my inward parts are inflamed without rest the meat which before I desired is made abominable to my soule and my drink is mingled with teares and confusion is before my eyes and redness in my cheekes when I remember how grievously I have offended thee O my God and in how many thoughts deeds and desires I have abused my strength and thy gifts I have spent in vanity Everlasting cares have consumed me and being carried hither and thither with sensless cogitations I have spent my time I feigned to my self dreams sometimes and rejoyced and vanished away being deluded in vanities and madness To conclude I lived in all kinde of pleasure in the world being banished far from the delights of thy house and if at any time the fear of death and the last judgement did quicken my sloath and for a little time call me from the deep gulph of pleasures by and by I returned as a dog to his vomit being dead in them I yet live and abiding in death I hasten to death and see death swift by comming to mee But let thy mercy quickly prevent me before the terrible day of misery and calamity doe come the great and bitter day that though I die I may live and declare thy mercies above all thy workes Look back Lord and behold how my soule lieth in her concupiscence sicke of the Palsey and is evill vexed therewith deliver it from death that it may cleave to thee alone who art only the true life and leaving all others follow thee that art above all say unto my soule O Lord God of my salvation be it unto thee as thou desirest make mee to heare this thy voyce a voyce of rejoycing and salvation that I may run after thee and take hold of thee and not let thee go untill thou sendest mee whole away for being sick to whom should I go but to thee that I may be cured or who can heale my infirmities but he that for me and mankind came down from Heaven that they may be healed of their griefs who can quicken but he that can mortifie and quicken all things who can save but thou O my God and Saviour save mee therefore and quicken me thou that art the life and salvation everlasting of all that put their trust in thee and to thee that art without beginning be glory without end To thee bee Praise and Honour to thee be continuall Worship and thanksgiving thou art the everlasting Spring of mercy for I was gone far from thee and did run away and yet thou doest speedily come to him that is sick and doth run away when he doth call upon thee and dost grant his health before thou hearest his sighs for to bee willing to bee healed is enough that thou shouldest heale and to bee willing to live that thou shouldest grant life and in the blessings of thy sweetness dost prevent the desires of a sinner that doth know himselfe therefore I will say unto thee I know my iniquity and what it is to know because all my bones are vexed within me and my soule is very much troubled for my sin Behold I lay all my iniquities before thy sight O my God that thou mightest heale and cure my soule because it hath sinned against thee for thou art a God that desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that hee should be converted and live for the dead shall not praise thee O Lord but wee that live doe blesse thee O Lord and do confesse that thy mercy is everlasting and thy compassions never faile CHAP. V. I Have revealed my miseries to thee O Lord not to make knowne my wayes unto thee that didst not know them all from the beginning and hast numbred all my steps for thou knowest the hidden places of darknesse and all things are naked open to thy eye and thou doest not only see but discerne the lurking places of our thoughts and the marrow of our affections but I uncover that thou mayest cover and protect I reveale that thou mayst hide and give mee an humble and contrite spirit and by the offering of this sacrifice which is most acceptable unto thee be mercifull unto me and forgive me my sins I have spoken many and great things and yet sayd little for the worme of my conscience doeth pricke mee in more I would to God it might draw away the rottenness that by grieving it might consume it and withall bee it selfe consumed but woe is mee for when I think I have made an end of telling my evills then am I constrayned as it were to begin againe and my memory being full of uncleanesse doeth abundantly remember much more filthinâ—sse for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the seas and if I had a hundred tongues and a hundred mouthes I shall scarse answer one of a thousand thousand yet that increaseth all my griefe that I cannot remember all my filthiness past and the fleshly corruptions of my soule for while I forget new sins I forget the old but those that I remember I will not hide not that I will love them again more but that I may love thee more earnestly O my God and that I remembring my wicked waies in the bitterness of my remembrance thou mayest be sweet unto me by the pardon of them But I have not purged the old but rather from them did spring up many new sinnes for the which I am as it were cast out from before thy face O my God and being deprived of the comfort of thy presence I fall almost into desperation knowing not whither I goe and who will look upon my face if thou turn away from me and as a Reprobate deprive me of thy sight I shall undoubtedly become hatefull unto all men and as a wanderer and a runnagate in the Land I shall be made a slave unto them when they shall aske of mee where is thy God and wherfore hath he put thee from him what shall I doe therfore O wretched man that I am or what shall I say when I see my self estranged from thy protection and forsaken in the midst of my enemies that fight mightily against me I will seek thy face O Lord and with sighes and teares beseech thee not to leave me nor in anger to depart from thy servant for all mine enemies follow me as a fugitive to destroy my soule and therefore I must seeke refuge at thy hands to whom I flie O my God my strength my health my refuge in the day of tribulation for as there is no God besides thee so there is no Saviour besides thee Thou therfore O Lord that knowest all my miseries and from whom the workes of my weaknesse are not hidden cast behind thy back all my offences and doe not remember all my old iniquities but save me according to thy mercy from all those that persecute mee and deliver mee because there is none can redeem me and save me but thou O Lord who savest all
as he in his holy and Heavenly and most blessed Gospel hath taught us saying Our Father c. Let thy mighty hand and outstretched arme O Lord be still our defence thy mercy and loving kindnes in Jesus Christ thy deare sonne our salvation thy true and holy word our instruction thy grace and holy spirit our comfort and consolation unto the end and in the end Amen When we enter into our bed IN the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified upon his Crosse and layd into his grave for me I lay me downe to rest he blesse me keepe me and rayse me up again and bring mee at last to life eternall Amen I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety Have mercy upon mee O Lord now and at the howre of death Preserve mee while I am waking and defend mee when I am sleeping that my soule may continually watch for thee and both body and soule may rest in thy peace for evermore Amen An admonition before wee goe to sleepe PErmit not sluggish sleep To close your waking eye Till that with judgement deepe Your dayly deeds you try He that his sin in conscience keeps When he to quiet goes More desperat is then he that sleeps Amidst his mortall foes At night lie downe Prepare to have Thy sleep thy death Thy bed thy grave Awake arise Thinke that thou hast Thy life but lent Thy breath a blast O thou God Almighty Father of all mercy Fountaine of all pity Grant I beseech thee Of thy great clemency On me to have mercy Now and at the howre of death Amen Proverbs of Solomon Chap. 10. TReasures of wickednesse profit nothing but righteousnesse delivereth from death The Lord will not suffer the soule of the righteous to famish but hee casteth away the substance of the wicked Blessings are upon the head of the Just but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot The blessings of the Lord it maketh rich and he doth adde no sorrowes with it The fear of the Lord increaseth the daies but the years of the wicked shall be diminished The patient abiding of the righteous shal be gladnesse but the hope of the wicked shall perish The righteous shall never be removed but the wicked shall not dwell in the Land Chap. 11. RIches availe not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death The righteousness of the just shall deliver them but the transgressors shal be taken in their owne net He that is mercifull rewardeth his owne soule As righteousness leadeth to life so he that followeth evill seeketh his owne death They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord but they that are upright in the way are his delight He that trusteth in riches shall fall but the righteous shall flourish as a leafe Chap. 13. THe hope that is deferred is the fainting of the heart but when the desire commeth it is a tree of life He that despiseth the word he shal be destroyed but he that feareth the Commandements he shal be rewarded Chap. 14. IN the fear of the Lord is an assured strength and his Children shall have hope The feare of the Lord is a Well-spring of life to avoyd the snares of death Chap. 15. THe Lord is far from the wicked but he heareth the prayer of the righteous The feare of the Lord is the instruction of wisdome and before honour goeth humility Chap. 16. COmmit thy workes unto the Lord and thy thoughts shal be directed By mercy and truth iniquity shall be forgiven and by the feare of the Lord they departed from evill Age is a crowne of glory when it is found in the way of righteousnesse He that is slow to anger is better then the mighty man and he that ruleth his own mind is better then he that winneth a City Chap. 17. A Joyfull heart causeth good health but a sorrowfull minde drieth the bones Chap. 18. THe name of the Lord is a strong towre the righteous runneth to it and is exalted The spirit of man will sustain his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare Chap. 19. HEE that hath mercy upon the poore lendeth unto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath given The feare of the Lord leadeth to life and he that is filled therewith shall continue and shall not be visited with evill Chap. 21. HEE that followeth after righteousnesse and mercy shall finde life righteousnesse and glory Chap. 22. THe reward of humility and the fear of God is riches glory and life My son give me thy heart and let thine eyes delight in my wayes Chap. 28. HEE that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Blessed is the man that feareth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into evill He that walketh uprightly shal be saved but he that is froward in his wages shall fall at once Job Chap. 28. THe feare of the Lord is wisdome and to depart from evill is understanding Ecclesiastes Chap. 7. A Good Name is better then a good Oyntment and the day of death then the day that one is born It is better to go to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting because this is the end of all men and the living shall lay it to heart Anger is better then laughter for by a sad look the heart is made better The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth The end of a thing is better then the beginning thereof and the patient in spirit is better then the proud in spirit In the day of wealth be of good Comfort and in the day of affliction consider Surely there is no man just upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Ecclesiasticus Chap. 1. THe fear of the Lord is glory and gladnesse and rejoycing and a joyfull Crowne The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart and giveth gladness and joy and long life Who so feareth the Lord it shall go well with him at the last and he shall finde favour in the day of his death Who so feareth the Lord shall prosper and in the day of his end he shall be blessed A patient man will suffer for a time and then he shall have the reward of joy Chap. 2. YE that feare the Lord love him and your hearts shal be lightned Consider the old generations of men ye children and marke them them well was there ever any confounded that put his trust in the Lord or who hath continued in his feare and was forsaken or whom did he ever dispise that called upon him For God is gracious and mercifull and forgiveth sins and saveth in the time of trouble and is a defender for all them that seek him in
sing O happy soule who present dost Behold so great a King And from thy lofty throne surviewst The underwheeling Globes The sun the moon al the heavens In star bespangled robes O Christ the palme of warriors Vouchsafe me of thy pity To make me when I end my war A freeman of this City Grant me among these Citizens Thy bounties to pertake Meane while assist me with thy ayd A happy fight to make That warring out my time the rest In quiet I may spend And for my guerdon thee injoy For ever without end Amen A serious discourse concerning the Day of Death LET us imagine how the time being now come in which the sinfull soule is to be separated from the bands of the body with how grievous feare it is terrified with how great anguish of an afflicted conscience it is tormented it remembers the things forbidden which it hath committed it beholdeth the Commandements of God which through negligence and contempt it hath omitted it grieveth that the time which it had to repent hath been so vainly imployed it grieveth the imutable moment of severe revenge is so near at hand not possible to bee avoyded it would fain stay it is forced to depart it would faine recover that which it hath lost and cannot be heard it looketh backward upon the course of its whole life past and esteemeth it to be but as it were one onely little pace it looketh forward and seeth infinite worlds of time which shall never have end It lamenteth therfore for having lost the joyes of all eternity which it might have gained so quickly it weepeth likewise that for the short pleasure of the alluring flesh it is bereaved of everlasting happinesse it blusheth that for the substance sake which is to be meat for wormes it hath neglected that which should have been placed amongst the quires of Angels At length it lifteth up the eyes of its mind and considering the glory of the immortall riches of Heaven it is ashamed that for the love of the beggery of this present life it hath lost that glory againe when it looketh downwards upon the vaile of this world as upon a mist and contrariwise seeing above it the brightnesse of that eternall light it plainly perceiveth that that which was loved was but darknesse and night Oh if it could obtaine the favour to have some little time for repentance how austere would it be in life and conversation how many and how great matters would it promise to perform how strictly would it binde it selfe to piety and devotion in the meane season whilst the eye-sight faileth and whilst the heart panteth and the throat doth draw breath with difficulty whilst the countenance groweth pale and all the members of the body become stiffe through cold whilst these things and other such like happen as certain signes of death approaching all its works and words present themselves before it yea it s very thoughts are not wanting and all these give bitter testimony against it as against the Authour of them All its sins and iniquities are laid as it were in heaps before its eyes and those which it is unwilling to see it is forced to behold whether it will or no. Moreover on the one side of it it beholdeth a terrible troop of dreadful Devils on the other side a multitude of heavenly Angels the soule that lyeth in the middest quickly perceiveth to which of these companies it appertaineth for if there bee seen in it the signes and tokens of goodnesse it is comforted by the comfortable speeches of the Angels and by the sweetness of their harmonious melody it is allured to come forth of the body contrariwise if the darkness of its deserts and deformity of its filthinesse do adjudge it to the left hand it is forthwith strucken with intolerable fear it is troubled through the foâ—ce of the sudden violence that is used it is throwne down headlong and assaulted and poor soule is forcibly pluckt out of the prison of the flesh that it may be drawn to eternall torments with unspeakable bitternesse Now after it is departed out of the body who is able to expresse how many troops of wicked spirits do lie in wait to intrap it how many bands of frowning fiends being ready with cruell torments to afflict it doe beset the way to hinder his passage and to the end it may not escape and passe through them whole legions of them do assault the same Wherefore to consider these and such like things by frequent meditation is a soveraigne meanes to contemne the inticing allurements of sin to abandon the world and to subdue the unlawfull motions of the flesh and finally doth cause and conserve in us a continuall desire of attaining to perfection which God of his mercy grant us Amen ALmighty God and all mercifull Father which art the Physitian of my body and soule in thy hands are life and death thou bringest to the grave and pullest backe againe I came into the world upon condition to forsake it whensoever thou wouldest call me and now the Sumners are come thy fetters hold mee and none can loose mee but hee that bound me I am sick in body and in soule but he hath strucken me which in judgement sheweth mercy I deserved to die so soon as I came to life but thou hast preserved me till now and shall this mercy be in vaine as though I were preserved for nothing who can praise thee in the grave I have done thee no service since I was borne but my goodness is to come and shall I die before I begin to live but Lord thou knowest what is best of all and if thou convert me I shall be converted in an instant and as thou acceptedst the will of David as well as the act of Solomon so thou wilt accept my desire to serve thee as well as if I had lived to glorifie thee the spirit is willing but the flesh is fraile and as I did live sinfully whensoever thy spirit was from me so I shal die unwillingly unlesse thy spirit prepare me therefore dear Father give me that minde which a sick man should have and increase my patience with my pain and call unto my remembrance all which I have heard or read or felt or meditated to strengthen mee in this hour of my triall that I which never taught any good while I lived may now teach others how to dye to bear their sickness patiently apply unto me all the mercies and merits of thy beloved Son as if he had died for me alone be not far from me when the enemy comes but when the tempter is busiest let thy spirit be busie too and if it please thee to loose me out of this prison when I shall leave my earth to earth let thy Angels carry up my soule to Heaven as they did Lazarus and place me in one of those Mansions which thy Son is gone to prepare for me this is my Mediator which hath
truth Chap. 6. HOld friendship with many nevertheless have but one Councellor of a thousand Depart from thy enemies and bee wary of thy friends Chap. 7. LEt not them that weep be without comfort Bur mourne with such as mourne Whatsoever thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt never do amiss Chap. 8. DEspise not a man that turneth himselfe away from sin nor cast him not in the teeth withall but remember that we are all worthy of blame Chap. 9. TRy thy neighbor as near as thou canst and ask Counsell of the wise Let thy talk be with the wise and all thy communication in the Law of the most high Let just men eat and drink with thee and let thy rejoycing be in the fear of the Lord. Chap. 10. GOd destroyeth the memoriall of the proud and leaveth the remembrance of the humble Pride was not created in men neither wrath in the generation of women The feare of the Lord is the glory as well of the rich and the noble as of the poore It is not meet to despise the poore man that hath understanding neither is it convenient to magnifie the rich that is a wicked man The great man and the Judge and the man in authority are honourable yet is there none greater then he that feareth the Lord. Chap. 11. VVIsdome setteth up the head of him that is low and maketh him to sit among great men Commend not a man for his beauty neither despise a man in his outward appearance Be not proud of clothing and rayment and exalt not thy selfe in the day of honour for the works of the Lord are wonderfull and glorious secret and unknown are his works among men Blame no man before thou hast inquired the matter understand first and then reforme righteously Give no sentence before thou hast heard the Cause neither interrupt men in the midst of their tales Prosperity and adversity life and death poverty and riches come of the Lord. The gift of the Lord remaineth for the godly and his good will giveth prosperity for ever In thy good state remember adversity and in adversity forget not prosperity For it is an easie thing unto the Lord in the day of death to reward a man according to his wayes The adversity of an houre maketh one to forget pleasure and in a mans end his works are discovered Judge no man blessed before his death Chap. 12. VVHen thou wilt doe good know to whom thou dost it so shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits Do good unto the righteous and thou shalt find great reward though not of him yet of the most high Bind not two sins together for there shall not one be unpunnished Chap. 14. BLessed is the man that hath not falne by the word of his mouth and is not tormented with the sorrow of sinne Blessed is the man that is not condemned in his conscience and is not falne from his hope in the Lord. Doe good unto thy friend before thou dye and according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give him He that feareth the Lord will doe good and he that hath the knowledge of the Law will keep it sure Chap. 21. MY son hast thou sinned do so no more but pray for the former sins that they may be forgiven thee Flye from sinne as from a serpent for if thou commest neare it it will bite thee the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lyon to slay the soules of men All iniquity is as a two edged sword the wounds where of cannot be healed The prayer of the poore going out of the mouth commeth unto the ears of the Lord and justice is done unto him incontinently Whoso hateth to be reformed is in the way of sinners but he that feareth the Lord converteth in heart Chap. 23. ACcustom not thy mouth to swearing for in it there are many falls neither take up for a custome the naming of the Holy one for thou shalt not bee unpunished for such things A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse and the plague shal never go frō his hous when he shall offend his fault shal be upon him and if he acknowledge not his sinne he maketh a double offence and if he sweare in vaine he shall not be innocent but his house shall be full of plagues Who shall set a watch before my mouth and a seale of wisdome upon my lips that I fall not suddenly and that my tongue destroy me not O Lord Father and Governour of my whole life leave me not to the Counsell of the wicked and let mee not fall by them Who will correct my thought and put the doctrine of wisdome in mine heart lest my ignorances increase and my sins abound to my destruction and lest I fall before my adversaries and my enemies rejoyce over mee whose hope is far from thy mercy O Lord Father and God of my life leave me not in their imaginations neither give me a proud looke but turne away from thy servant a haughty minde Take from me vaine hope and concupiscence and retaine him in obedience that desireth continually to serve thee Let not the greedinesse of the belly nor lust of the flesh hold me and give not me thy servant over into an impudent minde FINIS
salvation I know O Lord God and am assured that our life is not governed by the unadvised Influence and concurrence of secondary causes but is wholly disposed and ordered by thy Almighty providence wherfore I humbly pray and beseech thee that thou wilt not deale with me according to mine iniquities by which I have deserved thy anger but according to thy manifold mercies which surmount the sinnes of the whole world take pity on me thou O Lord who doest punish mee outwardly give mee alwayes an invincible patience inwardly to the end I may never cease to prayse thee take pity of me O Lord take pity of me and helpe me like as thou knowest to bee expedient for mee both in soule and in body thou who knowest all things and art able to do all things whatsoever it pleaseth thee CHAP. X. O God most powerfull and potent over the spirits or soules of all flesh whose eyes behold all the wayes of the children of Adam from the day of their birth unto the day of their death to the end thou mayst render to every man according to his actions be they good or evill Teach mee I beseech thee how to confesse unto thee my poverty because I have heeretofore vanted that I was rich and need nothing not knowing that I was poore blind naked wretched and in misery for that I thought my selfe to bee something when I was nothing I sayd with my selfe I shall become a wise man and I became a foole I thought my selfe to bee prudent and discreet and I was deceived for that I now perceive that it is a gift gratis by thee given without whom wee can do nothing thus O Lord by leaving me and proving me thou hast taught me to know my self not to respect of tiâ—e that thou mightst know me but in respect of mee that I might know my selfe because I thought my selfe to bee something of my selfe and sufficient of my selfe neither did I perceive that it was thou that diddest governe me untill thou didst for a while forsake me whereupon I forthwith fell by which I did see and know that it was thou that didst governe me and that my fall hapned through my own fault and my … ing to grace by means only of thy grace Thou hast opened mine eyes O divine light thou hast awakened and inlightned me so that now I see that mans life is a temptation upon earth neither hath frayle flesh or any mortall man living just occasion to glory of himselfe before thee or to presume of his justification since all the good we have be it little or great proceedeth wholly and freely from thee neyther can wee attribute any thing justly to our selves saving only our iniquity Whereof then shall any mortall man glory shall he glory of his iniquity this is not glory but meere misery shall hee therefore glory of his goodnesse shall he glory of that which is anothers Because all goodness and glory is thine O Lord and belongeth unto thee he therfore that usurpeth that glory to himselfe that is due to thee is a theefe and a robber and like unto the Divell who desired to bereave thee of thy glory for hee that desireth to bee praysed in respect of the gift which thou hast given him and doeth not seeke thy glory therein but his owne albeit in respect of thy gift hee bee praysed of men yet by thee bee is thought worthy of blame for that with that gift which thou hast given him hee hath not sought thy glory but his owne but hee that is praysed of men being by thee thought worthy of blame will not bee defended by men when thou shalt condemne him Thou therefore O Lord who didst forme me in my mothers womb permit me not to fall into that reproachfull infamy as to be upbrayded as one that would bereave thee of thy glory who art the authour of all goodnesse and to thee is due all glory but to us shame and misery who according to our deserts are worthy of all wretchedness were it not that thou dost take pity upon us Thou O Lord art pitifull indeed full of compassion towards all men and hating nothing of those things which thou hast made bestowing on us many benefits inriching us with thy greatest gifts because thou doest favour those that are friendless making them abound with the riches of thy goodnes I know O Lord and confesse that they onely that acknowledge themselves to be poor and needy and confesse unto thee their poverty shal be inriched by thee insomuch that they that imagine themselves rich being indeed poore and needy are not to expect any spirituall gift or grace from thee wherefore O Lord my God I doe acknowledge and confess unto thee my poverty rendring unto thee all glory because all the good that is done by me proceedeth wholy from thee I confesse O Lord that I am nothing else but meere vanity the shadow of death a darke bottomles dungeon a voyd and unprofitable plot of ground bringing forth nothing without thy blessing the naturall fruite thereof being confusion sinne and eternall death and damnation all the good that ever I had before I had it from thee is wholly thine and proceeds from the hands of thy liberality When I have stood upright it hath beene by thy assistance when I have fallen it hath beene through my own negligence when I was fallen likewise I should for ever have remayned in misery if thou hadst not raysed me and being blinde I should for ever have been blind if thou hadst not inlightned me when I was fallen I should never have risen if thou hadst not with thy hand raised me yea after thou hadst raysed mee I should have fallen immediately if thou hadst not upheld mee I should likewise have perished many times and beene utterly undone if thou hadst not governed me Thus O Lord and in this manner hath thy grace and mercy prevented me from time to time and continually delivering mee from all mishaps that might have befallen me preserving me from perills that are past delivering me out of those that are present and strengthening mee against those that are to come cutting in sunder before me the snares of sinne removing likewise all causes and occasions of the same for if thou haddest not afforded me this favour I should have committed all sorts of sins what soever because I know O Lord that there is no sinne committed by one man which another could not likewise doe the same if mans Creatour by whom he was made doe not assist him Thou therefore hast caused and commanded me to abstaine from iniquity giving mee grace that I might beleeve in thee for thou O Lord didst direct me to do that which was to thy glory and my owne salvation giving mee grace and understanding that I might avoyde many grievous sins that I was inclinable to CHAP. XI REmember O Lord I beseech thee thy mercies shewed towards me of old time through which thou hast prevented
light so that now I see thankes be to thee O Lord who hast inlightened me and I looked backe and beheld the darknesse wherein I had lived and the deepe darke dungeon wherein I had remained which made me with feare and trembling to cry out saying wo is mee in respect of the darknesse in which I have remained wo is mee in respect of my former blindness in which I could not see the light of Heaven wo is mee in respect of my former ignorance when I did not know thee O Lord thanks therefore be to thee O my Inlightner and Deliverer for that thou hast inlightned me and I have knowne thee Too too late have I knowne thee O ancient Verity too late have I known thee O eternall Truth thou remainest in light and I in darknesse and I knew thee not because I could not be inlightned without thee for that there is no light besides thee O God! the Holy of Holies the God of Gods and Lord of Lords of inestimable Majesty whose wonderfull greatnesse cannot bee uttered or imagined before whom the Angelicall powers doe shake for feare O most mighty most holy and most powerfull God the God of the spirits or souls of all mortall creatures from whose sight the Heavens and the earth doe flie away for fear to whom all the Elemens doe obey at a becke let all thy creatures adore and glorifie thee amongst whom I unworthy wretch the sonne of thy handmaid do bow downe the neck of my heart under the feet of thy supreame Majesty being taught so to doe by the faith which thou hast given me rendring thanks unto thee for that thou hast vouchsafed by thy mercy to inlighten me O Light most true sacred and delightfull most worthy of praise and most admirable which inlighteneth every man comming into this world yea the eies of the Angels themselvs Behold now I see for which I humbly thanke thee Behold now I see the light of Heaven a heavenly bright beam proceeding from the face of thy brightness doth shine upon the eies of my mind which maketh all my bones to rejoyce Oh that this light were perfect it me increase it in mee O authour o◠light I beseech thee increase I beseech thee that light that shineth in mee let it bee augmented I beseech thee by thee O fire which doest alwayes burn and art never extinguished enflame me O light which doest alwayes shine and art never darkned enlighten me Oh that I were made hot by thee O sacred fire how sweetly dost thou heate how secretly doest thou shine how desiredly dost thou burn Woe be to those that are not made hot by thee woe bee to those that are not enlightned by thee O true light enlightning all the world whose brightnesse doeth replenish all the world Woe bee to those blind eyes which doe not see thee who art the Sunne that giveth light both to Heaven and Earth Woe be to those dim eyes which cannot see thee Woe be to those eies that are turned away frō seeing verity Woe be to those eyes that are not turned away from seeing vanity Verily those eyes that are accustomed to darkness cannot behold the bright beames of thy supreame righteousness neither do they know what to thinke of the light whose dwelling is in darknesse They see love and approve the darknesse so that walking from one darknesse into another they stumble and tumble they know not whither Doubtlesse they are wretched that know not what they lose but they are more wretched that know what they lose who fall with their eyes open and descend alive into perdition O light most blessed who canst not be seen of those eyes that are never so little defiled Blessed are the clean in heart for they shall see God Cleanse me O cleansing vertue cure mine eyes to the end that with sound and cleare eyes I may bee able to behold thee Remoove from my eyes the scales of my former blindnesse by the means of thy brightness that I may be able stedfastly to behold thee and in thy light I may see light Behold O my light now I see for which I most humbly thank thee Let this my light O Lord I beseech thee be increased by thee Open mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy Law I give thee thankes O my light for that I now see albeit obscurely as it were in a Mirrour or looking glasse but when shall I see thee apparently face to face Oh when will that day of joy and mirth arive in which I shall enter into the place of thy Tabernacle so mach to bee admired even into the house of my God to the end I may see him face to face that seeth me that so my desire may be accomplished CHAP. XIII I Have exceedingly sinned and I know my offences to bee many which I have committed yet I do not despayre because where sinnes have abounded there grace hath superabounded He that dispayreth of obtayning pardon for his sinnes denieth God to be mercifull hee doth God a great injury that mistrusteth his mercy as much as in him lieth he denieth God to have charity truth and power in which three doth depend my whole confidence that is in the charity of his adoption in the trueth of his promise and in the power of his redemption I cannot bee terrified with the multitude of my sinnes if the death of my Saviour come into my minde because my sinnes cannot overcome the multitude of his mercy The wounds of my Saviour doe tell me that I am truly reconciled to him if I love him wherefore blessed Saviour give me grace to love thee truly and sincerely because love chaseth forth feare verily the whole world doth not afford such a powerfull and present remedy against sinne as is the death of my Redeemer He stretcheth forth his armes on the Crosse and spreads out his hands as one ready to imbrace sinners I purpose to live and desire to die betweene the armes of Christ that hath saved me there will I sing securely I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast received me and hast not permitted mine enemies to triumph over me Who more can crave Then God for me hath done To free a slave That gave his only Son Blest be that houre When he repair'd my losse I never will Forget my Saviours Crosse Whose death revives My soule once was I dead But now I 'le rayse Againe my drooping head And singing say And saying sing for ever Blest be my Lord That did my soule deliver CHAP. XIV I Render unto the most humble thanks O most gratious and mercifull God for that comming loader with so many and so grievous sins to make my humble confession unto thy divine and sacred Majesty thou art pleased to give mee the grace that I am not ashamed to open my sins and iniquities unto thee whereby I may obtaine thy pardon which being granted unto me by thy mercy and the merits of my Saviour Christ