't is the extreamest of folly not so to consider the superexcellency of the divine wisdom in his works as to see and love him in them and for them 7. When the ungodly are green as the grass and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish then shall they be destroyed for ever but thou Lord art the most highest for evermore The wicked that do not this though they may flourish for a time yet their punishment proceeding from the decree of the most high God shall be everlasting 8. For lo thine enemies O Lord lo thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed and unavoidable because all wicked persons are the enemies of God 9. But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an Vnicorn for I am anointed with fresh oyl But the strength and vigour of the righteous shall encrease through the Unction of the Holy One or the Graces of Gods Spirit 10. Mine eye also shall see his lust upon his enemies and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that rise up against me Whereby all the sinful lusts of the flesh are master'd and all the assaults of ghostly enemies are subdued 11. The righteous shall flourish like a Palm tree and shall spread abroad like a Cedar in Libanus Like a Palm the righteous man sinks not under the weight of afflictions or violence of temptations but grows the more in Grace thereby 12. Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God Whilst they are and continue to be true members of Christs Church against which the gates of hell shall not prevail 13. They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age and shall be fat and well liking They shall increase in Grace as in years being fruitful in all good works acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ 14. That they may shew how true the Lord my strength is and that there is no unrighteousness in him And such happy people do truly praise the Lord both with their lips and in their lives as from whom all their strength in Grace and goodness is derived Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer I Know O Lord that 't is a thing both joyful and profitable and my bounden duty to give thee thanks both night and day in prosperity and adversity for the great mercy and truth of thy promises is manifested at all times and in all conditions Let me never forget to meditate in thy works and though I cannot fathom the depth of thy wisdom in them grant me the more to love and admire thy transcendent perfections appearing in all the operations of thy hands works of Wonder for and in the which I humbly beg I may continually praise thy Name not only in word but also in deed and in truth and that as the night of my life cometh on and I grow more full in dayes so I may be also more fruitful in all good works to the glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ PSALM CXXXIV To be used in the Night as wherein the people of God excite each other to the praise of God in their night Assemblies in his house Verses 1. BEhold now praise the Lord all ye servants of the Lord. Divine praise being the highest of Religious duties becomes the lips of such only as are devoted to the service of God 2. Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord b Who both night and day are intent upon this high and holy employment in the Courts of the house of our God But especially such as be ordained to the administration of Holy Offices in the House of God Mystically God hath 3 Courts through which we must enter into his House the Church and be entitled to his Praise 1 Faith which is the outer Court 2 Hope gives a nearer admission into his presence 3 Charity unites our hearts unto God and inflames them to his praise 3. Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary and praise the Lord. Not by our words only but by the works of our hands God must be glorified Mat. 5.16 And to do this worthily 4. The Lord that made heaven and earth give the blessing out of Sion Is a blessing that descends from above but is conveyed by the ministery of the Church Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Lord who hast made Heaven and Earth for the service of man and man more immediately to serve Thee Give unto all thy servants Grace and to me also to lift up holy hands and pure hearts to praise thee night and day in the Courts of thy house and in all the works of our hands to glorifie thy Name And to this end let thy blessing through the ministery of thy Church descend upon us in this life that we may inherit the blessings of thy Church triumphant in heaven through Jesus Christ The CXXXIX Psalm PARAPHRASED Verse 1 O Lord the Righteous God who tryest the very hearts and reins Thou hast searched me out through all the windings and turnings of my deceitful heart and known me in all the most hidden and inmost of my thoughts and desires Thou knowest my down-sitting both withwhat company and when alone both with what intentions and what affections and my up-rising with what guilt or innocence I arise from every of my actions in all which thou understandest my thoughts long before even before they be conceived in my mind as knowing my inclinations to entertain such or such thoughts verse 2 Thou art about my path wherein I walk and about my bed wherein I rest and spiest out all my ways seeing both the equity and iniquity both of my affections and actions in all my ways both of rest and motion ease and labour verse 3 For lo there is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it altogether both First It s original conception in my mind Secondly My intention in its utterance with my mouth Thirdly It s good or bad influence upon others O set a watch over my mouth and guard the door of my lips that I offend not in my tongue Thou hast fashioned me behind and before moulded me throughout into this goodly shape and proportion of parts whereof I consist and laid thine hand upon me supported me in this being thou hast given me verse 5 Such knowledge as appears both in my Creation and preservation is too wonderful and excellent for me I cannot attain unto it it excells the reach of my apprehension even to wonder and astonishment verse 6 Whither then shall I go from thy Spirit which filleth the world and containeth all things or whither shall I go from thy presence who art every where by thy Essence Power and Presence both within and without the world verse 7 If I climb up into heaven thou art there in highest Majesty and
subdued to the spirit rejoyce in the living God there 's no joy like the joy of his presence who giveth life and a heart to pant and breath after the joys of life eternal verse 3 The sparrow hath found her a house and the swallow a nest where to lay her young even thy Altars And O that my Soul could mount as doth the Sparrow upon her wings with inflamed affections after the pleasures of thy house and that my flesh might be instrumental to my Soul in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit to be sacrific'd upon the Altar of Praise and Thanksgiving unto thee O Lord of hosts my King and my God whom alone I desire to adore worship and obey verse 4 Blessed are they here in hope hereafter in fruition who dwell in thy house of Grace below of Glory above They will alwayes be praising thee 'T is our principal errand to the house of God upon earth and shall be our only employment in his house of Heaven always to praise the Lord. But we of thy house and family here below like the young birds near thine Altar are unfledged and empent in the nest of this corruptible body which weigheth down the Soul so that mount to Heavenward we cannot without the divine assistance therefore verse 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee who derives strength of Grace from thee to praise and glorifie thee and this not only with their mouths but in whose heart are thy ways cordially resolving and uprightly walking in the wayes of thy service and of their own salvation verse 6 Who going through the vale of misery in their pilgrimage through the miseries of this sinful life below use it for a Well even the deep fountain of a broken heart from whence the Pools are filled with water the eyes flow with tears of that godly sorrow which worketh Repentance unto Salvation not to be repented verse 7 They will go from strength to strength from one degree of grace to another adding to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godliness to Godliness Brotherly kindness and to Brotherly kindness Charity 2 Pet. 1.5 Vnto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion each person thus qualified shall appear in the presence of the supreme Majesty of Heaven which being the felicity whereunto I am created and earnestly long for I therefore humbly beg verse 8 O Lord God of hosts hear my prayer thou art the Donor of all those powerful Graces which mount up our Souls to Heaven and the Lord of all those hosts of Heaven amongst whom my Soul longeth to be enroll'd Hearken O God of Jacob assist me in all my wrestlings with my ghostly enemies that I may prevail and obtain thy blessing which is to be call'd Israel Seeing God the felicity of Heaven verse 9 Behold O God our Defender against all the crafts and assaults of the Devil the world and the flesh Look upon the face of thine anointed our blessed Redeemer sitting on thy right hand and interceeding for us and may the sacred beams of his celestial light shine in our hearts and appear in the holiness and righteousness of our lives that going from strength to strength we may appear before the Lord in Sion verse 10 For one day in thy Courts amongst the Quires of Heaven where the day is but one as knowing no morrow day is better than a thousand of the fliting transitory dayes of this mortal life verse 11 I had rather be a door-keeper lye at the threshold submit to the lowest condition in the house of my God the place where his Honor dwelleth who is the God of my worship and joy than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness be conversant amongst the ungodly of this world in the most splendid condition with all the delights of the sons of men for 't is not all the pomp and glory all the pleasures and treasures of this life can give any solid satisfaction to the vast desires of my immortal Soul verse 12 For the Lord is a light and defence a light for direction in the way of peace and a defence for perfection against all whomsoever or whatsoever might disturb the innocence and peace of my Soul He will give grace and worship Grace to serve him truly here and Worship or Glory to crown our services hereafter and no good thing will he withhold from them that lead as godly life who truly love and fear God and wait for his promises in the obedience of his precepts shall enjoy all that is truly good or conducible to their eternal happiness in heaven And therefore verse 13 O Lord God of hosts blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee not roving in his hopes and desires after the exterior empty transitory consolations of the creature but among the sundry and manifold changes of the world hath his heart surely fixed there where true joyes are to be found which is alone in the presence of the God of Heaven where all do rejoyce together and sing for ever Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. AS an Earnest of this everlasting joy and felicity One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will require Ps 27.4 even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple A MEDITATION Upon the VOW in BAPTISM Out of S. Chrysostome de Martyribus SERM. II. REmember the Covenant Attend the Condition Acknowledge the Warfare The Covenant thou hast made with God the Condition whereby thou wast received into this Covenant the Warfare unto which thou art hereby engaged The Covenant is to be a member of Christ a child of God and an heir of Heaven or the Covenant of Grace and Salvation the Condition is to renounce the Devil and all his works the pomps the Warfare thou hast undertaken is manfully to fight under the banner of Christ against these ghostly enemies to this end thy Christian name is enroll'd amongst the musters of the Church Militant wherein thou hast promised to continue Christs faithful servant and souldier unto thy lifes end Thou art too delicate a Christian to dream of a Victory without fighting for it of a Conquest without exercise of armes of a Triumph without tryal of strength Phil. 3.14 The price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is not to be obtained but by contest with and mastery over all our ghostly adversaries Rev. 2.7 17 26. ch 3.5 To him that overcometh only is the promise made Rowse up then thy self thou secure and slothful Christian stir up the Grace of God within thee and which was communicated unto thee when first by holy Baptism thou wast enlisted a Christian soldier under the Captain of our Salvation draw not back thy foot from the combate but take courage and
every good Christian be devoutly used say then with thy most ardent desires to extol the glory of God PSALM CXLV verse 1 I Will magnifie thee O God my King and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever verse 2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee and praise thy Name for ever and ever verse 3 Great is the Lord and marvellous worthy to be praised there is no end of his greatness verse 4 One generation shall praise thy works unto another and declare thy power verse 5 As for me I will be talking of thy worship thy Glory thy Praise and wondrous works verse 6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts and I will tell of thy greatness verse 7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed and men shall sing of thy righteousness verse 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful long-suffering and of great goodness verse 9 The Lord is loving unto every man and his mercy is over all his works verse 10 All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints give thanks unto thee verse 11 They shew the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power verse 12 That thy power thy glory and the mightiness of thy Kingdom might be known unto men verse 13 Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy Dominion endureth throughout all ages verse 14 The Lord upholdeth all such as fall and lifteth up all those that are down verse 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee O Lord and thou givest them their meat in due season verse 16 Thou openest thine hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness verse 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works verse 18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him yea all such as call upon him faithfully verse 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will help them verse 20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him but scattereth abroad all the ungodly verse 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. An Evening Hymn NOw that the sable mantle of the night O're-spreads the earth and vailes the chearful light O Lord who art of light and life the spring Of Grace and Glory the eternal King Vpon thy servant cause thy face to shine And save me for thy mercies sake divine Forgive me what I have offended in This day by thought or word or deed of sin For my sweet Saviours sake propitious be To him who now pours forth his soul to thee All Glory be to thine eternal merit Most blessed Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen CHAP. VI. Of Bed-time Meditations I. I Am Alpha and Omega Rev. 1.8 Is 44.6 the Beginning and the End the First and the Last saith the Lord from the Lord I have my Beginning and he is the end of my Being 'T is therefore meet and just and thy bounden duty as to begin so to end the day with the service of thy God to make the outgoings of the Morning and of the Evening to praise him who hath made the Night and the Day The day is thine Ps 79.17 and the night is thine Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the earth Thou hast made the Summer 18. and the Winter II. 'T was at this hour my dear Redeemer was in a bitter Agony Luk. 22.44 Luk. 23.53 c. and sweat great drops of Blood under the pressure of the sins of men and out of a sad apprehension of his ensuing sufferings for the same 'T was at this hour also our Lord was laid in the Grave and lamented by the women that followed him to his Death Now then let tears distill from thine eyes in the devout remembrance of that precious Blood which flowed from thy Saviours veins Thy miscarriages and offences this very day of omission and commission of ignorance and knowingly of negligence and wilfully of thought and desire word and deed if they be not washed away in this Blood of thy Lord they will involve thee in blackness of darkness for ever and in the horrid sleep of death from whence there is no awaking O then cast them out of thy heart by a plenary particular Confession of all thy this dayes enormities wash away the filth and pollution of them with the tears of godly sorrow which being intermixt with Faith in the Blood of Christ makes an healing salve for thy sin-sick Soul O blessed Jesu Saviour of the world save me and deliver me from all mine offences nail them to thy Cross bury them in thy Grave let them never rise up in judgment against me to my condemnation at the last great day And O that now upon the Religious contemplation of my Saviours burial I could bid adieu to this wicked world and to all the pomps and vanities thereof that being delivered from the iniquities of this sinful life I may escape the bitter wailing and weeping of the wicked in the life to come PSALMS For the Compline or Bed-time The IV. Psalm Paraphrased verse 1 O God the donor preserver and rewarder of my righteousness thou hast set me at liberty from the bondage of sin and of Satan when I was in trouble through the tyranny they exercised over me have mercy upon me and hearken unto my prayer that I be no more involved in that sad condition which it highly concerns all men to avoid verse 2 O ye sons of men of the old Adam how long will ye blaspheme mine honour advancing the creature above your Creator and have such pleasure in vanity take such delight in what is empty vain and satisfies not and seek after leasing pursuing the lying vanities of this wicked world verse 3 Know this for your instruction that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is godly hath selected from among the children of men certain vessels of honour devoted to his service and were I so happy as to be one of these elect people of God holy and separate from the vanities of the world I could not doubt but when I call upon the Lord he will hear me verse 4 Stand in awe and sin not or fear the Lord and depart from evil and that you may do so Commune with your own heart examine what thoughts what desires do harbour in every corner of your heart in your Chamber and be still in the silence of the night recollect the actions of the day silently and closely that ye may do it exactly and having cleansed your hearts verse 5 Offer unto God the sacrifice of righteousness vow unto him a new obedience to his holy Will and Commandments which is the rule of righteousness and if you perform this vow you may with some
God of Hosts And if thou desirest to serve God upon earth according to the pattern of his worship in Heaven then let not thy sensual inclinations to sleep and ease defraud thee of the happiness to joyn in the night as well as in the day with the Celestial quire in the praises of God For if this be done cordially chearfully and constantly in this life there will be no question of being admitted into that blessed society to glorifie God in a higher degree of perfection and joy in Heaven PSALM VIII Which is believed to be divinely composed for the praise of God in the night because therein is mention of the Moon and of the Stars and not of the Sun Verses 1. O Lord our Governour a The Lord is Governour of all men and of all things by his power and providence but especially of his Church and people by his Righteousness and Truth how excellent is thy Name in all the world b The glory of God's name is celebrated in all the parts of the world more especially in the Heaven above Thou hast set thy glory above the Heavens And yet 't is far above what those most intelligent Beings the Angels of Heaven are capable to behold or conceive 2. Out of the mouths of very babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger The most imperfect Beings have in them strength of argument sufficient to maintain both the providence of God over all and the d spensation of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ against the most bitter enemies of either witness the cry of little children Mat. 21.26 and the conversion of the World by illiterate Fisher-men 3. For I will consider the Heavens the work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained To consider the excellent workmanship influences and revolutions of the heavens and all the hosts thereof ordained for the service of man and the highest heaven also for his everlasting abode enwraps the devout soul with admiration of the love of God to man 4. Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Especially that frail sinful man should be so regarded by the great Lord of heaven as to be visited by him in the likeness of humane flesh 5. Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship Though man be lower than the Angels above yet is he adorned with eminence above all earthly things and with respect subjection and obedience from them 6. Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet God having given him power over all sublunary creatures and made to submit to his Command and service 7. All Sheep and Oxen yea and the beasts of the field 8. The Fowls of the Air and the Fishes of the Sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the Seas Even all the inhabitants of the air and of the Sea and of the dry land 9. O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world And therefore with Angels and Archangels and all the Company of Heaven and Earth I will magnifie God's holy Name and praise him saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. V. Meditations for the Night HOw aptly doth the darkness of the night represent the gloomy shades of death wherein all those lightsome Consolations which this vain world affords are buried in the grave of dark Oblivion That 's the land where all things are forgotten Ps 88.12 The living know that they shall die but the dead know not any thing Eccl. 9.5 and Sleep is the image the brother of Death in many respects they resemble each other for 1. In both thou art blind deaf dumb only Death is a longer and more perfect privation of sense 2. Rev. 14.13 In both thou art at rest from thy labours and thy works follow thee being often represented to thy fancy by way of Dream but more fully and clearly to thy Conscience when thou shalt awake to Judgment 3. Both are temporary For as thou dost dayly awake from thy natural Sleep and arise from thy Bed upon the approach of the day So certainly shalt thou awake from the sleep of death and be raised out of thy bed of clay the Grave when the day of the Lord shall come And since that day will come as a Thief in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 Psal 119.148 let mine eyes prevent the night O Lord that I may be occupied in thy words 4. As Sleep is the brother of Death so Death is the sister of Sin And this also in Holy Writ is called a Sleep Eph. 5.14 1 Cor. 15.34 Awake thou that sleepest Awake to Righteousness and sin not 'T is fabled that Somnus tempting Palinurus when he fell asleep tumbled him into the Sea and drowned him And if the sleep of Death find thee securely sleeping in any known Sin unrepented he that hath the power of death will hurl thee headlong into the bottomless Abyss of death eternal Ps 13.6 O lighten mine eyes O Lord that I sleep not in death lest mine enemy say I have prevailed against him Grant me blessed Lord Aug. med so to order govern and end my life that death may seize me but as a sleep and this sleep may be in rest this rest in Security and Security in eternity Amen PSALMS For the Night season PSAL. XCII Verses 1. IT is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy Name O most Highest To praise the Lord is good in both the kinds of goodness viz. of Profit and Pleasure 2. To tell of thy loving kindness betimes in the morning and of thy truth in the night season In the morning which represents the rising prosperity of man it is good to give thanks for the loving kindness of the Lord and in the night of adversity also to praise him for his truth and righteousness at all times and in all conditions 3. Vpon an Instrument of ten strings and upon the Lute upon a loud Instrument and the Harp To employ both our hearts and voices as the loud instruments of his praise 4. For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works And I will rejoyce in giving praise for the operation of thy hands The works of God do then truly delight the Souls of the righteous when in them they both see the goodness wisdom of the Lord and praise his name that made them 5. O Lord how glorious are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep The pious Soul is ravisht with love and admiration in contemplation of Gods works as excelling in glory and depth of wisdom her frail capacity 6. An unwise man doth not well consider this and a fool doth not understand it And
the Life saith my blessed Redeemer The Way I must follow the Truth I must believe the Life I must hope for the Way which leadeth me the Truth which teacheth me and the Life whereunto he bringeth me the Way is undefiled the Truth is infallible and the Life without end Blessed are they that are undefiled in this Way and walk in this Truth that leads to life everlasting As you stand upon some high Place Thy mercy Ps 36.5 O Lord reacheth unto the heavens and thy faithfulness unto the clouds Thy righteousness standeth like the strong mountains 6 and thy judgments are like the great deep Thou 7 Lord shalt save both man and beast how excellent is thy mercy O God! and the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy House 8. and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures as out of the river For with thee is the Well of Life 9. and in thy Light shall we see Light even the light of joy unspeakable and glorious in the light of thy Countenance As you behold pleasant Grounds and variety of Objects O Lord Ps 104.24 how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches So is the great and wide Sea also 25. wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts These wait all upon thee 26. that thou mayst give them meat in due season When thou givest it them 27. they gather it and when thou openest there hand they are filled with good When thou hidest thy face they are troubled 28 when thou takest away their breath they dye and are turned again to their dust When thou lettest thy breath go forth 29 they shall be made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth The glorious Majesty of the Lord shall endure for ever 31 the Lord shall rejoyce in his works The earth shall tremble at the looks of Him 32 if he but touch the hills they shall smoke I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live 33 I will praise my God while I have my being And so shall my words please him 34 my joy shall be in the Lord. As for sinners they shall be consumed out of the earth 35. and the ungodly shall come to an end Praise thou the Lord O my Soul praise the Lord. Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. When you hear or see any thing extraordinary Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Rev. 15.3 just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who will not fear thee O Lord 4. and glorifie thy Name For thou only art holy Blessed be the Lord God Ps 72.18 even the God of Israel who only doth wondrous things And blessed be the name of his Majesty for ever 19. And all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty Amen Amen When you hear the Clock or see the hour of the Day How fast doth hour after hour come on time hasting to be swallowed up of Eternity Man is like a thing of nought Ps 144.4 his time passeth away like a shadow Our days upon earth are as a shadow Ps 90.9 and we bring our years to an end as a tale that is told So teach me to number my days 12. that I may apply my self unto wisdom wisely providing for that long day wherein the Sun of Righteousness shall shine without setting When you go to Read or Study Study to shew thy self approved unto God 2 Tim. 2.15 a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the truth Open thou mine eyes Ps 119. O Lord that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law in the true sence and meaning of thy holy Spirit therein being not deceived by any false glosses and misinterpretations of men Grant blessed Lord that what I Read or Meditate may conduce to a more clear understanding of thy Will Jam. 1.25 and that I may confirm the same by the holiness of my Life being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of thy work Being wearied therewith Much study is a weariness to the flesh Eccl. 12.12 And of making Books there is no end Turn again unto thy rest Ps 116.17 O my Soul return to converse with thy God who is the center in whom alone the immortal Soul finds rest Hearken unto the sweet refreshing call of thy dear Lord and Saviour saying Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.18 and I will refresh you Behold I come holy Jesus relying upon this and that other gracious saying S. Joh. 16.33 In me ye shall have peace but in the world ye have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world Lord let me never be weary in well-doing but when I may do better and prevent me in all my doings with thy most gracious favour and further me with thy continual help that in all my Prayers and Meditations studies and endeavours begun continued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy holy Name and finally obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ When you go about any worldly Employment God shall bring every work into judgment Eccl. 12.14 with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing Ps 141.4 let me not be occupied in ungodly works with the men that work wickedness neither let me be ensnared with their delights Deliver me 2 Tim. 4.18 O Lord from every evil work and stablish me in every good word and work Blessed Jesus let all my works be accepted through the merits of thy sacred and renowned actions and the imperfections thereof pardoned through Faith in thy blood Amen When you are sad or discontented When I am in heaviness I will think upon God Ps 77.3 when my heart is vexed I will complain even unto God will I make my moan Why art thou so full of heaviness Ps 42.6 O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Put thy trust in God 7. for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his Countenance Put thy trust in God and be doing good Ps 37.3 whilst I do the thing that is good and abstain from evil I may reasonably hope upon my devout Prayers for the return of God's favour unto me and that the light of his Countenance shall dispel all my darksom imaginations all my gloomy fears and the perturbations of my Spirit Return return O Lord God of hosts and cause thy face to shine upon thy servant O shew the light of thy Countenance and I shall be whole When you sit idle Why stand you here all the day idle Mar. 20.6 the Devil who tempteth unto all other
THE THIRD PART OF THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN Consisting of Meditations and Psalms illustrated with Notes or Paraphrased relating to the Hours of Prayer the ordinary Actions of Day and Night and several Dispositions of Men. By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous Judgments Psal 119.164 LONDON Printed by R. Flesher for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner MDCLXXV THE PREFACE OF Continuing in Prayer and frequent Meditation and the Design of this Second Part. THAT holy Catholick Church which is one of the XII Articles of the holy Christian Faith is partly Triumphant in Heaven and partly Militant on Earth both make but one Spouse of Christ and therefore the true Members of both are alike minded and alike employed in reference to the worship of the common Lord of both They who are true Members of Christs Church below are conform to the glorious Saints in Heaven above a Exod. 25.40 Act. 7.44 Heb. 6.11 They do the will of God on earth as 't is done in heaven b Mat. 6.11 and that 's undoubtedly the way to Heaven we cannot possibly lose our way thither whilst we follow their steps who are thither gone before us Those Triumphant Saints in Heaven rest not day nor night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty c Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Whereunto conforms the man after God's own heart saying O Lord God of my Salvation I have cryed day and night before thee d Ps 88.1 Our Lord commends it as a Duty incumbent that men ought always to pray e Luk. 18.1 And by his Apostle commands it positively Pray without ceasing f 1 Thesl 5.13 Giving thanks always g Eph. 5.20 Praying alway with all Prayer and Supplication h Eph. 6.18 But these Examples and Commands are not so to be understood as if we should do nothing else but pray S. Aug. l. de haer Theod. Eccles hist l. 4. c. 10. which was an old Heresie of the Messalians and Euchites long since condemned by the Church of Christ as being a thing impossible to pray without ceasing in the bare literal sense because this corruptible body presseth down the Soul and corporal necessities do call for supply Neither yet That we should make long Prayers which is the new Error and great mistake of these Times The which though generally the most used and best liked as being set off with the paint of seeming zeal and pretense of the Spirit yet the unlawfulness of such long Prayers will appear if we will without prejudice and partiality consider that 1. They are forbidden by our Lord saying When you pray use not vain repetitions Matth. 6.7 in which words our Lord means not the same Prayers repeated as is falsly objected against the Prayers of the Church for thus our Lord prayed himself Matth. 26.39 44. Where his Prayer was short and three times repeated And therefore undoubtedly by vain repetitions in Praying is understood multitude of words and variety of expressions to the same purpose or rather to no purpose since our desires both may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent according to the Pattern our Lord hath given us And that 't is the meaning of our Lord when he saith After this manner pray ye that our Prayers should be generally formed to the length of his Prayer prescribed will appear 1. From the Context if seriously weighed and rightly understood wherein is manifest that the manner of Praying by such a short Form is commanded in opposition to the heathenish use of much speaking in Prayer 2. From the parallel Text in the Margin Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few 3. From the Prayers of Christs Church which are in all Liturgies of the Christian World for the most part of the same length and surely the general practice of the Church is the best interpreter of holy Scripture 4. Such are generally also all the Prayers of the holy Spirit of God which stand upon record in holy Writ viz. the Book of Psalms with many more we meet with none that are of such a continued length as are in use amongst us but they are all divided by distinct Verses into so many several shorter Prayers Long Prayers are forbidden by our Lord because such is the custom of the Heathen Matt. 6.7 as the Heathen do who mind more the Oratory and Language Tone and Pronunciation than the Humility and Devotion of the Soul in Prayer and 't is much misbecoming Christians to worship the true God as the Heathen do their false and feigned Deities And Because they imply a false Notion of the Majesty of Heaven and a misbelief of his divine perfections as if he were asleep and must be awakened or did not understand our wants and desires or being otherwise imployed he could not intend our petitions except in multitude of words exprest and loud talking for audience So prayed the Priests of Baal 1 King 18.27 and so saith our Lord of all Heathen people That they think they shall be heard for their much speaking which is directly contrary to the true Faith of a Christian who believeth and acknowledgeth the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God as it follows in the 8. vers Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask which divine Truth is implicitly denied by loud and long Prayers Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord Matt. 6.5 cap. 23.14 Mark 12.40 Luk 20.47 Joh. 12.43 as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of Hypocrites who love to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen of men that they may be taken notice of for godly men desiring rather to seem than really to be religious loving the praise of men more than the praise of God To pray continually then is neither to be understood of doing nothing else but pray nor yet of using long Prayers the one being prohibited by our Lord and the other condemned by his Church but in this and the like expressions is commanded The intense Devotion of the Soul in prayer So our Lord expounds his own Cammand that men ought always to pray viz. that they faint not a Luk. 18.1 to wit for want of that holy fervour and devout Zeal which is the Life and Soul of an effectual Prayer and this same celestial fire of holy zeal in Prayer spends not it self in multitude of words and much babling of the lips but is expressed in sighs and groans which cannot be uttered b Rom. 8.26 which are tru◠〈◊〉 breathings of the holy Spirit of God in Prayer who dwells not upon the Tongue but in the
Heart To pray continually enjoyns the constant and continued returns of this holy Duty that we lose no time neglect no opportunity either of publick Prayers of the Church or of private Prayer and Closet-devotions upon the set solemn and accustomed times thereof remembring that the time only which is employed in the sacred acts of Piety towards God and Charity towards Man is redeemed c Eph. 5.6 out of the all-devouring jaws of death and dark oblivion to be the Seminary of a blessed Eternity d Gal. 6.8 when Time shall be no more That we ought always to pray i. e. say the Fathers upon the Text at those appointed Hours observed by the Church of God both under the Law called therefore the hours of the Temple and under the Gospel called the Canonical hours so generally observ'd formerly of all devout Christians that S. Hierome with his Quis nescit takes it for granted that no godly Christian is either ignorant or negligent in the observation of such hours as being probably observed by holy David saying Psal 119.164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments To continue in Prayer is to have our hearts so inflamed with the love of God as to be in a continual disposition to Pray and this not only at all set and accustomed times but at all times and upon all occasions and objects presented to raise up our Souls upon the Spiritual wings of holy Meditations celestial affections devout colloquies and ejaculatory converses with Heaven Thus Enoch walked with God and was translated a Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.5 Thus King David professeth I have set God always before me b Ps 16.9 And I will give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth c Ps 34.1 no time omitted Evening and Morning and Noon-day d Ps 55.17 18. early and late e Ps 63.1 7 no place pretermitted in the Wilderness in the land of Jordan and the unbeaten paths of Hermon f Ps 42.8 S. Hierom professeth of himself that often on the tops of Mountains and in hollow Valleys and craggy Rocks with eyes lifted up to Heaven and flowing with tears he poured forth his Soul in holy Prayers and Meditations g S. Hierom Ep. ad Eustor So Meditates S. Austin also Te Domine mediter per dies sine cessatione Te sentiam per soporem in nocte Te alloquar h Aug. Medit. O that I could Meditate upon thee O Lord through the whole day and not cease to be affected with thee in the night my Spirit speaking unto thee and my mind conversing with thee alway and alone Blessed are they who think of nothing speak of nothing but the Lord who love nothing above thee desire nothing besides thee Blessed are they whose hope alone is the Lord and all whose work is Prayer And several of the devout Fathers computed all that time lost wherein God was not in their minds and memories and there is great reason for it as the same S. Austin meditates For as there is no moment of time wherein we enjoy not the sweet influences of the divine goodness and stand in need also of God's protecting presence with us So there should be no time wherein we have not God in our thoughts i Aug. Marcu Wait on thy God continually k Hos 12.16 Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore l Ps 105.4 Thus S. Paul and all truly devout Christians with him have their conversation in heaven m Phil. 3.20 whilst they are upon earth and that 's the way surely to have our conversation in Heaven when we shall be taken from the earth This Second Part of the Practical Christian consists of Ejaculatory Prayers and Meditations with several Psalms paraphrased and illustrated relating to the hours of Prayer and to other subjects both useful and necessary to be considered by every such devout person as seriously minds the eternal Salvation of his Soul 'T is not hereby intended magisterially to impose upon any persons either at what hours they shall pray precisely in their Closets or that they should thus or thus punctually Meditate and Pray at all such times and upon every such subject prefixed But To put all good Christians in mind of those hours of Prayer which the Church and people of God and many thousands in all the parts of Christendom do still observe as such and therefore they are the most fitting seasonable times wherein to make our religious addresses to Heaven if we desire to be true Members of the holy Catholick Church and to practise the Communion of Saints and to reap the fruits of the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith That the ensuing Meditations may be helps of Devotion to the more weak and imperfectly religious who may have here seasonable hints to raise up their Souls to converse with Heaven at all times and upon all occasions And the more perfect also may here meet with some Notions and remembrances to excite them unto higher and more sublime elevations So many Psalms are added to every Chapter of Meditations to recal if possible the Devotion of the present times to the ancient and sure way of Religious exercise which was and is still by all sound and Orthodox Devotaries in the devout use of the Psalms of David 't was thus that all the triumphing Saints in Heaven have prayed themselves thither as far forth as their Religious practises appear unto us upon record in Ecclesiastical Story and 't is a safe way to follow their steps rather than the fanciful conceptions of our own heads especially remembring that it is acknowledged by all Christians that the Psalms of David are the Treasury of all Devotion 'T is known that they are and ever were the constant Prayers of the Church and People of God at all times and upon all occasions It cannot be denyed but that they are the immediate Dictates and Prayers of the holy and true Spirit of God and therefore it must surely follow that they are of higher dignity greater efficacy and acceptation with God than the most seemingly-zealous and pathetical expressions in Prayer which flow from the spirit of the most learned and ready tongue'd man It is to be lamented even to astonishment at the madness and folly of many persons professing to be godly that they do so highly extol the Praying by the Spirit and yet altogether neglect the use of those Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs commanded Eph. 5.19 Col. 3.16 and are the infallible and undeniable Prayers of the Spirit of Truth and Holiness But 't is the fond imaginations of their own hearts that such do mean by the Spirit if they blaspheme not and 't is these indigested conceptions of their own brain which blinds their Zeal and darkens their Vnderstanding to slight both the Prayers of David and of the Son of David also even all the immediate
and Reverence prostrate upon your knees offer unto God your Morning sacrifice 1. Of Thanksgiving for your preservation and refreshment the night past 2. Confessing with all godly sorrow your sins and failings even in the best of your performances and more particularly in what the night past you offended either by thought or desire word or deed in your dreams sleeping or waking and humbly beg pardon for the same 3. Imploring God's gracious assistance to direct you in all your intentions and undertakings to strengthen you against all Temptations to enable you to fulfil and put in execution all your good purposes and holy resolutions PSALMS for the MORNING or First Hour of Prayer with Notes for Illustration The CXIX Psalm The First Part. 1. BLessed are those that are undefiled in the way and walking in the way of the Lord. This present life is called the way because it is the thorough fare to Life eternal and to keep unspotted of this world is the way to be blessed in the world to come 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with their whole heart That we may keep Gods Laws which is the way to blessedness we must with all fervor of Spirit implore the assistance of divine Grace 3. For they who do no wickedness walk in his ways To do wickedly is to walk every one in the ways of his own heart which are contrary to the ways of God 4. Thou hast charged that we shall diligently keep thy Commandments 'T is not enough to decline the ways of wickedness except we be also diligent in doing the good works God hath commanded 5. O that my ways were made so direct that I might keep thy statutes So directed by thee 6. So shall I not be confounded while I have respect unto all thy Commandments Disobedience to God's Commands is the high-way to confusion 7. I will thank thee with an unfeigned heart when I shall have learned the judgments of thy righteousness Unfeigned thanks are to be given unto God as the chief author of all our knowledge and obedience 8. I will keep thy ceremonies O forsake me not utterly Or that I may keep thy Laws in every circumstance thereof O Lord forsake me not or if for a while thou leave me that I may be sensible of my frailties yet forsake me not utterly Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer WIth my whole heart do I seek and sue unto thee O Lord that thy Truth may so direct me and thy Grace support me in the way of thy Laws and in the works of thy Commandments that being holy and undefiled in the way of this Life I may be for ever blessed with thee in the Life to come through Jesus Christ The Second Part. Verses 1. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way even by ruling himself after thy Word The regenerate or new Man preserves himself clean and pure by squaring all his intentions and actions by that infallible Rule of Righteousness which God has prescribed 2. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not go wrong unto thy Commandments Either by misunderstanding thy word for want of divine Illumination or by disobeying the same for want of divine Grace 3. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I should not sin against thee c That we sin not is the great end why the Word of God is given us 4. Blessed art thou O Lord O teach me thy statutes To bless God for gifts already received is the readiest way more fully to understand his Will 5. With my lips have I been telling of all the judgments of thy mouth Divine knowledge must not be buried as the Talent in a Napkin but be outwardly exprest to the glory of God and edification of others 6. I have had as great delight in thy testimonies as in all manner of riches The highest delight of man is the pleasure of his highest Faculties the Understanding and the Will which consists in the knowledg of the truth and obedience thereunto 7. I will talk of thy Commandments and have respect to thy ways True Religion will manifest it self both in words and deeds 8. My delight shall be in thy Statutes and I will not forget thy word Whilest I delight to obey my God I cannot forget the Rule of that obedience which he requires The Prayer GRant me blessed Lord to delight in thee and in obedience to thy Laws more than in all earthly treasures devoting both my youth and ripe age hereunto That so keeping thy Commandments I may enter into life thorough Jesus Christ The Third Part. 1. O do well unto thy servant that I may live and keep thy word To do the good works God has commanded in his Word is to live the life of Grace which is the way to the life of Glory 2. Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Without the right understanding of the excellency of those duties God commands there can be no true Religion either in the heart or in the life 3. I am a stranger upon earth O hide not thou thy Commandments from me Not the earth but Heaven is our native home whereunto the knowledge of and obedience unto Gods Commandments doth entitle us through Christ 4. My soul breaketh out for the very fervent desire it hath alway unto thy judgments The beginning of true Wisdom is the fervent desire thereof 5. Thou hast rebuked the proud and cursed are they that do err from thy Commandments Spiritual pride is hateful before God as being inconsistent with obedience to his Laws 6. O turn from me shame and rebuke for I have kept thy testimonies Or turn from me that shame and curse which thou hast threatned to the proud and disobedient 7. Princes also did sit and speak against me but thy servant is occupied in thy Statutes 8. For thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellers Against all the powers of earth and hell God's Word is our counsel by its direction and our comfort in its practice The Prayer O Lord the giver of all good things vouchsafe unto thy servant fervently to desire rightly to understand and constantly to persevere in the practice of all thy Evangelical Precepts Let not any Powers upon earth nor all the Princes and Powers of hell withdraw my heart from thee or my actions from the Rule of Righteousness but let thy testimonies be ever both my Counsel and my Comfort in my pilgrimage upon earth that in the end I may safely arrive in my native Countrey of Heaven to ascribe for ever Glory to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Fourth Part. 1. My soul cleaveth unto the dust O quicken me according to thy Word or My soul is too much set upon earthly things do thou quicken me with spiritual wisdom and heavenly affections according to thy promise in thy Word 2.
Numb 21.9 S. Joh. 3.14 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And my soul is wounded by the frequent bitings of that old Serpent the Devil but mine eyes are ever looking up unto thee Holy Jesus the great Physician of Sin-sick Souls who hast made a salve for such of thine own wounds and blood Heal O heal my Soul Ps 41.4 for I have sinn'd against thee Blessed Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world take away mine also O blessed Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world grant me thy Peace even that Peace which as at this hour thou so dearly purchased for me IV. At this Hour my dear Redeemer was expanded upon the Cross as on a tormenting rack where wounded nayled and bleeding he continued for three long hours together whilst the Sun being in its full strength withdrew the influence of its Light from those merciless wretches who Crucified the Lord of Glory S. Mark 15.33 And when the Sixth hour was come there was darkness over the whole Land The Sun hid his face being as 't were ashamed to behold the Sun of Righteousness eclipsed and in the shadow of death And this most justly ought to represent to my Conscience my manifold deeds of darkness which were the cause of my Saviours death and do dayly eclipse the light of Gods countenance from shining upon me O Holy Jesus who didst humble thy self unto death upon the Cross for us miserable sinners who sate in darkness and in the shadow of death vouchsafe to illuminate my darkned Soul with the light of Grace and Truth which lead to that everlasting Light which is not liable to any Eclipse in the least degree of diminution The great Captain of our Salvation having by his painful sufferings and meritorious death vanquisht him who hath the power of death the Devil having overcome both the first and second Death and shewed himself alive to his Apostles by many infallible proofs being seen of them forty dayes and speaking of all things pertaining to the Kingdom of God having in a word perfected the great and mysterious work of our Redemption for the which he invisibly descended from Heaven 'T was V. At this Hour he visibly ascended again into Heaven Now then raise up thy self O my Soul and let thy most ardent affections thorough thy gazing eyes be thither enwrapt whither thy glorious Redeemer at this hour ascended Shall not the heart be there where the Treasure is Act. 1.11 All thy Treasure surely all thy hopes of life and happiness are treasur'd up in thy blessed Saviour who is gone into Heaven GRant I beseech Thee Almighty God that like as I do believe thy only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the Heavens So I also may in heart and mind thither ascend and with him continually dwell who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost one God world without end Amen PSALMS For the Sixth Hour of Prayer Psal CXIX Part 11. Verses 1. MY Soul hath longed for thy Salvation and I have a good hope because of thy Word God's promise of Grace and Salvation in his Word inflames the pious Soul with longings thereafter 2. Mine eyes long sore for thy Word Saying O when wilt thou comfort me Which is expressed by the frequent elevation of the Eyes which are the windows of the heart unto Heaven waiting for the Consolation thereof 3. For I am become lik a bottle is the smoak yet do I not forget thy Statutes Contemplation is not to be so dry and withered as to be forgetful of holy works commanded 4. How many are the days of thy servant when wilt thou be avenget of them that persecute me The more short and uncertain our dayes be the more vigorously should we resist and more earnestly implore the divine assistance against our ghostly adversaries 5. The proud have digged pits for me which are not after thy Law Whose temptations to assault and entrap the Soul are such as tend continually to the transgression of Gods Commandments 6. All thy Commandments are true they persecute me falsly O be thou my help The more such suggestions oppose the Truth the more earnest we must be in our prayers unto God for his help to resist them 7. They had almost made an end of me upon Earth but I forsook not thy Commandments And to continue constant in our obedience to the divine precepts though the oppositions do even destroy all our earthly interests 8. O quicken me after thy loving kindness and so shall I keep the Testimonies of thy mouth But such a holy obedience proceeds from the power of Gods quickning Spirit which is therefore constantly to be prayed for Qui conservat legem multiplicat orationem Ecclus. 35.1 Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer BOth my heart and mine eyes do I lift up unto Thee O Lord longing greatly for that Grace and Salvation which thy Word doth promise Let no persecutions either from my bodily or ghostly adversaries rob me of the hopes thereof Let no false suggestions either withdraw my heart from the love of thy Truth or from the practice of it in all the actions of my life but of thy loving kindness vouchsafe so to quicken all my holy desires and endeavours that when the few days of this life take end I may inherit that life which knows no end through Jesus The Twelfth Part. Verses 1. O Lord thy word endureth for ever in Heaven The Counsels of God are immutable in Heaven though they seem variable in their respective dispensations upon Earth 2. Thy Truth also remaineth from one generation to another thou hast laid the foundation of the Earth and it abideth God's revealed Truth to his Church and People upon Earth is successively continued from one generation to another whilst the world continues 3. They continue this day according to thine ordinance for all things serve thee There is a law impos'd upon all men and upon all things who both by their obedience and disobedience thereunto do serve the ends of Gods ordinances and decrees 4. If my delight had not been in thy Law I should have perished in my trouble Which Lawchearfully obeyed is a sure support in the worst of troubles 5. I will never forget thy Commandments for with them thou hast quickned me He therefore forgets himself who forgets Gods Commandments which quicken the soul to life eternal 6. I am thine O save me for I have sought thy Commandments I am devoted thy servant by solemn promise in my Baptism and I am resolved to continue thine and therefore vouchsafe as thine to preserve me to keep thy holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of my life 7. The ungodly laid wait for me to destroy me but I will consider thy Testimonies By devout Meditations upon those truths God hath testified
ruine delight the righteous not for the destruction of their persons but for the justice of God thereby testified 8. My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee and I am afraid of thy judgments The best of men do most fear the judgments of God as being most sensible of their sins Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer GIve me a heart O Lord I beseech Thee detesting all sinfulness and error and inflamed with the love of holiness and truth to trust in thy mercies and stand in fear of thy judgments incline my will and affections to live the life of obedience to thy Word that I may not be disappointed of my hopes to live with thee for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Sixteenth Part. Verses 1. I deal with the thing that is lawful and right O give me not over to mine oppressors He must deal righteously with all men who desires not to be oppressed by any 2. Make thou thy servant to delight in that which is good that the proud do me no wrong To delight in what is good is a sure preservative against all the assaults of the spirits of pride and wickedness 3. Mine eyes are wasted away with looking for thy health and for the word of thy righteousness We must wait diligently upon all the blessed means of that grace and Salvation God hath promised in his word how troublesome soever this may be to the flesh 4. O deal with thy servant according to thy loving mercy and teach me thy Statutes 'T will be sad if God deal not with the best of us after his loving mercies and not after our deserts 5. I am thy servant O grant me understanding that I may know thy Testimonies 'T is impossible to be the true servant of God without understanding aright the service he requires 6. It is time for Thee to lay to thine hand for they have destroyed thy law When he Laws of God are trampled under foot he will not long forbear his punishing judgments 7. For I love thy Commandments above gold and precious stone When wickedness most abounds the righteous do most value the Laws of God even above all earthly treasures 8. Therefore hold I straight all thy Commandments and all false ways I utterly abhor They that are most sincere in the service of God do most abhor what is false and contrary thereunto Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer I Am thy devoted servant O Lord and that I may serve thee acceptably give me a right understanding of all the ways and parts of thy service and an upright heart in performing the same abhorring all falsehood both in opinion and conversation O deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities but according to thy loving mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour glory c. Our Father which art in c. CHAP. IV. Of Meditations for the Ninth Hour of Prayer or Three a Clock IT is very seasonable at this Hour to pay thy Devotions to thy blessed Redeemer as the necessary effects of true Faith and Repentance since I. 'T was at this hour the Thief upon the Cross believing and repenting received the joyful promise from the mouth of the Lord Luk. 23.43 This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And my life I confess has been no better than the life of this Thief even my whole life has been a trade of robbery robbing God of his honour and of that obedience which I owe to his holy Laws and robbing my self also of peace of Conscience here and of the hopes of Heaven hereafter Blessed Jesu who hadst mercy on the Thief even in the very hour of his death repenting have mercy upon me even upon me also who now though too too late repent me of my manifold misdoings Shut not up the gates of Paradise against me when I shall depart hence since having overcome the sharpness of death thou hast opened the kingdom of Heaven to all Believers II. 'T was at this hour the Son of God made man commended his spirit of man into the hands of God the Father Luk. 23.46 And into thy hands O Lord do I now commend my spirit my soul my body my all for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth And the very God of peace vouchsafe to sanctifie me wholly 1 Thess 5.23 And I pray God that my whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen III. 'T was at this hour wherein my blessed Redeemer Mat. 27.46 50. after he had cryed with a loud voice gave up the Ghost and dyed for us miserable sinners 'T was for me and my sins my dearest Saviour both suffered and dyed he having no sins of his own to suffer or dy for but He was wounded for my transgressions Is 53.5 He was bruised for mine iniquities And now then remember holy Jesus in great mercy remember that hour wherein with a torn body and broken heart Thou didst shew forth the bowels of thy mercy in dying to deliver me both from spiritual and eternal death Pardon good Lord pardon all my sins the cause of all thy painful sufferings and grant that both I and all who love thy Cross and Passion in a devout thankful remembrance may by the vertue and power thereof crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin that being dead unto sin 1 Pet. 2.24 we may live unto righteousness and by thy stripes be healed IV. Upon the death of my Saviour S. Mat. 27.51 the Earth quaked the Rocks clave asunder the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom And yet upon the meditation hereof my heart is not broken within me 't is harder than the stones of that Temple which was a figure of it harder than those Rocks that rent upon the expiration of my Lord more insensible and stupid than the Earth that quaked at the death of her Maker O Blessed Jesus let thy precious blood shed for me soften my stony heart into tears of Compassion to bewail thy Passion into tears of Compunction for my sins the cause of thy Sufferings and wholly melt my Soul into a throughout Devotion to the love and service of thy Sacred Majesty who hast so infinitely loved me as to dy for me V. At this hour the side of our Lord was pierced whence issued the two Sacraments of his Church the Water of Baptism and the Blood of the Eucharist And O that that precious blood and water which is the price of my Redemption may be the meritorious cause of my sanctification in this life and eternal Salvation in the life to come Amen PSALMS For the Ninth Hour Psal CXIX Part 17. Verses 1. THy Testimonies O Lord
the evening of thy life but then it concerns thee to be active and industrious in the service of thy Lord having been all the day of thy former life idle and negligent therein And as at other times then so neglect not to offer up thine evening Sacrifice unto God for I. 'T was in the evening of Time the blessed Son of God came down from Heaven for the Redemption of the world If then Christ be a new formed in thee now and every evening bless God for thy Renovation and with all joyful exultation say with the blessed mother of our Lord St. LUKE I. Verses 46. MY Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour 'T is the greatest joy of the devout Soul to praise the Lord my Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness when my mouth praiseth Thee with joyful lips Psal 63 6. 47. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his hand-maiden 'T was a great respect our Lord had to the humble and gracious disposition of this blessed Virgin to humble himself to be made man in her sanctified Womb. 48. For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed Since all the nations of the earth are blessed by the holy Seed of her immaculate body 49. For he that is mighty hath magnified me and holy is his Name God's Almightiness is most manifested by his mercifulness and in respect of both his name is great wonderful and holy 50. And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations In every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Act. 10.35 51. He hath shewed strength with his arm he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts By the arm of the Lord is meant the Son of God Isa 53.1 the strength of whose wisdom appeared in confounding the fond imaginations of the proud Pharisees and all such as justifie themselves 52. He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek And in casting out the Prince of this world Joh. 12.31 and all the spirits of pride and vengeance and in raising up faln man from under the power and tyranny of the Devil and his Angels 53. He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away Such as hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be satisfied but they who are pure in their own eyes and justifie themselves are rejected for he came not to call the righteous in their own conceit but sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 54. He remembring his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel as he promised to our forefather Abraham and his seed for ever To all the spiritual Sors of the faithful Abraham do the promises of God in Christ appertain Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Blessed Jesus the eternal and only begotten Son of God who for us men and for our Salvation came down from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and made man By the merits and mysteries of thy holy Incarnation and miraculous Birth of a spotless Virgin I humbly beg a lowly humble pure and virginheart for 't is only such a heart thou regardest for thy habitation and abode and 't is only such a heart cleaves stedfastly unto thee by the ardent love awful fear and sincere service of thy Sacred Majesty who livest and reignest with the Father c. The XCVIII Psalm PARAPHRASED Being A Thanksgiving for the Redemption of the World by the Son of God verse 1 O Sing unto the Lord a new Song Praise him for the renovation and redemption of the world wherein he hath done marvellous things even such as the Angels of heaven desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 verse 2 With his own right hand by his works of righteousness and with his holy arm the extent of his Piety He hath gotten himself the victory over the world the flesh and the Devil sin death and hell verse 3 The Lord declared his Salvation which under the Law was shadowed in types and figures but now under the Gospel his righteousness whereby he justifies and saves He hath openly shewed in the sight of the heathen not to the Jews only but to the Gentiles also verse 4 He hath remembred his mercy in the promise of Salvation and his truth in the performance of this promise towards the house of Israel to them was the promise of the Messias but upon his appearance all the ends of the world have seen the Salvation of our God And therefore verse 5 Shew your selves joyful unto the Lord all ye lands fince all have seen his Salvation 't is very meet and just and our bounden duty that all should sing rejoyce and give thanks for Salvation from eternal death to life everlasting is the greatest cause of joy and thanksgiving verse 6 Praise the Lord upon the harp which mystically represents the heart of man sing to the harp open your lips to shew forth his praise with a Psalm of Thanksgiving as wherein the praises of God are divinely celebrated verse 7 With Trumpets also and Shawms all kind of musical instruments to elevate the heart to shew your selves joyful before the Lord the King who is best pleased with joy exultation and delight in his service verse 8 Let the Sea make a noise and all that therein is even all the inhabitants of the Isles of the Sea the round world and they that dwell therein they that dwell in the Continent also verse 9 Let the floods clap their hands and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord both they that dwell in the low valleys and they that inhabit the hilly countreys have equal cause of joy and thanksgiving unto the Lord of all men and all places for he is come to judge the earth to separate the precious from the vile the elect from the reprobate which is done in this life by the preaching of the Gospel in truth and purity and exercising the power of the keys for thus verse 10 With righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity absolving from their sins the penitent and contrite but binding upon their souls the sins of the obdurate Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. 'T is thy duty O my Soul as to praise God for the Redemption of the world so to pray unto him that he would have mercy upon all men and display the sacred beams of his holy Gospel over all the Nations of the earth that they may come to the knowledge of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ Pray we therefore for all men and with all Christian people in the words of Gods holy Spirit PSALM LXVII verse 1 GOD be merciful unto us and bless us and shew us the light of his Countenance and be merciful unto us verse 2 That thy
way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations verse 3 Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee verse 4 O let the nations rejoyce and be glad for thou shalt judge the folk righteously and govern the nations upon earth verse 5 Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee verse 6 Then shall the earth bring forth her increase and God even our own God shall give us his blessing verse 7 God shall bless us and all the ends of the world shall fear him and with one heart and with one mouth glorifie the Lord and say Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. II. 'T was at this Hour my blessed Lord having first washed his disciples feet did institute consecrate and administer the blessed Sacrament of his most holy body and blood and the next day at the same hour he was taken down from the Cross I have very great reason then at this hour with all thanksgiving and devotion to commemorate the infinite love of my Redeemer in giving himself to be not only the price of my Redemption by his death upon the Cross but also to be the food of my Soul in that blessed Sacrament humbly beseeching his gracious Majesty that the merits of the one may be applied to my Soul in the devout and reverent participation of the other But I will not presume to come to thy Table O merciful Saviour having not first washed my polluted feet and the disordered affections of my soul with the tears of godly sorrow having not by true Repentance taken down the pride of this corruptible flesh laid aside and abjured all my sins that so with clean hands and a pure heart I may receive the holy Communion of thy precious Body and Blood not to my condemnation but to the eternal salvat on of my Soul O blessed Jesu Saviour of the world save me and deliver me from all mine offences nail them to thy Cross bury them in thy grave that they never rise in judgment against me at the last great day And O that now upon the remembrance of my dearest Saviours burial in the grave I could from the bottom of my heart bid adieu to the world and to all the pomps and vanities of this life to the assured hopes of the joyes of the life to come The XV. Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 LOrd who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle be entitled to the solemn worship of thy house and continue a true member of thy Church militant here below or who shall rest upon thy holy hill be admitted into the rest and felicity of thy Saints in heaven above verse 2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life unspotted of the world unstained by the flesh uncorrupted by the Devil and doth the thing that is right Beneficence or to do good as Innocence to do no evil are equally necessary to Salvation and speaketh the truth from his heart whose heart thinketh and whose mouth speaketh the truth without which knowledge and profession of the truth there can be no righteousness either of Innocence or of Beneficence in the actions of life verse 3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue nor done evil to his neighbor who hath neither in his words deceived nor in his deeds wronged any and hath not slandered his neighbor either First being too credulous to believe an evil report of any or Secondly aggravating and making worse the mistakes and miscarriages of others or Thirdly blazoning them abroad to his disgrace verse 4 He that setteth not by himself is not conceited of his own worth or esteem wisdom or holiness but is lowly in his own eyes hath a mean and low opinion of himself of his deserts parts and performances or as according to another reading discountenanceth a vile person in his wickedness and maketh much of them that fear the Lord by commending and giving all respects and encouragement to such verse 5 He that sweareth to his neighbour in the promise of any benefit whether by love or gift and disappointeth him not but is as good as his word unto him though it be to his own hinderance in respect of his present worldly interests verse 6 He that hath not given his money upon usury neither lending nor giving ought unto any upon the hopes of temporal advantage thereby forbidden by our Lord Luk. 6.35 nor taken reward against the Innocent that will not be fee'd or bribed to speak or act any thing against truth and Innocence verse 7 Whoso doth these things carefully conscientiously constanly shall never fall from the state of Grace but pass through that to the state of Glory to rest upon Gods holy hill or to enjoy eternal rest in the high and holy Heavens where the Language constantly used is Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. III. 'T was at this time of the day my Blessed Lord being risen from the dead appeared to two of his Disciples going to Emaus Luk. 2.13 ad 31. with whom discoursing and by whom being entertained he was known of them by breaking of bread O how good and profitable a thing it is to speak of the holy Jesus with affectionate desires and devotions but much more effectual are good deeds than good words Friendly discourses upon Divine subjects are profitable but charitable entertainments are more acceptable to the Court of Heaven To hear from the blessed mouth of our Lord himself the holy Scriptures expounded did undoubtedly ravish the minds of these Disciples but yet their eyes were not opened to know the Lord till charity enlarged their hearts to invite nay to compel their fellow traveller to eat bread and lodge with them Tene hospitem si vis agnoscere Salvatorem Aug. 'T is divine Charity that passeth all things for illumination were my heart throughly infir'd with this Celestial flame I could not be destitute of the light of Truth for fire and light both spiritual and material are inseparable To these hospitable Disciples our Lord was known in the breaking of bread and thus he is especially known and entertained also in that Celestial bread of the blessed Eucharist to the great and endless comfort of every worthy Communicant Lord evermore give us this bread feed our Souls with thy most precious Body and Blood as a pledge and assurance to eat bread with Thee in the Kingdom of God for ever Amen IV. An evening Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving is due unto thy God as well as the morning Praise and a better Sacrifice cannot be offered unto him either evening or morning with the calves of our lips than in the words of the CXLV Psalm which is an Epitome of the Praises of God diffused through the whole Book of God and 't was therefore one part of the dayly service of God in his Temple and therefore 't is most meet it should daily by
drowsiness O my Soul begging of God with humble Prayers Heb. 1.14 that those Celestial Spirits who are sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation and more particularly that thy guardian Angel may both guide and protect thee that no destroying Angel no terror of the night no pestilence that walketh in darkness no fiery darts of the Devil no arrows of Temptation by any filthy dreams or noysome lusts may infect and taint thy innocence or disturb thy peace in the Lord. For ye were sometimes darkness Eph. 5.8 but now are ye light in the Lord walk therefore as children of the light And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ver 11. but rather reprove them O blessed Father of Lights Jam. 1.17 with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning shew the light of thy Countenance upon thy servant and save me for thy mercies sake II. 'T is in the Night we generally believe the Son of man shall come to judge both the quick and the dead Mat. 25.6 Mar. 13.36 37. and he hath commanded thee to watch for his coming that he find thee not sleeping remembring that his coming shall be in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that obey not his Gospel whereof this is a part watch and pray confirmed by his own example who continued all night in prayer unto God by the example of holy David frequently at his prayers in the night Luk. 6.12 Ps 6. 63 119. Isa 26.9 of the Prophet Isaiah With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early and of the Prophet Jeremiah Arise Lam. 2.19 cry out in the Night in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord. Thy heart may now most opportunely most intensely most freely and fully be poured out unto the Lord whilst the cares and businesses of the day distract thee not whilst no external objects or tumultuous noise disturb thy wandring imaginations to withdraw thy heart from divine and celestial Contemplations Tu Christe somnum discute Tu rumpe noctis vincula Tu solve peccatum vetus Novumque lumen ingere III. 'T was in the deep silence of the Night thy blessed Saviour was born And the Shepherds who kept watch over their flock Luk. 2.7 8 had therefore the happiness to receive the first tydings of Salvation by an Angel from Heaven 'T is now very seasonable to Meditate upon those great mysteries of Salvation the Incarnation and Birth of thy Redeemer the Holiness and Innocence of his Life his whole nights Devotions and Prayers the many conspiracies against his life which he purposely assumed to lay down for the sins of the world 'T was in the night as being the cursed deeds of darkness that thy Lord was apprehended in the Garden and then bound with Cords of violence and by rude hands drag'd and hurry'd to be arraigned as a Malefactor falsly accused spit upon and buffeted examined with intents of blood judged and condemned say then now in the words of the holy Spirit of God PSALM II. Verses 1. WHy do the heathen so furiously rage together and why do the people imagine a vain thing By the heathen is meant Infidels and such as be without the pale of the Church By the People Hereticks and Schismaticks within 2. The Kings of the earth stand up and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed b This Prophecie is remembred to be fulfilled by the Conspiracies and practises of the Chiefs both of the Jews and Romans against Christ Acts 4.25 26 27. Saying 3. Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us By Bonds are meant the Laws of Christ and by Cords those promises threats exhortations examples which draw our hearts to obey his Laws 4. He that dwelleth in Heaven will laugh them to scorn the Lord will have them in derision The neglect and contempt whereof God is said to deride as seeing it to be the high-way to destruction 5. Then shall he speak unto them is his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure For when he shall call such proud contemners to account it shall be not in mercy but in wrath to their eternal vexation and torment 6. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Sion 'T is not the utmost malice of men or Devils can weaken the power or frustrate the Government of Christ in his Church 7. I will preach the Law whereof the Lord hath said unto me g Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Not hinder the publication of his Gospel received from God Founded in the eternal and temporal Son-ship of Christ who was both begotten from all eternity as the Son of God and born in fulness of Time as the Son of Man 8. Desire of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession In respect of his Godhead he is Lord of the whole earth in respect of his manhood he obtained by intercession as Mediator betwixt God and Man that all people both Jews and Gentiles be called to the state of Salvation through him 9. Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron and break them in pieces like a Potters vessel Whom he governs by subduing and mortifying their rebel lusts both sensual and worldly 10. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be learned ye that are Judges of the earth Which is that true wisdom which chiefly all that are in authority should learn as by whose power and example others may be conrerted 11. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce unto him with reverence Both fear and joy are necessary qualifications in Religious duties that we neither be affrighted with the difficulty nor puft up with the consolation that attends his service 12. Kiss the Son lest he be angry and so ye perish from the right way if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are they that put their trust in him There is a Kiss both of Love and Honour and of Obedience the which in all respects is due to our Redeemer the neglect whereof is the way to perish by his wrath as to obey him and trust in him is the way of true blessedness Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Blessed Jesus in Thee have I put my trust let me never perish from the right way of that love and obedience I owe to thy Sacred Majesty and let all the Nations of the earth submit to thy Sceptre of Righteousness that they perish not in thy wrath but may inherit the blessings of them that put their trust in Thee who art only Saviour and Redeemer Amen IV. Meditations for the Night THe Angels of Heaven rest not day and night crying Holy holy Lord
sins is himself tempted by idleness Watch ye therefore Mat. 13.36 for you know not when the master of the house cometh at Even or at Mid-night or at the Cock-crowing or in the Morning Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping 37. Upon wandring wanton Eyes A Wicked eye is an evil thing Ecclus. 31.13 and what is created more wicked than an Eye and therefore it weepeth upon every occasion How dare I look up unto Heaven which is the throne of Gods Purity with those eyes that have been set upon vanity and iniquity A wise mans eyes are in his head Eccl. 2.14 but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth I have made a Covenant with mine eyes not to look upon a maid Job 31 1. For whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her Mat. 5.28 hath already committed adultery with her in his heart But mine eyes shall be ever looking unto the Lord Ps 25.15 for he shall pluck my feet out of the net my affections from being ensnared with unlawful objects When you are tempted to any Sin Meditat. I. Avoid Satan thou wicked and unclean spirit avoid Thou hast no part or lot in me I am solemnly devoted to the service of my God and my Jesus and thy sworn adversary I have solemnly abjured thee and all thy works and must not now yield to any of thine unclean suggestions Be merciful unto me Ps 57.1 O God be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in Thee and under the shadow of thy Wings shall be my refuge until this tyranny be overpast I will call unto the most high God 2. even to the God that shall perform the cause I have in hand He shall send from Heaven and save me 3. from the reproof of him that would eat me up God shall send forth his mercy and truth 4. my Soul is among Lyons the Devil and his Angels have too great a hank upon my Soul But my trust is in the tender mercy of my God therefore I shall not fall Meditat. II. When I am tempted to any evil I complain of the Devil but my self is the greatest Devil to my Soul whilst I do not deny my self the fulfilling of its irrational appetites All the forces wherewith the enemy fights against my Soul are within me 'T is from those warring members within they are both raised armed and maintained But whensoever I call upon God Ps 56.9 then shall mine enemies be put to flight this I know for God is on my side In Gods word will I rejoice 10. in the Lords word will I comfort me Yea in God have I put my trust 11. I will not fear what man or Devil can do unto me Meditat. III. Being Tempted Say 'T is the Lords cause I must now maintain 't is his quarrel I must fight for the grand enemy of God and Man would now rob God of his Honour and of that Obedience which is due to his most holy Laws and I being Tempted am thereby challenged to be the Lords Champion But I will not trust in my Bow Ps 44.7 't is not my Sword that shall save me But it is thou Lord 8. that savest us from our enemies and puttest them to confusion that hate us Arise Ps 74.23 O God maintain thine own cause remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee dayly Forget not the voice of thine enemies 24. the presumption of them that hate thee encreaseth ever more and more Meditat. IV. Vpon Temptations The victory over the Devil and all his temptations were easily obtained could I but once get the mastery over those lusts which war against the Soul In which spiritual warfare the banner under which I must fight is the Cross of my Redeemer by the vertue whereof all my intestine foes may be vanquisht in the Crucifixion of them and the old man with all his mutinous troops of deceivable lusts be subdued and led captive in the Chains of holy Mortification O blessed Jesus the Captain of my Salvation strengthen and encourage me manfully to fight under thy banner against all my ghostly adversaries And let thy Grace so prevent and follow me that I may follow thee by the Cross to the Crown through the School of Grace to the Throne of Glory Amen Upon the Prevailing of any Temptation I will say unto the God of my strength Ps 42.11 why hast thou forgotten me and why go I thus heavily while the enemy oppresseth me My bones are smitten asunder as with a Sword 12 while mine enemies that trouble me cast me in the teeth Namely 13. while they say daily unto me where is now thy God Have mercy upon me O God Ps 41.10 have mercy upon me raise thou me up again and I shall reward them being more careful to resist the Devil and all his suggestions Forsake me not O Lord my God Ps 38. ult be not thou far from me Haste thee to help me O Lord God of my Salvation Having escaped a Temptation The snares of death compassed me round about Ps 18.3 and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid The pains of hell came about me 4. the snares of death overtook me If the Lord himself had not been on my side I may well now say Ps 124.1 if the Lord himself had not been on my side The waters of Temptation had drowned me 3. and the stream had gone over my Soul Yea the deep waters of the proud had gone even over my Soul 4. But praised be the Lord who hath not given me over for a prey unto their teeth My Soul is escaped even as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler 5. the snare is broken and I am delivered Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord 6. who hath made heaven and earth To whom be all Glory Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. When you Hunger or Thirst I. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Mat. 5.6 for they shall be satisfied They shall receive such a satisfaction as the most delicious of bodily meats and drinks cannot give He that drinketh of this water shall thirst again Joh. 4.13 but whoso shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst But the water that I shall give him 14. shall be in him a Well of living water springing up to everlasting life Lord evermore give me this water that I thirst not 'T is the Graces of thy holy Spirit I humbly beg which alone can satisfie the vast desires of my Soul II. Labour not for the meat that perisheth Joh. 6.27 but labour for that meat which endureth to everlasting life which the son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed sent into the world to be the incorruptible Food of our immortal
dayes are but as a span short and uncertain I humbly beseech thee O Lord to wean my heart from the disquietude of worldly cares and that I may be fruitful in all the good works of obedience and charity to repair the breaches of thy blessed image which mine offences have made before my departure hence that so recovering the spiritual health and strength of my Soul I may dye in thy Grace and favour through Jesus Christ The XC Psalm Verses 1. LOrd thou hast been our refuge from one generation to another Holy men have in all ages of the world applied themselves unto the Lord for succor support and protection in all conditions 2. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever the earth and the world were made thou art God from everlasting and world without end Who being eternal is also immutable in his mercy goodness power and providence over all 3. Thou turnest man to destruction again thou sayst Come again ye children of men Dispensing both health and sickness prosperity and adversity life and death to the sons of men according to his all just all merciful all wise good pleasure 4. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday seeing that is past as a watch in the night The longest course of mans life in respect of Gods eternal praevision is but as a day that is already past or as one of the night-watches which is both swift and short and also dark and gloomy through frequent cross and adverse occurrents 5. As soon as thou scatterest them they are even asleep and fade away suddenly as the grass As sleep is the image of death so the life of man is but the image or shadow of life for as a shadow it fleeth the pursuer and fadeth as the grass 6. In the morning it is green and groweth up in the evening it is cut down dried up and withered Which the same day beholds both growing and cut down flourishing and withered 7. For we consume away in thy displeasure and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation This frailty of humane life is the punishment of sin which incurs most justly God's indignation and wrath 8. Thou hast set our mis-deeds before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun both seeing and recording the most secret of our sinful waies 9. For when thou art angry all our days are gone we bring our years to an end as it were a tale that is told 'T is through Gods just anger for our sins that our dayes are shortned and our years are spent in vanity and trouble 10. The dayes of our age are threescore years and ten and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow so soon passeth it away and we are gone The miseries of mans life are not so great through the shortness thereof as that his sorrows and troubles are increased with his daies 11. But who regardeth the power of thy wrath for even thereafter as a man feareth so is thy displeasure Gods displeasure for our sins is either more or less according as we do less or more stand in awe thereof 12. So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom True wisdom is attained by the serious contemplation of the frailty of life and certainty of death 13. Turn thee again O Lord at the last and be gracious unto thy servants Intermixing with our meditations devout Prayers for the propitious grace and favour of God 14. O satisfie us with thy mercy and that soon so shall we rejoyce and be glad all the daies of our life Which alone can satisfie the desires of the immortal soul and throughly rejoyce the same 15. Comfort us again now after the time thou hast plagued us and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity We may reasonably alledge our sufferings though for our sins as motives to implore the consolations of Gods Spirit 16. Shew thy servants thy work and their children thy glory Gods proper work is mercy and 't is his glory to be gracious for the which the righteous do pray both for themselves and their children 17. And the glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon us prosper thou the work of our hands upon us prosper thou our handy work God's glorious Majesty appears by the gracious influences of his holy Spirit whereby we work the works of God to his glory and our own eternal happiness Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer ALmighty God the fountain of all Wisdom grant me so wisely to number and compare the short and sorrowful daies of this mortal life with that joyful and never ending day of a blessed eternity that despising the vanities of the one I may zealously aspire to the happiness of the other O satisfie the panting desires of my Soul with the sense of thy mercy in the pardon of my sins and let the glory of thy grace appear in prospering me to perform all those good works of Faith and Obedience which conduce to my eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ THE Second general Meditation Upon JUDGMENT And first the PARTICULAR JUDGMENT IT is appointed unto man once to dye and after that the Judgment Heb. 9.27 no sooner shall this house of flesh wherein the immortal Soul doth now inhabit be shattered in pieces by the hand of death but in the same moment the departing Soul shall be conveyed by the Angels of God before his Judgment-seat and this is call'd The particular Judgment that shall pass upon every person in particular immediately upon his death Eccl. 12.7 when the dust shall return to the earth as it was then shall the Spirit return unto God that gave it 14. To give an account of the works done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil That grand enemy of man Ille enim tunc saeviens capit quos nunc blandiens decipit Greg. the Devil awaits thy Souls departure hence to dog thee to the great Tribunal of Heaven In this life he fawns to seduce but in the other he will roar to devour as a Lyon over his prey to this end he will vehemently accuse thee aggravating all thy miscarriages through his suggestions committed and claiming thee as one of the subjects of his kingdom of darkness saying to the great Judg of all as several Fathers observe This person thou Judge of the world Euseb Emiss Hom. Aug. orat cont Judaeos Bag. though he be thine by Creation yet he is mine by Depravation He is thine by nature but mine by sin for he has obeyed my suggestions and disobeyed thy laws and therefore though he belong to thee by right yet he is faln to me by default he is thine in respect of his workmanship but mine by the rebellion of
his will and disorder of his affections having yielded himself to follow my temptations and to forsake the paths of thy Commandments But 't is not the Devil alone that shall thus accuse thee when arraigned at the bar of divine Judgment but as S. Chrysostom saith the heavens and the earth and the sea the Sun and the Moon and the Stars both nights and days and all the creatures thou hast abused shall bear witness against thee but above all Thine own Conscience shall be as a thousand witnesses for being then freed from this clog and damp of the corruptible flesh all thy imaginations and desires all thy words and works spoken and done in the body shall appear to thy conscience in their native genuine and proper colours without any ignorance or oblivion misperswasion or misprision which now blinds the minds of many thousands to their eternal ruine on that day O who shall then be able to answer thee one of a thousand thou most worthy Judg eternal if thou shouldst be extream to mark what is done amiss Job 9.2 Ps 130.3 and thy great mercy intervene not to mitigate the rigor of thy Justice But in thee have I put my trust Ps 38.15 Thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God I have no other Advocate to plead my cause but my righteous Judge himself from whom in my daily prayers I have required that they even mine enemies should not triumph over me when I stand to be judged before the Tribunal of Heaven Who will set scourges over my thoughts Eccl. 23.2 3. and the discipline of wisdom over my heart that they spare me not for mine ignorances and pass not by my sins Lest mine ignorances increase and my sins abound to my destruction And I fall before mine adversaries in the day of my tryal and mine enemies the spirits and powers of darkness rejoyce over me whose hope is far from thy mercy Meditat. II. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee Ps 119.120 and I am afraid of thy Judgments when I consider the severity of many of thy temporal judgments which are now intended to drive sinners to Repentance that thou mightest spare them hereafter I cannot but foresee the unconceivable rigor of thy eternal judgments which intend punishment only without any thought of future mercy to spare and to forgive as in this life And I vile sinner have great cause to fear as a strict examination which all must undergo so a severe sentence to pass upon me having not so conscientiously as I ought obeyed the sacred dictates of the saving grace of God teaching us Tit. 2.11 12 that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live foberly righteously and godly in this present world With what face then shall I look for the blessed hope or hope for blessedness upon the appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ I have a greater cause to fear than to hope to wave than to await his coming But how shall I avoid or whither shall I flee from the face of my Judge whither but from an offended God to a merciful Redeemer from the Throne of thy Justice to thy Mercy-seat To meet thee now with Repentance in my heart and the fruits thereof brought forth in the actions of my life and with such spiritual wings cemented with the blood of my Redeemer I may hope to flee from the wrath to come O God who art justly displeased for our sins Mat. 3.7 8. and pacified by our true and sincere Repentance spare O spare all those who confess their sins unto thee that they whose consciences by sin are accused by thy merciful pardon may be absolved through Christ our Lord. III. Before Judgment examine thy self Eccl. 18.20 and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy And I upon the examination of my self do find my heart foul and polluted and my life stain'd with manifold offences but that I may escape the judgment of God I judge my self to be a miserable sinner I judge my self to have incurr'd the Lords just indignation to have deserved the dismal sentence of condemnation to pass upon me For I have sinned and I have done wickedly and I have committed iniquity and have rebelied against the Lord by departing from his most holy Laws and judgments Many will be my accusers when I come to my great Tryal upon life or death eternal and many and great accusations have they to lay against me the Devil and his Angels whose suggestions unto evil I have too often followed many men and many women too who have been conscious of my sins and of whose sins I have been many ways guilty All the good creatures of God I have abused and his mercies in them all those evil deeds I have committed and the many good offices I have wittingly omitted all which stand upon Gods record in Heavens black book of remembrance and mine own Conscience shall bear witness to all these undeniable Evidences These are the Books that shall be opened against me and I have not what to answer for my self But my trust is in the tender mercies of the Lord therefore I shall not fall and be cast in my tryal Holy Jesus who wast condemned being innocent acquit me though greatly nocent through Faith in thy Blood Judge me Ps 35.24 O Lord according to thy righteousness not after mine for 't is little and good for little but 't is thy righteousness Holy Jesus both active and passive I must plead for my acquittance when judged by thee then O then let not mine enemies trimuph over me Let them not say in their hearts there there so would we have it neither let them say we have devoured him But in the hour of death and in the day of Judgment Good Lord deliver me MEDITATIONS upon the GENERAL JUDGMENT WHen the Son of man shall come in his Glory Mat. 25.31 and all his holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory And before him all nations shall be gathered 23. This is called The day of the Lord 1 Thess 5.2 by way of Eminence as being of all daies the greatest 1. In respect of the great appearance upon this day even of all the men that ever liv'd or shall live upon the face of the earth and of all the Angels also both good and bad which are more numerous than men for there are as many of spiritual saith the Schoolman as there be of corporeal Beings T. Aq. p. 1. q. 50. Art 3. 2. A great day in respect of the multitudinous Trials even of all the works that ever have been done from the Creation to the dissolution of all things under the Sun And not our works only but 3. Of all our words even of every idle word an account must be given By thy words thou shalt be justified Mat 12.36 37. and by thy words thou shalt be condemned 4. Not our words and
works only but even the inward thoughts intentions and desires of our hearts shall be expos'd to open view and censure the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness 1 Cor. 4.5 and will make manifest the counsels of all hearts The most seared Conscience of the wicked and the most subtle secret Conscience of the Hypocrite shall by the all-piercing light of the divine Majesty be displayed and appear as manifest and open as if all the counsels thereof had been written with a beam of the Sun Ps 90.8 For thou O Lord hast set our misdeeds before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance O who is so holy who so pure and innocent as to stand with any confidence in that all-discerning light of the Sun of Righteousness Eccl. 23.19 Whose eyes are a thousand times brighter than the Sun beholding all the ways of men and considering their most secret parts I have been guilty most merciful Father I have been guilty of manifold miscarriages which I have now forgotten nor can I through the strictest examination of my self recal to my memory many of mine offences But although I cannot yet thou remembrest my steps Job 14.16 17. dost thou not watch over my sin my transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine iniquities So surely are all my transgressions kept in store against the day of my Tryal whilst I sensual and secure think all is well enough with me that my sins are forgotten Ps 19.12 O cleanse thou me from all my secret faults and as they are hid from my memory Ps 51.9 so hide thou thy face from them blot them out of thy Book of remembrance that they appear not to my confusion on that great and last day II. Sad and dismal is the sentence that upon this great day shall pass upon all such whose Faith hath not according to ability and opportunity been fruitful in the good works of Charity Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat Mat. 25.41 42. And if these shall be eternally damned who have not given of their own goods for the relief of others what shall become of the Oppressor the Extortioner the Cheater the Thief and of every one who either by force or fraud publickly or secretly hath either taken or detained what of right belongs unto others surely if the one shall go the other shall be driven hurried with a vengeance into everlasting fire Ver. ult Great unconceivably great shall be the perplexity and anguish of the impenitent sinner in this great day beholding as Anselm meditates on the one side his sins accusing him and on the other the strict and impartial justice of heaven ready to pass sentence upon him seeing below him the mouth of hell gaping to devour him and above him an angry Judge condemning him to that place of horror feeling within an accusing Conscience tormenting him and without the whole world in consuming flames And if the righteous shall scarcely be sav'd 1 Pet. 4.18 where shall the ungodly and sinner appear or where shall he hide himself that he may not appear For any wicked one to ly hidden on that day is impossible and to appear is dreadful and intolerable This is that dismal day foretold by our Lord himself wherein they shall say Blessed are the barren Luc. 23.29 and the womb that never bare and the paps which never gave suck Then shall they begin to say to the mountains fall on us and to the hills 30. cover us And hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne Rev. 6.16 and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand 17. Wo is me that I have sinned wo wo is me that I have offended this great and terrible Judge of all the world but as is his Majesty so is his mercy great and wonderful Have mercy upon me O God on that great day have mercy upon me and deliver me now in this world from the society from the temptations from the guilt of the wicked Let me not be occupied in any ungodly works with the men that work wickedness Ps 141.4 that I be not reckoned and ranked amongst them in the world to come III. The day of Judgment is not only of all daies the most dreadful but the most joyful also To the impenitent and wicked of the world 't is a day of the greatest terror but to the holy and humble of heart and life a day of jubilee and greatest joy How great then shall be the glory of the holy Christian and how great the shame of infidelity and Atheism how great the joy of the true Believer whose Faith has been fruitful in all good works and how great the sorrow of the Heretick Hypocrite the prophane and dissolute for then and not fully till then shall God render to every man according to his works Rom. 2.6 To them who by patient continuing in well doing 7 do seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But to them who are contentious 8 and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation 9 and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace 10 to every man that worketh good For there is no respect of persons with God 11. What heart can worthily think of these things without trembling and great astonishment if not purified and sincerely devoted to the service of God Teach me O Lord thy way Ps 86.11 and I will walk in thy truth O knit my heart unto thee that I may fear thy name fear to offend thee the great and righteous Judge of the world in the least particular of thought or desire of word or of deed O Lord who never failest to help and govern them whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love keep us we beseech thee under the protection of thy good providence and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen IV. When the Son of man cometh Luc. 18.8 shall he find faith upon the earth All we who are called Christians profess to believe both the certain coming of Christ to Judgment and the uncertainty of the time That we must all stand before his dreadful Tribunal and receive every man according to his works but this is generally a dead Faith it quickens not the affections it excites not to such holy conscientious actions as the firm and cordial Belief of all this does imply and command and so will prove as dangerous to the Souls of such Believers as if they had no faith at all Thou art summoned whosoever thouart that readest these Meditations thou art hereby summoned
particularly as by name to make thy appearance at this general Assizes to be held at the great and last day and there to give an account of every passage through thy whole life which shall be as strictly and throughly sifted and examined as if there were none but thy self to be tryed as if no cause but thine alone were to be heard Prepare then prepare thy self now now that thou hast time and leisure prepare thy self for that great day for upon thy Tryal then depends either thy everlasting well-being or miserable undoing for ever Now then cast up thy accounts carefully examine try 1 Cor. 11.31 Jam 4.8 9 10. Act. 10.4 Luc. 2.37 2 Cor. 11.27 Eccl. 7.17 and judge thy self confess thy manifold amisses Humble thy self greatly under the mighty hand of God Appease the wrath of the great Judge of the world by Prayers and Tears and all the sacred offices and acts of true Repentance by Alms and Offerings and Fastings often and in a word by all the kinds of those spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Stir up we beseech thee O Lord the wills of thy faithful people quicken our dead and cold Faith with the sacred fire of holy Charity the very bond of perfection and all vertue that we plenteously bringing forth the fruits of good works may of thee be plenteously rewarded at the last day through Jesus V. And there was a cry at midnight Mat. 25.6 Behold the bridegroom cometh Wo unto me then faith a devout Father if I be found sleeping in my bed at midnight Ambr. in Luc. when the great Judge of all the world shall appear it concerns me much rather to resolve with holy David At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee Ps 119.62 because of thy righteous Judgments Happy are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find upon their watch Mar. 13.33 34. awaiting his coming with their loins girt their lusts restrained and their Lamps burning The light of the holy and true Faith flaming by divine Love and shining through all the actions of their Life that others seeing their good works may glorifie God the Father of Heaven Mat. 5.16 I will stand upon my watch to guard the innocency of my Soul I will watch and also pray Mat. 26.41 that I fall not in o the snare of the Devil when tempted by him and that day come upon me unawares There be two sorts of sins especially against which my blessed Redeemer hath commanded me to watch that the day of the Lord surprize me not First Surfeiting and drunkenness or the pleasures of the flesh Luc. 21.34 Secondly The cares of the world or Ambition and Covetousness against these grand enemies which continually war against my Soul it concerns me continually also to watch and pray Blessed Lord let not I humbly beseech thee any importunate cravings of this corruptible flesh seduce me nor the flattering false felicities of worldly wealth and dignity deceive me but grant that I being free from all pollutions both from the one and the other may await thy coming in all holy but humble confidence to be ranked not amongst the cursed goats on thy left hand but amongst thy blessed Sheep on the right hand and hear that joyful sentence saying Come ye blessed of my Father receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Grant this O heavenly Father Our Father which art in c. The XXVI Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 BE thou my judge O Lord not to condemn me for my sins but to approve my services though imperfect and weak for I have walked innocently not according to the Innocency of thy Saints in Heaven but according to that of frail Man upon Earth Neither do I herein presume to justifie my self but my trust hath been also in the Lord 't is not my innocency but the Lord's mercy I rely upon and therefore shall I not fall in the day of Judgment verse 2 Examine me O Lord and prove me now is the time assisted by thy all piercing Spirit to examine my self in order to my grand examination that day Try out my reins and my heart as the silver is tryed when the dross is purged out and this even in the furnace of affliction if it so seemeth good unto thee that my reins and my heart may be cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and yet even so I dare not undergo thy strict and severe examination of me but with reflexions upon thine immense goodness verse 3 For thy loving kindness is ever before mine eyes 'T is my constant meditation my hope and my refuge and I will walk in thy truth inwardly delighting and outwardly performing the commands thereof and that I may do this verse 4 I have not dwelt with vain persons made my abode with such as follow the pomps and vanities of this wicked world neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful I have not so delighted in the society as to be tainted by the evil examples of such as through their deceivable lusts keep not the Covenant they have made with their God nor is it enough to avoid the society but verse 5 I have hated the congregation of the wicked not their persons but their wickedness all their consultations to do evil and will not sit among the ungodly so as to continue and be delighted with the errors of their ways verse 6 I will wash my hands in innocency O Lord with the tears of true Repentance I will wash the sinful works of my hands and keep them clean and innocent for the future and so not in my sins unrepented will I go to thine Altar to offer up my Vows and Prayers also verse 7 That I may shew the voice of thanksgiving publickly declare the great Thanks and Praise which is due to thy divine Majesty and tell of all thy wondrous works joyning with the Ministers of thy Temple in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual songs wherein thy great works both of Mercy and Judgment are celebrated verse 8 To this end Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house the place where thou inhabitest more especially than any other houses and 't is my delight to come to this house because 't is the place where thine honour dwelleth where the honour of thy Name is continually celebrated for in his Temple doth every man speak of his Honour verse 9 And since 't is the joy of my heart to joyn with thy people in the praise of thy Name O shut not up my soul with the sinners though in this world I cannot altogether escape their temptation and trouble yet rank me not amongst them in the world to come nor my life with the blood thirsty let me not perish with the cruel uncharitable and covetous of the world verse 10 In whose hands is wickedness the works of whose hands are unjust and
call upon thee even to all that call upon thee faithfully depending upon thee alone for help and safety verse 6 Give ear Lord to my prayer not slightly hearing the sound of my words but ponder the voice of my humble desires the intense desires of my humbled soul I humbly desire to be considered verse 7 In the time of my trouble and that 's the whole time of my pilgrimage here upon earth I will call upon thee for protection and deliverance whereof I will never despair for thou hearest me if my prayer be pure and humble and therefore will I call upon thee as long as I live verse 8 Among the gods that be either falsly so called or be so called by participation of divine power as the Angels in Heaven and Kings of the earth there is none like unto thee O Lord either for power or wisdom there is none that can do as thou dost thy works do far exceed the power of any created beings to do the like and therefore in fulness of time verse 9 All Nations whom thou hast made shall no longer make gods unto themselves but shall come and worship thee O Lord the maker of all men and of all things and being admitted members of thy holy Catholick Church shall glorifie thy Name both with heart and voice and by the good works of their obedience to the Gospel of Christ verse 10 For thou art great which all thy works declare and dost wondrous things not to be apprehended but admired and 't is therefore in all the parts of the world confessed that thou art God alone all others being either falsly or feignedly called gods And that I may accordingly worship thee aright verse 11 Teach me thy way O Lord that I neither mistake the right way nor stumble and fall therein but stedfastly and constantly walk in thy truth and this way and this truth is my blessed Redeemer who by his doctrine and example doings and sufferings life and death is the way that leads to life eternal O knit my heart unto thee by the indissoluble bonds of a true Faith firm Hope fervent Charity that I may fear thy name so as that I neither dare to sin against thee nor too much presume upon thy favour and grace verse 12 I will thank thee O Lord my God as from whom both my whole self and all the little good that is mine does proceed with all my heart as being hereunto excited by the fear and love of thy Name and I will praise thy name for evermore And there is very great reason I should do so verse 13 For great is thy mercy toward me not only manifested in all the good things I do enjoy but in my deliverance from manifold evils and especially from the greatest of evils for thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell in the broad way that leads thereunto I have a long time walked and 't is of thy great mercy that I have not long since been hurled headlong to that dismal place of torments And still I have great cause to complain verse 14 O God the proud are risen against me proud Lucifer and his infernal fiends and the congregation of naughty men have sought after my soul the wicked of the world conspire with the Devil and his Angels by their sinful suggestions to subvert the innocence of my soul to have her portion with them in the nethermost hell verse 15 But thou O Lord art full of compassion especially to all them who chuse rather to suffer than to do what is offensive to thy Majesty and mercy in pardoning the offences of the truly penitent long-suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance plenteous in goodness abounding in thy blessings and truth both in performing thy promises of mercy to the penitent and in rendring to every man according to his works verse 16 O turn thee then unto me who by my sins have justly provoked thee to turn away thy face from me and have mercy upon me a miserable sinner and that I may no more offend thee give thy strength unto thy servant even ghostly strength and fortitude manfully to resist the Devil and all his numerous troops of sensual and worldly lusts in all whose assaults vouchsafe to help the son of thine handmaid that I may overcome all their temptations unto evil and carefully keep my vow and promise made when I was first admitted to be a Son of thy handmaid the Church verse 17 Shew some token upon me for good let some sign of thy favour towards me appear that they who hate me my ghostly enemies may see it and be ashamed when they shall behold all their conspiracies and assaults against my soul defeated by the assistance of thy divine grace because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me thy help to overcome when I am tempted unto sin is a great comfort to my soul for I have hereupon a good ground of hope that thou wilt deliver my soul from the nethermost hell and that being raised up from the gates of death I may shew all thy praises within the ports of the daughter of Sion saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The LXXXVIII Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 O Lord God of my salvation my corporal and spiritual temporal and eternal Salvation is from thee and therefore I have cryed day and night at all times and seasons and in all conditions prosperous and adverse before thee as unto whom alone the inmost intimate desires of my soul are naked and open O let my prayer enter into thy presence be received and accepted by thee incline thine ear unto my calling so graciously hear as to grant my humble requests verse 2 My soul is full of trouble which being the consequent of sin is the forerunner of death and my life draweth nigh unto hell which openeth wide her mouth to swallow down such polluted Souls verse 3 I am counted as one of them that go down to the pit lookt upon as a dead man and a cast-away and I have been even as a man that hath no strength which is derived from the Lord of life to escape the snares and terrors of death verse 4 Free among the dead not likely to be freed from my troubles but by death which puts an end to all the miseries of this sinful life like unto them that are wounded by the fiery darts of the devil and lye in the grave of corrupt conversation which leads to the grave of death the wages of sin and whosoever thus lye there are out of remembrance both forgotten by the righteous and also are cut away from thy hand repulst from amongst those blessed sheep which shall be rankt on thy right hand in the day of Judgment verse 5 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit I confess I have so far incur'd thy wrathful displeasure as to be laid in the nethermost hell
obstructs thy way and slackens thy pace towards this place of joy unspeakable and glorious O how slight and trivial how inconsiderable are all the most strict and rigid labours of Repentance and mortification of the most profound Piety and ample Charity in respect of those celestial joyes whereunto they lead thee And if it shall once please God through the merits of Christ to receive thee into Heaven thou wilt then think all thy prayers and tears sighs and groans fastings and watchings all thy labours of love both to God and man very well spent that they have wafted thee over the troublesome waves of this worlds vast sea into the haven of eternal peace and felicity MEDITAT II. Of the place we call Heaven and first its Greatness THat Empyreal Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 Dent. 10.14 2 Chr. 6.18 which is the seat of God and of all his holy Angels and Saints for ever is called also the Third Heaven and the Highest Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens and 't is of all the places of the Universe the most spacious large and ample for it contains all the heavens and the earth also even the whole Creation within its verge and compass Do but consider the vastness of the Sun and of the Moon with the multitude and magnitude of all the Lights of Heaven most of which are greater and some of them far bigger than the whole body of the Earth Consider also that besides the vast number of Stars there are empty spaces in the firmament for as many nay for many more than as many yet and then admire with astonishment the vast extent and amplitude of the Heaven of Heavens which containeth all these and all that is above and all that is below all these within its circuit and circumference Secondly Its Brightness and Beauty The brightness of the Sun the Moon and the Stars do but imperfectly represent the Beauty and Brightness of Heaven as 't is described Rev. 21.23 Rev. 21.23 And the City had no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof which exceeds as much the light of the Sun as the Suns light transcends that of a glimmering Taper The Air of this countrey of Heaven is continually pure and clear bright and splendid 't is not capable of any clouds mists or vapours not lyable to any rains storms and tempests no thick infectious air offends the inhabitants of this happy land whilst the wretched miscreants of the nether hell are involved in blackness of darkness stifled with the suffocating fumes of sulphureous fire without the least hope of any purer air wherein to breath for ever Thirdly Its Tranquillity All in this City of God is peaceable and quiet tranquil and secure and free even from the fear of the least disturbance no evil comes nigh this dwelling Ps 90.10 What the Lord promiseth to his Church Militant is fulfilled in his Church Triumphant The Lord hath made fast the bars of thy gates Ps 147.13 they are inexpugnable by any by the utmost force and fury of all the Spirits and powers of darkness The Lord maketh peace in thy borders 14. Blessed peace dwells here without the least fear or danger of interruption For the grand enemy of Peace is hence cast down faln like lightning from Heaven Luc. 10.18 there 's no room here for that author of all division nor yet for any of his instruments Ps 68.30 The people that delight in war 'T is the inheritance of Peace-makers Mat. 5.9 and of the peaceable minded and of such only as live in peace upon earth And O that it might please the God of Peace to allay that rancour to depress that tumour to asswage that itch of contention which now so much disturbs the peace of his Church upon earth and obstructs the way to this heavenly Hierusalem the City of peace Follow peace with all men Heb. 12.14 and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. O God the author of peace and lover of concord in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life whose service is perfect freedom defend us thy humble servants in all the assaults of our enemies that would disturb our peace that we surely trusting in thy defence may not fear the power of any adversaries through the might of Jesus Christ MEDITAT III. Of the good things of Heaven 1. HONOUR HOnour in Heaven is not that which swells with vain-glory is pust up with the infectious breath of Flattery and the praise of men but the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5.44 Honour is the reward of vertue and he who is the donor of vertue and obedience has promised to Honour the obedient and vertuous saying If any man serve me Joh. 12.26 him will my Father honour What and how great this honour is we read Rev. 3.31 To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me in my throne Rev. 3.31 even as I have overcome and am set down with my Father in his Throne There cannot be surely an higher Honour than this to be exalted by the right hand of the most High and placed in the same Throne with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords O what Hymns of divine praise what applauses and exultations what shouts of joy shall sound through the whole Court of Heaven when thus it shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour Esth 6.11 2. POWER 2. Honour without Power is but a titular empty aiery happiness and the Power of the Saints in Heaven is promised by the Lord of all power saying of the faithful and wise servant Mat. 24.45 47. he will make him ruler of all his goods implying a power given to his Saints not only over all that is called good upon earth but also over all the joys of heaven which are an aggregation of all that is good Gloss ord in loc Rev. 21.7 and He that overcometh shall inherit all things wherein are implicitely promised 3. RICHES 3. The Riches of Heaven are not such corruptible things as Silver and Gold gorgeous Attire delicious Fare large Demesnes fair Habitations but without any such frail deceitful pelf there shall be abundance of peace Ps 72.7 Cor. 4.17 2 Cor. 15.28 a fulness of perfection and felicity an exceeding and eternal weight of glory and in a word in heaven God shall be all in all He who is the Fountain and Well-spring of all good gifts and graces upon earth will be himself the reward and crown thereof in heaven than the which there can be nothing more high and honourable nothing more great and powerful nothing more rich full eminent perfect joyous and all that can be desired conducing to true happiness Happy then and thrice happy are they who now in this life covet chiefly covet only to have the Lord for their portion saying
not from the teeth only but from the bottom of their hearts Ps 16.6 The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintain my lot 7. The lot is faln to me in a fair ground I have a goodly heritage And surely he must needs be most exorbitantly covetous that will not be content with such a heritage and to possess the Lord himself who possesseth all things is the riches of Heaven 4. PLEASURE Pleasure consists in the union of the Soul with an object of Delight and in heaven the Soul shall be united with the most beautiful and blissful object viz. The Lord of glory The light of the World The God of all Consolation We read 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit which is the height of pleasure and perfection of Delight to be so intimately joyned to the Lord as to become one spirit with him such do deliciously taste and fully see how gracious the Lord is Ps 34.8 There is no earthly pleasure like the taste and fense of the Lords grace and favour to us 'T is yet a greater pleasure to enjoy the Lord as the only object of Love and Delight 'T is yet more sweet and pleasurable to acquiesce and be fully satisfied in the enjoyment of the divine Majesty But the fulness of joy is not only to enjoy but to know that we shall ever enjoy the beatifical vision and have the fruition of the supreme beauty and divine goodness for ever and ever Now then O my Soul Delight thou in the Lord Ps 37.4 and he shall give thee thy hearts desire In the satisfaction and peace of thy desires does thy happiness consist and this is alone in the Lord obtainable Blessed are the people Ps 89.16 O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance 17 Their delight shall be dayly in thy name and in thy righteousness shall they make their boast 18. For thou art the glory of their strength But the soul that will rejoyce in God must be stampt after his image and be like unto him pure as he is pure holy as he is holy merciful as he is merciful Be ye followers of God as dear children and walk in love Eph. 5.1 2. and so thou maist hope to enjoy the Lord as the supreme object of love and delight in heaven O Lord who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass mans understanding Pour into our hearts such love towards thee that we loving thee in and above all things may obtain thy promises which exceed all that we can desire through Jesus Christ MEDITAT III. Of the Company of Heaven 1. Of Gods presence there 1. GOd who is Father Son and Holy Ghost is the chief and principal Inhabitant of the Heaven of heavens God indeed is every where in respect of his Essence Presence Power but in Heaven in respect of his Glory and the supereminent brightness of his Majesty which is in heaven most conspicuous full and ravishing nor could Heaven be called so it were not heaven if not enlightned and enhappied by Gods superlative presence there And where ever O Lord Tho. Ã Kom thou art present either in grace or glory there is heaven and death and hell is every where where thou art 2. But what doth it avail the company of Heaven that God is there especially present since God dwelleth with the light which no man can approach unto 1 Tim. 6.17 whom no man hath seen or can see The very Angels of Heaven cover their faces with their wings in the presence of God that the excessive brightness of his Majesty and great Glory overwhelm them not Isa 6.2 'T is true but however so much of this eminent glory shall appear and so fully the splendid Raies thereof be display'd in Heaven as shall ravish all the blessed beholders thereof with a joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.7 They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house Ps 36.8 viz. of Celestial glory and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures as out of a river so full and overflowing shall be their satisfaction and contentment For with thee is the Well of life 9. and of all the joys and consolations of life and in thy light shall we see light even the ravishing light of glory in the light of Gods countenance in whose presence is fulness of joy 2. The Angels of Heaven Next to the blissful presence of God the society in Heaven is Angels and Archangels Cherubims and Seraphims Thrones and Dominions Col. 1.16 Principalities and Powers and all the several Orders of celestial Spirits The very sight of one blessed Angel upon earth would be more joyous and ravishing than to behold the greatest beauty and most splendid excellency that is lyable to the eyes of flesh yea all the pomp and glory of the world is not comparable to such a sight how much more joyful and glorious will it be not only to behold but to enjoy the society of those innumerable ministring spirits of whom we read Thousand thousands ministred unto him Dan. 7.10 and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him These rest not day and night crying Is 6.3 c. Rev. 21.10 Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory To make one in this Hymnidical Quire and to be received into one of those Mansions of Glory from whence the Apostate Angels fell is such an astonishing joy as cannot by the tongue of men and Angels be expressed 3. The Saints in Heaven To these Angelical spirits are joyned in society as members of the same Church Triumphant in Heaven The glorious company of the Apostles the goodly fellowship of the Prophets the noble army of Martyrs the innumerable train of holy Confessors Priests and people of each Sex and of every condition of whose numberless number we read Rev. 7.9 10. Rev. 7.9 And I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man can number of all nations and kindreds and people and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and Palms in their hands and cryed with a loud voice Salvation to our God Into this glorious Communion of Saints in Heaven there dayly are and daily shall be for ever received all such true servants of God and stout soldiers of Jesus Christ who under his banner have overcome the Devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of this wicked world all the sinful lusts of the flesh who have warred a good warfare over these their ghostly enemies and kept the Faith whereinto they were baptized without any tincture of Heresie or Schism observed God's holy Will and Commandments and walked in the same all the days of their life All of these returning from their wearisome pilgrimage through
into Heaven if thou tread them under thy feet For every sin and vanity trodden down Gen. 28.12 subdued and mortified is one step one scale or round of that celestial Ladder which being set upon the earth reacheth up unto Heaven which the Angels of heaven rejoyce to behold Luc. 15.7 And may the right hand of God assist me to lay aside every weight Heb. 12.1 and the sin that doth so easily beset me and to run with patience the race that is set before me Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith 2. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Blessed Lord who hast made me after thine own Image to attain the perfection and felicity of my Being in the beatifical vision and fruition of thy Majesty in heaven vouchsafe here to guide me with thy Counsel and after that to receive me with glory through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son and my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ Our Father which art in c. The XXIV Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 THe earth is the Lords and all that therein is the compass of the world and they that dwell therein The heavens are the Lords chief dwelling place the earth and all the nations thereof he hath given to his Son Jesus as he is Redeemer of the world as Ps 2.8 Desire of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession verse 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas and prepared it upon the flouds As God hath so wisely ordered the earth and the water that the one may refresh not overflow the other so he hath founded his Church upon a rock above the flouds of secular cares and turmoils and all the rising waves of this worlds vast sea which is signified by the scituation of his Temple on a hill And verse 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall rise up or stand in his holy place who is he that shall be qualified to appear and stand in the presence of God and to joyn with his people in that solemn worship which in his holy Temple is exhibited unto him Such a one is also qualified to ascend and raise up his Soul to those mountains of joy in the celestial Sion verse 4 He that hath clean hands The works of whole hands are clean from all injustice and impurity and washed with the tears of true penitence from the filth of all former pollutions And a pure heart to all outward an inward holiness is required which consists in the purity of the heart viz. to be pure from all sordid and vile affections to be sincere and without hypocrisie in all Religious performances that hath not lift up his mind to vanity who follows not those pomps and vanities of this wicked world which he once so solemnly renounced nor sworn to deceive his neighbour that will not say much less swear an untruth nor yet break his word especially when confirmed with an oath Such is the holiness and innocence that entitles a people to the presence of God in his Temple upon earth and in his House in heaven 1 the holiness of the heart 2. of the hands 3. of the tongue or Holiness in thought word and deed verse 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord The blessings of the Lord shall descend upon him when he ascends into the hill of the Lord and righteousness or mercy in the pardon of his sins or the reward of righteousness i. e. Salvation not of or from himself or from any but from the God of his Salvation verse 6 This is the generation of them that seek him these are those holy and happy people who so faithfully seek the Lord that they find him viz. in grace here in glory hereafter which is the double blessing of them that seek thy face O Jacob All that be true Israelites indeed thus make their holy and humble addresses to the God of Jacob for his grace and favour verse 7 Lift up your heads O ye gates or lift up your gates O ye Heads or Princes of the heavenly Hierusalem and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors which open the passages to life everlasting and the King of glory shall come in he who hath vanquished and gloriously triumphed over the gates of everlasting death over all the spirits and powers of darkness is ascended to open the gates of the kingdom of heaven to all Believers verse 8 Who is the King of glory in whose glorious conquests we may glory and in whose righteousness we may make our boast it is the Lord strong and mighty who although he submitted himself to be betray'd apprehended arraigned and condemned to death yet is he even the Lord mighty in battle who naked and unarmed hath vanquished by his sufferings and by his death overcome death and him who hath the power of death the Devil for which victory he rides in Triumph upon the clouds of Heaven and therefore verse 9 Lift up your heads O ye gates of the celestial paradise which have been shut against the sons of men from the fall of the first Adam and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors Raise up your selves ye immortal souls open and be enlarged in your desires and affections unto him who hath opened unto you the everlasting doors of glory and the King of glory shall come in He who is ascended will also descend into you if pure and heavenly minded and thither enwrap and raise you whither himself is gone before if yet for your further satisfaction you desire to know verse 10 Who is the King of glory by whose triumphant ascent into Heaven we believe and hope thither to ascend also It is even the Lord of hosts he who hath the command of all the powers of Heaven Earth and Hell who hath the command especially of all the powers and operations vertues and graces of the Holy Spirit of God and dispenseth them accordingly unto all that love and fear his name He is the King of glory he is glorious indeed above all and God over all blessed for ever and therefore to him as is most meet be all glory ascribed Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The LXXXIV Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 O How amiable are thy dwellings especially in the high and holy place thou Lord of Hosts even of the numerous troops of Angels and Archangels and of all the powers of Heaven verse 2 My soul hath a desire which is more than ordinary 't is a longing even to a separation from its self to enter into the Courts of the Lord to view those several Mansions of glory and the blissful condition wherein all the Courtiers of the King of Heaven do praise him for ever my heart and my flesh when