truth and redeemed mee from my vaine conuersations neuer returne backe to my worldly courses but take another way to my true home in heauen The wise men when they saw thy starre in the aire were exceeding glad I see thy starre in the Scriptures nay I see the bright morning starre in my heart O let my ioy exceede theirs as my knowledge doth The starre still lighted them till they came to the place where thou layest and entered into thy bed-chamber So ô Lord let the light of faith guide me all the way of this life euen till I come to see thee not in a stable on earth strawed with litter and dung but in a pallace in heauen built with Saphyrs and founded vpon pearles not receiuing a present of gold from men but wearing a crowne of gold put vpon thee by thy Father not hauing a quantity of frankinsence or mirrh in thy hand but a golden censor full of sweete odours which are the prayers of Saints Among which I beseech thee offer vp the prayers of mee a sinner that I may bee a Saint after thou hast purged mee from all my fil thynesse in the royall bath of thy blood Amen THE FEAST OF OVR LORD'S RESVRRECTION OR Easter-dayes Deuotion The ground of this Feast In the old Testamēt Prophecies Types In the new the History of our Lords rising from the dead PARALELL Prophecie Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell or graue nor suffer thine holy One to see corruption Psal. 16. 11. He spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his soule should not be left in graue neither his flesh see corruption Acts 2. 31. Historie The Angel said to the women Feare yee not for I know that yee seeke Iesus that was crucified Mat. 28. 5. He is not here for he is risen as hee said come see the place where the Lord lay verse 6. Thy dead men shall liue with my body shall they rise Awake sing yee that dwell in dust for thy dew is the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out her dead Isa. 26. 19. And the graus did open thēselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose Mat. 27 52. And came out of their graues after his resurrection went into the holy City and appeared to many v. 53. O death I wil be thy death ô graue I wil bee thy destruction Hos. 13. 14. Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him Rom. 6. 9. Death is swallowed vp into victorie 1. Cor. 11. 14. O Death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie ver 55. Type And the Priest shall shake the sheafe of the first fruites before the Lord that it may be acceptable to you the morrowe after the Sabbath Leu. 23. 11. Accomplishment Now in the end of the Sabboth when the first day of the week began to dawn MARY MAGDALEN came to see the Sepulcher Mat. 28. And behold there was a great Earth-quake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and came and rolled away the stone from the dore and sate vpon it c. ver 2. He is not here for hee is risen c. 6. Christ is risen from the dead the first fruites of them that sleepe 1. Cor. 11. 20. The first fruits is Christ ver 23. And Ionah was in the belly of the Fish three dayes and three nights Ion. 1. 17. The Sonne of man three daies three nights in the heart of the earth Mat. 12. 4. The third day God spake vnto the Fish it cast out Ionah on the drye land Ion 2. 10. Destroy this temple and in three dayes I will reare it vp againe Ioh. 2. 19. Hee spake of the temple of his bodie ver 21. As soone as he was risen from the dead his disciples remembred and belieued the Scriptures and the word which he spake vnto them ver 22. For thine instruction meditate on the Prophecie Types Storie of Christ's resurrection For thy comfort apply to thy selfe the benefit thereof For thy correction examine thy spiritual resurrection from dead workes Quicken Thy faith by the Hymne Thy repentance by the exhortation Thy Zeale and Deuotion by the prayer ensuing An Hymne for Easter day OPen mee the gates of righteousnesse that I may goe into them and giue thankes vnto the Lord. Psal. 119. 19. This is the gate of the Lord the righteous shall enter into it verse 20. I will thanke thee for thou hast heard me and art become my saluation verse 21. Thou wilt shew me the paths of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. 11. The same stone which the builders refused is become the head Stone in the corner v. 22 This is the Lord 's doing and it is maruellous in our eyes v. 23 This is the day which the Lord hath made wee will reioyce and be glad in it ver 24. Why doe the heathen rage continually and the people imagin a vaine thing Psal. 2. 1. Then shall hee speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure saying Euen I haue set my king vpon Zion mine holy Mountaine verse 5. 6. The Lord vpon thy right hand shall wound euen kings in the day of his wrath Ps. 110. 5. Hee shall iudge among the heathen hee shall fill their places with the dead bodies and smite in sunder heads ouer diuers countries verse 6. He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall hee lift vp his head verse 7 Be wise now therefore ô yee kings bee learned yee that are iudges of the earth Ps. 2. 10. Serue the Lord with feare and reioyce vnto him with reuerence verse 11. Kisse the sonne least hee bee angry and so ye perish from the right way if his wrath bee kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him verse 12. THE ADMONITION for Easter-day THE ANALYSIS Wee must pray and striue for repentāce from dead workes and newnes of life because a 1. It is God's commandement b 2. It is the Saint's practise c 3. It is the euidence of our new-birth d 4. It is the end of our resurrection e 5. It is the end of our redemption f 6. It obtaineth remission of sinnes g 7. It auoideth GOD'S temporall iudgements h 8. It is the onely means to shun eternal death i 9. It maketh vs blessed euen in this life THE TEXTS a CAst off concerning the conuersation in times past that old man which is corrupt through deceaueable lusts Eph. 4. 24. And be renewed in the spirit of your mindes verse 23. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse ver 24. b Yee haue put of the old man with his workes Colos. 3 9. And haue put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him verse 10. c Being borne
of thy mysticall bodie and when the head reigneth in eternall glorie the members must needs participate of glorious eternitie What shall I offer vnto thee for these so singular benefits which I receiue by the Sacrament My body is vile my soule sinfull and worse then nothing in respect of thy glorious and sacred flesh and bloud One drop of thy bloud is more to be valued then a thousand worlds which yet to testifie the aboundance of thy loue thou pouredst out and offeredst plentifully for me vpon the crosse and now affordest to me in the cup. Shall I not spend my dearest hearts bloud in thy seruice who hast shed thine for me Shall I not willingly seale thy truth if need bee with my bloud who haue now receiued the pardon of all my sinnes signed with it What shall I render to thee for all thy louing mercies contained in this conduit of thy grace I will take this cup of saluation and I will not refuse the cup of trembling for thy sake by the helpe of thy grace I will more strictly keepe my holy vowes which I haue heretofore made and now renew I will seeke to carrie my selfe as a guest of so holy a table Hauing eaten Angels meate I will endeauour my selfe to leade an Angels life Hauing supped with thee I will rest with thee haue my conuersation in heauen and dwell with thee for euer Amen THE PRACTICE OF PRIVATE DEVOtion both ordinarie and extraordinarie in health and sicknesse and at the houre of death The scope of the Author and reason of his method and order CHRISTIAN READER IN these Deuotions which I first offered for the greater part to God for my selfe and now offer to the presse for thy vse all that I intend affect and labour for is to expresâ—e in the matter pious affection in the forme Scripture phrase and elocution For it seemeth to mee most agreeable to speake to God as neare as wee can in the same language he speakes to vs which is the sanctified language of the Bible As for affected humane eloquence consisting instreined conceits of wit and swelling words of vanitie which as it is puffed vp it selfe so it puffeth vp those that vse it I hold it altogether vnfit for a Minister of the Gospell especially in meditations or exercises of this nature For in these we ought most of all to denie our selues and to captiuate not onely our thoughts to the conceptions but our tongs to the words and phrases of the inspired Oracles of God As Menander said of women that they were fairest who were not painted at all and Tullie of Atticus his booke that the grauitie of the stile and neglect of light ornaments was a graâ—e and ornament vnto it So it may be most truly auouched of holy vowes meditations and prayers that sinceritie is best art and simplicitie their garbe modesty their trimming and zeale their glorie when they are so conceiued and vttered that they shew most affection and least affectation of art wit or language Sighs are the figures that moue Almightie God and teares the fluent and most current Rhetoricke before him for he that made the mouth is not taken with words vnlesse they be such as proceed from his owne mouth and are warranted by his word such as carrie in them a manifest print of that patterne of sound or wholesome words set before vs by the Apostles Now a swelling member is not sound neither is blowne meate wholesome The wisest among the heathen could distinguish betweene a Matrons and a Curtizans attire and ornaments a loftie and a turgent stile the Asiaticke Superfluitie and Attick knife and modesty which pruned the luxuriancy of pregnant wits flourishing styles running out into superfluous stemmes that the presses of eloquence might abound not with leaues of words but iuyce sap of Sentences as it were grapes pressed together Thus eloquently Saint Ierom declareth that Athenian eloquence and singularly approued it to whose iudgement I submit onely I would adde this that euen this iuycie kinde of sententious eloquence relisheth not of a deuout soule vnlesse it haue in it the taste and tincture of the vines of Engaddy Draw me saith the Spowse we will runne after thee say her honourable attendants because of the sweete sauour of thy oyntments The spowse of Christ delighteth not in exoticall perfumes though neuer so costly because howsoeuer they please thy smell yet they corrupt the braine and oftentimes poyson the spirits But the smell of Christs oyntments who was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all his brethren is the sauour of life vnto life Therefore both the Spowse her selfe and all her maides of honour i. e. Virgins and chaste soules runne after it And this my hand-maid also followeth after them yet as Peter followed Christ a farre off The path in which shee treads is this From the generall she passeth to particular from extraordinary to ordinary from the chamber and Closet to the sicke and death-bedds Deuotion Haec erit admissa met a terendarota 1 BEcause the morning and euening were euery day in the weeke I beginne with the dayes Deuotion in generall and for morning and euening I frame such Admonitions Hymnes and Prayers as may serue for any day Sabboth or weeke day festiuall or common 2. Next I furnish the Christian Sabboth because as Ignatius styleth it it is the chiefe and soueraigne day and the Queene of all dayes and may rightly challenge the precedency of all festiualls both in regard of Gods strict command for the religious obseruing it and for that it is the sampler of them they being cut as it were out of the dayes of the weeke otherwise dayes of labour according to the patterne of the Sabboths rest 3. The feasts peculiarly dedicated to our Sauiour and the holy Ghost succeede the Sabboth and precede the weeke dayes For whatsoeuer scruple hath bin made of Saints dayes the whole world as farre as it is or euer was Christian hath obserued religiously these feasts as Monuments and a kinde of Sacraments to refresh the memory of the chiefe workes of our Lord and mysteries of our faith to checke and controle whose vniuersall and vniforme practice especially in a matter of this nature is most insolent madnesse God saith Paulinus hath garnished the Church Calender with festiuall dayes as the heauen with Starres or a garlaÌ„d with roses Is not Christ the rose of Sharon and the bright morning Starre Doubtles then the festiualls in speciall consecrated to him ought to bee as the fairest flowrs in the round garland of the yeere and brightest Starres in the Church firmament Wee neuer reade of any saith Caluin that were blamed for drawing too much water out of the well of life Neither can wee possibly giue too much honour to the King of glory Saint Bernards consequence is as sound as it is pious If we celebrate the Saints solemnities how much more ought wee to keepe
Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words Isa. 58. 13. Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride vpon the high places of the earth and feede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it ver 14. When the first day of the weeke began Marie Magdalen and the other Marie came to the sepulcher Math. 28. 1. Marke 16. 1. Iohn 20. 1. And behold there was a great earth-quake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and rolled backe the stone from the doore and sate vpon it Math. 28. 2. And the Angell answered and said to the woman Feare yee not for I know that ye seeke Iesus that was crucified Math. 28. 6. He is not here for he is risen ver 7. And when the day of Pentecost was come they were all with one accord in one place Acts 2. 1. And suddenly there came a sound from heauen as of a rushing mightie wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting ver 2. And they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance ver 4. Euery first day of the weeke let euerie one lay aside as God hath prospered him c. 1. Corinth 16. 2. And the first day of the weeke the disciples being met together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them Acts 20. 7. And I was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as it had bene of a trumpet Reu. 1. 10. THE MORNING HYMNE for the Sabbath or the Lords day Wherein the deuout soule expresseth her performance at least in desire of all holy duties requisite on the Sabbath which are 1 Priuate as a 1. Premeditation b 2. Early rising or watchfulnesse c 3. The soules examination of her selfe d 4. Prayer at home consisting of 1. Confession of sinne e Originall f Actuall g 2. Profession of faith 3. Supplication for h 1. The Church i 2. The King k 3. The Minister l 4. Our selues 2 Publike as m 1. Going to the Church n 2. Ioyning in publike prayers and thankesgiuing with the congregation o 3. Hearing the word p 4. Contributing to the poore a I haue thought vpon thy Name in the night season and haue kept thy Law Psal. 119. 55. b Early in the morning do I cry vnto thee for in thy word is my trust ver 147. c I called mine owne wayes to remembrance and turned my foote to thy testimonies ver 59. d I will make my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart be mercifull vnto me according to thy word ver 58. e Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me Psal. 51. 3. f Who can tell how oft hee offendeth O cleanse thou mee from my secret faults Psal. 19. 12. g I said I will confesse my sin and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne Psal. 32. 6. h O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem Psal. 51. 19. Thou shalt arise ô Lord and haue mercie vpon Sion for it is time that thou haue mercie vppon her yea the time is come Psal. 102. 13. For why thy seruants thinke vpon her stones and it grieueth them to see her in the dust ver 14. i Giue the King thy iudgements ô Lord and thy righteousnesse to the Kings sonne Psal. 72. 1. Then shall hee iudge the people according vnto right and defend the poore ver 2. Hee shall keepe the simple by the right and punish the wrong doer ver 4. k Let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousnesse and let thy Saints sing with ioyfulnesse Psal. 132. 9. l O send out thy light and thy truth that they may leade mee and bring mee to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling Psal. 43. 3. m I was glad when they said vnto me Let vs go into the house of the Lord. Open me the gates of righteousnesse that I may go in and giue thanks to the Lord. Psal. 118. 19. n O magnifie the Lord our God and let vs fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy Psal. 99. 5. o The Lord gaue the word great was the companie of the Preachers Psal. 68. 11. I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning me for hee shall speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they turne not againe Psal. 85. 8. For his saluation is nigh them that feare him that glorie may dwell in our land ver 9. p O my soule thou hast said vnto the Lord Thou art my God my goods are nothing vnto thee Psal. 16. 2. All my delight is vpon the Saints and such as excell in vertue ver 3. An offering of a free heart will I giue thee and praise thy name because it is so comfortable Psal. 58. 7. A Prayer for the Sabbath Morning BLessed Creator and Author and finisher of the saluation of man-kind who in memorie of thy glorious rest from both thy noble workes hast blessed and sanctified a day of holy rest vnto thy selfe sanctifie me for it that laying aside my accustomed businesse and sequestring my thoughts from all worldly cares I may keepe it and my selfe holy to thee by dedicating it and deuoting my selfe wholly to thy peculiar worship and immediate seruice And to the end that this my religious seruice may bee more acceptable to thee quicken me with thy Spirit that I may performe it with all alacritie and chearefulnesse and may make thy Sabbath my delight Touch my heart and tongue with a coale from thine Altar that from the sweet incense of my meditations hymnes prayers and thanksgiuing thou mayest smell a sauour of rest O holy Lord God of Sabbath sanctifie thy rest vnto me let thy Spirit rest in me that I may find rest to my soule from all tentations troubles and feares and may rest from my owne workes which are painefull and sinfull trauels and may employ this day all the powers and faculties of my soule and bodie in doing and considering thy workes in adoring thy Maiestie and admiring thy wisdome and acknowledgeing thy power and embracing thy loue and magnifying thy goodnesse and reioycing in thy mercies trembling at thy iudgements In visiting thy holy Temple and praising thee with thy Saints and offering vp the calues of my lips In diligently reading thy Scriptures attentiuely hearing thy word reuerently celebrating thy mysteries charitably relieuing thy members and zealously practising all holy duties both publike and priuate O let me this whole day walke with thee as Enoch did and talke with thee as Moses did and seeke thy face as Dauid did And grant that beholding thine image in thine holy word as in a cleare and cristall mirrour I may bee changed into the same image euen from glorie to glorie Let this Sabbath put
come and offer thy gift Mat. 5. 24. Yea tithe Mint and Rue c. These things yee ought to haue done and not left the other vndone Luke 11. 42. Let him that is taught in the word make him that taught him partaker of all his goods Gal. 6. 6. If we haue sowed to you spirituall things is it much if wee reape of you carnal things 2 Cor. 9. 11. Abraham gaue him Tithe of all that he had Gen. 14. 10. Of all that thou shalt giue me will I giue the tenth vnto thee Gen 28. 2. Then Dauid said behold I dwell in Cedar trees but the Arke of the Lord remaineth vnder the curtaines 2 Sam. 7. 2. Then euery one whose spirit made him willing came and brought an offering to the Lord for the worke of the Tabernacle Exod. 35. 21. I will not come within the Tabernacle of mine house nor climbe vp into my bed Psal. 132 3. I will not suffer mine eyes to sleepe nor mine eye lidds to slumber nor the Temples of my head to take any rest verse 4. Till I haue found out a place for the Temple of the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob verse 5. I giue Tithe of all that I possesse Luke 18. 12. So should thy barnes bee filled with abundance and thy presses shall burst with new wine Prou. 3. 10. Bring all the tithes into the store-house that there may bee meate in mine house and proue me heerewith sayeth the Lord. Mal. 3. 10. He will multiply your seede and increase the fruits of your beneuolence 2 Cor. 9. 10. You looked for much and loe it came to little and when yee brought it home I did blow vpon it Why saith the Lord of Hosts Because of mine house that is waste and yee runne euery man to his owne house Hag. 1. 9. Therefore the heauen ouer you is staied from dew and the earth is stayed from her fruit verse 10. Yee say wherein haue wee robbed thee In tithes and offerings Mal. 3. 8. Ye are cursed with a curse for yee haue robbed mee euen this whole nation verse 9. He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly 2 Cor. 9. 6. Be not deceiued God is not mocked Whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape Gal. 6. 7. A Psalme for twelve-Twelfe-day O Praise the Lord of heauen praise him in the height Psal. 148 1. Praise him all yee his Angels praise him all his host verse 2. Praise him Sunne and Moone praise him all yee starres and light verse 3. Thy seate ô God endureth for euer the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter Psal 45. 7. The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion bee thou ruler euen in the middest among thine enemies Psal. 110. 2. In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee free will offerings with an holy worship the dew of thy birth is of the wombe of the morning verse 3. Thy dominion shall bee from one sea to the other and from the floods vnto the worlds end Psal. 72. 8. They that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before thee thine enemies shall lick the dust verse 9. All Kings shall fall downe before thee all nations shall doe thee seruice verse 11. Thy name shall endure for euer thy name shall remaine vnder the sun among all posterities which shall bee blessed through thee and all the heathen shall praise thee verse 17. Blessed bee the name of thy Maiesty for euer and all the earth shall bee filled with his Maiesty Amen Amen A Prayer for Twelfe-day FAther of lights who didst guide the heathen Sages by a starre to seeke after and find thy sonne the true light which enlighteneth euery man that commeth into the world giue mee grace to giue eare to the more sure Word of Prophecie in the Scriptures til the day dawne and the day starre arise in my heart As thou calledst the wise men obseruers of the starres by a star the sheepheards lying abroad by an apparition in the fields Zachary the Priest by a Vision in the Temple Peter the fisher by a draught of fishes Mathew the Publican at the receipt of custome and Saint Austin enamourd with eloquence by the lustre of Saint Ambroses stile and enticing eloquence I beseech thee take the aduantage of such seasons and apply such meanes for my vnfeigned conuersion vnto thee as are most agreeable to my inclination disposition and condition So will I come vnto thee and fall downe before thee and present vnto thee gold frankinsence and mirrh gold in acknowledgement of thy kingdome frankinsence of thy Priesthood and mirrh of thy death I will offer willingly freely vnto thee incense of praise thanksgiuing for thy benefits the mirrh of bitter teares for my sinnes and gold according to my ability for the maintenance of thy seruice and adorning thy Temple Lord who by this rich present prouidedst for the virgins wants to supply them in her iourney to Aegypt extend thy goodnesse to mee in al necessities and establish my faith and confidence in thee in al dangers and difficulties whatsoeuer For thou hast promised neuer to leaue nor forsake them that trust in thee The stony rocke shall yeeld a fountaine of water and a dry crâ—re a spring of oyle the loaues shall multiply by spending nay the Clouds shall be Store-houses of Bread and the winde serue in Fowle and the Rauens bring in prouision the Fishes pay tribute of money and Heathen Sages from the East by the conduct of a Starre bring in costly presents and New yeeres-gifts before thy children shall want their necessary maintenance or sustenance Blessed Babe who at thy birth didst presage thy death and assayedst the Crosse in thy Cratch and being excluded as it were from all men wast constrained to take vp thy lodging with beasts in a Stable teach me what I am to looke for in this world If it giue me course and base and beastly entertainment it gaue thee worse and the seruant is not to expect better respect then the Master O King of glory who hadst no Palace in this world but an Inne no Chamber of Presence but a Stable no Tapestry but Straw no Chaire of estate but a Cratch no Scepter but a Reede and no Crowne but a wreath of thornes worke in me an holy high-mindednesse to despise this world which so despised thee Make the worldly greatnesse seeme small honour base estimation vile and pompe vaine vnto me Let not the glittering shew of gold siluer or precious stones or the luster of eminent conditions dazell the eyes of my minde but let the beames of this starre light and guide me rather to honour thee in a Stable then leaue thee to follow Herod in his Palace vpon any hopes whatsoeuer The wise men after they had seene thee neuer returned backe to Herod but went another way to their owne home so let me after thou hast called me to the knowledge of the
by the prayer ensuing The Hymne for ascension-Ascension-day Wherein all parts of Christ his glorious returne in tryumph into heauen are prophetically expressed as 1 His lifting a vp himself from the earth 2 The cloudes receiuing b and carrying him 3 The Angels c meeting him 4 The heauens d opening to him 5 God the Father's enthronizing him into his euerlasting kingdome GOD is gone vp with a merrie noyse and the Lord in the sound of the Trumpe Psal. 47. 5. Be thou exalted Lord in thine own strength So will we sing prayse thy power Psal 21. 13. Set vp thy selfe ô God aboue the heauens and thy glory aboue al the earth Ps. 108. 5 b O sing vnto God sing praises vnto his Name magnifie him that rideth vpon the heauens or cloudes by his name IAH and reioice before him Psal. 68. 4. In thy Majestie ride prosperously because of truth meeknes and righteousnes and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things Psal. 45. 4. The Chariots of God are twentie thousand euen thousands of Angells the Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place Psal. 68. 17. d Lift vp your heads ô yee gates and be yee lift vp yee euerlasting dores and the King of glorie shall come in Psalm 24. 7. Who is the King of glory It is the Lord strong and mightie euen the Lord mighty in battel ver 8. Lift vp your heads ô yee gates and be ye lift vp ye euerlasting dores and the King of glorie shall come in ver 9. Who is the King of glorie Euen the Lord of Hosts he is the King of glorie ver 10. e I haue set my King vpon my holy hill of Sion Psal. 2. 6. Aske of mee and I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession ver 8. The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion bee thou Ruler in the middest among thine enemies Thou shalt bruise them with a rodde of Iron and dash them in pieces like a Potters vessell The exhortation for Ascension DAIE Wee ought to set our affections on things aboue 1 Because there is the source of our Soule which is of a heauenly and diuine nature 2 Because there is our Head 3 Because there is the nobler better part of our bodie 4 Because there is our abiding Citie 5 Because there is our mansion house 6 Because there is our hope inheritance 7 Because there are no true ioyes nor durable riches but there GOD created man in his own Image Gen. 1. 27. God formed him of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life Gen. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was Eccles. 12. 7. The spirit-returneth to God that gaue it Ibid. We had fathers of our flesh which corrected vs shall we not be much more in subiection to the Father of spirits and liue Heb. 12. 9. Exceeding great and precious promises are giuen to vs that by these wee might bee partakers of the diuine nature hauing escaped the corruption that is in the world 2 Pet. 1. 4. He was caried vp into heauen and sate at the right hand of God Mat. 16. 19. Whom the heauens must containe Acts 3. 21. I saw the â—eauen opened and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of the Father Acts 7. 56. I goe out of the world to the Father Ioh. 13. 1. Go to my Father Ioh. 15. 10. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we look for the Sauiour the Lord Iesus Phil. 3. 20. If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 3. 1. Set your affections on things that are aboue and not on things on the earth ver 3. Yee are come to the generall assembly and Church of the first-borne which are written in heauen and to the spirits of iust men-made perfect Hebrewes 12. 23. Now yee are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshould of God Ephesians 2. 19. For here we haue no continuing Citie but wee seeke one to come Heb. 13. 23. For this we groane earnestly desiring to bee clothed with our house 1. Cor. 5. 2. Arise and depart for this is no rest for you Mic. 2. 10. They confessed that they were strangers and sought a Citie whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11. 13. I beseech you as strangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts 1. Pet. 2. 11. I am a stranger and soiournet as all my fathers were Ps. 39. 14. In my Fathers house there are many mansions I goe to prepare a place for you Io. 14. 2. If our hope were in this life onely we were of all men most miserable 1. Cor. To an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled and that sadeth not away reserued in heauen for you 1. Pet. 1. 4. Lay vp your treasure in heauen c. Mat. 6. 19. Look not on things which are seene but on things which are not seene for the things c. 2. Cor. 4. 18. Vanitie of vanities c Eccles. 1. 2. Whom haue I in heauen but thee c. Psal. 73. 24. The Prayer for Ascension Day GLorious and gratious Redeemer Lord Iesus Christ who humbledst thy selfe didst become obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse and therefore thy Father highly exalted thee aboue the graue in the resurrection aboue the earth in thy Ascention aboue the heauens in thy session at his right hand and then he gaue thee a name aboue al names that at the name of Iaesus euery knee shall bow both of things in heauen and in earth and of things vnder the earth I humbly bow the knees not onely of my body but of my heart and soule vnto thee I neuer heare of thee or remember neuer thinke or speake of thee but with greatest reuerence and loue that heart can conceiue or tongue expresse I admire the mystery of thine incarnation I tremble at the horror of thy passion I adore the power of thy resurrection and I triumph in the glory of thine Ascension My God and my Lord make me wholly thine as thou art mine Thy birth was my life thy life my merit thy death my ransome thy resurrection my deliuery out of the prison of death when thy father layed thee vp for my debt thy Ascension my assurance and takingp ossessioÌ„ of an incorruptible and vndefiled inheritance reserued in the heauens O Sauiour if thou haddest not been born I had neuer been borne anew if thou hadst not dyed for my sins I had dyed in my sins If thou hadst not risen from the dead my soule might haue bin with thee in Paradice but my body should not haue rested in hope neither should I haue euer seene God in my flesh if thou hadst not ascended I might haue bin freed from hell but I should neuer haue
had a place prepared for mee in heauen O Lord when thou camest to vs on earth Iohn was thy forerunner but thou wert my forerunner in thy returne into heauen Iohn prepared the way before thee on earth but thou preparedst away before me into heauen That way those regions in the aire which Lucifer defiled cursed by his fall through them from heauen thou hast clensed and blessed by the marching tryumphantly through them into heauen O blessed Creator and repairer of nature in thee not onely all the kindreds of the earth but all creatures vnder the cope of heauen are blessed and therefore they sigh and grone together with vs desiring feruently thy second comming The earth was blessed and sanctified by thy birth and thy treading vpon it The water by thy descending into the riuer Iordan at thy baptisme and walking on the Seas Now the ayre likewise and fire expected an honour and a blessing from thee and both receiued it the ayre by thy ascending through it the fire by sending downe the Holy Ghost in the likenesse of fierie Clouen Tonguer O Lord my Redeemer how excellent is thy Name in all the world Creatures without voice praise thee as the heauens and earth without vnderstanding knowe thee as the starre that lighted the Sages to thee without will obey thee as winds and Seas without eares hearken to thee as the figtree which thou cursedst and it withered without naturall affection bemoan thee as the stones that claue the vale that rent the earth that quaked at thy passion without will voluntarily offer thee seruice the Foale to beare thee the Doue to manifest thee the Fish to discharge thee the Sunne to hide thine ignominy among men and here the cloude to vaile thee from mortall eye and transport thee into heauen O Lord my Redeemer how excellent is thy name in al the world who makest the light thy garment the Angell thy messenger the aire thy race the cloudes thy charriot and flyest vpon the wings of the winde into heauen Thou art ascended vpon high thou hast led captiuity captiue In thy Passion thou wast Death's death killedst it In thy buriall thou wast the Graue's graue and destroyedst destruction and now in thy Ascension thou conquerdst conquest it selfe and ledst captiuity captiue and receiuedst gifts for men for the whole Church and euery Belieuer O Lord bestow these gifts liberally vpon me that I may grow in grace and the knowledge and loue of thee This day thou liftedst vp thy body from the earth lift vp my heart from it This day thou transportedst thy body to heauen transport my desires thither This day thou setledst thy selfe in thy Throne at the right hand of thy Father fixe my thoughts and settle mine affections on thee in heauen and on heauen for thee Amen The Feast of the comming downe of the Holy-Ghost or Whitsun-daye's Deuotion The ground of this Feast In the old Testament Prophecies Types In the new the Promises Performance of sending the holy Spirit PARALELL Prophecie I will powre out of my Spirit vpoÌ„ all flesh and your sons daughters shall prophecie c. Ioel 2. 28. Historie These are not drunken as ye suppose Act. 2. 15. This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel ver 16. And it shal come to passe in the last daies that I wil powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh ver 17. Type He took vp the mantell of Eliah that fell from him and when the sons of the Prophets saw him they sayd The Spirit of Eliah doth rest on Elishah 2. King 13. 5. Accomplishment And they were filled with the Holy-Ghost c. Acts 2. 4. God sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your harts Gal. 4. 6. Promise Ye shall be baptized with the holy Ghost within these few daies Acts 1. 5. Performance They were filled with the holy Ghost c. Acts 2. 4. He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Mat. 3. 11. There appeared to them cloueÌ„ tongs like fire and it fate vpon each of them Acts 2. 3. These signes shall shall follow them that belieue They shall speake with new tongues Mar. 16. 17. And they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance Act. 2. 4 THE HYMNE FOR Whitsunday Wherein is expressed the holy Ghost's a 1 Sending b 2 Comming downe 3 Workes In generall c Creation d Renouation In speciall e Inhabitation f Inspiring Ministers Inclining the minds and wills of the people O Lord how manifold are thy workes In wisedome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches Psal. 104. 24. So is the great and wide sea also wherein are things creeping innunâ—erable ' both small and great beasts verse 25. These waite all vpon thee and thou giuest them their meate in due season verse 27. a Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are c created and thou d renewest the face of the earth verse 30. Thou hast asended vp on high thou hast led captiuity captiue and receiued gifts for men yea euen for the rebellious that the Lord God might e d well among them Psal. 68. 18. Hee bowed the heauens and b came downe Psalme 18. 9. Hee rod vpon the Cherubins and did flie hee did euen fly vpon the wings of the b winde verse 10. The Lord gaue the Word great f was the company of the Preachers or of them that published it Psal. 68. 11. The people shall come g willingly in the day of thy power or at the time of thy Assemblies in the bewty of holinesse from the wombe of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth Psal. 110. 3. AN EXHORTATION to obey the motions of God's holy Spirit THE ANALYSIS The motiues to obey the motions of the Spirit are 1 Gods strict Commandement 2 The Saints continuall practice 3 The Spirit 's excellency who is the 1 Fountaine of grace 2 Lord of life 3 Comforter of the Elect. 4 Teacher of the Church 4 The benefits of obeying them 5 The danger of resisting them WAlke in the Spirit Gal. 5. 16. If we liue in the Spirit let vs walke in the Spirit verse 23. Grieue not the holy Spirit of God whereby yee are sealed to the day of redemption Ephes. 4. 30. Quench not the Spirit of God 1 Thes. 5. 19. Yee stiffnecked and vncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the holy Ghost There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit verse 4. Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if the Spirit of God dwell in you verse 9. As many as are led by the spirit of God are the Sonnes of God verse 14. Declared to be the Sonne of God according to the Spirit of Holinesse Rom. 1. 4. The Law
me and the paines of hell gat hold vpon me I found trouble and sorrow Psal. 116. 3. The Kings of the earth set themselues and the Rulers take councell together against the Lord and against his Christ. Psal. 2. 2. Mine enemies whisper together against mee against me doe they deuise hurt Psal. 41. 7. l Yea mine own familiar friends in whom I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lift vp his heele against me ver 9. I am like a Pelican in the Wildernesse and an Owle in the Desart Psal. 102. 6. I watch and am alone as a Sparrow on the house top ver 7. My louers and my friends stand aloofe from my stroke and my Kinsmen stand a farre off Psal. 38. 11. Mine enemies reproch mee all the day long and they that are mad vpon mee are sworne against me Psal. 102. 8. But I as a deafe man heard not and as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth Psal. 39. 13. I am as a worme and no man a reproch to men and despised of the people Psal. 22. 6. All they that see me laugh mee to scorne they shout out their lips and shake their heads saying ver 7. He trusted in the Lord that he would deliuer him let him deliuer him seeing he delighted in him Psal. 22. 8. Many Oxen came about me strong Bulls of Basan haue beset me round ver 12. They gaped vpon mee with their mouthes as it were a ramping and roaring Lyon ver 13. Thy wrath lyeth hard vpon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waues Psal. 88. 7. I am powred out like water all my bones are out of ioynt Psal. 22. 14. They pierced my hands and my feet Psal. 22. 16. My strength is dryed vp like a Pot-sheard and my tongue cleueth to my gums ver 15. Reproch hath broken my heart and I am full of heauinesse I looked for some to haue pitty on me but there was none for comforters but I found none Psal. 69. 20. They gaue me gall to eat and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke ver 21. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22. 1. Into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal. 31. 5. Thou keepest all my bones so that not one of them is broken Psal. 34. 20. My heart is like wax it is melted in the middest of my bowels Psal. 22. 14. They part my garments among them and on my vesture doe they cast lots Psal. 22. 18. Thou hast layed me in the lowest pit in a place of darknesse and in the deepe Psal. 88. 5. Free among the dead like to them that bee wounded and lye in the graue which be out of remembrance and are cut away from thine hand The close out of Ieremiah IS it nothing to you all yee that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his wrath Lam. 1. 12. A Prayer for Good-friday DEarest Redeemer the Mediatour of Heauen and Earth who this day werest placed on the Crosse betweene them both with thine armes stretched abroad to embrace and thy head bowed downe as it were to kisse all that come vnto thee I humbly prostrate my selfe at thy feet desiring in vnfained repentance with my teares to wash those thy wounds that bled for my sinne and in a liuely faith to touch the print of thy nailes and thrust my finger into the hole of thy side thereby to take reall and corporall possession of thee that I may with Thomas truely call thee My Lord and my God my dread and my loue my surety and my ransome my Sacrifice and my Priest my Aduocate and my Iudge my desire and my contentment the life of my hope here and hope of my life hereafter Before I was thine for thy hands haue made me and fashioned me but now sith thou hast offered thy selfe to be my pledge and thy bloud for my ransome thou art truly mine My Lord and my God O let the Speare which ranne thee thorow fasten my heart to thy Crosse Let the nailes which printed thy flesh imprint thy loue in my soule let the thornes which pricked thy temples not suffer the temples of mine head to take any rest in sinne let the vineger which was giuen thee melt my adamantine heart into sorrow let the Spunge which was offered thee on the Crosse wipe out all my debts out of thy Fathers Tables Let others goe on forward if they please I will stay still at the Crosse and take no other Lesson for I desire no other Pulpit then that tree no other Preacher then thy crucified body no other Text then thy death and passion no other parts then thy wounds no other amplification then thy extension no other notes then thy markes no other points then thy nailes no other booke then thy opened side The first Adam did eat the fruit of the forbidden tree therefore thou the second Adam hangedst vpon a Tree By his fall all mankinde were so sorely wounded that the whole head was sicke and the whole heart faint from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing but wounds and bruses and sores full of corruption therefore thy whole head was pained thy whole heart wounded from the sole of thy foot which was gored with nailes to the crowne of the head which was pricked with thornes there was nothing but cuts and stripes and markes and skars and sores and wounds in thy whole body Because our heads plotted and deuised wickednesse on thy head was platted a Crowne of thornes Because our eyes burned with lust thy eyes were bedewed with teares Because we belched out blasphemies against God thy face was spit vpon Because our bodies haue beene stretched want only vpon our soft beds thy body was stretched vpon the hard Crosse. O Lord our eares haue offended thee by listening to want on Musicke prophane speeches and songs therefore thou suffredst in thine eare by hearing scoffes and blasphemous taunts Wee haue offended God in our smell by luxurious perfumes and sweete odours therefore thou sufferedst in thy smell by the stench of Golgotha Our taste had offended in gluttony and drunkennesse therefore thou sufferedst in thy taste by gall and vineger Because our feet were swift to shed bloud thy feet were nailed to the crosse Because our hands were defiled thy hands were bathed in bloud Because all parts of our bodies offended thou wast punished in all parts in thy temples with thornes on thy cheekes with buffets in thy ioints with straines in thy flesh with stripes Lastly because our hearts most grieuously offended in vnchaste malicious couetous ambitious thoughts desires and affections and piercing our selues with worldly cares therefore thou wast most grieuously punished in thy heart which was run thorow with the Speare If all the sufferings
conscience and the cleare light of the Gospel to guide my feete into the way of peace This light conuinceth the errours of my vnderstanding the deprauation of my will the disorder of my affections the impurity of my thoghts the vanity of my desires the deceitfulnesse of my heart the wickednes of all my wayes This light sheweth mee what I was in my birth slime and filthinesse what in my life vanity and folly and what in my death stench rottennesse This light discouereth vnto me that I haue nothing which I haue not receiued that without Christ I can doe nothing that in me that is in my body dwelleth no good that I am not able of my selfe as of my self think a good thought that I cannot desire to thinke nor haue wil to desire nor grace to will any good My comforts are rare my crosses frequent my pleasures momentary my paines permanent my gifts small my wants and infirmities great my helpes weake my assaults strong my good deeds few and they tainted with imperfections my sinnes infinite Let these considerations O Lord humble me in my selfe that Christ may raise me wound mee in my selfe that Christ may heale me burden mee in my selfe that Christ may ease me kill mee in my owne conceits that Christ may quicken me make mee most vile in mine own eyes that I may bee most deare and precious in his O Lord which as vpon this day createdst the clouds to raine vpon the earth showre downe thy graces abundantly into my heart to mollifie it that the seede of the Word may take deepe root downeward in humility and spring vpward in hope and spread abroad by charity and fructifie in all kindes of good workes Lord who this day separatedst the waters from the waters separate I beseech thee and distinguish betweene the waters of teares which I shed for my sinnes and those others which I shed for worldly crosses and calamities Cast away the one and put the the other into thy bottle Lord who this day madest the heauens or ayre without which I cannot liue naturally no not for a moment infuse into my heart the Spirit of grace without which spiritually I cannot breathe in my prayers nor sigh nor so much as moue any facultie or part of soule or body vnto thee As oft as I take in or let out the aire which I breathe let mee receiue in grace from thee and breathe out praise vnto thee Amen The close out of Scripture The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with me 2. Cor. 13. vlt. The Euening's Deuotion for Munday THE HYMNE Heare me O Lord in the multitude of thy mercies euen in the truth of thy saluation Psal. 69. 14. Let not the water floods drowne mee nor the deepe swallow me vp and let not the pit shut her mouth vpon mee verse 16. Thou diddest diuide the sea through thy power and brakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters Psal. 74. 14. Thou smoest the heads of Leuiathan in pieces and gauest him to be meate for the people in the wildernesse verse 15. Thou broughtest out fountaines and waters out of the hard Rocks thou driedst vp mighty waters verse 16. Thou art the God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power among the people Psal. 77. 14. The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee and were afraid the depths also were troubled verse 16. The clouds powred out water the aire thundered and thine arrowes went abroad verse 17. The voice of thy thunder was heard round about the lightnings shone vpon the ground the earth was moued verse 18. Thou bringest forth clouds from the ends of the world and sendest forth Lightnings with the raine bringing the windes out of his treasures Psal. 135. The springs of water were seene and the foundations of the round world were discouered at thy chiding O Lord at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure Psal. 18. 15. Thy way is in the Sea and thy pathes in the great waters and thy footsteps are not knowne Psal. 77. 19. THE ADMONITION for Munday's Euening being an exhortation to meeknes THE ANALYSIS The speciall Arguments to perswade meeknes set downe in Scripture are drawne from 1. The causes Impulsiue 1 Diuine precepts 2 humane frailty Exemplary God the Father Sonne H. Ghost The Saints The creatures in which nature hath patern'd this vertue 2 The effects 1 Peace With God With men 2 Wealth 3 Wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding 4 Sanctifying graces the fruits of the Spirit 5 Blessednesse THE TEXTS PVt them in minde c. Tit. 3. 1. That they be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekenesse to all men verse 2. If any man bee ouertaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6. 1. I beseech you that yee walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with lowlinesse and meeknesse with long suffering forbearing one another in loue Ephes. 4. 2. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued the bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long-suffering Col. 3. 12. Forbearing one another forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue you so also doe ye verse 13. But thou O man of God flye these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith patience meekenesse 1. Tim. 6. 11. Dearely beloued auenge not your selues but rather giue place vnto wrath For it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Rom. 12. 19. Wherefore my beloued Brethren let euery man bee swift to heare slow to speake and slow to wrath Iam. 1. 19. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God verse 20. Look diligently least any man faile of the grace of God least any root of bitternesse spring vp and trouble you and thereby many be defiled Heb 12. 15. Consider thy selfe least thou also be tempted Gal. 6. 1. Let him among you that is without sinne cast the first stone Ioh. 8. 7. Hee shall haue iudgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy reioyceth against iudgement Iam. 3. 13. And they heard the voice of the Lord in the coole of the day walking in the garden c. Gen. 3. 8. And after the earthquake there was a fire but God was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice verse 12. in which voice God was And it was so when Eliah heard it c. verse 13. Neuerthelesse for thy great mercies sake thou diddest not vtterly consume them nor forsake them for thou art a gracious and mercifull God Nehem. 9. 31. God said to Ionah Doest thou well to be angry for thy Gourd Ion. 4. 9. Thou hast pitie on the Gourd for which thou hast not laboured which came in a night and perished in a night verse 10. And should not I spare Nineueh that great
Lord in the depth of thy Wisdome finde meanes to helpe my ignorance in the depth of thy goodnesse to ouercome my wickednesse in the depth of thy mercy to relieue my misery Inlighten mine vnderstanding that I may know mine ignorance rectifie my will that I may detest my wickednesse and mollifie my heart that I may bewaile my misery and by faith incorporate me into thy Sonne Iesus Christ that I may be partaker of his knowledge righteousnesse and happinesse As he made my ignorance his ignorance and my sinne his sinne and my misery his misery by taking vpon him my guilt and satisfying for my punishment so make thou I beseech thee his Wisdome my instruction his Righteousnes my sanctification and his Glory my happinesse Consider mee I beseech thee not as I am in my selfe defiled but as I am in him washed not as I am in my selfe naked but as I am in him clothed not as I am in my selfe wounded but as I am in him healed not as in my selfe a childe of wrath but as in him reconciled and at peace with thee And hauing my peace made with thee by his chastisement grant that I may haue peace as farre as it is possible with all men especially with all the children of peace Let mee euer remember and consider that thou my Father art the God of peace and thy Sonne my Sauiour the Prince of peace and his Law the Gospell of peace and his Seruants the Children of peace whose duty is the study of peace and the marke they principally aime at as the end of their faith the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding O let mee striue and contend against strife and contention as a thing most hatefull to thee hurtfull to my neighbour and most of all preiudiciall to my selfe by endangering my person and state disturbing the quietnesse of my minde hindring me in the prosecution of my businesse and which is worst of all making me indisposed and altogether vnfit for the performance of diuine duties Teach me of what spirit I am or should be euen of that which descended vpon thy Sonne in the likenesse of a Doue without Gall By this spirit mortifie in me the lusts and affections of the flesh as enuy wrath reuenge and the like By the still voice in which thou spakest to Elias let mee learne that thou art not in the fire of my rage nor in the storme of my passion but in the saft gale of grace Lord who on this day replenishedst the Sea and Riuers with fish and Aire with Fowles in shapes admirably various and in number almost infinite stir me vp by the consideration thereof to admire thy power wisdome in thus storing and as it were peopling this vaste and fearefull seeming solitude and much more to magnifie thy goodnesse in thus richly and daintily furnishing the tables of men Blessed Lord who this day madest the waters fruitfull let thy Spirit moue vpon the waters of my teares that they may abound in the fruits of repentance and bee blessed in the encrease of spirituall consolatious Lord who this day commandest the Fowles to flye through the aire lift vp my soule from the earth with the wings of faith and hope that she may flye vp towards Heauen Make mee light and cheerefull after my heauy sorrowes and grieuous afflictions that though I haue beene as blacke and sad in my heart and countenance as if I had layen among the pots yet I may be by the grace of thy Spirit which descended in the likenesse of a Doue like that Doue whose wings are siluer and her feathers like gold So be it Amen The close out of Scripture God grant that my loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement Phil. 1 9. That I may discerne things that differ one from another that I may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ ver 10. Filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Chirst vnto the glory and praise of God ver 11. The Deuotion for Thursday Euening THE HYMNE Wherein the deuout soule expresseth her desire of prayer for peace Publike Priuate THE TEXTS BEhold how good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwel together in vnity Ps. 133. 1. It is like the precious Ointment vpon the head that ranne downe vpon the Beard euen Aarons Beard and went downe to the skirts of his clothing v. 2. As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended vpon the Mountaine of Sion for there the Lord promiseth his blessings and life for euermore ver 3. Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Meseck and to haue my habitation in the tents of Kedar Psal. 120. 4. My soule hath long dwelt among them that be enemies vnto peace ver 5. I labour for peace but when I speake to them therof they make themselues ready to battaile v. 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Psal. 122 6. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Palaces ver 7. For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee ver 8. Because of the house of the Lord my God I will seeke thy good ver 9. The Admonition for Thursday Euening being an Exhortation to Patience the eightth BEATITVDE THE ANALYSIS All true Christians must valiantly and cheerfully endure troubles for the Gospell in respect of 1 God his Will. Power Ordinance 2 Christ his Loue. Example Sympathy with vs. 3 The Saints Practice Encouragement 4 The enemies Conuersion or Conuiction 5 Our selues who therby receiue 1 Tryall 2 Ioy. 3 Assurance of God's loue 4 Quiet fruit of Righteousnes 5 Holinesse and perfection 6 Life 7 Protection 8 Honor before God 9 Inestimable rewards 1 In this life 2 In the life to come THE TEXTS IN the world ye shall haue afflictions Iob 6. 33. I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hadst done it Psal. 39. 9. Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit their soules to him in well doing as their faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4. vlt. Who hath euer resisted his Will Rom. 9. 19. He is able to subdue all things to himselfe Phil. 3. 21. We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. All that liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecutions 2 Tim. 3. 12. Thou therefore endure hardnesse as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 2. 3. You shal be hated of all men for my Names sake Luke 21. 17. The loue of Christ constraineth vs because wee thus iudge that if One dyed for all then all were dead 2 Cor. 5. 14. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or distresse or persecution or famine or sword Rom. 8. 35. Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus
is impossible for those who were once enlightened and haue tasted the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost Heb. 6. 4 It they shall fall away to renew them to repentance c. ver 5. The Angels which kept not their first estate he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Iud 6. THE PRAYER FOR Saturday Morning composed of Petitions sutable to the rest of the Father and the Sonne on this day Motiues to perseueraÌ„ce agreeable to the subsequent exhortation ALmightie Creator of heauen and earth and all things therein who this day restedst froÌ„ all thy workes and blessedst it grant to me after the painefull laboures and trauailes of this life are ended a sweete blessed and comfortable rest with thee in heauen where I may keepe a continuall Sabbath hold a perpetuall feast sing an euerlasting song weare an incorruptible crowne possess an eternall inheritance and fully enioy thee in all things and all things in thee in endlesse quietnesse ioy content and rest This rest is the marke at which all my desires aime this is the price for which all my endeauouâ—s runne this is the hauen to which by the gales of thy spirit my christian course driues For in this rest there is perfect tranquillitie and in this tranquillitie contentment and in this contentment ioy and pleasure and in this ioy and pleasure varietie and in this varietie securitie and in this securitie eternitie This is the end without end to which all my labours in thy seruice and sufferings for thee through my whole life tend vnto Here I haue labour without rest there shall be rest without labour here perturbations without tranquillitie there tranquillitie without perturbations here desire without content there content without desire heere paine and sorrowes without sincere pleasures and ioy there ioyes and pleasures without all paine and sorrowes heere satiety of delights without variety there variety without satiety here feare without safety there safety without feare heere a sudden end without ioy there ioyes without end Wherefore I beseech thee heauenly Father loosen my desires and affections from the things that are belowe and knit them to the things that are aboue Breake and dissolue the vnlawfull contracts betweene my soule and the creatures and marrte her to thee in righteousnesse Breede in me more and more the loathing of the forbidden fruit and a longing for the fruits of the tree of life Let mee not leane vpon the reedes of Aegypt which will breake vnder me and the splinters run into my body Let mee not repose my selfe vnder Ionâ—s's worme-eaten gourd but the sollid wood of Christ's Crosse. Let me not set vp my rest on this side of Iordan but passe ouer into the celestiall Canaan And because death is the narrow passage betweene this life and the life to come let mee not so much feare this cut as I doe for on this side I leaue labour sorrow sinne shame vexation anxiety paine and mortality and on the other side I finde rest righteousnesse glory contentment pleasure and immortality It is but a short passage and my Sauiour hath made it safe All thy Saints either haue or shall passe it ouer I lose nothing in this passage my soule is presently transported and though my body stay a while heere yet it shall follow in due time And no sooner this darke world and the shadow of it goes out of sight but the glorious light of heauen shineth vpon me I see streetes of gold and gates of pearle and foundations garnished with all sorts of pretious stones I shall behold thee the Father in thy Maiesty Christ thy Sonne in his glory the Spirit in his sanctity the Arch-angels and Angels in their excellency and the Saints in their felicity I shall then hunger no more I shall labour no more I shall trauell no more I shall feare no more I shall grieue no more I shall desire no more I shall need no more any house for the heauen heauen of heauens shall be my habitation nor Temple for God shall bee my Temple nor light for the Lambe shall be my light O Lord let the hope and expectation of this euerlasting rest and happinesse sweeten all my labours and ease my torment and mittigate my sorrowes and comfort my heart that I faile not in my labour nor tyre in my trauell nor sinke vnder my burdens nor fall vnder my crosses nor die for sorrow of my wounds receiued in the Lord's battailes but hold on cheerefully strenuously and valiantly till I ariue at the land of promise and there receiue the lot of mine inheritance with the Saints in light So be it Amen The close out of Scripture The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding preserue my heart and minde through Iesus Christ Phil 4. 7. The Deuotion for Saturday Euening THE HYMNE I Will blesse the Lord at all times his praise shall bee in my mouth continually Psal. 34. 1. O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layed vp for them that feare thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men Psal. 31. 19. Blessed be the Lord for hee hath shewed mee meruailous kindnesse v. 21. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth vs with benefits euen the God of our saluation Psal. 68. 19. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits Psal. 116. 12. O loue the Lord all yee his Saints for the Lord preserueth the faithfull and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer Ps. 31. 23. Behold the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and vpon them that hope in his mercie Ps. 33. 18. To deliuer their soule from death and to keepe theÌ„ aliue in famine v. 19. Though I haue layen among the pots yet shall I bee as the wings of a Doue couered with siluer and her feathers with yellow gold Psal. 68. 13. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of all Psal. 34. 19. He keepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken v. 20. Why art thou cast downe ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Psal. 42. 11. THE TEXTS IN. Adam all dye 1 Cor. 15. 22. It is appointed to men once to dye Heb. 9. 27. Death went ouer all Rom. 5. 12. Man that is borne of a woman is but of few dayes Iob. 14. 1. Hee commeth forth like a flower and is cut downe he flyeth away as a shadow and continueth not verse 2. And where is he verse 10. When the breath of man goeth forth hee shall turne againe to his earth and then all his thoughts perish Psal. 146. 3. Man lyeth downe and riseth not till the heauens be no more Iob 14. verse 14. They shall not be awaked nor raised out of their sleepe v. 14. Thou hast made my
A good conscience is a continuall feast Prouerbes 15. 15. For our reioycing is this the testimonie of a good conscience 2. Cor. 1. 12. We trust we haue a good conscience in all things Heb. 13. 18. If our hearts condemne vs not we haue confidence towards God 1. Ioh. 3. 31. Who shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious bodie Phil 3. 20. See 1. Cor. 15. Entire If we beleeue that Iesus Christ was dead and is risen euen so them which are asleepe in Iesus God shall bring with him 1. Thess. 4. 14. To the spirits of iust men made perfect Heb. 12. 23. The begger died and was carried into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. 22. This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luk. 23. 43. We know that if our earthly tabernacle be dissolued we haue a building not made with hands eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5. 1. We would not be vncloathed but cloathed vpon that mortalitie may be swallowed vp of life ver 4. While we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lord ver 6. We are confident that when we are absent from the bodie we are present with the Lord ver 8. vid. supra Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. There is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all that looke for his comming 2. Tim. 4. 8. Then we which are aliue and remaine shall be caught vp together with them in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire so shall we be alwayes with the Lord 1. Thess. 4. 17. Then the righteous shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of my Father Mat. 13. 43. THE PRAYER FOR Saturday Euening composed of Petitions sutable to the rest of Christ in the graue Motiues to perseuerance agreeable to the precedent exhortation in the Morning I Blesse and magnifie thy glorious Maiestie wisdome and omnipotencie ô Lord high possessor of heauen and earth as for all thy wonderfull workes in the sixe dayes so also for thy holy rest on this day whereby thou assurest me of eternall rest in heauen And I beseech thee of thy goodnesse which answereth thy greatnesse to distill the dew of thy blessings as vpon my daily labours so vpon my rest in the night that it may recouer my spirits and refresh my faculties and repaire my strength and put me in minde of that comfortable rest which they enioy who lie in the bosome of Abraham and sleepe in Iesus who this day lay in his sepulchre yet saw there no corruption For thy promise thou madest good not to leaue his soule in hell nor to suffer thine holy one to see corruption O Lord I entirely desire thee to burie all my sins especially those which this day and weeke hath added to the totall summe in his graue and teach me by it to burie in the pit of eternall obliuion not onely my brethrens trespasses against me but also all those sinfull baites which haue heretofore allured me to any kinde of vicious leudnesse Grant that I may more and more feele the power as of Christs death in the mortification of my fleshly members and so of his burial in the coÌ„quering of the horror of the graue For as thou hast threatned death saying O death I will be thy death so thou hast threatned the graue also saying O graue or corruption I will be thy corruption or destruction And what though my flesh be all consumed to bones yet thy spirit blowing vpon dead bones can reuiue them and couple them againe with sinnewes and cloathe them with flesh What though these bones be resolued into dust yet thou which madest it of nothing canst as easily restore it and reare it out of that which is as lirtle or next neighbour to nothing Thou which raisedst thy Sonne from death shaâ—t raise and change my vile bodie and make it like vnto his glorious bodie by that power whereby thou art able to subdue all things vnto thy selfe Make my heart hewen out of a harder rocke them thy Sonnes sepulchre was a fit receptacle not for dead but for liuing Iesus As that sepulchre neuer receiued any but Iesus so let my heart entertaine nothing but thee Make me a pure and chaste soule that as thy Sonne was borne of a Virgins wombe and lay buried in a virgine tombe so he may abide in my virgin and vndefiled soule Remoue the heauie stone from my heart as thou diddest that great stone from his sepulchre As he neuer returned to his sepulchre after he came out of it so grant that when thou hast perfectly raised me out of the graue of sin I may neuer returne to it againe And as he kept Sabbath in his graue and obserued thy statutes in life and in death and fulfilled all righteousnesse so grant I may both in life and death accomplish thy holy will And as hee neuer rested till he had cried out All is finished so grant that I may not be wearie of well-doing nor giue ouer my heauenly race of godlinesse till I may say It is finished Endue me with power from aboue and gird about me thy whole armour that I may fight a good fight against the world the flesh and the diuell and finish my course in the full discharge of my calling and keepe the faith to the end and in the end receiue that incorruptible crowne of glory which thou the righteous Iudge wilt giue to all that loue the second comming of thy Sonne And behold thou commest with the cloudes and all eyes shall see euen they that nailed thee and all kindreds of the earth shall mourne before thâ—e yea and Amen So be it The close out of Scripture Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they are and haue beene created Reu. â— 11. Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glory praise Reu. 5. 12 The Childe-bearing Woman's Deuotion In her traueile After her traueile THE ADMONITION THE ANALYSIS Religious women ought patiently and comfortably to endure the paines of childe-birth considering 1. That fruitfulnesse is a speciall blessing and honour to a woman 2. That these paines were the punishments and are the memorials of Eue's transgression 3. That the hope of children who may be members of Christ heires of saluation asswageth the paines for the present and the ioy for them afterwards extinguisheth the memory of them 4. That they haue daily experiments of God's strange deliuerances especially in this kinde 5. That childe-bearing hath a promise annexed vnto it of a blessing Temporal Spiritual if the mothers bee faithfull and so continue THE TEXTS O Lord God of Hoasts if thou wilt indeede looke vpon the affliction of thine Hand-maid and wilt not
mee in mind of thy rest from thy workes and assure me thereby of an euerlasting Sabbath in heauen from my works Into which rest that I may enter stirre vp my good desires in me raise my thoughts and affections to the things that are abâ—ue Renew mee according to the Image of thy Sonne and frame my life to a heauenly conuersation Enlighten my vnderstanding sanctifie my will moderate my desires gouerne my affections mortifie my fleshly members and destroy the man of sinne in me and deliuer me from this bodie of death Worke in me a feare of thy power and loue of thy goodnes and zeale of thy glorie and thirst of thy grace an earnest desire and constant resolution as much as in me lyeth to approue my selfe to thee in all things and frame all my actions to the rule of thy word Heare me I beseech thee for my selfe and for thy Church and thy Church for me and Christ for vs all c. saying Righteous Father keepe them from euill sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth The close out of Scripture The glorie which thou hast giuen me giue them that they may bee one as thou and I are one So bee it heauenly Father for thy Sonn's sake by the grace of thy holy Spirit To whom be all honour praise glorie and thanksgiuing from euerlasting to euerlasting Amen AN ADMONITION for the Sabbath Euening THE ANALYSIS The fittest subiect of contemplation on the Sabbath is the meditation on the eternall Sabbath in heauen of which the Sabbath on earth is a type Consider it two wayes Priuately there is No sinne No tempter or temptation No thraldome or seruitude No labour or toyle No sorrow or griefe No paine or torment No night or darkenesse No death No curse No feare Positiuely there are Euerlasting habitations Indefiezable estates of inheritance Royall honours and dignities Inualuable wealth and riches Vnspeakable ioyes and pleasures in the Sight and fruition of God Societie with Christ Companie with all Saints Angels Glorification of our bodies PerfectioÌ„ of our soules in Knowledge Righteousnesse Loue vnion with God THE TEXTS WE looke for a new heauen and a new earth according to his promises in which dwelleth righteousnes 2. Pet. 3. 13. The Dragon fought with his Angels Reu. 12. 7. But they preuitled not neither was their place found any more in heauen ver 8. And the Dragon that old Serpent called the Diuell and Satan was cast out c. ver 9. Reioyce yee heauens and yee that dwell in them The creature shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 21. There remaineth a rest for the people of God Heb. 4 9. Bessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours Reu. 14. 13. God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes Reu. 7. 17. They shall hunger no more nor thirst any more neither shall the Sun-light on them nor any heate Reu. 7. 16. And there shall bee no night there and they shall neede no candle nor the light of the Sunne for the Lord God giueth them light c. Reu. 22. 5. There shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed Reu. 21. 4. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and of the Lambe shall be in it Reu. 22. 3. Your ioy shall no man take away from you Ioh. 16. 22. That they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Luk. 16. 9. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a building giuen of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5. 1. An inheritance immortall and vndefiled that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you 1. Pet 1. 4. They striue for a corruptible but wee for an incorruptible crowne 1. Cor. 9. 25. When the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare ye shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glorie 1. Pet. 5. 4. Take inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you Mat. 25. 34. It is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome Luk. 12. 32 They shall raigne for euermore Reu. 22. 5. And the building of the wall was of Iasper and the Citie was pure gold like to cleare glasse Reu. 21. 18. And the foundations of the walls were garnished with all manner of precious stones ver 19. And the gates were twelue pearles ver 21. The things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither can enter into mans heart to conceiue are which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2. 9. In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. 12. They shall bee satisfied with the fulnesse of thy house and thou shalt giue them drink out of the riuer of thy pleasures Psal. 36. 8. For with thee is the well of life c. verse 9. I know that my redeemer liueth and I shall see God in my flesh Ioh. 19. 25. Now we see in a glasse darkly but then wee shall see face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. And they shall see his face and his name shall bee in their foreheads Reu. 22. 4. As for me I will behold thy presence in righteousnesse and when I awake vp after thy likenesse I shall be satisfied with it Ps. 17. 16. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen may bee where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17. 24. These follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth Reuelation 14. 4. Wee are come to the Mount Sion and to the City of the liuing God and to the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels Heb. 12. 22. And to the Congregation of the first-borne which are written in heauen c. verse 23. This corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality 1 Cor. 15. 13. The glory of the earthly is one and the glory of the heauenly is another verse 40. There is one glory of the Sun and another of the Moone and another glory of the Starres for one starre differeth from another starre in glory verse 41. So also is the resurrection of the dead c. verse 42. He shall change our vile body and make it fashioned like vnto his glorious body Philippians 3. 21. They that be wise shall shine as the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starres for euer Daniel 12. 3. Now I know but in part but then I shall know as I am knowne 1 Cor. 13. 12. We are come to the congregation of the first-borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men Heb. 12. 23. When that which is perfect shall
to God with confidence 7 The guidance of the spirit 8 An incorruptible inheritance THE TEXTS EXcept a man bee borne againe hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 3. Except a man be borne of water and the spirit c. verse 5. Ye were darknesse but now yee are light in the Lord. Ephes. 5. 9. The creature shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God Rom. 5. 21. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neither can hee sinne because he is borne of God 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vndâ—â— the Law but vnder grace 〈…〉 6. 14. As many as receiued 〈…〉 them he gaue power to 〈…〉 Sonnes of God euen to them that belieue on his name Ioh. 1. 12. Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God verse 13. That he might redeeme them that are vnder the Law and that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. 5. And to the congregation of the first-borne Heb. 12. 23. Of his owne will begat hee vs with the Word of truth that we should bee the first fruits of his creatures Iam. 1. 18. Wee haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father Rom 8. 11. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 14. Blessed bee God the Father of 〈◊〉 Lord Iesus Christ which 〈◊〉 to his abundant mercy 〈◊〉 vs againe vnto a 〈◊〉 â—pe 1 Pet. 1. 3. To an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you verse 4. The same spirit testifieth to our spirits that we are the children of God Rom 8. 6. If we be children then heires euen the heires of God and coheirs annexed with Christs verse 17. A Hymne for the Natiuity of our Lord consisting of fowre parts 1. God the Fathers 2. Christs 3. The Prophets 4. The Churches Glory be to God on High in earth peace good will to men THe Lord euen the most mighty God hath spoken and called the world from the rising vp of the Sunne to the going downe thereof Ps. 50. 1. Out of Sion hath God appeared in perfect beauty verse 2. Saluation is nigh them that feare him that glory may dwell on the earth Psal. 85. 9. Mercy and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other verse 10. Truth shall flourish on the earth and righteousnesse hath looked downe from heauen ver 11. Thou art fairer then the children of men full of grace are thy lipps because God hath blessed thee for euer Psal. 45. 3. Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherfore God euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes verse 8. O Lord my God great are thy wonderous workes which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to vs ward yet there is no man that ordereth them vnto thee Psal. 40. 6. If I would declare or speake of them they should be more in number then I am able to expresse verse 7. Sacrifice and meate offerings thou wouldest not haue but mine eares hast thou opened verse 8. Burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required then said I Loe I come verse 9. In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to doe it yea thy law is in my heart verse 10. I haue declared thy righteousnesse in the great congregation Loe I will not refraine my lipps ô Lord and that thou knowest verse 11. I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart my talking hath beene of thy truth and of thy saluation verse 12. I wil preach the lawe whereof the Lord hath said vnto me Thou art my Sonne this day haue I bogotten thee Psal. 2. 7. He shall call me Thou art my Father my God and my strong saluation Psal. 89. 27. And I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth verse 28. Shew vs thy mercy ô Lord and grant vs thy saluation Psal. 85. 7. Lord saue vs now Lord sende vs now prosperity Through thy tender mercy whereby this day spring from on high hath visited vs. To giue light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feete into the way of peace Cant. Zach. The Prayer GRatious Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of man the ioy of Angels and dread of diuels the Iewes Messiah the Gentiles starre the hope of the liuing and resurrection of the dead the way to all that come vnto thee the truth to all them that know thee and the life to all them that belieue in thee Make good all thy glorious gratious titles to me Lord protect me Iesu saue me Christ my anointed King rule me my anointed Priest sanctifie me my anointed Prophet reueale vnto mee the secrets of thy Kingdome O Christ whose name is an oyntment powred out annoint me with the oyle of gladnesse this day aboue others This is the day which the Lord hath made I wil reioyce and be glad in it nay I dare take the note higher This is the day in which the Lord was made I will exult and triumph in it Thou which madest all dayes wert this day made of a woman and made vnder the Law From all eternity it was neuer heard that eternity entred into the Kalender of time supreame Maiesty descended into the wombe immensity was comprehended infinity bounded vbiquity inclosed and the Deity incarnated Yet this day it was seene for this day the Word became flesh God became man and to effect this wonderfull mystery a Virgin became a Mother One deepe calleth vpon another one miracle begetteth another The Sunne bringeth forth all other dayes but this day brought thee forth the Sonne of righteousnesse If wee set our voices and instruments and heart-strings to the highest straine of ioy at the birth of great Kings and Princes What ought I to doe this day on which thou the king of heauen wast born vpon the earth At the mariage of great Personages men giue full scope to all manner of expressions of carnall ioy euen oftentimes to the very surfeit of the senses with pleasure How then should I bee rauished with spirituall ioy at this time when heauen and earth the diuine nature and humane were married The contract was in heauen before all times but the marriage was this day consummated in the vndefiled bedde of the Virgin Lord who this day cammest downe to me draw me vp to thee and giue me accesse with more confidence and bouldnesse for now thou art become my brother and ally by bloud The rayes of thy diuine Maiesty will not dazle the eyes of
in the heart onely or sinnes brought forth into act Sinnes in my beliefe or sinnes in my life Sinnes once committed or often repeated Sinnes before or after my calling Sinnes of impiety against thee or sinnes of iniquity against my neighbour or sins of impurity against mine owne flesh for of all these I haue a great loade They are more in number then the haires of my head they are a burden too heauy for me to beare They lie vpon my conscience like so many Talents of lead and would presse mee downe to hell did not thy mercy take hold of the hand of my faith to support me in hope euen aboue hope How should I hope if I thinke vpon thy greatnesse How should I not hope if I think vpon thy goodnesse How should I hope if I weigh my sinnes How should I not hope if I weigh thy merits How should I hope if I consider my actions How should I not hope if I consider thy passions How should I hope if I number my transgressions How should I not hope if I number thy blessings and fauours towards mee How should I hope if I remember how oft I haue refused grace after it hath bin offered to mee How can I but hope if I remember how oft grace hath bin offered mee after I refused it And still hope I wil as long as thou reteinest thy name Iesu which this day thou receiuedst when thou offeredst the first fruits of thy blood for my sin without which thou couldest not haue bin my Iesus For so fowle and festered were my soares that nothing could heale them but a bloody knife But why should this bloody instrument be applyed to thy purest tenderest immaculate flesh made all of Virgins blood There was no superfluity to be pared off in thee no ranke blood to bee let out The superfluous skinne was on me yet the knife is on thee The festered sores were in my body yet the Launce is in thy flesh Thou hast the paine I the ease thou the smart I the cure O wonderfull cure O more wonderfull loue Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings as thou hast ordained so maist thou iustly chalenge praise who in thy infancy madest such an assay of my redemption and tendered the earnest of thy blood for me Not nine dayes old thou sheddest dropps of blood for me farre more precious then so many drops of the richest balsamom to cure my wounds Let all flesh praise thee who healedst it by thy wounds Eternall thankes be giuen to thee for thy circumcision whereby thou hast abolished circumcision it selfe and prouided mee an easier remedy of originall sinne the sacred lauer of regeneration Water now serueth insteede of blood and a gentle rubbing of the flesh for cutting and wounding it By the circumcision of thy flesh thou hast also merited for me the fulfilling of thy fathers promise and condition of his couenant to circumcise the foreskinne of our hearts By this thy razor thou hast fitted the tables of my heart now write thy lawes loue in them By receiuing this seale of the couenant in thy flesh thou hast sealed to me thy care of mee in thy nonage First ô Lord I am euerlastingly to praise thee for taking my flesh vp on thee and next for leauing part of it with mee as a pledg of thy loue thou bearedst for me from thy mothers wombe In thy infancy thou bleddest for me in thy twelfth yere thou arguedst for me in thy youth thou obeyedst for me and in thy ripe perfect age thou sufferedst and dyedst for me To thee therefore as it is my bounden duty I offer the budds of my childe-hood the blossoms of my youth and the fruits of my age As thou betimes didst set to the worke of my redemption and and on those termes acceptedst the name Iesus so let me betimes giue my name to thee and enter into thy seruice Let mee beare thy yoke euen from my youth Lord who this day wert circumcised in the flesh circumcise me in the heart that I may in purity sincerity and vprightnesse of heart walke before thee all the dayes of my life Neither circumcise my heart onely but my eares eyes hands heart and feete that no superfluity of maliciousnesse nor impurity remaine in me Now thou hast renewed the face of the earth renew this day and repaire thy decaied Image in me Thou hast begunne a new yeere beginne in me a new reformation Make me I beseech thee a cleane heart and renew a right spirit within me The yeere like the serpent hath cast off his old skinne and put on a new let mee also cast off my old man and put on the new man and from this day to my old age and death walke in newnesse of life that I may be a fit guest to be admitted into the new heauen where dwelleth righteousnesse and to be entertained at thy table and drinke new wine with thee in thy heauenly Kingdome for euermore Amen THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY OR TWELFE-DAYE'S DEVOTION The ground of this feast Prophecie in the old History in the new Testament of our Lords manifestation to the gentiles PARALELL Prophecie There shall come a starre out of Iacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel Num. 24. 17. History Lo the starre which they saw in the east went before them till it came to the place where the childe was Mat. 2. 9. When they saw the starre they were exceeding glad and went into the house and found the childe with Mary his mother verse 10. The daughter of Tyre shall bee there with a gift like as the rich also among the people shall doe homage before thy face with presents Psal. 45. 12. They fel down and worshipped him Mat. 2. 11. Kings shall bring presents vnto thee Psal. 68 29. The kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts Psal. 72. 10. And opened their treasures and presented to him c. Mat. 2. 11. All thy garments smel of Mirrh Aloes and Cassia Psal. 45. 9. To him shall be giuen of the gould of Arabia c. Psal. 72. 15. Gold and incense Mirrh Mat. 2. 11. For thy instruction meditate on the Prophecy Historie of Christ's manifestatiō For thy comfort apply to thy selfe the benefits thereof For thy correction reprooue thy backwardnesse in comming to Christ and honouring him with thy substance Quicken Thy Charitie by the admonition Thy FAITH by the Psalme Thy Zeale and deuotion by the prayer THE ADMONITION for Twelfe-day THE ANALYSIS We ought freely and liberally to offer to God and his Church because we haue in Scriptures Commandements for it Examples of it Promises vnto it Threats to the cōtrary THE TEXTS TAke from among you an offering to the Lord Whosoeuer is of a willing heart let him bring it an offering of the Lord c. Exod. 35. 5. Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase Prou. 3. 9. Be reconciled to thy brother and then
the earth and of them that remaine in the broad Sea ver 5. Thou stillest the raging of the Sea and the noise of the waues and the madnesse of his people ver 7. They that dwell in the vttermost parts of the earth shall bee afraid of thy tokens thou that makest the our goings of the Morning and Euening to praise thee ver 8. Thou visitest the earth and blessest it thou makest it very plenteous ver 9. Thou waterest her furrowes thou sendest raine into the little Vallies thereof thou makest it sofi with the drops of raine and blessest the encrease of it ver 11. Thou crownest thy yeeres with thy goodnesse and thy clouds drop fatnesse ver 12. They shall drop vpon the dwellings of the wildernesse and the little hils shall reioyce on euery side ver 13. Hee gathereth the waters of the Sea together and layeth vp the deepe as in a Treasure-house Psal. 33. 7. O praise the Lord of Heauen praise him in the height Psal. 148. 1. Praise him all ye Heauens and ye waters that bee aboue the Heauens ver 4. Praise the Lord vpon earth yee Dragons and all deepes ver 7. Fire and Haile Snow and vapours wind and storme fulfilling his Word ver 8. Sing vnto God ò ye Kingdomes of the earth ô sing praises vnto the Lord Psal. 68. 32. Which sitteth in the Heauens ouer all from the beginning loe he doth send out his voice yea and that a mighty voice ver 33. Ascribe ye power vnto God his worship and strength are in the Clouds ver 34. The Admonition for Munday being an Exhortation to humility or pouerty in Spirit Wherunto our Sauiour ascribeth the first BEATITVDE THE ANALYSIS The speciall motiues to humility set down in the Scriptures are 1 God's infinite Majestie puritie perfection 2 Mans vilenesse sinfulnesse wretchednesse wants of vvhich before See the Preparation to Prayer 3 Diuine Precepts 4 Holy patterns of this vertue in God the Father Christ. The Saints vnder the Lawe Gospell 5 Gratious promises made to the humble of 1 Neerenesse societie with God 2 Sauing knowledge 3 Sanctifying grace 4 Honour and preferment 5 Eternal blessednes in heauen THE TEXTS TAke my Yoake vpon you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and you shall finde rest to your soules Mat. 11. 29. Vnlesse yee become as one of these little ones yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Mat. 18. 23. Cast downe your selues before the Lord and he will lift you vp Iam. 4. 10. Decke your selues inwardly with lowlinesse of minde 1. Pet. 5. 5. Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God that he may raise you in due time verse 6. Who is like to the Lord our God that hath his dwelling on high and yet humbleth himselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and in earth Psal. 113. 5. I am among you as hee that ministreth Luke 22. 17. And he began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the towell wherewith hee was girded Iohn 13. 5. He emptied himselfe or made himselfe of no reputation Phil. 2. 7. He humbled himselfe and became obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. 8. I will speake vnto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 17. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shewed to thy seruant Gen. 32. 10. And he said wherewith shall I saue Israel Behold my Father is poore in Manasseth and I am the least in my fathers house Iude 6. 15. Lord I am not high-minded c. Psal. 131. 1. And Dauid said vnto Saul who am I and what is my life and my father's family in Israel that I shall bee sonne in Law to a King 1. Sam. 18. 18. And now O Lord my God thou hast made thy seruant King in stead of Dauid my father and I am but a little child I know not how to goe in and out 1. King 3. 7. Notwithstanding Ezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart both hee and the inhabitants of Ierusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not vp them 2. Chron. 32. 20. Then Iob arose and rent his Mantle and shaued his head and fell downe vpon the ground and worshipped Iob 1. 20. O Lord God righteousnesse belongeth to thee but to vs confusion of face at this day Dan. 9. 7. He that commeth after me is greater then I whose shoo-latchet I am not worthy to vnloose Math. 3. 11. When hee was not farre from the house the Centurian sent vnto him saying Master trouble not thy selfe I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder the roofe of my house Luke 7. 6. When Simon Peter saw it hee fell downe on his knees saying Goe from me Lord for I am a sinfull man Luke 5. 8. The Publicane standing a farre off would not lift vp his eyes to heauen but striking his breast said Lord be mercifull to mee a sinner Luke â—8 15. I am the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle c. 1. Cor. 11. 9. Iesus Christ came to saue sinners whereof I am chiefe 1. Tim. 1. 15. I am the Rose of the field and the Lilly of the valleys Cant. 2. 1. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble contrite heart to reuiue the spirit of the humble Is. 57. 15 To this man will I look euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word Isa. 66. 2. When pride commeth then commeth shame but with the lowly is wisedome Prou. 11. 2. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and reuealed them vnto babes Math. 11. 21. Hee giueth more grace wherefore hee saith God resisteth the proud but giueth grace to the humble Iam. 4. 6. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty but before honour is humilitie Pro. 18. 1â— Hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Luke 14. 11. He raiseth the poore out of the mire and lifteth the needie out of the dunghill Psal. 113. 7. That he may set him with Princes euen with the Princes of his people verse 8. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Mat. 5. 3. THE PRAYER FOR Munday morning composed of 1. Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2. Motiues to humilitie agreeable to the precedent exhortation The Prayer it selfe The second dayes Deuotion FAther Almighty maker of heauen and earth who createdst the Euening and the Morning the second day as wel as the first Continue I beseech thee vnto mee as well the comfortable rest of the Euening to refresh mee after my labour and trauaile as the most needfull light of the Morning to manage my affaires and businesses But especially perpetuatt vnto mee the repose of a quieâ—
Citie wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left and also much cattell verse 11. Tell the daughter of Soon Behold the King commeth vnto thee meeke Mat. 21. 5. He shall not striue nor crie neither shall any man heare his voice in the streets Mat. 1â— 19. A bruised reede shall hee not breake nor smoking flaxe shall hee not quench verse 20. I beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 1. The said Lord wilt thou command that wee call for fire from heauen c. Luk. 9. 54. But hee turned and rebuked them and said yee know not of what spirit yee are made verse 55. Loe the heauens were opened vnto him and hee saw the Spirit descending like a Doue and lightening vpon him Math. 3. 16. Now Moses was a very meeke man aboue all the men that were vpon the face of the earth Num. 12. 3. Let him curse seeing the Lord hath said vnto mee Curse Dauid who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so 2. Sam. 16. 10. My soule is euen as a weaned child Psal. 131. 3. But I was like a Lambe or an Oxe that is brought to the slaughter and I knew not that they had deuised deuises against me Ier. 11. 19. Iesus said it is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to Dogs Mar. 7. 27. And shee said vnto him Yes Lord yet the dogges vnder the table eate of the childrens crums verse 28. But wee were gentle among you euen as a nurse cherisheth her children 1. Thes. 2. 7. Thy name is as an ointment powred out Cant. 1. The anointment which ye haue receiued of him abideth in you 1. Ioh. 2. 27. I will giue them hearts of flesh Ezek. 11. 19. I send you as Lambes among wolues Luke 10. 3. Behold the Lambe of God c. Ioh. 1. 29. Hee was led as a sheepe to the slaughter and like a Lambe dumb before the shearer so opened hee not his mouth Acts 8. 32. Be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doues Mat 10. 16. Learne that I am meeke and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules Math 11. 29. The meeke shall prosper in the earth and shall delight themselues in the aboundance of peace Psal. 37. 11. The Lord lifteth vp the meeke Psal. 147. 6. The meeke shall hee guide in iudgement and the meeke will he teach his way Psal. 25. 9. Who is a wise man and indued with knowledge among you let him shew out of a good conuersation his workes in meekenesse of wisedome Iam. 3. 13. Receiue with meekenesse the word ingraffed in you which is able to saue your soules Iam. 1. 21. The wisedome which is from aboue is first pure then peaceable Iam. 3. 17. And the fruits of righteousnesse are sowne in peace of them that make peace verse 18. Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth Mat. 5. 5. The Prayer for Munday-Euening Composed of 1 Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2 Motiues to meeknesse agreeable to the precedent exhortation O Lambe of God which takest away the sinnes of the world who as vpon this day wert led as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a Lambe before thy Shearers openedst not thy mouth who gauest thy back to the smiters and thy cheeks to the nippers and thine armes to the binders and thy face to the spitters apply I beseech thee vnto mee these thy meeke sufferings Make that profitable to mee which thou enduredst for me Let thy bonds O meeke Redeemer set me free let thy silence pleade for me let thy spittle cure my blindnesse let thy stripes heale me let thy nakednesse cloth me and let thy meekenesse in all discipline me If thou who in the forme of God thoughtest it no robbery to be equall with God yet humbledst thy selfe didst become obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse shall not I meekely submit my necke to the yoke If thou who art God didst empty thy selfe and become of no reputation shall I that am but a worme of the earth fill my selfe and swell with pride If thou suffâ—redst blowes shall not I an affront If thou the Beauty of Heauen enduredst spitting vpon shall not I endure the fome of a loose tongue Shall I for a word of disgrace venter my owne life and assault the life of my brother Doe I value the life of my body and soule so low that I will pawne it for a toy a triflle a mocke a word God forbid Thy Law O God commandeth meekenesse thine example my Lord perswades meekenesse my condition requires meekenesse my frame and temper after a sort preacheth meekenesse Why hast thou giuen me a soft skinne but to patterne in my body this vertue of the minde Why hast thou giuen me a tender heart but to receiue deepe the impression of compassionate griefe Why hast thou giuen me melting eyes but to weepe for mine owne infirmities and my brethrens calamities Why am I brought into the world disarmed without any offensiue Weapon but to teach me that I should not fight with nor hurt any Thou O Lord hast created me a Lambe shall I by rage and cruelty make my selfe a Tyger Thou madest me as a soft rose of Sharon and Lillie of the Vallie shall I turne my selfe into a thorne and thistle I know Anger dis-figureth the body much more the soule It hurteth and endangereth others much more my selfe It is very offensiue to man much more to thee Wherefore I beseech thee let thy peace alwaies rule in my heart and quell and subdue all my rebellious affections especially this of wrath the most violent and impetuous of all the rest Weede out of my heart all accursed Thornes and Thistles that the seedes of thy Word may bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse which are sowne in peace of them that loue peace O let not the Sunne goe downe on thy wrath against me or my wrath against my brethren but grant that hauing made my peace with thee by faith in thy bloud with my brethren by forgiuing them from my heart and reconciling my selfe to them I may lay me downe in peace and take my rest And let thy hand O Sauiour which shall protect mee this night from all perills and dangers raise me the next morning to serue thee in my calling and magnifie thy goodnesse for all thy mercies and fauours vouchsafed vnto me So be it Amen I The close out of Scripture BLessing honour glory and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe for euer and ouer Amen Reuel 5. vlt. Tuesday's Deuotion being the third day from the Creation The Father worketh Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Creation GOd said againe Let the waters vnder the Heauen bee gathered into one place and let the dry land appeare and it was so Gen. 1. 9. And God called the
vnto you good measure pressed downe and running ouer Luke 6. 38. Whosoeuer shall giue to drink vnto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple verily he shall not lose his reward THE PRAYER FOR Wednesday morning composed of 1. Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2. Motiues to workes of mercy agreeable to the precedent exhortation O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him Thou madest so much of him that thou madest all creatures for him the Fowles of the Aire Fish in the Sea and Beasts of the Field to furnish his Table and clothe his nakednesse and serue his vse The earth thou createdst to sustaine him the water to wash and coole him the aire to breath him the fire to warme him the Flowers to refresh him the Herbes to cure him the Fruits and Graines to nourish him the Mines to inrich him the precious Stones to adorne him yea the glorious Lamps of Heauen The Sunne and Moone to light him the one in the Day the other in the Night and both to measure his time to direct his husbandry to recreate him in his trauells to ripen his fruits and increase his store Nay which farre surpasseth the glorious beames of the Sunne and his comfortable light thou gauest him a sure light of prophecy before the day dawne and the day-starre arose in the Firmament of the Church and afterwards causedst the Sunne of righteousnesse to arise vpon him to shine in his heart in this life by grace and in Heauen by glory for euermore Shall I not reioyce in this light Shall I not open all the Casements of my soule to let it in Shall I not account their feet beautifull and the ground happy on which they tread who bring me tidings of this wonderfull Light Shall I not loue thee aboue all things who hast preferred mee aboue all things Shall I not serue thee with all the faculties of my body and soule who makest all thy Creatures serue me What pretext can I haue for my ingratitude and disobedience to thee so gracious a Lord and Master I cannot pleade ignorance of thy Deity for the Heauens declare thy glory and the Firmament sheweth thy handy-worke I cannot pretend ignorance of thy Law for thou hast put thy Word into my mouth and written thy Law in my heart I cannot alledge that I neuer heard of or saw the Light of thy Gospell for the light came into the world and shined in the darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not Neuer had any Nation a more bright Sun-shine of the Gospell then ours But we loue darkenesse more then light because our deeds are euill And because we loue darkenesse more then light thou mightest most iustly haue already cast vs into outward darkenesse But there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared there is Balme in Gilead to cure cur deadly wounds there is Vnctim in Christ there is saluation in Iesus there is redemption in his bloud there is satisfaction in his death there is merit in his perfect obedience there is hope in his resurrection and ascension and euerlasting comfort in his sitting at the right hand of his Father to make intercession for vs. O Eternall Aduocate pleade my muse Thou who out of thy pierced side openedst to all the inhabitants of the earth a Fountaine for sinne and vncleannesse wash mee from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne grant me thy peace which thou promisest thy chosen that my heart bee not troubled Make an atonement for mee and bring me into fauour with thy Father and my Father thy God and my God And because all my hope is in thy mercy Lord let me imitate that vertue in thee which I implore Let mee patterne that grace in my life which saueth my life Let mee from my heart forgiue my brethren their trespasses compassionate their infirmities relieue their necessities ease their crosses and beare their burthens Let the hungry haue neuer a iust action against me at thy Barre for not giuing them meate nor the thirsty for not giuing them drinke nor the naked for not clothing them nor the sicke and imprisoned for not visiting them nor the fatherlesse and widowes for not protecting defending them Let me who need abundant mercy shew abundant mercy Let me mete such measure to my brethren as I expect from thee As a good childe let mee follow the example of my heauenly Father who as on this day caused the Sunne to rise vpon the Iust and the vniust So let the light of my knowledge and heat of my loue be extended to all but especially to those of the houshold of faith And as the Sun shineth vpon my body so make thy countenance shine vpon my soule As the Sunne draweth vp exhalations from the earth so raise thou my thoughts and desires from earthy comforts to heauenly obiects As the Sunne melteth Snow and Ice so melt thou my heart frozen in the dregs of sinne As the Snnne dispelleth all mists of darkenesse and cleereth the Aire from all Fogs and noysome Vapours so let thy Spirit disped all errors of my vnderstanding and cleere my will from all fogs and fumes of noysome lusts Giue mee grace to keepe a regular constant and vnwearied course vpon earth as the Sunne doth in Heauen and to grow in grace and increase in heauenly wisdome as the Sunne ascendeth higher and shineth still brighter till it bee high Noone Lastly the Sunne reioyceth as a Gyant to runne his course So grant that I may cheerefully runne and finish my race and after I haue finished it receiue the reward of the Righteous who shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdome of the Father for euermore Amen The close out of Scripture Grant Lord that I may bee filled with the knowledge of thy Will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding Col. 1. 9. That I may walke worthy of thee please thee in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of thee ver 10. Strengthened with all might through thy glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse ver 11. The Deuotion for Wednesdayes Euening THE HYMNE O Giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is gracious and his mercy endureth for euer Psal. 136. 1. Which onely doth wonders for his mercy indureth for euer ver 4. Which by his excellent wisedome made the Heauens for his mercy endureth for euer ver 5. Which made great lights for his mercy endureth for euer ver 7. The Sunne to rule the day for his mercy endureth for euer ver 8. The Moone and the Stars to gouerne the night for his mercy endureth for euer ver 9. He telleth the number of the Starres and calleth them by their names Psal. 147. 4. He appointed the Moone for certaine seasons and the Sun knoweth his going downe Psal. 104. 19. Thou makest darknesse that
it may be night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest doe moue ver 20. The Sunne ariseth and they get them away together and lay them downe in their dens ver 22. Man goeth forth vnto his worke and to his labour vntill the Euening ver 23. O Lord our Gouernour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Psal. 8. 9. The Admonition for Wednesday Euening being an Exhortation to purity in heart answerable to the sixth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS Purity especially in heart is to bee prayed for and sought after in regard of God his 1. Speciall command for it 2. Particular taking notice of it 3. High esteeme and approbation thereof 4. Gracious promises to it of 1 Life 2 Fauor of Kings 3 Sight of himselfe 4 His fauour and bounty 5 Profit by the Word 6 Abode in Heauen THE TEXTS NOw therefore serue the Lord and serue him in sinceritie of heart and in truth Ios. 24. 14. Prepare your hearts vnto the Lord and serue him onely 1. Sam. 7. 3. They that are of a forward heart are an abomination to the Lord but such as are vpright in the way are his delight Prou. 11. 20. My sonne giue mee thy heart and let thine eyes obserue my wayes Pro. 23. 26. Cleanse your hands yee sinners and purge your hearts yee double-minded Iam. 4. 8. Serue God with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all imaginations of the thoughts 1. Chron. 28. 9. O Ierusalem wash thine heart Ier 4. 4. God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God iudgeth the heart 1. Sam. 16. 7. Thou knowest the hearts of all men Acts 1. He will lighten things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of thy heart manifest 1. Cor. 4. 5. Thou louest truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. Wee speake not as pleasing men but as pleasing God who tryeth the hearts 2. Thes. 2. 4. Let it bee the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1. Per. 3. 4. Keepe the heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Prou. 4. 23. Hee that loueth purenesse in heart the King shall be his friend Prou. 22. 11. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Math. 5. 8. Truely God is good vnto Israel euen to him that is of a cleane heart Psal. 73. 1. That which fell on good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the Word and keepe it and bring forth fruits with patience Luke 18. 15. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his Holy place Psal. 24. 3. He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart verse 4. Hee that walketh vprightly and speaketh vprightly c. Isai. 33. 15. He shall dwell on high c. The Prayer for Wednesday-Euening Composed of 1 Petitions sutable to the sufferings of Christ on this day 2 Motiues to perswade purity in heart and sincerity agreeable to the precedent exhortation MOst holy blessed and glorious God who dwellest in light which none may approach I miserable and sinfull creature by nature a child of the night and of darknesse nay very darknesse it selfe am ashamed and confounded to lift vp mine eyes to heauen or looke towards the place where thine honour dwelleth For I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and deserue to be cast out for euer from the sight of thy face and presence of thy glorious Maiestie into vtter darknesse which the diuel the Prince of darknesse and his Angels that are reserued in chaines of darknesse till the great and terrible Day of thy wrath For that heauenly light which thou hast kindled in my heart though I seeke to smother it neuer so much clearely conuinceth my conscience that I preferre the pleasures of sinne which are the workes of darknesse before the glorious inheritance of thy Saints in light hauing my very vnderstanding the onely light which is in me much darkened through the ignorance that is in me by reason of the hardnesse of my heart And notwithstanding thou hast called mee early and late and stretched thy hands all the day long vnto mee yet I haue walked still in the vanitie of my minde and wearied my selfe in the wayes of wickednesse and haue not hearkened to thy voice whereby I might walke in thy lawes which thou hast appointed for me Or if for a short time I haue reioyced in the light of the Gospel yet soone after I haue quenched thy Spirt and haue giuen my selfe to wantonnesse to worke filthinesse with greedinesse Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Though thou shouldest drowne all my former sinnes in the bottomelesse sea of thy mercy yet the sins of this day alone giue sufficient euidence against mee to condemne mee My vnsanctified desires and impure thoughts and vaine imaginations and idle words and vnfruitfull workes make mee vnexcusable before thee I cannot answer for my abuse of the creatures mis-spending my time which is most precious ouerstipping many occasions of doing good How negligent haue I beene in the duties of my calling How cold and dull in my exercises of Religion How defectiue in the confession of my sinnes How carelesse in applying the soueraigne remedies of the Word My very prayers which I make vnto thee for the supplying of all my wants and healing of all my infirmities are accompanied with so many wants and infirmities that I haue neede to aske pardon for these my imperfect prayers Lord giue mee a sense of my stupidity and senselesnesse and a feruent desire of more feruency and zeale and true remorse and sorrow for want of remorse and sorrow for these my sinnes And because that I know not how to pray as I ought let thy Spirit make intercession for me with sighs and grones which cannot be expressed and let the bloud of thy Sonne speake better things for mee then the bloud of Abel O let not the glorious light of Heauen goe downe vpon thy displeasure against me but for thy decre Sonne Iesus Christ his sake who is the prâ—pitiation for my sinnes be reconciled vnto mee while it is called to day that I may finde rest vnto my soule this night together with the comfortable refreshing of my body by sleepe So shall I neuer cease with a ioyfull heart and a cheerefull voice to praise thee for thine vnspeakable loue in electing me to eternall life in Heauen before thou hadst laid the foundations of the earth Thy goodnesse in creating mee after thine owne Image thy mercy in redeeming mee with the bloud of thine onely begotton Sonne thy grace in calling mee to the knowledge of thy truth and thy fatherly care in safely protecting me mercifully
correcting and liberally prouiding for me euer since the day thou breathedst into me the breath of life Giue me yet more O Lord. What wilt thou giue me Giue mee a thankefull heart for all these inestimable fauours of thine infinite loue that I may continually blesse thee for thy continuall blessings with the dew of thy grace descending vpon me alwaies beginning the day with thy mercy and ending it with thy praise Blessed Redeemer who wert this day sold for thirty pieces of Siluer redeeme me from the thraldome of sinne and neuer suffer mee with Ahab to sell my selfe to worke wickednesse against thee Let the heinousnesse of Iudas his sinne and the horrour of his punishment deterre me from betraying thy truth for any worldly aduantage whatsoeuer O Bread of Life which hungredst for my sake O Source of the Springs of Libanon who thirstedst for my sake O Ioy of all mankinde which sorrowedst for me O Truth it selfe and fidelity which wast by false trechery betrayed for my sake O the true Wedding garment which wast stript for mee O the Redemption and ransome of the world who wert sold for my sake O the Life and Resurrection of all that hope in thee who dyedst for me imprint thy loue so deepe into my heart that neither hunger nor thirst nor sorrow nor nakednesse nor trechery nor thraldome nor hope of reward nor feare of persecution nor life nor death may race it out Was it not enough O Lord to become man for mee but thou must become a seruant Was it not enough as a seruant to bee scourged for me but must thou also like a bondslaue bee sold for me that am a bond-slaue of Satan sold vnder sinne Was it not too much to be sold but must thou bee sold at so vile a price as thirty pieces of siluer Was no means thought meane enough to abase thee The cheaper thou wert sold the dearer I cost thee for thou gauest not onely thy liberty and life but thy estimation also for mee The lower thou wert abased the higher thou hast exalted mee The lesse was giuen for thee the more I owe thee who wert content to bee prized solow and made of no reputation for me O strange ransome The Redeemer is sold that the sold bond-slaue may be redeemed O admirable iudgement The righteous is condemned that the vnrighteous may righteously bee acquitted O wonderfull cure The Physician is sicke and dyeth that the Patient may liue Meâ—ke Sauiour thou foresawest that the Diuell would enter into Iudas before hee entered Thou knewest that hee would betray thee yet thou chosest him that hee would lift vp his foot against thee yet thou shoddest him with the preparation of the Gospell of peace that hee would sell thee yet thou trustedst him with thy Purse that the poyson of Aspes was vnder his lip yet thou sufferedst him to touch thy Lips in which there was no guile and seale them with a kisse and gently vnsealing them thou saidst no more to him but Friend how camest thou hither Doest thou betray the Sonne of man with a kisse Sweet Sauiour how wilt thou entertaine thy friends when thou thus intreatedst thy trecherous seruant Thou who wert so good to him that was so bad as worse neuer was how will thy grace and goodnesse abound to them that excell in vertue If thou sufferedst a Traitor to kisse thee thou wilt neuer resuse to cheere vp the drooping countenance of a penitent sinner with a kisse Thy Espouse emboldneth me to beg that kindnesse of thee which she did Let him kisse me with the kisses of his lips Kisse thou me with a kisse of loue but let me neuer kisse thee with the kisse of Iudas Let mee neuer draw neere to thee with my lips and be farre from thee in my heart but first draw â—y heart then my body soule vnto thee Thou requirest the heart and searchest the heart and 〈◊〉 the heart and acceptest of no seruice or sacrifice without it Lord giue me a cleane heart and 〈◊〉 a right Spirit within me that I may giue thee such a heart as thou requirest Clense the thoughts and affections and intentions of my heart from all impurity impiety iniquity in-sincerity fraud and hypocrisie Let all the thoughts of my heart bee pure the desires holy the intentions sincere the affections vnfained and let all my words and works be hearty O let my heart be alwaies fixed vpon thee possessed with thee established in thee true vnto thee vpright towards thee and sincere for thee that in the great Day when the secrets of all hearts shall bee manifested my heart may not condemne mee but thou approue it and accept it and fill it with such ioyes as neuer entred into the heart of man So be it Amen The close out of Scripture Thanks bee giuen to the Father which hath made me meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. Who hath deliuered me from the power of darknesse and hath translated mee into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne ver 13. In whom I haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes ver 14. Thursday's Deuotion being the fifth day from the Creation The Father worketh Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Creation on this day SO afterward God said Let the waters bring forth in abundance euery creeping thing that hath life and let the Fowle flye vpon the earth in the open Firmament of the Heauen Gen. 1. â—0 Then God created the great Whales and euery thing liuing and mouing which the waters brought forth in abundance according to their kinde and euery feathered Fowle according to his kinde and God saw that it was good ver 21. Then God blessed them saying Bring forth fruit multiply fill the waters in the Seas and let the Fowles multiply in the earth v. 2â— So the Euening and the Morning were the fifth day And I worke Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Redemption on this day THen came the Day of vnleuened bread when the Passouer must be sacrificed Luke 22. 7. And be sent Peter and Iohn saying Goe and prepare vs the Passouer that we may eat it ver 8. And they said c. v. 9. Then he said vnto them Behold c. v. 10. And say to the goood man of the house The Master saith vnto thee Where is the lodging where I shall eat my Passouer with my Disciples ver 11. Then he shall shew you a great high Chamber c. ver 12. So they went and found as hee had said vnto them and neade ready the Passouer ver 13. And he tooke Bread and when he had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue to them saying This is my Body which is giuen for you doe this in remembrance of me ver 19. Likewise also after Supper hee tooke the Cup saying This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you ver 20. And he came out and went as he was wont to
the Mount of Oliues and his Disciples also followed him ver 39. And when he came to the place he said to them Pray lest ye enter into temptation ver 40. And he gate himselfe from them about a stones cast and kneeled downe and prayed ver 41. Saying Father if thou wilt take away this Cup from me neuerthelesse not my will but thine be done ver 42. And there appeared an Angell vnto him from Heauen comforting him ver 43. But being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe the ground ver 44. For thine instruction meditate In the Morning on the creation of Fish and Fowâ—e In the Euening on thy Sauiours Agony Last Passeouer Supper For thy comfort apply to thy selfe the Benefits Corporall of the one Spirituall of the other For thy correction reproue thy Abuse of the one Vnthankfulnesse for the other Quicken Thy thankesgiuing by the Hymne Thine obedience by the admonition Thy zeale and patience by the prayer ensuing The Hymne for Thursday-morning O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches Psal. 104. 24. So is the great and wide Sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts ver 25. There goe the Ships and there is that Leuiathan whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein ver 26. These wait all vpon thee that thou mayest giue them their meate in due season ver 27. That thou giuest they gather thou openest thy hand and they are filled with good ver 28. Thou hidest thy face and they are troubled thou takest away their breath and they dye and returne againe to their dust ver 29. They that goe downe to the Sea in ships that doe their businesse in great waters Psal. 107. 23. These see the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe ver 24. For hee commandeth and raiseth vp the stormy wind which lifteth vp the waues thereof ver 25. They mount vp to the Heauens they goe downe againe to the depth their heart is melted because of trouble ver 26. They reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are euen at their wits end ver 27. Then cry they to the Lord in trouble and hee bringeth them out of their distresse v. 28. He maketh the stormes to cease so that the waues thereof are still ver 29. Then are they glad because they are quiet so hee bringeth them to their desired Hauen ver 30. Praise the Lord vpon earth ye Dragons and all deepes Psal. 148. 7. Beasts all Cattel wormes and fethered Fowles ver 10. He sendeth the Springs into the Vallies which run between the mountaines Psal. 104. 10. By these Springs shall the Fowles of the Heauen dwell and sing among the branches ver 12. Let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord Praise ye the Lord Psal. 150. 6. The Admonition for Thursday Morning being an Exhortation to peace-making or the seauenth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS The deuout soule must labour to make peace and haue peace with all as far as it is possible in 1 Obedience To the LAVVE To the GOSPEL 2 Conformitie to 1 God the Father Sonne H. Ghost 2 The Saints 3 In hope expectation of blessings 1 Temporall as 1 Good daies 2 A good name or honor 2 Spirituall as 1 The glad tydings of the Gospell 2 Wisedome 3 Righteousnesse 4 The guidance of Gods Spirit 5 The vnitie of the Spirit or communion of saints 6 The Beatifical vision or sight of God in Heauen THE TEXTS SEeke peace and ensue it Psal. 34. 14. Execute the iudgement of truth and peace in your gates Zach. 8. 16. Let none of you imagine euill in your hearts against your Neighbour ver 17. Haue Salt and haue peace one with another Mar. 9. 50. Into what house soeuer yee enter first say Peace bee to this house Luke 10. 5. If it bee possible haue peace with all men Rom. 12. 18. Let vs therefore follow after the things that make for peace and things wherewith wee may edifie one another Rom. 14 19. God hath called vs to peace 1 Cor. 7. 15. Be of one minde liue in peace 2 Cor. 13. 12. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which all yee are called in one body Col. 3. 15 Follow righteousnesse faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart 2 Tim. 2. 22. Follow peace with all men c. Heb. 12. 14. God is not the God of confusision but of peace 1 Cor. 14. 33. The God of peace shall be with you Phil. 4. 19. To vs a Sonne is giuen and the gouernment shall bee vpon his shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller The Mighty God The Euerlasting Father The Prince of peace Isa. 9. 6. Melchiâ—sedec first being by interpretation King of Righteousnesse and after that also King of Salem which is King of peace Heb. 7. 2. That he might be like to the Sonne of God who abideth our Priest continually ver 3. The fruit of the Spirit is loue ioy peace c. Gal. 5. 22. Abraham said Let there bee no strife betweene me and thee and my Herdsmen thy Herdsmen for we are brethren Gen. 13. 8. I labour for peace Psal. 1 20 6. Though I bee free from all men yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all that I might gaine the more c. 1 Cor. 9. 19. Why suffer yee not rather wrong 1 Cor. 6. 7. Being reuiled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it 1 Cor. 4. 12. Being defamed wee intreat ver 13. What man is he that desireth life and loueth many dayes that he may see good Psal. 34. 12. Seeke peace c. ver 14. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called The children of the most High Mat. 5. 9. If the Sonne of peace be there your peace shall rest vpon it if not it shall turne to you againe Luk. 10. 6. The Wisdome from aboue is first pure then peaceable Iam. 3. 17. The fruits of righteousnesse are sowne in peace of them that make peace Iam. 3. 18. The Kingdome of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall bee with you 2 Cor. 13. 12. Keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4. 3. Follow peace c. without which no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. The Prayer for Thursday Morning composed of Petitions sutable to the worke of the day Motiues to peaceablenesse agreeable to the precedent exhortation ONe depth calleth vpon another the depth of my ignorance vpoÌ„ the depth of thy Wisdome the depth of my wickednesse vpon the depth of thy goodnesse the depth of my misery vpon the depth of thy mercy O
houlding thy deere purchase O let not thy hate of sinne extinguish thy loue to thy creature Let not any thing that I haue done preiudice thee in the merit of that which thou hast suffered for me My sins deserued eternall wrath of thy Father but thou hast borne it My wonton delights and impure pleasures deserued stripes and wounds but thou hast receiued them My hainous crimes deserued death but thou hast suffered it for me This day my first parent Adam was made a liuing soule and this day thou the second Adam wert made a quickning Spirit This day he sinned in a garden and this day thou sorrowedst in the garden This day he tooke the fruite of the forbidden tree and this day thou wert hung vpon the accursed tree This day he was cast into a dead sleepe and his side opened and his wite Eue formed of his ribbe was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone this day also thou wert cast into a deadly sleepe and thy side opened and thy Spouse the Catholicke Church brought foorth not by water onely but by water and bloud the water of regeneration and bloud of explation and sanctification This day Adam brought the curse vpon himselfe and all his posterity this day thou prouidedst an euerlasting blessing for thy selfe and all thy members That which he lost thou hast regayned with aduantage that which he did thou hast suffered for that which I owed thou hast discharged on the very day by taking all his and our debts vpon thee and laying downe an al-sufficient price to satisfie for them O giue me an hand of faith to receiue so much of this infinite sum as may discharge my debt and strengthen this my hand that I may hold it fast and tender it to thy Father and receiue from him an absolute and generall acquittance signed with thy blood and sealed with thy Crosse bearing date the very day of thy consummation of all things at thy death If thou bad'st required a greater thing we should haue done it for what will not a man doe for his life How much more when thou â—arest belieue and liue cast your selues vpon me and I will saue you from drowning in euerlasting perdition receiue the price of your ransome and bee freed When thou holdest out the golden Scapter of thy grace if wee will not take hold on it wee deserue double dâ—mnation for refusing so easy a meanes of saluation Adam belieued Eue and Eue the Serpent to her and our ruine why should not I much rather belieue thy Church thy Spouse and thy Spouse thy Word to saluation What should with-hold my faith from apprehending my hope from exâ—ecting the promises of thy Gospell confirmed by so many miracles testâ—fied by the Church in all Ages signed with the blood of so many Martyrs and 〈◊〉 to my soule and conscience by the holy Spirit Doth it shake and stagger my faith that thy workes recorded in holy Scriptures so farre transcend nature and the mysteries of sauing truth soare aboue humane reason But this demonstrateth rather faith to be faith and thee ô God to be true God Faith is not faith if reason comprehend it God cannot be God if nature limit him Am I the more auerse from embracing thy Gospell because it crosseth and checketh my naturall dispositions and in clinations But the cause is most euident thy Law is iust holy and pure but I am wicked prophane and impure The physick is for the most part the better which the patient liketh worst because it exasperateth the paine for the time Haue I the lesse loue and liking to the most holy faith because it restraineth my carnall liberty and abridgeth mee or altogether depriueth mee of worldly comforts and contentments But am I not spirit as welâ— as flesh Haue I not a Law in my minde controlling the Law of my members Is it not much better to sowe vnto the Spirit that I may reape peace ioy and life euerlasting then sowe to the flesh and of the flesh reape nothing but corruption Thy Gospell ô gracious God restraineth my carnall but enlargeth my spirituall liberty it denieth mee sinfull but it promiseth me holy delights and pleasures it moderateth the desire and vse of temporarie comforts and ioyes but assureth mee that my heart shall be filled with eternall Am I ready to be beaten off from my holy profession and beliefe by blowes and strokes persecutions losses imprisonment banishment scorne of the world and disgrace This should make mee hold it the faster for the Gospell foretelleth that these things should befall true bâ—lieuers and it is an honour to mee to beare the â—adge of mâ—â—profession and to drinke with thee my Sauiour in thine owne Cup. It is my profession to be thy Souldier and he is no Souldier that endureth not hardnesse I can expect no crowne without a Conquest no Conquest without a battaile no battaile without blowes and wounds and what are these light and momentary afflictions to an eternall weight of glory Thus doth thâ— Word conquer my reason and yet it will not yeeld I resolue to belieue Lord strengthen my resolution I doe belieue Lord helpe mine vnbelief All things past haue so come to passe as the Oracles of thy truth fore-shewed they should and how then can I doubt of things future reuealed in them The deluge was foretold 120 yeeres before and at the prefixed time it ouerranne the whole world Thy peoples bondage in Aegypt for 400 yeeres and their after deliuery is no otherwise described by Moses then it was in a dreame many Ages before deliuered to Abraham Thou calledst thy Shepheard Cyrus and thine annointed Iosias by name to their functions long before either of them or their forefathers were conceiued The 4 famous Monarchs pictured out in Nebuchadnezzars Image succeeded in their order The Assyrian represented by the golden head the Persian by the siluer armes and shoulders the Grecian by the thighs of brasse and the Romane by the leggs of yron And do we not see at this day the stumpe of that Image and the feete partly yron in the Turkish and partly of clay in the Germane Empire Thy Birth and Death ô Sauiour was fore shadowed in Types and fore-spoken of by Prophets euer since the world began and since thy comming into the flesh and finishing all things at thy death in Ierusalem Not a syllable or one iot of any of thy words haue passed without their accomplishment Ierusalem is destroyed the Temple made euen with the ground and neuer could be built againe The Iewes are dispersed into all nations The Gospell is preached through the whole world the man of sinne is euery day more and more discouered and why should I not then belieue as certainly that the heauens shall passe away shortly with heate and the elements melt with fire and thy signe bee seene in the clowdes and those that are in their graues be awaked with the sound of the last Trumpe and meete thee in the aire
paines I beganne to distaste them all I grew out of loue with this life and entertained death in my most serious thoughts and I perswaded my selfe that those thoughts of death shall neuer dye in me but still liue in my memory and vpon euery good occasion bee stirred vp and reuiued to prepare and dispose mee to my last end that so I may see that Basyliske first and kill it before it see and kill mee O death how bitter is thy remembrance in the pride of health O life how bitter is thy remembrance in the misery of sicknesse Verily I had vtterly fainted vnder my Crosse and my soule had bin put to silence I had sowned and giuen vp not onely my Ghost but thy holy Spirit of comfort if thou hadst not stayed me with flagons and comforted mee with apples and in my hottest fits cooled me with the sweete gales of thy grace I had fallen not onely with Iob to curse the day of my birth but to question the truth of thy Promises But euerlasting thanks bee vnto thee who gauest me victorie ouer that fearefull tentation and by thy holy Spirit didst call to my mind all those sweet promises of thy Gospell whereby I receiued comfort and recouered strength And now I am assured and more then euer before perswaded that neither height nor depth nor principality nor power nor paine nor pleasure nor sicknes nor health nor life nor death nor things present nor things to come shall euer be able to separate me from thy loue in CHRIST IESVS The close out of Scripture I Said in the cutting off of my dayes I shall goe to the gate of the graue I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres Isa. 38. 10. I sayd I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing I shall behold man no more with the Inhabitants of the world ver 11. Behold for peace I had great bitternesse but thou hast in loue to my soule deliuered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast my sins behind thy backe ver 17. For the graue cannot praise thee death cannot confess thee they that goe downe to the pit cannot hope for thy truth ver 18. The liuing the liuing hee shall prayse thee as I doe this day verse 19. The dying-mans deuotion Suppart vlt. The Admonitions The man that is breathing out his last gaspe needeth◠1 MEeke patience to endure God's good pleasure Of which see the Admonitions for Good-Fridaie for Thursday Euening and for the sicke before 2 Godly sorrow for all the sinnes of his life wherby he hath grieuously displeased his heauenly Father Of which see the Admonition for Tuesday morning 3 Assured confidence to commit his Soule to God as a faithfull Creator Of which see the Admonition for the Child-bearing woman after her deliuery 4 Constant perseuerance to hold on to the end Of which see the Admonition for Saturday morning 5 Liuely apprehension of the ioyes of heauen and powers of the world to come Of which see the Meditation for the Sabbath Euening 6 Christian resolution cheerfully to lay downe his Tabernacle and go willingly to the Father of spirits Of which see the Admonition for Saturday Euening 7 A peaceable disposition to forgiue all his enemies and depart in peace as with God so also with all men Of which see the Admonition for Thursday Morning 8 A charitable and compassionate aflection to consider the poore and destitute according to his estate and wealth to help and succour them that so by their prayers he may be receiued into euerlasting habitations Of which see the Exhortation for Wednesday morning In the extremity of bitter pangs consider ô deuout Christian 1 Thy sins deserue a sharper scourge yet 2 All thou sufferest is nothing to what Christ endured for thee 3 Other Saints and holy Martyrs haue abided a harder tryall and more grieuous afflictions many more terrible conflicts and yet haue been more then Conquerours through Christ. 4 It is a thousand times better to be corrected here though neuer so seuerely then eternally tormented in hell 5 God wil not lay more vpō thee thē he will giue thee ability to beare therfore will vndoubtedly asswage thy paine or increase thy patience 6 The extremity of thy paines wil be but a short time for God wil either take them from thee by recouering thee or thee from them by deliuering thee out of the body 7 The more grieuous thy paines are the greater thy reward shall be if thou patiently endure them THE TEXTS IT is the Lords mercy that wee are not vtterly consumed because his compassion fails not Lam. 3. 20. If thou Lord shalt marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand or who may abide it Psalm 130. 3. He hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs after our iniquities Psal. 103. 10. Like as a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him ver 13. For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust ver 14. The sinners in Sion are afraid fearfulnes hath surprized the hypocrites who shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among vs shall dwel with euerlasting burning I◠33. Topheth is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared Hee hath made it deep and large the pile therof is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a streame of Brimstone doth kindle it Isa. 30. 33. A fire is kindled in mine anger and it shall burne to the lowest hell Deut. 32. 22. The Sonne of man shall send his Angells and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend and them which doe iniquity Mat. 13. 41. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth verse 42. Whose fan is in his hand and hee will throughly purge his floore and gather his wheat into his garner but burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire Mat. 3. 12. Suffering the vengeance of eternall fire Iud. 7. Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame Luk. 16. 24. Where the worme dyeth not and the fire is not quenched Mar. 9. 44. 46. In flaming fire taking vengeance of them that knowe not God 2. Thes. 1. 8. Binde him hand and foot cast him into vtter darknes there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. To whom the mist of darknes is reserued for euer 2. Pet. 2. He hath reserued in euerlasting chaines of darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day Iud. 6. 〈◊〉 same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lambe Reu. 14. 10. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp for euer and euer ver 12. These both were
To couer their infirmities 7. To comfort them by their vertuous disposition and towardlinesse 8. To aide them according to their power if they stand in néede of their helpe or reliefe SECT 44. DOMIN 44. Of the speciall duties of Masters Q. What are the speciall duties of Masters A. 1. To take speciall care that their seruant serue God and liue in good order 2. To prouide for them as parts of their family such things as are néedefull and fit 3. To vse their power ouer them moderately knowing that they also haue a Master in heauen 4. To reward them agréeably to their deserts paying them their wages in due season and otherwise gratifying them as it shall séeme fit and they deserue SECT 45. DOMIN 45. Of the speciall duties of Seruants Q. What are the speciall duties of Seruants A. 1. To doe their Masters true and faithfull seruice 2. To obey them and submit themselues vnto them though they are froward 3. To pray for their Masters safetie wealth and happinesse SECT 46. DOMIN 46. Of the duties of married folke Q. What are the duties of married folke A. They are of two sorts Common to both Proper Q. What are the common duties A. 1. To dwell together 2. To expresse all entire and loyall affection one to another 3. To bend their endeuours to helpe each other and both to ioyne for the good of the familie SECT 47. DOMIN 47. Of the duties of the Husband Q. What are the proper duties of the Husband A. 1. Wisely to gouerne his Wife as béeing her head 2. To nourish and cherish her as his owne flesh 3. To instruct her in the points of Religion 4. To protect and defend her from iniurie and wrong SECT 48. DOMIN 48. Of the duties of the Wife Q. What are the proper duties of the Wife A. 1. To yéeld reuerent respect to her Husband of what condition soeuer he be 2. To obey as a Wife in all things submitting her selfe to her Husband SECT 49. DOMIN 49. Of the duties of Pastors Q. What are the duties of godly Pastors A. 1. To increase their Talent of knowledge by the study of the holy Scriptures that they may the more sufficiently discharge their dutie to their Flock 2. To conceiue and deliuer holy formes of Prayers and thanksgiuing in the name of the whole Congregation 3. To preach the Word of God Sincerely Faithfully Diligently Discréetly Zealously 4. To administer the Sacraments rightly and duly 5. To exercise such ecclesiasticall discipline as appertaineth to them according to Gods Word and the Canons of the Church 6. To conforme themseluâ—â— to the holy and decent orders of the Church performing all rites and ceremonies enioyned by it as reading the Litturgie marrying burying c. 7. To leadâ— a strickt and exemplary life SECT 50. DOMIN 50. Of the duties of the flock toward their Pastor Q. What are the duties of the flocke towards their Pastor A. 1. To pray with and for their Pastour that his Ministery may be effectuall among them 2. To heare their owne Pastor diligently 3. To obey him in the Lord. 4. To haue him in reuerent account and estimation for his works sake 5. To yéeld him sufficient and comfortable maintenance by paying duly and willingly their Tithes and offerings where the Church hath so well prouided according to Gods Law and where it hath not to supply the defect by voluntarie contributions 6. To ayde and assist him against such as oppose his Ministerie SECT 51. DOMIN 51. Of the speciall duties of men in respect of personall callings Q. What are the speciall duties of men in respect of their personall callings A. 1. To prepare and fit themselues for some lawfull calling most agréeable to their gifts meanes and inclinations 2. To enter into it lawfully and discreetly not vnaduisedly nor by indirect meanes 3. To walke in it worthily viz 1. Religiously in all workes of their calling hauing a reference to God 2. Wisely spending their time in necessary and profitable workes of their calling not curious or superfluous 3. Diligently and assiduously not liuing idely vpon other mens labours 4. Uprightly vsing no vnlawfull meanes of gaining 5. Ingenuously frée from couetousnesse and basenesse 6. Decently within the compasse of their calling not excéeding in apparell retinue their table or other expense 7. In-offensiuely giuing no scandall to their calling by their vicious life and conuersation 4. To leaue if willingly when either God calls them to an higher or more necessary or profitable calling or disableth them for this or authority remoues them Otherwise to hold it constantly to the end SECT 52. DOMIN 52. Of the speciall Antidotes or preseruatiues against sinne Q. What are the speciall preseruatiues against sinne and meanes to increase sanctifying grace A. 1. Frequent and feruent Prayer with thanksgiuing 2. The exercising our selues in reading and hearing the holy Scriptures and meditating vpon them day and night 3. Often receiuing the blessed Sacrament with due preparation before and holy vowes after 4. Conferring with godly Pastors and other Religious Diuines touching our spirituall estate and following their holy counsells and directions 5. Conuersing with the best sort of Christians and imitating them in the best things 6. Often visiting the sicke lying vpon their death beds and making vse of their godly speeches and behauiour at their departure 7. Reading or if we are not able to reade hearing read deuout Treatises or discourses Sermons Meditations Histories c. 8. Euery night examining Our faith by the Créede Our desires by the Lords Prayer Our thoughts words déeds by the Decalogue 9. Obseruing what temptations wee are most subiect to and arming our selues against them 10. Auoiding all occasions of sinne especially flying cuill company 11. Resisting the first motions to sinne and killing the Cockatrice in the egge 12. Employing our selues continually about some lawfull work that the Deuill finde vs not idle 13. The consideration of the dreadfull Maiesty of GOD in whose presence and eye wee are alwaies 14. The consideration of the infinite goodnesse of God whom we grieuously offend by the least sin 15. The consideration of God's fearefull iudgements vpon sinners in former times and in our memory 16. The pricking our conscience with the remembrance of our former sinnes especially such as haue layen heauiest vpon vs saying to our selues in the words of the Apostle or the like What fruit had we in those things whereof wee are now ashamed 17. The consideration of the certainty of our death and the vncertainty of the time 18. The consideration of the strickt account we are to make at the day of Iudgement 19. The consideration of the euerlasting and vnsufferable torments of the wicked in hell 20. The consideration of the eternall and vnconceiueable ioyes of the godly in heauen Who so doeth these things shall neuer fall HEB. 13. VERSE 20. 21. 20. The God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through
the blood of the euerlasting Couenant 21. Make you perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euer and euer Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Pretiosissimum de locis sanctâ—â— monile perâ—â—idiâ—â—â— Fascinant laudando S. Cyprian lib. de exhortatione Martyrij Cant. 4. 16. Of deuotion Math. 6. 6. Greg. in Cant. Lachrimae sanguie animae August Plin. lib. 21. c. 16. Flos nascâ—tur non euidens sed in occulto intùs germinatus Plin. 37. c. 7. Garamantitis summa commendatio est quod velut in translucido stillantes intus fulgent aurâ—ae guâ—â—ae semper in câ—â—te non in corpore Cypr. epist. l 2 Sentitur priusquam discitur Val. Max. Lâ—u 2. Cor. 5. 13. Epist. tom 1. Marâ—an inuit Ieron Tâ—stor deum poâ—t heudomid◠〈◊〉 c. vâ—suâ— sum mihi versari inter agmina angelor Math. 6. 6. Math. 14. 27. Math. 26. 36. Maâ—ke 1. 35. Luke 6. 12. Luke 9. 8. 28 Luke 11. 1. Luke 22. 45. Iohn 17. Dan. 6. 10. Psal. 6. 6. Psal. 77. 6. Acts 10. 30. Reuel 1. 10. 2. Cor. 7. 11. Commodius ista inter transiguntur Ex. Luke 22. 44. Math 26. 36. Math. 17. 2. Exod. 34. 29. Purgation Exod. 3. 5. Acts 7. 53. Psal. 26. 6. Math. 12. 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 5. 6. 2. Sequestration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math 5. 8. Bern. de nat dom Tergat speculum mundet spiritum suum qui scitit videre deum 3. Preconsideration Eccles. 5. 1. Woâ—erus de polymathiâ sacris religiosae debetur Suspenso gradu Psal. 26. 6. Heb. 12. 29. Nesciâ—bam me tibi eam familiarem esse Eras. Apoth Tremenda mysteria Psal. 45. 1. 2. Psal. 39 3. Eccles. 6. 5. 2. Senec. Epist. Pers. introrsum obmurmurat ôsi ebullet patruij preclarii sumis ôsi c. Sancte magis quam scite Macies illis pro sanitate est iudâ—cij loco infirmitas cedit Quiâ—â— instit orator Exod. 30. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 23. 14. Prayer must bee SHORT Conformable to the patterne consisting of three parts Humble coÌ„fession Wherein must be coÌ„sidered God his terrible Name Glorious Maiesty His al-seeing eye Infinite purity and holinesse Strict iustice Fierce wâ—ath against sinne and sinners Man his viâ—enesse Wretchednessâ— Sinfulnesse Wants and Vâ—abilitie Consident inuocatâ—on wherein to be considered God his Loue. Mercy and long-suffering Gratious promises Omnipotent goodnesse Christ his perfect obedience Full satisfaction Perpetuall intercession Harty thanksgiuing Whereinto be numbred God his benifits spirituall Election Creation RedemptioÌ„ Vocation Iustification Sanctification Hope of glorificaetion Temporall as Health Strength Wealth Libertie Good name Friends Safetie Bern. serm 2. de Penth. vt eadem vâ—a intraret antidotus qâ—a vâ— nenum intra uerat Heb. 10. 5. Psal 40. 6. Acts 2. 41. Plut de tranquill auima Lactan. instit diuin lib. 1. c. 1. Potentius inanimos influit visuâ instructa luce orationis ornata Sen Epist. 1. ad LucsliuÌ„ Pungst non penetrat Heb. 4. 12. Peircing to the deuiding c. â— We are commanded by the Father The Sonne The holy Ghost to beare heedfully the Word of the Preacher Not as the Word of Man but as the Word of God Which will proue the meanes of our saluation Or damnation 2. Wee must pray for the Preacher For our selues that we may Attend. Vnderstand Discerne Belieue Remember Practice Ber. Serm. de purificatione Hodie dominus Templi ingressus est Templum Domini Caluin instit par 2. sacram 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that worthily receiueth must 1. Examine 2. Desire 3. Know 4. Belieue 5. Repent 6. Loue. Vse also this forme Or this Or this Or this Quint instit Orat. Tumor licet grandis contrarius est sanitati Ierom. ad Rusticum Luxuriantes flagellis vineas falcibus reprimebant vt eloquentâ—â— torcularia non verboriâ— pampinis sed sensuâ—â— quasi vuarum expressionibus redumdarent Origen in Cant. Aug. Epist. ad Ianuarium Bern. Serm. de Pent. 1 Grounds in the Law Precepts Promises 2 Grounds in the Gospell Christs resurrection on this day The spirits comming downe on this day The Apostles iniunction Practise In heauen no sinne No tempter No thraldome No labour No sorrow No paine No night No death No curse No feare Indesiezable estate of inheritance Royall honours and dignities Inualuable wealth and riches Inspeakable loyes and plâ—asures In the light and fruitioÌ„ of God Here thou mayest insert the principale Doctrine which thou hast heard from thy Pastors mouth * * Non est ad Deum toâ—o corde redite nisiscisso corde * * Dolet de dolore gaudet By regeneration we obtaine 1 Entrance into the kingdome of God 2 Knowledg 3 Liberty from our corruption From our reigning sin 5 The preheminencie of the first borne 6 Spirit of supplication 〈…〉 The Prophet speaketh in his own person 2 In the person of Christ. 3 In the person of God the Father 4 Of the Church God desireth the circumcisioÌ„ of the heart Commandeth it Loueth Obserueth Praiseth Rewardeth Brandeth the contrary Precepts in the old In the new Examples Abraham Iacob Dauid Israelites Pharisee Promises Threats curses to the contrary The Prophet speaketh in the person of Christ. In heauen is 1 The source of our soules created according to God's Image 2 Our heads 3 The nobler parts of the Church 4 Our country 5 Our mansion house 6 Hope and inheritance VictoriaÌ„ vicisti Precepts of God 2 Practice of Saints Reasons a a Holinesse b b Life c c Liberty d d Grace e e Prayer f f Wisedome g g Glory h h Truth Benefits of obeying the Spirit Danger of resisting Qui Deum per escas colit propè est vt Deum ventrem habeat Ver sacrum facere Obiect Hom. 49. in Mat. Answ. 1 Videl exercitat in Ignat Pro modulo nostro Hom. 1. in gen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Precepts for Fasting 2 Examples of it It expelleth Diuels Benefits It tameth the flesh It auerteth Iudgements It obtaineth temporall blessings and spirituall 1 The antecedents wherein 1 Christs Agony 2 Herod's Pilâ—ts and the Rulers of the Iewes conspiracy against him 3 Iudas betraying him 4 The Disciples forsaking him 5 The Iewes false accusing him 6 His mecks silence 7 The Souldiers and people blaspheming deriding him 2 The Passion it self wherein 1 The enduring Gods wrath 2 The racking of his ioints 3 The piercing his flesh 4 His thirst His drinke 5 His last cry 6 His giuâ—ng vp the ghost 3 The consequents 1 Water gushing out of his strength 2 Casting Lots 3 His buriall Diuine precepts Holy examples Christ Abraham Gedcon Dauid Salomon Ezekiah Iob. Daniel Iohn Baptist The Centurian Peter The Publicane Paul Promises to the humble of the fauour with God Wisedome Sanctifying grace Preferment Blessedness God commandeth meekenesse