that thou hast received me into the covenant of grace and made me an heir of everlasting life I acknowledge it is thy gift that I was born of Christian parents and by them brought unto this heavenly fount How many thousands of infants are born in Gentilisme and without this sacrament do die in their sinnes There is no difference in nature between me them Onely thy superabundant grace hath made a difference I was joyned with them in communion of sinne But I was separated from them by participation of thy grace How great is this thy goodnesse that thou diddest finde me when I sought thee not that thou didst heare me before I asked that thou didst open unto me before I knockt This thy mercie exceeds all praise yea and all admiration I was baptized in thy holy name thy name for me was called upon Therefore I am received into the heavenly family being made the sonne of my heavenly Father the brother of Christ and the temple of the holy Ghost This is an holy and heavenly laver In it therefore I am washed and purged from all my uncleannesse It is the laver of regeneration and renovation By it therefore I am regenerated renewed by the grace of the holy Ghost Whatsoever Christ my Saviour merited by his most holy obedience by the effusion of his most precious bloud of all that he hath left the saving fount of baptisme as a pledge Therefore the conferring of baptisme is the besprinkling of the bloud of Christ. That precious bloud of Christ doth make me clean from all my sinnes and makes me whiter then snow in the sight of God O eternall God thou hast made an eternall covenant with me in baptisme unto which I have alwayes recourse by true and serious repentance Thou hast betrothed me unto thee for ever in judgement and righteousnesse in grace and mercy Thou hast given me an earnest and pledge of thy Spirit in baptisme Therefore thou wilt not cast me away from thy face but being mindefull of thy promise thou wilt lead me into the joyes of the celestiall marriage As at the baptisme of Christ my Mediatour and head the heavens were opened So by the communion of the same baptisme thou hast opened unto me the gate of paradise As at the baptisme of Christ the holy Ghost descended upon him and a voice from heaven did testifie that he was the beloved Sonne of God So by the same communion of the same baptisme I am made a partaker of the holy Ghost and adopted to be a sonne of God For which inestimable benefit I will give thanks unto thee my God for ever Amen PRAYER XIII He renders thanks for the sacrament of the Lords supper HOw great thanks do I ow unto thee most high God for that in the most sacred mystery of the supper thou dost feed me with the bodie and bloud of thy Sonne What is there in heaven or in earth of more price and excellency then that body which is united to thy Sonne personally What more certain testimonie and pledge of thy grace can there be then the precious bloud of thy Sonne poured out for my sinnes on the altar of the crosse The very price of my redemption thou bestowest upon me that I may have a most certain testimony of thy grace towards me As often as I fall through my sinnes from the covenant of baptisme So often by true repentance and the saving use of this supper I am restored unto it again It is a sacrament of the new Testament and it alwayes enriches me with new gifts of the Spirit In this body life it self dwells and therefore it refresheth me and quickneth me unto everlasting life By the effusion of this bloud satisfaction is made for our sinnes And therefore by the drinking thereof the remission of my sinnes is confirmed unto me Christ saith it Truth it self saith it Whosoever shall eat my flesh and drink my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day that is to the life of glory For this is the bread of life which descended from heaven that whosoever shall eat thereof may not die but have everlasting life It is the eating by faith that Christ so commends which must needs be added unto the sacramentall eating that so that which was appointed to life may be received by us unto life I come therefore with true faith unto this heavenly banquet being firmly perswaded that the body which I eat was delivered unto death for me and the bloud which I drink was poured forth for my sinnes I cannot in any wise doubt of the remission of my sinnes when as it is confirmed by the participation of the price which was offered for my sinnes I cannot in any wise doubt of Christ his dwelling in me when he seals unto me the same by the communion of his body and bloud I cannot in any wise doubt of the assistance of the holy Spirit when my infirmity is strengthened with such safegard I am not afraid of Satans assaults when as this angelicall food doth make me strong to fight I am not afraid of the allurements of the flesh when as this quickning and spirituall food doth corroborate me by the vertue of the Spirit These taken and drunk do make Christ to dwell in me and me in Christ. The good shepherd will not suffer the sheep that is fed with his own body and bloud to be devoured by the infernall wolf Neither will the power of the Spirit suffer me to be overcome by the weaknesse of the flesh To thee O Saviour most benigne be praise honour and thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen PRAYER XIIII He renders thanks to God for preserving us from sundry evils TO thee O eternall and mercifull God I render eternall thanks for that thou hast hitherto preserved me from infinite evils and dangers and hast kept me safe by the guard of thy holy angels Thy privative blessings by which thou dost keep me from evil are more in number then thy positive by which thou dost conferre good upon me As many evils of soul and bodie as I see in others so many tokens do I see of thy mercie toward me For my deliverance from those evils is to be attributed as due onely to thy goodnesse How great is the power of the devil How great is his subtiltie As often therefore as that malignant and most subtile spirit and our most potent adversarie doth labour to do us any mischief so often by the buckler of thy benignity and by the guard of thy holy angels being protected I have been able to escape his nets But who can reckon up the treacherous assaults and invasions of the devil Who can therefore reckon up the riches of thy bounty When I sleep by night the eye of thy providence doth watch over me that the infernall enemy which goeth about like a roaring lion may not be able by his
in this present life be thou unto me Jesus in death be thou unto me Jesus in the last judgement be thou unto me Jesus in the life which is everlasting I know thou wilt sweet Jesus for as thou art immutable in thy essâ—nce so also thou art immutable in thy mercy Thou wilt not change thy name Lord Jesus for my sake alone who am a miserable sinner Yea rather thou wilt become my Saviour For thou dost not cast out him that cometh unto thee Thou that hast given me a will to come unto thee grant also unto me that coming I may be received For thy words are truth and life Let the propagation of originall sinne within me condemne me yet thou art my Jesus Let my conception in sinne condemne me yet thou art my Jesus Let my forming in sinne and under the curse condemne me yet thou art my Saviour Let the corruption of my nativitie condemne me yet thou art my Saviour Let the sinnes of my youth condemne me yet thou art my Jesus Let the course of my whole life defiled with most grievous sinnes condemne me yet thou art still my Jesus Let deâ—th the just punishment of my many and grievous sinnes and offences condemne me yet thou art my Saviour Let the severe sentence in the last judgement condemne me yet thou art my Jesus In me is sinne reprobation damnation In thy name is righteousnesse election salvation I was baptized in thy name I beleeve in thy name In thy name will I die In thy name will I rise again In thy name will I appeare in judgement In this name are all good things prepared for us and shut up as it were a treasure So much are they diminished as my diffidence is increased which that it may be farre from me I beseech thee by this thy name good Jesus that for my sinne and unbelief I be not damned whom by thy precious merit and saving name thou wouldst have saved Meditat. V. An exercise of faith from the love of Christ in the agonie of death The grace of Jesus Christ to me Is th' onely true felicity SEe Lord Jesus how injurious I am to thy passion My heart is vexed and my soul is very sorrowfull because I have no good works of mine own because I have no merits when as thy passion is my action thy works my merits I am injurious to thy passion when as I seek for the supplement of my works whereas it is in it self all-sufficient If I should finde righteousnesse in my self thy righteousnesse would profit me nothing or else I should not so much desire it If I seek for the works of the law by the law shall I be condemned But I know that now I am no longer under the law but under grace I have lived wickedly I have sinned holy Father against heaven and before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne yet thou wilt not refuse to call me thy servant Deny me not I pray thee the fruit of thy passion let not thy bloud wax barren but let it bring forth fruit and deliver my soul. My sinnes have alwayes lived in my flesh but I intreat thee let them at length die with me Hitherto the flesh hath alwayes ruled over me but let the Spirit at length triumph Let the outward man be subject to corruption and worms that the inward man may be glorified Hitherto I have alwayes given way to the suggestions of the devil but grant hereafter I beseech thee that I may trample them under my feet Satan is readie at hand to accuse me but he hath nothing in me The sight of death affrighteth me but death is the end of my sinnes and the beginning of an holy life Now at length shall I be able perfectly to please thee O my God Now at length shall I be confirmed in goodnesse and vertue Satan terrifieth me with my sinnes but let him accuse him which took upon him my infirmities whom the Lord hath smitten for my sinnes The debt which I ow is great indeed and I cannot pay any part thereof but my trust is in the riches and bounty of him that hath undertaken the payment Let him discharge me who hath made himself suretie for me Let him pay for me who took my debt upon himself I have sinned O Lord and my sinnes are many and grievous But this horrible sinne I will not commit to make thee a lyar who by thy words works and oath dost testifie that satisfaction is made for my iniquities I am not afraid by reason of my sinnes for thou art my righteousnesse I am not afraid by reason of my ignorance for thou art my wisdome I am not afraid of death for thou art my life I am not afraid of my errours for thou art my truth I am not afraid of corruption for thou art my resurrection I am not afraid of the sorrows of death for thou art my joy I am not afraid of the severitie of judgement for thou art my righteousnesse Distill upon my withered soul the dew of thy grace and quickening consolation My spirit waxeth dry but it shall shortly rejoyce in thee My flesh doth languish and is withered but it shall shortly bud forth I am subject to corruption but thou shalt deliver me from corruption for thou hast delivered me from all evils Thou hast created me How then can the workmanship of thy hands be dissolved Thou hast redeemed me from all mine enemies How then can death have rule over me Thou hast bestowed thy body and bloud and all that thou hadst yea even thy self for my salvation How then shall death withhold them which thou hast redeemed with so precious a ransome Thou Lord Jesus art righteousnesse it self So then my sins cannot prevail against thee Thou art life it self and the resurrection So then my death cannot prevail against thee Thou art God Therefore Satan cannot prevail against thee Thou hast given me the earnest of thy Spirit in that do I glorie in that do I triumph and am fully perswaded without doubting that I shall be admitted to the marriage of the Lambe Most deare bridegroom thou art my wedding-garment which I put on in baptisme thou shalt cover my nakednesse neither will I sow the supplement of my righteousnesse to this most precious and beautifull garment What is mans righteousnes but the cloth of a menstruous woman How then can I dare to patch that most precious garment of Christs righteousnesse with this abominable ragge In this garment will I appear before thy face in judgement when thou shalt judge the world in righteousnesse and equitie In this garment will I appear before thy face in the kingdome of heaven This garment shall cover my confusion and reproch that no man remember it any more for ever There shall I appear glorious and holy in thy sight And this my flesh this my body shall be arayed with beatificall glory which glory shall be
of Galilee to shew that he came into the world to spirituall marriages Rejoyce in the Lord with gladnesse and leap thou faithfull soul for joy in thy God who hath clothed thee with the garments of salvation and compassed thee about with the robes of righteousnesse like a spouse adorned with jewels and bracelets Rejoyce for the honour of the bridegroom Rejoyce for the beauty of the bridegroom Rejoyce for the love of the bridegroom His honour is the greatest that can be For he is true God blessed for ever How great then is the dignity of this creature I mean the faithfull soul seeing the Creatour himself is willing to betroth her unto himself His beautie is the greatest that can be For he is beautifull above the sonnes of men for they saw the glorie of him as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father his face shined like the sunne and his garments were white as snow His lips were full of grace and he was crowned with glory and honour How great then is his mercy that he being the chiefest beautie doth vouchsafe to choose the soul of man to be his spouse whereas it is defiled with the stains of sinne On the bridegrooms part there is the greatest majestie On the spouses part there is the greatest infirmitie On the bridegrooms part there is the greatest beautie On the spouses part there is the greatest deformitie And yet farre greater is the love of the bridegroom towards the spouse then of the spouse towards the bridegroom whose honour and whose beauty doth so farre excell Behold thou faithfull soul behold the infinite love of the bridegroom It was his love that drew him down from heaven unto the earth It was his love that bound him to a pillar It was his love that fastened him to the crosse It was his love that enclosed him up in the grave It was his love that he descended into hell What could make him to do all these things Surely it was his love towards his spouse But our hearts are stony and heavier then lead if the bond of so great love cannot draw us unto God whereas it hath drawn God unto us Naked was his spouse and being naked could not be admitted into the royall palace of the heavenly King And he hath clothed her with the garments of righteousnesse and salvation whereas she lay enwrapped and involved in the foul coat of her sinnes and the most filthy rags of iniquitie He hath granted unto her to be arayed in fine linen clean and white the fine linen is the righteousnesse of Saints That garment is the righteousnesse which was obtained by the death and passion of the bridegroom himself Jacob laboured fourteen yeares to obtain Rachel to be his wife But Christ for thirty foure yeares almost endured hunger thirst cold povertie ignominie reproches bonds whips the bitternesse of gall and death upon the crosse to purchase unto himself the faithfull soul to be his spouse Samson went down and chose out of the Philistines which were adjudged to destruction a wife unto himself The Sonne of God came down and chose unto himself a spouse out of men that were condemned and subject to eternall death The whole stock of the spouse was at enmitie with the heavenly Father and he by his most bitter passion hath reconciled it unto his Father The spouse was prostrate upon the face of the earth and polluted in her own bloud But he hath washed her with the water of baptisme and cleansed her with a most holy laver He hath cleansed the bloud of his spouse with his own bloud For the bloud of the Sonne of God doth cleanse us from all our sinnes The spouse was deformed But he hath anointed her with the oyl of grace and mercy The spouse was not honourably apparelled but he hath put bracelets and eare-rings upon her He hath adorned her with vertues and divers gifts of the holy Spirit The spouse was very poore and had no pledge to give unto him Therefore hath he left unto her the pledge of his Spirit received frō her the pledge of his flesh and hath carried it up into heaven The spouse was hungry But he hath given unto her fine flour◠and hony and oyl to eat He doth feed her with his flesh and bloud unto eternall life The spouse is disobedient and often breaketh her marriage faith she committeth fornication with the world and with the devil and yet the bridegroom out of his infinite love doth receive her again into favour as often as she returneth unto him by true repentance Acknowledge and confesse thou faithfull soul these so many and so great arguments of his infinite love Love thou faithfull soul the love of him that for love of thee descended into the wombe of the virgin We must love him that delivered up himself for us so much more then our selves by how much he is greater then us Let us make our whole life conformable unto him who for the love of us made himself wholly conformable unto us He is justly to be accounted most unthankfull who loveth not again him of whom he was first beloved How greatly therefore ought we to love him who for the love of us did as it were forget his own majestie Happy soul which by the bond of this spirituall marriage is joyned unto Christ She doth safely and confidently apply unto her self all the benefits of Christ even as in another case by wedlock the wife doth shine glorious by the reflexion of the husbands rayes upon her Now by faith alone are we made partakers of this blessed and spirituall marriage as it is written I will betroth thee unto me in faith Faith doth ingraft us into Christ as a branch into the spirituall vine that we may suck our life and nourishment from him And as they which are joyned in marriage are no more two but one flesh So they which by faith are joyned unto the Lord become one spirit with him because Christ by faith dwelleth in our hearts And this faith if it be true it worketh by love As in the old Testament the priests were compelled to marry virgins So the celestiall priest doth spiritually couple unto himself such a virgin as doth keep her self pure and undefiled from the embracements of the devil the world and her own flesh Vouchsafe O Christ at length to admit us unto the marriage of the Lambe Amen Meditat. XIIII Of the mysterie of Christs incarnation Admire my soul the mysterie Of Jesus Christs nativitie LEt us withdraw our mindes a while from these temporall things and let us contemplate the mysterie of the Lords nativitie The Sonne of God came down from heaven unto us that we might obtain the adoption of sonnes God is made man that man may be made partaker of divine grace and nature About the
of the Lambe The church is the throne of the Lambe in which onely the grace of holy baptisme is to be had The prophet Ezekiel saw waters going out of the temple which did quicken and heal all In the spirituall temple of God that is in the church the saving waters of baptisme do yet spring forth into the profunditie whereof our sinnes are thrown Whosoever come unto it shall be healed and live Baptisme is the spirituall floud in which all flesh of sinne is drowned The impure crow goes forth like the Devil But the dove like the holy Ghost flies and brings the olive-branch that is peace and tranquilitie unto our mindes Remember therefore thou faithfull soul the greatnesse of the grace of God conferred upon thee in baptisme and render due thanks unto him The more plentifull grace is conferred upon us in baptisme the more diligent must we be in the custodie of the gifts conferred We are buried with Christ by baptisme Therefore as Christ was raised up from the dead unto the glory of his Father So let us walk in newnesse of life We are made whole let us sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto us We have put on the most precious robe of Christs righteousnesse Therefore let us not defile it with the stains of sinne Our old man is crucified and dead in baptisme Let the new man therefore live in us We are regenerated and renewed in the spirit of our mindes by baptisme Therefore let not the flesh domineer over the spirit Old things are past Behold aâ— things are become new Let not therefore the oldnesse of the flesh prevail against the newnesse of the spirit We are made the sonnes of God by spirituall regeneration Let us therefore live as it becometh the sonnes of such a Father We are made the temple of the holy Ghost Let us therefore prepare a thankfull seat for such a guest We are received into Gods covenant Let us take heed therefore that we do not serve under the devil and so fall from the covenant of grace Effect in us all these things O blessed Trinity in Unitie Thou that hast given us such grace in baptisme give us also the grace to persevere in it Meditat. XVIII Of the saving participation of the body and bloud of Christ. He that doth eat and drink by faith Christs flesh and bloud salvation hath HE that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud shall live for ever saith Christ. Exceeding great was the bountie and goodnesse of our Saviour in that he did not onely assume our flesh and exalt it to the throne of celestiall glory but also feedeth us with his bodie and bloud unto eternall life Oh the saving delicates of the soul Oh the heavenly and angelicall food to be desired Although the angels did desire to look into this mysterie yet he did not assume the nature of the angels but the seed of Abraham Our Saviour is nearer unto us then unto the angels for we have knowledge of his love by this in that he hath given us of his own Spirit neither of his Spirit onely but of his bodie and bloud For so saith Truth it self of the bread and wine in the Eucharist This is my bodie This is my bloud How can the Lord forget those whom he hath redeemed with his bodie and bloud and whom he hath nourished with his bodie and bloud He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the bloud of Christ remaineth in Christ and Christ in him I do not much marvel therefore that the haires of our head are numbred that our names are registred in heaven that we are described in the hands of the Lord and that we are carried in his bosome seeing that we are fed with the bodie and bloud of Christ. Without doubt great is the dignitie of our souls seeing that they are fed with a price of redemption of such value Great also is the dignitie of our bodies which being redeemed and fed by the bodie of Christ become the habitacles and temples of the holy Ghost and the dwelling places of the whole and most holy Trinitie It cannot be that they should remain in the grave being fed with the bodie and bloud of our Lord. This is meat indeed We eat it But we change it not into the nature of our bodie but are changed into it We are the members of Christ and are animated by his Spirit and fed with his body and bloud This is the bread which came down from heaven and giveth life unto the world He that eateth thereof shall never hunger This is the bread of grace and mercy Of this whosoever eateth he shall taste and see how sweet the Lord is and receive of his fulnesse grace for grace This is the bread of life not onely the living bread but the quickning bread Whosoever eateth thereof he shall live for ever This is the bread which came down from heaven neither is it onely heavenly but it makes those that eat thereof heavenly They which eat it savingly in the spirit shall become heavenly because they shall not die but shall be raised again at the last day They shall be raised again but not to judgement because he that eateth of this bread cometh not into judgement nor into condemnation because there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but they shall be raised to life and salvation For he that eateth the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinketh his bloud hath life in himself and shall live through Christ. His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drink indeed Let us be filled therefore with the meat not of our works but of the Lord. Let us be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse not of our house but of the Lord. This is the true fountain of life He that shall drink of this water shall never thirst but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternall life All ye that thirst come unto these waters and ye that have no silver make haste buy without money Let them that thirst come and come thou my soul that art vexed with the raging heat of sinne But if thou beest destitute of the silver of thy merits make haste the rather If thou hast no merits of thine own make haste the more ardently to the merits of Christ Make haste therefore and buy without silver Here is the chamber of Christ and the soul from which let not thy sinnes deterre thee and into which let not thy merits enter For what can be our merits They lay out their silver and not for bread they labour and not for fulnesse Our labours do not satiate neither is the grace of God bought with the silver of our merits Therefore heare O my soul and eat that which is good and thou shalt be delighted with fatnesse These words are spirit and
that the raging madnesse and desire to persecute which they have in their mindes may hereafter cease Let them know O Lord and acknowledge that it is not onely a vain thing but also very dangerous to kick against the pricks Why do they imitate the furie of wolves when as they know that the bloud of Christ the immaculate Lambe was poured 〈◊〉 for us Why do they thirst to shed that innocent bloud for which they know that the bloud of the very Sonne of God was poured â—orth upon the altar of the crosse Convert them O Lord that they may be converted unto thee from their heart and so obtain the fruit of their conversion in this life and in that which is to come Amen PRAYER VII He supplicates for those that are afflicted and in miserie ALmighty eternall and mercifull God which art the Saviour of all men especially of the faithfull and by thy Apostle hast commanded us to make prayers for all men I intreat thee for all those that are afflicted and in miserie that thou wouldest support them by the consolation of thy grace and succour them by the aid of thy power Indue with power and strength from above those that labour and sweat in the most grievous agonie of Satans tentations Make them partakers of thy victory O Christ thou which didst most powerfully overcome Satan Let the cooler of thy heavenly comfort raise up those whose bones are become dry with the fire of grief and sorrow Bear up all those that are ready to fall and raise up those that are already fallen Be mercifull unto those that are sick and diseased and grant that the disease of the body may be unto them the medicine of the soul and the adversities of the flesh the remedies of the spirit Let them know that diseases are the handmaids of sinne and the forerunners of death Give unto them the strength of faith and patience O thou which art the most true Physician both of soul and body Restore them again unto their former health if it be for the everlasting salvation of their souls Protect all those that are great with childe and those that be in labour Thou art he that dost deliver children out of the straits of their mothers wombe and dost propagate mankinde by thy blessing be present with those that be in labour O thou lover and giver of life that they be not oppressed with an immoderate weight of sorrows Nourish those that are orphans and destitute of all help and succour Defend the widows that are subject to the reproches of all men thou which hast called thy self the Father of the fatherlesse and the judge and defender of the widows Let the tears of the widows which flow down from their cheeks break through the clouds and rest not untill they come before thy throne Heare those that be in danger by sea which cry to thee and send up their sighs unto thee seeing before their eyes their neighbours suffer shipwrack Restore libertie unto those that are captive that with a thankfull heart they may sing of thy bounty Confirm those that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake that they may get the conquest over all their enemies and purchase the everlasting crown of martyrdome Be present with all those that be in danger and calamitie and grant that they may possesse their souls in true patience and denying their own wills take up their crosse Let them follow him under the crosse on whom they beleeve that he died for us upon the crosse And especially I commend unto thee most gracious Father those which are about the gates of death and are between time and eternitie and wrestle with all their strength with that last enemie Confirm them O thou most potent Conquerour of death Deliver them O most glorious Captain and Authour of life that they be not overwhelmed in the waves of tentations but by thy conduct they may be brought unto the haven of everlasting rest Have mercy upon all men thou which art the Creatour of all Have mercy upon all men thou which art the Redeemer of all To thee be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS The summe of Gerards prayers redâ—ced into a form of morning prayer for the use of an English familie The foure capitall words signifie the foure parts of Gerards prayers and the Arithmeticall figures point 〈◊〉 every prayer of those parts HOly God and just Judge Thine eyes are more purâ— then the sunne and cannot behold any thing that is unclear The Cherubims and Seraphims cover their faces before thy glorious majestie The heavens of heavens are not clean in thy sight How theâ— shall earth sinfull earth dust and ashes appear before thee We presume not O Lord to come before thâ— tribunal to plead for our righteousnesse for all our righteousnesse is aâ— filthie rags But we prostrate our selves with all humilitie of body and soul at thy mercy-seat to make CONFESSION of our sinnes Heare Lord and have mercy We confesse that 1 We sinned in the loyns of our first parents we were conceived in sinne we were shapen in iniquitie 2 In our childhood originall sinne brought forth actuall and actuall sinnes have increased in us ever since as our dayes have increased Who can reckon up the sinnes of his youth Who can tell how oft he offendeth The just man sinneth seven times a day But 3 We have sinned seventy times seven times every day â— 5 All thy holy laws and commandments we have broken in thought word and deed 6 We have been partakers of other mens sinnes 7 We are many wayes convinced of our sinnes We are convinced 8 By the contrition of heart and the testimonie of our conscience 9 By the greatnesse of thy mercy and thy benefits bestowed upon us 10 By the severitie of thy â—ustice declared in the death and passion of thy Sonne our Saviour Iesus Christ. Thou art an holy God and nearest not sinners Thou art a just Judge and thy justice must be satisfied We are sinners and the wages of sinne is death Thy justice must be satisfied or else we cannot escape death We have nothing of our own to give for the ransome of our souls Therefore we offer unto thee holy Father that which is not ours but thy Sonnes 1 For our originall sinne we offer unto thee just Judge his originall righteousnesse who is righteousneâ— it self for our conception in sinne we offer unto thee his most sacred conception who was conceived by the holy Ghost for our birth in sinne we offer unto thee his most pure nativitie who was born of a pure virgin 2 For the offences of our youth we offer unto thee his most perfect innocencie in whose mouth was found no guile 3 For our daily slips and falls we offer unto thee his most perfect obedience who made it his meat and drink to do thy will in all things 4 5 For our often breach of thy commandments we offer
unto thee his most perfect righteousnesse who fulfilled all thy commandments 6 For our communicating in other mens sinnes we offer unto thee his most perfect righteousnesse communicated unto us 7 8 9 10 For our most wicked and ungodly life we offer unto thee his â—ost cruel and bitter death For us was he conceived for us was he â—orn for us was he crucified His â—loud still cries unto thee in our â—â—half Father forgive them Accept â—e beseech thee the inestimable â—rice of thy Sonnes bloud for a full â—nd plenarie satisfaction for all our â—innes yea O Lord we know that â—hou hast accepted it already Therefore with confidence we put â—p our PETITIONS unto thee As â—hou hast redeemed us by thy Sonne â—o also we beseech thee to sanctifie us â—y thy holy Spirit 1 Mortifie in us â—very day more and more all sinfull â—usts and affections and quicken in â—s all saving graces and vertues 2 Inâ—rease our faith 3 Confirm our hope Inflame our charitie Teach us to â—mitate the life of Christ the true patâ—ern of perfect obedience and onely â—â—ue rule of a godly life Teach us â— Humilitie 6 Patience 7 Meeknesse Gentlenesse 8 Chastitie Temperance Teach us 9 To contemn all earthly â—hings 10 To denie our selves 11 To â—vercome the world 12 Grant us consolation in adversitie and true tranquillitie of the minde Grant us 13 Victory in tentations and deliverance from the devils treacheries Grant us in thine appointed time 14 A blessed departure out of this life and a blessed resurrection unto life everlasting We pray not for our selves alone but in obedience to thy commandmâ—â— we make our SUPPLICATIONâ— unto thee for all men 1 Save and defend thy universall Church enlarge thou her borders and propagate thy Gospel 3 Blesse all Christian kingâ— and governours especially thy servant Charles our most gracious King and governour Blesse together with him our gracious Queen Mary Blesse unto them and us and our posterity after us our hopefull Prince Charles season him betimes with true religion that he may be an instrument of thy glory the joy of his parents and the blessing of thy people Remember David and all his troubles the Lady Elisabeth our Kings onely sister her princely issue Suffer them not still to mourn in a strange land out restore them if it be thy will to â—heir former inheritance Blesse all â—ur kings loyall subjects from the â—ighest unto the lowest Give unto â—he Senatours counsel and wisdome To the magistrates justice and forâ—â—tude to those that are under them Christian subjection and obedience To the ministers of thy word holiâ—esse of life and soundnesse of doâ—trine to the hearers of thy word diâ—â—gent attention to the word preachâ—d and a care and conscience to live â—hereafter Blesse 4 Every family in his kingdome this especially and all â—hat belong unto it Blesse our 5 paâ—ents brethren sisters kinsfolk beâ—efactours and friends 6 Forgive our â—nemies 7 Shew pitie and compasâ—â—on to all those that are afflicted and 〈◊〉 miserie Relieve them accordâ—ng to their severall wants and neâ—essities Be thou a Father to the â—therlesse a Comforter to the comâ—â—rtlesse a Deliverer to the caâ—tives and a Physician to the sick â—rant that the sicknesse of their boâ—ies may make for the good of their â—uls Especially we beseech thee to be present with those that are at the point to die Fit them for their journey before their departure Arâ— them with faith and patience Seal unto them by thy holy Spirit the pardon and forgivenesse of all their sinnes And so let thy servants depart in peace and be translated from death to life to live with thee for evermore Heare us we beseech thee praying for our brethren heare out brethren for us and Jesus Christ our elder brother for us all We know O Lord that thou hearest him alwayes Heare us likewise we beseech thee for his sake and accept our THANKSGIVING We render most hearty thanks unto thee for our Saviours 4 Incarnation for his 5 Passion for our 3 Redemption by his most precious bloud We thank thee for 1 forming us in our mothers wombe for 12 washing us in the laver of baptisme for 6 câ—lling us by thy word for 7 expecting our conversion for 8 converting us unto the faith for 23 strengthening our faith by the participation of Christs bodie and bloud for 9 sealing unto us the pardon of our sinnes for 15 giving us a promise of everlasting life We thank thee for all other thy blessings 11 corporall and spirituall internall and externall for our 10 continuance in that which is good for 14 deliverance from all evil We thank thee for thy often deliverances of this Church and kingdome from forrein invasions and home-bred conspiracies We thank thee for 2 preserving us ever since we were born for defending us this night past from all perils and dangers for the quiet rest wherewith thou hast refreshed our bodies for thy mercie renewed unto us this morning Let thy mercy be continued unto us this day let thy Spirit direct us in all our wayes that we may walk before thee as children of the light doing those things that are pleasing in thy sight Let the dew of thy blessing descend upon our labours for without thy blessing all our labour is but in vain Prosper thou the works of our hands upon us O prosper thou our handy-work Grant that we may consciâ—onably in our callings so seek after things temporall that finally we lose not the things which be eternall We are unworthy O Lord we confesse to obtain any thing at thy hands either for our selves or any others even for the sinfulnesse of these our prayers But thou hast promised to heare all those that call upon thee in thy Sons name Make good therefore we beseech thee thy promise unto us now calling upon thee in thy Sonnes name and praying as he hath taught us in his holy Gospel OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen An Evening prayer for a familie gathered here and there out of Gerards Meditations and Prayers MOst glorious Lord God whose dwelling is in the highest heavens and yet beholdest the lowly and the humble upon earth we blush and are ashamed to lift up our eyes unto heaven because we have sinned against thee which dwellest in the heavens But look down we beseech thee from heaven thy dwelling-place and behold the humilitie of thy servants here on earth which prostrate themselves at the foot-stool of thy mercie confessing their own guiltinesse and begging pardon for their sinnes We confesse Almighty Creatour that thou madest us at the first after thine own image thou
just Judge my sinnes are alwayes in my sight I have them alwayes in my minde every day I think of the judgement because death hangs over my head every houre Every day I think of the judgemâ—â—â—â—ecause I must give an account for every day in the day of judgement I examine my life and behold it is altogether vain or profane Vain and unprofitable are many of my actions my speeches much more and my thoughts most of all Neither is my life vain onely but profane also and ungodly I finde in it nothing that is good for though something in it may seem good yet it is not truely good and perfect because the contagion of originall sinne and my corrupt nature hath polluted it Holy Job said I was afraid in regard of all my works If the holy man so complain what shall the ungodly do All our righteousnesse is as the cloth of a menstruous woman If our righteousnesse be such what then shall our unrighteousnesse be If you shall do all things saith our Saviour which are commanded you yet say We are unprofitable servants If we are unprofitable when we obey surely we shall become abominable when we transgresse If I owe my self unto thee and all that I can yea though I should not sinne what shall I be able to give unto thee holy God to redeem me from sinne Our seeming righteousnesse if it be compared with the divine righteousnesse is meere unrighteousnesse A little light may shine in the darknesse but being set in the light of the sunne is darkened The wood not brought to the rule may appeare straight but if it be applied to the rule is found by some eminent excâ—escence where it is crooked The image of the seal may appeare perfect in the eyes of the beholders and yet it may be much imperfect in the eye of the artificer Even so that which glittereth in the estimation of the worker is oftentimes base and sordid in the discretion of him that judgeth For the judgements of God are of one kinde and the judgements of men are of another The memorie of many sinnes doth affright me and yet there are many more that I do not know of Who knows how oft he offendeth cleanse me O Lord from my secret faults I dare not lift up mine eyes unto heaven because I have offended him which dwelleth in the heavens In earth I finde no refuge for what favour can I expect of the creatures when I have offended the Lord of the creatures My adversary the devil accuseth me and saith unto God Thou most just Judge judge him to be mine for his sinne that would not be thine by grace He is thine by nature but he is mine by delighting in his sinnes He is thine by thy passion but he is mine by perswasion He is disobedient unto thee and obedient unto me He received of thee the robe of immortalitie and innocencie He hath received from me the raggs of unrighteousnesse He hath cast off thy cloth and put on mine Adjudge him therefore to be mine and to be damned with me All the elements accuse me The heaven saith I have given thee light for thy comfort The aire saith I have given thee all manner of fowls to be at thy command The water saith I have given thee divers kindes of fishes for thy meat The earth saith I have given thee bread and wine for thy nourishment And yet thou hast abused all these to the contempt and dishonour of our creatour Therefore let all our benefits be turned to thy punishments The fire saith Let me burn him The water saith Let me drown him The aire saith Let me fanne and winnow him The earth saith Let me swallow him up And hell saith Let me devoure him The holy Angels which were appointed by God to minister unto me in this life and to be my consorts in the life to come they accuse me And by my sinnes I have deprived my self of their ministery in this life and hope of their fellowship in the life to come The voice of God that is his divine law accuseth me either I must fulfill it or perish To fulfill it it is impossible To perish everlastingly it is intolerable God the most severe judge and most powerfull executour of his eternall law accuseth me Him I cannot deceive for he is wisdome it self From him I cannot fly for he is power it self reigning every where Whither then shall I flie To thee O Christ my alone Redeemer and Saviour My sinnes are great indeed but thy satisfaction is greater My unrighteousnesse is great but thy righteousnesse is greater I acknowledge forgive thou I set open shut thou I uncover cover thou In me there is nothing but that which will condemne me In thee there is nothing but that which will save me I have committed many things for which most deservedly I might be condemned Thou hast omitted nothing whereby I might be saved I heare a voice in the canticles which bids me hide my self in the clefts of the rock Thou art that rock thy wounds are those clefts of the rock In them will I hide my self against the accusations of all the creatures My sinnes crie aloud even unto heaven but thy bloud which was poured forth for my sinnes cries louder My sinnes are strong to accuse me before God but thy passion is of more force to defend me The unrighteousnesse of my life is powerfull to condemne me but thy most perfect righteousnesse is more powerfull to save me I appeal therefore from the throne of thy justice to the throne of thy mercie Neither dare I appeare in judgement unlesse thou interpose thy most holy merits betwixt me and thy judgement Meditat. II. An exercise of repentance from the crosse of Christ. Thy Saviour on the crosse did choose To save thy life his own to lose BEhold thou faithfull soul the grief of him that suffered the wounds of him that hanged the torments of him that died on the crosse That head at which the angels tremble is crowned with thorns That face which was most beautifull above the sonnes of men is defiled by the spittings of the ungodly Those eyes which were more bright then the sunne are darkened in death Those eares which were wont to heare angelicall praises do ring now with the proud speeches and the derision of sinners That mouth out of which did proceed most divine oracles that mouth which taught the angels hath no other drink but gall and vineger Those feet which are to be adored are fastned with nails Those hands which stretched forth the heavens are stretched forth on the crosse and nailed That body which was the most sacred temple of the deitie is whipped and wounded with the speare neither remains there any part in him save onely a tongue and that to pray for them that crucified him He that reigneth with the Father in the heavens is by
Therefore for our sinnes God casts us off Take not thy holy Spirit from me Therefore as bees are driven away with smoak and pigeons with ill savours so by our sinnes is the holy Spirit driven out of the temples of our hearts Restore me the joy of thy salvation Therefore sinne doth torment the minde and dry up the moisture of the heart The earth is defiled by the inhabitants thereof which have transgressed the law crieth Esay Therefore sinne is a contagious and infectious poison Out of the deeps have I cryed unto thee O Lord saith the Psalmist Therefore our sinnes presse us down unto hell We were sometimes dead in our sinnes saith the apostle Therefore sinne is the spirituall death of the soul. By mortall sinne man loseth God God is the infinite and incomprehensible good Therefore to lose God is an infinite and incomprehensible evil As God is the chiefest good so sinne is the chiefest evil Punishments and calamities are not absolutely evil for many times there comes good of them Yea rather it appeares that they are good because they come from God who is the chiefest good from whom can proceed nothing but that which is good They were in the chiefest good to wit in Christ And the chiefest good cannot partake in that which is evil truely so called And moreover they leade us unto the chiefest good that is to life everlasting Christ by his passion entred into his glorie And so do Christians by tribulations enter into eternall life Therefore sinne is the chiefest evil because it withdraws us from the chiefest good The nearer thou comest unto God the further thou departest from sinne The nearer thou comest unto sinne the further thou departest from God How saving therefore is repentance which withdraws us from sinne and brings us back again unto God! Sinne is measured by the greatnesse of him that is offended But him the heavens the earth cannot contain In like manner such is our repentance as he unto whom we return by repentance The sinner is accused by his conscience which he hath defiled by the Creatour whom he hath offended by the sinnes which he hath committed by the creatures which he hath abused and by the devil by whom he hath been seduced How saving then is repentance which frees us from such accusations Let us make haste therefore let us make haste to such a saving medicine for such a grievous disease If thou repentest at thy death thou dost not leave thy sinnes but thy sinnes leave thee Thou shalt scarce finde any one that repented truely at his death unlesse it were the thief upon the crosse Fourteen yeares have I served thee said Jacob to Laban it is time now that I should provide for mine own house And if thou hast served the world and this life so many yeares is it not fit that thou shouldest begin now to make provision for thy soul Every day doth our flesh heap sinne upon sinne Let the Spirit therefore every day wash them away by repentance Christ died that sinne might die in us And shall we suffer that to live and reigne in our hearts for the destroying whereof the sonne of God himself died Christ enters not into the heart of man by grace unlesse John Baptist prepare the way by repentance God poureth not the oyl of mercie but into the vessel of a contrite heart God doth first mortifie us by contrition that afterwards he may quicken us by the consolation of the Spirit He first leads us into hell by serious grief that afterwards he may bring us back again by the taste of grace Elias first heard a great and strong winde overturning mountains and cleaving rocks and after the winde an earthquake and after the earthquake there appeared fire At length there followed a small and still voice In like manner terrour goes before the taste of Gods love and sorrow before comfort God bindes not up thy wounds unlesse thou lay them open by confession and bewail them He covers not unlesse thou first uncover He pardons not unlesse thou first acknowledge He justifies not unlesse thou first condemne thy self He comforts not unlesse thou first despair in thy self This true repentance God by his holy Spirit work in us Meditat. IIII. Of the name of JESVS Blessed blessed name of Jesus Who tormented was to ease us O Good Jesus be thou my Jesus for thy holy names sake have mercy on me My life condemnes me but the name of Jesus shall save me For this thy names sâ—ke do unto me according to thy name seeing that thou art a true and a great Saviour surely thou dost respect those that are sinners indeed yea great sinners Have mercie on me O good Jesus in the time of mercie that I be not condemned in the time of judgement If thou receive me into the bosome of thy mercy thou shalt have never the lesse room If thou bestow upon me the crumbes of thy goodnesse yet thou shalt want never the more For me thou wast born for me thou wast circumcised to me also thou art become a Jesus How sweet and delightfull is this name For what is Jesus but a Saviour and what harm can happen to those that are saved what else can we desire or expect beyond salvation Receive me Lord Jesus into the number of thy sonnes that together with them I may land thy holy and saving name Though I have lost my integritie yet thou hast not forgotten thy mercy Though I had power to lose and condemne my self yet thou in thy mercie art more powerfull to save me Lord do not thou so look upon my sinnes as to forget thy mercy do not so ponder and weigh my offences that they overpoise thy merit do not so remember my wickednesse as therefore to forget thy goodnesse Remember not thy anger against my guiltinesse but remember thy mercie towards my miserie Thou who hast given me a minde to desire thee withdraw not thy self from my desire Thou who hast shewed unto me my unworthinesse and just damnation hide not from me thy merit and the promise of everlasting salvation My cause is to be tried at the heavenly tribunall but this is my comfort that in the court of heaven thou hast assigned unto thee the name of a Saviour for that name was brought down from heaven by an angel O most mercifull Jesus to whom wilt thou be Jesus if not to miserable sinners that seek thy grace and salvation They that trust in their own righteousnesse and holinesse seek salvation in themselves but I flie unto thee my Saviour for I finde nothing in my self worthy of eternall life Save the condemned shew mercie to the sinner justifie the unrighteous absolve the accused Thou Lord art truth thy name is holy and true Let thy name also become true in respect of me and become thou my Jesus and Saviour Be thou unto me Jesus
everlasting and without end Come Lord Jesus and whosoever loveth thee let him say Come Meditat. VI. Consolation for the penitent from the crosse of Christ gathered chiefly out of Anselm Christs crosse my crown I do esteem What 's ' ever heathen men do deem ALl the glorie of the godly consists in the ignominie of the Lords passion All the rest of the godly consists in the wounds of our Saviour our life in his death our glory in his exaltation How great is thy mercy O heavenly Father and Almighty God! Of my self I could offend thee but of my self I could not appease thee Thou therefore in Christ dost reconcile me unto thee Behold therefore holy God the holy pledge of his flesh and forgive the guiltinesse of my flesh Have respect unto what thy Sonne hath suffered for me and forget what thy wicked servant hath done against thee My flesh doth provoke thee to anger Let the flesh of Christ I beseech thee move thee to mercy It is much that my wickednesse hath deserved but it is much more that the holinesse of my redeemer hath merited Great is my unrighteousnesse but much more great is the righteousnes of my redeemer For as much as God is higher then man so much is my wickednesse lower then his goodnesse both in qualitie and quantitie I am wholly thine by condition grant also that by love I may be wholly thine Thou that makest me to ask make me also to receive Thou that grantest unto me to seek grant unto me also to finde Thou that teachest me to knock open unto me when I knock To desire I have from thee Let me have from thee also to obtain To will I have from thee Let me have from thee to do also Holy God just Judge If my sinnes be concealed they are uncurable if they be seen they are detestable they do burn me with grief and do much more terrifie me with fear Do not withhold I pray thee thy true mercy where thou findest so true miserie Great is the sinne which thou findest here but let thy grace be greater and more plentifull Holy Father poure not I beseech thee thy wrath upon me seeing that thou hast smitten thy Sonne for me O holy Jesus deliver me from the wrath of God thou that didst take it upon thy self for my sake upon the crosse O holy Spirit protect me by thy consolation against the wrath of God thou that in the gospel hast declared mercie to the contrite and penitent O holy God and just Judge I finde no place to flie unto from the presence of thy wrath If I ascend up into heaven thou art there If I descend into the deep behold thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea there also shall thy hand lead me and thy right hâ—nd lay hold on me Unto Christ therefore will I flie and hide my self in his wounds O mercifull God behold the body of thy Sonne wounded in every part and look not upon the wounds of my sinnes Let the bloud of thy Sonne wash me from all my spots Heare his most ardent prayers offered unto thee for the salvation of the elect O holy God and just Judge my life affrights me for if it be exactly examined it is either sinne or barrennesse And if there seem to be any fruit in it it is either counterfeit or imperfect or some wayes corrupted so that it cannot please thee yea it must needs displease thee Truly all my life is either sinfull and damnable or unfruitfull and contemptible But why should I separate unfruitfull and damnable Certainly if it be unfruitfull it is damnable for every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire Not onely the tree that bringeth forth ill fruit is cast into the fire but that also which bringeth forth no fruit The goats affright me for they were set on the left hand of the judge not because they did any evil but because they did no good To the hungry they gave no meat To the thirsty they gave no drink Therefore thou withered and unfruitfull tree which hast deserved everlasting fire what wilt thou answer in that day when thou shalt give account for all the time spent in this life even to the twinkling of an eye An hair shall not perish from thy head nor a moment from time O the straits On this side shall be thy sinnes accusing On that side justice terrifying Underneath thee the horrible pit of hell gaping Above thee the angry judge condemning Within thee thy conscience burning Without thee the world flaming The just man shall scarce be saved Whither then shall the sinner thus taken unawares betake himself To lie hid it is impossible To appear it is intolerable From whence then shall I seek for the salvation of my soul from whom shall I seek counsel Who is he that is called the Angel of great counsel It is Jesus He is the judge between whose hands I tremble Fear not then O my soul be comforted despair not Hope in him whom thou fearest betake thy self unto him from whom thou hast fled O Jesus Christ for this thy names sake do unto me according to thy name Look upon me miserable man that call upon thy name If thou receive me into the most ample bosome of thy mercy thou shalt no whit be straited It is true O Lord my conscience hath deserved damnation and my repentance is not sufficient for satisfaction But it is most certain that thy mercie is greater then my offence In thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be confounded Meditat. VII Of the fruit of the Lords Passion My hope on Christ is fixed sure Who wounded was my wounds to cure AS often as I think of the Lords passion I presume much of the love of God and the forgivenesse of my sinnes He bowes down his head to kisse me He stretcheth forth his arms to embrace me He openeth his hands to give unto me He openeth his side that I may see his heart flaming with love He is lifted up from the earth that he may draw all unto him his wounds are blue with grief and shining with love Therefore by the opening of his wounds we ought to enter into the secrets of his heart With him there is most plenteous redemption because his bloud distilled not down drop by drop but flowed down most plentifully from five parts of his body As the grape cast into the wine-presse is squeezed and poureth forth liquour on every side So the flesh of Christ being pressed with the weight of Gods anger and our sinnes doth on every side poure forth the liquour of blood When Abraham would have offered his sonne for a sacrifice the Lord said Now I know of a truth that thou lovest me Do thou likewise acknowledge the
infinite love of the eternall Father in that he would deliver his onely begotten Sonne to death for us He loved us when we were his enemies And can he forget us when we are reconciled unto him by the death of his Sonne Can he forget the precious bloud of his Sonne when as he telleth the tears and the steps of the godly Can Christ in his life forget those for whom he was willing to undergo death Can he in the time of his glory forget those for whom he suffered so great torments Consider thou faithfull soul the manifold fruits of the Lords passion Christ poured forth for us a bloudy sweat that in the agonie of death a cold sweat might not oppresse us It was his pleasure to wrestle with death that we might not faint in the agony of death It was his will to suffer most grievous anxietie and sorrow even unto death that he might make us partakers of everlasting joy in the heavens He would be betrayed with a kisse which is a signe of friendship and good will that he might blot out the sinne by the which Satan betrayed our first parents under the colour of friendship He would be apprehended and bound by the Jews that he might set us at liberty which were bound in the chain of our sinnes and subject to be cast into everlasting damnation He would begin his passion in the garden that he might purge away sinne which took its beginning in the garden of paradise He would be comforted by an angel that he might make us angels fellows in the heavens He was forsaken of his own disciples that he might glue unto himself us who had most shamefully revolted from God Before the Councel he was accused by false witnesses that Satan might not accuse us by the law of God He was condemned on earth that we might be absolved in heaven He that committed no sinne was speechlesse that we might not in the day of judgement be strucken dumbe by reason of our sinnes He was willing to be buffeted that we might be freed from the sting of conscience and buffetings of Satan He suffered himself to be mocked that we might insult over Satan the insulter His face was covered that he might remove from us the vail of sinne by which we were hindred that we could not behold the face of God as being involved in damnable ignorance He would be disrobed that he might restore unto us the robe of innocencie which we had lost by sinne He was pricked with thorns that he might cure the compunctions of our hearts He underwent the burden of the crosse that he might take from us the burden of everlasting punishment He crâ—â—d out that he was forsakâ—n of God that he might purchase for us an everlasting habitation with God He thirsted on the crosse that he might merit for us the dew of Gods grace and free us from everlasting thirst He would be scorched in the fire of Gods anger that he might free us from the fire of hell He stood as guiltie that he might absolve us He was condemned that we might be delivered from condemnation He was scourged by the hands of the unrighteous that he might free us from the scourges of the devil He cried out for grief that he might preserve us from everlasting exclamation He poured forth tears that he might wipe away tears from our eyes He died that we might live He felt the pains of hell that we might never feel them He was humbled that so he might cure our sinfull tumour He was crowned with thorns that he might merit for us a celestiall crown He suffered of all that he might save all His eyes were darkened in death that we might live in the light of celestiall glory He suffered ignominie and reproches that we might heare the angels sing chearfully in heaven Despair not then O faithfull soul An infinite good was offâ—nded by thy sinnes and an infinite price is payed for them Thou shouldest have been condemned for thy sinnes But the Sonne of God took upon him the sinnes of the whole world and was condemned for them Thou deservedst to be punished for thy sinnes But God hath punished them alreadie in his Sonne The wounds of thy sinnes are great But the balsam of Christs bloud is more precious and of vertue to cure them Moses pronounceth thee cursed because thou hast not kept all that was wrote in the book of the law But Christ was made the curse for thee In the court of heaven there is an hand-writing against thee But Christ hath cancelled that with his bloud Let thy passion therefore O Christ be my last refuge Meditat. VIII Of the certainty of our salvation My hope shall never be confounded Because my hope on Christ is grounded WHy art thou troubled O my soul and why dâ—st thou still doubt of the mercie of God Remember thy Creatour Who created thee without thee Who formed thy body in secret in the lower parts of the earth Who took care of thee when thou wast not will not he have care of thee now he hath made thee after his own image I am the creature of God to the Creatour do I convert my self Though my nature be infected by the devil though it be wounded by theeves that is by my sinnes yet my Creatour liveth He which made me can also renew me He which created me without any evil can take all evil from me whatsoever hath entred into me by the suggestion of the devil by Adams prevarication by my own action yea though it hath over-run my whole substance Therefore my Creatour can reform me if so be that it stands with his good pleasure and will and certainly he will for who ever hated his own workmanship Are we not before him like clay in the hands of the potter If he had hated me certainly he would never have created me when I was nothing He is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that beleeve He created me wonderfully but he redeemed me more wonderfully It never appeared more plainly that he loved us then in his wounds and passion Surely he is truly beloved for whose sake the onely begotten Sonne of God is sent from the bosome of his Father Iâ— thou didst not desire my salvation Lord Jesus why didst thou descend from heaven But thou didst descend upon earth to die on the crosse God to redeem a servant spared not his own Sonne Therefore assuredly God loveth man with a wonderfull love seeing that he hath delivered up his Sonne to be afflicted slain and crucified for the redemption of man Very deare and very great was the price of our redemption Therefore great and deare is the mercy of our Redeemer It might seem to some that God loves his adopted sonnes as dearly as his onely begotten Sonne For that on which we bestow any thing is dearer then that which we bestow That he might
make us his adopted sonnes he spared not his natural and coessentiall Sonne It is no wonder then if he hath prepared for us mansions in his heavenly house seeing that he hath given us his own Sonne in whom is the fulnesse of the divinity Certainly where there is the fulnesse of the divinitie there is also the fulnesse of life and glory everlasting But if he in Christ hath given unto us the fulnesse of life everlasting how shall he denie unto us a little particle thereof Assuredly our heavenly Father loveth us his adopted sonnes with exceeding great love seeing he hath delivered up his onely begotten Sonne for us Assuredly the Sonne embraceth us with exceeding great love seeing that he hath delivered up himself for us To make us rich he endured extreme povertie for he had not where to lay his head To make us the sonnes of God he is made man neither doth he neglect us now having finished the work of our redemption but still intercedeth for us sitting at the right hand of the divine Majestie What thing is there necessary for my salvation which he shall not obtain seeing that he hath bestowed himself to merit salvation for me What will the Father denie unto his Sonne who became obâ—dient unto him unto death even the death of the crosse What will the Father denie unto his Sonne seeing that long ago he hath accepted the price of our redemption paid by him Let my sinnes accuse me yet in this my Mediatour do I trust He which excuseth me is greater then he that accuseth me Let my weaknesse affright me yet in his strength will I glory Let Satan accuse me if my Mediatour excuse me Let heaven and earth accuse me and mine iniquities prove me guiltie it is sufficient for me that the Creatour of heaven and earth and righteousnesse it self doth intercede for me The sufficiencie of my merit is to know that my merit is not sufficient It shall be sufficient for me to have him propitious against whom onely I have sinned Whatsoever he hath decreed not to impute shall be as if it had not been Neither doth it trouble me that my sinnes are both grievous and divers and often repeated For if I were not burdened with sinnes what need I desire his righteousnesse If I had no disease what need I implore the help of the physician He is the Physician he is the Saviour he is righteousnesse it self he cannot deny himself I am sick I am condemned I am a sinner I cannot deny my self Have mercy on me O thou my Physician my Saviour and my righteousnesse Amen Meditat. IX That God alone is to be loved By love cleave fast to God above For nought on earth deserves thy love RAise up thy self O faithfull soul and love that chief good in whom are all goods without whom there is no other true good No creature can satisfie our desire because no creature is perfectly good but onely good by participation Some current of good doth descend upon the creature from the Creatour but the fountain is still in God Why therefore should we forsake the fountain and follow the current All good in the creatures is but the image of that perfect good which is in God yea which is God Why therefore should we lay hold on the image and let go the thing it self Noahs dove could not finde on the moveable waters where her foot might rest Even so our soul amongst all sublunarie things cannot finde out which can fully satisfie her desire by reason of their inconstancie and frailtie Doth not he wrong himself which loveth any thing unworthy of his love Now the soul of man is more noble then all the creatures because it was redeemed by the passion and death of God Why therefore should it love the creatures Is it not contrary to that majestie unto which God hath exalted the Saints Whatsoever we love we love either for power or wisdome or beauty And what is more powerfull then God what is more wise then God what is more beautifull then God All the power of earthly kingdomes is from him and under him All the wisdome of men compared with the wisdome of God is foolishnesse All the beautie of the creatures compared with the beautie of God is deformitie If some powerfull king should treat by messengers with a virgin of mean rank and condition concerning marriage should she not do foolishly in neglecting the king and settling her affection upon the messengers the kings servants So God by the beautie of all the creatures desires to call us unto him invite us to love him why therefore should our soul which Christ would have to be his spouse cleave unto the creatures the messengers of this spirituall marriage The creatures themselves crie Why do ye cleave unto us why do ye place the end of your desire in us We cannot satiate your appetite Come ye rather to the Creatour of us both From the creatures we can expect no reciprocall love The creatures did not begin first to love us But God who is love it self cannot but love those that love him Yea he prevents our desires and our love by loving us first How greatly then is God to be loved who in the first place hath loved us so greatly He loved us when as yet we were not For it was the love of God that we came into this world He loved us when we were his enemies For it was his mercy and his love that he sent his sonne to be our redeemer He loved us when we were fallen into sin For it is his love that he doth not presently deliver us to death in our sinnes but still expects our conversion It is his love that beyond our merits yea contrary to our merits he translateth us to the celestiall palaces Without the love of God thou canst never come to the saving knowledge of God without the love of God all knowledge is unprofitable yea hurtfull Wherefore love exceedeth the knowledge of all mysteries because this may be in the devils but that cannot be but in the godly Why is the divel most unhappy Because he cannot love the chiefest good Contrarywise why is God most happy and blessed Because he loveth all things because he is delighted in all his works Why is not our love of God perfect in this life Because the measure of our love is according to the measure of our knowledge Now in this life we know but in part and in a glasse In the life to come we shall be perfectly blessed because we shall perfectly love God We shall perfectly love God because we shall perfectly know him No man can hope to have the perfect love of God in the world to come which beginneth not to love God in this world The kingdome of God must begin in the heart of man in this life or else it cannot be consummated in the life to come
evening of this world would Christ be born to shew that the benefits of his incarnation concern not this life but that which is everlasting In the time of Augustus the peace-maker would he be born because he made peace between God and man In the time of Israels servitude would he be born because he is the redeemer and deliverer of his people Under the reigne of a forrein king would he be born because his kingdome was not of this world He is born of a virgin to signifie that he is not conceived or born but in the hearts of those that are spirituall virgins that is whose mindes adhere not unto the world and the devil but unto God in one spirit His birth was pure and holy to sanctifie our impure and polluted nativity He is born of a virgin betrothed to an husband to honour matrimony which was Gods institution He is born in the darknesse of the night because he was the true light which illuminateth the darknesse of the world He is laid in a manger because he is the true food of our souls He is born betwixt an ox and an asse that men which were become like unto the beasts might be restored to their former dignitie He is born in Bethlehem that is in the house of bread because he brought with him most plentifull food of divine benefits He is the first and onely begotten of his mother upon earth because he was according to his divine nature the first and onely begotten of his Father in heaven He is born poore and needie to purchase for us celestiall riches He is born in a stable to bring us to his royall palace which is in heaven From heaven is sent the messenger of this so great a benefit because no man on earth understood the greatnesse thereof And further it was meet that the messenger of celestiall gifts should be celestiall The armies of the angels rejoyce because we are by the incarnation of the Son made partakers of their happinesse To the shepherds first is declared this so great a miracle because the truâ— shepherd of our souls came to bring back the lost sheep into the way To the ignoble and those that were despised is the matter of so great joy declared because no man can partake thereof unlesse he become vile in his own eyes To them that watch over their flocks is his nativitie declared because they onely whose hearts do watch unto God and not they that lie snorting in their sinnes are made partakers of so great a gift The quire of heaven which was made sorrowfull for the sinne of our first father doth now sing and rejoyce The brightnesse and glory of that Lord and King appeareth now in the heavens whose lowlinesse men despised here on earth The angel sayes unto them Fear not because he was born who would quite take away all cause of fear Joy was declared from heaven because the authour and giver of joy was born Joy is commanded because enmity between God and man the cause of all sorrow is removed Glory in the highest is rendred unto God which our first father by his unlawfull transgression of the commandment would have taken away True peace is obtained by his nativitie because before men were enemies unto God before their own conscience was their adversarie before they were at dissension one with another True peace is restored to the earth because he is overcome which held us captive Let us go with the shepherds to Christs manger that is to the church and in his swadling-clothes that is in the sacred scriptures shall we finde the infant enwrapped Let us with Mary the holy mother of our Lord keep the words of so great a mysterie and let us every day recall them to our memorie Let us follow with our voice the angels which sing before us and let us render unto God due thanks for so great a benefit Let us rejoyce and be glad with all the heavenly army For if the angels do so greatly rejoyce for our sake How much more ought we to rejoyce seeing unto us he is born and given If the Israelites did lift up their voices with jubile when the ark of the covenant was brought unto them which was but a figure and shadow of the Lords incarnation How much more ought we to rejoyce unto whom the Lord himself is come and hath taken our flesh upon him If Abraham rejoyced when he saw the day of the Lord when the Lord in an humane shape assumed for a time appeared unto him What should we do now Christ hath coupled unto himself our nature by an everlasting and inviolable covenant Let us admire here the infinite goodnesse of God who himself would descend unto us seeing that we could not ascend unto him Let us admire the infinite power of God who of two things most distant I mean the divine and humane nature could make one so nearly that one and the same should be God and man Let us admire the infinite wisdome of God who could finde out means to work our salvation when men and angels saw no means An infinite good was offended and an infinite satisfaction was required Man had offended God of man was satisfaction required But by man neither could an infinite satisfaction be made neither could Gods justice be satisfied without an infinite price Therefore God was made man that both he which had sinned might satisfie and he which was infinite might pay an infinite price Let us admire this wonderfull temper of Gods justice and mercie which no creature could finde before God did manifest it and none could fully perceive after it was made manifest Let us admire these things and not curiously prie into them Let us desire to look in though we cannot conceive all Let us rather confesse our ignorance then deny Gods omnipotence Meditat. XV. Of the saving fruit of the Incarnation Christ was conceiv'd in Virgins wombe That thou might'st sonne of God become I Bring you tidings of great joy saith the angel at our Saviours nativitie Of great joy indeed that is such as passeth mans understanding It was a very great evil that we were held captive under the wrath of God under the power of the devil and under eternall damnation But it was yet greater because men either knew it not or else did neglect it But now great joy is declared unto us because he that delivereth us from all evils is come into the world He is come a physician to the sick a redeemer to the captives the way to the wanderers life to them that were dead salvation to them that were condemned As Moses was sent from the Lord to deliver the people of Israel from the servitude of Egypt So Christ was sent from his Father to redeem all mankinde from the devils slavery As the dove after the drying up of the waters
life and the words of eternall life The cup of benediction is the communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread which we break is the participation of the Lords bodie We cleave unto the Lord Therefore we are one Spirit with him We are united unto him not onely by the communion of nature but also by the participation of his bodie and bloud I do not therefore say with the Jews How can this man give us his flesh to eat But rather crie out How doth the Lord distribute unto us his flesh to eat and his bloud to drink I do not prie into his power but do admire his benevolence I do not examine his majestie but I reverence his goodnesse His presence I beleeve the manner of his presence I know not I am certainly assured that it is most neare and inward We are members of his body flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones He dwelleth in us and we in him My soul desireth to dive by cogitation into this most profound abysse but cannot finde with what words to set forth and declare that goodnesse and therefore is altogether amazed at the sight of the greatnesse of the grace of the Lord and the glory of the blessed Meditat. XIX Of the mysterie of the Lords Supper Be wise Do not to farre enquire 'To that thou rather shouldst admire IN the Lords holy Supper there is set before us a mysterie to be trembled at and to be adored of us by all means There is the treasure and treasurie of divine grace We know that there was a tree of life planted by God whose fruit might have conserved our first parents and their posteritie by the fertilitie and felicitie thereof There was also placed in paradise a tree of the knowledge of good and evil But even that which was appointed by God for their salvation and life and for an exercise of their obedience became unto them an occasion of death and condemnation whilest they poore wretches obeyed the devils allurements and their own desires Here also is prepared a tree of life that sweet wood whose leaves are for medicine and whose fruit for meat The sweetnesse thereof doth take away the bitternesse of all evils yea of death it self Unto the Israelites was given Manna that they might be fed with heavenly food Here is that true Manna which came down from heaven to give life unto the world This is the heavenly bread and the angelicall meat of which whosoever eateth shall never hunger The Israelites had the ark of the covenant and the mercy-seat where they might heare the Lord speak face to face Here is the true ark of the covenant that is the most sacred bodie of Christ wherein the treasures of all science knowledge and wisdome are laid up Here is the true mercy-seat in the bloud of Christ which makes us to be beloved in the beloved neither doth he speak unto us onely by his inward consolation but also dwelleth in us neither doth he feed us onely with heavenly Manna but with himself Here is the gate of heaven indeed here is the angels ladder For can heaven be greater then he that is in heaven Can heaven be more nearly united unto God then the flesh and humane nature which he hath assumed Heaven indeed is the throne of God But in the humane nature assumed by Christ resteth the holy Spirit God is in heaven But in Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the divinitie Certainly this is a great and infallible pledge of our salvation He had no greater thing to give unto us For what is greater then himself What is so closely united unto him as his humane nature which is assumed into the fellowship of the most blessed Trinitie and made the treasurie of all heavenly goods What is so nearly conjoyned unto him as flesh and bloud And yet with these most heavenly nourishments doth he refresh us miserable worms and make us partakers of his nature And shall not he then make us partakers of his grace Who ever hated his own flesh How can the Lord then despise us whom he feedeth with his own flesh and bloud How can he forget those unto whom he hath given the pledge of his own bodie How can Satan be able to overcome us seeing that we are fed with heavenly food that we faint not in battel We are deare unto Christ because he bought us at so deare a price We are deare unto Christ because he feeds us with such deare and precious things We are deare unto Christ because we are his flesh and members This is the onely Panacea of all spirituall diseases this is the medicine of immortalitie For what sinne is there so great that the sacred flesh of God cannot expiate What sinne is so great that the quickning flesh of Christ cannot heal What sinne so mortall that is not taken away by the death of the Sonne of God What fierie darts of the devil can be so deadly that they cannot be quenched in this fountain of divine grace What so great stain of the conscience that this bloud cannot purge The Lord was present to the Israelites in a cloud and in fire But here is no cloud but the sunne of righteousnesse the present light of our souls Here is not felt the fire of Gods fury but the heat of his love neither doth he depart from us but makes his mansion with us Our first parents were brought into paradise that most sweet and fragrant garden the type of eternall beatitude that being put in minde of Gods bountie they might perform due obedience unto their Creatour Behold Here is more then paradise in this place For the creature is filled with the flesh of the Creatour The penitent conscience is cleansed by the bloud of the Sonne of God By the body of Christ are nourished the members of Christ the head The faithfull soul is fed with divine and heavenly dainties The sacred flesh of God which the angels adore in the unitie of person which the archangels reverence at which the Powers do tremble and which the Vertues admire is our spirituall food Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad but much more the faithfull soul upon whom such and so great benefits are bestowed Meditat. XX. Of serious preparation before we come to the Lords Supper A wedding garment put thou on Or keep from this communion HEre is no common cheere nor the feast of some ordinarie king but here is the holy mysterie of the body and bloud of Christ to be handled of us Therefore a due preparation is required lest we finde death in stead of life and receive condemnation in stead of mercy How did that most holy Patriarch so famous for the strength of his faith how did he fear and tremble when the Sonne of God appeared unto him in the
shape of man and threatned that he would destroy Sodom Here the Lambe of God is not set before us to look upon but to be tasted and eaten Vzziah coming inconsiderately unto the ark of the covenant was by the Lord suddenly smitten with a leprosie What wonder is it then if he that eats of this bread and drinks of this wine unworthily eateth and drinketh his own condemnation For here is the true ark of the new covenant which was prefigured by the old Now the apostle teacheth true preparation in one word Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread Now as all divine examination is to be squared according to the rule of divine scripture so also is this which Paul requires Let us therefore consider in the first place our own infirmitie For what is man Dust and ashes We were made of the earth we live of the earth and we return to the earth What is man Stinking seed a sack of dung and meat for worms Man was born to labour and not to honour Man is born of a woman and therefore with guiltinesse He liveth but a short time and therefore in fear he is full of many miseries and therefore of weeping many indeed because both of body and soul. Man knoweth neither his beginning nor his end We have our being for a while like a fading flower But this short life hath long sorrows and labours Let us consider in the second place our unworthinesse Verily every creature in respect of the Creatour is a shadow a dream nothing Therefore man also But man is unworthy in a greater and more grievous manner For he offended his Creatour by his sinne God is just by nature and by essence Therefore by his nature and by his essence he is offended and displeased with sinne What are we stubble to that consuming fire How shall our most filthy deeds appear How shall our iniquities which thou settest before thee and our errours which thou placest in the light of thy countenance God is infinite and alwayes like himself of infinite justice and infinite anger And if in all his works then certainly in his anger justice and revenge God is altogether great and wonderfull He that spared not his own Sonne will he spare his own workmanship He that spared not the most holy one will he spare the wicked servant God so hateth sinne that he doth punish it even in the best beloved as it appears by Lucifer the prince of the angels But let not this examination respect us onely but the blessed bread also which is the communication of the Lords bodie Then shall the true fountain of grace and the inexhaustible spring of mercie appear God cannot altogether neglect us seeing that he maketh us partakers of his own flesh For who ever hated his own flesh Therefore this holy banquet shall transform our souls This most divine banquet shall make us divine men untill at length we be made partakers of future happinesse being made capable of God wholly and onely and wholly like unto God What we have here by faith and in a mystery there we shall have in deed and openly Yea our bodies have attained to this dignitie that in them we shall see God face to face I say our bodies which are now the temples of the holy Ghost and are sanctified and quickned by the body and bloud of Christ dwelling in us This most holy medicine cures all the wounds of sinne This quickning flesh overcometh all mortall sinne This is the most holy seal of divine promises which we may shew before Gods judgement Having this pledge we may glory and be secure of eternall life If Christ his bodie and bloud be exhibited unto us assuredly all other benefits by that most holy body and most blessed bloud are prepared for us How can he that hath given us the greater things denie us the lesse He that hath given his Sonne to us how shall he not give all other thingâ— with him Let the spouse therefore be glad and rejoyce for the time is at hand when she shall be called to the marriage of the Lambe Let her put on precious apparel let her put on her wedding garment that she be not found naked This garment is the bridegrooms righteousnes which we put on in baptisme But our righteousnesse is so farre from being a wedding garment that it is as the cloth of a menstruous woman Let us be afraid therefore to bring the most filthy and stinking rags of our works to this nuptiall solemnitie Let the Lord cover us that we be not found naked Meditat. XXI Of Christs ascension Christ is ascended up on high And we must up like eagles flie MEditate upon thy bridegrooms ascension thou faithfull soul For Christ withdrew his visible presence from the faithfull to exercise their faith And blessed are they that see not and yet beleeve Where our treasure is there let our heart be also Christ our treasure is in heaven Let our hearts therefore be set upon those things that are heavenly and meditate upon the things that be above The spouse desires with most earnest sighs the return of her beloved So let the faithfull soul desire the coming of that day when she shall be admitted to the marriage of the Lambe Let her put her confidence in the pledge of the holy Spirit which the Lord left unto her at his departure Let her put her confidence in the bodie and bloud of the Lord which she receives in the mysterie of the supper And let her beleeve that our bodies which are filled with this incorruptible food shall at length be raised up again That which we now beleeve we shall then see Our hope shall then be reall fruition The Lord is present unto us here while we are on the way in a strange shape But in the mansion of our heavenly countrey we shall behold him and know him as he is It was our Saviours will to ascend up from the mount â— Olives The olive is a signe of peacâ— and joy Therefore not withouâ— cause did he ascend up from the mount of Olives because by his passion he hath purchased peace and tranquillitie for terrified and amazed consciences Not without cause did he ascend up from the mount of Olives For the court of heaven did exceedingly joy to receive him The mount doth call and invite us to heavenly things seeing therefore we cannot follow him with our bodily feet let us follow him with the feeâ— of our holy desires Moses also in like manner ascended up unto the Lord in the mount The holy patriarchs worshipped in the mount Abraham made choice of the mount and Lot of the plain Let the faithfull soul leave the plain of this world and by holy devotion go up to the heavenly mount So shall she feel God speaking unto her inwardly and that most sweetly So in
our sinnes he separates us from God by hatred contention and brawling he separates men one from another But the holy Ghost as in Christ he hath conjoyned the divine and humane nature by his wonderfull overshadowing So doth he by his gifts poured upon us conjoyn men with God and God with men As long as the holy Ghost remaineth in man by his grace and gifts so long doth man remain united to God As soon as man by sinne falleth from faith and love and shaketh off the holy Ghost he is separated from God and is deprived of that most blessed union He that hath the holy Ghost hateth not his brother Why Because by the Spirit he is made partaker of the mysticall bodie of Christ whose members all the godly are And who ever hated his own members Yea more He that is governed by the Spirit of the Lord loveth even his enemies Why Because he that cleaveth unto the Lord becomes one spirit with him And God causeth his sunne to rise upon the good and bad And hateth nothing which he hath made He that hath the Spirit of God is readie to be servant unto all he to his power doeth good unto all he is readie for all to make use of because God is the fountain of all mercie and grace to all Now the Spirit of God effects in man such motions as he himself is As the soul gives unto the body life sense and motion So the Spirit makes man spirituall seasons his minde with divine saltnesse and directs all his members to the performance of all duties towards God and towards his neighbour From heaven came that sound which was the signe of the coming of the holy Ghost Because the holy Ghost is of an heavenly nature to wit of the same nature with the Father and the Sonne from whom that is the Father and the Sonne he proceedeth from all eternitie Moreover he maketh men to think upon heavenly things and to seek those things which are above He which cleaveth unto earthly things and is by his love united unto the world is not yet made partaker of the heavenly Spirit He came in the type of breath Because he affordeth unto the afflicted quickning consolation and because we live according to the flesh by the reciprocall breathing out and sucking in of the aeriall spirit He came under the type of spirit and breath For he giveth unto us To live according to our better part The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but thou knowest not whence it comes or whither it goes So is every one that is begotten of the Spirit And it was meet that he should come in the type of breath Because he proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne by one breathing from eternitie It was a powerfull breath Because the grace of the holy Ghost comes with power The holy Ghost moveth the godly in whom he dwelleth to all that is good and so moveth them that they regard neither the threats of tyrants nor the treacheries of Satan nor the hatred of the world He conferreth upon the apostles the gift of tongues Because their sound was to go into all lands And so the confusion of tongues which was the punishment of pride and rashnesse in the building of the tower of Babel was taken away and the dispersed nations by the gift of the holy Ghost through diverse tongues were gathered together into the unitie of faith It was meet that he should come in the figure of tongues Because the holy men of God did speak as they were inspired by him Because he spake by the apostles and because he putteth the words of God into the mouthes of the ministers of the church For these so great gifts blessed and praised be the holy Ghost together with the Father and the Sonne for ever and ever Meditat. XXIII Of the churches dignitie Great is the churches dignitie Which chosen is Christs spouse to be COnsider thou devout soul what a great benefit God hath bestowed upon thee in calling thee to the communion of the church One is my beloved saith the bridegroom in the Canticles One indeed because there is but one true and orthodox church the beloved spouse of Christ. Without the body of Christ there is not the Spirit of Christ and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is not his and he that is not Christs cannot be made partaker of life everlasting All that were without the ark of Noah did perish in the floud And they that are without the spirituall ark of the church must needs be overwhelmed in everlasting destruction He shall never have God to be his Father in heaven that hath not the church for his mother upon earth Consider thou devout soul that every day many thousands of souls descend into hell for this cause because they are without the bosome of the church Nature hath not separated thee from them but onely the grace of God that sheweth mercie When Egypt was involved in palpable darknesse the Israelites onely had light So in the church onely is the light of divine knowledge They that are without the church do passe from the darknesse of ignorance in this present life to the darknesse of eternall damnation in the life to come He that is not a part of the militant church shall never be a part of the church triumphant For these things following have a neare conjunction together that is to say God the word faith Christ the church and life everlasting The holy church of God is a mother a virgin and a spouse She is a mother Because she brings forth spirituall sonnes unto God every day She is a virgin Because she doth keep her self chaste from the embracements of the devil and the world She is a spouse Because Christ hath betrothed her unto himself by an everlasting covenant and hath given unto her the pledge of the Spirit The church is that ship that carries Christ and his disciples and brings them at length to the haven of everlasting felicitie The church sails through the sea of this world with a prosperous course having the stern of faith God for her pilot and the angels for her rowers and carrying the companies of all the saints In the midst thereof there is erected the saving tree of the crosse upon which do hang the sails of evangelicall faith by which she is carried to the securitie of eternall rest by the breathing of the holy Ghost The church is that vineyard that God hath planted in the field of this world which he hath watered with his bloud about which he hath set an hedge of angelicall guard in which he hath made the winepresse of his passion and gathered out the stones and impediments thereof The church is that woman clotheâ— with the sunne Because she is arayed with the righteousnesse of Christ. She treadeth the moon under heâ— feet
think upon three things present the brevitie of this present life the difficultie of being saved and the paâ—citie of them that shall be saved Alwayes think upon three things to come Death then which nothing is more horrible judgement then which nothing is more terrible the pains of hell then which nothing is more intolerable Let thy evening prayers amend the sinnes of the day past Let the last day of the week amend the faults of the dayes past In the evening think how many are plunged that day into hell and give thanks unto God for granting thee time to repent There are three things above thee which never let slip out of thy memorie The eye that sees all the eare that heares all and the book wherein all things are written God hath communicated himself wholly unto thee Communicate thou thy self wholly unto thy neighbour That is the best life which is busied in the service of others Shew obedience and reverence to thy superiour give counsel and aid to thy equall defend and instruct thy inferiour Let thy bodie be subject to thy minde and thy minde to God Bewail thy evils past and esteem not the goods that are present and desire with all thy heart the goods which are future Remember thy sinne to grieve for it Remember death that thou mayst cease from sinne Remember Gods justice that thou mayst be kept in fear Remember Gods mercie that thou mayst not despair As much as thou canst withdraw thy self from the world and addict thy self wholly unto the service of the Lord. Alwayes in delights think that thy chastitie is in danger in riches think that thy humilitie is in danger in many businesses think that thy godlinesse is in danger Study to please none but Christ Fear to displease none but Christ. Alwayes pray thou unto God to command what he will and to give what he commands Pray unto him to cover what is past and to govern what is to come As thou desirest to seem so also thou must be For God judgeth not according to the shew but according to the truth In thy words take heed of much babling because for every idle word thou must give an account in the day of judgement Thy works be they what they will do not passe away but are cast as certain seeds of eternitie If thou sowest in the flesh of the flesh thou shalt reap corruption If thou sowest in the spirit of the spirit thou shalt reap life everlasting The honours of the world shall not follow thee after death neither shall thy heaps of riches follow thee neither shall thy pleasures follow thee neither shall the vanities of the world follow thee But after all thy works shall follow thee As therefore thou desirest to be at the day of judgement to day appeare to be such in the sight of God Do not esteem those things that thou hast but rather esteem those that thou wantest Be not proud for what is given thee but be humbled rather for that which is denied thee Learn to live whiles thou mayst live In this life is eternall life either obtained or lost After death there is no time to work but the time of recompense begins In the life to come working is not expected but the reward of working Let holy meditation bring forth in thee knowledge and knowledge compunction and compunction devotion and let devotion make prayer The silence of the mouth is a great good for the peace of the heart The more thou art separated from the world the more acceptable thou art unto God Whatsoever thou desirest to have ask of God whatsoever thou hast give unto God He that is not thankfull for that which is given already is unworthy to receive more Gods graces cease to descend when our thanks cease to ascend Whatsoever happeneth unto thee make use of it for good When thou art in prosperity think that thou hast then an occasion to blesse and praise God When thou art in adversitie think that thou art then put in minde of thy repentance and conversion Shew the strength of thy power in helping the strength of thy wisdome in instructing and the strength of thy riches in doing good Let not adversitie cast thee down neither let prosperitie lift thee up Let all thy life be directed unto Christ as unto the mark Follow him in the way that thou mayst overtake him in thy countrey In all things have a speciall care of profound humilitie and ardent charitie Let charitie lift up thy heart unto God that thou mayest cleave unto him And let humilitie keep thy heart down that thou beest not proud Judge God to be a Father for his clemencie a Lord for his discipline a Father for his power and gentlenesse a Lord for his severitie and justice Love him as a Father piously fear him as a Lord necessarily Love him because he willeth mercy fear him because he willeth not sinne Fear the Lord and trust in him acknowledge thy misery and proclaim his mercy O God thou that hast given us to will give us also grace to perfect Meditat. XXIX Of the shaking off securitie To live it is not but to die To live in all securitie COnsider thou devout soul what an hard matter it is to be saved and thou shalt easily shake off all securitie At no time and in no place is there securitie Neither in heaven nor in paradise and then much lesse in the world An angel fell in the presence of the divinitie and Adam fell in the place of pleasure Adam was created after the image of God and yet notwithstanding he was deceived by the treacheries of the devil Solomon was the wisest of men and yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. Judas was in the school of our Saviour and did every day heare the saving word of that chief Doctour and yet was not he safe from the snares of Satan He was plunged headlong into the pit of covetousnesse and so into the pit of eternall punishment David was a man after Gods own heart and he was unto the Lord as a most deare sonne and yet by murder and adulterie he became the sonne of death Where then is there securitie in this life Relie with an assured confidence of heart upon the promises of God and thou shalt be safe from the invasions of the devil There is no securitie in this life but that which is infallibly promised to those that beleeve and walk in the way of the Lord But when we come unto future happâ—nesse then at length we shall have full securitie In this life fear and religion are coupled together neither must one be without the other Be not secure in adversitie but whatsoever adversitie happâ—neth unto thee in this life think that it iâ— the reward of thy sinnes God often punisheth secret offences by open corrections Think upon the grievous stains of
humilitie of Christ thy bridegroom and of him learn also chastitie Great is the dignitie of chastitie which was consecrated in the body of Christ Great is the dignitie of chastitie because whiles we are in the flesh it makes us to live as out of the flesh As nothing is more vile then to be overcome of the flesh So nothing is more glorious then to overcome the flesh Neither must we onely avoid outward fornication but also impure cogitations Because God is judge not onely of the outward acts but also of the inward thoughts Piety is often wounded by the looks and chastitie is often wounded by the eyes Heare what truth it self saith He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath alreadie committed adulterie with her in his heart As the fight is difficult So shall the victorie also be glorious It is a difficult thing to quench the flaming fires of lust Lust incites them that are not yet come to the yeares of youth it inflames those that are young and it wearieth those that are old and decrepit It despiseth not cottages neither doth it reverence palaces But as difficult as it is here to fight so laudable shall it be hereafter to triumph The first sparks are presently to be quenched and we must not adde fewel to the fire of evil concupiscences The Apostle when he reckons up the vices with which we must strive bids us not fight with fornication but flee from it Flee saith he from fornication For even as a stranger feigning simplicitie comes to us like a beggar to deceive us if we denie him entrance he goes his way if we receive him in he becomes our guest and gathers strength and at length if we consent he becomes our lord and master So the motions of evil concupiscence assail us if we foster them not they depart away if thou wouldest not have this enemie to rule over thee receive him not into the house of thy heart Keep us O God in sanctitie of life and chastitie of body Meditat. XXXVIII Of the flitting swiftnesse of this present life The life of man's a rolling stone Mov'd to and fro and quickly gone THink O devout soul upon the miserie and brevitie of this life that thy heart may be lifted up to the desire of the celestiall inheritance This life whiles it increaseth it decreaseth whiles it is augmented it is diminished Whatsoever is added to it is also taken from it It is but a point of time that we live yea it is yet lesse then a point Whilest we turn our selves immortalitie comes upon us We are in this life as in a strange house Abraham had not in the land of Canaan a place to dwell in but onely an hereditarie place for buriall So this present life is like unto an inne and to a burying-place The beginning of this life is presently the beginning of death Our life is like unto him that saileth for whether he stand sit or lie down still he comes nearer nearer unto the havē goeth thither whither he is carried by the motion of the ship So also we whether we sleep or wake lie down or walk will or nill are carried still moment after moment till we come to our end This life is rather a death because every day we die For every day we spend some of our life This life is full of grief for things past full of labour for things present and full of fear for things to come Our ingresse into this life is lamentable because the infant begins his life with tears as it were foreseeing the evils to come Our progresse is weak because many diseases afflict us and many cares torment us Our egresse is horrible because we do not depart alone but our works follow us and we must passe from death to Gods severe judgement We are conceived in sinne we are brought forth in miserie we live in pain and we die in anguish We are begotten in uncleannesse we are nourished in darknesse and brought forth in sorrow Before we come forth we are a burden to our wretched mothers and when we do come forth we do like vipers tear a way We are strangers in our birth and pilgrims in our life because we are compelled to depart away by death The first part of our life is ignorant of it self the middle part is overwhelmed with cares and the last part is burdened with grievous old age All the time of our life is either present past or to come If it be present it is flitting if it be past it is then nothing if it be to come it is then uncertain We are filthines in our originall we are bubbles in our life and we are meat for worms at our death From earth we come on earth we go to earth we must return The necessitie of our birth is base our life miserable and our death lamentable Our body is an earthly house in which do dwell together sinne and death which every day consume it All our life is a spirituall warfare Above devils lie in wait for our destruction On the right hand and on the left the world oppugnes us Beneath and within the flesh fighteth against us The life of man is a warfare Because in this life there is a continuall fight between the flesh and the spirit What true joy then can a man have in this life when there is in it no certain felicitie What thing present can delight us when other things do passe away but that which hangeth over our heads doth never passe away And again what can delight us when that which we love is quite ended and grief that shall never have end doth approch still nearer unto us This is all we gain by long life To do more evil to see more evil and to suffer more evil This is all that long life doeth for us It makes our accusation the greater at the last judgement What is man The slave of death and as a passenger on the way He is lighter then a bubble shorter then a moment more vain then an image more empty then a sound more brittle then glasse more changeable then the winde more flitting then a shadow and more deceitfull then a dream What is this life The expectation of death the stage of mockeries the sea of miseries an hemine or phial of bloud which every light fall breaketh and every fit of an ague corrupteth The course of our life is a labyrinth we enter into it when we come out of the wombe and we go out of it by the passage of death Ware nought but earth and earth is but a fume A fume is nought as nought do we consume This life is frail as glasse is sliding as a river is miserable as a warfare And yet it seems to many much to be desired This life seems outwardly as a gilded nut But if thou openest
it with the knife of truth thou shalt see that within there is nothing but worms and rottennesse There are apples growing about Sodom which are pleasing for outward beautie But being touched they fall to dust The felicitie of this life doth outwardly delight but if thou pressest it with a more weightie consideration it will appear to be like unto smoke and dust Therefore O beloved soul do not suffer thy cogitations to set up their rest in this life But let thy minde alwayes pant and breathe after the joyes to come Compare the short moment of time granted unto us in this life with eternitie which never shall have end and it will appear what a foolish thing it is to cleave unto this life that flitteth away and to neglect that which is everlasting This life of ours posteth away And yet in it do we either get or lose everlasting life This life is most miserable And yet in it do we either get or lose everlasting life This life is subject to many calamities And yet in it do we either get or lose everlasting joy If therefore thou hopest for life everlasting in this flitting life desire it with all thy heart Use the world but let not thy heart cleave to the world Negotiate in this world but fix not thy minde upon this present life The outward use of worldly things hurteth not unlesse thy inward affection cleave unto them Heaven is thy countrey the world is but the place of thy sojourning Be not so much delighted with the momentanie entertainment of this world as to have thy minde withdrawn from the desire after thy heavenly countrey This life is our sea but eternitie is our haven Be not therefore so much delighted with the momentanie tranquillity of this sea as that thou canst not attain to the haven of everlasting tranquillity This life is sliding and doth not keep faith with her lovers but doth often flee from them when they never think of it Why therefore wilt thou trust it It is very dangerous for thee to promise unto thy self security for one houre For oftentiâ—es in that one posting houre this lâ—â—e is ended The safest way then is to expect our departure out of this present life every houre and to prepare our selves for it by serious repentance In the gourd wherewith Jonas was delighted God prepared a worm that it might wither So in these worldly things whereunto many cleave so fast as if they were glewed to them there is no certaintie but the worms of corruption do breed in them The world is now so worn away with a long consumption that it hath even lost the face by which it was wont to seduce And therefore they that delight to perish with the world now perishing are as much to be blamed and condemned as they are to be praised and commended that flourished with the world then flourishing Withdraw O Christ our hearts from the love of this world and stirre up in us a desâ—â—â— after the kingdome of heaven Meditat. XXXIX Of the worlds vanitie Love not the world The world is vain But love those things that ay remain SEt not thy love O devout soul upon those things which are in the world The world shall passe away and all the things therein shall be consumed with fire Where shall thy love be then Love that good which is everlasting that so thou mayest live for ever Every creature is subject to vanitie Whosoever therefore cleaveth with his love unto the creatures shall also become vain himself Love that good which is true and stable that thy heart may be quieted and established Why doth worldly honour delight thee He that seeketh the honour of men cannot be honoured by God He that seeketh the honour of the world must be conformed unto the world and he that pleaseth the world cannot please God All things are unâ—â—able and must perish whatsoever are given by those that are unstable and do perish How then can the honour of the world be stable He that was yesterday extolled to the skies by the praises of men is brought down again to morrow with disgrace Desire therefore to please God that thou mayest be honoured of God For that is the true and stable honour What is a man the better for being reputed great by man If a man be great in the sight of God then is he great indeed not otherwise Christ being sought for to take a kingdome fled from it but being sought for to be reproched and to be ignominiously crucified he offered himself Delight therefore rather in the disgrace then the glorie of the world that so thou mayest be conformed unto Christ. He that doth not despise the world for Christ how would he lay down his life for him There is no way to true glory but by contemning the glory of the world for so Christ entred into his glorie by the ignominie of the crosse Be content therefore to be despised to be vilified and to be rejected in this world that thou mayest be honoured in the world to come Christ taught us by his life how we should esteem of the world All the glory of the heavens serveth him yea he alone is even glory it self And yet he rejected worldly glory Therefore the more a man is honoured and the more he aboundeth in bodily consolations the more deeply and inwardly must he become sorrowfull that he is so farre from being conformable unto Christ. Vain is the praise of man if an evil conscience accuseth within What doth it profit a man sick of a fever if he be laid in a bedsted of ivorie when as notwithstanding he is tormented with raging heat within It is the testimonie of thy conscience that is the true honour and praise indeed There is no juster judge of thy doings then God and thine own conscience Desire to approve thy deeds before this judgement Is it not enough for thee to be known of thy self and which is most of all to be known of God But why dost thou so much covet after riches He is too covetous unto whom the Lord is not sufficient This life is the way to our eternall countrey What then do much riches profit They do rather burden the traveller as great burdens do a ship Christ the king of heaven is the riches of Gods servants The true treasure must be within a man and not without him That is the true treasure which thou canst carry with thee to the generall judgement But all these outwaad goods are taken from us in death The goods gathered together do perish but first he that gathered them doth perish unlesse he be rich in the Lord. Poore thou camest into the world and poore must thou go out And why should the middle differ from the beginning and the end Riches are appointed for our use And how few will be sufficient A little gift of grace
worldly comfort but by tentations Stephen when he was stoned saw the glorie of Christ So Christ manifests himself unto the contrite soul in calamities There is no true and solid joy but where God dwelleth and Gods dwelling is in the contrite and humbled spirit Affliction it is and tentation which humbleth the spirit and maketh it contrite Therefore true and solid joy is in the soul of the afflicted Tentation is the way to come to the knowledge of God Therefore the Lord saith I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and make him see my salvation Blinde Tobie saw nothing either above him beneath him or before him and therefore he saw not himself But being enlightned of God by the angel Raphael he saw all things which before he could not see using no other medicine but the gall of a fish To shew that our eyes are to be anointed with the gall of bitternesse that so we may be enlightned and come to the true knowledge of our selves and worldly things Why saith the Apostle that we know but in a glasse Because in tentations we come to know that God maketh the elect joyfull under the shew of sorrow and quickeneth them under the shew of death and healeth them under the shew of sicknesse and enricheth them under the shew of povertie Therefore must the crosse and tentation be welcome unto him whosoever is not unthankfull to Christ who was crucified and tempted for us O good Jesus Let me be burned here let me be smitten here that I may be spared hereafter O good Jesus Thou which dost often cast us off from thee by sparing us make us to return unto thee by striking us Afflict and presse the outward man that the inward man may grow and increase O good Jesus Fight within me against me Be thou the moderatour of the fight and the crown of my victorie Whatsoever adversitie I feel in this life let it tend to the strengthening and increasing of my faith O good Jesus Help my weak faith For so thou hast promised by thy holy prophet As a mother comforteth her children so will I comfort you As a mother cherisheth and nourisheth her sucking infant with much care So do thou O good Jesus erect and confirm my languishing faith Grant that thy inward comforts may prevail more with me then the contradictions of all men and the devil himself yea and the cogitations of mine own heart O thou good Samaritane poure the sharp wine into the wounds made by my sinnes but poure in also the oyl of divine comfort Multiply my crosses but give me also strength to endure them Meditat. XLI Here are foundations of Christian patience Take up thy crosse do but endure To overcome thou shalt be sure BE quiet O devout soul and endure with patience the crosse which God hath laid upon thee Consider the passion of Christ thy bridegroom He suffered for all of all and in all He suffered for all yea even for them which despise his precious passion and wickedly trample his bloud under their feet He suffered of all He is delivered he is broken in pieces he is forsaken of his heavenly Father he is forsaken of his disciples he is rejected of the Jews his own peculiar people For they preferred Barabbas the thief before him He is crucified of the Gentiles He suffers for the sinnes of all men And therefore he is afflicted of all men He suffered also in all His soul was sorrowfull even unto death and being pressed with the sense and feeling of Gods anger cries out that he was forsaken of God All the members of his bodie are in a bloudy sweat His head is crowned with thorns His tongue tastes a cup of gall and vineger his hands and feet are boared with nails his side is wounded his whole bodie is scourged and he is stretched forth on the crosse He suffered hunger thirst cold contempt povertie reproches wounds death and the crosse And then how unjust a thing were it for the servant to rejoyce when the Lord suffereth How unjust were it that we should rejoyce in our sinnes when our Saviour is so grievously punished for them How unjust were it that the other members should not condole when the head is afflicted But rather it is necessary that we enter through many tribulations into the kingdome of heaven as it was necessary that our Saviour should by his passion enter into celestiall glorie Consider also the bountifull reward The sufferings of this present life are not worthy of the glorie which shall be revealed unto us How great soever our suffering is it is but temporall yea sometimes but for a day But the glorie is everlasting God doth exactly observe all our adversities and will at length bring them to judgement How disgracefull a thing then will it be at the generall assembly of the whole world to appear without the jewels and bracelets of the crosse and passions He shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of those that are his O happy tears which shall be wiped away by the hand of such a great Lord O happy crosse that shall finde a crown in heaven David was not ten whole yeares in his exile but he was fourtie in his kingdome Here we have the shortnesse of our suffering prefigured and the eternitie of the glorie which is to follow It is but a moment of time wherein the Saints are exercised by the crosse But the mercies by which they are comforted are for ever And thus after adversitie in the morning follows prosperitie in the evening Consider also the tribulation of all the Saints Behold Job mourning on the dunghill John hungry in the wildernesse Peter stretched out upon the crosse James beheaded of Herod with the sword Behold Mary the blessed mother of our Saviour standing under the crosse She was the type of the Church the spirituall mother of our Lord. Blessed are ye saith Christ when men shall persecute you for my names sake For so have they done to the Prophets O glorious persecution which makes us conformable unto the Prophets and Apostles and all the Saints and even unto Christ himself Let us therefore suffer with those that suffer let us be crucified with those that are crucified that we may be glorified with those that are glorified If we be true sonnes indeed let us not refuse the condition of the rest of our brethren If we truly desire the inheritance of God let us accept it wholly For the sonnes of God are not onely heirs of joy and glory in the world to come but also of heavinesse and sufferings in this present world For God scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth He punisheth their sinnes here that he may spare them at the judgement to come He multiplies tribulations here that he may multiply their reward hereafter And so not
grant unto me of his goodnesse that I may beleeve his word and promises I will use the help and support of prayer to strengthen my faith and I will not suffer the Lord to depart out of the chamber of my heart untill I have obtained salvation By the power of the Lord I shall be able to be preserved unto salvation The power of the Lord doth lift me up and comfort me but mine own infirmitie doth cast me down and make me sorrowfull But the power of the Lord shall be perfected in my weaknesse He shall strengthen me from whom cometh all the strength of my faith The grace of God doth lift me up but mine unworthinesse doth cast me down But if there were any worthinesse in me then it were no grace but a reward If of works then certainly not of grace For grace is not any way grace unlesse it be every way gratis Therefore have I no respect unto my works That which is amisse he will amend that which is wanting he will make up that which he will not impute against me shall be as if it were not Therefore is my salvation onely from God and therefore sure Meditat. XLIII That we must think daily upon our death Think every day to be thy last And when night comes thy life is past O Faithfull soul look foâ— death every houre Because it waits for thee every houre In the morning when thou risest O man think that it is thy last day And in the evening when thou goest to bed think that it is thy last night upon earth Whatsoever thou doest whatsoever thou goest about look about thee and consider with thy self first whether thou wouldest do such things or no if thou shouldest die that houre and so go to Gods judgement What! Dost thou think that death doth not approch because thou thinkest not of it or dost thou think that it draweth nearer because thou thinkest upon it whether thou thinkest upon it or no whether thou speakest of it or no it hangs alwayes over thy head Life was lent unto thee not given as a free-hold Upon this condition thou didst enter in that thou shouldest go out Naked thou camest and naked thou must go This life is a pilgrimage when thou hast travelled a good while then thou must return home again Thou art but a farmer and tenant in this world and not a perpetuall lord Every houre think with thy self whither thou hastenest every moment In this we are deceived in that we think we die then when we breathe out our last Every day every houre every moment we die Whatsoever is added unto our life is taken from it and as it increaseth it also decreaseth we fall not into death suddenly but walk into it step after step This life of ours is a way and every day we must ridde some of it Life and death seem to be most distant but they are as neare as neare can be For one passeth away and the other cometh on As it is with those that travel by sea they oftentimes come to the haven and yet they neither feel nor so much as think whither they are carried So likewise it is with us whatsoever we do whether we eat drink or sleep we draw nearer alwayes to our death Many have passed away their life even in the time whiles they were seeking after things belonging to the sustentation of this life No man entertains death joyfully unlesse he hath long before prepared himself for it In this life die daily unto thy self that so in death thou mayst live unto God Before thou diest let thy sinnes die in thee In thy life time let the old Adam die in thee So at thy death Christ shall live in thee In thy life time let the outward man daily decay that at thy death the inward man may be renewed in thee Death translateth thee from time to eternitie for as the tree falls so it lies How carefully then ought we to think upon the houre of death Time passeth away but the infinite space of eternitie remains behinde In time therefore make thy self ready for eternitie What we shall be for ever whether blessed or miserable it shall be decreed at the houre of death In that one moment is eternall felicitie either enjoyed or lost Wherefore O faithfull soul how solicitous and carefull oughtest thou to be in preparing thy self for that houre Thou wilt easily contemn all worldly things if thou considerest with thy self that thou must die Consider that thine eyes shall be darkened in death and thou wilt easily turn away thine eyes from beholding vanitie Consider that thy eares shall wax deaf at thy death and it shall be easie for thee to stop thy eares against impious and filthy speeches Consider that thy tongue shall be tied at thy death and thou wilt have more regard unto thy words Set before thine eyes the cold sweat and anxietie of those that are ready to die and thou wilt easily contemn all worldly delights Look upon the nakednesse of them that depart out of this world and povertie in this life will not seem grievous unto thee Consider the trembling of the whole bodie at the point of death and thou wilt easily contemn the splendour of the world Consider the mourning of the soul being compelled to go out of the house of the bodie and thou wilt easily beware of the guilt of all sinne Consider the corruption that followeth after death and thou wilt easily bring down thy proud flesh Consider how naked thou art left at thy death being forsaken of all the creatures and thou wilt easily turn away thy love from them and turn it towards the Creatour Consider how narrowly death looks to thee that thou carrie away nothing with thee at thy death and thou wilt easily contemn all the riches of the world He that in this life dieth daily through his sinnes doth passe from death temporall unto the punishments of death eternall No man is translated unto everlasting life but he that begins here to live in Christ. That in death therefore thou mayest live be ingrafted into Christ by faith Let death be alwayes in thy thoughts because it is to be expected alwayes We carry death alwayes about us because we alwayes carry sinne about us and the wages of sinne is death But if thou wouldest escape the bitternesse of death keep the word of Christ. Faith doth conjoyn and unite us unto Christ Therefore they which are in Christ die not For Christ is their life He that is joyned unto God by faith is one spirit with him And therefore the faithfull man dieth not for ever because God is his life The people of Israel passed through the Red sea unto the promised land but Pharaoh and his host were drowned So the death of the godly is unto them the beginning of true life and the gate of paradise but the death of the wicked is not
But thou O Christ wast made a curse for me that I might be freed from the curse of the law I shall be cursed by Moses but blessed by thee For I desire to heare that voice Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you Moses will accuse me But thou wilt not accuse me to thy Father yea thou makest intercession for me Therefore I am not afraid of Moses his curse because thou hast blotted out the hand-writing which was against me The damned will accuse me and pronounce me guiltie of the same fault with them I confesse Lord Jesus my guiltinesse doth conjoyn me with them but the acknowledgement of my guiltines and the saving knowledge of thee doth disjoyn me from them He that heareth thy word and beleeveth on him that sent thee hath life everlasting and shall not come into condemnation I heare thy word Lord and in thee I beleeve with weak faith but yet faith Lord I beleeve yet help thou my unbelief Lord I beleeve but yet do thou increase my faith Although I am not free from all the sinnes of the damned yet thou O Lord shalt deliver me from unbelief All my accusers do terrifie me but thou being my Judge dost comfort me To thee hath the Father committed all judgement Into thy hands hath he delivered all things and again thee hath he delivered up for us all and thou hast delivered up thy self for the Church to sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word How canst thou then according to severe judgement judge those for whom thou hast delivered thy self to death even the death of the crosse Thou canst not hate thine own flesh we are members of thy body of thy flesh and of thy bones Meditat. XLVI Of the desire of eternall life All earthly things tread under thee And let thy thoughts in heaven be DEvout soul thou must not love this life which is transitorie but rather that which remaineth for ever Ascend up by thy desires to the place where there is youth without old age life without death joy without sorrow and a kingdome without change If beauty delight thee The righteous shall shine as the sunne If swiftnesse and strength The elect shall be like unto the angels of God If a long and healthfull life There shall be healthfull eternitie and eternall healthfulnesse If fulnesse The elect shall be filled when the glory of the Lord shall appear If melodie There do the quires of angels sing without end If pure pleasure God shall make those that are his drunk in the torrent of pleasure If wisdome The very wisdome of God shall shew it self unto them If love They shall love God more then themselves and one another as themselves and God shall love them more then they themselves If concord delight There they shall be all of one minde If power To the elect shall all things be easie they shall desire nothing but what they shall be able and they shall desire nothing but what God will have them to will and to desire If honour and riches delight God will make his faithfull servants rulers over many things If true securitie They shall be as certain never to want that good as they are certain that they themselves would never lose it willingly and that God that loveth them will never take from them against their wills that which they love and that nothing is more powerfull then God to separate God and them asunder Whatsoever the elect can desire there they shall finde because they shall behold him that is all in all face to face So great are the goods of that life that they cannot be measured so many that they cannot be numbred and so precious that they cannot be valued There shall be eternall health unto our bodies and great puritie unto our souls there shall be glory and fulnesse of divine pleasure there shall we have familiaritie with the saints and angels for ever having our bodies of admirable clearnesse and brightnesse The elect shall rejoyce for the pleasantnesse of the place which they shall possesse for the pleasant societie in which they shall reigne for the glory of their bodies which they shall put on for the world which they have despised and for hell which they have escaped The least crown of eternall life shall be more worth then a thousand worlds because they are all finite but this is infinite Neither is there any fear that they shall envie one anothers brightnesse because there shall reigne in them all unitie of love By reason of that high degree of love whatsoever happeneth to one of the elect the rest shall as much rejoyce at as if it were their own There is no greater good then God in heaven and in earth Therefore there can be no greater perfecter joy then to see possesse God Therefore to see God for one moment shall go beyond all joyes For we shall see God in himself God in us and our selves in God In the way of this life we have Christ with us but hidden under the covering of the word and sacraments We know him not here as he is but in the life to come we shall behold him in presence when he shall distribute unto us the bread that satisfieth for ever As the disciples knew him not upon the way but in the Inne at length when he broke bread unto them The heavenly Jerusalem hath no temple made with hands neither sunne nor moon because the temple thereof is eternall and God is the life thereof Vision succeeds in the place of faith attainment in the place of hope and perfect fruition in the place of love As at the building of Solomons temple there was heard neither the sound of ax nor hammer So in the heavenly Jerusalem there is neither pain nor tribulation felt because the materials of this temple to wit the spirituall stones are prepared by tribulation in the world long before The queen that came to Solomon is the soul travelling to the heavenly Jerusalem unto Christ She entreth in with a great train of the holy angels with gold and precious stones of divers vertues She will wonder at the wisdome of Christ the King the order of his ministers that is the Angels and the Saints the fare of his table that is the fulnesse of eternall repast the price and value of his clothes that is the bodies glorified the beauty of his house that is the greatnesse of the heavenly palace the sacrifices that is the multitude of divine praises She will be turned into astonishment and confesse she could not beleeve what she now seeth with her eyes Therefore let the faithfull soul lift up her self and consider what good things are prepared for her Thither let the spirit be directed whither at length it shall go In time we
must strive to go thither where at length we must remain for all eternitie Into this glorie of the Lord shall no man enter but he that desireth to enter Dost thou hope to appear hereafter before the face of the Lord Studie then after holinesse because he is holy Dost thou look for the fellowship of the heavenly angels Take heed then that thou dost not by thy sinnes deprive thy self of their ministerie Dost thou hope after things eternall Why then dost thou so much desire things temporall Dost thou seek for a citie to come Why then dost thou desire here an abiding place Dost thou desire to come to Christ Why then dost thou fear death It is the propertie of him that would not come to Christ to fear death Dost thou desire to enter into the heavenly Jerusalem Why then dost thou defile thy self with so many and such grievous sinnes Whereas it is written that nothing which is defiled shall enter in there Dost thou desire to enjoy at length the tree of life Lay hold then on Christ the true tree of life by true faith in this life For it is written Blessed are they that have their robes washed in the bloud of the lambe that they may have part in the tree of life and enter into the citie by the gates Without are dogs and sorcerers Beware therefore of the losse of chastitie Without are murtherers Take heed therefore of anger Without are idolaters Beware therefore of covetousnesse Without are lyars Beware therefore of all the malice of sinne If thou desirest to enter in to the marriage of the Lambe desire the bridegrooms coming The Spirit and the Spouse say COME If thou hast not the earnest of the Spirit by which thou mayst cry Come Lord the bridegroom will never leade thee in unto the heavenly marriage Thou art not the spouse if thou desirest not the coming of the bridegroom Wouldest thou have a place in the new heaven and the new earth Why then dost thou so cleave unto the old Wouldest thou be made partaker of the Creatour Wherefore then dost thou so cleave unto the simple creatures Dost thou expect the building of God the house not made with hands eternall in the heavens Why then dost thou not desire that this earthly house of thy dwelling may be dissolved Dost thou desire to be clothed Why then dost thou not provide for thy self that thou beest not found naked If the holy Trinitie dwelleth not in thy heart by grace in this life it shall never dwell in thee by glorie in the life to come If thou hast not a taste of eternall felicitie in this life thou shalt never have a full draught in the life to come Meditat. XLVII Of the beatificall vision of God in heaven The saints are pilgrims here below And tow'rds their countrey heaven go IN my Fathers house are many mansions they are the words of our Saviour Lord I desire to see that place where thou hast prepared for me an everlasting mansion For I am a stranger and a sojourner here as all my fathers were The dayes of my pilgrimage are few and evil Therefore in this life wherein I live in exile I do long after my heavenly countrey My conversation is in heaven I desire to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living This life passeth away in a shadow my dayes are measured out and my substance is even as nothing in thy sight What then is my hope Is it not the Lord Lord Jesus when will it be that I shall come unto thee When shall I appeare before thy face As the hart panteth after the fountain of waters so doth my soul after thee O God Oh the true perfect and full joy Oh joy of joyes surpassing all joy without which there is no joy When shall I enter into thee that I may see my God that dwelleth in thee Thou shalt fill me O Lord with the joy of thy countenance At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore I shall be abundantly satisfied with the plentifulnesse of thy house and thou shalt give me to drink of the brook of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life Oh life to be desired Oh blessed felicitie in which the most holy Trinitie shall be the perfection of our desires which we shall see without end love without loathing and praise without being weary To see God will surpasse all joyes To see Christ to live with Christ to heare Christ will surpasse all the desires of our hearts O Jesus Christ the most sweet bridegroom of my soul when wilt thou leade thy spouse into thy royall palace What can there be wanting there What to be desired or expected where God shall be all in all He shall be beautie to the eye hony to the taste musick to the eare balsame to the nose and flower to the touch God shall be all in all and shall distribute unto every one good things according to the desires of his own heart If thou desirest life if health if peace if honour God shall be there all in all The mysteries which are now sealed up in the great doctours of the Church shall be then revealed even unto babes The blessed humanitie of Christ shall be there present unto us and shall preach unto us with a most sweet voice concerning the mysterie of our salvation His voice is sweet and his face is comely Full of grace are his lips And he is crowned with glory and honour But if God shall be all in all then shall he be fulnesse of light to the understanding plenty of peace to the will and continuance of eternitie to the memorie The Sonne will satisfie the understanding with perfect knowledge the holy Ghost will satisfie the will with most sweet love and the Father will satisfie the memory with the remembrance of both Thou O God shalt be our light and in thy light shall we see light that is we shall see thee in thy self in the brightnesse of thy countenance when we shall see thee face to face Neither shall we onely see thee but we shall also live with thee neither shall we onely live with thee but we shall also praise thee neither shall we onely praise thee but we shall also rejoyce with thee neither shall we onely rejoyce with thee but we shall also be like unto the angels neither shall we be like unto the angels onely but even unto God himself blessed for ever Let the faithfull soul be here astonished and adore the mercy of her Saviour He doth not onely receive us his enemies into favour but he doth also forgive our sinnes neither doth he forgive our sinnes onely but he doth also bestow righteousnesse upon us neither so onely but he doth leade us also into our heavenly inheritance yea he makes us like
unto the angels and even unto himself also Oh most blessed citie Oh heavenly Jerusalem Oh the holy seat of the most holy Trinitie when shall it be that I shall enter into thy temple The Lambe is the heavenly Jerusalem to wit the Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world was slain for them from the beginning of the world When shall the time come that I may in that temple worship my God that is God in God when will that sunne rise upon me which enlightneth that holy city I am yet a banished man from my countrey but there is laid up for me an ample inheritance To those that beleeve power is given to be made the sonnes of God And if we be sonnes we are then heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Christ. Lift up thy self O my soul and long to come to thine inheritance The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and my exceeding great reward What could the most ample mercie and bountie of God bestow upon us more than this He bestows life He bestows his Sonne He bestows himself And if he had any thing else greater in heaven or in earth he would bestow even that also upon us In God we live Gods temple we are God we possesse here indeed in the spirit and in a mysterie but there in truth There shall our hope become fruition and there shall we not onely remain but dwell for ever Meditat. XLVIII Of the most comfortable fellowship of the angels in heaven If thou beest here a childe of grace 'Mongst angels thou shalt have a place AT the resurrection of the dead they shall neither marrie nor be given in marriage but shall be like unto the angels of God in heaven Who can worthily set forth with praises this honour of the blessed Into whose heart hath this glorie of the blessed ever entred The elect being renewed by a glorious resurrection shall enjoy the saving vision of God without all fear of death and without any spot of corruption I have seen the Lord face to face and my life is preserved saith the holy Patriarch But if the sight of God for a moment could bring so great joy What joy will it bring to see him for ever If the sight of God appearing in the shape of man brought salvation and life unto the soul Certainly the seeing of him face to face shall bring life and everlasting felicitie What then can be added to this felicitie What can the elect desire beside the fruition of the sight of God And yet notwithstanding they shall enjoy the most sweet and blessed fellowship of the angels Neither shall they onely enjoy their fellowship but they shall be also like unto them for the nimblenesse brightnesse and immortalitie of their bodies We shall be clothed with the same garment that they are we shall stand before the throne of the Lambe clothed with long white robes and sing unto the Lord an everlasting song we shall shine in the same crown of vertues we shall rejoyce in the same priviledge of immortalitie We have seen the angel of the Lord and we shall surely die crieth out Manoah But we shall see thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand angels and yet we shall live for ever And if we shall be like unto angels surely we shall have no cause to fear lest we be separated from them by the unlikenesse of our sinnes We shall put off the ragged coat of our sinfull nature and our nakednesse shall be covered with the garment of salvation and we shall be clothed with the white robe of righteousnesse No man there receiveth hurt no man is angry no man envious there is no slandring no concupiscence there is no ambition after honour and power We shall not be laden with the burden of our sins neither shall we be constrained to weep and wash away the spots of our sinnes with penitent teares neither shall we have cause to fear the deadly wounds of our soul For the Lion of the tribe of Judah hath overcome and through his vertue have we all overcome Again if we shall be like unto the angels we shall have no desire after meat or drink God shall be our meat with whose pleasures we shall be satisfied God shall be our meat which onely doth refresh us and is never deficient The blessed shall neither hunger nor thirst any more the sunne and the heat shall not scorch them because their mercifull Father shall feed them and shall leade them unto the living fountains of waters Out of their bellies shall flow rivers of living waters There shall be a feast prepared of marrow and fatnesse and wine clarified We shall feast and be merry and sing joyfully for the joy of heart Lord Jesus these things shall be fulfilled in spirit in truth Of the fruit of the vine shall we drink in thy Fathers kingdome but yet in spirit and in truth For the words which thou spakest unto us are spirit and life and thou declarest the joy of the world to come by the language of this world Again if we shall be like unto the angels we shall be free from the fear of death For death shall be swallowed up in victory and shall be trod down for ever and God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of his people Therefore there shall be joy without sorrow which containeth everlasting joy health without sicknesse life without death light without darknesse love which shall never wax cold joy which shall never decrease No sighing shall be heard there no grief felt no sorrowfull thing seen but there shall be joy for ever There shall be great and certain securitie secure quietnesse quiet pleasure pleasant happinesse happy eternity eternall blessednesse the blessed Trinitie the Unitie of the Trinitie the Deitie of the Unitie and the blessed sight of the Deitie Lift up thy self O my soul and weigh with thy self the honour conferred upon us by Christ We shall be made fellows with the companies of Angels and Archangels with thrones and dominions with principalities and powers Neither shall we onely be fellows with them but we shall be like unto them We shall there know the angel that was appointed by God to be our keeper in our life time neither shall we stand in need of his ministerie but we shall be delighted with his sweet companie We shall not desire his protection but we shall rejoyce for his good fellowship and we shall behold his brightnesse with eyes enlightned Again if we shall be like unto the angels our frail weak and mortall bodies shall be changed and they shall be made spirituall nimble and immortall They shall be light because they shall be neare unto God who dwelleth in light that no mortall man can approach unto and is covered with light as with a garment They shall
but in the effects of his justice All the evils of this life are single One is troubled with poverty another is tormented with grievous sicknesse one is oppressed with hard servitude another is laden with the burthen of reproaches But there all at once shal be tormented with all evils The pains there shall be universall in all the senses and in all the members In this life hope of release mitigateth all troubles But there is left no hope of deliverance The punishments of hell are not onely eternall but there is no ease so much as for a moment And hence it is that if all men since Adam to this presenâ— day and all that are yet to be born should live to the last day and should suffer but one punishment in hell as the soul that sinneth must suffer for one sinne every portion of that punishment which any one of them should suffer would be greater then all the torments that all fellons and malefactours have ever suffered O Lord grant unto us that we may think upon hell that we never fall into it Meditat. L. Of the eternitie of Hell-torments The pains of hell do farre extend Beyond all times world without end THink O devout soul upon the eternitie of hell-torments and thou shalt more truely understand the grievousnes thereof In hell there is a raging flame which burneth without end The life of the damned is to die without end the death of the damned is to live in eternall torments For neither is the tormentour wearied neither doth the tormented die So doth the fire consume there that still it leaves somewhat So are the torments there increased that still they are renewed So shall the damned die that they shall alwayes live So shall they live that they shall alwayes die For a man to be tormented without any end this is it that goes beyond all the bounds of desperation For what is more grievous then alwayes to will that which shall never be and to niâ—l that which shall alwayes be The damned shall never obtain what they would and shall be constrained ever to suffer what they would not When the wrath of God shall cease then shall the torments of the damned cease But the wrath of God is eternall and therefore the torments are eternall When the damned shall truely repent then they shall be delivered from their sins But the time of repentance is past and therefore there remains no hope of indulgence When the devils shall cease to torment then shall the damned cease to be tormented But the furie of the devil shall never cease therefore the torments of the damned shall never cease When Gods justice shall be changed then the torments of the damned shall be changed But the justice of God is unchangeable therefore the torments of the damned shall be eternall The sentence of severe judgement requires that they should never want punishment who in this world never want sinne It is just thâ—t there should be no end of the punishment of the damned because as long as they could they would make no end of sinning The damned sinned in their eternitie that is as long as they lived Therefore it is just that they should be punished in Gods eternitie Their sinne had an end because their life had an end But they would have made no end of sinning but that they were forced to make end of living that so they might have sinned without end The matter of hell-fire is eternall that is the stain of sinne And therefore meet it is that the punishment should be eternall The filthinesse of the sinnes of the damned can never be removed out of the sight of God How then can the greatnesse of punishments appointed for sinne be removed Besides sinne is an infinite evil because it is committed against an infinite good and Christ paid for it an infinite price And therefore meet it is that their punishment who die in their sinnes should be infinite Man destroyed in himself the eternall good And therefore in the judgement of God he doth justly fall into everlasting evil God at the beginning created man after his own image that he might live with him for ever God by Christ reformed man after his own image when he was fallen into sinne He hath provided for all means of eternall salvation and he hath offered unto all the reward of eternall life And therefore it is just that they which would voluntarily want everlasting rewards should be made subject to everlasting punishments An evil will shall never be taken away from the damned Therefore the punishment of their evil will shall never be taken away from them The damned made choice of momentanie pleasure finite goods before God the infinite good they longed after the delights of this short and flitting life rather then the riches of eternall life It is just therefore that they should suffer eternall punishments Oh eternitie not to be termed Oh eternity not to be measured by any space of time Oh eternitie not to be conceived by humane understanding How much dost thou augment the punishments of the damned After innumerable thousands of yeares they shall be compelled to think that then is but the beginning of their torments What a grievous thing is it to lie though in a very soft bed for thirtie yeares without moving And how grievous shall it be then to burn in that lake of brimstone thirtie thousand thousand yeares Oh eternity eternity it is thou alone that dost increase the punishments of the damned beyond all measure Grievous is the pain of the damned for the crueltie of the punishments it is yet more grievous for the diversitie of the punishments but it is most grievous for the eternitie of the punishments There shall be death without death end without end defect without defect because death ever liveth and the end ever beginneth and the defect is never deficient The damned shall seek life and shall not finde it they shall seek death and it shall flee from them After an hundred thousand thousand thousand of yeares they shall return without end to the same punishments Thâ— thought of the continuance of their sorrow shall torment them more then the sense of outward torment What can be more miserable then so to die that thou mayest alwayes live and so to live that thou mayest alwayes die That life shall be mortiferous and that death shall be immortall If it be life why doth it kill and if it be death why doth it alwayes endure What eternitie is we do not perfectly know and it is no wonder For what created minde can comprehend that which cannot be measured by any time But if thou wouldest guesse what the space of eternitie is think upon the time that was before the world was created If thou canst finde Gods beginning then mayest thou finde when the punishments of the damned shall have an end Imagine thou sawest an exceeding high mountain which for
the old man Page 72 Prayer 2 For conservation and increase of faith Page 74 Prayer 2 For conservation and increase of faith Page 74 Prayer 3 For conservation and increase of hope Page 77 Prayer 4 For conservation and increase of charitie Page 80 Prayer 5 For conservation and increase of humility Page 83 Prayer 6 For the gift and increase of patience Page 86 Prayer 7 For the gift and increase of meeknesse and gentlenesse Page 89 Prayer 8 For the gift and increase of chastitie Page 91 Prayer 9 For contempt of all earthly things Page 94 Prayer 10 For deniall of himself Page 97 Prayer 11 For victorie over the world Page 100 Prayer 12 For consolation in adversity and true rest of the soul. Page 103 Prayer 13 For victory in tentations for deliverance from the snares and treacheries of the devil Page 106 14 For a blessed departure out of this life and a blessed resurrection unto life everlasting Page 109 IIII. Supplications for others Prayer 1 HE prayes for the conservation of the word and increase of the Church Page 114 Prayer 2 He prayes for pastours and hearers Page 117 Prayer 3 He prayes for Magistrates and subjects Page 121 Prayer 4 He prayes for houshold-government and private families Page 124 Prayer 5 He prayes for parents brethren sisters kinsfolk and benefactours Page 128 Prayer 6 He prayes for enemies and persecutours Page 131 Prayer 7 He prayes for those that are afflicted and in miserie Page 134 The disposition and method of this daily Practise of pietie THis Practise of piety is reduced to foure heads according to the number of the objects about which it is employed For we must every day weigh and consider with our selves 1 The grievousnesse of our sinnes and ask pardon thereof for Christs sake 2 GODS benefits for which we must offer humble and heartie thanksgiving 3 Our own necessities where we must pray for conservation and increase of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and for a spirituall victory in all tentations 4 Our neighbours necessities where we must pray for all things needfull for them for this life and that which is to come The first Part. Of Confession of sinnes The Argument The meditation of our sinnes comprehendeth in it these two heads of originall and actuall sinnes Actuall sinnes are committed in thought word and deed By the committing of evil and by the omitting of good Against GOD our neighbour and our selves The offences of our youth aâ—e many and our daily infirmities many We are often tempted of the flesh and we do often yeeld unto it We partake many times in other mens sinnes and in many things we are defective our selves We are convicted of our sinnes by all the creatures and we behold the severitie of GODS anger against our sinnes in the passion and death of CHRIST PRAYER I. He weigheth and considereth the grievousnesse of originall sinne HOly God and just Judge I know that I was conceived and born in sinne I know that I was formed of unclean seed in the wombe of my mother That poyson of sinne hath so corrupted and putrified my whole nature that no facultie of my soul is free from the contagion thereof That holy pledge of the divine image which was committed unto me in our first father is perished in me There is no power at all in me to begin to come unto the saving knowledge of thee the fear of thee confidence in thee and love of thee There remains no sufficiencie in me to perform obedience unto thy commandments My will is averse from thy law and the law of sinne in my members being repugnant to the law of my minde makes my whole nature become corrupt and perverse I wretched and miserable man do feel the power of sinne cleaving fast to my members I do feel the yoke of wicked concupiscence grievously pressing me For although I am regenerate and renewed by the spirit of grace in the laver of baptisme yet am I not as yet wholly free from the yoke and captivitie of sinne For that root of bitternesse which lieth hidden in me doth alwayes desire to put forth new branches The law of sinne reigning in my flesh doth strive to captivate me I am full of doubts distrust and desire of mine own honour Out of my heart proceed wicked cogitations Filthy thoughts defile me throughout in thy sight Out of that poysoned fountain flow forth rivers of poyson Enter not therefore into judgement with thy servant O Lord but be propitious unto me according to thy great mercie The deep of my miserie calleth upon the deep of thy mercy For this uncleannesse and filthinesse of my polluted nature I offer unto thee the most sacred conception of thy Sonne For me he was born For me therefore he was conceived For me he was made sanctification and righteousnesse For me therefore he is become purification and cleannesse Through him and for him thy Sonne have mercy on me O thou most highest and set not in the light of thy countenance that hidden corruption that cleaveth to my nature but look upon thy beloved Sonne my Mediatour and let his most holy and immaculate conception succour my miserie Amen PRAYER II. He recalls to our memorie the sinnes of our youth HOly God and just Judge Remember not the offences of my youth and call to minde no more my sinnes that are past How many venemous fruits hath the vicious root of concupiscence that is inherent in me brought forth In my childhood what an innumerable brood of actuall transgressions hath the evil of originall sinne hatched The very thoughts of my heart are wicked and perverse even from my childhood yea even from my tender infancie For when I was an infant but of one day I was in no wise innocent before thee As many as the dayes of my life are so many offences do burden me yea many more by farre in number seeing that the just man falls seven times in one day But if the just fall seven times in one day then I wretched and unjust man without doubt have fallen seventy times seven times As my life hath increased so hath the web of my sinnes increased and as much as hath been added to my life by thy bounty so much hath been added to the course of my sinnes by the wickednesse of my corrupt nature I examine my life that is past and what else do I behold but a filthy stinking cloke of sinne I attend unto the light of thy precepts and what do I finde in the course of my yeares that are past but darknesse and blindnesse The tender flower of my youth ought to have been crowned with vertues and offered to thee for a sweet savour The best part of my age past did ow it self unto thee the best Creatour of nature But the dirty filth of my sinnes hath most foully polluted the flower of my age and the stinking
grace and remission of my sinnes Thy creatures accuse me the book of my conscience accuseth me both the tables of thy divine law accuse me Satan accuseth me day and night But take thou upon thee my patronage O sweet Jesus To thee the poore man is left bereft of all solace of the creatures All my refuge is placed in thy satisfaction for my sinnes and in thy intercession at the right hand of the Father for me My soul take thou the wings of the morning and like a dove hide thy self in the clefts of the rock that is in the wounds of Christ thy Saviour Hide thy self in this rock till the anger of the Lord be passed by and thou shalt finde rest and thou shalt finde protection and thou shalt finde deliverance therein Amen PRAYER VIII He by the effects of contrition argues us to be convicted of the hainousnesse of sinne HOly God and just Judge My heart is contrite and humbled my spirit is heavy and in a great strait by reason of the burden of my sinnes wherewith I am oppressed The courage of my heart hath failed and the sharpnesse of my eyes is decayed My heart is pressed and from thence gush out tears My spirit is oppressed and I forget to take my bread My heart is wounded and from thence gusheth out bloud and a fountain of tears Who knows how oft he offendeth Who knows the sorrow of the heart that is in a great strait by reason of offences My soul is dry and broken in pieces and thirsteth after the fountain of life O Christ feed me with the dew of thy Spirit of grace My heart that is in a great strait sigheth unto thee O thou true joy give unto me peace and quietnesse of heart that being justified by faith I may have peace with God My heart condemneth me But do thou absolve me who art greater then my heart My conscience accuseth me But do thou absolve me who hast fastned to the crosse the hand-writing of my conscience I offer unto thee O my God my contrite and humbled heart for a most acceptable sacrifice I offer unto thee my sighs as the messengers of true and serious contrition I offer unto thee my tears as abundant witnesses of my unfeigned grief In my self I despair In thee is my trust In my self I faint In thee I am refreshed In my self I feel straitnesse In thee again I finde enlargement I am troubled and burdened overmuch Thou shalt refresh me and give rest unto my soul. One deep calleth upon another The deep of my misery calleth upon the deep of thy mercy Out of the deeps do I cry unto thee Cast thou my sinnes into the deep of the sea There is no soundâ—esse in my flesh by reason of thy anger neither is there any rest to my bones by reason of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone over my head and become too heavy for me Cure my soul thou heavenly Physician that I be not swallowed up of eternall death Take the burden of my sinnes from me thou that hast taken it upon thy self on the crosse that I despair not under the intolerable burden thereof Have mercy on me thou fountain of grace and mercy Amen PRAYER IX He declareth the number and greatnesse of Gods benefits unto us and the grievousnesse of our sinnes HOly God and just Judge By how much the more benefits thou hast bestowed upon me by so much the more I grieve that I have so often displeased thee so loving a Father As many gifts as thou hast heaped upon me so many bonds of love hast thou sent over unto me Thou wouldest have bound me unto thy self but I have forgotten thee and thy beneficencie and linked sinne unto sinne Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired servants I am altogether displeased with my self Make thou me altogether to please thee Thy large bounty and wonderfull patience have often invited me to repentance But hitherto I have been backward to come Thou hast often called me O most bountifull God by the preaching of thy word by the teaching of thy creatures by the punishment of the crosse and by inward inspiration But I have stopped the eares of my heart altogether at thy call All the faculties of my soul all the members of my bodie are thy gifts I ought therefore with all the powers of my soul and parts of my bodie be ready to do thee all holy service which is due unto theâ— But I have made them the more is my grief the weapons of iniquitie and unrighteousnesse The breath which I fetch is thine the aire which I suck in is thine the sun whose light I see daily is thine All these ought to have been unto me as furtherances and instruments to sanctitie of life But I have abused them the more is my grief to the slavery of sin Thy creatures I should have used to the glory of thee the Creatour But I have wickedly abused them to thy dishonour In the light of the sunne I should have put on the armour of light But therein have I committed the works of darknesse How much soever is added unto my life comes all from thy bountie Therefore my whole life ought to be employed in thy service on whom it doth wholly depend And yet I have scarce bestowed the least part thereof in thy service As many good inspirations as I have felt within me so many hand-maids of thy grace hast thou sent as ambassadours to invite me mosâ— lovingly to return unto thee by true repentance But alas how often have I stubbornly refused to give them audience But yet receive him who now at length returns unto thee with sighing and a contrite heart Sprinkle me with the bloud of thy Sonne that so being purged fâ—om all the pollutions of the flesh and the spirit I may become whiter then snow and with all thy elect praise thee in the heavenly Jerusalem world without end Amen PRAYER X. He considereth the severitie of Gods angeâ— against our sinnes in the death and passioâ— of Christ. HOly God and just Judge I behold thy Sonne hanging upon the crosse and pouring forth plentifull rivers of bloud I behold him and behold for very terrour I faint altogether My sinnes are those iron nails with which I have bored his hands and his feet My sinnes are â—hose pricking thorns with which his most sacred head which is to be reverenced of the angelicall powers was crowned My sinnes are those stinging thongs with which his most â—ure bodie the proper temple of Diâ—inity was scourged A cruel wilde â—east hath torn in pieces the heavenly Joseph and embrewed his coat with his bloud I miserable sinnner am that wicked beast for my sinnes did make an assault and rush upon thy most beloved Sonne If thy most obedient Sonne is so vexed
and troubled for other mens sinnes What cause hath the undutifull and disobedient servant to fear in regard of his own sinnes The wounds of my soul must needs be great indeed and mortall when as thy onely begotten Sonne is so miserably smitten for to cure them The disease of my soul must needs be great indeed and mortall when as the heavenly Physician and life it self doth die upon the crosse to cure it I see the torment of his most holy soul I heare the miserable exclamation of my most holy Saviour upon the crosse For me it is he is so vexed it is for my sinnes that he complaineth that he is forsaken of God If the weight of other mens sinnes doth so exceedingly presse the Almighty Sonne of God that it wrings from him a bloudy sweat How intolerable shall the anger of God be and how unmeasurable shall be his wrath against the unprofitable servant O thou drie and unhappy wood that hast alwayes served as a slave the everlasting fire of hell What must thou fear when thou seest these things come to passe in the green wood Christ is the green tree In the root of his divinitie in the love of his humanitie in the boughs of his vertues in the leaves of his holy words and in the fruit of his good works He is the cedar of chastitie the vine of joyfulnesse the palm of patience and the olive of mercie But if the fire of the divine anger inflames this green tree of life How much more shall it consume the sinner like dry wood for his unfruitfull works In what capitall and bloudy letters are my sinnes ingraveâ— in the bodie of Christ How conspicuous O thou most just God is thine anger against mine iniquities How strait must that captivity needs be in which my soul was held when so precious a ransome was paid for her delivery How great must the stains of my sinnes needs be when rivers of bloud flow down from the bodie of Christ to wash them away O thou most just God and yet most mercifull Father consider what indignities thy Sonne hath suffered for me and forget the wicked works of me thy unworthy servant Behold the profunditie of his wounds and overwhelm my sinnes in the profound sea of thy mercie Amen The second part ¶ Of thanksgiving for benefits The Argument The meditation of Gods benefits doth gather out of the garden of nature and of the Church sundry and those most fragrant flowers of divine gifts and recreating it 〈◊〉 with the odour thereof offereth again to God the sacrifices of the lips for a savour of sweet smell Now the immense and innumerable benefits of God may be divided according to three articles of our Christian faith God hath created redeemed and sanctified us He heapeth his benefits on us in this life and hath promised greater unto us in the life that is everlasting He conferres upon us the gifts of the minde of the body and of fortune which we call externall goods He preserveth us from evil and conserveth â—s in good That which is past he covereth that which is to come he governeth His privative blessings are more then his positive In brief we can neither in word expresse nor in thought conceive the number and dignitie of Gods benefits which will afford unto us hereafter in the world to come most plentifull matter of eternall praise and thanksgiving PRAYER I. He giveth thanks for our forming in the wombe and for our nativity ALmighty eternall God Father Sonne and holy Ghost I give thanks to thee I praise thee I glorifie thee because thy hands have fashioned me and made me wholly round about Thou formedst me like clay in my mothers wombe Thou didst draw me like milk Thou didst curdle me like cheese With flesh and skinne hast thou covered me and compacted me together with bones and sinews Thou hast given me life and mercy and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit This thy great mercy bestowed upon me I will celebrate with perpetuall praises Thy goodnesse I will sing of in continuall songs Thou didst protect me in my mothers wombe I will confesse unto thee For I am wonderfully formed Marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well My bones are not hid from thee which thou didst make in secret and deckedst me with divers members in the lower parts of the earth Thy eyes saw me yet being imperfect and in thy book were all my members written which day by day were fashioned when as yet there were none of them How precious unto me are thy thoughts O God! how great is the summe of them If I go about to reckon them I finde them multiplied above the sands of the sea Thou didst shew thy mercy unto me before I understood it Thou didst prevent me with thy blessings before I did desire them Thy bounty did embrace me on every side before I could give thanks for it Thou art he who not onely didst form me wonderfully in the wombe but also didst take me out Thou art my hope even from my mothers breast Out of my mothers wombe I was cast upon thee Thou art my God from my mothers wombe As often as I think upon many that have been extinct and never came to the light of this life So often I admire and praise thee for thy mercy which brought me out of that prison into the theatre of this world safe and sound How many yeares are past in which I was not and yet thou didst erect for me this house of my body and didst bring me out of that bottomlesse pit and the darknesse of my mothers wombe Thou gavest unto me a reasonable soul Thou madest me a man not a stone or a serpent To thee O my God for this thy mercy be honour and glory for ever Amen PRAYER II. He renders thanks for our sustentation I Render thanks unto thee Almighty and mercifull God for that thou hast sustained me from the very first dayes of my life Naked I came into this world and thou coveredst me most graciously Hungry I entred into this world and thou hast hitherto fed me most bountifully In thee I live move and have my being Without thee I fall again into nothing and die Through thee I bowe and move my members Without thee I can neither be partaker of life or motion Thine is the sunne that giveth me light which I see daily with mine eyes Thine is the aire which I draw in with continuall breath The night is thine and the day is thine whose intercourses serve for my labour and rest Thine is the earth whose fruits do nourish me most plentifully Every creature in heaven aire earth and sea is thine and is appointed for my use and service Silver is thine and gold is thine Whatsoever is necessary for the sustentation of this my present life all that I receive from thy most liberall and bountifull
hath pleased thee to conjoyn unto thee the humane nature in a most neare bond of personall union Although therefore my sinnes do hinder me yet the communion of nature doth not repell me I will adhere wholly unto thee because thou hast wholly assumed me wholly Amen PRAYER V. He renders thanks for Christs passion HOw great thanks do I ow unto thee O most holy Jesu for that thou hast taken upon thee the punishment of my sinnes and hast endured hunger thirst cold wearinesse reproches persecutions sorrows povertie bonds whips pricking of thorns yea and that most bitter death of the crosse for me sinner How great is the flame of thy love which forced thee of thine own accord to throw thy self into that sea of passions and that for me most vile and unthankfull servant Thy innocency and righteousnesse made thee free from all sufferings But thy infinite and unspeakable love made thee debter and guilty in my room It is I that trespassed and thou makest satisfaction It is I that committed rapine and thou makest restitution It is I that sinned and thou undergoest the passion O Jesu most benigne I acknowledge the bowels of thy mercy and the fiery heat of love Thou seemest to love me more then thy self seeing thou deliverest up thy self for me O most innocent Jesu what hast thou to do with the sentence of death O thou most beautifull amongst the sonnes of men what hast thou to do with spittings upon thee O thou most righteous what hast thou to do with whips and bonds These things belong not unto thee They are all due unto me But thou of thine unspeakable love didst descend into the prison of this world and take upon thee the shape of a servant and most willingly undergo the punishment that was due unto me I was for my sinnes to be adjudged to the lake that burneth with everlasting fire But thou by the fire of love being burnt upon the altar of the crosse dost free me from it I was to be cast away for my sinnes from the face of my heavenly Father And thou for my sake complainest that thou art forsaken of thy heavenly Father I was to be tormented of the devil and his angels for ever And thou of thine infinite love dost deliver thy self unto the ministers of Satan to be afflicted and crucified for me As many instruments as I see of thy passion so many tokens do I see of thy love towards me For my sinnes are those bonds those whips and those thorns which afflicted thee all which of thine unspeakable love thou enduredst for me Thy love was not yet satisfied with taking my flesh upon thee but thou wouldest make it as yet more manifest by that most bitter passion of thy soul and bodie Who am I most mighty Lord that for me disobedient servant thou thy self wouldst become a servant so many yeares Who am I most beautifull Bridegroom that for me the most filthy vassal of sinne and whore of the devil thou hast not refused to die Who am I most bountifull Creatour that for me most vile creature thou hast not been afraid of the passion of the crosse I am to thee most loving Bridegroom the true spouse of bloud for whom thou dost poure forth such plenty of bloud I am to thee most beautifull Lily a thorn indeed that is full of prickles It is I that laid upon thee a heavy and sharp burthen with the weight whereof thou wast so squeezed that drops of bloud did distill abundantly from thy sacred bodie To thee Lord Jesu my alone Redeemer and Mediatour for this thine unspeakable love will I sing praises for ever Amen PRAYER VI. He renders thanks for our calling by the word VNto thee O Lord my God is most due all praise honour and thanksgiving for that thou wouldest by the preaching of thy word make manifest unto us that thy Fatherly will and determinate counsel concerning our salvation By nature we are darknesse we sit in darknesse and in the region of the shadow of death But thou by the most clear light of the Gospel dost dispell this darknes In thy light do we see light that is in the light of thy word we see that true light that lighteneth every one that cometh into this world What use were there of a treasure that is hid and a light that is put under a bushel I do therefore declare with thankfulnesse that great benefit in that thou hast by the word of thy Gospel revealed unto us that treasure of benefits in thy Sonne How beautifull are the feet of those that bring good tidings and tell of salvation This peace of conscience and salvation of the soul by the preaching of the Gospel thou dost yet declare unto us and call us unto the kingdome of thy Sonne I was led into the by-paths of errours as it were a weak and miserable sheep But thou hast called me into the way again by the preaching of thy word I was condemned and utterly lost But thou in the word of thy Gospel dost offer unto me the benefits of Christ and in the benefits of Christ thy grace and in thy grace remission of sinnes and in remission of sinnes righteousnesse and in righteousnesse salvation and life everlasting Who can sufficiently in words expresse those bowels of thy mercy yea who can in minde conceive the greatnesse the riches of thy goodnesse The mysterie of our salvation kept secret from eternitie by the manifestation of thy Gospel thou dost lay open unto us The counsels which thou hadst concerning our peace before the foundations of the world were laid thou dost reveal unto us by the preaching of thy word which is a lantern unto our feet whiles we go through this darksome valley intâ— light everlasting What had it profited us to have been born unlesse by Christ thou hadst delivered us when we were captivated through sinne What had it profited us to have been redeemed unlesse thou hadst by thy word declared unto us the great benefit of our redemption Thou dost spread forth thy hands unto us all the day Thou knockest at the gate of our heart every day and callest us all unto thee by thy word O Lord most benigne how many thousand thousands of men do live in the blindenesse of Gentilisme and in errours and have not seen that light of thy heavenly word which thy bounty hath granted us of all men most unthankfull Alas how often through our contempt and unthankfulnesse do we deserve that thou shouldest take from us the candlestick of thy word But thou of thy long patience dost make as if thou sawest not our sinnes and of thy unspeakable mercy dost yet continue unto us that most holy pledge and most precious treasure of thy word For which thy great benefit we render unto thee eternall thanks and we humbly beseech thee to continue it still unto us Amen PRAYER VII He renders thanks unto
strength and subtilty to oppresse me When by day Satan by his tentations doth set upon me the strength of thy right hand doth most bountifully comfort and strengthen me that the deceitfull tempter may not allure me into his snares When an innumerable host of evils hangs over my head thy blessed angels encamp about me like a fiery wall There is no creature so vile so weak and so little of which I do not stand in danger many wayes How great and immense a benefit is it therefore that thy providence doth preserve me safe from them My soul is prone to sinne and my bodie to falling Therefore O Lord most benigne my soul thou governest by thy blessed Spirit and my body by thy angelicall buckler For thou hast given thy angels charge over me to keep me in all my wayes and to bear me up with their hands that I dash not my foot at any time against a stone To thy mercy I attribute it that I am not consumed New dangers compasse and environ me about every day Thy mercy is therefore renewed unto me every morning Thou dost neither slumber nor sleep O thou faithfull and watchfull keeper of my soul and bodie Thy grace is the shadow on my right hand that the noon-tide rayes of open and violent persecution strike me not nor the darknesse of the night cause me to fall into the secret and hidden snares of the devil Thou dost keep my ingresse thou dost direct my progresse thou dost govern my egresse For which thy great benefit I will sing praises unto thee for ever Amen PRAYER XV. He renders thanks for the promise of everlasting salvation I Render thanks unto thee heavenly Father for that thou hast not onely given me free remission of my sinnes and the inward renewing of the Spirit but also an assured promise of everlasting salvation How great is thy goodnesse that to me poore miserable man and a sinner having had so often experience of thy mercy thou hast given boldnesse to hope even after heavenly things and to conceive an assured hope of habitation in the everlasting mansions of thy heavenly house The goods of that true and everlasting life are so great that they cannot be measured and so many that they cannot be numbred so farre extended that they cannot be termed and of such price that they cannot be valued How great therefore is thy goodnesse and bounty to me undeserving wretch in that thou dost in the prison and work-house of this life make me blessed in part with an infallible promise of those goods That I am already saved by hope the Apostle of the truth doth manifest And that hope maketh not ashamed it is proved by evident testimonie Why therefore is the ship of my heart in which Christ is carried by faith so often tossed up and down with storms and waves of doubtings Thou hast given unto me a promise of salvation O God thou God of truth How can I therefore any longer doubt of the certainty and immutability of thy promise That promise of life comes of thy meer free-will And therefore it depends not upon the merit of my works I am by faith as surely ascertained of the benefits promised of thy grace as I am assured by the sight of mine eyes of those which I already have Thou feedest me with the bodie and bloud of thy Sonne Thou sealest me by the inward testimony of thy Spirit What more certain testimony or more precious pledge can there be to confirm unto me the promise of salvation I finde in very deed that thou art with me in the troubles of this present life How can it otherwise be but that I shall be with thee in that most blessed fellowship of eternall life If thou bestowest upon me such great things in the poore cottage of this world How much greater wilt thou bestow in the palace of the heavenly paradise Whatsoever thing to be hoped for thou hast promised is as certain unto me as all those things which thou hast given me for my use in this world Thy mercy and truth is strengthened and shall be strengthened over me for ever Thy mercy did prevent me and thy mercy shall follow me It prevented me in my justification and it shall follow me in my glorification It prevented me that I might live piously it shall follow me that I may live for ever with thee Therefore I will praise and sing of thy mercy and truth for ever Amen The third part Of Petitions for our selves The Argument The meditation of our own wants doth shew that 〈◊〉 have of our selves no manner of spirituall good And therefore that it becometh â—s to renounce all confidence in our own strength and to flee to the aid 〈◊〉 succour of Gods mercy promised unto us through Christ By this consideration of our manifold wants 〈◊〉 soul is lifted up unto God and begs of him morâ—â—fication of the old man and renovation of the new â—hich is necessarie for all those that are born again â—his renovation consisteth in the conservation and inâ—â—ease of faith hope charitie humilitie patience â—entlenesse chastitie and the other vertues And â—â—erefore we ought with serious prayer to sue unto 〈◊〉 for it Moreover seeing that daily we are assaultâ—â— by the flesh the world and the devil insomuch 〈◊〉 our flesh solicits us uâ—to the love of earthly 〈◊〉 the world with hatred and Satan with his â—â—eacheries oppugnes us We have just cause to pray 〈◊〉 unto the Lord of hosts who proposeth unto us 〈◊〉 battel and a reward of victorie For contempt 〈◊〉 earthly things For deniall of our selves For â—â—nquest over the world For comfort in all adâ—â—rsitie and true tranquillitie of the minde For â—â—ctorie in tentations and preservation from the deâ—â—ls treacheries And to conclude seeing that the aid 〈◊〉 assistance of God in the houre of death and the 〈◊〉 of judgement is most necessary Therefore we must 〈◊〉 day humbly pray for a blessed departure out of 〈◊〉 life and a blessed resurrection unto life 〈◊〉 PRAYER I. He prayes for mortification of the old man MOst holy and most mercifull God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ through the same thy beloved Son by thy holy Spirit I humbly beseech thee that thou wouldest be pleased to work in me a daily mortification of the old man thaâ— according to the inward man I may in thee be strengthened Sinne dwellâ— in my flesh But give thou unto me the strength of the Spirit that I do not suffer it to reigne in me Thou dost set my secret sinnes before thee in the light of thy countenance But set thou them I beseech thee in the light of my heart that I may see them and grieve and humbly sue untâ— thee for pardon I am not as yeâ— altogether free from sinne dwelling in me But grant I beseech thee iâ— mercie that I may be free from thâ— guilt thereof and from condemnation
and my glory for ever Amen PRAYER VI. He prayes for the gift and increase of patience ALmighty eternall and mercifull God with humble sighs I implore thy grace that thou wilt grant unto me true and sincere patience My flesh coveteth after things pleasing unto it that is soft and carnall and refuseth patiently to endure things contrary I beseech thee powerfully to represse in me this desire of the flesh and underprop my weaknesse with the power of patience O Christ Jesu thou doctour of patience and obedience furnish me within with thy holy Spirit that I may learn of thee to renounce mine own will and patiently to bear the crosse that is laid upon me Thou enduredst for me things more grievous then thou layest upon me and I have deserved more grievous punishments then thou inflictest Thou didst bear the crown of thorns and the burden of the crosse thou didst sweat bloud thou didst tread the wine-presse for me Why therefore should I refuse with patience to endure such small sufferings and afflictions Why should I be loth to be made conformable unto thy sorrowfull image in this life Thou didst drink of the brook of passions in the way Why then should I deny to drink a small draught out of the cup of the crosse I have by my sinnes deserved eternall punishments And why should not I suffer a little in this world a fatherly correction Those that thou from eternitie before the foundations of the world were laid didst foreknow thou hast decreed that they should be made conformable unto the image of thy Sonne in the time of this life Therefore if I should not endure patiently this conformitie by the crosse I should despise thy holy and eternall counsel concerning my salvation which farre be from me thy unworthy servant It is for triall and not for deniall that thou dost so exercise me with sundry calamities As much of the crosse and tribulation as thou layest upon me so much light and consolation dost thou conferre upon me neither is my chastisement increased so much as my reward is The sufferings of this life are not worthy of that heavenly consolation which thou sendest in this life and that heavenly glory which thou promisest in the life to come I know that thou art with me in trouble Why therefore should I not rejoyce rather for the presence of thy grace then be sorrowfull for the burden of the crosse that is laid upon me Lead me which way thou wilt thou best Master and Teacher through thorns and bushes I will follow thee onely do thou draw me and make me able to follow thee I submit my head to be crowned with thorns being fully perswaded that thou wilt hereafter crown me with an everlasting crown of glory Amen PRAYER VII He prayes for the gift and increase of gentlenesse and meeknesse O Most gracious Lord that dost so lovingly and kindly invite us to repentance and with such long patience dost wait for our conversion give unto me the riches of long-suffering and meeknesse The fire of anger doth flame in my heart as often as I receive the least detriment from my neighbour Therefore I humbly pray thee that by thy Spirit thou wouldest mortifie this sinfull affection of my flesh What hard words and harder blows and most hard punishments did thy beloved Sonne endure for me Who when he was reproched reproched not again but referred all to him that judgeth all things most righteously What pride is this therefore and stubbornnesse in me that I miserable and mortall dust of the earth and ashes cannot endure a rough word and overcome with meeknesse of heart the offence given me by my neighbour Learn of me O learn of me for I am meek and humble in heart thou cryest out O Christ. Receive me receive me with sighs I humbly intreat thee into that practick school of thy Spirit that I may learn there true meeknesse With what grievous and divers sinnes do I offend thee most gracious Father whose daily pardon I stand in need of Why therefore do I being a man harbour anger against man and presume to ask pardon of thee who art Lord of heaven and earth Were it not absurd for me to take no pitie upon man that is like unto my self and to ask of thee Lord remission of my sinnes Vnlesse I shall remit unto my neighbour his offences neither can I hope for remission of my sinnes Therefore most gracious Lord that art of much mercie and long-suffering give unto me the spirit of patience and meeknes that I do not presently conceive anger when my neighbour offendeth me but that I may shun it as the enemie of my soul or if it steal upon me unawares that I may presently lay it aside Let not the sunne go down upon my wrath lest it depart as a witnesse against me Let not sleep seize upon me whilst I am angry lest he deliver me in my anger to death his sister If I desire to take revenge of mine enemie why do not I set my self against mine anger which is my greatest and most hurtfull enemie seeing that it kills the â—oul and makes me subject to eternall death Set a watch before my mouth and give me prudence to govern the actions of my life that I offend not my neighbour either in word or deed Grant that I may be unto my neighbour by the fragrant smell of my vertues a sweet senting rose and not by offences and detractions a pricking thorn Grant good Jesu that I may insist in the footsteps of thy meeknesse and with a sincere heart love my neighbour Amen PRAYER VIII He prayes for the gift and increase of chastitie HOly God thou which art a lover of modestie and chastitie and a severe hater of filthinesse and lust for Christ his sake the most chaste Bridegroom of my soul I intreat thee to work and increase in me true chastitie inward and outward of the soul and of the body of the spirit and of the flesh and contrariwise to extinguish the fire of evil concupiscence that is in my heart Let the holy fear of thee wound my flesh that it rush not headlong into the fire of lust Let the celestiall love carrie my soul up unto thee that it cleave not through inordinate love unto the unsavourie things of the world Showre down a upon me the streams of thy heavenly grace that the flames of concupiscence may thereby be extinguished as fiery darts are in the water My soul was created after thy image and repaired again by Christ I should offer great injurie unto thee therefore my Creatour and Redeemer and unto my self also if I should be-black the beautifull face of my soul with the smoke and stains of dishonest love Christ dwelleth in my heart The holy Ghost dwelleth in my heart Let him therefore replenish me with the power of his grace and the larges of his spirituall gifts that I may
If it be the totall good of mankinde to love God then it must needs be the totall evil to love himself If it be the nature and propertie of the true good to communicate it self then surely mans love of himself must needs be a great evil because he challengeth his own and others good unto himself If all glory be due unto God alone then is it sacriledge to challenge honour for he that challengeth it challengeth that which is anothers Extinguish in me this love of my self and mine honour O Christ blessed for ever Amen PRAYER XI He prayeth for conquest over the world ALmightie eternall and mercifull God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ give unto me the grace of thy holy Spirit that I may get the conquest over all the tentations of the world The world sets upon me with hatred flattery and perverse examples Teach me to contemn the hatred of the world to decline her allurements and to shun the imitation of evil examples What can the world with her hatred do against me if thy grace like a buckler protect me What shall it hurt me though all men should persecute me with hatred if thou my God dost embrace me with love Again what shall it profit me though all men should love me if the fury of thine anger shall pursue me The world passeth away the hatred of the world passeth away But the grace of God alone endureth for ever Remove therefore O God out of my heart that inordinate fear that I be not afraid of the hatred and persecution of the world But ingraff in my soul a full confidence and an ardent heat of the spirit that I may learn to contemn all worldly things because they are transitorie clouds Why should I be afraid of them that kill the body but cannot kill the soul I will rather reverence and fear him that is able to cast not onely the body but the soul also into the everlasting fire of hell Our faith is the victorie that overcometh the world For by faith we have an eye unto the joyes to come that so we may with patience endure these present sorrows By faith we relie upon the divine goodnesse that so we may abide humane hatred Neither doth the world assault me on the left hand onely with her hatred but on the right hand also she laboureth to ensnare me with her fawning allurements She hath a sting in her tail but she hath a smooth face Grant unto me therefore O Christ a taste of the sweetnesse of the heavenly joy that I may lose the taste of earthly things The taste of my soul is corrupt and coveteth after earthly things and the contempt of the worlds allurements doth seem bitter unto it But thou the true prizer of things hast taught me to lothe the enticements of the world and wouldest have my soul to soar aloft after heavenly things Turn away therefore O turn away my heart from the allurements of the world that being turned unto thee it may enjoy the true and spirituall delights What have these things profited the lovers of the world after death to wit Vain glory short pleasure slender power What hath the momentanie pleasure of the flesh and store of false riches profited Where are they now that not many dayes ago were here with us There remains nothing of them but ashes and worms They did eat and drink being secure they passed their life being made drunk with carnall pleasure But now their flesh is here given to the worms for meat and their soul is there tormented in everlasting fire All their glorie is fallen like the flower and like grasse withered Suffer me not O God to follow their steps lest that I come to the same term of misery But by the victory of the world lead me unto the crown of celestiall glory Amen PRAYER XII He prayes for consolation in adversitie and for the true rest of the soul. MOst gracious Father God of 〈◊〉 hope and consolation grant unto me in all adversities thy quickning consolation and the true rest of the soul. I feel much straitnesse in my heart But thy consolation shall make glad my soul. Vain and unprofitable is all the comfort of the world in thee alone is the strength and support of my soul. The weight of divers calamities presseth me sore But thy inward speaking unto me and thy consolation maketh it light No creature can make me so sorrowfull but thou canst make me much more glad by the spirit of gladnesse No adversities can so straiten my heart but thy grace can much more enlarge it The fiery heat of sundry calamities doth torment me But the taste of thy sweetnesse doth refresh me Rivers of tears distill from mine eyes But thy most bountifull hand doth wipe them all away As thou didst shew thy loving countenance to Stephen the first Martyr even in the very heat when his enemies stoned him So vouchsafe to give unto me in all adversities the joy of thy comfort As in the most grievous agonie of death thou didst send an angel unto thy Sonne to comfort him So in this my wrestling send I beseech thee thy holy Spirit to uphold me Without thy support I fall down under the burden of the crosse Without thy help by the assault of sundry adversities I am cast down flat Extinguish in me the love of the world and of the creatures so shall not the calamities of this world nor the changeablenesse of the creatures bring any bitternesse unto me He that with all his heart doth cleave unto the world and to the creatures can never be made partaker of the true and eternall rest for all terrestriall things are subject to continuall alterations and changes But whosoever doth not cleave unto the present goods of this life with an inordinate desire he will not be grieved much for the losse of the same Poure out O God poure out of my heart the love of the world that the celestiall Elisha may poure into the widows pitcher that is into my soul devoid of earthly comfort the oyl of celestiall joy Let all earthly things be troubled and changed and turned upside down Yet notwithstanding thou art the immoveable foundation and most firm rock of my heart Can a poore and weak creature disturb the quiet of my soul which I possesse in thee my Creatour sure and immoveable Can the waves of the world that most unquiet sea cast down the rock of my heart which is fixt in thee the chief and immutable good No For thy peace passeth all un-understanding and overcometh the invasion of all adversities Which inward peace most bountifull Father I beg at thy hands with most humble sighs Amen PRAYER XIII He prayes for victory in tentations and deliverance from the devils treacheries and invasions BE present unto me thou God of Zebaoth thou God of strength and mercy that I yeeld not unto the tentations and invasions of Satan but being safe
by thy guard and upholden by thy aid I may become at length the conquerour Within are fears without are fights For within the devil doth wound my soul with venemous and fiery darts of tentations Without he wearies me with sundrie adversities and a thousand kindes of treacheries He is a serpent for his subtiltie and fallacie a lion for his violence and invasion a dragon for his crueltie and oppression He attempted to assault the very captain of the heavenly host And will he spare me a common souldier He did not doubt to set himself in opposition against the very head And what wonder then if he go about to overthrow a weak member of the mysticall bodie There is no power in me to withstand him being strong and armed There is no wisdome in me to escape the snares and gins of this enginer that hath a thousand stratagemes To thee therefore with humble sighs do I betake my self whose power cannot be termed and whose wisdome cannot be numbred Be present with me O Christ thou which art the most strong Lion of the tribe of Judah that in thee and through thee I may be able to get the conquest over that lion of hell Thou hast fought and overcome for me Fight likewise and overcome in me that thy strength may be perfected in my weaknesse Enlighten the eyes of my minde that I may discern the treacheries of Satan Direct my feet that I may escape his hidden snares Let the victory in tentation be a testimonie unto my heart of my heavenly regeneration Let the presence of thy grace confirm unto me the promise of victorie Furnish me and arm me with the strength of thy fortitude that in this combat I may be able to stand and hereafter judge him of whom I am now oppugned The more in number and the more dangerous the treacherous assaults of this enemy are the more ardently do I flee unto the aid of thy mercy One while he inspires into me the unsatiable desire of earthly things that having bound me in the fetters of avarice he may lead me out of the way of righteousnesse Another while he inflames me with the fire of anger that my heart may burn within me till I have done my neighbour some mischief Another while he solicits me to lust and the love of pleasures Another while he suggests into my minde envie and ambition Before he precipitates and throws me headlong into sinne he perswades me it is lighter then the aire or a feather or an autumn leaf and this is to make me secure And when he hath precipitated me into sin then he tells me it is greater then the universe of heaven and earth and more weighty then the balance of Gods mercy and this is to make me despair These so many and so great and treacherous assaults and fallacies I cannot foresee How much lesse then shall I be able of my self to escape them Unto thee therefore do I flee who art my strength and the rock of my fortitude for ever Amen PRAYER XIIII He prayes for a blessed departure out of this life and for a blessed resurrection unto life everlasting O Jesu Christ Sonne of the everliving God thou that wast crucified and raised up again for us thou that didst destroy our death by thy death thou that hast merited by thy resurrection a blessed resurrection for us unto life everlasting I worship thee I pray unto thee with my whole heart the onely true God together with the Father and the holy Spirit to grant unto me a happie egresse out of the miseries of this life and a blessed ingresse in the resurrection and in the day of judgement unto life everlasting I know that there is an appointed term of my life in thy divine determination and that after death follows judgement Be present with me in the houre of death thou that sufferedst death for me on the crosse Protect me in the day of judgement thou that wast for me unjustly condemned When the tabernacle of this my earthly house shall be dissolved lead my soul into an habitation in my heavenly countrey When my eyes shall be darkened in the agony of death kindle in my heart the light of saving faith When my eares shall be stopped in the houre of death speak unto me inwardly by thy Spirit and comfort me When a cold sweat doth come forth out of my dying members make me to remember thy bloudy sweat which is a sufficient ransome for my sinnes and a defensive remedie for me against death In thy sweat there appeareth fervency in thy bloud a price and in the running down thereof sufficiency When my speech shall begin to fail me in that last agonie grant that I may sigh unto thee by the grace of thy holy Spirit When those extreme distresses seize upon my heart be thou present with me by the consolation and help of thy quickning grace and take me into thy charge and tuition when all other creatures denie me aid Grant unto me that I may patiently endure all horrours and troubles and bring my soul at length out of this prison I beseech thee by thy most sacred wounds which thou enduredst in thy pâ—ssion upon the crosse for me to grant unto me that I may be able to quench the fiery darts of Satan wherewith he doth strike at me in the houre of death I beseech thee by those most bitter torments which thou sufferedst that I may be able to endure and overcome all the violent invasions of the infernall powers Let my last word in this life be the same with which thou didst consummate all upon the crosse and receive my soul which thou hast redeemed with so deare a price when I shall commend it into thy hands Let a blessed resurrection follow a blessed death In that great day of thy severe judgement deliver me from that cruel sentence thou which in my life didst with thy ready help protect me Let my sinnes be covered with the shadow of thy grace and overwhelmed in the bottom of the sea Let my soul be bound up in the bundle of the living that with all the elect I may come into the fellowship of everlasting joy Amen The fourth Part. Of Supplications for others The Argument The meditation of our neiâ—hbours wants and indigencies concern the common good and welfare of the Church and Common-wealth anâ— makes us look upon others miseries as our own This is the fruit of tâ—ue and sinceâ—e charitie which bindes us altogether into one mystiâ—all body under one head which is Christ and commends unto us a serious care of the whole Church and of all the particular members thereof That is not a true member of the bodie which labours not as much as in it lies to preserve in safetie the whole structure of the body That is not a true member of the 〈…〉 that suffereth And the same reason is of force in the mysticall body of Christ.
Whosoever therefore is a true and a living member of the Christian Church let him daily Pray For the conservation of the word For pastours and people For magistrates and subjects and For the Oeconomicall and houshold estate For these are those three Hierarchies and hoâ—y magistracies 〈◊〉 by God for the safetie and preservation of this life and foâ— the propagation and increase of the heavenâ—y kingdome Let him pray also For his kinâ—folk and his benefactours to whom he must acknowledge himself to be bound in some speciall bond of duty Let him pray For his enemies and persecutours and seriously desiâ—e their conversion and salvation Let him pray likewise For all those that are afflicted and in miserie and shew hâ—â—â—elf to be moved with a feâ—low-feeling of their calamities PRAYER I. He prayes for the conservation and continuance of the word and for the propagatiâ—â— and increase of the Church ALmightie eternall and mercifull God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that by thy holy Spirit dost gather thy Church out of mankinde and in it dost keep the heavenly doctrine committed unto it In humilitie I adore and worship thee and pray unto thee that thou wouldest be pleased to continue unto us the saving doctrine of thy word inviolable and every day propagate and inlarge the bounds of thy Church Thou hast of thine infinite mercie lighted unto us that were in the darknesse of this world the light of thy word Suffer not therefore the clouds of humane traditions to extinguish it or to obscure it Thou hast given unto us thy word for the wholesome meat of our souls Suffer it not therefore by the delusion of the devil and the corruption of men to be turned into poyson Mortifie in us the sinfull lusts of the flesh that thirsteth after earthly things that so we may taste the spirituall delicates of thy word which is that heavenly Manna No man can feel the sweetnesse thereof but he that will taste and no man can taste whose palate is corrupted with abundance of worldly delights Thy word is the word of spirit and life of light and grace Take away therefore the carnall affections and the corrupt senses of our hearts that it may shine to us within and be a light to lead us unto the light of everlasting life From the light of thy word let there arise in our hearts the light of saving faith that in thy light we may see light in the light of thy word the light of thy Sonne As in the old time that heavenly Manna descended in the wildernesse with a wholesome dew So likewise by the hearing of thy word let our hearts be filled with the fire of the Spirit that our cold and lukewarm flesh may be excited and may be tempered against the boilings of sinfull lusts Let the seed of thy word take deep root in our hearts that by the dew of thy holy Spirit watering it it may bring forth wholesome fruit and plentifull increase like standing-corn Protect O Lord the vineyard of thy Church in which thy word is as seed scattered and fruit is gathered unto everlasting life Set an hedge of angelicall guard round about it that the wilde boars and the foxes break it not down the wilde boars by violent persecutions and the foxes by fraudulent delusions Erect up in it an high tower of thy fatherly providence that by thy custodie it may be free from all devastation But if thou shalt at any time think good to presse the grapes of this vineyard in the presse of the crosse and of calamities let them be ripened first by the heat of thy grace that they may yeeld the most delicious fruits of faith and patience Whatsoever is put into the root of the vine is converted in the grapes into the most sweet liquour of wine Grant I beseech thee that whatsoever shall happen unto us in this life whether scoffings persecutions praises or whatsoever else our souls may turn it into the wine of faith hope and charitie and into the fruit of patience and humilitie Out of this militant Church translate us at length into the Church triumphant And let this tabernacle of clay be changed into that most beautifull and everlasting temple of the heavenly Jerusalem Amen PRAYER II. He supplicates for pastours and their hearers O Jesu Christ Sonne of the living God our alone Mediatour and Redeemer who being exalted at the right hand of the Father dost send pastours and teachers of thy word by whose ministerie thou dost gather together unto thee thy Church amongst us I humbly intreat thee the onely true God together with the Father and the holy Spirit to govern these thy ministers in the way of truth and to turn the hearts of their hearers unto the true obedience of the faith There is no state or condition of men that is more subject to the hatred and treacheries of Satan then the ministers of thy word Defend them therefore by the buckler of thy grace and furnish them with the strength of patience that Satan by his sleights may not supplant them Give I beseech thee unto thy ministers that knowledge that is necessarie for them and a pious vigilancie in all their actions that they may first learn of thee before they presume to teach others Govern and illuminate their hearts by thy Spirit that being in the place of God thâ—â— preach nothing else but the oracles 〈◊〉 God Let them feed the flock that is committed unto them which thou hast bought and redeemed with the precious bloud Let them feed the flock out of true and sincere love and not for covetousnesse and ambition Let them feed them with their minde with their mouth and with their works Let them feed them with the sermon of the minde with the exhortation of the word and with their own example that they may be followers of his steps to whom the cure of the Lords flock was three severall times commended Stirre them up that they may watch â—ver the souls that are committed â—nto them as being to give a strict â—ccount for them in the day of judgement Whatsoever they exhort by â—he word of their holy preaching let them studiously labour to demonstrate the same in their actions lest that being lazie themselves and loth to work they labour in vain to stirre up others Unto what good works â—oever they stirre up others let them shine by the same first themselves being set on fire by the holy Spirit Before the words of exhortation be heard let them first proclaim by their works whatsoever they shall speak with their tongues Thrust forth faithfull labourers into thy harvest that they may gather together many handfulls of saints Open likewise the hearts of the hearers that they may receive the seed with holy obedience Give unto them thy grace that with a pure heart they may keep thy holy word committed unto them and bring forth plentifull fruit with patience
consequently into the pit of hell Let them remember the commandment of honouring their parents let them be carefull to recompense their parents after the manner of storks let them remember to feed them as they have been fed by them that they precipitate not themselves into the gulf of sundry evils Let parents and children with joynt desires study in this life to worship thee the true God that they may bear parts in consort and together praise thee in the life to come Let servants obey their masters with alacritie and with fear and with singlenesse of heart not with eye-service or to please men but as it becometh the servants of Christ. In like manner let masters embrace their servants with fatherly kindnes that they turn not their just government into tyrannical cruelty Let their societie in their private house be an oeconomicall private Church beloved of God and of the angels Amen PRAYER V. He prayes for parents brethren sisters kinsfolk and benefactours MOst holy and mercifull God from whom large heaps of sundry benefits descend down upon us who hast given unto me kinsfolk and benefactours to be helps unto me in this present life I beseech thee to bestow upon them in the life to come everlasting rewards Those whom thou hast joyned unto me in a speciall bond of nature and bloud I do specially commend unto thy protection Those unto whom I do ow speciall love and respect with serious and fervent prayers I commend unto thy keeping Grant that my kinsfolk may with joynt consent and unanimitie serve thee in the true faith and with true pietie that they may receive all of them hereafter a crown of eternal glory Unto my parents whom thou hast made next after thee the authours of my life and my informers in true pietie I cannot by any means render deserved rewards I humbly beseech thee therefore who art the authour of all good and the rewarder of all benefits to recompense their benefits here with temporall rewards and hereafter with eternall Let the example of Christ thy Sonne who about the agonie of his death commended unto his disciple the care of his mother let his example teach me even to the last breath to take care for my parents Let nature it self by the example of the stork teach me that I ow perpetuall thanks and rewards unto them for their merits Unto thee mercifull Father I commend the care and tuition of my brethren sisters and kinsfolk Let them become the brethren and sisters of Christ and so heirs of the kingdome of heaven Let us all be joined together in the kingdome of grace whom thou hast joined together in the life of nature And let us all together with those whom by death thou hast separated from us and taken unto thy self let us all at length be joined together in the kingdome of glory Make us all citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem as thou hast made us in this life members of the true Church The same likewise I intreat of thee for all my benefactours whose health and welfare both of soul and body I am bound to desire and further even by the law of nature Receive them into the everlasting tabernacles of the citie which is above whom thou hast used as thy instruments to conferre upon me so many and so liberall benefits My heart propoundeth unto thee the infallible promise of thy word that thou wilt of thy meer free grace recompense even a cup of cold water How much more then wilt thou be liberall and bountifull to those that with full hand bestow benefits of all kindes upon those that want Let not thy graces cease to run down upon them that poure forth so plentifully upon others Let the fountain of thy goodnsse alwayes spring unto them from whom such plentifull rivers of liberality do flow Grant I beseech thee most mercifull God that they which sow temporall things so liberally may reâ—p with much increase things spirituall Fill their souls with joy that feed the bodies of the poore with meat Let not the fruit of their bounty perish though they show it by bestowing of the goods that perish Give unto them that give unto others thou that art the giver of every good gift blessed for ever Amen PRAYER VI. He prayes for enemies and persecutours LOrd Jesu Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God that hast prescribed us in thy word this rule of charitie Love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you I beseech thee who art most gracious and most readie to forgive to forgive mine enemies and the persecutours of the Church Give unto me the grace of thy holy Spirit that I may not onely forgive mine enemies from mine heart but also pray for their health and salvation even from my soul. Whet not against them the sword of severe revenge but anoint their heads with the oyl of thy mercie and compassion Extinguish the sparks of hatred and anger that are in their hearts that they break not forth into the infernall flames of hell Let them know and acknowledge that our life is but a vapour and a smoke that soon vanisheth away that our bodie is but ashes and dust that flyeth away that they bear not immortall anger in their mortall bodies nor entertain into this brittle tabernacle of clay their souls enemie Let them know likewise that inveterate hatred is their greatest enemie because it kills the soul and excludes them from the participation of heavenly life Illuminate their mindes that they beholding the glasse of thy divine mercie may see the deformitie of anger and hatred Govern their wills that being moved by the example of thy divine forgivenesse they may leave off and cease to be angry and to do harm Grant unto me mercifull God that as much as in me lies I may have peace with all men and turn the hearts of mine enemies to brotherly reconcilement Let us walk with unanimitie and concord in the way of this life seeing that we hope all for a place in our celestiall countrey Let us not disagree upon earth seeing â—hat we all desire to live together hereafter in heaven We all call upon thee our Lord our God which art in heaven And it is not meet for the servants of the same Lord to fall out one with another We are one mysticall bodie under Christ our head And it is base and shamefull for the members of the same bodie to fight one with another They which have one faith and one baptisme ought to have one spirit and one minde Neither do I pray alone for my private enemies but also for the publick enemies and persecutours of the Church O thou which art truth it self bring them into the way of truth O thou which art power it self bring to nought their bloudie endeavours and attempts Let the brightnesse of the heavenly truth open their blinde eyes
clothedst us with innocencie as with a garment thou seatedst us in paradise a place of all delight and pleasure But we have defaced thine image we have cast off our first covering we have thrust our selves out of that pleasant place We ran away from thee and were not obedient unto thy voice We were lost and condemned before we came into this world Our first parents sinned against thee and we sinned in them They were corrupted and we are inheriters of their corruption They were the parents of disobedience and we are by nature the children of wrath Sinfull and unhappie children of sinfull and unhappie parents Thou mightest in thy displeasure after their fall have plunged them into the bottomlesse pit and made them the fewel of hell and sent their posteritie after them And neither they nor we could justly have complained Righteous O Lord art thou in thy judgements And our miserie is from our selves But great was thy mercie unto us We came into this world in a floud of uncleannesse wallowing in our mothers bloud and thou didst set open a fountain for us to wash in We were washed in the laver of Baptisme and we have returned with the swine to our wallowing in the mire We came from a place of darknesse into this world we lived as children of darknesse we sat in darknesse and in the shadow of death Thou gavest us thy word to be a lantern unto our feet and a light unto our paths that in thy light we might see light that so walking in the way of truth we might attain everlasting life But we have loved darknesse more then light and have not been obedient unto thy word We came into this world crooked even from our mothers wombe and thou gavest us thy law to be a glasse wherein we might see our deformitie and a rule whereby to square all our actions words and thoughts But we have shut our eyes that we might not see and we have refused to be ruled by thy law The law of sinne in our flesh doth daily captivate us The root of originall sinne which lieth hidden in us doth every day put forth new branches All the parts and faculties of our bodies and souls are as so many instruments of unrighteousnesse to fight against thy divine Majestie Our hearts imagine wicked things our mouthes utter them and our hands put them in practise Thy mercies every day are renewed unto us and our sinnes are every day multiplied against thee In the day of health and prosperitie we forget thee and we never think upon the day of sicknesse and adversitie Thy benefits heaped upon us do not allure us to obey thee Neither do thy judgements inflicted upon others make us afraid to offend thee What couldest thou O Lord have done more for us or what could we have done more against thee Thou didst send thy Sonne in the fulnesse of time to take our nature upon him to fulfill thy law for us and to be crucified for our sinnes We have not followed the example of his holy life but have every day afresh crucified him by our sinnes And now O Lord if we shall become our own judges we cannot but confesse that we have â—eserved everlasting torments in hellâ—ire But there is mercie with thee O Lord therefore will we not despair Our sinnes are many in number But thy mercies are without number The weight of our sinnes is great But the weight of thy Sonnes crosse was greater Our sinnes presse us down unto hell But thy mercie in Christ Jesus raiseth us up By Satan we are accused But by Jesus Christ we are defended By the law we are convicted But by Jesus Christ we are justified By our own conscience we are condemned But by Jesus Christ we are absolved In us there is nothing but sinne death and damnation In him there is treasured up for us righteousnesse life and salvation We are poore He is our riches We are naked He is our covering We are exposed to thy fury pursuing us He is the buckler of our defence and our refuge He is the rock of our salvation and in him do we trust His wounds are the clefts of the rock Give us we beseech thee the wings of a Dove that by faith we may hide our selves in the clefts of this rock that thine anger wax not hot against us to consume us Let not thy justice triumph in our confusion but let thy mercie rejoyce in our salvation Pardon the sinfull course of our life past and guide us by thy holy Spirit for the time to come Amend what is amisse increase all gifts and graces which thou hast already given and give unto us what thou best knowest to be wanting Be gracious and favourable to thy whole church especially to that part thereof which thou hast committed unto the protection of thy servant and our Sovereigne King Charles Grant that he may see it flourishing in peace and prosperity in the profession and practise of thy Gospel all the dayes of his life and after this life ended crown him we beseech thee with a crown of immortall glorie Let not the sceptre of this kingdome depart from his house neither let there be wanting a man of his race to sit upon his throne so long as the sunne and moon endureth Of this thou hast given us a pledge alreadie in blessing the fruit of the Queens wombe Let the Queen still be like a fruitfull vine And let the Prince grow up like a plant in thine house Let thy mercy be extended to the Ladie Elisabeth our Kings onely sister and her princely issue How long Lord just and true how long shall their enemies prevail and say There there so would we have it It is time for thee to lay to thine hand for they have laid waste their dwelling-place Arise O Lord and let their enemies be scattered and let them that hate them flee before them Carrie them back again into their own countrey if it may be for thy glorie and their good make them glad with the joy of thy countenance and let them rejoyce under their own vines We return home again and beseech thee to be gracious and mercifull to the Kings Counsel the Nobilitie the Magistracie the Ministerie the Gentry and the Commonaltie Give unto those whom thou hast used as instruments for our good rewards temporall and eternall Forgive those that be our enemies and turn their hearts Forget not those that grone under the crosse Clothe the naked feed the hungrie visit the sick deliver the captives defend the fatherlesse and widows relieve the oppressed confirm and strengthen those that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake cure those that are broken in heart speak peace unto their consciences that are tormented with the sense of their sinnes suffer them not to be swallowed up in despair Stand by those that are ready to depart out of this life When their eyes shall be darkned in the agony of death kindle in their hearts the
thy sinnes and fear him that shall judge thee for thy sinnes according to his justice Be not secure in prosperitie For God is angry with him that is not punished in this life What are the afflictions of the godly Bitter arrows sent from the sweet hand of God God esteems many in this life unworthy to be punished whom notwithstanding he reprobateth for ever Outward felicitie is oftentimes a signe of eternall damnation Nothing is more unhappy then the happinesse of sinners and nothing more miserable then he that knows no miserie Whithersoever thou turnest thine eyes thou seest cause of grief and findest remedies against securitie Think upon God above whom we have offended Think upon hell beneath which we have deserved Think upon the sinne behinde which we have committed Think upon the judgement before which we stand in fear of Think upon the conscience within which we have defiled And think upon the world without which we have loved Consider whence thou camest and be ashamed Consider where thou art and be sorrowfull Consider whither thou goest and tremble The gate of salvation is narrow but the way of salvation is yet narrower God hath given unto thee the treasure of faith but thou carriest it about thee in vessels of clay He gave thee the angels to be thy keepers But the devil is not farre off and he is ready to seduce thee Thou art renewed in the spirit of thy minde But yet thou hast much of the oldnes of the flesh Thou art set in the state of the grace of God But yet thou art not set in eternall glory There is a mansion prepared for thee in heaven But yet thou must endure first the afflictions and assaults of the world God hath promised forgivenesse to him that repenteth But he hath not promised will to repent to him that sinneth The consolations of eternall life expect thee But yet thou must expect to enter in through many tribulations The crown of eternall reward is promised unto thee But first thou must fight the great fight and be conquerour God doth not change his promise Neither must thou change the study of holy life If the servant doth not what the Lord commandeth then the Lord wil do what he hath threatned Let a man therefore lament grieve shaking off all securitie lest in the just and secret judgement of God he be forsaken and left in the power of the devils to be destroyed If thou hast the grace of God so delight thy self in it as knowing that it is the gift of God and that thou dost not possesse it by any hereditarie right Yet be thou so secure concerning it that thou canst not lose it lest on a sudden when God shall withhold his gift and withdraw his hand thou beest discouraged and become more sorrowfull then is fit But happy shalt thou be if thou labourest with all care and diligence to avoid securitie the mother of all evil God will not forsake thee But take heed that thou dost not forsake God God hath given thee his grace But pray thou unto him that he would also give thee perseverance God bids thee be certain of thy salvation but he bids thee not be secure Thou must fight valiantly that thou mayest at length triumph gloriously Thy flesh within thee fighteth against thee And the enemie the nearer he is the more he is to be feared The world about thee fighteth against thee And the greater the enemie is the more to be feared The devil above thee fighteth against thee And the more potent the enemy is the more to be feared Through the power of God fear not to encounter with these enemies Through the power of God thou shalt be enabled to obtain the victory But thou canst not overcome these so great enemies by securitie but by assiduity in fighting The time of life is the time of fight Then thou art most assaulted when thou knowest not that thou art assaulted Then do thy enemies most gather their forces together when they seem to grant truce They are vigilant And dost thou sleep They make themselves ready to hurt And dost not thou make thy self ready to resist Many faint by the way never come home into their countrey How many of the Israelites died in the wildernes and never came to see the promised land How many spirituall sonnes of Abraham do perish in the wildernes of this world never come to enjoy the promised inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Nothing is more powerfull to make us shake off security then to think of the paucity of them that endure to the last Let it therefore be our onely desire to attain to the glory which is in heaven Let it be our onely love to come thither Let it be our onely grief that we are not alreadie come thither And let it be our onely fear that we come not thither That so we may have no joy but in those things that either further us in the way thither or give us hope of coming thither What profiteth it thee to rejoyce for a moment to lament for ever What joy can there be in this life when that which delighteth passeth away and that never passeth away which tormenteth We live in securitie as if we were past the snare of death day of judgement Christ saith that he will come to judgement at such an houre as we think not of This saith Truth it self and again he repeats it Heare this and fear If the Lord will come at such an houre as we think not of we have great cause to fear that so we come not unto judgement unprovided If we come unprovided How shall we be able to endure the strict examination in judgement Notwithstanding that which is lost in this one moment cannot be recovered again for ever In the shortnes of one moment judgement shall passe what we shall be for all eternitie In this one moment life or death damnation or salvation punishment or eternall glory shall be appointed to every one Lord thou that hast given us grace to that which is good give us also perseverance in that which is good Meditat. XXX Of the holy imitation of Christ his life Christs life must be a rule to thee If Christs disciple thou wilt be THe holy life of Christ is the most perfect pattern of all vertues Every action of Christ serves for our instruction Many would come to Christ but they will not follow him They would enjoy Christ but they will not imitate him Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart saith our Saviour Unlesse thou wilt be Christs disciple thou canst never be a true Christian Let not Christs passion onely be thy merit but let his action also be thy example to live after Thy beloved is white and ruddie Be thou also ruddy by the sprinkling of his bloud and white by the imitation
of his life For how dost thou love Christ if thou lovest not his holy life If ye love me keep my commandments saith our Saviour Therefore he that keepeth not his commandments loveth him not Christs holy life is the perfect rule of our life And this one rule of Christs life is to be preferred before all the rules of Francis or Benedict If thou wilt be the adopted sonne of God consider what was the life of his onely begotten Sonne If thou wilt be a coheir with Christ thou must be a follower of Christ. He that liveth in vices hath given himself to the service of the devil And he that will be with the devil how can he be with Christ To love sinne is to love the devil because all sinne is from the devil How then can he that is a lover of the devil be a lover of Christ To love God is to love holy life because all holy life is from God How then can he that is not a lover of holy life be a lover of God The doing of the work is the triall of love It is the property of love to follow and to obey him that is beloved to will the same that he willeth and to be affected as he is If then thou lovest Christ truly thou wilt obey his commandments thou wilt with him love holy life and being renewed in the spirit of thy minde thou wilt think upon heavenly things Eternall life consists in the knowledge of Christ And he that loves not Christ knows him not He that loves not humility chastitie gentlenesse temperance and charitie loves not Christ Because the love of Christ was nothing else but humilitie chastitie gentlenesse temperance and charitie Christ saith that he knows not them that fulfill not the will of his Father Therefore they also know not Christ that fulfill not the will of their heavenly Father But what is the will of our heavenly Father It is according to the Apostle our sanctification He is not of Christ that hath not the Spirit of Christ Now where the Spirit of Christ is he is present with his gifts and fruits But what are the fruits of the Spirit Love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance As the holy Ghost rested upon Christ So doth he also rest on all those that are in Christ by true faith Because the spouse of Christ doth run in the odour of Christs ointments He that cleaveth unto the Lord is one spirit with him As the carnall copulation of the man and the woman maketh of them one flesh So the spirituall conjunction of Christ the faithfull soul maketh of them one spirit And where there is one spirit there is one will and where there is the same will there are the same actions Therefore he that doth not conform his life to the life of Christ is convinced that he neither doth cleave unto God neither hath his Spirit Is it not meet that we should conform all our life to the life of Christ who in love conformed himself wholly unto us God manifesting himself in the flesh set before us an example of holy life that whosoever doth not live an holy life might be without excuse as concerning the flesh No life is more pleasant or quiet then the life of Christ because Christ is true God And what can enjoy more pleasure or tranquillity then God who is the chiefest good This life bringeth forth short joy but draws with it eternall sorrow To whomsoever thou conformest thy self in this life to him also shalt thou be conformed in the resurrection If thou beginnest here to conform thy self unto the life of Christ thou shalt in the resurrection be more fully conformed unto him If thou conformest thy self unto the devil by sinne thou shalt in the resurrection be conformed unto him by torment He that will follow me let him denie himself saith our Saviour and take up his crosse daily If in this life thou deniest thy self at the day of judgement Christ shall acknowledge thee for his If for Christ here in this life thou renouncest thine own honour the love of thy self and thine own will in the life to come Christ will make thee partaker of his honour of his love and of his will If in this life thou partakest of the crosse in the life to come thou shalt partake of eternall light If in this life thou partakest of tribulation in the life to come thou shalt partake of consolation If in this life thou partakest of persecution in the life to come thou shalt partake of a most large retribution He that shall confesse me before men saith our Saviour him also will I confesse before my Father which is in heaven But we must confesse Christ not onely by the profession of doctrine but also by conformity of life So shall he at length at the day of judgement acknowledge us for his Whosoever shall denie me before men him also will I denie before my Father which is in heaven Christ is not onely denied by words but also and that much more by wicked life Whosoever therefore doth in this life deny Christ by his deeds shall in deed be denied by Christ at the day of judgement He is not a Christian that hath not the true faith of Christ But true faith ingrafts us into Christ as vine-branches into the spirituall vine Every branch that is in Christ and bringeth not forth fruit the heavenly husbandman taketh away But he that remaineth in Christ and in whom Christ dwelleth by faith bringeth forth much fruit That branch is not in the vine which draweth not from the vine its sap nourishment So neither is that soul in Christ by faith which draweth not from Christ the sap of love by faith Conform us good Jesus unto thy life in this world that in the world to come we may be fully conformed unto it Meditat. XXXI Of the deniall of a mans own self Thou from thy self must first depart Before thou canst in Christ have part WHosoever will follow me let him denie himself saith our Saviour To denie ones self is to renounce the love of ones self For the love of ones self doth exclude the love of God If thou wilt be Christs disciple it is necessary that self-love should altogether die in thee No man loveth Christ unlesse he hateth himself Vnlesse the grain of wheat which is cast into the earth do die it doth not bring forth fruit So thou canst not reap the fruits of the holy Spirit unlesse self-love do die in thy heart The Lord said unto Abraham Go out from thine own land and from thine own kindred and from thy fathers house unto the land which I shall shew thee Thou canst not be the true disciple of Christ and a true spirituall man unlesse thou goest forth from the love of thy self Jacob in his wrestling with the