Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	father_n	mercy_n	miserable_a	3,147	5	11.0696	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77267	The penitent pilgrim bemoning his sinfull condition. Faith appeares vnto him affording him comfort hope seconds that comfort charity promiseth him in this vaile of missery to cover all his scarlett sins wth: [sic] ye white robe of mercy, & conduct him safly to ye kingdome of glory. By Io: Hall	Brathwaite, Richard, 1588?-1673, attributed name.; Hall, John, 1627-1656, attributed name.; Herdson, Henry, attributed name.; Le Blon, Christof, d. 1665, engraver.	1651 (1651)	Wing B4275aA; ESTC R224400	106,709	434

many false witnesses stood up to condemne thee vouchsafe to be a witnesse for me that I now hate what sometimes I so unhappily loved and intend to love what I sometimes undeservedly hated To witnesse a truth were it for my deadliest Foe and to suppresse an untruth were it to the prejudice of my dearest Friend Deare Lord be thou my defender against the Devil my great Accuser CHAP. 11. His dis-esteeme of the Sixt and last in coveting what was an others and desiring to increase his owne with the losse of others FOolish wordling thine own experience had not long since told thee and thou mightst have remembred it had not thy folly so deluded thee how touching the world he had the least part in it who had the most of it Againe he had the most command over it who with most indifferency used it To love it was to be drowned in it to leave it was bravely to neglect it and in that neglect amply to be supplyed by it Where as such as be worldly are ever labouring of a Dropsy The richer they are in estate the hotter they are in pursuit These see and yet they will not credit their own sight what a very small portion of Earth must suffice them How their thirsty and unbounded desires must be then brought to a strait a very straite compasse And these things I oft times considered wondring much at the vanity of men that knowing how their mouths were to be filled with gravell how any thing could in reason be so deare unto them which should choake them And yet casting mine eye upon my selfe I found very well how I was one of this List One that could scatter his owne like a prodigall rioter and catch at an others like a covetous Miser One that could bee content that his Neighbours providence should maintaine his riot One that had a dangerous leering eye after his Neighbours Wife or more then a moneths mind to his maid or to such a parcell of ground which lay fitting for him or to some of his Cattell and these even any of these could he find in his heart to enjoy without returning satisfaction for them It is true very true that the Story of Ahab is old in respect of time but new in respect of daily practise Every day shall wee find an Ahab borne every day a Naboth dye His Vineyard must occasion a breach betwixt him and his Land-lord He must forego it or loose his life that owes it The anger of a Great man is violent His will is his Law his inferiour must bend or breake If the plot lye neare him it becomes an eye-sore to him Hee will either buy it or come any way by it that he may enjoy it O how can I utter this without remorse How may I endure my selfe when I heare these things These are they which wound mee for like poysonous Arrows they stick in my flesh neither can I answer one for a thousand How strong have beene my desires in shedding my owne bloud What dayes have I spent in carefull carking painefull toyling What nights in cunning compassing watchfull contriving how I might come by my purpose These cares made sleepe many nights a stranger to mine eyes And yet this my affliction seemed sweet unto me such was the strength of an inured misery O my Soule how tedious would one of these houres have seem'd had it beene employed in casting about for that inheritance which shal never perish Alas what could I imagine that this earthly Tabernacle of mine should never be dissolved That my indirect wayes should never bee brought to judgment That God had forgotten the poor and that he would not revenge their wrongs to my shame yes Lord I consider'd this and the more my sinne for I sought to put away thy judgements farre from my memory not to think of them lest they should startle me Thus was their doctrine deare unto me who sought to sow pillows under my elbow To fatten me in my transgressions with a tush God seeth not But O Lord holy and just thine eye is ever over mee and thine care is not shut from mee nor from those who cry for vengeance against mee This it is which causeth mee to walke heavily all the day long to chatter like a Craine and with much affliction of spirit to poure forth my complaint to thee my Lord and my God O when I remember how cunningly I sought to winde mee into the acquaintance of my Neighbour how smoothly I glozed with him what court'sies I offer'd him meerly to surprize him make my selfe a gainer by him how I seemed to esteeme least what I prized most that so my practises might be suspected lesse How I could easily dispence with any indirect way so I might by it be brought to mine owne end How I neglected no time to fit mine owne turne O while I remember these things I am utterly cast downe there is no breath in mee my flesh faileth mee and my strength decayeth within mee For I know Lord how thou hast these things in thy remembrance and if thou deale with mee according to thy justice there is no hope for such an incorrigible Sinner he is lost he is lost for ever And yet Lord there was a little Zacheus whom thou calledst from the Receipt of Custom and no doubt who knew the World and how to make gaine in the World who left his Calling for thee climb'd up into a Figtree to see thee and came downe speedily from thence to receive thee and that he might more fully confirme his love unto thee divided his goods that hee might wholly reserve himself for thee O deale so with mee my sweet Saviour that of a Covetous Sinner I may become a true penitent Convert in bestowing the small remainder of my dayes to thine honour CHAP. 23. Hee takes a view of those Seven Spirituall workes of mercy and acknowledgeth his failings in each of them THou hast taken now a full view of those two Tables delivered by God unto Moses by him to us And thou canst not to thy great griefe finde one the breach whereof may not justly accuse nay convict thee Goe on yet a little further and thou wilt find thy selfe ever worser and worser Tell mee doest thou hope to receive mercy Thou doest well to hope for without hope the heart would break but what hast thou done that might become so acceptable in his sight as may bring thee in a full hope or assurance of receiving this mercy at his hands Thou knowst well that wee are to worke out our salvation with feare and trembling That not unto him that cryeth Lord Lord but for him that doth the will of his Father which is in Heaven is the place of blisse prepared For if workes be the fruits of faith to make a fruitfull faith thou should'st apply thy selfe to bee plentuous in good works Thou knowest how the barren Fig tree became accursed how the barren Wombe in the

thou beleevest and tremblest and reason thou hast to tremble for how shalt thou be able to stand in his presence before whom even the heavens are uncleane O when the righteous shall scarcely be saved what wil become of the wicked when the axe of his judgement shall not spare the greene tree what will become of the dry O nothing but woe woe may befall thee miserable delinquent if hee deale not with thee in mercy but in judgement I believe in the Holy Ghost This ninth Article Saint Iames the lesse delivered And thou art taught to believe thus much by it that the Holy Ghost the third person in the blessed Trinity is the Spirit of comfort truth and unity without which it is impossible to please God For as hee promised unto his Apostles a Comforter so in the shape of a Dove and in the forme of cloven tongues there appeared unto them this promised Comforter But how is it that thou beleevest in the Holy Ghost and yet with thine hardnesse of heart and loosenesse of life grievest the Holy Spirit of God Thus to beleeve if thou be not penitent will rather bee a meanes to draw on thee then remove from thee Gods heavy judgement The holy Catholike Church This tenth Article of faith Saint Simon founded But how dost thou beleeve the holy Catholike Church or how is thy faith grounded if thou observe not what the Church has commanded How canst thou bee a Member of her so long as thou livest divided from her Or how canst thou truly call her Mother so long as thou hearknest not to her commands but becommest disobedient to her O then by a right faith knit thy selfe unto her or else disclaime thy being a Member of her But looke unto it for God thou canst not have for thy Father unlesse thou have his Church for thy Mother Neither canst thou ever hope to bee a Citizen in his Church triumphant unlesse thou bee first a Member of his Church Militant The Communion of Saints the forgivenesse of sinnes To this eleventh Article is Saint Iudas Thadaeus intitled And this Communion of Saints thou beleevest and for the forgivenesse of sinnes thou lookest And yet thou livest not as if thou desired to bee of this Communion Neither rendrest thou any such fruits of repentance as may cherish in thee the least hope of Remission The Resurrection of the body and the life everlasting Amen With this last Article Saint Mathias closeth our Creed And by it thou beleevest that thy body shall rise againe from the dust and that thy soule shall live with the just But hast thou not fed thy Body too delicately to rise againe to glory Hast thou not taken too much pleasure in sinning ever to enjoy life everlasting O thou blessed Trinity in unity and Vnity in Trinity thus have I made a confession of my Faith unto thee but my many faintings failings wants weaknesses and imperfections greatly discourage mee unlesse thou in thy mercy strengthen me I beleeve Lord O helpe my unbeleefe Give mee the shield of faith that here on earth I may acquit my selfe like a valiant Champion and in Heaven be made by thee a triumphant Citizen CHAP. 65. Having thus examined himselfe and found in the whole course of his life a fainting in faith and failing in Works He recalleth to mind those Quatuor Novissima or foure last Remembrances Memorials hourely necessary for all Christians THus hast thou laid thy selfe open to all discovery and there is no good thing to bee found in thee For in thy faith thou hast found a fainting and weaknesse and in all thy workes a failing and barrennesse Most freely went that blessed Father to worke and no lesse dangerous has beene thy walke when hee confessed himselfe in this sort Iinherit sin from my father an excuse from my mother lying from the Devill folly from the world selfe-conceit from the pride and arrogant opinion of my selfe Deceitfull have beene the imaginations of thine heart crooked have beene thy wayes malicious thy workes And yet hast thou taken the judgements of God in thy mouth Desiring nothing more then to blind the eye of the world with a counterfeit zeale But all such Hypocrites God will judge Hee will not be mocked with For as the Divell has his sive with which hee lets goe the good but keepeth the bad So the Lord has his Fanne by which he lets goe the bad and keepeth the good O when hee shall separate his goats from his sheepe his wheat from his tares when the Iust and the Wicked shall appeare before him and every man shall be put into the ballance O I feare mee then thou wilt bee found many graines too light It were well for thee then to prepare thy selfe against that great and fearefull day And to furnish thee all the better by making thee a true Convert of an impenitent Sinner recall to mind those Quatuor Novissima or Foure last Remembrances Memorials hourely to bee thought and so necessary to be reteined in thy memory as the Christian use of them may prepare thee before Death summon thee and in this vale of misery fit thee for thine heavenly voyage to eternity And yet while I speake thus unto thee I find thy condition to be wofull for if thou consider them the very thought of them cannot chuse but startle thee and if thou neglect them thou wilt stand in amaze when they encounter thee O my deare Lord remember me in thy mercy and so prepare my memory that these Foure necessary Remembrances may never depart from me Let mee be prepared for Death before it come that it may never take mee unprepared whensoever it shall come Let mee thinke of that fearefull day of Iudgement and judge my selfe before I be judged that J may not be found light in thy scale when I shall be weighed Let me O let me thinke how there is an Hell for the damned for better is it by timely fearing it to avoid it then by never dreaming of it head-long to fall into it Lastly let mee thinke of Heaven how it is the place of the Blessed and that none but those that are of a cleane heart shall dwell in it O cleanse thou mine heart that I may bee prepared for it and with much spirituall joy be received in it CHAP. 66. Death IT is strange that Death should bee such a stranger to thee when hee so daily visits those that neighbour neere thee Thou hast beene familiarly acquainted with many whose habitation is not now to bee found who have enjoyed the pleasures of sinne freely Others who have inlarged their Barnes and store-houses carefully others who have ruffled in their honours highly and could deliver a Word of Command bravely and now behold how all these being arrested at Deaths suit were enforced to veile to his surly command They have made their Beds in the darke They have left their Houses unto others they are gone unto their Graves and must

his delicious and liquorish appetite must bee satisfied nothing wanting that may tend to surfetting but with those Rioters before the Flood hee little knowes how neare hee is perishing If lascivious his flesh must want no provocation to bring this deluded Minion to destruction Fancies by night and more visible Objects by day are sent forth to seaze on his heart and make him forgetfull of God If Passionate hee shall find motives enough to inrage him nothing hee sees can content him Fury is in his eyes and revenge in his heart Many waters cannot quench this heat for hee aymes at nothing but death If Envious others successe finds him matter enough to worke on It is hard to say whether his own gaine or others losse please him better Those walkes in faire flourishing fields which are made to recreate others are justly made to macerate himselfe For to see his Neighbours ground prosper begets in him a distemper If sloathfull the Summer-beames though they shine never so gloriously upon him must not rouze him there is an Adder in the way yet a little and then a little makes him forget his poverty If Heaven may be got by security he may be secure of eternity But the purchase of Heaven is no such easie taske Thus thou profest Enemy of man-kind assaultst him and according to every occasion preparest thy temptation And of all others I poore Pilgrim became in these most miserable For well knew thy subtilty my weaknesse and infirmity Whence it was that finding me no less ready to assent then thou to assault thou madest my owne Family thy Garrison to keepe that precious Fort which thou hadst wonne from me Thus by my not resisting temptation but yeelding to it rather vanquish'd my selfe then was vanquish'd by it O my deare Iesu be thou neare me that I may redeeme the time which is left me Bruise thou the head of this Serpent that he may have the foile I the victory thou the glory CHAP. 7. Three Engines by his spirituall Enemy reared that his Fort might be razed THis enemy as his owne nature has made him cruell so the long exercise of his malice has made him subtile Engines therefore he prepares to skale the wals and batter downe those strong Holds which stand against him Where he finds the least breach hee applies his instruments Delay hee cannot endure nor will hee admit of any parley where he finds the least weaknesse in the besieged party It is not his use to hang out any White Banner or to give a yeelding Foe any quarter Now call thy selfe to mind poore Pilgrim and examine thy selfe what thou hast done in this fearefull encounter How didst thou furnish thy selfe within to repell the Enemies fury without Didst thou fly to that Sanctuary of a troubled soule by offering up the sweet incense of humble devotion to the Tower of thy strength the Horne of thy salvation Didst thou imitate that devout Bethulian in sending forth the voyce of thy prayer that Christian sacrifice of supplication Didst thou prepare thy selfe against the assault Were 't thou carefull of thy spirituall provision Didst thou fast and pray that thou mightst not enter into temptation Were those Allyes thou hadst within thee true unto thee Did not those on whom thou relyed betray thee yes deare Lord I must confesse it I was betrayed by my owne to my shame But alas had these stood for me all this had little availed me for I was such an Enemy to my selfe as I would have betrayed my selfe had I neither suffered the assaults of heavy Friends within me nor open Foes without me O how soundly slept I while my ghostly Enemy stood at the gate ready to enter in upon me Watchfull was he in seeking to surprize me but carelesse was I in labouring to prevent his subtilty O how well knew hee how to get ground upon me How subtilly lay hee his snares to catch mee Hee became came familiar by his too long acquaintance with me and presented to mee whatsoever hee thought would soonest take me If at any time by the motion of Gods Spirit I entertained any good resolution if I purposed to amend my life and to strengthen these holy motions prepared my selfe for devotion to the end that He who had begun this good worke in me might likewise perfect it in me When I say I had shut the doore of my heart from worldly cares and had now begun to offer the sacrifice of my weake devotions to the Throne of Grace that I might redeeme the lives I had lost and returne with honour to my Grave Woe is me even amidst these holy resolves came that subtile Serpent and reared three strong Engines against the Fort of my soule Strong were they and cunningly contrived so as though they were raised for my undoing they seemed to me wondrous pleasing so foolishly gave I way to my destruction O my sweet Redeemer looke downe upon me with the eye of thy mercy let not my Enemy prevaile against me though he pitch his Tents and cast his Banks about me God will be good unto Israel even to me the poorest wandring sheepe that ever was received into the Fold of Israel CHAP. 8. The Concupiscence of the flesh THis was the very first Engine which my spirituall Enemy reared against me And this I must confesse made a breach quickly through the windowes of my Fort. O how willingly did I desire to perish Though I saw mine enemies joyning their powers together utterly to lay me waste their presence was delightfull to me I invited them to sojourne with me Neither did this Concupiscence want wooing termes to winne me who was wonne already nor to plead to me what interest shee had in mee seeing shee was conceived and borne with me and from the very first time I came into the world consorted with me I am saith shee thy Play-fellow The houres of thy Pilgrimage would seem long without me Therefore am I given thee to allay those miseries which attend thee Doe not then so estrange thy selfe from mee nor refuse her familiarity who can so fully delight thee Looke upon mee and see if there bee nothing in me that may please thee nay looke every where about thee and see if ought could content thee if I were absent from thee As thou art the Fleshes Guest so am I the Fleshes Darling Shee with whom thou dwellest under whose roofe thou sojournest would hold this World a Wildernesse and every Creature in it as a Pelican of the Desart were not I to cheere her while she lives in it Doe not then leave mee seeing thou canst not live without me I have variety of pleasures to refresh thee lest the enjoyment of one should cloy thee I have fresh fragrant Gardens for thee to walke in faire goodly Buildings for thee to plant in pleasant sights to delight thine eye sweet ayres to please thine eare odoriferous soots to cheer thy smell dainty cates to feed thy taste choice embraces to

hope of future happinesse this very promise of long dayes might have brought thee to Obedience But alas this was the lowest of my thoughts the least of my cares I desired in mine Heart to be the Master of an estate before Nature would allow me it I took my portion and went away into a farre Countrey And there I plaid the riotter till I became a miserable Begger Then and never till then did I consider what I had done For by this time had I forgot my Fathers House So long and so sweetly had I been ●ulled in the Lappe of Sin But having now reap'd the fruites of my Disobedience I begun to have a remorse of Conscience and to have some small sensible feeling of repentance But never till such time as I had fed freely of those empty huskes of vanity and found my selfe so miserably poor as if I return'd not back to my Fathers House I might of necessity perish there were no remedy Nay I must to my shame confesse it that such was my disobedience and so crooked my will amidst my greatest necessities that this my aversion from evill and conversion to good rather proceeded from want of meanes then sincerity of will For had my Portion continued the arme of Sin had been nothing shortned And yet had my want brought mee to this naturall consideration as to thinke with my selfe what Parents were What benefits I had received from them how they had done for mee what I could never possibly do for them How Creatures endued onely with sense by a naturall instinct bore that tender love and obedience to their Parents as in their age they foster'd them on their wings they carried them desiring rather that they themselves should perish then their Parents suffer which gave a being unto them But these Considerations onely floated upon the Waters of mine heart they never sunck A naturall pronenesse to obey the Lusts of my Flesh hung such heavy poizes on the Wings of my Obedience as they kept me from mounting desiring rather to dye then wholly to leave my rebellion Thus was I never weary of transgressing till my transgressions became weary of mee Neither was I sensible of what disobedience meant till I was brought to a Consideration of it through want Wo is mee How could I promise to my selfe length of dayes when I had disseised my selfe of that promise by my disobedient wayes How could I be lesse then rejected of my Father in Heaven who had borne my selfe so disobediently to my Father on Earth How could I look for an inheritance falling so desperately into all disobedience O my deare Lord to whom Obedience is better then Sacrifice call mee now home unto thee Let me no longer run on in my rebellious Course Like a Childe that feareth to be beate let mee tremble at thy judgments Like a Child that flyeth into his Fathers lappe let mee kisse thee for thy mercies Correct mee O Lord but not in thine anger for how shall I stand in thy displeasure O I know as there is no Sonne whom a Father will not correct with the rod of his love so is there no Father who has not a desire to deliver his Sonne Correct me O Lord as thou art my Saviour oh let it never be in thine heavy displeasure CHAP. 18. His contempt of the Second in his practising mischiefe against his Neighbour ONe may commit murder and shed no blood The very thoughts of our hearts may become Conspirators against our Neighbour and so wee murder him in our desires Caine slew his brother Abel which made him turne Runnagate by flying from Gods presence O how often have I staine my brother in conceiving cruell thoughts which reflected upon his life fame and substance O how often have I in mine heart wished a sudden end unto mine Enemy And yet I was perswaded hee was not well prepared for death when I wished this unto him so as my desires were bent to murder him both in soule and body by wishing him so sudden and unprepared a death in his departure from the body Yea I will confesse against my selfe and with much bitternesse of heart will I acknowledge it that neither rich nor poore have beene freed from those murdering imaginations which my corrupt heart had secretly nursed For if he were rich I murdered him with Envy And in this act not only him but my selfe Wasting and eating up my owne marrow consuming my owne strength and falling away with a languishing desire of others ruine Againe were he poore I to my power murdered him by holding from him the staffe of bread when I might have relieved him by grating and grinding the face of the needy by oppressing him injuriously by laying heavier burdens on him then hee could beare O how can I remember these and sinke not downe with the horror of them Can I think that just God who heares the Orphans cry and bottles up the Widowes teares will not avenge himselfe of these things Can hee tender his little ones not revenge himselfe of those who make a prey and spoile of his little ones O no my Lord I know my guiltinesse is not hid from thee Nay I know well thou hast thy Bow ready bent and thine Arrowes in thy Quiver to shoot at the malicious and evill doer even at him that is of a subtile and deceitfull heart How then may I make my peace with thee How may I find favour in thy sight what shall I bee able to answer for my selfe against those my many Accusers While here one proves how I sought his life and with many bitter imprecations discovered my malice unto him Another accuseth me with impeaching his good name that precious perfume of every good man The third of his Substance saying that my wishes were often that he might be rest of it or it of him or that I my selfe might enjoy it with the losse of him Thus like a cruell and bloody Nimrod have I hunted for blood And though I did not actually shed it yet in desiring it and not seeking where I might to prevent it I cannot plead lesse then that I am guilty of it Now my fact is so foule that should I with the poore condemned Prisoner demand my Booke I could not hope to have the benefit of it yet there is a Booke wherein I have read what may afford mee much comfort by it At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put away all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. It is the Lord that hath said it even he who as hee is gracious in his promise so is hee faithfull in his performance Hence is my trust that though my sinnes be as red as scarlet the blood of the Lambe will make them white Though my garments bee all red as those who came from Bosro my Saviour has in store a white roabe for me As white as the snow of

that they may perform their proper offices to the good both of my soule and body making it ever their absolutest ayme to promote thy glory CHAP. 62. Being thus encompassed with danger hee prepares himselfe for prayer VVHat Sanctuary have I now to retire to or what Refuge may I fly to when I have nothing within mee but practiseth rather to betray mee then free me nothing without mee that may any way availe mee now when dangers of all sorts and on all sides thus encompasse me O my good God I have one in readinesse for thou hast prepared it for mee and by it shall I in due time receive comfort from thee The direction is short and soveraigne If any bee afflicted let him pray and if hee be merry let him sing Psalmes I am afflicted Lord I am inwardly afflicted I will therefore take the wings of the morning and fly with the Dove till I may find some resting place for the soale of my foot till I may bring an Olive-branch in my bill and so bring glad tydings to my poore Soule that the floods of waters are returned backe which have not onely for many dayes but many years encompassed me Those bitter waters of Marah those swelling floods of affliction which have gone over my Soule In the old world when Noahs Arke was builded and all the inhabitants of the earth to the number of eight reduced fifteene cubits onely did the waters prevaile upward and covered the Mountaines But the waters of my affliction have mounted higher they have bound in my soule and brought her downe to the depths High time then is it to fly for succour lest the water-floods swallow mee up and the remembrance of mee bee no more I will direct therefore my Prayer unto God for hee is a God of mercy and all consolation he will take pitty of my affliction and in his appointed time rid me of all my feares But alas though I know the way where comfort is to bee received and the doore of the Sanctuary be open to receive mee in it yet so long have I estranged my selfe from it and so unacquainted am I with the exercise of Prayer as I know not in what forme or manner to make it For when I looke upon my selfe and consider how luke-warme has beene my conversation how earthly my affection how feigned my confession how short and rare my compunction how my obedience has been without devotion my prayer without intention my reading without edification my speech without circumspection I grow ashamed of my condition acknowledging nothing to bee due unto mee but reproach and confusion For when at any time I pray I mind not what I pray nor to whom I pray how may I then hope for any helpe from him to whom I pray or that my prayer shall bee heard by him seeing I my selfe doe not heare my selfe in the prayer which I make unto him The pretious stone Diacletes though it have many rare and excellent properties in it yet it loseth them all if it be put in a dead mans mouth So Prayer which is the only soveraigne pearle and Iewell of a Christian though it have many rare and exquisite vertues in it many promises conferred on it yet it loseth them every one if it be put into a mans mouth or into a mans heart either that is dead in sinne and doth not knock with a pure heart For Prayer without devotion is like the bellowing of Oxen. O where am I then whose imaginations have beene evill from my youth whose life has beene a sinke of sinne and whose heart has beene a stranger to devotion how and in what manner may I pray in hope to be heard how shall I render up my Supplication that it may be received how shall I offer my Sacrifice of thanksgiving that it may be accepted O my deare Lord as thou hast taught me to pray so teach mee how to pray Put sweet incense into the Censor and that it may burne the better inflame my heart with spirituall fervor Behold Lord I fly unto thee open the doore of thy Sanctuary unto mee that I may enter and offer up my prayer to thee after that absolute forme of prayer which thou thy selfe hast taught 〈◊〉 CHAP. 63. He repeats the Lords prayer and in every particular he finds himselfe a great Offender OVr Father which art in heaven Oh make a stoppe here poore Pilgrim before thou goest any farther Hast thou a Father in Heaven where is the duty thou shouldst tender Dost thou use him like a Father much lesse like an heavenly Father when thou preferrest the pleasures of sin before his honour Hallowed bee thy name Oh with what tongue canst thou utter hallowed seeing his name hath been by thee so much dishonoured Thy Kingdome come O shake and tremble fearefull to thee will bee the comming of his Kingdome seeing thou by ascribing to thy selfe what was due unto him shalt bee accused of seeking to rob him of his Kingdome When the foundation of the earth shall be shaken the whole world dissolved and thou brought forth naked to be publikely judged Thy will be done Oh dissembling wretch dost thou pray that his Will may be done when thou never yet with thy Will didst that which thou shouldst have done nor what thou knewest well was his Will to be done In Earth as it is in Heaven And yet has it beene the least of thy care on Earth to doe his will as it is done in heaven Give us this day our daily bread Oh has he not granted thy suite has he not strengthned thee with the staffe of bread But hast thou walked in the strength thereof to his honour or requited him with an offering of his owne by sowing thy bread upon the waters And forgive us our trespasses Oh they are many many in quantity heavy in quallitie yet as a sparke in the Sea so has hee drowned them in the Ocean of his mercy As wee forgive them that trespasse against us O consider well the particle of this petition examine thine heart whether thou hast or no performed the condition Thou desirest but to be forgiven as thou dost forgive oh forgive then that thou maiest bee forgiven Few be the areeres which thou canst demand of thy Brother in comparison of those which are owing by thee to thy Maker And lead us not into temptation And yet thou wilt not stick to lead thy selfe into temptation He is ready to bestow his grace upon thee to send his Holy Spirit to guide thee to spread his Banner over thee yet while thou prayest not to bee led into temptation thou willingly leadest thy selfe into that which thou in thy prayer desirest to prevent But deliver us from evill Oh how many deliverances has he shewn unto thee How often has hee snapped in pieces the Speare which might have dispatched thee Broken those Arrowes which might have wounded thee Taken thy foot out of the snare which had intrapped

thee Nay how often hast thou gone downe even unto the gates of Hell and least thou shouldst enter in he with-held thee How often hast thou drawne neare even to the gates of death and lest they should take thee in hee preserv'd thee Thus hath hee delivered thee from all evill and yet for all this good which hee has done thee thou hast requited him with evill And now thou concludest For thine is the Kingdome power and glory for ever and ever Amen Oh how ready thou art here to acknowledge his power and yet to deny it in thy life But confesse thou must his power not onely with mouth but heart and practise of a good life if ever thou meanest to partake with him in the Kingdome of glory O my sweet Saviour as thou hast taught mee by this absolute forme of Prayer how I am to make my prayer and hast promised to grant me my request if I pray effectually as I ought so kindle in my heart true devotion tbat no place may be left for distraction Here thou hast taught how and in what manner I am to pray O let me not lose the benefit of it by losing my selfe when I pray CHAP. 64. He renders a private account of his Faith and in every article of the Creede hee finds a fainting failing weaknesse and want I Beleeve in God the father Almighty maker of heaven and earth This first Article of our Beliefe was made by Christs first Apostle Saint Peter And herein thou professest that thou believest But that is not enough The Devils doe beleeve and tremble Thou must not onely believe God but believe in God and that he is thy God Againe thou art not only to believe God and believe in God but solely love God and wholly live to God For as wee are to believe with heart unto righteousnesse and confesse with mouth unto salvation so are we to bring forth fruits hereof in an holy and blamelesse conversation O how much hast thou failed in the first what then may wee looke for at the last And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. Of this second Article was Saint Iohn the Evangelist Author one who was right deare in the eyes of his Master our blessed Saviour and one who leaned on his bosome at his last Supper And here thou confessest Iesus Christ the second person in the blessed Trinity to be the Sonne of God to be our Lord. But hast thou by a contrite heart regenerate life made him thy Lord Thou saist thou dost beleeve in him but dost thou love him in whom thou believest And how shouldst thou be lesse then his Lover so long as thou beleev'st him to be thy saviour But wher be any Signes of this love O if thou didst truly love him in whō thou believ'st thou wouldst rather leave to live then leave to love him in whom thou believest Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary This third Article S. Iames the Greater composed whereby thou art taught to beleeve all sanctification to be included in his Conception all humility in his Nativity But dost thou as every Christian should do seriously consider for whose sake this Virgin was conceived for whose sake thy sweet Saviour became so humbled that the Son of God should become the son of Man that the Son of Man might become the son of God that the immortall should become mortall that the mortall might become immortall that the living Lord should dye that the dying man might live that the free should become bound that the bound might become free that God should descend from heaven to earth that he might draw us from earth to heaven that God should become humbled that Man might be exalted that He should become poore that we might be enriched and reckoned amongst the transgressors that we amōgst his Saints might be numbred Hast thou I say meditated of this how he was borne for thee that thou mightst be re-borne in him O I feare thou hast beene more ready to partake of this benefit then by acknowledgeing it to bee thankefull for it Suffered under Pontius Pilat was crucified dead and buried This fourth Article Saint Andrew framed wherein thou seest and perhaps admirest the unjust proceedings of a wicked Iudge for thou hearest one and that an odious and malicious one pronouncing the sentence of death upon the Lord of life and inclining to the voice and vote of the people delivering a murdring delinquent to murder the innocent Nay pronouncing a sentence against his owne Conscience for hee washed his hands but not in innocence Againe thou hearest and beleevest that hee was crucified and yet it grieves thee not to crucifie him afresh with new sinnes Thou beleevest that hee died and was buried and yet thou daily diest not to sin but in sin and hast now not three dayes but many yeares laine buried in them He descended into hell This fifth Article Saint Philip added and thou beleevest in it He descended that thou mightst ascend to the place whereto hee is ascended Yet where be there any tokens of thy desire to ascend unto him Ascend unto him thou canst not unlesse thou descend into thy selfe for whom he so humbly descended The third day he rose againe from the dead This sixt Article Saint Thomas annexed An Article proper for Thomas who touching Christs Resurrection was so incredulous And here thou seest that late crucified man now acquit himselfe of death like a victorious Lord. And hence thou rejoycest but unlesse thou rise from sinne and live to righteousnesse Christs Resurrection shall afford thee small comfort in the bed of thy sicknesse Hee ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the father Almighty This seventh Article Saint Bartholomew penned And by this thou beleevest that hee is now ascended who for thy sake descended And as from his rising came the hope of thy Resurrection so from his ascending the hope of thy glorification But thou must rise with him before thou canst reigne with him rise with him who was free from all sin from the Grave of sin that thou maist reigne with him who dyed for thy sin in his heavenly Sion And as hee sitteth on the right hand of God the father Almighty where he offers up his prayers for thee sheweth those glorious scars of his precious wounds to his Father for thee performs the faithfull office of a loving Mediator for thee So art thou in thy prayers to remember the necessity of his Saints upon earth But cold is thy charity in performing such a duty From whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead This eight Article was by S. Matthew published and by this thou believest how he who was judged unjustly shall judge the whole world in Equity For the Father judgeth none but hath given up this judgement unto his Son in whose brest are laid up all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge And this