are not able to satisfie VIII IN the dayes of King * Edward the sixt the L. Protector march't with a Powerfull Army into Scotland to demand their young Queen Mary in Marriage to our King according to their Promises The Scotch refusing to do it were beaten by the English in Muslâ—borough fight One demanded of a Scotch Lord taken Prisoner in the Battell Now Sir how do you like our Kings Marriage with your Queen I alwayes quoth he did like the Marriage But I do not like the wooing that you should fetch a Bride with Fire and Sword It is not enough for men to propound Pious Projâ—cts to themselves if they go about by indirect Courses to compasse them Gods own Work must be done by Gods own wayes Otherwise we can take no Comfort in obtaining the end if we cannot justifie the means used thereunto IX A Sagamore or petty King in Virginia guessing the Greatnesse of other Kings by his own sent a Native hither who understood English Commanding him to score upon a Long Cane given him of Purpose to be his Register the number of English men that thereby his Master might know the strength of this our Nation Landing at Plimouth a Populous Place and which he mistook for all England he had no leisure to eat for notching up the men he met At Exeter the difficulty of his Task was increased Coming at last to London that Forest of People he brake his Cane in Pieces perceiving the impossibility of his imployment Some may conceive that they can reckon up the Sinnes they commit in one day Perchance they may make hard Shifts to Summe up their notorious ill deeds More difficult it is to score up their wicked words But O how infinite are their idle thoughts High Time then to leave off counting and cry out with * David Who can tell how oft he offendeth Lord cleanse me from my secret sinnes X. MArtin de Golin * Master of the Teutonick Order was taken Prisoner by the Prusians and delivered bound to be beheaded But he perswaded his Executioner who had him alone first to take off his Costly Cloaths which otherwise would be spoil'd with the sprinckling of his Blood Now the Prisoner being partly unbound to be uncloath'd and finding his Arms somewhat loos'ned strake the Executioner to the Ground kil'd him afterwards with his own sword and so regained both his life and Liberty * Christ hath Overcome the World and delivered it to Us to destroy it But we are all Achans by Nature and the Babylonish Garment is a Bait for our Covetousnesse Whil'st therefore we seek to take the Plunder of this World's Wardrobe we let go the Mastery we had formerly of it And too often that which Christ's Passion made our Captive our Folly makes our Conquerour XI I Read how Pope * Pius the fourth had a great Ship richly Loaden Landded at Sandwich in Kent where it suddenly sunck and so with the Sands choaked up the Harbour that ever since that place hath been deprived of the benefit thereof I see that happinesse doth not alwayes attend the Adventures of his Holinesse Would he had carried away his Ship and left us our Harbour May his Spirituall Merchandize never come more into this Island But rather sinck in Tiber then Saile thus farre bringing so small Good and so great Annoyance Sure he is not so happy in opening the doors of Heaven as he is unhappy to obstruct Havens on Earth XII IEffery Arch-Bishop of York and base Son to King Henry the second used proudly to protest by his faith and the Royalty of the King his Father To whom one said You may sometimes Sir as well remember what was the honesty of your Mother Good men when puffed up with Pride for their heavenly Extraction and Paternall descent how they are Gods Sonnes by Adoption may seasonably call to mind the Corruption which they carry about them * I have said to the worm thou art my Mother And this Consideration will temper their Soules with humility XIII I Could both Sigh and Smile at the Simplicity of a Native American sent by a Spaniard his Master with a Basket of Figgs and a Letter wherein the Figgs were mentioned to carry them both to one of his Masters friends By the way this Messenger eat up the Figgs but delivered the Letter whereby his deed was discovered and he soundly punished Being sent a Second Time on the like Message he first took the Letter which he conceived had Eyes as well as a Tongue and hid it in the Ground sitting himself on the place where he put it and then securely fell to feed on his Figgs presuming that that Paper which saw nothing could tell nothing Then taking it again out of the ground he delivered it to his Masters Friend whereby his fault was perceiv'd and he worse beaten then before Men Conceive they can manage their sinnes with Secresie But they carry about them a Letter or Book rather written by Gods Finger their * Conscience bearing witnesse to all their Actions But sinners being often detected and accused hereby grow wary at last and to prevent this speaking Paper for telling any Tales do Smother Stifle and Suppresse it when they go about the Committing of any Wickednesse Yet Conscience though buried for a time in Silence hath afterwards a Resurrection and discovers all to their greater Shame and heavier Punishment XIV IOhn Courcy Earl of Vlster in Ireland endeavoured fifteen severall Times to saile over thither and so often was beaten back again with bad Weather At last he expostulated his Case with God in a * Vision Complaining of hard Measure That having built and repaired so many Monasteries to God and his Saints he should have so bad successe It was answered him That this was but his just Punishment because he had formerly put out the Image of the * Trinity out of the Cathedrall Church of Down and placed the picture of Saint Patrick in the room thereof Surely God will not hold them Guiltlesse who justle him out of his Temple and give to Saints that Adoration due alone to his divine Majesty XV THe Lybians kept all Woemen in Common But when a Child was born they used to send it to that Man to maintain as Father thereof whom the Infant most resembled in his Complexion Satan and my sinfull Nature enter-Common in my soul in the causing of Wicked Thoughts The Sonnes by their Faces speak their Syres Proud Wanton Covetous Envious Idle thoughts I must own to come from my self God forgive me it is vain to deny it those Children are so like to their Father But as for some hideous horrible Thoughts such as I start at the Motion of them being out of the Road of my Corruption and yet which way will not that wander So that they smell of Hells Brimstone about them These fall to Satans lot to Father them The Swarthy Blacknesse of their Complexion
runne out at them If my Badnesse seeme bigger then thy Goodnesse but one hair's breadth but one Moment that 's Room and Time enough for me to run to eternall despair VIII Lord I Do discover a Fallacy whereby I have long deceived my self Which is this I have desired to begin my Amendment from my Birth day or from the first day of the Yeer or from some Eminent Festivall that so my Repentance might bear some Remarkable date But when those dayes were come I have adjourned my Amendment to some other Time Thus whilst I could not agree with my self when to Start I have almost lost the Running of the Race I am resolved thus to befool my self no longer I see no day to To day the instant Time is alwayes the fittest time In * Nabuchadnezars Image the lower the Members the Courser the Mettall the further off the Time the more unfit To day is the Golden Opportunity to Morrow will be the Silver Season next day but the Brazen one and so long till at last I shall come to the Toes of Clay and be turned to dust Grant therefore that * to day I may hear thy voice And if this day be obscure in the Kallender and remarkable in it self for nothing else give me to make it memorable in my soul thereupon by thy Assistance begining the Reformation of my life IX Lord I Saw one whom I knew to be notoriously Bad in great Extremity It was hard to say whether his former Wickednesse or Present Want were the Greater If I could have made the distinction I could willingly have fed his Person and sterved his Profanesse This being impossible I adventured to relieve him For I know that amongst many Objects all of them being in extream Miseries Charity though shooting at Random cannot misse a right Mark Since Lord the Party being recovered is become worse then ever before Thus they are always impaired with affliction who thereby are not improved Lord count me not accessary to his Badnesse because I relieved him Let me not suffer harm in my self for my desire to do good to him Yea Lord be pleased to clear my Credit amongst men that they may understand my hands according to the Simplicity of my heart I gave to him onely in hope to keep the Stock a live that so afterwards it might be better grafted Now finding my self deceived my almes shall return into my own bosom X. Lord THy Servants are now praying in the Church and I am here staying at home detayned by necessary Occasions Such as are not of my seeking but of thy sending my Care could not prevent them my Power could not remove them Wherefore though I cannot go to Church there to sit down at Table with the rest of thy Guests be pleased Lord to send me a dish of their Meat hither and feed my soul with holy thoughts * Eldad and Medad though staying still in the Camp no doubt on just cause yet prophesied as well as the other Elders Though they went not out to the Spirit the Spirit came home to them Thus never any dutifull Child lost his Legacy for being absent at the making of his Fathers will if at the same time he were imployed about his Fathers businesse I fear too many at Church have their Bodies there and minds at home Behold in exchange my Body here and heart there Though I cannot pray with them I pray for them Yea this comforts me I am with thy Congregation because I would be with it XI Lord I Trust thou hast pardoned the bad Examples I have set before others be pleased also to pardon me the sinnes which they have Committed by my bad Examples It is the best manners in thy Court to heap Requests upon Requests If thou hast forgiven my Sinnes the Children of my corrupt Nature forgive me my Grand-children also Let not the Transcripts remain since thou hast blotted out the Originall And for the Time to come blesse me with Barrennesse in bad Actions and my bad actions with Barrennesse in procreation that they may never beget others according to their likenesse XII Lord WHat faults I correct in my Sonne I commit my self I beat him for dabling in the dirt whil'st my own Soul doth wallow in Sinne I beat him for crying to cut his own Meat yet am not my self contented with that state thy Providence hath carved unto me I beat him for crying when he is to go to slâ—ep and yet I fear I my self shall cry when thou callest me to sleep with my Fathers Alas I am more Childish then my Child and what I inflict on him I justly deserve to receive from thee Onely here is the difference I pray desire that my Correction on my Child may do him good It is in thy power Lord to effect that thy Correction on me shall do me good XIII Lord I Perceive my soul deeply guilty of Envie By my good will I would have none Prophesie but mine own * Moses I had rather thy work were undon then don better by another then by my self Had rather thy Enemies were all alive then that I should kill but my thousand and others their ten thousands of them My Corruption repines at other mens better Parts as if what my Soul wants of them in Substance she would supply in swelling Dispossesse me Lord of this bad Spirit and turn my Envie into holy Emulation Let me Labour to exceed them in pains who excell me in parts and knowing that my sword in cuting down sinne hath a duller Edge let me strike with the greater force Yea make other Mens Gifts to be mine by making me thankfull to thee for them It was some comfort to Naomie that wanting a sonne her self she brought up * Ruth's child in her bosom If my soul be too old to be a Mother of Goodnesse Lord make it but a dry-Nurse Let me feed and foster and nourish and cherish the Graces in others honouring their Persons praising their Parâ—s and glorifying thy Name who hast given such gifts unto them XIIII Lord WHen young I have almost quarrelled with that Petition in our Liturgie Give Peace in our time O Lord Neeâ—lesse to wish for light at Noon-day for then Peace was so plentifull no fear of Famine but suspition of a surfet thereof And yet how many good Comments was this Prayer then capable of Give Peace that is continue and preserve it Give Peace that is Give us hearts worthy of it and thankfull for it In our time that is All our Time for there is more besides a fair Morning required to make a fair Day Now I see the Mother had more Wisdom then her Sonne The Church knew better then I how to pray Now I am better informed of the necessity of that Petition Yea with the daughters of the * Horse-leech I have need to cry Give give Peace in our Time O Lord XV Lord UNruly Souldiers command poor People to open them their
of my self Let not the smoak of their Badnesse put out my eyes but the shining of my Innocence lighten theirs Let me give Physick to them and not take Infection from them Yea make me the Better for their badnesse Then shall their bad Company be to me like the Dirt of Oysters whose mud hath sope in it and doth rather scour then defile XXIII Lord OFten have I thought with my self I will sinne but this one Sinne more and then I will repent of it and of all the rest of my Sinnes together So Foolish was I and Ignorant As if I should be more able to pay my Debts when I owe more Or as if I should say I will wound my friend once again and then I will lovingly Shake hands with him But what if my Friend will not Shake hands with me Besides can one Commit one Sin more and but one Sinne more Unclean Creatures went by Couples into the * Arke Grant Lord at this instant I may break off my Badnesse Otherwise thou maist justly make the last Minute wherein I do Sinne on Earth to be the last Minute wherein I shall Sinne on Earth and the first wherein thou might'st make me suffer in another place XXIIII Lord THe Preacher this day came home to my heart A left handed Gibeonite with his * Sling hit not the Mark more sure then he my Darling Sinnes I could find no fault with his Sermon save onely that it had too much Truth But this I quarrelled at that he went farre from his Text to come close to me and so was faulty himself in telling me of my faults Thus they will creep out at small Crannies who have a mind to escape And yet I cannot deny but that that which he spake though nothing to that Portion of Scripture which he had for his Text was according to the Proportion of Scripture And is not thy Word in generall the Text at Large of every Preacher Yea rather I should have Concluded that if he went from his Text thy goodnesse sent him to meet me For without thy Guidance it had been impossible for him so truly to have trac'd the intricate turnings of my deceitfull heart XXV Lord BE pleased to shake my Clay Cottage before thou throwest it down May it totter a while before it doth Tumble Let me be summon'd before I am surpriz'd Deliver me from Sudden Death Not from Sudden Death in respect of it self for I care not how short my passage be so it be safe Never any weary Traveller Complained that he came too soon to his Journeys end But let it not be Sudden in respect of me Make me alwayes ready to receive Death Thus no Guest comes unawares to him who keeps a Constant Table SCRIPTURE-Observations I LORD IN the Parable of the four sorts of Ground whereon the Seed was sowen the last alone proved fruitfull There the bad were more then the good But amongst the Servants Two improved their * Talents or Pounds and * One onely buried them There the Good were more then the Bad. Again amongst the ten Virgins five were wise and five * Foolish There the Good and Bad were Equall I see that concerning the number of the Saints in Comparison to the Reprobates no Certainty can be collected from these Parables Good Reason for it is not their Principall purpose to meddle with that point Grant that I may never rack a Scripture Similie beyond the true intent thereof Lest instead of Sucking Milk I squeez Blood out of it II. Lord THou didst intend from all Eternity to make Christ the Heire of all No danger of disinheriting him thy onely Sonne and so well deserving Yet thou sayest to him * Aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance c. This Homage he must do for thy Boon to beg it I see thy goodnesse delights to have thy favours sued for expecting we should crave what thou intendest we shall have That so though we cannot give a full price we may take some paines for thy favours and obtain them though not for the merit by the Meanes of our Petitions III. Lord I Find that Ezekiel is in his Prophesies stiled Ninety Times and more by this Appellation Sonne of man and yet surely not once oftner then there was need for For he had more Visions then any one not to say then all of the Prophets of his Time It was necessary therefore that his Mortall Extraction should often be sounded in his Eares Sonne of man lest his frequent Conversing with Visions might make him mistake himself to be some Angell Amongst other Revelations it was therefore needfull to reveale him to himself Sonne of man lest seeing many Visions might have made him blind with spirituall Pride Lord as thou increasest thy Graces in me and Favours on me so with them daily increase in my soul the Monitors and Remembrancers of my Mortalâ—ty So shall my Soul be kept in a good Temper and humble deportment towards thee IV. Lord I Read how * Iacob then onely accompanied with his staffe vowed at Bethell that if thou gavest him but Bread and Rayment he would make that place thy House After his return the Condition on thy side was overperformed but the Obligation on his part wholy neglected For when thou hadst made his Staffe to swell and to break into two Bands he after his return turn'd * Purchaser bought a field in Shalem intending there to set up his rest But thou art pleased to be his Remembrancer in a new Vision and to spur him afresh who tired in his Promise * Arise go to Bethell and make there an Altar c. Lord if rich Iacob forgot what poor Iacob did promise no wonder if I be bountifull to offer thee in my affliction what I am niggardly to perform in my Prosperity But O! take not advantage of the forfeitures but be pleased to demand Payment once againe Pinch me into the Remembrance of my promises that so I may reinforce my old Vows with new Resolutions V. Lord I Read when our Saviour was examined in the High Priests Hall that Peter stood without till Iohn being his * Spokes-man to the Maid that kept the door procured his Admission in Iohn meant to let him out of the Cold and not to let him in to a Temptation but his Courtesie in Intention prov'd a mischief in Event and the Occasion of his denying his Master O let never my Kindnesse concurre in the Remotest degree to the dammage of my friend May the Chain which I sent him for an Ornament never prove his Fetters But if I should be unhappy herein I am sure thou wilt not Punish my Good will but pitty my ill successe VI Lord THe Apostle saith to the * Corinthians God will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able But how comes he to Contradict himself by his own Confession in his next Epistle Where
speaking of his own sicknesse he saith * We were pressed out of Measure above strength Perchance this will be expounded by propounding another Riddle of the same Apostles Who praising * Abraham saith that against hope he beleeved in hope That is against Carnall Hope he beleeved in Spirituall Hope So the same wedge will serve to cleave the former difficulty Paul was pressed above his Human not above his Heavenly Strength Grant Lord that I may not mangle and dismember thy Word but study it intirely comparing one Place with another For Diamonds onely can cut Diamonds and no such Comments on the Scripture as the Scripture VII Lord I Observe that the vulgar Translation reads the Apostles Precept thus * Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure by Good Works But in our English Testaments these words by Good Works are left out It grieved me at the first to see our Translation defective but it offended me afterwards to see the other Redundant For those words are not in the Greek which is the Originall And it is an ill work to put Good Works in to the Corruption of the Scripture Grant Lord that though we leave Good Woorks out in the Text we may take them in in our Comment In that Exposition which our Practice is to make on this Precept in our Lives and Conversations VIII Lord I Find the Genealogie of my * Saviour strangely Chequered with four remarkable Changes in four immediate Generations 1 Rehoboham begat Abiam that is a bad Father begat a bad Son 2 Abiam begat Asa that is a bad Father a good Sonne 3 Asa begat Iehosaphat that is a good Father a good Sonne 4 Iehosaphat begat Ioram that is a good Father a bad Sonne I see Lord from hence that my Fathers Piety cannot be entailed that 's bad News for me But I see also that Actuall Impiety is not always hereditary that 's good News for my Sonne IX Lord WHen in my daily Service I read Davids Psalmes Give me to alter the Accent of my soul according to their severall Subjects In such Psalmes wherein he confesseth his Sinnes or requesteth thy Pardon or praiseth for former or prayeth for future favours in all these give me to raise my soul to as high a pitch as may be But when I come to such Psalms wherein he curseth his Enemies O there let me bring my soul down to a lower note For those words were made only to fit Davids mouth I have the like breath but not the same Spirit to pronounce them Nor let me flatter my self that it is lawfull for me with David to curse thine Enemies lest my deceitfull heart intitle all mine Enemies to be Thine and so what was Religion in David prove Malice in me whil'st I act Revenge under the Pretence of Piety X. Lord I Read of the two Witnesses * And when they shall have finished their Testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse Pit shall make Warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them They could not be kil'd whil'st they were doing but when they had done their worke during their imployment they were invincible No better Armour against the darts of Death then to be busied in thy Service Why art thou so heavie O my soul No Malice of man can Antidate my end a Minute whil'st my maker hath any work for me to do And when all my daily task is ended why should I grudge then to go to Bed XI Lord I Read at the Transfiguration that * Peter Iames and Iohn were admitted to behold Christ but Andrew was excluded So again at the reviving of the daughter of the ruler of the * Synagogue these three were let in and Andrew shut out Lastly in the * Agony the aforesaid three were called to be witnesses thereof and still Andrew left behind Yet he was Peters Brother and a good man and an Apostle why did not Christ take the two pair of Brothers was it not pitty to part them But me thinks I seem more offended thereat then Andrew himself was whom I find to expresse no discontent being pleased to be accounted a loyall Subject for the generall though he was no favourite in these particulars Give me to be pleased in my self and thankfull to thee for what I am though I be not equall to others in personall perfections For such peculiar Priviledges are Courtesies from thee when given and no Injuries to us when denyed XII Lord Saint Paul teacheth the Art of heavenly thrift how to make a new Sermon of an Old Many * saith he walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are Enemies to the Crosse of Christ Formerly he had told it with his Tongue but now with his Tears formerly he taught it with his words but now with his weeping Thus new affections make an old Sermon new May I not by the same proportion make an old Prayer new Lord thus long I have offered my Prayer drye unto thee now Lord I offer it wet Then wilt thou own some new Addition therein when though the Sacrifice be the same yet the dressing of it is different being steep't in his Tears who bringeth it unto thee XIII Lord I Read of my Saviour That when he was in the wildernesse * then the Devill leaveth him and behold Angels came and Ministred unto him A great change in a little time No twilight betwixt night and day No Purgatory-condition betwixt Hell and Heaven but instantly when Out Devill In Angell Such is the Case of every solitary Soul It will make Company for it self A musing mind will not stand Neuter a Minute but presently side with Legions of good or bad thoughts Grant therefore that my soul which ever will have some may never have bad Company XIV Lord I Read how Cushi and Ahimaaz ran a Race who first should bring Tidings of Victory to David Ahimaaze though last setting forth came first to his Journeys end Not that he had the fleeter feet but the better brains to chuse the way of most advantage For the Text * saith So Ahimaaz ranne by the way of the Plain and over-went Cushi Prayers made to God by Saints fetch a needlesse compasse about That is but a rough and un-even way Besides one Steep Passage therein questionable whether it can be climbed up and Saints in Heaven made sensible of what we say on Earth The way of the plain or plain way both shortest surest is Call upon me in the time of Trouble Such Prayers though starting last will come first to the Mark XV Lord THis morning I read a Chapter in the Bible and therein observ'd a memorable Passage whereof I never took notice before Why now and no sooner did I see it Formerly my Eyes were as open and the Letters as Legible Is there not a thin Vaile laid over thy Word which is more rarified by Reading and at last wholly
worn away Or was it because I came with more appetite then before The Milk was alwayes there in the brest but the Child till now was not Hungry enough to find out the Teat I see the Oile of thy Word will never leave Increasing whil'st any bring an empty Barrell The Old Testament will still be a New Testament to him who comes with a fresh desire of Information XVI Lord AT the first * Passeover God kept touch with the Hebrews very Punctually At the end of the four hundred and thirty yeers in the self same day it came to passe that all the Hosts of the Lord went out of the Land of Egypt But at the first Easter God was better then his word Having promised that Christ should lye but three dayes in the Grave his Fatherly Affection did runne to relieve him By a Charitable Synechdoche two pieces of dayes were counted for whole ones God did cut the work short in * righteousnesse Thus the Measure of his Mercy under the Law was full but it ranne over in the Gospell XVII Lord THe * Apostle diswadeth the Hebrews from Covetousnesse with this Argument because God said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Yet I find not that God ever gave this Promise to all the Jews but he spake it onely to * Ioshua when first made Commander against the Canaanites Which without violence to the Anallogie of faith the Apostle applyeth to all good men in generall Is it so that we are Heirs apparant to all promises made to thy Servants in Scripture Are the Charters of Grace granted to them good to me Then Will I say with Iacob * I have enough But because I cannot intitle my self to thy promises to them except I immitate their piety to thee Grant I may take as much Care in following the one as Comfort by applying the othâ—r XVIII Lord I Read that thou didst make * Grasse Hearbs Trees the third day As for the Sunne * Moon and Stars thou madest them on the fourth day of the Creation Thus at first thou didst confute the folly of such who maintain that all Vegetables in their growth are inslaved to a Necessary and unavoidable dependance on the Influences of the Starres Whereas Plants were even when Planets were not It is false that the Mary-gold follows the Sunne whereas rather the Sunne follows the Mary-gold as made the day before him Hereafter I will admire thee more and fear Astrologers lesse Not affrighted with their dolefull predictions of Dearth and Drowth collected from the Complexions of the Planets Must the Earth of Necessity be Sad because some ill-natured Starre is Sullen as if the Grasse Could not grow without asking it leave Whereas thy power which made Hearbs before the Starres can preserve them without their propitions yea against their Malignant Aspects XIX Lord I Read how Paul writing from Rome spake to * Philemon to prepare him a lodging hoping to make use thereof yet we find not that he ever did use it being Martyred not long after However he was no loser whom thou didst lodge in a higher Mansion in Heaven Let me alwayes be thus deceived to my Advantage I shall have no Cause to Complain though I never wear the new Cloaths fitted for me if before I put them on death cloath me with Glorious Immortality XX Lord WHen our Saviour sent his Apostles abroad to Preach he enjoyned them in one * Gospell Possesse nothing neither Shooes nor a staffe But it is said in another * Gospell And he commanded them that they should take nothing for their Iourney save a Staffe onely The Reconciliation is easie They might have a Staffe to speak them Travellours not Souldiers One to walk with not to Warre with a Staffe which was a Wand not a Weapon But Oh! In how dolefull dayes do we live wherein Ministers are not as formerly arm'd with their Nakednesse but need Staves and Swords too to defend them from violence XXI Lord I Discover an arrant Lazinesse in my Soul For when I am to read a Chapter in thy Bible before I begin it I look where it endeth And if it endeth not on the same side I cannot keep my hands from turning over the leaf to measure the length thereof on the other side If it swels to many Verses I begin to grudge Surely my heart is not rightly affected Were I truly hungry after heavenly Food I would not Complain of the greatest Messe of Meat Scourge Lord this Lazinesse out of my Soul make the reading of thy Word not a Penance but a Pleasure unto me Teach me that as amongst many heaps of Gold all being equally pure that is the best which is the biggest so I may esteem that Chapter in thy Word the best that is the Longest XXII Lord I Find David making a Syllogisme in Mode and Figure Two Propositions he perfected * 18 If I regard Wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me 19 But verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my Prayer Now I expected that David should have Concluded thus Therefore I regard not wickednesse in my heart But farre otherwise he Concludes 20 Blessed be God who hath not turned away my Prayer nor his Mercy from me Thus David hath deceived but not wronged me I look't that he should have clapt the Crown on his own and he puts it on Gods Head I will learn this Excellent Logick For I like Davids better then Aristotles Syllogismes That whatsoever the Premisses be I make Gods Glory the Conclusion XXIII Lord WIse * Agur made it his wish Give me not poverty lest I steal take the Name of my God in vain He saith not Lest I steal and be caught in the manner and then be stockt or whipt or branded or forc'd to four fold Restitution or put to any other shamefull or painfull punishment But he saith lest I steal and take the name of my God in vain That is lest professing to serve thee I confute a good Profession with a Bad Conversation Thus thy Children count Sinne to be the greatest Smart in Sin as being more sensible of the wound they therein give to the glory of God then of all the Stripes that man may lay upon them for punishment XXIV Lord I Read that when my Saviour dispossessed the Mans * Sonne of a Devill he enjoyned the Evil Spirit to come out of him and enter no more into him But I find that when my Saviour himself was tempted of * Satan the Devill departed from him but for a Sason Retreating as it seemes with mind to return How came it to passe Lord that he who expell'd him finally out of others did not propell him so from himself Sure it doth not follow that because he did not he could not do it Or that he was lesse able to help himself because he was more Charitable to relieve others No I see