distress say effatha to my heart that it may be opened to receive thee say effatha to the heavens that they may be opened to receive my soul yea say unto my soul thou art my salvation for thou only who art All-sufficient canst speak unto my soul and thou only who art All-merciful wilt speak comfort to it And though for my sins thou art justly displeased yet for thine own Mercies thou wilt not long continue in that displeasure for thou hast proclaimed thy self to be the Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Lord say unto me thy unworthy servant that my sins are forgiven me and that I may go hence in peace for my faith hath saved me even that faith whereby I wholly trust in the Merits and Mercies of thy eternal Son Jesus Christ. 66. Hear my prayer O Lord and consider my desire hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake and enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And let not mine enemy persecute my soul and if it be thy will let not my disease smite my life down to the ground nor lay me in the darkness as men that have been long dead But if it be thy pleasure to torment and to destroy my body yet let not my spirit be vexed within me nor my heart within me be desolate But make me so remember the time and thy works past that I may be comforted in the time and thy works to come that stretching forth my hands and lifting up my heart unto thee I may lay hold on thee by a lively Faith Hope and Love and at last come to enjoy thee by a blessed vision comprehension and fruition And my soul gasping â—…nto thee as a thirsty Land may be satisfied with the dew of thy heavenly blessings for evermore 67. O Lord remember that I am the work of thy hands the image of thy counteâ—…ance the price of thy blood And have mercy on me as thy work as thy image and as thy purchase for the paternal bowels of God the Father that created me for the bleeding wounds of God the Son that redeemed me and for the unutterâ—…ble groans of God the Holy-Ghost that sanctifieth me O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord strengthen me in my sickness receive me at my death and acquit me in the Judgement Amen 68. Hear me O Lord and that soon for my spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit O let me hear thy loving-kindness late in the evening of this life and betimes in the morning of Eternity for in thee is my trust shew thou me the way that leadeth in the truth and unto the life for I lift up my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies both corporal and spiritual for I flie unto thee to hide me Let thy loving Spirit lead me forth out of this Land of unrighteousness and lead me into the Land of righteousness Quicken me O Lord for thy Name sake and then most when I shall be nearest death and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of all her troubles that I may give thanks unto thee with those blessed spirits which lived here in thy fear departed hence in thy favour and now are with thee in eternal joy and glory Psal. 143. v. 7 c. 69. Deal thou so with me O Lord God according to thy Name that in the greatest bitterness of my soul I may both see and confess that sweet is thy Mercy O deliver me for I am helpless and poor and my body is tormented without me and my heart is wounded within me Psal. 109. ver 22 23. but be thou ease to my body and joy to my heart in Jesus Christ. 70. O Lord I confess to thy glory and minâ—… own shame that when I call to mind the â—…oulness of mine own transgressions I am â—…shamed when I call to mind the exactâ—…ess and severity of thy Justice I am afraid â—…o lift up mine eyes to heaven or to look â—…owards the place where thine honour â—…welleth But O look thou down upon â—…e with the eye of pity and compassion â—…ho am altogether unworthy to look up â—…nto thee with the eye of hope and confiâ—…ence and relieve me in my sickness and â—…eceive me at my death for thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ. 71. I will alway give thanks unto the Lord â—…is praise shall ever be in my mouth yea my soul shall make her boast of the Lord â—…or I sought him and he heard me yea â—…e delivered me out of all my fear I had 〈◊〉 eye unto him and I was enlightened I â—…ave tasted and seen how gracious the â—…ord is blessed be my soul for trusting 〈◊〉 him and blessed be his grace for working 〈◊〉 my soul that trust to rely and depend â—…pon his Mercy for evermore Psal. â—…34 72. Lord touch my tongue with a coal from â—…hine Altar to take away the pollution of my lips and touch my heart with the immortal flames of thy love to take away the deadness and dulness of my thoughts that both tongue and heart being purged from the filthy dregs of flesh and sin I may in my greatest infirmities labour to praise thee according to the greatness of thy glories And because I cannot sufficiently praise thee whiles I am in this corrupted and corruptible body take my soul in thy due time away from hence that I may in thy heavenly Jerusalem sing unto thee acceptable and immortal praises for ever and ever Amen 73. Righteousness and equity O Lord are the habitation of thy seat O let righteousness and equity be fixed in my heart that thou mayest therein fix thy habitation Mercy and Truth shall go before thy face O let Mercy and Truth be alwaies in my soul Mercy to forgive Truth to be for given that when my soul shall go out of my body it may joyfully go before thy face and rejoyce in thy presence for ever more for blessed are the people O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance Lord thou hast given me the first part of this blessing to rejoyce in thee here on earth O give me also the second part of it that when I shall go hence I may walk in the light of thy countenance hereafter in heaven Amen 74. Who am I O Lord God and what is this my house of clay that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servant for a great while to come even for the daies of Eternity that thou wilt at last bring me to thy self For thy words sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them and
take heed he forsake not thee Wonder not then if you find many of Samuels words that is much of the Churches dictates in these Devotions but know it is because God hath taught Samuel to pray that he might teach you And having taught you to pray by Samuels Devotions may perchance not hear your prayers eveâ—… as he accepted not Sauls offering out oâ—… Samuels Communion However you may certainly by this gleaning of some few grapes see what store of good wine was and is in thâ—… whole Vintage And I hope you will noâ—… have good wine only to see and to look upon but also to tast and to make good use of it Or confess it is your own wilfulness thaâ—… you I will not say your prayers are either Faint or Dry for not tasting it The sick mans confession of his sins I Confess unto thee O Lord God Almighty and most merciful Father that I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son nor to have any portion in thine inheritance because I have been hitherto so unthankful for thy Mercy so unreverent towards thy Majesty and so undutiful to thine Authority wherefore innumerable troubles are most justly come upon me and my sins have taken such hold of me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number then the hairs of my head and my heart hath failed me But O Lord let it be thy pleasure to deliver me make hast O Lord to help me and comfort the soul of thy distressed servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul gasping for that Mercy and Forgiveness which thou hast promised to Repentant-sinners for the Merits of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judge of all men I acknowledge and bewail my manifold sins and wickedness which I from time to time most grievously have committed by thought word and deed against thy Divine Majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against me I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for these my mis-doings the remembrance of them is grievous unto me the burthen of them is intollerable Have Mercy upon me have Mercy upon me most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christs sake forgive me all that is past and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in the newness of my life or in the contentedness and patience of my death to the honour and glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Absolution or Remission of sins to be pronounced by himself alone when he cannot have the benefit of a Minister to absolve him HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins and absolve me from the guiltiness of all my transgressions according to the Promise of Mercy by thy Word the Purchase of Mercy by thy Son and the Pledges of Mercy by thy holy Spirit made and given to Repentant-sinners in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen Or this Almighty God our heavenly Father who of his great Mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them which with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him have Mercy upon me pardon and deliver me from all my sins confirm and strengthen me in all goodness and bring me to everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Then likewise he shall say O Lord open my heart that thou mayest open my lips O Lord open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hast to help me That I may with a thankful heart and with a chearful voice sing and say unto thee Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy-Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Praise ye the Lord I praise the Lord. The sick mans Psalm Psal. 6. 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure 2. Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed 3. My soul is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me 4. Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy Mercies sake 5. For in death no man remembereth thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit 6. I am weary of my groaning every night wash I my bed and water my couch with my tears 7. My beauty is gone for very trouble and worn away because of all mine enemies 8. Away from me all ye that work vanity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping 9. The Lord hath heard my Petition the Lord will receive my Prayer 10. All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The sick mans first lesson Job 19. 25 c. I Know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me His first Canticle I praise thee O God I acknowledge thee to be the Lord. O praise our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard Which holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to slip I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings and will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips and spake with my mouth when I was in trouble O come hither and hearken all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. I called unto him with my mouth and gave him praises with my tongue If I encline unto wickedness with my heart the Lord will not hear me But God hath heard me and considered the voice of my prayer Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his Mercy from me Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities Which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and loving-kindness Praise the Lord O my soul whiles I live will I praise the Lord yea as long as I have any being I will sing praises unto my God Lord make me so to praise thee here whiles it is my duty that I may exactly know how to praise thee hereafter when it shall be my reward For therefore with Angels and Arch-angels and with all the company of heaven do I now laud
and magnifie thy glorious Name because thou hast given me an assured hope that I shall with them hereafter evermore praise thee and say Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Glory be to thee O Lord most high The sick mans second lesson John 5. 24. VErily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life His second Canticle Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for calling me to the knowledge of himself and to faith in his Son and to Communion with his holy Spirit Lord I believe help thou my unbelief And grant me so perfectly and without all doubt to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ that my faith may never be reproved and my person and my prayers may alwaies be accepted in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness incline thine ear unto me and save me Be thou my strong hold whereunto I may alway resort Thou hast promised to help me for thou art my house of defence and my Castle As for me I will patiently abide alway and will praise thee more and more My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation for I know no end thereof O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me and yet didst thou turn and refresh me yea and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness O God playing upon an instrument of Musick Unto thee will I sing upon the Harp O thou holy one of Israel My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered and ever wilt deliver according to thine infinite Mercies in Jesus Christ. The sick mans Creed or the Confession of his Faith by way of prayer I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of heaven and earth Grant me Lord so to believe in thee my Father that as a Father pittieth his own child so I may find and feel that thou art pittiful and merciful towards me Grant me so to believe in thee as my Lord and my God that I may find the eternal comfort of being thy servant and that as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters even so my eyes may wait upon the Lord my God until he have Mercy upon me Grant me so to believe in thee as my Father God and Maker that I may alwaies rely on thy Fatherly Goodness that I may alwaies submit my self body and foul to thy Almighty power and that I may commit my soul unto thee not only in well-doing but also in well-suffering as to my saithful Creator Grant me so to believe in Jesus Christ thy only Son my Redeemer that from this Jesus I may have salvation from this Christ I may have the holy Unction from this thy Son I may have spiritual adoption Grant me so to believe in God the Holy-Ghost that from this God I may be inspired with true godliness from this Holy-Spirit I may be sanctified and made a member of the Catholike Church and both live and die in the Communion of Saints And that from this spiritual Comforter I may be filled with spiritual comforts and consolations for evermore even with the immortal comfort of the Forgiveness of my sins of the Resurrection of my body and of the translation of my soul to the life everlasting Amen Or this O blessed Lord God who fillest heaven and earth with the Majesty of thy Glory and with the Riches of thy Mercy Let not my sinful soul be empty but let me evermore be filled with dreadful apprehensions of that great and glorious Majesty wherewith thou wilt hereafter come to Judge me And with comfortable apprehensions of that great and gracious Mercy whereby thou hast already come to save me that I may never want grace to prevent and keep me from sinning nor Mercy to pardon and forgive me all my sins nor the testimony of thy holy-Spirit to assure me of that pardon and forgiveness That though thou kill me yet I may put my trust in thee and even at the hour of death may be able to say with a strong heart though with a weak voice I believe in God the Father my Creator in God the Son my Redeemer in God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter That this my Father will provide for me health and ease and all other comforts of this world as far as they shall conduâ—…e to his glory and to my salvation And hath provided for me a Portion and Inheritance in the world to come That this Redeemer hath redeemed my soul from the bondage of Sin and Satan and will also at the last day redeem my body from the bondage of death and corruption That this Comforter will not leave me comfortless when I most want and most ask his comforts but that he will be with me according to his Promise and will keep me in all places whither I go of sickness of life of death and will bring me at last to the Land of Eternal rest for he will not leave me till he hath done that which he hath spoken to me of Gen. 28. 15. till he hath translated me from his holy Church-Militant to his holy Church-Triumphant And to that Communion of Saints whereof he is the only head who is the King of Saints And to that blessed company of sanctified spirits which have mercifully received the forgiveness of their sins do earnestly expect the resurrection of their bodies and do incessantly enjoy the life everlasting Amen The sick mans Collect for the Day O Sweet Jesus who comest from the bosom of thy heavenly Father to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised shew also these thy Mercies at once and together in shewing Mercy on me who am now broken and bruised and under great blindness and captivity The eye of my soul is so dim by reason of my sins and of my sufferings that I cannot clearly see thy Merits The hand of my soul is so weak that I cannot eagerly reach after them nor strongly take hold of them Thus am I a captive under miserable blindness and weakness But shew thou me the light of thy countenance and that will recover my sight and release my captivity For in thy light I shall see the true light everlasting and in thy countenance I shall enjoy it O thou Son of righteousness which knowest not any going down and givesâ—…â—…fe food and gladness unto all things vouchsase to shine into my mind that I may not either through the weakness of the flesh or the assaults of the Devil any where stumble to fall into impatience
offered and the time of my departure is at hand 2 Tim. 4. 6. Now therefore I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight shew me now thy way that I may know thee that I may find grace in thy sight and consider that I am one of thy people And he said my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest And he said unto him if thy presence go not with me carry me not up hence for wherein shall it be known here that I have found grace in thy sight is it not in that thou goest with me And the Lord said I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken for thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name And he said I beseech thee shew me thy glory so saith my soul O Lord and because no man shall see thee and live I desire to die that I may see thee Exod. 33. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Unto him that is able to keep me from falling into the pit of everlasting destruction and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy do I recommend my soul even to the only wise God our Saviour to whom be glory and Majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen Epist. of Saint Jude v. 24 25. The Lord shall preserve me from all evil yea it is even he that shall keep my soul. The Lord shall preserve my going out and my coming in from this time forth for evermore Amen Psal. 121. 7 8. The sick mans Departure or Dismission ARise ye and depart for this is not your Rest because it is polluted it shall destroy you even with a sore destruction Micah 2. 10. Return unto thy Rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living Psal. 116. 7 8 9. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the people of God Heb. 4. 9. Lord I willingly go out of this world that I may enter into that everlasting rest Amen I have set God before me he is at my right hand I shall not fall Therefore my heart is gland and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Amen Psal. 16. 8 9 10 11. To me to live is Christ and to die is gain I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ. Lord now lettest thou servant depart in peace that he may rest in hope rise in joy and reign in glory Amen A sick mans Resignation Psal. 31. 5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of Truth THere is nothing more the duty of a good Christian then whiles he lives to possess his soul in patience and when he shall die to resign his soul in comfort And indeed he must possess his soul in patience that he may resign it in comfort He must possess his soul in patience as not being fully contented much less fully delighted with his present â—…ndition in this world wherein he canâ—…t but see very much to trouble him but â—…thing at all to satisfie him Help Lord â—…h the Psalmist Psal. 12. 1. in great â—…ation of his heart and we may gather threefold reason why he is so vexed 〈◊〉 the godly man ceaseth the faithful fail â—…d they speak vanity Defectus sanctitatis 〈◊〉 affectu veritatis in intellectu sanctitatis 〈◊〉 â—…ffectu saith Alensis The defect of holiâ—…ss in the will of truth in the understandâ—…g of innocency in the action This is â—…e threefold defect that makes the good â—…ristian possess his soul not in delight as â—…on choice but only in patience as upon â—…cessity because he wants holiness in his â—…ill and cannot love God because he â—…nts truth in his understanding and â—…not know God because he wants inâ—…grity in his action and cannot honour â—…od as he is bound and desires to do This the reason that he possesseth his soul not delight but in patience and the trouble â—…at he finds in his possession makes him 〈◊〉 think himself of a Resignation The â—…ssessing his soul in patience whiles he â—…es makes him Resign his soul in comâ—…t when he is to die And here we have the form of that comfortable Resignatioâ—… Into thy hands I commit my spirit thou haâ—… redeemed me O Lord God of truth I hopâ—… no man will say that this set form of thâ—… Resignation of his soul doth stint Goâ—… Spirit which teacheth him how to Resigâ—… his own For sure we are that he useâ—… this same form of whom it is said Gâ—… giveth not the spirit by measure unto hiâ—… John 3. 34. And if a set form did not coâ—…fine the spirit in him who received it not bâ—… measure much less can it confine the spirâ—… in us who have it measured from him Well may set forms teach us rightly tâ—… commend our own spirits to God but theâ—… cannot possibly make us confine his Spirit Had there been any such inconveniency 〈◊〉 using of set forms the Spirit of Goâ—… would not have provided us so many seâ—… forms of Prayers and Praises in the Psalm and other parts of the Text so that no objection can be made against set forms oâ—… Prayer as such which may not be retorteâ—… to some undervaluing if not undermininâ—… of the Scripture it self the very light oâ—… our eyes the breath of our nostrils and thâ—… joy of our hearts We may not then hearken to this objection above all the rest unless we will say That the Spirit of Goâ—… did intend to confine himself Or the Son â—…f God did intend to confine his own Spiâ—…it in us when he absolutely prescribed a â—…t form in his own most holy Prayer comâ—…anding it to be said Luke 11. 2. when ye â—…ray say Our Father nay yet more unâ—…ess we will say that the Son of God did â—…ntend to confine his own Spirit in himself when he used this very particular form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into thy hands I commend my spirit Luke 23. 46. For it is the very same Greek Text in both places and the very same translation in the vulgar Latine though we in English have seemed to make a Verbal but not a Real difference And therefore it is evident that our blessed Saviour by using this set form hath sanctified it for our use and taught us thereby how to Resign our souls to him that gave them And indeed the Spirit of God had sufficiently sanctified it before so that now we have this Resignation doubly sanctified to us by the spirit and by the Son of God so happy a thing is it for us seriously to consider and much
subjecti others ratione objecti but we must here add a third excellency unknown in Philosophy yet undoubted in Christian Divinity ratione termini For the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord is most excellent of all others not only from the Object for that he is the brightness of his fathers glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1. 2. And from the Subject for that hâ—… is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. But also from the Term or end of it For this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 3. 17. Did they not know their own temporal Death they would not care to know thy eternal Life Did they not know the Vanity which themselves have contracted they would not so heartily desire to know the Glory which thou hast provided Did they not know themselves they would not labour to know their Saviour and yet all the world cannot shew us any knowledge like this knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord which thus begins in Majesty goes on in Perspicuity and ends in Glory CHAP II. Tekel or weighing of our selves and of our sins SECT I. Weighing of our selves WHiles man is in the stâ—… of Nature as heâ—… under the Curse aâ—… Dominion so is he also uâ—…der the Blindness aâ—… Darkness of sin for heâ—…ing he doth hear and doth not understaâ—… and seeing he doth see and not perceiâ—… Act. 28. 16. Therefore it is necessary tâ—… the soul first weigh her self before theâ—… weigh her sins Now the soul may 〈◊〉 weigh her self in her own Ballance butâ—… the Ballance of the Sanctuary by considâ—…ing not what she is in her own but wâ—… she is in Gods account Quanti pretii est Anima cujus Redemptio est Dei Filius Of how great price is the soul of man which could not be Redeemed but by the Son of God Of how great mischief is sin unto the soul which doth make it forfeit the benefit of that Redemption I should not easily debase my soul by sin if I did but consider seriously what she is in Gods Account what she is in the Account of God the Father who created her after his own likeness what in the account of God the Son who Redeemed her with his own blood what she is in the account of God â—…he Holy Ghost who Sanctifieth her that â—…he may be sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. O veneranda Trinitas O adoâ—…anda Unitas per te sumus creati vera Aeâ—…ernitas per te sumus redempti summa tu Charitas This consideration will bring the soul to know the state of Grace and then she will never be at Rest till she know her self to be in that state For if the soul be â—…ot in the state of Grace and Salvation she must needs be in the state of fin and damâ—…ation A third state of souls is not Revealed may not be Phansied Holy Ignatius Determines excellently concerning this â—…oint in his Epistle to the Magnesians I say there are two several Stamps and Impressions of men some are of the True some are of the False Stamp The Godlâ—… man is of Gods own stamp true curranâ—… mony The Ungodly man is of the Devilâ—… stamp a piece of counterfeit and false coinâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not that God made two several sorts of men in the Creation But thaâ—… the Devil hath since got a power over aâ—… wicked men by their own Election so thaâ—… the ungodly and unbelievers do now beâ—… the Image of the Prince of Darkness Thâ—… Godly and the â—…aithful do bear the Imagâ—… of God the father and of our Lord Jesuâ—… Christ. Thus far in effect S. Ignatius S. Pâ—…ters second Successor in the Bishoprick oâ—… Antioch and had from him learned thiâ—… Divinity who in his first Epistle firsâ—… Chapter and third ver Blesseth God for having begotten us again to a lively hope thereby teaching that those can have no lively hope whom God hath not begotten againâ—… The same is also Saint Pauls Divinity foâ—… the spirit of Verity is alwaies the spirit oâ—… Unity speaking indeed by several mouths but still one Truth who plainly contradistinguisheth the state of Gentiles and thâ—… state of Christians the state of Nature anâ—… the state of Grace Eph. 4. 13 17 18. So that we all either walk as Christians till we come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ or we walk as Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind having the understanding Darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart Nor is it enough for a man to know the state of Christians in General but he must moreover labour to know his own state to be truly Christian in Particular according to that of the same Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith Prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates The words import a standing Relation of the soul to God as he is the giver of Life and Salvation as if he had said Examine your selves whether ye be in that Faith without which it is impossible to please God whether ye so come to God as to believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. Examine your own selves whether ye be in that faith by which Christ Jesus dwelleth in you and you in him Theâ—… is no man to be excused from this Examination from this Self-tryal much less to bâ—… Exempted from it For the Apostle speaketh very Passionately concerning it anâ—… we may take this for the meaning of hâ—… speech Have you been so long called 〈◊〉 the faith of Christ and do you not yet knâ—… whether ye be truly in that Faith If you 〈◊〉 not know it then examine and prove yoâ—…selves If you do know it then examine aâ—… prove your Faith For you must know thâ—… Jesus Christ is in you or that you are in a mâ—… miserable condition such as is the conditionâ—… Reprobates not of good Christians whereby is evident that every man is bound to knoâ—… his own Spiritual state or condition whâ—…ther he be in the state of Sin or in the staâ—… of Grace whether he be in the state of Sâ—…vation or in the state of Damnation whâ—…ther he be in the state of Faith or in the staâ—… of Infidelity Nor is this knowledge gottâ—… by looking abroad but by looking at homâ—… not by searching into Gods secrets but oâ—… own So saith the Apostle Rom. 10. 6 7 8 〈◊〉 The Righteousness which is of Faith speakâ—… on this wise Say not in thine heart Who shâ—… ascend into Heaven to wit that he mâ—…
he hath said it who is able to make good his word Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Tell me if there be any Relations nearer and dearer theâ—… these and tell me whether these can be so comfortable in Earth as they are in Heaven What loss is it then to me though Death take from me All while it gives me him who is All in All The Spirit of God saith unto every faithful soul Psalm 4. 5. 10. Hearken O daughter and consider forget also thine own people and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord God and worship thou him Non est ergo magnum â—…tu obliviscaris dimittas Populum tuum Domum Patris Tui ut te totum ejus servitio submittas Quoniam ipse dimisit Coelum se totum dedit ut tibi serviret saith Hugo He requires no great thing of thee To forgo thy Fathers house on Earth for his sake who did forgo his Fathers house in heaven for thy sake He was thy Lord and yet did that to serve thee Thou art his servant and wilt thou stick at doing this to serve him But you will say Herein consists my greatest perplexity For I know that I must go to him as my Lord to Judge me but I do not know how I can stand in that Judgement that so I may find him my Father to receive me and my God to save me But for this I refer you to another Chapter as being a Piece of Divinity that most concerneth another world CHAP. III. The Comforts of the Soul against Iudgement SECT I. The terrours of the last Judgement THere is a time for a Minister to be a Boanerges a Son oâ—… Thunder to proclaim Godâ—… final Judgement against Impenitent sinners that he may bring them to an earnest Repentance foâ—… that Impenitency is the high-way to damnation But there is also a time for him to be a Barnabas a Son of Consolation tâ—… proclaim Gods mercies to the Penitent that he may bring them to a lively faith for that true faith is the high-way to salvation Galatinus reports That the Jews did use to give a strong intoxicating wine to those that were condemned to die that by disturbing their judgements they might have the less terrible apprehensions of their approaching Death wresting that Text of Prov. 31. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts A miserable way of Comforting was this to take away the pain by taking away the sense and the understanding To quiet the conscience by drowning it Had it not been more mercy in the Jews to have given the guilty a bitter potion to awaken his conscience then a pleasing potion to benum and to besot it For it is good the soul should weep with Mary John 20. 11. when she cannot readily find out Christ because it is sure the weeping soul can never lose him Wherefore it will be requisite that I first set before your eyes the terrours of the last Judgement that you may see your sins and then the comforts against those terrours that you may see your Saviour As concerning the terrours of the last Judgement they are set down in few words but many Frights 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day Observe the terrible manner of this Grand-Assizes The Judge shall visibly come down from heaven and bring his Posse Comitatus with him even his mighty Angels to execute his final Sentence which shall be a Sentence for the punishment of sense they shall be punished with an everlasting Destruction and for the punishment of loss from the presence of the Lord. That is A Sentence for all punishment that is imaginable and for more then is endurable And this Judge shall come down in flaming fire a Real a Material a Corporal not a Metaphorical or an Imaginary or a Spiritual fire and this fire he shall bring along with him from heaven not expect it to meet him from hell that shall lose none of its own former flames but receive more and therewith consume this corruptible and corrupted world 2. Pet. 3. 7. And after that throw all the Divels and wicked men into that same fire and then throw the fire it self with them down into hell there to increase the torments of those miscreants for ever that had before fire from hell to torment them but then they shall also have fire from heaven to encrease their torments God as he shall be glorified and admired in his Saints because of his undeserved mercy so shall he also be glorified and admired in those sinners because of his righteous Judgement And therefore though their Judges fire will be so terrible because of the flame yet their own sins will be much more terrible because they alone minister the fuel to that fire For the Books shall be opened The Book of Gods Remembrance and the Book of their own Conscience And they shall be Judged out of those things which are written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. Then in both Books shall they see such works Registred as call for a Judgement worthy of God because they had not only an Impiety but also an Impenitency unworthy of man And as they shall first see those works to their terrour so shaâ—… they after feel them to their torment noâ—… a work that had putrefaction and corruption in it but shall have its worm after it For corruption of sin begets a worm in thâ—… soul as corruption of Death begets worm in the body Vermis oritur ex putredine 〈◊〉 mordit illud in quo oritur saith Bonaventure A worm is begotten of filthiness anâ—… feeds on that which beg at it so is the woâ—… of conscience it is begotten of corruption even of sin the only corruption of the soul it frets and corrodes and gnaws and bitâ—… that soul which gave it being So that there must needs be all manner of terrours terrours from within where their worm dieth not terrours from without and the fire 〈◊〉 not quenched Mark 9. 46. And to all these terrours we must yet further add this terrible example out of Saint Peter 2 Pet. 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement Here is a kind oâ—… an imperfect speech called ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his passion caused
Here is both the good Confidence and the ground of it the good Conscience The confidence is That we may have boldness in the day of Judgement The ground of that confidence is this good conscience Because as he is so are we in this world for this is in effect the Syllogism Whosoever is here like him in Piety shall hereafter be like him in Glory but we that truly believe in him are here like him in Piety therefore we shall also be like him in Glory He that hath that Good confidence upon this Good conscience as he may not be ashamed of his hope so he shall not be disappointed of it for he is sure to stand in the last Judgement because he hath the Eternal Son of God to support him on the one side with his All-sufficient merits on the other side with his All-saving mercies Two such supporters to which he cannot trust too much for which he cannot glorifie Christ enough though he glorifie him world without end Amen Deo Trin-Uni Gloria in secula seculorum Amen A sick mans Cordial composed of three Ingredients I. Contemplations II. Ejaculations III. Devotions Contemplations on Isaiah 53. Verse 3. O MY Beloved Saviour wast thou despised and rejected of men and shall not I learn to despise and reject my self that I may be like to thee approved of thee and received by thee Wast thou a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs who knewest no sin And shall I who came into the world with sin look to go out of the world without sorrow Verse 4. Didst thou so patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that were due for my sins And shall not I patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that are due for mine own sins How could I have sorrows if I had not sins and why should I not have patience now I must have sorrows Wast thou stricken and smitten of God and afflicted who wast his only begotten and most dearly Beloved Son And shall I look to escape the scourge who heretofore have been his enemy and still am his undutiful and unworthy servant Verse 5. I will look upon my wounds and maladies as upon so many cures and remedies Upon my bruise for I am all over nothing else as upon so much soundness since both wounds and bruises are inflicted not as satisfactions for my sins but as checks and amendments of my sinfulness For he was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for mine iniquities therefore my wounds and my bruises are not now to pacifie the wrath of the Father but to make me conformable to the Son And the chastisement of my peace was upon him therefore I will not repine at my chastisement since I have my peace It being indeed but a chastisement to correct the sinner not a punishment to avenge the sin And since I am healed in my soul I will not fear being wounded in my body For with his stripes I am healed and mine own stripes do but make me the more to see the want and the more to crave the benefit of his healing Verse 6 7. I have been a sheep in my strayings for I have turned to mine own waies O make me also a Sheep in my sufferings not once to open my mouth when thou shearest me clipping off all the comforts of my life no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the torments oâ—… my sickness no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the pangs and horrourâ—… of my death That as my Saviour was oppressed and afflicted yet opened not his mouth so I may be kept from murmuring and repining in all my oppressions and afflictions For I may well be as he was Meek and Patient since thou hast laid minâ—… iniquities on him but if I follow not his Meekness and his Patience I fear I shall again lay mine iniquities upon my self Verse 8 9. He was cut off from life whose generation was life what can I expect but death who had it in my very birth who was corrupted when I was generated and therefore not only in regard of my death but also in regard of my life it self must say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Sister and my Mother Who shall declare his Generation For he was begotten of his Father before all worlds But who shall declare my corruption for I was corrupted when I was begotten by my Father before I came into the world He was taken away by death but he was taken away from a mortal a miserable and a contemptible life so let me be taken away good Lord from mortality misery and contempt to Immortality Blessedness and Glory My life hath not left much for my death to take away from me Lord let my death take from me all that is left but my Saviour and let it fully give me him He was brought to prison that he might be Judged and he was brought to Judgement that he might be condemned and his death was his Release both from Prison and from Judgement Lord make my death so to me make my death my Release from prison for whiles I am in the body I am imprisoned fettered with the bonds of sin and corruption But bring my soul out of this prison that I may praise thy name then the righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me Psal. 142. 7. A most happy Goal-Delivery for my soul for then the Righteous shall compass me about and not sinners nay more then I shall be compassed about with Rightousness who now am compassed about with sins and that not so much with other mens as with mine own sins Thus make my death my Release from Prison and make it also my Release from Judgement For thy Son hath been Judged and condemned for me that I might escape the Judgement of thy condemnation Lord I ask not that thou wouldest not Judge me for after death comes Judgement Heb. 9. 27. I ask only that thou wilt not condemn me when I shall be Judged And this is agreeable with thy very Justice though I wholly appeal unto thy Mercy not to condemn and punish the same sin twice Thou hast already condemned and punished my sins in my Saviour O then let me escape thy condemnation and thy punishment He was Judged for mine Unrighteousness O let me stand in the Judgement for his Righteousness For the transgression of my people was he stricken Lord thou hast placed me among thy people and therefore I must believe that he was stricken for my transgressions Nay thou hast brought me nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Family having admitted me thy servant Nay thou hast brought me yet nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Inheritance having adopted me thy child I deserved not to be among thy people and I am placed among thy servants I deserved not to be among thy servants and I am accepted among thy children O then
yet I may with humility and I hope not without some truth impute the amendment of many of them to mine own sufferings The ground hath been tilled and the tree hath been pruned And why should not this tilling and pruning yield the peaceâ—…le fruit of righteousness unto me that have been exercised thereby I have been â—…ng and often ploughed as it were â—…nd broken up and harrowed by the hand of God and why should I not be somewhat amended and improved by his good husbandry I have been long and often â—…ned as it were in my flesh by his â—…harp knife cutting off my superfluities 〈◊〉 make me the less sinful and the more â—…ruitful And why should I not bring â—…rth good fruits in due season even tâ—… peaceable fruits of righteousness or the fruits of righteousness which bring forth peace the peace of a good conscience here and of a blessed Eternity hereafter Therefore earnestly desiring to walk in this righteousness I will hope to lay me down in this peace And at the end of my wearisom Pilgrimage to take my rest in the arms of Gods Eternal mercy though now I groan under the hand of his Justice For so laying me down to sleep none shall ever be able to take either me from his arms or my rest from me Amen The sick mans Ejaculations To the Reader THese Ejaculations are Eighty in number and they are like mans years in Moses time when they come to that same number full of labour and sorrow though this latter age of the world will not let it self tarry so long for labour nor others tarry so long for sorrow And they are therefore called Ejaculations because they are as it were so many dartings of the soul upon some reflexion or thought either of mans misery or of Gods mercy sent up towards Heaven All aiming at one mark though from several occasions and after several waies That is at the rest of the soul in God Nor may you here look for curious method but for Religious matter sometimes you will find the sick mans soul troubled for fear of death sometimes almost inflamed with the desire of it sometimes bemoaning the disturbance of his body sometimes fearing the distemper of his soul sometimes affrighted with the thought of Judgement sometimes rejoycing against it If you find any thing to comfort you in your extremity thank not me for speaking to my self but thank God for speaking to your soul And be not troubled that your Passions like these Ejaculations are not orderly so as they be Religious Trouble and sorrow cannot look after Order but they must look after Religion And a sick mans expressions are not so much beholding to his head to make them Methodical and Eloquent as to his 〈◊〉 to make them affectionate and devout And God grant your sickness may make yours so Ejaculations 1. GRant Lord that I may be dead unto sin before I am dead unto the world that being planted together in the likeness of thy Sons death I may be also in the likeness of his Resurrection That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so I walking in newness of life may have a comfortable death here and a glorious Resurrection hereafter 2. Destroy in me O God the body of sin before thou destroy in me the body of flesh that I may be justified from my sins whiles I live and freed from my sins when I shall be dead Make me to lie down in comfort because by my death I shall wholly die unto my sins Make me to rest in hope because by my Resurrection I shall wholly live unto my God 3. Make me to look upon my sickness my tedious and terrible sickness as upon thy Visitation that I may bear it patiently Make me look upon my death as upon my Release that I may take it comfortably 4. O thou who wouldst be crucified before thou wouldst be glorified and didst suffer pain to enter into Joy make me submit to thy Cross that thou mayest prepare me for thy Crown Make me contentedly to suffer with thee in this world that I may triumphantly reign with thee in the world to come 5. O Lord I have Judged my self let me not be Judged of thee so as to be condemned for it is agreeable with thy Mercy to save the sinner though thou destroy the sin And it is agreeable with thy Justice not to punish that sin in me which thou hast already punished in my blessed Redeemer 6. O Lord thou didst make thy beloved Son perfect with sufferings and I cannot hope thou wilt let thy unworthy servant be perfected without them O then let not my sufferings betray the imperfections of my flesh but conduce to the perfections of my spirit and make me ever willing to suffer since thou canst and wilt make me perfect by suffering 7. O thou God of peace that broughtest again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Make me perfect in every good work to do and suffer thy will working in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight and working for me that which is profitable for my salvation through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13. 20 21. 8. O blessed Jesu the chief Corner-stone on which alone is laid for us the foundation of a blessed Eternity the Rock upon which thy Church is built and all our souls relie Be merciful unto me and give ear unto my prayers and to my sighs and groans when I cannot pray Be unto me a fountain of comfort whensoever my heart is in heaviness and my body is in pain that my soul may have continual health and joy and rest in Thee and in thy Merits and Mercies for evermore 9. Lord make me desire the dissolution of my earthly house of this Tabernacle that I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for I know that whiles I am at home in the body I am absent from the Lord Make me therefore willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with thee my God for in thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore And make me labour that whether absent or present I may be accepted of thee through the righteousness of thy dearest Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen 10. Give unto me true sorrow for my sins that thou mayest give me true comfort in my sorrows Grant I may have peace in thee whiles I have tribulation in the world and make me be of good chear in all my tribulations for thou hast overcome the world and wilt not let the world overcome me 11. O Lord Jesus Christ who hast overcome the sharpness of death opened the Kingdom of heaven to all Believers Make me â—…ot to fear death since thou hast made that â—…n Inlet into thy
heavenly Kingdom My-sins had shut the gate of Paradise against my soul but thy Merits have opened it again O let me earnestly desire to enter in for thou art gone thither before â—…e that thou mightest be there ready to receive me and retain me with thy self for evermore Amen 12. Lord when shall this corruptible put on incorruption and this mortal put on immortality that in me may be brought to pass that saying Death is swallowed up in Victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death was sin till sin was expiated The strength of sin was the Law till the Law was fulfilled But thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ both over my sins and over his Law in this great contestation Having imputed my transgressions unto my Saviour that my sin might be expiated and having imputed my Saviours righteousness and obedience unto me that his Law might be fulfilled Therefore being justified by faith I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also I have access by faith into his grace and rejoyce in hope that I shall at last have access into his glory 13. O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life be unto me Life in Death be unto me Resurrection from the Dead and so guide me through Death that it may be my passage into everlasting Life there to see and to bless and to enjoy thee who art the Redeemer and lover of souls and livest and reignest the King of Saints with the Co-eternal Spirit in the glory of God the Father 14. My soul truly waiteth still upon God and still shall wait upon him for of him cometh my help He verily is my strength and my salvation even in weakness and in destruction He is my defence so that I shall not greatly fall And if through mine infirmity I do fall by his power I shall rise again and be able to stand fast being supported through the Merits and Mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 15. O Lord see the blood of thine immaculate Lamb which taketh away the sin of the world sprinkled on my soul that thou mayest see no sin in it And when thou seest that blood let the destroying Angel pass over me never to return again and let the Comforter come unto me and remain with me for ever 16. O dearest Advocate be pleased to intercede and plead for me and to answer all the accusations which the Devils will alledge and mine own conscience will witness against me in the day of Judgement That I being made the monument of thy Mercy who am the purchase of thy Blood may bless and praise thee among thy Redeemed in the Land of the living for ever and ever 17. O thou Eternal Son of Righteousness who risest with healing in thy wings heal thou me and I shall be perfectly healed Shew me the light of thy countenance to dispell all the mists and clouds which now threaten to bring darkness upon my soul Turn thy merciful eyes towards me that I may see thy glorious face in thy heavenly Kingdom where no tears shall dim my sight no sighing shall interrupt my speech no fears shall disquiet my heart and no sadness nor amazement shall disturb or discompose the blessed rest of my soul with thee the longing desires of my soul to thee and the infinite delights of my soul in thee and in thine All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies for evermore 18. O Saviour of the world save me who by thy Cross and precious blood hast Redeemed me Help me O my God at all times but most especially at this time now I am least able to help my self or my friends to help me Intercede for me by thy precious death and passion in all my distresses but then most when I shall least be able to speak for my self at the hour of Death and in the day of Judgement Be now and then and ever my defence and make me know and feel that there is no other name under heaven given unto men in whom and through whom I may expect health and salvation but only thy Name O my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 19. O Lord God which art the giver of all good things and never repentest of the good gifts which thou hast given give unto me health and ease as long as they shall be blessings from thee and give me thy grace to desire them no longer And when thou most takest from me these or any other comforts of this mortal life then Lord most increase and multiply upon me the joyes and comforts of a blessed Immortality 20. Lord I am desirous to go out of my self and out of this vale of misery that I may come unto Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant O thou who hast prepared these immortal joyes for my soul prepare my soul for these joyes that being made a Citizen of thy heavenly Jerusalem I may be able to joyn in consort with the Angels thy first-born there and with the spirits of just men made perfect since them who now both together make but one Quire and are alwaies singing Hallelujah and worshiping him that liveth for ever and ever 21. O blessed Jesus thou only comfort of miserable and distressed sinners consider my distress Look upon mine adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin O thou blessed Mediator betwixt God and man intermediate for me Let the unspotted righteousness of thy life be an acceptable sacrifice for the multiplyed unrighteousness of mine And let the bitter pangs of thy death keep from me all the bitterness of the temporal and much more the pangs and horrours of the eternal Death Thou didst taste the gall and vinegar when thou gavest up the Ghost therefore I beseech thee keep me from tasting it Thou didst seem to be forsaken of thy God O let not me bâ—… forsaken of thee But grant that I putting my whole trust and confidence in thy Merits and in thy Mercies â—…ay from henceforth most chearfully serve thee in all holiness and pureness of living and most faithfully persist in thy service by a resolved constancy contentedness and patience of dying That I may yet more and more know thee and the power of thy Resurrection and the fellowship of thy sufferings being made conformable to thy death that so I may attain to a joyful Resurrection of the dead to give praise and thanks unto thy holy Name world without end 22. O thou Eternal Son of God who didst take upon thee the nature of man that thou mightest lead a miserable life and undergo a shameful death I beseech thee sweeten unto me
thoughts that I may often feel the influence of thy mercy in heavenly joyes I have many sad and dismal sorrows from my self O give unto me true comfort in my Saviour let my trouble be in the day when thou wilt hear me and not in the day when thou wilt Judge me There is no trust but may deceive me save only my trust in thee there is nothing in which I may not miscarry but only thy Mercy O Lord let my trust be so in thee that though I have miscarried in all the desires and designs and delights of this world yet I may not miscarry in thy Mercy but may have the joyes and delights of the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 37. Be thou exalted Lord in thine owâ—… strength so will I sing and praise thâ—… power Thy strength is that whicâ—… strengthens souls and thou lovest to shew thy strength in our weakness Lord let thy strength be made perfect in my weakness so shall I most gladly rather glory then repine in my infirmities whiles the power of Christ doth-rest upon me and my soul doth rest upon thee and thy Mercies in Jesus Christ. 38. O Lord who forgivest the sins of the penitent and coverest those sins which thou forgivest I beseech thee to accept my repentance and to cover all those sins which I desire thee to forgive That I may have the blessing of him whose unrighteousness is forgiven and whose sin is covered For if my sins should be all discovered to my self they would fill me with fear if they should be discovered to others they would fill me with shame And how wilt thou discover them either to my fear or to my shame since thou canst not forgive them unless thou cover them O then be pleased so to cover my sins here as not to discover them again hereafter so to hide my transgressions in the day of thy Mercy as not to lay them open in the day of Wrath Or if thy Justice shall require that all my sins be revealed in the day of the revelation of thy righteous Judgement let the atonement also for my sins be then revealed which I have laboured to make and thou hast promised to accept through the Merits and satisfaction of thy Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 39. O thou who art gracious and righteous and in thy righteousness teachest the upright the way of innocency and by thy grace leadest sinners in the way of repentance Have mercy upon me thy most unworthy servant and grant that my great defects and wants of the first righteousness that of Innocency may be supplyed by the fulness of the second righteousness that of Faith and Repentance And make mine eyes look so diligently to thee that I may never again want care in looking to my self Order my steps in thy Word and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me Order my heart in thy Faith and so shall I have dominion over all my wickedness for though my fears shall force me to say O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet my Faith will be able to suppress that saying and suggest unto me this heavenly comfort and triumph I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 40. O Lord I am in the midst of many troubles and sorrows by reason of my sufferings and much more by reason of my sins but thou hast promised that the righteous shall rejoyce in the Lord and put his trust in him and all they that are true of heart shall be glad Psal. 64. 10. O then make me true of heart that I may trust in thee and be truly righteous And give unto me true righteousness that thou mayst give unto me true joy There is no true righteousness but the righteousness of thy Son There is no true joy but the joy of thy Spirit O thou Father of Mercy give unto me the righteousness of God the Son my Redeemer that thou mayst give me the joy of God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter to be with me and to remain in me for evermore 41. O Lord thou hast brought upon me so much misery that I cannot love my condition And I have so much sin that I cannot love my self Wherefore I beseech thee to fix my love wholly upon thee that my soul may thirst for thee and my flesh also may long after thee in this barren and dry Land where no water is either to cleanse or to refresh or to revive me That looking for thee in holiness I may behold thy power and glory For my soul cannot truly thirst for thee till my flesh also long after thee since whiles my flesh is in love with the profits and pleasures of this life my spirit cannot but lose the desire and neglect the pursuit of the life everlasting O Lord thou hast taken away from me most of the profits and all the pleasures of this life O take from me also the love of it That I may not fear to lose that life which I do not love nor love that life which I am sure to lose but let me so love thee as to live in thee that I may not fear the loss either of my life or of my love 42. O Lord I am assaulted by vexations without and by temptations within and to whom should I flie for succour but only to thee who art not so displeased for my sins but that thou wilt be appeased by my repentance O give unto me that repentance which thou wilt accept and take from me that displeasure which I so fear Thou canst defend me with thy favourable kindness as with a Shield O Lord I ask no other defence but only this defence of thy Mercy to defend me from my self and all my sinfulness to defend me from thy wrath and from all the punishments of my sins Though thou leave me destitute of all other defence yet let thy loving-kindness evermore defend me according to that eternal love wherewith thou hast loved me in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 43. O Lord thou hast hitherto guided me by thy counsel and thou wilt hereafter receive me with glory Therefore have I none in heaven but thee because none else can receive me with glory and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee because none else can guide me with true counsel O Lord pardon my strayings from thy directions as thou hast been my guide that thou mayst receive me into thine habitation and be my glory for Jesus sake Amen 44. O Lord make my soul willing to depart and go from hence because it here dwells among the enemies of my peace even among mine own sins and fears which disturb the peace of a good conscience here and threaten to destroy the peace of a blessed eternity hereafter Make me to long for that blessed minute which will restore to me perfect innocency and will transmit me into everlasting peace
no profit but I beseech thee cause me to know thy hand and thy might and take not away thy peace from me even loving-kindness and Mercies Jer. 16. v. 19 21 5. 54. O Lord the Hope of Israel let no distress whatsoever make me forsake that blessed Hope which thou hast given me for all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of living waters O Lord I have often forsaken thee by my sins yet let me not be ashamed because I return again to thee by my Repentance O Lord I have often departed from thee by my transgressions yet let me not be written in the earth because I now at last thirst for thee the Fountain of living waters Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved so shalt thou be my praise now and for evermore Jer. 17. 13 14. 55. O Lord my soul is heavy and my body is sick unto the death But do thou bring me health and cure and reveal unto me abundance of peace and truth cleanse me from all mine iniquities whereby I have sinned against thee cause my captivity to return and have mercy upon me according to thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ Jer. 33. 6 8 26. 56. O Lord thou hast added grief to my sorrow for I have fainted in my sighing and I find no rest yet dost thou forbid me to add sorrow to my own grief and to say wo is me now because that which thou hast built thou hast broken down and that which thou hadst planted thou hast plucked up even this whole Land Therefore thou forbiddest me to seek great things for my self for behold thou hast brought evil upon all flesh and how shouldst thou not bring evil upon my flesh which is the most sinful of all O then suffer me not to be a seeker of mine own discontents rather then of thy redresses whiles I look after great and good things in such miserable and wretched times but make me thankful that thou hast hitherto given me my life as a prey unto me in all places whether I have gone that remembering what thou hast given me I may not repine for what others have taken from me assuring my self that there is yet another life to come which thou wilt give me not as a prey that I should fear losing it but as an inheritance that I should long to possess it in thee and with thee for ever Amen Jer. 45. 3 4 5. 57. O Lord bring my soul out of this prison of the flesh and the shackles of sin and misery that I may wholly and entirely give thanks unto thy holy Name for all thy Mercy and great Deliverances and most especially for this the greatest of all That thou wilt deliver me from my self from the burden of mine own flesh from the bondage of mine own corruption from the thraledom of mine own body And wilt set me at liberty that I may do nothing else but serve thee whose service is perfect freedom and whose wages are life and light and joy in beholding thy presence for evermore for I earnestly desire only those Mercies wherein thou dost infinitely delight who lovest to shew Mercy to penitent sinners in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 58. O Lord pour not out thine indignation upon me blow not against me in the fire of thy wrath but deliver me from this brutish and burning disease or if thou wilt in thy Justice make my body as fewel for the fire yet in mercy deliver my soul from the everlasting burnings Ezek. 23. 31 32. 59. Grant Lord that I being risen with Christ may seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God that I may henceforth set mine affection on things above not on things in earth alwaies remembering that I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God and alwaies rejoycing that when Christ who is my life shall appear then shall I also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 3 4. 60. Lord make my tongue sing of thy praises whiles I have breath and when I shall be breathless make my heart bear two parts to fill up that blessed Harmony that my soul may praise thee whiles it is in the state of union with my natural body and much more when it shall be in the state of separation from it and shall be joyned in consort with the holy Angels and with the beatified spirits And most of all when it shall be in the state of re-union again with that same body being made spiritual That I being at last all spirit both in soul and body neither my heart may be wearied in thinking nor my tongue in speaking thy praises to all eternity Amen 61. I will thank thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will praise thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the neathermost hell and wilt receive my soul into the highest heavens there to give thee thanks and praises for evermore 62. All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14. 14. Lord grant I may so wait that I may receive my wages and that my change may come seasonably speedily and happily A seasonable change not to find me unprepared for it A speedy change to deliver me from the pains of sickness and from the pangs of death And a happy change to let me in to the fruition of thy glory and eternal life Amen 63. By thine unknown sufferings O my blessed Redeemer intercede for me in all my pains and sufferings that I may find Mercy and obtain Relief And make me alwaies remember and confess that my sins are far above my sufferings so shall I suffer patiently and that thy Mercy is far above my sins so shall I suffer comfortably and hope for a joyful end of all my sufferings 64. Lord grant that my conversation may from henceforth be in heaven that my soul may be prepared to go thither and know how to busie it self there that I may with joy look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ from thence who shall change my vile body that it may be like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3. 2. O Lord work that blessed change in my soul to subdue all its carnal affections by a heavenly conversation before thou workest that miserable change in my body to subdue its natural constitution by an unnatural destruction And according to that mighty working whereby thou art able even to subdue all things unto thy self in the first place subdue all my sinfulness 65. Lord speak the word only and thy servant shall be whole speak the word of comfort in my distress and the greatest comfort in my greatest
enjoy thee And now O Lord God the Word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant establish it for ever and do as thou hast said for thou O Lord God hast spoken it and with thy blessing let the soul of thy servant be blessed for ever 2 Sam. 7. 18. 75. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us O Lord let me not fear being deprived oâ—… my earthly inheritance by death whiles 〈◊〉 find in my self the work of this Regeneration and cherish in my self the hope of this resurrection But let me ever be kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time that I may therein greatly rejoyce though now for a season I am in heaviness through manifold temptations 2 Pet. 1. 3. That the tryal of my faith being much more precious then of Gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire may be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 76. O thou who hast given me the soul of thy Christ and of my Jesus to sanctifie me the body of Christ to nourish and strengthen me the blood of Christ to redeem me the stripes of Christ to heal me the agonies of Christ to comfort and to refresh me give me also the wounds of Christ to hide me that thou mayest not Judge me or the Merits of Christ to cover me that I may be acquitted in the Judgement O Lord who didst not despise man transgressing and falling from thee do not despise me repenting and returning to thee but as thou hast opened unto me a door of faith and repentance unto life so shut not that door against me now I am desirous to enter in by it and to come to thee O Lord I believe help my unbelief O Lord â—…repent increase my repentance and give unto me that repentance whereby thou wiâ—…t accept me and that faith whereby I may receive and embrace thee for ever 77. The Lord make me faithfully to remember and thankfully to consider and constantly to believe that he who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for me will also with him freely give me all things or rather hath already with him freely given me all things that I was capable to receive and now is enlarging my capacity that he may enlarge his own bounteous liberality He is making me capable of receiving more that he may freely give more He hath made me capable of receiving himself his Son his holy Spirit by Faith Hope and Love He will now make me capable of receiving and enjoying himself his Son his holy Spirit by vision comprehension and fruition A vision that shall see him as he is in his excellent glory A comprehensioâ—… that shall fully receive and firmly retaiâ—… him And a fruition that shall perfectlâ—… enjoy him and perfectly rejoyce in him One God Father Son and Holy-Ghost world without end Amen 78. Abide thou with me O Lord Jesuâ—… Christ for it is towards evening with me and the day is far spent of this my toilsom and troublesom life And though my eye be holden that I do not see thee whiles I have sad communications with mine own heart yet be thou pleased still to tarry with me and to sit at meat with me and to bless to me the holy repast of eternity and mine eyes shall soon be opened to see thee and my heart shall be opened to receive thee And do not vanish out of my sight till thou hast brought me to see thee in thy heavenly Kingdom Amen 79. God be merciful unto me and bless me and shew me the light of his countenance in my passing through Death and be merciful unto me in bringing me to everlasting life The Lord bless me and keep me the Lord make his face to shine upon me and be gracious unto me The Lord lift up â—…is countenance upon me and give me â—…eace God the Father preserve me in my â—…assage by his Almighty power God the â—…on guide and direct me by his All-seeing wisdom God the Holy-Ghost assist and comfort me by his All-sufficient Grace and Goodness and bring me to everlasting life Amen 80. Now the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing that I may abound in Hope through the power of the Holy-Ghost Rom. 15. 13. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen 2 Tim. 4. 18. The sick mans Devotions To the Reader DEvotion is seldom Cordiaâ—… when it is constrained and iâ—… is commonly constrained when either Fear or Paâ—… makes a man devout For then he may seem to have taken up Sauls resolution 1 Sam. 13. 12. Therefore said I the Philistines will now come down upon me and I have not made supplication unto the Lord I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering So is it too too frequently with those men who neglect the motives and means of prayer whiles they are in health and leave all their suplications to be made in their sickness or any other great extremity for whiles â—…y vainly fear lest custom should make â—…ir prayers uncordial or undevout they â—…erably find that compulsion doth indeed â—…ve them to be so since therefore either â—…tom of praying will steal away thy heart thou fondly thinkest or contempt of praywill harden thy heart at I flatly averr now in good time what thou hast to do a phantastical fear is no excuse for runâ—…g into a real mischief Whiles thou â—…ishly fearest lest thy heart should be stolen 〈◊〉 impiously causest thy heart to be hardenâ—… Consider therefore what the Prophet â—…uel hath taught thee to say and do in thy â—…resses to thy Maker since God hath set 〈◊〉 appointed him to direct and guide thee â—…y Devotions And do not as Saul did 〈◊〉 without a Priest or with a Priest of â—…e own choosing perhaps of thine own â—…ing offer thy burnt-offering lest Samuel 〈◊〉 at the end of thy sacrifice and say unto 〈◊〉 as he said unto him v. 13. thou hast 〈◊〉 foolishly thou hast not kept the comâ—…dment of the Lord thy God which he â—…manded thee this reproof as it doth â—…rly concern thee so it will undoubtedly siâ—…e thee for when God hath given thee a sure Guide for thy Devotions even such a Church as neither the wit of man can prove nor the malice of Devils can make guilty either of Faction or of Superstition If thou wilt not go along with this Guide but wilt needs gad after thine own imaginations thou dost indeed follow Saul in his sin and art like to follow him in his punishment thou appeasest not wrath but provokest it thou forsakest God and
or infidelity or any other grievous sin but may be able to stand stedfastly through thy supporting and to walk on constantly in the way of Piety and of Patience till by thy good guiding and conducting I may at last come to the life everlasting As thou still holdest open the eyes of my weak body to behold the light of nature so be pleased daily more and more to open the eyes of my sinful soul to behold the light of grace till thou bring me to enjoy the light of glory there to glorifie and praise thee for ever Amen The sick mans Collect for Peace O God which art the Author of our peace for thine own Mercies sake but the Author of our troubles only for our sins Give unto me thy unworthy servant that peace which this wicked world cannot give and which this tumultuous and troublesom world cannot take away and defend me in all the assaults of my afflictions both corporal and spiritual that I surely trusting in thy defence and wholly submitting to thy providence may not fear the power of any adversity whatsoever through the might and for the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Collect for Grace O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God which hast safely brought me through many dangers and troubles and diseases to the beginning of this dangerous and desperate sickness defend me in the whole continuance of the same with thy mighty power and grant that herein I may fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger whereby I may become either impenitently sinful or uncomfortably miserable But that all my doings and all my sufferings being ordered by thy Governance I may alwaies do that which is righteous in thy sight and suffer that which may be profitable for mine own salvtion through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Letany O God the Father of heaven and of all Mercies have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner And grant that in the greatest extremities and anguishes of my body I may find the greatest comforts and refreshments of my soul Grant that when I am most tormented in my flesh I may be most relieved in my spirit That though my loins are filled with a sore disease and there is no whole part in my body yet my soul may magnifie the Lord and my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour for he hath regarded my low and miserable estate and he will relieve it O God the Son Redeemer of the world and of my sin-sick and sinful soul have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and take away all my sins that thou mayest take away all my miseries As thou hast made me a happy Believer so also make me a joyful partaker of thy Redemption and then most especially when I shall most feel my self as it were swallowed up of grief and destruction through the pains and torments of my increasing sickness or the pangs and horrours of my approaching death Be thou my comfort in distress my strength in weakness my health in sickness my joy in sadness Be thou my life whiles I am living and my Resurrection from the dead that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I may fear no evil for thou art with me to conduct me through the dangerous downfalls of that valley to direct me through the dismal darknesses of that shadow and to sustain me in the dreadful dissolution of that death O thou who now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me reject me not when I am making intercession for my self for through thy death I hope for life through thy life I hope for glory through thy glory I hope for eternal glory And in that hope do I now commend my spirit into thy hands for thou hast redeemed me O God thou God of truth And thou wilt save me O God thou God of Mercy because I have believed thy truth and do rely upon thy Mercy Therefore do I wholly resign my self body and soul unto thee submitting them both to thy good will and pleasure either for life or death beseeching thee to Receive my soul and to Restore my body and to grant that I may be able to stand upright in the dreadful Judgement being supported by the arm of thy All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies to bless and praise thee O my blessed Redeemer world without end O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and give unto mean assurance of thy Mercy that thou mayest give unto me an abatement of my misery O thou which art the Comforter of thine Elect give unto me daily more and more the heavenly comforts of mine Election and in the greatest agonies and distresses of my body transfix my soul with the most joyful apprehensions and the most firm perswasions of thine everlasting Love and undeserved Mercies towards me in Jesus Christ That neither the apprehensions of a sad and miserable life nor the fears and terrours of an uncomfortable death may ever be able to affright my soul nor to disturb that sweet peace resâ—… and repose which my spirit now hath and desireth to have in thee the God of spirits who givest unto those souls that are oâ—… thy Communion the antepast of eternity the blessed anticipation of immortal joy 〈◊〉 O my God my Stay my Comforter unto thee do I flie for the comforts of immortality Like as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall 〈◊〉 come to appear before God when shall I drink my fill of the waters of life to quench my thirst O let my tears no longer be my meat day and night whiles mine own troubled thoughts say unto my soul Where is now thy God for surely my God is in heaven whatsoever pleaseth him that doth he in heaven and in earth 〈◊〉 and though for a while in the evening of this life I have sadness upon earth yet in the morning of eternity I shall for eveâ—… have joy in heaven Amen O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have Mercy upon me a most miserable and wretched sinner and therefore most miserable and wretched because a sinner because I have sinned against heaven and against thee the God of heaven But since thou hast given me grace through the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity I beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith I may be absolved from all my sins and also be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Remember not Lord mine offences nor the offences of my fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of my sins spare me good Lord spare me thy most afflicted but most unworthy servant whom thou hast
provided Mercy for as is his Majesty so is his Mercy But as he is the God of truth so he hath moreover assured it In this assurance did Saint Paul comfort himself 2 Tim. 1. 12. For I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depositum meum servare God is contented to be our Depositarius or Trustee to keep that which we commit to him so it be worth his trust or fit for his keeping And nothing is fit for his keeping which hath relation to this day or any thing of this world but only that which hath relation to that day or to the world to come Therefore I may commit nothing else to him as to my Depositary or Trustee but only my soul which alone can remain and a bide till that day And if I commit my soul unto him against that day he will see it then forth-coming as safe as I can desire and more safe then I can deserve This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Depositum Saint Paul speaks of And the word used by him is a Noun derived from the Verb used in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will Depose Into thy hands will I Depose my spirit Saint Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly agrees with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Depositum with this Deposing The thing that he commits to Gods trust is his spirit his soul which he commits into his hands as the only Trustee of souls And it is much to be observed that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Text is not in the Present but in the Future-Tense so that it is to be rendered not I do depose or commit or commend but I will depose or commit or commend my spirit to shew to us mans uncessant Dutifulness and Gods uncessant Faithfulness First mans uncessant Dutyfulness for this act of Resigning the soul is a continued act it is a thing long in doing before it can be well done It requires great preparations greater deliberations and greatest Resolutions And after all our Preparations and Deliberations and Resolutions it is still a motion that is rather in fieri then in facto esse rather compleating then compleated that hath more perfection from the time to come then from the time present or past more perfection in the Purpose then in the Performance in the Resolution then in the Execution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will commit No man can so fully Resign himself to God as he ought and though our blessed Saviour could and did yet to teach us this Document of humility he also speaks as if he had not done it for he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as David I will commit As if something were still behind something still more in the Resolution then in the Execution For though the grace of union in Chirst was infinite the grace whereby he took his humane soul yet the habitual grace was not infinite the grace whereby he resigned his soul But God is infinite as in himself so also in his Obligation and an infinite Obligation requires an infinite Satisfaction which to a Finite nature must needs be rather in the Purpose then in the Performance for which cause our blessed Saviour himself thought fit to say not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do commit but I will commit my â—…pirit O Lord let me never think I can â—…o too much when thine own Son hath â—…ught me that I can never do enough He said I will do it when he had done it â—…hall I say I have more then done it when cannot do it Did he speak by way of â—…xtenuation in his works and shall I â—…hansie a Supererogation in mine Did â—…e seem to intimate something less in his â—…erformance then was in his Obligation â—…nd shall I dream of Performing more then was Obliged O let me never come to â—…at height of Impiety as to neglect my â—…uty much less to that height of Impuâ—…ence as to over value it Let me never â—…y I Do or Have done but only I will â—…o accounting it thy greatest mercy to my â—…oul that thou givest the will to do and â—…he greatest security of my soul that thou â—…cceptest the will for the deed Secondly Gods uncessant faithfulness for David could not have said I will commit by a continued act of giving if he â—…ad not believed Gods uncessant faithfulness in a continued act of receiving Gods faithfulness is as everlasting as himself And that makes him look upon his trust as never fully discharged but as alwaies newly undertaken And he would have us believe that he is as careful of it and as faithful in it as if he did every moment newly undertake it for this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Future-tense which doth shew mans continued act in resigning his soul to God doth also import Gods continued act in receiving souls that are resigned unto him that he is alwaies ready to Receive them and alwaies as careful to Retain them and will be as faithful to Restore them He Receives them by his Mercy he Retains them by his power nonâ—… is able to pluck them out of his hands Johâ—… 10. 28. He will Restore them by his Truth And he will Restore them infinitely better then he can Receive them contrary to all other Trustees who generally Receive much better then they Restoreâ—… Never any man gave his spirit to God in his life-time though but for an instant bâ—… an holy Contemplation or Affection buâ—… he received it again much better then he gave it How much more shall he that gives him his spirit at his death by a full and free Resignation receive it again infinitely better at the last Resurrection Wherefore let us pray unto him that hâ—… will be pleased to make us ready to resign â—…ur souls to him without reluctancie and â—…areful to resign them without spot or â—…emish being throughly washed by the â—…ars of our own Repentance and by faith 〈◊〉 our Saviours blood that so he may â—…ceive them into his Mercy and sanctifie them by his grace and satisfie them with â—…is glory through Jesus Christ our Lord â—…nd only Saviour to whom with the Father and the Eternal Spirit be ascribed all â—…onour and glory be performed all bounâ—…en duty and obedience from this time â—…orth and for evermore Amen Quod de te per te loquimur da transeat ad te Utque tui simus nos age solus habe FINIS