PIOUS THOUGHTS VENTED In pithy Ejaculations OR THE WAY TO MAKE A RELIGIOUS USE OF ordinary offered occasions By RICHARD GOVE 2 Thess. 5. 17. Pray continually LONDON Printed by J. G. for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1658. TO ALL THOSE that are desirous to make a Religious use of ordinary offered occasions R. G. VVho desires to further the glory of God and the everlasting good of his peoples soules Dedicateth this ensuing TREATISE Zacharias cum loqui non potuit scripsit Luk. 1. 20. 63. Ambros. A WORD OF Advise to the Reader READER ALl ordinary offered occasions should be to a Christian as are Spectacles to a weak or dim sight which not onely looketh on them but through them too and by their help seeth that that without them was hardly discernable These Spectacles I have made use of in this ensuing Treatise and by the help of them have discovered what Religious use may be made of such ordinary offered occasions If this like thee which I have done thou mayst make use of the same and if not let me see a better forme of thine and I shall gladly make use of that and be thy Debtor for it Howsoever let us pray one for another which for his part he shall not cease to doe who is Thine hearty well-wisher in what may be for thy Souls good Richard Gove PIOUS THOUGHTS VENTED In pithy Ejaculations OR The way to make a Religious use of ordinary offered occasions I. Upon a mans first awaking in the morning LORD grant me thy grace to awake out of the sleep of sin that I may live righteously in thy sight II. Upon the putting off of a foule shirt and the putting on of a clean LOrd grant me thy grace that I may every day be more and more enabled to put off the old man and to put on the new III. Upon a mans arising out of his bed LOrd grant me thy grace that I may arise out of the bed of my carnall security whereon I have so long layn IV. Upon a mans putting on of his clothes LOrd clothe thou me with the robes of thy Sons righteousnesse and let thy blessed Spirit every day more and more put on upon my soul that new Man which after thee is created in holinesse and true righteousnesse V. Upon a mans kembing of his head LOrd thy Word doth assure me that all the hairs of my head are numbred and that not one of them doth fall to the ground or perish without thine especiall Providence Oh grant me therefore thy grace that I may still remember this and learn thereby more and more to depend upon thy fatherly care and gracious providence over me for greater matters seeing thou art so providentially carefull for me in these least things VI Upon the washing of a mans face and hands LOrd wash thou me with the bloud of thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ from the guilt of all my sins past and let thy blessed Spirit by his grace wash and clense my soul every day more and more from the power and pollution of them for the time to come VII Upon a mans washing of his feet LOrd my affections are the feet of my soule and doe carry that as these other doe my body and passing through the foule and filthy wayes of sin cannot but be much more defiled in thy sight then these are in mine O wash them therefore every day more and more by the powerfull work of thy grace from all former pollutions and being thus washed keep me from defiling them again VIII Upon a mans paring of his Nailes THe captive Damosell under the Law before she could be the wife of him that tooke her in warre must first have her Nailes pared And therefore how shall I ever hope to be espoused to my Saviour Jesus Christ and be presented unto him as a pure Virgin except I doe cut off those excrements of * naughtinesse which are so lothsome to thee my God and to all good men which that I may the better doe Lord give me thy grace to doe it and it shall be done IX Upon a mans looking his face in a Glasse LOrd give me the grace that as by looking in this Glasse I doe see the spots and other deformities of my body so by looking into thy word I may see the spots and other deformities of my Soul and may learne to amend them X. Upon a mans brushing of his Clothes OH that I were as carefull to clense my Soul from my sins as I am to clense my clothes from the spots and dust which are on them XI Upon a mans putting on of some Upper-garment LOrd my desire is not to be unclothed but to be clothed upon and that with that house which is from Heaven And that I may not faile of this my desire Lord give me the grace to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and that both by believing in his merits and by living according to his manners whilest I am here XII Upon the sight of a womans spending much time in her neat and curious dressing of her selfe OH that I were as carefull to adorn and trim my soul to make it pleasant in the sight of God as this woman is to adorn and trim her body to make that pleasing in the sight of men XIII Upon the hearing of a child crying after his father LOrd send forth the spirit of thy Son into my heart that I may in all my distresses cry Abba Father unto thee as thy child should doe XIV Upon the sight of one abhorring a filthy and nasty thing O Lord that I might have thy grace thus to abhorre evill both in my self and others XV Upon the sight of a Carvers cutting and framing of a curious Image out of stone LOrd my heart is stony yet canst thou out of this stony disposition of mine with infinitely more ease make it an heart of flesh and me a child of Abraham which my hearty desire and prayer unto thee is that thou wilt doe for me XVI Upon the sight of the Sunne-rising LOrd grant that Jesus Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse may also arise in my heart and with his beames of saving knowledge dispell more and more the darknesse of ignorance in me XVII Upon the sight of one giving an account of monies received LOrd this will be one day my case and I know not how soon nor how suddenly I shall be called to make this my account before thee O give me thy grace therefore that I may live in a continuall expectation of it and may accordingly provide for it XVIII Upon the sight of one teaching to cast account LOrd teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisdome XIX Upon the locking and bolting of a door LOrd shut thou me in with the bolts of thy fatherly providence and
afterwards again in the many threds of my actuall transgressions yet if I will but consent and obey thou wilt make them as white as snow Make good this thy promise to me thy servant who is both willing and desirous to obey thee in all things as far as thy grace shall enable me LX Upon the sight of two wrastling together LOrd give me thy grace that when I shall wrastle with thee by my prayers and my tears as thy servant Jacob did that I may not let thee goe till thou hast blessed me and when I shall wrastle with the Devil to withstand his temptations doe thou so assist me with thy grace and let thy power be so seen in my weaknesse that he may not be able to prevail against me LXI Upon the sight of one winning a wager at running LOrd this man hath taken great pains to win this earthly wager Oh that I could take the like pains in running my Christian Race that I might in the end obtain the Crown of Glory LXII Upon the hearing of the wind rising ARise O North and come O South and all ye other Soveraign winds of the Spirit of God do ye breath and blow upon the garden of my soul that the sweet odours of Gods heavenly graces which are therein may be dispersed to the glory of God and to the benefit of other Christian Souls LXIII Upon the sight of a thirsty Traveller going to a Well to drink LOrd this man doth not more thirst after the water of this Well to quench his bodily thirst then my Soul doth after thee the fountain of ever-living water Oh give me therefore of this water and do thou which biddest me to come unto thee and drink satiate my soul therewith when I am come LXIV Upon the sight of a weaver weaving in his looms LOrd this mans work is to me a Remembrancer of my mortality and that many waies His shuttle sheweth me the swift passing away of my time his weaving the addition of daies to my age but so as the more of his work is added to the cloth the less is upon the beam and the more the one increaseth the nearer the other approcheth to his end and cutting off so the more daies are added to my age the more is detracted from my life and the nearer it draweth to its end and cutting off Therefore Lord give me thy grace that I may make a right use of this my short and swift-passing life and be ever mindfull as I should be of my mortality and ever preparing for it lest I be cut off before I look for it LXV Upon the hearing of a Cock crowing LOrd the crowing of a Cock was to Peter a means with thy blessing to bring him to the sight of his sin and to true repentance for it Oh that thou wouldst so bless unto me the voice of thy Spirituall Cocks the Ministers of thy word and mine own conscience that they may also by thy blessing be a means to bring me to the like sight of my sins and to true repentance for the same LXVI Upon the sight of a Malefactors arraignment LOrd this must one day be my case for I must appear before the judgement-seat of Christ the Judge of quick and dead that I may there receive the things which have been done in my body according to that I have done whether it be good or evil and therefore good Lord give me the grace that I may in the mean time ever think upon it and use the means to have my sins put away by true repentance for them and by a lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ before that great and fearfull day shall come LXVII Upon the sight of one stooping and striving to go in at a strait passage LOrd the way leading to thy Kingdome is through a low and a strait passage through which none can enter that are not lowly and humble and can be content for the Kingdome of heavens sake to strip themselves of whatsoever thing may be an hindrance to their entrance thereinto O give me the grace therefore to be truly humble in thy sight as thy child should be and to cast away every thing that presseth down and my sins that hang so fast on that I may with the more speed and ease enter thereinto LXVIII Upon the sight of Reapers reaping down a close of corn THis field of corn being ripe what wonder is it to see Reapers put into it to cut it down And therefore Lord when our sins are become so ripe what can be expected but that the sickle of thy wrath should be put in amongst us to cut us down also All that I can say for my self or the people of this sinfull nation is Lord enter not into judgement with us or if our sins shall force thee so to do Lord in justice remember mercy and repay us not according to our deserts LXIX Upon the sight of a Mower cutting down grass in a medow THis medow is the emblem of mankind for as in this there is grasse of all sorts and sizes â—â—me longer some shorter some younger and but newly sprung some elder and othersome so ripe that it is ready to wither yea and amongst these too there are many flowers of a most gay and specious colour and yet when the Mower comes with his sithe down they go all neither one not other is spared And just so is it with mankind some are taller and lifted up higher than others in honours and worldly preferment others are of a meaner sort rank and condition some are infants newly born others of elder and riper years yea some by reason of their old and decrepit age ready to wither yea and amongst these too there are some of a more beautifull and specious shew in the eyes of the beholders than others yet when Death Gods mower once comes with his sithe he spares neither young nor old neither rich nor poor nor any of any sort or condition amongst mankind but down they go all one as well as another Lord teach me therefore so at all times to prepare for it that when it shall come it may not find me unprepared LXX Upon the sight of a Dog returning to and eating up his own vomit THe stomach of this Dog before he vomited seemed to be very sick and much pained and yet being eased of that pain how ready and willing is he to return to this his vomit again which formerly pained him and to eat it up And if this be so odious a thing in my sight Lord what shall I be unto thee when after the confession of my sins unto thee whereby I have found ease and comfort I shall return again to my former sinfull course of life that so much dishonoured thee and wronged mine own soul Therefore Lord I beseech thee so strengthen me with thy grace that having confessed my sins
sight of a traveller wearing a sword OH that I were as carefull in my journey to Heaven-wards to put on the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God to defend me from my spirituall enemies as I see this traveller is careful to put on his materiall sword ro defend him from his bodily enemies LXXXVIII Upon the sight of a Sparrow lighting on the ground LOrd thy word doth assure me that this sparrow doth not light or fall on the ground without thy providence Oh give me the grace therefore that I may not fear to fall from an higher to a lower estate if thy will be to have it so seeing I am more worth then many sparrowes LXXXIX Vpon the hearing of one that was gone to sojourn at another mans house LOrd this mans estate and mine are much alike he is a sojourner with man but I with thee my God for I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were Oh give me the grace therefore that I may passe the time of this my sojourning here in fear XC Upon the sight of a snare baited LOrd I cannot passe through any place in this world where the Devil hath not his snares laid and baited for me with some pleasure or profit pretended Oh give me the grace therefore to be alwaies vigilant and watchfull over him and his designes and enterprises that for any worldly respect I may not fall into any of his snares XCI Vpon the sight of one smitten for his faults LOrd let the righreous smite me and and it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent Oyle which shall not break mine head XCII Vpon the sight of a Blackmoore LOrd this Blackmoore cannot change his skin no more can he do good that is accustomed to do evil Oh keep me therefore by thy grace that I may not get any evil custom or delight in the practise of any known sin XCIII Vpon the sight of a waiting Gentlewoman BEhold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistresse so Lord grant that mine eyes may wait upon thee untill thou have mercy on me XCIV Upon the sight of a grain of mustard-seed LOrd this seed is the least of all seeds yet when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree so that the birds of the aire come and lodge in the branches of it So Lord grant that that little measure of grace which is yet to be seen in me may in thy good time increase and by thy blessing and gracious assistance become so great that thou thereby maist be glorified others edified and my own soul more and more comforted XCV Upon the sight of the Sea roaring and beating with his waves against the shore in a great storm LOrd Isee in this the truth of thy word which tels me that thou hast set bars and doors to the Sea and hast said unto it hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed Lord deal so with the rage and fury of thine and mine enemies and suffer it not to proceed any further then it may make for thy glory and for the good both of my self and others XCVI Upon the sight of a most loving fathers correction of his child I Know that there cannot be a more loving and tender-hearted father towards a child then this father is and yet for the amendment of something that he knoweth to be amiss in him see how severely he doth correct him Lord therefore keep me from doubting of the love towards me when thou shalt be pleased in never so grievous a manner at any time to afflict me XCVII Upon the sight of footmen running a Race LOrd enlarge my heart that I may run the way of thy commandement and that with that patience confidence and perseverance that I may in the end obtain the incorruptible crown of glory XCVIII Upon the sight of water running out of a rock LOrd strike my hard and stony heart with due remorse for my sinnes that my head may be as waters and mine eyes as a fountain of tears to weep mourn and lament for them as thy child should do XCIX Upon the sight of a Snakes or Adders skin LOrd I see that nature hath taught this Serpent to renew his age by casting his old skin Oh that grace might teach me in like manner to put off the old man that I might be renewed in the spirit of my mind and become a new man in thy sight C. Upon the sight of one starting back at the sudden sight of a Serpent OH that I might have the grace to flee from sin as I see this man to flee from this Serpent CI. Upon the sight of an old weak man leaning on and going by a staff THis staff I see is this old mans stay without which he can neither stand nor go Lord I am as weak in spirituall strength as this old man is in bodily Oh be thou therefore my stay that I fall not and keep thou me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed on thee CII Vpon the sight of the Day-star LOrd this Star assures me that it is not far to day and that ere long the Sun will arise Oh that the day of Salvation would dawn unto me and that the day-star of saving knowledge would arise in my heart to assure me that the day-spring from on high will shortly visit me and that the Sun of righteousness Jesus Christ will arise unto me CIII Vpon the sight of one sowing his ground when it rained LOrd give me the grace to sow to the Spirit though it be in tears that I may one day reap in joy CIV. Vpon the sight of one slinging a stone out of a sling LOrd do thou thus sling the souls of thine enemies as out of the middle of a sling but do thou bind up the souls of thy servants in the bundle of life with thee the Lord their God CV Vpon the hearing of a master calling up his servants LOrd it is as high time for me to awake out of the sleep of my sins as it is for these servants to awake out of their bodily sleep Oh therefore call me by thy Word blessed Spirit that I which have so long slept in sin may at last awake and arise out of the bed of my carnall security CVI. Upon the hearing of a Countrey-mans joy for his good crop of corn I Confesse Lord that the Husbandmans joy in harvest for his good crop of corn is great but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me and then shall I have more gladnesse in my heart then such men have when their corn and wine and oyl encreaseth CVII Vpon the sight of one running
done amiss and wherein I have offended thee I could not answer thee one thing of a thousand neither should I be able to stand in thy sight Lord therefore enter not into judgement with me neither repay me according to my deserts but deal with me according to thy wonted mercies CXXXI Vpon the sight of a great house wherein were many rooms LOrd this puts me in mind of heaven which is an house wherein are many mansions Oh sweet Jesus do thou prepare me a place there and howsoever I am in this world I shall be sure to be happy then CXXXII Vpon the hearing of one caught with a lie LOrd thy Word doth tell me that every one by nature is a liar and I do find that I am as apt and prone to that as to any other sin O therefore remove from me I beseech thee vanity and lies and take from me the way of lying CXXXIII Vpon the hearing of a woman that did long for something LOrd make me to long also for thy salvation and do thou in thy good time satisfie my longing soul CXXXIV Vpon the sight of a weak stomach lothing meat OH that I could O Lord so lothe my self for my sins committed against thee as this weak stomach doth meat CXXXV Vpon the sight of a woman laying leaven THis leaven shewth the nature both of sin and grace for a little of either will leaven the whole lump Lord give me the grace therefore to take heed of the leaven of sin that I may not be sowred therewith and give me such a measure of the leaven of grace that I may not be puffed up and grow proud therewith CXXXVI Upon the sight of two blind men one leading the other I Find in the Gospel that if the blind do lead the blind both will fall into the ditch Lord my body without my soul is blind and so is my soul too without thy grace Oh therefore give me thy grace to enlighten the eyes of my soul lest it lead my body where it should not and so at last both body and soul fall into the irrecoverable ditch of hell fire CXXXVII Upon the sight of two kissing SWeet Jesus my Lord and Saviour kiss thou me with the kisses of thy mouth and bestow on me such comfortable testimonies of thy love here that I may be sure to be beloved of thee for ever hereafter CXXXVIII Upon the hearing of one upbraided with his former faults LOrd remember not against me my former iniquities but blot them all out of the book of thy remembrance CXXXIX Vpon the sight of the keeper of the lions in the Tower of London carying the keyes of the grates in his hand LOrd Jesus do thou which hast the keys of hell and of death never suffer the Devil that roaring Lion of hell to come forth to hurt me CXL Vpon the sight of one searing with an hot Iron LOrd keep me by thy grace that my conscience may never be seared as it were with an hot iron CXLI Upon the sight of a joyner glewing boards together LOrd give us the grace that we may joyn our selves unto thee in a perpetuall covenant never to be forgotten and that we may be joyned one to another in love never to be dissolved CXLII Upon the sight of one giving earnest upon a bargain LOrd grant me the earnest of thy Spirit that I may thereby have an assurance of my right and title to thy heavenly Kingdome purchased for me by the bloud of thy Son CXLIII Upon the sight of incense burned OH that my prayer might be set forth before thee as incense CXLIV Vpon the sight of a precious Jewel LOrd when thou makest up thy Jewels let me be one of them CXLV Upon the sight of a Turtle-Dove flying from a Kite OH give not the soul of thy Turtle-Dove unto the beast and forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever CXLVI Vpon the sight of one that endeavoured to maintain his right ARise O God maintain thine own cause remember thy dayly reproch by the foolish man CXLVII Upon the sight of an hireling at work LOrd thy word tells me that my daies are as the daies of an hireling Oh give me grace therefore to accomplish the work which thou hast set me about as the hireling doth his day and when that is ended I may with him look for that reward of my work which thou in thy mercy hast promised me CXLVIII Upon the sight of one running to hide himself from his persecutors LOrd there be many which seek after my soul to destroy it but Lord be thou my hiding-place to which I may alwaies resort CXLIX Upon the sight of a souldier putting on his helmet LOrd give me the grace to put on for an helmet the hope of salvation CL Upon the sight of one girding on his coat O Lord that I might have thy grace thus to grid up the loines of my mind with the girdle of sincerity and truth CLI Upon the sight of one washing at a fountain LOrd open unto me that fountain which shall be for sin and for uncleannesse even the bloud of my crucified Saviour Jesus Christ and let thy blessed spirit so wash me therein that I may be clensed from my sins and appear righteous again in thy sight CLII. Upon the sight of a filthy cloth taken off from a running sore LOrd give me the grace to hate even the garment spotted with the flesh CLIII Upon the sight of a natural fool LOrd this man is a fool by nature Oh that I might have thy grace to become such a one by grace as he is by nature that so I might be truly and spiritually wise CLIV. Upon the sight of one made clean that had fallen into the mire LOrd make me as carefull to clense my self from all filthinesse both of the flesh and Spirit as this man is desirous to be made clean from this his outward pollution CLV Upon the sight of two fighting LOrd give me the grace to fight the good fight of faith against all thine and mine enemies CLVI Upon the sight of one anointed with eye-salve that had sore eyes LOrd the eyes of my understanding are every way as unable to behold things spirituall as the sore eyes of this man are to behold things corporall Oh do thou therefore sweet Jesus anoint them with thy heavenly eye-salve that I may be better enabled to see them as I should doe CLVII Vpon the sight of a tree that was deeply rooted LOrd grant that I may be rooted and grounded in love in faith and all other saving graces as thy child should be CLVIII Vpon the sight of a Well LOrd grant that thy grace may be in me a well of water springing up to eternall life CLIX. Upon the sight of one planting trees LOrd give me
some comfortable assurance that I am one of those trees which thou my Heavenly Father hast planted that so I may not be rooted up CLX Upon the sight of an old aged servant cast off by his master LOrd cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth CLXI Upon the sight of one that held up his hand to defend his eye from a stroke LOrd keep thou me as the apple of thine eye CLXII Vpon the sight of one levelling and making plain a way LOrd make thy way plaine before my face CLXIII Upon the sight of one that was cast out of favour and was desirous to be received into favour again O God thou hast for my sins deserved ly cast me out of thy favour thou hast been justly angry with me oh return again unto me CLXIV Upon the sight of one rescued out of his enemies hands O My God deliver me I beseech thee from out of the hands of all my spirituall enemies CLXV Upon the sight of one that earnestly petitioned a friend to help him HEar my prayer O God and hide not thy self from my supplication CLXVI Upon the sight of pigeons flying from a Hawk OH that I had wings like a Dove then should I likewise flee away and be at rest from my persecutors CLXVII Vpon the sight of a Sow wallowing in the mire LOrd I have been washed both in my Baptism the laver of regeneration and I trust by thy blessed Spirit I am sure I have with many a tear washed and bathed my soul in hearty sorrow for my filthy sinnes past Oh never suffer me to return to wallow in those my filthy sins again as this sow which hath been washed doth now wallow again in the mire CLXVIII Vpon the sight of night drawing on LOrd thy word doth tell me that when the night cometh no man can work I see the night of death is coming on upon me Oh give me therefore the grace to work so whilst the day of my life doth last that when the night of death shall come I may not have that work to do which may be for the everlasting good of my soul CLXIX Upon the sight of one that was dumb LOrd I see in this dumb person wherein I have been so often faulty in thy sight not daring to speak of thee or for thee when I should have done it Lord pardon this my sin past and do thou which hast and still canst open the mouth of the dumb open my mouth which hath been so often dumb that it may speak both to thy glory and my own souls comfort CLXX Upon the sight of a Mill-wheel driven about with the water HEre I see that the more this wheel is driven away by the water the faster it returns unto it again So Lord give me the grace that when thou shalt by the water of affliction seem to drive me at any time from thee I may with the more speed return unto thee for ease and comfort CLXXI. Upon the sight of a field that was white and ready for the harvest LOrd this field shews me how ready I am for the sickle of thy wrath to cut me down for my many and manifold sins if thou shouldst deal with me according to my deserts But Lord in mercy look down upon me and withhold the hand of thy sin-revenging Justice from me that I may by thy grace live more to thy glory than hitherto I have done CLXXII Upon the sight of a candle put out LOrd put not out the candle of my life in utter darkness as thou usest to put out the candle of the wicked CLXXIII Upon the sight of Bees labouring in the summer LOrd these little creatures I see will not neglect any time or season wherein they may gather food to preserve them alive in winter Oh that I had but the like care in the summer of my life health and strength to provide for the good of my soul against the winter of death sicknesse or weaknesse CLXXIV Upon the sight of one stung with a Bee LOrd I see in this party that is stung what hurt the sting of so little a creature as the Bee is may do Oh give me therefore the grace to take heed of the sting of death which is sin and the sting of conscience which is for sin for these will put me to farre more pain than this stinging of the Bee can do him CLXXV Upon the sight of Bees fighting with strange Bees that came to rob them of their honey LOrd here I see that even these little creatures cannot endure to be robbed of what they have laboured for but will fight for the preservation of it even unto death Oh that I might have the like care and courage to fight against and to withstand all those my spirituall enemies which seek to rob my soul of thy spirituall graces CLXXVI Upon the sight of a dead mans coffin deckt with flowers LOrd here I see the love of the living to the dead how carefull they are to deck even that which shortly must be put into the earth Oh give me the grace that I may shew so much love to my poor soul which is dead in trespasses and sins that I may every day more and more seek to deck it with the spirituall flowers and herbs of grace that it may appear lovely in thy sight and may smell sweet unto thy nostrils through my Saviour Jesus Christ CLXXVII Upon the hearing of sweet musick LOrd if this musick here on earth be so sweet how needs must that musick in heaven be sweet where there are perpetuall Hallelujahs sung unto thee by the heavenly quire of Saints and Angels into which quire Lord in thy good time admit me to bear a part CLXXVIII Vpon the sight of an old ruinous house fallen down LOrd here I see in this house the very picture and pattern of mans frailty whither he must at last when all is done to support him Oh give me therefore the grace that before this earthly house of my body be dissolved I may be provided of a celestiall habitation wherein I may dwell with thee for ever CLXXIX Vpon the sight of the shadow on a Diall LOrd here I see this shadow passeth on though I cannot discern it and just so it is with my life it passeth away like a shadow though I do not discern and take notice of it Oh give me therefore the grace that I may improve my time to the best uses whilst I have it lest when it is past it be too late to recall it or to make that use of it that we would or should do CLXXX Vpon the sight of a Mole heaving LOrd I see in this creature my own earthly mindedness and how apt and prone I am to settle my affections on earthly things Oh help me therefore with thy grace to
into this gate nor go forward in this way CCI. Vpon the beholding of the apple of ones eye LOrd I see how carefull every one is to keep off all hurt from this part of the body the eye and especially from this part of the eye the apple of it Oh do thou in like manner keep me as the apple of thine eye and let him that toucheth me be as he that toucheth the apple of thine eye CCII. Upon the sight of one putting off and laying aside his cloke LOrd give me the grace that I may also put off the cloke of maliciousnesse and covetousnesse and of all my other sins wherewith I have thought at any time to cover and hide my mischievous designs CCIII Upon the sight of a fox taken in hunting LOrd take us the foxes even the little foxes that is all those enemies of thy truth even the least of them which by their Hereticall or Schismaticall doctrine or their profane conversation do hinder the course of the Gospel amongst us CCIV. Vpon the sight of a whirlwind LOrd do thou so keep me in thy fear that destruction shall not come upon me as a whirlewind and I be carried away as with a whirlewind in thy wrath CCV Vpon the sight of wheat put into a Garner LOrd grant that when thou shalt come with thy fan in thine hand and throughly purge thy floor at the last day I may not be as the chaffe which thou wilt burn up with unquenchable fire but as the wheat which thou wilt gather into thy Garner CCVI. Upon the sight of a well without water LOrd so empty would my heart be of grace for all my goodly outward shews except thou shalt be pleased by the work of thy blessed Spirit to cause the waters of life to flow thereunto which I beseech thee for thy mercy sake to do for me that it may be in me a well of living water springing up to eternall life CCVII. Upon the sight of gold weighed which proved too light LOrd weigh me not in the ballance of thy Justice for then I am sure I shall be found too light except thou shalt suffer me to have the allowance of those graines of mercy which in thy Son thou hast promised me CCVIII Upon the sight of one much weakned with sickness LOrd I have been long and dangerously sick of sin It was an hereditary disease which I drew from the infected loyns of my first parents and I have much aggravated and increased the malignity of it by mine own distempers since so that with both and my long continuance in them I am so weakened that I can do nothing that good is Oh doe thou therefore whose power is made perfect in weaknesse make perfect this thy power in my weakness and so strengthen me with thy grace that though I cannot do what I should yet I may find grace in thy sight to have that accepted in thy Son which I would do CCIX. Vpon the sight of one that was weary with doing that he was set about LOrd grant that I may never be weary of well-doing but that I may hold out to the end and in the end reap that which thou hast promised to those that faint not CCX Vpon the sight of a gibing fellow sitting in a chair LOrd keep me that though through the violence of temptation and mine own frailty I may at times walk in the counsell of the wicked and stand in the way of sinners yet that I may never have power to sit down in the chaire of the scornfull CCXI. Vpon the sight of one making a sick mans Bed LOrd when thou shalt in like manner visit me with sickness do thou make my bed in all my sickness CCXII. Vpon the sight of a water-pot of stone filled with water Sweet Jesus there was a time when thou turnedst the water that was in the six water-pots of stone into wine thy power is the same still that it was then Oh do thou turn then by that same power of thine the water of mine afflictions into the wine of consolation when thy will and pleasure shall be to doe it for me CCXIII. Vpon the sight of watchmen at a cross way LOrd here I see what watching and warding there is to prevent bodily dangers from corporall enemies Oh that I could have the grace in like manner to watch as I should do against my spirituall enemies the enemies of my salvation CCXIV. Vpon the sight of one blowing the fire under a great deal of wood LOrd this minds me of Tophet mentioned in Scripture which is a representation of Hell where the burning thereof is fire and much wood and thy breath like a river of Brimstone doth kindle it from which place I do beseech thee of thine infinite mercy and by thy Sons merits to free me CCXV Upon the observation of the growth of corn LOrd here I see that this corn which hath been sowed brought forth first the blade then the ears after that full corn in the eares And just so is it with thy graces in my heart they come not to perfection at first but proceed on by degrees and will do so still untill I become a perfect man in Christ Jesus unto which measure of grace Lord in thy good time bring me CCXVI Vpon the sight of a ground well closed with hedges LOrd thou didst make an hedge about thy servant Job by Satans own confession and about his house and about all that he had so that he was not able to come in to do him any hurt until thou wert pleased for his triall and our example to pull down the hedge and to let him in Good Lord make the like hedge about me about all that which is mine that neither Satan nor any of his instruments may be able to hurt me or mine And if thou shalt at any time be pleased to pull down this hedge and to let Sathan or any of his instruments in upon me Lord give me the grace with patience to bear it and to expect that happy end which thou in thy mercy gavest unto thy servant Job CCXVII Upon the sight of some standing in a breach to hinder the enemies from entring LOrd do thou stir up some chosen Moses or other which may stand in the breach before thee to turn away thy wrath lest thou shouldst destroy us CCXVIII Vpon the sight of one wandring and out of his way LOrd assist me with thy grace continually that I may never wittingly or willingly wander from thy commandements the way wherein thou hast appointed me to walk CCXIX. Vpon the sight of one cast off by his Master for his lewd courses LOrd give me thy grace that I may never so wait on any lying vanity that I should for the sake thereof forsake mine own mercy CCXX Vpon the sight of one going up a ladder THis man shewes me
unto thee and thereby found ease and comfort I may never wittingly nor willingly relapse and fall back again into those my sins that have so much dishonoured thee and wronged my own soul LXXI Upon the sight of a mother putting mustard on her nipples to wean her child and to keep it from sucking LOrd I have long sucked at the breasts of this world and have drawn from them much sweet and pleasing milk of sin fensualness and other vanities whereby I am grown a greater child of disobedience yea even of wrath and utter perdirion too without thy great mercy in Jesus Christ Oh therefore wean me I beseech thee and mine affections from all such worldly vanities and if nothing else will do it Lord embitter the nipples thereof with such a measure of thy fatherly chastisements that I may in thy good time be so weaned from them LXXII Upon the hearing of a wayfaring man enquiring after his way OH that I could be as carefull to stand in thy wayes and to enquire after the old way that I might walk therein and that I may be the better enabled to do so Lord Jesus do thou which art the Way the Truth and the Life make me every day more and more willing to seek after it and having found it assist me with thy grace that I may walk therein as thy child should do LXXIII Upon the sight of a Souldiers putting on of his armes LOrd this man I see will not venture to fight against his bodily enemies without his armes and shall I venture to fight against sin and Satan and the other spirituall enemies of my salvation unarmed Oh that I might have thy grace therefore to do as thou commandest and to put on the whole armour of God that like a good Souldier of Jesus Christ I may be able to fight the good fight of faith against them all and in the end overcome them LXXIV Upon the sight of two walking together CAn two walk together except they be agreed Lord then how shall I ever look to walk with thee in white in another world except I be reconciled unto thee by the bloud of thy Son here in this world which that I may the better be and have the better assurance thereof let the Ministery of reconciliation to whom thou hast committed the word of reconciliation be every day more and more powerfull towards me for the effecting of it and let thy blessed Spirit bear witness more and more unto my soul and conscience that it is thus effected for me LXXV Upon the sight of one paying workmen their wages HEre I see none but those that have laboured called to receive wages Oh that I might therefore have thy grace so to labour in thy Vineyard here that when the evening of my life shall come I may receive the penny of eternal bliss with the rest of thy labourers in heaven LXXVI Upon the sight of one vomiting after the taking of luke-warm water LOrd this man shews me what I must expect from thee if Laodicea-like I am neither hot nor cold but luke-warm in the profession of thy true Religion his stomach lothing this luke-warm water doth not with more readinesse cast and vomit up that then I must look to be spued out of thy mouth if I am such a luke-warm person Oh therefore give me the grace that I may be truly zealous for the time to come and may carefully and conscionably amend what is past LXXVII Upon the sight of one that was very carefull not to spot or stain a new suit LOrd give me the grace to keep my self unspotted of the world and to hate even the garment spotted by the flesh and not to have either spot or wrinkle in me that may be displeasing in thy sight but that I may be found of thee in peace without spot and blameless LXXVIII Upon the sight of a roome furnished with all variety of utensills LOrd here I see vessells not onely of Gold and silver but also of wood and of stone and some for honour and some for dishonour and such are men in the visible Church But Lord give me the grace that I may be so purged from my sins that I may be a vessell to honour sanctified and meet for thee my Masters use and prepared unto every good work LXXIX Upon the sight of a mist rising out of the earth LOrd this sheweth me what my life is for what is it else but even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Oh give me the grace therefore to make the best use of it whilst I have it LXXX Upon the sight of a Vine pruned MY Saviour Jesus Christ thou art the Vine and I hope that through thy grace I am a branch thereof Oh that thy Father who is the husbandman of it would so prune and purge me that I may bring forth more fruit then heretofore I have done LXXXI Vpon the sight of a dried Neats-tongue served in at a table OH that my speech might be alwaies with grace seasoned with the salt of wisdom and discretion that I might know how I ought to answer every man which whom I have to do LXXXII Vpon the sight of one breaking up fallow ground OH that I might have thy grace O Lord to break up the fallow ground of my heart that the seed of thy word might be no longer sown amongst the thorny cares of this world lest they do as hitherunto they have done grow up with it and choak it LXXXIII Vpon the sight of one smiting himself upon the thigh as being sorry and ashamed for something which he had done OH that I might have thy grace O Lord so to smite upon my thigh that being ashamed of that which I have done amiss I may unfeignedly repent of it and turn unto thee LXXXIV Vpon the sight of a freath'd hedge of Thornes LOrd I am apt to go astray and to wander from the waies of thy commandements and rather then I should continue so to do Lord do thou stop my waies with thornes and make an hedge thereof that I may not be able to find my sinfull waies and courses again LXXXV Vpon the hearing of an house broken up and goods carried away LOrd I see by this how vain and transitory the goods of this world are Oh give me therefore thy grace that I may not seek to lay up treasure for my self here on earth where the moth and rust do corrupt and theeves break through and steal but that I may lay up treasure for my self in Heaven where neither moth nor rust do corrupt nor theeves break through and steal LXXXVI Upon the hearing of one telling a tale LOrd suffer me not to spend my years as a tale that is told which commonly are idle and of little use and profit and many times do much hurt LXXXVII Upon the
seek those things which are above and to settle my affections on them and not on the things which are in the earth lest heaving and heaping up these earthly things in hope to make further way for my greedy desires I be in the end pierced through with many sorrows and become a prey to Sathan CLXXXI Upon the sight of a Marriage LOrd do thou marry me unto thee for ever and that in righteousnesse and in judgement and in mercy and in compassion CLXXXII Upon the sight of a virgin trimmed up and going to be married LOrd grant that as this virgin going to be married hath adorned her self and made her self ready for her husband so I being clothed with the robes of Christs righteousnesse may be alwayes in a readiness for him and to be presented unto him as a chast virgin when the marriage day of the lamb shall come CLXXXIII Upon the sight of the stars in a clear starry night LOrd give me the grace to doe what I can in my place and calling to turn many unto righteousness that so I may one day shine as the stars for ever and ever CLXXXIV Upon the sight of a Raven LOrd thou wert pleased to feed thy servant Eliah by the ministery of those unclean birds the Ravens Oh give me therefore the grace nor to refuse the food of my soul although brought unto me by one that is as unclean in my sight as the Ravens were in the sight of Elias CLXXXV Upon the hearing of young Ravens crying in the nest LOrd thy word doth tell me that thou feedest the young Ravens when they cry Oh let me therefore never despair of thy providence towards me for the feeding of me and the supplying of my wants who am in thy sight much better than they CLXXXVI Vpon the sight of an Anchor SEafaring men use the Anchor to stop and stay their ships that they may not be carried away and tossed up and down with the violence of the waves Lord my soul is tossed up and down in the sea of this world amongst the severall changes and chances thereof as much as any ship can be on the sea and I have no help nor hope in my self or any other creature to avoid the ship-wrecking thereof therefore Lord doe thou give me the grace to fasten the Anchor of my hope on the firm ground of thy gracious promises made unto me in Jesus Christ and then shall I be safe CLXXXVII Vpon the sight of a Rainbow LOrd this Rainbow is an Emblem of thy mercy which like the Rainbow is not to be seen when once the night of death is come and as that so this terminates on the earth the ends of it reaching no further Oh give me the grace therefore to make use of thy mercy in this time of mercy that my soul may never be drowned more in the deluge of sin here nor in the deluge of thy wrath for my sins hereafter CLXXXVIII Vpon the sight of one winnowing of corn LOrd I see in this how Sathan would serve me if thou shouldst leave me to his will for thy word doth tell me that he would winnow me as wheat But sweet Jesus do thou for me what thou didst promise to do for Peter do thou pray for me that my faith may not fail and then all Satans winnowing of me shall not be able to hurt me CLXXXIX Upon the sight of a piece of Scarlet LOrd my sins like Scarlet have been twice died died in the wool by my originall corruptions and died in the cloth by my many actuall transgressions but yet here is my comfort that thou canst yea and wilt for so thou hast promised make these my sins that be as Scarlet to become as white as snow upon my true repentance which I beseech thee for thy mercy sake to grant unto me CXC Vpon the sight of a foundation laid LOrd give me the grace that I may lay a good and sure foundation for my self against the time to come that in the end I may obtain eternall life CXCI. Vpon the sight of one that pleaded hard against his Adversary PLead thou my cause O Lord with them that strive with me CXCII Upon the sight of a bunch of dried Hysop hanging up in an house LOrd purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean and give me the grace that both my soul and body may with a bunch of Hysop that is my faith dipped in the bloud of the true paschall lamb my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be sprinkled therewith that the destroying Angel of Gods wrath may passe over me CXCIII Vpon the sight of wormes in a dead carcase LOrd these wormes shew me what must become of my dead body the wormes will destroy it but when they have done this they will die themselves but there is another worm which I more fear the worm of conscience which will never die Lord of thine infinite mercy keep me from that CXCIV Vpon the sight of a curious piece of workmanship LOrd I am thy workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works but I have not answered that end for which I was created Lord pardon my failings and enable me to do it better in the time to come CXCV. Vpon the sight of a linsie-woolsie garment LOrd I see by thy forbidding of this unto thy people under the old law that thou wouldst not have them mingle diverse Religions together Oh therefore give me the grace that I may never offend in this kind but that I may chuse the true and refuse all false Religions CXCVI. Vpon the sight of one that had a withered hand LOrd this man I see cannot stretch forth this hand of his to do any thing therewith no more can I stretch forth either of mine to do any thing that is good Oh therefore do thou sweet Jesus which tookest compassion on the man which had the withered hand in the Gospel and didst heal that do thou by the same power and grace also heal mine that I may be able to do that good which thou expectest at my hands CXCVII Upon the hearing of the word withdraw at a Committee LOrd give me the grace that I may withdraw my self from every brother that walketh inordinately and which doth think that gain is godlinesse CXCVIII. Upon the hearing of an hard and dangerous service of a souldier LOrd give me the grace that I may fuffer affliction as a good souldier of Jesus Christ CXCIX Upon the sight of a mother wiping the teares from her childs face LOrd in thy good time bring me to thy heavenly Kingdome where thou hast promised to wipe all teares from my eyes CC. Upon the sight of a wide and spacious gate LOrd thy word tells me that it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction Oh keep me therefore by thy grace that I may neither enter
me the grace therefore to magnifie thy mercy for the favour which thou hast shewed me in preserving my life thus long and teach me so to numbet my daies that be to come that I may apply my heart unto wisdome and may spend the residue of them in thy fear that dying never so suddenly I may die in thy favour through Jesus Christ CCLII Vpon the hearing of the sentence of death pronounced against a malefactour LOrd here I see in what a fearfull agonie this poor soul is upon the Judges pronouncing of the sentence of Death against him And if this sentence of Death pronounced by an earthly Judge be so terrible how much more terrible must needs be that sentence which the Judge of the quick and the dead shall pronounce against sinners at the last day Oh give me therefore the grace that I may so judge my self here that I may not be thus judged of thee with the Judgement of condemnation hereafter CCLIII Vpon the sight of one bending his bow to shoot LOrd how often have thine and mine enemies bent their tongues like bows to shoot out bitter words like arrowes against me But Lord as thou hast ever been so still be thou my shield and then I shall be safe CCLIV Vpon the sight of a shepherd breaking the teeth of his sheep-dog LOrd do thou thus break the teeth of thine and mine enemies that they may by their barking at me and my good name and not biting or hurting me hasten me in the way to that blessed field and fold of thine in heaven hereafter and fetch me in when I am strayed and stragled from thee here CCLV. Vpon the sight of one teaching a child to read LOrd I am a very child in understanding and can no more spell or read any thing in thy book the holy Scriptures for my souls present comfort here or everlasting good hereafter then this child can do unlesse I have one to teach me Oh do thou then by the ministers of thy word which thou hast appointed to be teachers of thy people and by the co-operating and assisting grace of thy blessed Spirit which thou hast promised shall teach us all things teach me every day better and better to spell read and understand what may be for my souls good CCLVI. Vpon the sight of swine eating acornes under an Oake HEre I see these swine greedily grouzing up the Acornes which they finde under this tree but I see not one of them lifting up so much as half an eye towards the tree that sned them down unto them And just so Lord have I too often done for how many blessings have I received from thy bounteous goodness for which I have been so far from giving thee deserved thanks that I have scarce ever looked up with an acknowledging eye to that bountifull hand of thine from whence they all have come Lord pardon this my great unthankfulnesse past and make me every day more and more thankfull as thy child should be CCLVII Vpon the sight of a boy which had a bird tied by one leg in a string LOrd herein I see how the Devil deals with me This poor bird having his wings at liberty may flutter up and down and sometimes seem to take his wings and to flie away but being fast tied by but one of his legs he is still in the boys possession and do what he can he cannot flie from him and just so it is with me if the Devil have gotten hold of me though it be by the voluntary entertainment of but any one lust or sin he cares for no more for he knowes that I am thereby in his possession and that he may when he pleaseth if I shall at any time offer to flie from him call me back to his obedience again Good God therefore give me the grace that I may mortifie and subdue all my vile lusts and sinfull affections every day more and more and that I may not willingly continue in any one of them to thy dishonour and the wronging my of own soul CCLVIII. Upon the sight of one tasting of sweet-meats LOrd give me thy grace to taste and see how gracious thou art and that thy word may be as sweet to my taste as this that he hath now tasted feems to be unto his CCLIX Vpon the hearing of one blamed for tarrying longer then was expected LOrd I have been long in misery and I have sent my prayers as messengers unto thee for release therefrom but yet I see little or no appearance of any such release Oh my God make no longer tarrying if it be thy blessed will but rid me out of this misery under which I have so long groaned or if thy will be that I shall continue in it then Lord give me the grace to submit to thy blessed will therein and with patience to attend thy deliverance therefrom when thy will and pleasure shall be to have it and in the mean time not to murmure and repine against thee though to flesh and blood thy tarrying seem longer then ordinary CCLX Upon the hearing of some that were taken captives by the Turks LOrd these poor souls are like to undergo much misery in the place to which they are carried captives and must remain in the same except they be redeemed from thence by some ransom paid for them And this just is my case for Lord I have been taken captive by the Devil to do his will and am like still so to continue except thou O sweet Jesus the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind shalt by the ransome which thou hast paid for me redeem me from thence which I do believe thou hast done for me and wilt in thy good time give me the comfortable assurance thereof which Lord hasten to do for thy mercies sake I do beseech thee CCLXI Upon the sight of a post riding by LOrd this post I see rideth apace but my daies if I had the grace to take notice of it do post away with a far greater speed Lord give me the grace to take notice of it as I should do and to make the best use of it whilst time serveth CCLXII Upon the sight of a swallow LOrd this bird I see observes the time of his returning to us Oh that I might have the grace to observe in like manner the time of my returning unto thee by true and sound repentance CCLXIII Upon the sight of one that stumbled at a stone in his way LOrd how many stumbling-blocks doth the Devil continually cast in my way towards Heaven from all which good Lord deliver me But above all other keep me I beseech thee so by thy grace that neither Jesus Christ my crucified Saviour may be unto me a stumbling-block as he was unto the Jewes nor thy word as it hath been unto other disobedient persons CCLXIV Upon the sight of stubble burnt in a
not spread his nets where he hath not many of his instruments which are in his possession though they seem to be at liberty puposely there set to tempt and toll me into their company and be partaker with them of their sinnes and sinnefull courses where he hath not also many vain pleasures and delights to draw me to his lure and he himself alwaies ready at hand to surprise me and to catch me and to make me his here and eternally his in hell fire hereafter except thou by thy grace shalt ptevent it which I beseech thee for thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ his sake to grant unto me CCLXXX Upon the sight of a lamb OH sweet Jesus the eternall Son of the eternall God thou which art the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world do thou so take away my sins that they may neither terrifie my conscience here nor condemm my soul hereafter CCLXXXI Upon the sight of a sheep shearing OH sweet Jesus my onely Lord and Saviour which in thy sufferings wert like a sheep dumb before his shearer and openedst not thy mouth to revile or threaten those that thus wronged thee but committedst thy cause to him that judgeth righteously and therein didst leave me an example that I should follow thy steps give me the grace I beseech thee that I may do the like whensoever I shall be called to suffer with thee or for thee CCLXXXII Vpon the hearing of one that had wronged his neighbour and for it being to appear before a Justice of peace procured some friends in the way thitherwards to take up the matter and to end it for him LOrd I have wronged thee my God and mine own conscience many waies by my sins and have often injured my neighbours by meanes of which both thou and they are become mine Adversaries Oh give me the grace therefore that whilst I am in the way and do live here I may so agree with you all that hereafter I be not delivered to the judge of quick and dead the Lord Jesus Christ that righteous judge and be by him delivered to the Devil the Jaylor of hell who will cast me into that easelesse and endlesse prison of Hell never to come forth thence again CCLXXXIII Upon the sight of a painted and curiously wrought sepulchre LOrd keep me that I may not be like unto this sepulchre to appear beautifull and righteous outwardly to the eies of men and be in the meane time as full of sin and wickednesse within as this is of dead mens bones and all filthinesse CCLXXXIV Upon the sight of one that sought for a thing lost LOrd I have so long erred from the waies of thy commandements that I have at last lost my self and thy favour Oh seek thy servant therefore and in thy good time find me again lest I be lost for ever CCLXXXV Upon the sight of a pot boyling and not skummed LOrd here I see how much skumme and filthinesse is apt to arise out of my heart when once my choler that is within me doth begin to boile and if it be not skummed and taken away by thy grace how soon it will intermix it self with my best actions Oh help me therefore by thy preventing grace that it may not so any more arise in me or if it do that by the same grace assisting me I may speedily repent me of it and skumme it and take it away as it doth arise lest thy wrath lighting upon me both I and it be in the end consumed with the fire of this thy wrath and just indignation CCLXXXVI Upon the sight of one that was corrected by his master for his bad writing and withall taught how to amend it LOrd thy word doth assure me that he is in a happy condition whom thou chastisest and withall teachest him by thy word how to amend That I may then be so happy Lord let me not onely be chastised by thee for what I have done amisse but be taught also by thy blessed word and Spirit how to amend it CCLXXXVII Vpon the sight of a Smith at work upon his Anvile THey say that the more the Anvile is beaten upon the harder it groweth Lord keep me from being so that I may not be the more hardened in my sins by the strokes of thy judgements inflicted on me for them lest not being amended by them I either cause thee to inflict on me or mine some more heavy judgements or to cease punishing of me which will prove in the end the heaviest judgement of all CCLXXXVIII Vpon the sight of a Dog flying upon the stone that hit him without regard to the throwers hand LOrd how often have I done the like by flying upon those with bitter reproches which were but the secondary causes and instruments of my wrong without ever looking at thy hand which set them on work Lord be mercifull unto me for what is past and give me the grace to look up to thy hand better for the time to come that I may with the more patience and comfort undergo what thou by them shalt think meet to lay upon me CCLXXXIX Vpon the sight of a glasse of distilled water stirred and shaken AS long as this glasse of distilled water stood still and unshaken there was nothing to be seen in it but fair and clear water but now being stirred and shaken what a moode and muddy residence doth there arise in it And just so Lord is it with me as long as I am not stirred moved and provoked by any I seem a Saint and as if I had in me nothing of spleen and gall at all but being once moved and provoked how much impatience techinesse frowardnesse and other like corruptions do there manifest themselves in me Lord give me grace therefore rightly to know my self and mine own heart that I may neither conceive too well of my self nor judge too ill of others when I am exempted and they are suffered to fall in any grosse sin CCXC. Vpon the sight of one skilfull in Chymistrie that extracted salt out of herbs CHymicks are of opinion that there is almost nothing but salt may be drawn out of it and that there is no man but hath salt in him Lord give me the grace that I may also have salt in my self the salt of true spirituall wisdome and discretion that I may by the same so season all my actions and so temper all my affections that both by the one and other I may bring glory to thy name good to others and comfort to my own soul CCXCI. Vpon the sight of a burning fire-brand which was soon extinguished when cast into water LOrd here I see how great a measure of zeal may be soon quenched amongst wicked company Oh give me therefore the grace to keep out of such company which are so prejudiciall to thy glory and to my souls
mercy and then shall I be safe XX Upon the sight of a lock hardly to be unlocked LOrd how unwilling and unable am I of my self to open my mouth to speak to thy praise to open mine ears to heare thy word with profit and comfort and to open my heart to attend thereunto for my souls good O doe thou therefore which hast the key of David and openest and no man shutteth and shuttest and no man openeth open all these unto me by the power and might of thy gracious help XXI Upon the sight of a hen with her chickens under her wings LOrd how often wouldst thou have gathered me as this Hen doth her chickens under her wings but I would not yet now seeing my former errour and present danger I doe runne unto thee beseeching thee to shelter me under the shadow of thy wings and to save me now and alwayes for thy mercies sake XXII Upon the sight of a young lusty strong man taking a fall LOrd this brings to my mind the falls and sins of David Peter and others of thy children mentioned in Scripture and it doth shew me what the best of us all are if thou dost leave us to our selves Lord-therefore evermore support me with thy grace and keep me in thy feare XXIII Upon the hearing of one that had adopted another mans Son for his own LOrd I doe believe that thus thou hast dealt with me and that thou hast adopted me in Jesus Christ to be thy Son who am by nature the child of wrath Lord let thy holy Spirit who is the Spirit of adoption every day more and more witnesse the same unto my spirit XXIV Upon the hearing of one knocking at a door LOrd thou hast knocked often at the door of my heart and hast called and cried often unto me to open unto thee but I have hitherunto turned the deafe eare and not opened unto thee Lord forgive me this my great unkindnesse past and seeing I have neither will nor power of my self to doe it doe thou which hast the key of David that openeth and no man shutteth open the door of my heart and come in and sup with me and I with thee and abide with me for ever XXV Upon the sight of a Candle lighted with a Tinder-box LOrd I see by this how prone and apt my corrupt nature is to commit sin upon every occasion offered unlesse thou by thy grace dost prevent it there being no speedier conjunction betwixt the sparkes of fire strucken amongst tinder then there is betwixt my corrupt nature and sin when once an occasion is offered Lord therefore keepe me by thy grace from all such offered occasions or from entertaining of them when they are thus offered XXVI Upon the sight of a game at Tables VVHen a man playeth a game at Tables I see the chance is not in his power but to play it well it is so the chances and changes of this world which doe betide me were not in my power to prevent them but having betided me I must manage and bear them as well as I can and that I may doe it as I should doe Lord doe thou by thy grace enable me XXVII Upon the sight of a Scullions taking off of a pot ful of good meat from the fire LOrd here I see mine owne and many other mens infirmitie how easie a matter it is for any base fellow to take any of us even the best and most accomplished with grace and goodnesse and by his soothing talk and insinuating flatteries to transport and carry us as it were by the cares whether he pleaseth if thou by thy grace prevent it not Lord therefore strengthen me by thy grace against all such miscarriages XXVIII Upon the hearing of the Relation of a Merchant-Adventurers dangerous Voyage THis mans case and mine are very like for with vain hopes as with a prosperous gale of winde I have often been allured to hoise up the Sailes of my desires and to enter into the perillous Sea of this world with worldly minded men but before that ever I could arrive unto the wicked Haven to which in my setting forth I aymed with how many desperate dangers have I encountred One while I have been tossed with tempestuous stormes of troubles crosses and vexations sometimes lifted up with hopes as if I should touch the Heavens sometimes dejected and cast down with fear is if I should be swallowed in the gulph and as it were in the hell of despair now in danger to dash against the rocks of viiolence and oppression and soon after to split upon the unperceived Quick-sands of treacherie and falshood sometimes I have been carried in an uncouth vastnesse in hazard to lose my self in the by-pathes â—f errour sometimes I have passed through the straits having been beset with many perils here Scylla there Charybdis being ready to fall into the one whilst with my most provident care I have endeavoured to escape the other And if I have chanced to escape these as who ever escaped them all with how many wicked fiends have I been beset as with so many Pirats ready to rob me of all those rich wares of Gods spiritual graces and to enchain me in their gallies of endlesse bondage Nay though I have missed of these too and have had a faire calm of prosperity and a comfortable sun-shine of worldly favours throughout my whole passage yet my danger hath not been any way abated but much more increased For being thus becalmed I have many times had neither power nor will to goe forward to the blessed Haven of Heaven but contrary-wise being bewitched with the Syrens songes of carnall alluring pleasures I have been so strongly taken with them that I thought Heaven to be no where but there till I was in the end like to be devoured by them by whom I was first allured That therefore I may the better passe over this troublesome Sea and avoid all these dangers and in the end come to my desired haven the kingdome of Heaven Lord let thy true Church be my ship thy holy word my Card and Compasse thy blessed Spirit my Pilot thy good Angels my Convoy and doe thou thy selfe alwayes watch over me by the eye of thy speciall providence XXIX Upon the sight of a fish taken with a Hooke and Line LOrd here is an Emblem of my simplicity and the Devils subtilty he like the cunning fiisher hides the hooke of his temptations under the bait of some pleasing vanitie and I like the silly fish whilest I am looking on his pleasing bait and coveting that am caught with his Soul-destroying hooke from which good Lord deliver me XXX Upon the sight of a stubborn and refractory Oxe going under the Yoke LOrd herein I see mine owne folly for whereas thy yoke of affliction which thou hast put upon my neck might be carried by me if not with ease yet without any great
more in the Summer of my life health and prosperity think of the Winter of death sicknesse and adversity and make provision for them XLV Upon the sight of a shooting match at Buts Here I see some shooting above the Mark others under it some on the right hand others on the left at last cometh one and hit's the mark it self and just so dealeth Death with us sometimes it shooteth above us and takes away our Superiours and Elders sometimes beneath us and takes away our Inferiours and younger sometimes on the right-hand and taketh away our dear friends and sometimes on the left-hand and taketh away our deadly foes and happy were we if we could take these as warning arrowes shot from a loving hand to warn us to look to our selves but such is our improvidence that we will not lay these fair warnings to heart but go on still in our carnall security till at last and it may be when we look least for it it shoots also to us our selves and wo be unto us if it find us unprovided Lord give us therefore the grace so to think of Death every day as if it were to be our dying day XLVI Upon the sight of a man felling or cuiting down a Tree LOrd here I see the Axe laid to the root of this tree to cut it down This tree is a refemblance of me his root of my heart and conscience and the Axe of thy word which hath strook me and pierced me often and that to the very heart by the Ministery thereof But because there hath followed upon it no amendment of life Lord what can I now expect if thou shouldest deal with me in justice but that thou shouldst now also lay to me the axe of thy judgements and cut me down therewith and cast me into hell fire To prevent which Lord make me more and more sensible of the strokes of thy former Axe and give me grace to amend my life thereby XLVII Upon the sight of a new born babe seeking after and sucking the Nurses breast LOrd give me the grace that I may as a new borne babe desire the sincere milk of thy word that I may grow thereby XLVIII Upon the sight of Balme put into a wound LOrd I am a poor wounded Soul wounded in spirit with the sight of my sins and the sense of thy wrath due unto me for them Oh doe thou therefore pour into my Soul the precious Balme of thy soul-saving word that this poor wounded soul of mine may by the comforts thereof be also comforted and cured XLIX Upon the sight of two parties betrothed LOrd betroth thou me unto thy self for ever and that in righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies L. Upon the sight of one that had a bone out of joynt LOrd this is my case as long as I am out of that place and calling wherein thou hast placed me I may be still of the body but am neither for use nor ease and neither that to my self nor to my fellow-members and so I must continue till thou shalt be pleased to set me right again which I beseech thee for thy son Christ Jesus sake to do for me LI. Upon the sight of a Bone-setters binding up and splintering of a broken bone THis man hath done a great work in bringing every part and piece of this broken bone into his right place but I see except he do also bind them up and splinter them they will not so continue nor grow together again Lord I have taken many a grievous fall and by means of it I am heart-broken O sweet Jesus do thou whose office it is to bind up the broken-hearted bind up this broken heart of mine that it may continue firm and grow in grace goodness LII Upon the sight 〈◊〉 something blotted out in a Book LOrd my sins are all written in the book of thy remembrance and in the book of my conscience and at the last day when the books shall be opened they will manifestly appear to God Angels and men as so many evidences against me except thou in thy mercy shalt blot them out for thine own sake with the blood of thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ which that thou wilt do for me it is my hearty desire and prayer LIII Upon the hearing of certain Captives redeemed LOrd do thou redeem me with the precious bloud of thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ from the Captivity thraldom and slavery of Satan wherein I have been so long held to do his will LIV. Upon the sight of one breathing out his last breath LOrd here I see that my life is but a breath which as ths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…vest me at first so thou maist take from me again when thou pleasest Oh give me grace therefore that I may make such good use of this transitory and uncertain life of mine that I may be prepared for death whensoever or wheresoever it shall in like manner happen unto me LV Vpon the sight of a bruised Reed LOrd I am of my self as weak as this bruised reed having been so much and so often bruised both with outward afflictions and inward temptations yet seeing thou hast promised not to break such a bruised reed in confidence therefore of this thy mercy and gracious promise made unto me in thy word I do now come unto thee beseeching thee so to support my weaknesse by thy power and so to heal me thus miserably bruised by thy grace that though I be weak in my self yet I may be strong in thee and in the power of thy might LVI Upon the sight of a shield LOrd give me the grace to put on the shield of faith that I may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked LVII Upon the sight of one that was buffeted LOrd I am often and grievously buffeted by Satan and his messengers Oh that I were freed from these their buffetings or that I might have some comfortable assurance that thy grace shall be sufficient for me either to keep me from being overcome by them or if I am at any time overcome to pardon my weakness and failing therein and to restore me to thy mercy and favour in Jesus Christ LVIII Vpon the sight of a surety arrested and made to pay the debt of the principall THus do I believe that my Saviour and surety Jesus Christ was by death arrested for my debt of sin and that he hath satisfied it to the full concealing the hand-writing that was against me Lord therefore enter not into Judgement with me for any of my sins past but accept of thy Sons active and passive obedience as a full satisfaction for them all LIX Vpon the sight of Snow LOrd thou hast promised that though my sins were as crimson double-dyed dyed in the wool of my originall corruption and dyed
that the way to heaven is not like an easie stair-case on which a man may go up with his hands in his hose but I see by this that he that will come thither must make use of his hands as well as of his feet Lord give me the grace therefore that I may by the hand of faith lay hold on the merits of my crucified Saviour and stretch forth my hands to the doing of good works as well as have the feet of my soul my affections carrying me forward in the way that leads unto thee and to thy heavenly kingdom CCXXI Upon the sight of one whom another did uphold as he went LOrd do thou which upholdest all things by thy mighty word uphold me with thy free spirit with the right hand of thy righteousness in all my going that my foot-steps slip not and I fall into some dangerous temptation and from thence into condemnation CCXXII Vpon the sight of an empty house swept and garnished LOrd this house shews me what I have been in thy sight when I have heretofore received the holy Communion of the blessed body and bloud of my Saviour Jesus Christ I have I must confesse been like this house emptied of all good works swept with an overly repentance and garnished with an outward shew of a seeming sanctity which was not in me in deed and in truth Lord keep me from being ever so again lest Sathan take unto him seven devils worse then himself and enter into me and so make my last estate far worse then was my first CCXXIII. Upon the sight of fire seising upon an house which could not be quenched LOrd keep me from that fire of Hell which shall never be quenched CCXXIV. Upon the sight of two coales lying together whereof the one kindled the other LOrd here I see the benefit of unity and concord for where that is one I see may do much good unto another either by enkindling the graces of Gods Spirit in him or by preserving them already enkindled Oh give me therefore the grace that I may keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace CCXXV. Vpon the sight of one that came to visit his friend that was in great perplexity LOrd I am grievously perplexed oh visit me with thy salvation CCXXVI Vpon the sight of one that by violence took something from another LOrd thy word doth tell me that the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and that the violent take it by force Oh that I might have thy grace to use this holy violence that in the end I might obtain thy heavenly Kingdome CCXXVII Vpon the sight of one writing very swiftly LOrd make me a Scribe prompt in the law of thee my God and let my tongue be as the pen of a ready writer to express the comforts that I find therein CCXXVIII Vpon the sight of vapours rising out of the earth LOrd these vapours shew what my life is for what indeed is my life but a vapour that appeareth for a little time and afterward vanisheth away Oh that I might therefore have the grace so to redeem this short time of my life and to improve it to such holy and sanctified uses that when this short life of mine shall have its end I may live with thee in life everlasting CCXXIX Vpon the sight of one binding of sheaves in a corn-field LOrd the work that this man is now about shewes me what will be my case in the great and generall harvest of the world at the worlds end for then I shall be found either to be of the number of the tares which must be bound in sheaves to be burnt or be good wheat which must also be bound in sheaves to be carried into thine everlasting barn in Heaven Oh give me therefore the grace that whilest I am in this field of the world I may spring up and bring forth fruit unto thee in holinesse like the good seed which thou thy self sowedst that so I may have some comfortable assurance that after this life I shall enjoy life everlasting in heaven and not be like the tares of the Devils sowing which must be burnt in hell-fire for ever CCXXXI Upon the sight of an Ewe that brought two Lambs LOrd thou hast been pleased in thy Word to compare thy people to a flock of sheep every one of which bringeth forth twins that I may then have the more comfortable assurance that I am one of thy sheep and of this thy flock Lord give me the grace to bring forth those blessed twins of holinesse and righteousnesse which thy word requireth in all those that are thine CCXXXII Upon the coming on of the twilight LOrd this is the time that the Adulterer waiteth for and the Adultresse maketh use of for the accomplishing of their uncleannesse thinking now that no eye shall see them Lord keep me from having any fellowship with these unfruitfull works but give me grace rather to reprove them CCXXXIII Upon the sight of two Turtle-doves kept tame in a house LOrd thou wert pleased of thy gracious goodnesse and mercy under the law to accept of two turtle Doves or two young Pigeons from the poor that were not of ability to bring a Sheep for a sin-offering Oh be thou as gracious a God to my poor soul and accept at my hands what I am able to doe though much lesse than that others do do or I should do CCXXXIII Upon the sight of a brand taken out of the fire LOrd this brand shewes me the estate wherein I was and wherein I might have been had not thy mercy prevented it I was in the very midst of the fire of affliction and therein I was likely to have continued till I had been utterly consumed hadst not thou in thy mercy prevented it Oh be thou still my gracious God as to deliver me from the danger wherein I am at present so to keep me from the like danger in the time to come lest I be consumed in thy wrath CCXXXIV Vpon the hearing of a little boy that crope in at a window and opened the doores to let in greater theeves LOrd this little theefs entrance and making way for greater theeves shews into what danger my soul may come by wanton looks for if I let but these once into my heart through the windowes of mine eies they will quickly let in many another foul sin that will wholly rob me of thy grace Oh turn away therefore mine eies from such vanities and give me the grace to make a covenant with mine eies that they may not admit any such lustfull objects CCXXXVI Upon the sight of one going up a slippery hill where though he had many slips and some falls yet recovered the top of the hill at last LOrd Heaven is thy holy hill and the way thither is very slippery and none can ascend thither without many
a slip and fall in his passage yet he that hath slipt oftenest and most grievously fallen may in thy mercy recover thither at last Lord vouchsafe this thy mercy then unto me and though I cannot but slip and fall in my passage towards Heaven which is thy holy hill yet by the grace of true repentance rising again I may at last through thy mercy and thy Sons merits recover thither CCXXXVII Upon the hearing of an horse neighing after a mare LOrd keep me from neighing after my neighbours wife like a fed horse in the morning CCXXXVIII Upon the turning of the wind from North-east to North-west HEre I see a sensible turning of the wind from one point of the North unto another and yet is the wind still in the North as far from the South as before And such is the course of many a man in his repentance he turns from one sin to another as from covetousnesse to prodigality from Atheism or Judaism to Popery or the like remaining still as much under the power of sin and as far from God as before From which course Lord evermore keep me by thy grace and make my repentance more perfect than so for thy greater glory and my souls greater comfort CCXXXIX Vpon the sight of one whose face being toward the West turned himself toward the North THis is also a lively resemblance of a false and feigned penitent who turns from his sins just as if a man whose face is towards the West should turn to the North for of turning he may look both wayes both to the West whereon his face was set and to the East whereon his back was turned so many turn from their sins not directly but side-wayes so that with one eye they may look to God and with the other to some sin from which false and feigned kind of repentance good Lord do thou also deliver me CCXL Upon the hearing of a Trumpet in the night to call Souldiers to horse LOrd this trumpet puts me in mind of the trumpet that shall sound at the last day to call me with all mankind to judgement Oh give me therefore the grace that whether I eat or drink sleep or wake or whatsoever else I am doing I may alwaies think that I hear this trumpet sounding in mine eare and calling me to judgement and that therefore I may still be in a readinesse to make my appearance with comfort when that time shall come CCXLI. Upon the sight of one pouring oile into a lamp and trimming of it LOrd grant me the grace to be of the number of those wise Virgins which had oile in their lamps and were ready and prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom that so I may enter into the Bride-chamber of Heaven with him when he cometh and not be like those foolish Virgins which never thinking of providing oile for their lamps till the Bridegroom was coming were for want of it shut out of Heaven CCXLII. Upon the sight of one that sued his neighbour upon an action of Trespass LOrd if he did remember how often he hath trespassed against thee he would not thus sue his neighbour for trespassing against him for the wrong that his neighbour hath done to him is but as an hundred pence to those ten thousand talents which he oweth thee Lord therefore open his eies and mine that we both taking notice of our trespasses against thee may learn to shew that mercy to others which we our selves hope for from thee CCXLIII Upon the sight of a great deal of treasure which one had laid up LOrd give me the grace that I may not treasure up unto my self wrath against the day of wrath CCXLIV Vpon the hearing of a woman that fell in travail before she looked for it LOrd grant that when I shall say peace and safety sudden destruction may not come upon me as travail upon a woman with child CCXLV Upon the sight of one that trampled another under his feet LOrd trample me not in thy fury as my sins have deserved but deale with me in mercy for thy Son Christ Jesus sake CCXLVI Upon the sight of a strong Tower LOrd thy name is a strong Tower and thou hast promised that whatsoever righteous person shall run into it he shall be safe Oh that I might have thy grace to be one of those righteous persons that running with them thither I might be safe also from the rage and fury of thine and mine enemies CCXLVII. Upon the hearing of one that brought glad tidings LOrd what joy is there here upon the hearing of the glad tidings which this messenger hath brought though it be but for a temporall blessing Oh how much more thankfull and joyfull should I be for that blessing of blessings the birth of my Saviour Christ the joyfullest tidings that ever any heard And that I may be so indeed Lord give me the grace to remember it and to ponder it aright CCXLVIII Upon the hearing of a fearfull clap of thunder LOrd this is thy great and terrible voice which I now hear and if this be so full of terrour oh then how fearfull will thy presence be when thou comest in thy glory shewing thy self from heaven with thy mighty Angels in flaming fire Lord give me therefore the grace that what I now hear may by thy blessing work in me such an awe of thy Maj. that I may by it admire thy mercy feare thy power and prepare for thy coming as thy child should do CCXLIX Vpon the sight of one asking his Fathers blessing LOrd thy word tells me and experience sheweth how powerfull and prevalent the Fathers blessing hath been and if the blessing of an earthly Father hath been so how much more powerful prevalent will thy blessing be O heavenly Father which givest a blessing to all other blessings Oh blesse me even me then O Father I beseech thee and then shall I be blessed CCL Vpon the sight of two cocks set together to fight to know which was of the hardest kind LOrd here I see the policy of my subtile Adversary the Devil who sets me and my neighbours at discord of purpose that he may have our souls when in this world and Cock-pit of contention we have made him pastime and sport Lord keep me therefore by thy grace that to pleasure the Devil I may not be so in hatred or contention with any that thereby I may endanger mine own or any other mans soul CCLI Upon the sight of one that died suddenly LOrd here I see in this man what what might have betided me if thou hadst not been the more mercifull unto me for my breath was in my nostrils as well as his and thou mightest as well have taken away my breath as his and have caused me as suddenly to have returned to the earth from whence I came as he hath done Oh give
field LOrd let not the fire of thy wrath and fierce indignation devoure me as this fire doth the stubble that is cast into it but in wrath remember mercy CCLXV. Upon the sight of Rookes in a corn-field newly sown LOrd these fowls are not more desirous to eat up and devour this newly sown corn then is the Devil that master-fowl of the aire to catch away that precious seed of thy word sown in my heart by the ministers and preachers thereof Lord give the grace therefore that I may not be like the ground by the high-way side on which whatsoever seed was sown the fowles presently devoured it because it was not covered with earth but that I may rather be like the good ground wherein the seed sown was so hid and covered that it brought forth fruit in abundance CCLXVI. Vpon the hearing of a strong castle or fort taken by force LOrd my heart the Devil hath for a long time fortified hoping to keep it for himself for ever But Lord thou art stronger then he oh do thou therefore overcome him for me and take me out of his possession that I may live to glorifie thee for this thy wonderfull deliverance of me and for all thy other mercies which thou hast shewed towards me in Jesus Christ CCLXVII Vpon the sight of one that trode in the steps of another that went before him LOrd Jesus thou hast suffered for me and in thy sufferings hast left me an example that I should follow thy steps Oh that I might have thy grace so to do it that following thee here in this world I may in the next attain to that happinesse in Heaven which thou hast promised to all those that follow thee in sincerity and truth CCLXVIII Vpon the sight of one that was sent to reconcile two that were at variance LOrd thou and I have been long at variance by reason of my many and manifold sins committed against thee yet thou art willing I see to have me reconciled unto thee again and for that end hast sent the ministers of thy word as thy Ambassadours to pray me in Christs stead to be reconciled unto thee Lord let not their paines taken herein be fruitlesse and to none effect but give me the grace to accept of the conditions offered and to blesse thy name for the mercy vouchsafed me therein CCLXIX Vpon the sight of chaffe driven away with the wind when one was winnowing LOrd let thine and thy Churches enemies be as chaffe before the wind and let thine Angel scatter them CCLXX. Vpon the sight of one dipping a sop in wine and eating it LOrd grant that after the taking of thy holy Sacrament I may not be like Judas into whom after the taking of the sop Sathan entred lest being filled with iniquity I be brought to destruction both of body and soul as he was CCLXXI. Upon the hearing of some that had suffered shipwrack LOrd keep me from making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience CCLXXII Upon the hearing of a shepherd that watcht his flock by night LOrd be thou my shepherd and do thou which never slumbrest nor sleepest watch over me with the eye of thy fatherly providence that neither the Devil which goeth up and down like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour nor any of his wicked instruments may be able to hurt me CCLXXIII Vpon the sight of a mastive lying before a door LOrd here I see in this mastive lying before this door what I must expect if I shall boldly enter into any known sin for as this mastive lying before the door of this house is ready to fly upon those that shall enter therein so will my conscience fly upon me if I shall enter into the waies of sinne Oh help me therefore with thy grace and keep me by thy power from all such courses that I may neither offend thee my God nor draw upon my self any such sad inconvenience CCLXXIV Upon the sight of a crab-stock grafted with good fruit which yet sent forth many shoots of his own kind LOrd here I see what I am and what I must expect to be as long as I live in this world I may have thy word engrafted in me and may seem thereby to grow in grace and goodnesse but yet still do what I can there will some shoots of my naturall corruption be sprouting forth savouring of the old stock Adams sinfull loines from whence we all came Oh do thou therefore so assist me with thy grace that though such sins may be in me yet they may not reign in me but do thou like a good husband cut and prune them off so as that they may not hinder the growth of thy word in me nor make me unfruitfull in the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ CCLXXV Upon the sight of one that sheltred himself under a tree in the time of a storm LOrd the times wherein we live are stormy times and we know not whether to run for shelter in these sad times but onely unto thee who hast promised to be a place of refuge and a covert from the storm to all those that be thine Oh be thou then such a shelter for us and we will glorifie thy name for this thy mercifull deliverance of us CCLXXVI Upon the sight of divers mens sheep put into one and the same sheep-fold LOrd Jesus thou hast other sheep which are not yet of this thy fold wherein we are Oh do thou then which art the good sheph erd in thy good time bring these also into this thy fold that so there may be one sheep-fold and one shepherd CCLXXVII Vpon the washing of mine own hands LOrd give me the grace that I may be as carefull to wash my hands in innocency before I do approch unto thine Altar there to receive the body and bloud of my Saviour Jesus Christ CCLXXVIII Upon the sight of a cart laden with corn LOrd I have by my many and manifold sins often pressed thee as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Oh be mercifull unto me for what is past and give me thy grace that I may never do so again hereafter CCLXXIX Vpon the sight of one taking larks in a field HEre I see nets spread here I see larks flittering up and down with their wings though tied by their legs here I see a turning glasse against the Sun with the radiant and shining brightnesse whereof those silly birds are so taken that without fear they hasten to the place here I also see the bird-catcher himself sitting a good way off watching to cast his net over them when he thinks they are within the reach of them And Lord what is this but a lively representation of the Devils that grand fowlers dealing with me For where can I go in this wide field of the world where he hath