neuer wearieth the soules of such as delight in the liuing God whose beautie Dauid saw as neuer satisfied with the contemplation of the glorious Maiestie oâ— Iehouah whose beautie the more the Spirituall minde beholdeth in his word his workes his fauour power and prouidence the more is hee mooued with desire to see more and more And thinkes no happinesse comparable to the happinesse of a heauenly life Much were the Disciples mooued at the sight of Christs transfiguration in so much as they desired to haue built there Tabernacles to haue enioyed that blessed sight Still to desirous was Dauid still to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visite his holy Temple Where God is truely heard and duly called vpon by a holy congregation nay by one particular faithfull Christian there appeareth the glorie of God There is the Arke of the Lord the presence of the mightie God of Iaakob whose glorie filleth the Temple which onely the Spirituall man seeth with a supernaturall eye Though the carnall man bodily present apprehendeth it not Paul at his conuersion saw Gods glorie but they that were with him heard onely a voyce but saw it not Such beautie shineth in the hearts of the deere Children of God by the operation and illumination of the Holy Ghost by whom Stephen saw the glorie of God in the heauens and Christ sitting at his right-hand which none 〈◊〉 can see but such onely aâ—are inlightened who take such surpassing sweet delight in the beholding the face of God not onely in the Word wherein hee is in part seene but especially through faith that their soules are euen rauished and as it were transchanged by the splender therof as it were into the Image of the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father â—od commanding the light to shine out of darkenesse shineth in our hearts to giue light of the knowledge of the Glorie of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Let vs therefore indeuour to exercise our selues in puritie and sanctitie clensing our consciences from all counterfeit sincerity and labour to become in deed such as wee would seeme to bee And not to neglect the visiting of the materiall Temple to heare the Word of GOD and to pray vnto him if wee hope to be happie for there is none happie but they whom GOD loueth and who loue GOD if wee loue God wee will delight in him to heare him often for our instruction and confirmation of our faith and to seeke him by our prayers for he is ready to bee found of all them that are true of heart who shall heere behold his beautie and hereafter enioy his glorie A Prayer vnto God that he will prepare our hearts to the visiting of his holy Temple to heare his Word to pray vnto him and to prayse him GRant O most gracious Lord God according to the riches of thy grace that I may bee strengthened by thy Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith and so my whole spirit soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse to the comming of the Lord Iesus for thou Lord knowest what I am by nature a man vnworthy to take thine holy Name into my mouth or to come into thy presence being inclynable to no good dutie but apt to euery vanity I come therefore vnto thee heauenly Father in the Name of Iesus Christ thy Sonne in whom thou hast promised to receiue them that sincerely seeke thee heare the voyce of my petitions O Lord when I crie vnto thee and when I lift vp my hands towards the mercies seat of thy holy Temple reiect me not vnto thee O Lord I lift vp my soule crauing pardon for my sinnes and that thou wilt admit me into the holy societie of thy Saints and that I may delight to dwell in thy holy Temple vnder the shadow of thy protecting wings for euer Let my heart bee euer vpright in thy Statutes and faithfull euer before thee for thou hast pleasure in righteousnesse and hee is blessed in whose heart are thy wayes knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy Name giue me a holy desire to seeke thee and to walke euer vprightly as in thy presence Indue me with thy Spirituall knowledge leade me by thy right hand to thine holy Temple shew mee thy glorie and thy beauty that I may be comforted through thy presence Open mine eares that I may heare thee and thy Word by thy holy Ministrie and prepare my heart to receiue knowledge and vnderstanding and open my mouth and fill it with thy prayses and let my prayers in thy Sons Name bee acceptable vnto thee Shew me thy way and giue mee vnderstanding that I may learn thy Commandements and walke in them My hearts desire Lord is to dwell with thee to haue the full free fruition of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth that I may serue thee with a pure affection and giue thee prayse in the congregation of thy Saints Turne thy face vnto me O Lord that I may see the beautie of thy countenance and bee changed into the same Image by thy Spirit and in the same Spirit bee admitted to visite thine holy Temple with faith and assurance of thy presence wherein I know is libertie and life protection and plentie of all good things Make my heart stable vnblameable before thee in holinesse that I may serue thee with a sincere and pure conscience and vndefiled that I may not come into thine house only to bee seene and to seeme seruiceable or dutifull vnto thee but may inwardly hunger thirst for thy Word the food of my soule the bread of life and imprint the same so effectually in my soule that it may prooue fruitfull in â—ee and that I may shâ—w it in my 〈◊〉 holy conuersation to thy Glorie that being filled with the comforts proceeding from the beautie of thy countenance I may euer posâ—sesse my soule in that peace which passeth all vnderstanding euer-more reuerencing thy glorious Maiâ—stie that euer-more filleâ—h both the heauens and the earth fill my heart O Lord with thy Spirit that I may draw neere vnto thee and to thy Holy place my strong Rocke to thee will I alwayes resort Make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse and that I may more abound in hope and be strengthened to euery good work through the power of the holy Ghost by Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Sauiour Lord increase my faith The Conclusion A Prayer for true happinesse which shall bee consummate onely in heauen O Lord what am I the son of dust and ashes that I should presume to come into thy presence to seeke and desire felicity and happinesse here in this wildernesse of so many vanities miseries and troubles as are among the children of men As for me Lord thou knowest wherof I am made thou remembrest that I am but dust what happinesse therfore Lord can I look to obtaine here where sinne dwelleth in my mortall body
not consult with our owne fantasies and so vnsanctifiedly to rush vpon the holy Throne of Iehouah but with the Word of God wherein is layde downe the persons to whom the manner how and the things for what we should pray These things being vnderstood it behooueth vs also to looke into our selues whether this great worke of diuine prayer bee within the compasse of our owne vnderstanding what to pray for Saint Paul was a man Diuinely qualified and yet hee accounteth himselfe of the number of them that know not what to pray as hee ought what then Should wee not pray at all because wee know not how or what to pray as we ought God forbid wee haue a promise that the Spirit of God shall helpe our infirmities and shall make request for vs vnto God How then can our prayers but bee heard and answered seeing they proceed from Gods own Spirit that dwelleth in vs The truely faithfull in deed haue a promise that if they open their mouthes God will hil them And what is it but to assist them in their prayers And therefore not euery one that seemeth to pray prayeth in the Spirit yet this promise may also appertaine vnto and in time be felt of them that yet want him Therefore let euery man indeuour to be assured that the Spirit of God is in him which hee shall finde by the feruencie of his heart in prayer although he be not at all times a like powerfull in vs but retires himselfe for a time to make vs to acknowledge the want of him and to thirst the more eagerly for his presence againe which euery faithfull soule exercised in this diuine dutie apparently apprehendeth for the Spirit by degrees as it were mooueth our dull spirits and at length sheweth himselfe strong and powerfull in vs for when we finde a will and an inclination to pray though wee be dull not able to open our mouthes if we continue in desire lifting vp our hearts to God wee shall feele and that sensibly the Spirit to beginne to worke and to touch our hearts that at length we shall not onely bee able to speake with our tongues but the same Spirit will frame such an holy forme of words that of our selues wee were-neuer able to vtter which I confesse to the praise of God I haue found by most comfortable experience and therfore to my more effectuall motiue I haue framed by the ayde of the same Spirit this Meditation and Prayer following which may bee also vnto others that delight in this holy exercise some meane to suppresse their dulnesse and to stirre vp their affections to an vnexpressible zeale A motiue to a prayer against the tentations of Sathan who alwaies endeauoureth the hinderance of prayer and all other diuine and holy exercises in the children of God wherby their happinesse may bee made certaine IT is impossible that any man be he neuer so deuout and religious that takes any action in hand tending either to Gods glory or his owne soules saluation that can pâ—rforme it but that Sathan that malicious enemy of mans saluation will endeauour to peruert it or altogether to hinder it As when Iehoshua the high Priest was standing before the Lord to pray Sathan stood at his right hand to resist him Zach 3.1 And therefore shall any man thinke that though he be strong in faith and feruent in zeale to pray vnto God for any holy and heauenly gift that he shall haue no opposition by this ougly Dragon and subtill inuisible Serpent nay the more faithfull the more zealous and the more strong a man seemeth or indeed is in any holy and diuine exercise so much the more mad and malicious is Sathan to oppose him especially when he betaketh himselfe to holy prayer whereof no true child of God is or can be ignorant he cannot but find that Sathan thogh vnseene standeth at his right hand at his elbow laying before the eye of his mind infinite idle and vnholy thoughts not to be nuÌ„bred or declared either to peruert or vtterly to hinder his faith zeale that sometimes with seeming though counterfeit diuine thoughts As when in the mayd he spake seeming commendably crying of Paul and other Apostles saying These men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto you the way of saluation Act 16.16 17. But what intended he by this his flattery onely to hinder Paul the rest from prayer a worke that offends him most and makes vs most happy Therefore when he flattereth a man most as perswading him that hee hath graces and holy giftes enough hee needs seeke no more of God he may saue his labor of praying he may take his case and betake himselfe to his wonted worldly affaires he needs not bee so curious in reading the Word or hearing Sermons he hath knowledge sufficient and in the right way to happines and may take more pleasure and delight in many other things to his better content And thus are too many ouermuch lulled asleepe by these most dangerous inchantments of Sathan especially when he coueteth to deceiue by his crafty vndermining men vnder his counterfet shew of being an Angell of light Hauing then such a dangerous enemy more malicious then the red Dragon more wiâ—y and subtill then the crooked Serpent and more strong then the roaring Lyon We had need to craue wisedome to preuent his subtilties and strength to withstand his forces for being ignoraÌ„t of his stratagems and weake to encounter his malice we can neither speake vnto God in our prayers which are the principall weapons to wound and put backe the force of this enemy nor with true desire attentiue eare a feeling heart constant resolution firme faith heare God speaâ—e vnto vs by his holy Messengers and Ministers the life of our soules and truest happinesse It behoueth vs therefore to labour to haue the eyes of our minds inlightned and to be filled with all spirituall prudence and wisdome that wee may bee able to discouer his deceiuing intisements to auoyd hâ—s forged â—laâ—teries and to withstand his deadly tentations let vs indeauor by continuall prayer to God that in vs may be created and confirmed a strong and liuely faith pâ—rfect and constant zeale to serue the liuing God and an holy iealousie ouer our selues lest Sathan cirâ—umuent vs with his secret and subtill intisements in stealing away our mindes and estranging our thoughts from heauen and heauenly things from God in Christ in our holy Meditations and Prayers A Prayer for Gods holy assistance against Sathan who indeauoureth to hinder our most godly prayers fit to bee said in all tentations O Holy mercifull louing and most powerfull Lord God who sittest in the heauens and extendest thy power ouer all the powers in heauen earth who hast the rule and absolute gouernment of all thy creatures and to whom all Principalities Powers Angels and spirits doe obey Consider I humbly pray thee the malignity and malice of that reprobate
of thy blessed Spirit testifying vnto my spirit that thou art the whole and sole disposer of all these and that all things worke together for the comfort of all that loue thee knowing and being assured of thy presence and prouidence I will not feare whatsoeuer befall mee for all troubles crosses and miseries I finde to bee but holesome medecines tempered and gently prepared by thine owne hand for the cure and preseruation of my sicke and sinnefull soule from eternall death I humbly therfore deare Father pray thee so to moderate my troubles and afflictions as by the helpe and aide of thy holy Spirit I may with patience and an heauenly kinde of alacrity vndergoe them And according to thy good pleasure continue the health of my body the vse of my senses limbs peace with thee my God and with all men as becommeth mee still guided by thy Spirit that I abuse none of thy blessings through 〈◊〉 corruptions And while I liue here in this earthly pilgrimage as a stranger vouchsafe me with thy heauenly Spirit to giue mee a competent portion to sustaine me and those whom thou hast coÌ„mitted vnto my charge both in spirituall and corporall sustinance Let not too heauie tentations ouer-presse me let too much want and too heauy crosses ouer-afflict me but lay vpon mee what thou wilt and neuer take from me thy holy spirit so shal I be able to beare what soeuer thou thinkest fit to be laid vpon me for by the strength of thy preuayling spirit I shall vndergo what thou in loue as indeed it is shalt lay vpon me By promise thou carest for me and hast willed mee to cast my care vpon thee which I haue done euer since it pleased thee to reueale thy selfe vnto mee in thy beloued Son and thou hast not deceiued me for I haue euer found thee true in performing whatsoeuer thou hast promised euen in sending that Comforter who hath euer assisted mee in reuealing thy Son in whoÌ„ thy continual fauour I haue euer found most certaine secret sweet so enabling me to speake vnto thee as when I haue offended thee by my sinnes I haue felt the pardon of them in my conscience by the blood of that Lambe testified vnto mee by thy blessing and sanctifying Spirit When I haue been sicke thou hast healed me I haue been in mortall danger and thou hast preserued me I haue had enemies and thou hast defended mee and often haue I been in distresse and want and thou hast without my desire or desert plentifully releeued mee yea Lord thou hast giuen when and what I haue not asked thou camest and soughtest mee first Lord I sought not thee thou aboue all shewedst thy selfe most louing vnto me in sending me thy heauenly spirit without whose ayd I could neither aske nor receiue I could neither seeke nor find comfort neither could I knock or deserue to enter into thy fauour By his presence I haue felt the fulnes of ioy and gladnesse And therefore as thou hast graciously begun Lord so continue thy grace in mee and thy loue towards me alwayes in all places among al men in all my labours iournies and lawfull and godly endeauors for thou hast commaunded mee while I liue â—eere not to rest idle but to bee doing that which is good Thou hast giuen mee a calling wherin without thy blessing I may labour and yet lacke I may ayme by good intent and yet erre without the gracious direction of thy Spirit I am ignorant of and dull to performe that which may bee either well pleasing vnto thee or truly profitable to my self But by the blessing of thy holy spirit I shall please thee in Christ who pleaseth thee for mee and then whatsoeuer I thinke speak or doe shall prosper and yeeld mee supply in all my wants both spirituall and corporal and that from day to day which by thine owne promise shall be sufficient for the day O holy and heauenly Father hold me euer in thine â—bedience shelter me vnder â—he shaddow of thy protecting wings stop the whole course of sinne in mee and continue thine holy spirit euermore in me that he being my guide in all mine actions I may finish the course of this my pilgrimage in all sinceritie sanctitie and safetie and in the end obtain the glory which thy Sonne my Sauiour hath purchased for mee by the shedding of his blood vpon the Crosse and that euermore while I liue I may hunger and thirst for righteousnesse vntill I become a perfect man in Christ Iesus that leauing this mortall life I may ioyfully enter into that euerlasting rest Amen Amen in Christ my hope my strength and my assured and faithfull Redeemer Lord euermore increase and confirme my faith and continue that holy spirit in mee A motiue to begin the day with Prayer IT is a dutie not so much required by God for his owne sake of vs as necessary and profitable for our selues to begin the morning with Thanksgiuing and Prayer The first God requireth of vs as due vnto him for preseruing vs and giuing vs rest and sleepe and safetie the night past The second namely Prayer most necessary for our selues for without the helpe fauour power protection and prouidence of God wee can expect no comfort or safetie or good successe the day following wherein doe lye hidden many dangers of our bodies many bayts allurements and tentations of Sathan the world and our owne corruption for our soules much weaknesse and ignorance in our selues to performe the works of our owne callings besides ill successe in our labours without his blessing And shall we think that God will giue a blessing to our labours safetie to our persons or defence from these spirituall enemies vnlesse we recommend our selues to him in the name of his sonne No no we may not flatter our selues that because we are lustie and strong our senses good our wit and vnderstanding quick we may goe from bed to businesse and walke in our owne wayes vntill the euening either forgetting or neglecting God who with-holding his help and hand infinite are the dangers wee are subiect vnto both spirituall and corporall Therefore looke vp powre out thy pâ—ayers as a sweet morning sacrifice to God in the name of Christ and then goe on thy lawfull occasions and prosper And for want of thine own abilitie to discouer thine owne necessities and to craue Gods blessings and to declare thy thankefulnesse vse the helpe of the labours of such as haue framed prayer for this holy purpose Or this howsoeuer weake prayer following wherein thou mayst finde comfort and so with inward ioy thou maist from day to day the more cheerefully follow thy vocation A Prayer fit to be vsed euery morning O My God my God and my most louing Father in thy best beloued Christ Iesus I yeeld thee vnfained thankes for thy wonderfull mercies and vndeserued fauors vouchsafed vnto mee all my life and especially for electing creating and redeeming mee and for all
and in feare to bee stoned of the people And many other crosses had he Not one of Christs Apostles or faithfull Fathers of the Primitiue Church no not Christ himselfe hath escaped the troubles of this mortall life and shall wee weâ—e wee his dearest children thinke or desire to escape it sith it is our honour to suffer with and for Christ The Scriptures themselues besides authentike Histories abound with witnesses that Gods Children haue beene euer most afflicted and that God yet nâ—uer fayleth them nor finally forsaketh them Whosoeuer therefore is strayted with any troubles or pressed with any afflictions Let them make vse of the examples of Gods dealing with and his mercies shewed towards our former afflicted faithfull Fathers For hee is the same God still hee hath the same power the same prouidence the same loue and the same Fatherly care of theÌ„ that trust in him as our faithfull forefathers did and were deliuered And the memoriall of their faith and patience is recorded by former holy men of God as by Moses by Dauid by the Prophets by Christ and his Apostles to teach vs to imitate them in holy obedience euen vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come that through our like patience and faith wee might haue hope to bee likewise eased of our afflictions and troubles as thâ—se and other holy men hoped and were deliuered and releeued Dauid that worthy King of â—srael penned to the prayse and glory of God for our instruction and comfort sundry most sweet and comfortable Psalmes in the middest of his greatest troubles shewing the force of his faith to bee so strong and his hope so assured depending vpon Gods power promises and prouidence as he deemed himselfe euen then deliuered when he was yet in greatest perill Such was the firme and constant hope of holy Dauid that in all his troubles sicknesse of the body danger of enemies yea when his Crowne was like to be taken from his head by his owne sonne through patience and hope not limiting the holy one of Jsrael hee wayted Gods leasure and was deliuered teaching vs to attend Gods appointed time without grudging at our troubles There is no danger so great no tentation so strong out of which God is not able to deliuer his For example was not Daniel in a desperate danger being cast into the hungry Lyons Denne Did hee perish there The three children in the seuenfold hot Furnace were they consumed Did not the powerfull and preuayling hand of God the Angell of his presence miraculously preserue them in his mercie And did he not confound the ministers of their intended torments in his Iustice Why then shall faithfull men feare or be affrayd at the â—alice and furious threates of whatsoeuer roaring Tyrant God hath power ouer their hearts and hands And therefore sayth Dauid full of faith I will not feare what man can doe vnto mee for it is the Lord that maketh mee to dwell in saftie What if then I bee sicke with Hezekiah hee can apply the sweete and salutary figs of his fauour to heale mee or will affoord mee the patience to beare it or which is best of all a speedie dissolution to rest with him If pouerty assaile mee should I grudge and repine at the wealth and prosperitie of others euen as holy Dauid himselfe once seemed to doe seeing himselfe in necessity and the wicked to prosper This he did in his haste but vpon more holy deliberation and consultation with the Word of God he did acknowledge it good for him so to bee humbled knowing that God forgetteth not the poore that call vpon him though he supplie not our necessities in abundance yet he neuer will faile to prouide for vs that we perish not Hee may suffer vs to want some superfluous things of this world that the wealthy haue but instead thereof hee will giue vs better things that the wealthy want Though Lazarus was poore naked hungry and full of sores here loathsome to the eye of men and the rich man gloriously robed his belly full his body free from spott or wrinkle which of these was the happiest Man could not iudge but their ends declared which of them had the best portion the vilest of them in mans sight was most glorious in Gods and contrary Man often fayleth in iudgement of mens happinesse because hee seeth onely the case and seeth not the Iewell within it hee discerneth onely the outward habit but not the inward heart and therefore knoweth not what end any man shall make for whatsoeuer the outward shew bee of a happy man beleeue it not till thou see his end What a miserable man was Iob on the dunghill and what an vnhappy man was Joseph in prison what ends the Lord made with them both is manifest What a happy man was Nabuchadnezzar in his glorious palace and what a glorious Monarch was Balteshasher who feasted one thousand of his Vassall Princes at once What a worthy wise and glorious King was Herod the son of Aristobulus surnamed Agrippa sitting in his royall robes in his regall throne at whose Oration the people showted crying The voyce of God and not of a man Looke within a while vpon the first and thou shalt see him grazing with the wild beasts of the forest Looke vpon the second thou shalt suddenly see him perish in his drunkennesse and behold the third and thou shalt see him immediatly vpon his Deified Oration to be deuoured with the vermine of his owne bowels The estates of these kindes of men seene with the eyes of a carnall man are censured as they seeme but these and infinite other examples prooue that the mightie and the wise men of the world are not all glorious within though gorgious with â—ut Iudge not therfore the ends of men by their outward appearance for the most glorious beginnings of men not fearing God come often to fearefull endes To prooue further by Histories wee need not wee haue seene it with our eyes But as touching the children of God they for the most part seem base and such as are seemly to the outward appearance haue yet humble spirits seeming not the wisest in the world because they are inwardly so innocent and harmlesse as they can shew no carnall policies as doe the wise of the world but the basest and seeming vilest of Gods children that want plentie of food for their bodies or competent clothes to couer their nakednesse are yet through faith the feare of God and humblenesse of heart accepted of God And although it be obserued that at their deaths there be no pompous funerall Obsequies yet dying the Saints of God they haue the Angels of God attending theÌ„ who conuey that part which the world seeth not into heauenly Paradise as they did the soule of Lazarus and leaue that seeming base part to the world in as meane a manner to be disposed to the earth If yet the vngodly poore should pretend interest in the loue and promises
and by sinne I offend and displease thee and in thy displeasure is death O preuent me Lord therfore from sinfull feeding my foolish mind with false felicitie as to repose my happinesse in the things of this life in health riches honour beautie carnall friends worldly wisdome pleasures delights ease which are not worthy in respect of true happinesse in deed to bee the least esteemed Giue me therefore here O Lord euen in this life an entrance into true happinesse send foorth thy Spirit and breath life into my dead soule transforme me into thine own image from glory to glory by thy Spirit withdraw me from delight in the vanities of this life for as long as I delight in the pleasing things of this world I am farre from happinesse and it lies not in my power to restrain my heart from that which naturally I affect I cannot subdue the corruption of mine owne nature but that which is impossible to mee is possible with thee declare therefore thy great power in mercy vpon me I am by nature wretched miserable and poore and naked a most vnhappy man yet such is my blindnesse that I see it not I feele not mine owne vnhappinesse Lord remooue that darknesse from me and graunt that seeing I may see mine owne errour and in hearing I may vnderstand and take the right way to felicitie work faith in my heart that I may taste how gracious thou art in working in me a new heart a new mind and new affections holy and heauenly the beginning here of happinesse to come Make mee to feele the peace of a good conscience let my faith be seen through obedience vnto thee let me feele in my soule through faith the merits of thy Son working the assurance of the remission of my sinnes and assured hope of the enioying of my finall felicity and endlesse happinesse in heauen None are truly happy or blessed but such as thou dost chuse cause to come vnto thee for none can come vnto thee but whom thou callest and they onely are iustified whom thou iustifiest them wilt thou glorifie and whom thou glorifiest are and none else truly happy Carry me therefore gracious Lord carry me by the wings of thy mercy and by the strength of thy fauour in Christ my Sauiour into that heauenly Canaan the inheritance of them that are in Christ Iesus elected to saluation Let me euen here in this base outward forme of an vnhappy man behold thee through faith in thy word let mee behold thy face in righteousnesse for in the liuely beholding of thee is the fulnes of ioy and highest happinesse in this life O that the time would therefore speedily come wherein I being dissolued may see thee my Sauiour face to face when this my mortall body shall be quickened and made like vnto thy glorious body for I know thou wilt keepe vnto the end that which I haue committed vnto thee both my soule and body to bee glorified and made happie though I yet see not what I shall be and therfore when thou wilt I will willingly lay down my life and commit my soule vnto thee my God through Iesus Christ as vnto my most faithfull Creator and louing Redeemer to whom with the holy Ghost bee all glory for euer Amen The consummation and full perfection of our happinesse shall be When wee shall bee made partakers of the diuine Nature 2. Pet. â— v. 4. When Christ shall tranâ—forme our base bodies that they may bee like the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3. v. 21. When she shall perfectly enioy those things which eye hath not seen nor the eare heard nor euer entred into the heart of man to coâ—ceiue which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2 11.9 Who then or what shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ in and by whom wee haue firme hope to attaine vnto this so great happinesse neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakednesse nor perill nor the sword Romanes 8. verse 35. Which God for his Christes sake graunt to whome with the Holy Ghost be ascribed all glory for euer Amen The principall things contained in this Booke A Meditation or Consultation what are the best things that men in this life should principally ayme at to attaine vnto highest happinesse c. Fol. 1. A motiue to Prayer against the temptations of Sathan c. 18 A Prayer for Gods holy assistance against Sathan 23. A Meditation to stirre vs vp when wee are vnapt to pray 29. A Prayer to God for the helpe of his holy Spirit and other blessings spirituall and corporall c. 35. A motiue to begin the day with Prayer 54. A Prayer fit to bee vsed euery morning 57. A motiue to Prayer before a man 〈…〉 65. A Prayer for a man before hee goes to hiâ—â—â—ghtly rest 70. A most comfortable incouragement to all poore and distressed men to vndergoe whatsoeuer trouble with patience c. and may serue as a motiue to some prayers that follow viz. 77. A generall Prayer in whatsoeuer troubles and affections with a confâ—ssion that sinne is the cause of them 103 A Prayer for a man hindred by 〈…〉 kind of 〈…〉 lawfull takings c. 114 A consideration or consultation touching the estates and conditions of seuerall men c. necessary for all men that hope of any blessing vpon their labors Trauels Professions Artes Trades or Jmployments 124 A Prayer that God will blesse and prosper our labours and endeauors in whatsoeuer calling 139 A Prayer for a man whose Calling requireth Journeyes by land or sea 149 A motiue to a Prayer for patience in godly Parents that are affâ—icted in minde for the disobedience and vngodly liues of their children c. 150 A Prayer for the reformation of vngodly and disobedient children and for patience in Parents c. 166 A Christian incouragement to all that feare God act to bee 〈◊〉 at the threats 〈◊〉 and policies of whatsoeuer enemies c. To which is added a Prayer for Gods holy protection and defence of his in whatsoeuer danger 173 A Prayer to God that hee will defend vs from our strongest enemies with Thankesgiuing to God for our former deliuerances 189 A necessary motiue to stirre vs vp to a holy desire to resort to the Temple of God to pray vnto him with the Congregation and to heare his VVord c. 198 A Prayer to God that hee will prepare our hearts to the visiting of his holy Temple to heare his Word to pray vnto him and to praise him 219 A Prayer for true happinesse which shall be consummate only in heauen 226 FINIS