Heaven and the Torments of Hell And 3. The last and strict day of account 4. The vanity of Earthly Things 5. The uncertainty of our Lives 41. A Man naturally is weaving Spiders Webbs or hatching Cockatrice Eggs exercised either in mischief or vanity 42. It would much avail to the well-ordering of our thoughts to set our Souls in order every morning and to streng-then and perfume every morning our Spirits with some gracious Meditations especially of the chief end and scope wherefore we live and how every thing may be reduced and ordered to farther the main that is to say Gods Glory and our own Salvation 43. Some will be content to embrace Truth without hatred of the World and Christ without a Cross and a Godly Life without a Persecution They will pull a Rose without Pricks Such empty conceits will be too weak to encounter with such real Trials 44. It is a course that will have a blessing attended to joyn in a league one to watch over another and to observe each others ways T is usual to joyn in Prayer why not in this 45. Happy is he that in the way to Heaven meets with a chearful and skilful Guid and fellow Traveller that carrieth Corbials against all faintings of Spirit 46. There is an heavy imputation on them that comforted not the weak when men will not own others in trouble but as the herd of Deer forsake and push away the wounded from them 47. God often suspends comforts from us to make use of our Christian Friends by whom he purposeth to do us good Oftentimes the very opening of mens griefs brings ease without any farther workings upon them the very opening of a Vein cooleth the Blood 48. A Christian when he is beaten out of all other comforts yet hath a God to turn unto he can wrestle with him with his own Strength and plead with him with his own Arguments 49. Labour to answer every relation wherein thou standest to God 1. As a Father by trusting to his care 2. A Teacher by following his Direction 3. A Creator by depending on him 4. As an Husband by an inseparable love to him 5. And lastly as a Lord by obedience to him 50. Despair is often ground of hope when the darkness of the night is thickest then the morning begins to dawn 51. We may safely expect God in his ways of mercy when we are in his ways of obedience 52. By trusting any thing more than God we make it an Idol and a Curse It will prove a lying vanity and vexation bringing that upon us we looked not for 53. 'T is a vain pretence to believe that God will give us Heaven and yet to leave our selves to shift in the way 54. The way to have any thing taken away and not blest is to set our hearts too much upon it 55. The greatest honour we can do to God is when we see nothing for us but 〈…〉 things contrary to what we look for then to shut our eyes to all inferior things and to look altogether to his sufâ—â—â—â—â— 56. It is an 〈…〉 of true trust when 〈◊〉 a wait Gods leisure and not make haâ—â— 57. â—â—ith doth not especially at first so â—â—â—y the Soul as to take away all suspicion and fears to the contrary though the prevailing of mis-belief is taken away The Needle in the Compass will stand North though with some trembling and the Ship that lieth at Anchor may sometimes be tossed yet it will remain so fastned that it cannot be carried away by wind or weather 58. Look not so much on those miseries which our weak Natures are subject unto as upon God for strength and comfort in them mitigation of them and grace to profit by them 59. The time of sickness is the time of purging from the defilements of sin which we have gathered in our health till we come purer out which should make us the rather willing to obey God and abide his time Blessed is that sickness that proves the health of the Soul we are best for the most part when we are weakest 60. In all kind of troubles 't is not the ingredients that God puts into the Cup that so much afflicts as the ingredients of our distempered passion mingled with them 61. We are not much disquieted when we put off our Cloths and go to Bed because we trust Gods ordinary providence to raise us up again and why should we be disquieted when we put off our Bodies and sleep our last sleep considering that we are more sure to rise out of our Graves than our Beds yea we are already raised up in our head Christ 62. Let us do our own work and leave God to do his Diligence and Trust in him is only ours the rest of the burden is his Let us think of Christ as our duty and God will think what is for our comfort 63. In the worst times there is a presence of God with his Children 1. By moderating the measure 2. The time 3. In joyning some comfort with it And 4. By supportation 65. A good Christian hath 1. A God to go unto 2. A Promise 3. Former Experience besides some present Experience 65. What is our Life but a Web woven with some intermingling of Wants and Favours Crosses and Blessings Risings and Fallings Combats and Victories 66. God deferrs but his deferring is no empty space wherein no good is done but there is in that space a fitting for the Promise 67. Christ prays in the Garden before he enters into the Combate of his resolved passion whence we may learn that Prayer is an Anchor to stay the Soul being tossed a support under a burden a removal of a judgment or an affliction or changes the nature of the affliction 68. It is more comfort to receive strength in suffering than to be delivered from suffering 69. Our sins were the cause of Christs Agony the Thorns that prick'd him the Spear that pierced him the Torments that afflicted him 70. We should always abhor sin more in regard it is hateful to God than because it is hurtful to us 71. We had need to pray that the great change be wrought in us before the great change be wrought upon us 72. As the Blood of Jesus only can free us from the guilt of sin so his Spirit alone can cleanse our hearts from the filth of sin 73. Let us pray that God would shew us what we are by Nature and make us what he would have us by Grace 74. There is nothing terrible in death but what a wicked life hath made so 75. Let us chuse to suffer rather than sin seeing we may suffer without sin but we can never sin without suffering 76. Shall Christ shed his Blood for those sins that were others and shall not we shed tears for sins that are our own 78. A true Christian believes that good works can't save him and yet he believes that he can't be saved without them 79. Let us repent
punishment was greater than the punishment of Sodom O holy Lord open mine Eyes that I may see the evil of that sin for whom Young Men and Virgins were slain with the Sword the Virgins were trodden down as in a Wine-press O give me chastity of mind and purity of heart and let the inward man have the chief adorning Let me be adorned with that modesty and shamefastness that becomes those that profess the Gospel of Christ not with embroidred Garments and costly Apparels Help me to consider that there is no communion betwixt Light and Darkness Sin and Holiness Help me to live to that end for which I was created Help me always to bear in mind my Creator in the days of my Virginity that I may mark thy Law to do it O preserve me from the ways of sin and let death and judgement put me in mind of the great work I have to do that I may so act in this life as that I may live for ever hereafter with thee in Heaven in eternal bliss purchased by the precious Blood of Christ to whom be glory for ever Amen The Sea-mans Prayer MOst great and powerful Lord God whose ways are in the deep Seas and paths in the deep Waters and whose Footsteps are not known yet sets the bounds and limits of the raging Sea and sayest Hitherto shalt thou go and no farther and raiseth a storm and allayeth it let thy good providence keep me in the middest thereof and though the Sea rageth and roareth yet let thy everlasting strength environ and surround me so that I may be hid and be safe and being safe I may both with heart and soul sing forth his praise that hath been graciously pleased to preserve me amidst the tempests of the raging Seas but most of all I earnestly desire thee that thou wouldst keep me from the roaring rage of Sin and Sathan and as thou boundest the Sea so bind up Sathan that he may not be able to do me any harm that he may not tempt me to do any thing that may bring dishonour to thy Name either by distrust or otherwise O let me discern much of thy self O Lord in the Depths that I may bless thee in thee Land of the Living When Mans Wisdom and Power faileth stand thou up and deliver thy Servant when the Billows and Storms are raging do thou quell them so shalt thou rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant and at last bring me to the desired Haven for thy Sons sake to whom be everlasting strength ascribed for ever Amen The Sea-mans Prayer after a safe Voyage MOst powerful Lord God thou art the powerful preserver of thy Creatures thy power is not limited and thou art the same yesterday to day and for ever thy hand is not shortened thou savest both by Sea and Land thou that savedst Israel of old by bringing them thorow the Red Sea thou hast preserved me amidst all the Billows of raging Waves of the immense Ocean thou never failest those that trust in thee O let thy mercies engage me to praise thee that I may cry out Come and I will tell you what the Lord has done for my Soul and let this great deliverance enjoyn me to trust God for the future in the greatest of straits O help me to praise thee whilst I have any being O Let my Soul praise thee for this experienced mercy Open my mouth Lord and fill it with praises that I may sing unto the mighty God of Jacob the Redeemer of Israel O give me the Spirit of praises that I may extol the name Jehovah O Lord help me to love thee more every day and admire that Love that thou hast shewn and dost shew unto me every day O govern my affections words and actions and help me so to stear my course as that I may at length be brought to the Haven in Canaan for Christs sake alone the Strength of my Salvation and Hope Amen The Widdows Prayer MOst holy Lord thou art the fountain of all Comfort and God of all Consolation and changest not all the comfort of thy sorrowful Hand-maid is in thy self thou art able to make up all the losses and breaches thy providence has made O supply all that comfort thou hast taken away and thou that hast promised to be a Father to the Fatherless and an Husband to the Widdow be a Father to my Fatherless Children and an Husband to me a poor destitute Widdow Make up all my wants in thy self and pardon that sin contracted between us and pardon that negligence of seeking after better comforts than any this life affords pardon that inordinate care that was used by me in reference to the World and guide and support thy poor distressed Servant by thy Spirit O help me to sit silently under thy chastizing Rod and that because it is the dictate of thine own will and say thou Lord hast done it and say with thy Servant Job that emblem of patience The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. Let this last be an instigation to put me in mind of my last end and to consider the brevity of this frail life that thereby I may be taught to number my Days that I may both know how frail I am and may apply my heart unto Wisdom that I may bear in mind the great concerns of Eternity strengthen my Faith enlarge my Desire raise and elevate my Affections enflame my Love let Sin be most loathsome Grace most beautiful the World less desirable These and what thou knowest to be more necessary for me grant for Christs sake Amen The Orphans Prayer RIghteous Lord take thou charge of thy desolate Creature be thou a Father to the Fatherless thou art Righteous but I have sinned and therefore this sorrow hath taken hold on me my neglect of Duty hath removed away this Mercy O pardon and remove my Guilt and remember thy Promise to the Fatherless O save me for I am thine I desire none but thee be thou my Comfort and Guid unto Death Help me to be more an obedient Child to honour thee in my Generation Supply my wants and necessities and make up all in thy self and help me to eye thee as a God in Covenant and let me know that I am reconciled unto thy self by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant and let Mortality be swallowed up of Life and Lord help me though little in respect of Stature that I may be tall in respect of Grace and knowing that I have a great journey to take that I may set out be-times to enquire-the way and that when my Glass is run I may have finished my Masters Work and my Course with Joy and O that I may never cease Labouring until I have finished my Work knowing that they that run in a Race run all but one gets the Prize O let O Lord Integrity and Sincerity preserve me and that for Christs sake Amen
thou keep'st not strict watch Be much in the exercise of thy Weapons especially the Sword of the Spirit viz. the Word and learn to imitate thy Captain he repels Sathans blows with a Scriptum est It 's written O Christian quit thy â—lf like a man Nay in a word Be in the exercise of all thy Armour least by disuse and disaccustom'dness thereunto thou be to seek when thou shouldst be upon thy Guard Let nothing offend thee neither Prosperity nor Adversity Strength nor Weakness Let not Insidelity prevail over thee He that hath sent thy Captain and given him how shall he not with him freely give thee all things O blessed King and Captain that hath left poor Christians such a Store-house such a Magazine O Christian set upon thy Warfare make use much of that powerful Javelin Prayer Get the art of casting it that in case at any time thou standest in need and be in a strait thou mayst make use of the same And let me caution thee against two things that thou be not too secure in time of thy Peace and Prosperity nor too much careful in time of Trouble and Adversity And now for thy Prosperity and Success thou need'st not be afraid for thy King and Captain will be all in all to thee and for thee So sight on EZEKIEL chap. 37. v. 3. Son of man can these dry Bones Lord Soul The Prayers of a Righteous Man availeth much A broken Heart Mercâ—ntâ— Mori Far well Vaine World A Direction to an Holy Life THough 't is true that never any Man was or can be saved by the Merits of his own Righteousness or Holiness yet 't is as great and as infallible a truth that never any was or can be saved without Holiness Shall I instance The most Righteous Abel the Meekest Moses the most patient Job the Holiest David the Wisest Solomon the Strongest Sampson nay the most Evangelical Prophets and Apostles were they saved by their own Righteousness Nay neither were they saved without their own Righteousness which is palpably evident in Scripture But a little to demonstrate the nature of Holiness It is that that makes us resemble God our Creator and Maker its Nature also is such as that it always aims at God its Center As it is of and from God so it always draws the Soul to God It is a sure guiding Thred to direct the Soul thorow the Nocturnal Labyrinth of a crooked World to the Celestial Canaan of splendid Glory and permanent Happiness Moreover It is Diametrically oppugnant to all Evils in a word It differs â—â—om all Sin and Evil as Light doth from â—arkness What communion has God with Belial And know O Man or Woman whosoever thou art Holiness is indispensably necessary if thou desire to be Happy Wouldst thou be Happy or wouldst thou not Wouldst thou enjoy God or wouldst thou not If thou wouldst not shut and lay by for I do not desire to aggravate thy Torments for know that the Word read or preached will be the savor of Life unto Life or the savor of Death unto Death If thou wouldst be directed in that Narrow Way that leads to Happiness here is a few Directions for thee But methinks I hear thee say How comes it to be of such indispensable necessity to be so holy Answer Of the many Reasons together with Arguments that might be drawn from both Sacred and Prophane Writings I shall prefix only two with some Scriptures 1. The first is Because otherwise there is no appearing before God it â—eing the ordinary way God has appointed Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men â—â—d Holiness without which no Man shall â—ee the Lord. Without Holiness there can undoubtedly be no Happiness without Piety there can be no Purity and without Purity no coming to God for God is one that can behold no unclean thing and without coming to God nothing but misery Moreover he loseth all the advantages in respect of this life in particular that honour that God doth dignifie his people with It is Moses's great Title God gives him viz. My Servant It is in Scripture accounted by the Evangelist John an honour to bear Christ's Shooes much more an honour to suffer for Christ They that honour me I will honour 2. The comforts of this life the pleasures and delights that otherwise he might enjoy I mean not outward but inward pleasures and comforts which are the true Nay in a word Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of this life and that which is to come 2. So long as a man remains going on in a way of impiety and unholiness he is not only kept from the beholding of God's face or countenance in any of God's Ordinances but also he doth more and more every day incur God's wrath displeasure and anger against him Psal 1.11 God is angry with the wicked every day Nay further he ingages himself more and confirms himself to be a Servant of the Devil and so instead of listing himself under the Banner of Christ he lists himself under the Banner of Satan and consequently becomes Col. 1.21 the enemy of God and his ways and not only an enemy but enmity it self Rom. 8.7 and can a man or woman be supposed to be in a good condition whilst at variance with God who is but as chaff before the wind and as stubble before the fire As I said before many Reasons and Arguments to prove the necessity of an holy Life might be drawn from Sacred and Prophane Writings and Arguments even from a Principle of Morality or humane Reason but seeing it is not our design at this time to produce them since so many Worthies have so palpably demonstrated and proved it with invinceable Arguments even as a Cloud of Witnesses we shall only note some few Scriptures which will stop the mouths of the most bloody Noro's tyrannizing Pharaoh's subtle Ahitophel's and persecuting Saul's Heb. 12.14 fore-cited Psal 93.5 Holiness becomes thine house for ever Rom. 6.19 22. 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 3.13 and 4.13 Lev. 5.15 c. But indeed the best Motive to an holy Life is the consideration of the effects of Death of which in its place The first thing that I shall do shall be to give some few Directions in order to an holy Life whereby to get a better and nearer intimacy with God and to ingage the Heart more to love God and God more to love again or rather indeed God to love first and then the heart to love again for God must first love or else we cannot love him God must first work both to will and to do of his own good pleasure After acquaintance with God to keep up holy communion with him the first and best way will be to improve this acquaintance as much as in us hes for sure I am that though a man have attained to a competent knowledge of the things of God and hath found some Beams of God's radient love breaking out and breathing
The unconverted Sinners Prayer for a full Conviction of the dangerous state he is in GReat Gracious and most Righteous Lord God blessed for ever be thine unspeakable mercy that desirest not the Death of the worst of Sinners that turn unto thee to live for ever Oh thou that of Persecutors madest glorious Martyrs of an Adultress madest an humble Penitent O shew forth thy Long-suffering Patience and Forbearance upon me Deliver me from all my Sins from thy Wrath to come and that Eternal Judgment that ends in Hell with Devils and damned Impenitents Leave me not in the state of Devils without hope of pardon O pardon that great sin of setting more by Meat and Drink and beastly Pleasures than by thee the God that made me a rational Creature that slighted endless Glory that took more care of an Earthly Tabernacle than an Immortal Soul that took more care to avoid Shame Poverty and Sickness than to avoid everlasting Shame Pain and Horror in Hell Blessed be the Lord that will not leave such sinners as my self to die in their sins but pluck such sire-brands out of the jaws of Hell and gives them to know the evil of sin O that I were once fit to taste and see how gracious the Lord is to believers to them alone he is precious the fairest of Ten thousands O guid my feet into those untrodden paths that lead to the Fountain of Living Waters set open for sinners to wash in and be purged from their filthiness O give me faith to see him whom my sins have pierced Give me the grace and spirit of supplication to mourn after him without which grace I have not nor can have no hope of pardon For what communion hath darkness with light O possess my Soul with this belief That without holiness there can be no happiness without fanctity no salvation nor without heavenly-mindedness no Heaven O be it so unto thy servant for his sake that suffered for great nay the greatest of sinners of whom I am the chief that I may live to praise thee and admire the riches of thy immense and boundless love to Eternity Amen A Prayer for power to believe O Glorious and Merciful Lord God whose abundant and unspeakable goodness has been extended to poor man before he had a being in the World Let the beams of thy loving kindness environ me and as thou hast been pleased to convince me of sin righteousness and iudgment O help me to believe in him whose mercy extends to the ends of the Earth and that I may take iâ—â—â—â— on him by the hand of faith that it may be the substance of things not seen to take holâ— on the rich promise laid down in thy word concerning thy Son who is mighty to save all them that come unto God by him and to accept him in all his Offices as King and Law-giver to rule and defend me as Pâ—ieâ—t to sacrifice for me as Prophet to reveal the will of God unto me Help me to trust in thy holy Spirit to mortifie and kill my sin in me and to illuminate and sanctifie and quicken me that thereby I may be rendered meet for serving thee here and enjoy thee hereafter O help me to demonstrare out of my Conversation what is the hope of my Calling and establish me in a constant belief of Salvation by the apprehension of a renewed mind from fleshly and transitory joys to an heavenly and permanent happiness where there are pleasures for evermore Help thy poor Creature to be Conquerer yea more than Conquerer through Jesus Christ over Devil World and Flesh that I may be renewed in the spirit of my mind Possess me with the New Birth strengthen all my inward Faculties my Faith my Love and Zeal and whereas my desire was to run from God it may now be to run unto him and cast my self upon him for all in Christ Jesus Amen The Converts Prayer MOst powerful Lord God thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory thy ways are perfect and pure Let God be true and every one a liar Blessed be thy Name for thy unspeakable kindness and love to me who am less than the least of all thy mercies Thou hast been pleased to bring me out of darkness and shadow of death and lead me into the way of peace and out of darkness into thy mervellous light and to bring me into the Kingdom of thy dear Son O the immensity the breadth and length depth and height of the loving kindness of God in the Lord Jesus Christ that wast pleased of a Bond-slave to make a Free-denizon of Heaven of a Prisoner of Hell and Death one at Liberty and delivered me from that Eternal Wrath to come Oh! the free mercy of God that hath withholden death from seizing upon me the which if it had where had I been Oh happy and blessed was it that thou shouldst put out thine hand and touch me with the rod of thine affliction so that I may say It is good for me that I was afflicted O blessed Redeemer give me thy Spirit without which I am undone to apply the precious Blood of the New Covenant to my Soul without which I can do nothing that thy good Spirit may direct me into the way everlasting to know God and Jesus Christ which is Life Eternal Inflame me with love to thy self thy Laws and Commandments Preserve me from the sin of Presumption let the love of Holiness in me express it self in the abandoning all and every similitude of sin from my heart that I may abhor that viz. Sin that once was so amiable to me Let thy strength appear in my weakness and let thy grace be sufficient for me Accommodate me with a resolvedness to follow thee Let Christ Heaven and Glory be my Object and my Mark to aim at Let Christ be my Center upon whose account I conclude my imperfect requests in his own words Our Father c. Considerations of Death 1. COnsider That all the Pleasures Treasures and Comforts of this Life as Wife Children Goods Gold Friends Lands Livings large Possessions Dignity Honours sumptuous Fare and pleasant Prospects spacious Walks delicate Gardens nay even the World it self in its lustre and all that is therein on which thou hast doted so much and squandered so much time in shall and must all at the stroke of Death be extinguished the which Heaven it self or any created Power cannot prevent but will quite be obliterated and for ever lost never more to be minded or meddled with or enjoyed either in this World or the World to come but in as much as we must give an account of our using and abusing of them When our breath goeth forth out of our Bodies our thoughts perish and therefore make it thy business and think it thy chiefest prudence to wean thy affections from this fading World by little and little with a resolute and holy violence least thou find it harder to part with all at once 2.
Consid To die is but once to be done and if we miscarry in that we miscarry and are undone for ever therefore make it thy chief business to learn to die It would be better never to have lived than to be ignorant to die Many will nay doubtless the prophanest wretch will desire the death of the righteous but unless it be learnt before by living the life of the righteous you shall never learn nor know how to die O learn this lesson seeing there is no working in the Grave whither we go 3. Consid That if thou make the best preparation for Death thou canst thou wilt find it hard enough to die if thy evidences be never so firm and good thou wilt find that all will be little enough if they be fair the Devil will blur them if he cannot blot them he 'll do what he can to accuse thee he is the accuser of the Brethren he 's the roaring Lion that will devour thee if he can 4. Consid That Death if not prepared for will look mighty ghastly and grim he is called The King of Terrors and Fears he 'll surprize thee for he comes suddenly as a thief in the night 't is true if he come thou being prepared it will put an end to all thy fears and dispossess thee of terrestrial substance and possess thee of a celestial and permanent substance 5. Consid That after Death that is after the Souls separation from the Body the Body will be but a loathsome spectacle all thy friends will as it were abhor it Abraham says Let me bury my dead out of sight 6. Consid That nothing will avail the Soul but Grace and a good Conscience when it shall after separation from the crasie House of Clay be brought before the great Tribunal of the most high God to give an account of all the deeds whether good or bad done in the Body 7. Consid That Christ who offers Salvation now by his Word and Mercies shall then appear in slaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know him not nor obey not his Gospel 8. Consid That having past once his Sentence whether of Life or Death it will be absolute and irrevocable O therefore be not slothful in this work lest the bubble of thy life be extinguished before thy work be done 9. Consid That after Death Gods Messenger hath executed his office viz. cut the thread of thy life thou must presently appear before God the great Judge to receive either the sentence of life or the sentence of everlasting death Considerations of Judgment O Thou impenitent sinner that wilt die in thy sins 1. Consider What a dreadful sight the coming of the Son of Man in the Clouds will be he whom thou hast so often by thy sins pierced whom thou hast rejected scorned and vilified and the blood thou hast so often trod under foot must then be thy Judge from whose righteous sentence there will be no appeal now he stands to invite thee and woo thee with the fairest terms of love but then he will pronounce thy dreadful doom and his poor redeemed ones which now thou thinkest not worthy to live but doest scorn mock revile persecute and kill will then sit on the Throne on the right hand of the Lamb as thy Judges too How then wouldst thou wish Rocks to fall upon thee and be beholding to Mountains to cover thee nay how sain wouldst thou change natures with Toads or Serpents Owls or Batts the worst of Creatures or that thou couldst be annihilated and that thy immortal Soul should become mortal 2. Consid Also That then all Relations will cease and so all Love and worldly Friendship Then the loving Husband must rejoyce in the Damnation of the wicked Wise and the tender and indulgent Mother must stand not only with dry and cheerful Checks and assent to the just Doom of her impenitent Children but glorifying God for executing his Justice and Vengeance upon them Therefore O sinner if thou wouldst have Christ Friends and Relations be-friend thee at that day be an unreconcileable enemy now unto thy sins and be at peace with God through thy Redeemer O miserable sinner Consider where wilt thou appear at that day when God will make a separation between good and bad when thou must give an account for all things done in the flesh for every thought of thine heart every word of thy mouth every moment of time every omission of any holy duty every commission all company thou camest in every Sermon thou hearest every Sabbath thou hast mispent and then all thy sins and villany whether committed secretly or openly will be viewed by the whole World To prevent this try now thy heart life calling thoughts words and deeds and arraign accuse and condemn thy self at the bar of thy Conscience that thou mayst be acquitted at Gods Judgment Bar at the last day If thou be a Saint consider that then thy Soul and Body must make make a second but a more happy and Blessed marriage joyntly and together to enjoy and be drown'd as it were in that glory that God prepared for his Elect from before the Foundation of the World then thy innocency and righteousness shall be clear and made conspicuous to the whole World when Christ sets thee at his right hand when thy Friend thy eldest Brother and thy Husband will be thy Judge then thy Pains Losses Crosses and Sufferings will be fully rewarded Thy Persecutors Troublers and Opposers will be avenged upon and all thy good Deeds reckoned up to thy comfort but all sin done away Then thou shalt sit on a throne crown'd with Immortality and Glory with those judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel and shalt hear that blessed that wonderfully acceptable and heart-ravishing invitation Come ye Blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom that was prepared for you from the foundation of the World When your Enemies and Troublers shall be packed to Hell with this dreadful and fatal doom Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Depart from Glory that 's Hell enough depart with a curse into fire and that everlasting Considerations of Hell COnsider first The pain of loss privation of Gods glorious presence and eternal separation from those everlasting felicities joys and bliss above is the more horrible part of Hell The Torments and Miseries of many Hells in the judgment of the Learned are nothing to the shutting out everlastingly from the Kingdom of Heaven and an unhappy Banishment from the beatifical Vision of the most Soveraign onely and chiefest good the thrice glorious Jehovah blessed for ever I say the loss of any of these will be a far greater loss than Ten thousand Worlds were they all composed of purest Gold and brimful with richest Jewels Let therefore every one in the Name and Fear of God as we would not for a few bitter-sweets or a vile lust in this World for an inch of time lose an
us of the evils that we have committed that God may repent him of the evils that he hath threatned 80. 'T is certain that wicked men sin if they pray not and it is true that even their Prayers are sin Prov. 15.8 Evening Meditations and Ejaculations coming in from ones Imployment O How good God has been to me this day in preserving me he might have struck me dead or have let me fall into some danger or other and yet has kept me from spiritual and temporal enemies and from the accidents attending on the trail nature of poor mortal Creatures O bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name Meditations in time of undressing ones self I am puting off my Cloths O Lord it may be the last time O help me to put off my sins those rags that make me so deformed in thy sight O strip me of this depraved nature that all men are guilty of and invested with Being undressed a Meditation Lord I am naked and bare before thee and so are the secrets of all men and before whom all secrets shall be disclosed Lord disclose all the secrets of my treacherous heart that I may bewail what sins are not repented of Getting into Bed a Meditation It may be the last time that I shall lie down O put me in mind Lord of my lying down in the dust when the Worms shall be my Bed-fellows my Grave my Bed and the Grass my Cloths to cover me Going to Sleep a Meditation It may be I may sleep an everlasting sleep Lord let me whether sleeping or waking acquiesce in thee and let me by this rest be mindful of that everlasting rest for thy Saints Guard me with Angels that I may sleep secure Morning Meditations Awakened out of Sleep O God how mightst thou have made my Bed my Grave my Sleep my Death and yet I am presâ—rved by thy good hand of providenâ—â— blessed be thâ— Name Lord. O Lord as thou hast awaked me out of Tempered Sleep O let my Spiritual Eyes be opened that I may be more awakened out of the sleep of Sin Arising O Lord let my Arising put me in mind of the first Re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ion to wiâ— from Sin and of the seâ—â—â—nd that is at the last day that by 〈◊〉 Arising of the one I may Arise with comfort aâ— the other Putting on the Doublet Lord help me to put on the Breast-plate of Righteousness that I may be able to resist all the â—iery darts of Sathan Putting on the Breeches Help me O Lord to gird my Loyns with Righteousness Putting on Stockings and Shoes O Lord help me to get my Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Putting on the Coat Draw out my heart Lord to praise thee for thy Clothing me let me be clothed with the Garments of Righteousness cover me O Lord with the skirt of thy loving kindness Washing Lord wash me from all my sins in that Fountain that 's set open for sin and for uncleanness and help me to wash my hands in innocency Combing the Head and Brushing the Cloths Lord take away all that rust and dirt that sticks so close to my Soul and make me clean and then I shall be clean indeed Putting on the Band. Lord let thy wisdom be as a chain about my Neck A short Meditation before Prayer before one go to Work O what a reasonable thing is it that I should seeing God renews his Mercy every Morning renew my Acknowledgements in Prayer and Praises both for received Mercies and an Engagement for future Mercies O Lord let my Desires be as a Morning Sacrifice and the early smoak of my incense renew those leagues my sins this night may have broken Before Work Lord seeing thou hast dealt so kindly with me this night as to preserve me and keep me and bring me to my Imployment let my Actions all be to thy Glory and whatsoever I do it may be according as thou requirest in thy Word that doing nothing but what is or tends to thy Glory in a lawful Imployment I may be prospered in all my Deeds A Valediction to the World and its Inhabitants VAin World adieu whose chanting charms entice And keep me from the things of better price I now am bent for new discoveries In Lands that are beyond the azure Skies My faith a City fair hath in her eye Whose Subjects all are Saints thither go I There shall this drossie Flesh and Blood refin'd Immortal grow and free from â—ears of mind Where whilst my Saviours presence my mind chears My heart shall vent no sighs my eyes no tears But fill'd with joyes from age to age I 'll sing Sweet Allelujahs to my God and King 2. To Servants Farewel my Servants though my Covenant Requires attendance from you none I 'll want Your Master and mine own I go to see He calls me home but mourn you not for me I must confess a truant I have been Yet he hath sworn he 'll pay my wages in Serve I him but the twinkling of an eye I shall have wages paid eternally His Debtor deep and desperate was I Vntil he sent his Son for me to die O love stronger than death my Soul away Make speed 〈◊〉 thy dâ—ar Master for thee stay 3. To Intimate Friends Farewel my mind 's embeseâ—'d darlings dear I highly price you yâ—â— must needs forbear From imaging your enjâ—â—mâ—nt for I am call'd By the great Friend of Friends to be install'd With his triumphâ—â—â— friends that are above In the great Principality of Love Detain me not nor 〈◊〉 this an offence The King of Kings commands me I must hence 4. To Brothers Sisters and Kindred Farewel my Flesh and Blood my Kindred dear Whose homogeniâ—â— pâ—rts at first one were Till Rib made Eve made two who still one were Millions of millions now in number are I have attain'd new consanguinity Who sing sweet Requiems eternally To the enthroned Souls not to be cy'd By Mortal Opticks they are glorisi'd Heaven 's their Foot stool their Seat the Glorious Flore Of his great Throne that reigns for evermore 5. To Father Farewel my beings instrumental cause Assign'd by the Author of Divine Laws Who my new Father is and old one was Ere you were so to whem I now do pass Methinks with sorrow sore oppress's my heart To think that from you I aâ— last must part But O why do I grieve To go to him That gave his Son a ransom for my sin And by whose wonderfully great affection Made Love sole ground of my poor Souls election Father if you are loath I gone should be Come but to him you 'll surely come to me 6. To Mother Farewel dear Mold wherein I mortal clay Fram'd was that bar'st me nine â—onâ—ths night and day And after grievous travel gav'st me pass When by the eternal Potter I fram'd was Into this vail of tears thy torments bind me To boundless love yet thee must leave behind me Oh let me flee and haste thee after me To dwell together in solicity 7. To Children Farewel sweet implings death's sweet writ of ease Doth me remove from you th' Epitomes Of me and my dear second farewel I Must have a residence beyond the skie You therefore I commit unto your Father Who will you keep and unto me will gather You if you faithful be unto the death And give you crowns of life for transient breath In Heaven with Angels Saints and Martyrs throng To sing for ever Sions Lamb 's sweet Song 8. To Wife Farewel my better half life of my life And sub-celestial comfort dearest Wife One heart in two in parting we must cleave As we made one of two at meeting leave Spare these heart-melting cries let crys with tears Thy frailties to bewail sound in Gods ears Swim in those streams unto that harbour where The presence of our King thy heart will cheer I do but go before and thee expect Among the number of the Lords Elect. 9. To all joyntly Farewel World Servants Relations near Brothers and Sisters all my Kindred dear Father Mother Children and dear Wife All whom I dearly lov'd as my own life I must be gone I must depart from hence Seeing it is for my good you will not take offence My King and Captain calls me to install In Heaven above free from all slavish thrall Once more adieu unto you all until We shall together meet on Sions Hill Where we all joyntly shall loud praises sing Vnto our God our Saviour and our King FINIS