Cause of Everlasting punishment and therefore what Injustice or want of Goodness can it be in God to give them their Choice and torment them with the Damnation of their own Seeking Since 't is a Received Maxime that to him who Wills his own injury no injury in that respect can be done Besides the finally Obstinate and Disobedient carry the Foundation matter of punishment in their own Bosoms Viz. their Sinful Unregenerate Nature and what a wonder is it that the infernal flames should Everlastingly prey upon Never-ceasing Suitable fewel Or what unequal Dealing in God that Endless punishment should be the dismal portion of Endless Guilt and Demerit So long as there is Sin to be punish'd in the Damned so long of Necessity must Continue their punishment Nay should God cease inflicting any Positive Sufferings should Hell cease its External Torments yet would an Habitually impure and finally wicked person become an Hell within Himself his corrupt Lusts and Passions for want of their Suitable vicious Gratifications would continually Torture and Disquiet him So that it is not so much God that Condemns the persevering Impenitent to Eternal Misery as his own Evil Unrenewed Nature which continuing for ever Unchanged in the other life must needs render its unhappy Owner for ever wretched and miserable Now is it not Righteous that Incorrigible Obstinacy should be Endlesly punished That those who had they Lived for Ever would have sin'd for Ever as it may Reasonably be Supposed all finally impenitent persons would have done should be Tormented also Everlastingly God proposes to our free and Rational Choice either an Eternity of Misery or Blessedness now if Endless Glory be Despised and Rejected what Remains but Endless Misery to be the Sinners just Lot of Inheritance Eternal Misery sure is not more Disproportionable to a Vicious Life than Eternal Happyness to a Vertuous and therefore since the Reward promised to our Obedience is Equal to the Punishment threatned to our Disobedience and the Sinner has his unconstrain'd Choice of either of these he acts herein upon the Square or Level and if he chuses Endless Misery before Everlasting blessedness 't is his own most Sottish fault and he hath no one but himself to complain of for it Ah in Hell there will be no cavilling Objections against the Justice of God's inflicting Eternal Punishment for Temporary acts of Disobedience but the Sinner standing Self-condemned will find such Considerations as these some of the bitterest Ingredients in his Torments viz. the Reflections that he might have been Everlastingly Happy if he would That Damnation in its Necessary Causes was his own Choice that the Commandments of God were both Reasonable and Possible have been kept That the Heavenly Assistence offer'd him would have made them Easie and an inward Principle of Divine Love Delightsome that he had once a Day of Grace and Salvation had he pleased to make Use of it but that Now the Saving Benefits thereof are lost through his Carelessness that the Main Constituent of his torments is the wicked impure unconverted Temper of his Mind and that unless he were Holy 't is Impossible for him to be Happy That he sees the way of Heaven Accessible by the innumerable Hast of Saints Martyrs and Confessors which are There and that he finds Hell was avoidable by feeling his own and hearing the hideous Self-Exprobrations of all about him And thus will God be Justified and the Suffering Impenitent Condemned from his own Mind and Conseience Tell me no more then of Gaining the whole World and Loosing thereby my own Soul That is of more worth cost more to be Redeem'd than that it should be batter'd away upon so Slight a Consideration Tell me no more of indulging my flesh into Eternal Ruine to my Spirit I had rather live a Life of uninterrupted Self-denyals and Mortifications than be Damn'd than be Exposed to the Death Endless and insufferable Oh 't is this suffering without any prospect without any hopes of a Release nay with a certain Assurance that their torments shall have no period which is the Hell of Hell to those Despairing Wretches who inhabit it who are not only to suffer during all Eternity but what 's more they suffer the Evils of a Reprobated Eternity in every moment thereof by considering each instant that what they now fell of most acute torments must continue to be their sad portion for Ever without Allay without the least Ease or Intermission Blessed God is this the Death which is the Wages of Sin Is this Endless misery the Conclusion of Short momentary vicious pleasure O come Pain and Anguish come bodily Distress and Affliction so that my Soul may be Saved in the Day of our Lord Let me but escape Hell hereafter and Give me my Hell upon Earth O the heinous Nature the mischievousness of sin which leads to this place of Sufferings May we by the fear of Hell be driven to Heaven by fear of God's Justice be induced to lay hold on his Mercy That considering the end of wicked actions its being Death Eternal we may break them off by Repentance which leads to Life Everlasting The Prayer O Most Just and impartially Severe Divine Being who so hatest sin that thou punishedst it in thine own Son that thou pursuest it with Eternal Vengeance into another World O Grant that by thy Threatning of Hell-Torments we may be preserved from ever coming there may be deterr'd from those wicked actions which lead directly thither May we Answer the end of thy creating an Hell which was by the Affrightment thereof improved into Divine obediential Love to bring us unto Heaven Make us blessed Lord duely sensible of thy Equal Mercy and Loving-kindness in preparing a Tophet a place of punishment for impenitent sinners as in providing an Heaven a place of Glorious Recompence for the perseveringly Good and Righteous in that thou didst intend by those different Objects of our hopes and fears to address thy self differently to our various Tempers and Dispositions and to Drive those to their Duty and Happyness by thy Denunciations of Vengeance who would not be Led to it by the promises of future Glory and felicity O how Graciously hast thou hedg'd in our way to Everlasting Bliss on every side Using all means that we should not Err and Depart from it What couldst thou have done for us which thou hast not done We have an Heaven to Allure to Obedience we have an Hell to Deter from every wilfull impiety How utterly inexcusable shall we then be if we break thorough all these fences and Sanctions of thy Laws Put Gracious God thy fear into our inner parts and make us to Tremble at thy Judgments being Awed by them into an holy Caution that we at no time voluntarily offend thee Knowing the Terrours of thee our Lord O Grant that we may effectually be perswaded to a breaking off our sins and an Applying our selves unto Holyness Give us Grace to Escape as for
Alas How art thou all over Disorder and Irregularity Madness and Unreasonableness Shame and Disgrace Depravity and Corruption How dost thou render the practicers of thee the Objects of God's curse and hatred who is otherwise the most kind and benign being for God who is Love it self Love in the very Abstract does however infinitely hate the Sinner hates him even unto Death Eternal O the Guilt the inexpiable Guilt of sin unrepented of that nothing less than an Eternity of punishment is its Recompence that it shall ever be Attoning for and yet never be Attoned that the precious blood of Jesus as infinitely satisfactory as it is can yet never quench the infernal flames to which sin unforsaken exposes us Ah did men but thoroughly understand the Evil Nature of Sin the baseness the turpitude the Disingenuity and Ingratitude thereof the Greatness of that Everlasting Vengeance to which it renders Sinners obnoxious the full import of Damnation Damnation occasioned through Neglect of so great Salvation as that the Gospel offers us no Temptation sure would be big or prevalent enough to entice them to the wilful commission of Impiety but they would reject it with the same holy scorn and abhorrence as Joseph did the impure sollicitations of his Egyptian Mistress crying out How can we do this Great wickedness and sin against God our Heavenly Father How can we do this great wickedness and sin against his Son our Saviour's most plenteous and merciful Redemption against the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier's most kind and earnest and often repeated Strivings with us to bring us to repentance who wou'd we suffer him to do it did we not resist him by sinning would seal would Confirm and Establish us in Grace unto the Day of Redemption 'T is observable that St. Paul describing the odious and heinous Nature of sin knew not better what to call it than by its own filthy impure Name sinful sin that Sin says he might appear sin and sin by the Commandment appeared exceeding sinful Any other Name than its own had been too Good for it any other than its own would have seemed to have Lessen'd its evil Quality There is nothing in the Creation Irregular and Deformed but as Sin has defaced and brought a Curse upon it Sin the Reverse to all that 's Great and Good Praise-worthy and Honourable the bane and Disorder of Universal Nature That which turned Angels of Light and Glory into Angels of Darkness and Confusion changed their once happy and pure Beings into the unhappyness and impurity of Devils which expelled Mankind out of Paradise expelled them at once out of a state of Innocence and felicity Sin that which exposed us to Sickness Misery and Death Temporal of the Body to Depravity of mind Disorderlyness of Appetites perturbation of passions and the Spiritual Eternal Death of the Soul 'T was fatal impiety and transgression which turned a fruitful Eden into a barren Wilderness turned the Garden of God into a Seed-plot of Temptation for the Devil Subjects the Creature unwillingly to bondage and Corruption makes it Groan earnestly for a Deliverance for the Renovation and Restitution of all things when there shall be no more pain Sorrow Sickness or Death because no more sin the occasion of them no more Bodily Evil because no more mental and moral evil Sin 't is the great Malady and Distemper of the Soul the destruction of its health beauty vigour and Safety that which puts it into a preternatural temper puts all its powers and faculties out of order renders it enflamed with violent passions Sick with inordinate appetites tortured with various and contrary desires and is it not madness to be in Love with such our Disease To hug and Retain so much Spiritual Sickness and infirmity Sin is also the Death of the Soul the Death of it to the Life of Grace and Vertue the Death of it to the Quickning influences and Renewing Efficacy of Gods Spirit the Death of it to any pleasing sense and Grateful Relish of Divine and Heavenly Good things and is it not the highest imprudence to be Jocund and Merry amidst a Dying condition Nay to be Dead actually Dead stupid and benummed in Sins and trespasses and yet Alive delighted in and well-pleased with such our calamitous estate Sin is likewise the most abject Slavery of the Soul that which renders us the Servants of Corruption a Slavery of it to impure lusts and vices to Tyrannous evil customs and habits to the over-ruling Temptations of the Devil who leads wilful sinners Captive at his pleasure And is it not folly to be Gratified and Contented with such a Servile state with such a base and loathsome Drudgery Sin 't is opposite to all God's glorious Attributes and Perfections for if we consider his Soveraignty of Dominion Sin is Disobedience and Rebellion if his Wisdom 't is Folly and Madness in contradicting it if his Power 't is Impotency in vainly defying it if God's Justice is respected Sin is Iniquity if his Goodness and Forbearance 't is Disingenuity and Unthankfulness if his Holyness and Purity 't is the Greatest Pollution and Degeneracy if his Truth and Veracity Sin is Falsehood and Error So that Sin being contrary to the pure and holy Nature of God which is the Original Pattern and Standard of all good Sin consequently must needs be the Top the Abstract and Epitome of all Evil And ought such a thing to be the Object of our Choice of our Love and Approbation of our practice and prosecution Sin contains in it the very formal Nature of Hell and future punishment for what makes Hell What but the Hellish that is the wicked impure tempers and dispositions of the wretches inhabiting it which evil tempers of mind would prove their unhappy owners internal Torment and Disquietude were there no External Lake of fire and brimstone of avenging flames and utter Darkness Nay Sin is not only the principal and constituent part of Hell but also a much worse and far Greater Evil than Hell it self for Hell is Good for something to take vengeance on the finally impenitent and disobedient and thereby to vindicate God's Justice and Holiness but sin serves only to abuse his Grace and Goodness Hell was of Gods making Sin of the Devils Nay Hell was made in pitty to Mankind to deter them from coming into that place of Torments but Sin offers violence to Hell as if it were the seat of Happiness forces open the Gates of that Infernal fiery Furnace dragging men into it much against the Will and Rescuing Endeavours of their Creator Preserver Sanctifier and Redeemer O Sin where is thy profit when as thy Loss is that of our immortal Souls that of Heaven of peace of Mind and Joys in the Holy-Ghost unspeakable and full of Glory Where thy pleasure when-as thy Torment is that of a guilty disquieted Conscience that of continual dread of Divine Punishment that of short empty Delights and after vexatious Reflections on them
the End of all things with us did it Determine and Annihilate our Beings it would be so far from becoming affrightful to the Wicked and Impenitent that they would rather gladly Welcome it as the Rescuer of them from what they most seared a Penal Retribution for all their heinous Provocations in this Life but the Consideration that the first Death is only an Inlet unto a Beginning of the Second which is never to have an End Oh how must this prove doubly affrighting to the Person unprepared for the Temporal and therefore obnoxious to the Eternal Death both reluctant Nature and Guilt causing him to Dread it The acute Dolours of an expiring Sinner's Body make him Wish to Dye but then the more torturing Terrors of his awaken'd Conscience urge him to retract those Wishes and to fear nothing more than a Dissolution which will bring him to Judgment and Eternal Condemnation and thus the Dyeing Impenitent is rackt and tortured between contrary Desires and Choices the Guilty Agonies of his Mind pain him more than all the Convulsive Severities of his Disease so that they Anticipate his Hell on Earth and give him to feel some of its Torments before he goes hence to Experience them in in the Gross But with the Righteous Godly Person it is not so Death indeed to him may look at first somewhat affrightful it being an abhorrence to Nature a forcible Separation of Soul and Body those Dear Companions but then being prepared for Death he living in a continual pious Expectation of it Faith Animating and Confirming Faith strips in his sight that King of Terrors of all his Dâ—smaying Gastliness shews him with his Sting the Guilt of Sin totally pull'd out by the satisfactory Sufferings of our Saviour bids the Good Man walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and fear no Evil Gives him a Delightsome Prospect beyond the Grave Admonishes him to look forward to that Immortal Life and Joy and Glory set before him and in fine Represents to him a blessed Reunion of Soul and Body at the General Resurrection never to part never to be separated again Death to such a one is as a Welcome Night of Repose after the hard Labour and Toil of the Day They Rest from their Labours says the Scripture 'T is as the Enjoyment of the Promised Land after a forty Years wearysome Wandring in the Wilderness nay 't is infinitely more 't is the Introduction into an Heavenly Canaan and Oh how Transporting must it be to have Shot the periâ—lous Gulph of Death and to be safely Landed on the Eternal Shoar To look back with Pleasure on the Wrecks and Dangers we have happily escaped and to find our selves all on a suddain surrounded with New unexperienc'd unheard of and before unconceivable Enravishments Oh who would not Gladly Dye to become Possessor of such an Inheritance who would not gladly Live in perpetual Mortification here to be made Partaker of such Infinite Delights in a Future State Oh Our Life which we falsly so call deserves not so Good a Name Our Life on Earth is but a Death compared with the Eternal Life and Blessedness Above They only Live who being freed from the Fetters of the Body from the corruptible Principles of Mortality are out of a Capacity of Dying any more and enjoy the utmost Delights with a full Assurance of ever enjoying them But here in the midst of Life we are in Death not only â—â—â—ble thereunto but in an Actual Tendency towards it We draw in Vital Aire only to breath it out again and sleep the liveliest Image of Death is the best Repairer of our Life by reason of which frequent Repairs our Life seems no other than a successive Living and Dying Nay our very Health the height thereof what is it but the next step to a Declination into Sickness many times an immediate Cause and Occasion thereof for when the Blood runs highest thence often proceeds a Feavour and too Great a Quantity of Spirits may prove fatal as well as the want of them Just as an House may fall opprest with too much bulk and weight as well as through Weakness and Slightness of Building Ah then that Men who live in continual Hazard of Dying should yet demean themselves with such careless Security as if they were ever to Live Ah that upon this moment for ought we know may Depend our happy Eternity and yet we squander away whole Days and Years in Vanity O when shall we become wise and consider profitably our Latter End When shall we so number our perishing days as to apply our hearts unto Godly Wisdom Time passes on though we mind it not improve not its passing Time passes on and brings us every instant the nearer to Eternity O how ought we to take care that it bring us to an Eternity of Blessedness That the end of our Days prove to us the end of our Hopes even the Salvation of our Souls Alass what Vanity of Vanities what meer Nothings at the hour of Death will all things here below appear unto us which Now look so charming and take off our minds and endeavours from providing for our happy Departures How then will all our pursuits all our possessions of Honour of Riches and Pleasure appear as a Dream as a vanishing Shadow so that we shall at that time account the wisdom of this world folly and madness shall wish wish Earnestly that with all our other Gettings we had Gotten more Religious Understanding had layd up larger Comfortable Treasures of a good Conscience had been as industrious for the Concerns of another Immortal Life as for those of this vain Transitory one Let us therefore take Advice of Death in time of health Death is a faithful Counsellor and will not Deceive will not flatter us and seeing 't is necessary for us to Dye one time or other and as necessary unto Dying well that we often meditate upon Death let us make it the frequent Subject of our thoughts and in such manner view things Now as they will certainly appear to us at our near approach towards Death O may we not live in such a state wherein we would be unwilling to be Surpriz'd by Death unwilling to be call'd to Dye before we have lived to any good purpose but may we through the Spirit mortifie the Deeds of the Body that we may be made Alive unto God What we would wish were done when Dying let us do that Good and vertuous work at present and what wish were undone then let us shun that wicked performance now or if performed undoe it by Repentance before our latter End overtakes us So shall we be Ready for Dying so shall the Day of our Deaths appear better to us than the day of our births we coming into the world crying as born to Labour and Sorrow but going out of it Rejoycing as assured to find Rest and Ease and Enravishment of Soul Amen blessed Saviour Thou Resurrection and the
Loss of the Enjoyment of God for their Loss of Heavenly Joys unspeakable and full of Glory they should be tormented with the positive sufferings of infernal Regions should be banish'd into fire into fire Everlasting into fire Everlasting prepared for the Devil and his Angels the worst of Company the most Dismal Society Oh how Doubly afflictive and vexatious must this prove unto them We believe O Lord all this most solemne process of a final Judgment we believe and tremble thereat O make it an ingenuous fear converting our Souls We behold with an Eye of faith this thy Judiciary Tryal and Enquiry as clearly as if it was the Object of our bodyly vision O Grant it may have such an Effectual influence upon our hearts as to make us live in continual Expectation of it as if the last Trump were already sounding in our Ears and we saw the Graves open'd the Dead coming forth and the Divine Judge Seated on his Dreadful Tribunal May our habitual mindfulness of this Day of future Reckoning cause us to place a watch over our most Secret Thoughts a Guard over our most Innocently pleasant words over our most conceal'd Retired actions always remembring that God is about our path and our bed and will bring every Secret thought and purpose of the heart into Judgment with every Idle word and most clandestine performance O the brightness of the Discoveries of that time of Tryal How Searching how penetrating No Defence no Palliation no Denyal will that Day serve either to countenance or to cover our unrepented sins in vain will it be to offer at either Excuse or Concealment the Darkness of hidden wickedness shall appear no Darkness at all but shall be unto God as clear as the Noon-day Then shall not a well-dissembled Hypocrisie in Religion any longer pass for Sincerity and the power of Godliness then shall not habitually indulged vicious appetites and passions any longer pass for pardonable humane Infirmities a bare Negative holyness the not having done any Enormous evil shall not then Satisfie for the want of Real Positive piety for the want of having done all the Good we could neither shall bare Desires after Grace without the effectual Endeavours be reputed Grace it self But all false Disguises shall be taken off from both our selves and others and a Man shall be accepted only for that he Really hath of Vertue and Goodness not for that which he seem'd to have of it in this World but truely had not The Just shall then be Hardly found Just the Righteous shall Scarcely be Saved O where then shall the Sinner and Ungodly appear How shall they Stand as Justified when Judged O may we in serious thoughtfulness thereon fancy our selves before the Judgment-Seat of Christ may we Examine our selves whether we are Ready prepared for the giving up our Accounts Whether our Lives are able to bear a strict Scrutiny at the Day of our Judges Appearance What holy work we would then more especially desire to be found Eminent in And that let us Now more peculiarly be busied about what it is we would then be most Ashamed of and wish it had never been acted or sincerely Repented of And that let us Repent of Immediately in this our season of Grace and Salvation May we think no Religious pains too Great no Self-denyals too severe no Addresses to Heaven too frequent or too fervent to render us provided for our future Tryals but may we enter at present into Judgment with our selves Accusing and Condemning our own ways that when we shall appear before the Great Judge he may find that before-hand we are accused and Judged Let us often meditate Lord who can Stand before Thee when Thou art Angry Who can be cleared when judged shouldst not thou in the midst of Judgment remember Mercy Woe were it to the most innocent unblameable Life if Thou O God laying aside thy Clemency shouldst sift and Judge it Rigorously The Prayer O Blessed Saviour Thou most Righteous Judge Eternal ordain'd by thy Father to be Judge both of the Quick and Dead whereof he hath given us Assurance in that he hath raised thee from the Dead O Raise us from the Death of sin unto the Life of Righteousness and hereby fit and prepare us for the Day of Judgment Cause us so Effectually to think on it at present as that we may not Dread its Terrors hereafter but may be Justified by thy Sentence and cleared when we are Judged not Trusting in our own Righteousness which is but as filthy Rags but being cloathed with the imputed Righteousness which is of God through faith in Christ Jesus O that when we are Judged we may be found in Him having an Interest in the Merits of his Death and passion O that he who is to be our Judge may likewise be our Advocate and Acquitter Blessed be God the Father blessed be the holy Trinity that thou merciful Jesu art to be our Judge who by Assuming humane Nature wast toucht with a fellow-feeling of our infirmities being in all points Tempted as we are yet without sin that thou mightest have Compassion on us thy brethren who are Tempted and that we might come the more boldly to thy Judgment-seat finding Grace to help in that Greatest time of Need O may we obtain Mercy when our Lord enters into Judgment with us May we be Acquitted when Tryed May our Saviour look on all he has Done on all he has Suffered in our behalf when making tion what we have done Spoke or Thought and may he for the Satisfaction purchased by his Blood be Gracious unto us Give us Gracious God so to Accuse and Condemn our selves for sin by a penitent abhorrence of it that we may not be Accused and Condemned in thy fearful Judgment but may stand in the Judgment as found upright and Absolved therein O that our own hearts may pass that True Judgment on us in this world which Thou blessed Redeemer wilt pass on us in the other and if upon Calling our selves to an Account at present we find that our Consciences Condemn us Grant that we may make void that Condemnation by immediate Amendment considering that if our hearts condemn us Thou our God art Greater than our hearts and knowing all things will much more Condemn us Allay holy Saviour by the pleadings of thy Mediation and Intercession the Rigour and Severity of thy final Sentence cause us to live as if we ever heard that arouzing Summons in our Ears Awake ye dead and come to Judgment O make us in apprehension hereof to Judge and Examine our past Courses and to Correct and Reform whatever we find Amiss in them let the habitual Remembrance of the last Day of Tryal Quicken us unto a more than ordinary holy preparation for it That we may Expect it with comfortable Hope meet it with an humble well-grounded Assurance be Acquitted in it pleading our Lord 's most perfect Obedience and Relying wholely on his Meritorious Expiation
our Lives out of the filthy Sodom of every wicked impurity never so much as looking back upon them with an Eye of complacency lest the flames due unto them overtake us unawares Cause us we beseech thee to flee from sin by the awakening Consideration of its being the only way whereby to flee from the wrath to come O may the Eternity of Hell-punishments restrain both our Inclinations and Embraces from the pleasures or profits of sin which are but for a Season Give us often holy Father to Ask our selves these Startling Deterring Questions when about to sin wilfully How can we do this Great wickedness and by sinning against God provoke his infinite Justice and Almighty power to punish us Who of us can dwell with everlasting burnings Is it not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Everliving God who is a Consuming fire Is it not a most horrid misery to be Eternally a seeking Death and yet never to find it in the Regions of Darkness and Despair O cause us to Dread and Abhor sin which leads to this place of infernal torments as much as the suffering place it self Cause us to think often on Hell that we may thereby be kept from falling into it Grant O holy Jesu Thou who art the Resurrection and the Life that we may never fall into the bitter pains of Eternal Death What else can expose us as sewel to Hell flames but our Sins They are the combustible matter which the fire which cannot be Quenched will ever be preying upon Give us therefore Good Lord to burn up that immoral hey and straw and Stubble at present and then the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels will have no power over us neither will so much as the Smell thereof have past upon us but we shall be received into Everlasting habitations of Celestial Glory and felicity Amen Amen Meditation XX. On Prayer and the Powerful Efficacy thereof PRAYER 't is a Duty of Natural Religion and Worship the Obligation thereunto being founded in the Eternal and immutable Reason of things In God's Supereminent Excellencies and perfections and in our own Dependent Indigent Condition as Creatures We are born infirm and weak poor and Necessitous Beings in Condition Alms-People and Beggars and therefore to pray alwayes is a Duty incumbent on us from the state of our Nature as well as by the Command and Enjunction of God-Allmighty Prayer 't is an Acknowledgemant of God's Awful Transcendent Majesty and of our own despicable meanness and imperfection of his Sovereignty and our Subjection of his Self-sufficiency and over-flowing plenitude of Happyness and of our own penury straightness of fortune and impotency of his immaculate Purity and Holyness and of our Vileness and Corruption by Reason of sinning And upon these Accounts our Addresses to Heaven ought to be accompanyed with all Lowlyness and Humality with all holy Dread and Reverence Prayer being also a Duty of the greatest Importance to us an instrument of bringing down all manner of Blessings Temporal Spiritual and Eternal ought to be offer'd up with the most fixt Attention of mind with the most zealous Intention and fervour of Spirit with the most hearty Sorrow in Confession the most Earnest Desires in Petition the most urgent and yet Lowly importunity in Deprecation with the most Rais'd Joy and affectionate Gratitude in Thanksgiving We ought also in Prayer to Exercise an unshaken Faith Hope Trust and Confidence but however to wait with Patience and Dependance with an humble Submission and Resignation to God's will whether or no he shall be pleas'd to Gratifie the Desires of our hearts to Answer the requests of our lips And to induce us with the greater Willingness and Alacrity to set about this Duty of Prayer let us consider the mighty Honour and high Dignity accuring to us therefrom for is it not an Honour for us Creatures to be permitted to talk and freely converse with our Creator Is it not an Honour for us vile worms for us sinful Dust and Ashes to be allow'd the priviledge of having ready Access at any time to the Supream Majesty of Heaven and Earth thereby to make known to him our sins our infirmities our wants our calamities and distresses and hereupon to obtain the pardon of our sins the healing of our infirmities the Supply of our pressing wants the mitigation or entire Removal of our Distresses Consider also the inestimable Benefit of Prayer 't is the Channel through which are convey'd all our Mercyes the best Desensative against impendent Dangers and mischiefs against Divine Judgments and corrections for sinning The great Repeller of Temptations the powerful Subduer of our vices and evil inclinations the fruitful improver of our Graces and vertuous Dispositions Lastly Consider together with the Honour and Benefit the great Delight and pleasure resulting from a due discharge of Prayer for what can be more pleasurable than to maintain a constant Intercourse with the Highest and most Excellent of Beings Than to hold Communion by Addresses to the Throne of Grace with our Creator Preserver Redeemer Sanctifier and Continual Benefactor and hereby to have the frequent Effects and Emanations of his Goodness and Benignity derived down upon us and the Devotional Testimonies of our Love and Gratitude Ascending up again unto him What can be a greater Ease and Refreshing to our minds than to Disburthen them of the oppressive weight of Guilt contracted by a free and ingenuous Acknowledgment thereof by humble petitioning for forgiveness of the same by Deprecation of punishment and resolutely promising by the Assistance of God's Grace never to Re-act the like or any other wilful wickedness for the future In sine what more Delightful than to vent our Griefs our fears our wants our Anxieties and Distresses into the Ears of our Heavenly Father one so Tender and Affectionate so True to his word so mindful of his promises so Large in Bounty and beneficence so thoroughly Able so exceedingly Willing to supply all our wants to Dry up all our Tears to Remove all our Affrightments to Satisfie our Anxieties and Relieve our sorest Distresses Prayer rightly circumstantiated what is' t it cannot do It has subdued Kingdoms obtain'd promises wrought Miracles Stopt the Mouths of Lions Quench'd the violence of fire out of weakness made Men Strong Rais'd the Dead to Life again It makes at present through the meritorious Mediation of our Saviour peace both in Heaven and Earth unlocks the Gates of Divine Mercy rifles the Celestial Treasury brings down much of its rich Stores unto us has power both with God and Man and mightily prevails Rendring both yielding entreatable compassionate Prayer 't is another Jacobs Ladder which maintains a mutual Commerce and Correspondency between Heaven and Earth 't is a Burning-Glass of Divine Love wherein all the heats and warmths of a servently pious Soul are concenter'd wherein it exerciseth all its Grace with the greatest vigour and Activity Exerciseth its profoundest Humility towards
thereby drive out of us all inordinate love for meaner Objects and Gratifications Amen Blessed Lord Amen Meditation II. On the Redemption of Time THere is no Talent committed to our Trust more precious than Time it being a season for the making provision for an Happy Eternity and yet no Trust is there more abused more profusely squander'd away We take Time by the Fore-lock in all our Temporal Concerns laying hold on the first opportunity of well-managing them but in Spirituals we defer and delay and move so heavily about the good husbanding of Time as if the wheels of our Chariots of our Executive Powers our Wills and Affections were taken off and Time was rather to be shunn'd and avoided than diligently pursued But is This running the Race of Christian Obedience set before us Is This giving all diligence to make our Calling and Election Sure Is This Redeeming the Time because the days are Evil Time lies so dead a Commodity on many Peoples hands that they are glad to get rid of it at any rate whatsoever The next vain pleasure and divertisement the next as vain and impertinent Idle-Companion the next fruitless silly or corrupting Spectacle shall ease them of their spare hours as they call 'em of their leisure and wearisome seasons But ah that any time should be accounted spare and vacant when so much as our Eternal Salvation depends upon it and we know not whether we shall Live till the next Moment Ah that what is the dying Man's Want should be the well Person 's Burthen While Living Time is thought by us too Long and Tedious we are hard put to it to spend many of its Hours while Dying 't is accounted too short and Transient which now is likely to be the truest Judgment that of the living or dying man For certain that of the Latter For at the near approaches of Death all false disguises which the Lusts of the Flesh the Lusts of the Eye or the Pride of Life had put on things are pull'd off and then all things appear in their proper Colours and Genuine Native Dress When Death Stares us in the face when Time is nigh at an End with us then we shall know the true value of Time then to our cost and trouble have far different Sentiments concerning it than what we have Now then oh that Time could be Recall'd that Time mis-spent could be lived over-again and be better improved how diligent and industrious would we be in its improvement But alass these Good Wishes come then too late to be converted into Good Practices Death will not be put off Time will not be Recall'd and the Man dies despairingly Disconsolate if not everlastingly Miserable not for that he had no means of Grace no opportunities of Salvation but because he made not that Good Use of them as he both might and ought to have done Time passes away swiftly though we idle and loiter the Minutes the precious Minutes fly while we are speaking we are Now a Moment nearer Eternity than we were the former one but are we in a nearer preparation for it Is there a nearer Tendency in us to an Heavenly Temper the nigher we come to the Heavenly State Or rather grow we not more Earthly Affection'd the nigher we draw to our bed of Earth the Grave Alass the Loss of Time is one of the Greatest Losses in the World and yet how Light a matter do we make of it This Life so short so uncertain every Moment of it so valuable and yet that we should live as if it were never to have an End or as if we had nothing of Concern to do in it How Astonishing is this what an Instance of Folly and Inconsiderateness Blessed God! That a Pearl of so Great price as an indulged space of Repentance as an happy opportunity of Salvation should be cast before Swine before brutish sensual Worldlings should be put into the Custody of those who value it not who know not how to use and improve it The Days the Months the years of our Lives are violently born away by the impetuous Torrent of Time many many Days of our Years are past and Gone as to our ever living them over again but though past yet are they not wholly lost and perish'd They are Registred in God's Faithful Book of Remembrance they are there preserved they are there charged upon us for a demand of their Good Use and Husbandry an Account an Account of them will one day be required at our Hands And it will be but a lamentable Account indeed when all we have to offer for the expence of our Life past will be so much Time spent Idly and in doing of nothing to any Good purpose so much spent to a very Bad one in Riot and Excess in Chambering and Wantonness so much in unnecessary Habitual Sports and Divertisements so much spent in the Devil's Service and so little in God Almighty's Ah will such an Account think ye pass our Great Auditor's Examination Will such an Account procure our Discharge and Acquitment What a strange perverse folly is it in us to complain our Life is short and yet to render it far shorter by letting much of it lye Fallow and unimproved To complain our day time here is quickly spent and our Night of Death is near at hand and yet to invent Arts to lavish this short Remainder of Life and then to lament its being so soon past away and we are Gone But if we would lengthen time let us leave off complaints and fall to the work of improving it let us beside the ordinary Returns of Publick Religious Worship at set appointed Seasons be frequent and fervent in our private Domestick Devotions let us allow to Religion and the exercises of Vertue some of those Great shares of Time which we call spare Hours which we trifle away in vanities and impertinencies in pleasures and recreations in fruitless Visits and Complements which we spend viciously in Luxury Riot and Intemperance or which we suffer to lye waste without any Employment at all 'T is a vast work a man may do if he never permits himself to be Idle 't is a huge progress he may make in Vertue if he never stops in the way through Carelesness or never goes out of his way by wilful and presumptuous sinning Strive to improve all your Time strive to suffer none of it to pass unaccountable and this will be to Redeem it this will be to compensate for its shortness for its uncertainty and Irrevocableness We cannot begin too soon to live well and yet do we demur about it Had we set upon the work of Religion much earlier we should have had none to spare all would have been little enough whereby to have evidenced the sincerity of our Faith and Hope and Trust of our Love to God and his Commandments whereby to have secured an Interest in his Favour and Acceptance and in his free Gift Eternal Life For Heaven cannot
be over-purchased we cannot do too much for such a far more exceeding and endless weight of Glory and the more we do in Holy Services the Greater in all Likelihood will be our future Recompence of Reward By instantly beginning to live well we shall render the work the easier shall be better disposed to it our selves and shall have less to Repent of and Reform but the longer we delay Redeeming our time the Greater and more Difficult undertaking shall we find it when we set about it Every man has his Religious Task appointed him at his coming into this World to discharge before his Going out of it and each day has its peculiar Godly work and business assign'd it wherefore if we imprudently omit the proper employment of this day we shall have so much the more to do to morrow both this days Religious work and to morrow 's also Since then sufficient unto its own day is the vertuous Task thereof let us not through our present Omissions double and multiply our future pious Pains and Labours encrease by delays of Redeeming Time our work of Salvation and diminish at the same instant our strength and ability to perform it with So much Time as we have lost in the neglect of Piety and Vertue so much have we lost of our increase of future Happiness and of our weight of Eternal Glory and can we be content to loose yet more of it Can we be content through our mispence of Time to hazard the whole of Everlasting Blessedness Time present is our only state of Trial and Probation the After-Life determines our Condition to either Everlasting Happiness or Misery and therefore we ought to improve to the utmost instant Opportunities and to work out our Salvation to Day while 't is call'd to Day For our Religious Work is large and difficult the putting off a whole Body of Sin the putting on the whole Armour of Righteousness the subduing old evil habits a contracting by the Grace of God in Conjunction with our Endeavours new Vertuous habits the improving them into a Second Nature into a participation of the Divine Nature and Likeness All this we have to do in the short space of our Mortality in a Life but a Span long and therefore ought to supply our Poverty of Time by its frugal Well-management and by the Intenseness of our Affections and Services God-ward Making up in Industry and Zeal what we want in Time and obeying God universally chearfully fervently and constantly unto the End But oh the quite contrary Practice of the Generality of the World who are forward to improve every thing but Time which most of all requires improvement who pursue eagerly every Advantage but the Highest one their Eternal Salvation Ah doubtless he is unworthy of Eternal Life who seeks it not diligently as for hid Treasure who lives not to God and his own Soul Certainly he is unworthy to win the Prize of Heavenly Glory who runs so carelesly as if he matter'd not whether he obtain'd it or no! All that Time is but wasted whereof no part is spent in the Concerns of Religion The Prayer O Eternal God who wast before all Time and shalt continue to be when Time shall have an End in whose hands are the Issues and Disposal thereof seeing time past cannot be Recall'd by us cannot be lived over again Grant that we may Redeem it by a double diligence and improvement of the Remaining Season We improve O Lord every thing else O give us Grace to husband well our Time also we put out our Moneys to Interest we Till and Manure our Grounds we watch and make our best of every opportunity of growing Rich O cause us likewise to put out the precious Talent of Time to Interest cause us to Till and Cultivate our Souls that they may fructifie with saving Graces make us to be intent upon and manage to the best opportunities of growing wise unto salvation of becoming Rich in Faith and Good Works Convince us that unless we Redeem Time the Redemption purchased by our Saviour will nothing avail us Convince us that Time is the only season wherein to make provision for a blessed Eternity O may the dying man's wish the dying man's Good Resolution more Time better improvement of it might it be afforded him be the study of us Living men be our most constant care and exercise Give us to consider holy Father what one of the damned would give but for one more of those Probationary days which we squander away without any due regard or vertuous improvement Give us to consider that the abuse or neglect of Time will occasion us if persisted in a sad and mournful Eternity full of bitter Regrets and stinging Self-condemnations Ah gracious God do we live upon Moments Is each minute's Preservation a kind of Creation and yet do we make light of and trifle them away Ah wretched Triflers with our own safety and Everlasting Salvation Convince us convince us good Lord that the Day-time of our Lives is far spent that the short Remainder is hazardous and uncertain that the Night of Death may be nigh at hand and let these convictions cause us to walk as Children of the Day not in the evil works of Darkness but in employing well our Time and other Talents that we may not fall into the condemnation of the slothful and wicked Servant O suffer us not to fold our hands to sleep in the midst of so many and great spiritual Dangers wherewith we are encompass'd but make us to be intent on all Religious opportunities Since our days O Lord are but few upon Earth cause us by walking circumspectly to Redeem the time that they may not be Evil likewise or unprofitable Are holy Jesu Death and the Grave Judgment and Eternity not far from us and yet are we far from being ready prepared for them Live we as if we were to live always As if this was the only life and no future one to be expected O cause us to shake off this our careless security cause us to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure May the time past of our lives suffice ah far too much was it to have been mis-spent in sin and vanity wherefore for the time to come make us industrious and always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as we know that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. O Grant that every moment of time present may be precious unto us because the Interests of our precious immortal Souls depend upon it make us so well to improve Time as that it may be the securing unto us of an happy Eternity Amen Amen Meditation III. On the Folly and Danger of deferring Repentance TO delay present Repentance in hopes of future Conversion is alike imprudent as for a sick Man to neglect the present use of Medicines in hopes of future Health and Recovery whenas by his neglect of Remedies he in
all probability renders his Distemper desperate and incurable To delay Amendment and continue in Sin with intent of quitting it hereafter is to wound our Consciences with the stings and remorses of Guilt on purpose of healing them again some time hence 'T is to refuse to do what is in our power and to defer the doing it till it may be out of our power 't is to make our future work of Repentance much greater more grievous and difficult than it would be at present and yet to hope to set about it more Advantagiously in time to come 'T is to increase our Task to lessen both our Will and Ability to perform it with and yet to think to perform it better under these Disadvantages To defer Conversion is to persist becoming vain in our Imaginations erroneous in our Elections corrupt in our Performances that afterwards we may become Wise and retract with Bitterness of Self-condemning thoughts our former vain Judgments wrong Choices evil Practices that we may upon change of Mind Will and Affections call our selves fools a thousand times for our former wicked goings astray and may be ashamed of may abhor and grieve for our past Impieties as much as ever heretofore we loved and delighted in them all these Absurdities and Foilies Delay of Repentance implies 'T is a refusing to become well and safe and happy at present and a referring our spiritual Welfare our everlasting safety and happiness to the hazardous uncertainties of Futurity But do we act thus imprudently in other Affairs of far lesser moment No certainly when Sick we delay not the use of means for our Recovery when Maim'd or Wounded we apply our selves immediately to a Cure but when sick with Sin nigh unto death Eternal when wounded in Mind by the Rebukes of Guilt contracted and maimed in all the Faculties of our Souls by the disorders of Impiety so that from the Crown of the head to the sole of the feet there is no whole part in us yet here we hug our Distemper seem unwilling to be cured at present and defer the healing remedy Repentance till some further season but ah that we should be so wise and provident in Temporals and so careless and inconsiderate in Spirituals Ah that we should be so much concern'd for the Body and so little for the Soul Oh that men should judge it too early to become instantly secure of endless Salvation when they are not secure of living till to morrow till the next moment Vain inadvertent Wretches That they should be daily a dying hourly subject to Death and yet promise themselves some years hence the making sure of Eternal Life Certainly they know not what it means of what value and importance it is that they thus stupidly neglect it Ah can they think God will lengthen out that Life which is a design'd Course of Audacious Defiance and wicked Rebellion against him Ah can they think he will so unweariedly wait to be Gracious unto them Alas they consider not what Bonds and Fetters an Evil Custom puts upon the Soul how frequent Acts of doing wickedly improve into a confirm'd habit and an habit of Impiety becomes a second Nature almost unrelinquishable and yet do they imagine they shall be freer to break loose from Sin after a long-continued Bondage thereunto That their Chains of Iniquity will be the easier shaken off after they are Rivited by Custom and Inveteracy of wicked Practice Can we make too much haste to be Saved To get out of a state liable to Eternal Death and Condemnation into a state of Divine Grace and Favour Are our Minds Wills and Affections likely to be softer more melting and impressible with the sorrows of Repentance after they are Harden'd through the Deceitfulness of continued sinning Will God's Grace the more abound towards us the more we abound in Transgressing against him What Surety hast thou impenitent Delayer but thy day of Grace may be ended before the day of thy Life But that not Believing and Repenting at present hereafter may be too Late He that Believeth and Repenteth not says our Saviour is condemned Already The Irreversible Sentence may be Pronounc'd on thee here though Executed in another World Repent Hereafter Why dost thou consider what Hereafter means It imports the utmost Hazard and Uncertainty In reckoning on Futurity thou reckonest on a thing out of thine own Power and only in God Almighty's Disposal for the Grace of Repentance as all other Graces is the Divine Gift and He who has promised pardon to the Penitent has no where told us we can be penitent when we Please On the contrary God has inform'd us that 't is his Spirit which works in us both to Will and to do of his Own Good pleasure and canst thou think he will work it though never so long Resisted in the endeavour That his Divine Patience will never be tired the Treasures of his Long-suffering be never exhausted The Holy Scripture indeed tells us God waits to be Gracious but how Long he waits we are not acquainted on the contrary it is written My Spirit shall not Always strive with manâ— To Day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Seek the Lord while he may be found call upon hiâ— while he is near What can be thâ— meaning of these places of Sacreâ— Writ but that if we neglect thiâ— present Accepted time hereafteâ— may be an unacceptable one buâ— that if we hear not Now God's Voice calling us to Repentance he may hereafter refuse to hear our Voice calling to him for Grace Mercy and Acceptance But that if we neglect the instant Season of seeking the Lord while he may be found and calling upon him while he is near there may and will come a time when he will not be found a season when he will be afar off with his Divine help and Assistance and when as holy David says in the great water-floods in the time of our bitterest Distress and Calamity we shall not come nigh him Read Proverbs the First the 28 and 29 verses God despises that Death bed Repentance when men leave sin meerly because sin must leave them because they can keep that and the World no longer when being by constraint a going hence they desire to go unto God rather than into the place of Torments prepared for the Devil and his Angels But no imposing upon Omnisciency The searcher of Hearts sees that such a forsaking of sin is forced imperfect flowing from no right Principle and therefore he values it not Ah there is a time when God leaves sinners to themselves when they will not by any means be perswaded to leave their sins There is a certain measure of God's Grace and of man's Impieties after which the Holy Spirit withdraws himself and will not any longer be entreated And how knowest thou persevering Impenitent but that if thou neglectest Grace and the season thereof Now the measure of thy sins may hereafter be compleated and both
thy allowance of Grace and the opportunity of making use of it may be over with thee Which God grant that it may not be Amen Amen The Prayer MOST Merciful Father Patitient and Long-suffering who waitest to be Gracious and yet whose Spirit will not always strive with obstinate impenitent sinners dost Thou O Lord call unto us Behold Now is the Accepted Time behold Now is the Day of Salvation and do we cry to morrow is soon enough some Days or Years hence will be as Acceptable a time as this present one Ah Mad-men that we are Ah foolish Self-deceiving Creatures who should know best the Day of our Salvation Thou our God the Author of it or We Who should know best how Long thy Spirit will strive with us How Long Thou wilt wait to be Gracious O cause us to Day while 't is call'd to Day to hear thy voice and not harden our hearts against thy Invitations to Repentance Convince us blessed Lord in order to a present amendment that 't is some degree of hardening our hearts not to hearken to thy Voice this Day That every continuance in sin is one Advance more towards final Impenitence a rendering our future Conversion the more Grievous and Difficult and our Confirmation in wickedness the Greater and nearer to irretrievable And in a sense of all this make us we beseech thee to Retire out of the ways of Iniquity immediately For would we be willing to be surprized by Death Judgment and Eternal Torments in an Impenitent State Would we be willing to be summon'd before thy Judgment-seat to give an Account of our Stewardship before our Accompts are duely Stated and made up If we would not O cause us then to give all Diligence at present to make our Calling and Election Sure to work the Religious work for which we were sent into this World while 't is Day before the Night of Death cometh wherein 't is impossible to work out our Salvation Is there Lord any one of us but would willingly Repent and turn unto Thee sometime before he Dyes because otherwise he knows he cannot be saved but who of us can be sure he shall Repent before Death that delays the work till to morrow For who can tell what a Day may bring forth Cause us therefore Gracious God to live every day as if it were to be our last for that we know not but it may be such Cause us to live so at present as we shall wish we had done when we come to Dye O grant we may not Dye with any Guilt upon our Consciences or any known sin unrepented of Grant that we may not put far from us the Evil Day and thereby flatter our selves into a state of impenitence and endless Destruction but give us Grace to use well the means of Grace and improve the opportunities of Salvation while they are mercifully afforded us lest we provoke thee our God to swear in thy wrath that such obstinate sinners shall never enter into thy Rest Let holy Father the uncertainty of the time of our Saviour's coming to Judgment either to the universal one or that of each particular person soon after his Death make every one of us live in a continual Readiness and Preparation for it that we may not have our Oyl of Grace to seek our Lamp of an holy Conversation to Trim and Replenish when we should enter in with the Bridegroom of our Souls Christ Jesus into his Marriage-Feast But grant that at what Season soever our Lord comes to call us to an Account of the Talents committed to our trust he may behold all our Debts to his Divine Justice ready Cancell'd by our Repentance through the Merits of his Blood and finding us perseveringly employ'd in Good Works he may say unto us Well done Good and Faithful Servants Enter ye into your Master's Joy Amen blessed Jesu Amen Meditation IV. On the Malignity and Evil Nature of Sin O Sin how common art thou and yet how little understood How Common and therefore how little Dreaded and Abhorr'd Did men consider and understand thee more they would sure Love and Practice thee Less Alass they consider not thy direct opposition to God's Soveraign Authority Rectitude of Will and purity of Divine Essence thy contrariety to the Laws of Nature of Reason and of Grace How thou art a Violation of God's Revealed Will and Pleasure in the Sacred Scriptures Writings which contain nothing but precepts Holy Just and Good and which consequently 't is our greatest Interest and Advantage as well as Bounden-Duty to observe and our greatest Disadvantage as well as Disobedience to break and violate They consider not Sin how opposite thou art to their own Personal Welfare and Happiness Temporal Spiritual and Eternal how Degrading and Defiling to their Souls and Consciences what an Ignominy and Reproach to our Understandings what a Violence and Affront to our Reasons what a perversion and wrong-byass of our Wills and Affections what a cause of Regret and Disquietude of Mind to those who voluntarily Commit thee how offensive to God how injurious to Man how prejudicial to the Common Order Peace and Prosperity of the Universe What an ungrateful Return thou art to the Divine Goodness Patience and Forbearance how thou art an offering despite to the Spirit of Holiness a Grieving a Quenching a total Driving it away from us a Crucifying afresh the blessed Son of God a Treading him under foot and accounting the Blood of the New-Covenant an unholy thing a Rejection of all the Merciful Terms and offers of Gospel-Reconciliation a rendering the means and instruments of begetting Grace in us ineffectual a choosing Death Eternal Death rather than Life Eternal Life a wilful Treasuring up of Wrath against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of a provok'd offended Deity All this and much more the Commission of known voluntary Sin implies and can we be so irrational so Vile and Dis-ingenuous so even like Beasts before God as to continue practicing vicious Impurity with Greediness after having thus weigh'd and consider'd how Evil how bitter and Lothsom a thing it is Oh is there no knowledge no understanding in the Workers of Impiety is there no Shame no Fear no Regard in them to their Everlasting Salvation that they drink down Iniquity like Water and Rush into the occasions of their own Ruin into the performance of all Wickedness as the War-Horse rusheth into the Battle fearlessly and inconsiderately Ah Vice how stupifying a thing art thou What a polluter first of our Souls and Consciences and after long Custom of sinning what a layer of them Asleep what an hardener of our hearts through thy continued and dayly advancing deceitfulness Thou Wickedness art pleasurable indeed in the Act but alass how transient the Act how vain and inconsiderable the pleasure whereas the after-Memory of thee is tormenting and much more exquisite much more Durable a Pain than thy vicious Enjoyment was a Delight
seeking whom he may devour He watches for our Ruin and Seduction and therefore we ought to watch for our own preservation he is diligent to betray us and therefore it imports us to be very careful that we avoid his treacherous Snares He walketh about is never at Rest from attempting our Corruption seeks occasions lies in wait to offer us Temptations then when he finds us most unguarded then when he finds our hearts most light and vain and consequently most liable to entertain his Suggestions He watches what sinful Allurement is likeliest to take Effect with us by means of his observing what our General Temper of body most inclines us to or what our occasional disposition of Mind renders us the most subject to comply with and he baits his hook with such a Temptation as is most agreeable to our sinful Inclination which he hath aforehand discover'd or at least shrewdly Ghest at and therefore it nearly concerns us to Guard our selves against him with Watchfulness to keep us from those sins we are most inclinable to that they gain not the Dominion over us to keep us from Constitutional Sins to which our Tempers byass us from those of frequent occurrence from sins of Infirmity which being Lesser ones are on that account less Observable and Dreaded and consequently the more Dangerous to be very careful to avoid the Occasions of sinning the pre-dispositions means and opportunities leading thereunto to shun the very shews and Appearances of Evil In short to watch against all Sin and Temptation in General There is no Condition of life free from its Enticements to sinning they are apt to intermingle themselves with whatever we Think Speak or Act Wealth and Prosperity is a dangerous Temptation to the sinful Abuse of Divine Blessings into Excess and Wantonness into Pride and Carelesness into Forgetfulness of God and our Duty owing to him and Want and Adversity is a strong tho' undue Provocative to Distrust and Diffidence of God's Goodness presiding Care over us is an Incitement to Murmuring Impatience and Discontent with his Providential Dispensations So that in every state we are Unsafe and Insecure in every thing Sin lies at the door to surprize and Assault us its Snares are spread for us every where though we are insensible of them though perhaps for the present they have not in any Gross instance Caught and Entangled us and when we live thus among vicious Baits and Dangers always Near always Expos'd to 'em ought we not to be extream wary and vigilant Alass the Partition Line between Lawful and Unlawful is so small and narrow that the passage from one to the other is but a Step or rather if we advert not a sudden and easie Slip The utmost Freedom in things Allowable is a Bordering on the confines of Disallowable nay not only a Bordering upon what 's prohibited but also an hazardous Temptation thereunto We must not come Nigh a Pest-house if we would not be infected with its Contagion Temptation is indeed the Subject-Matter and Exercise of Vertue so far from Moral Evil in it self that 't is the Tryal and Improvement of our Graces the Tryal of an honest upright Heart of our sincere Love to God and Goodness of our resolved Constancy in the ways of Holy Obedience But however 't is a perilous proof of our Vertue and better be without the Proof than without our Innocency better be out of the reach of Temptation than by coming in its way endanger our being over-power'd therewith Yet since we can never be wholely out of the Reach of Temptation at least out of a Liableness thereunto good Reason have we to be continually watchful and circumspect over our Hearts and our Behaviour that sin through its Deceitfulness Gain not upon us For Satan's wicked Allurements his vicious suggestions could never take hold on us would never find Admittance into our souls were not the way prepared for their Entrance by our evil Lusts and corrupt Appetites those Foes of our own Household who like Treacherous false friends in a Besieged Cittadel set open the Gates thereof in time of Rest and Security for the Besiegers to enter in at Let us chiefly therefore have an observant eye over our own Hearts endeavour our utmost to free them of all impurities and beg of God that he would cleanse the Thoughts the Desires of our Hearts by the Inspiration of his most Holy Spirit and then we might bid safe Defiance to all the Devils wicked solicitations to all the Worlds enticeing Flatteries We are apt to say of Smaller sins of sins of humane Frailty and Infirmity of some Bosom Lust as Lot did of Zoar is it not a Little one and my Soul shall live But ah how do we deceive our selves with such vain words For can any Sin be Small which is an offence against an infinitely Great and Glorious Divine Majesty which is a violation of an Holy Just and Good Law can any sin be Small the wages whereof is Death Eternal The Price of whose Expiation was the precious Bloodshed of the Son of God The Distinction of sins into Greater and Lesser ones is made not in regard that Lesser sins for their matter are not Great ones in their Evil Quality are not great Repugnancies to the Divine Purity highly displeasing unto God equally exposing of us with Greater Vices to the Sentence of Condemnation and to a suffering the vengeance of Eternal fire but for that they are Lesser breaches of the Established Order and Harmony of things in this World Offer Less violence to the checks of our Consciences are Less offences against the well-fare of our brethren or smaller injuries to our own Temporal Interests whether of Mind or Body of Goods or Good-Name However in strictness of speaking Small Sins are of a great Guilt because more easily Resistible because the Temptation to them is Lighter and therefore a complyance with it is an Evidence of great Degeneracy of Spirit of an evil Heart within which chooses sin with Little Bait in great measure for Sinnings sake The Weakness of Assaults from Lesser Temptations adds to the inexcusableness of our Cowardice if we suffer them to vanquish us and therefore they ought the more unyieldingly to be withstood This then being my Duty watchfulness against all iniquity against all Temptations all Occasions tending thereunto I will by the Grace of God be very diligent in the Exercise of it And dothou O God strengthen my Purposes confirm my Resolutions Assist my sincere Endeavours of Striving against sin of Resisting all its Allurements of being brought under the Dominion of none of them O Lord lead me not permit me not to be led into Temptation but Deliver me from all evil both Moral and Natural Corporal and Spiritual for thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The Prayer O THOV Divine Supporter of the weak thou strengthner of such as do stand and Raiser up of them that fall
provoakt by any Greater ones he is like the Sublimer Regions of the Air all Calm and Serene Quiet and Sedate while the Lower Orbs Angry passionate Persons are full of Storms and Tempests of Rage and Resentment in their bosoms Intemperate Anger 't is the high Feavour of the Soul the foul Deformity of the Mind a Shame and Reproach to our Understandings That which unfits us for Humane Society makes us suitable companions only for Wild BeasTs unfits us both for the business of our Civil Employments and also for the Several Duties of Religion That which Roils and fires our blood corrodes and preyes upon our Hearts puts into a violent tumult and irregular hurry our Animal Spirits and hereby impairs our Health wastes our Strength and breaks the firmness of our Constitution Passion 't is a Disorder of Soul which Ruffles the Smoothness and disturbs the calm Tranquillity of our Lives renders us pityed by Friends laughed at by Strangers hated and Reviled by Enemies the Condolement of the former the Merriment and Scorn of the latter Impetuous Anger Oh how ill-Natur'd a thing it is How Envyous as it were of Mankinds Happyness For how unquiet does it render a Person to himself how uneasie and unacceptable to others What Mischiefs does it hurry Men into the Commission of which afterwards occasion their Sorrowful Repentance What foolish Speeches and unseemly Ridiculous Actions does it draw from those possest by it And no wonder for 't is the Drunkenness the Intemperance of the Mind and as we say of a Drunkard when the Wine is it with him the Wit is out so may 〈◊〉 be said of one Drunk with Passion when That is predominant then 〈◊〉 his Understanding supprest in 〈◊〉 operations How severely was undue passion Reproved by our Lord in his Disciples who were for calling down 〈◊〉 from Heaven on the inhospitable Samaritans The Son of Man says he is not come to destroy mens lives 〈◊〉 to Save them That is the Gospeâ— Occonomie which you are under 〈◊〉 a Gospel of Peace and Reconciliation not a Law allowing Revenge and Retaliation Impatient Rage and fierceness How contrary is it to that God who is Slow to Anger who waits to be Gracious who terms in holy Writ Judgment or Vengeance his Strange work As if through Desuetude and unfrequency of Executing it he was grown unacquainted therewith How opposite also is ungovernable fury to the Meek and Lowly the Calm and Dispassionate Example of the Ever-blessed Jesus who was oppress'd who was afflicted yet he open'd not his Mouth Isa 53. 7. who when he was Reviled Reviled not again when he suffer'd he threatned not but committed himself to him that Judgeth Righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. Where was Anger where was the least Tendency towards it in all our Saviours Carriage from the time of his Apprehension to that of his cruel Death and Crucifixtion though Mocked and Scourged and in the highest Degree Tempted to a Discomposure And shall not we who profess our selves his Disciples Copy after his Pattern Transcribe it in as large a measure as may be into our Hearts and Lives Let us not in Cowardice and Lazyness cry out 't is impracticable to suppress passion whenas many Old Testament Worthies have done it and Gain'd themselves Immortal Renown thereby whenas we have above all others such an eminent Instance of suppressing it in our blessed Redeemer when we have such mighty Aids and Assistances of Gods Spirit under the Gospel whereby to suppress it when many Heatheâ—â— who have had no such Illustrious Pattern no such powerful Assistance as we have however been famous for this Command over themselves it subduing their passions of all Victories the Greatest and most Noble And shall not what was praise-worthy and commendable in them be come a Vertue in us Christians of much higher Nature We practicing it according to more perfect Rules agreeably to a more Transcendent Example and in an higher measure than either Jew or Gentile even to the suppression of the first motions toward undue Resentment Ah what a foolish vice is Excessive Anger which creates a man trouble in his mind to no purpose for what is past and Gone and therefore cannot be Recall'd or Remedyed which makes him loose the Enjoyment of what he yet possesses out of fretful Discontent concerning what he has Lost Which turns also another Man's Sin his unjust provocation of me into my own most severe and smarting punishment while I fret and fumâ— and thereby Gratifie my Adversary in making his reproach or injury done me work beyond his Agency and in mine own hands and keeping This let me consider was what he Design'd it for to Disturb my Quiet and Repose and therefore fool that I am to suffer my provoker to have his Intent herein fool that I am to Set such an high value on my self or any thing I enjoy as to violate the Enjoyment of my own peace and Satisfaction through Resentments at my Reviler or through Loss and prejudice of whatever I had No rather let me possess my Soul in patience Silencing my Discontents with this Consideration that an All-wise and Infinitely Good Providence order'd or permitted things to be thus towards me and that 't is for the Tryal for the Improvement of my Graces of Meekness Humility Christian Patience and Charity that I am in this manner exercised with provocations But alass alass how utterly inexcusable is indulged fomented passion though a Complectional Vice though our lyableness unto it is owing to Temper and Constitution of Body for though 't is more Difficultly tameable upon this account yet sure not impossible to be tamed by the Aids of Reason of Religion and of Grace So that I fear those Persons do not Strive against it as for the Mastery who habitually fall into Anger and on whom it Returns frequently with as much violence as ever They use not I am apt to suspect the Means of Conquering and therefore is it they attain not the End a Conquest They use not Prayer Meditation and Fasting powerful instruments by which this kind of Evil Spirit the Angry Devil Goeth out of a Man but without Rending and Tearing of him as a violent passion doth Or if they use the means of Ejection mention'd they neglect others greatly Assistant such as fixt purposes and Resolutions against this furious Vice for the future flight of all Occasions and provoking Excitements thereof a Stifling of the first Springing Motions of it within our Breasts Thus would easily-provok't Persons fight Thus would they Contend they should be assured of a Victory over their passions and become more than Conquerors through Christ who would Strengthen them The Prayer O THOV God of infinite Goodness and Clemency Strong to Avenge thy offended Majesty on Sinners and yet Slow to Anger Patient and Long-suffering in the midst of thy wrath thinking on Mercy we beseech thee to produce in us an Imitation of thy Slowness to Anger of thy Patience and forbearance for
Majesty that we may serve thee our Lord with fear and walk before thee with an humble Reverence Endue our hearts with a filial ingenuous fear mingled with Love and Obediential Respect make us to fear thee because of thy very Goodness lest we should forfeit thy Love and favour more than for dread of incurring thy heavy Vengeance and Displeasure Cause us to account thy Loving-kindness better than Life it self and then we shall dread the Loss thereof more than Death Permit us not O our God for fear of man to let fall our fear of Thee but give us to fear Thee Religiously and we need fear nothing else nay we need not fear thee Thy self Slavishly with a Guilty fear Put blessed Lord thy fear into our hearts that we may not at any time presumptuously Depart from thee but may with fear and Trembling work out our own Salvation Make thy fear upon our Souls to be a True Godly fear causing us to walk and behave our selves as alwayes under thy All-seeing Eye and inspection Trembling with a fear of holy Caution at thy presence Ever Obeying thee because we Love thee and ever Obedientially Loving thee because afraid of Loosing thy Love by offending thee Give us Gracious God that fear of the Lord which is clean Converting the soul and Commanding that we depart from all iniquity give us such a Dread of thy Divine Majesty as may make us Careful of pleasing thee fearful of offending thee as may make us inquisitive to search thy Will Diligent to performe it and persevering in the Exercises of a Religious Awe and Reverence unto our lives end and then that Constant habitual fear of thee our God which has perserved us from wilful sinning or put us upon Clearing the Guilt of it by Repentance will afford us upon a Death-bed Peace of Mind Consolation in believing and our fear of God will then be exchanged into Love and Confidence into Joy and Delight in him at that hour of Death and for Evermore Amen Blessed Saviour Amen Meditation XIV On Love and Charity to our Neighbour MUtual Love and Kindness is what the condition of our Nature dictates unto us for man being born a Sociable converseable Creature is for that very reason born an Amicable Loving one for to what End and purpose should mankind Associate and Live together Converse and hold Correspondence but to perform perform offices of Aid and Assistanc of kindness and beneficence to each-other the very Notion and common Acceptation of Humanity imports Courtesie and Good-will Loving-kindness and compassion We are born also calamitous infirm necessitous Beings and therefore mutually Dependant Creatures and Dependance on each other necessarily infers a reciprocal help and beneficience For what more Reasonable than that those who by Nature are liable to stand in Need of other◠help should Afford help to other◠when in want and Adversity 'T is the Prerogative of God alone to be Self-sufficient and Independant and therefore God who saw every thing which he had made and behold 't was very Good yet saw it not Good for man to be Alone but resolved on making an Help Meet for him that they might be mutually comforting and Assistant to each other Though in Paradise man was much nearer Self-sufficiency and further Removed from helplessness than at present So that both Nature Reason and the Ordination of God dictate that we ought to be mutual helps and common Blessings to those of our kind as being our selves in the body Subject to its wants and infirmities as well as other persons A further obligation to mutual Love and Beneficence arises from our being all very nearly Related as Kinsfolks and brethren as all cast in the same mould fashion'd according to the same General Likeness partakers of the same blood of the same common Humanity nay of one very Substance differenced only in some few Accidental Circumstances unessential to our Nature And ought not now this nearest Relation of Consanguinity to make us Loving and Beneficent to all Mankind without exception Ought not the Cement of one blood to unite us in one hearty Good will and Friendship Should not Similitude and Likeness beget Love Should not one common Nature produce in us one common Natural Affection Causing us to love our selves in loving another to do Good to our selves in doing Good to another he being a part and member of our very Substance flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone And no man says the Apostle St. Paul Eph. 5. 29. ever yet hated his own flesh but Loveth and Cherisheth it even as Christ the Church and as we in conformity ought to Love and cherish one another 'T is Natural even among Savage Beasts for those of the same kind to live at a Loving Agreement and not to prey upon each other and shall Mankind whose very frame has Tenderness interwoven in it be less Amicable and Loving than Brute-Creatures Reason and Scripture the Law of Equity and that of Moses the Prophets and Christ all urge acts of Kindness and Charity from this very Argument Whatever you would that men should do unto you even so do unto them Matth. 7. 12. You no doubt were your Circumstances such as to be in Want and Distress would that others should Relieve you have you therefore a ready will and Inclination to Relieve others whose Wants and Necessities Challenge your Relief And since you know not through the vicissitude of Humane Affairs and some sudden turn of Providence but that the Now miserable Condition of others may become your own some time hence let the hazard of your falling into want of Charity your seles excite your Love and Beneficence towards those who are actually labouring under Penury and Affliction Giving Relief to others is an easeing the troublesome Relentings 〈◊〉 our own hearts which must needs be touch'd and sorrowfully affected at the sight of a part of our own flesh of our common Nature being in Misery and Distress so that Love to others is the truest Love to our seles it relieving us of that Grief and mental Disquietude which a view of others wants and sufferings excited in us Nay the very Reflection on an act of Charity fills one with Joy and Delight Refreshes the Giver's mind as much as the Almsdeed did the Receier's body so that we the Benefactors are in some sort beholden even to the Relieved for their yielding us an occasion of so great pleasure and Contentment For to Recollect how we have been the Almoners of Divine Providence in distributing to the Necessitous how we have rescued a poor miserable man from Extremity of want have Triumph'd over his misery and misfortune and caus'd his refresh'd Bowels in the very act of Relieving him to bless us and his whole person to offer up Prayers and Good wishes on our behalfs and how moreover we have made God hereby our Friend and Debtor and have imitated and Gratified in doing Good the Supream Majesty of Heaven and Earth
Life Amen Amen The Prayer O Holy Jesu thou Lord of Life and Glory who by thy Death hast overcome Death and open'd unto us the Gate of Everlasting Life at the hour of Death and in the Day of Judgment Good Lord Deliver us Grant that the End of our life on Earth may be the Beginning to us of a blessed Eternity in Heaven that the Second Death the never-ceasing one may have no Dominion over us but that when we discontinue Living with men we may dwell with thee our God and Converse with all the blessed Society Above Grant Heavenly Father that when we come to lye on a Death-bed we may be able to look backward with Comfort and Consolation on a well spent Life and forward with a bright prospect of Glory and Immortality beyond the Grave that when we are nigh unto Death and our bodyly strength Languishing our faith and hope may Revive and become vigorous and we may then feel the joyous Approaches of that Salvation which we before had wrought out with fear and trembling We know O Lord that 't is appointed for all men once to Dye and that no one can rescue his life from the pit of Destruction and yet do we live as if we had made an Agreement with Hell and had an unforfeitable Lease of our lives O give us to Dye unto sin Now that we may sleep in Christ at our Departure and be Awaken'd be Rais'd to life again in the Restitution of all things Afford us some Refreshing beams of the Light of thy Reconciled Countenance when passing through the dark valley of the Shadow of Death grant that we may then fear no evil but may have the Testimony of a Good Conscience which may be a supporting Cordial to our weak and fainting Spirits Grant that we may not live in such an unprepar'd state of Soul as that we should be afraid to Dye and Appear before thy Judgment seat but cause us so to Demean our selves as that the Sting and Terrour of Death Sin may be taken away before Death it self lays hold on us that when it comes we may welcome it with Smiles and Gladness may lift up our heads with Joy at our hastening Dissolution as knowing that then the time of our Redemption draweth near Be Thou present with us at the hour of Death O blessed Jesu who sufferedst Death for us upon the Cross by the vertue of that thy precious Death Sweeten we beseech thee the bitterness of ours When our Eyes shall be Darkned in the Agonies of Death kindle in our hearts the Light of saving Faith when our Speech shall fail and leave us O do thou speak Inwardly unto us by the Comforts of thy Spirit and grant that we may speak mentaily unto Thee by Devoul Sighs and Groans which cannot be utter'd when we are nigh unto the End of our Days may we be nigh the end of our Hopes even the Salvation of out Souls O give us in our last Exiremities Joy in believing Hope in our Latter End humble Resignation of our Spirits into thy hands an holy Contempt of this Earth an Enflamed Love of Heaven Longing desires to be with Thee with our Saviour christ with Angels and Glorified Saints which is much better than being here Amen Amen for thy Mercies sake Meditation XVII On the Last Judgment MEthinks I view the Judge of the whole Earth Terrible and yet Gracious coming in the Clouds of Heaven with all his Glorious Retinue of holy Angels methinks I hear the Arowzing Call of the last Trumpet see the innumerable Dead take the Alarm Awake Move and Rise at its all-powerful Summons I behold methinks the Righteous Rising first with Smiles and Exultation in their Faces as knowing that their Redemption that the Reward of all their Pious Labours draweth near I behold also the ungodly Rising Last and yet even then most unwillingly shaking and trembling for fear of their approaching Tryal and Condemnation Heaven above Threatning them Hell beneath Gaping wide for their Reception I bâ—hold too the Court-Book of an Universal Registry open'd each Mans Indictment and Accusation publickly Read his own Conscience the while bearing Witness and either Accusing or Excusing him in that fearful Judgment I hear methinks the Decisive Sentence 〈◊〉 ronourced of either Eternal Happyness or Misery of either come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepar'd for you before the foundations of the World or else of Depart from me ye Accursed into Everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Oh the different Effects these different Sentences have on the Persons they are directed unto The Righteous receive their Sentence with Joy and Acclamations with transporting Thanks and Hallelujahs with an humble Admiration that the Recompence of their finite Defective Services should be a far more Exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory The ungodly Reprobates entertain their Doom with hideous Howlings and Lamentations with heart-piorcing Sorrows and Affrightments with fruitless desires to return again into their Graves or to be perfectly destroyed and Annihilated Come ye blessed O Delightsome sound O wellcome hearing wellcome especially from the moâ—â—â— of our Judge Come There is no need sure of a pressing Invitation to accept of so much Bliss and Happyness behold they Run they draw near upon the first Intimation of it they fly with haste into the possession of their Eternal Inheritance They now please themselves in the Remembrance of their former Godly Sorrows Mortifications and Self-denyals which through the Mercy 's of God and Merits of their Saviour have procured them such an exceeding Great Rejoycing All their former Tears dry up at the sight of their Glorious Redemption and they would not for a World but they had Denyed themselves in the Life past that now in the Resurrection of the Just they may be own'd and Approved of by their Advocate and Acquitter Depart ye Cursed blessed Lord whither should they depart Can they Goe any where where thou art not present who sillest all things tho' they descend into the Deep and remain in the uttermost parts of the Sea yet Thou art there though they make the Darkness of Hell their hiding-place yet thou art there also thine Omniscient Eye shall even there find them out and thine Almighty Arm shall punish them Depart from Me A Dâ—parture from thy Beatifick presence O God must needs render the Departed Accursed for Thou art all that 's Good the Loss therefore of Thee is an Universal Loss Thou art the Center and Rest of the Soul and therefore to be separated from Thee must be the most unquiet and miserable Condition imaginable A Departure from the Joyous Light of thy Countenance O blessed Jesu who only hast the words of Eternal Life can certainly be no other than Eternal Death One would have thought indeed that to be Deprived of Thy Sight might have been punishment enough without the Damneds Entrance in Hell-flames and tortures but that besides the mental Anguish for their
not to Depart hence at any time but with all imaginable Preparations for Eternity with a Soul thoroughly Changed and Renewed with a Soul full fraught with thy Divine Love Humble and Resign'd Chearful and Enravish'd with future Expectations And then whenever this his Earthly Tabernacle shall be Dissolved he shall have a building of God an house not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens Which we beseech thee to Grant both him and us for the alone Sake and Merits of thy Son our Saviour to whom together with Thee O Father and thy Holy and Ever-blessed Spirit be Ascribed as is most Dâ—e all Honour Praise Might Majesty and Dominion from this time forth and for Evermore Amen Amen Another Prayer for the Sick when there appears small Hopes of Recovery O Most Glorious and Merciful Heavenly Father the Lord and Giver of Life the Healer and Repairer of our Decay'd Nature who bringest down to the Grave and then sayst Come again ye Children of Men Giving Power to the Faint and to those who have no Might increase of Strength Behold we beseech thee Favourably Visit Graciously and Relieve speedily this thy Servant who standeth in Need of thy Pitty and Relief Be Thou a very Present Help unto him O Lord now in the Necessitous time of his Trouble O let thy tender Mercies come unto him that he may Live Encompass him with thy Favour as with a Shield Pitty and Purifie him Sanctifie and Save him we most humbly beseech thee Either Asswage his Pain or else Increase his Faith and Patience to bear it Either Remove his Affliction or else move towards him with Divine Comfort and Sâ—pport Lay upon him Gracious God no more than thou shalt enable him with Willingness and Submission to undergo and then lay on him whatsoever shall seem Good in thy Sight O Give him a Sanctified Use and Improvement of thy Fatherly Corrections let them teach him more Humility Contentedness and Resignation less Trust and Relyance on the Creature Cause him O Lord by means of his present Distress to see the Empâ—iness Deceit and Instability of all Earthly Possessions and may this Conviction carry up his Mind to the satisfieing Everdurable Enjoyments of Heaven O that his Devout Conversation there in Holy Meditations Fervent Prayers and Transporting Praises may Allay much of his Corporal Pains and Disquietudes and render him in a manner Insensible of them O that thy Word and blessed Promises may be his sure Trust and Confidence in Adversity tho' he walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death yet let him fear no Evil may thy Rod as well as thy Staff Comfort and Sustain him Give him Holy Lord unseigned Repentance for all the Miscarriages of his Life past Stedfast Faith in thy Son Jesus Compleat Pardon and Forgiveness through the Merits of his Blood a lively Hope of that Immortal Bliss which his Redeemer has Dearly Purchased and most Graciously Promised to true Believers a strong Sense of thy Fatherly Love towards him and tender Care over him even amidst his Sufferings O cause this Sick Person to Apprehend and be Assured that thou intendest his Spiritual Benefit and Amendment by these thy Corrections that they are the Chastisements of a Loving Father and not of an Incensed Judge that they are the healing Medicines of a Friend and not the avenging Wounds of an Enemy O Convince him Convince him that in making him endure Chastening thou dealest with him as with one of thy Children for what Son is he whom the Father Chasteneth not That thou seekest to Conform him by Afflictions to the Likeness of his Blessed Saviour O may he be made Perfect through Sufferings Teach him we Pray thee more Obedience through the things which he Endures May his Chastening however Grievous for the Present afterwards yield him the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness may it turn to his Spiritual Profit and Advantage and help him forward in the Right way which leadeth unto Life Everlasting Take O God from this thy Servant all Murmuring Discontent under thy Disciplining Providence Cause him rather Quietly to submit to thy Afflicting Hand as Considering that Affliction ariseth not out of the Dust proceedeth not meerly from Natural Causes but from thy Wise Providence and Appointment who Orderest all things toward us for our Good O Perswade this Sick Person 't is for his Good that he is Afflicted that of very Faithfulness thou hast Caused him to be troubled O make him by Searching and Trying his ways to find out those particular Sins and Failings which thou Aimest at in this his Chastisement to Observe and Understand thy Meaning in the Calamities which befall him that he may accordingly meet thee in thy Providential Ways and Dealings towards him that so the Removal of his Guilt by Repentance through the Merits of his Saviour may make Way for the Removal of thy Divine Rod of Punishment And do Thou the God of all Grace and Truth who hast called this thy Corrected Son to Suffering by thy Fatherly Wisdom and Goodness after that he hath suffered a while for his Souls Profit Stablish Strengthen Settle him Let we Pray thee thy Merciful Kindness be this Afflicted Person 's Succour and Safety send him Help from Above and Evermore mightily Defend him Defend him O Lord from all Satan's disquietting Assaults from all his Wicked Temptations O let not that Evil one have any Advantage over him in these his sorrowful Hours but Rebuke him Good Lord Rebuke him Tread that old seducing Serpent under this thy Servant's Feet and make him more than Conqueror through Christ who strengthens him Worâ— Holy Father Dâ—liverance for 〈◊〉 whom thâ—â— Châ—stisest Heal him and he shall be Healed Save him and he shall be saved for thou aâ—â— the God of his Praise O make him to hear again of Joy and Gladness that the â—ones which thou hast bâ—oken mâ—y â—â—joice But if thou in thy Wisdom hast Decreed that this thy Servants Sickness shall be unto Death Fit and Prepare him for it we beseech thee Give him a more perfectly Holy and Heavenly Constitution of Soul an Heart Wean'd and Estranged from this World a sanctified Meetness to be made Partaker of an Inheritance with the Saints in Light and Glory O may his last Hours be his Best Hours his last Thoughts his Best Thoughts and his last Words and Actions his best Words and Actions The Nearer he draws to the End of his Days cause him so much the Nearer to draw to the End of his Hopes even the Salvation of his Soul For this Purpose Apply we Entreat thee all the Benefits of our Saviour's Perfect Obedience and Meritorious Sufferings unto this Dying Person for Reconciliation and Acceptance Impute not Gracious Lord unto him his former Sins but thy Well-beloved Son 's Alsufficient Righteousness who was Wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities O let the Peace purchased by thy Son's Chastisements be upon this thy Servant and by his Redeemers Stripes let him
unto Thee who art of purer Eyes than to behold the least iniquity with Approbation With what Joy and Thankfulness ought we to acknowledge this thine inestimable favour that thou who art so highly Exalted wilt humble thy self to take notice of such Despicable polluted Beings as we are For ever blessed be thy Goodness who hast made Prayer our Duty which is so much our Interest and Priviledge O how inexcusable should we be should we neglect so Great a means of Grace and Salvation Wilt thou O Lord Admit and Accept our poor unworthy Services and shall not we Gladly Embrace the Vouchsafement Since our Righteousness Extendeth not unto Thee since we only are the Gainers by thy Service which is its own Reward which is our perfect freedom O cause therefore all that is within us to bless thy holy Name Cause all that is within us to render thee most willing and Chearful Obedience But O God most Glorious whose Transcendent Excellency is Exalted above all Glory and Praise the more we Speak of thine Honour the more we become Sensible how infinitely we fall short of it O make us to shew forth thy praise not only with our Lips but in our Lives by giving up our selves to thy Service by conforming our selves to thy Likeness in Holyness by â—aising Spiritualizing and Enflaming by thy help our Affections towards thee in Prayer Yet Alass Alass how soon are we weary of this most Delightsome most Beneficial Duty of Devotion How much Averseness is there in us unto the Vndertaking how much Distraction of Thoughts and Deadness of Spirit in the performance What formality want of Relish want of Zeal and fervour is there mingled with the best of our Religious Services How prone have we been to Deceive our selves with Shadows of Piety and Devotion instead of the Substance With a form of Godlyness instead of the Life and power thereof How prone to Content our selves with the bare praises of thy Divine perfections which we have not had the Godly Ambition the Sincerity of heart to imitate O pardon the sins and iniquities of these our Holy things But besides the imperfections of our best performances how many ways have we presumptuously offended thee our God! By innumerable Omissions and Commissions Omissions of Duty Commissions of Evil by many frequently Repeated and long Continued acts of wickedness by sinful provocations in Thought Word and Deed against thy Divine Majesty O how often have we Stifled the Convictions the Reproofs of our own Consciences How often Resisted the holy motions the Restraints of thy blessed Spirit How long neglected the Great Salvation of thy Gospel How many times violated our most Solemn Baptismal Vow and Covenant The very Multitude of our sins is Enough to Amaze and Affrighten us to cover us with Shame and Confusion of face but the Heinousness the Baseness the Ingratitude of our mis-demeanours towards so Gracious and heavenly a Father so Long-suffering a preserver so Mercyful a Benefactor Sanctifier and Redeemer O how Grievous is the Remembrance thereof to us the burthen of so much wickedness how Intolerable O our God Strong and patient hadst thou not been God how couldst thou have had patience with such perfidious such ungrateful such willfully Disobedient Rebells Well for us is it that thy mercy and forbearance Exceed that of Man are like the self unlimited O the Riches of thy Grace wilt thou again Receive such prodigal Children into thy favour Wilt thou Still be Reconciled unto us Ah let thy Goodness let thy Reconcileableness lead us to Repentance to a more compleat consummated one and our Repentance may it fit us for thy pardon and Acceptance And not meerly for the Pardon of our sins implore we mercy at thy hands but for a Divine power to enable us to subdue them Set we beseech thee O Lord our hearts in such a perfect Enmity against all things contrary to thy blessed Will and Nature that we may never be Reconciled to them any more dispose us to such an Entire Affection to thy Commandments that they may become our Choice our Desire our Exceeding Great Rejoycing O that we may walk more circumspectly Redeeming the time because the days are Evil O that we may give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election Sure O that the life the pure unspotted life of Christ Jesus may be formed within us the hope of Glory Fill us Gracious God with the whole Knowledge of thy Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding and Assist us with thy Grace unto the Conscientious practice of such knowledge Increase in us that faith which worketh by Divine Love which purisieth the heart and life and overcometh the wicked world Excite in us that ardent Affection to thee which may make us chearfully Do thy Will or patiently suffer it in all instances and which will cause us to Love our brethren as our selves for Christ's sake with a pure heart out of Love unfeigned not in Tongue only but also in Deed and in Truth Keep us O Lord pure and unspotted with the World Temperate Chaste and Unspotted with the flesh keep us Safe and unseduced by our own hearts lusts by Satans wicked Suggestions and Allurements Cause us to have our Conversation without Covetousness to have it more in Heaven less on Earth teach us contempt of Earthly things teach us to deny our selves to conquer all Temptations to live above the corruptions which so much abound in the Age Give us Patience give us supporting comfort and quiet submission in Adversity let a contented mind be instead of all we want and a thankful heart sweeten all our Enjoyments O that we may mind more the one thing Necessary that we may seek in the first place the Kingdom of Heaven and its Righteousness and whatever other things we leave undone we may be still working out our Salvation with fear and trembling Make us O our God more careful of pleasing thee fearful of offending thee diligent and industrious in thy Service more observant of thy Good Providence in every thing more grateful for thy benefits Received more readily disposed in all conditions to every good thought word and work * Stir us up we entreat thee to a frequent mindfulness of our Latter End and fit and prepare us for it let our approaching sleep this Night put us in mind of our last sleep our Bed remind us of our Grave and the darkness of the evening of the days of Darkness which shall be many in the Chambers of Death Lighten our Eyes O Lord that they sleep not therein but that we may Awake with the morning Light unto thy Praise and Glory Forgive those actual sins of thy servants which the day past hath been witness unto Lord give us a Godly sorrow for them a perfect hatred of them and more carefulness to avoid them for the future and whether we sleep this night in death or awake to the fresh Mercies of the following day O Grant that Christ
Jesus may be unto us both in Life and Death great Advantage Grant this for the Merits and Mercy's-sake of him who dyed for our sins and rose again for our Justification and who hath left us this most Absolute form of Prayer wherewith to conclude our imperfect ones Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name c. A Prayer for a Sick Person O OUR God full of Compassion and Truth whose Ears are ever open to the Cryes of the Distressed who afflictest not neither Grievest willingly the Children of Men but in very Faithfulness Causest us to be Troubled Chastising us for our Profit that we may be Partakers of thy Holyness We thy Poor Unworthy Creatures Address our selves to the Throne of thy Grace in behalf of this thy Servant Grieved with Sickness O let his Grief of body move thy Succouring Pity behold him with the Eyes of thy Mercy Rescue him with the Al-Almightiness of thy Power however Grant that the Infirmity of his outer-Man may tend to the Health and Improvement of his Soul in all Gracious Qualifications O make him by means of thy Divine Chastisements Resemblant in a larger Measure of thy Divine Nature make him Perfect through Sufferings Train him up a Good Souldier of Jesus Christ by such Disciplining Hardships Teach him a more Compleat Obedience and Conformity to thy Will by the things which he Endures Relieve him under all his Distresses Give him Patience Repentance and Submission under all his Uneasiness Support him under all Tryals and Temptations O suffer not his Faith to fail in this Day of Adversity Strengthen him in the Inner-Man especially now he lyes on a Bed of Languishing O make Thou his Bed in all his Sickness In the midst of the pains of his Body let thine Inward Comforts Refresh his Soul make all things Tribulation as well as Prosperity work together for his Good may he Continue to be thy Servant under all Conditions Permit him not Gracious God for any troubles of Life or fears of Death to fall from Thee but Give him Joy and Consolation in Believing when encompassed with the Sorest Distresses Encrease therefore his Faith Confirm his Hopes Enlarge his Contentedness and Resignation Wean his Affections more and more from the things Below and Raise and Settle them on the Good things Above Free Blessed Lord this thy Servant from all Murmuring and Repining at thy Afflictive Providence and Cause him rather to Rejoyce and Glory in Tribulation as knowing that the Tryal of his Faith worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not Ashamed O let Patience have its Perfect work in him that he may be Compleat and Entire wanting no Vertuous Endowment let thy Grace be Sufficient for him that he may not faint in the time of Calamity O may his Affliction prove an Exercise and Enlargement of all his Graces Let it beget in him greater Trust and Affiance in thy Divine Mercy less Relyance on and Confidence in the Creature a being Crucified to the World and the World to him as to the immoderate Love of it Cause Holy Father this thy Afflicted Son to Humble himself under thy Correcting hand that Thou mayst Exalt him in thy due Season make him to Cast all his Care upon Thee because Thou carest for him Give him to feel now in this his Distress what is the Hope of his Spiritual Calling and what the Exceeding Greatness of thy Mercy and Power towards them who Believe in Thee O Give him that Saving Faith which worketh by Love and Purifieth the Heart and Overcometh the World Give him Repentance unto Newness of Life never to be Repented of Cause him by means of this Affliction to Search and Try his wayes and turn him unto Thee his God who in Mercy Chastisest him Afford him Gracious Lord afford this Sick Person the Comfort of an holy Hope that thou Acceptest his Penitential Tears and Contrition of heart Support him by this Hope under all his Sickness and Distemper Say unto him by the inward Testimonies of thy Spirit I am thy Salvation Son be of Good Chear thy Sins are forgiven thee I have heard thee in an Acceptable time I have laid Help for Thee on one who is mighty to Save Jesus Christ the Righteous He is the Propitiation for thy sins O Apply the Merits and Satisfaction of his Dying Redeemer unto the Soul of this thy Servant for Pardon and Acceptance wash it clean in the Blood of that Immaculate Lamb which was Slain to take away the sins of the world and through his Saviour's Stripes let him be Heal'd Bless and Succeed we beseech Thee those Remedies which have or shall be used for the Recovering this weak Afflicted Person to his former Health Command Deliverance for him Thou who art the God of Nature Speak Nature within him into a due Temper and Composure Known unto Thee are the most hidden things O do Thou therefore adapt suitable Medicines to any unknown Cause or hidden Spring of this present Distemper Suffer us Heavenly Father to have Power with thee in Prayer and mightily to Prevail on this thy Servants behalf Thou hast Promised that the Prayer of Faith shall Save the Sick and that the Effectual fervent Prayer of the Righteous shall Avail much O make us Pray in Faith and Believing so as to be Heard make us fervent and Zealous in Prayer so as to have our Prayers Answered Restore we entreat Thee this Diseas'd Person that he may be continued a Blessing and Comfort to his Relations that he may live to Performe his pious Vows and Resolutions made in time of Sickness that he may spend the Residue of his Life more to thy Honour and Glory But if in thy Fatherly wisdom thou seest it fitting to Prolong his Corrections thy Blessed Will be done and may thy Afflicted Servant say Amen with an Entire Submission May he bear further Chastisement in his Body so that his Soul be but Saved in the Day of our Lord. Yet O God most Gracious O most Holy and Mercyful Saviour Thou most worthy Judge Eternal be not Thou Extream to mark whatever he has done Amiss Correct him O Lord but with Judgment not in thine Anger lest Thou bring him to nothing and though thou take not off the Rod of Affliction yet take away thy Displeasure we beseech thee far from him Remember O Lord thy tender Mercies and thy Loving-kindnesses which have been ever of old and Cause this our Sick Friend in Thankful Recollection of former Divine Rescues to put his Trust in thee for a Present Deliverance O suffer him not for any Anguish of Body to let Go his Faith and Confidence in Thee but give him to say with the Stedfastness of holy Job though he Kills me yet will I hope in him Fit O God this Languishing Person for whatever Condition thou shalt call him unto that thy Son Christ Jesus may be unto him whether in Life or Death great Advantage O permit him