and Iesus Christ and therefore must thou continually wrestle as long as thou liuest here in the flesh not onely with the infirmities of flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers and against spirituall wickednes against worldly gouernours the Princes of the darknesse of this world all inuisible And thinke not thy chiefest conflict to be with the visible men of this world but looke euery houre to be assayled by one spirituall enemie or another and when thou feelest any motion in thy heart to any kinde of sinne thinke thou presently now I must either fight or be foyled for there is no string away Sathan hath swift wings he will ouertake thee and finde thee out goe where thou wilt and that thou findest in thy selfe by the present horrour of thy conscience for thy sinnes which hee layes before thee as in an vgly glasse shewing them to be so monstrous as they be vnto thee as hell it selfe Be not yet dismayed take hold of Christ though not with thy hand as the woman in the Gospell yet with thy heart fasten vpon him with a liuely faith and hold him fast for nothing preuailes with him nor against Sathan and sinne but a strong and liuely faith in Iesus Christ. In this assurance stand fast be not afraide though thou be guilty of many and great sinnes so was Dauid and many worthy men of olde yet they obtayned pardon and were through the merites of Christ imputed righteous The mercy of GOD wrought vpon their sinnes for if all men were of them selues righteous needing no repentance how should the mercies of God appeare what auayled then the death and merites of Christ Why should he be reputed a Redeemer a Sauiour or wherefore should he be called a Mediatour if there were no sinne or sinners Hee came not to call the righteous such as feeling no sinne in themselues hold themselues iust but hee came in deede to call sinners to repentance and to saue through his bloud such as feele and acknowledge their sinnes Therefore be thou not afraid though thou feele thy sinnes burthensome vnto thee hee euen Christ came to ease them if thou faithfully beleeue in him And thinke not but faith and true repentance can and will turne Gods iustice into mercy his anger into fauour and his most heauie displeasure into loue euen into that loue wherewith God loueth his dearest children freely for he loueth none that loue not him and none can loue him but such as he loueth for to loue God and to be beloued of God are of God alone And they to whom he vouchsafeth this heauenly fauour to loue him are filled with all fulnesse of whatsoeuer may make them assured of their saluation quieting and pacifying their afflicted consciences and giuing them inward setled peace Therefore if thou haue and feele an inward godly sorrow that thou hast offended so louing a God and hast in thy selfe a desire to be reformed and to be reconciled to God Thou needest not feare for the loue of God towards thee is not absent neither are thou altogether destitute of thy loue towards him And therefore whatsoeuer Sathan doth suggest against thee beleeue him not beleeue thy Redeemer he is the truth he euen he doth assure thee that at what time so euer thou shalt repent thee of thy sinnes from the bottome of thy heart the Lord will put them out of his remembrance He is the truth that hath promised this and he will assuredly performe saluation euen to thee though thou be a grieuous sinner if thou truly repent and faithfully beleeue that thy sinnes are pardoned in his bloud who is also the way he hath traced out before thee and for thee a perfect example of righteousnesse patience and obedience walke in it then as he is also the life he shall be thy life and mauger sinne Sathan and death thou shalt liue and liue for euer Pray therefore vnto GOD faithfully and feruently and he will assuredly ease thee euen here of that heauie burthen wherewith thy conscience seemeth to be grieuously afflicted and oppressed And for thy further instruction and helpe if thou be so ignorant as not knowing how to pray to thy comfort thou mayst vse the Prayer following or according to the measure of that grace which God hath giuen thee sigh and groane inwardly to God who accepts euen inward desires to repent and to be reconciled to God as if they were prayers in deede so it be in faith from the heart or thou mayest vse any other godly prayer which may best expresse the sorrow of thy heart for thy sinnes the forgiuenesse of them and the assurance of thy saluation A Prayer for the forgiuenesse of sinnes that afflict the weake conscience of a sinner OEternall euerliuing and most louing Lord God in Iesus Christ towards them that feare thy name and walke vprightly before thee and a seuere Iudge vnto impenitent sinners who onely knowest the thoughts and secrets of all hearts from whose all-seeing eye no sinne or sinners can be hidden Consider Lord that I was originally made to thine owne Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and that I became corrupt and consequently sinfull by his transgression in whom I was first made holy and doe confesse my selfe O Lord one of and the worst of all the cursed seede of him in whom all posterities became accursed and I cannot conceale the corruption which I haue had receiued from them by whom I was begotten and borne and that this corruption now become mine hath begotten and brought forth so many and monstrous sins in me as I am not onely not worthy to be called thy Sonne but ashamed to be knowne to be the worke of the hands of so great so gracious and so righteous a God for my sinnes O Lord are so great so hainous so odious and so many in number as haue so farre ouergorged my corrupt heart so infected my wretched soule with the filthinesse of them that I feele euen the stink of them so loathsome vnto mine own guilty Conscience as I cannot but holde my selfe detestable in thy sight Mine Iniquities are gone euer mine head a burden too heauie for me to beare O wretch that I am how dare I come into thy presence such a trayne and troope of intollerable sins accompaning me Thou canst not Lord but obserue see and seeing and obseruing my hainous sinnes how can I but feare that thou in Iustice wilt not only put me back and reiect me and my praiers but worthily and deseruedly confound me I haue an accuser a Iudge and an executioner within me I am Arraigned and condemned euen by the accusation and witnesse of mine owne guilty Conscience the horror whereof hath beene and is such as hath made mee affraid to seeke to thee whome I haue so deeply offended for pardon lest that in thy fury and in the seueritie of thy Iustice thou shouldest leaue me to the will of him
or heart to touch him to his hurt for such is the sacred Majestie of a King being in earth Vicegerent vnder God in the Kingdomes wherein the Lord hath placed him that he ought in all things to bee obeyed next vnto God aboue all other of all his subiects And whosoeuer goeth about by counsell conspiracie or consent to betray him is not onely worthy of imprisonment but of the most cruell tormenting death that can bee deuised by man and therefore if thou shouldest be guiltie but of the knowledge of such a practice and didst conceale it thou art not to be graced with one minute of life nor by the prayer of any good subiect for thy deliuery but to haue thy deseruing not as â—ad Baarah and Rechab who thinkiâ—g to pleasure Dauid slew the King their Master Ishbosheth whome Dauid caused to be slaine with the sword But the like or worse then Reualiacke had for killing that famous King of France whose torments were as horrible as the wit of man could deuise The Maiestie of God is so imprinted in the person of a King as when wicked men haue vndertaken any desperate enterprise vpon them they haue beene many times so daunted as they haue had no power to act their villanies or haue suddainely so discouered their wicked intention by countenance gesture or speech as hath bewrayd the guilt of their conscience and haue beene preuented of their intended mischiefe Among many other most memorable examples of Gods Prouidence the discouery of the many treasons and conspiracies intended and ready to haue beene executed euen vpon the person of our late most famous Queene Elizabeth by Parrie and others are so perspicuous and her deliueries so wonderfull as can neuer be forgotten And his late Maiesties admirable deliuery from the conspiracie of the Gowries is yet fresh in euery mans memory to Gods eternall glory and the ioy of all his Kingdomes When Quintinanus a villaine being solicited to kill the Emperour Commodus by the conspiracie of Lucilla the Emperours sister had taken vpon him the murther wayted the time and conuenient place to execute the Treason attending the Emperours comming when he saw his Maiestie hee began to tremble his countenance changed his gesture altred and his tongue could no longer conceale his guiltie conscience but before the Emperour came neere him held out his murthering dagger in his hand cryed out This the Senate sends thee whereupon he was preuented and apprehended If therefore thou be apprehended and imprisoned as guiltie of this most hainous and monster of all sinnes examine thine owne heart confesse and bewray thine intention to the satisfaction of men especially of thy Soueraigne and acknowledge thy sinnes to God repent them It may be the Lord may yet vpon thy sincere and serious repentance haue compassion on thy soule though no good subiect will pitie thy death or wish the prolonging of thy life but the seuearell death So hainous is Treason and so odious are Traitors For such as are imprisoned as guiltie or vehemently suspected of murther NExt vnto Treason Murther is the most crying sinne whereof if thou be guiltie especially if it were wilfull and imprisoned for the same remember that Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Though the Murther be neuer so secretly done neuer so closely kept neuer so long concealed so odious it is to God that he seldome or neuer suffers it to goe vnreuealed The very Barbarians helde Murther so hainous a sinne as they did thinke it could not escape the vengeance of God neither indeed can it for as the guiltlesse blood of Abel cryed against his murtherous brother Kayne so doth the blood of euery man guiltlesly slaine crye against the murtherer and huntes him from place to place whether soeuer he flye where soeuer he hides himselfe the murthered seemeth still to be in the eye of the murtherer whether he sleepe or wake hee is still tormented and the Deuill that inticeth a murtherer perswading him by many false perswasions which he conceiueth in his minde by this or that meanes he may escape when he hath committed the Murther he layes the murthered before the eyes of the guiltie conscience of the murtherer and telles him loe here is that innocent person thou hast wilfully murthered God will seuerely reuenge it hee will giue thee into the Magistrates hand to be here tormented in the flesh and take away thy life and then cast thee into eternall torments as thou deseruest If therefore thou be guiltie of any such grieuous crime and be derected and imprisoned thou maist thanke God who hath discouered thee and restrained thee in this place from whence thou canst not escape to the end thou shouldest no longer raunge the world with a tormenting conscience but rather casting off all vaine hope to be freed betake thee to repentance for all thine offences and especially for this thy most odious facte crye earnestly and faithfully to God for mercie that he will still the crye of the innocent murthered that soundeth so fearefully in the eare of thy guilty conscience crye for pardon in Christ for whose sake there is mercie with God if with a true and liuely faith thou craue it If thou be guiltie and yet but onely vpon suspicion committed the facte not fully reueiled if thou confesse it not to the Magistrate thy burthen will be for the more heauie though thou thinke it sufficient to confesse it in secret and silence to God who needs not thy confession of the facte for hee saw it done and knew thine intention before thou didst it he hath seene and obserued thee since how thou hast runne hether and thether for safetie and how thou hast sought all meanes to hide it and escape but all in vaine there is â—o hiding thee from his sight Thy sinne is grieuous thou hast laid violent and murtherous hands vpon and taken away the life of the Image of God though a humane creature and â—s the facte is done against God so thy repentance or hardnesse of heart are knowne to him alone not to man against whom also thou hast grieuously sinned therefore must thou openly acknowledge the facte before men that thou maist free the innocent that may be otherwise had in suspition to be actors of that which thou thy selfe hast done and so double thine offence in causing another to suffer for thy sinne and so heape as well his blood as the blood of the murthered vpon thine owne conscience Therfore as thou art discouered taken kepte from any hope of escape make of necessitie a vertue take that punishment with a godly patience that by all thy secret intentions inuentions and subtile practises thou canst not auoide craue forgiuenesse of thy sinnes of God vpon the knees of a most penitent and relenting heart and if it be possible wrest through bitter sighes and sorrowe euen teares of blood from thy bloody conscience in heartie and faithfull
prayor to God in his Sonne Christ who shed his blood for thee and thereby able to wash thee from thy bloody sinne if thou truely repent and doest faithfully and feruently praye for pardon and if thou be destitute of the power to pray of thy selfe thou maist vse the former prayer made for a man grieued in conscience for the hainousnesse of his sinnes or this short confession and prayer following and that often vntill thy conscience become at peace with God and then howsoeuer both the Lawe of God and men condemne thee for the facte and that thou suffer death for the same take it with godly patience for better it is for thee to suffer here a temporall death for thy sinne then to carrie the burthen of a tormenting conscience not suspected to thy graue which though man doe not shall accuse thee when it will be too late to crye for mercie A Prayer for a man imprisoned guiltie of murther O Lord God whose mercies are aboue all thy workes and yet I wretched creature haue not deserued the least part of the same but rather vtter confusion both of body and soule not onely for my manifold and grieuous sinnes committed euen from my youth but aboue all other of my grieuous sinnes I feele the heauy burthen of this one sinne this capitall and crying sinne in thy seuere Iustice impardonable the wilfull taking away of the life of thine innocent creature whose blood cryeth against mee as did that guiltlesse blood of Abel crye against his murtherous brother Kayne who was reiected by thee by reason of his impenitency deale not so with mee deare father I praye thee I am heartely forty for my wicked facte and doe acknowledge it to be most hainous yet not exceeding thy mercy which as farre as the heauen is aboue the earth so is thy mercie aboue thy Iustice and as farre as the East is from the West so farre canst thou put this my grieuous sinne from mee which though it be as red as blood yea blood it selfe yet is the blood of that Lambe Iesus Christ of more then sufficient efficacie and vertue to make it white as snowe O cast mee not vtterly out of thy fauour though I be a most grieuous sinner for my soule is heauy within mee my heart is cast downe I dare not looke vp vnto heauen where thou sittest a seueate Iudge and I tremble to thinke how grieuously I haue offended thee I am fallen O Lord I am fallen into the hands of my most deadly enemie Satan that pursues mee with deadly hatred he he O God prouoked mee to this vngodly deede and now he seekes to draw me to dispayre of thy mercie into whose hands O Lord I cast my selfe knowing that there is yet mercie with thee and in Iesus Christ perfect Redemption I am also fallen into the hands of men whose Lawes I haue by this mine vngodly facte wilfully broken by whose Lawes I am condemned and that worthily and there is none to comfort me but thou alone against whom especially I haue committed this bloody sinne for which as I doe acknowledge to haue deserued the death not onely of my wretched body but also of my most sinfull soule so I beleeue that the death of my body shall be a sufficient satisfaction to the Lawe of man and the griefe and sorrowe of my truely repenting heart through the preuayling death of my Sauiour Iesus Christ shall bee a satisfaction to thy Iustice. And as I doe acknowledge that I haue deserued to dye so I beseech thee Lord to prepare me therevnto with Patience faith firme and constant assurance of thy mercy that I fainte not at my approaching death but may bee assured that as thou forgauest the Theef vpon the Crosse receiuedst him into Paradice so thou wilt receiue my soule in the merites of Christ my Sauiour when through death it shall leaue my sinfull body which graunt gracious Lord God for his sake that dyed for penitent sinners among whome I cannot but confesse I am the greatest and the greater shall thy mercy appeare Lord confirme my faith in thee to the end and in my end Amen For such as are imprisoned for committing any offence against the Lawes of the Kingdome deseruing death AS the Lawes and Ordinances of Kingdomes are many to meete with the sinnes and transgressions of men which are infinite so the causes of mens restraynts imprisonments and punishments are not to bee named or numbred yet euery man commonly knowes the offences that deserue the same and haue not yet the grace or power to auoide the committing of them Thou art in prison knowne or vehemently suspected of some grieuous facte committed against the Lawes deseruing the executing sword of the Magistrate vpon life or member thy case is hard and dangerous deserued death or some other seueare punishment hangeth ouer thy head at the pleasure of the Iudge It behoueth thee therefore to looke into thine owne heart and to examine thine owne conscience strictely whether thou be guiltie or not of the cryme laid vnto thy charge or of any other grieuous cryme which thou hast long concealed for God many times doth punish an offender for some wicked facte formerly committed and neuer discouered by the suspition of a cryme and punisheth it as the acte done and therefore if thou feele thy selfe guiltie of any grieuous offence commited against God by the breach of the Lawes of man which thou hadst cleane forgotten if thou be after vniustly accused or suspected of another which if thou were guiltie of it deserued as seueare punishment as the former and thou receiue it though in that thou be innocent yet in Gods Iustice this thy punishment is for thy former offence iust He that wittingly or wilfully disobeyeth the Lawes of man is guiltie of the breach of the Lawe of God by whom Magistrates that establishe Lawes for ciuile gouernment of their subiects are set and appointed and haue their authoritie and power to punish offendors from God and therefore should euery soule submit it selfe to the powers ordained by God And seeing thou hast highly offended these Lawes fit it is that thou shouldst be apprehended restrained of thy raunging libertie whereby thou maist not onely offend others but bee a meane to intice others to thy example of sinning Receiue therefore thine imprisonment and punishment with patience murmure not against the Magistaate that thus in Gods steed and as his Minister correcteth thee who if hee had let thee runne on further in thine impieties the greater had beene thy sinne and the greater would haue beene thy finall punishment whereas now thou mayst haue time to examine thy life past and to repent thee of thy sinnes and to seeke to God in Christ for pardon and therefore hast thou rather cause to thanke God for thine imprisonment then to grudge that hee correcteth thee so shalt thou make profit of thy restraint in redeeming thy former ill spent time and learne
to frame thy heart to more obedience to the Lawes of God and man for the time thou hast yet to spend in this life If God haue ordained the Magistrate in Iustice to take away thy life iustly deseruing it thou through faith by true repentance and prayer maist enioy a farre more glorious life for thy present ignomiâ—ious death If any other punishment be by the Lawes due for thine offence that it may be satisfied with the depriuation of any part of thy body according to the qualitie of thine offence or to inflict any other corporall punishment vpon thy flesh thinke it is in fauour and that God seeth it better for thee to suffer here a little smart then hereafter perpetuall torments and therefore seeing thou hast offended and made thy selfe guilty of crime so seuearely punishable submit thy selfe to the will of God and to the authoritie of the Magistrate in obedience faith and faithfull prayer A Prayer to be said of a Prisoner accused and like to bee condemned to death for some facte against the Lawes or to any other corporall punishment O Mightie omnipotent and most righteous Lord God I acknowledge thy Iudgements to bee iust and thy Wisedome and Prouidence vnsearchable wherein thou hast found me out and discouered my sins which I haue done as I thought in secret but thine all-seeing eye pierceth through the cloudes no darkenesse can hide sinne and sinners from thy presence Lord seeing thou hast found out mine iniquities and brought my grieuous sins to light I doe appeale from thy Throne of Iustice to thy Seate of mercie for I doe confesse that in thy iust Iudgement I am worthy to bee perpetually condeÌ„ned but in thy mercie I may find fauour and in the merits of Christ thy beloued Sonne I may yet be saued though my mortall body here perish Thou hast power O Lord to worke the hearts of the seuearest Iudges of the earth with Iustice to ioyne mercie not to extende the seueritie in punishing of me as the Lawe for mine offence may iustlie require But aboue all earthly Iudges I stand most affraid of thy displeasure which I doe confesse I haue iustly deserued by mine offences many in number but this for which I am now restrayned is not the least yet not so great but thou canst forgiue and pardon it But before I can bee assured of thy fauour in pardoning mine vngodly deseruings for which I lye here vnder thine and the hand of the Magistrate in bandes I must and I doe humbly and heartily seeke to bee reconciled vnto thee But alas what am I dust and ashes what am I a meere worme what am I the vilest of all sinners that thou shouldest vouschafe to accept my reconciliation with thee the Almightie God Creator of heauen and earth betweene whose sinceritie and my sinnes betweene whose goodnesse and my vilenesse and betweene whose greatnesse and my weaknesse is so infinite difference euen as betweene heauen and hell O! how can I thinke that although thou canst thou wilt bee reconciled vnto me that haue so grieuously offended How can I expect any fauour of thee whom by the breach of all thy commandements I haue so highly incensed against me I haue sinned Lord I haue sinned and many wayes transgressed thy Lawes and had it not beene of thy meere mercy I might haue beene as I haue often deserued confounded long agone I doe acknowledge O Lord and thou knowest that this is not the first grieuous offence that I haue committed and therefore were I innocent in this for which I am apprehended and imprisoned I cannot but confesse that I haue deserued the punishment in Iustice due for this But Lord call not all my former sinnes to thy remembrance cast not vp the whole account of all mine impious actions knowing that I am of the seede of him that first was in thy sauour holy and that first rebelled and became and I in him disobedient and rebellious yet as hee fell of himselfe and I in him together with all his posteritie So was the seed of the woman promised to come he is come hath suffered according to thine owne will to reconcile euen me the greatest sinner and all beleeuers into thy fauour againe the shedding of his blood hath made the attonement and he it is yea euen hee alone in whome I beleeue I shall finde thee reconciled vnto me Then Lord doe with my body here which is the actiue part of all my sinnes what seemeth good in thine owne eyes for as one haire of the head of thy children falleth not without thy Prouidence how much lesse can his life bee taken from him without thee My life and my death are in thy hands though the sword be in the Magistrates yet it is not his but thine and he but thy Minister therefore if thou saye strike he striketh if thou saye spare he spareth Seeing therefore Lord I am thus in thy disposing onele and haue learned out of thine owne promises that all things worke worke together for the good of them whom thou hast chosen my sinnes Lord that hath caused mine apprehension mine apprehension mine imprisonment mine imprisonment the knowledge of mine owne wicked deseruing and my deseruing death may all worke together for my good for except I had beene restrained I had not thought vpon but had runne on still in my sinne had I not beene punished I had not felt thy displeasure for my sinnes so should I neuer haue sought to thee for succour and pardon for my sinnes O the incomprehensible depth of thy Wisedome and mercy in thus visiting me for before I was restrained I forgot my selfe thee my selfe what a wretched creature I was and thee what a powerfull and iust Iudge thou art yet louing to them that repent which is also thy guifte I know and confesse my selfe now to be an offender and in danger and that thou art a iust God and an auenger of sinne Lord dispose of mine offending body as it pleaseth thee it is dust turne it to dust when and how thou wilt and punish it in what manner and measure thou wilt yet seasoned with thy compassion As for my soule Lord receiue it when through Iustice by the Magistrate or otherwise it shall be enforced to leaue this my sinnefull body which graunt for Iesus Christs sake Amen Lord encrease my faith and prepare mee â—o obey thee in what soeuer it pleaseth thee here to doe with me A Prayer to be said of a penitent offender going to his execution or to any corporall punishment O Lord God Almightie though thou be iust in punishing thou art mercifull in forgiuing and sauing sinners among whome there is none so great O Lord as I am who haue long liued in the practise of infinite impieties neuer thinking of the danger which now is deseruedly fallen vpon me I am worthily condemned to what thou wilt inflict vpon mee Lord giue me patience to take it without repining or grudging
patience Blessed is the man whom the Lord correcteth refuse not therefore the chastisements of the Almightie Though therefore we be compassed about on all sides with many miseries let vs not fainte but in patience possesse our soules As Christ himselfe teacheth for Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery sonne that hee receiueth Then are chastisements testimonies of Gods loue towards vs and therefore they that cannot abide to bee corrected showe themselues bastards and not the sonnes of God As many as I loue I rebuke and chasten Reuel 3. 19. Doth a father correct his sonne without a faulte it were iniurious and doth God correct his children that sinne not there is none but sinneth therefore none but deserue correction seeing then that sinne is the cause of Gods corrections let euery man examine himselfe and take with thankeful patience his Fatherly chastisements in what manner soeuer they befall him Touching sinne the cause of all afflictions the confession and repentance thereof and patience in troubles FOr asmuch as sinne is the cause of all our afflictions and that there is neither crosse or any kinde of trouble that befall vs but sinne causeth it In vaine it is to hope for remedie reliefe or ease vntill wee haue in some measure vnburthened vs of our sinnes for as an old house pulled downe to bee rebuilt must be rid of all rotten materials and rubbish before any good and sound foundation can be laid so before wee can receiue any inward comfort or outward release of our troubles we must cast out of our hearts and clense our soules of all the filthy loathsome dregs of sinne that lurke in them that can we not doe but by a strict and serious examination of our hearts and to call to minde how wee haue spent the time past and then shall euery man finde cause enough why God in his Iustice might inflict vpon vs in steeede of our light afflictions which are but his Fatherly corrections his most heauie iudgements seuearest punishments and in steed of our temporall and momentanie miseries cast vs into perpetuall torments Knowing then that the cause of our calamities to bee our sinnes and hauing vpon due search found out our long hidden iniquities can we but acknowledge that God hath not dealt with vs nor afflicted vs according to the measure and multitude of our wicked deseruings But as a louing father hee hath by his gentle chastisements as it were onely wincked at and beckened vnto vs to put vs in minde onely of our faults least by continuing in them and multiplying of them he should haue cause in steed of gentle corrections to vse his Iustice therefore hauing found in our corrupte hearts our vngodly and impious inclinations which haue begotten in vs infinite actuall sinnes we may not any longer couet to conceale them but heartily plainely and faithfully acknowledge them vnto God though we cannot call all our antient sinnes and the faults we haue committed long agoe to our remembrance for Who can vnderstand all his faults saith Dauid yet Dauid him selfe confessed his sinnes to God sometimes in generall sometimes in particular he did not hide his iniquities but confessed them against himselfe and was not ashamed to set them down in many of his Psalmes to teach vs if occasion be to discouer our sins for the satisfaction of men but especially vnto God as Dauid did who forgaue the punishment of his sinne Yet had he afflictions still not as punishments but as fatherly physicke to keepe his heart and affections in more due obedience and though Dauid said he did not hide his sinnes from God it is not therefore to bee collected that he could or any man can hide his sinnes from him howsoeuer couertly and secretly they commit them But who so confesseth them not he intendeth to hide them as much as lyeth in him from God that seeth them and thereby doubleth his offence But who so acknowledgeth his sinnes vnto him he is faithfull and Iust to forgiue them and to cleanse him from all his vnrighteousnesse To acknowledge our sinnes then is the very entrance into Gods fauour which being obtained not by the confession of our sinnes but in and through a firme faith in Iesus Christ through whose merites we may freely aske and assure our selues of the remission of our sinnes for he hath promised to doe it who is most faithfull and iust in his word and that doth Dauid approoue saying I confessed against my selfe my sinnes vnto the Lord and hee forgaue the punishment of my sinne He forgaue him as not to punish him in the seueritie of his Iustice though he remembred him with his gentle corrections often as hee doth his deerest children yet not all a like some hee chastiseth after a most milde manner some more sharpely yet fatherly as he findeth men docible and tractable or refractarie and hard to bee reformed for some are more and sooner reformed with a sharpe looke of the Lords countenance then some with many stripes As Peter when he had thrice denyed his Master Christ Christ but turned his face towards him at the crowing of the Cocke it was rebuke enough he went suddenly forth and wept bitterly in token of his repentance Some againe will hardly remember their sinnes vntill it be said vnto them Thou art the man as Nathan tolde Dauid who before that had slept in his sinne of adultrie and murder a whole yeare neuer thinking of it But when he was admonished from God by a parable then he confessed his sinnes and repented them saying I haue sinned against the Lord Ioyning with his confession sorrow and repentance for his sinnes And the same mouth that reproued him for his sinne and that he should dye for the same pronounced the forgiuenesse and pardon of them The Lord hath put away thy sinnes Whereby we may learne that the Lord seeketh no seueâ—râ— reuenge against a sinner confessing and repenting his sinnes though he leaue some token of his displeasure against sinne and of his loue to the sinner in keeping him in future obedience by his fatherlie discipline least he should too much presume of pardon of second sinning by the mercie of God declared by the remission of the former And therefore although he had pardoned Dauid his sinne and had forgiuen him the punishment of it yet Dauid went not without a token that he should remember that he had offended and giuen the enemies of God occasion to blaspheme God pronounced the death of the child God sees it necessarie and we cannot but thinke it expedient euen for vs That although God doe assure vs that our sinnes sincerely acknowledged be forgiuen vs yet that he beare a kinde and fatherly hand ouer vs to retaine vs in future obedience by some daily vnsauory potion to cure and to keepe our carnall apetite in order that we returne not to our former iniquities
God and that our afflictions proceed from his finall anger neuer to bee appeased but these his sugiestions are false let vs not beleeue them let vs beleeue that whom God doth chasten he loueth and therefore we may assure our selues so much the more that we are the children of God by how much we finde these tentations in vs for if we were his as he would sugiest vnto vs that God is angry with vs and wee not his he needed not to trouble vs but he knowing that wee are the Lords hee worketh by all meanes to drawe vs to distrust in God and that the merits of Christ cannot auaile vs. But let vs be strong in the Lord let vs trust constantly and confidently in the merits of his sonne armed with the shield of faith and buckle vnto our selues the sword of the spirit which is the word of God which doth containe most sure promises that he will neuer leaue vs nor forsake vs let vs pray alwayes with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit and watch thereunto in a holy patience with all perseuerance So shall wee see the saluation of God his power and prouidence in deliuering vs out of all our troubles of whatsoeuer kinde or such inward comforte as shall make our most bitter and sharpest afflictions sweet and easie And for asmuch as sinne is the greatest and most heauy burthen of misery that any poore childe of God can be afflicted with It is the principall part of a Christian to seeke to be vnburthened of the same not as to bee carelesse in the search of his sinnes and so to feele no burthen for he is like a man sicke vnto death and yet will acknowledge he feeleth no sickenesse at all but he that findeth his sinnes most grieuous vnto him and most deiected for them is nearest vnto pardon so he acknowledge them and in a liuely faith in Christ repent them Comforte for a man afflicted in conscience by reason of his sinnes COnsider first whosoeuer thou art that art troubled in minde 〈◊〉 thy conscience afflicted by 〈◊〉 â—f thy great sins 〈…〉 not thy case alone to be a sinner it is a common disease and sickenesse of the soule originally deriued from the transgression of Adam and remaining in the nature of all his posteritie outwardly shewing it selfe in vngodly wordes and deeds spoken or done against the Law and honor of God and inwardly by the thoughts desires of the heart conceiued against the Law of the spirit And happie is hee that can consider his owne wayes and that can and doth examine and finde out the sinnes which are hidden in his owne heart which to all other men are concealed but not from God The heart is an vnfadomable depth of sinne and rebellion against God and the best man by nature is guiltie of many secret and hidden as well as open and known sinnes for The imaginations of mans heart are onely euill from his youth And many odious sinnes proceede from that corrupte fountaine Such as men are ashamed to reueale and were it possible they would conceile them from God him selfe and therefore they often striue to keepe them in their priuate bosomes vntill they become so heauy burthensome as they can no longer beare them without vnspeakable horror and vnquietuesse of minde vntill they become as a worme so venemous in the Conscience as eateth and deuoureth all peace and comfort of the heart which the Deuill seeketh continually to feed and agrauates the sinnes grieuously in the minde of a poore sinner that he begins to fainte and as it were to sincke vnder the burthen of his afflicted conscience which is the most heauy crosse of all crosses a burrhen importable where it lighteth and it seemeth to bee in some measure thine owne case and is indeed dangerous for that soule that sinneth and perseuereth therein shall dye and it seemeth thou feelest the weight of grieuous sins which makes thee sad melancholicke and heauy which is yet a token that thou art not so dead in sin as that there is no feeling of sinne in thee which may be an argument that there is some life of grace yet in thee and that the spirit of God is not altogether dead in thee for if thy conscience were so feared vp and hardned that there were no sinne felt of thee thy case were farre more dangerous and though thou groanest and grieuest vnder the burthen of thy sinnes it may be onely for feare of the Iudgement of God and his punishments due for thy sinnes which is in it selfe but a seruile and slauish feare But if thou grieue that thou hast offended God by thy sinnes and dishonoured him by thy transgressions this proceedeth of a godly sorrow and so a signe that there is yet place and time for thee to repent turne vnto God therfore despaire not of the mercies of God in Christ who through thy faith if it be liuely and stedfast will be thine Aduocate by whom and by none other or other meanes thou shalt be reconciled to God and not dye in thy sinnes Thy sins are great great and fearefull the iudgements of God for sinne yet greater then both is the mercy of God towards a truly penitent sinner he is much displeased for sinne yet retayneth not he his anger long against a sinner if he returne vnto him for mercy is more pleasing vnto him then Iustice And though he seeme to turne away his louing fauour from thee being a notorious sinner and suffer thee to lye plunged and as it were wallowing in the bloud of thy sinnes and leaue thee destitute of all inward feeling of comfort yet if thou were the most haynous sinner and haue but an inclination an inward true desire to regaine his fauor and be truly sorie that thou hast offended him hee will turne againe and haue compassion vpon thee he will put away thine iniquities and cast thy sinnes into the botome of the Sea for as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towards them that truly feare him God is iust in deede But if it may be so said he is more mercifull then iust but to none but to such as doe not onely feare and grieue for their sinnes as did Iudas and Esau But to such alone as in a liuely Faith take hold of the merites of Christ who in deede died for sinners but not for such as die in their sinnes as they did There must a reconciliation be made betweene God a sinner before he can assure himselfe of pardon and remission of his sinnes and that must not be delayed it must be to day before to morrow for as life is short and vncertaine and repentance requireth some time to be perfected though there be one example as of the Thiefe vpon the Crosse of suddaine repentance it is not so easie or speedy a worke to be well done there be many
lets which you shall finde in your selfe and many blockes Sathan will lay in your way therefore what you purpose to doe doe it speedily willingly faithfully and fully There is no meanes for you to be eased of the burthen of your sinnes but to cleaue vnto God in the merites of his Christ whome God the Father hath sent into the world to saue all those be they neuer so great and grieuous sinners as doe truly confesse hartily repent and faithfully beleeue the pardon of their sinnes and that they shall be saued through him If therefore thou truly beleeuest in Iesus Christ and appliest his death and merites vnto thy selfe in a full assurance and a setled perswasion that he dyed euen for thee then were thy sinnes neuer so great and haynous in quality neuer so many in number were they as red as scarlet or coloured as purple his bloud euen the bloud of that Lambe shall make them as white as snowe And therefore did Dauid crie wash mee O Lord wash mee and make mee cleane And what should hee wash but his sinnes And wherewith but with the meritorious bloud of Iesus Christ And before you can be thus washed and cleansed before you can haue the terror of your conscience eased and appeased You must confesse and lay open your sinnes before the Lord and say with a feeling and faithfull heart Against thee against thee O Lord onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight It must not be a lip confession as to acknowledge thy sinnes with thy mouth and to retaine them in thy heart Such a confession is hypocriticall and encreaseth thy sinnes were thy sinnes neuer so small in thine owne opinion yet oughtest thou to thinke them great and grieuous and so they are for the least sinne that a man commits is the breach of the Law and he that breaketh the least is guilty of the greatest It seemeth thou dost in deede feele already the grieuousnesse of thy sinnes by thy heauinesse and mourning which is a good beginning of repentance but vnlesse thou doe therewith conioyne Faith in the merites and bloud of Iesus Christ and dost truly purpose and endeuour to leade a new life thy repentance will be still imperfect Thou mayest also feare God and yet little profit thee except thou beleeue in the mercies of God in Christ for the deuils themselues feare and tremble at their finall sentence of vtter condemnation To feare God as a Sonne is in deede a most heauenly vertue and is found in none but in the very sonnes and daughters of God for their feare is not so much of the punishment for sinne as for that they haue offended so louing a God by their sinnes But to feare God for the first is to feare him as a Slaue that feares more the whip then to abuse his Maister And this feare proceedeth of the suggestion of Sathan who tempts and allures thee to sinne perswading thee that thy greatest sinnes are but veniall and easily pardoned by saying onely Lord haue mercie vpon me or by some superficiall and light confession And when the sinne is committed he tells thee that thy sinnes are so great and haynous as they can not be forgiuen Agrauating that seruile feare which often drawes silly weake soules to dispaire of Gods mercies Thou grieuest that thou hast sinned because thou hearest that euery sinner shall die And yet thou thinkest it sufficient to thinke yea and to confesse thou art a sinner and Sathan would haue thee goe no further And so farre he will permit thee to goe without hindering thee as he did Kayne and Iudas but when hee sees thee begin to leade a life contrary to that he hath led thee and lulled thee in when he obserueth thee to shew any fruites of true repentance hee will then tell thee it is a needlesse labour for thy sinnes are so great as God will neuer forgiue them though thou repent neuer so mâ—ch Beleeue not this auncient lyer though hee doe perswade thee that thy sinnes are so great as the bloud of Iesus Christ can not preuaile to heale thee of them beleeue him not I say for he himselfe knoweth though to the agrauation and â—ncrease of his owne torments 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ came into the world to saue greatest sinners that repent and beleeue in the merites of Christ of which number because hee knoweth he cannot be he laboureth and vseth his infinite infernall Ministers to draw as many as hee can to his disobedience and condemnation Beleeue him not nor feare him not hee is a lyer in his suggestions and weak in his power and though he doe perswade thee that thy sinnes are so great as cannot be pardoned in the bloud and by the merites of Iesus Christ beleeue the contrary for he himselfe knoweth and hath confessed Christ to be the Sauiour of the faithfull and he that shall finally condemne him and all vnbeleeuers Art thou come to torment vs before the time saith he foreshowing that there is a time appointed for his vtter condemnation at the last day Hee knoweth that Christ came to saue sinners and that without exception of any sinne the sinne against the holy Ghost excepted of which sinne hee is highly guilty and therefore neuer to be forgiuen Take vnto thy selfe therefore a spirituall courage and defie this reprobate lyer this malignant aduersary to his face and tell him in a liuely feeling of the spirit of God in a true and firme faith that thou beleeuest in Christ thy assured Redeemer and hee shall not onely not preuaile against thee but he shall flie from thee And for thy more strength put on the whole armour of God and he will buckle it vnto thee that armed Christ against this common and mortall aduersary who ouercame him and triumphed ouer him hee will arme thee so on all parts that thou shalt not feare to encounter him hand to hand as Christ did Thou shalt combate with him and conquer him as Dauid did Goliah and therefore yeeld not to his tentations feare not his suggestions Looke vp vnto Christ thy Sauiour though hee be in the heauens glorified and hath his Throne of glory there hee will yet be thy safe second here hee will be euer on thy side therefore if through frailty thou shouldest be in some measure foyled as it seemeth thou art be not discouraged he will enter the List for thee and in thy behalfe And as soone as that infernall Champion doth but obserue that thou art seconded by him that hath alreadie conquered him he will not abide the field he will flye and forsake any further pursuit of thee Yet remember that this enemie will seeke and spie all occasions to take thee at any aduantage and will marke whereunto thou art still enclined and according to thy coÌ„mon course of siuning hee will feede thee with occasions to moue thee to offend thy louing God
that hath bene the principall instigator of me to sin and now the chiefe accuser of me for sinne and thinketh that he had and hath such a share in me throgh my former often consenting vnto his inticements that thou my God were not able to take me out of his hands But now holy heauenly and mercifull Father in Iesus Christ through thy grace vndeseruedly working in me I haue found him a deceiuer an imposter an enemye who hath done what lyeth in him to worke my ruyne by my rebelliō against thee throgh his continuall tentations vsing all his impious Instruments to deceiue me the pleasures of the world the lust of mine own flesh which hath bin euer prone to be allured by him And I wretched creature blind in all good thinges neuer obserued what a dangerous course of life I haue to this day walked in vntill now Now deere Father as it hath pleased thee of thine owne free mercie to open the eyes of my sinning soule to see that I haue lōg erred and that all that I haue hetherto done hath bene euill So now seeing mine owne wicked deseruings giue me power to repent me for all my sinns Reforme me O gracious Father reforme mee and by thy grace ease and comfort my grieued hart through the powerfull and effectuall working of thy spirit henceforth in mee that now at the last I may taste of thy goodnesse and rich mercy in Iesus Christ Though I haue nothing in my selfe to moue thee to haue compassion vpon me yet remember that I haue a deseruing and a preuailing Aduocate with thee whose merites may moue thee and his mediation preuaile with thee for me And therfore I haue hope that I shall be pertaker of his all sufficient satisfaction made for all sinners among whome I cannot but acknowledge my selfe the greatest and least deseruing thy fauour O my God I feele my miserable estate I acknowledge the grieuousnesse of my sinnes and that for them thou mayest iustly condemne me but that I haue learned by thine own promises that there is mercie with thee that thou delightest not in the condemnation of a sinner but rather that hee should repent and turne vnto thee and liue Lord haue mercie vpon me haue mercy vpon me for I am weake I feele a burthen of my sinnes that presseth me downe and nothing can raise me but thy mercies in Iesus Christ. O giue me a liuely faith that I may apply the preuailing merites of that sacred Lambe crucified for all beleeuers to the washing away of all my sinnes and to the ease of my guilty conscience heauily burthened therewith so shall my poore afflicted and distressed soule be refreshed my heart now grosly defiled shall be made cleane mine affections now altogether ranging after vnholy things shall be changed into perfect obedience vnto thee and Sathan that hath long and maliciously pursued me with his most violent tentations shal◠flye at the presence of thy holy spirit in me and all my thoughts imaginations desires words and workes shall be sanctified and made holy by the same Spirit O hide not therefore gracious Father hide not from me thy louing countenance but turne away thy face from my sinnes blot out all mine offences out of thy remembrance create in me a cleane heart restore to mee the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free spirit and let me neuer returne again to my former slauery of sinne and I shall offer vnto thee the vnfayned sacrifice of praise for thine vnspeakeable mercies All honour glory to Christ my Redeemer and to the holy Ghost the obedience of mine vnfayned heart for that he assureth mee of all these incomprehensible blessings Amen Lord euer more and more encrease my faith Comfort for the sicke THe miserable estate of a man perplexed in conscience for his sinnes is the greatest affliction that can befall a man in this life which is the sicknesse of the soule for a wounded conscience who can beare And next to it there is not a greater then is the extremitie of the sicknesse of the body and therefore neede these two sicknesses aboue all other crosses to be especially sought to be eased the first with spirituall the next both with spirituall and corporall comfort They are Twinns borne together and liue together though the one by inspiration the other by propagation And therefore if the soule be diseased the body can not though it may seeme contrary be in perfect health It will shew apparent tokens of the sicknesse of the minde and if the body be ouermuch tormented with the grieuousnesse of sicknesse the soule cannot but feele through a mutuall loue which is between the soule and the body a kinde of griefe and sorrow I will therefore apply vnto thee whome I see to be cast downe by thy bodies infirmity the counsell comforts which may first ease thee of thy inward feares and troubles for it can not be but that Sathan that auncient enemie of al mankinde hath beene busie in the time of thy health to draw thee to sin that by sinne thou mightest offend God that by offending God thou mightest be reiected of him and now finding thee visited by the hand of God with grieuous sicknesse fore-showing either the speedie approaching of death or a gentle forewarning thereof hee cannot be lesse watchfull and diligent in this thine extremity nay farre more then hee was in thy most healthfull estate to trouble thee for when thou wert healthfull and strong thou couldest nor but be by the corruption of thy owne nature proane to sinne And this common enemie of mans saluation worketh vpon our corruption and our ablenesse to sinne And when hee findeth vs most weake in our bodies and our sences and powres labouring against the violence of our infirmities then he commeth and presenteth vnto our guilty consciences the sinnes which he before prouoked vs to commit In the sicknesse of the body hee findeth fit oportunity to trouble vs for although hee knoweth not the time which God reserueth in his owne wisedome and power when any man shall dye yet when sicknesse comes he knowes it is the fore-runner of death and therefore hee knoweth that then or neuer hee must imploy all his Engines and batteries or else for euer rest frustrate of any hope to preuaile And therefore he will solicite thee now to distrust in the mercies of God in Christ and will suggest vnto thee that now thou seest and feelest that GOD is displeased with thee and that hee hath no delight in thee as if thou were his he would haue hee would not torment thee as hee doth and that thou were as good to cast off all thy hope in him as to deceiue thy selfe vainely trusting that hee will yet shew thee any mercy or louing countenance These fearefull assaults it cannot be but thou dost or mayest endure at this thy capitall enemies hands if thou be in deede the true childe of God for
if thou were one whom Sathan had in his owne power hee would permit thee to rest quietly he would not disturbe thee but finding thee to be inwardly enclined to seeke the Lord praying for pardon in his Sonnes merites which hee cannot endure without roaring and raging against thee suspecting that he hath lost thee now altogether though thou were somtimes something seruiceable or rather according to naturall corruption slauâ—shly enclined to his workes of darknesse before the Lord in fauour visited thee with his fatherly corrections to reclayme thee from Sathan and sinne to make thee his obedient Sonne and the more thou declinest from him and his tentations and the more thou louest and enclinest to serue God with a pure heart the more will hee euer seeke to molest thee and if it were possible to driue thee to dispaire But feare not whatsoeuer he shall obiect against thee or lay vnto thy charge though when he seeth thee weakest hee will trie his strength against thee most Beleeue that when thou art weakest God is strongest for thee and Sathan though hee dare to tempt the dearest children of God as he did Christ himselfe yet he trembleth when he seeth Christ with his holy Spirit assisting thee and by his merites layd hold on by a liuely faith comforting thee feare him not therefore but encline thine heart vnto God and know that this thy sicknesse hath not fallen vpon thee by chance or by Sathans malice It came euen by Gods meere prouidence in loue to correct thee here in the flesh to call thee home vnto him that thou perish not with them whom Sathan hath subdued that haue not walked in the feare of the Lord whome Gods louing corrections could not reforme A greater mercy of God can not be obserued then to draw a sinner out of the power and slauery of sinne and Sathan by a gentle hand to make him hiâ— owne Coheire with Iesus Christ his Sonne and it is the end of this his correcting thee Repent thee therefore of thy former sinnes and beleeue sted fastly that in and through the bloud and merits of Christ thou shalt assuredly be saued and so shalt thou finde that this enemie of thine will giue ouer further to pursue thee As touching the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes how haynous so euer they be in quality or how many so euer in number they shall not be imputed vnto thee Thou hast beene already taught that all afflictions of whatsoeuer kinde doe proceed and are inflicted vpon vs for sinne and especially for the neglect of hearing the word of God and practising what it teacheth And yet not alwayes simply for sinne but sometimes that the glory of God may the more appeare especially in healing the sicke Lazarus dyed and yet Christ said that his sicknesse was not vnto death not so vnto death but that hee knew hee could and would raise him againe though hee were foure dayes dead and buried And therefore was his sicknesse and death onely that the glory of God might be seene by raising of him and the faith of his Disciples be the more confirmed but we must impute our sicknesses and all other crosses as layde vpon vs for our sinnes and learne by the example of good Hezekias to turne our selues vnto God and to mourn not so much for our sicknesse as for our sinnes Thou therefore that art thus afflicted in body and no doubt in minde also repayre vnto God in liuely faithfull and earnest prayer aboue all things for the pardon of thy sinnes for prayer if it be feruent is the most euident argument that thou art the childe of God and preuaileth much for where true saith is there necessarily followeth true repentance faith and repentance for sinne and offending God are inseperable And if thy repentance be serious it will either produce outward teares or inward griefe for your sinnes though teares be not alwayes ready not verball prayers powerfull especially in a sick man whose powres are commonly so shaken with the force of the disease as griefe of the heart can hardly wrest teares from the eyes or words from the lips yet with God it shall be accepted both sufficient prayers and preuailing teares if thou finde such griefe in thy heart for thy sinnes and such a desire to be reconciled vnto God in Christ as may but moue inward and silent sighes vnto God who respecteth more the holy disposition of the heart then any outward action or gesture of the body it shall bee sufficient though some outward showe of faith and repentance be necessary for the satisfaction of such as visite a sicke person if he can but showe it by the tongue in speaking though weakely confessing his sinnes lifting vp his hands or eyes it may argue the inward heart wel prepared and that hee wanteth not the spirit of God And therefore if your sicknesse be so violent as that you cannot showe verball tokens of the working of Gods spirit in you whereby they that come to visite you cannot witnesse for you your sorrow by your outward coÌ„fession It is enough that God knoweth it by your inward true sorrow of heart It was enough that God saw that good King Hezekiah in his sicknesse inwardly bewayling his sinnes though hee could not with plaine termes vocally and with fluent words as hee was wont but inwardly to mourne like a Doue and to chatter like a Crane very weakely and obscurely yet God vnderstoode him and accepted his weake vtterance as a most earnest and effectuall prayer So that if it come to passe that thy weakenesse become such as thou canst not vocally and verbally pray as by thy sicknesse it may come to passe though thou be in present perfect memory thy heart though neuer so faint may yet haue a feeling of Gods mercies and may shew it selfe powerfull to God though it seeme weake vnto men for God is absolute in vnderstanding can and doth conceiue the meaning of thy heart farre better then in thy best strength thou canst thy selfe vnderstand it As for thy present sick estate thou must not be carelesse of it but after prayer for pardoÌ„ of thy sinnes thou mayest craue restitution of thy bodily health if God who can restore it thinke it fitter for thee then death and thou art not only not forbidden but commaunded to seeke the lawfull helpe of the Physician prouided that thou depend not so vpon the Art of the Phisician as to exempt and neglect thy prayer to God for a blessing vpon it for if God giue not a Diuine working vnto the physick howsoeuer it may seeme to worke it may helpe one part and hurt another A cluster of Figges healed Hezekiah and the washing in Iordan the Leaper yet neither the Figges nor the water of their owne nature cured their diseases it was God gaue the vertue to both and therefore whether thine infirmitie be inward or outward with the meanes vse prayer that God may giue
a blessing Beware thou seeke not to the reputed cunning men and women who are supposed to heale by their Charmes and Spels who if they preuaile in any cure it is by the permission of God by the deuill The surest remedie is to haue thy recourse to God and not to Baalzâ—bâ—b as Ahaziah who dyed the death for running to Witches and Wizards the limbs of the deuill but put thy trust in the all-sufficient God alone vsing such lawfull meanes as hee hath appointed both for the ease of thy soule and health of thy body and then recommend the issue to him with godly patience committing thy will to his will If he restore thee to thy former health be thou thankfull to him and let thy thankfulnes appeare by a new and godly course of life and true obedience If he haue otherwise determined of thee namely to call thee out of this miserable mortall life reioyce and be glad for thy soule now sicke in sin shall suddainly receiue a new and glorious life thy body now oppressed with griefe shall be at rest though it perish and rot in the graue it shall rise againe and meete the soule and be thereunto again vnited with farre greater glory then thy hart can thinke In the meane time seeke or thinke of nothing but of the things that are aboue and endeuour to haue thy heart thine vnderstanding thoughts and affections so qualified and the Lampe of faith in the merits of Christ so liuely enlightned that thou mayest ioyfully meet the Bridegrome Christ in soule and body when hee shall appeare in the cloudes in glory and maiestie to giue euery man according to his works Be not afraide therefore of Death it is but the seperation of the soule now as in a prison from the body which is but a carkasse full of naturall infirmities which the soule possesseth for a little time fraught onely with miseries with griefe and feare which being dissolued shall bring end to all thy cares dangers feares miseries and afflictions and bring thee to the Paradise of God where thou shalt feele no more of these vnsauourie things of the flesh for the Lord will transforme this thy vile base and corrupt body and make it like vnto his most glorious body Then shalt thou be no more subiect to sinne or sicknesse no aduersity nor anguish shall afflict thee no enemies shall trouble thee no slanders disgrace thee And where thou art here mortall subiect to all the former euils thou shalt be there immortall The face of God which is the fountaine of light shall there shine vpon thee and no darknesse shall ouershadow thee all perfection of ioy glory and gladnesse thou shalt finde there and be so plentifully filled with the contemplation of the aboundance of those heauenly pleasures that you will or can delight in nothing but in the beholding of the most glorious face of Iesus Christ and onely delight in the association of that heauenly company which ioyes if thou truly knewest here as thou shalt enioy them there Thou wouldest be content rather to endure a thousand deaths then to be depriued of them Prepare thy selfe therefore with all diuine furniture with faith hope loue and all other holy and heauenly affections to goe the way of all flesh Lay willingly downe thy carnall part in the graue to become dust whereof it was made and commend thy soule into the hands of God that gaue it and of Iesus Christ who redeemed it And according to the counsell that God gaue to Hezekiah set thy house in order And aboue this thy corporaâ—l habitation set thy soule in order and as much as in thee lyeth haue peace with all men Depart in the loue of and to thine enemies And as farre as the possibilitie of thy earthlie substance will extend owe nothing to any man when thou departest hence but loue and thinke not much neither let it grieue or trouble thy minde to leaue thy worldly wealth which was but lent thee thy father mother wife children lands possessions siluer gold and the things that haue beene or are most deare vnto thee to hasten to this heauenlie habitation where eternall glorie shall bee thy wealth the eternall God thy Father Iesus Christ thy brother all the Saints and Angels and all the holie and most glorious heauenlie companie shall bee far more comfortable vnto thee then all the former who were both mortall and inconstant And in steede of the base and vncertaine possessions in the earth thou shalt possesse a Kingdome for euer In steede of thy gold and siluer and thy most precious Iewels thou here for a moment enioyest thou shalt enhabite a Citie whose walls are gold garnished with all maner of precious stones farre excelling the rarest and richest that euer the earth yeilded whose beauty and excellencie the tongue of man no not of an Angell can truly expresse to our apprehension But shadowed out vnto vs vnder these most precious ornaments incomprehensible Should any carnall consideration therfore hinder thee from a willing minde to change this thy mortall and miserable life as short as euill for a life so glorious and permanent The longer thou continuest here the more cause thou hast to desire to be dissolued for that thou here doest augment daily thy sinnes and euery day brings new griefe Prepare thy selfe therefore without delay make thee readie that when GOD shall call thee thou mayest be willing to goe And for thy better preparation vse prayer often in a liuely faith and if thine infirmitie will permit thee vse this prayer following or any other godly prayer with holy meditation to season thy soule through the holy Ghost commending thy spirit vnto God in Iesus Christ. A Prayer to be often said of a sicke man or woman O Lord my GOD and my most louing and mercifull Father in thy beloued Sonne Iesus Christ I thy most vnworthy creature heauie laden with the burthen of my manifold and grieuous sinnes much oppressed with the infirmity and sicknesse which thou hast iustly inflicted vpon my corrupt and weake body doe humbly pray thee to pardon my sinnes and giue me patience to beare this thy gentle correction in which I doe heartily submit my selfe vnto thy heauenly will whether it be thy pleasure to permit me yet a little while to enioy the health of my body to serue thee or to take my soule out of the lothsome prison of my sinfull carkasse into thine owne hands where I know it shall be safe and not perish And therefore Lord giue me a godly contented minde to suffer my body to returne vnto the earth from whence it was taken there to rest vntill it shall please thee to raise it againe at the last resurrection and to make it of a mortall an immortall and of a corruptible to make it a perfectly glorious body In the meane time O Lord I doe beseech thee to fortifie and strengthen my soule against all
tentations that I may be able to resist whatsoeuer assaults of the deuill and his Ministers As for mine owne power alas it is euen weakenes it selfe but my hope and strength is of thee I can alledge nothing neither canst thou finde any thing in mee either woorthie or acceptable whereby I might haue hope either to haue my sinnes forgiuen me or to be released or eased of my sicknesse or to be restored to my former health or strength yet I haue hope O Lord that thou in mercie wilt pardon my sinnes in the merites of my Redeemer and that for his sake thou wilt either restore me to health or speedily to end this my grieuous infirmity which if for the grieuousnesse of my sinnes thou thinke sit to lay yet more heauily vpon me strengthen me so much the more with perfect faith and godly patience that I may beare it that the apprehension of death which is something terrible to flesh and bloud daunt me not But that I may rest assured that thou thus rebukest mee not in thine anger nor that thou chastisest me in thy heauie displeasure but rather of thy loue which is better vnto me then life O Father what shall I render vnto thee for all thy benefits for they haue bin infinite towards me And euen this thy fatherly correction I acknowledge not the least for hereby Lord I finde thy gracious purpose to be to reclayme me from my wonted sinnes which without thy mercy cannot but procure not the death of my body only but of my soule also so dearely redeemed by the bloud of thy dearest Son O strengthen Lord strengthen my faith that I may now at the last take such firme assured holde of the merites of Iesus Christ that all my sinnes and vngodly deseruings may be couered and that his righteousnesse may be imputed vnto me I doe confesse O Lord to my shame and griefe that before thou diddest correct me I went awry I followed too much the desires of my corrupt hart But now Lord I doe heartily repent me that euer I offended thee but if it be thy gracious good wil and pleasure and if in thy wisdome thou thinke it fit to restore mee to my former health which I humbly leaue vnto thee I shall endeuour by thy grace to walke more warily and shunne the enticements that haue seduced me and the allurements of Sathan that haue deceiued mee But if thou haue determined this my sicknesse to be my last and finall trouble I shall most heartily embrace it with a longing expectation for the time of my dissolution And when the time commeth accept it with a ioyfull and glad heart and that I may be the more truly and readily prepared at the instant of the departure of my soule from my body wash me throughly and make me cleane that I may appeare before thee in the immaculate roabes of Christs righteousnes and not in mine owne polluted garments of corruption That I may heare that most sweet and comfortable voyce of my Redeemer Come thou blessed of my Father enter into and possesse the ioyes prepared for thee from the beginning of the world which grant gracious Lord God for Iesus Christes sake to whom with thee and the holie Ghost be all honor praise and glory for euer O Lord encrease and euermore and more strengthen my faith and fill my heart with vnfained godly desire to be speedily dissolued that I may liue with thee in heauen Amen A Prayer to be said for a sicke man or woman of faithfull friends that come to visite him or her LOrd God Almighty and Father of incomprehensible mercy we here assembled before thy Maiestie in the name of thy most beloued Son Iesus Christ are bold to present our humble petitions vnto thee in the behalfe of this sicke person lying heere visited with sicknes which thou mightest iustly haue laide and inflicted vpon any of vs as great sinners and haue spared him or her but such hath been thy mercy hetherunto towards vs as to afford vs health expecting the time wherein we cannot auoyde but must taste of the same cup. We acknowledge Lord that thou neuer sendest this or any other crosse or affliction to any no not to such as thou louest best but the end therof though bitter for the time to flesh and bloud is happinesse yet doest thou iustly whatsoeuer thou doest and we acknowledge that sinne is the cause of all thy fatherly visitations And forasmuch as it cannot bee but that this sicke party is oppressed in the weakenes of his body by the strong tentations of that common enemie Sathan who endeuoureth so to lay his sinnes to his charge whereof no man is free that if it were possible he might so farre feare him with thy seuere Iustice for the same as that he might despaire of thy mercies and consequently of his owne saluation Wherefore wee thy weake seruants here assembled doe humbly and hartily pray thee to abandon and abolish that infernall Serpent that his false suggestions creepe not into the heart of this sicke party but arme him or her so with a liuely faith that thy holy Spirit may so possesse his soule that the enemie may finde no place for his tentations Besprinkle his heart so with the meritorious bloud of thy Sonne that the deuill seeing and obseruing a stronger then himselfe to possesse the house of his soule he may be enforced to flie and no further to pursue him Cause Lord that some tokens may appeare in this sick person that his soule and conscience are quieted by the presence of the holy Ghost in him whereby we thy most humble suppliants may receiue some comfort in the fruit of our prayers for him And as touching his sicknes we submit our desires to thine owne will yet if thy good pleasure be so as to restore him to the former health which wee in his behalfe entreate thee to the end that hee and we may glorifie thee for thy great mercie in healing him and that he by this thy fatherly correction may learne to liue the residue of the time that he shall here enioy in new and more perfect obedience But if otherwise thou be pleased to dispose of him namely to take him out of this mortall-life giue him wee humbly pray thee an vnderstanding heart to know and to consider his mortality and the glory to come a sound minde perfect memory with a feeling faith patience and obedience that without feare with cheerefull alacrity hee may surrender his soule vnto thee Receiue it good Father as the soule of an Elect Saint and send his body which must rest and remaine in the earth vntill the generall rising againe of the dead a most ioyfull resurrection that he may then enioy the full perfection of glory with thee both in soule and body which we humbly pray thee in the name of Iesus Christ graciously to graunt and that it would please thee to come quickly and finish the worke which thou hast begun
come and bee receiued I may pray and be heard I may aske and receiue what I want heare him O Lord for me and in my behalfe he is my Mediator and whome thou so dearely louest as thou hast promised to deny mee nothing for which he asketh of thee for me and who is not ignorant of this worlds miseries hee was Patient in suffering as a man and now though exalted to the Throne of glorie he despiseth not those that suffer here as hee suffered therefore Lord for his merits sake heare me mitigate my miserie supply my necessities raise mee out of the 〈…〉 worlds disgrac◠〈◊〉 out of the 〈◊〉 of miserie wherein I sticke â—â—st Lord confirme my faith in thee open the eyes of my dull apprehension of thy power and prouidence showe me the well of liuely releefe as thou didst the spring of releeuing water to miserable Hagar that I may be refreshed with the Cuppe of thy saluation and may rightly vse such meanes for my releefe as in thy wisedome thou shalt raise vp and prouide for mee and giue mee grace that I abuse not thy guifts but to vse them to thy glory so shall they bee to my comfort Giue a blessing to all my labours and godly endeauours and that in the feare of thy great name I may liue in perfect obedience that prospering I may praise thee and in my hardest estate be patient recommending my selfe and it to thy gratious and fatherly prouidence vnto the end Amen O Lord increase my faith Generall counsell and comfort for men imprisoned IMprisonment is the depriuation of humane libertie and befalleth vpon men commonly that haue before abused their freedome for it is the nature of humane frailtie to runne and raâ—â—ge after pleasures and carnall delights hauing the raines of the bridle of libertie loose nothing to curbe it It attempteth many vnlawfull actions against the lawes of God and men to fulfill corrupt desires and licencious appetites Therefore doth God as a louing father curbe the bit of their corrupt wills to keepe them in obedience finding no other meanes auailable to make them to knowe themselues though hee is able to take away the strength and vse of all their sinning parts and to make them vnable to followe or performe their impious inclinations but he dealeth more fauourably with men then they can deserue by their restraint A father louing his vngodly and disobedient child if he cannot otherwise tame and reforme him by counsell and gentle corrections but that he wil still run into forbidden wayes dangerous and vngodly courses he findeth at the last no other preuailing remedie but to take him fetter him restraining him by force from his impious course of life yet in loue So doth our louing and heauenly father after tryall of such as he loueth by counsell by instruction and holy documents out of his word many times by gentle corrections fatherly chastisements which not preuailing to their reformation hee vseth this restraining meanes he depriueth them of their libertie by imprisonment from whence they cannot at their pleasures runne out after their former vngodly delights and accustomed vanities onely to learne them to liue within the more compasse of obedience and to bring their corrupt mindes wills and affections into some better order and when hee hath sufficiently tryed them he lets them goe free And therefore consider whosoeuer thou art that art thus restrained that thou maist haue if thou be any way inclined to feare and serue God farre more time and libertie to performe many godly duties more and more freely in this place of restraint then when thou hadst thy libertie there thou maist ruminate and examine thy selfe of the abuses of thy former freedome wherein thou didst many wayes offend God and transgresse the Lawes of thy Soueraigne which in this place thou canst not so freely doe but rather thou maist here meditate of better things howsoeuer thy desire may bee corrupt by nature and haue a longing desire to be at libertie to fulfill thy former delights as the Children of Israell longed and looked back to the Onyons gowrdes flesh-pots of Egypt being freed from greater captiuity then thou indurest here The least restraint that a naturall man hath that loues the delights of the world and his fleshly pleasures is as death to be preuented of them If he haue but the Goâ—te or any other impediment of any part of his body which disableth him to follow or performe his former vanities he longeth to bee eased that hee may renewe his sinnes by accompanying his former associates in the delights wherein they mutually were wont to spende pretious time in the large and delightsome field of this world where are as many occasions tentations allurements prouocations to miscary the thoughts as the Eye can see the Eare heare or any of the Sences obserue all tending in carnally minded men to the offending of God and if a man haue not the speciall gift of sobrietie continence teÌ„perance the libertie and freedome of this deceiuing world the corrupt inclinations of the flesh cannot but seduce him though hee bee in part of some good inclination yet here hee shall finde a secret Satan his publick prompters to miscary him Thou therefore that art thus restrained and limited within the walles beyond which thou canst not goe thy minde is yet at libertie if it be seasoned with vertue faith in and obedience to God thou maist send forth thy prayers which are not lockt in which cannot but returne with greater comfort then thou didst enioy when thou wert at large But if it be tainted and infected with vnholy thoughts and desires though they raunge abroade to Tauernes Theaters and other prophane places where thy heart directeth them they returne no good but euill vnto thee and if thou finde thy selfe still inclinable to vanities here thou maist learne according to the condition of some of thy fellowe-prisoners to be more vaine but abandon their societie and seeke the company of and conuerse with them of thy fellowes that feare God for it cannot be that a prison which should bee as a schoole of vertue though too much fraught with many vicious should be altogether destitute of some fearing God and of whom thou maist either learne good or to whom thou maist doe good It is lamentable to see and grieuous to consider that the Prison being a place intended for correction of men offending God and the Lawes of men should not onely not be bettered by their restraint but are many times founde to be worse conditioned at their comming out then before they were committed which doth argue them so impious as they feare not God nor reuerence man they haue no feeling of their sinnes which caused their restraint but in steed of sorrow for their sinnes they indeauour there to learne the sinnes wherewith they were little acquainted before these are men past feeling of their euill deseruings they conceiue
not that God corrects them in this place for their sinnes and that the Maiestrate punisheth them for their offences but in steed of acknowledging their faultes they seeke to cleere themselues by the malice of some enemie some false accuser some cruell creditor when indeede their owne sinnes haue beene the cause of their restraint And therefore such as feare God will take it as a fatherly correction and attribute it to the loue of God that by this meanes seeketh their reformation and saluation Submit thy selfe therefore vnto his will and doe not think that this befalls thee by chance or through the malice of an enemie or the hardnesse of the heart of a Creditor If an enemie haue accused thee or a Creditor arrested thee thinke they were but Gods Ministers though peraduenture thou bee not guiltie of the thing for which thou art accused and imprisoned yet remember what thou hast formerly done for God many times punisheth a man and that seuerely for a sinne formerly committed and long concealed vpon an accusation whereof the Partie is not guiltie yet being guiltie of a former hainous crime that deserueth like punishment the Lord is not vniust to punish him how and by what meanes soeuer God is prouoked by sinne to inflict the least correction vpon man and as there is no man but he is a sinner so there is no man is free from one crosse or affliction or other to put him in minde that God is displeased with his sinne and yet he permitteth some men to runne on long euen to their last gaspe free from any seene crosse or calamitie but these not the happiest men for whom soeuer God chasteneth not here hee reserueth for them a more seuere punishment in the end a prison farre exceeding any worldly restraint for he that is in this world a prisoner is at length deliuered liuing or dead but from that future is no time limited or permitted to be freed through all eterniâ—ies Thinke not therefore this easie restraint grieuous whereof so good vse is to be made for by this thou maist learne if a temporall and momentanie imprisonment be so loathsome and irckesome vnto thee where thou hast yet some though small libertie what will that bee where thou shalt haue no freedome no intermission of torment and horror besides thou hast here some companions and friendly fellow-prisoners whose company thou maist frequent to thy comfort but the companions which they shall there finde are hideous fearefull such as haue no other qualitie but to torment and suffer and be tormented Know therefore that God in his singular prouidence and loue restraineth thee here a prisoner that thou shouldest here learne to auoid that which is prepared for the rebellious and obstinate wicked ones hereafter For if thou reforme thee not being restrained and become obediente what may be thought of thee being at libertie But vsing thy restraint as thou maist oughtest thou art in farre better case then are many Libertines Heere thou maist read the worde and meditate thereon heere thou maist pray and excercise holy duties without such varietie of occasions as the freedom of the world affordeth to distract thee Yet I would not that I should be vnderstood that because corporall restraint is a meanes to haue the minde at libertie when the body is in Prison that any man should wilfully occasion or voluntarily seeke his owne restraint but rather that being thus restrayned to consider duly the cause why you are restrayned for the cause much importeth the ioye or griefe the hope or feare of a Prisoner Pharaohs Baker and Butler were both in Prison the one hanged the other restored to his Office yet both deserued Imprisonment for offending their Maister But Ioseph and Iohn Baptist were Imprisond the one through the false accusasion of his vnchaste Mistresse the other through enuye in telling Herod of his Incest The first had his freedome made Cheef vnder Pharaoh in Egypte the other lost his head to please a Whore There are many causes of imprisonement and many causelesse imprisoned and both haue cause to reioyce the first that God in his fauour calles him to knowe himselfe by the consideration of his offence for which hee is committed the other may the more reioyce that he is punished being an innocent as was Michaiah the Prophet of God who was cast into prison for telling Iehosaphat and Ahab that they should not prosper in fighting against the King of Siriah The deerest children of God haue suffered imprisonment for diuers causes especially for speaking the truth from God as Paul Peter c. whose imprisonments tended to their euerlasting freedome for to suffer for righteousnesse sake is a blessed thing but to suffer as an euill doer hath no promise of inward comfort or outward releefe especially if he continue impenitent for the euill he hath done yet all hope is not taken from a sinner who for the offending of the Lawes of God or men is imprisoned especially if he truely repent and with a liuely faith returne vnto God were he as guiltie as the Theefe vpon the Crosse who from the prison was brought to the Crosse at the Crosse to Christ and from the Crosse to Paradice with Christ. It behoueth therefore to consider the cause of thine imprisonment for as there are seuerall causes so are there seuerall councelles and comforts to be applyed If thou haue offended the Lawes of thy Soueraigne which may be done by diuers forbidden actions deseruing death or some other seuere punishment as treasons rebellion murther theftes and the like Some againe are punished for debte for slandering their neighbours or doing such iniuries against them as the Lawe of man grounded vpon the Law of God hath power to punish with imprisonement in all which is required Patience to beare it prayer in faith to God to be eased with true hearty acknowledgement of thy fault to God against whome euery sinne is committed and to seeke reconciliation with the partie offended so shall restraint for what cause soeuer become the more easie to bee borne And first I will touche the most capitall and most hainous offences such as if thou haue committed or any of them and bee restrained for them there remaineth for thee in the seueritie of Iustice nothing but the expectation of the censure and Sentence of death and therefore fit for thee to learne how to prepare thee that though thy body perish thy soule may be saued Against Treason for which a man is worthily imprisoned ABoue all other sinnes that can be committed against the Lawe of man there is none so great so grieuous capitall hainous as is Treason against the person of a Soueraigne of whome no man ought to moue his tong no not in his most priuate chamber but to what may tende to the welwishing of his welfare and prosperitie much lesse ought any man to moue his hand
at the iust proceeding of the Magistrate whose Lawes I haue offended nor against them by whome I was found guiltie nor against the Iudge by whose Sentence I am condemned for they are all thy Ministers O Lord and haue done nothing but what thy good pleasure is they should doe And therefore I impute vnto thee O Lord all equitie Iustice and righteousnesse to my selfe nothing but sinne shame confusion O God though thy Iustice requite that sinners should here be punished yet thou reseruest mercie to them that are sorie that they haue offended thee I am sorie O Lord I am sorie that I haue committed the least sinne against thee but this grieuous sinne for which I am inforced to suffer I lament and repent more then death it selfe because I haue thereby dishonoured thee wronged those to whome I rather should haue done my best dutie I haue caused others to sinne by the example of my sinne and haue inticed them that otherwise might haue liued without the danger I haue drawne them into so that I may be said to be guiltie not onely of mine owne blood but of theirs also that haue sinned by my meanes or with mee and deserue like punishment O Lord remember that all men are sinners and there are great and crying sinnes and there are sinnes of infirmitie but Lord the sinnes that I haue committed haue cryed and thou hast heard them they cryed vnto thee for this punishment which thou hast determined iustly to be inflicted vpon me and as the censure is already past vpon me which I cannot auoid so doe I expect the time beseeching thee in the aboundance of thy mercies to giue me constancie to perseuere in a liuely faith vnto the end If my lot Lord be vntimely death and that I see I must suffer for the guilt of my trangressions here let me finde fauour with thee as that Theefe did who suffered for his sinnes and was receiued into Paradice not of desert but of thy free mercie O deale not with me Lord after my merit for then the death of my body or what soeuer corporall punishment were no satisfaction to thy Iustice Haue mercie therefore vpon me O Lord and what course soeuer man taketh with my body receiue thou my soule into thine eternall Paradice My heart is prepared O God my heart is prepared and into thy hands Lord I commend my body to be punished and my soule to be glorified in the merits of Iesus Christ my Redeemer Amen O Lord encrease my faith and confirme it to the end For such as are imprisoned for debte THe Law of equitie which is the Lawe of God requireth that a man should owe nothing to man but loue and good will which is hard at all times for the most of men to performe there must bee as there euer hath bin lending borrowing buying and selling Debitor and Creditor some debters would but cannot paye some haue wherewith will not paye the first may be pityed the other exacted For the same Lawe of equitie giueth lawfull power to a Creditor vpon conuiction to cast him into prison and there to detaine him till he paye it Many thinke that what is lent them is as if they found it making no reckoning to repaye it and so in steed of satisfaction and thankes they bring griefe vnto the Lender But in the same Chapter ver 3. men are aduised that haue occasion to borrowe to keepe their word to deale faithfully and kindely with the Lender so shall their necessities bee alwayes releeued But Men of euill conscience as is there further said standing in neede of another mans helpe will kisse their hand and humble themselues vntill they haue gotten what they desire and when they should repay it they prolonge the time and giue a carelesse answer and though they bee able yet scarse giue the halfe againe or deceiue him of his mony and insteed of thankefulnes and loue they giue him curses rebuke euill words for the good hee hath done them And this is the cōmon course of politicke and wilfull Banckeruptes and euill disposed persons that get what they can into their hands of others mens goods and either voluntarily take shelter in one prison or another intending a forceable moderation and qualification of their debts or else conuey away their goods and estates secretly and fleeth the Country intending to pay nothing at all though their estates be able to discharge their debtes and to leaue competent meanes of the rest to maintaine and releeue themselues by which sinister and too common a dishonest practise many haue vniustly inriched themselues But such fraudulent getting goods come little short of if it equalize not meere roberie though for a while they may smile at and reioyce in their impious pollicie If thou therfore haue or intende thus subtillie to defraude thy Creditors hauing sufficient to satisfie them and in the meane time sufferest thy Creditors to want who peraduenture haue as much need as thy selfe there is not onely no pitie to be had of thine imprisonment but fit a more seuere punishment were inflicted vpon thee especially if thou be of the number of them that will rather spend that in prison or in standing out in Lawe to defraude a Creditor knowing that in equitie it is due then with the same money to make him honest satisfaction or in part But if thy debt haue grown by meere necessitie of borrowing and thou at the time of receiuing it hadst a true sincere and godly purpose to repaye it by probable expected meanes and in the meane time some crosse by the finger of God hath befallen thee whereby thou art indeed preuented of thy true meaning of the performance of thy faithfull promise thou art to bee excused in thy breach and pityed in thine imprisonment not hauing conueniently wherewith to pay and if thy Creditor able to forbeare doe continue the hardnesse of his heart towards thee still detaining thee thinke it a fatherly chastisement vpon thee to inure Patience in thee wherein if thou submit thy selfe to Gods will in working for thee by faithfull prayer thy Patience shall produce the experience of the loue and fauour of God towards thee so shalt thou not need to bee so much ashamed of thine imprisonment as he may be iustly condemned that detaines thee thou maist reioyce seruing the Lord when he shall be sorie that hee dealt so vncharitablie with thee It behoueth thee yet to examine thy selfe and thy life past whether thou haue liued in the feare of God and in godly diligence in thy calling or whether thou hast past thy time in idlenesse in ryoting gaming and company keeping according to the course of too many in this corrupt age and hast beene compelled through thy deserued necessitie to supplie either thine owne vanities or thy poore family to borrow not knowing any meanes nor hauing a godly purpose to repay it if it be so and thy Creditors haue
Sauiour Christ and enioy the most amiable sight of him and the societie of the whole company of heauenly Angâ—ls and of thy fellow Martyrs gone before thee and be pertaker with him and them of that glorie that so farre passeth all humane apprehention here as cannot be conceiued or vttered O loose not this most blessed recompence for a little suffering but stand fast and Christ that before thee and for thee suffered infinite greater torments then thou canst suffer or that man can inflict vpon thee shall sende that comforter the holy Ghost to strengthen thee in thy greatest agonies and spirituall distractions he will stand by thee and will show thee his louing and amiable countenance as he did at the death of his faithfull Martyr St. Stephen Wherefore faint not flie not vnlesse thou without breach of thy faith maist auoide the daunger by the prouidence of God by flying from one place or Citie vnto another alwayes commending thy spirit vnto him that gaue it so where soeuer thou bee persecuted hee will receiue it and glorifie it and both thy soule and thy bodie shall be made eternally glorious when all men shall bee iudged according to their faith in Christ. This exhortation I doe confesse may be thought superfluous in this blessed time of peace and freedome of the Gospell for that Gods name be glorified there is neither seene felt or heard of any persecution among vs for the profession of the Gospell of Christ and let all men pray for the continuance of it and for the long life and preseruation of him a succeeding religious Dauid vnder whome by the mercy of God we at this day doe so freely enioy it They are the greatest blessings that God in earth can bestowe vpon vs the free vse of his word and a King so religiously inclined as it alreadie appeareth all his studie and endeauour is to further and to maintarne the true profession and preaching of the heauenly word which his most worthie and religious father left inuiolate Yet it may offende none that this exhortation which may seeme out of date is inserted among other troubles requiring patience for though our generall libertie be such that euery man at his libertie may freely professe the word and vse the meanes for the increase of his knowledge faith and zeale yet may there bee among so great a people of diuers opinions and practises of Religion some priuately oppressed scoffed at and mocked and it may be violently constrained to renounce the truth which in it selfe is a persecution who meclitating on this exhortation may peraduenture bee comforted nothing fearing but by the helpe and prouidence of God any alteration or change of that most holesome and heauenly doctrine which is here amongst vs freely taught and plentifully preached but shall be maintained and defended which God graunt it may be as long as the Sunne and Moone endureth A Prayer for a man persecuted for his faith and profession of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. OEternall mercifull powerfull and euer-louing Lord God in Iesus Christ the onely keeper Protector and maintainer of thy children that suffer here in the world for the true profession of the Gospell of Christ looke downe I humbly beseech thee and behold what man doth vnto me for thy name sake for thou hast assured those that sincerely professe that truth which thou hast taught in thy word in their sharpest and seuerest persecutions to bee either preserued and defended from their tyranny or to be so strengthened by thy grace that they shall be able to beare what soeuer they shall be inforced to suffer In hope and assurance of this thy mercie I reioyce that thou accountest me worthie to bee one though the simplest of the witnesses of the truth of thy word though I acknowledge my selfe to be weake and by mine owne strength vnable to beare what is laid vpon mee for thy sake But as thou hast promised Lord so let me feele the effectuall working of thy holy Spirit in giuing me wisedome to answere the aduersary patience and power constantly to vndergoe whatsoeuer thou shalt admit to bee laid vpon me for thou hast promised that no more shall bee imposed vpon me but by the strength of the same Spirit I shall be able to beare it euen vnto death for thy Christs sake If therefore deare father thou haue so determined that death shall be the end of my tryalls here giue me a willing minde to imbrace it and leaue mee not vnto mine owne power for the flesh is weake but thy Spirit shall ouercome the weakenesse of my carnall parts then shall my spirit and inward faith with patience passe ouer whatsoeuer torments of my outward body Thy presence shall be so sweet as shall swallow vp the sense of my bodies sufferings or so mitigate the same as I shall indure it with patience in hope and assurance of that future glorie promised in Christ prepared with thee in heauen My flesh is dust whereof all the limbes and lineaments of my body are made and as they are dust so I know in thine appointed time they shall againe returne to dust and that by the course of Nature but if thou haue decreed it vntimely to perish by suffering for the profession of thy name it shall bee but for a season and then be restored and my soule redeemed by his blood for whose sake through thy grace I shall bee ready to lay downe my life shall not perish but passe euen from the fire to felicitie from the Crosse to a Crowne from sorrow to ioye from the hands of malicious mortall men to the custodie of louing and eternall Angels O fortifie and strengthen me in the assurance of his merites for whose sake I suffer here which I confesse is nothing worthie of the glorie prepared for them that constantly suffer for the testimonie of a conscience cleare of vaine glorie in suffering yet is this suffering glorious to him whom thou makest truely godly for I confesse Lord it is not the suffering but the cause and mannet of suffering that make the man that suffers a true Martyr indeed The cause thou knowest O Lord is for that I truely and faithfully professe thy name graunt that I may suffer what thou hast determined in perfect patience and true humilitie and that I faint not at whatsoeuer punishment or affliction shall be presented to my weake heart to terrifie me from suffering for I know that thou art then neerest when all worldly comfort seemeth farthest off Let mee not therefore in thy cause bee affraid of the faces of men that set themselues against thee in me for it is not mee they persecute but Christ my Sauiour in me for what aduantage can they haue in taking from me a worme this my wretched life which if they spare it cannot long endure and what is my death O Lord vnto thee if they take it from mee but the weakest witnesse of thy truth the defence whereof
Psal. 51. Ver. 3. What confession wee must make Iam. 2. 10. Sorrow for sin a good beginning of true repentance yet not perfect without perseuerance in wel doing Sathans illusions 〈◊〉 4. 14. Not to beleeue Sathans suggestions Sâ—â— Iusiâ— Math. 8. 29 Sathan guilty of the sinne against the holy Ghost 1. Ioh. 4. 14. Iam. 4. 7. As Christ triumphed ouer Sathan so shal all beleeuers Euery faith full Christian combating with Sathan hath Christ his second Sathan noting whereunto man is enclined feedes him with occasions to offend Eph 2. We are neuer free from trials Sathan hath swift wings to follow and to tempt sinners Most worthy men haue beene guilty of great sins If there were no sinne there needed no Redeemer None can loue God but such as he loueth Christ is the truth the way and the life Pray God accepteth inward sighs for sinne Sicknes of the soule sicknes of the body great afflictions The soule and body feele one the others sicknesse Sathan in our health tempteth vs to sinne and in sicknesse presents it vnto vs. Sathan is most busie to tempt vs to distrust God when wee are neerest our death The true childe of GOD is most tempted of Sathan wherby he may know that sathan hath no share in him When wee are wâ—akest and Sathan busiest God in Christ is strongest for vs. God sheweth great fauour by drawing vs out of the power of Sathan by sicknesse Exo. 15. 26. The neglect of the word and seruice of GOD a great sin Ioh. 11. 4. 15. Prayer an argument of the child of God The effects of true repentance Fit signes of repentance in a sicke man A sick man may inwardly pray thogh standers by obserue it not Wee may pray for health in our sicknes and seek to the Physician so we depend not more vpon his â—rt theÌ„ vpon Gods blessing To abandoÌ„ cunning men and women so reputed 2. Kings How thankfulnesse should appeare vpon recouery Comfort against death Not to fear death for it frees vs from many troubles and brings vs many blessings How to prepare vs for death How to disâ—ose of worldly things before we die and how to leaue all The ioyes of heauen are inexpressible Why wee should desire to dye Pouerty and want a great affliction Riches and pouerty variable Easier to fall then to rise Riches and pouerty may both proceede of Gods mercie The ground of true prosperity The cause and meanes are to be examined how a man comes poore To get and ryotously to spend is idlenesse it selfe Idlenesse the cause of many sinnes God sends pouerty want to weane vs from sinne that fulnes procured Great difference betweene the rich gluttoÌ„ aud poore Lazarus God dealeth well with vs to take away the meanes that make vs proud Pouerty nor riches make men good or euill Pouerty to some better then riches Men iâ—dged happy and vnhappy according to their welth and want God iudgeth not according to the outward appearance Foode and cloathing a sufficient portion Superfluous foode and rayment haue vndone many God is ready to receiue a prodigall God neuer faileth the faithfull Math. 15. 33. 34. Math. 14. 17 Mar. 6. 38. God can satisfie his children with little Deut. 29. 5. It is a great dishonour to God to thinke he cannot doe now as he did of old for the reliefe of his Before corporall wee are to aske spirituall things Math. 6. 13. God as he was so he is and will be for euer Why God depriueth men of their libertie The Prison a place of libertie to serue God It is a death to a carnall man to bee preuented of his pleasures The minde may bee at libertie when the bodie is imprisoned Many are worse after then before they were imprisoned None is restrained of his liberrie but by Gods Prouidence though man may bee the meanes As all men are sinners so all men deserue câ—rrection If a corporall prison be irksome what may we thinke of the infernall God restraineth men here to giue theÌ„ libertie hereafter The cause of imprisonment is to bee considered Gen. 39. 14 Math. 13. 4. He that is imprisoned without iust cause may reioyce 1. King 22. 27 Most godly men haue beene imprisoned As the cause is so ought the counsell to be Diuers causes of imprisonement What is required of a man imprisoned Treason the most capitall sin A Traytor worthy of most cruell death The Maiestie of a King daunteth a Traitor Traytors bewray their intentions by outward gesture No good subiect will pitie the death of a Traytor Murther a crying sin Act 28. 4. The blood of the murthered cryes against the murtherer The prison is a fit place for a murtherer to repent if he haue any grace It is not sufficient for a murtherer to confesse the fact to God but to men The guiltlesse maybe suspected and suffer for the fact of another not confessed Euery man knowes the offences against the Lawes that deserue death God sometimes punisheth an offendor for some former sin by the suspition of a fault he did not commit The offeÌ„ce of mans Lawe is the offence of Gods The sooner an offender is preuented of his sinne the happier is he Better to suffer here then hereafter Though the Law of God commandeth to owe to men nothing but loue yet there must bee lending owing but there ought to be no defrauding by owing Eccl. 29. 4. Ver. 5. 6. The picture of Bankrupts They that can will not pay are worthilie punished They that willingly would and cannot pay are to bee pityed Fit to examine the cause that driueth a man to borrow A good man may be indebted imprisoned for it and that no argument of Gods displeasure The pleasures whervpon men spend their meanes are nothing but drosse The last fit refuge for a poore man that cannot pay his debts Gen. 39. 14. to 21. Math. 7. 12. Luk. 6. 31. Math. 4. 24. Men ought to doe as they would be done vnto Charity begins at home a prouerbe often ill applied The course of cruell men Some brag to make dice of their poore debtors bones The policy of some creditors How can a cruell creditor pray forgiue me as I forgiue A godly rich mans best vsury They are deceiued that thinke goodnes to consist in goods Pro. 10. 15. 16. If the rich change robes with the poore the poore will be the Gentleman the rich the begger The rich Glutton and poore Lazarus Luk. 19. A worthy example for rich men to follow Good counsell for the rich A dead maÌ„ hath no goods Rich credicoâ—s must not wâ—rke all extremities that humane lawes permits Wilfull able debtors may be enforced Enemies are necessarie Psal. 55. 19. Enemies are better then flattering friends The way to trye a true friend from a flatterer It is a mischiefe not to knowe a friend from a flatterer Rom. 16. 18. The best meanes to auoid slander is to liue vertuously Math. 18. 7. To giue no cause of offence If