did take it to heart and did apply our inward sense of feeling of his wrath by the punishments already and without repentance like to be more heauily layd vpon us wee should find it more behoued us to turne our silkes into sackclothes and our fine linnen into lamentation our rich rayment into repentance our feastes into fastes then should wee feele in our hearts by the sense and feeling of the Holy Ghost the free forgiuenesse and pardon of our sinnes The King of Niniueh vpon the preaching of Ionah pronouncing from God the destruction of the City for the sinnes of the same felt such remorse and compunction in â—is heart as hee rose from his Throne and laid his Royall rich and soft robes from him and instead of them arayd himselfe in sackcloth and ashes though hee felt them harsh vpon his tender body in token of hiâ— for example of true repentance to his people for their sinnes and caused man and beastes to bee clothed in sackcloth and to abstaine from food in token of sincere repentance And the Lord spared the City And doe not many Ionasses sent from God preach like destruction to vs for our sinnes if wee become so hardened in our hearts as to be past the sense of the feeling of his displeasure shall we not perish The Niniuites repented at the preaching of one Jonas wee have had ten thousand Sermons to that purpose and repent not WEre the Niniuites who repented vpon the preaching of one Ionas spared And did they feele their hearts pricked and their consciences touched at the preaching of one Sermon and that so short Yet forty dayes and Niniueh shall be destroyd Did a people that had scarsly heard of the true God so suddainly and soundly repent and that in three dayes warning in sackcloth and ashes And wee that haue had aboue threescore yeeres the Law and the Gospell the absolute cleere and free knowledge of the liuing God his Christ by aboue tenne thousand Ionasses beating obedience into our eares and shall wee neuer feele it effectuall in our hearts working repentance for our sinnes and amendment of life We feele the heauy hand of God and repent not ARe our hearts so hardned and our consciences so seared that wee bee so farre past feeling as the very seuere scourge of God cannot awake vs Hath hee put his sickle into his haruest not in the City onely but in the whole land hauing already cut downe many silly innocents with many most guilty Hath hee spared such as knew not the right hand from their lest Euen such as neuer actually offended him more than such as haue committed grieuous sinnes and that of knowledge and with a high hand And hath he not taken also many sincere men and women though not perfect among the rest and feele we not yet his wrath that his displeasure continueth and his hand stretched out still against vs Tokens of the hardnes of our hearts DOth any man or woman yet feele in their hearts that God is angry Doth any repentance appeare by any outward markes of sorrow for their sinnes Doe they lay aside their wanton apparell Doe they any whit abate their pride Doth the vsurer abate his vse and lend to the poore for nought Is Bribery extortion and in Iustice banished Is drunkennes abated Is whoredome abandoned Or any vice reformed Doe not rather all forbidden things increase And euery sinne multiply daily And neither of our senses apprehendeth this The eye of the Magistrate sees not the drunkard punished our eares heare not the cries of the poore and of the oppressed to pity them cursing and blasphemies are in our mouthes And our sense of spirituall feeling is meerely mortified that it is to be feared he will change his Rod of visitation by sicknes into fearefull famine or make us feele the sword If wee feele not Gods fauourable correction he will send that wee shall feele LEt vs leave off to dally with God as wee haue done many yeeres hee will not alwayes bee mocked If wee have not the sense to feele his hand of this most fauorable visitation hee will send that which we shall feele if we bee noâ— altogether dead and mortified in sinne we haue seemed but to trifle like trewants in our duties commaunded too long God hath fed vs most plentifully with bread from heauen more aboundantly and more freely then he hath done any nation or people in the world as if wee were his peculiar people most worthy to be beloued aboue all other he hath sowed good seed in our eares but it seemeth to haue taken little roote in our hearts which insteed of good fruites of godlines and obedience bring forth the weeds of wickednes and all sorts of sinnes And wee haue beene long admonished of the danger by Gods many zealous ministers and we feele no pricking in our consciences for our transgressions nor feele or feare Gods threates denounced against vs. All men feele their owne wants and wronges but none regard the members of Christ. EVery man feeles the want of the carnall things hee desires and few there bee that feele the want of grace When they are hungry or thirsty or poore or iniured they feele it But who feeles a sorrow in heart for their sinnes to amendment of their liues Who feeles or takes to heart the misery of Ioseph who feeles a true desire in himselfe to relieue the poore or to defend the oppressed Are wee not all the members of one body whereof Christ is the head And if any of the members suffer thinke wee the head feeles it not And shall any member be afflicted and the rest refuse to helpe it Shall we be so carefull of our owne bodily members that if one of them suffer paine to apply all the rest to relieue it And shall so many members of the mysticall body of Christ suffer not only the sicknes of the body but pouerty want of things necessary depriued of all comfortable attendance perish and so many able men looke awry on them Nay to cast sicke seruants most vncharitably out of their houses inforcing many of theÌ„ to die in the fields like beasts Will God suffer these vnfeeling and senselesse hearts goe without a more heauy punishment then yet they haue felt We ought to haue a feeling of the necessity of the poore HAue thou a feeling of thy brother or sisters miseries and let thy heart bee sensible of thine owne danger and set thy house in order against the time of thy visitation for the time is comming and at hand when thou must feele the force of thy finall dissolution And therefore set thy body thy senses and members of it in good order before the time and as thou hast examined thy tongue and senses So examine thine hands and thy feete which must bee also set in order before thou dye if thou thinke to dye in the Lord. And first examine thine hands The hands of greatest vse hindred for want of sight
seruice of God from thy selfe the head to thy meanest seruant be moderate in attiring thy wife she will accept it if she be modest educate thy children in obedience to God so shall they not offend thee couer the naked The poore are the bests guests a rich man can entertaine LEt the poorest children of God be some times as the fruitfull vines about thy house and as oliue branches round about thy table Thou shalt find them in the end most beneficiall guests that thou shalt entertaine either to meate or â—arbor for thou dost not so much feed and clothe and lodge them as Christ himselfe in them who is heere amongst vs poore naked sick hungry in prison thirsty harborlesse and miserable and woe be to the rich that see him and shew him no compassion The rich ought to haue respect to the poore HOw can they that haue riches in abundance food plentifull apparell superfluous gold and siluer and all that their hearts can desire and more if religious reason were ruler passe by and see a poore naked hungry and as it were a starued Christian and not to be moued with compassion especially yong forsaken children and old and impotent men and women As for the sturdy counterfeits and idle striplings able for seruice let their reward be the whip And vntil thou begin to sauour of this righteous course to guide thy house aright doe else what thou wilt in giuing and bequeathing thy house will not be set in order when thou dyest which will be a fearefull end Thus much concerning the setting of thy domestike estate in order it may not be vnnecessary to examine the house of thy soule the body and the members thereof Touching thy body the house of thy soule I Haue before spoken of thy setting of thy worldly estate and domestike family lands and goods in order before thou dye The chiefe care ought to be to set and keep the house of the soule the body in order IT is fit to consider how to set thy corporall house which is the habitatioâ— of thy sâ—uâ—e the senses and members of the sâ—mâ— in order And that aboue and before the disposing of thy worldly estate For as the boâ—â— is mâ—re worth thâ—n raiment of more value than possessions siluer or gold so is the well ordering of the same to be preferred before all that thou enioyest or canst enioy in the world Wherein the well-being of the soule consisteth THe well-being of the soule which is the principall part of thee consisteth in the right gouernment of thy body and bodily members for if thy carnall members and corporall senses haue been or are defiled with the vanities whereunto they are particularly inclined thy soule which lodgeth in it cannot be but also infected and polluted and therefore oughtest thou to hâ—ue an especiall regard to the well-ordering of thy corporall parts Many dwell in faire houses that haue fowle bodies and soules THou dwellest it may be in a house of ingenious architect adorned within and without with sundry varieties to delight thine eye thine eare and all the senses of thy body as many in deed or in desire it may be as Salomon had superfluous to name more superfluous to couet when yet it may be the house wherein thy soule liueth and without whom thou canst not liue though it be outwardly adorned with most costly attire like a painted sepulcher is of it selfe and through thine abusing it and the members of it a poore weake and tottering building seeming outwardly beautifull yet alas vnder most glorious and rich couerings most ragged rent and rotten wether beaten and deformed through the tempests of thy blusterous tongue the extrauagancy of thy polluted eyes and the vnrulinesse of the rest of thy senses beating vpon thy poore soule that dwelleth in this fraile body of thine with restles vngodly stormes of forbidden vaulties that bring the whole house out of order We must examine how we haue vsed or abused our senses and members of our bodies ANd for as much as the head the principall part of this weake building is the place wherin the chiefe organs and instruments of speaking hearing seeing smelling tasting and eating doe consist examine first how thou hast kept these in order and whether thou haue formerly giuen them the reines of licentious liberty to follow the vanities whereunto naturally they are seuerally inclined If so then is this thy whole house vtterly out of order and meerly deformed being by creation free from any actuall pollution or corporall blemish or defect a most comely and beautifull building complete and vniforme in euery part from the meanest to the most eminent member Our bodies are compleat and beautifull houses OBserue from the sole of thy foote to the very haire of thy head and see whether thou couldest imagine to place any member in better order than God hath placed them for in a perfect body there is no defect in any part though many times blemished by abuse of the members and senses How our bodies are blemished THe head it selfe the guide and gouernour of all the rest is oftentimes disordered and euen infatuated by drunkenesse the face disfigured the eyes bleared and blinded the feete gouted and many times the whole body dropsied through the abuse of the senses and brought all out of order being the very temple of God and wherein the soule dwelleth thy most precious part bought with no lesse a price than the very bloud of the Sonne of God Iesus Christ. A man can neuer dye in hope that hath to the end defiled his body HOw then can a man whose body and members are thus defiled and made as it were a den of detestable vncleanesse grieuing the spirit that dwelleth in it without reformation dye in any hope of future happinesse though he doe set a faire formall face vpon the setting of his domestike estate in some order by a silly will before he dyes and to leaue the body the house of his soule and his soule it selfe in so manifest a danger For the superficial disposing and bequeathing of his domesticke estate and to leaue his better part out of order is but as a pharisaicall washing of the outside of the cup leauing it filthy and foule within It is a manifest argument that the partie who hath the sore breaking out in his body as Hezekiah had and the tokens appeare as they commonly doe hath the plague and is vnlike to escape death Signes that a mans house body and soule are out of order SO manifest it is that he that aboundeth in corruption and the filth of his heart breaketh forth and sheweth it selfe by his disorderly and dissolute conuersation by his inordinate walking by the prophanesse of his speech by the wantonesse of his eyes by lending his eares with delight to vngodly discourses by the pollution of his hands and by the swiftnesse of his feete to follow vanities that he is full of spirituall pestilence and carnall contagion Altogether vnfit
comforteth the heart so too much oppresseth the whole body And as some light perfume passing by this sense may comfort the braine So too much will infect the same and turne the swetnesse into putrifaction to the hurt of the body and offence to God Dangers incident to the sense of Smelling IF this sense had or were capable of as many offensiue obiects as the eye it would bee as vnruly and soone bring bane vnto the body But though it haue not so many meanes of prouocation as the taâ—â—â— yet in as great danger for as poysonous meates descending into the stomacke may kill the body So may infected fumes putrifie the braine to the like confusion of the bodie The abuse of sweets perfumes AS this sense hath as other senses haue a vertue to comfort so hath it a vice to offend in the too much wanton delight in pleasing it selfe for many haue a pride not onely to perfume their garments to sweeten or to be smelt sweet in the streetes but their very haire to perfume their Ladies lips in their chambers that they may seeme amiable or rather more amorous indeed too effeminate for becomes it a man that is or would seeme valorous to change his vertues which should appeare in his Wisedome Magnanimitie and Iudgement for the vices that onely are imbraced by Curtesans Light-women and Fooles If we well considered what wee are wee would not perfume us IF thou wilt be womanlike thou mayest as well paint thy face to make thee faire as to vse perfumes to make thee sweet Consider what thou art and whereof thou art made Thou art but dust and diddest thou well obserue what comes of thy perfumed carkasse thou wouldest bee ashamed bee thou man or woman either to paint or perfume so vile a peece of flesh that will putrifie and stinke within foure dayes that thy breath is out of thy body These are they that sauour of the flesh fleshly of vanitie and pleasure euen of death vnto death Seeming faire without but filthy within sweet in shew indeed stinking and corrupt How a man ought truely to perfume himselfe IF thou wilt smell well indeed and desirest thy selfe to bee a good sauour to God consider that as there is a corporall and carnall so is there a spirituall and heauenly sense of smelling with which the soule of the Regenerate man smelleth with inward delight the sweete odours wherewith the garments of the spouse of Christ are perfumed with Myrrh Alo's and Cassia of Mercie Wisedome and Truth Endeauour then to smell of Faith Hope of the Loue of God and of like Loue to thy Neighbour as to thy selfe How to become sweet to God SMell thou of a holy and godly life of heauenly Meditations and godly Prayers Then shalt thou bee vnto God a sweet sauour in Christ and of Christ who shall smell in thee a sacrifice acceptable and shall haue pleasure in thy beauty and sweetnesse And thou shalt smell the sauour of life vnto life eternall And in the meane time thou shalt learne and be able to set not onely thy worldly goods but also the house of thy soule thy body and the members and all the senses thereof and aboue all thy soule in perfect order before thou dye Thus of the sense of Smelling followes the sense of Touching The Examination of the sense of Touching IT may be thought meerely superfluous indeede to speake any thing against the sense of Touching or Feeling because it is onely most sensible of hurt and least hurtfull The sense of touching or feeling is disperst through the whole body IT is a sense not set in one locall place of the body alone as the rest of the senses are as Seeing Hearing Tasting and Smelling all placed in the head the Eye to see the Eare to heare the Tongue to taste and the Nose to smell and neither partakes of the others office But this sense of touching or feeling is distributed through the whole and euery part of the body And euery part is sensible of others hurt from the sole of the foot to the Crowne of the head And cannot bee conceived to rest more in the head than in the foot nor more in the Foot than in the Finger Though the Head and Heart are the most apprehensiue parts And the Hand the common instrument and most imployed in the ayde and defence of this sense as if any part or member of the body bee striken or hurt though all parts feele it yet is the hand most ready to helpe it And the hand is most commonly the most offensiue member by touching to hurt And the most vsefull for the choyce of many necessary commodities the goodnesse substance softnesse and supplenes wherof are best knowne by the sense of Feeling neither the Eare nor the Eye are vsed therein If one member be hurt all the body feeles it IF the head or the most inferiour part be it the finger or the little toe suffer iniury this sense suddenly informes the head the head the heart which summons all the members instantly to yeeld commiseration or ayde vnto the offended part and all consult how to ease and releeue that one grieued member The abuse of the taste procures most hurt to the body THis sense is most abused and feeles greatest hurts by the abuse of the taste which ingrossing al delicate meats drinks to pamper the body with replention procureth the gout whereof one cryes out of his Feete another of his Hands it fils another with the Dropsie whereby one cryes out of his body filled with water another of the swelling of his legges another cryes out of the Stone and many other maladies when either of these seise vpon the body it is felt painefull and grieuous euen to the heart As touch but the Gout and the party will bee ready to rore oppresse or dresse but a wound or sore in any part of the body or let the tooth but ake the sense thereof goes from the place grieued to all other parts of the body The abuse of this Sense of Feeling or Touching THis sense of Touching is likewise abused by too much nicenesse in apparell obserued in those that thinke their garments neuer delicate and fine enough to bee felt Cloth of the wooll of sheepe is too base they must haue them as it were of the dainty and thinne Spiders webbe of the very excrements of filthy wormes soft supple and delightfull to bee felt vnlike to holy Iohn Baptists attire who had his garments of Camels Haire vnpleasant to be felt yet is not soft rayment and fine linnen vnfit for Kings and their followers and great men and women But now a Lord can hardly bee distinguished from a man of no meanes A Courtier from a Countrey-man c. Let vs be sensible of the feeling of the wrath of God for our sinnes IF wee well considered the present times of danger wherein we liue and did but consider how God showes his displeasure for our sinnes and
body or drinke to quench their thirst whereby they doe not onely grieuously offend God in abusing the good creatures which hee hath made and more plentifully giuen vnto vs than to many other Nations not only bread in abundance to strengthen vs wine and other drinks to comfort vs and oyle to cheere vs but al other things necessary for the vse of man which many buse through the inordinate desire of the Taste vnto gluttony and drunkennesse trampling as it were vnder their feet the good gifts of God to the shame and ouerthrow of many Death often followeth the excesse of eating and drinking WEE haue seene fearefull examples of the sudden death of many not onely by ouer eating but farre more and far more fearefull of such as haue not onely drunke themselues drunke but euen drowned themselues in wine and strong drinke and all to please this seeming harmelesse sense the Taste Take heed therefore please not thy Taste too much nor follow the desire of thy Palat for the one surfetteth the body the other infatuateth the head Wine is a mocker saith the Wise man and strong drinke is raging And therefore he that vseth much wine cannot be sober And hee that delighteth in strong drinke cannot be but intemperate furious and out of order Dangerous to bee in company of Drunkards DAngerous it is to be in the coÌ„pany of Drunkards though a man himselfe bee neuer so sober and temperate for they are many times in the nature of franticks and know not what they doe as hath not beene seldome seene that men haue gone seeming sober friendly into Tauernes and like places and yet when drink hath ouercome them one hath slaine the other ere they came forth Drunkennesse and Gluttony works of darkenesse and their reward DRunkennesse and Gluttony are worthily numbred among the manifold wicked workes of darkenesse and whosoeuer disordereth himselfe in them is as farre from inheriting the Kingdome of God as are Adulterers Jdolaters Murtherers Theeues and as farre as euen witches the very Agents of the Diuell and shall with these impenitent miscreants be turned ouer to be tormented with the prince of darkenesse his angels and ministers for euer as they serued and obey'd Sathan in their life in those grosse sinnes and dye therein vnrepented and without setting their soules and affections in order before they dye So shall they bee fellow partakers of his and their torments And this shall bee the reward of them that thus abuse this necessary sense of Taste and yeeld too much to please their inordinate Appetites The Diuell hath drunkards his ministers to make others drunk THere is yet a sort of Drunkards by whom the Diuell vseth to make others drunke who can deuoure much wine and strong drinke and beare it farre beyond others who can and will boast to out-drink twenty companions and not be drunke and drinke them all drunke But woe to them that are mighty to drinke wine and vnto them that are strong to powre in strong drinke and this is a man fit for the diuels seruice for where it is the diuels practice to prouoke to sinne whosoeuer takes that office vpon him is really the diuels minister whosoeuer enforceth a man to drink more than is sufficient is a master-Drunkard and the more he can tumble vnder the Table or send reeling into the streets the more doth his master the Diuell hug and approue him a seruiceable minister And such instruments of Sathan are to be found in many ciuill companies but woe will be vnto them for their owne drunkennesse howsoeuer they beare it how much more for procuring others so hainously â—o offend so mighty a God as can and hath said hee will cast such impious wretches with their master the Deuill into the Lake of fire and brimstone their to drinke of the vyall of his heauy wrath their vttermost fill for euer Auoid the society of Gluttons and Drunkards KEepe not company with Gluttons noâ— Drunkards for as Salomon saith The Glutton and the Drunkard shall bee euer poore yea though he be rich in purse hee cannot but be poore in piety Saint Paul willeth thee neither to eate nor drinke with Gluttons and Drunkards nor be partakers with them in any excesse for pouerty is not all the punishment threatned for these sinnes for they shall not enter into Kingdome of heauen but shall be kept out as vomiting dogs and filthy swine and partake of the torments prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Woe against Drunkards THis is the woe which the Prophet Ieremy pronounceth against them that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse especially to them that with their owne delight doe make others drunke And to them that continue vntill night many night and day till wine doe inflame and enrage them And to make them the more merry which â—ill men may doe They haue the Harpe the Violl Timbrell and Pipe noyses of finest musick and which is most shamefull and offensiue wanton lasciuious songs with drunkennesse in their feasts to the dishonour of God and corrupting if it were possible the godly that are in their companies A fearefull thing to dye in Drunkennesse IT is a fearefull thing to bee drunk but a more fearefull thing to dye or be slaine in drunkennesse As Ammon was by his Brother Absalom Elah by Zimri Olophernes by Iudith and not a few before our owne eyes haue beene If thou loue thy selfe temper thy Taste and bridle thine Appetite refraine the company of drunkards and partake not with the Gluttons lest thou bee either corrupted by them or bee punished with them Moderation in dyet to be vsed VSE temperance and moderation in thy dyet fulfill not thy lustfull affections nor thine inordinate appetite in ouer-much eating or drinking offensiue to thy health and displeasing to GOD and when thou hast glutted thy selfe with ouer-much feeding and swallowed vp too much wine and strong drinke euen inforcing thee to vomiting of it vp againe is it not lothsome as well as painefull vnto thee And thinkest thou thy soule also feeles not a heauy burthen of thy bodies surfetting The true vse of the Taste VSE thy Taste to that end that God hath giuen it thee namely onely to distinguish and iudge betweene sweet and sowre wholsome and vnwholsome meats and drinkes Hony from Gall for without the Taste thou shouldst finde no difference of the relish of edible things the most tainted and contagious would bee as pleasing vnto thee as the most salutary How the appetite may be vsed or abused AND as this sense to this end is of most necessary vse so is thy appetite a quality of thy body expedient working a desire in the stomacke to receiue nourishment for the reliefe of the whole body which may bee also abused by the ouer-satisfying of the Taste in that wherein it most delighteth oppressing the Appetite which in it selfe is content with competent But being ouer-fed it beginneth to loth the best food which by this means seemes
in this one thing that I may count it all ioy when I fall into diuers temptations Let not my heart bee hardned by them as were the Israelites prouoking thee in the wildernesse but sanctifie all thy visitations vnto me that I may be bettered and reformed by them that my faith being tryed patience may bee wrought in mee and that patience hauing her perfect worke I may be perfect and intire lacking nothing Lord I know that in all thy temptations thou euer hast one end and Satan another thou triest me to the end that I being found faithfull thou mightest giue vnto mee the Crowne of Life Satan searcheth to seduce and sifteth to dispoyle and bereaue me of that which is vertuous and good in me Wherefore O Holy Ghost thou preseruer of men keepe mee by thy grace and strengthen mee by thy mighty power and out-stretched arme O blessed Iesu bee not farre from me but present with me and president in mee as thy sufferings abound in me so let thy consolation much more abound In the middest of all mine agonies and terrors of minde let thy comforts reioyce my soule that I being made glad by thee I may bee confirmed vnto the end and alwayes in all dangers of life or death in all tribulations and temptations abide by thee that thou mayest appoynt vnto mee a kingdome as thy Father hath appointed unto thee Grant this not for any worth of mine but thine owne merit and goodnesse sake Amen O Lord let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arme bee now and alwaies my defence thy mercy and louing kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy deare Sonne my saluation thy true and holy word my instruction thy grace and holy Spirit my comfort and consolation Amen The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe my heart and minde in the Loue of God and of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and the blessing of God almighty the Father Sonne and holy Ghost be with me and remaine with mee and mine and with the whole church of God from this time forth and for euermore Amen God bee mercifull vnto me and blesse me The Lord lift vp the light of his gracious countenance vpon mee bee mercifull vnto mee and grant mee his euerlasting peace Amen A Prayer for the troubled in minde afflicted in conscience groaning vnder the insupportable burden of a wounded Spirit O Father of mercy and God of all consolation vouchsafe I beseech thee succour and reliefe vnto me that am troubled in mind and afflicted in conscience for feare of thy Iudgements and the terrible things which thou writest against mee by reason of my sinnes Lord breake not the bruised reede nor quench the smoaking flax wound not mine humble and contrite heart but reuiue the spirit of mee that goe mourning all the day long Though Satan presume that thou hast smitten and forsaken mee yet frustrate his hopes and expectations leaue mee not destitute of thy grace as a prey vnto him the enemy of my soule but mightily preserue and defend mee that I may neuer bee lost but that in life and death I may bee alwayes thine And albeit my conscience accuse mee my memory giues euidence against mee my reason condemne me though I bee deepely plunged in discomfort and haue lost the voice of ioy and gladnes and haue neither worth to appease thy wrath nor patience to endure thy tryall yet send me deare Father the comfort of thine holy Spirit againe into my heart that I may not be swallowed vp of ouermuch heauinesse but may reioyce in thee with ioy glorious and vnspeakeable Open and set open the gate of thy mercy to the greatnesse of my misery for my deiected countenance witnesseth my distressed and distracted minde my minde is sorrowfull mine heart heauy my Spirit is oppressed my words are stopt with sighes and my complaints watered with teares In execution of thy iudgements Lord remember mercy try not the Law with mee lest I come into iudgement and bee condemned weigh not my merits but pardon mine offences Sanctifie vnto me all these good meanes wherein I seeke reliefe as prayer conference meditation reading and hearing of thy word receiuing the Sacrament of the body and bloud of thy Sonne and my most blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ. Mittigate mine extremities abate my feares moderate miâ—e afflictions and remoue farre from me the vexatious of the night dreames and fantasies let not the visions of mine head like Nebuchadnezzars make mee afraid when I awake stay me with flagons and comfort mee with apples thy most sweet and delightsome promises which are pleasing to the pallate of my soule Rectifie my iudgement and vnderstanding as in the daies of old and drinke no longer vnto me in the Cuppe of affliction but in the chalice of refreshing that I may pledge thee a sauing health pay my vowes vnto thee and call vpon thy name with thanksgiuing in the sight of all thy congregation If it bee thy good pleasure to try me and not take away this Cuppe from me confirme my faith continuing unto me that hope of glory which is to be reuealed To this end cause mee with the eye of faith to looke vp vnto thee who smitest me and waite for the appointed time of my recouery and deliuery out of all my troubles Lord suffer mee not to bee swallowed vp of fearefâ—ll despaire but vouchsafe mee a full perswasion of thy mercy that thou wilt neuer leaue me nor forsake me but wilt be in life my God in death my deliuerer after death mine eternall rewarder Lord hearken and incline thine eare vnto these my requests and grant mee not my deserts but my desires and that for Iesus Christ his sake Amen Our Father which art in heauen c. The grace of our Lord Iâ—sus Christ the loue of God the Father and the most comfortable fellowship of God the Holy Ghost be with mee blesse preserue and keepe mee both in soule and body in goods and good name in life health wealth peace and godlinesse together with thâ— whole church and all that pertaine vnto me now and for euermore Amen A prayer to be said by the sicke O God my creator and preseruer thou madest me in thine owne image in knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse but deare Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am no more worthy to bee called thy childe for I haue defaced this Image and superscription of thine in me and hereby mine vnderstanding is filled with ignorance my will with stubbornenesse mine affections with peruersnesse mine heart with sinnefullnesse and my whole life with disobedience and disorderlinesse euer since I drew in my breath I haue drunke in iniquity like water so that I can looke for nothing but death which raigneth ouer all to arraigne me at the barre of thy Iustice to receiue an irreuocable doome I haue no worth to appease thy wrath yet for thy Sons sake doe away all my sinne and be thou pleased to be reconciled vnto me And now