sinne sinfull sinne sins of all sorts committing things forbidden and omitting things commanded So that I cannot but confesse against my selfe I am wholly not only sinfull but a lump of sin it selfe a puddle of putrifaction a sinke of vncleannes a gulfe of grosse impieties and a carcasse of most filthie leprosie full of spirituall rottennesse vnworthy the light of the Sunne to lighten my corporall eyes to see to do euill not worthy to breathe in the ayre to speake euill nor worthie to partake of the ordinary food of men to strengthen my flesh the more to sinne nor worthie to consort with humane societie to make them sinfull by my sin Oh wretch that I am how haue I plunged my selfe into thy heauie displeasure how haue I lost thy loue who louest righteousnes and hatest iniquitie Oh wretch that I am how haue I runne without right reason to my ruine rashly Lord I am vnfainedly sorie for my sinnes and I long to be reconciled vnto thee lest I goe to my graue with griefe lest from the graue I should come into iudgement with horror and be inforced to heare that fearefull and finall sentence of reprobatiō pronounced against 〈◊〉 neuer to be reuoked indure torments neuer to be eased Oh Lor 〈…〉 mercifull and louing remember I am but dust forget not how orignall sinne seazed vpon me before I had sence or power to commit actuall sin call to minde that I was conceiued and borne in sinne and brought corruption in my flesh frō my mothers wombe which I could not preuent And although it be the rule of thy seuere Justice to lay the guilt of parents vpō their children yet let thy mercies which are aboue thy Judgemēts shew themselues now when else there is no hope Amen Lord increase my faith and forgiue my sinnes Another shorter prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes O Heauenly father thy promises are many faithfull and comfortable Thou wilt not the death of a sinner but desirest rather that he should repent and liue If thou then desirest rather that I liue then perish giue me a repenting hart renue a right spirit within me reforme me and I shall be reformed for in me Lord there is no goodnes no power and as little will to doe good but a will and power to do euill only Let therefore thy grace worke effectually in me a new heart a new minde new affections holy and sanctified So shall sin become lothsome vnto me which I haue loued and holines of life shal be sweet vnto me which I haue neglected thy Commandements that I haue transgressed I shall indeuour to fulfill thy patience which I haue abused I wil answere with more filiall obediēce The curses then that I haue deserued shal be turnd into blessings and I shall frame the residue of my life in better actions I shall abandon as deceiuing vanities those sinnes wherin I haue delited and shal shun the baits wherwith Satan hath allured me to sin and whereunto I consented by the vanity of mine vnregenerate affections Oh pardon pardon my sins good Father in Iesus Christ fill my hart with the liuely apprehension of thy mercies speake peace vnto my sad and sorrowfull soule reuiue my dead distracted thoughts plunged in despaire cast thine ey◠vpon Christ thy beloued in him 〈◊〉 louing eye vpon me who without him am a cast-away Heare him 〈◊〉 mediator for me heare me a sinner for his sake and pardon me for thy mercies sake Take me now Lord out of the dungeon of feare wherin I haue bin long a captiue sold vnder sin Set me now free from the danger of death and hell Let Satan flie and fall before my face Let sin haue no more power ouer me receiue me into thy fauour assure me of full and free remission of my sinnes in Christ worke true peace in my conscience The sting of death being broken the feare of the iudgement to come may be turned into a liuely assurance of saluation that white I liue here I may euermore feele the liuely worke of thy holy Spirit in me Make the residue of my dayes the dayes of vnfained mourning for my former offences and of a most vpright and righteous conuersation to come and let faith euermore preuaile against all future temptations that I may finish the course of my life in that peace which proceedeth of perfect loue which loue bringeth forth filiall obedience vnto thee which obedience is more acceptable in thy fight then the sacrifices of bullocks and goates Accept me now good Father in Iesus Christ into thy fauour remit my sinnes number me amongst thine elect and seale me vp in thy mercies against the day of my finall visitation Heare me O Lord and let thy holy Spirit guide mee euer vnto that day through Christ my Sauiour my Mediator my Strength and my redeemer Amen O Lord increase my faith and pardon my sinnes A MOTIVE TO A Prayer for a godly and holy life and for power of resisting Satan and sinne THe course of euery mans life declar's what kind of man he is whether carnal or spiritual for as the tree is knowne by his fruit so is euery man known of men by his life conuersation And it is much to be lamented that men though carnally minded will iustifie themselues and make protestation of their hope that they shall be saued as well as he that walketh most sincerely before God and men And this out of a voluntarie ignorance and blindnesse in not knowing and truly distinguishing betweene the wayes of sanctitie and sinne the first leading to heauen and eternall life through grace and faith in Christ the other to hell and reprobation through our owne corruption by the obeying the will of Satan It is more then wonderfull to obserue the courses of carnall men who pretend that they are trauelling to that blessed New Ierusalem and yet take the direct way to Cursed Ierico they couet in conceit to ascend the holy hill of Sion and yet will not leaue that wicked Babylon They professe to liue after the Spirit but doe the workes of the Flesh. They would seeme to liue in Light but behold they are in Darknes not considering that he that liues after the flesh shall die yet how loth are carnall men to leaue the way that leadeth to destruction and how vnapt and vnwilling to walke in the way of life which is Christ in whom if we truely beleeue we walke in him if we truly walke in him we truely liue in him and that life is the summe and end of all our hope it is the marke whereat we ayme all our holy endeuours Let vs therefore determine with our selues and constantly resolue to walke before God and to be vpright Let vs make our supplications in his presence with our whole hearts And let vs duely consider our wayes what they haue beene And let vs now turne our feete vnto his testimonies Let vs strengthen and confirme our resolutions of a godly life by
continuall prayer otherwise what good we determine to day will be repented to morrow and we through our weaknes shall fall againe contrarie to our godly resolutions Our supplications to God for his assistance and strengthening of our resolued reformation must be continuall because our spirituall aduersaries are continually working to seduce vs out of the way of a sanctified life A ship as soone as her sailes are hoised feeles the winde and begins to make way if then there be no skilfull pilote at the helme to steere shee either rusheth vpon some rocke or driues the contrarie course So are mens affections swayed with the good or euill spirit Needs there not therefore a wise consultation of all the sences of the inner and outer man how to steere the affections aright which as the sailes are to the ship so are they vnto the minde for being once hoised they carrie the desires as the sailes the hull and if it want right reason to steere it it neuer can shape the course of godlines Let vs therefore pray that we may be able to manage the ship of our affections to the port of true obedience in a sincere course of life And happie is that man that truly determines constantly continues faithfully prayeth and wisely considers the course of his life and euer remembreth his end A Prayer for a godly life and to resist sinne and Sathan O God my God in Iesus Christ maker and creator of all things gouernour of heauen and earth preseruer of our soules and bodies the giuer of life light The framer disposer of all right and religious hearts The perfecter and finisher of our faith In by whom are all things and without whom nothing can haue any being Much lesse corrupt man haue any existence in life though be seeme to liue in the body except thou liue in him for our life which is our saluation and our glory and our crowne is hidde with thee in Christ. Such is thy mercy towards vs as thou vouchsafest to shew vs our blessed being with thee in the heauens in this our mortalitie in part as in a glasse lest wee should faint in our trials powre downâ— O Lord a full and large measure of thy sauing grace into my heart that I apprehending in part the sweetnesse of the life to come may frame my selfe to that course of life heere as may assure me of that which is to come Abandon and abolish the darkenes of mine vnderstanding and giue me the light of true iudgement that I may warily watchfully wisely foresee obserue shun the subtill baytes and allurements of sinne and Sathan giue me grace to walk in the way of life leaue not the powerfull power of Satan nor the poysoning sting of death in me Settle mine affections vpon the hid treasures of thy loue guide garde me with thy sauing power instruct me in the way of true wisedome Adorne me with all thy spirituall graces and diuine vertues sow in me the seedes of sanctity water me with the dew of thy holy Spirit purifie and cleanse my heart rectifie mine affections blesse my godly enterprises and holy endeauours frame all the parts powers faculties and sences of my soule and bodie that they may all meete in the loue of thee and euery one performe his office according to the greatnesse of thy name Let my heart harbour holy thoughts let my will euer be framed after thy word let mine vnderstanding bee manifested by righteousnesse and a sanctified life let my memorie neuer let â—â—ipthe good things thou hast done for my soule Let my handes be purely clensed from pollution my tongue from prophanation mine eyes from the gilt of concupiscence my feer from following vanitie and all the parts of my body from the least appearance of 〈◊〉 That I being thus clensed and reformed I may walke euer in thy faith liue euer in thy feare and at the last yeeld my body to the graue in thy fauour where the power and sting of death shall faile of further pursuing me and there shall I leaue that sinning part vntill it shall bee made a shining part with my soule by the brightnesse glory of thy presence in the heauens Thy goodnesse and mercy shewed vnto sinners in this life leadeth the seriously penitent and truely faithfull to the consideration of their present weakenesse wants and imperfections and to the contemplation of their future fulnesse of ioy comfort and euer-continuing consolation O stirre vp in me a liuely hunger and thirst for spirituall graces in this life where we are pressed downe with a mighty masse of corruption and compassed about with a darke cloud of errors Insomuch as I a man begotten conceiued and borne in sinne can neuer be able to stand vnder the burden of the one or to comprehend thee my Light and my saluation through the other How then Lord shall I be able to walke in thee who art the true way vnderstand thee the sauing trueth or attaine vnto thee being eternall life Therefore Lord vouchsafe to inlarge my heart in all godly forwardnesse to proceede from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith from one diuine grace to another vntill I attaine to full perfection in Christ in whom all our holy indenours be euermore blessed sinne euermore weakened and all goodnesse euermore increased But many are the blockes which Sathan layeth and couereth them with the vayle of pleasure and profite which make many to stumble and fall Many ministers hee vseth to snare vs and many miseries and mischiefes hee plotreth and practiseth against vs to dismay vs from following of thee but hee hath not so many agents to allure or terrifie vs as thou Lord hast meanes to preuent the one and to defend vs in the other Plead thou therefore my cause and defend me against that spirituall enemie that fighteth against me leaue me not in his power shorten the extent of his chaine breake his teeth that he may haue no power to seize vpon me weaken the poyson of his inchantments that he pollute in me neither the will nor the deede That I may leade my life vnspotted in the world and that all mine actions and indeauours may prosper that sinne that hangeth on so fast may be cast off And giue me a sound knowledge of thy good pleasure that I may truely determine to shake cleane off the vnprofitable workes of darkenesse and be truly clothed with the holy robes of righteousnesse and sanctity That I may be euer able and ready to pray vnto thee obtaine at thy hands the direction to liue vprightly in thy sight and that I may euer consider mine owne weakenesse and imperfections to the end I may indeauour to keepe a good conscience in all mine actions for as our sences and the members of our bodie are many and euery one subiect to sundry infirmities and temptations and euery of our actions open to diuers infections and pollutions So Lord I beseech thee to blesse all
by well doing to walke before God and to be vpright Thus whosoeuer prepareth himselfe in a sanctified life in earth he cannot feare death which is an entrance into a glorious life in heauen where God before whom he sincerely walketh hath prouided him a Citie a Kingdome a Crowne He then that longeth to see good dayes while he liueth will be euer studious to please him by whom he is assured he shall receiue that endlesse inheritance when he dies Let euery man therefore while it is to day pray that God will vouchsafe him his grace not to prolong his godly preparation to die but to teach him wisdome in the inner parts that he may so rectifie his conuersation as he may be acceptable to God through Christ in his life vpon earth and wishedly surrender vp his spirit to him that gaue it when he requires the same And to this holy purpose serueth this prayer following Remember euer that thou must die and thou shalt neuer doe amisse nor die eternally A Prayer to be often vsed that we may so liue as we neuer need feare to die fit to be often vsed of all men especially in sicknesse GOod and gracious Father who formedst me of dust and breathedst life into a lumpe of earth wher of I am made and hast made mee partaker of thy Spirit and so a liuing soule of an eternall being beyond that which thou hast done for any other earthly creature who dying perish turne wholly to dust whereof they are wholly and only made As for mee thou hast taught mee to know thy more then wonderfull work-manship and thy more then apprehensible fauour and loue in that thou hast not only made me a liuing creature as are the beasts of the field the fowles of the aite and creeping things of the earth but little inferiour to thine heauenly Angels giuing me a soule diuine and immortal which liueth eternally And of thy further and more free grace hast vouchsafed me a seed of the light of diuine vnderstanding and thy word of glad tidings to teach me thy will to direct and encourage me in the way of saluation lest hauing receiued the testimonie of thy louâ— here in this life and the earnest of thy Spirit I should yet liue to die and not die to liue Thou Lord knowest whereof I am made thou canst not forget that I am but dust giue me grace to remember alwayes my mortalitie and that I am borne to die and that then commeth iudgement Lord we are all the children of ssinning Adam elected and reiected according to thy will vessels of honor or dishonor as thou pleasest to make vs we are the clay thou the Potter thou giuest life and againe thou sayest Returne yee children of men to dust Oh what is man that thou so regardest him or the son of Man that thou so fatherly visâ—test him Thou hast clothed him with glorie And he hath brought shame vpon himselfe thou off reâ—â—st life vnto him but he hath embraced death And he shall die thou hast so decreed yet hast conceiled from him the time when the place where and the maner how to the end that none should presume vpon his strength health wisedome or wealth to become secure and in their securitie to forget thee sinne against thee our Creator whâ— as with the breath of thy mouth thou madest vs liuing soules so by the breath of thy mouth canst thou confouÌ„d our bodies soules yea Lord our dearest soules deare in respect of thee who gauest them deare in respect of him that shed his dearest bloud for them but most deare vnto vs wretches if for our mindes vanities and our bodies pleasures we should lose our bodies make shipwracke of our soules Precious in thy sight is the death of thy Saints but most feareful to the wicked in the death of their bodies that sleeping in the graue send their soules before them to be mutually tormented when they shall meet in Judgement This fearefull separation Lord amazeth mee when I consider it in my naturall vnderstanding not looking into the course of thy loue wherein thou didst send thy dearest Soune to die for sinners penitent Oh teach me thy waies instruct me in thy Commandements Giue me a repenting heart and sanctified conuersation that before I goe hence and be no more seene I may assure my selfe that I am of the number of them to whome thou imputest no sinne Let thy word worke fruitfully in mee the sauour of life vnto life Teach me and guide me in the true course of holy obedience in righteousnesse and true holinesse that I may euer walke before thee and be vpright giue me a prepared heart constantly and faithfully to desire to be dissolued to be with Christ. Take away the frailty of my fainting flesh increase and confirme my faith in thee and my hope of the glory promised in Christ after this mortall life Let me alwayes wait the time of my deliuery and be willingly content to lay downe this my earthly tabernacle and to giue vp my soule into thy hands giue me a continuall watchfull heart that death come not vpon me vnawares a prepared heart that I may be still readie when or where or how thou hast determined my dissolution Let nothing be so deare vnto me as Christ my Sauiour Let me esteeme all things as dung in respect of the glorie to come Let nothing bewitch or intice me to the loue of this sinfull life nor dismay or terrifie me froÌ„ embracing death But that I may vse this life as if I vsed it not and feare death as if I feared it not That when my life shall be swallowed vp of death I may then enter into that new life and treade downe death and the power thereof vnder my feete by Christ that triumphed ouer Satan death and Hell vpon the Crosse for me grant it for me my Lord my God my life my light my strength and my Redeemer Amen Lord increase my faith and grant that I may liue in thy feare and die in thy fauour Amen A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to bee said of one in his sicknes or in any disease or defect of his sences or limbes fit to be read of or vnto the sick and diseased person SIcknes of the bodie is the gentlest and most fauourable crosse that God layeth vpoÌ„ his children and yet it is grieuous to flesh and bloud which delite altogether in Ease in Health in Strength of the body to which griefe sicknesse and weaknesse are contraries and therefore vnwelcome to carnall men who thinke nothing more to bee wished then power to sinne which power is diminished by sicknes and consequently in most salutarie and healthful for the soule And therefore doth the Wise-man counsell vs to humble our selues before we be sicke and while wee yet haue power to sinne to shew our conuersion whose counsell whoso truly and carefully followeth preuenteth the feare of death for he that before sicknes seaze vpon him duely
considereth that death is the end of all flesh and that sicknesse is the fore-runner of death cannot bee suddenly surprised because he stil expecteth the comming of that which whether it tarrie long or come quickly come it will and finding vs secure and wanton and carelesse and deliting our selues in the strength of our sinning parts it wil be so much the more grieuous and irkesome by how much we affect the strength to sinne which is thereby weakened And to that end doth God euen in loue punish his own children with sicknes and maladies of the bodie to kill sinne presently possessing vs and to preuent the power of future sinning and threatneth the stifnecked and rebellious with many infirmities as to smite them in the knees and in the thighes with a fore botch that they shall not be healed euen from the sole of the â—â—ore to the top of their head The Lord will make the plagues of the disobedient wonderfull and of long continuance and their diseases cruell and of long durance For as much then as Sicknesse is both the reward of sinne as also the physicke for sinne It implieth both the mercie of God towards his and his iudgements against the impenitent And therefore whosoeuer thou be that art visited with whatsoeuer bodily disease or infirmitie think that God hath sent it as a cure or a curse A cure to them that enter into the examination of their sinnes and truely repent them and a curse vnto them that make no vse of it as too many worldlings doe who in their sicknesse are as inclinable in desire to sinne as in their health And nothing preuenreth the acte of sinne but weaknes to effect it or oportunitie to attempt it If therfore the will to do euill be not mortified by the sicknes of the bodie it is an argument that that man or woman hath his or her conscience seared vp which is a fearefull estate and full of horror howsoeuer it be for the time hidden euen from his or her feeling and sence in fine it will work in the accusing conscience and bring forth the fruit of despaire of recouery of bodily health and plunge the soule into the pit of ineuitable perdition It is therefore a most dangerous negligence in men so little to consider the inconstancy of corporal health which is long in decaying yet sodaine in surprising men of greatest strength and when men are taken and cast downe be he as strong as Samson he is inforced to yeeld vnto weaknes and if he haue any sparke of grace he will then indeuour to turne his heart vnto God as Hezekiah did but then cannot his petitions be so powerfull as when he enioyed his health neither can his repentance be so well manifested being as it were wrested from him by this kinde of extremitie as when it is wrought in bodily strength for whatsoeuer commeth by compulsion is not so acceptable as what is voluntarie yet is repentance truely begun in sicknesse and effectually continued though weakly in respect of the bodies infirmity yet may it be most true through the strength of faith without repentance there is no cure comfortable to the soule or bodie Though God may permit a wicked man to be cased or cured of his bodily disease by humane physicke yet the soule lieth still in almost deadly sicknesse The truest ground of preuailing physicke is to make peace first with God the good and great Physitian according to the counsell of the Wiseman who thus aduiseth My sonne faile not in thy sicknesse to pray vnto the Lord and hee will make thee whole yet he addeth a condition That he leaue off from sinne that he order his hands aright and that he clense his heart from all wickednesse and if hw be able truely to say as Hezekiah in his sicknes did I beseech thee Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight Then he may bee assured that his sicknesse shall be turned from a curse to a blessing and God that hath made the wound will binde it vp and cure it he will raise him againe or giue him patience in a liuely hope to change this mortall for an immortall estate and for his patient suffering this medicinable crosse will giue him a glorious crowne of eternitie Whosoeuer therfore thou be that art visited turne vnto the Lord pray vnto him trust in him and recommend thy life death vnto his free disposition who worketh all things for the best to them that loue him A Prayer to be said of one that is sick or diseased LOrd God almightie Father louing in thy Son Iesus Christ cast thine eye of compassion â—n me thy creature whom thou hast at this time touched with sicknesse and brought low by thy present visitation Thou createdst me in the beginning not to liue euer in this â—abernacle of dust but that my liuing bodie of dust should be againe dissolued into dust without life at â—hine appointed time for all â—lesh is grasse and as the flower of the 〈◊〉 it withereth decayeth with 〈◊〉 sicknes or griefe of minde we are all but as â—arthen vessels whome thou canâ—â— make and confound with the breath of thy mouth and howsoeuer and whensoeuer the most Iustie and strong stand conceited of their health and permanent securitie of their bodies agilitie and the â—imbleâ—es of their limbes and sences suddenly thou touchest them and they become feeble in strength their beautie changed their sences dulled their hearts fainting and all the parts and powers of their bodies altered and the whole man turned as it were into the very image of pale death it selfe Thou hast appointed that all men shall once die but thou conceilest from al men the time when the place where the manner how they shall die and therefore it behâ—ueth all men to be euer watchful in well doing that when thou shalt send thy Messenger Sicknes of bodie to put them in mind that their day is comming they be not found vnprepared and great happinesse it is to him whom when he is suniâ—â—oneâ— he may chearefully say I am heereÌ„ Lord ready to attend thy will Oh make me thus ready deare father that now thou callest me I may not only not flie from thee for feare of death but hartily willingly and faithfully crie Come Lord Iesu come quickly for I am no better then my Fathers who are fallen asleepe therfore if this my sicknes be vnto death fortifie me against the feare thereof The spirit Lord is willing but flesh and bloud weake and fearefull But assist my spirit by thy sauing Spirit So shall 〈◊〉 heart within me reioyce that thou remembrest me and my weake 〈◊〉 feeble body shal sing forth thy goodnes in this sad and sicke estate all the powers of my bodie and faculties of my soule shall conioyne in the heauenly harmonie of thy sauing truth in the peace of mine owne conscience
of all then If thou wilt thou canst deliuer me or moderate the sentence against me or else giue mee patience to vndergoe whatsoeuer shall be laid vpon me and as I acknowledge 〈…〉 t my sinne is the cause of my restraint of my corporall feare and am truely sorry for mine offences So Lord I beseech thee pardon thou mee in Christ that whatsoeuer become of my bodily punishment I may be yet assured of thy fauour in the kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ Amen If vpon vniust occasion say thus For thou Lord knowest although I cannot but confesse that I haue many wayes offended thy high Maiestie yet in this whereof I am accused and for which my libertie is restrained I am innocent And therfore good father in lesus Christ giue me patience worke in the hearts of mine oppressors some remorce that they may recal repent of their iniustice Thou knowest how innoceÌ„t Ioseph was falsly accused And thou yet were pleased to permit him to be restrained long but in the meane time diddest giue him fauour with thâ— Gâ—olor and in the end diddest aduance him to honor Be pleased I beseech thee to deliuer me if it may be for my good or make the prison easie the â—â—olor louing giue me wisedome to make right vse of my present restraint and to acknowledge it to be for my sinnes and for my reformation And when I shall in thy prouidence receiue my former liberty let me not be ashamed of my restraint but rather glory in thy mercy that I suffer vpon an vniust accusation though I stand guilty before thee of infinite sinnes for which I am sorry and humbly craue pardon and thy diuine direction that I may lead a holy life in a godly and sincere conuersation before men and to walke before thee in vprightnes of heart through Christ my Sauiour and Redeemer If for the testimonie of thy faith in Iesus say thus THe witnessing of thy truth the profession of thy name which my persecutors persecute in me more then me for they aime more to suppresse the confession of thy glorious name then them that professe it they more seeke to abandon the publike practise religious vse of thy word and Gospel then the abuse And therefore good Father as thou hast in some measure inlightned mine vnderstanding of thy will and by thy spirit taught me how to professe thy name according to thy truth So confirme my faith therin and mine obedience to thee that neither this lothsome prison the furie of my persecutors nor the feare of death terrifie me from the constant profession of Iesus Christ whom these men seeke to persecute in his members And therfore Lord gracious in him in him looke vpon me here at this time restrained for his sake and either in thy mercy workâ— my deliuery out of their hands and out of this place of restraint by some ordinarie meanes as thou diddest extraordinarily deliuer thy seruants Paul Silos Peter and other thine Apostles out of their cruell captiuities or els giue me constant patience to indure thy tryal to vndergoe whatsoeuer shal seeme good vnâ—â— thee to lay vpon me And graciously consider the weakenesse of flesh blood which if thou suffer to preuaile in me I cannot stand And therefore assist me with thy holy spirit that as I haue begun so I may preseuere in thee and be sustained by thee vnto the end Let neither the vnsauory prison nor the bitternes of death remoue my heart nor let my tongue from professing thy name vnto the end if thou think me worthy of the glory of martyrdome and to crowne me with the honour of being a witnes of thy truth giue me an obedient heart and a thankefull minde willingly to lay down this earthly Tabernacle to whatsoeuer kind of death it shall please thee to giue mine and thine owne aduersaries power to inflict vpon me That after this life ended I may be really crowned with the merits not of my suffering but with the merits of him who suffered for me and for whose sake graunt Lord I may constantly suffer what thou pleasest to lay vpon me Amen Lord encrease my faith giue me patience and comfort in Iesus Christ. A MOTIVE TO A Prayer that wee may be alwayes readie to die and to be so prepared as wee may not feare death THough it had neuer bin writteÌ„ that it is appointed by God that all men must once die yet common experience and the continuall practise of death could not but assure all men that they must die If any man had bin priuiledged from the power of death since the creation men might haue beene perswaded that they might haue the like immunitie and freedome But seeing death hath not spared the strong the wise the rich nor the persons of mightiest potentates but all the godly and the wicked haue tasted of the cup of death What man is he that is so soâ—â—ed as to thinke he shall not die Nay to thinke that by reason of the strength of his bodie he shall liue many yeares Yet so foolishly perswaded are many men and assume vnto themselues a kinde of desperate boldnes to commit many grosse and grieuous sinnes promising vnto themselues a time of repentance in their decrepite age A preposterous rule of godlesse men who though they know that as sure as they liue they shall die and as sure as they liue and shall die so surely they shall liue or die eternally yet being deluded by the opinion of their strength and health and bewitched by their vaine idle and forbidden lusts of the flesh and the minde they delay their preparation to die wel vntill the time they haue no power to reforme their wicked liues past So that their present liuely carnall life is a begun spirituall death And the time of their foolishly prefixed repentance is the beginning of their endlesse condemnation But the truely wise indeed guided by grace haue the time of their dissolution continually before their eyes and in a holy meditation of death prepare themselues to die daily thinking euery day they rise that that is the day of their dissolution and when they betake them to their nightly rest they recommend them to their beds as to their graues and perswade themselues that that night may be the day-spring of their spirituall and neuer ending life Such as thus prepare themselues haue neuer any feare to die but in their hearts wish to be dissolued and to be with Christ And because that this holy preparation is not wrought neither can a man desire to leaue and remoue out of this earthly tabernacle by nature they cannot but naturally feare to die And therefore when the messengers of death begin to summon men vnprepared to their graues they cannot but entertaine horror in stead of hope and despaire in stead of assurance of the life to come How much then doth it concerne all men to abandon sinne betimes and to seek attonement with God