me with love to thy self thy Laws and Commandments Preserve me from the sin of Presumption let the love of Holiness in me express it self in the abandoning all and every similitude of sin from my heart that I may abhor that viz. Sin that once was so amiable to me Let thy strength appear in my weakness and let thy grace be sufficient for me Accommodate me with a resolvedness to follow thee Let Christ Heaven and Glory be my Object and my Mark to aim at Let Christ be my Center upon whose account I conclude my imperfect requests in his own words Our Father c. Considerations of Death 1. COnsider That all the Pleasures Treasures and Comforts of this Life as Wife Children Goods Gold Friends Lands Livings large Possessions Dignity Honours sumptuous Fare and pleasant Prospects spacious Walks delicate Gardens nay even the World it self in its lustre and all that is therein on which thou hast doted so much and squandered so much time in shall and must all at the stroke of Death be extinguished the which Heaven it self or any created Power cannot prevent but will quite be obliterated and for ever lost never more to be minded or meddled with or enjoyed either in this World or the World to come but in as much as we must give an account of our using and abusing of them When our breath goeth forth out of our Bodies our thoughts perish and therefore make it thy business and think it thy chiefest prudence to wean thy affections from this fading World by little and little with a resolute and holy violence least thou find it harder to part with all at once 2.
miserable condition into which he is fallen and that he might be brought into a nearer union and communion with God by that Hypostatical Union in Jesus Christ and is there not matter of admiring both the infinite Wisdom and Power of God in his great Work and Contrivance Yea that that might carry a Soul out of it self as it were by admiring him in this very work 5. Never come unto God but upon the account of the precious death and sufferings of a crucified Saviour laying aside all thine own righteousness as a menstruous cloth and as â—ilthy rags considering that he that comes unto Christ that is believingly what he asks he will do it witness that gracious promise in John 14.13 and John 15.16 and Joh. 16.23 24 26. do all in the Name of Christ Col. 3.17 And indeed it is a great pity that so many Promises as are made and laid down for the support of poor drooping and desponding ones should be no more regarded and made use of it is as it were a slighting of Christs kindness as if one should say What are these Promises to me I matter them not I do not stand in need of them but know thou whoever if any such an one that there is a day a coming when thou wouldst be glad to embrace such a proffer I say never come in and upon any account but in and upon the account of the dear Redeemer Jesus Christ this must needs be the safest surest best and prevailing way for he saith I am the Way and the Truth and the Life John 14.6 It must needs be the safest and surest way to come in the Name and Strength of Christ 1. Because he is able Heb. 7.15 If he take thy cause in hand and thou committest it to him with an holy dependance undoubtedly he will carry it on and crown it with perfection all other means may fail all other Agents may miscarry but he will nay he can never miscarry He shall see of the travel of his Soul he shall and will bring judgment unto victory He is able to resist the most invincible temptation and evade the most intricate Stratagems the Devil can make he has conquered Death and Hell and given the Devil such a weakning blow as that he can never be able to encounter one Battle more with him All Power is in his hand in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28.18 And if he be so able as that all Power both in Heaven and Earth is in his hand what safer and surer way than coming to God by him none shall be able to pluck thee nor thy cause out of his hand the Devil may assault thee he may in many shapes and forms but he shall never prevail against thee When thou prayest it may be he 'll endeavour to distract thee when thou comest before God he will accuse thee as he did righteous Job for he is called The Accuser of his Brethren Revel 12.10 The Power of Christ hath and shall cast him down He hath overcome him by his precious blood 2. It must needs be the safest because he is one with the Father and the Father cannot deny him any request He hears him always John 11.42 I know that thou hearest me always 3. There is no other way Let others pretend to what they will and to abolish the Priestly Office of Christ and so rob him of his Right and Honour yet it is most plain He is the way the Truth and the Life and none other he is the only beloved in whom God is abundantly well-pleased and he it is that must take our imperfect desires and offer them unto God in his own perfection our weakness must be supplied in his strength our emptiness in his fulness our unrighteous Prayers must be perfumed with the odoriferous smell of his spotless and blameless Righteousness It is most certain That Man by the Fall lost all his Righteousness and therefore imperfection can never appear before God who is infinitely perfect all fulness dwells in himself and how can he look upon meer emptiness unless it be in the fulness of his own Son 6. Dare not to appear before God with any sin unrepented of knowing that like an Adder that a poor man found though almost dead as soon as it recovered strength and life by the heat of the fire began to hiss at him Sin will being cherished revive and consequently will prove a fatal Enemy Let no sin be delighted in though it be the nearest delight and that that would procure the greatest temporal benefit and profit one sin is enough to condemn a world as appears by the eating the forbidden Fruit it procur'd a curse an eternal curse had it not been prevented by a compassionate Saviour And wouldst thou be blessed countenance no sin but resolve against all sin in the strength of Christ all sin in general and every sin in particular both in respect of God and Man If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer Psal 66.8 saith David and let it be said of thee as it was said concerning Athanasius by Nazianzen Se esse Magnetem Adamantem dicit in respect of his sweet drawing and winning nature and yet an Adamant in respect of his stout courage against sin and in an especial manner these three empoysoning sins 1 Malice and Anger 2. Infidelility 3. Self-esteem 7. With Christian courage in all thy deportments repel all the blaspemous injections of Satan with heart-rising loathing and abhorrence and be sure alwayes to set a watchful eye over the two great Instruments Satan makes use of the World and Flesh of which more hereafter 8. With all diligence in the heat of Heart affection press after things prayed for and this will be a testimony unto God that thou art sensible of thy wants and will 't acknowledge thy self infinitely ingaged for the supply of those things thou stand'st in need of 9. Let no opportunity slip be ready to catch at the fore-lock of time Let no occasion slip that fits thy mind Time has a lock before but bald behind It was a Custom amongst the Romans to pourtray Time with a Lock before but bald behind to which Cato accords Post est occasio calva Intimating that Time being once past can never be recall'd O! What a necessity is there of the improving the precious Diadem of Time how many poor miserable Souls that are now languishing in Hell bewailing the loss of mispent time with repentance never to be repented of Oh! What would they give for one year one day nay one hour of that precious time of which they once were so lavish Who more free of time than they Yea some have said that they have had so much time they could not tell how to spend it never once bethinking themselves what a great work they had to do O! therefore make use of this present time time that is past you cannot make use of time to come is very uncertain for
alass it is my cursed Corruption that makes me think thy Cross my Burthen Lord therefore uphold me by thy Grace that I may count thy Yoke easie and find Joy in those Sufferings with thee Christ I know the cause of thy Grief and Terror to be the Consideration of thy Sin but I pray thee why lookest thou so to thy Sins that thou lookest not also to my Mercies Why wouldst thou so extol thy evil deeds that thou shouldst so extenuate my rich Mercies or in any way compare the one with the other Was it for thy good deeds that I first entred into friendship with thee and thinkest thou now that for thine evil deeds I will forsake thee Seeing it is among my praises that the work that I begin I will perfect I like it well indeed to see thee grieved for the Sins thou hast committed against me but I would have thee also be comforted in the Mercies I have shewed thee Call to mind my works of Old and what I have done to thee and for thee since thou canst Remember How cared I for thee in thy tender years look back now and see did not the Angel of my presence lead thee when thou hadst no wisdom no strength to Govern thee Did I not then begin to acquaint thee with the Knowledg and Fear of my Name Canst thou deny now that my Mercy preserved thee from thy Sins whereunto thy Nature was prone and ready to have declined And when thou sinnedst with what long patience have I waited thy turning and how lovingly have I winked at thy transgressions And when I had given thee Grace to repent of thy Sins and to seek my Favour and Mercy for the Sins of thy youth with a melting Heart and a mourning Eye canst thou deny that I have filled thy Heart with my Joys and made thy tongue burst out in Glorifying Speeches and why then wilt not thou trust in my Mercies to the end Soul I were Lord most unthankful if I should not confess that many a time in the multitude of my thoughts thy mercies have comforted me but ah alas I have not answered thy loving kindness for after many mercies received I have sinned against thee contrary to my light and my Sins are now before me witnessing that I am unworthy to taste any more of thy Mercies Christ Is my mercies for a day or for a year or is it for ever and ever to them whom I have made mine by my Sufferings Wilt thou restra in my Mercies and limit them within so narrow Bounds as to think they cannot be Extended over all thy Transgressions Wilt thou measure my mercies with so narrow a Span as to think I have no more to Give than thou hast an Heart to Receive Is it not among my praises that I am able to give to my Children more than they are able to think or ask of me Knowest thou not that as the Heavens are above the Earth so my thoughts are above thine Hast thou not considered that my Mercies is above all my Works how much more than is it above thee who art nothing in Comparison of my Works And if above thee how much more above all that thou canst do Why then wilt thou match thy Sins with my Mercies If I require such Mercies in my Children as I will have one to forgive another not only Seven times but Seventy times seven times what pitty compassion and readiness to forgive is in my Self Therefore my beloved despair not for the multitude of thy sins but be comforted with the promises of my Mercy I have made them without any exception of time for at what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sins I have promised to put away his wickedness out of my remembrance I have made them without exception of sins for albeit your sins were as Scarlet they shall be made as white as Snow I have made them without exception of Persons for whosoever shall depart from his wicked ways I shall receive him Let this threefold universality of my promise sustain thee that thy Infidelity contract not my Mercies into narrower bounds than I have extended them Soul Be merciful O Lord to my Infidelity I believe in Christ Lord help my unbelief Stablish and Confirm my unstable heart with thy good and holy Spirit My Conscience doth in such sort condemn me that I stand in fear of thy Justice for thou art greater than the Conscience and wilt much more condemn me if thou dost enter into Judgment with me Christ O my beloved consider that the cause of thy disquietness is because that with the one Eye thou lookest unto thy Sins and unto thy Fathers Justice with the other and that is the reason of thy disquietness but doth not look unto me in whom his Justice is satisfied and thy Sins already punished Tell me I pray thee dost thou think to get within thy self and in the holiness of thy Disposition that which will Exempt thee from the fear of his Justice or art thou content to seek it of me If in thy self thou seekest it remember what thou art a doing Wilt thou have the Lord bound and obliged to thee Wilt thou be thine own Saviour or shall it be said his mercy saved thee not If no Misery were in thee whereupon should his mercy be manifested and if thy Disposition in the Earth were every way such as it should be then what remaineth but that the praise of his Mercy should less appear turn thee therefore unto me and seek thy self in me If thou wilt know what is thine thou art a sinner let my praise be reserved to my self I am thy Saviour Esteemest thou that my wounds are ineffectual or that there is no force in my sufferings countest thou this as that my Vertue and Merit cannot cure them Will a Phisician pour out a rare Ointment where no need is or else where it cannot profit and thinkest thou that my Father would have my Blood to be shed in vain If his Justice terrifie thee remember it was satisfied in me and that he pronounceth this Sentence himself This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased I came into the World not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Tarry not from me because thou art a sinner but for that cause come to me and I will refresh thee Soul O Lord I know that there is a cleansing and reconciling Vertue in thy Blood that Life is in thy Death but still I fear my sins deserve thou shouldest neither apply thy Vertue nor thy Merit to me for ah alas I find that yet the old Man is strong and lively in me and that yet the motions of sin have power in me to bring forth fruit unto death Christ Be not I pray thee injurious to the work of my Grace in thee complain not so of thy Corruption but that thou mayest give unto me mine own Praise Canst thou deny but that thou hast felt my
us of the evils that we have committed that God may repent him of the evils that he hath threatned 80. 'T is certain that wicked men sin if they pray not and it is true that even their Prayers are sin Prov. 15.8 Evening Meditations and Ejaculations coming in from ones Imployment O How good God has been to me this day in preserving me he might have struck me dead or have let me fall into some danger or other and yet has kept me from spiritual and temporal enemies and from the accidents attending on the trail nature of poor mortal Creatures O bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name Meditations in time of undressing ones self I am puting off my Cloths O Lord it may be the last time O help me to put off my sins those rags that make me so deformed in thy sight O strip me of this depraved nature that all men are guilty of and invested with Being undressed a Meditation Lord I am naked and bare before thee and so are the secrets of all men and before whom all secrets shall be disclosed Lord disclose all the secrets of my treacherous heart that I may bewail what sins are not repented of Getting into Bed a Meditation It may be the last time that I shall lie down O put me in mind Lord of my lying down in the dust when the Worms shall be my Bed-fellows my Grave my Bed and the Grass my Cloths to cover me Going to Sleep a Meditation It may be I may sleep an everlasting sleep Lord let me whether sleeping or waking acquiesce in thee and let me by this rest be mindful of that everlasting rest for thy Saints Guard me with Angels that I may sleep secure Morning Meditations Awakened out of Sleep O God how mightst thou have made my Bed my Grave my Sleep my Death and yet I am presâ—rved by thy good hand of providenâ—â— blessed be thâ— Name Lord. O Lord as thou hast awaked me out of Tempered Sleep O let my Spiritual Eyes be opened that I may be more awakened out of the sleep of Sin Arising O Lord let my Arising put me in mind of the first Re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ion to wiâ— from Sin and of the seâ—â—â—nd that is at the last day that by 〈◊〉 Arising of the one I may Arise with comfort aâ— the other Putting on the Doublet Lord help me to put on the Breast-plate of Righteousness that I may be able to resist all the â—iery darts of Sathan Putting on the Breeches Help me O Lord to gird my Loyns with Righteousness Putting on Stockings and Shoes O Lord help me to get my Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Putting on the Coat Draw out my heart Lord to praise thee for thy Clothing me let me be clothed with the Garments of Righteousness cover me O Lord with the skirt of thy loving kindness Washing Lord wash me from all my sins in that Fountain that 's set open for sin and for uncleanness and help me to wash my hands in innocency Combing the Head and Brushing the Cloths Lord take away all that rust and dirt that sticks so close to my Soul and make me clean and then I shall be clean indeed Putting on the Band. Lord let thy wisdom be as a chain about my Neck A short Meditation before Prayer before one go to Work O what a reasonable thing is it that I should seeing God renews his Mercy every Morning renew my Acknowledgements in Prayer and Praises both for received Mercies and an Engagement for future Mercies O Lord let my Desires be as a Morning Sacrifice and the early smoak of my incense renew those leagues my sins this night may have broken Before Work Lord seeing thou hast dealt so kindly with me this night as to preserve me and keep me and bring me to my Imployment let my Actions all be to thy Glory and whatsoever I do it may be according as thou requirest in thy Word that doing nothing but what is or tends to thy Glory in a lawful Imployment I may be prospered in all my Deeds A Valediction to the World and its Inhabitants VAin World adieu whose chanting charms entice And keep me from the things of better price I now am bent for new discoveries In Lands that are beyond the azure Skies My faith a City fair hath in her eye Whose Subjects all are Saints thither go I There shall this drossie Flesh and Blood refin'd Immortal grow and free from â—ears of mind Where whilst my Saviours presence my mind chears My heart shall vent no sighs my eyes no tears But fill'd with joyes from age to age I 'll sing Sweet Allelujahs to my God and King 2. To Servants Farewel my Servants though my Covenant Requires attendance from you none I 'll want Your Master and mine own I go to see He calls me home but mourn you not for me I must confess a truant I have been Yet he hath sworn he 'll pay my wages in Serve I him but the twinkling of an eye I shall have wages paid eternally His Debtor deep and desperate was I Vntil he sent his Son for me to die O love stronger than death my Soul away Make speed 〈◊〉 thy dâ—ar Master for thee stay 3. To Intimate Friends Farewel my mind 's embeseâ—'d darlings dear I highly price you yâ—â— must needs forbear From imaging your enjâ—â—mâ—nt for I am call'd By the great Friend of Friends to be install'd With his triumphâ—â—â— friends that are above In the great Principality of Love Detain me not nor 〈◊〉 this an offence The King of Kings commands me I must hence 4. To Brothers Sisters and Kindred Farewel my Flesh and Blood my Kindred dear Whose homogeniâ—â— pâ—rts at first one were Till Rib made Eve made two who still one were Millions of millions now in number are I have attain'd new consanguinity Who sing sweet Requiems eternally To the enthroned Souls not to be cy'd By Mortal Opticks they are glorisi'd Heaven 's their Foot stool their Seat the Glorious Flore Of his great Throne that reigns for evermore 5. To Father Farewel my beings instrumental cause Assign'd by the Author of Divine Laws Who my new Father is and old one was Ere you were so to whem I now do pass Methinks with sorrow sore oppress's my heart To think that from you I aâ— last must part But O why do I grieve To go to him That gave his Son a ransom for my sin And by whose wonderfully great affection Made Love sole ground of my poor Souls election Father if you are loath I gone should be Come but to him you 'll surely come to me 6. To Mother Farewel dear Mold wherein I mortal clay Fram'd was that bar'st me nine â—onâ—ths night and day And after grievous travel gav'st me pass When by the eternal Potter I fram'd was Into this vail of tears thy torments bind me To boundless love yet thee must leave behind me Oh let me flee and haste thee after me To dwell together in solicity 7. To Children Farewel sweet implings death's sweet writ of ease Doth me remove from you th' Epitomes Of me and my dear second farewel I Must have a residence beyond the skie You therefore I commit unto your Father Who will you keep and unto me will gather You if you faithful be unto the death And give you crowns of life for transient breath In Heaven with Angels Saints and Martyrs throng To sing for ever Sions Lamb 's sweet Song 8. To Wife Farewel my better half life of my life And sub-celestial comfort dearest Wife One heart in two in parting we must cleave As we made one of two at meeting leave Spare these heart-melting cries let crys with tears Thy frailties to bewail sound in Gods ears Swim in those streams unto that harbour where The presence of our King thy heart will cheer I do but go before and thee expect Among the number of the Lords Elect. 9. To all joyntly Farewel World Servants Relations near Brothers and Sisters all my Kindred dear Father Mother Children and dear Wife All whom I dearly lov'd as my own life I must be gone I must depart from hence Seeing it is for my good you will not take offence My King and Captain calls me to install In Heaven above free from all slavish thrall Once more adieu unto you all until We shall together meet on Sions Hill Where we all joyntly shall loud praises sing Vnto our God our Saviour and our King FINIS