cold water teach me to be content with the least of his blessings and to give him thanks knowing that man liveth not by meat onely but by every word that proceedeth from thy mouth through Jesus Christ our Saviour Sect. LXV Good Neighbours THe childe of God hath some comfort in adversity above all others because all his neighbours are his father's tenants at wil and hold both life and land of him during his pleasure Therefore he that is God's childe shall finde some that love the Lord of their life and land and will be ready to yield relief and comfort unto his son David was not unmindfull of this when he said I have been young and now am old yet I never saw the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging their bread Nay if all men should forsake Gods elect the bruit creatures would succour him at need for rather then Elias shall starve the ravens will feed him rather than Jonas should be drowned the Whale will preserve him rather than Daniel should perish the Lions will comfort him Sparke 65. O Lord Thou art my Father I am thy child but good Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee I am not worthy to be called thy son O make me as one of thy hir'd servants let me not want the thing without which I cannot serve thee For Lord in thee is my trust let me never be confounded Amen Sect. LXVI The sickness of the Soul THe diseases of the body as the Ague the Stone the Pox the Palsie the Plague Impostumes c. Are cured either by Physick tract of Time or ended by Death But the diseases of the soul as Pride Envie Malice c. are cured neither by Time Physick nor Death but onely by the blood of Jesus Christ therefore seeing the diseases of the soul be so incurable and the Physick so precious we had need to be watchfull of our selves that though we have a sick body yet a sound soul Sparke 66. O Lord my soul is sick with divers diseases my wounds great and my Malady grievous heal mâ— therefore O Lord for my bones are vexed yea heal my soul for I have sinned against thee speak the word Lord and thy servant shall be healed Sect. LXVII Paul's desire THey that live most honestly will die most willingly For willingly doth the traveller question about his Inne Often casteth the Apprentice when his years will expire Many times will the woman that hath conceived wish her delivery And he that knows his life to be away to death and his death the doore to joy will often covet to be dissolved and to be with Christ Sparke 67. O Lord while we breath here grant that we may live in thee and departing hence we may live with thee for ever being sound in faith and strong in hope looking with chearfullness for the day of our departure and the joyfull appeareing of thy Son Jesus Christ our Redeemer and in the hour of death Lord let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Grant this O Lord for thy sonne and my Saviour thy Lamb and my loving advocate Jesus Christ the righteous Amen Sect LXVIII The Sinner's Wound EVery worldling sometime or other is sorry for the vices he followeth as the drunkard for his drunkennesse the whoremonger for his uncleanness c. But the godly man never repents him of any vertuous action For when did any man repent that he did relieve the poor who was sorry that he kept himself chast who ever had cause of grief because he did not rob or steal who ever repented him for being patient humble mercifull sober honest and faithfull But sinfull actions leave a sting behinde them which hardly can be cured whereas Godly deeds how bitter soever they seem in the doing yet being done instead of leaving a sting behind them they minister a sweet comfort unto the doer Sparke 68. My blessed God give me evermore grace to avoid evill and to do good to hate the works of darkness which causeth nothing but shame grief repentance and to put on the Armour of light that may shield me with comfort and save me from confusion Sect. LXIX The Christian's Primer-Book HE that will be a Scholar in Christianity may take Mount Calvarie for his school the Crosse for his meditation Christs wounds for his letters his stripes for his comma's his nailes for his full points his open fide for his book and to know Christ and him crucified for his lesson Sparke 69. Lord open mine eys that I may know thy son Jesus Christ and him crucified Grant I may enter into life through theneer and living way which thou hast prepared that is through thy bloud and passion so that no tribulation nor anguish nor persecution neither hunger nor nakednesse neither perill nor sword neither death nor life may separate us from thee to whom be praise and glory both now and ever more Amen Sect. LXX The Courtier 's walke COurtiers desirous by following Prince's Court to benefit themselves and to raise their house for them and their posterity ought to be carefull to know the right way by which they may be exalted being but earthly men seeing there are but four ways ordinarily whereby all heavy things here below may be promoted first By art at the water that of it self is heavy and by nature runs downward is by skil and knowledge not onely drawn up as high as the fountain from whence it first sprang but far higher Secondly by nature's ordinary course in things here below as in trees and plants whose tops do mount up so much the higher above the earth by how much their roots are lower and deeper in the earth Thirdly by vertue power of the celestial bodies as those vapours that are exhaled up by force and vertue of the Sun-beames Lastly by force and violence used here below to drive things upward as when an arrow is shot up from a strong bow a stone from a sling or a bullet from a piece by which violence things suddenly mount up but doe as suddenly fall again In like manner are men exalted here upon earth Some by art learning and industry exalt themselves and their houses not onely as high as the fountain of their bloud linaege but far above them as Moses Solomon c. have done some again by their humble service to God and their Prince do root themselves to low in the earth that their fair boughes and branches of their name and posterity grow extraordinarily in height above others and by reason of their sure and sound rooting continue longer before they either fall or decay And so did Christ and his Apostles exalt themselves some like the vapours are immediately drawn up on high by the celestiall power and pleasure of God by his extraordinary mercies to try them as Lucifer Saul Herod Nabuchadnezzar c. who if thâ—y be earthly watery and impure vapours are cast down again after a while
d Psal 90. and that it may be dearer unto us than thousands of gold silver Give us that firme resolution to believe thy Word with out any further reasoning and arguing Work so in us good Lord that despising e Luk. 10.16 thy Word delivered unto us we never seek after strange revelations And for as much good Lord as there is nothing so near and so dear unto thee as thy Word which proceeded f Mat. 5. from thy mouth Grant that we may be in love with nothing so much as with thee and thy Word Grant therefore O Lord that we may keep thy sayings g Luk. 2. and ponder them with blessed Mary in our hearts Lastly Lord whatsoever thy word doth sound in our ears let not our hearts be like the thorny ground the stony nor the beaten high way but like the good ground that bringeth forth some forty some fifty some sixty and some an hundred fold To the glory of thy name and our salvation through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. II. Of the Honour of God The School of Honour SEing that every creature is made created for the honour of the Creator and doth in his nature respect his honour and glory in somuch that the greatest honour that the creature can have is to be made for Gods honour that the honour of God doth respect the honour of all other creatureâ— and the injury and dishonor of God the injury of all other creatures so that when the creatures are well used to God's honour then God is glorified and when they are abused then is he dishonoured For God being honoured God being dishonoured the Creatures are dishonoured And hence it is that in the honour of God are included infinite honours and in the dishonour of God infinite dishonours Therefore that man which honoureth God cannot chuse but honour aâ—l his creatures and especially himself being the chief of his creatures But he which dishonoureth God dishonoureth all Gods creatures with him and especially himself which is Lord of the creatures So that to honour God is for a man to honour himself and he that dishonoureth God doth the greatest wrong and dishonour to himself that may be Hence I conclude Lord that for me to preferr any creatures honour or praise before thine is a great dishonour to thee to my self and to all the rest of my fellow-creatures For seeing all things ought to be for thy glory and that thy glory is the glory of all cre tures then whensoever we aime at our own honor we become directly thine enemies For whensoever we seek not thy glory directly then of necessity we seek our own glory for there is no mean between them insomuch that we are alwayes directly either subjects or traytors friends or foes to our God O good Lord is it fit that thou shouldest make a creature of nothing after thine own image he to be contrary to thine owne glory being the omnipotent Artificer what greater foolishness what greater dishonesty what greater disorder what greater blindness and more against reason than that the work made of nothing should seek his owne proper praise Sparke 2. O Lord whether we sleep or wake sit or lie stand or goe we are thine Therefore grant that whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do else h 1 Cor. 10. let all be done to the honour glory and praise of thy name For seeing thou art our Maker k Gen. 1. grant we may obey thee Seeing thou art our Master l Mat. 1.6 grant we may fear thee Seeing thou art our Father grant we may reverence thee and seeing thou art one God grant we may glorifie thee O Lord grant us grace to honour thee with all wherewith thou hast honoured and blessed us So shall our m Prov. 3.9 barns be filled with abundance and our presses shall burst with new wine Grant us ever to glorify thee in thy self in thy membâ—rs for thou hast taught us that he which oppresseth the poor reproveth him that made him but he n Prov. 14.31 that hath mercy upon the poor honoureth â—hee O loving Father seeing that thine is glory victory and praise for thou art the King o Psal 24. of Glory Let all my p Psal 62. health and glory be in thee let us not honour thee with our lips but with our lives and souls also For thou wilt not give thy glory to none other q Isa 42. let us not be desirous of r Gal. 5. vain-glory Therefore not unto us not unto us Lord but to thy name give the glory To whom be Glory for ever Amen Sect. III. All in us must be to Gods glory The Saints Service FOrasmuch as man is made for Gods glory and because whatsoever is given to man is given him only for the service of God therefore we are to think that because we can love we are to love God and because we have power to know we are to know God and because we can understand we are to understand what God is because we can fear we are to fear God because we can honour we are to honour God because we can worship we are to worship God because we can pray we are to pray to God because we can obey we are to obey God because we can trust we are to trust in God because we can hope we are to hope in God And whatsoever good thing else we can do we have power to do it that we might serve our Ceator in doing it Sparke 3. O eternall God and most mercifull Father Hallowed be thy name t Mat. 6. for ever As thy intent in creating me was to frame me for thy glory so grant it may be my mind and purpose study and whole endeavour to seek thy glory and to publish thy praise For Lord thy glory and praise wilt thou give to none x Esay 42 other but to thy self Lord give us such measure of thy grace That our lights may so shine before men that they seeing our good works z Mat. 5.16 may glorifie thee our Father which art in heaven O Lord because we can love let us love a Mat. 10.37 nothing in comparison of thee let us desire to know nothing but thee and Christ Jesus thy Son crucified Let us never fear them that can hurt the body but rather fear thee that canst destroy both body b Mat. 10.28 and soul together Let our honour be to reverence thee our prayers to invocate thee our obedience unto thee our belief faith hope and trust in thee through Jesus Christ for evermore Amen Sect. IV. How God must be served ALthough we owe all good duties generally unto God The Paths of Piety because he is our Creator we his creatures he our Lord and we his servants yet are we to perform every duty to him for particular respects For we ought to yield him some service in one respect and
fire doth heat and warme all things and ascend upward so doth thy love warme our cold zeal and cause our hearts to ascend up to seek those things that he above And as the clouds do drop down waters to wash the filthiness of the earth so the grace of thy holy spirit doth cause often a cloud of sorrow for sins to arise in our hearts and so to dissolve into tears at our eyes Thirdly as the Dove is a mild bird void of gall so that Dove-like spirit the holy ghost would have his nest in our hearts that we might be meek as thou art meeek Lord patient and peaceable like the milde Dove void of anger and malice Lastly As the tongue doth exhort and perswade by the eloquence thereof so the blessed spirit of thee our God by appearing in the forme of tongues would have us to be exhorted and perswaded by the wisdome and eloquence thereof and not to build upon vain philosophy and humane wisdome Sparke 16. Gracious Father let thy good spiriâ— a Psal 143. lâ—â—d us into the lâ—nd of righteousnesse let it go still before us to give us as b Exod. 13.21 a pillar of cloud by day and as the pillâ—r of fire by night Yea let him still be the starre of Grace to direct us unto that blessed Saviour of the world â— Mat. 2.11 thy onely son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XVII Our soules are not begotten by men THat principle which denieth the soule to be begotten from the parents The Soul's Pedegree needs no other proof than experience For if the soul came from the substance of the parents as the body doth the soul then of one man should be some kinne to the body and soul of another man his begetter and so one man would love the soul of his friend better than his body But we see by Experience that men are more carefull for the body of their children than for their soul for the most part and men will venter much to fetch the bodies of their friends out of prison or to save them from death but for the soul which is as it were Gods kinsman infused by him into us men are lesse carefull And therefore our Saviour Christ careing most for the soul which was most dear to him taught us â—wo petitions for the good of the soul and but one for the necessities of the body which is the petition for our dayly bread Sparke 17. Good Lord grant we may love both in our selves that which thou best lovest and hate which thou hatest r Mat. 6.10 O good father from thâ—e we have received this soul and living breath Å¿ Gen. 1. by which we breathe we commâ—nd it Lord into thy carefull t Psal 31. hands deliver it good Lord from the ungodly and comfort the souls of thy servants And let our u Luk. 1.46 souls magnifie thee Lord and our spirit ever rejoyce in thee our God and Saviour The very God of peace sanctifie us throughout w 1 Thes 5. and I pray God that our whole spirit and soul and body may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XVIII Love admits no excuse IN man's reason we may finde some excuse for omitting any duty but love for there is no excuse for our defect in love For there is no charges no weariness no labour no pain nor no grief in loving yea it maketh all paines and labour to seeme sweet and delightfull For the hunter for love of his game will travell all day without weariness And herein appeareth the sweetness of God's mercy and the greatnesse of his liberality towards us which would not tye man to that which was heavy laborious and wearisome buâ— to that which was most pleaâ—ant and â—asie Sparke 18 O sweet Lord true it is that thy q Mat. 11 30. yoke is easie and thy burden light Lord make us to love thee and thy truth more than all thy creatures yea more than our goods more than our friends d Mat. 10 37. more than our flesh more than our selves our soules and our bodies And seeing thou hast given b Gen. 1.28 29. us all things for thy service Lord give us a heart to love thee above c Psal 119. all with all our hearts with all our strength with all our mind and with all our soul through Jesus Christ Deut. 6. Amen Sect. XIX The love of God and the love of Mammon The Soul's Solace THere 's no proportion between the love of worldly things and the love of God For from the one must needs follow sorrow from the other continuall joy For all things in this world are mutable coâ—ruptible Therefore as often as the object or the thing we set our love upon doâ—h either perish change or vanish so often must it needs be a grief unto us to lose it that we loved â—o well But if God â—e the object of our love and the thing we best affect then must we needs have continual joy and never sorrow For we never sorrow much but for the loss of the thing we love most Therefore if God be the object of our love and marke of our affection our joy can never decay for God can neither die nor perish nor be changed nor be wanting but is alwayes present to our wills alwayes sufficient to our desires alwayes omnipotent to our wants alwayes loving alwayes mercifull alwayes most good most pleasant most just most wise and most glorious Therefore the object of our love never failing our joy shall never fail No marvaile then if with God there is everlasting joy and never dying happinesse himself being the object of our love and cause of our joy For seing all our love ariseth from God and all our joy from our love therefore both our joy and our love will endure so long as God endureth Sparke 19. O Lord God the onely Lover and Saviour of our soules let us not love the world nor the things that are therein q 1 John 2. Good Father thou that best knowest the deceitfull baits of this alluring world let us live in the world and not love the world If riches r Psal 6 10. encrease let us not set our hearts thereon If honours be heaped upon us let us not be delighted therewith If pleasures do tempt us let us not be enamoured therewith x Mark 10. But let us love thee Lord with all our heart with all our soul and with all our strength Let us never love father mother brother sister nor friends more than thee lest we be not worthy of thee y Psal 5.12 For they that onely love thy name shall be joyfull in thee b and they shall prosper that love thee Therefore Lord let me love thee above all and love all in thee and for thy love Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ our sweet and onely Saviour Amen Sect. XX.
The mean is best Vertue 's Chayre O Lord thou hast often by thine own example encouraged us to follow the meane and to avoid vices and extreams For first in the blessed Trinity thy place is in the middle room In our Redemption thy place is a middle room for thou art the mean between us and thy Father In thy Fathers congregation thou hast the middle room for for thou art that middle Arch in Gods Church that doest couple together Jew and Gentile The place of thy birth was a middle roome the heart of the world The time of thy birth about midnight Thy passion not farre from mid-day The place where thou suffâ—redst a middle roome between two Theeves one upon the right hand and the other upon the left Thy peaceable abode after thy rising from death in the middest of thy Disciples Therefore Lord there is no fitter place for thee to dwel in me than in my middle which is my heart made to be thy seat and thy holy Temple Sparke 20. O Lord I beseech thee to dwell in my q Eph. 3.17 heart by thy holy Spirit Let every vertue be a middle room in my heart for thy gracious self to lodge in and grant that I never decline from thy Commandments either to the right hand or to the left x Prov. 4. Let my faith Lord be a meanes to apprehend thee and thy merits and be thou still a mean to reconcile me unto thy Father y 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 5. Eph. 2. that being justified through thee we may have peace wi h God the Father To whom with thee and the holy Spirit in unity of Godhead be all praise and glory for ever and ever Amen Sect. XXI Crosses Christians coats IT is partly suspition The Christians Coat that they that at no time have crosses have at all time no Christ For indeed we find but few of God's children void of all trouble For either they are troubled in their reputation as Susannah was or crossed in their children as Ely was or persecuted by their enemy as David was or wronged by their friends as Joseph was or tormented in their bodies as Job was or restrained in their liberty as John was For indeed the good man is but as it were the but of the wicked whereat they shoot their sharpest headed Arrowes Sparke 21. O dear Father lay upon us any misery so it be in thy mercy any punishment in thy pitty r Jer. 10.24 Psal 6.1 correct us O Lord yet in thy Judgement not in thy fury least we should be consumed and brought to nothing t Job 2.8 O Lord if it be thy will to let us ly sick in the ashes with Job or imprisoned in iron with Joseph Å¿ Gen. 29.20 or persecuted with Enemies with David l 1 Sam. 22.1 or pinched with hunger like o Luk. 15. the prâ—digall son yet Lord be not angry with us for ever If heavinesse endure for a night let joy appear in the morning Grant good Father that we may with patience expect and see the blessed Jubilee of thy free mercy through Jesus Christ our dear Saviour Amen Sect. XXII A Christian the best Artist AN upright Christian is a Musitian A Salve for every sore a Physitian a Lawyer and a Divine to himself For What is sweeter musick than the witnesse of a good conscience What is better Physick than abstinence and patience What deeper counsell in Law than in having nothing to possesse all things And what sounder Divinity than to know God whom he hath sent Jesus Christ Sparke 22. O blessed Jesus let my musick be peace o Rom. 14.19 of conscience and joy d 14.17 in the holy Ghost My Physick the blessed potions and restoratives of thy precious blood My Policy to keep thy statutes And my Divinity to know Christ and him crucified and in the end with joy to behold him glorified for the merits of his bitter death and passion Amen Sect. XXIII Of spirituall blindness IT is most certain good Lord that spirtuall blindnesse is farre worse than corporall The borne-blinde For to want the eyes of angels is worse than to want the eyes of beasts for whereas the bodily blind is led by his Servant his Wife or his Dogg the spiratually blind is misled by the World the Flesh and the Devill Yea the bodily blinde will be sure to get a seeing guid but the spiritually blind followeth his own lust which is a blinde guid so falleth into the ditch The bodily blinde feeleth and acknowledgeth his want of sight and imperfection but the spiritually blind thinks no blame nor blemish in his sight The bodily blind supplieth his want of sight oft by feeling as Iasac a Gen. 27.11 did but the spiritually blinde though he feels the flashing yet never avoids the flame of hell fire To conclude the bodily blind accounts them happy which see but the spiritually blind despiseth the seers Sparke 23. O Lord open our blind eyes that we may see our wickedness and by our wickedness our weaknesse and by them both our accursedness For good Lord thou knowest that of our selves we are stark blinde For The naturall b 1 Cor. 2.14 man perceiveth not the things that be of God and knowes them not because they are spiritually discerned Lighten our eyes O Lord that we sleep not in Death Awake thou us b Ephes 5.14 from sleep raise us up froÌ„ the dead then give thou us light grant Lord that we may c John 12 35 36. walk while we have the light least the darkness come upon us Therefore Lord open thou the eyes of our understanding that we may believe in the light O good Lord seeing that we trust in thee that art the tru light d Eph. 4.17 18. let us not walk as other Gentiles blâ—nded in vanity of minde having their cogitation darkened and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them But we being once darkness and now are made light in thee x Lord Psal 5.8 let us henceforth walk as the children of light that we may see perfectly and attain that eternall light in the Kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XXIIII The Drunkard the greatest Self-Enemy The danger of Drunkennesse OF all men the Drunkard is the greatest Enemy to himself A malicious man is a murtherer of himself The Prodigall man a Thief to himself The Voluptuous man a Witch to himself The Covetous man is a Devill to himself But a Drunkard is all these to himself Namely a Murtherer to his body a Thief to his purse a Witch to his witt and a Devill to his Soul Sparke 24 O Lord give me the spirit of Sobriety and grant that I be not drunken with wine wherein is a Eph. 5.18 excess Lord let me never make a god of my belly b Phil. 3.19 but ever be moderate
bones do quake for fear yea my sins have taken such hold upon me that I cannot look q Psal 40. up If Mary Magdalen was possessed with seven Devills Lord thou knowest that many Devils do continually walk about not onely to seek to possess but to devour my p 1 Pet. 5.11 soul And though Mary and Martha had cause of grief for the death of their brother whom thou didst restore yet my grief is more John 11. being dead in sin my self desiring to be revived by the spirit of thy Grace Lord as thou didst commit thy Mother the blessed Virgin to the tuition of q Joh. 19. John So dear Father command thy holy a Psal 34.7 Angells to guide and guard me from all evill Grant also sweet Jesus that with the three Maries I may seek thee early in the morning and seeking thee finde thee and finding thee believe in thee and lodge thee in my heart for ever Amen Sect. XXIX To performe Promise needfull IT is an old saying An honest promise is due debt That an honest Promise is due debt I have often promised to serve thee my good God and yet never perform'd the same as I ought and therefore the more I promise except thy grace help me to performe the more I am indebted unto thee Sparke 29. O Lord grant that I may promise unto thee that which thou hast commanded me and after b Deut. 23.21 performe that which I have c Psal 66. promis'd that I may obtain thy promise through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXX Of Christ's vertues in healing and Satan's policie in hurting IT is no wonder that the Devill did so much prevail against the Jewes to have Christ tormented in every member A box of precious ointments as his Head with Thornes his Hands and Feet with Nailes his Sides with the Spear his Eyes with Spittings his Face with buffettings and his Taste and Mouth with Gall for the Devill well perceived that there issued out great vertue from every member of Christ For he healed the Leper by touching him with his hand he healed Peter by looking back upon him with his eye he healed Matthew with his mouth by saying come and follow me he healed the deaf and dumb with his fingers by putting them into his ears he healed Mary Magdalen with the vertue that went from his feet when she washed them wiâ—h her tears he healed the woman diseased with the twelve years issue with the hem of his garment he healed raised up Lazarus out of his grave with his voice sayinâ— Lazarus come forth he heâ—lâ—d all the souls of his children with the blood and water that ran out of his blessed side Spark 30. Heal us O Lord for our bones are b Psal 6. vexed send out thy curing Word and heal our wounded soules that refuse all manner of comforts c Psal 107.19 20. say unto my soul I am thy salvation d Psal 35. O thou pittifull Saviour and sweet Samaritan e Luke 10. leave me not thus wounded and half dead in the high-way of perdition but bind up my wounds and poure therein the oyle of thy everlasting grace through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXXI Of Avarice and Oppression The Worldliings Woe ALbeit every sin calls for eternall vengeance yet we read in Scripture but of four crying sins The First is Murther and Bloodshed f Gen. 4.10 The Second is Gluttony and Idleness or the sin of Sodom g Gen. 18.21 The Third is the sin of Wrong and Oppression h Exod. 3.9 The Fourth is the detaining of the Labourers hire i Jam. 5.4 Now three of these cry with open mouth against the Covetous wretch as against an open Oppressor a secret Defrauder both an open and secret Murtherer Therefore the clamours of many poore Debters in the Dungeon of many poor Labourers in the Field and of many poore Neighbours crying and dying in the street enters into the ears of the Lord of hosts Nay the cry of his owne soul and body will come against him for though he keepeth his pelf with many locks from others yet from none doth he keep them so fast as from himself For though he possesseth them yet hath he no power to use them as holy Records doe shew Eccles 6.1 where the Spirit of God sayeth That there is an evill under the Sun which is much used among men A man to whom God hath given Riches and Treasure and Honour wanteth nothing for his soul of all that it desireth but God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a strange man shall eat it up This is an evill sickness Consider this then thou Worldling that sayest in thy heart I shall never have enough Spark 31. O blessed Trinity that fillest every living thing with thy l Psal 104. blessing Lord blesse us and thy blessings that in using them we abuse not thee O Sacred All sufficient Trinity fill thou our hearts so full that we may desire r Ezech. 36. nothing but thee thy glory our hearts good Lord are made Triangle-wise a fit seat for the blessed Trinity They are made narrow below and shut close to keep out worldly desires and wide and open above to receive all heavenly blessings O Lord as they are thy vessels so let them be of thy filling yea fitted with nothing but with thy self and thy love Psal 10.17 through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Sect. XXXII Nothing can satisfie God for our sins but his Son VVHat is that which man can off r unto his Maker The Acceptable Sacrifice to pacifie his wrath ' gainst sins If he cold give the whole world unto God what doth he offer but what he hath received of God and lost by his disobedience If man could offer himself what offereth he but unâ—hankfulness dust and ashes blasphemy and wickednes which provokes Gods wrath more more If the Angells would offer themselves and their service to satisfie the wrath of the everlasting God what were that but a thing finite in goodness to seek to cover an infiâ—it evill Therefore God himself was fain to step between his Justice and Mercy to reconcile us again unto him by his own merits Spark 32. O Lord from whence then cometh our help Surely our help cometh of thee f Psal 121. which hast made heaven and earth There was no other water to waâ—h away Naaman's leprosie but Jordan's p 2 Kings 5 No ladder that reached up to Heaven but Jacob's q Gen. 28.12 No serpent that healed the Israelites but the brasen k Numb 21 9. So there is no other Name under heaven whereby we may be saved f Acts 4. but only by thy name and merits sweet Jesus O Lord it was not our own arm that helped us b Psal 44.3 4. but thy right hand and thy arm and the light of thy countenance because thou
let us ever be delighted with this salve let us by thy grace prescribe it unto others O Lord poure the oyl of thy mercy into our festred wounds thy blood hath helped many of thy Saints Luk. 10.34 and it is not yet dry but fresh and powerfull to heal mee Sect. XLI God is Mercy it self O Lord The wofull mans joy 2 Tim. 2.13 thou hast caugh us by thy Apostle Paul that thou art most faithfull and canst not deny thy self If we desire wealth thou mayest deny us for it is not thy self If we desire revenge thou mayest deny us for it is not thy self If we desire worldly pompe and preferments thou mayest deny us for it is not thy self If we desire gold and silver thou mayest deny us for it is not thy self But if we desire mercy thou canst not deny us for it is thy selfe for thou canst not deny thy self Thou art not onely mercifull but mercy it self For thou did'st pray for thine enemies give thy life for thy friends and never did'st deny their just petitions unto thy Servants Sparke 41. O Lord I want nothing but thy mercy Rom. 8. â—2 1 Cor. 15. Psal 67. 109. 51. which is thy self For having thee I have all because thou art all in all shew us therefore the light of thy Countenance and be mercifull unto us O Lord I am poor and needy but thy mercy may lift me up Therefore in the multitude of thy mercies do away my Offences O Lord thy mercy being thy self is above all thy works much more above the workes of Satan which are my sins mercy therefore good Lord mercy I crave it is the total Sum for mercy Lord is all my suite Lord let thy mercy come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect XLII Of Prayer O Eternall and Infinite Power The Saints post-messenger seeing thou art the King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty even the Lord might in battell whose Palace is in the highest heaven and we thy poor creatures being thy foes by our own follies therefore in thy sight more base than the vilest worm on earth seeing I say there is such distance of place betwen us as is between heaven earth such difference in qualities thou so glorious in Majesty and we so grievous in misery such odds in quantity we as it were nothing thou all things and all in all When thou art offended with us or when need compells us what messenger shall we presume to send unto thee either for peace pardon or to informe thee of our necessities or rather to entreat thee for to supply our wants for thou needest no informer If we send our merits unto thee they are in too base a habit being like a menstruous and stained clout The starres in heaven will disdain it that we which dwell at the foot-stool of God should presume so farre when the purest creatures in heaven are impure in his sight If we send up our fear distrustfulnesse the length of the way will tire and weary them out for being as heavy as lead they will sink to the ground before they come half the way to the seat of Salvation and the throne of Grace If we send up Blasphemies and Curses all the creatures betwixt heaven and earth will band themselves against us The Sun and Moon will rain down burning Coals upon us The Ayre will throw thunderbolts upon our heads If we send up pride then we and our messenger shall be thrown down to the Dungeon of the deepest Hell For thou resistest the proud what messenger then shall we presume to send up unto thee thou King of Glory Even that which thou hast commanded us to send which thou acceptest being sent servent prayer from a faithfull and unfained heart which neither the tediousness of the way nor the difficulty of the passage can hinder from passing unto thee Who being quick of speed faithfull for trustiness happy for success is able to peirce the Clouds and to mount above the Eagles of the Skie into the heaven of heavens and there to enter boldly into the Chamber of Presence and to â—he Throne of Grace before thee the great King of Glory Sparke 42. O Lord give us grace to send up our prayers unto thee and to call upon thee in the dayes of our necessities and trouble Hear the voice of our prayers betimes in the morning Let us cry out of the deep of our miseries unto the bottomless depth of thy mercies And because our nature is such as we know not how to aske as we should Rom. 8.26 Eph. 3.20 and thou alone both wisely doest know and effectually canst grant not onely what we desire but a great deale more than we can think upon Pour upon us the spirit of grace prayer which may with unspeakeable groanings make intercession for us Give us grace good Father Math. 11.24 Math. 6. to perswade our selves that whatsoever we shall aske at thy hand through faith we shall obtaine the same And grant that in all places we may pray lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting making with deep fighs and zealous minds continuall supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Tim. 2.1 Amen Sect. XLIII Of the Authority of Gods Word c. THough faith be the eye of the soule and the hand that apphehends the soul's Saviour yet if faith should tell me that God is three and one together or if faith should say believe that the son of God is the son of a Virgin that Christ is risen again the third day from the dead to die no more that I should believe all this to be true because Peter Paul John Isay Ieremy and Ezekiel have said so I would doubt and not believe such matters difficult fo far above reason and beyond the reach of man's apprehension and seing they were spoken but of men as I am I durst not believe them because it is written every man 's a lyars which makes us require so many oathes Psal 11.5 and so many witnesses before we can credite the report of men in many things But when faith tells me that God hath revealed these things and that neither Peter Paul nor John nor the rest of the Apostles and Prophets have taught these things of themselves but were first taught of God and that they have preached not their own word but the word of God then my heart yieldeth is ready to believe it especially seeing the same God that spake by the Prophets and Apostles confirmed his sayings with so many fignes and wonders Therefore as Paul says How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be preached of the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard it Mark 16.20 God bearing witness thereto both with signes and wonders also and with divers powers and gifts of the
Rom 13. Gal. 5. 1 Cor. 15. and be skilâ—ul in the rules of Christianity through that loadstone of love Jesus Christ Amâ— Sect. LXXIX The House-holder's Office EVery man in his House should beare the same Office as Christ doth in his Gen. 32. Church who is King Priest and Prophet So most that good man be a King to rule his Family and to correct his Children so did Jacob A Priest to pray for his Children Job 1. 1 Kings 2.2 so did Job And a Prophet to teach and instruct them so did David Spark 79. Grant O Lord that I may correct my Children For Prov. 13. The sparing of the rod is the spoyling of the Childe Teach me to instruct them in their youth that they may it when they are old Teach me how to pray both for me and them Mat. 7. For to him that knocketh it shall be opened Sect. LXXX A Medicine well tempered THough God's blessings be sweet alwayes in themselves yet he maketh them often times seem more sweet to us by the manner of giving them as when he sends a calm after a great tempest perfect health after long sickness free liberty after close Imprisonment a bright day after a dark night a blessing to Jacob after long wrastling the Land of Canaan to Israel after long Warre riches to Job after great poverty light to Paul after long darkness Sorrow for a night to his Children but joy in the morning Spark 80. O Lord If thy blessings taste not sweet enough in the mouth of my sickly and sinfull soul feed me sometimes with â—hy tart benefiâ—s that thy sweet blâ—ssings mâ—y be the more welcome to me and my self more thankfull unto thee that I may say with David â—er 10 24. It is good for me that I have been in trouble for before I was troubled I went wrong Sect. LXXXI Sin 's port-way IF a man wil take his journey towards Hell he need not fear to be out of his way for that way is both common and plain where he shall overtake many to bear him company but none coming back to bring him commendation to his friends But he that will resolve to take his voyage towards Hâ—aven shall have much ado to finde the way for it is a troublesome path frequented but by few and therefore we had need to set forwards betimes if we will come to the end of our journey But the best is though we travailâ— hard to come to it yet when we come we shall be sure of a good lodging where we may be joyfull and merry and rest for ever without any more pain banquetting and feasting like glad children in our elder brother's house Spark 81. Psal 5. Psal 139. Psal 143.10 Luk. 16. Mat. 4. Exod. 23 20 Teach me O Lord thy way and let thy holy spirit direct me thy Word conduct me and the blessed Angells attend me that I neither wander fall nor stumble untill I arrive at the haven of happiness to dwell with thee forever more Amen Sect. LXXXII The chiefest Trade VVHen men are about to bind their children to any Trade they will commonly be carefull to know that profession wherein they may be admitted with less charge where the Professor is of good name and credit the calling honest and gainfull and whereby in the end they shall be sure to come to great preferment Christianity is the best profession of all and such a calling that the poorest man may be admitted unto without charge Who is of greater credit than God And who can choose a better mastâ—r to serve than his Maker The calling is most honest and gainfull For what greater honesty than to do unto all men as I would they should do unto me And what greater gain than godliness Lastly having served out the time what greater freedome can any have than to be a free-man of Heaven what greater preferment can any wish than to have a Crowne of glory and life everlasting Sparke 82. O Lord this is onely my profession I am bound to it since I was a child Howbeit I have a thousaand times broken my Indentures and run away from thee and thou hast still brought me back again and forgiven me I am ashamed Lâ—rd I have so often displeased so gentle a Master Good Lord forgive me for Jesus Christ's sake Amen Sect. LXXXIII The best conception SOme have bin for a time barren in body but fruitfull in soul so was Sarah Rebecca and Elizabeth Some have been fruitfull in body but barren in soul so were Lot's Daughters that so readily conceived of their Father Some again are fruitfull both in body and soul and so was the blessed Virgin for she conceived Christ in her womb and pondered all his sayings in her heart Sparke 83. Lord grant that how barren soever our bodies be in multiplication yet our souls may be always bringing forth fruit in due season conceiving a good faith in thee and bringing forth good works to thy praise and glory Sect. LXXXIV Welcome God's Will SOme men have many children and have no inheritance for them some have inheritance and no children some have both children and inheritance some neither children nor inheritance c. Sparke 84. Lord if it please thee to send me many Children without inheritance make them thine by adoption and then they shall be inheritors of thy Kingdome If thou send me children and inheritance make me the more thankfull unto thee and let me not esteem them above thee If I have neither children nor inheritance then give me a lively faith in Christ to purchase Heaven for my patrimony and to become a childe my self that I may have thee for my Father But if it please thee to send me wealth without children Lord give me grace to bestow it upon my poor brethren which are thy children and my spirituall kinsmen for in so doing I do but lend unto thee of thine owne thou wilt be sure to pay me the best interest Sect. LXXXV For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven VVHen I view the earth and see that of her own accord she brings forth both herbs and fodder and food sufficient for all creatures save man wiâ—hâ—ut labour or tillage and that onely man must till and labour for his food then I well perceive Lord that it is man onely that hath and do h daily offend and not the bruit creature Spark 85. Good Lord forgive me my sins both originall and actuall that I with all thy elect may evermore praise thee that the earth may bring forth her increase and that God even our own God may give us his blessing c. Sect. LXXXVI The Kings Court. IF it pleased such as attend the Court to see the difference between the Court of Princes here on earth and the Court of the King of Glory in heaven they would quickly forsake all the Profits of the one to attaine unto the pleasurs of the other For First
some in another respect and therefore we are 1. To love God because he is the fiâ—st good and chief good and onely good for there is nothing good but by him and therefore God is to be loved in respect he is good and after the same manner as he is good so is he to be beloved Now he is the first good and therefore first to be loved He is the chief good and therefore chiefly to be loved He is the purest good and therefore most purely to be loved He is an infinite good and therefore infinitely to be loved And because nothing is good but thorough and in him therefore nothing is to be beloved but in him 2. God is to be feared because he is omnipotent and because he is chiefly and onely Almighty therefore is he chiefly and onely to be feared And because he is eternally Almighty therefore he is eternally to be feared And because he is the onely Almighty therefore to him onely belongeth fear And because he is most truly Almighty therefore is he most truly to be feared 3. In respect he is our Lord he is to be honoured And whereas he is the chief Lord therefore he is chiefly to be honoured And because he is infinitely chief therefore is he infinitely and chiefly to be honoured And because he is the first beginning of man therefore he is the first to be honoured of man 4. Obedience belongeth to God because he is above all things and because he is onely chiefly and eternally above all therefore he is onely chiefly and eternally above all to be obeyed And because he is only superiour unto man therefore he is chiefly to be obeyed of man 5. He is to be glorified and praised in respect he is the Worker Maker and Creator of all things And because he is the chiefest the wisest the first and onely Creator and maker of all things therefore he is chiefly principally wisely and onely to be glorified magnified and praised And because he is the maker of man therefore he is to be loved and glorified of man 6. God is to be beloved because he is true and truth it self and no lyar And because he is the first truth and most perfect truth therefore he is first to be beloved most perfectly to be beloved because he is the chief truth and chiefly faithfull therefore he is chiefly and most faithfully to be beloved To conclude to God belongeth Hope because he is powerfull and willing and onely knoweth how to help and to save and because he is the first power the onely powerfull chiefly powerfull wise and willing therefore he is chiefly principally onely wisely and willingly to be hoped in Thus we ow all duty to him who is Lord of all and that particularly for particular causes Sparke 4. O Lord we are thy creatures and thou art our Creator create in us a new heart to love thee above all c Gen. 1. Deut. 11. who art most good and d Joel 13. loving And as thou art the first good so grant we may first love thee and seek thy kingdome e Mat. 6. And for as much as all things do fear f Amos 6. thee which art most fearful let us fear thee first and fear thee most let us neither love fear or reverence any thing above thee nor any thing before thee nor any thing equal with thee nor any thing but for thy sake And because thou art onely praise-worthy g Psal 145 therefore Lord let all the world praise thee and especially man O Lord let our tongues be the Pen h Psal 45. of a ready Writer to paint thy praise Let us not onely praise thee with the best members that we have but with all the members that we have through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. V. The love of God the best Gift OF all the gifts and blessings which the Lord bestowed upon man The Debters discharge there is none so great so good so sweet and so pleasant as his love because whatsoever other blessings he hath bestowed upon us thâ—y were and are bestowed upon us for his loves sake For he first gave his love unto us with himself and then all things for his sake Yet if we would desire to requite Gods kindnesse and to be thankfull unto him for his blessings there is nothing wherein we may answer him so easily as in his love For if God be angry with us we must not answer him in his anger and be angry again If God doth judge us we must not judge him again If he doth teach us we must not teach him again or if he doth correct us and rebuke us we must not think to doe so with him again But when God doth love us we may love him again For God did never finde fault with such as did seek to imitate him in his love Adam aspiring to be like God in knowledge was cast out of Paradise Lucifer aspiring to be like God in Majesty was cast out of heaven The Sorcerers of Aegypt seeking to imitate God in his Miracles and wonders were drowned in the Sea But for coveting to be like God in love none neither man nor Angel was punished For seeing God doth love us in the highest degree and above all degrees of affection we may love him again with the highest strain of our love even with all our heart soul strength and might For God loveth us to the intent he may be beloved of us Sparke 5. O Blessed Lord the true loade-stone of love as thou hast made me after thine own image Gen. 1. so repair it in me that by loving thee again for thy love I may be the more like unto thee which art love it self Let the beams of thy love so warm me and so beat upon my cold heart that it may reflect unto thee again And as thou hast loved me above all the works of thy hands 1 John 3 so grant I may love thee again above Father Mother Wife or children and be ready to forsake all and follow thee k Mat. 10. Yea let me love nothing in comparison of thee nor any thing but in thee and for thy sake Therefore Lord let nothing seem sweet or worthy of love in my sight besides thee for such as love thy name l Psal 5. shall be joyfull in thee Therefore as thou art love everlasting so grant I may love thee with an everlasting love and as thou art all love so grant I may love thee with all my love And as thou lovest all the works of thy hands and hatest nothing which thou hast made but especially man above all so grant that for thy sake I may love all the works of thy hands as they are thy works but thee above all through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. VI. Of the glory of Heaven The Saints Freedome VVEll might the sweet Singer and Psalmist of Israel say of that glorious habitation of Saints very
my soul and with all my strength and because sweet Father I cannot love thee e 1 John 4.20 whom I have not seen except I love my brother whom I see dayly I beseech thee that I f Levit. 19. may love my neighbour as my self and that I may love thee above my self that neither tribulation g Rom. 8. nor anguish nor famine nor nakâ—dnesse nor life nor death may be able to separate me from the love that I have unto thee in Christ Jesus That I may forsake b Mat. 10.81 Father and Mother Wife and Children and leave all and follow thee Sect. X. Of Christ's Passion O Sweet Saviour The Patient's Pattern we finde that most true which the Prophet Jeremy spake in thy person when he said My grief is above all grief For all thy five sences had no small taste of grief As the feeling vexed with the sharp nails wherewith thou wast pricked Thy hearing with the opprobrious termes wherewith thou wast blasphemed Thy tast with the vineger and gall wherewith thou wast fed Thy smelling with the filthy spittle wherewith thou wast besmeared and thy fight with that wicked crew by whom thou wast abused nay there was not one part in thee left untormented that might be afflicted For thy head was grieved with thornes thy hands and feet with the nailes thy back with the whip thy heart and side with a spear thy whole body with grief and nakedness and thy soul with heaviness Thus wast thou tormented in every part for me that have offended thee in every member giving mine eyes to behold vanity mine ears to listen to folly my tongue to speak blasphâ—my my throat an open sepulcher my hands the instruments of wrong my feet swift to mischief my heart to all wickedness and my whole body to uncleanness Spark 10. O most m rcifull Father behold thy Sâ—nne who did endure this for my sake q Isa 53. behold him that hath suffered and of thy goodnesse remember him for whom he hath suffered Behold his humble hands and forgive the sins which my harmefull hands have committed Behold his gracious eyes thâ—t never affected p 1 John 2.1 vanity and so give the wickedness that my greedy eyes have delighted in Behold his chast ears that never were attentive but to goodness and forgive my sins in hearkening to lewdness Behold his deep wounds in his mercifull hands and forgive the sins of my idle hands Behold his feet which never stood q Psal 1.1 in the way of sinners and make my pathes perfect in thy tract Behold how his side became bloody his bowels dry his sight dim his countenance pale his armes stiffe how his feet hung and his blood ranne in streams to the ground O Lord spare me for whom he hath spilt his blood O good Lord my sins were the thornes the nailes and the spear that wrought such a passion in him and shall such a passion work no compassion in me Shall not so powerfull a passion that wrought remorse in the Sun in the Moone in the Earth in the vail of the Temple in the dead bodies and in the very stones d Mat. 27.51 52 move me to pitty thy pains for whom thou hast suffered for thou diedst not for the Sun nor the Moon nor the Temple nor the Earth nor the Stones but for me Man and for my salvation thou camest down from heaven and wast made man crucified and buried therefore I will praise thy name for ever with the best member that I have Sect. XI Of our Filiation The Affinity of the godly BY Grace we may not onely call God our Father because by Christ we are his adopted sonnes but because we are also his creatures and the works of his hands For we call them rightly fathers which give their being to their children I mean which immediatâ—ly are the cause that their children hâ—ve substantial bodies and they are called sonnes to those men of whom they receive body and blood being and beginning Now as we have the substance and originall of our corruptible bodies from our earthly Fathers so have we our soules immediately from God who is our heavenly Father so that God by creation is the Father of us all and we his sonnes and as all those are termed brethren which receive their bodies and beginning from one man so may all those be well called brethren that receive their spirit life and soul from one God So that God both by Creation and Redemption is the Father of us all and all of us are brethren and look how much the soule doth excell the body so much the more farre doth our heavenly Father excell our earthly Father and so much doth our fraternity in God excell our brotherhood in man For without comparison God is more properly to be termed a Father in respect of the soul than a carnall Father is in respect of the body because the body in comparison of the soul is as nothing For a man is a man in respect of his soul and the body hath his being onely for the soul in respect therefore that the soul is the chief thing in man it is evident that God from whom it cometh is the chief Father So that every man is more the son of God than he is the son of his carnall Father because he receiveth this principall part immediately from God Nay which is more man receiveth from his carnal Father but some part of his body for he receiveth part from his mother yea both his Father and Mother are but the instrumentall cause in generation for God is the principal in the generation of the body and the onely and sole cause of the soul for man receiveth his soul onely from God not in part as his body from his carnal Father but wholely and entirely Now therefore seeing we are called sons more in respect of our soules than in respect of our bodies it followeth that we are brethren in respect of the soul more than in respect of the body for in respect of the body alone bruit beasts have a fraternity as well as we but not in respect of the soul because they have none properly So that it followeth that we are all rather to be tearmed brethren bâ—cause we receive our immortal souls immediately from one God created after his image than those who but in part and imperfectly receive their bodies from one and the same carnal Father therefore look how much more dear our soules are than our bodies unto us so much more dear ought God to be unto us than our carnal Fathers and our love to men as they are our brethren in God more than as they are our brethren in the flesh And if we be induced to love honour fear reverence and obey our carnal Fathers of whom as instruments we received but our bodies and those but in part then how much rather ought we to fear reverence love honour and obey our spiritual
Father from whom onely and immediatly we receiv'd wholly our Souls principally our bodies also And further if we love our Father and brother in the flesh so dear that we can suffer no injury to be offered unto them no harm to be pretended towards them nor no word of the least disgrace to be spoken of them and that onely in respect they are our father and brother in the flesh How much more then ought we to love our Father and brethren in the spirit and to affect them so dearly as not to suffer any dishonour unto them any disgrace any injury nor any unseemly word at all to be uttered against them by any if we might help it or hinder it Spark 11. O good Lord thou art our God and Grand-Father yea our neer and dear Father give us Lord thy spirit of grace whereby p Rom. 8. we may call and acknowledge thee our Father Let us remember Lord that our Father in heaven is one e Mat. 23. â— and therefore study all to becom f Rom. 12. one in thee g Eph. 4. for we have but one Father one faith one body in Christ one Baptisme through Christ one Lord and one Law Therefore Lord as thou art one so grant we may all be one in thee Teach us O Lord to reverence thee as our Lord to love thee as our Father to fear thee as our Judge to obey thee as our Maker to expect thee as a Saviour Grant this O Father for Jesus Christ's sake in whose name we and all thy children are bold to call thee Father saying as thy Son taught vs k Math. 6. Our Father which art in Heaven c. Sect. XII Christ our onely Saviour A watch word for Jewish infidels AS the Scripture doth promise us no other Saviour but Jesus Christ So doth Christian Faith and humane Reason perswade us that there can be no other For if Jesus Christ were not that onely Messias and true Saviour that must satisfie Gods infinite Justice for all our sins it were expedient and needfull that before this time another Saviour should be sent But seeing God permitted Christ Jesus alone all this while to rule in the world in his name suffering all people to follow him and to believe in him as in God the true Saviour If Christ then were not the Messias it should happen that God by suffering him should hinder himself and be against himself and his own Kingdome because he disposed his people to believe in such a one as Christ is For it must needs be that he which God sends for a Saviour should do as Christ Jesus did affirming himself to be true God and man destroying and impugning all sins and this cannot be done For if God should send another that should do as Christ did and say as he said then he should in all things agree with Christ his Doctrine with Jesus's Doctrine his works with Christs works for greater works cannot be but this cannot be for then more than one could be the Son of God the Messias the Saviour and Gods anointed which must be anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellowes But if there should be more than one then the Saviour must have an equall but Christ hath no fellow For he is the Arch-angel and chief Messenger of all The Jews indeed for all this do look still for God's promise to be fulfilled and so look for Christ to come and the Christians believe that he is come already and that God hath fulfilled his promise God therefore having promised to send the Messias to Jew and Gentile and to â—ll that want him by this means he should do against himself were Jesus not the promised Messias by hindering all people to believe a future promise and by suffering Christ Jesus so long to rule and raigne under the name of the true Messias and so he should suffer all Christian people to be deceived in his promises But God hath suffered Christ to raign and will ill he hath put all his enemies under his feet till he hath delivered up the Kingdome to God the Father 1 Cor. 15. and hath also permitted all Christians and many Jews firmely to believe in him and to preach him over the world Therefore Lord they that will not believe the coming of thy Son the true Messias are utterly deceived and far wandring from thee and thy truth Spark 12. O sweet Saviour be thou over me a Saviour and grant a Act. 4.12 that I may never acknowledge any other name whereby I may be saved but onely by thy sweet name Jesus And I beseech thee Lord let not any thing be able to separate me from the love of Christ Rom. 8 35.38.3â— neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakednesse nor perill nor sword nor death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature but grant that I may count b Phil. 35. all but dung that I may win Christ Let me never forsake thee c Joh. 17.1 but ever acknowledg thee to be onâ—ly God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ For d Esay 5.3 11. the knowledge of thy righteous servant shall justifie many Instruct me therefore that am unjust that I may perfectly know him and by knowing him aright I may be rightly justified Grant this Lord for his sake that never disobeyed thee even thy e Mat. 3.17 well pleasing Son and my most loving Saviour Jesus Christ the righteous to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be ascribed all praise and power government and glory might and majesty rule and dominion now and for evermore Amen Sect. XIII Of our Regeneration in Christ The fraternity of Christians VVE find that there are three things requisite to make a man perfect compleat in this world namely 1. A Body or trunke of flesh 2. An immortal soul And 3. A vertuous disposition or inclination in both namely the well-being and well-doing of both Now the first man Adam received all these three from God i. e. 1 A Body 2. A Soul 3. The wellfare and good being of both But because our first parents lost the well-being and good inclination of both these and having onely these two remaining namely a Soule and a Body therefore other men begotten from Adam received from him but only a being namely a body with a soul infused of God but not the happy being and good disposition of both Therefore in every man there is a double generation the one from Adam the other from God In the first generation man receiveth immediately his body and flesh from the fiâ—st man Adam In the second generation man receiveth his soul immediately from God although indeed both body and soul be from God yet after diverse manners But in a Christian man and the child of God there 's a third kind of generation
and substance to our members it putteth us in minde that we received our flesh from man when we think of our heart which giveth vitall and naturall heat to our members it puts us in mind that we received our Soul from the living God Lastly when we think of our head that giveth sense and motion to our bodies it maketh us remember how that we receive in our last generation all sense and motion of grace from our head Christ And calling this to minde we must remember that every Christian is a threefold brother unto us First by man as having all of us our flesh from one and the same man Adam Secondly by God as having all our souls infused into our bodies by one and the self same God And thirdly by our Redeemer as having all of us that be Christians received all grace and good motions from one and the same Christ God and man Therfore we ought to love all as brethren in the flesh but love them the more as brethren in Soul but love them best of all that are brethren in grace unto us for whosoever is our brother in grace must needs be our brother in soul and body likewise And therefore a Christian is no half brother or base broâ—hâ—r Sparke 13. O Lord That we may be perfect grant that we may be born b Joh. 3.5 again of water and of the spirit And because our first generation in the flesh is foul and filthy lustfull and lawless grant we may d Rom. 8.13 mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit and subdue the rebellion thereof O Lord beget us again in thy Son e 1 Joh. 5.1 Joh. 3.3 Christ after thine own f Ephes 4 23 24. Image in righteousnes and true holiness of life O Lord grant that as the first Adam by his flesh g 1 Cor. 15.22 corrupted all thy children so the second Adam by his flesh may save all thy children Good Father seeing we are made h Gen. 1.27 by thee and i Joh. 3.3 born again of thee let us have no strife between us for our Fathers sake because we are brethren grant us to love our brother whom we see daily to love thee whom we have not seen least otherwise we be judged of thee to remain in death and counted as k 1 Joh. 3.14 15. Murtherers and man-slayers Therefore give us grace to love our Christian brother more for his father's sake for his own sake for Christ's sake and for thy Image sake than our brother cosen or kinsman in the flesh For by this love towards our brother we shall be known to be thy l 1 Joh. 2.3 disciples Grant us therefore sweet Jesus that we may follow thee as thy Disciples m Ephes 4.11.2 and as dear children walking in love as thou hast loved us and given thy life for us Grant this O Father for thy son and our Saviours sake Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XIV Christ our chiefest felicity VVE count him most happy The feliciâ—â— of the faithfull that hath all things at will wants nothing then most happy are we that are in Christ for he is all in all unto his servants For if we have wounds and would have them cured he is the best Phisician If we be wronged our Master is most just If we be poor our Master is Lord of Heaven and Earth and will not see us want If we fear death he is life If we would go to heaven he is the way If we be in darknesse he is the light If we desire to be nourished he is our meat If learning he is wisdome If strength he is power No marvell then though David had rather be a door-keeper in the house of such a Master than to dwell in the Palaces of Princes Sparke 14. O n Mat. 8.20 sweet Jesus thou wast poor q 1 Cor. 1.5 Luke 1 to make me me rich Thou wast stript stark naked to clothe my nakedness Thou hast spilt thy precious r Mar 15.46 Math. 26.28 blood to make a plaister for my putrified wounds Thou becamest a t Phil. 2. â— servant in earth among sinners that I might be made a King in heaven among Saints Sweet Saviour I honour thee and humbly embrace and kisse the wounds of thy hands and feet I esteem more of thy Crown of thornes thine hysop thy reed thy spunge thy spear thy vineger than of any princely Diadem I am more proud of thy thornes and nailes than of all Pearls and Jewells And I account thy Cross more splendent and glorious than any Princely Crown Teach us O Lord to know thee as we ought for thou art the way the truth and the life without a way men walke not without a truth men know not without a life men live not Be thou therefore still the way for us to walk in the truth for us to stick unto the life for us to hope in For indeed thou art the way inviolable the truth infallible the right way the chiefest truth and the truest life grant we never wander from thee never hope but in thee nor never learn but to know thee our onely Saviour Amen Sect. XV. Of Christ's Passion O Good Lord A Soveraigne Salve why doth not my heart bleed for my sins to think how often my Saviour bled for them First being but young and tender eight dayes old when he was circumcised Secondly when he was condemned and scourged Thirdly when he was nailed and crucified on the Cross And Fourthly after his death his side was pierced and his very body wept water blood for my sins And Fifthly in his bloody sweat when every member wept and melted for me Sparke 15. O dear Saviour make me sorry that I am no more sorrowfull for my sinnes For if my teares were in quantity like the Sea If my sighes were like the smoake of a furnace If my sobs could pierce the hardest Diamonds and my wailings like thunder yet have I still cause to weep sigh sob bewail my manifold sins Good Lord make my mouth to be filled with thy praise my eyes with tears for my offences and my heart to bleed with sorrow for my sins O Lord by thy blood b Mat. 9 3â— heal the bloody issue of my sins and through thy precious blood wash and cleanse me from all my sins c 1 Joh. 1.7 that through the blood d Rev. 7.14 of that tender Lamb the garments of our filthy spotted flesh may be made white through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XVI Of the holy Ghost's operation O Blessed comforter it was thy divine will to shew thy self to thy children in four sundry forms for our comfort and instruction First like fire to manifest thy love and power Secondly like a cloud to manifest thy pitty and compassion Thirdly like a Dove to declare thy patience and peaceableness Fourthly like tongues to shew thy wisdome and eloquence For as the
in my diet c Prov. 23.1 2. vigilant in my calling d 1 Pet. 4.7 and evermore wary that by surfetting and drunkenness I lose not my time e Eph. 5.16 spend my wealth f Eccl. 13. impair my health bring infamy to my name and calling and offend thy heavenly Majesty Oh spare me and save me from this Enormity through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXV A true Motion A Violent motion is quick in the beginning but slow in the end For a stone cast upward is then most weak when it is most high But a naturall motion is slow in the beginning and quick in the end Therefore when a man in his first conversion is exceeding quick but afterward waxeth every day slower slower in the waye of the Lord his motion is not nâ—turall and kinde but forged and forced Otherwise the longer he liveth and the neerer he runneth to the mark the more swiftly would he run to gain the Crown of Glory Sparke 25 O dear Father most gracious and wise God which hast ordained all thy creatures to avoid idleness Gen. 1. and to be alwaies in continuall motion giving and infusing into me such a soule as is alwayes in motion Grant I g may ever endeavour towards that which is before and forget that which is behinde and follow hard towards the marke for the high calling of our Lord Jesus Christ And seeing thou hast promised h 2 Tim. 4.8 us a crown of life if we continue to the end grant that we faint not i Gal. 6.9 nor be weary of well-doing but that we may so run that we may obtain k 1 Cor. 9.24 through Jesus Christ our dear and onely Saviour Amen Sect. XXVI Of Covetousness THere be foure kinds of Creatures that live each one upon that element in which he had his breeding First The miser's hunger The Want on the Earth Secondly The Herring on the water Thirdly The Chamelion on the Aire And Fourthly The Salamander on the fire But man being but dust of the earth is not contented to live on the earth the water the aire and the fire For his desire and unsatiableness is such that all these elements cannot give him content nor all the creatures that live thereon but if it were possible he would either go above the fire or under the earth to see if he could finde another element more than God made And therefore the Lord did wisely consider of our greediness when he hid so many treasures in the bottome of the sea and the heart of the earth least had they been within our view and easy reach we should make our goods our God fixing our hearts unto our treasures Sparke 26. O deare God and mercifull Father seeing only with thee is all plenty and no want q Jam. 1.17 all fullness and no scarcity all wealth and no poverty all solace and no sorrow all pleasure and no discontent I beseech thee Lord to establish my heart with thy r Psal 51.12 free Spirit to accomplish my desire with thy t Psal 145.16 bountifull hand and to replenish my soul with goodness of thy grace that I count u 1 Tim. 6 7 godliness to be the onely gaine and so to be content with what thou hast given me through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXVII Of Gods especiall Grace The growth of Grace AS the children of the bodily barren have been excellent pillars in Gods Church as Isaac of Sarah Joseph of Rachel Samuel of Anna John Baptist of Elizabeth So also they which have been begotten from spiritual barrennesse that is converted from a sinfull life have proved most famous instruments of grace as Zacheus from the world St. Mathew from the receipt of custome St. Paul from a persecutor to become an Apostle and many heathen Infidells to become glorious Martyrs for the crosse of Christ Sparke 27. O heavenly Father I confess unfainedly that I have been hitherto barren bearing but green leaves of outward profession onely and no efectuall fruits of a true faith Therefore Lord I beseech thee to dig and dung about me with thy grace and to water me with the dew of thy blessing that I may be like a tree planted by the water side which in due season shall bring forth fruits of land and praise to thy name Amen Sect. XXVIII Comforts for Women Women's wellfare LOrd what though I be a weak vessell and subject to many Infirmities yet have no cause to distrust thy help or despair of thy mercy and especially considering how compassionate and pitifull thou hast been to the weak sex of silly women John 8.11 as first to the unclean woman that wâ—s taken in adultery Math. 15. Secondly to the poore afflicted Cananite granting her request and commending her faith Thirdly Math. 9. to the sick diseased with an issue of bloud for the space of twelve years healing her with the hem of thy garment Fourthly Luk. 4.39 to Peters wife's mother whom thou didst presently heal of a languishing feaver Fifthly to Mary Magdalen whom thou hast freed from seven devills And to the two sisters Marye and Martha at whose pitteous moane John 11 thou hast raised up their brother Lazarus that had been four days in the grave Sixthly to thine own distressed mother by committing her being succourlesse to the guard and tuition of John thy beloved disciple Seventhly John 19. to all the women that wept when thou wentest to be crucified saying John 19. weep not for me Eighthly to the sorrowfull women that came to anoint thy body to the grave saying be not afraid you seek Jesus of Nazareth he is risen he is not here Lastly to a poor widow weeping for the death of her onely son to whom thou didst speake comfortably saying weep not and withall did'st restore her son to life Spark 28. O dear Saviour I am by nature in a more miserable case than all these were being but the unclean seed of my old seduced Grandmother Eve o Eph. 2.3 My condition is worse than hers having not onely d Psal 106. the seed of all sin staining the womb of my soul but also dayly polluting my whole body with all uncleanness and p 2 Chro. 6. actuall transgression Had the Adulteress Lord need of thy mercy so have I. For who f Prov. 20. can say my heart is clean Was the Cananite but as a Dogg before thee Alas good Lord without thy mercy I shall be more vile than a Toad in thine eyes Was her disease which the hem of thy garment did cure an unclean issue of twelve years continuance Alas sweet Saviour the issue of my sin did run upon me since I came from my Mothers k Psal 51. womb Ah! good Lord thou didst pitty the state of Peter's mother in Law having but a feaver and behold I consume away for fear of thy displeasure e Psal 6. my very
hast a favour unto us it is thou that savest us from our enemies and puttest them to confusion that hate us Sect. XXXIII Christ onely a fit Mediator because God and man The Onely Man NOne but Christ could be a fit Mediator between us and the Majesty of God For whosoever would be a Mediator t' is requisit that he be God man Man to be born under the Law God to performe the Law Man to serve God to set free Man to humble himself under all God to exalt himself above all Man to suffer God to overcome Man to dye God to triumph over death Man to be born of a woman God to overcom the Devill So that now we may see Jesus in the Stable there behold the man Jesus In the Temple disputing with the Doctors there behold the Lord Jesus in Simon 's house washing the Disciples feet there behold the man Jesus walking on the Sea there behold the Lord Jesus calling for meat when he was hungry there behold the man Jesus feeding five thousand with five loines and two fishes there behold the Lord Jesus weeping over Lazarus behold the man Jesus but calling Lazarus out of his grave behold the Lord Jesus riding on an Ass behold the man Jesus but riding on the clouds behold the Lord Jesus If therefore sweet Jesus we may not with Moses behold thy face yet we may behold with him thy hinder parts If thy Godhead be too terrible to behold yet we see the terrour thereof mitigated with thy manhood If thy humanity seem too humble we see it again exalted by thy Godhead So that now sweet Jesus we find no cause we should too much fear thee because of thy glory nor at all despise thee because of thy humility but both and for both to love and reverence thee to believe and trust in thee as in a most wonderfull Saviour whose name is wonderfull for ever Spark 33. O blessed Jesus let thy Majesty teach us true fear and thy manhood true humility In thy manhood thou hast made thy self lower than thy Father saying my Father is b John 20. greater than I lower than the Angells r Psal 8. For which of the Angells did wash the feet of sinners Lower than men for thou wast counted a l Ps 22.6 worm and no man yea the very scorne of men Lower than all thy creatures by dying and descending intâ— hell And therefore thou art exalted to be equal with the Father above Angells above men above all creatures For thou hast a name above all names for at the name of Jesus all knees shall bow of things in heaven of things in earth and of things under the earth d Phil. 2.10 Good Lord grant we may follow the steps of thy humiliation that we may be exalted through thy mercy and merits Amen Sect. XXXIV O Humility The Lesson of Lowliness GOod Lord thou hast commanded us to learne of thee that thou art meek and humble Sweet Jesus thou hast not said learne of me to make the world to raise the dead to cast out Devills to turne water into wine but to be lowely of heart and this lesson thou hast often commanded unto us by thine own examples For thou hast chosen a lowly woman to be thy mother and a poor Carpenter to be thy reputed father a lowly place to be thy bed of rest which was the manger a lowly house which was but a stable in an In a lowly brast to carry thy blessed body which was but an Ass lowly men to be thy disciples and followers being for the most part but poor fishers a lowly exercise which was to wâ—sh thy disciples feet and a lowly and base dâ—ath which was the detah of the cross Sparke 34. Good Lord seeing thy precept is that I should imitate thy pattern o Mat. 11.29 so far as I can in my fraile nature grant me grace to endeavour and desire to become like unto thee not in thy power knowledge or miracles but in thy moralls especially in true humility which is the first lesson to be learned in thy schoole Lord when I think upon the poor Carpenter grant I brag not of my birth When I think of the stable and mâ—nger wherein thou didst lye grant I vaunt not of my buildings or be too desirous of beds of downe for my ease When I think that thy disciples were poor fishers l Mat. 4. Luke 5. grant I may learn not to despise any poor brethren a Mat. 18. O Saviour of soules Let Mount Calvary be my Schoole thy Crosse my Pulpit thy Passion my Meditation thy Wounds my Letters thy Lashes my Comma's thy Nailes my Ful points thy open Side my Book and to know thee Crucified my whole lesson Let me learn by thy nakednesse how to adorne me by thy vineger and gall how to diet me by thy prayer for thy Murtherers how to revenge me by thy cry on the Crosse how to bewaile my sins and by thy bloody sweâ—t to weepe for my wickednesse Sect. XXXV Of the fall of Adam The Sinners Preferment VVHen the Serpent had deceived our parents God said cursed art thou above all beasts upon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eat And presently unto man that sinned God said dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne If by the Serpent the devil be meant and if dust must be the Serpent's meat and if a sinfull man be but dust and must returne to dust then a wicked sinner is but that old Serpent the devill 's meat Sparke 35. O Lord that hast made us for thine own glory r Ephes 1.6 redeemed us with thine own bloud Å¿ 1 Pet. 1. Apoc. 5. sanctified us with thine own spirit f 2 Thes 2. save us by thy own mercy challenge what is thine in us If our sins displease thee wash them away g Psal 51. and let satan feed upon sin which is his own and not upon us miserable sinners being the works of thy hand let it be meat and drink unto us to do thy will c Joh. 4.34 and to feed our souls with that blessed Manna b John 6. that came down from Heaven Amen Sect. XXXVI We must imitate God in his goodness c. SEeing the Lord hath created heaven and earth and brought such a glorious world out of his secret and hidden treasure The godly Ape and bestowed it upon the sons of men desiring to make others partakers of his goodness he doth teach us that if we have either riches knowledge or counsell in store we should most freely let it out for the good and profit of our neighbours But why are we so covetous that we can part with nothing Is it not a wonder to see so bountifull a master as God is to have so miserable a servant as man is What hath God bestowed on us gold or silver or precious stones yea and a greater matter heaven and
Holy Ghost according to his own will Sparke 43. O Holy Father I believe help my unbelief though an Angell from Heaven should teach preach contrary to that which thou by thy holy Prophets Apostles hast taught let me not believe him but hold him accursed Let me never doubt of the verity of the Scripture because it is thy word For as thou hast commanded us not to believe every spirit 2 Ioh. 4. so are we forbidden to doubt of that Truth which proceeds from the spirit of Truth Which cannot deceive nor dissemble Let us therefore never gain-say what thou dost affirm never doubt what thou dost promise never mistrust what thou hast spoken nor call into question what thou hast verified Sect. XLIV How to purchase Heaven LOrd A great purchase thou hast taught us that there be four kindes of men which by foure kind of meanes come to Heaven For some buy it at a rate at it were and bestow all their temporall goods for the better compassing thereof Some catch it by violence and they forsake Father and Mother land and living trade and traffick and all that they have for the possession of it Some steal it and do their good deeds secretly and they are rewarded openly And some are enforced to take it and by continuall affliction made to fall to a liking thereof Spark 44. O dear Saviour thy Kingdome is such a Pearle that all I have cannot buy it For I have nothing to give thee but that which came from thee and is thine own Therefore teach me to obtain thy Kingdom by what means thou wilt so that I may enjoy It. Let not my care be for the things of this world but give me grace first to care for that one thing necessary namely the seeking of thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof and all temporall blessings shall be added thereto through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. 45. God in his Glory will be All in All to his Elect. IF we consider the right use of a Temple An End of man's Ministry we shall easily perceive the reason why John having seen the Order and Ornaments of the heavenly Jerusalem saw no Temple therein For Temples here on earth had by the Lord's Commandements but five uses or ends First To offer Sacrifices for sins and burnt offerings as in the time of the Law Secondly to preach the Word as in the time of the Gospell Thirdly To administer the holy Sacraments Fourthly To offer prayers and supplications unto Gdo And Lastly To laud and praise his holy name with Thanksgiving hymnes and spirituall songs But in Heaven there needs no sacrifices for there are no sins committed no preaching of the Word for the word incarnate will manifestly speake unto all men face to face according to the Prophet Jeremiah Ierem. 31. The use of the Sacraments likewise have an end which being but signes and seales of true things themselves serve no longer seeing the things signified by them are perfectly seen and enjoyed And as for Prayers and Praises to God there needs no Temple erected in Heaven to performe them for they shall see God as he is seen openly face to face and he shall be easily heard of all men for he himself will be their Church Temple and House of Devotion Sparke 45 O Gracious Father build the Kingdom of grace here upon earth and hasten the Kingdome of Glory Let us visit thy holy Temple often here upon earth to worship thy name that at last thou mayst bring us to that place that needs no Temple to Jerusalem than is above that is the free Mother of us all where thou art our Temple for ever Let us dwell in thee by faith and love while we are on earth that hereafter we may by an inward reverence and humility be so neerly joyned unto thee that thou mayest be our Temple to sing Hal-le-lu-jah to thy name for ever through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XLVI Of God's Fore-warnings ALthough the sword of our God is ever ready drawn and burnished Gods Covenant to his people his bow bent his arrowes prepared his Instruments of death made ready his cup mingled yet he seldome powreth down his plagues but a shower of mercy goeth before them to make us the more heedy before his wrath be kindld to consume in 's sore displeasure for peace be to this house was so indeed to every house where th' Apostles entred but if that house was not worthy of peace then war followed and their peace returned back unto them Vertues were wrought at Chorazin and Bethsaida before the woe took hold upon them Noah was sent to the old World Messengers to the Hirers of the Vineyard Moses and Aron to the Aegyptians Prophets from time to time to the Children of Israel John Baptist and Christ and the Apostles together with signes in the host of heaven and tokens in the Elements to Jerusalem before it was destroyed Yea many signs of warning foretold us before that fearfull and finall day of Judgement as the Preaching of the Gospell to all Nations the revealing of Antichrist a departing from the faith corruption in manners great tribulations a deadly security and the conversion of the Jewes which is the last signe and warning we must expect for saving the signe of the Son of man Sparke 46. O Dear Father let thy pitty prevent my punishments and the greatness of thy mercy supply the grievousness of my misery for thou Lord wilt not the death of a sinner but rather he should convert and live Therefore let me know that my salvation is neerer than when I believed Let me not despise the riches of thy bountifulness and patience and long suffering but let me know that thy bountifulness leadeth me to repentance through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom 2.4 Amen Sect. XLVII The Titles of the Damned IF we observe the Scripture Satans bag we shall find that the Devill hath no name given him which the wicked are not branded with For he is called a Lyar so are they He if called a Tempter and they are called Tempters He is called an Enemy and they are called Enemies He is called a Murtherer and they are called Murtherers He is called a Slanderer and they are called Slanderers He is called a Viper and they are called Vipers Thus God will'd that they which should be damned should bear the name of him that is damned Spark 47. O Lord Jesus grant me grace to differ from the damned in nature as the godly do in name Lord do thou give me of thy hid Manna to eat and a white stone and in that stone a new name written which no man knoweth but he that hath it Grant this O Father for our dear Saviour's sake who hath a name above all names to whom all things shall bow in heaven in earth and under earth Amen Sect. XLVIII God is the best Master IT is counted meer folly for any man to serve three
kinde of Masters Choice of Masters to wit his Enemy his Equall and his Servant He which serveth the Devill serveth his Enemy He which serveth his Flesh serveth his Equall And he which serveth the World serveth his Servant Therfore of all service it is the basest service to serve the world because such a one like Cham shall be but the servant of servants and to serve the Devill is but an unthankfull office for such one is sure to have no better payment than death for his stipend And for to serve the flesh it is but to seek to please a chollerick brittle and unconstant master Therefore to serve God is the best service for he is the b st master For if we be poor he onely can enrich us If we be sick he is the best Physitian If we be wronged he can right us If we be weak he is most strong If ignorant he can best instruct us And if discontented he onely can please and prefer us Sparke 48. O Dear Father make us to be of thy hired servants Luk. 15. let us desire to be rather door-keepers in thy house than to remain in the pleasant Palaces of Princes Psal 84. Good Lord thou hast taught us that no man can serve two masters but either he shall hate the one and love the other or cleave to the one and leave the other Therefore Lord let our choyce be with thy Disciples to forsake all and follow thee Josh 22.5 And grant we may serve thee with all our heart and with all our soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XLIX God the Teacher of true Wisedom onely O Lord I am ignorant and want instructions in true wisedom The Well of Wisdome To whom shall I repair to learn it shall I go to the world Alas no for all the world lieth in Wickedness Shall I go to the flesh That be far from me for the flesh doteth and lusteth against the spirit Shall I go to the Devill God forbid For he is a Liar a Tempter and a Seducer of the Brethren To whom then shall I go To mortal men Alas no for all men are liars the children of men are set on fire their teeth are spears and arrowes and their tongue a sharp sword there is none that understandeth and seeketh after God To whom then shall I go to learn wisdom Shal I go to the Law of Moses No neither For the Law it self is but a School-Master to bring us to Christ Shall I go to the Angels for true wisedom I must not do so for they themselves learn of Christ and adore him Shall I come to the Lord without Christ No that must I never do For it is a horrible thing to think of thee without thy sonne Christ to whom therefore shall I go but unto thee my blessed Saviour which hast the word of wisedom and eternal life Thou art a King to rule me a Priest to pray for me and a Prophet to teach and instruct me Joh. 6. Sparke 49. O God the fountain of wisedom and knowledge give me understanding and I shall live for through thee I shall be wiser than the aged and have more understanding than my teachers Psal 90. 143. Teach me therefore good Lord in thy Statutes and to do the thing which pleaseth thee and for the first lesson learne me the fear which is the beginning of wisedom through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. L. The least sin deserves death The Devills Diminutive O Good Lord I see that the World is grown to that passe that men make not so much account of small fins as of old shots A mote in the sun is but a small thing and yet enough to hinder the fight to pain the eye and to trouble the whole body A haire but a small thing and yet enough to choke the strongest man The Flies of Egypt were but little things yet none of the least plagues yea the lice were lesse than the flies and yet one of the greatest plagues that came into Egypt Like unto these be our sins which we call little sins or the men of this world call veniall and to be washed with their holy waters but how little account soever the world makes of them now the time will come when we shall wish we had never offended in the least diminutive evill For what smaller offence in our sight than a thought of pride yet the Angells were punished in everlasting chaines for it What lesser fault than to bite of an apple yet Adam and Eve when there were no more men in the world were banished Paradise for it and made to everlasting misery without Christ's mercy Lot's wife for once looking back a small offence one would think was turned into a fearfull Monument for all posterity to look upon Sparke 50. O dear Father seeing thou art most pure and so pure that the stars of heaven are not clean in thy sight Job 25. cleanse us from our secret sins Psal 19.12 51. let us think no sin a smal offence that offendeth thee which art infinite For we are no sooner born but become forlorne creatures without thy great mercy and no sooner conceived but damned if thou dealest in the rigour of Justice with us Therefore enter not into judgement with us thy servants for no flesh is righteous in thy sight but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious bloud and be not angry with us for ever Sect. LI. The shadowes of sin IT is strange to think that so many things should point out unto us the cursed nature of sin and yet we cannot avoid it It is like to leaven a little whereof will sower the whole lump of dough It is like fire a sparke whereof is able to burne a whole City It is that Jewish Leprosie that infected every thing that came nigh unto it It is like a tetter or a ringworm which though it have but a small beginning yet being not stopped will run over the whole body It is like that dead sea that killeth all that swimmeth in it Or like the quick-sands which suddenly let a man sink over head and ears if he stand still in it never so little It is like Jezabell that painted Harlot whose very skull of the head with the palmes of the hands must be buried lest they infect the very ayr Sparke 51. O dear Father if all thy creatures be not able to shew us the ugliness and deformity of this foule monster and to make us loath it grant that we may have a dayly recourse unto thy law Rom. 7. the glasse whereof will plainly shew unto us both the name and nature propertie and proportion of this hellish leprosie and so seeing it we may be sorry and being sorry may loath it and loathing it may avoid it and so come the nerer unto thee in perfection through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. LII The Lords
might and majesty both now for evermore Amen Sect. LVII Trust not unto a rotten stick HE that trusteth to his own strength leaneth on a rotten stick For we see the skilfullest Wrastler sometimes have a fall the cunningest Fencer to have the foyle the stoutest Cantain killed the best Rider under his horses feet the nimblest Swimmer sunk under the water the best wits perish and the wisest men erre Sparke 57. O Lord God let me acknowledge my weaknesse and not presume on my strength For it is better to trust in thee than to put any confidence in Princes O Lord in thee have I trusted let me never be confounded Amen Sect. LVIII The best increase THe Husbandman's field doth bring him for every grain sometimes thirty sometimes forty sometimes sixty and sometimes an hundred sold If God so blesse our bodily labour How much more will he bless the labor of our souls If therefore we sow in tears we shall reap in joy If we sow in the Spirit we shall reap of the Spirit life everlasting For he that first seeketh the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof shall have all other things added unto it Sparke 58. O Lord give me grace to labour in the Spiâ—it to seek thy Kingdome to lay up treasure in Heaven that when the generall harvest shall come my eyes may be waking my lamp light and my self as a sheaf of wheat gathered into thy farne through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. LIX The Servant's access to his Lord. MAny a man is sain to travell farre to see a great man and to suffer many dangers and perhaps when he comes to his journeys end he shall find either his Lord from home or not at leasure perhaps dead or if alive not willing to pleasure him It is not so with God For if I come once to Heaven to see my Lord and Master my dear Father and best Friend as Mary and Joseph after their journey found him in the Temple amongst the Doctors so shall I be sure to finde him in his holy Temple amongst the Angells yea I shall be sure of such kinde entertainment that I shall never think of my paines and labour in coming or once dream to returne Sparke 59. Lord give me grace to be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as I know that my labour is not in vain in the Lord. Lord I will come unto thee and seek thee whilest thou mayest be found I will knock and â—â—ll at midnight at thy mercy and though I have no friends either to plead my cause or to preferre my petition unto earthly Lords yet dear Father I have an advocate in thy Court that will both plead my cause and pitty my case even thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Sect. LX. Soon ripe soon rotten THere is no flower that will not fade no fruit that will not corrupt no garment that will not wear no beauty which will not wither no strength which will not weaken and no time so long but at last will pass I cannot see these vanish and not say that my self must pass The flower of my youth is gone already my best fruits are corrupt my time passeth while I speak of it Sparke 60. Lord teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart to wisedom and have understanding in the way of godliness For the longer time thou givest me the more I have to answer Lord make me ready at thy call and sweet Jesus pay my debts for me Sect. LXI The best Pattern O Lord I need no better Master to teach me than he that is my Saviour For by his nakedness on the Cross I may learn to clothe me By his Crown of thorns how to adorne me By his Vineger and Gall how to diet me By his prayer for his Murtherers how to revenge me and by his whole passion for me how to suffer for him Spark 61. Lord give me grace in all my actions to learn of thee to be mercifull as thou art mercifull meek as thou art meek holy as thou art holy true as thou art true and faithfull as thou art faithfull Let me honour thee as a Creator love thee as a Redeemer and expect thee as a Saviour And in the mean while let me rest in thy peace that I may rise in thy power Sect. LXII Take heed how you walk LOving Father what time so ever I bestow out of thy service I bestow it on my self am a Thief because I rob thee of thy due And if I be more enamoured with any of thy blessings than with thee I commit Adultery and take another God before thee And if I spend good houres in evill actions to bad purpose then I commit Treason against thy Majesty Sparke 62. Give me grace most loving Father to serve thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the days of my life to love thee with all my heart with all my strength and with all my soul and to do say nor think either in merriment or sobernesse but those things which may please thee and advance thy glory Sect LXIII The last Enemy THere is no Enemy which a man cannot avoid either by flying forward retyring backward or standing still hidden or disguised or at the least by prayer but death For if we go forward we meet death if backward it meets us If we stand still it is coming upon us Yea whether we sleep or wake go or stand all is one we must needs meet death Therefore we must be resolute and prepare our selves for this last enemy from whom we cannot fly It is but a bug-bear it hath lost his sting we need not fear Sparke 63. O Lord prepare thy servant to die Grant I may live the life of the godly that I may die the death of the righteous For what man liveth and shall not see death O Lord how precious in thy sight is the death of thy Saints for they sleep in thee and cease from their labour Grant Lord that I may put my house in order and joy that I must dye Sect. LXIV The insatiable Worm I See that all the Creatures and worms of the earth can live onely upon some kinde of food that comes from the earth either upon grasse hay or corne or upon some fruits of trees or herbes But man is from the earth and yet all the Creatures of the earth will not suffice him but he must go to the Fowles of the ayre and the fishes of the sea for daintie and all too little to satisfie his appetite So that if he had as many dishes as he lived dayes he would both desire and invent novelties Sparke 64. O Lord let me not pamper my body dayly with delicates but prepare my soul with dutifull obedience to feed on the heavenly Manna of thy word That having meat and drink to suffice nature I may learn therewith to be content Let his diet that was but a loaf and a fish with a cup of
like thunderbolts or at least dissolved into water but if they be pure fine and dry they will be set on fire and burne with zeal to God in their exaltation as David Elias c. Lâ—stly There be some that leek to exalt themselves by violence and indirect means as by treason oppression Tyrany bribery and extortion these as by their violence they mount up suddenly so do they soon fall fearfully as Saul Balthasar Haman Herod Gehezi and Judas did Spark 70. O Lord we are all in thy view and often tread within thy great chamber of presence grant that we may learne to be wiser unto Salvation Ephes 3.18 19. that we may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge that we may be filled with all fullness of God Let us after the example of our Saviour be so rooted in charity so grounded in humility and so humble in our owne conceit before thee that we may acknowledge with Abraham that we are but dust and ashes with Jacob that we are less than the least of thy mercies with the Centurion that we are not worthy that thou shouldest come under our roof and with the Prodigall child confesse that we be no more worthy to be called thy sons For he that humbleth himself shall be exalted of thee O King of Heaven and he that exalteth himself shal be brought low Good Father if it please thee to exalt us suddenly in thy mercy as thou didst David from the sheep-fold Mordeicai from the gate Joseph from the dungeon and Daniel from the Den let us not be puffed up but still say with David I will be more humble yet let us with Dauid cry out in the Court of the Lords house The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up and with Elias mount up in a fiery Chariot of fervent zeal And if at any time thou please to correct us for our pride presumption good Lord cast us not down suddenly like a thunderbolt as thou didst Lucifer and Balthasar but give us grace and space to repent with Nebuchadnezzar that at last like a watry vapour we may melt in sorrow with Mary Magdalen and dissolve into tears with Peter through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. LXXI The Creature 's Call THe little birds when the day appeareth do in thâ—â—â— kinde seem to be thankfull for their rest and in the evening likewise with chirping notes thâ—y praise God for the light that they enjoyed and so take their rest again Shall we hear these to sing melody unto God and not sing the base with them to make up a perfect harmony and a full concent Sparke 71. Lord teach me to praise thee betimes in the morning Psal 55. and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice unto thee for Jesus Christs sake Amen Sect. LXXII The quick buried VVHen we begin to be men we begin to be sinners and when we begin to be sinners we begin to be dead and when we begin to be dead we begin to be buried first in our mothers womb thâ—n in the cradle afterwards in our beds and at last in our graves Sparke 72. Grant O Lord Psal 39. Rom. 8. that remembring my end I may live in thy fear and die in thy favour Amen Sect. LXXIII Sinners visage EVery sin seemeth fair before the action sweet in the action and poison after the action For three things follow after the committing of every sin to wit fear shame and guilt the fear of hell shame of men and guilt of conscience Sparke 73 Lord if these will not make me loath sin Exod. 20.6 yet let thy love make me leave it and thy mercy forsake it Sect. LXXIV The Covetousnesse of the Godly IF I be rich I may want If I be strong I may be overcomed If I be learned I may be deceived But if I be wise I shall be perfect For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom and a good begining maketh a good ending This made Solomon to pray for wisedom Moses to study for wisedom and the Queen of Sheba to travaile for wisedom Sparke 74. Grant O Lord that I may learn to fear thee that I may begin to be wise Prov. 1. Psal 111. and keep thy laws that I may have understanding Sect. LXXV Too much of one thing is good for nothing IT hath been said alwayes that the mean is best and that the middle way is the golden way But we see by experience that extremity beareth rule in this world For every Vertue there are two Vices we will be either too curious or too careless Either we cry Hosanna or Crucifie Either Christ must not wash our feet or else he must wash our feet and bodies together Either we say tast not touch not for it is unclean or else we say let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dy If we love we over love If we be fearfull we are too fearfull If angry we are too angry Spark 75. Lord give me grace to fear but not to despair Eccles 2. Psal 4. Ephes 4. Prov. 4. to be angry and not to sin to decline from thy Statutes neither to the right hand nor to the left Amen Sect. LXXVI The Flatterer's Gesture ON the Stage of wickednesse the Flatterer playeth his part best For he is like a shadow which doth imitate the gesture of the body For it stands when you stand walks when you walk sits when you sit and rises when you rise So the Flatterer will praise when you praise reprove when you reprove smile when you smile and frown when you frown till the Sun of his hope is set and then no shadow no Flatterer Sparke 76. Prov. 13. Deliver me O Lord from a flattering tongue and from the net that he spreadeth for my steps Sect. LXXVII The abused Creature 's Grave THe Glutton and the Covetous man never cease to bury Gods Creatures untill themselves be buried for the one burieth them unlawfully in his belly the other miserably in his chest Therefore at the generall resurrection these Creatures will rise in judgment against these men Spark 77. Keep me O Lord from surfeiting and excess and from coveting any thing but thy Grace Sect. LXXVIII The Careless Christian I See that every man saving a Christian studies to be perfect in his vocation and carefull to know and observe his grounds As the Grammarian his Rules The Philosopher his Axioms The Lawyer his Maximes The Physitian his Aphorismes The Musitian his Keyes Measures These observe their grounds though they be many in number But the Christian hath but few Principles and yet can keep few or none of them for all the Principles of Religion are to love God with all our heart and our Neighbour as our self Spark 78. Most loving Father grant me perfect love and then I shall fulfill thy Law
Sparke 99. O dear Father that art one God true and constant in all thy wayes and unchangeable yea a jealous God and a consuming fire grant that I may be true and constant in all my wayes not having a shew of godliness and denying the power thereof let me not become half a christian like Agrippa but grant unto me the love of thy servant John the heart and constancy of David the zeal of Phineas the boldnesse of Peter the resolution of Paul the patience of Job the perseverance of Joseph the courage of Joshua the earnestness of Moses and the constancy and integrity of my Saviour That so I may run the way of thy commandments and count it my meat and drink to do thy will Good Lord make me every day more fervent of thy glory more faithfull in thy service more fearfull of thy judgements and more sorrowful for my sins through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. C. The death of his Saints is dear in the Lords sight IT is not without great reason that murther is so hatefull unto God that the bloud of the slain crieth in his ears for revenge For if we respect the majesty of Goh himself what can be more odious to him than to see his own image defaced in his own presence or what can be more contemptuous than to kill one in his view which he loved so dear that he gave his onely son to dy for him Nay what more wicked than willfully to deprive him of life of whose life and safety God was so carefull that he numbred the haires of his head least one of them should perish Sparke 100. O Lord keep mee from bloud thirsty men give me grace to love thy image for thy sake and not to destroy that which thy hands have made and for whom thy son died Sect. CI. The beastly Man IT was not for nothing that the Poets did faine men to be transformed into the shape of some beasts for indeed we are worse in some things than beasts The drunkard is more filthy than the swine the murtherer more cruell than the tiger the wordling more subtile than the Serpent the cholerick more angry than the Wasp the covetous more greedy than the Wolf the adulterer more leacherous than the Goat Yea many beasts have exceeded us in vertue but we exceed all in vice Sparke 101. O Lord renew thy image in us and repaire our defects let us not any more with the Swine wallow in the mire of our filthiness Instruct thou us Lord and let us not be like horse and mule that have no understanding but keep us in thy wayes that we walk in thy wisedom through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CII The Foolish Worldling and the wise Christian BOth will yield honour to man but diversely the one honoureth him that hath the richest garment and other externall ornaments glorious to the eye the other honours him most who is richly adorned within with wisedom and good qualities For as the world respects the outward man so do the chil of the world And as God respects the inward man so do the children of God For if a man be vain outwardly he is like unto the world and therefore the worldlings will honour him but if he be good inwardly he is like God and therefore the godly will reverence him Spark 102. O Lord grant I may give tribute to whom tribute honour to whom honour worship to whom worship and fear to whom fear is due through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. CIII Faith's feeding Some Creatures by the providence of God are said to live in the air as the Chamaeleon some in the water as Fishes c. some in the earth as Wants and Wormes c. some in the fire as Salamanders c but hope is such a creature that is not tied to any one Element but hath free liberty to comfort and refresh her self upon all these As first upon the aire and light of heaven For how can we see the sun and the rest of those glorious Planets to set and rise every day and not be confirmed in our hope of our own resurrection Secondly upon the fire which we see covered and buried at night in the ashes like our bodies in the dust and in the morning to be kindled with a little dry straw which may assure us that â—hough now the dust doth cover our bodies as it were for a night yet the joyfull morning of our resurrection will come when our bodies shall be quickened and lightened again with the candle of our soul through the power of our Saviour and the fiery force of the holy spirit that we may shine as bright lamps in his house for ever Thirdly is not our hope much sustained by the water which now we see to decrease and ebbe within few hours after to flow and fill again all those empty chinkes and channels which of late were dried up and so to revive them with a new floud and fresh current and shall not those empty veynes of our bodies and those holy arteries of our flesh at the spring-tide of the resurrection by the powerfull blowing of the Southern wind of Gods spirit be filled again with bloud and the spirit of life Fourthly shall we observe the earth to bring forth all things committed unto her and not hope without doubt that she will one day likewise deliver up our bodies committed to their trust and that much more glorious than she doth any corne or seeds which she keep but for lesse than a year Let us not think it therefore unlikely for our vile bodies to be made glorious seeing that fine paper is made of foul rags and pure glasse of the ashes of ferne yea of a heap of dry bones faire and stronge bodies and life given unto them with a blast of winde Ezek. 37 For could God create all things of nothing and can he not work his own will in his own creatures could he fetch light out of darkness as it were out of a grave can he in the womb of a woman of a little bloud frame a body distinguished with so many and sundry instruments as that it may go for a little world and within the space of some few dayes add lifâ— unto it And can he not restore the body that hath been so to what it was Can he quicken us in the womb of our mother and can he not receive us in the womb of the earth Can we fetch fire out of the flint and cannot he fetch us out of the earth 1 King 17.23 2 King 4 32 Acts 9.40 23.10 Could Eliah and Elisha raise the widow of Zareptha the Shunamites children Could Peter raise Tabitha and Paul Eutychus and cannot God their Lord and ours raise both them and us Sparke 103. O dear Father 1 Pet. 1. which by thy great mercy hast regenerated us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Chrst from the dead 1 Tim. 3. Rom.
5. to the end that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternall life which hope maketh us not ashamed I humbly beseech thy Fatherly goodness to illuminate the eyes of my soul that I may clerely see what the hope of those is Whom thou hast called to the incorruptible inheritance of thy glory And as thou hast in many of thy workes printed the true character of our resurrection so fix fasten the same for ever in the heart and soul of thy servant that I be not as a man without hope either of my own glorification or of theirs that sleep in thee 1 Cor. 15. that in the end this body of mine being renewed and to my soul in farre more glorious manner reunited I may in the society of Angells being co-heir with the glorified Spirits shine as the Sun in glory and be fully united unto Christ the true Son of righteousness and the first fruits of the resurrection And let this holy meditation and the hope to enjoy that full and perfect contentation so possesse my soule and senses that it may be my thought my pleasure delight labour and care to attain to that perfection through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. CIV God's wayes are not our wayes THere is a Speech of Socrates greatly commended by St. Augustine De consens Evang. l. 1. c. 18. Vnumquemque sic câ—li oportere quomodo ipsum colendum praeceperat that is Every god was to be honoured as he himself had given in Commandement which sheweth by the judgement of a Heathen that no man must serve his God after his own lust but after Gods Law not after our owne reason but after God's direction Least otherwise the Lord cry out upon us saying Who hath required this service at your hands For is it reason that we should serve an earthly Master after his own will and not serve God after his owne Law Therefore certain it is that our good meanings in Gods service makes not alwayes our doings good neither is our Zeal a rule whereby we may measure out either our faith or good workes but only the known will and pleasure of God There wanted not a good intent or meaning either in the Isralites when they made a golden Calfe Exod. 3.24 or in Nadab or Abihu whâ—n they offered strange fire or in Saul when he spared King Agag or in Vzza when he put his hand to hold the Arke or in Jehu Levit. 10. when he would needs joyn the worshipping of Jeroboam's goldens calves with the worship of the true God of Israel Sparke 104. O gracious Father as in our godly endeavours we intend thy service and not our own so grant good Lord that in the doing thereof we may alwayes have thy will for our warrant thy law for our levell and thy commandments for our direction Give us grace dear Father to shun and avoid all those things be they never so good in mans sight which thou either hatest or hast no pleasure in And that we be not blinde servers of thee running after our own inventions grant us true understanding and knowledge of thy word which is the glass of thy will that seeing therein both thy will and our own weakness we desire thy grace to perform that which thou hast commanded us through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CV A Caveat for the Demas's of our dayes THat Caveat of our Saviour to his Disciples should be his Saints care namely to endure to the end that we may be saved Mat. 10.22 and so to run that we may obtain and not to look back with Lots Wife or to faint in our journey or be weary of well doing For to what purpose is it that the Marriner sayls prosperously and obtaines a rich prize if he sink or suffer Shipwrack before he arrives at the haven of his own home That a Christian be laden with many Craces and obtain the rich pearle of the Gospel and be fairly imbarked for heaven if afterwards he suffer Shipwrack of his faith What availeth it a Captain to march hotly with Jehu to fight manfully with Jonathan if he turn his back with Ephraim before the end of the battaile For us to encounter Satan if we suffer him to sâ—yle and conquer us If the Souldier shall fly forth of the field revolt from his Captain forsake his colours run from his company and turn to the enemy he disgraceth his profession disableth himself for the Trophies of honour and meriteth condigne punishment O Lord we are thy souldiers the Church is our field Christ Jesus our Captain thy word and Sacraments are our colours the communion of Saints our company he that shâ—ll fly forth of this field revolt from this Captain forsake these colours run from this company and be found fighting under Satan's conduct dishonoureth his christian profession depriveth himself of the Crowne of glory and incurreth the danger of God's heavy Judgement For if we have given our names to Christ served in his camp 2 Tim. 4 9. 2.17 taken pay in his wars and yet play the carnall Apostates with Demas the Hereticall with Hymeneus and Philetus the scornfull with Julian the Emperour the spightfull with Alexander the Copper-smith their remaines small hope of receiving any comfort by the bloud of the Lambe and Christ's eternall Sacrificâ— but rather extream terrour in the expectation of his fearfull sentence small probability of being cleansed in his precious bloud but rather a sore possibility of being devoured by a violent fire For he onely that fights the good fight finishes his course 2 Tim. 4.7 and keeps the faith can expect the Crown of righteousness Sparke 105. O most mighty and mercifull God which art able to give more than we can deserve or desire for thy tender mercies sake keep me poor weakling and unconstant waverer from the shame of backsliding and defend me from the dreadfull sinne of Apostasie Keep me by thy power that I fall not restore me by thy mercy when I am fallen preserve me by thy grace that I never finally fall away take not thy holy spirit from mee but establish me with thy free spirit that I may be settled and confirmed in thy truth that being effectually sanctified in thy Kingdome of Grace I may be eternally blessed in the Kingdome of Glory Through the merits and mercy of thy sweet Son and my sole Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CVI. The Christian Weather-Cock Psal 65.7 THe wavering Professor is not unfitly compared unto the waves of the sea Esay 17.12 It is the Lord that stilleth the raging of the sea and the madness of the people So delighted with novel ies so full of alterations is the fickle faith and the temporizing profession of the palsie shaking members of the Church that there be no waves so restless no winde so mutable Acts 28. no creature so changable while the Viper hung upon Paul's hand he
earth and all contained therein to whom gave he all this to his children or them of his house or to his friends nay not onely to them but to all to his enemies to Idolaters to such as make a God of the gift and despise the giver Deut. 4. And shall we shut our compassion from men because they are strangers or wicked or offensive to us seeing our Lord and Master gave all these to all and to his friends and children gave heaven's treasure and his own dearest Jewell which is his Son Christ blessed for ever more offering him also to all though all receive him not Sparke 36. O blessed Lord abundant in thy mercies and most liberall and bountifull in thy gifts Psal 36. Psal 136. Psal 137. Prov. 2. Psal 26. 2 Cor. 2. Ephes 5. 1 Thes 5. Mat. 6. 1 Kings 3. yea more rich in mercy than we can be poor in misery continue thy blessings towards us so far forth as it is for our good make us thankfull for them and forgive us the abuse of them Let us not want those things without the which we cannot serve thee and having them give us grace to use them unto thy glory Give us with thy blessings a liberall heart that by the disposing of those blessings committed to our trust we may be known to be thy thildren Grant this O Blessed Saviour for thy mercy sake Amen Sect. XXXVII Of our Naturall Blindness GReat is our weakness to be lamented The healing of the blind and the corruption of our Judgement to be condemned by which we prefer the shadow of that which seems before the truth of that which is and for a momentary taste of earthly vanities depart from the hope of everlasting joys as being the naturall sons of Adam who lost Paradise for an Apple and the brethren of Esau who sold his birth-right for a mess of pottage whereas we cannot but know that which we dayly hear of thee O Lord and seem to believe that there is no nobility to a new birth in Christ no beauty to the beauty of the daughter of Sion whose beauty is all within no honour to the service of God which is perfect freedome no glory to the Cross of Christ no riches to godliness no treasure to that which is laid up in Heaven no clothing to the righteousnesse of Christ no building to that which is not made with hands no Crowne to that of Immortality no Kingdome to the conquest of our selves no learning to the knowledge of Christ no wisedome to that of the Spirit no joy to a good conscience and no life to a conversation in heaven Sparke 37. O sweet Jesus which art the true light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world John 1.5 Psal 43. lighten our darknesse we beseech thee Gen. 3.7 And as the eyes of our first Parent 's conscience were opened to see their miseries Psal 36.9 so open the eyes of our understanding that we may behold thy mercies and thee the Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world John 1.29 give fight O Lord unto our blinde eyes that we may see our weakness Esa 35.5 by our weakness our wickedness and by them both our accursedness Psal 115.5 Let us not be like dumb Idolls thâ—t have mouths and speak not eys and see not or like those accursed ones that in seeing perceive not and in hearing understand not Isa 5. Let us not call light darkness or good evill but put off the scales of our understanding that we may know a difference between good and evill and to ensue the one and esch w the other through him that is able and willing to help us Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXXVIII Against Pride O Man The proud's looking-glasse I much wonder why thou shouldest be so proud considering thy beginning which is but dust the unprofitablest earth that is For clay is good for something Sand is good for something Marle Lime Coal Dung and Ashes good for something yea Earth Gravel Stones or Metals good for somthing but dust is profitable for nothing but hurtfull many wayes Yet such is thy Almighty power O Lord that thou hast created light out of darknesse the world out of nothing and man from the dust of the ground which was nothing making him Lord of all creatures and more excellent than all the works of thy hands Sparke 38. Judg. 9 Good Lord there was never proud person that pleased thee Let me that am but dust have no proud thought or high look but with Mary humble my self before thee Luk 1.48 Gen. 18 27. Mat. 15. with Abraham acknowledge my base beginning with the Canaanite woman my unworthiness with David my vileness with Job my misery and with Paul my Infirmity through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXXIX The condition of the godly of in this world is not of the best LOrd The Godli's Lot we finde it true that the state of thy children is not alwayes of the best neither in outward account with the world nor yet in their own feeling For sometimes the spirit of wisdom calls them the afflicted ones Prov. 15.15 Math. 5. Esay 41. Luke 12. Psal 41. sometimes the hungry and thirty sometims little worms as the little worm Jacob sometimes a little flock sometimes the poore and needy And yet they are in account with the Lord for the afflicted shall have a continuall feast the hungry shall be filled with good things the little worm Jacob shall be written upon the palm of thine hand the poor shall be relieved and helped and the needy raised up out of the dust Sparke 39. O Lord let my estate be what thou wilt So I may be thine Rom. 8.35 Luk. 15.29 make me as one of thy hired servants and feed me if not with thy dainties Math. 15.27 yet with the crums that fall from thy table If I must taste of thy vineger and gall for a while in this world yet if in the end I shall be fed at thy table with Manna I shall digest it with a good stomack and look after it with a cheerfull countenance as Daniel did Ròm 8.31 for if thou Lord be with me what can hurt me Sect. XL. Christ's Passion the soul 's best salve GOod Lord Sin 's remedy we have often seen those men that have been delivered from some dangerous and desperate sickness to be ever delighted with the very name of that medicine that helped and healed them prescribing it unto their friends for a chief and present remedy in all such desperate cases and now we have found by the pacification of our own conscience that thy merits are the best medicine for our Sickness Sparke 40. Esay 53.5 O Lord it is by thy stripes that we are healed of all our sins Thy bloud is the onely plaister whereby our wounds may be cured Iohn 1.7 Therefore