frame our premises as we would finde our conclusion endeauouring to liue as we are desirous to dye let vs not offer the maine crâ—p to the Diuell and set God to gleane the reproofe of his haruest let vs not gorge the Diuell with our fairest fruits and turne God to the filthy scâ—aps of his leauings but let vs truely dedicate both soule and body to his seruice whose right they are and whose seruice they owe that so in the euening of our life we may retire to a Christian rest closing vp the day of our life with a cleare sunne-set that leauing all darknesse behinde vs we may carry in our consciences the light of grace and so escaping the horrour of an eternall night passe from a mortall day to an euerlasting morrow Thine in Christ Iesus Samuell Rowland STrike saile poore soule in sins tempestuous tide That runst to ruine and eternall wracke Thy course from heauen is exceeding wide Hels gulfe thou ent rest if grace guide not backe Sathan is Pilot in this nauigation The Ocean Vanity The Rocke damnation Warre with the Dragon and his whole alliance Renounce his league intends thy vtter losse Take in sinnes flag of truce set out defiance Display Christs ensigne with the bloudy crosse Against a Faith proofe armed Christian Knight The hellish coward dares not mannage fight Resist him then if thou wilt victor be For so he flies and is disanimate His fiery darts can haue no force at thee The shield of faith doth all their points rebate He conquers none to his infernall den But yeelding slaues that wage not fight like men Those in the dungeon of eternall darke He hath enthralled euerlasting date Branded with Reprobations cole-blacke marke Within the neueropening ramd vp gâ—â—e Where Diues rates one drop of water more Than any crowne that euer Monarch wore Where furies haunt the harttorne wretch despaire Where clamours cease not teeth are euer gnashing Where wrath and vengeance sit in horrors chaire Where quenchlesse flames of sulphur fire be flashing Where damned soules blaspheme God in despight Where vtter darknesse stands remou'd from light Where plaâ—ues inâ—iron torments compasse round Where anguish rores in neuer stinted sorrow Where woe woe woe is euery voices sound Where night eternall neuer yeelds to morrow Where damned tortures dreadfulâ— shall perseuer So long as God is God so long is euer WHo loues this life from loue his loue doth erre And chusing drosse rich treasure doth denie Leauing the pearle Christs connsels to preferre With selling all we haue the same to buy O happy soule that doth disburse a summe To gaine a kingdome in the life to come Such trafficke may be termed heauenly thrift Such venter hath no hazard to disswade Immortall purchase with a mortall gift The greatest gaine that euer Merchant made To get a crowne where Saints and Angels sing For laying out a base and earthly thing To taste the ioyes no humane knowledge knowes To heare the tunes of the coelest all quires T' attaine heau'ns sweet and mildest calme repose To see Gods face the summe of good desires Which by his glorious Saints is howerly eyde Yet sight with seeing neuer satisfide God as he is sight beyond estimate VVhich Angel tongues are vntaught to discouer VVhose splendor doth The heauenâ— illustrate Vnto which sight each sight becomes a louer VVhom all the glorious court of heauen land VVith praises of eternities applaâ—d There where no teares are to interpret griefes Nor any sighes heart dâ—lours to expound There where no treasure is surpris'd by theeues Nor any voice that speakes with sorrowes sound No vse of passions no distempered thought No spot of sinne no deed of error wrought The natiue home of pilgrime soules abode Rest's habitation ioyes true residence Ierusalem's new Citie built by God Form'd by the hands of his owne excellence VVith gold pau'd streets the wals of precious stone VVhere all sound praise to him sits on the throne HEAVENS Glory Earths Vanitie and Hels Torments Of the Glory of the bles sed Saints in Heauen TO the end there might want nothing to stirre vp our mindes to vertue after the paines which Almighty God threateneth to the wicked he doth also set before vs the reward of the good which is that glory and euerlasting life which the blessed Saints doe enjoy in heauen whereby hee doth very mightily allure vs to the loue of the same But what manner of thing this reward and what this life is there is no tongue neither of Angels nor of nen that is sufficient to expresse it Howbeit that wee may haue some kinde of â—auour and knowledge thereof I intend here to rehearse euen word for word what S. Augustine saith in one of his meditations speaking of the life euerlasting ensuing this transitoâ—ie time and of the joyes of the blessed Saints in heauen O life saith he prepared by Almighty God for his friends a blessed life a secure life a quiâ—t life a beautifull life a cleane life a chast life a holy life a life that knoweth on death a life without sadnesse without labour without griefe without trouble without corruption without feare without variety without alteration a life replenished with all beautie and dignity where there is neither enemy that can offend nor delight that can annoy where loue is perfect and no feare at all where the day is euerlasting and the spirit of all is one where Almighty God is seene face to face who is the onely meate whereupon they feed without loathsomenesse it delighteth mee to consider thy brightnesse and thy treasures doe reioyce my longing heart The more I consider thee the more I am striken in loue with thee The great desire I haue of thee doth wonderfully delight me and no lesse pleasure is it to me to keepe thee in my remembrance O life most happy O kingdome truely blessed wherin there is no death nor â—nd neither yet succession of time where the day continuing euermore without night knoweth not any mutation where the victorious conqueror beeing ioyned with those euerlasting quires of Angels and hauing his head crowned with a garland of glory singeth vnto Al mighty God one of the songs of Syon Oh happy yea and most happy should my soule be if when the race of this my pilgrimage is ended I might bee worthy to see thy glory thy blessednesse thy beautie the wals and gates of thy Citie thy streets thy lodgings thy noble Citizens and thine omnipotent King in his most glorious Maiestie The stones of thy wals are precious thy gates are adorned with bright pearles thy streets are of very fine excellent gold in which there neuer faile perpetuall praises thy houses are paved with rich stones wrought throughout with Zaphirs and couered aboue with massie gold where no vncleane thing may enter neither doth any abide there that is defiled Faire and beautifull in thy delights art thou O Ierusalem our mother none of those things are suffered in thee that are suffered here There is
present or of the time to come or of any other meanes The damned soules thinke that all men are shooting darts at them and that all creatures haue conspired against them that euen they themselues are cruell against themselues This is that distresse whereof the sinners doe lament by the Prophet saying The sorrowes of hell haue compassed me round about and the snares of death haue besieged me For on which side so â—uâ—r they looke or turne their eyes they doe continually behold occasions of sorrow and griefe and none at all of any ease or comfort The wise Virgins saith the Euange list that stood ready prepared at the gate of the Bridegrome entred in and the gate was forthwith locked fast O locking euerlasting O enclosure immortal O gate of all goodnesse which shal neuer anâ— more be opened againe As if he had said more plainly the gate of pardon of mercy of comfort of grace oâ— intercession of hope and of all other goodnesse is shut vp for euer and euer Six dayes and no more was Manna to be gathered but the seuenth day which was the Saâ—â—bath day was there none to be found and therefore shall he fast for euer that hath not in due â—â—me made his prouision aforehand The sluggâ—rd saith he wise man will not till his ground for feare of cold and therefore shall he beg his bread in summer and no man shall giue him to eat And in another place he saith He that gathereth in summer is a wise sonne but he that giueth himselfe to sleeping at that season is the sonne of confusion For what confusion can be greater then that which that miserable couetous rich man suffereth who with a few crâ—ms of bread that fell from his table might haue purchased to himselfe abundance of euerlasting felicitie and glory in the kingdome of heauen But because he would not giue so small a thing he came to such an extreame necessity that he begged yea and shall for euer beg in vaine onely one drop of water and shall neuer obtaine it Who is not moued with that request of that vnfortunate damned person who cried O father Abraham haue compassion on me and send downe Lazarus vnto me that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and touch my tongue for these horrible flames doe torment me exceedingly What smaller request could there be desired than this He durst not request so much as one cup of water neither that Lazarus should put his whole hand into the water nor yet which is more to be wondered at did he request so much as the whole finger but onely the tip of it that it might but touch his tongue and yet euen this alone would not be granted vnto him Whereby thou maiest perceiue how fast the gate of all consolation is shut vp and how vniuersall that interdict â—d excommunication is that iâ— there laid vpon the damned siâ—h this rich Glutton could not obtaine so much as this small request So that wheresoeuer the damned persons doe turne their eyes and on which sid soeuer they stretch their hands they shall nor finde any manner of comfort â—e it neuer so small And as he that is in the Sâ—a choaked and almost drowned vnder the water not finding any stâ—y whereupon to â—â—t his foâ—t stretcheth forth his hands oftentimes on euery side in vain because all that he graspeth after is thin and liquid water which deceiues him euen so shall it fare with the damned persons when they shall be drowned in that deepe Sea of so many miseries where they shall striue and struggle alwaies with death without finding any succour or place of stay whereupon they may rest themselues Now this is one of the greatest paines wherewith they be tormented in that cursed place for if thâ—se torments should haue their continuance limited but for a certaine time though it were for a thousand yea a hundred thousand millions of yeares yet euen this would be some little comfort vnto them for nothing is perfectly great in case it haue an end But alas they haue not so much as this poore and miserable comfort but contrariwise their paines are equall in continuance with the eternity of almighty God and the lâ—sting of their misery with the eternity of Gods glory As long as almighty God shall liue so long shall they dye and when almighty God shall cease to be God then shall they also cease to be as they are O deadly life O immortall death I know not whether I may truely tearme thee either life or death for if thou be life why dost thou kil And if thou be death why doest thou endure Wherefore I will call thee neither the one nor the other for so much as in both of them there is contained something that is good as in life there is rest and in death there is an end which is a great comfort to the afflicted but thou hast neither rest nor end What art thou then Marry thou art the worst of life and the worst of death for of death thou hast the torment without any end and of life thou hast the continuance without any rest O bitter composition O vnsauory purgation of our Lords cup of the which all the sinners of the earth shall drinke their part Now in this continuance in this eternity I would wish that thou my deare Christian brother wouldst fixe the eyes of thy consideration a little while and that as the cleane beast cheweth the cud euen so thou wouldest weigh this point within thy selfe with great deliberation And to the intent thou maiest doe it the better consider a little the paines that a sicke man abideth in one euill night especially if he be vexed with any vehement griefe or sharpe disease Marke how oft he tumbleth and tossâ—th in his bed what disquietnesse he hath how long tedious one night seemeth vnto him how duâ—ly he counteth all the houres of the clocke and how long he deemeth each houre of them to be how he passeth the time in wishing for the dawning of the day which notwithstanding is like to helpe him little towards the curing of his disease If this then be accounted so great a torment what torment shall that be thinke you in that euerlasting night in hell which hath no morning nor so much as any hope of any dawning of the day O darknesse most obscure O night euerlasting O night accuâ—sed euen by the mouth of almighty God and all his Saints That one shall wish for light and shall neuer see it neither shall the brightnesse of the morning arise any more Consider then what a kinde of torment shall that be to liue euerlastingly in such a night as this is lying not in a soft bed as the sicke man doth but in a hot burning furnace feming out such terrible raging flames What shoulders shall be able to abide those horrible heats If it seeme to vs as a thing intollerable to haue onely some part of our feet
AWake from sleepe awake from sin With voyce and heart to call on him Who from aboue pleas'd to dâ—scend From Sathans malice to desend Our forfeit soules to that â—ich grace Where we may still behold his face LEt vs repare and God implore That henceforth we transgres no more And that our ioy be at this tide That we in him be satisfide Then shall we all for his deare sake Be blest asleepe be blest awake SIth neither men nor Angels know When as the dreadful trump shal blow Nor when our Sauiour Christ shall come To giue the world a wofull doome Thinke then but what a case you 're in That sleepe in vnrepented sinne O wake O wake O watch and pray And thinke vpon this dreadfull day SLeepe not so sound rest not secure Marke well my words of this be sure The waking Virgins past the gate When those that slept came all too late Wherefore be watchfull in your center That you may with the Bridegrome enter IF wicked impes make day and night And keepe their candle alwayes light And all their skill and practise bend To bring their damned plots to end Let vs not sleepe but laud his skill That frustrates all their proiects still THe night well spent the day drawes nigh Awake from sleepe and sinne deâ—ie All sluggish sloath expell away Haue still in minde the iudgement day When dead shall rise at trumpets call The graues shall open wide with all ARise from sinne awake from sleepe The earth doth mourne The heauens weepe The winds and Seas distempered bin And all by reason of mans sin Wherefore arise â—ay sleepe aside And call on God to be your guide From raging sword and arrowes flight And from the terrours of the night From fires flame from sin and sorrow God blesse you all and so good morrow ALL you which in your beds doe lye Vnto the Lord ye ought to cry That he would pardon all your sinnes And thus the Belmans prayer begins Lord giue vs grace our sinful life to mend And at the last to send a ioyfull end Hauing put out your fire and your light For to conclude I bid you all good night MAns life is like a warfare on the earth Whose time is spent with troubles toyles and cares Subiect to all temptations from his birth In woe he liues and dyes at vnawares The surest signe true fortitude to show Is in his life all vice to ouerthrow O Harke O harke my Masters all To your poore seruants cry and call And know all you that lye at ease That our great God may if he please Depriue you of your vitall breath Then sleeping thinke your sleep is death LEt true repentance cleanse your sin And then your soules coÌ„mend to him That by his death hath rais'd and cur'd The dead the blinde and them assured To giue to them eternall rest To liue in heauen among the blest Confesse thy sinnes to God on hie Who pardons sinners when they cry Bewray thy faults to him in time Who will in Christ forgiue thy crime HE that on the crosse hath dyed And for our sinnes was crucisied Be you euer blest in him And cleane reâ—itted from your sinne Be it granted as I haue praid And so the Belman resteth paid ALL you that in bed doe lye Harken well to what I cry Leaue of your sinnes repentance craue It is the onely way your soules to saue REpent in time while ye haue breath RepentaÌ„ce commeth not after death He therefore that will liue for aye Must leaue his sinnes and to God pray O Gracious God and blessed Preserue all ye that be in bed So that your quiet rest may take Vntill the morning that yee wake Then may ye all with praises sing To thee O God our heauenly King REmember man thou art but dust There is none aliue but dye he must To day a man to morrow none So soone our life is past and gone Mans life is like a withered flower Aliue and dead all in an houre Leaue of thy sins therefore in time And Christ will rid thee from thy crime O Mortall man that is made of dust In worldly riches put not thy trust Remember how thy time doth passe Euen like the sand that from the Glasse Hath spent the time and there remaines Neuer canst thou call that time againe SIcke men complaine they cannot sleepe The Bel-man such a noise doth keepe Others that doe win at play Saies he too soone proclaimes the day Yet to the sicke that drawes short breath It puts them in the minde of death And saies the gamster makes good stake If he for heauen so long would wake And all this while like silly worme He doth his office but performe Then if his duety breed disease Hee le go to bed and none displease FINIS
that running headlong into so manifest a danger thou art not at all afraid Especially considering the sinfull state wherein thou liuest and the horrible paines and torments which doe attend for thee and the time which thou hast lost and the endlesse repentance which thou shalt haue therefore in the most horrible torments of hell Assuredly it goes beyond the compasse of all common sence conceit of humane reason to consider That there should be such negligent wilfull grosse carelesse blindnesse able to enter and take such deepe rooting in the soule of man The Conclusion of all the Premises IF now all this be so I beseech thee euen for the bitter passion of our sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ to remember thy selfe and consider that thou art a Christian and that thou beleeuest assuredly for a most vndoubted truth whatsoeuer the true faith instructeth thee This faith telleth thee that thou hast a iudge aboue that seeth all the steps and motions of thy life and that certainly there shall a day come when he will require an account of thee euen for euery idle word This faith teacheth thee That a man is not altogether at an end when he dieth but that after this temporall life there remaineth another euerlasting life and that the soules dye not with the bodies but that whiles the body remaineth in the graue vntill the generall day of iudgement the soule shall enter into another new country and into a new world where it shall haue such habitation and company as the faith and workes were which it had in this life This faith telleth thee also that both the reward of vertue and the punishment of vice is a thing so wonderfull that although the whole world were full of bookes and all creatures were writers yet should they all be wearied and the world come to an end before they should end their description and make a perfect declaration what is comprehended in each one of these points This faith informeth thee also that the debts and duties which we owe to almighty God are so great that albeit a man had so many liues as there be sands in the Sea yet would they not suffice if they were al employed in his seruice And this faith likewise telleth thee that vertue is such an excellent treasure that all the treasures of the world and all that mans heart can desire are in no sort comparable vnto it Wherefore if there be so many and so great respects that doe inuite vs vnto vertue how commeth it to passe that there be so few louers and followers of the same If men be moued with gaine commodity what greater coÌ„modity can there be than to attain life euerlasting If they be moued with feare of punishment what greater punishment can be found than the most horrible euerlasting dreadfull torments in the lake of fire and brimstone to continue euer world without end If that bonds of debts and benefits what debts are greater than these which we owe vnto almighty God as well for that he is which he is as also for that which we haue receiued of him If the feare of perils doe moue vs what greater perill can there be than death the houre thereof being so vncertaine and the account so strait If thou be moued with peace liberty quietnesse of minde and with a pleasant life which are things that all the world desires it is certaine that all these are found much better in the life that is gouerned by vertue and reason than in that life which is ruled by the affections and passions of the minde forsomuch as man is a reasonable creature and no beast Howbeit in case thou account all this as not sufficient to moue thee thereunto yet let it sussice thee to consider further that euen almighty God so abased himselfe for thy sake that he descended from heauen vnto the earth and became man and whereas hee created the whole world in sixe dayes he bestowed three and thirty yeares about thy redemption yea and was also contented for the same to loose his life Almighty God dyed that sinne should dye and yet for all this doe we endeauour that sinne might liue in our hearts notwithstanding that our Lord purposed to take away the life of sinne with his owne death If this matter were to be discussed with reason surely this already spoken might suffice to preuaile with any reasonable creature for not onely in beholding almighty God vpon the crosse but whethersoeuer we doe turne our eyes we shall finde that euery thing crieth out to vs and calleth vpon vs to receiue this so excellent a benefit for there is not a thing created in the world if wee duely consider it but doth inuite vs to the loue and seruice of our Sauiour Iesus Christ insomuch that looke how many creatures there be in the world so many preachers there are so many bookes so many voices and so many reasons which doe all call vs vnto almighty God And how is it possible then that so many callings as these are so many promises so many threatnings and so many prouocations should not suffice to bring vs vnto him What might almighty God haue done more than he hath done or promised more greater blessings than hee hath promised or threatned more grieuous and horrible torments than he hath threatned to draw vs vnto him and to plucke vs away from sinne And yet all this notwithstanding how commeth it to passe that there is so great I will not say arrogancy but bewitching of men that doe beleeue these things to be certainly true and yet be not afraid to continue all the dayes of their life in the committing of deadly sinnes yea to goe to bed in deadly sinne and to rise vp againe in deadly sinne and to embrue themselues in euery kinde of loathsome detestable and odious sin euen as though all their whole endeauours intended by the practise of sinne to resist all grace and fauour in the sight of God And this is done in such sort so without feare so without scruple of minde so without breaking of one hoâ—â—â—s sleepe and without the refraining of any one delicate morsell of meat for the same as if all that they beleeued were dreames and old wiues tales and as if all that the holy Euangelists haue written were meere fiction and fables But tell me thou that art such a desperate wilfull rebell against thy Creator and Redeemer which by thy detestable life and dissolute conuersation doest euidence thy selfe to be a firebrand prepared to burne in those euerlasting and reuenging horrible fires of hell What wouldest thou haue done more than thou hast done in case thou haddest beene perswaded that all were meere lyes which thou hast beleeued For although that for feare of incurring the danger of the princes lawes and the execution of their force vpon thee thou hast somewhat brideled thine appetites yet doth it not appeare that for any feare of Almighty God thou hast refrained thy
will in any one thing neither from carnall pleasures not from backbiting and slandering thy neighbours nor yet from fulfilling thine inordinate lusts and desires in case thine ability serued thee thereunto Oh what doth the worme of thy conscience say vnto thee whiles thou art in such a fond securitie and confidence continuing in such a dissolute and wicked life as thou doest Where is now become the vnderstanding iudgement and reason which thou hast of a man Why art thou not afraid of so horrible so certaine and so assured perils and dangers If there were a dish of meat set before thee some man albeit he were a lyer should say vnto thee refraine to touch and eat thereof for it is poysoned durst thou once aduenture to stretch out thy hand to take a taste thereof though the meat were neuer so sauorie and delicate and he neuer so great a lyer that should beare thee thus in hand If then the Prophets if the Apostles if the Euangelists yea if Almighty God himselfe doe cry out vnto thee and say Take heede thou miserable man for death is in that kind of meat and death doth lye lurking in that gluttonous morsell which the diuell hath set before thee How darest thou reach for euerlasting death with thine owne hands and drinke thine owne damnation Where is the applying of thy wits thy iudgement and the discourse and reason which thou lâ—â—st of a spirituall man Where is their light where is their force Sith that none of them doâ— bridle thee any whit from thy common vsuall vices Oh thou wretched and carelesse creature bewitched by the common enemy Satan adiâ—dged to euerlasting darknesse both inward and outward and so doest goe from one darknesse to the other Thou art blinde to see thine owne misery insensible to vnderstand thine owne perdition and harder than any Adamant to feele the hammer of Gods word Oh a thousand times most miserable thou art worthy to be lâ—mented with none other teares than with those wheâ— with thy damnation was lamented when it was said Luke 19. Oh that thou knewest this day the peace quietnesse and treasures which Al mighty God hath offered vnto thee that doe now lye hidden from thine eyes Oh miserable is the day of thy natiuitie and much more miserable the day of thy death forsomuch as that shall be the beginning of thine euerlasting damnation Oh how much better had it beene for thee neuer to haue beene born if thou shalt be damned in the horrible pit of hell for euer where the torments are perpetually durable How much better had it beene for thee neuer to haue beene baptised not yet to haue receiued the Christian faith if through the abusing thereof by thy wicked life thy damnation shall thereby be the greater For if the light of reason onely sufficeth to make the Heathen Phylosophers inexcuseable because they knowing God in some degree did not glorisie him nor serue him as the Apostle saith in the first to the Romans how much lesse shall hee be excused that hath receiued the light of faith and the water of Baptisme yea and the holy Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hearing daily the doctrine of the Gospell if hee doe nothing more than those Pâ—gan Phylosophers haue done Now what other thing may we inferre of the premisses but briefly to conclude That there is none other vnderstanding none other wisedome none other counsell in the world but that setting aside all the impediments and combersome dangerous wayes of this life wee follow that onely true and certaine way where by true peace and euerlasting life is obtained Hereunto are we called by reason by wisedome by law by heauen by earth by hell and by the life death iustice and mercy of Almighty God Hereunto are we also very notaâ—ly iâ—uited by the holy Ghost peaking by the mouth of Ecclesiasticus in the sixt chapter in this 〈…〉 My sonne harken â—o instruction euen from the first yeares of thy youth and in thy latter dayes thou shalt enioy the sweet fruit of wisdome Approach vnto it as one that pâ—â—weâ—h and soweth and with patience expect the fruitful â—ncrease which it shall yeeld vnto thee The paines that thou shâ—lt take shall be but little and the benefits that thou shalt speedily enioy shall be great My sonne hearken to my words and neglect not this my counsell which I shall giue thee put thy feet willingly into her fetters and thy necke into her chaines bow downe thy shoulders and carry her vpon thee and be not displeased with her bonds approach neere vnto her with all thy heart and follow her wayes with all thy strength seeke for her with all thy diligence and she will make her selfe knowne vnto thee and after that thou hast found her neuer forsake her for by her shalt thou finde rest in thy latter dayes and that which before did seeme so painfull vnto thee will afterwards become very pleasant Her fetters shall be a defence of thy strength and a foundation of vertue and her chaine shall be a robe of glory for in her is the beauty of life and her bonds are the bonds of health Hetherto Ecclesiasticus Whereby thou maiest vnderstand in some degree how great the beauty the delights the liberty and riches of true wisdome are which is vertue it selfe and the knowledge of Almighty God wherof we doe intreat But if all this be insufficient to mollifie our stony hearts lift vp thine eyes and fix thy thoughts constantly to behold our omnipotent God in his mercy and loue towards sinners vpon his dying crosse where he made full satisfaction for thy sinnes There shalt thou behold him in this forâ—e his feet nailed fast looking for thee his â—rmes spread abroad to receiue thee and his head bowing downe to giue thâ—e as to â—noâ—â—er prodigall sonne nâ—w kâ—ssâ— of pâ—ace and attâ—â—â—ment From thence hee calleth thee if thou wouldest â—eare with so many callings and cries as there be wounds in his whole body Hearken thou therefore vnto these voyces and consider well with thy sâ—lfe that if his prayer he not heard that hearkeneth not vnto the cries of the poore how much lesse shall he be heaâ—d that maketh himselfe deafe to such cries as these being the most mercifull cryings of our louing sauiour and intended for our soules saluation Who is he that hath not cause to resolue himselfe whoâ—ly into teares to weepe and bewâ—ile his manifold offences Who is he that can lament and will not lament at this vnlesse he be such a one as seeth not nor careth not what great shipwracke waste and hauocke he maketh of all the riches and treasures of his soule FINIS GODLY PRAYERS NECESSARY AND VSEFVLL for Christian Families vpon seuerall occasions Therefore I say vnto you What things soeuer yee desire when yee pray beleeue that ye receiue them and ye shall haue them Printed at London for M. S. 1628. Godly Christian PRAYERS A
hee himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father c. A Prayer at the houre of death O Lord Iesus Christ which art the onely health of all men liuing and the euerlasting life of them which dye in thy faith I wretched sinner giue and submit my selfe wholly to thy most blessed will being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed vnto thy mercy I most humbly beseech thee O Lord to giue me grace that I may now willingly leaue this fraile and wicked flesh in hope of the resurrection which in better manner shall restore it to me againe grant me O Lord God that thou wilt by thy grace make strong my soule against all temptations and that thou wilt couer and defend me with the buckler of thy mercy against the assaults of Satan I acknowledge that there is in my selfe no hope of saluation but all my hope and trust is in thy most mercifull goodnesse I haue no no merits nor good workes which I may alleadge before thee of sinnes and euill works alas I see a great heape but through thy mercy I trust to be of the number of thē to whom thou wilt not impute their sins but take and impute mee for righteous and iust and to be the inheritor of euerlasting glory Thou O most mercifull Lord wert borne for my sake thou didst suffer both hunger and thirst thou didst preach teach pray and fast for my sake thou didst all good workes and sufferedst most grieuous pangs and torments for my sake and finally thou gauest thy most precious body to dye and thy blessed bloud to be shed on the crosse for my sake wherefore most mercifull Sauiour let all these things profit me which thou hast freely giuen mee which hast giuen thy selfe for me let thy bloud cleanse and wash away the spots and foulenesse of my sinnes let thy righteousnesse hide and couer my vnrighteousnesse let the merits of thy bitter sufferings be a sufficient and propitiatory sacrifice and satisfaction for my sinnes giue me O Lord thy grace that my faith and beleefe of thy true and grieuous death wauer not in me but euer be firme and constant that the hope of thy mercy life euerlasting neuer decay in me that charitie waxe not cold in me and finally that the weaknesse of my flesh be not ouercome with the feare of death grant me also O most mercifull Sauiour that when death hath shut vp the eyes of my body yet the eyes of my soule may still behold and looke vpon thee and that when death hath taken away the vse of my tongue and speech yet my heart may cry and say vnto thee O Lord into thy hands I giue and commi◠my soule Lord Iesus receiue my spirit and take mee to thy mercies Amen A Prayer for a Woman in time of her trauaile RIghteous holy Lord God I doe now finde by experience the fruit of my sinne that I must trauaile in sorrow and bring forth in paine and I vnfainedly adore the truth of thy sacred Word as certifying vnto me that sorrow must be in the Euening so comforting me also against the Morning that a Childe shall be borne Willingly I doe desire to submit my selfe in hope into this thy chastisement and to learne the desert of my sinne horrible in themselues that these temporall paines are forerunners of eternall and yet by thy mercy may be so sanctified vnto me as not onely to preuent eternal vengeance but also prepare for eternall comforts euen to be Saued by bearing of Children Grant me therefore gracious Father true repentance and pardon for my sinnes past that they may not stand at this time in this my neede betweene mee and thy mercy Giue mee a comfortable feeling of thy loue in Christ which may sweeten all other pangs though neuer so violent or extreame make me still to lift vp my soule vnto thee in my greatest agonies knowing that thou alone must giue a blessing to the ordinary meanes for my safe deliuerance Lay no more vpon me then I am able to endure strengthen my weake body to the bearing of what sorrow soeuer by which it shall seeme good vnto thee to make triall of me Grant me to consider that how soeuer it be with me yet I am alwaies as thine hand whose mercies faile not who will be found in the Mount and greatest extremitie and to whom belong the issues of death so prepare me therefore to death that I may be fit for life euen to yeeld fruit aliue vnto the world and to be renewed and enabled to nourish the same And when thou hast safely giuen mee the expected fruit of my wombe make me with a thankfull heart to consecrate both it and my selfe wholly to thy seruice all the dayes of my life through Iesus Christ mine onely Sauiour and Redeemer Amen A Thanksgiuing after safe deliuerance O Blessed for euer be thy great and glorious Name most deere and louing Father for thy great mercy to me most weake and sinfull woman Wonderfull art thou in all thy workes O Lord the riches of thy mercies are past finding out thou hast plunged me with great afflictions and yet thou hast returned and refreshed me againe thou hast brought me to the feare of the graue and yet thou hast raised me vp again to life O how hast thou shewed thy power in my weaknesse How hath thy louing kindnesse preuailed against my vnworthinesse Thou mightest for my sinnes haue left me to perish in mine extremities but thou hast compassed me about with ioyfull deliuerance thou mightest haue made my wombe a graue to burie the dead or in affoording life to another thou mightest haue procured my death but yet thou hast not onely made my wombe a wel-spring of life but restored life vnto me also for the cherishing thereof Marucilous O Lord are thy workes infinite are thy mercies my soule by present experience knoweth it well O my soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits Thou hast heard my prayers and looked vpon my sorrow thou hast redeemed my life from death and healed mine infirmities and crowned me with thine euerlasting compassions O giue me I humbly pray thee a thankfull heart not onely now while the memory sense of thy fauour is fresh before me but continually euen so long as I haue any being Grant that I may learne by this liuely euidence of thy power and mercy for euer hereafter to depend onely on thee Quicken me also to all holy duties that my thankfulnesse may appeare in my pure and Christian carriage Make me a kind and carefull mother willing to vndergoe the paine and trouble of education Let no nicenesse or curiositie hinder mee from those seruices to whom both nature and religion hath appointed me let me also be carefull when time requireth to season the fruit thou hast giuen me with the sauing knowledge of thee thy