of Heauen and Earth Lord God of hostes inuincible incomprehensible Spirit whose wisedome is infinite whose power vnresistable whose mercie vnspeakeable haue mercy vppon me most wofull Captiue Caitife enthralled to sinne to Satan to the powers of darknesse to the sorrowes of soule to the tribulations and anguish of a guilty Conscience by my most heinous offences and criminous enormities most ridiculous and absurd vanities wherein once I found some fond delight but now I find no souÌ„d comfort only discontentmeÌ„t indignation woe and shame I am abashed and confounded and in a wonderfull perplexed agony that I should so déepely so deadly so often offend thy most excellent Maiestie who art a God of pure eyes and canst not behold iniquity For albeit such is the drouzie dulnes of our cursed corruption that wée cannot and the saucy presumption of our wilful inclination that we will not set thée before our eyes when we are tempted to sinne and moued to transgression yet certaine is it that thine eare of ielousie heareth all things and thine eye of ielouzie séeth all things and nothing is hid from the brightnes of them ten Thousand times brighter then the Sun but whatsoeuer worke is in our hands whatsoeuer word in our mouthes whatsoeuer thought or imagination in our hearts thou O Lord knowest it altogether And as all our ways works are all naked and open before thy sight thou louest righteousnes and hatest iniquity therefore when we are sinfull yet thou continuest holy excellent in glory vpright in iustice Almighty in power as thou many times sparest when we deserue punishment so thou many times woundest with thy iust reuenge when wee feele it not till afterwards we flatter our selues in our own sight till our abhominable sinnes be found out till thou reprooue vs sharply and seuerely set before vs the things that we haue done till thou makest a Catalogue and roll of our offences settest our secret sinnes in order before vs and presentest thy selfe withall a iust reuenger our manifold breaches of thy holy Commandements and manifest conteÌ„pt of thy blâ—…ed word of thy iust iudgements and of thy louing mercies consider not in our hearts our most accursed and damnable estate wherein wee dayly plunge our selues most odiously and abhominable yea though our sinnes be not of the smallest but great and grieuous and heynous and enormous abhominatioÌ„s yet either such is the grosse darknesse and palpable blindnes of our minds and vnderstandings or such is the deadnes of our infected consciences that wee runne on still from one iniquity to another till we sodainly fall into thy heauie displeasure till thine indignation and fiery wrath breake forth like fire vpon vs and we be not able to quench it Hence is it that wee are plunged into many fearefull gulfes of desperation Wée are affrighted with many vgly sights of our sinnes hence we are wounded at the very heart with many distrustfull thoughts of thy mercies and as many desperate imaginations of thy vengeance The paines of hell get hold vpon vs and the feare of thée doth vndoe vs before either wée stand in awe of thy Maiesty or séeke after thy mercy Oh my God and Sauiour I confesse vnfainedly this my case so I haue transgressed so little I haue regarded so I am oppressed Wherefore O Father of mercies and God of all consolation who hast appoynted repentance for sinners who dwellest in eternity and yet in the humble and contrite spirit In the name of thy holy and blessed and onely beloued sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath promised ease to all that labouring and heauy laden come vnto him who cannot breake the bruized Reed and will not quench the smoaking flaxe I most humbly and earnestly beséech and entreat thy fatherly goodnes to forgiue me all my sins to lay them vpon his backe the true scape-goat and send them into the wildernes the land of obliuion that my Conscience through faith in his most precious bloud and meritorious sacrifice may bée fully discharged of them all O Prince of peace send peace into my heart the peace that passeth vnderstanding that peace which thou gauest for a Legacy to thy Disciples wheÌ„ before thy death thou diddest make promise of that spirit the Comforter O holie spirit of Comfort the onely ioye of thine elect let thy blessed presence so chéere and glad my soule that being assured of thy sauing health I may delight to serue thée and to sanctifie my selfe more and more with all allacrity and pleasure of my spirit attending on thy will walking in thy wayes all the residue of this my pilgrimage mortalitie Grant this O Father Sonne and holy Ghost holie blessed and eternall Trinity the Author of Life the giuer of grace the God of power whose wisedome is péerelesse whose dominion is endles whose mercie is bottomlesse To whom be all praise honour and glorie for euer and euer world without end Amen ¶ A speciall forme of submission and supplication to the Almighty IT cannot bee denied oh Lord GOD almighty it is too well knowne to thée and too too lamentably experienced in our selues that we are nothing else but a sinke and swill and puddle of sinne a masse and lumpe of rebellion That there is no light in our vnderstanding no good inclination in our good will no grace in our life we haue erred and straied from thy waies euer since we were borne through the originall Concupiscence and Corruption wherein wee are conceiued we haue neuer ceased to breake thy holie Commandements and to runne headlong into all manner of disobedieÌ„ce When the tempter is ready wee are fit to bee tempted as he is neuer vnready so wee alwaies are tempted and taken in most dangerous and deadly gins Woe and alas to our most weake féeble soules wherin there is neither power nor will nor wisedome to withstand the fierce and violent assaults of the spiritual wickednesses that fight against vs that entrench and encampe themselues round about vs when wee thinke that all is safe then rush they vpon vs as the Philistims did vppon Sampson we through dalliance with this wanton Delilah of our owne flesh and filthy vanitie of this wicked world are lulled a sléep in carnall security and haue lost our spirituall strength of Faith hope and godlinesse and so are taken and bound and blinded and lead away Captiues held in thraldome and scorned of those wicked and hellish fiends who greatly delight in the destruction and confusion of thy children which thirst and long after our eternall damnation In tender and bitter consideration whereof most lamentably complaining vnto thy most excellent and incomprehensible Maiesty oh Lord God of hoasts thy most distressed and forlorne seruant and adopted sonne sheweth and openeth his grieuances and being tyred wearied and ouerburdened with most cunning crafts subtile sleights as also most outragious tyrannies and impetuous violences of his implacable infernall foes in all humility and lowlinesse
into thy mercifull hands again For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ A comfortable conceit vpon review of the soule vnder Gods protection And an earnest entreatie for godly perseuerance I Committed my soule into thy hands oh Lord thou GOD of mercie render it restore it now nay thine it is and kéepe it I beséech thee and let mée haue a sight of it Oh thanks bée vnto thy diuine Maiestie and vnspeakable mercy that yet once againe thou hast washed and cleansed it that thou hast sprinckled the bloud of Iesus Christ ouer it that thou hast adorned and beautified it with glorious grace and hast not taken thine holie Spirit from me Lord pardon my vnthankfulnes Goe my soule vnto thy God at all times for he loueth thée he hath once loued thée and he loueth thée for euer Goe vnto him and tye thy selfe be not separated oh my soule He is thy God he is thy Creator he is thy redéemer he is thy Sauiour O worship thou him in the beautie of holinesse Oh mercifull Lord God haue pittie yet againe on my distressed forlorne and forsaken soule It is wonderfully wounded vnto the death Oh saue me saue me oh Lord why am I thus why art thou angry with me for euer I will hope in thy holy name oh let me not go away ashamed because I haue put my trust in thée Who euer trusted in thée and was confounded And shall I Surely thou wilt heare mee thou wilt helpe me thou wilt comfort me My heart telleth mée thy spirit beareth witnesse vnto me that I shall bee relieued and comforted and made glad and excéeding ioyfull with the light of thy countenance Behold euen as the eyes of a seruant doe looke vnto the hand of his maister and the eyes of a maiden vnto the hand of her Mistres euen so mine eyes wayt vpon thée my God vntill thou haue mercy vpon me Make spéed O Lord and be not slack it is time it is high time I beséech thee Lord let me beg my soule out of the hands of Satan for Iesus sake and draw my soule oh louing Father vnto Iesus Christ let him command Satan to yéeld it vp againe Seeing he hath no title no interest why should hee haue any possession oh that it were wholy imployed in thy seruice Heare then Lord and forgiue all my sinnes past my Rose-coloured and bloud-red sinnes remember thy mercies in Iesus Christ my only Sauiour most louing Redéemer to whome with thée and the holie Ghost one God Almighty eternall and most mercifull bee praise and glorie for euer and euer Amen ¶ An excellent wrestling with Iesus Christ OH swéet Iesu Christ sonne of God sonne of the Father lord of life sonne of Dauid redéemer of the world haue mercy vpon me miserable sinner I haue defaced the glorious Image after which I was created I haue peruerted my wayes and deliuered my soule into the power of Satan I was held captiue and bound in the chaines of euerlasting darkenes yet thou Oh Lord didst redéeme mée with thy most precious bloud thou didst deliuer me and set me at libertie thou diddest offer vp thine owne body vpon the crosse and submit thy selfe vnto the death for my sake and this my redemption thou didst seale in my heart by the most comfortable gift of Faith and other Christian vertues attending therevpon so that I gaue my selfe to loue thée and chéerefully to serue thée and call vpon thée then didst thou answere me againe and filledst my heart with gladnes yea swéet Iesu thou knowest that my heart within mée hath leaped and daunced for ioy of thy louing coūtenance and vnspeakable mercies May it please thee I know it doth please thée Oh mercifull Redéemer to continue thy louing kindnes towards mée I know and I confesse for if I deny I am a lyer that I haue notwithstanding thy tender loue towards me in redéeming my sinfull and wretched soule greatly and notoriously abused and contemned thy goodnes wantonly and wickedly kicked and spurned against thy holie grace the seale of mine eternall election and redemption wonderfully and strangely oh good Christ thou knowest most villanously presumptuously and almost despightfully defacing and rasing out the print thereof by most heinous transgressions heaped vp together encreasing in great measure in most vile and abhominable sort so that I had almost lost faith and fallen from grace But continuall and euerlasting praise bée giuen to thée thou hast lifted me vp frō the gates of death from the pit of hell and power of the Diuell The slye and subtill snares of damnation were spread vnder me and I stumbled and fell and now was hell and death and damnation preparing a triumph ouer my soule now was the Diuell stepping with his gréedy téeth to teare and loe thou sonne of God thou sauiour of men thou strong and mighty by thy mighty power whereby thou art able to subdue all things vnto thy selfe didst pluck me out of his téeth and deliuer me What shall I render vnto thy Maiestie thy power thy goodnesse thy mercie thy most vndeserued true Lord and most true compassion and pittie What shall I render vnto thée for all the good that thou hast done vnto me Surely I will confesse vnto thée my wickednes and be sorrie for my sinne I will magnifie and praise thy name for euer I will speake of thy louing kindnesse and make mention of thy saluation Oh Lord who is like vnto thée that deliuerest me from him that is to strong for mée and spoileth mee My soule shall make her boast of thée and shal not be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me Moreouer oh my Iesus I will not cease to pray vnto thee dispose me therevnto I most humbly beséech thée for without thée I can doe nothing Oh let my prayer come before thée and enter into thy presence Let me neuer be so mightily ouercome and so shamefully ouerthrowne as I haue béene Giue me thy constant spirit bréed in my heart and Conscience a deadly hatred and desperate enmity of sinne and wickednesse let me neuer be reconciled vnto them againe Oh let my soule loue thy most precious blood by which it is washed and cleansed from most vile corruptions Let me die oh Lord and depart this life before I so contemptuously as indeede I haue done tread and trample it as it were vnder my profane féet Oh let me die first I vnfainedly desire thée my swéet Sauiour For why should I liue to dishonour thée in such sort Why should I liue still to prouoke thy wrath and mine owne vnquietnesse I haue profaned thy sanctified and sanctifying blood I haue buffeted thée on the face I haue whipped and scourged thée most cruelly I haue by most odious impiety crucified thée afresh vnto my selfe Ah sinnefull wretch laden with iniquity heauie laden Oh laden oh when wilt thou refresh me quicken me in thy righteousnesse and clense me from all my
pit I am spoyled of robbers I am robbed of thy robes mortification and sanctification The spoilers are my sinnes my concupiscences my corruptions within me They oh Iesu euen they haue spoiled mee dis-robed me of thy graces disfurnished mee of thy riches and vertues Oh good Samaritan while I am weltring in my bloud Oh while I am in my bloud despise me not passe not by me haue pittie and compassion vpon me Bring thy bloud thy most precious bloud precious because not to be valued at any price better then the balme of Gilead powre it into my wounds it is wine it is oyle it hath a sauing vertue O saue me my Sauiour Iesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee I thirst for thée I long for thée I faint for thée Iesu thou sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me I haue hoped in thy holie name For why art thou the sonne of Dauid Is it not because of thy sure mercies to Dauid and to his seed for euer And who is the séed of Dauid are not they that call vpon thée that rest in thée that haue no other saluation but thée the séed of Dauid O then I haue no helper no sauiour no redéemer but thée oh Lord of life O Prince of peace oh GOD my righteousnes I haue none but thée I am then the seed of Dauid performe to me the holy things of Dauid the promises of eternall life O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me If thou wilt thou canst make me cleane purge me oh Physition of the soule purge mee and make mee cleane let thy blood wash mee throughly and I shall be cleane I haue deserued thy iust conceiued fury no reason thou shouldst heare saue but thine owne mercy thine own loue I appeale vnto them wherefore hast thou called me and taught me thy truth In vain O let it not be in vaine Wherefore do I beléeue thée to be sauiour of sinners in vaine O let it not be in vain But if I be not saued I belieue in vaine Lord heare my praier and let my sorrowfull sighing come before thée So I trust I will not distrust Helpe my vnbeliefe I will lay my saluation on thy shoulders oh Christ Iesu For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ An humble suite for a liuely fayth OH Almighty God and most mercifull Father thou knowest my sorrowes and my rowling repentances within me how I am grieued and vexed that I haue transgressed against thée oh Lord thou knowest The terrors and troubles of my heart are all open before thy Maiestie whom that I haue prouoked to take swift vengeance vppon me I confesse yea oh mighty Monarche of heauen and earth I confesse freely and willingly that damnation of body and soule is my due and the rather for that by mine iniquities best knowen vnto thy sacred Maiestie I haue refused Faith in the blood of thy Sonne Iesus Christ I haue hardned my heart and encreased my contempt against him Now Lord séeing it hath pleased thée to call to my remembrance and consideration my transgressions to giue me grace to confesse and acknowledge them in a detestation of them to seeke and sue for thy Sonne Iesus Christ in whom thou art well pleased I beseech thée oh Father good Father as thou hast loued mankind fréely so giue me the most excellent and comfortable gift of Faith in the death and passion of Iesus Christ that I may beleeue stedfastly to my comfort in him that he is the Sauiour Redeemer not onely of others but of me also euen of me oh Father thy Creature though miserably deformed by sinne Oh send thy holy spirit of grace into my heart that I beeing dead stinking in the graue of my wickednesse yet may arise and liue to thée and thy glory for euer through the powerfull might of Iesus Christ by an vnfained and setled faith in my heart Oh heauenly Father I am almost swallowed vp of despaire thy punishment doth so amaze me Oh deliuer my soule from that fearfull monster I am ashamed and confounded before thee my sins are so many since my youth vp now thou callest thē to thy remembrance and I cannot answere one for a Thousand I will therefore lay mine hand vpon my mouth and kéepe silence before thée wayting for thy deliuerance and for faith in Iesus Christ oh send me faith liuely and working and comforting that I may goe forward couragiously in the path of sanctification all my life long Grant this oh Father that I may glorifie thy name and reioyce in thée and in thy sauing health Iesus Christ my onely Lord Redéemer and Sauiour To whom with thée and that desired and longed for holy Ghost thrée persons and one Coequall and Coeternall God be all glorie and praise and Dominion and Maiestie and thanksgiuing from henceforth and for euermore Amen ¶ A gladsome thanksgiving for the tast of Gods mercie ETernall GOD whose habitation is in heauen and whose wōderfull and gratious prouidence in all the world thanks be giuen to thy most sacred Maiestie that being so high thou hast respect vnto the lowly that being so powerfull and mighty thou hast regard to my misery Oh gratious and most louing Father in Iesus Christ my Sauiour hath it pleased thee indéed to take the prey from the mighty my soule from Satan and to let the iust captiuitie goe frée my sinnefull soule and body indéed and truth snared and captiued of the Prince of darknes to be loosed from the chaines of hell infirmitie enormity presūptiō custome of iniquitie it is true it hath pleased thée euen so Father because it was thy good pleasure I acknowledge and confesse that this hath procéeded of thine euerlasting and neuer dying mercies I will therefore take vp the cup of saluation that thou hast reached vnto me and drinke it vp health vnto my bones to my bowels to my nauill to my soule I haue sucked the dregs of the cup of trembling but the cup of trembling is taken from me now thou hast refreshed me with chéerefull wine the bloud of Iesus Christ I will make mention of thy righteousnesse alwayes I will sing praise honour vnto thée with my whole heart I was dead but I am aliue I was withered like haye but now I shall flourish as a gréen hearb beyond all hope Loe this this is the portion of thē that turne from iniquity in Iacob and feare the Lord seruing him in vprightnes and truth Thus is the Lord mercifull vnto his seruants whome he hath chosen He kéepeth them that they do not fall for euer Thus is hee mercifull vnto them for his owne sake O King of Kings thou dweller in eternitie séeing so farre it hath pleased thée to visite the distressed estate of a sinner and to lead me in the path of righteousnesse thou art vnchangeable one and the same and hast neuer vsed to repent thée of thy compassions heare me and giue eare
my conscience vexed mine affection enflamed my presumption encreased I yéeld I fall I sinne I dye Oh God oh good God oh gracious God heare me oh spirit oh holy spirit oh comfortable spirit thy name is the comforter oh come and assist me O Iesu sweet Iesu Iesu that deliuerest vs from the wrath to come Come heare me come helpe me come saue me come stand by me Rebuke Satan rebuke sinne I beséech thee my Sauiour my gentle Sauiour rebuke my sinfull soule that resteth vpō thée reforme my soule that longeth for thée Suffer mee not to bée tempted aboue my strength of my self I haue no strength Bee thou my strength my castle and deliuerer at this time and at all times in my perplexities assaults and temptations So be it euen so bee it so I trust and so I rest Iesu that deliuerest vs from the wrath to come Amen ¶ A prayer for grace and diligence to pray OH most mercifull God and louing Father I confesse acknowledge my negligent and carelesse behauiour towards thée as in all the course of godlinesse so chiefly in deuotion and godly praier Haue mercy vpon me and forgiue my securitie I haue hindred many good things from my selfe that I haue not prayed for I haue thereby vilified thy heauenly blessings and riches of thy mercie I haue brought leauenesse vnto my soule Oh gracious God stirre vp my dull and dead spirit and quicken me in thy holinesse that my breast being set on fire and enflamed with thy manifold mercies and graces I may diligently direct my petitions vnto thée and so obtaine according to my necessitty Open mine eies O Lord that I may sée my wants clearly touch my heart that I may pray vnto thee faithfully feruently continually Heare me oh good God and quicken me according to thy mercie Oh disperse mine iniquities as a cloud after a great raine Now after the time that thou hast visited my sinne vpon me returne returne I beséech thée in great compassion My soule is afraid of thy iudgements I am beaten backe with feare of thy wrath when I thinke to pray my heart is cold within me I am astonied and sodainly cast downe LORD lift me vp to thy throne in prayer thou that hast lift me vp from the gates of death Where is thy liuely spirit Swéet God Iesus my Sauiour promised me the comfortable spirit In his name I beséech thée send it into my heart It will teach me and warne me to pray so shal I be sure to obtaine my prayers Heare me O Lord for my Sauiour Iesus sake to whome with thée and the holie Ghost be all honor glorie and praise Amen ¶ A thankfull acknowledgement of diuine mercies in Iudgements OH most mightie Lord God Creator Gouernour and possessour of Heauen and earth Wisedome is about thy throne and thy kingdome is established in iudgement Whatsoeuer pleaseth thee that dost thou in heauen and in earth and in all déepe places Thou beholdest and considerest the waies of men and thou rewardest euery man according to his workes Thou callest for punishment and it runneth like the swift lightning vpon the transgressors Thou commandest vengeance and vengeance entreth into all places the stately pallaces of Princes and the beggarly cottages of the poore There is nothing hid frō the brightnesse of thy presence Thine eyes in euery place a thousand times brighter then the Sunne behold the euill and the good There is nothing can be deliuered from the fircenes of thy wrath It burneth like fire euen to the bottome of hell Thou dost correct the wicked with the vengeance of eternall fire Thou dost chasten thine own children whē they goe astray and wander in the pathes of the vngodly with the corrections of men Infamy pouerty sicknesse of bodie weaknes of mind imprisonment banishment persecution and temporall death Oh Lord our gouernour how excellent is thy name how woonderfull are thy iudgements in all the world And yet for all this how few there are euen a very few that consider thy worke that is done vnder the Sunne that ponder thy iudgements though they be vpon themselues Oh palpable blindnesse oh dull forgetfulnes oh great security oh grosse impietie thou smitest and no man regardeth thou punishest and no man considereth thou layest thy iudgements to the view of all men and no man layeth them vnto his heart Blessed is hee whome thou instructest by punishment and guidest in the way of iudgement Surely this is a great mercy and it passeth all thy workes O teach me thy iudgements thy louing corrections haue made me glad To me thou hast reuealed mercy in iudgement thou hast assured consolation by correction Why so For I prayed vnto thée in the sorrowes of my soule Correct mee O Lord yet in thy judgement not in thy fury c. So I prayed for I was content to beare thy punishment because I had sinned against thée This my prayer thou hast graciously granted vnto me thou hadst respect vnto the humble suite of a sinner Therefore in thy fury thou didst not correct me with violent fire which doth deuoure the Aduersary with euerlasting paines thou didst not reward mee as I deserued but in iudgement thou hast punished me with the corrections of men Infamy pouerty sicknesse weaknes and such like and so thou hast graunted my petition thou Lord hast receiued my prayer thou hast chastned me with thy Children least I should be condemned with the reprobate And thus to me thou hast reuealed mercy in iudgement Thus thou hast assured consolation by correction Héere is thy mercy oh mercifull God to graunt mee my request this was thy mercie to giue eare in this thing vnto a sinner this was thy great mercie I grant it I confesse it I professe it I praise thy name for it Oh Iehoua This is the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse oh God my heart is ready my heart is ready I will sing giue prayse Awake my glorie awake my grace awake my soule all the secrets of my Soule awake I my selfe will awake right early Reioyce my deere Soule in the Lord thy God and againe I say reioyce Oh righteous Father thou hast executed thy iustice and extended thy mercy vpon me both together Who can declare thy noble Acts and shew forth all thy prayse who can doe as thou dost can a Man can a Saint can an Angell can any powre and Principality any throne or dominion bring good out of euill swéet out of sowre honor out of shame life out of death out of vengeance mercy as thou dost To thée therefore oh Iehoua and to thée alone shall all flesh come shall all creatures in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth be subiect to thée shall my soule and all the secrets of the same be dutifull and obedient from henceforth and for euermore I will sing vnto thée among much people and will not be ashamed I will speake of thy praises in the congregations my Soule