hate and abhorce them as cursed workes of darkenesse and have nothing to doe with them and grant us grace to serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life and labour to keep our soules and bodies pure and undefiled as the temples of the holy Ghost and walk honestly and religiously in our calling and deale justly and charitably all the dayes of our life that so it may be well with us at our last breathing and in the dreadfull day of judgement and in this confidence we do not only pray for our selves but also for all our christian brethren upon the face of the Earth those especially that are wounded in their soules and consciences and those that sufferd for the truth sake and those that are visited with mortall disstresse and tormenting crosses and weare new the point of death and prepare them for thy glorious Kingdome good Lord blesse our gracious King Charles and his great Court of Parliament worke graciously in the heart of the King and all his Subjects and in the heart of the Prince and all his people godly sorrow for all our sinnes and give us grace to weepe and mourne night and day for the sinnes and abominations of these sinfull times and cry mightily unto the Lord to turne away those heavie judgements we have justly deserved and continue his great mercy towards us and inflame their hearts with all holy zeale and devotion to advance the glory of God and doe good unto thy faithfull ones and on the other side to raise up their hearts with an everlasting hatred of all sinnes and utterly to abolish that and to roote that out and make them zealous to execute justice upon the malefactors that have so dishonoured God and labour to bring in Idolatry Popery and shed innocent blood and persecute thy faithtull ones that there may be that due execution of justice upon them as may most tend to thy glory the peace of the Church and comfort of thy faithfull ones and to the terrour of all wicked and prophane men blesse our Royall Queen convert her heart more more glorious to the love of the Gospell that shee may renounce all popery and Idolatry and wholly rest upon our Lord Iesus Christ to be her onely Saviour and her everlasting Redeemer that so the Angels in Heaven might rejoyce to see her true conversion unto Thee and blesse all good meanes that may effect the same in thy due and appointed time and make all faithfull Bishops and ministers of thy sacred word take all opportunities to effect the same as they will answere that in the dreadfull day of judgement good Lord blesse the Prince and the Princesse and all those of the Royall posterity and the Prince of Orringe and his Royall Consort sanctifie their hearts now in their tender yeares with the truth of thy holy religion and work in their hearts an everlasting hatred against all Popery Idolatry and prophanesse Good Lord blesse the Prince Elector worke graciously in his Royall heart godly sorrow for all his sinnes and let oh let wee humbly beseech thee the precious blood of our Saviour Christ cleanse him from all his sinnes and make him as pure both in soule and body as if he never had sinned but continued in the first state of innocency and cloath him with the holynesse and righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ that hee may stand ever acceptable in thy fight and enabled to performe that great service unto thee to burne the Whore of Babylon with sire and revenge the blood of thy Saints to that end put it into the hearts of all the Kinges and Princes of the Earth to fulfill thy will to hate the Whore make her desolate and naked and burne her with fire Good Lord for the Lord Iesus sake blesse the Queene of Bohemiah and the Queene of Swedon those of that Royall issue that hath pleased the a long time to humble them with a dejected state and to suffer the enemies of thy truth greatly to insult over them to spoile their goodly Cities to burne downe their houses with fire and carry so many of our Christian brethren and sisters into a miserable captivitie and to shed so much innocent blood but thou doest all things with infinite wisedome thou knowest the fittest meanes to humble thy children and thou knowest the fittest time to make them glorious in their deliverance good Lord in thy blessed time revenge their cause and setle them againe in the inheritance of their Fathers and set them up to sit with the Princes of thy people in the meane time give unto thy servants faith and patience a godly sorrow for all their sinnes and holy zeale and wisedome to make their inheritance sure in heaven and lay up their treasure where that is not subject to these alterations and changes and confound the power of Ante-Christ that man of sinne and his adherentes that they may not to much insult over thy Children nor to much disturbe the peace of thy faithfull ones but in thy blessed time make it appeare how precious the blood of thy Saints is in thy sight and what a fearefull accompt they shall make for the same at the day of judgement before the great God of Heaven and Earth that art no respector of persons Blesse the good Bishops and faithfull Ministers of thy sacred word especially those that thou hast placed over us give them wisedome and grace to preach thy heavenly word powerfully and profitablely to our soule and consciences and blesse them in their lives and conversations that ye may be pure and peaceable that so they may be a a blessed meanes to convert many soules unto thee Root out those that are to scandolous and ignominious and labour to bring in Idolatry and prophanes and make them evermore to finde by experience that thou that fittest in the heavens will laugh them to scorne and have them in dirision Be mercifull unto our Christian brethren in the Palatinate in Germany other places of Christendom which suffer for the truth and the profession of the glorious Gospell and deliver them from blood thirstie men and gratiously supply all their wants both soule and body in thy appointed time Blesse our Christian bretheren in Virgenia and new England those remoted places of the world keepe them from secret schismes herisies and set their feete into the way of peace and deliver them from their enemies Blesse our Nobles Peares Iudges of the land and Councellers of state blesse them and their councell that tend to thy glory the peace of the Church and the good of the commonwealth that their councels may evermore bee happely established to the confusion of the wicked devises of ungodly men and women that labour to bring in Idollatry popery and prophannesse oh blesse we beseech thee our afflicted brethren sisters that are humbled with the sight of their sinnes and the terror of thy judgements due unto them for the
quaeries in a forraign land when it is more need to make enquiry into my owne sinfull and deceitfull heart to see what is done there in matter of reformation repentance and amendment of life And therefore now though we are far remoted in the body yet let us be present in spirit and prayer and although you are retyred to a place of more privacy and where your eyes I hope doe not see such abominations to vexe your heart with as ours doe yet pitty us and pray for us and on the other side be not oh be not so secure nor put your confidence in your select company nor in those remoted woods and solitary mountaines but remember what befell unto Lot that was righteous Lot whilest he lived in Sodome but when he would fly out of Zoar to a solitary cave in the mountaines with his two daughters he committed those abominable sinnes there that his soule would have abhorred once to have thought on in Sodome and therefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall our help is in the name of the Lord that hath made heaven and earth who is able to help us in all places and at all times and so beseeching the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the shepheard of his sheep through the bloud of the everlasting covenant make us perfect in all good works and to doe his will working in us that which is pleasant in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be prane for ever and ever Amen Even so I take my leave and rest Your loving and sinfull Cousin Iohn Spencer England Iuly 9. 1635. I pray remember my respective love to my gracious Cousin your loving wife who hath given such a testimony of her love unto you and the reverend opinion she hath of your honourable Calling and commend mee to the rest of my Cousins and to so many of our Christian friends as you think fit A charitable Consideration of new-Englands plantation We read in holy Writ and Law Leviticall That if a man dyeth having no child at all His neerest kinsman by the right of Aliance Shall take both the Widdow and the Inheritance To raise up seed to the dead and by doing well Continue still his Brothers name in Israel Fair England of the Northern World the great renowne Having late made Vnion with the Scottish Crowne Thereby involving her title with great Brittaine And so lyeth obscured in that golden chaine We to continue the name of our Brother In great America hath rais'd up another The Almighty God grant that ever may remain An ornament to England a terror to Spain FINIS JOHN SPENCER Mtr. Brightman a little he died translated the Canticles into verse whereupon I wrote these verses TH' heavenly song of that bright man Whereto he tun'd his latest breath Much like a silver shining-Swan Presag'd thereby his present death A goodlier song was never seene And few such singers left there been But you faire Signets which still remaines By pure streames of sacred Truth Washing your wings from sinfull staines With mournfull tears and dolefull ruth Lest you should him too much deplore For you this song he left in store Never therefore let the prophane With sinfull lips and hearts impure This sacred Song once dare to name Lest they damnation doe procure Let them with Toads their croaking make Till they doe their sins forsake But you deare Children of the light Whose lips are tun'd to sing this praise Oh labour still to shine more bright And therein spend your happiest dayes That when your dear Lord shall appeare He may you finde a Spouse most cleer FINIS Iohn Spencer A charitable Supposition Of Mtr. Brightmans sudden Dissolution No marvell though so bright a man His glorious life in Heaven so soone began For long his soule had languish'd in great griefe To see Gods chosen Flocke to want their best reliefe And cruell Wolves dumbe dogs and lordly Masters Set in the roome of Christ faithfull Pastors Therefore his deare Lord seeing his servant thus distrest Took him away unto his everlasting rest FINIS Iohn Spencer Here lyeth inter'd Sarah Spencer the vertuous Wife of Iohn Spencer and Sarah his Virgin Daughter Both so goodly faire and curteous As few such Sarahs will be found hereafter Blessed be the Lord God of Heaven and Earth That made them so renouned both in life and death A Coppie of a Letter sent to a great Lady MAdam my great care of your everlasting happinesse and my respective love to my reverend Cousin Mr. Lee who now is dead in the Lord and therefore must cease from his labour and from those holy endevours whereby he did labour to plant grace in your heart in your tender yeares and whereof you then gave such excellent hopes that in the Autumne of your age he should have seen a plentifull increase of that blessed fruit and many goodly sheaves of pietie and happinesse to his great comfort in the Harvest but it pleased God the great Lord of the Harvest to take him away as from other evils to come so likewise from those griefs that would have wounded his heart to see those flourishing hopes so nipt and withered in your spring-time it pleased God to make me partaker of his last prayer and to close his eyes Oh that it might be his blessed pleasure to make his Spirit to be redoubled on me that I might be the better able to admonish and exhort you to reform that which is amisse in you and disgracefull to your holy profession I meane in respect of your outward carriage and appearance with so many fond fashions and garish attires as to deale plainly with you were more meet for one of painted Iezabels profession than for a Lady of your worth and more fit to furnish a pedlers pack than to make open shew of them in the Church of God and in the Assembly of the Saints whereas things should be done with comelinesse and decencie and therefore he commandeth that no woman should be covered because of the Angels 1 Corinth 11.10 and that women should pray with their heads covered But if this be a comely covering to have a womans head covered with dogs haire or goats haire and cats dung and painted fethers judge you for my owne part the Word of God wherewith you shall be judged condemnes it as odious and abominable but it may be you will say it is the Gallants fashion and what if the Venetian Curtizans have brought up that fashion must the religious Ladies of England follow that fashion God forbid the Children of God must not fashion themselues after the world Rom. 11.2 But they must fashion themselvs according to the rule of Gods Word and then Madame marke what fashion you must be in 1 Timoth. 2.9 10. Likewise also the women that they array themselves with shamefastnesse and modestie not with broidered haire or gold or pearls or costly apparell but as becommeth the
God at all or else with Cain to thinke our punishment greater then we can beare but even from your weaknesse and from Sathans malice doth the Lord draw out that which may tend to his glory and to your great comfort and hereby I trust he hath broken up the fallow grounds of your heart and brought you to godly sorrow for your sins so that I do assure my selfe within this short time of your afflictions more repentant teares have been put up into the Lords bottle then in many yeers before account not this as a small blessing nor passe it over with a slight thankfulnesse but take speciall notice of it assure your selfe this faire will not last all the yeer and the time will come when you will desire to see these teares of contrition and shall not see them no though you seek them with fasting and prayer and that you may the better conceave how blessed their estate is that have a contrite heart and sorrowfull spirit I pray consider of that wonderfull comfortable promise of the Lord Isaiah 57.15 For thus saith he that is high and excellent that inhabiteth eternity whose name is the holy one I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life unto them that are of a contrite heart who would think themselves most happy that had a heart fit to entertaine that glorious guest thus likewise doth the holy prophet testifie Psal. 34.13 The Lord is near unto them that are of a contrite heart and will save such as are afflicted in spirit and our blessed Saviour in whose mouth was no guile he saith blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and in the 16 of S. Iohn verse the 20 Verily verily I say unto you ye shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce and ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy a woman when she travelleth hath sorrow because her hower is come but assoone as she is delivered of the childe she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy a man is borne into the world and you now therefore are in sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you Thus you may see this godly sorrow is but as the throes of our spirituall birth in Christ which although it may be somewhat grievous for a time yet when we see our selves thereby borne againe of water and the spirit and so made able to enter into the Kingdome of heaven oh how ioyfull and comfortable should this make us to be many would with Zebedees sons sit one at the right hand the other at the left hand of our Saviour Christ in his kingdome but they are loth to tast of this cup but let us know assuredly that as he is entred into his Kingdome of glory through many tribulations so must we follow him thorow many tribulations if ever we will come there you are now in the way be not weary of well doing nor turn not backe till you come to that holy resting place and that you may finish your course with ioy and comfort be diligent in prayer and observe a constant course therein evening and morning and at noone dayes and as often as you finde your affliction to presse and oppresse your soule then make your mone unto your mercifull God and powre out your soules before him and especially bewaile wicked thoughts and vaine lusts where withall you heretofore so much delighted your selfe and labour to mourn in secret for them and likewise all other secret sins and that your prayers may be more fervent adde thereunto the holy use of moderate fasting and this I trust through the Lords mercy you shall finde an excellent meanes to recover your selfe unto your spirituall chearfulnesse again and be not discouraged from these holy exercises though Sathan strive never so much to vex and terrifie you nay though you feare the Lord is angry with you nay though you knew that assuredly yet pray with the Psasiuist Psal. 80.5 O Lord God of hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people Secondly having in this holy manner recomended your soule and body unto God in prayer waite upon him with a quiet minde assuring your selfe that now the Lord is to take care of you and therefore cast your care upon him and so with a setled resolution dispose of your selfe unto some profitable imployments fitting for your calling and this course the Prophet David tooke Psal. the 5.3 Heare my voyce in the morning O Lord for in the morning wil I direct me unto thee and I will wait and what good successe those have that do thus attend we may read in the Psalm 147.11 But the Lord delighteth in them that fear him and attend upon his mercy Thirdly labour for meeknesse of heart and an humble spirit for where this grace is in some reasonable manner attayned there the heart of affliction doth breake away apace and the danger thereof is little to be feared for our blessed Saviour hath pronounced a double blessednesse unto such Matthew the 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth And the want thereof hath driven many in their desperate fury to loose their inheritance both in heaven and earth Fourthly take heed of moderate greife and violent passions which at this time is very unseasonable though easily fallen into and therefore watch over your own heart diligently and doe not entertaine so much as a sorrowfull sigh into your heart except it be for your sin nor an impatient word into your lippes except it be when you see God dishonoured and then speake zealously and spare not and furthermore you must be contented to be admonished of these infirmities by your Christian friends with whom you do converse for it may be they may discerne these things amisse in you when you doe not discerne it in your selfe being overwhelmed with the pleasing humour of Sottish melancholy Lastly that you may well remember it you must by all meanes possible strive to serve the Lord with a cheerfull heart and a willing minde for the Lord loveth a chearfull giver and especially in matters of his holy worship therefore when you come to hear his holy word to fast to pray to religious conference or any other holy duty strive to doe it chearefully and to reioyce even in your very teares for I can tell you that is a good cause to make both you and others reioyce it may be you thinke it strange but read what Saint Paul saith to his intirely beloved Timotheus and then I hope you will say I am in the right desiring to see thee mindfull of thy teares that I might be filled with ioy 2. of Timothy the 1.6 And for neglect of this duty the Lord
doth threaten many heavy Judgements against the children of Israel Deut. 28.47 Because thou servest not thy Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send uppon thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakednes and in need of all things And thus according to my simple understanding I have satisfied your request in setting down some directions humbly beseeching that mighty and glorious God who giveth wisdome to the simple and worketh great effects by weak meanes to give such a blessing unto my poor endeavours that his great power may be seen in my weaknesse that you may finde such comfort to your soule and such peace to your conscience that hereafter you may tell unto others the great mercies that the Lord hath shewed unto you in the dayes of your afliction and therefore say with the Prophet loe this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will rejoyce and be joyfull in his salvation Amen Lord Jesus Amen From him that would willingly exchange some of his comforts for some of your sorrows and some of his best delights for some your repentant teares Iohn Spencer MAster Frankling a man of great worth almost a thousand pound a year fell into a wonderfull melancholie and distraction for seven yeares his eyes closed up his mouth closed up his hands closed up so that he was like a dead corps and almost famished he was with Master Nappier that famous Physician about a yeere and a halfe but could not prevaile with him some two yeares after he returned unto his own house he fell into a strange humour of eating and drinking wine and strong ale and it is almost uncredible to report how much he did devour in a day and night but this putting strength into him he grew very outragious and fell a burning and fighting and greatly endangered the killing of his servants and the burning of his house and then my brother Master Gery that maried Master Franklâ—ngs sister entreated me to go unto him I told him my opinion was as it was before that he must be removed from that house and have some others placed about him that would follow other directions my brother was desirous still to have me go to see him so with his importunity I went and took with me Master Iones a grave Preacher and one that had taken great pains with him we found him in a great chamber the glasse windows broken down and one chaire another afterwards was brought we sate down my intention being at this time onely to observe his carriage he was in a slight suit hardly worth five shillings like Irish trouses without a band the haire of his head on both sides being rubbed off and standing with his back to a great fire and looking so terribly that he would have terrified a man that was not acquainted with furious obiects so having spent some halfe an hour in observing of him Master Iones very respectively rose up and put off his hat and made his Apologie to Master Franklin because he did not come to see him for he went to Thurly but he slighted him and would make him no answer Then I spake to him and said Master Francklin you are much beholding to Master Iones for his great care of you but he sweld up and said unto me Sirrah how dare you speak thus unto me And I saw it was now time for me to get out of my chaire and because he should see that I was not daunted at his speeches I drew neerer and said Who are you that I must not speak unto you And thereupon he suddenly darted off the hearth and with his filthie nailes raked over my face and tore my ruffe so I was so ingaged that I must win the horse or lose the saddle but it pleased God to give me such strength that closing with him I threw him down and gat his hand and swaked it to the boards and called for a knife to pare his nailes but he would then have set upon my face with his teeth I was fain then to loose one of my hands and take him by the throat and with all my strength thrattle him but he made a hideous noise and cryed to his brothers to help him so one of them came and took me off and then I washed my face for I had not lost so much blood in any fray since I was at the siege of Ostend Afterwards he would be friends with me for he knew that I did it as a Souldier of Ostend A while after there was a meeting of divers Iustices of Peace and other gentlemen and there he was delivered unto me as by vertue of a commission out of the Court of wards and so we removed him to another place and set other attendants about him and gave other directions and so after a short time her rode abroad a hunting and coursing and grew into great jollity and married my Ladie Charnockes daughter a brave and vertuous young gentlewoman by whom he had one daughter and is lately dead And another beautifull young woman one Wapooles daughter of Southoe neer Huntington and one Master Beadles Son falling in love with her and intending to marry her but after his father perceived it he would not give his consent because her father was not able to give a portion according to his estate whereupon she fell into great discontentment and fell distracted and wandering from her fathers house in the depth of winter and in great floudes toward evening she came to my house and being in the porch made a strange kinde of noise I went to see her and she was wet and moiled as though she had been dragged thorow a river I fear'd at first she had coundterfeited and thought of sending her to the constable but afterward I had more pitty on her and caused her to be brought to the fire and got some warme drinkes and a warme lodging and so with in some few dayes it pleased God she was so well amended that she was able to declare unto me where her father dwelt and related unto me this pittyfull story of her love after she was able to doe some businesse I sent to her father to fetch her home he was glad when he heard she was living for they did thinke she had been drowned in the great floods when her father came we had been at prayers and I was reading a chapter when her father came in the young woman looked upon him very earnestly but would neither speak nor do any reverence unto him I used many perswasions to her but could not prevaile I sent out her father into another roome but it would not be then I called for pinfers and opened her mouth and dealt very roughly with her as though I would have plucked out her teeth but it would not be then I took a Bible
it the best use he made of it was to play with it In like manner the Lord of heaven and earth gives a man a deare wife a delightfull companion wherein a man takes great pleasure sometimes to make her goe sometimes to see her sleepe and some unkind wretches delight to scourg them with bitter words and to justle them by cursed usage the Lord of wisdome seeing either our too much doting affection on the on side or our to much contempt on the other side or else to try our disposition how willingly we would part with that he hath so freely bestowed upon us takes away this delightfull play-fellow from us And we then for the most part behave our selves like sullen boyes and murmure and repine against the proceedings of that gracious Lord that doth all things in infinite wisdome and judgement and therefore is evermore holy in all his ways and righteous in all his works who giveth and taketh in his appointed time and therefore unto him be all praise glory and thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen Amen In this heavy affliction in parting with so deare Beautifull and Vertuous a wife I Have found by lamentable experience that as we draw neere the Irish climate so we have to much Irish nature in us For they are comonly very fond loving to their foster children too rebellious to their governours God the great commander of Heaven Earth gives unto a man a wife to foster to make fit for the court of Heaven as the King of England should commit his son to a noble man in Ireland to be brought up till he be fit for his owne Court but this foster Father having got the possession of this princely child finding it some comfort and great honour unto him and yet withall a great care and a continuall watchfulnesse required for feare the child should miscary in his hands The King seeing his fit time sends for his sonne home to his owne Court and sets him in his owne presence and gives the foster Father an honourable reward for his loving care and paines taken notwithstanding the fosterer of this noble child is mal-content and fales a mourning and murmuring because he is freed of his great care even so the King of Kings gave unto me a beautifull and blessed child to foster and hath now freed me of that honourable charge with full assurance that he hath taken her into the Court of Heaven where she injoyes the highest happinesse in the presence of his glorious Majesty he hath likewise given me an honourable reward for my slight care and attendance of Gold silver friends Aliances and many divine things of her gathering for the comfort of my soule Notwithstanding al this yet I have behaved my self like a murmuring and unthankfull Rebell towards my dread Soveraigne because he hath taken away his owne deare child and my deare charge O Lord what will become of so vile a Rebell and such a murmuring wretch But Lord good Lord for thy deare sons sake Pardon my sinnes and consider my frailty and heale mine infirmities that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Amen Lord Iesus Amen A Speech Master Spencer made upon this occasion their was a great discontentment and quarell betwixt Sir Iarrad Harvie and his neighbours of Carington about a Levie had not the God of peace framed their heartes to peace by the powerfull sermon that Master Saule that famous Preacher and the great importunity of Master Spencer which tooke such happy successe that they lived together like loving Friends untill the death of that valiant Knight who 's death was much lamented and he lies their interred in a Magnificent Tombe in Mr. Sauls Text was Behold how good and how pleasant It is for Brethren to dwell together in unite Psal. 133.1 MY Christian friends and loving neighbours you may well thinke that there is some extraordinary occasion that makes me thus farre from my owne Parish Church and assure your selves to there is For I have heard of some differences and discontentments that have beene betwixt this noble Knight Sir Iarret Harvie and you his neighbours of this Parish I must needs confesse I was much grieved to thinke that there should be such discord and opposition among those whom I did so tenderly affect on both sides you as my loving neighbours that dwell so neere the place where I was borne and received my first breathing and this noble Knight not onely our Countryman but also a man of great worth and valour who for the good service that he hath done to his Prince and countrey with the losse of his blood and the danger of his life in so many brave adventures in the warres both in Spaine and in the Low-countrys and against the Rebels in Ireland may justly challenge a great deale of love and respect not onely from us his native country-men but also from this Nation and the whole Kingdome and therefore to receive unkindnesse and disregard from you in this place whither he is retired in his old age to doe good and to end his dayes in peace like a good Souldier of Iesus Christ I say to receive unkindnesse and disregard from you must needs be a great discomfort and no small provocation to a well restrained mind and therefore to qualifie discontentments of this quality it is no easie matter For the word of God doth teach us that the discord of brethren are like the barrs of the gate of a City strong and hard for flesh and blood to beate through and so I finde in searching into these businesses that there are to many barrs that will keep out these happy guests of vnity and amity which I so much desire to bring in amongst you and therefore doe beseech the great God of Heaven that is the God of peace and lover of comfort that he would vouchsafe to breake in sunder these Iron barrs of revenge and hard conceit and frame your hearts to meekenesse and to suffer the word of exhortation with patience for Sir Iarret Harvie as a Souldier and standing upon the point of honour cannot passe by such wrongs oppositions as it may be as he conceives hath beene offered unto him For in that litle experience that I have had I know in the point of honour and being opposed by an enemy a souldier must make way to revenge though he runneth upon the point of the sword and marcheth against the mouth of the Cannon and so likewise the Country People to be contradicted in their ancient customes to be drawn out of their road way though an other way may be better and more commodious it is so hard a matter to prevaile with us as is seene by dayly experience But if it please Sir Iarret Harvie to lay aside the resolution of a man of warre and to take unto him the disposition of a Christian Souldier and to follow the direction of that blessed Lord and great commander under whose
same make clearely appeare unto them thy everlasting mercy towards them in our Lord Iesus Christ their blessed Saviour and Redeemer and that his precious blood doth cleanse them from all their sins and make them as pure in thy sight as if they continued in their happie estate of innocency and let thy grace bee sufficient for them to support them in all their aflictions And confound the power and malice of the Devill and all his devilish devises whereby hee labours to drive them to dispayre and to lay violent hands upon themselves and make him feâ—re and tremble with the consideration that all these evill thoughts and wicked suggestions which hee puts into our hearts shall be set upon his own score and adde to his greater damnation in utter darkenesse and hell fire Blesse all our Christian brethâ—en that are visited with the Plague and other mortall diseases comfort their soules and worke in their hearts godly sorâ—ow for all thâ—iâ— sinnes and that they may cry mightily unto the Lord for mercy before they go hence and be no more seen and give them faith to beleeve in our Lord Iesus to bee their Saviour and everlasting Redeemer and that his precious bloud that cleanseth from all their sinnes and that hee will vouchsafe to bee unto them advantage both in life and death O blesse we beseech Thee our distressed brethren that are in distraction raging madnesse fury those that wee have taken the speciall care custody of whether present or absent oh stay them from laying violent hands on themselves or others thou that art the God of infinite wisdome and power that stillest the raging of the Seas and the madnesse of the people stay those raging fits and set their feet into the way of peace Blesse all our Christian friends Father Mother sisters and brothers those we have taken the speciall care and custody of wife children and servants and other our neighbours and friends amongst whom we live grant that wee and they may labour to keepe our soules and bodies pure and undefiled and make our houses the houses of prayer not a den of theeves and keep us from all infection of Idolatry popery and prophanenesse and if it shall please thee to bring us to such an honorable triall grant that wee may witnesse thy truth with our best bloud And now good Lord in the name of our Saviour Iesus Christ we praise magnifie thy holy name for that everlasting love of thine towards us in sending our Lord Iesus to be our Saviour for all those blessed comforts revealed unto us in thy sacred word for comforting our soules when wee have been so neer the point of despaire raysing our weak bodies when wee have been so neer the point of death and set our feet in the way of peace when we have been running the headlong course to damnation and blessed our labours and made us a meanes to yeeld comfort to any of our destressed brethren and sisters and blessed bee thy holy name that hath enabled us to write this book unto our gratious King good Lord blesse it that it may tend to thy glory to the confounding of Antichrist and his friends and the comfort of our afflicted brethren in their afflicted state And blessed be thy holy name for blessing us with the good things of the land thou hast given us the first and second raine and caused the earth to bring forth hearbs for the use of man and fodder for cattle and caused our vallies to stand so thicke with Corne and Wheate that wee have cause to tell of thy goodnesse all the day long and sent us peaceable dayes that we might receive the fruit of the Earth in due season notwithstanding the feare and terrour of the Schottish Armies hast given such holy wisedome to our gracious King to compose those dangerous warres with honour and safety to both Nations and blessed be thy holy name for continuing thy holy word unto us thy holy sacrament and thy holy ordinances unto us and blessed be thy holy name that continues our gracious King unto us and our great Counsell of Parliament and us with comfort and confidence that thou wilt be graciously pleased to make a holy reformation on both in Church and Common wealth and rise up with all holy indignation to root out all Idolatry popery and all prophannesse and Papeists Atheists and Anabaptistes that doe so oppose thy truth authority government of our gracious King oh convert their hearts or else confound their devices and bring them to their well deserved ends And blessed be thy holy name that hast done such great thinges for us in discovering those horrible treasons and rebellious Idolatry popery and prophanesse and so confounded them and brought many of them to their shamefull and well deserved ends And blessed be thy holy name for thy gracious providence over us this night that we have not perished in workes of darknesse that wee have not fallen into despaire raging madnesse that thou hast not suffered our houses to be burnt downe with flames of fire or our enemies to possesse our gates and now good Lord what shall we render unto thee for all thy mercies shewed towards us still take up the cup of salvation and still entreat thy mercies to be continued towards us this day and for evermore and that wee may be the better for thy service and the workes of our calling sanctifie all the faculties of our soules and all the parts and members of our bodyes make our will ever liable to thy will our understanding apt to conceive of those misteries of our salvation and our memories apt to retaine all holy lessons good directions that we may make use of them in our lives and conversations sanctifie all the affections of our hearts our love that it may be setled upon thee and thy sacred word our feare that it may make us feare and tremble to commit the least sinne or doe any thing that might tend to thy dishonour or the hurt of our neighbour and sanctifie our anger that it make us zealous for thy glory and boldly to reproove sinne both in our selves and in others and sanctifie our sorrow that it may be termed into a godly sorrow for our sinnes and the abominations of this land And sanctifie all the partes and members of our bodyes that our eares may be dilligent to heare the word of God and all good councell that our eyes may be dilligent to see and observe thy glorious workes in the creatures and to admire thy infinite wisedome and power in the creating of them and thy mercy and goodnesse in preserving them for our use and comfort our speeches that they may be gracious and tend to thy glory and the edifying of one another in our holy faith and keepe us from lying and swearing that whereunto by nature we are so prone and sanctifie our tast and smelling that wee may not abuse them to drunkennesse and gluttony and sanctifie our handes that we may imploy them dilligently in our calling and that they may be ready to defenâ— the poore Fatherlesse Widows sanctifie our feet that they may be swift to heare thy word to visit the poore in their afflicted state and sanctifie our bodyes that wee may keep them pure and undefiled all the dayes of our life for these and other graces which we stand in need of Lord mercifully supply them for our Lord Iesus sake in whose most holy name in whose most holy wordes we pray unto Thee as our blessed Saviour hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. FINIS