of Love shall we present to God Now I le tell you that 1. The first must be a weeping Love in hearty sorrow for all our past offences and neglects against Him that should have been the first and chiefest object of our Love 2. Then a solicitous obedient carefull love followes that endeavouring a better observance of divine commands ever after and renouncing all those râ—…bellious Affections that diverted us from his Love 3. Adde to these a meeke and humble love expressing it selfe not onely in our most submisse and lowly addresses to God but also by a mild demeanour of our selves to men which two are much wanting in these irreligious fierce and angry dayes wherein meeknesse of spirit is a great stranger and other spirits walke more ordinarily abroad abroad 4. And lastly Labour for a devout Angelicall love taken up us much as may be both with the practise of what is most pleasing to God in a heavenly convâ—…rsation and innocent course of life and in many divine contemplations too which two make up St Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are a faire praeludium and preparation to a coelestiall life he reaster He that studies to proceed as farre as he can in these will have little pleasure or leasure for such Affections as trouble most men in the world Shall we goe over these foure againe from the lowest to the highest and marke the severall footsteps of a growing love 1. The first we found to be a weeping love for our past offences and mistakes 2. The second a solicitous preventing love for the time to come 3. The next a meeke and humble love 4. The last is a more Angelicall love or a walking with God as Enoch did in a serious study and practise of what is most pleasing unto God Such a Peripatetick will not easily be inticed out of that way to tire himselfe in other crocked and dangerous paths that lead to the world the flesh and the divell rather then to walk on in those blessed steps that begin in the love and end in the fruition of God himselfe For what should bewitch him to thinke any walke more healthfull or more pleasant then that which leads to Heaven or any love dearer then the love of Him that is Goodnes it self 'T is true that to walk in any virtue is to be in the way to Happines but if you would have a walk beyond all company Ambulate in dilectione saith the Apostle Eph. 1. Walk in love and he hath set this mark upon that walk excellentiorèm viam I 'le show you a more excellent way 1 Cor. 2. ult i. e. this way of divine love It is Honour enough for other Virtues to lead us by their trust into this way But this of divine love is the more excellent the surest and the readiest way to Heaven This is our Jacobs Ladder whereon you may see Angels and Men ascending and descending ascending by the love of God descending by the love of men By which ascent and descent Love is made the compendium of all Duties and of the wayes to Heaven Therefore St James calls it the royall way jac 2. 8. St Paul the complement of the whole law Rom 13. 9. Our Saviour himself makes it the Epitome of all Mat. 22. And Moses saith quid amplius what else doth the Lord require of thee Deut. 10. 12. And well may it have these honourable titles and high commendations and more then these as being the root and life of all virtue whence they grow and from whence if they are cut off they wither and dye sor want of true sap and moisture Of that value it is here on earth Nay in Heaven 't is the Seraphicall Virtue that inflames and delights the Seraphims and thence gives the name to them Well may it be to us the Queen of all virtues whence they have their glory and lustre as the Moon hath from the Sun Lastly It is the bond of perfection when we are fastned with that nothing can separate us from the love of God Not the Relation of any love below For He that loves Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me saith our Saviour Not the possession of any estate below For We have left all to follow thee say his Disciples Mat. 10. Not the admiration of any thing above oâ—… below Neither Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Noâ—… height nor depth nor any other creature shalâ—… be able to separate us from the love of Goâ—… Rom. 8. 38. What shall we say more of this love It hath such preheminence above all other virtues that the Wise man in his Love-song compares it to the Banner the most eminent thing in all the Army Vexillum ejus super me amor under which we venture our lives for his sake And with this eminence it hath such value and esteem that without it nothing is of any value Neither Circumcifion availes any thing nor uncircumcision c. Gal. 5. but faith that works by love that is a lively working Faith that is set on work by this Love So little hope there is for any thing else to be esteemed though we could come in with long Catalogues of our worth in any kind If we should boast our Nobility we should be easily answered by St. John 1 Joh. 4. 8. Qui diligit ex Deo natus est Every one that loves is born of God and to be born of him is true Nobility If we could shew our greatness in Riches Honour Knowledge or any other way St. Paul would answer all with Nihil prodest 1 Cor. 13. Si linguis hominum Angelorum Though I speak with the tongue of men and Angels and have not love I am become as sounding brasse or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and have all Faith so that I could move Mountains if I have not Love it profits nothing Therefore above all other things let us beg this of Almighty God that he would vouchsafe his own love to kindle ours with all the light of his countenance some gracious aspect from himself that may draw the soul to his love If this be our hearty prayer there will be nothing wanting on God's part while we are not wanting to our selves But there 's the hazard We may be careles and perverse doting upon somewhat that hath a fair outside but within a sting and poison that is accompanied with a worm that never dies In this dotage our love hath an ear and an eye easily opened to the seeming-sweet inticements of sin but no eare for the best charmer charme he never so wisely nor eye for him that is the delight of Heaven and daily invites us to a love attended with that security and delight and advantage that is not to be found in any other love 1. For Security first It is so free from hazard that in this love and onely in
very well one for every severall Day of thâ—… Weeke And they may help on the Worke 〈◊〉 our Repentance if we will so often use thâ—… words of those pious Men that made them with their spirit And all the helps in thaâ—… worke are as necessary as they will be advanâ—… tageous For We are charged often and seriously to reâ—…member how we have provoked the Lorâ—… our God to wrath more then once Deu. 9 7 8â—… And the Lord our God is a consuming fireâ—… and a jealous God Deut 4. 24. Thereforâ—… humble thy selfe greatly For the vengeanâ—… of the ungodly is Fire and Wormes Ecclus. 7â—… 17. And if the righteous scarcely be saved where will the ungodly and sinner appeare 1 Pet 4. 18. The Meditation of these places of holâ—… Writ were enough to fright the Impenitenâ—… and make them long to be better acquainteâ—… with Penitentiall Psalmes Then may they heare more comfortablâ—… words For If wee confesse our fins God is faithfuâ—… and just to forgive us our sins 1 Joh. 1. 9. Noâ—… is not the voice of the Gospell only Solomon could put us in that hope long before thâ—… Gospel was sully revealed He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. And others before him have said the like It was God's mercy ever of old Hos. 14. 2 3 4. Hos. 6. 1 2. But we must lay hold on it while it is called to day Hebr. 3. 13 15. There is a long night coming when nothing can be done John 9. 4. And there is no relying or boasting of the little day of our life Prov. 27. 1. We know not how soon the Sun may set for ever upon us and we be conveyed out of the way into our everlasting House Eccles 12. 5. Therefore let us not put off from Day to Day to turne to the Lord. For suddainly his wrath may breake forth and in our security we may be destroyed and so perish in the day of Vengeance Ecclus 5. 7. But God is never so ready to punish as he is to pardon The Royall Prophet that had experience of that mercy tells us that when but he resolved to confes his transgressions unto the Lord the Lord forgave the iniquity of his Sin Psal. 32. 5. And if we would have it confirmed by the Evangelicall Prophet he could tell us God is so mercifull that upon our resolution before we call he will answer and while we are yet speaking He will heare Isay 65. 24. How then can they think to escape that neglect so great Salvation Hebr. 2. 3. After this so needfull and gainfull a Service of Confession As our Church doth so we should do well to addresse our selves to another Confession that of Praise and Thanksgiving In imitation of the Invitatory Psalme and the Te Deum and the like Hymnes in publicke we should have somewhat ready for that purpose in private Such as what now followes XV. A Morning Devotion framed according to St Basil's direction Constitut. Monast. c. 1 and the rare Patterne of the sweet Singer of Israel in many Psalmes PRaise the Lord O my Soul While I live will I praise the Lord yea as long as I have any being will I sing praises unto my God Psal. 146. 1. As long as I live will I magnify him on this manner and lift up my hands in his Name Ps. 63. 5. Every day will I give thanks unto Him and praise his Name for ever and ever Ps. 145. 2. Every day with all readines and thankfulnes of heart I will worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord my God my Maker Psal. 95. 6. By whom I was fearfully and wonderfully made Psal. 139 13 14. My soul cannot but be affected with that curious workmanship even to astonishment and amazement To consider how there is not the least bone or member in my body but tooke along with it an apparent stamp and impression of Divine Power and Wisdome While my whole Body to say nothing of the rate Faculties of the Soule was so cunningly and secretly wrought and embroidered with veines sinewes arteries and other incomparable varieties of necessary parts that as they were first framed and molded secretly in my Mothers wombe so they are not now all of them exposed to the view of every eye but show themselves onely by the use that is made of them Such are the wonders of my Creation How shall I then be able to expresse or conceive how mercifully and freely I was redeemed with a costly and mighty salvation 1 Cor 6. 20. Luc 1. 69. and by no lesse Providence and Goodnes miraculously preserved in fad and perilous times unto this day Therefore shall the first Fruits of every Day be Hâ—…s and the first opening of my mouth the serving and blessing of his holy Name My hearty Prayers and Praises shall come daily before Him like the Incense Psal. 141. 2. ascen ding upward and seasoning and sweetening my thoughts here for the whole day In this manner and for ever Praise the Lord O my Soule and all that is within mee praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soule and forget not all his Benefits Ps 103. 1. c. Which forgiveth all thy sinnes thy great sinnes and healeth all thy Infirmities thy manifold infirmities Which satisfieth thy Body and Soule with variety of good things and so often after a sweet and quiet sleep reneweth thy strength in the Morning and returneth thee to thy Friends and thy own imployments Young and lusty as an Eagle v. 5. that appeares in her fresh plumes vigorous and youthfull againe For this shall my mouth every morning be filled with thy praise O Lord and my Soule make her boast of Thee Ps. 34. 2 3. For this I will remember Thee in my Bed and when I awake Ps. 71. 7. And upon all opportunities sing of thy Honour and Glory all the day long So shall my Soule be more and more satisfied as it were with marrow and fatnes while I thus endeavour to praise Thee with joyfull lips Ps 63. 5. Here we may tender a particular recognition of some speciall mercy and favour showed to us or ours After which we may take others into our Confession of Praise And O that all others might joyn with me in the close of my thankful acknowledgments O that they would praise the Lord with me and let us magnify his Name together Psal ' 34. 3. Though not in the same place yet with the same heart and affection bearing a part in the Angels and our Churches Hymne Glory be to God on high and in earth Peace good will towards men We praise Thee O God we blesse Thee we worship Thee We laud and magnifie thy glorious name evermore praising Thee and saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Glory be to Thee O Lord most high O that men would thus praise the Lord for his goodnesse
depart in that kind of Death and by that means which thou shalt appoint But so to be ever affected in Faith and Love as they that long to be delivered from this body of sin into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God In this Hope we rest and into thy blessed Protection and mercy this day we commend our souls and bodies Beseeching thee so to sanctifie and direct us in the wayes of thy Laws and in the works of thy Commandements and to give thine Angels such charge over us that through thy most mighty Protection both here and ever we may be preserved in body and soul to serve thee the onely true God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen XXI The Fulnes of misery here answered with the best Fulnes hereafter IN the close of the last Meditation I promised to say somewhat of a better fulnes that we might not be too much dejected by the fulnes of our misery and now I shall do it There is a happy fulnes proposed to our desires and endeavours if we will labour to be in the number of those that have no inordinate appetite to the things of this life but rather ardenâ—…ly desire and long for an extraordinary pitch of a holie and virtuous life Never counting our selves to have apprehended nor looking back to those which are behind us but pressing forward towards the Mark that is set before us which is the way and means to the price of eternal glory Phil. 3. 12 13. To such our Saviour's promise is thus delivered with his blessing Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousnes for they shall be filled or satisfied Mat. 5. 6. But wherewithall with so much as cannot be fully expressed to our dull capacities Therefore it is left indefinite being far above our language or desire This Fulnes and satisfaction may seem to be the perfect expletion of all the natural desires of the soul and body and person of man with their own proper Objects as far as he is capable 1. The Soul In the Understanding with Truth it self In the Will with Goodnes it self 2. The Body 1. with Life in the true land of the living 2. With health and chearfulnes where all tears will plainly appear to be wiped away and all maladies cured 3. With Beauty where our Bodies shall be like to our Saviour's glorious body Phil. 3. 21. in some conformity to his now most glorious estate 3. The whole Person 1. With glory and honour which we earnestly expect and wait for St. Paul's word is most Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. With the best society and conversation Innumerable company of Angels 10000 times ten thousand ministring Spirits and with them the glorious company of Apostles Prophets Martyrs Confessors Virgins and other Saints that make up one quire to sing Hallelujahs in Heaven 3. With such union with God as we are capable of For nothing else will satisfie the little triangle of the heart of Man but the Trinity it self Nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sufficient is our objectum adaequatum The height of saturabuntur must rest upon that Who can fully expresse these things But we are to be excused if we endeavour to expresse what we can For there is a blessed hunger and thirst after the knowledge of them Who is not delighted to heare that howsoever we are here dispersed and persecuted we shall be hereafter as Fellow-Citizens in the same heavenly Jerusalem Hebr. 13. 14. Hebr. 11. 10. as we are already Fellow-Citizens of a lower Jerusalem which is the Christian Church built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ Himself being the head corner-stone Ephes. 2. 19. 20. We shall be Fellow-Servants in the same glorious Family of the King of Glory as we are already Fellow-servants of the same Houshold of Faith Gal 9. 10. Ephes. 2. 19 We shall be as Children of the same Heavenly Father not only in filiall Love and Obedience but also in the fruition of an eternal Inheritance Hebr. 9. 15. We shall be as the Spouse of Christ. The Prophets speak of him as of our Lord and Husband Isai. 54 5. and St Paul makes mention of it as of a great Mysterie Ephes. 5. 32. It began in our Saviour's assuming our Nature and it will be consummate at the great marriage Supper of the Lamb when we see his new Bride prepared and adorned for her Husband Rev. 197. 21. 2. We shall all be members of the same mysticall body whereof Christ is the head And the Holy Spirit will diffuse Himself into every mystical member making us all of one Spirit Not by way of Éssence and Information but by way of Inhabitance and Participation In this divine Union to the Understanding we shall know God fully not extinsively but diffusively As we see the Sea distinctly from all other bodies and know it to be the Sea and see what the largenes of the Object will suffer In this Union to the Will we shall be filled with the love of God and find a divine influence of his favour Hence are those strange expressions in the holy Scripture wherein we are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of Christ Hebr. 3. 14. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the Holy Ghâ—…st Hebr. 64 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Which one would think enough to expresse the fulnes of our Felicity All this Fulnes and Satisfaction cannot but strike a lustre upon the whole Person upon our very dark bodies as the splendor of the Sun doth upon the dark body of the Moon But if any man doubt how a spirituall Substance if I may so speak can thus sparkle and be visible in the Body Let him remember how the life of the Body can clear the looks of that when it is powerful within and the Heart well pleased Let him consider how a little glimpse of the divine Vision dressed the whole countenance of suffering Steven so that his face became as the face of an Angel Let him conceive how the sight of his new-born Saviour carried the heart of old Simeon into such an exstasie that the earth could hold him no longer he was presently come to his Nunc dimittis What should I strive to say more of this fulnes and satiety which hath a veile drawn before it and cannot be clearly discovered The Devil might undertake at a venter to show the glory of all the world in a Mountain and in a Moment but there is no Mountain high enough no Time long enough to show us the fulnes of this Joy and Glory God hath purposely concealed it that we might rather love Him for Himself then be ravished with the powerful love of any reward Therefore if I had the tongue of Men and Angels my words would be but like Counters that must stand for a greater Summe For there is no fulnes like this and yet there is nothing but
their following of Vice But we have them can set us better Copies to follow if that will move us Let us follow those Saints that have gone this way before us as far as they have been Followers of Christ and follow them in that Resolution which we have from St. Paul I count not my self to have apprehended saith he Phil. 3. 13. i. e. I am not so secure of my name in the book of life that I may sit down and take my ease but this I do forgetting those things which are behind that is not relying too much upon the former pains that I have taken in a Christian course of life and the Duties belonging to my place and reaching forth unto those things which are before that is keeping my eye still upon the end of my race with resolution of perseverance I presse on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ. Or if any would presse higher still let them follow the ardour and obedience of the blessed Angels as it is our daily prayer that God's will may be done by us in Earth as it is by us in Heaven XXVII Another view of this Means with a fuller expression of the extent of it out of Psal. 34. 13. WE shall need to say no more of the terms wherein Holines is proposed But Holines being so necessary a Duty as without which we are excluded from eternal Felicity it will not be amiss to hear a little more of the full extent of it And that we may best learn from holy David who in the long compas of the 119 Psalm containing 176 verses and elsewhere hath given us more pious expressions of his Desires and Resolutions for an exact holy and virtuous life according to the dictates of God's holy word then any other have And as he was the best able having it so much in his thoughts and endeavours so he hath given us also the best Periphrasis of Holines in the full compas of it and joyned it with Peace too which the better fits our former Meditations He hath done it in these words Eschew evil and do good seek peace and ensue its Ps. 34. 13. upon which we build our following Discourse Eschewing evill and doing good is here put as a compleat description of Holines in the true extent and agrees with that which we observed of the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Holines in us is a separation of our selves from sin to a holy and virtuous life This Holines so clearly and fully discovering it self both by eschewing evil and doing good may well be set in the first place before peace either as absolutely necessary and eminent in it self or as being the best meanes to conduct us to our Peace For no hope of Peace without a good life If we will be Filii pacis and look for the blessing of Peace to rest upon us we must begin with eschewing evill and doing good Our seeking and labouring for the best peace will be of little consequence wiithout that For it was Sin that first broke the peace every way And the breaking off of sin must usher the way to our Peace again The Word of God is the Gospel of peace upon these termes The Ministers of God which are his Embassadors propose no other conditions of Peace The holy Sacramâ—…nts are no otherwise the signes and pledges of our peace 1 In the one the laver of Regeneration being justified by Faith we have peace towards God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But so that we enter covenant to be no more at enmity with God but to fight under his Banner make his Enemies ours and live in obedience to his Laws Of all which this is the summe to eschew evil and do good 2. In the other Sacrament of the holy Eucharist we are honoured with an Invitation to God's holy Table which is an evident confirmation of our peace He would not invite us if he would not be Friends with us But to that we have no Admission and welcome without the renouncing of our evil wayes and resolving to do good These are the steps of our Jacobs Ladder that is of our Liberty to ascend and descend and have fair entercourse between God and us This is the order of that Wisdom from above which is first pure and then peaceable saith St. James c. 3. v. 17. In these steps and in this order our Saviour led us the way For how read we of him Thou hast loved Righteousnes and hated iniquity therefore the Lord hath anointed Thee with the oyl of gladnes above thy Fellows Psalm 45. 8. That is He was first Melchisedec King of Righteousnes and as glad of that as of the oyl of gladnes that made him King of Salem that is King of Peace But whatsoever we think of the Order or of the terms wherein they are expressed still we shall see that they usually go together Righteousnes and peace Ps. 85. 10. in the holy league Obedience and peace Great peace have they that keep thy law Ps. 119. 165. Peace and Holines Hebr. 12. 14. as we found them before Peace and innocence Keep innocence and that will bring a man peace at the last Psalm 37. 38. And as many as walk after this Rule of newnes of Life peace be-upon them Gal. 6. 16. And in effect this is all that is required of us God calls not for great learning or deep understanding nor any thing else but good living Knowledg and Truth go not beyond this they do but show the way This is the way He that knows much may increase his sorrow by his knowledg when he thinks of what our Saviour said of him that knew his Masters will and prepared not himself to do according to it Luk. 12. 47. But he that knows lesse may settle himself closer to the practice of what is here required eschewing evill doing good following of peace And blessed is the man whom the Lord when he comes shall find so doing Luc. 12. 43. I will say no more of the Order and Union of those two I will rather look a while upon eschewing evil and doing good as they may be considered in themselves But still we may take notice of the Psalmist's method which will teach us first to take order for the eschewing of evil before we undertake the doing of good 1. For Sin is our spiritual disease we must be cured of that before we come to the works of our perfect health 2. Sin is our Pollution And who can be filled with sweet and pretious virtues till his Body and Soul are become pure and fit vessels wherein to receive them Or what Doves will come to filthy cottages 3. Sin is our Deviation and departure from God and goodnes First we must recedere â malo get out of those blind wayes before we can be set in a clear way of doing good Having seen the Order wherein this charge is to be taken I will keep you no
maiest chearfully go through the works of thy Calling In this manner and for ever praise the Lord O my soul. And O that all others would joyn with me to magnifie the Lord together as it was that holy Prophets earnest wish O that we might all praise Him In the Angels and Churches Hymne O that we might with Angels and arch-Arch-Angels and all the Company of Heaven laud and magnifie Thy Holy Name O Blessed Lord. Evermore Honouring and Praising Thee Evermore Worshiping and Glorifiing Thy Blessed Name For all Thy great Mercies rejoycing in Thee and saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts which was and which is and which is to come Heaven and Earth are full of Thy Glory Glory be to Thee O Lord most High And let all in Heaven and Earth say Amen Amen Halelujah After the Hymn if you are not inclinable to sleep then that the better use may be made of your last Prayers and Meditations concerning the wonders of our Creation Preservation and Divine Omni-present Assistance I will furnish you with a short Paraphrastical Exposition of those Verses of the 139 Psalm which I commended to you before as fit for the time A Paraphrastical Exposition of some Uerses in the 139 Psalme 1. O Lord thou knowest me as well as if thou had'st made a narrow search and strict examination of all my inward parts Thou art privy to my times of Rest and Retirement and after them thou seest how I fit my self for employment and how I demean my self in it Thou observest my intimate and familiar thoughts and inclinations and intentions long before they are actually mine 2. Thou art no stranger to my labour in the day or my repose sleep and dreames in the night Thou art throughly acquainted will all my recreations and all my best and worst actions and all my faillures or more perfect proceedings in the whole course of my life 3. There is not a word at my tongues end but thou can'st discern it wholely and infallibly before it come óut Thou hast no need that I should express it unto Thee for Thou Lord knowest it better then I doe And as well do'st Thou know and observe what care I use not only in the governing of my thoughts and deeds but also in the bridleing and regulating of my Tongue which I keep not in with good heed besides the hedge of my Teeth which is my Monitor to warn me of it all my Religion will prove vain and of no esteem in thy pure eyes who art the great Judge and rewarder of all 4. Thou do'st compass me as close on every side as a City is beset in the straitest siege I can stirre as little from thy Presence as if thou had'st laid thy hands upon me to hold me fast 5. This Thy knowledge of me and of all my thoughts words and deedes is so high above my capacity that I can neither comprehend it nor hinder it nor be concealed from it 6. For whether can I goe to hide my self from thy knowledge of me How can I be secured from thy dreadfull omnipresence that frights thine enemies or deprived of thy comfortable omnipresence which is the unspeakable defence of thy servants 7. 8. If I could mount my self as high as Heaven or couch my self as low as Hell If I were as nimble and swift as Light it self which is like the wings of the morning and could be conveyed in a moment from East to West land disposed of in the most remotest parts of the Sea 9. Even there must I expect to be led by Thy hand and no other but Thy gratious conduct could be my guide 10. If I should think to hide my self in some dark corner the darkest night would not therein differ from the clearest day 11. For to Thee the glorious Fountain of Light the day and night the clearest and the darkest places are all one 12. And the abstrusest and most secret parts about me my very Reines the seat of Affections and Original Inclinations to sinne lie all open and naked to thy view who did'st cover me with flesh and compact me with bones and sinewes in a secret place in my Mothers womb 13. So that if there were no other cause yet for my very Creation alone I am bound with all thankfulness to admire and blesse and praise thy holy Name My soul cannot but be affected with that strange and curious workmanship even to astonishment and amazement 14. For there is not so much as the least bone or member of my body but takes along with it an apparent stamp and impression of thy divine Power and Wisdom while my body it self to say nothing of the rare faculties of the soul was so cunningly and secretly wrought and imbroidered with Veines and Sinewes Arteries and other incomparable varieties of necessary parts which as they were first framed and moulded secretly in my Mothers womb so are they not now all of them exposed to the view of every eye but shew themselves only by the use that 's made of them 15. All this frame and substance of the body lay open and naked to thy all-seeing eye while it was yet an imperfect Embryo under the hand of thy mighty power and unsearchable wisdom that lap'd up all the several parts rowling and winding them up together as orderly and exactly to their compleat number as if they had been all Registered in a Book with directions how and in what method they should be placed 16. All this seemed to be so punctually contrived before they had their right frame and fashion that they might be day by day moulded and ordered by a strict and insensible way of growing to perfection 17. O how dear and pretious should all these things that belong to thy Creation and Providence be in my sight that seem in my poor apprehension as the effect of much thought advice and contrivance in the variety of so many several parts and wayes that I should be never able to recollect the summe of them 18. Should I venter upon it with my poor Arithmetick I were as good settle my self to number the sand of the Sea In various meditation of them I may lull my self a sleep and yet when I awake return to Thee again in a fresh way of Rapture and Admiration of thy wonderful works And if this were my employment every day and constant entertainment of my thoughts every night Yet were it too impossible for me in the course of my whole life to comprehend A TABLE Containing The Heads and Chapters In this Book General advice more briefly set down for their sakes that have much other business pag. 1. Ejaculations to be used in the Morning when we are awake p. 1. Ejaculations to be used when we are retired into our Closets p. 2. A short Sermon taken cheifly out of the First and Last words of Ecclesiastes p. 2. A Short Set Form of Devotion to be used before we leave our Closets p. 4. Advice concerning our