14 15. Matt. 6. 7. Our devotions what in generall Their devotions of what sort a See their bookes of their chiefe devotions as they are called by Master Gâ—…E who was best acquainted with them b See their Letanies to our Lady in that booke and namely that sung at the intended â—…panish invasion Their more profound meditations and devotions 2 Thess. 2. 4. 2 Thess. 2. 4. Apoc. 13. 11. c. 14 15 16 17. Scope of all their dâ—…votions Esa. 1. 13. Comparing of them together Particular comparing of them for more evidence 1 Tim. 4 8. Col. 2. 23. Deut. 4. 2. 22. 32. Prov. 30. 6. Apoc. 22. 18. 1 Tim. 4. 1. Iam. 1. 17. Iob 22. Esa. 4. 4. Apoc. 8. 3. Matth. 6. Prov. 19. 2. Rom. 4. end Matth. 6. 7. Rom. 8. 34. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Apoc. â—… 3. Conclusion of this second point 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. The third part of the delusion that they spend more time in their devotions than we in ours Rhâ—…m on Rom. 3. vers 22. sect 7. Mat. 12. 33. Esa. 1. 15. 1 Ioh. 3. 15. Esa. 1. 12. Psal. 50. 16. Iam. 16. 7. Iust complaint against the greatest part of those who prosesse the Gospell Conclusion The further manifestation of that assumption which fully demonstrated all must renounce Popery or be professedly of Sathans Religion Seâ—… Watch Part 3. pag. 340. The Syllogisme grounded upon our Saviours owne words How the Lord manifested the truth of this Assumption that this is their doctrine * Now L. â—… of Licâ—…field Part 3. c. 11. p. 340 341. The Lord himselfe also daily more and more manifesting the truth of it to leave all the obstinate more without excuse Seâ—… the book intituled An admirable discoverie of an horrible attempt standerously â—…hered upon them of Rochell See Foot out of the Snare pag. 25. All their Doctrines lies in hypocrisic 2 Tim. 4. 2. Appeale for the truth of the Assumption Appeale for the evidence of sundrie Consectaries Luk. 11. 23. Ezek. 33. 7 8. * I could wish them all other of the simpler sort to read such little treatises as shew how Popery is against the main grouÌ„ds of Religion and first principles of the Catechisme as namely a little booke called a pill to purge out Popery with the shifts of the Iesuits by Master MVLLâ—…N and the like Request to all opponents Acts 9 5. See Peters enlargement concerning the power of faithfull praier 2 Thess. 1. 7 8 9 10. Psal. 34. 15. Psal. 10 17. 18. Esay 65 24. Iames 1 6. Iames 5 16. 17. 1â—… 2 Kings 2 12. 2 King 13 14. Iob 22 21 22. 3â—… Psal. 9 16. Psal. 50 16 17 To meditate Esay â—…9 26 c. 63. 3 4 5 How our Saviour hath bene wont to look for some to helpe his Church in all her extremities His usual maner then to find out some to stand in the breach and by whom he migat shew himself gloriously for it As Ioseph Some to bee helpers by their prayers and teares Iob 22. â—…0 These henow lookes for Euery one must needes desire to bee of this little number Iude 5 23. Iudg. 7 7. Yet everyone is not fitted for this service Our Saviour hath taught whom they â—…ust be To mediâ—…ate in the second place of the necessitie of seruent prayer at this time aboue all former 3. What a one hee must be 4. How his prayers must be framed 5. The power of such prayers 6. All other unmeet 7. How yet every one must endevour to be an helper To see the necessitie of this dutie by considering 1. The estate of the Churches 2. How the Lord cals for our helpes in teaching us to cry Our Father Our Father which art c. 1. To lay to heart the calamities aud perils of all the churches and people of God at this instant 2. Pet. 1. 4. 2 To seeke to prevent or mitigate the displeasure of our heavenly father To consider how God hath ordained Kings Queenes for nurses to his church Esay 49 23. And the praiers of his people so to incline their hearts 2 Tim. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. Hallowed be thy name As the Lord hath been wont to glorifie his name by Kings and Princes saving his Church so we may now expect If we can give Christ glory in our repentance And the ra ther for that the enemie seeketh to trample his glory under feete Thy kingdome come How the enemies set themselves against Christ. How they have prevailed Resolued to proceed That Antichrist may fit again as God in his Temple That as they thus seeke to lead Christ his armies captives That he hath ordained Kings to hold up his Scepter Apo. 17. 16 17 And to make the whore desolate 4. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen How Sathan Antichrist seeke onely to be obeyed To destroy out of the earth all who obey the lord Nothing but the power of our Lord Iesus Christ of his Vicegerents to hinder it How difficult for us to lay these things to heart And for them who are vnder the triall to submit themselues That we may more commiserate them Giue us this day our daily bread To bring our hearts to a feeling of their miseries Both bodily To thinke how neere the like may be to us How we have deserved to drinke more deeply then any other How we hale on these How the Lord hath hitherto preserved us by Kings and Princes Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us To bring our hearts to a sense of the sinns so provoking the Lord. Chiefly carnal gospeling That the Lord hath is stil so fearfully proceeding for these sins according to the denunciation in his blessed Law Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Our sinne in not submitting our selvs and seeking to pacific the Lords wrath who hath so 〈◊〉 and so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 that hee might spare us By his Messengers By mercies iudgements Wonderfull preservation deliverances That our sins are so overspred committed with so high a hand Wee worse notwithstanding so many tokens of Gods displeasure No warning serving us To take their miseries oâ—… our owne perils to heart To labor for a feeling That wee are the men prin cipally devoted to destruction Most enâ—…yed by the enemies of the Church Our sinne of carnall Gospelling greater then of other Churches not onely shewing forth But so much denying all power of godlinesse Ashamed to be noted for more carefull profession Causing gods enemies to blaspheme Our sinne increased to the uttermost by our turning against Christ Iesus as against our greatest enemy Though hee haue so uiâ—…ibly protected us This 〈◊〉 apparent that we so many of us seeme deadly to hate all power of godlinesse Manifest in all the odious names wherewith it is branded Not to rest till we have brought our hearts to a seeling of our sins and hovv they are encreased That nothâ—…g keepes bâ—…ck his vengeance but his inâ—…init
will make us cry loud day and night both for them and for ourselves Yea moreouer heerein wee are to striue to bring our harts to a right and wise consideration That as the Lord being displeased against Israel gave Sathan liberty to stand up against David to move him to number his people so to make a way to the just execution of his displeasure for their sinnes and thereby to awake them bring them to repentance so he might thus most justly for a long time have given him liberty to stand up against all the Churches for our coldness and security but against us especially of this sinnefull Nation having so long greeved him by all our heynous prouocations even these threescore yeeres and more and much more may he doe it now most righteously for our so unspeakeable impenitencie and senselesness at this day for that nothing els hath hitherto or can yet awake us And withall we are to labour to bring our hearts to a wise and right consideration of the extreame rage and fury that Sathan now exerciseth roaring upon all the true Churches of Christ as if hee would devoure us at once knowing he hath but a short time and how he hath heereupon thus lately begun to cast out this floud of bloody persecution out of his mouth to carry away all the Churches and Children of God at this once together as he hath done some already How he and his bloody Instruments haue decreed the certaine effecting heereof as God hath made it manifest even by themselves and that to all the world I meane to every one whose eyes the God of this world hath not utterly shut up And to bee euer thinking heereof That onely our blessed God tender Father hath caused the earth hitherto to helpe his Churches and all of us his Children in â—…o opening her mouth and swallowing up the waters albeit so very many of our Brethren abroad haue bin already carried away therby That our course is now as we haue just cause to feare comming amaine like the raging Sea Sathan standing up day and night against every one of us to tempt us all each according to our places callings occasions to provoke him by our sinnes more and more especially by our induration and security dayly increased that so the Lord may leave us likewise into his hand which wee haue just cause to feare according to all his severe denunciations and threats so neerely executed and that to as great miseries as they or any other Churches or people euer indured before as he had almost done The right Meditation of all these will make us cry aloud Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from euill Lord deliver us not over to the tempter for our sinnes to bee thus indurate and prepared for destruction but deliver us from him and from the innumerable evils which he so furiously seekes to bring upon us and upon all our Brethren and which so many other Churches so groane under And yet more then all this wee are never to rest day nor night till our heartes rightly understand and conceiue hereof that as all the miseries now upon or towards the Churches are wholly or principally from the Dragon who hath thus inraged all those whom he hath deceiued to fight against them so our God hath also heerein ordained Pastors and Watchmen both spirituall and temporall to preserve his Children from him and those his Pastors and Watchmen to bee awaked and made more vigilant heereunto by the instant Prayers and cries of his poore people committed to their charge We are ever likewise to be thinking heereof that he that cannot cry for himselfe and for the Watchmen and Churches to be delivered from the tempter and from all these evils Especially from the evill of sinne that it reigne not over him but suffers himselfe to be a servant though it be but of any one sinne and a slave of Sathan therein must indure eternall evils and miseries with him in the Lake for ever and ever The eight particular Meditation of the second generall That the kindgome and glory are Christs that Sathan and Antichrist fight principally against him and against his Church onely for his cause and therefore are sure to be overthrowen 8. ANd yet more still to awaken us to prepare our hearts to this worke wee are to fâ—…iue to bring our soules on further to a right and due consideration that our Lord Iesus Christ is absolute Lord and King that all the kingdomes of the world are our Lords and his Christs and that he must reigne for evermore That Sathan and Antichrist his eldest sonne all their Souldiers in all these bloody warres which they haue so dreadfully begun and do so furiously pursue against all the Churches doe fight onely against his glorious Maiestie and even of hatred against him howsoever these whom Sathan hath so enchanted thinke not so much but rather imagine that they doe God good seruice in it That Sathan Antichrist haue sent forth these croaking Frogs the Iesuits and Seminaries to stir up all the Kings and great men of the earth to give away their power and authority from Christ Iesus to whom it is wholly due and whose they and all their power is to take part and to fight on their side against our Lord Iesus Christ. That it is indeed our Lord Iesus Christ against whom they fight even to thrust him out of his throne and to destroy his people and therefore that wee have just cause to thinke that this same being thus eagerly pursued against him and against all his true members in all the Churches is the very battle of the great day for that it is so set as it was never in such sort before all things being rightly considered And therefore we are wisely to Meditate that howsoever to the end to harden them all and all their Souldiers to their utter destruction he hath permitted them to prevaile thus farre and still raging to pursue his Israel into the heart of the Sea yet we may haue good hope that there is the very place and time where and when he will get himselfe the victory even when once his owne people and Children seeing and feeling their miseries upon them and that there is nothing remaining in regard of any helpe from man but present destruction shall cry aloud unto him as Israel at the Sea That then hee will cause his owne people to stand still and see what he will doe That then he will manifest his power and get himselfe glory upon his owne and his Churches enemies even upon Pharaoh and his hoast and that by his owne right arme That howsoever there are multitudes nations mighty Monarches and Kings against him and these have all one minde to give their power and authority from him unto the Beast untill
unto it in delivering restoring and beautifying of it like as hee hath done in all former Ages And therefore wee are never to rest travelling with our owne hearts in this untill we can principally labour with the Lord for them that they of all other and so all in their places may be indued with all excellent graces not onely to manifest themselves in the first ranke according to their high dignities the true Children of our heavenly Father thus shining before all the rest of their Bretheren for the better prouoking and encouraging of all the rest and the greater glory of the Lord but also with those guifts which are proper and peculiar unto their places and callings And that wee likewise may all of us be very carefull to performe unto them the duties belonging to them in regard of those high places and callings like as the honor and obedience of right appertaining to them so with all true thankfulnesse for all the blessings which wee injoy by them And in our thankfulnesse we â—…e never to rest untill wee can from our soules performe unto them these three specially 1. Acknowledgment of their authoritie from God and that they are in his place 2. Hearty affections as to Gods Lieutenants for his cause 3. Above all instant prayers for them day night And in these our prayers that we can cry for them not onely as for every common member as was saide to bee able to walke before all their people as living Lawes in all holy duties of Christianitie but in those of their particular places and callings and bee furnished with all excellent giftes and endowments of Gods Spirit for their happy managing of the same As first and principally that they may bee made able and resolute to promote the Religion of the Lord alone and all true godlinesse and that with all their power defacing the contrary and destroying all ungodnesse in all their Dominions as did those Worthyes David Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosiab and Nehemiah being thereby so renowned and set out for such blessed examples to all succeeding Ages And in the second place that they may procure each way the good of the people committed to them as tender Foster-fathers repressing the wicked being careful that all holy meanes be used every where for the reclaiming and saving every soule in their Dominions and of bringing them in their armes to the Sion and Sanctuary of the Lord and all hinderances thereof removed And that to these ends they may be all as 〈◊〉 Magistrates men of courage fearing God dealing truely hating covetousnesse no respecters of persons And next unto these that we rest not till we bee able to pray likewise for all excelling in any eminency either outward or inward whereby they may doe any speciall service to our Lord Iesus Christ to his Vicegerents or to his poore Church and people As namely That their hearts bee not lifted up by their guifts favours or places as is ordinary in each estate and so wrath come upon them as it did on that good Hezekiah for this very sinnâ—… but that contrarily they may both ever remember and acknowledge all their preferments to be from his heavenly bounty and so to be more humbled by them as having more to answere bee accountable for giving to his divine Majestie alone all the glory thereof And secondly that they may bee inabled as thy deare Children to employ all those guifts carefully as their talents committed unto them by the Lord to that end and purpose as may make most for his glory the furtherance of his Gospell with the greatest benefit and good to our selve and to all the people of the Lord. The second particular Meditation of the third general That we can and use to seeke his honor above all other things SEcondly we must never give the Lord over untill we have brought our harts in order not to seeke our owne honour or greatness nor our selves any way for our selves alone but onely in all things to seeke the honour of our heavenly Father being zealous of his glory And that wee can pray earnestly that our selves and all other may studie to set foorth his glorie before all the sonnes of men euen the glory of his Wisedome Goodness Mercy Iustice Power and Truth shining bright in all his workes both in every creature and also in all his judgements and mercies and chiefely in his heavenly word admiring and extolling his great name in every one of them That we can mourne with holy Moses for all the dishonours done unto him and for all the provocations whereby he is provoked choosing rather to have our names put out of his booke then that his great name shold be blasphemed by his malicious enemics especially in their triumphes for the destruction or miseries of his people The third particular Meditation of the third generall That we seeke his honour chiefely in the aduancement of the Scepter of Iesus Christ. THirdly we are never to rest untill we can rejoyce in the truth of our hearts that we have seâ—… our selves to seek by all our might the advancement of the Scepter of his heavenly kingdome even of the heavenly Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ and so the comming of his kingdome thereby with power first the kingdome of Grace and after the kingdome of Glory desiring earnestly to that end the propagating and spreading of his Gospel over all the world the gathering forth of all his elect from al parts with the saving of all his people seeking all other things onely for him and for his honour that he may reigne as Lord and King That wee never give him rest until wee feele him reigning in our hearts by his blessed Word and Spirit making us to mourne withall for all the despight done unto his heavenly Majesty in the contempt of that his glorious Gospel and chiefly for all the prevaylings of Sathan and Antichrist the setting up againe of their abhominable Idolatry in any place and so for al the outragious wickednesse committed agaynst our Lord Iesus Christ his crowne and dignity and also agaynst his poore people The fourth particular Meditation of the third generall That we seeke to honour him eâ—…er in the full accomplishment of all his heavenly will FOurthly that our hearts beare us witness that wee haue attayned to be such as are wholly set not to seeke the execution of our owne lustes or will but that the whole will and good pleasure of our heavenly Father may bee fulfilled by us and all other his Children especially in all things wherein he hath or shal reveale himselfe what his good pleasure is And that we have begun earnestly to indevor our selves to be as chearful in the right execution and accomplishment thereof in all parts as
order that wee are ever as neere as we can to keepe in the desire of our hearts and in all the requests which we make unto his glorious Majesty The fift generall Meditation Fiftly the power and efficacy of our prayers made and performed in all things according to the heavenly patterne VVE are in this Meditation to have a due consideration pondering hereof that the foure former things being performed according to the rule and direction of our Saviour this fifth will follow of it selfe that is to say that our blessed God will give us a strong assurance to be heard and so that wee shall see the power and efficacy of our prayers in all accordingly which wee are seriously to meditate of untill wee can feele our hearts to pray in faith and in confident boldnesse of his goodnesse to grant our requests The first particular Meditation of the fift generall That when we can so pray he will manifest himselfe our tender Father FIrst that when wee shall joyntly thus cry unto him he will not onely give a witnesse to every one of vs in our soules that hee is our Father and set the seale thereof in our hearts as was saide making us able to call him Abba O Father which is ten thousand times more worth then all our labour herein can be but will moreover shew himselfe to us so praying not to each in particular alone but also to all the Churches in generall that even from heaven to bee our gracious and tender Father yea that hee will so shew himselfe to us as ever he shewed himselfe to Israel or to any of his in former Ages howsoever hee may first humble us and dreadfully awaken us all to make us more earnestly and joyntly to cry unto him The second particular Meditation of the fift generall How hee will from heaven shew us his glory when wee can so pray SEcondly that then wee may truly hope that hee will from heaven once againe shew his glory for his Church more then ever in this last Age of the world now that his owne glorious Majesty and Children are so furiously fought against and that so directly and manifestly that all the world may take notice of it chiefly by Sathan and Antichrist and by all their forces That he will then evidently declare the glorious riches of his Love Wisedome Mercy Power Truth Faithfulnesse and all his Goodnesse both for the rescuing the succouring and saving of all his poore Church from the great red Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet and for maintaining his owne honour and great Name which they doe so oppugne and also in getting himselfe a glorious victory triumph vpon them all as hee did vpon Pharoah Senacherib Haman or any other of his proud enemies or of the enemies of his Church Yea we may then expect that hee will doe this in fighting against them by themselves making their owne rage their ruine their owne counselles their owne confusion and the covering of their faces and in turning all to his owne glory with the greatest joy and happiness to his chosen flock and children for ever The third particular Meditation of the fift generall 3. VVE are withall to meditate infaith How when hee hath prepared and set our hearts in order thus to pray he wil then from heaven cause his owne Kingdome to come with power how thē our Lord Iesus Christ whos 's the kingdome is to whom the Father hath specially committed the governement of it will then advance his owne Scepter the true Scepter of righteousness even his heavenly Gospell amongst his very enemies that then his greatest enemies shall fall downe before him lick the dust in acknowledgement of their owne natural wretchedness and of their willing submission to Iesus Christ or perish for ever How then our Lord and Saviour will once agayne cause Sathan to fall down from heaven like lightning ruinating his kingdom and specially the kingdom of Antichrist how he will consume that great Antichrist by the breath of his mouth and utterly abolish him by the brightness of his comming But the new Hierusalem hee will cause to descend from heaven as a Bride trimmed prepared to meete her Husband and then will he set up and manifest before all the world the glory of his Majesty and of the glorious Kingdome of his Son our Saviour with the felicity and glory of all his Saints in that manner which he hath foretold in his heavenly word and in all things which are not yet accomplished concerning the same every thing in their owne due time and season The fourth particular Meditation of the fift generall FOurthly we are wisely to meditate in faith How then he will accomplish and fulfill all his holy will and counsell even whatsoever he hath spoken by the mouthe of any of his holy Prophets which is not yet come to passe executing both all his judgements upon all his and his Churches enemies performing whatsoever hee hath foretold and promised to his Saints How then he wil certainly put into the hearts of all and namely of the Kings which had formerly given their power vnto the Beast to give all their power and authority to Iesus Christ to fulfill his will for the full execution and performance hereof and that cheerefully wisely faithfully like as i◅ is done in heaven and more specially to every one that can so call up on his blessed name according to the measure of Grace and Power given to each in his place Then he will effectually so encline our hearts as that this shall be our meate and drinke to do his will and that wee shall never depart from him any more The fift particular Meditation of the fift general How hee will then deliver and feed his people FIftly then we are withall heere to meditate in faith and in all confident assurance how he will from heaven declare his fatherly and tender care for all his children thus crying to him to deliver them from all their bondage Famine Sword and other miseries which they have endured by their merciless enemyes whether bodily or spirituall thus wiping away all teares from their eyes so far as shall be most for his owne glory and for their good Then will he feed them with bread as from heaven ministring abundantly al good things unto them according to the dayes wherein they suffered adversitie recompensing thē double into their bosomes in all joy and heavenly felicitie heere to be begun and in an unspeakeable mannar to bee accomplished in the heavens The sixt particular Meditation of the fift generall How then he will clense his people from their sinnes and write his law in their hearts SIxtly we are likewise seriously and ioyfully to bee pondering heereof How then he will forgive all the sinnes of his children according to his
gracious promise and remember their iniquities no more when they shall cry unto him by a lively Faith as to their heavenly Father burning with the zeale of his glorie and kingdome and that all his divine wil may bee so accomplished That then he will open all our blind eyes to see our natural pollution and uncleanness yea to beholde all out filthy sinnes whereby we are defiled and loathsome in the eyes of our heavenly Father and will withall make us to behold the fountaine of his Sonnes blood open to all the house of Israel for sin and for uncleanness Then vvill he make all sorts that are his even all his elect as much to long after that Fountaine as ever any did after the poole of Bethesda and most gladlie to do whatsoeuer he hath apointed for the purging and clensing of themselves and of all his Church from all her iniquities And how to the end that our turning and repentance may be no longer formall as it hath beene for the most part heeretofore when wee have cryed unto the Lord in our troubles to be delivered from our distresse and afterward have returned to our iniquities againe but that it and every part of it may bee sound and unfeigned he will make every one of his owne cry with persecuting Saul Lord what wilt thou that I should doe Then hee will put his Law into our minds and write it in our hearts according to his most gracious and blessed promise when hee intendes to save his Church in such sort as wee have just cause to hope hee is about to doe Hee will cause us tenderly to forgive and pitty one another the Wolfe to dwell with the Lambe and to desire to make all our very enemies partakers of the same mercies and will keep us all that are his that we may no more depart from him The seuenth particular Meditation of the fift generall How wee shall see him delivering his flock from Sathan and dissolving all his cursed workes SEuenthly wee are moreover to Meditate in faith how then he will restraine the rage and power of the Tempter reseuing his poore Lambs out of the jawes of the roaring Lyon How he will then destroy and dissolve all the cursed workes of Sathan discover his depthes and all the wickednesse of his InchaÌ„ters Sorceâ—…ers Charmers Witches aud of all the rest of his crafty malicious and accursed instruments making their madnesse manifest to all and what practises they have used against all even against Christian Kings and Princes Nations and people to harden turne them from the faith as Iannes and Iambres did to harden Pharaoh and as Elimas against the Deputy and Simon Magus against Samaria How these and the Locusts comming out of the bottomlesse pit have caused them to give their power to the Beast and to fight against our Lord Iesus Christ. And furthermore how then hee will cause all their witchcrafts inchantmeÌ„ts to cease as they began so to cease at yâ— first comming of our Saviour in the flesh and chiefly at the comming downe of the holy Ghost and at that powerfull and effectuall spreading of the Gospell in every countrey wheresoever it so came Yea how then all such deceivers shall curse their Gods and gnaw their tougnes for sorrow being inforced with that wretched Balaans who loved the wages of iniquity to acknowledge that there is no sorcerie against Iacob nor any divination against Israel How then wee shall see him whose name is Wonderfull to shew himselfe wonderfull in the saving of his poore Church and Children from the power and fury of the great red Dragon and in delivering us all in an admirable manner from all these innumerable evils which he all his instruments have so long practised so maliciously dreadfully intended do still intend against his poor Church whereupon he so castethout of his mouth all this huge flood of waters after her to cause her to be carried away of the same at once and by which the proud enemies have so cast lots upon all that truly love and beleeve in his name and as certainly determined and set downe our day so soone as ever their opportunity shall serve as Haman had against the Iewes The eight particular Meditation of the fift generall How then hee will declare himselfe sole Monarke and to whom all glory belongs EIghtly we are yet further to Meditate according to this heavenly direction how then he will declare himselfe before all the earth to be the onely absolute Soveraigne Lord and King the sole and mighty Monarch of all the world that all power is his and to him alone belongs all glory and honour when hee shall thus shew himselfe so gloriously for his Church in such a wonderful deliverance in such unexpected and even incredible mercies to her I mean incredible to all humane reason and when hee shall so get himselfe glory uppon his proudest enemyes and make all the world to see that hee hath overturned all their wisdome power and furie making it to serve hereunto and finally that hee hath in all things so farre forth accomplished whatsoever hee hath spoken ever since the beginning And likewise wee are earnestly to meditate to comfort our selves heerein That then he will make it manifest that the greatest enemies of the Church have in all their â—…age not fought agaynst his Children poore wormes dust and ashes for then they had surely prevailed long agoe to have destroyed his whole Church out of the earth but that they have fought even against our Lord Iesus Christ this great King of kings and Lord of lords Thus will hee cause all both men and deuils to acknowledge and â—…say For thine is the kingdome power glory and all the Children of God to sing with all the holie Angels and all the hosst of Heauen Hallelujâ—…h Praise ye the Lord for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth yeâ—… to fall upon their faces before the Throne and to worship our God saying Amâ—…n Blessing glory wisedome thanksgiving honour power and might be unto our God for ever and ever The ninth particular Meditation of the fifâ—… generall How we are never to rest till wee can reioyce and triumph in the assurance of Faith crying â—…oyntly Amen AND to conclude this poynt wee are ever to meditate seriously hereof and never to give our hearts any rest untill we can through the 〈◊〉 of our Faith rejoyce and even triumph continually with the Holy Angels That how impossible soever these things may seeme to flesh and blood and how incredible in the eyes of the world yet he will certainly accomplish theÌ„ all in what time measure and manner shal seeme best to his wisedome accordingly as he hath foretold And that even then when so many of us as have or can but unfeignedly begin to set our selves
prayers mention'd before in the generall Contents are the sumâ—…e of this first Part. The Second Part to succeede in the next place containeth Prayers likewise for all the Churches and people of God scattered thorough the whole world that wee may all seeke to pacifie the Lord by giving him his glorie in returning and submitting our selves wholly unto his Covenant and that we may obtaine by our instant prayers that wâ—…e may ioyntly honour him so walking and beleeving as his heavenly wisedome hath appoynted For this is a thing notoriously observed and acknowledged by all who rightly under stand the state of forraigne parts that as it â—… amongst us for the most part so it hath beene very generally amongst them in all the Churches that they have had onely a bare forme of godlinesse a naked outward profession of the Gospell in word but almost without any power or life thereof more then for a fashion And that this hath not onely thus fleshed our Adversaries to the destruction of the whole Church as dooing a thing meritorious unto God heerein for that they conceyve us to bee but a company of Heretiques in professiâ—…n very Atheistes in our lives but also provoked our blessed God so farre aireâ—…die to leave so many of the Churches into their hands and thus to threaten all the rest even us our selves seeing his kingdome is not in word but in power And therefore so many of us as have made such a carnall profession have not onely shewed foorth a manifest contempt of his heavenly Maiesty and his holy Covenant but put a Scepter of Reede into the hand of our Lord Iesus Christ smitten him uppon the face and trampled his Crowne under our feete and indeede made his and our enemies to blaspheme and thus farre to prevayle and insult over us Whereupon hee hath iustly begunne and threatned us all to take his kingdome from us to give it to another people which would bring foorth the fruite of it and to leave us all to bee trampled under foote by these our Enemyes untill we know by wanting the blessinges which wee have formerly inioyed and the difference betweene his service and the slaverie of his Enemyes As these prayers therefore according to our Saviours direction may serve to prepare the way for all other our prayers and our right accesse unto his glorious Maiestie to come with confident assurance and do proceed un to the first petition of the Lords Prayer and the end of the first Commaundement that we may all give him his due glory performing unto him his inward worshippe which is the fountaine of all true obedience so those that are to follow in the second part the Lord assisting are to go according to the tenour of the same heavenly rule of our Saviour thorow the whole Covenant made with our God both for all his Law and Gospell beginning at the second Commandement so thorow the Law and thorow all the Articles of faith with the doctrine of the Sacraments and other things belonging thereunto That thus all even the poorest servants of God may have matter enough of prayer to be exercised in continually and all to this very end for appeasing the Lordes wrath and reconciling him to all his Churches and Children againe First every one for himselfe and his owne particular to be assured of his own reconciliation to the Lord by the blood of his Son when he can so pray and obey in truth And secondly that every one having attained to this assurance and favour with the Lord may bee exercised dayly as those worthy servants of God Nehemiah Ezra and Daniel in confessing their owne sinnes and the sinnes of all the Churches and people of the Lord and in so crying unto him and importuning him untill wee shall see the ful deliverance and restoring of the Churches in Bohemia Palatinate the rest yea the enlargement of them by the gathering in of the Iew and the remainder of his Israel from the uttermost partes of the earth with the utter razing of Babel and untill we obtaine whatsoever else the Lord hath eyther promised to his people or denounced against his enemies And finally untill we shall everie one see the heavenly Ierusalem and the eternall glory of his Sion The third last part is God willing to containe principally Prayers for this our sinfull Nation that we may first all see and lively apprehend the danger wherein wee stand every moment of drinking at the Lords hand after those other Churches which have tasted so deepely of the cup of his displeasure seeing our sinnes are no lesse but farre greater then theyrs and that specially sith their ensample hath no more prevayled with us Secondly that we may all in time wisely understand the meanes which in his wisedome and mercie hee hath yet left unto us to prevent the execution ready to come forth against us And thirdly that we may euery one use all the meanes thereto each according to our place and calling by turning unfeignedly to the Covenant of our God not onely to prevent and for ever to turne away all the calamities deuised against us by our deadly bloody enemyes but also so to reconcile the Lord unto us that insteede of those miseries which our Enemies so long for to rush upon us hee may make us the happiest and blessedst Nation that ever was in this last Age of the world so to remaine to his eternall glory the comfort example of all the other Churches for evermore To these are also to bee added some speciall Prayers for our particular purposes and ocsions FINIS D. Wh. Rom. 9 2. 2 Sam. 5. 1. Apoc. 12. 7. Ephes. 6. 12. Vers. 11. Iudg. 5. 23. Iudg. 4. 21. 5. 26. Iudg. 5. 1. Exod. 15. 21. Apoc. 5. 13. Ier. 2. 5. The delusion what and the parts of it The first part of the delusion That in Poperie they have moe devotions than wee in our Religion Like that in the Gag for the new Gospeller * This twentie is but one this two and fiftie yeeres By this shamelesse lie judge all the rest Ioh. 8. 44. What is to be understood by Devotions * For their devotions wherewith they cozen the world and extremely oppresse the poore superstitious soules which will have them see them in their Catalogue of their English bookes dispersed within these two yeeres last past with their prices as they are in Mr GEES late discoverie viz. Foot out of the Snare p. 9â—… The second part of the delusion That the Popish devotions are holier than ours The holinesse of devotions wherein Which devotions are best in regard of the matter and forme in generall Ephes. 2. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 19. 1 Ioh. 5. 47. Mat. 16. 18. Mat. 24. 35. In regard of the more particular matter Phil. 3. 8 9. Rom. 3. â—…7 4. 2. A most evident triall according to our Saviours direction Triall by the ends fruits of devotions Triall by the manner 1 Cor. 14. 9 11
other the people of the Lord to a lively sense and tender feeling hereof so farre as God enables us and offers uâ—… opportunity The first particular Meditation of this second generall point concerning the calamities dangers of our bretheren in all places and those threatened towards our selves and the chiefe meanes of deliverie and preservation from them FIrst wee are to lay to heart how many of our Bretheren the deare children of our heavenly Father for whom our Lord and Saviour hath taught us thus to cry as for our selves Our Father are now in grievous calamities of all sortes that many others of them are in extreame perill to bee forthwith utterly destroyed and devoured by the rage and power of Sathan and of his bloudy instruments That we also our selves with all the rest of the Churches and sincere Christians in all the world are in extreame danger every moment of time as any of the designes of the Iesuits or other mercilesse enemyes take place if our heauenly Father doe not still protect and preserve us And therefore as very many of our brethren abroad are in continuall feeling of their miseries and of our heavenly Fathers most heavy displeasure against them for all their undutifulnesse crying at his feet for his Fatherly pitty love compassion to deliver and saue them so we ought likewise to doe for them even so many of us as are alreadie assured or ever will assure our owne soules that wee are his naturall children and hereby doe desire to declare our naturall and childlike loue and feare in seeking to appease his displeasure that hee may spare his people And much more are wee to seeke to prevent or mitigate the same heavy displeasure kindled against our selves and hereby to stay the â—…age of Sathan Antichrist all of us being hated and devoted alike to destruction by the malice of the Serpent and his cruell instruments all of us having provoked our heavenly Father alike yea we more then any other to leave us into their hands to be so tried by them untill we be truely humbled in feeling our disobediences and be sensible of our provocations of him by our want of commiseration towards them and of not taking warning by their example That thus wee may lift up our cryes to heaven that hee in the tender bowels of his compassion may both succour and rescue them and also save us from the liâ—…e miseryes which seeme ready to rush upon us for all our sinnes and provocations Wee are withall to labour to bring our hearts to a right consideration that our heavenly Father hath in the riches of his mercy ordained Rulers Governours and all in lawfull and holy authoritie especially Kings and Queenes to bee in his place as nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to his poore children to deliver and pull them out of the iawes of the dragon to carry them in their armes and in their bosomes from the fury and violence of the Serpent and to preserve and protect them that they may profess his name in peace and safetie and that therefore Sathan must needs maligne them above all other even for this especially And likewise that hee hath ordained the prayers of his people and children to obtayne this at his hand so to incline the hearts of all Kings and Princes and all in authority to pitty them The second particular Meditation of the second generall How he hath beene wont principally to get himselfe glory in saving his Church by Princes and Governors SEcondly wee are to labour to bring our hearts to a true understanding and feeling hereof that as the Lord hath been wont to glorifie his great name in former ages thus in his pittifull compassion saving his Church and Children by Kings and Princes and other deliverers raised up for them and like as hee hath magnified his power and Fatherly care so oft before our eyes in such miraculous and gracious preservations of us of this nation and other our brethren abroad unto this day especially when wee were in the midst of the fire so hee can and will magnifie it againe in a most wonderfull manner if we that are his children can but give him glory in being unfainedly humbled for our owne sinnes and the sinnes of his people and can meete him in faith by intreaty of peace crying instantly unto him Glorifie Lord thy great name doing onely as he commandeth And seeing all the bloody enemyes of Christ and his Church seeke to trample his glory under foote he will therefore the rather get himselfe glory upon them as upon Pharaoh before all the world when we shall be rightly prepared for the same The third particular Meditation of this second generall That as Sathan and Antichrist haue set themselves to fight against Christ his kingdome so our Saviour hath ordained Kings and Princes to hold up his Scepter and to defend and protect his Subiects and Gospell THirdly wee are to bring our hearts to a due consideration and deepe pondering hereof how as the Gyants before the floud so Sathan his Souldiers haue set themselves to fight against heaven and the hoast thereof yea even against Iesus Christ our Lord King and how they have cast downe his Scepter Throne and Dignitie and trample his crowne under their feet in all the places where they have prevailed and where they beare rule over Gods poore heritage And that as they haue begunne and fearefully prevailed in manie places so they haue resolued to proceed throughout the earth to set up Sathan and Antichrist in the very Throne of our Lord Iesus Christ to defile again his Temple to make his house againe a den of Theeves That Antichrist may fit againe as God in the Temple of God yea in those very places where he hath beene formerly long cast forth so that the zeale of his house euen in this behalfe should eate us up And also wee are to bring our soules to a true sense hereof that as they thus seeke to tyrannize over his people and children to leade in triumphes as captives both our Lord Iesus himselfe and his armies and to keepe under all that belong to the Lord Iesus as slaves for ever so our Saviour hath on the other side ordained and appointed Kings and Princes under him to hold up his Scepter even his heavenly Gospell and that he hath likewise decreed and ordained that even those of them which before had given their power unto the beast to fight against his Soveraigne Majesty and against his people should againe withdraw all their power from the beast when they shall see his wickednesse fully discovered and give it wholly unto his heavenly Majesty to accomplish all his will in making the Whore desolate and for the aduancement of his euerlasting Gospell when they shall truly behold the power and glorie thereof The fourth particular Meditation of the second generall How
Sonne our onely Mediator and blessed Redeemer and Saviour Amen FINIS Protestants helpes for Deuotion and matters belonging to the stirring up of the same A AVgustines Meditations Allisons Meditations Art of happinesse Abba Father Abrahams Tryall Alphabet of Prayers Anatomy of the Soule Andersons prayers Anker of Faith Art of meditation B Bradfords Meditations Bezaes Prayers Banes Letters Banes his holy helper Banes his spiritual Armour Bifields Marrow Bifields signes of Saluation Bifields signes of a Wicked man Bound of Fasting Banes on true Happinesse Banes his direction Bifields Treatises Bifields Principles Burning bush Boaring of the Eare. Benefit of Affliction Battell between Vertues and Vices Beautifull Baybush C Christian dayly Sacrifice Crashewes prayers Crowne of life Christian watchfulnesse Chaine of Graces Christian mans walke Christian Combat Christian Sacrifice Contemplations 7. parts Converts Catechisme Couenant betweene God and Man Christians Touchstone Conquest of Temptations Combate betweene Man and Death Christian prayers and meditations Conduite of Comfort M. Cusuerweâ—… of â—…aith Christian Armour by M. Gouge Caluins prayers Castle of the soule Conawayes prayers Cases of Conscience Cases of Conscience D Dauids Sling Diamond of Deuotion Daily exercise of a ChristiaÌ„ Deerings prayers Delights of the Saints Discourse of true happinesse Dauids Key D. Duns Deuotion Death subdued Dialogue betweene the Lord and the Soule Dike on the deceiptfulnes of mans heart Dike of repentance Dike of Conscience Dauids Cast. M. Dod on the Commandements M. Dod on the Lords Supper M. Dods houshold gouerment Dents pathway to Heauen Dents sermon on repentance Dauids Vow Defiance to death Dauids repentance Directions to the waters of Life Directions in our dutie to God and man Diuine Meditations E Euery dayes Sacrifice Eye to heauen Enemy to Security Enemy to Atheisme Estate of a Christian. Exercise for Christian Families Exercise of the faithful soule F Fields prayers Foot-path to Faith Lady Fane her Meditations Fountaine or Well of life Flower of godly Prayers Fruite of Faith Freemans Comfort G Glasse of Vainglory Grounds of Diuinity Grounds of Religion Granadoes Meditations Godly Garden Godly mans assurance Garland of godly Flowers Garden of spirituall Flowers Gods Husbandry Growing in grace Golden Chain by M. Rogers Gouernance of vertue Garden of Felicity H Helpe to Deuotion Hundred heavenly thoughts Heavenly progresse Heavenly Mansion Handful of wholsome hearbs Harbour of Christianity I Imitation of Christ 3. parts Iewell for Gentlewomen Ioy of a good Conscience K. Kings Bath Key of Knowledge Kings Psalmes L Linacars Consolations Life death of M. Stubbs Learne to liue Learne to dye Load starre of life Love of God Life of Religion Lampe of Virginity M Manuel of Prayers Markes of Salvation Meditations and Vowes Martyrs Prayers Melancthons Prayers Marlorats Prayers Markes of Gods Children O Oyle of Scorpions P Practice of Pietâ—… Practice of Christianity Practice of Quietnesse An Inuitation to prayer and the practice of Piety Poore mans rest Poesie of Prayers Pensiue mans practice Princes Prayers Pilgrimes profession Pathway to Paradise Practice of the faithful Pathway to Salvation Pathway to Felicity Pearle of the Gospell Preservatiue against sinne M. Perkins his Treaties Pars Grounds Perfect path to Paradise Path to penitency Progresse to piety Poore mans Pater nostey Pomander of Prayers Paradise of the Soule Pathway to please God Precious Pearle Poore mans Staffe Q Queene Katherines Prayers R Righteous mans evidence Reward of Religion Rocke of Religion Resolves divine Rogers seven Treatises Right godly rules Rosary of Christian Prayers S Sicke mans Medicine Sanctuary of a trobled Soule Supplication of Saints Seaven helpes to heaven Scudder on the Lords prayer Spirituall detraction Simpson on the Psalmes Simeons Sacrifice Suttons Meditations Safegard of the Soule Sicke mans Salve Solace of the Soule Soules watch Spirituall Garden Samuels encounter Samuel Smiths Workes Saints by Calling Ship of Salvation Sacrifice of a Christian soule Seven sobs of a sorowful soule Shield of Salvation Sampsons Prayers Sicke mans Comfort T True Watch. Twines prayers Topsels Meditations Treasure of Gladnesse Triall of Faith Trumpet of the Soule Lad Tirwits prayers Troubled mans Medicine Treatise of Conscience FINIS ¶ See more concerning all these following in M. Maunsels Catalogue dedicated to Queen Elizaebeth imprinted An. Dom. 1595 and sundry others since not mentioned HElpes for suffering adversity and affliction Pag. 2. Preparatiues against Apostacie 4. Col. 2 Catechismes Pag. 28. Col. 2 Treatises and helpes for keeping the Ten Commandements Pag 35. Col. 2 Confessing of Christ. Pag. 37. Col. 2 Treatises of Conscience with comforts for an afflicted Conscience 37. col 2 Treatises of the Creed for helpes for our faith Pag. 40. Col. 2. Helpes against the feare of death how to dye well Pag. 42 Helpes against desperation pag. 43 Directions for a Christian life 44 Of the end of the world and the second comming of Christ. 47 Exercises for a Christian Family and a Christian life pa. 48 Helpes for true Fasting 49 Spirituall preservatiues against the Pestilence 59 Imitation of Christ. 62 Prayers 83 Of Repentance 90 Helpes for preparation vnto the Sacraments of the Lords Supper 93 Holy Sermons in print a multitude 96 Comforts for the sicke 107 108 True Confession of sinne 108 Restitution of a sinner ibid. Of good workes and exhortation to them Pag. 113. ¶ A Table of the particular Meditations of each of the seuen generals 1. Generall Meditation HOw our Saviour looks for some to helpe him in the deliverie and saving of his church and what things are necessary for euery such a helper to know Pag. 12. 2. Generall Meditation 2 Of the present necessitie of this worke and of the lively feeling thereof and how the Lord cals all sorts thereunto 7 Heere in these particular Meditations 1. Concerning the calamities and dangers of our Brethren in all places and those which are threatned towardes our selues with the chiefe meanes of delivery and preservation from them pag. 9 2 How God hath beene wont to get himselfe glorie in saving his Church by Princes and Governours pag. 13. 3 How as Sathan Antichrist have set themselves to fight against Christ and his Kingdome so our Saviour hath ordained Kinges and Princes to hold up his Scepter and to defend and protect his subiects Gospell pa. 15 4 How Sathan and Antichrist set up themselves to bee obeyed and to destroy all out of the earth who seeke to obey Christ truely pag. 18 5 Concerning the innumerable miseries which our Brethren indure being deprived of the outward comforts of this and the better life and how nâ—…e the like may be to us pag. 20. 6 Concerning the general sinnes of the Churches so provoking the Lord and namely the generall abuse of the Gospel and blessings accompanying it and that our sinnes are of all others most heynous for the same pag. 23 7 How Satan exerciseth all his power and tyranny against the Churches spiritually like as he doth outwardly pag. 50 8 How the Kingdom and Glory are our Christs how
sought life as they ought How we may all be prepared in some good measure to helpe the Lord his Church All must perish if they but stand on the other side Obed. 10. 11. Iudg. 5. 23. Conclusion to be thorowly layd to heart to put some more life into every soule to each of these meditations How all the distressed Parts of Gods Church cry to us to come and helpe them Acts. 16. 9 10. And all accursed who come not Iudg. 5. 23. Excluded from the privâ—…idges of Godâ—… poeple How Christ is comming to reward every one according to his works How our Saviour cals to all to come notwithstanding all obiections of unfitnesse Eph. 6. 13. Mar. 2. 3. Luke â—… 18. Psal. 27. 8. Psal. 40. 8. Zac. 13. 9. To pray That beholding the evils against the Lord his people The prevailing of the enemie And hearing the Lord calling as to hâ—…lpe him We may be prepared be admitted to this service To pray to be rightly touched and affected with all these things That we may be able to cry uncessantly untill the Lord shal shew himselfe from heaven for his great name kingdome and people To be perswaded how the Lord seeks out a man To strive to be if not that one man yet as one of Gedeons three-hundred To have these meditations in our hearts To be so qualified as Christ requireth in his prayer That we may prevaile that God may raise up some Iosephs or Daniels By whom the hearts of all Kings and Princes may be inclined to become nursing Fathers to his Church That these all considering how God hath set them up May set themselves as all worthy rulers have doâ—…e for his glory and kingdome That thus his great name may be magnified That every one may be perswaded of the present necessity of this worke Not to deâ—…er it one day To feare the curse upon Meroz Iudg. 5. That otherwise escaping the temporall yet we cannot the eternall vengeance To have our eyes open to see against whom we are to wrastle Not for our selves onely but for all the Church To put on all the compleat Armour of God fâ—…and fast To know our honour setting our selves aright to this service our safety Prayer to be humbled that we have not learned our first les son to have a true feeling of the estate of our brethren To be perswaded that if we love our heavenly Father we must needs love his children If we love Christ we must needs love his members That without this we can never assure our hearts that we are true children members of Christ. But deceive ourselves To know that their sinnes are ours in some sort and so their whole estate To have this fellow-feeling of their estate wheresoever they are And as they are more neerly 〈◊〉 unto us And above all aâ—… they are more specially ordained to be nursing Fathers and Mothers to Gods Church Chiefly who are such already And bound thereto by most bonds That their hearts may be inclined to all Gods Children chiefly to all committed to their charge And that as they more resemble their heavenly Father To have like affections to the Lord. To give that which is deerest unto them for Gods people To have all theirs and our hearts perswaded of the happines hereof and contrarily To pray to be perswaded that the assurance that God is our Father is first to be sought next his glory That assurance alone will quiet the heart fill it with ioy unspeakable And the contrary will fill it with extreame horror And be aâ—… the beginnings of the flashings of hell Iohn 8. 4â—… To this end to know first our owne miserable condition by nature Thus we are but firebrandes of hell untill we be true members of Christ. That we cannot attaine to this assurance untill we feele these two graces repentance and faith For that these are lively evidences of our being in Christ. That we may not deceive our selves in a vaine imagination of faith and repentance That we may never rest untill we finde the new birth in our whole man in all our conversation In our minds Memories Wils Affections Consciences In our whole bodies To be perswaded that God both requires and workes this holinesse in all his elect in some measure That untill this change in some measure never can any attaine this assurance As this increaseth so our assurance To pray to finde in our selves not onely this change but the peculiar markes of Gods children Chiefly those which our Saviour hath taught us to cry for daily whereby we most lively beare his Image To be most zealous for Gods glory 2. To seeke the kingdom of God and his righteousnesse first 3. To seeke onely knowing doing the will of our heavenly Father not our owne To use onely such meanes for obtaining all good things as God himselfe hath ordained Begging and returning all thankes to him for all To be ever mindfull of the rest of our brethren as of our selves And as well touched with their estate as our owne To consider how the carnall worldling hath little or no sense of any of these things To have a lively sense of our sins To groane under the burden of them Never to rest untill we be assured of the remission of our sinnes Which the carnall man makes buâ—… a sport of That we may be able to forgive wrongs and to pray for our enemies That if our enemies hunger wee may feede them And seeke their conversion and salvation 6. To be alwayes afrayd of Sathans temptations To stand alwayes in awe of the Lord least for our securitie he leave us up to him To strive to watch and pray that we fall not into temptation 7. To looke ever â—…o the Lords absolute Soveraignty And to give him the glory of all 8. To be ever and chiefely thinking of eternity 9. That we may not pray looking at any thing in our selves or any other creatures But stripping our selves may come only in Iesus Christ. Our everlasting Amen That we may in Faith cry Amen That we may never give the Lord over till wee find all these in our selves That we may know our selves hereby to be thine and in thy favour as we finde them And contrarily That we can never finde sound comfort To pray to know the right meanes of getting Gods favour growing therein As in the daies of our Saviour and the Primitive Church By the sincere preaching of his Gospell Though the world count it foolishneâ—… The immortall seed Gods mighty power to salvation That this stands not in the inticing speech of mans wisedome but in the plaine evidence of Gods Spirit Aâ—…d why That God nourisheth his children by the same meanes of the word Sacraments Good books Meditations Prayers To seeke to this end the establishing advancement of thy sacred Ministery and to depend thereon Ephes. 4. 11. To stirre up the hearts of Kings and Princes to this holy care