against mee and my prayers Lam. 3.8 who shall giue me accesse to the throne of Grace None but Christ thy onely mediator 1 Ioh. 2.2 1 Tim. 2.5 who by the vaile of his flesh hauing made thee a new and liuing way into the holy place Heb. 1â— 19 20. sits at the right hand of God the Rom. 8.34 Father Rom. 8.24 making request for thee so as in stead of fearing to haue free accesse thou maiest with reuerence be bold to goe to the Throne of grace Heb 4.16 with confidence to haue all thy lawfull suits granted Heb. 10 19. for thy Mediators sake 1 Ioh. 5.14 Ioh. 14.13 23 Conscience But for all this I yet feele secret griping of conscience continually affrighting me with a world of accusing thoughts Rom. 2.15 who now shal be as able so willingly to appease and quiet them None but Christ who being stiled the Prince of Isai 9.6 peace and therefore our peace-maker in heauen and in earth Luk. 19.38 and 2.14 became first in his own person a preacher and publisher of peace both to them that were affarre off Act. 10.36 Ephe. 2.13.14 and to them that were neer yea and as if that had beene to little did at the last by the blood of his Crosse purchase for thee that peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding Col. 1.20.2 Act. 20.28 of which that none might depriue or strip thee off Ioh. 14.27 16.33 Looke into his last Will and Testament where thou hast this legacy by himselfe bequeathed thee to haue and to hold as thine owne for euer Therefore now comfort thy selfe with these words ¶ Here the afflicted began a little to pause and hauing receiued much refreshing and good satisfaction from those seuerall answers which a good conscience hitherto framed to his seuerall demands and doubtings â— Pet. 3.21 ceased from further obiectings and began thus to be a little cheared and reuiued Well then I finde and feele to my no litle ioy and contentment that there is None indeed but Christ in heauen or earth according as thou O good conscience hast still affirmed that can fully set mee a poore captiue free from my fearefull downfall and misery Mat. 1.21 Psal 73.25 1 Pet. 3.21 Luk. 4.18 1 Tim. 1.15 And then after some further pantings and breathings faith hauing put as it were a new life into him he brake foorth into this passion 2 Cor. 4.13 of admiration and thankfulnesse And it is true indeed O thou louer of men Pro. 8.31 Iob. 7.20 O thou preseruer of men â—â—b 7.20 that thou hast set thine eyes and thy heart vpon such an one Iob. 14.3 7.17 Was thy loue to mee so ardent and thy compassion so exceeding abundant that from thy seat of Maiesty and glory â—oh 17.5 Pro. 8.22 thou wouldest for my sake bow the heauens yea after a sort euen thence Isai 64.1 break thorow the fulnesse of time being come in thine owne person to visit me Gal. 4.4 Luk 1.78 and to expose thine holy selfe to shame Isai 50.6 Luk. 22. â—4 Ioh. 19.34 and spitting to sweating bleeâ—ing and last of all to dying that thou mightest preserue such an one as I from euerlastingly perishing Ioh. 3.14 15. Lord Psal 116.1 that I knew what by way way of thankefulnesse now to render thee Thou farre excellest aboue all the praise Nehe. 9.5 Psal 106.2 that a poore creature on earth can giue thee And yet for as much as thou hast said that who so offereth thee praise glorifieth thee Psal 50.23 O let my poore soule which from deadly thrall thou hast redeemed magnifie thee Luke 1.46 47. Psal 103.5 Let my spirit also which by the sauour of thy good oitnments thou hast so cheered and reuiued reioyce Cant. 1.2 Isa 61.10 and alwaies make her songs of thee Let my tongue mouth Isai 45.23 and vncircumcised lips confesse thee Sweetly O Lord Iesus hast thou Cant. 1. â— with the kisses of thy mouth kissed me therefore shall my knees euer bee bowed vnto thee Phil 2.9.10 Psal 119.106 Tit. 2.14 Rom. 12.1 2 Cor. 7.1 Yet I haue sworne and will also performe it that my selfe soule body life liberty c. and all shall thy grace assisting beâ— vowed and consecrated to thy honor and glory 1 Cor. 10.31 For thou Lord art holy Isai 57.15 inhabitest the eternity and yet dwellest with the contrite and humble spirit and with such an one as trembleth at thy word So as in mee sweet Lord is now fulfilled the saying that is written the sacrifices of a contrite spirit and a broken heart thou neither hast nor neuer wilt despise Psal 51.17 Well may I now say that thy name to mee a desolate wretch hath beene as an ointment poured out Cant. 1.3 and therefore hath thy seruant out of the abundance of his heart found in his heart after this sort 2 Sam. 7.27 to expresse and poure forth the loue and thankefulnesse of his soule Luk. 7.47 vnto thee To thee therefore O Father of mercies and God of all comfort and consolation 2 Cor. 1.3 who hast so loued mee vnworthy Ioh. 3.16 1.18 as out of thine owne bosome to send thy onely begotten Sonne for mee and all mankinde lost into the world Gal. 4.4 made of a woman that thus hee might become our true and very Immanuel Mat. 1.23 And to thee O Lord Iesus Christ Ioh. 10.18 who voluntatily laidest downe thy life for mee to preserue mee from eternall death And to thee also O holy Spirit by whose diuine light my blinde eyes haue beene illuminated to see as by the Law Eph. 1.17 18. Rom. 3.23 1 Ioh. 3.1 Ephes 2.4 3.19 my wofull misery so comfortably by the Gospell to behold this superexcellent and surpassing loue and mercie of the Father and the Sonne and thereto hast wrought that wonderfull grace of Faith in my heart Rom. 10.17 to beleeue that all this loue is and hath bin extended to me as wel as to any other Gal. 2.20 yea that it hath bin by thee O blessed Spirit shed abroad abundantly in my heart Rom. 5.5 and hast so sealed mee vp to the day of redeÌ„ption that I shall not so vncomfortably Ephe. 1.13 4.30 as formerly I haue done call into question the certainty and assurance of my free adoption Gal. 4.6 To Father Sonne and holy Ghost I say one diuine Essence three distinct persons be ascribed in heauen and earth by Angels and men as is most due all wisedome power praise and glory eternally Amen and Amen A NECESSARIE aduertisement to the Reader AS it is an infallible truth that neither a mans person Gen 4.4 Rom 8.8 Heb. 11.4 Ioh. 14.6 nor actions can please God till himselfe be in Christ so it is as true
all fulnesse dwell Oh when wilt thou then fill me with all ioy and peace in beleeuing Rom. 15.13 Thou rellest mee Lord that all power is giuen thee in heauen and in earth Mat. 8.18 Oh that thou then wouldest giue mee such a powerfull faith 2 Thes 1.11 as by deriuing and drawing vertue from thee might bee of power to purifie my heart to worke by loue Act. 15.9 Gal. 5.6 and to ouercome the world 1 Ioh. 5.4 When shall I feele thee my Lord and my God dwelling in my heart by faith Ephes 3.17 Then should I hate the euill and loue the good Amos 5.15 Then should I feare thee for thy goodnesse Hos 3.5 and sing aloud of thy righteousnesse Psal 145.7 Then should I not suffer sinne so to raigne in my mortall body Rom. 6.12 that at any time I should obey it in the lusts thereof Then should I lament that I can lament no more the selfe-loue diffidence Ier. 31.18 and impenitency of my self-louing vnbeleeuing Heb. 3.12 and impenitent heart Rom. 2.5 Thou Lord hast done Isai 26.12 and yet doest all my workes in mee and for me Giue me then Rom. 8.26 the spirit of Prayer of power of loue 2 Tim 1.1.7 and of a sound minde Euen the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 by which I may cry Father Gal. 4 6. Ephe. 4.30 and so be sealed vp vnto the day of redemption Thy pure and precious blood O blessed Lord Iesus once shed hath a iustifying Rom. 5.9 a purifying Heb. 9.14 and sanctifying vertue Heb. 12.12 By the merit therof then 1 Thes â— 10 sweet Lord doe thou saue mee from the wrath to come Through it purge my conscience defiled Heb. 9.4 from dead works to serue thee the liuing and the True God and through it so consecrate and set me apart as a vessell vnto honour sanctified 1 Tim. 2.21 that it may be meet for thee my Lord and Masters vse as also ready and prepared vnto euery good worke Tit 3.1 Giue me to be wise vnto that which is good Rom. 16.19 and simple concerning euill 1 Cor. 14.20 In malice giue me to be child-like but in vnderstanding to bee of a ripe age And now my Lord and my God Isai 66 8. who is like vnto thee forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne Exod. 34.7 And therefore my soule panteth after thee Psal 42.2 my soule thirsteth for thee and 63 1. and flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty laÌ„d where no water is Psal 101.2 Psal 73.25 Oh when when wilt thou come vnto me I haue none in heauen but thee there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 13.1 Wilt thou O Lord forget mee for euer And wilt thou heÌ„ce forth shew mee no more fauour Psal 77.7 Psal 89.47 Oh remember how short my time is Thou wilt at length I know return and reuiue me Psal 71.20 thou wilt come again Psal 138.7 and bring me from the depth of the earth O Lambe of God Ioh. 1.29 Sonne of God Ioh. 3. 18. O my Mercy seat Exod. 25.17 my Mediator 1 Tim 2.5 and Aduocate 1 Ioh. 2.1 When shall I with the residue of thy louers possesse and inioy thee How long Lord shall it bee before with thine elected betrothed Spouse I shall bee able to say 1 Pet. 2. â— Hos 2. â—9 that thou my beloued art mine and I thine Cant. â—â— â— Then then shouldst thou as a bundle of sweete smelling Myrrh Cant. 1.13 lie euen al the night long betweene my brests and dwel between my shoulders Deuteronom 32.12 Thou camest into the world 1 Tim 1.15 Lord to saue sinners And wilt not thou saue me 1 Ioh. 3.5 Thou wast made manifest that thou mightest take away sins And wilt not thou O Lambe of God take away mine Thou wert manifest to that end 1 Iohn 3.8 that thou mightest destroy the works of the Diuell And wilt not thou Lord now destroy all his workes in mee Thou didst in the dayes of thy flesh once suffer for sins 1 Pet. 3.18 that thou mightest bring mankind lost vnto God And wilt not thou my deare Christ bring mee now to thy heauenly Father washed Reu. 1.5 iustified Rom. 5.1 reconciled 1 Ioh. 4.10 sanctified 1 Corinth 6.11 and eternally saued Heb. 5.9 Yes Lord I beleeue it Mar. 9.24 But Lord helpe thou mine vnbeliefe I reade in the Euangelists how often thy compassions were mooued Mat. 9.30.14.14 and 15.32 Mar. 1.41 and 5.19 Luk. 7.13 ouer the miseries of men and women Are they not the same now they were then Hadst thou compassions for them hast thou none for me was thy soule troubled for them Ioh. 12.27 and not likewise for mee was thy soâ—â— exceeding sorrowful 〈◊〉 to death for them Mar. 14.34 Mat. 4.5 waâ— it not so for mee Didst thou fast Luk. 21 4â— Heb. â—5 7 swear weepe cry and pray and were not all these thy pâ—ssioâ— for me Oh thou that aâ—â— holy harmlesse vndefiled Heb. 7.25 26. separate from sinners and made higheâ— then the heauens who art able to saue to the vttermost all them that come vnto God by thee how long oh how long shall it be yer I feele and finde in my selfe the vertue and efficacie from the throne of grace of Heb. 4.14 15 16. thine intercess on for me Which though for the present I beleeue not as I should yet Lord giue mee to beleeue it when thou wilt Psal 34 5. Who euer trusted in thee and was ashamed Psal 22.5 who euer hoped in thee and was confounded No no Psal 22.3 thou inhabitest the praises of Israel It is thou Lord Psal 65.2 that hearest prayer vnto thee therefore shall all flesh come Diddest not thou my Lord and my God in the dayes of thy flesh testifie that if thou wert lifted vp from the earth Ioh. 12.32 33 thou wouldest draw aâ— men vnto thee Oh cause the coards and bands of this thy infinite and surpassing loue in dying for mee Hos 11.4 effectually to draw my whole soule and affections vnto thee Oh when shal I be with thee wher thou art Ioh. 17.24 that I maâ— see that thy glory In the mean while Cant. 2.5 6 O my deare heauenly husband stay mee with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue Leâ— thy left hand bee vnder my head and let thy right hand imbrace mee Cant. 1.3 kisse thou mee O my Christ with the kisses of my mouth for thy loues are better then wine 1 CHRIST his gracious Answere Pro. 8.17 I Loue them that loue mee and those that seeke me early shall find whoso findeth mee Vers 35. findeth life and shall obtaine fauor of the Lord. Bee of good cheere then thou fainting soule for I haue heard
of great matters hadst thou faith to beleeue it A. p Mar. 9 2â— I beleeue Now Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Q. I blame thee not in seeking thy Iustification from Christ but may not an hypocrite doe this as well as thou A. I doe from my soule as earnestly long to haue him made vnto me q 1 Cor. 1.30 Sanctification also See Psal 51.10 Q. How expectest thou sanctification from Christ A. By the worke of his Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 Q. How doth the Spirit effect it A. By applying vnto my whole man the power of his death and resurrection Rom. 6.5 6. by the one killing by degrees all sinne in me Col. 2.11 12 13. by the other quickning me vnto new obedience Q. It seemes then thou not onely beleeuest that Christ will saue thee from the guilt and condemnation of sinne but will also r Tit. 2.14 deliuer thee from the power and bondage of sinne A. That is my beliefe indeed 1 Pet. 2.9 Q. Thou beleeuest truly for what God hath coupled together that ought no man to put asunder 1 Cor. 1.30 But couldest thou not bee content onely to haue sanctificatioÌ„ in thy toung that thou mightest be able freely to talke of religion 1 Iohn 3.18 A. No not so let it be Å¿ 1 Thes 5.23 thorowout or not at all 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Cor. 6.20 Q. Sanctification is a long way to walke in many difficulties accompanying it Rom. 7. May not the tediousnesse of the way cause thee in the end to breake off thy course and finally to giue it ouer A. I confesse I finde in my selfe but too mucâ— weakenesse this way yet my sure hope is that he who hath begun a good worke in mee 1 Thes 5.23 24. will not now leaue it vnperfected Phil. 1.6 Q. Some hauing made a long progresse in profession haue growne at the length to loath those 2 Tim. 4.10 meanes of saluation which once they seemed to loue and so haue separated the meanes from the end A. But God by his Word and Spirit Psal 8.4.1 2.3 4. hath taught mee otherwise Psalme 27.4 that is not to expect for Saluation from Him as the end without a constant endeuouring to vse all those helpes Psal 26.8 2 Pet. â— 5 vers 10. which he hath sanctified to leade me thereunto Q. I am glad it hath been my hap to heare these good things from thee I wish thee therefore to be of good comfort in the Lord for for ought I yet see thou art in the way to bee saued Onely a word or two concerning thy present condition How takest thou this thy visitation A. I take it as sent vnto mee from the hand of a very gracious and louing Father Heb. 12.5 Q. But commonly calamities in this kinde are tokens of Gods displeasure Lam. 3.39 Leuit. 26.15 A. In themselues they are so lighting vpon the wicked but I beleeue they are sent vnto mee in fauour and for my good Q. What is the ground of this thy perswasion A. Onely the t Rom. 8.18 word of truth which assures my conscience through the holy Ghost that it is so Reu. 3.19 Heb. 12.5 6. Q. And yet it may be long Psal 13.1 2. ere God send deliuerance A. Be it so Psal 62.1 5. yet I haue determined that my soule shall waite on God in hope and silence till his appoynted time come yea so I may come better out of this affliction than I went into it Iob 23.10 u Isai 28.16 I shall not much hasten to bee freed out of it Psal 86.17 Q. But if God should shew a token of his goodnesse vpon thee and presently turne thy sickenesse into health A. If he should do so my greatest feare is lest I should prooue vnthankfull 2 Chron. 32.25 Q. On the other side what if this sicknesse should be vnto death that is to the separating of the soule from the body A x Psal 23.4 Though I should walk through the valley of the shaddow of death yet would I feare none euill See Reuel 14.13 Q. Doest thou not apprehend the Graue into which thou must descend to be an y Ps 49.14 yrkesome and loathsome prison A. Yes considered out of Christ The graue saith one shall not grieue me because it was my Lords bed Mr. H.S. Pr. but looking vpon it through his buriall whereby he hath perfumed it for me it shall bee much sweeter to me than a bed of Roses Isai 57.1 2. Q. Thy flesh it may be shall lye rotting a long time in the graue A. And yet euen there shall my flesh z Psâ— 16. rest in hope Q. Thy dead bones seeming to be neglected of God and therefore neglected of men must as thou knowest be regardlesly tumbled hither and thither Psal 141.7 as if they were no better than vnprofitable rubbish Psa 139.14 15 16. A. My God that kept a register of them before they were wil much more be carefull of them Psal 34.20 Iob 19 26 27. now they are so that at the last day not the smallest shank-bone or piece of a shiuer thereof no not the least pick of dust shall bee wanting Ezech. 37.7 Q. What thinkest thou shall become of thy dead body in the end A. My Lord Iesus Christ who is the resurrection Ioh. 11.25 and the life will according to his faithfull word raise it vp at the last day Iohn 6.54 Q. Shall thy dead body then be onely raised vp at the last day See Mat. 27 52 53. Act. 3.21 See Beza Ser. vpon Mat. 27.52 53. A. No I verily beleeue that though this body bee turned into dust yet it shall be reunited againe to this soule which now inhabiteth in it Q. And shall this be all Iob 19.27 A Not so for being thus really vnited by the vnspeakeable power of God Rom. 8.23 1 Ioh. 3.2 Col. 3.3 4. I shal see Christ comming in the clouds for my full redemption out of all miseries and woe and no sooner shall I get a sight of him but I shall forthwith be changed in a moment 1 Cor. 15.52 and in the twinckling of an eye after which being with the rest of the Saints caught vp in the clouds to meete the Lord in the ayre 1 The. 4.17 I shall thenceforth bee euer with the Lord in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy Psal 16.11 and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore Conclusion BEe it vnto thee as thou hast said and seeing we looke for such things as these 1 Ioh. 3.3 the Lord giue thee and mee grace to bee diligent 2 Pet. 3.14 that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse before him at his comming Amen Amen FINIS A SHORT ADMONITION touching the heart Ier. 32.41 WHatsoeuer good thing GOD bestowes vpon vs hee doeth it with his whole soule and heart therefore if thou giue any thing to God Pro. 23.26 giue him thine heart If thou doe any thing for God â— Châ—â—n â— 21. doe it with all thine heart Beleeue in him also with all thy heart A◠〈…〉 Loue him with all thy heart Gen 10 1â— Obey him from thy heart 〈…〉 17. Feare him with thy heart Ier 3â— 40 Seeke him with all thy heart 〈◊〉 29.13 Turne to him with all thine heart 〈◊〉 2 1â— Reioyce in him with thine heart Zach. 10.7 Pray to him with thy heart Psalm 119.145 And praise him with thy heart Psal 119.7 If thou lay vp Gods Word in any place Luke 2.51 lay it vp in thy heart Prou. 8.23 If thou bee â—â—â—â—efull keeper of any thing let it bee of thine heart Say not but thou hast had warning FINIS