Consid To die is but once to be done and if we miscarry in that we miscarry and are undone for ever therefore make it thy chief business to learn to die It would be better never to have lived than to be ignorant to die Many will nay doubtless the prophanest wretch will desire the death of the righteous but unless it be learnt before by living the life of the righteous you shall never learn nor know how to die O learn this lesson seeing there is no working in the Grave whither we go 3. Consid That if thou make the best preparation for Death thou canst thou wilt find it hard enough to die if thy evidences be never so firm and good thou wilt find that all will be little enough if they be fair the Devil will blur them if he cannot blot them he 'll do what he can to accuse thee he is the accuser of the Brethren he 's the roaring Lion that will devour thee if he can 4. Consid That Death if not prepared for will look mighty ghastly and grim he is called The King of Terrors and Fears he 'll surprize thee for he comes suddenly as a thief in the night 't is true if he come thou being prepared it will put an end to all thy fears and dispossess thee of terrestrial substance and possess thee of a celestial and permanent substance 5. Consid That after Death that is after the Souls separation from the Body the Body will be but a loathsome spectacle all thy friends will as it were abhor it Abraham says Let me bury my dead out of sight 6. Consid That nothing will avail the Soul but Grace and a good Conscience when it shall after separation from the crasie House of Clay be brought before the great Tribunal of the most high God to give an account of all the deeds whether good or bad done in the Body 7. Consid That Christ who offers Salvation now by his Word and Mercies shall then appear in slaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know him not nor obey not his Gospel 8. Consid That having past once his Sentence whether of Life or Death it will be absolute and irrevocable O therefore be not slothful in this work lest the bubble of thy life be extinguished before thy work be done 9. Consid That after Death Gods Messenger hath executed his office viz. cut the thread of thy life thou must presently appear before God the great Judge to receive either the sentence of life or the sentence of everlasting death Considerations of Judgment O Thou impenitent sinner that wilt die in thy sins 1. Consider What a dreadful sight the coming of the Son of Man in the Clouds will be he whom thou hast so often by thy sins pierced whom thou hast rejected scorned and vilified and the blood thou hast so often trod under foot must then be thy Judge from whose righteous sentence there will be no appeal now he stands to invite thee and woo thee with the fairest terms of love but then he will pronounce thy dreadful doom and his poor redeemed ones which now thou thinkest not worthy to live but doest scorn mock revile persecute and kill will then sit on the Throne on the right hand of the Lamb as thy Judges too How then wouldst thou wish Rocks to fall upon thee and be beholding to Mountains to cover thee nay how sain wouldst thou change natures with Toads or Serpents Owls or Batts the worst of Creatures or that thou couldst be annihilated and that thy immortal Soul should become mortal 2. Consid Also That then all Relations will cease and so all Love and worldly Friendship Then the loving Husband must rejoyce in the Damnation of the wicked Wise and the tender and indulgent Mother must stand not only with dry and cheerful Checks and assent to the just Doom of her impenitent Children but glorifying God for executing his Justice and Vengeance upon them Therefore O sinner if thou wouldst have Christ Friends and Relations be-friend thee at that day be an unreconcileable enemy now unto thy sins and be at peace with God through thy Redeemer O miserable sinner Consider where wilt thou appear at that day when God will make a separation between good and bad when thou must give an account for all things done in the flesh for every thought of thine heart every word of thy mouth every moment of time every omission of any holy duty every commission all company thou camest in every Sermon thou hearest every Sabbath thou hast mispent and then all thy sins and villany whether committed secretly or openly will be viewed by the whole World To prevent this try now thy heart life calling thoughts words and deeds and arraign accuse and condemn thy self at the bar of thy Conscience that thou mayst be acquitted at Gods Judgment Bar at the last day If thou be a Saint consider that then thy Soul and Body must make make a second but a more happy and Blessed marriage joyntly and together to enjoy and be drown'd as it were in that glory that God prepared for his Elect from before the Foundation of the World then thy innocency and righteousness shall be clear and made conspicuous to the whole World when Christ sets thee at his right hand when thy Friend thy eldest Brother and thy Husband will be thy Judge then thy Pains Losses Crosses and Sufferings will be fully rewarded Thy Persecutors Troublers and Opposers will be avenged upon and all thy good Deeds reckoned up to thy comfort but all sin done away Then thou shalt sit on a throne crown'd with Immortality and Glory with those judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel and shalt hear that blessed that wonderfully acceptable and heart-ravishing invitation Come ye Blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom that was prepared for you from the foundation of the World When your Enemies and Troublers shall be packed to Hell with this dreadful and fatal doom Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Depart from Glory that 's Hell enough depart with a curse into fire and that everlasting Considerations of Hell COnsider first The pain of loss privation of Gods glorious presence and eternal separation from those everlasting felicities joys and bliss above is the more horrible part of Hell The Torments and Miseries of many Hells in the judgment of the Learned are nothing to the shutting out everlastingly from the Kingdom of Heaven and an unhappy Banishment from the beatifical Vision of the most Soveraign onely and chiefest good the thrice glorious Jehovah blessed for ever I say the loss of any of these will be a far greater loss than Ten thousand Worlds were they all composed of purest Gold and brimful with richest Jewels Let therefore every one in the Name and Fear of God as we would not for a few bitter-sweets or a vile lust in this World for an inch of time lose an
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
my Soul and remember it God that hath entred thee into his Warfare and is thy spectator and helper will never reckon up to thee Sathans deeds for thine and learn thou wisely how to distinguish them but comfort thy self as long as thou art able to stand to thy protestation that thou do'st suffer violence in them and canst say with the Apostle This is not I but sin that dwells in me O Lord deliver me from the rage of this Spiritual Tyranny many a time have I looked to have been swallowed up but thou hast sustained me Blessed be my God for ever and the Lord be my God to the end Of the Lords Supper THE necessity of this will appear if we consider what advantage doth accrew from hence to us-ward and this appears 1. From the admirable satisfaction it yieldeth unto a distressed Soul 2. In that it instigates and stirs us up to the study of Piety and Holiness 3. In that it enlightneth our understanding 4. In that it corroborates us or addeth strength to our weakness 5. In that it maketh glad the conscience and heart 6. In that it is as it were our Viaticum or Refreshment in our Journey to that Celestial Canaan Three things principally are necessary to a fruitful Reception of the Lords Supper 1. Purity and Holiness Lev. 19.2 Be ye Holy as I am Holy And this may be taken in two words First To be sorry and humble for past and present sins and resolve in the Strength of Christ against sins to come Secondly To abandon all hatred and malice because it is a Sacrament of Love 2. A right intention in communicating 1. Not Customarily 2. Not Men-pleasingly 3. Not Appearing outwardly 3. Actual Devotion viz. 1. To endeavour to pray without distraction 2. To be Spiritually ellevated Christ-ward in Affection in his Ordinance 3. To come with Humility and devout Reverence After Receiving the Holy Sacrament 1. Give thanks to Christ the Author for the vouchsafing it to thee 2. Be careful for the future more and more to keep up his Worship 3. Intreat him to abide with thee to the end of the World and so to Eternity A Soliloquy concerning the Blessed Sacrament Quest For what cause do I receive this Institution or Ordinance of God Answ 1. To the end I may regard and dutifully keep Christs most Holy Institution 2. To demonstrate my self a Member of the same Body whereof he is the Head 3. That I may receive this Sovereign Repast to the Corroborating of my Faith and the Health of my Soul Quest What do I Receive Answ The Body and Blood of Christ after a Divine and Celestial Manner Quest What profit have I by the receiving of the same Answ Increase of Grace Assurance of Gods Love as a Pledge of an Eternal Inheritance purchased for me in Heaven Quest Why do I often Communicate Answ Because I hope I am one of Gods Children and therefore desire to come often unto him as a God in Covenant and Father in Christ Quest After what manner ought I to come Answ By Faith and Repentance with a fixed Resolution to serve and obey him in Holiness and Righteousness according to that Ability he shall beslow on me as long as I live Quest What should I observe before I have access to the Lords Supper Answ Doubtless I ought to examine my own Heart what sins I stand guilty of in the sight of God and earnestly to beg of God both to discover them to me and mortifie them in me being the sole Work of God and humble me for them 2. Stedfastly to confide in Christ for a Pardon of these things judging him only able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him for so it is in his Word and to work in me what is promised in his Word 3. To Consider that I ought to come prepared to such an Holy Ordinance because it is Commanded in Gods Word Let a Man examine himself c. 4. To Consider that Prayer is the best means whereby I can be sitted for the receiving of such a Sacrament 5. To be much in the Meditation of the Passion of Jesus Christ his Resurrection and of my rising with him unto a newness of Life a Life of Holiness here and in seeking life hereafter If ye then be risen with him seek those things that are above 6. To consider that these Elements viz. Bread and Water that I am preparing to receive are so to be received as the Body and Blood of Christ by Faith whereby his Death is shewed forth and the worthy Receivers are not Corporally and Carnally but Spiritually partakers of the same Body and Blood with all his benefits to their Spiritual Nourishment and growth in Grace In a word I or any other that would worthily partake of this Lords Supper must examine our selves of our knowledge to discern the Lords Body of our Faith to feed upon him of our Repentance Love and New Obedience least coming unworthily we eat and drink Judgment to our selves A Prayer before the Communion O Glorious and Omnipotent God behold I an unworthy wretch am presuming to draw nigh thy Table a Banquet of thine appointment I am approaching I say but as the Patient to the Physician as the Unclean to the fountain of Mercy as the Blind to the light of Eternal Brightness as a poor Begger to the King of Mercy as the Naked to the Lord of Heaven and Earth I beseech thee out of the abundance of thy Pity to heal my Infirmity to wash my Foulness to enlighten my Darkness and Blindness to enrich my Poverty to cloth my Nakedness that I may receive the Bread of Angels O thou the King of Kings and Lord of Lords grant that I may receive thee with such respect and reverence with such contrition and fear with such faith and purity with such a purpose and humility as is expedient for my Soul Lord notwithstanding mine unworthiness give me not only the Sacrament but the vertue of the Sacrament and grant me so to receive the Body and Blood of thy only Son that I may be incorporated into the Mystical Body and be accounted as a Member of the same Grant that whom I now receive as it were covered with a vail I may one day behold in Glory who liveth and reigneth with thee and thy Holy Ghost world without end Amen A Thanks giving after the Communion BLessed Jesus Praises is due to thy self for that infallible love of thine that by thy death didst redeem mankind I beseech thee suffer not that precious Body of thine to be broken nor thy Blood to be shed for me in vain O let thy Blessed and Sacred Body feed my Soul and precious Blood quicken my spirit and by increasing from one degree to another I may become a fit member of thy Church which is thy Mystical Body and grant that I may never depart from it nor break that league that I have been renewing at thy Table but
thou keep'st not strict watch Be much in the exercise of thy Weapons especially the Sword of the Spirit viz. the Word and learn to imitate thy Captain he repels Sathans blows with a Scriptum est It 's written O Christian quit thy â—lf like a man Nay in a word Be in the exercise of all thy Armour least by disuse and disaccustom'dness thereunto thou be to seek when thou shouldst be upon thy Guard Let nothing offend thee neither Prosperity nor Adversity Strength nor Weakness Let not Insidelity prevail over thee He that hath sent thy Captain and given him how shall he not with him freely give thee all things O blessed King and Captain that hath left poor Christians such a Store-house such a Magazine O Christian set upon thy Warfare make use much of that powerful Javelin Prayer Get the art of casting it that in case at any time thou standest in need and be in a strait thou mayst make use of the same And let me caution thee against two things that thou be not too secure in time of thy Peace and Prosperity nor too much careful in time of Trouble and Adversity And now for thy Prosperity and Success thou need'st not be afraid for thy King and Captain will be all in all to thee and for thee So sight on EZEKIEL chap. 37. v. 3. Son of man can these dry Bones Lord Soul The Prayers of a Righteous Man availeth much A broken Heart Mercâ—ntâ— Mori Far well Vaine World A Direction to an Holy Life THough 't is true that never any Man was or can be saved by the Merits of his own Righteousness or Holiness yet 't is as great and as infallible a truth that never any was or can be saved without Holiness Shall I instance The most Righteous Abel the Meekest Moses the most patient Job the Holiest David the Wisest Solomon the Strongest Sampson nay the most Evangelical Prophets and Apostles were they saved by their own Righteousness Nay neither were they saved without their own Righteousness which is palpably evident in Scripture But a little to demonstrate the nature of Holiness It is that that makes us resemble God our Creator and Maker its Nature also is such as that it always aims at God its Center As it is of and from God so it always draws the Soul to God It is a sure guiding Thred to direct the Soul thorow the Nocturnal Labyrinth of a crooked World to the Celestial Canaan of splendid Glory and permanent Happiness Moreover It is Diametrically oppugnant to all Evils in a word It differs â—â—om all Sin and Evil as Light doth from â—arkness What communion has God with Belial And know O Man or Woman whosoever thou art Holiness is indispensably necessary if thou desire to be Happy Wouldst thou be Happy or wouldst thou not Wouldst thou enjoy God or wouldst thou not If thou wouldst not shut and lay by for I do not desire to aggravate thy Torments for know that the Word read or preached will be the savor of Life unto Life or the savor of Death unto Death If thou wouldst be directed in that Narrow Way that leads to Happiness here is a few Directions for thee But methinks I hear thee say How comes it to be of such indispensable necessity to be so holy Answer Of the many Reasons together with Arguments that might be drawn from both Sacred and Prophane Writings I shall prefix only two with some Scriptures 1. The first is Because otherwise there is no appearing before God it â—eing the ordinary way God has appointed Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men â—â—d Holiness without which no Man shall â—ee the Lord. Without Holiness there can undoubtedly be no Happiness without Piety there can be no Purity and without Purity no coming to God for God is one that can behold no unclean thing and without coming to God nothing but misery Moreover he loseth all the advantages in respect of this life in particular that honour that God doth dignifie his people with It is Moses's great Title God gives him viz. My Servant It is in Scripture accounted by the Evangelist John an honour to bear Christ's Shooes much more an honour to suffer for Christ They that honour me I will honour 2. The comforts of this life the pleasures and delights that otherwise he might enjoy I mean not outward but inward pleasures and comforts which are the true Nay in a word Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of this life and that which is to come 2. So long as a man remains going on in a way of impiety and unholiness he is not only kept from the beholding of God's face or countenance in any of God's Ordinances but also he doth more and more every day incur God's wrath displeasure and anger against him Psal 1.11 God is angry with the wicked every day Nay further he ingages himself more and confirms himself to be a Servant of the Devil and so instead of listing himself under the Banner of Christ he lists himself under the Banner of Satan and consequently becomes Col. 1.21 the enemy of God and his ways and not only an enemy but enmity it self Rom. 8.7 and can a man or woman be supposed to be in a good condition whilst at variance with God who is but as chaff before the wind and as stubble before the fire As I said before many Reasons and Arguments to prove the necessity of an holy Life might be drawn from Sacred and Prophane Writings and Arguments even from a Principle of Morality or humane Reason but seeing it is not our design at this time to produce them since so many Worthies have so palpably demonstrated and proved it with invinceable Arguments even as a Cloud of Witnesses we shall only note some few Scriptures which will stop the mouths of the most bloody Noro's tyrannizing Pharaoh's subtle Ahitophel's and persecuting Saul's Heb. 12.14 fore-cited Psal 93.5 Holiness becomes thine house for ever Rom. 6.19 22. 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 3.13 and 4.13 Lev. 5.15 c. But indeed the best Motive to an holy Life is the consideration of the effects of Death of which in its place The first thing that I shall do shall be to give some few Directions in order to an holy Life whereby to get a better and nearer intimacy with God and to ingage the Heart more to love God and God more to love again or rather indeed God to love first and then the heart to love again for God must first love or else we cannot love him God must first work both to will and to do of his own good pleasure After acquaintance with God to keep up holy communion with him the first and best way will be to improve this acquaintance as much as in us hes for sure I am that though a man have attained to a competent knowledge of the things of God and hath found some Beams of God's radient love breaking out and breathing
how long thou shalt live thou canst not tell therefore make use of the first occasion whilest time and strength do last whilest thy Senses are quick thy Nerves limber thy Understanding good thy Judgment sound thy Sight clear and all thy Faculties in a fit posture to serve thy Captain and Master See what an Heathen says to this purpose Ovid. Dum vires annique sinunt tolerate labores Jam veniet taceto curva senecta pede Which may be thus Englished Take pains to grow in Grace whilst young and strong For age will numb thy Joynts e're it be long Abandon all idleness that canker and rust of the Soul the Devil's pillow and chief repose his very Tide-time of temptation Beware that it be not said by you when you come to look death in the face as it was by a Cardinal that being sensible of death's approach cried out in the horrour of his Conscience He had a long Journey to go but had been so idle and negligent that he knew not one foot of the way What more hateful to God than this destroyer of Souls See what God says to that Servant that had the one Talent Matth. 25.26 30. Tertullian well saith Quid prodest esse quod esse non prodest What doth it profit that a man be and being doth not profit He that is slothful is brother to a great waster Prov. 18.9 as Mr. Flavell well saith Besides all this it must be understood That of an idle hand there comes no good And well it may be so said if we look but what befel David for want of Employment 2 Sam. 11.2 And it came to pass in the evening-tide when he arose from off his bed and walked upon the Kings house and looked from the roof he saw a woman c. So that we see that idleness may well be called the Mother of Lust and on the contrary how doth diligence keep all the Affections from idle and vain thoughts and is very profitable for both Body and Soul It puts the Devil out of his path-way of temptation and as it were puts him beside himself O therefore be sure to put away all idleness And to stir thee up to this duty Consider what is like to be the portion of those lazy drones whose sloth the very Insects condemn The little Ant and the Bee how do they busie themselves to lay up against Winter against a Storm only being led by the Instinct of Nature Well then may these careless Sots be termed to that slothful Butter-fly that takes care for nothing but painting her wings so that when winter comes puts her head into a hole and dies The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold therefore he shall beg in harvest and have nothing When others come with their shocks rejoycing he shall starve for want Keep thy Spirits and all the Faculties of thy Soul at work in thy solitary Cessations lest that like two Mill-stones wanting Grift they grind one another to pieces and the best thing to keep thy self imployed in will be to be much in the heart-searching work to see how thy heart stands affected with God for that either sweetens or empoysons all the rest the heart is the Inlet of Vertues and Vices An Host it is that entertains all sorts of Guests and needs to be eyed Moreover Purity in the inward parts is the most unerring and infallible testimony and evidence of a good and sound state therefore search it try it by the Word of Light and Life that true Touchstone 2. See how thy Will stands for God the Will being the Seat of the Graces it is very requisite that it be purified See how its Pulse beats question it What art thou willing to do to suffer to under-go to forsake for God Art thou willing to stand to Gods Cause in all tryals and endure all tempests and storms Art thou willing to be imployed in what Office Christ shall put upon thee and that to the hazard of thy Estate thy Houses thy Lands Goods Wife Children Life and all I say if thy Will be brought to this height thy state is good then thou art fit for communion with God Try therefore thy Will and 't will be a good imployment in times of cessation Shun evil company as much as in thee liest when occurred with In all company have a care of thy tongue For Cato doth say that in old and young The first step to Vertue is to bridle thy tongue Have a care of thy tongue in all company wicked men will be ready to carp and reach and good men will be also censorious when they hear evil idle and frothy discourse because the Word saith Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 12.34 Moreover Evil communication corrupts good manners such as the heart is such is the discourse a worldly man will be talking of the world an ambitious man of honour a debauched man's discourse will be frothy and light but a pious man 's of the things that appertain to God None can gather grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles such as the tree is such is its fruit Be sure therefore to avoid lewd persons company for familiarity with such steal away the Affections with sensuality and flesh-pleasing delights by little and little stealing away thy heart from God and so intangle it in the contagious and destructive Labyrinth of Phantasie-pleasing delights by becoming remiss first in one duty and than in another and so instead of becoming graduate in the School of Christ becomes graduate in the School of Satan till at length commenses Master of Arts and a debauched life becomes habituate O beware of this How many even a cloud of Witnesses have we every day that assume these diabolica practices Tyburn testifying which to relate time it self would be almost too arct and narrow Survey accurately and circumspectly every action thou undertakest with the Candle of the Word of Light and Life Lay to the Line and Plummet see whether it be consonant to the Will and Word of God or no. Many Trees at a distance seem to be streight until the Line be applied to them and then how crooked do they appear Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way but by taking heed thereunto Take heed and poize all your actions and that with serious consideration before enacted 13. Have a care of being lulled asleep on the lap of sensual delights and pleasures O how many split upon this Rock How many are drowned in the sleep of carnal security and are settled upon their Lees O! how direful a mistake will this be to be carried from a Bed of Down to a Bed of scorching hot Iron To be bound in everlasting chains down the stream of the delights of these last days of ours And that hoise up their sail before the fair gale of Prosperity Pleasure and Delights against the secret blasts of a reclaiming Conscience that would stand as a mark to warn
them lest they should split their Ship and lose both Ship Treasure and themselves and all O! what obnublating darkness will they find themselves in and understandings overshadowed with that can't see how many have sunk and perished in this Gulf And that will not know their day of peace before it be hid from their eyes And that like the rich man in the Gospel spend their portion of good things in this life upon their pleasures and in gratifying their own lusts which procures nothing but fuel to their fire miseries to their torments yea death it self Which what and how great and intollerable if they did but conceive once and understand surely they would not do for a thousand worlds What will those Sons of pleasure say and do when all their joys shall be turned into sorrow their pleasure into pain their mirth into mourning their pride into indigency and poverty their gold into brass their songs into sighs their riches into rust Then they that thought themselves to be full and rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing will be found blind and naked wretched and miserable Rev. 3.17 Mistake not Treasures Lands and large Possessions without a right improvement will be but as a World of Lead to press thee into the lowest Hell And what profit shall a man have to gain the whole world and lose his own soul They will not only not profit but greatly disprofit they will not only flee away but when they do hetake themselves to flight they 'll leave like the Worms such a suffocating slime behind them that is like to choke the soul unless washed in that Fountain that is set open for sin and for uncleanness Honours and an Arm of Flesh will stand thee in no stead God has put a weak and frail nature in all terrestrial things What! and trust to any of them Trust in Broken Reeds that like Jonas's Gourd wither away and leave thy soul to wind and weather Thrice blessed and sweet is our Lord's Advice who would have us turn the Eye of our Delight from the staining glass and dying glory of all Terrestrial Treasures which mostly gender mischief at least harbours an inbred corruption gilded over to intice a carnal eye upon which many times an evil conscience is an attendant The one like a Worm eats out the Heart when the Harvest is expected the other seizes upon the Soul in time of sorrow And as for Friends and Acquaintance they may environ thee so long as thy sails flee before a fair and prosperous gale but as soon as the clouds of indigency and poverty appear where are they then Have they not left thee and fled like a shaddow 'T is true it is good to be seeking and to employ all thy time and strength for Riches and Treasures and a Magazine but be sure it be one that is not corruptible Not one that will stand in no stead If thou be employed be employed in the best Trade If thou get get the best things If thou dig dig for the Pearl of price If thou play the Merchant trade in the best Merchandize Not in temporary things not in gold and silver that rusts and cankers but in the durable râ—â—â—â—s of Jesus that has all durable riâ—â—â—â— and fulness in himself Not in Indian Treasures but Canaans Treasures Not in Egypts Treasure but in Treasure that bears price at the New Jerusalem The one thou mayest carry with thee the other thou canst not thou must leave it to others therefore if thou be wise be wise for thy self Moreover if thou trade in merchandize for these Countries for Canaan and the New Jerusalem I 'll tell thee that a sound faith a fixed hope and a spotless conscience are the inestimable Jewels in these parts If thou sell all to buy these and obtain them it will be better than a thousand worlds to thee Thou shalt be crowned King thou shalt be Joynt Heir in Heaven with Christ thy Victorious King and Captain That which Worldlings make and embrace as gain count thou as loss That which they count as Pearls count thou as Dung That which they esteem above all count thou lighter than vanity and more contemptible than dirt under thy feet Instead of being wise for this World be wise for Eternity lest after thou shouldst heap up Treasures and say Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years thou shouldâ—st be stript of all and counted a fool for thy pains Instead of riches hoard up a stock of Grace in this plenteous Harvest of the Gospel Instead of worldly pleasures hoard up that that will procure everlasting pleasures for evermore Instead of a world of cares which always attend wealth and honours accumulate to thy self an undisturbed peace Peace with God peace with Conscience and peace with all men And with all thy getting get understanding I say instead of delighting thy self in vain pleasures which are the accommodations of an empty world of which afterward delight thy self in the Lord thy God and thou shalt be much wiser 14. Be content in and amidst all the vicissitudes of a fickle and unconstant world let it be thy chief study to learn that excellent Lesson of Contentment to know how to carry it as well towards a frowning as a flattering and fawning world when it frowns not to be troubled and when it fawns not to regard it to be so wise a Pilot as to steer thy course neither to split on Sylla on thy right hand nor Charybdis on thy left neither to soar so high on the wings of ambition in time of prosperity as to scorch thy wings nor sink so low in times of adversity as to be drowned in that Ocean of despair What an excellent proficiency had St. Paul made in this excellent Lesson he could say as very few else could say the like I have learned saith he in what state I am therewith to be content Philip. 4.11 And indeed it was not in word but indeed which plainly appears by that 11th of 2 Corinthians He had learned how to abound and how to suffer need If the World hold out a Scepter he can tell how to use it if a Shovel he can dig with it if a Crown he can wear it if a Cross he can bear it If a storm he can endure it if a calm he can enure it So that in the use of all things he lives as though he had them not amidst them What a rare frame is this to be able to turn ones hand to any Tune To which purpose he gives an excellent dictate in Heb. 12.5 Be content with such things as you have and he adds the Reason For he hath said I 'll never leave thee nor forsake thee As if he should have said I tell you from mine own experience it is the best thing in the world to be content for my Master that learned me this Lesson laid an entail upon it that can never be cut off
Satan come and catch away the Seed but O that it may be as seed sown in good and honest hearts bringing forth fruit with patience meet for repentance and let it be for the weakning of sin but for the strengthening of faith and grace Let thy Word be as Manna for our poor Souls to feed upon for the week to come that thereby we may grow up in grace as we grow in years Let thy word be a sutable word unto every one of our conditions and come thou into our Souls with it with the freest influence of thy Spirit that we may of a truth meet with God communicating of himself unto us by his Word and Spirit And as the Soul is separated from the Body by Death so let sin be separated from our Souls by thy Word and Spirit O let it be separate from our Souls or else it will separate the Souls of us poor Creatures from God Let thy Minister who is thy Messenger be strengthened and touch his tongue with a coal from thine Altar that he may preach experimental truth to the hearts of us poor Creatures that desire to attend on thine Ordinances O let us taste and see how gracious the Lord is and let us have cause to say It is good to draw nigh to God in his own Ordinances on his own Day And let this day of rest be a certain pledge of an eternal rest purchased by our great high Priest who is preparing a place for his select ones O that this thy day may be spent in the performances of holy duties in praise and thanksgiving the work of thine appointment Unvail some secret this day let us be drawn nigher every day unto thy self Let us be so enlightened that sin may decay and grace may be renewed in us Let us come hungering and thursting after Spiritual Food for our Souls so that in the close of this day we by a grounded experience may say that God has satisfied our hungring Souls with refreshing influences from Heaven thorow the Blood of Jesus Christ in whose words we conclude our imperfect requests as he himself has taught us saying Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for the Sabbath MOst Holy and ever Blessed Lord God who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence fill the Souls of thy poor empty Creatures with the presence of thy Grace and let thy good Spirit bring to our remembrance the truths that we by thy providence have heard this thy day that we may lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives that we may be of those blessed ones that hear thy word and keep it and bring forth fruit in abundance and let it take root in our hearts downward and bring forth fruit upward Establish our Souls in the practice of Holiness without which we can never come to see thy self and let the power of sin be weakened but let Grace be strengthened every day Pardon that unpreparedness that we have intruded into thy presence with and that irreverence whilst under thy Ordinances and that carelesness after that we all have been guilty of Pardon our forgetfulness and pardon our imperfection in the perfection of Christ our weakness in the strength of Christ that thereby we may find acceptance with thee who art all fulness and in whose hands is all perfection Fill our Souls with the fulness of God and let the bedewings of thy Spirit and Word cause us to grow in our spiritual stature Help us to prize the priviledge of the Gospel at an inestimable rate and give us repentance from dead works that we may be changed from darkness unto light and from the power of sin unto God And help us to manifest in our lives and conversation what is the hope of our calling that we may be in Heaven whilst on Earth Pardon the sins of our holy things sins of omission and commission sins against thy Law and sins against thy Gospel Give us Wisdom to direct and teach us Righteousness to establish us Redemption to deliver us from the jaws of Sin and Hell Strengthen our weak Faith enlarge our shallow Capacities quiet our disturbed Consciences tread down Satan under our feet and subjugate our Necks under thy Yoak and help us to resign our selves to thy Will and fit us for Eternity at last that after these Sabbaths be ended here we may begin an everlasting Sabbath with the God of Sabbaths where we shall admire thy self in Christ in whose Name we conclude our imperfect requests in his own words as he hath taught us saying Our Father c. A Prayer for Monday Morning BLessed Lord thou renewest thy mercies every Morning it is of thy mercy that one day more is added to us poor Creatures Thou art he on whom depends our being rest life and all thou has been pleased to cause us to acquiesce in and under thy protection for our refreshment O Lord preserve us this day under the shadow of thy wing and keep us in thy ways and let thy watchful providence be an instigation to an holy walking and to redeem the time seeing the days are evil and to live as ever before the Eye of thy All-seeing Providence Keep us from sin and enable us to live with thankful hearts bearing in mind the acts of thy Spirit and the daily Mercies we enjoy help us to shew a thankfulness for Mercies received and humility for and under Afflictions Let the bitterness of Sin and the loveliness of Holiness make deep impression on the hearts of thy poor Creatures Let the great work of Salvation be much meditated upon that that work daily may be propagated by us with fear and trembling Let union and communion with Christ be our great design Let our Natures be changed Deliver us from a dark understanding and hardness of heart stupid consciences together with unmortisied wills Help us to be wise for the future wherein we have done foolishly and help us wisely to improve our Talents in every opportunity Let thy mercies constrain us to love fear and obey thee Subdue us wholly to thy self that our affections may be elevated from the Earth and transplanted into Heaven Help us in every transaction in our lives to consider that with thee every action is poised and thoughts words and works reviewed and taken notice of O that the affairs of this day and all the week to come may be no obstruction to the work of our immortal Souls And grant that every day that passes over our heads we may be a step nearer to thy self Preserve us by thy Grace and Spirit until it shall be thy will to translate us into that Glory that is prepared for them that wait for the coming of Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for Monday Evening MOst Holy Eternal and ever Blessed Lord God in whom all our springs are it is good to draw nigh to thy self Thou that never slumberest nor sleepest suffer us not to sleep the sleep of Death The Day thou hast
Eternity on which felicity or eternal misery attends O Lord increase our Faith and settle us in that Faith that is precious and pure that by it we may be able to resist the Devil and overcome and conquer the World and the Flesh that it may be the substance of things not seen and that thereby we may be like Noah to prepare an Ark against a Deluge condemning the World O give us the trying Faith of Abraham the living Faith of dying Jacob and the living Faith of Moses to chuse affliction rather than sin that we may esteem the reproach of Christ the greatest riches that we may by that Faith obtain Promises work Righteousness Now the God of Peace that brought again our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd through the everlasting Covenant keep us Amen A Prayer for Fryday Evening GReat and glorious Lord in Jesus Christ a tender Father to humble and penitent sinners let conscience of duty and not custom attend our approaches unto thee the Lord of Life and Glory thy mercies of this day are more than we can conceive but the requitals we have made how inequivolent are they How seldom did we look up to thee that always seest us at what a low ebb are our thoughts of thee O lay our hearts as low and much lower in reference to our selves Let us not O our God find our return of mercies according to our miscarriages let us not thereby be disappointed of our rest and refreshment this approaching night Blessed be thy Name that thou hast laid help on one that is able to save O save us by him let his Blood plead and his Person satisfie and let him prevail for us and his offering up of himself clear us Lord we believe help our unbelief O that our hearts were more heavenly and more removed from this drossie earth that we might in nothing be careful O help us to be good and do good in our Generation Help us to chuse affliction rather than sin that we may follow the great high Priest of our Profession by the Cross to the Crown and by the Grave to Glory Mind us of our end and give us wisdom to consider in this day of ours the things that belong to our peace before they be hid from our eyes and seeing our time is but short let our zeal be the greater Let the blessing pronounced in the Mount be our portion Let us both be pure and poor in spirit Give us to mourn for sin that we may be comforted Let us be armed with meekness and hungering and thirsting after righteousness and satisfie us Let mercifulness peace and sufferings for righteousness sake comfort us here and hereafter in and through Jesus Christ in whose Name we farther call on thee in his own words Our Father c. A Prayer for Saturday Morning MOst holy most glorious Lord the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for whose sake alone we beg pardon for all our sins secret and known of ignorance or knowledge of youth or riper years against thy Law or Gospel Deliver thy poor Creatures from all those curses denounced against sin and sinners None ever confessed and forsook sin but found mercy O sanctifie us throughout with thy holy Spirit that we may live the life of faith and not of sin being assured that it shall go well with the righteous they shall eat the fruit of their doings Blessed Lord give us grace to walk worthy the mercies of the last nights refreshments Let thy good providence be over us this day preserve us in our concerns Deliver us both Souls and Bodies that desire to fear thy holy Name that we may be praising the riches of thy free grace Let us be blessed in our goings out and comings in Let thy glory be our greatest design in whatsoever we undertake Prepare us for our later end and our great account and let Eternity be always eyed by us Let our thoughts words and actions be considered and poised Let every day put us in mind of the great day that in every day we may be drawn a step nigher unto Christ our Redeemer in whom and for whom we bless thee for ever Amen A Prayer for Saturday Evening O Most blessed Lord thou art acquainted with our down-lying and uprising and art near to all them that call on thee in truth and sincerity Let not iniquity prevail over us Let thy grace be sufficient for us against sin and Sathans wiles and help us to be thankful both in heart and life for what thou art pleased to bestow upon us by way of providence Help us in time of health to prepare for sickness and death in time of plenty to prepare for want and to lay up a store of never sading treasure Sanctifie both days labour and nights rest and pardon the sins of the whole week past and help us in thy day following to be so sitted and qualified that we may be as diligent for thee as we have been for our selves that it may be a day of rejoycing Let it be such a Sabbath as that it may be an earnest of an eternal Sabbath where we shall rejoyce and praise thee for ever Grant that by practising holiness we may enjoy happiness seeing that it must and shall go well with the Godly their great evils shall be removed and sin pardoned the mercy of mercies he cannot be miserable who has a God so merciful as to pardon his sin O grant us this mercy what ever else thou deny thy will be done for outward comforts so that we by the riches of this thy free grace have such pardon of sin as we be not disturbed in inward comforts Grant that by living to thee here we may enjoy thee hereafter Let us be content with tossings so that we may enjoy the desired Haven nay though our Ship viz. this Body breaks let us that is our Souls be secured in the Lord Châ—â—â—â— Let our crosses end in comforts our miseries in matchless joyes our tears in true tunes for Heaven and let our conquest over all end in the praise of our great Captain All these and what thou knowest may better fit us for thy self grant for thy promise and for thy Sons sake to whom be Eternal Glory Amen A Prayer for a Woman with-child before her time of Delivery MOst Holy Lord Blessed be thy great Name for thy mercy shewed to thine Hand-maid thou hast given her good hopes through grace to become a joyful Mother thou art Righteous in all thy ways thy threat for sin is just that in sorrow the Woman should bring forth yet thou of thy great mercy hast taken off from me the reproach of Woman and hast given me strength to conceive and to nourish it hitherto O preserve both me and it at the time of Travel Let me bring forth and let the work be compleated by thee by whom Creatures are wonderfully made Prepare thy poor Creature by Faith and Prayer for that hour that
thy Servant and Hand-maid may find help in time of trouble and need Let the Midwives Skill and Care be blessed by thee when she shall be called to do her Office thou that art the God of all Grace and Consolation strengthen the faith of thine Hand-maid in the hope of thy mercy Shew thy Servant a token for good for his sake alone who is worthy Jesus Christ the Righteous to whom be Glory for ever Amen The Midwives Prayer before Delivery GRacious Lord look in mercy upon thine Hand-maid now in extream pain strengthen her faith against all her fears and bless me thine unworthy Servant and make me an instrument of help and comfort to thine Hand-maid in the hour of trial in thine hand are the issues of Life and Death preserve both Mother and Child let it be a time of joy that a Child is Born and a Woman Delivered through thy great mercy so shall we thy poor Creatures rejoyce in thy Salvation shewed to thy Hand-maid and the fruit of her Womb. Hear and help for the sake of our Lord Jesus to whom be praises for ever Amen The Midwives Prayer after Delivery MOst Holy and most Gracious Lord praises wait for thee for those exceeding abundant favours vouchsafed to thine Hand-maid in the hour of her Distress for ever blessed be thy glorious Name thou alone wast a present help O perfect thine own work in her weakness Blessed be the Lord for the fruit of the Womb that no Member was left out of thy Book that in all parts it is perfected without blemish or deformity Make thine Hand-maid a joyful Mother and continue her in her place and enable her to discharge her duty to the comfort of her Relations and the glory of thy great Name and the everlasting joy of her own Soul when she shall have finished her course and that alone upon the account of Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever Amen The Pained Womans Prayer in the time of her Travail O Righteous Lord thou art just in all thy ways thy righteous sentence is past the time of sin was the time of punishment the Woman to bring forth in sorrow and the Man to cat his Bread in the sweat of his Brow Have mercy Lord upon thy distressed Hand-maid in great Pain and Anguish Fears and Sorrows as thou hast blessed me with the fruit of the Womb to conceive and nourish until the time of birth O Lord now give strength to bring forth and let this fruit of my Womb be to thy praise Thou art a present help in time of trouble O blessed Lord let my life be precious in thy sight and the fruit of my Womb let it live before thee and let both be vessels of mercy through the sanctification of thy Spirit so shall thine Hand-maid devote her self to thy fear and the fruit of her Womb to thy service Let me find thy love in Jesus Christ to support me for whom O my Soul praise his Holy Name Amen The Womans Prayer after her Delivery O Most glorious Lord thou art good and doest good thou hast remembered mercy to thy Hand-maid in the time of her distress to thy Name be praise for strength given to bring forth my life was and is in thine hand yet thou hast spared it in the depth of my anguish thy help was at hand Thou also hast given life to the fruit of my Womb to thy Name be praises Give me wisdom to dispose of thy mercy to thy glory that I may be useful to thy service and as touching the fruit of my Womb sanctifie it and let it be for the bearing up of the Name of God in its Generation let it grow in grace as in years These and what things thou knowest convenient grant in the Name of Christ to whom be praise for ever Amen Graces Before and After Meat Grace before Meat MOst Holy Lord the staff of Bread is in thine hand it is of thy bounty that we are daily provided for let these thy Creatures ordained for our nourishment be received by us with thankful hearts expressing it in our lives that we receiving strength may return praises to thy self for all through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen Grace After Meat HOly and blessed Lord let thy continued mercies and refreshments from time to time ingage us to return to thy blessed Majesty the glory due to thy self for them and all other creature comforts wherewith we are supplied help us to express our thankfulness in discharging our Callings and Consciences through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen An other Grace Before Meat HOly and gracious Lord blessed be thy gracious good providence for all thy favours daily renewed O give thy blessing on these thy good Creatures at this time that we are about to receive that they may nourish and strengthen us that we may be bettered by them and that we may return praise to thy Name through Christ Jesus our Lord Amen An other Grace After Meat HOly Lord let thy refreshing mercies be an obligation to engage us to a more holy life to live to thee who art the fountain of all our enjoyments thou givest and refreshest us with the blessings of the upper and neather springs both spiritual and temporal help us to improve all so that thou mayst have glory and we may have comfort in and through Jesus Christ the purchaser of all Amen A Prayer in time of Affliction HOly and for ever blessed Lord God thou alone art acquainted with the condition of thy poor sinful weak Creature thou that art the Father of Spirits and their great Creator who alone art a present help in time of trouble and the God of all consolation thy poor sinful dust and ashes desires to look to thee even to thee alone seeing thou art alone able to deliver from trouble sanctifie my trouble and affliction and support me in and under affliction and make all work together for the best Thou canst bring comfort out of trouble joy out of sorrow mirth out of malady and can make thy Sion Saints to wait and to look for help even from the most improbable means O let thy grace be sufficient for me and help me to trust thy promises when I cannot have thy providences I have sinned greatly which is the cause of all my misery if it were not for sin I need fear nothing O let sin die in me that grace may abound and let this chastisement which at present is grievous be and work for good unto me that I may say with thy Servant David It is good that I have been afflicted Give me a patient and submissive frame of Spirit that I may say with my blessed Saviour Not as I will but thy will O Father of mercy be done Let pains temporal prevent pains eternal Let the inner man be strengthened by the weakness of the outward man Help me in patience to possess my Soul with the thoughts of that endless and unspeakable Glory and with a sense
of the victory over Death and Hell and all the incumbrances this side Heaven with a sanctified expectation after him who is the procurer of all my happiness in whom my Soul desires to acquisece both here and hereafter O help me Lord to sing a new song of praise to that spotless Lamb that hath not spared to pour out that precious Blood to reconcile an angry God to despicable Dust and Clay to make known an invisible God to poor blind stupid Creatures and that mortality might be swallowed up of life he was holy harmless and undefiled seperate from sinners to the end he might fulfil all righteousness that he might be a meet high Priest a sufficient Saviour of sinners who by his own example left us a pattern of humility to be submissive to the will of our Father and to contemn the World and to subjugate our selves to his Cross Oh! holy Father thou that hast said them that come unto thee in thy Sons Name thou wilt not cast out that gavest life to poor worthless dying Creatures ready to drop into Hell and that life is thine own Son that is able to save to the uttermost all that come to him O give ability to a poor drooping Creature that he may recover his strength before he go hence and be no more that I may yet praise thee in the Land of the living and that I may regain that precious time that I have been so lavish of Redeem my strength that I may work out my Salvation with fear and trembling O sanctifie me throughout and change me and let me have the New Creation wrought upon me and in me that I may yet acknowledge thy great power in and through thy Son in whose Name I farther call on thee in the words of his own institution saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer in time of War O Holy Great and Glorious Lord God of Hosts thou that hast of old appeared for thy Churches and Servants and that art for ever worthy to be praised that hast wrought great deliverances for the relieving of them that were in straits to the admiration of thy very enemies by whose power thy Servants have run through Troops having thy shield of Salvation by thy power one hath chased a thousand and thine enemies hearts have melted away yea even of the most valiant If thou appear for us Lord we shall prevail O be gracious unto us and shew thy self for us Give courage and wisdom to all our Commanders and Souldiers Gird them with strength and teach their hands to fight Direct their Consultations prosper their Enterprises suffer not deserved vengeance to break out upon us deliver us not to a merciless enemy Say unto our Armies Let no mans heart fail for fear of neither number nor power of the enemy Let all our trust of Victory be in the Lord of Hosts thou that art Lord of Lords and King of Kings Get thy self Honour in the Destruction of those that are Peace-Disturbers let thy hand become glorious to dash in pieces the most potent enemies and in the greatness of thine excellency overthrow those that are instigated against us and let it be known that there is none like unto thee that art glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises doing Wonders so shall we record thy righteous Acts. O help and deliver us that we may tell thy Deeds among the Nations and let not our enemy escape least they say our own hands hath saved us Thou the God of Peace grant us Peace here and everlasting Peace hereafter through Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for Children O Most glorious Lord God insinite in Wisdom and Goodness thou art the great Creator Redeemer and Preserver of Man I thy poor Servant bewail my Youth and time of Vanity Notwithstanding my Parents care in Education Instruction and Correction I have sinned greatly against thy self O pardon also Lord my unthankfulness toward them for all their Care Cost Pains Crys and Tears with respect to my everlasting welfare O cause me with thankfulness to fear love honour and obey them in order to the obedience due to thy self Lord keep me from snares of evil company and temptations of the same and from youthful lust and let me be a delight to those that fear thee Let me be furnished with treasures of Wisdom and Holiness and pardon all the sins of my corrupt heart and life and be a reconciled Father unto me and let me be able to know thee as a God in Covenant and renew me in the inner Man in the Spirit of my Mind Enlighten my dark understanding quicken my dead heart purifie my impure conscience mortifie and rectifie my will Let all my sinful carnal Love or rather Lust be quenched and vain Pleasures turned into sweet Delights for God Hear me in every respect as thou knowest mâ— condition requires in the Name of thy dear Son in whose words I farther call on thee Our Father c. A Prayer for Servants O Most gracious Lord God thou art the great preserver of those that truly trust in thy mercy deliver us from sin and the bondage of Sathan help us to obey our Master according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of heart as unto Christ not with eye-service as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of our God with good will from the heart Make us submissive and obedient to our Governors keep us from Self-will and Pride from Murmurings and unreverent Speeches from Falshod Slothfulness and all Deceit and help us cheerfully and willinglly to do our Duty as believing that thou O Lord art the avenger of all unfaithful Dealers O pardon the neglect of our immortal Souls and of the great work for which we were Created and Redeemed Help us with all our hearts and strength that we may attain to the reward of that Glory prepared for all those that look and long for the appearance of Christ and to enjoy his presence with the Angels and Saints in Glory and all this we humbly beg and hope for on the accompt and merits of Jesus in whose own words we farther call on thee as he hath taught us saying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Virgin BLessed and Holy Lord preserve me thy Servant and give me grace with those Wise Virgins to make ready my Lamp and Oyl in my Vessel that at what hour the Bride-groom shall come I may be found ready prepared with those undefiled Virgins that follow the Lamb. Deliver me from the sins of Pride that common sin far different from that Plainness Simplicity and Modesty of old O help me thy Servant to walk circumspectly O cleanse and purge me keep me blameless cause me to hate the Garment spotted by the Flesh let the Pride of the Daughters of Jerusalem so severely threatned awake those that tread in their steps they were haughty and walked with stretched-out Necks and wandring Eyes and mincing as they went whose
Power working in thy Soul Have I not sprinkled thy Conscience with my pacifying Blood from which hath flowed an attestation of good things such a sense of mercy as many times hath filled thy heart with Joy and thy mouth with a song of Praise Have not I stirred thee up in great fervency to call on the Name of the Lord Have I not made thee to give my Name a publick testimony with thine own disadvantage and how oft hath thine heart been effectually moved at the hearing of my Word in such sort as it hath wrought in thee an holy remorse and inward contrition for thy sins which hath broken out into tears Have I not made thee a wrestler against thine inordinate lusts Have I not given thee strength many a time to stand against Sathans tentations whereas if I had left thee to thy self how oft hadst thou been made a prey to thine enemy Rememberest thou not that the Tempter hath assaulted thee but I have withdrawn the occasion of thy sin and when the occasion served did I not restrain and hold back the Tempter yea when both the occasion and the Tempter were present have I not filled thy heart with the fear and love of my Name and so kept thee from sinning against me And whereas many times thou of thy weakness hast offended did I not with a melting Heart and a mourning Eye raise thee again and renew my former familiarity with thee so that thou canst never say from the first hour I began to renew thee that I suffered thee to lie in thy sins as have done others that are strangers to my Grace And many notable effects of my workings in thee thou canst not deny Are not these undoubted tokens of my Grace in thee Will Nature do such things Mayest not thou feel that by these I have begun to apply to thee my merit for the remission of thy sins and my vertue for quickning thee to a new life Therefore think of thy self as basely as thou wilt but let the work of my Grace be esteemed of thee according to the excellency of it Be humble and cast down when thou lookest upon thine own corruption I find no fault with thee but I rejoyce at the new workmanship I have begun in thee Indeed if there were nothing in thee but that which thou hast of Nature thy estate were miserable but seeing thou seest a new workmanship in thee be comforted Art thou so in darkness that there is no light in thee that besides it there is not in thee a will to do good also and a love to righteousness If thou sayest thou hast no sin in thee thou art a liar and thinkest thou that I who have begun to translate thee from darkness to light and to make thee a new creature will leave thee until I have done my work in and upon thee Therefore beloved give not ear to thine own Corruption and Satan as to take their testimony against thee or to make thee think that my pledges that I have given thee are not worthy of credit that by them thou shouldest be assured of mercy Soul I cannot deny O Lord but that many times I have felt the sweetness of thy consolations which have greatly rejoyced my Soul But alas my grief is so much the greater that by mine own default I should now be deprived of them for I have grieved thy holy Spirit yea I have done what I could to quench him and therefore it is that the Comforter who was wont to refresh my Soul is away nor can I feel his presence with me as before Christ Because I am not changed therefore is it that the Sons of Jacob are not consumed Many indeed are the changes whereunto ye are subject but I remain the same and there is no shadow of alteration in me James 1.17 Be not afraid O my well beloved neither esteem thy self to be rejected of me albeit I sometimes hide my Face from thee all my ways are mercy and truth to mine It is for thee that sometimes I go from thee and it is for thee that again I turn unto thee for if I come it is for thy consolation that continual heaviness through manifold temptations should not oppress thee How oft hast thou found this when thou wast sick of love I have strengthened thee with the Flaggons of Wine and comforted thee with my Apples my fruit hath been sweet in thy mouth and I have put my left hand under thy head and with my right hand I have embraced thee Can. 2. But least the greatness of my consolations should exalt thee to disdain thy Brother and offend me by imputing that to thine own disposition I have again drawn these glorious feelings from thee give me the praise that I know best what is expedient for thee Had my servant Paul need to be humbled with the buffets of Sathan lest he should be exalted above measure by the greatness of his Revelations and hast not thou need that by my inward exercises I should hold thee humble If my comfort were always present with thee thou wouldest think that thy Heaven and permanent City were on Earth and so cease to inquire for a better to come Thou wouldest take the place of thy Banishment for thy home and the Earnest for the Principal Summe which I have promised thee Consider this wifely with thy self that albeit I smile not alike on thee at all times and fill thee not always with my Joys yet I always love thee if thou continue in my Love for whom I love I love unto the end If I close my Chamber door upon thee it is not to hold thee out it is to learn thee to knock If I cover my self with many vails that thou canst not see a glance of my loving Countenance 't is only to stir thee up to seek me and if sometimes I seem to go from thee 't is to provoke thee to follow me that thou mayest make haste from the Earth to Heaven where thou shalt injoy me without intermission Was Joseph so wise as to conceal his tender affection from his Brethren till he brought them to an humble acknowledgment of their sin And was he again so loving as when he saw them so humbled his affection was enflamed and compelled him to reveal himself unto them And thinkest thou that I am less wise and loving in dealing with mine I gave at first sharp answers to that Woman of Canaans Petitions and so will I to deal roughly seemingly with those whom I love and to be angry even at their Prayers but in the end I will make my love manifest to them and with mine endless mercies imbrace them Soul Suffer me yet once again Lord to speak unto thee that thou mayest answer me and I shall complain no more If we saw that such were our Disposition as thy holy Word doth require in us then should thy comforts rejoyce us but alas how far am I from that which I should be 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
appointed for Man to Labour in and the Night for Man to Rest into thy hands we commit our selves and desire to acquiesce in thee Let us be put in mind of the everlasting rest by every nights rest we enjoy Help us to make it our business to do our great work we have to do before the night of Death and the Grave overtake us O let not opportunities neglected and mispent be hindrances of the present and future enjoyments and opportunities Let not the abuse of time extinguish diminish or shorten our time Let not sin prevent our mercies neither let the guilt of sin nor punishment for the same overtake us at the same time Let not the sins of the day past mercies prevent us in night mercies but let them all be pardoned in the Blood of Jesus Preserve us this night and let the mercies of the night fit us for an humble walking with thee the day following that nights mercies and days mercies may be of such use unto us that we by both may be fitted for an enjoyment of thy self both here and hereafter Keep us from the vanity of our minds Keep us from all our Enemies Spiritual and Corporal let the roaring Lion be chained up that goes about seeking whom he may devour and let us acquiesce under the shadow of thy wings that we may both lie down and rise again in peace knowing the Lord sustains us for the sake of him that procures us all our happiness our mercies and blessings Amen A Prayer for Tuesday Morning HOly God it is not the least of thy mercies that thou commandest us to seek thee let us not think it a burden but a priviledge that we are admited in way of duty to call on thee not only to beg mercies of thee but to give thee thanks for mercies received We thank thee that thou out of thy Benignity hast been pleased to afford us thy providential protection this night past wherein we are brought to a farther experience of thy love Let every mercy be farther engagements to praise thee Thou our Lord hast made us to sleep in safety and hast made us to experience that unless thou keep the City the Watch-men watch in vain and that it is the blessing of thee our God that has preserved us this night past O Lord Let us in all our undertakings this day know that it is not rising up early and sitting up late and eating the Bread of carefulness that will do only the Lord that blesses what we undertake O Lord Act for us this day and help us in all that we do that it may be to thy praise O that our hearts and lives might speak forth thy praise for the renovation of mercies every morning and that our eyes may be towards thy self for all our strength in all our affairs this day that whatsoever we do all may be to the praise of our God Let our work prosper in our hands and let us find that God acts for us Help us to observe all the passages of thy providences that every day we may experience more of thy power that thereby we may be drawn out to fear thee and say surely the Lord is God and that he has made us and not we our selves and that he makes all work together for the best to them that love him O bless us in the beginning and in the close of this day bless us in our goings out and comings in bless us in our labours Let our pains and diligence put us in mind of our great work our industry for terrestrial put us in mind of celestial gain and help us with all our gettings to get understanding that we may be wise for our selves Deliver us from the infection of sin and enable us to keep our selves spotless from covetousness or any thing that is disconsonant to thy will in Christ Amen A Prayer for Tuesday Evening MOst gracious Lord thou art he and there is none else Thou hearest the Prayers of poor Creatures at all times and upon all occasions thou art near and ready to incline thine ear and to have mercy and forgive all the sinful miscarriages of thy poor Creatures Truly thou art good and dost good our Souls experience it every day thou art slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil O that we could walk so closely with thee as never to offend thee To whom Lord belongs praises but to thine own self who hast in all our concerts been our Agent for us O Lord let our Souls delight in thy self Let it be our recreation to do thy will And now O Lord we would commit our selves into thy hand desiring thy Providence to keep us thy Spirit to bless us that whether sleeping or waking we may be thine Refresh these frail Bodies of ours with quiet rest that our Bodies being refreshed we may both with Soul and Body which are thine sing forth thy praises Help us to meditate upon thy truths even on our Beds that we may spend many watchful hours about the great concerns of our everlasting Souls And help us laying our Heads to our Pillows to sanctifie thee in our hearts and when we awake the next morning we may awake in the same manner knowing that Sathan is ready to suggest some temptation and thereby steal away our hearts making the World or the Flesh our objects Help us always to study most to please God and displease Sathan and to give Sathan no ground knowing that so long as we resist him he thou Lord hast said shall slie from us Let us rest in thy self seeing thy Name is a strong Tower and they that flee into it are safe from sins dominion keep us from Sathans temptations defend us from our evil hearts secure us and sanctifie our hearts and send a bedewing of thy holy Spirit upon us to sweeten our troubles and sanctifie our mercies in Christ Jesus Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Morning HEavenly Father by whom and from whom all our strong consolations through Grace are enjoyed by us worthless Creatures sleeping and waking we are secured from the terrors of the night and those amazements wherewith thou sometimes hast amazed them that were better than our selves are O save us by thy Grace and prepare us for Glory deliver us from the sinners cursed questions What is the Almighty that we should serve him Or What profit shall we have if we pray unto him How oft are their Candles put out Give us grace to live to thee shewing the truth of Grace by dealing righteously towards all men that so keeping the faith in purity of conscience having our hope and heart fixed on thy self we may rejoyce in and call upon thy Name who only art a present help in time of trouble Preserve us in this wilderness the World until we shall attain to the Heavenly Canaan O let our Souls be more and more in love with Holiness to live the Life of Christ and the Life of the
Righteous that we may die the Death of the Righteous Deliver us from a vain and darkned Understanding and from working Uncleanness with greediness Enable us to put off as touching our Conversation the Old man and put on the New Man being renewed in the spirit of our Minds that we may be created after the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness Prepare us for another Life and let not one day pass over our heads without some serious meditations of Eternity how soon it may be we cannot tell ere we may launch into its Ocean that bankless Sea and then woe unto us if our Ship be unsound Let these thoughts make us careful about our Souls Help us to use the things of this transitory World but as journey necessaries to a permanent and lasting World but let us be truly desirous of the permanent Riches with an insatiable desire Make us wise Merchants for that durable riches that none can rob us of Now Lord pardon our sins and accept our services in Chrst to whom with thee and thy Eternal Spirit be praises Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Evening GLorious and most Righteous Lord for ever to be admired of all thy Saints thy ways are ways of love and mercy thy daily care to thy people do attest it we are wonderfully engaged to offer thee praise both with hearts and voices Accept of our thanks and praises as well as prayers for an Evening Sacrifice and take charge of us we beseech thee Let us not be disappointed of our hopes Let not Sin nor Sathan molest us in the comforts of this night Let not the sins of the day past provoke thee or prevent us in thy favours to us-ward Let us rest in the assurance of thy favour sealed by thy good Spirit upon our hearts that we be not left comfortless and grant that though our Bodily Eyes be closed with sleep yet let our Spiritual Eyes to wit the Eyes of Faith continually watch Let thy work of Grace begun in us be daily strengthened Let the power of sin decay but the power of Grace revive Enable us to rise with Christ and to seek those things that are above that we may glorifie thee here by finishing the race that is set before us Keep us from abusing or slighting thy Mercies and Judgemnts and watch over us for good Let not our self-flattery prove to us soul-mockery Make us faithful rather than formal in all our duties towards thee Deliver us from worldly mindedness the great enemy to real holiness Give us the grace of humiliation for sin and the spirit of reformation from sin O suffer us not to sin against Mercy lest we lose our best friend O let the service of God which is perfect freedom free us from the service of sin Now unto him that is able to keep us be Glory for ever Amen A Prayer for Thursday Morning HOly and Eternal Glorious Lord God infinite are thy Mercies to us ward thy patience and long suffering are exceeding great in regard of our continued provocations even in our thoughts which are only evil and that continually our words also have been stout against thee nothing but infinite mercy could forbear such wretches blessed be our God that hath laid help yea our help upon one that is mighty to save all those that come unto God by him O whither should such sinners go but to him that hath the Keys of Heli and Death that calls to the weary and heavy laden to come to him and accept of ease and rest O Lord draw us that we may run after thee that we may run the way everlasting the way of thy commands and be followers of that which is good hating the Garments spotted by the Flesh building up our selves in the most holy faith Enable us O our God with all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure adding to our Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity O let these Graces shine and abound in us that we may neither be barren nor unfruitful Give us precious faith in our Lord Jesus who hath washed and quickned us Make us the compleat Workman-ship of Christ Jesus created unto good works Sanctifie us through thy Truth thy Word is Truth and give us that Spirit that may guid us into all Truth Lead us this day and all the rest of our lives by thy Grace and at last bring us to Glory through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen A Prayer for Thursday Evening MOst gracious Lord thou art the great preserver of those that trust in thy Promises and observe thy Precepts Blessed be thy holy Name for this day past that thou hast kept us from the dangers of this day incident to us Blessed be thou Lord for all thy Providence and Provision for Health and Strength Food and Rayment for the present Comforts of this Life and the hopes of a future Let all our sins be pardoned for the sake of our Lord who only is worthy O vouchsafe to continue thy goodness this night that we may receive that refreshment that is for tryed ones Watch over us for good and let a quiet and peaceable rest fit us for our Calling according to thy will Help us to live by Faith and to walk by Faith that we may have that Peace that none can take away Let us die daily to sin and be strengthened daily with all might in the inward man Help us to consider the effects of sin is shame and the wages of sin is death Give us the comforts of our being in Christ that we may beassured that we are freed from condemnation by our christian conversation who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit O let thy Spirit so lead us that it may be our testimony that we are thine Let all that we suffer here be an evidence of that Glory to be revealed in us Let all things work together for the best Let neither tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword be able to prevail against us so as to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ for whom we bless thee and to whom be praises for ever Amen A Prayer for Fryday Morning MOst Holy and most gracious Lord thou art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and fulfillest the desires of those that fear thee Thou art good and dost good thy mercies are over all thy works Blessed be the Lord for his refreshing mercies of the last night Day unto day and night unto night shew forth thy tenderness over us by thy providences and provision O deliver us from all sins and evil for thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory Help us to live blameless with those with whom we have to deal O give us wisdom to remember our later end Let us remember the approaching of