were all made for her use How insufficient the creatures are to satiate and fulfill our desires it appeareth at death when all creatures forsake us It is wonderfull that we should so firmly stick unto the creatures when as they stick unto us so weakly and unconstantly Adam when he turned away from the consolation of God and sought delight in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was driven out of Paradise Our soul if it turn away from God unto the creatures is deprived of celestiall comfort and is quite driven away from the tree of life But what remains unto them that neglect this feast The world passeth away and so do all they that cleave unto it The creatures passe away and all they that put their trust in them Our heavenly Father sweareth that they which preferre oxen fields wives that is any earthly things whatsoever before the sweetnesse of the heavenly feast shall never taste of his supper After supper there is no further provision of meat made and if we neglect Christ there is no other remedy left for us Those contemners shall be punished with eternall famine and live in eternall darknesse They which would not heare Christ thus inviting them Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden shall heare him at length denouncing Go ye cursed into everlasting fire The Sodomites were consumed with fire because being called to this feast by the preaching of Lot they would not come The fire of Gods wrath which lasteth for ever shall consume them who being called by the gospel have despised this feast At the coming of the bridegroom the virgins that had no oyl in their lamps staying too long were shut out So they whose hearts in this world are not filled with the oyl of the holy Spirit shall not be admitted by Christ to the participation of joy but they shall have the gate of indulgence the gate of mercy the gate of consolation the gate of hope the gate of grace the gate of good works shut against them Christ hath yet an inward kinde of calling and happy is he that heares it Christ often knocks â—t the gate of our hearts by holy desires devout sighs and pious cogitations and happy is he that openeth unto him As soon as thou feelest in thy heart any holy desire of heavenly grace assure thy self that Christ knocks at thy heart Let him in lest he passe by and afterwards shut the gate of his mercy against thee As soon as thou feelest in thy heart any spark of godly meditations perswade thy self that it was kindled by the heat of divine love that is of the holy Spirit cherish and nourish it that it may grow to be a fire of love Take heed that thou quench not the Spirit and hinder the work of the Lord. He that destroyeth the temple of the Lord shall feel his severe judgement Our heart is the temple of the Lord And he destroyeth it whosoever refuseth to give place to the holy Spirit inwardly calling by the word In the old Testament the prophets could heare the Lord speaking inwardly In the new Testament all the true godly do feel those inward motions of the holy Spirit drawing them Blessed are they which heare and follow Meditat. XVII Of the fruits of Baptisme If thou polluted art with sin The fountain's open enter in REmember thou faithfull soul the grace of God conferred upon thee in the saving laver of baptisme Baptisme is the laver of regeneration Therefore he that is dipt in the laver of baptisme is no longer altogether carnall as before But because he is born of God by water and the Spirit therefore he is also the sonne of God and because a sonne therefore an heir also of eternall happinesse As the eternall Father at the baptisme of Christ uttered this voice This is my beloved Sonne So all those that beleeve and are baptized he adopteth to be his sonnes As at the baptisme of Christ the holy Ghost appeared in the shape of a dove So also is he present at our baptisme and gives force unto it yea he is conferred by baptisme upon the beleevers and effects in them new motions that they become wise as serpâ—nts and innocent as doves As it was at the creation so is it also at our regeneration At the first creation of things the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the waters and gave a vitall force unto them So also in the water of baptisme the holy Ghost is present and makes it a saving means of our regeneration Christ himself our Saviour would be baptized that he might leave a testimonie that by baptisme we are made his members Oftentimes medicines are applyed to the head to heal some other parts of the bodie Christ is our spirituall head He received the medicine of baptisme for to heal his mysticall bodie God in the old Testament made a covenant with his people by circumcision So by baptisme in the new Testament we are received into the covenant of God Baptisme succeeded in the place of circumcision He therefore that is in the covenant of God need not be afraid of the devils accusation In baptisme we put on Christ And from hence it is that the Saints are said to have made their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe Christs perfect righteousnesse is that beautifull robe whosoever therefore hath put on this robe let him not fear the stains of sinne There was a pool in Jerusalem about the sheep-market into which at a certain time the angel of the Lord descended and troubled it and he that first descended into it after the troubling of the water was cured of what disease soever The water of baptisme is that pool which healeth us of every disease of sinne when the holy Spirit descends into it and troubles it with the bloud of Christ who was made a sacrifice for us In like manner in time past the sacrifices were washed in that pool at Jerusalem As at the baptisme of Christ the heavens were opened So also at our baptisme the gate of heaven is opened unto us At the baptisme of Christ all the holy and sacred Trinitie was present And so likewise at our baptisme And so by the word of promise which is annexed unto the element of water faith receiveth the grace of the Father adopting the merit of the Sonne cleansing and the efficacie of the holy Ghost regenerating Pharaoh and all his host was drowned in the red sea The Israelites passed through safe and sound So in baptisme all the host of vices is drowned and the faithfull safely attain to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Therefore also is baptisme that sea of glasse which John saw Through it as through a kinde of glasse the brightnesse of the sunne of righteousnesse enters into our mindes And that sea was before the throne
by thy guard and upholden by thy aid I may become at length the conquerour Within are fears without are fights For within the devil doth wound my soul with venemous and fiery darts of tentations Without he wearies me with sundrie adversities and a thousand kindes of treacheries He is a serpent for his subtiltie and fallacie a lion for his violence and invasion a dragon for his crueltie and oppression He attempted to assault the very captain of the heavenly host And will he spare me a common souldier He did not doubt to set himself in opposition against the very head And what wonder then if he go about to overthrow a weak member of the mysticall bodie There is no power in me to withstand him being strong and armed There is no wisdome in me to escape the snares and gins of this enginer that hath a thousand stratagemes To thee therefore with humble sighs do I betake my self whose power cannot be termed and whose wisdome cannot be numbred Be present with me O Christ thou which art the most strong Lion of the tribe of Judah that in thee and through thee I may be able to get the conquest over that lion of hell Thou hast fought and overcome for me Fight likewise and overcome in me that thy strength may be perfected in my weaknesse Enlighten the eyes of my minde that I may discern the treacheries of Satan Direct my feet that I may escape his hidden snares Let the victory in tentation be a testimonie unto my heart of my heavenly regeneration Let the presence of thy grace confirm unto me the promise of victorie Furnish me and arm me with the strength of thy fortitude that in this combat I may be able to stand and hereafter judge him of whom I am now oppugned The more in number and the more dangerous the treacherous assaults of this enemy are the more ardently do I flee unto the aid of thy mercy One while he inspires into me the unsatiable desire of earthly things that having bound me in the fetters of avarice he may lead me out of the way of righteousnesse Another while he inflames me with the fire of anger that my heart may burn within me till I have done my neighbour some mischief Another while he solicits me to lust and the love of pleasures Another while he suggests into my minde envie and ambition Before he precipitates and throws me headlong into sinne he perswades me it is lighter then the aire or a feather or an autumn leaf and this is to make me secure And when he hath precipitated me into sin then he tells me it is greater then the universe of heaven and earth and more weighty then the balance of Gods mercy and this is to make me despair These so many and so great and treacherous assaults and fallacies I cannot foresee How much lesse then shall I be able of my self to escape them Unto thee therefore do I flee who art my strength and the rock of my fortitude for ever Amen PRAYER XIIII He prayes for a blessed departure out of this life and for a blessed resurrection unto life everlasting O Jesu Christ Sonne of the everliving God thou that wast crucified and raised up again for us thou that didst destroy our death by thy death thou that hast merited by thy resurrection a blessed resurrection for us unto life everlasting I worship thee I pray unto thee with my whole heart the onely true God together with the Father and the holy Spirit to grant unto me a happie egresse out of the miseries of this life and a blessed ingresse in the resurrection and in the day of judgement unto life everlasting I know that there is an appointed term of my life in thy divine determination and that after death follows judgement Be present with me in the houre of death thou that sufferedst death for me on the crosse Protect me in the day of judgement thou that wast for me unjustly condemned When the tabernacle of this my earthly house shall be dissolved lead my soul into an habitation in my heavenly countrey When my eyes shall be darkened in the agony of death kindle in my heart the light of saving faith When my eares shall be stopped in the houre of death speak unto me inwardly by thy Spirit and comfort me When a cold sweat doth come forth out of my dying members make me to remember thy bloudy sweat which is a sufficient ransome for my sinnes and a defensive remedie for me against death In thy sweat there appeareth fervency in thy bloud a price and in the running down thereof sufficiency When my speech shall begin to fail me in that last agonie grant that I may sigh unto thee by the grace of thy holy Spirit When those extreme distresses seize upon my heart be thou present with me by the consolation and help of thy quickning grace and take me into thy charge and tuition when all other creatures denie me aid Grant unto me that I may patiently endure all horrours and troubles and bring my soul at length out of this prison I beseech thee by thy most sacred wounds which thou enduredst in thy pâ—ssion upon the crosse for me to grant unto me that I may be able to quench the fiery darts of Satan wherewith he doth strike at me in the houre of death I beseech thee by those most bitter torments which thou sufferedst that I may be able to endure and overcome all the violent invasions of the infernall powers Let my last word in this life be the same with which thou didst consummate all upon the crosse and receive my soul which thou hast redeemed with so deare a price when I shall commend it into thy hands Let a blessed resurrection follow a blessed death In that great day of thy severe judgement deliver me from that cruel sentence thou which in my life didst with thy ready help protect me Let my sinnes be covered with the shadow of thy grace and overwhelmed in the bottom of the sea Let my soul be bound up in the bundle of the living that with all the elect I may come into the fellowship of everlasting joy Amen The fourth Part. Of Supplications for others The Argument The meditation of our neiâ—hbours wants and indigencies concern the common good and welfare of the Church and Common-wealth anâ— makes us look upon others miseries as our own This is the fruit of tâ—ue and sinceâ—e charitie which bindes us altogether into one mystiâ—all body under one head which is Christ and commends unto us a serious care of the whole Church and of all the particular members thereof That is not a true member of the bodie which labours not as much as in it lies to preserve in safetie the whole structure of the body That is not a true member of the 〈…〉 that suffereth And the same reason is of force in the mysticall body of Christ.
life and the words of eternall life The cup of benediction is the communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread which we break is the participation of the Lords bodie We cleave unto the Lord Therefore we are one Spirit with him We are united unto him not onely by the communion of nature but also by the participation of his bodie and bloud I do not therefore say with the Jews How can this man give us his flesh to eat But rather crie out How doth the Lord distribute unto us his flesh to eat and his bloud to drink I do not prie into his power but do admire his benevolence I do not examine his majestie but I reverence his goodnesse His presence I beleeve the manner of his presence I know not I am certainly assured that it is most neare and inward We are members of his body flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones He dwelleth in us and we in him My soul desireth to dive by cogitation into this most profound abysse but cannot finde with what words to set forth and declare that goodnesse and therefore is altogether amazed at the sight of the greatnesse of the grace of the Lord and the glory of the blessed Meditat. XIX Of the mysterie of the Lords Supper Be wise Do not to farre enquire 'To that thou rather shouldst admire IN the Lords holy Supper there is set before us a mysterie to be trembled at and to be adored of us by all means There is the treasure and treasurie of divine grace We know that there was a tree of life planted by God whose fruit might have conserved our first parents and their posteritie by the fertilitie and felicitie thereof There was also placed in paradise a tree of the knowledge of good and evil But even that which was appointed by God for their salvation and life and for an exercise of their obedience became unto them an occasion of death and condemnation whilest they poore wretches obeyed the devils allurements and their own desires Here also is prepared a tree of life that sweet wood whose leaves are for medicine and whose fruit for meat The sweetnesse thereof doth take away the bitternesse of all evils yea of death it self Unto the Israelites was given Manna that they might be fed with heavenly food Here is that true Manna which came down from heaven to give life unto the world This is the heavenly bread and the angelicall meat of which whosoever eateth shall never hunger The Israelites had the ark of the covenant and the mercy-seat where they might heare the Lord speak face to face Here is the true ark of the covenant that is the most sacred bodie of Christ wherein the treasures of all science knowledge and wisdome are laid up Here is the true mercy-seat in the bloud of Christ which makes us to be beloved in the beloved neither doth he speak unto us onely by his inward consolation but also dwelleth in us neither doth he feed us onely with heavenly Manna but with himself Here is the gate of heaven indeed here is the angels ladder For can heaven be greater then he that is in heaven Can heaven be more nearly united unto God then the flesh and humane nature which he hath assumed Heaven indeed is the throne of God But in the humane nature assumed by Christ resteth the holy Spirit God is in heaven But in Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the divinitie Certainly this is a great and infallible pledge of our salvation He had no greater thing to give unto us For what is greater then himself What is so closely united unto him as his humane nature which is assumed into the fellowship of the most blessed Trinitie and made the treasurie of all heavenly goods What is so nearly conjoyned unto him as flesh and bloud And yet with these most heavenly nourishments doth he refresh us miserable worms and make us partakers of his nature And shall not he then make us partakers of his grace Who ever hated his own flesh How can the Lord then despise us whom he feedeth with his own flesh and bloud How can he forget those unto whom he hath given the pledge of his own bodie How can Satan be able to overcome us seeing that we are fed with heavenly food that we faint not in battel We are deare unto Christ because he bought us at so deare a price We are deare unto Christ because he feeds us with such deare and precious things We are deare unto Christ because we are his flesh and members This is the onely Panacea of all spirituall diseases this is the medicine of immortalitie For what sinne is there so great that the sacred flesh of God cannot expiate What sinne is so great that the quickning flesh of Christ cannot heal What sinne so mortall that is not taken away by the death of the Sonne of God What fierie darts of the devil can be so deadly that they cannot be quenched in this fountain of divine grace What so great stain of the conscience that this bloud cannot purge The Lord was present to the Israelites in a cloud and in fire But here is no cloud but the sunne of righteousnesse the present light of our souls Here is not felt the fire of Gods fury but the heat of his love neither doth he depart from us but makes his mansion with us Our first parents were brought into paradise that most sweet and fragrant garden the type of eternall beatitude that being put in minde of Gods bountie they might perform due obedience unto their Creatour Behold Here is more then paradise in this place For the creature is filled with the flesh of the Creatour The penitent conscience is cleansed by the bloud of the Sonne of God By the body of Christ are nourished the members of Christ the head The faithfull soul is fed with divine and heavenly dainties The sacred flesh of God which the angels adore in the unitie of person which the archangels reverence at which the Powers do tremble and which the Vertues admire is our spirituall food Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad but much more the faithfull soul upon whom such and so great benefits are bestowed Meditat. XX. Of serious preparation before we come to the Lords Supper A wedding garment put thou on Or keep from this communion HEre is no common cheere nor the feast of some ordinarie king but here is the holy mysterie of the body and bloud of Christ to be handled of us Therefore a due preparation is required lest we finde death in stead of life and receive condemnation in stead of mercy How did that most holy Patriarch so famous for the strength of his faith how did he fear and tremble when the Sonne of God appeared unto him in the
worldly comfort but by tentations Stephen when he was stoned saw the glorie of Christ So Christ manifests himself unto the contrite soul in calamities There is no true and solid joy but where God dwelleth and Gods dwelling is in the contrite and humbled spirit Affliction it is and tentation which humbleth the spirit and maketh it contrite Therefore true and solid joy is in the soul of the afflicted Tentation is the way to come to the knowledge of God Therefore the Lord saith I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and make him see my salvation Blinde Tobie saw nothing either above him beneath him or before him and therefore he saw not himself But being enlightned of God by the angel Raphael he saw all things which before he could not see using no other medicine but the gall of a fish To shew that our eyes are to be anointed with the gall of bitternesse that so we may be enlightned and come to the true knowledge of our selves and worldly things Why saith the Apostle that we know but in a glasse Because in tentations we come to know that God maketh the elect joyfull under the shew of sorrow and quickeneth them under the shew of death and healeth them under the shew of sicknesse and enricheth them under the shew of povertie Therefore must the crosse and tentation be welcome unto him whosoever is not unthankfull to Christ who was crucified and tempted for us O good Jesus Let me be burned here let me be smitten here that I may be spared hereafter O good Jesus Thou which dost often cast us off from thee by sparing us make us to return unto thee by striking us Afflict and presse the outward man that the inward man may grow and increase O good Jesus Fight within me against me Be thou the moderatour of the fight and the crown of my victorie Whatsoever adversitie I feel in this life let it tend to the strengthening and increasing of my faith O good Jesus Help my weak faith For so thou hast promised by thy holy prophet As a mother comforteth her children so will I comfort you As a mother cherisheth and nourisheth her sucking infant with much care So do thou O good Jesus erect and confirm my languishing faith Grant that thy inward comforts may prevail more with me then the contradictions of all men and the devil himself yea and the cogitations of mine own heart O thou good Samaritane poure the sharp wine into the wounds made by my sinnes but poure in also the oyl of divine comfort Multiply my crosses but give me also strength to endure them Meditat. XLI Here are foundations of Christian patience Take up thy crosse do but endure To overcome thou shalt be sure BE quiet O devout soul and endure with patience the crosse which God hath laid upon thee Consider the passion of Christ thy bridegroom He suffered for all of all and in all He suffered for all yea even for them which despise his precious passion and wickedly trample his bloud under their feet He suffered of all He is delivered he is broken in pieces he is forsaken of his heavenly Father he is forsaken of his disciples he is rejected of the Jews his own peculiar people For they preferred Barabbas the thief before him He is crucified of the Gentiles He suffers for the sinnes of all men And therefore he is afflicted of all men He suffered also in all His soul was sorrowfull even unto death and being pressed with the sense and feeling of Gods anger cries out that he was forsaken of God All the members of his bodie are in a bloudy sweat His head is crowned with thorns His tongue tastes a cup of gall and vineger his hands and feet are boared with nails his side is wounded his whole bodie is scourged and he is stretched forth on the crosse He suffered hunger thirst cold contempt povertie reproches wounds death and the crosse And then how unjust a thing were it for the servant to rejoyce when the Lord suffereth How unjust were it that we should rejoyce in our sinnes when our Saviour is so grievously punished for them How unjust were it that the other members should not condole when the head is afflicted But rather it is necessary that we enter through many tribulations into the kingdome of heaven as it was necessary that our Saviour should by his passion enter into celestiall glorie Consider also the bountifull reward The sufferings of this present life are not worthy of the glorie which shall be revealed unto us How great soever our suffering is it is but temporall yea sometimes but for a day But the glorie is everlasting God doth exactly observe all our adversities and will at length bring them to judgement How disgracefull a thing then will it be at the generall assembly of the whole world to appear without the jewels and bracelets of the crosse and passions He shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of those that are his O happy tears which shall be wiped away by the hand of such a great Lord O happy crosse that shall finde a crown in heaven David was not ten whole yeares in his exile but he was fourtie in his kingdome Here we have the shortnesse of our suffering prefigured and the eternitie of the glorie which is to follow It is but a moment of time wherein the Saints are exercised by the crosse But the mercies by which they are comforted are for ever And thus after adversitie in the morning follows prosperitie in the evening Consider also the tribulation of all the Saints Behold Job mourning on the dunghill John hungry in the wildernesse Peter stretched out upon the crosse James beheaded of Herod with the sword Behold Mary the blessed mother of our Saviour standing under the crosse She was the type of the Church the spirituall mother of our Lord. Blessed are ye saith Christ when men shall persecute you for my names sake For so have they done to the Prophets O glorious persecution which makes us conformable unto the Prophets and Apostles and all the Saints and even unto Christ himself Let us therefore suffer with those that suffer let us be crucified with those that are crucified that we may be glorified with those that are glorified If we be true sonnes indeed let us not refuse the condition of the rest of our brethren If we truly desire the inheritance of God let us accept it wholly For the sonnes of God are not onely heirs of joy and glory in the world to come but also of heavinesse and sufferings in this present world For God scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth He punisheth their sinnes here that he may spare them at the judgement to come He multiplies tribulations here that he may multiply their reward hereafter And so not
of the Lambe The church is the throne of the Lambe in which onely the grace of holy baptisme is to be had The prophet Ezekiel saw waters going out of the temple which did quicken and heal all In the spirituall temple of God that is in the church the saving waters of baptisme do yet spring forth into the profunditie whereof our sinnes are thrown Whosoever come unto it shall be healed and live Baptisme is the spirituall floud in which all flesh of sinne is drowned The impure crow goes forth like the Devil But the dove like the holy Ghost flies and brings the olive-branch that is peace and tranquilitie unto our mindes Remember therefore thou faithfull soul the greatnesse of the grace of God conferred upon thee in baptisme and render due thanks unto him The more plentifull grace is conferred upon us in baptisme the more diligent must we be in the custodie of the gifts conferred We are buried with Christ by baptisme Therefore as Christ was raised up from the dead unto the glory of his Father So let us walk in newnesse of life We are made whole let us sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto us We have put on the most precious robe of Christs righteousnesse Therefore let us not defile it with the stains of sinne Our old man is crucified and dead in baptisme Let the new man therefore live in us We are regenerated and renewed in the spirit of our mindes by baptisme Therefore let not the flesh domineer over the spirit Old things are past Behold aâ— things are become new Let not therefore the oldnesse of the flesh prevail against the newnesse of the spirit We are made the sonnes of God by spirituall regeneration Let us therefore live as it becometh the sonnes of such a Father We are made the temple of the holy Ghost Let us therefore prepare a thankfull seat for such a guest We are received into Gods covenant Let us take heed therefore that we do not serve under the devil and so fall from the covenant of grace Effect in us all these things O blessed Trinity in Unitie Thou that hast given us such grace in baptisme give us also the grace to persevere in it Meditat. XVIII Of the saving participation of the body and bloud of Christ. He that doth eat and drink by faith Christs flesh and bloud salvation hath HE that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud shall live for ever saith Christ. Exceeding great was the bountie and goodnesse of our Saviour in that he did not onely assume our flesh and exalt it to the throne of celestiall glory but also feedeth us with his bodie and bloud unto eternall life Oh the saving delicates of the soul Oh the heavenly and angelicall food to be desired Although the angels did desire to look into this mysterie yet he did not assume the nature of the angels but the seed of Abraham Our Saviour is nearer unto us then unto the angels for we have knowledge of his love by this in that he hath given us of his own Spirit neither of his Spirit onely but of his bodie and bloud For so saith Truth it self of the bread and wine in the Eucharist This is my bodie This is my bloud How can the Lord forget those whom he hath redeemed with his bodie and bloud and whom he hath nourished with his bodie and bloud He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the bloud of Christ remaineth in Christ and Christ in him I do not much marvel therefore that the haires of our head are numbred that our names are registred in heaven that we are described in the hands of the Lord and that we are carried in his bosome seeing that we are fed with the bodie and bloud of Christ. Without doubt great is the dignitie of our souls seeing that they are fed with a price of redemption of such value Great also is the dignitie of our bodies which being redeemed and fed by the bodie of Christ become the habitacles and temples of the holy Ghost and the dwelling places of the whole and most holy Trinitie It cannot be that they should remain in the grave being fed with the bodie and bloud of our Lord. This is meat indeed We eat it But we change it not into the nature of our bodie but are changed into it We are the members of Christ and are animated by his Spirit and fed with his body and bloud This is the bread which came down from heaven and giveth life unto the world He that eateth thereof shall never hunger This is the bread of grace and mercy Of this whosoever eateth he shall taste and see how sweet the Lord is and receive of his fulnesse grace for grace This is the bread of life not onely the living bread but the quickning bread Whosoever eateth thereof he shall live for ever This is the bread which came down from heaven neither is it onely heavenly but it makes those that eat thereof heavenly They which eat it savingly in the spirit shall become heavenly because they shall not die but shall be raised again at the last day They shall be raised again but not to judgement because he that eateth of this bread cometh not into judgement nor into condemnation because there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but they shall be raised to life and salvation For he that eateth the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinketh his bloud hath life in himself and shall live through Christ. His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drink indeed Let us be filled therefore with the meat not of our works but of the Lord. Let us be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse not of our house but of the Lord. This is the true fountain of life He that shall drink of this water shall never thirst but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternall life All ye that thirst come unto these waters and ye that have no silver make haste buy without money Let them that thirst come and come thou my soul that art vexed with the raging heat of sinne But if thou beest destitute of the silver of thy merits make haste the rather If thou hast no merits of thine own make haste the more ardently to the merits of Christ Make haste therefore and buy without silver Here is the chamber of Christ and the soul from which let not thy sinnes deterre thee and into which let not thy merits enter For what can be our merits They lay out their silver and not for bread they labour and not for fulnesse Our labours do not satiate neither is the grace of God bought with the silver of our merits Therefore heare O my soul and eat that which is good and thou shalt be delighted with fatnesse These words are spirit and
consequently into the pit of hell Let them remember the commandment of honouring their parents let them be carefull to recompense their parents after the manner of storks let them remember to feed them as they have been fed by them that they precipitate not themselves into the gulf of sundry evils Let parents and children with joynt desires study in this life to worship thee the true God that they may bear parts in consort and together praise thee in the life to come Let servants obey their masters with alacritie and with fear and with singlenesse of heart not with eye-service or to please men but as it becometh the servants of Christ. In like manner let masters embrace their servants with fatherly kindnes that they turn not their just government into tyrannical cruelty Let their societie in their private house be an oeconomicall private Church beloved of God and of the angels Amen PRAYER V. He prayes for parents brethren sisters kinsfolk and benefactours MOst holy and mercifull God from whom large heaps of sundry benefits descend down upon us who hast given unto me kinsfolk and benefactours to be helps unto me in this present life I beseech thee to bestow upon them in the life to come everlasting rewards Those whom thou hast joyned unto me in a speciall bond of nature and bloud I do specially commend unto thy protection Those unto whom I do ow speciall love and respect with serious and fervent prayers I commend unto thy keeping Grant that my kinsfolk may with joynt consent and unanimitie serve thee in the true faith and with true pietie that they may receive all of them hereafter a crown of eternal glory Unto my parents whom thou hast made next after thee the authours of my life and my informers in true pietie I cannot by any means render deserved rewards I humbly beseech thee therefore who art the authour of all good and the rewarder of all benefits to recompense their benefits here with temporall rewards and hereafter with eternall Let the example of Christ thy Sonne who about the agonie of his death commended unto his disciple the care of his mother let his example teach me even to the last breath to take care for my parents Let nature it self by the example of the stork teach me that I ow perpetuall thanks and rewards unto them for their merits Unto thee mercifull Father I commend the care and tuition of my brethren sisters and kinsfolk Let them become the brethren and sisters of Christ and so heirs of the kingdome of heaven Let us all be joined together in the kingdome of grace whom thou hast joined together in the life of nature And let us all together with those whom by death thou hast separated from us and taken unto thy self let us all at length be joined together in the kingdome of glory Make us all citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem as thou hast made us in this life members of the true Church The same likewise I intreat of thee for all my benefactours whose health and welfare both of soul and body I am bound to desire and further even by the law of nature Receive them into the everlasting tabernacles of the citie which is above whom thou hast used as thy instruments to conferre upon me so many and so liberall benefits My heart propoundeth unto thee the infallible promise of thy word that thou wilt of thy meer free grace recompense even a cup of cold water How much more then wilt thou be liberall and bountifull to those that with full hand bestow benefits of all kindes upon those that want Let not thy graces cease to run down upon them that poure forth so plentifully upon others Let the fountain of thy goodnsse alwayes spring unto them from whom such plentifull rivers of liberality do flow Grant I beseech thee most mercifull God that they which sow temporall things so liberally may reâ—p with much increase things spirituall Fill their souls with joy that feed the bodies of the poore with meat Let not the fruit of their bounty perish though they show it by bestowing of the goods that perish Give unto them that give unto others thou that art the giver of every good gift blessed for ever Amen PRAYER VI. He prayes for enemies and persecutours LOrd Jesu Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God that hast prescribed us in thy word this rule of charitie Love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you I beseech thee who art most gracious and most readie to forgive to forgive mine enemies and the persecutours of the Church Give unto me the grace of thy holy Spirit that I may not onely forgive mine enemies from mine heart but also pray for their health and salvation even from my soul. Whet not against them the sword of severe revenge but anoint their heads with the oyl of thy mercie and compassion Extinguish the sparks of hatred and anger that are in their hearts that they break not forth into the infernall flames of hell Let them know and acknowledge that our life is but a vapour and a smoke that soon vanisheth away that our bodie is but ashes and dust that flyeth away that they bear not immortall anger in their mortall bodies nor entertain into this brittle tabernacle of clay their souls enemie Let them know likewise that inveterate hatred is their greatest enemie because it kills the soul and excludes them from the participation of heavenly life Illuminate their mindes that they beholding the glasse of thy divine mercie may see the deformitie of anger and hatred Govern their wills that being moved by the example of thy divine forgivenesse they may leave off and cease to be angry and to do harm Grant unto me mercifull God that as much as in me lies I may have peace with all men and turn the hearts of mine enemies to brotherly reconcilement Let us walk with unanimitie and concord in the way of this life seeing that we hope all for a place in our celestiall countrey Let us not disagree upon earth seeing â—hat we all desire to live together hereafter in heaven We all call upon thee our Lord our God which art in heaven And it is not meet for the servants of the same Lord to fall out one with another We are one mysticall bodie under Christ our head And it is base and shamefull for the members of the same bodie to fight one with another They which have one faith and one baptisme ought to have one spirit and one minde Neither do I pray alone for my private enemies but also for the publick enemies and persecutours of the Church O thou which art truth it self bring them into the way of truth O thou which art power it self bring to nought their bloudie endeavours and attempts Let the brightnesse of the heavenly truth open their blinde eyes
Whosoever therefore is a true and a living member of the Christian Church let him daily Pray For the conservation of the word For pastours and people For magistrates and subjects and For the Oeconomicall and houshold estate For these are those three Hierarchies and hoâ—y magistracies 〈◊〉 by God for the safetie and preservation of this life and foâ— the propagation and increase of the heavenâ—y kingdome Let him pray also For his kinâ—folk and his benefactours to whom he must acknowledge himself to be bound in some speciall bond of duty Let him pray For his enemies and persecutours and seriously desiâ—e their conversion and salvation Let him pray likewise For all those that are afflicted and in miserie and shew hâ—â—â—elf to be moved with a feâ—low-feeling of their calamities PRAYER I. He prayes for the conservation and continuance of the word and for the propagatiâ—â— and increase of the Church ALmightie eternall and mercifull God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that by thy holy Spirit dost gather thy Church out of mankinde and in it dost keep the heavenly doctrine committed unto it In humilitie I adore and worship thee and pray unto thee that thou wouldest be pleased to continue unto us the saving doctrine of thy word inviolable and every day propagate and inlarge the bounds of thy Church Thou hast of thine infinite mercie lighted unto us that were in the darknesse of this world the light of thy word Suffer not therefore the clouds of humane traditions to extinguish it or to obscure it Thou hast given unto us thy word for the wholesome meat of our souls Suffer it not therefore by the delusion of the devil and the corruption of men to be turned into poyson Mortifie in us the sinfull lusts of the flesh that thirsteth after earthly things that so we may taste the spirituall delicates of thy word which is that heavenly Manna No man can feel the sweetnesse thereof but he that will taste and no man can taste whose palate is corrupted with abundance of worldly delights Thy word is the word of spirit and life of light and grace Take away therefore the carnall affections and the corrupt senses of our hearts that it may shine to us within and be a light to lead us unto the light of everlasting life From the light of thy word let there arise in our hearts the light of saving faith that in thy light we may see light in the light of thy word the light of thy Sonne As in the old time that heavenly Manna descended in the wildernesse with a wholesome dew So likewise by the hearing of thy word let our hearts be filled with the fire of the Spirit that our cold and lukewarm flesh may be excited and may be tempered against the boilings of sinfull lusts Let the seed of thy word take deep root in our hearts that by the dew of thy holy Spirit watering it it may bring forth wholesome fruit and plentifull increase like standing-corn Protect O Lord the vineyard of thy Church in which thy word is as seed scattered and fruit is gathered unto everlasting life Set an hedge of angelicall guard round about it that the wilde boars and the foxes break it not down the wilde boars by violent persecutions and the foxes by fraudulent delusions Erect up in it an high tower of thy fatherly providence that by thy custodie it may be free from all devastation But if thou shalt at any time think good to presse the grapes of this vineyard in the presse of the crosse and of calamities let them be ripened first by the heat of thy grace that they may yeeld the most delicious fruits of faith and patience Whatsoever is put into the root of the vine is converted in the grapes into the most sweet liquour of wine Grant I beseech thee that whatsoever shall happen unto us in this life whether scoffings persecutions praises or whatsoever else our souls may turn it into the wine of faith hope and charitie and into the fruit of patience and humilitie Out of this militant Church translate us at length into the Church triumphant And let this tabernacle of clay be changed into that most beautifull and everlasting temple of the heavenly Jerusalem Amen PRAYER II. He supplicates for pastours and their hearers O Jesu Christ Sonne of the living God our alone Mediatour and Redeemer who being exalted at the right hand of the Father dost send pastours and teachers of thy word by whose ministerie thou dost gather together unto thee thy Church amongst us I humbly intreat thee the onely true God together with the Father and the holy Spirit to govern these thy ministers in the way of truth and to turn the hearts of their hearers unto the true obedience of the faith There is no state or condition of men that is more subject to the hatred and treacheries of Satan then the ministers of thy word Defend them therefore by the buckler of thy grace and furnish them with the strength of patience that Satan by his sleights may not supplant them Give I beseech thee unto thy ministers that knowledge that is necessarie for them and a pious vigilancie in all their actions that they may first learn of thee before they presume to teach others Govern and illuminate their hearts by thy Spirit that being in the place of God thâ—â— preach nothing else but the oracles 〈◊〉 God Let them feed the flock that is committed unto them which thou hast bought and redeemed with the precious bloud Let them feed the flock out of true and sincere love and not for covetousnesse and ambition Let them feed them with their minde with their mouth and with their works Let them feed them with the sermon of the minde with the exhortation of the word and with their own example that they may be followers of his steps to whom the cure of the Lords flock was three severall times commended Stirre them up that they may watch â—ver the souls that are committed â—nto them as being to give a strict â—ccount for them in the day of judgement Whatsoever they exhort by â—he word of their holy preaching let them studiously labour to demonstrate the same in their actions lest that being lazie themselves and loth to work they labour in vain to stirre up others Unto what good works â—oever they stirre up others let them shine by the same first themselves being set on fire by the holy Spirit Before the words of exhortation be heard let them first proclaim by their works whatsoever they shall speak with their tongues Thrust forth faithfull labourers into thy harvest that they may gather together many handfulls of saints Open likewise the hearts of the hearers that they may receive the seed with holy obedience Give unto them thy grace that with a pure heart they may keep thy holy word committed unto them and bring forth plentifull fruit with patience