Profit us if God withdraws His Blessing The like Absolute Dependence did Christ Require in His Apostles when He Commanded them to Provide neither Gold nor Silver for their Journey Matth. x. 9. And has Instructed us as the Israelites in their Daily Manna to Pray for no more at once than the Bread of one Day Give us This Day our Daily Bread or for our Bread Day by Day And to Trust God for the Morrow III. When the Israelites were settl'd in Canaan besides His many Extraordinary and Miraculous Protections over them He Establish'd in their stated Oeconomy several Immediate Dependencies upon Him without any Trust to Natural Causes And that not for Once or Twice as if only for a Trial but to Continue Daily and Yearly to signifie their Absolute and Eternal Dependence upon Him and Him only I. Exod. xxiv 23 24. Thus Three Times every Year all the Men in the whole Nation were Commanded to leave all their Frontiers Unguarded and to come up to Jerusalem to attend the solemn Feasts there Here the Objection rises Naturally That they being often almost always in War with all their Neighbour-Nations And these Nations knowing the Times of these their Feasts when all their Country was left Destitute of Men except Jerusalem whither they All went their Enemies shou'd watch these Times and make Inroads upon the Country which no Men were left to Defend But for a Security from this God Commands them to Depend wholly upon His Promise v. 24. above-quoted in these Words Neither shall any Man Desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the Year Here God not only Promises that none shall Invade their Land but that no Man should so much as Desire it at those Times though all the rest of the Year they were at open Wars with them And pursuant to this Promise it is miraculously observable in their Histories that they were never invaded in any of these Times while they Perform'd this Command II. Take another Instance Every Seventh Year was to be a Sabbath they were neither to Plow nor Sow Levit. xxv 5 11. neither Reap that which Groweth of it self And the Objection is put v. 20. And if ye shall say What shall we Eat the Seventh Year Behold we shall not sow nor gather in our Increase And the Answer is given in the next Verses Then I will Command my Blessing upon you in the Sixth Year and it shall bring forth Fruit for Three Years and ye shall sow the Eighth Year and Eat yet of old Fruit until the Ninth Year until her Fruits come in ye shall Eat of the old Store And to this they were to Trust their very Lives they were to Starve if it fail'd But if they shou'd Trust entirely to these Promises of God then God assures them of His Blessing for it v. 18 and 19. both to Protect their Land from their Enemies and to Feed them to the full in it Wherefore ye shall do my Statutes and keep my Judgments and do them and ye shall Dwell in the Land in Safety And the Land shall yield her Fruit and ye shall Eat your fill and Dwell therein in Safety But on the other hand if they wou'd not Trust absolutely to God then God threatens them that the Second Causes shall not help them wherein they Trusted But that He can Command all the Courses of Nature and to their Punishment if they Disobey as well as to their Benefit if they Trust in God If they shou'd Refuse or Neglect to keep the Sabbatical Year then God threatens them that He wou'd Banish them out of the Land and that the Land shou'd enjoy her Sabbaths that is Rest from being Plow'd or Sow'd when they were out of it since they Durst not Trust so far in God as to let her have that Rest He commanded while they were in it Thus God spake to them Levit. xxvj 34 35. Then shall the Land Enjoy her Sabbaths as long as it lieth Desolate and ye be in your Enemy's Land even then shall the Land Rest and Enjoy her Sabbaths As long as it lieth Desolate it shall Rest because it did not Rest in your Sabbaths when ye Dwelt upon it And again Ver. 43. The Land also shall be left of them and shall Enjoy her Sabbaths while she lieth Desolate without them And they shall accept of the Punishment of their Iniquity because even because they Despis'd my Judgments and because their Soul abhorred my Statutes Now it is very observable how Exactly this Threatning or Prophecy was fulfill'd upon the Jews They had Neglected to Observe the Sabbatical Year for 490 Years in which time ther are 70 Sabbatical or Seventh Years and the Captivity in Babylon was by God Determin'd to that Exact Number of 70 Years on Purpose to fulfil this His Threatning as it is written 2 Chron. xxxvj 21. To fulfil the Word of the Lord by the Mouth of Jeremiah by whom God had after Threaten'd the same until the Land had Enjoy'd her Sabbaths for as long as she lay Desolate she kept Sabbath to fulfil Threescore and Ten Years III. Another Great Instance of their Dependence upon God was their Years of Jubile and Release 1. In the Year of Jubile which was every 50th Year all Sales of Lands were Determin'd and the Land Reverted to the Seller And the Reason is given Levit. xxv 23. The Land shall not be sold for ever For the Land is Mine says God for ye are Strangers and Sojourners with Me. We are but Tenants at Will and are to look upon Nothing in this World as our Inheritance God only is the Proprietor and hath given us but an Vsufructuary Tenure to Live upon His Land but not to think it our own 2. But the Year of Release was yet a Greater Trial of their Dependence upon God This was every Seventh Year And in this Year all Personal Debts were Discharg'd and all the Hebrew Bond-Men were set at Liberty Not only set at Liberty but it is Commanded Deut. xv 13 c. And when thou sendest him out Free from thee thou shalt not let him go away Empty Thou shalt furnish him Liberally out of thy Flock and out of thy Floor and out of thy Wine-Press Of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath Blessed thee thou shalt give unto him And It shall not seem hard unto thee when thou sendest him away Free from thee for the Lord thy God shall Bless thee in all that thou doest The like Reason is given for the Release of Debts which is Requir'd Ver. 1 and 2. At the end of every Seven Years thou shalt make a Release And this is the manner of the Release Every Creditor that Lendeth ought unto his Neighbour shall Release it he shall not Exact it of his Neighbour or of his Brother because it is called the Lord's Release Now from Reading of this Law the Thought Naturally arises That
in the Bishop of Winchester's Case plainly asserts that Dismes sont choses Spiritual Due de Jure Divino i. e. That Tyches are spiritual things and Due of Divine Right And if so how can Acts of Parliament Alter them can they take away God's Right This is Plainly Pleading Guilty against themselves And leaves all those self-Condemned who have nothing but these Acts of Parliament to plead in Arrest of Judgment for the Sacrilege of their Impropriations at the Day of DOOM 9. In the next place can an Act of Parliament Dispence with Vows made to God or alter things Dedicated to His service Did the Oath which Joseph took of the Children of Israel Gen. l. 25. Exod. xiij â—9 bind their Posterities so many Ages after and that about a matter of no greater Consequence than the Removing of his Bones And shall not the Repeated Vows of our Ancestors Bind us to Give God His Honour due unto his Name the Worship of our Tythes which He from the Beginning has Reserv'd as Sacred unto Himself Did that Oath Bind Jos ix 15. which The Princes of the Congregration swore to the Gibeonites And shall not the Vows and Oaths of so Many of our Kings and Parliaments Bind Us Did that Oath Bind which the Gibeonites obtained through Fraud and Deceit And shall not ours Bind which were Voluntary and Honest Did God Dispence so far with his own Command of making no Covenant with the Canaanites in favour of the Israelites Oath tho taken Unawares And will He give up that Part of His Worship which He hath made Standing and Perpetual the offering of our Tythes in favour of our Breach of a Lawful and Religious Oath to Perform this Did God Punish the Israelites with 3 years Famin 2 Sam. xxi for Saul's attempting to Break this Oath 450 years after it was made Act. xiij 20. And is our Crime forgotten who little more than 150 years ago have Dissolv'd the Oaths of our Ancestors Did God Punish this sin of Saul's upon the Israelites after he was Dead And may not we be Punished tho Hen. VIII be Dead Were the People Punished who did not Consent to Saul's Act And shall they Escape who join'd with and Assisted Hen. VIII shar'd the Spoil with him and keep it unto this Day Did God Refuse to Answer till Jonathan's Ignorant 1 Sam. xiv 37. and Unwilling Breach of Saul's rash and hurtful Oath was Purged And will he Answer our Prayers till we are Purged from our Willful and Obstinate Breach of the Lawful and Laudable Vows of our Progenitors Did Saul's Oath Bind without the Consent of the People and tho Jonathan knew it not And shall not Ours Bind made with the Consent of the People and which we All very well Know Was Zedekiah so severely Cursed Ezek. xvij 16. for Despising the Oath of God which the King of Babylon Forc'd him to swear tho it was Vers 14. That the Kingdom might be Base and that it might not lift it self up And shall we be Vpholden who have wilfully Despised the Oath of The Lord our God to Pay Him His Tythes which if we Trust His Promise wou'd make Us Great and Blessed Mal. iij. 10 11 12. and a Delightsome Land SECT XII The Benefit of Paying our Tythe 1. OUR services Add nothing to God Therefor it is our Good which He seeks in All His Institutions of Religion It is Our Good our Greatest Good that our whole Trust shou'd be in The Lord Always and upon All occasions Because he cannot Fail Us And every thing else will And therefor we must be miserable if we place our Trust in any thing else than God And our Greatest Happiness must consist in a Full and Absolute Dependance upon Him Now this Trust and Dependance is Produc'd more by our Deeds than our Words More by Practising of it than by Speaking of it and Praising it And the Payment of our Tythe is a Practice of it a Trusting in God that He will not only Accept it and Give us Spiritual Blessings for it But even That we shall Gain by it as to this World and Grow the Richer for it For it is His Blessing only that giveth Encrease as to the Fruits of the Field so to the Labours of our Hands to All our Endeavours in whatever Vocation And He has Promised not only Spiritual but even Temporal Blessings and Encrease of our Stone if we will Trust Him so far as Duly and Chearfully without Grudging or Despondency to Pay our Tythes to Him Mal. iii. 10. Bring ye All the Tythes into the Store-house that ther may be Meat in mine House and Prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open you the Windows of Heaven and Pour you out a Blessing that ther shall not be Room enough to Receive it And I will Rebuke the Devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the Fruits of your Ground neither shall your Vine cast her fruit before the time in the field saith the Lord of Hosts And all Nations shall call you Blessed for ye shall be a Delightsom Land saith The Lord of Hosts The same Blessing is Promised Prov. iij. 16. Honour the Lord with thy Substance and with the First-fruits of all thine Increase so shall thy Barns be filled with Plenty and thy Presses shall burst out with new Wine And thus it was understood by the Jews in after Generations As you find it Express'd almost in the same words as these of Solomon Eccl. xxv 8. â— 10.11 Give the Lord his Honour with a Good eye and Diminish not the First-fruits of thine hands In All thy Gifts shew a Chearful Countenance and Dedicate thy Tythes with Gladness Give unto the Most High according as He hath Enriched thee and as thou hast Gotten give with a Chearful eye For the Lord Recompenseth and will Give thee seven times as much Therefore it is our own Advantage that we Pay Tythe The Lord bids us Prove Him herein Try Him Trust in Him and see how Abundant He will be in his Blessing to us and whether He will not Return to Us Ten-fold for the Tenth we Give to Him But if we Dare not Trust God so far as to make this small Experiment when He Provokes Us to it and Grudge to Give Him the Tenth who gave Us All it is but Just with Him to take that from Us wherein we Trusted and not to leave Us a Tenth but to take the Whole from those who Durst not Trust Him and All His Promises with a Tenth Whereas on the other hand those who do Truly and Sincerely Believe and Trust in God and in what He has Promised will shew it in Deeds as well as in Words will Pay Him His Tythe Religiously and with a Good Heart And when he finds God Performing His Promise and Rewarding his Faith in Doubling of his Stores This Encreases his Faith and Trust in God It
it would be ill Borrowing of Money the Sixth Year But that is obviated Ver. 9 c. where it is again Commanded in these Words Beware that ther be not a Thought in thy wicked Heart saying The Seventh Year the Year of Release is at hand and thine Eye be Evil against thy Poor Brother and thou givest him Nought and he Cry unto the Lord against thee and it be Sin unto thee Thou shalt surely Give him and thine Heart shall not be Grieved when thou givest unto him Because that for this Thing the Lord thy God shall Bless thee in all thy Works and in all that thou puttest thine Hand unto For the Poor shall never cease out of the Land therefore I Command thee saying Thou shalt open thine Hand wide unto thy Brother to thy Poor and to thy Needy in the Land And Ver. 8. Thou shalt open thine Hand wide unto him and shalt surely Lend him sufficient for his Need in that which he wanteth 3. And no Vse was to be taken for any Money so Lent nor any Pledge taken for it or if taken to be Restor'd before the Going down of the Sun If the Man be Poor Deut. xxiv 12 13. thou shalt not sleep with his Pledge in any Case thou shalt Deliver him the Pledge again when the Sun goeth down If thy Brother be waxen Poor Levit. xxv 35 c. and fallen in Decay with thee then thou shalt Relieve him yea though he be a Stranger or a Sojourner that he may Live with thee Take thou no Vsury of him or Increase Thou shalt not give him thy Money upon Vsury nor lend him thy Victuals for Increase And the Sanction given to this Law is Ver. 36. Fear thy God They were to trust absolutely in God in His Blessing upon their Labours and therefore to Fear lest they should through any Act of Covetousness argue the least Distrust in Him or to think that such Acts of High Charity and Trust in God and His Blessing upon their Obedience to His Commands wou'd not yield them Greater Increase than their Vsury or any Humane Methods cou'd be Devised IV. As God Requir'd our absolute Dependence upon Him as to Necessaries of Life and Protection from our Enemies in the Instances before told so to shew further that it was not our own Endeavours to which we ow'd our Preservation He Reserv'd to Himself Great Portions of our Time to be Abstracted from all Worldly Business and Employ'd wholly in His Immediate Service and Worship 1. The Stated Hours of Prayer three times every Day Dan. vj. 10. Psal lv 17. The more Devout Extended it to Seven Times a Day Psal cxix 164. Then ther was a Morning and Evening-Sacrifice every Day 2. The WEEKLY Sabbath or every Seventh DAY 3. The Feast of WEEKS after Seven Weeks or Sabbaths Levit. xxiij 15. Deut. xvj 9. 4. The Feast of every Seventh MONTH which lasted for Seven Days together Levit xxiij 34 36. 5. Every Seventh YEAR before spoke of 6. The Jubile after Seven of the Sabbatical Years i. e. after 49 Years Here we have a Sabbath of Seven HOVRS DAYS WEEKS MONTHS YEARS and of seven times Seven Years All these Multiplications oâ— Sabbaths And besides all these ther were many other Feasts Levit. xxiij both Anniversary and Occasional which I stay not to Enumerate because I Hasten to my Design'd Scope that of Tythes As God requir'd a Weekly Seventh Part of our Time besides many other Monthly and Yearly Feasts and Fasts so has He for the same Reason to teach us to Trust and Depend upon Him for All that we have or expect Requir'd from us as will be shewn a Constant Tenth Part of our Substance as a Yearly Tribute besides many other Offerings Sacrifices Charities to the Poor and Occasional Expences which He did oblige us to in His Service for a Constant and daily Exercise of our Faith in Him Without which it wou'd Decay and at last Die as a Body without Daily Food It is said Rom. i. 17. that the Just do Live by Faith And that they Grow from Faith to Faith Which supposes a Daily Increase and Daily Nourishment Men cannot Live long upon one Meal though never so Plentiful And a Man is not said to Live upon a Dainty which he but seldom Tastes What a Man Lives upon is his Daily Food And the Just cou'd not be said to Live by Faith if they Exerted only now and then some one Heroical Act of Faith as Abraham's Sacrificing his Son and the like Nay they cou'd not shew such Extraordinary Strength of Faith upon some Particular Occasions if they did not Daily Feed upon it and Improve it Such Gigantick Faith Grows not all at once And the Spiritual as well as Bodily Activity is not Improv'd without Constant Exercise That is it which makes Perfect in Thoughts as well as Actions in Faith in Love in Every thing A Giant refresh'd with Wine shews Miracles of Strength But one Draught of Wine gave him not that Strength only stirr'd it up So upon some Great Emergencies our Faith is stirr'd up like Sampson to Rouse it self But we must learn to Fight before we come to the Battel If we have not a Habit of Faith we can never Exert Great Acts And Habits cannot be Acquir'd without often Repeated Acts. To this End were Tythes and Sabbaths Instituted to use uâ— to Frequent and Daily Acts of Faith And till we are well us'd to these we can never Rise to Higher Therefore we see how Necessary it is to Us to Improve these small Acts of our Faith and Trust in God For without Greater we shall hardly arrive at Heaven And for this Reason all this that I have said by way of Introduction has not been Unnecessary nor Foreign to the Subject in hand for when I consider that the Chief Argument against Tythes is thinking them too much to Give to God and proceeds from a Diffidence in Him and a Trusting to Second Means for our Wealth and Prosperity it was necessary to Prepare the Way by shewing how Great a Dependence God has all along Required from Us upon Himself and that our Wealth and Health and all even Worldly Prosperity is more to be attain'd by our Observance of His Commands than by our own Endeavours or Craft For that it is only His Blessing which maketh Increase and giveth Success to whatever Second Means All which was wonderfully Exemplify'd to Us in the Insensible Multiplication of a Few Loaves and Fishes by the Blessing of our Saviour to Feed many Thousands And it is such a Blessing of God upon our Honest Endeavours which gives us Increase and that in every thing in all and every Circumstance of our Lives though we Perceive it not but think foolishly that all is the Effect of our own Industry and Wit And we sacrifice to our Net as the Prophet speaks Habbak i. 16. to those Second Means by which our Portion is Fat and our
of Tythe It is in the first place very Evident Thaâ— a Tenth Part of all Increase was Reserv'd as such under the Law Anâ— that it was to be offer'd to the Priests not only as a Maintenance to them but as an Offering unto the Lord iâ— the same Nature as other Offerings anâ— Sacrifices Num. xviij 24. The Tythes of the Childreâ— of Israel which they offer as an Heavâ—â— Offering unto the Lord. All the Tythe of the Land Lev. xxvij 30. whether 〈◊〉 the Seed of the Land or of the Fruit 〈◊〉 the Trees is the Lord's it is Holy unto the Lord. Thither shall ye bring your Burnt-Offerings Deut. xij 6. and your Sacrifices and your Tythes and Heave-Offerings of your Hands and your Vows and your Free-Will-Offerings and the Firstlings of your Herds and of your Flocks Here the Tythes are reckon'd in the same Rank with the Sacrifices and other Offerings and Vows as Holy unto the Lord As they are again Deut. xxvj 13. where they are called The Hallowed Things And hence the Substraction of Tythes is called a Robbing of God and that equally with the Substracting of the other Offerings of the Lord. Will a Man Rob God Mal. iij. 8 9. Yet ye have Robbed Me But ye say Wherein have we Robbed Thee In Tythes and Offerings Ye are Cursed with a Curse for ye have Robbed me even this whole Nation SECT VI. A Tenth Requir'd before the Law shewn in Abram and Jacob. BUT now it Remains to be known whether this was a Particular Institution only to the Jews under the Law Or whether it had a more Ancient Rise And how Ancient That it was before the Law it is Evident from the Example of Abram Gen. xiv 20. who Paid Tythes to Melchisedec and of Jacob Ch. xxviij 22. who Vow'd his Tythes to God I. But ther are Objections against these two Instances 1. As to Melchisedec It is said Abram That the Tenth Part which Abram gave to Melchisedec was not any thing that was Due to Melchisedec nor given to him under the Notion of Tythe nor to him as he was a Priest but that it was only a Voluntary Boon or Gratuity which Abram gave to him and that it might have been an Eighth a Ninth a Twelfth a Fifteenth or any other Part Abram had Pleas'd Answ All this Pretence is overthrown by what is said in the vij Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews where Ver. 4. the Apostle argues the Greatness of Melchisedec above Abram from Abram's Paying of Tythes to him Now Consider saith the Text how Great this Man was unto whom even the Patriarch Abram gave the Tenth of the Spoils But if it had been only a Gratuity or Free Gift from Abram it wou'd have argu'd the Greatness of Abram above Melchisedec for the Giver is Greater than the Receiver But when any thing is paid as a Tribute or a Rent Due it argues the Greatness of the Receiver above that of the Payer And therefore unless Abram paid his Tythe to Melchisedec as a Tribute Due to him the Apostle's Argument is so far from being Conclusive that it operates quite Contrary to that Inference which the Apostle made from it and Proves the Greatness of Abram above Melchisedec whereas the Apostle in this Verse and Ver. 7. puts it without all Contradiction that Abram was the Less and Melchisedec the Greater and the Better And this was not a Personal Comparison betwixt them but the Preference given to Melchisedec was in respect of his Character because he was a Priest whose Office it was to Bless in the Name of the Lord. Thence St. Paul argues That without all Contradiction the Less is Blessed of the Better Again Ver. 9. The Apostle argues the Preference of the Melchisedecal Priesthood before that of Levi because Levi in his Father Abram paid Tythes to Melchisedec Here 1. it is Establish'd that those who RECEIVE Tythes are Greater and of Higher Dignity than those who PAY the Tythes to them 2. It is hence made Manifest That the Tythe which Abram paid to Melchisedec was Paid in the true Notion of Tythe as Tythe and a Tribute which was Due to Melchisedec as he was Priest of the Most High God For if it had not been Paid as Tythe how cou'd Levi have been said to have Paid Tythes in Abram And the Word is observable v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Melchisedec Tythed Abram i. e. Put him under Tythe or Exacted it from him as his Due The Vulgar Translates it Decimas sumpsit ab Abram He Took Tythes from Abram 3. And because it was Part of the Priest's Office to Receive The Lord's Tythe a Receiver of Tythe and a Priest are Terms Synonimous Thus in this same Chapter Heb. vij it is said v. 8. Here Men that Die Receive Tythe that is Under the Law the Priests were Mortal and therefore ther was a Necessity of their succeeding one another But there that is in the Case of Christ Typify'd by Melchisedec He i.e. Christ Receiveth them Tythes of whom it is witnessed that he Liveth i. e. Liveth for Ever and so is not to be succeeded by any other High-Priest And He Ever Liveth to Receive our Tythe for Ever that is for Ever to be our High-Priest for a Priest and a Receiver of Tythe are here made to be the same He Christ Receiveth them the Tythes that is in the Language of this Text He Christ is our Priest And in Repeating the same thing over again Ver. 23. the Word Priests is put for those who are call'd Receivers of Tythe in the 8th Verse for speaking of the Mortality of the High-Priests of the Tribe of Levi it is express'd thus in the 8th Verse Here Men that Die Receive Tythes And Ver. 23. it is thus worded They were many Priests because they were not suffer'd to Continue by reason of Death And then when in the Comparison the Eternity of the Priesthood of Christ is set forth it is said Ver. 24. Because He continueth Ever He hath an Vn-Changeable Priesthood Which is Expressed Ver. 8. by saying That He Ever Liveth to Receive Tythes Which is the same as being a Priest as the Text runs But there He Christ Receiveth them Tythes of whom it is witnessed that He Liveth So that as a Sacrificer and a Priest are the same because none have a Right to Sacrifice but the Priests a Receiver of Tythes is as Synonimous to a Priest for the same Reason because none other but the Priests only have any Right or Title to Receive the Tythes of God For as beforesaid Tythes are Part of the Offerings to God Part of his Worship and therefore to be Paid as such into the Hands of his Priests only as all other of His Offerings and Sacrifices were This shews the Folly of those who wou'd have these Tythes paid to Melchisedec as King and not as Priest Because he is call'd King of Salem as well as Priest of the Most
Increase I have not Transgressed His Commandments Deut. xvi 16. To Appear Empty before the Lord Neither will I offer unto the Lord my God of that which doth Cost me nothing 2 Sam. xxiv 24. And O Lord that it may please thee Graciously to accept this Offering at my hands and to make it well-pleasing in thy sight O Lord Jesus Christ Heb. vij 8. the Priest who ever Liveth to Receive Tythe and to make Intercession for us Receive this our Tribute our Bounden Duty and Service 1 Pet. ij 25. O thou Bishop of our Souls in Thy Goodness and make it acceptable to Thy Father and our Father Joh. xx 17. to thy God and our God O Thou who art able to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by Thee Heb. vij 25. And to succour them that are Tempted Ch. ij 18. in that thou thy self wast Tempted O Thou Merciful and Faithful High-Priest 17. in things pertaining to God O do Thou make Powerful Intercession for the Sins of the People Mal. iij. 8. who have Robbed GOD in His Tythes and Offerings O Thou who did'st open the Eyes of the Blind open the Eyes of this People and smite Lord their Hearts they that may See and Consider their Horrid Sacrilege and Repent and Return And that Thou may'st Pardon all that is Past all their Neglect of Paying their Tythe Hitherto all Mine O God who smite upon my Breast this Day and turning my self I mourn for this great Offence and Bless Thy Name with the Vtmost Powers of my Soul That Thou hast Graciously and Wonderfully had Mercy on me and now tho Late hast shewn to me Thy Glory and Thy Truth O Preserve and Bless me in it And bring more and more into it even this whole People Hos ix 4. That his their Bread for their Soul may never Hereafter cease to come into the House of the Lord Mal. iij. 10. that ther may be Meat in Thine House and that Thou may'st open the Windows of Heaven and Pour us out a Blessing till ther shall not be Room enough to receive it 11. That thou may'st Rebuke the Destroyer for our sakes that he may not Destroy the Fruits of our Ground nor our Corn cast her Fruit before the time in the Field 12. That all Nations may call us Blessed That we may be a Delightsome Land unto the Lord of Hosts Look down from Thy Holy Habitation Deut. xxvi 15. from Heaven and Bless thy People Israel and the Land which Thou hast Given us Bless Thy Holy Catholick Church and Every Land and Country where she Dwells This in an especial Manner O Lord our God Her Governours the Bishops with the Inferior Priests and Deacons And all Thy Faithful committed to their Charge their Kings their Princes and Temporal Government Isa xlx 23. Make them faithful Nourishers to Thy Church and to Bow down their Ear to her Instruction and submit themselves to her Discipline That Thy Worship may be set up amongst us in its Purity and Fulness That Thou may'st Delight to Bless us Deut. viij 16. and to do us good at our Latter End And now O Lord and my God let me Return unto Thee for a Blessing upon my self a most Miserable and wretched Sinner who am less than the least of all the Mercies which Thou dost daily Renew unto Me and for my and Whom Thou hast Graciously given unto Thy Servant And all my Family Friends Relations Benefactors and Well-wishers Feed us O Lord with Food convenient for us Gen. xxviij 22. And of all that Thou givest us Grant that we may surely give the Tenth unto Thee 21. that the Lord may be our God And may Bless the Fruit of our Body Deut. xxviij 4. c. and the Fruit of our Ground the Fruit of our Cattel and the Increase of our Kine and the Flocks of our Sheep that the Lord may Command a Blessing upon us in our Store-Houses and in all that we set our hand unto When we come in and when we go out That we may be Blessed in our Basket and Blessed in our Store Blessed in the City and Blessed in the Field That the Lord may open unto us His Good Treasure the Heaven to give the Rain unto our Land in his season and to Bless all the work of our hand And that we may Lend un-Many but not Borrow That the Lord may make us the Head and not the Tail and to be Above only and not to be Beneath when we shall hearken unto the Commandments of the Lord our God And therefor we do now Honour and Hallow and Worship Thy Holy Name in Rendring our Bounden Tribute and Service Thy Tenth of all our Increase which we offer with Thankful and Joyful Hearts Adoring Thy Goodness and Praising Thy Mercy in Giving us All that we have Blessed be thou 1 Chr. xxix 10. Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever Thine O Lord is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is Thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and Thou art Exalted as Head above All. Now therfor Our God we Thank Thee and Praise Thy Glorious Name But who am I and what are we that we shou'd be able to Offer so willingly after this sort For All things come of Thee and of Thine own have we given Thee For we are Strangers before Thee and Sojourners as were all our Fathers our Days on the Earth are as a Shadow and ther is none Abiding O Lord our God All that we have cometh of Thine Hand and All is Thine own I know also My God that Thou triest the Heart and hast Pleasure in Vprightness As for me in the Vprightness of mine Heart I have willingly Offered the Tenth unto Thee And Pray God that I may yet see with Joy All Thy People offer the same willingly unto Thee And O Lord God keep this for ever in the Imagination of the Thoughts of the Heart of Thy People Lord Psal x. 19. Prepare their Heart and let Thine Ear hearken thereto Redeem Israel O God 25.21 out of All his Troubles Our Father c. A Blessing to be Pronounced by the Priest BLessed be Thou of the most High God Gen. xiv 19 20. Possessor of Heaven and Earth And Blessed be the Most High God who hath given Thee a Heart to Fear before Him and to fulfil His Law 1 Sam. i. 17. And the God of Israel grant Thee thy Petition that thou hast asked of Him though Jesus Christ who Dyed for Thee To whom be Glory with the Father and the Holy-Ghost for ever and ever Amen FINIS