houlding thy deere purchase O let not thy hate of sinne extinguish thy loue to thy creature Let not any thing that I haue done preiudice thee in the merit of that which thou hast suffered for me My sins deserued eternall wrath of thy Father but thou hast borne it My wonton delights and impure pleasures deserued stripes and wounds but thou hast receiued them My hainous crimes deserued death but thou hast suffered it for me This day my first parent Adam was made a liuing soule and this day thou the second Adam wert made a quickning Spirit This day he sinned in a garden and this day thou sorrowedst in the garden This day he tooke the fruite of the forbidden tree and this day thou wert hung vpon the accursed tree This day he was cast into a dead sleepe and his side opened and his wite Eue formed of his ribbe was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone this day also thou wert cast into a deadly sleepe and thy side opened and thy Spouse the Catholicke Church brought foorth not by water onely but by water and bloud the water of regeneration and bloud of explation and sanctification This day Adam brought the curse vpon himselfe and all his posterity this day thou prouidedst an euerlasting blessing for thy selfe and all thy members That which he lost thou hast regayned with aduantage that which he did thou hast suffered for that which I owed thou hast discharged on the very day by taking all his and our debts vpon thee and laying downe an al-sufficient price to satisfie for them O giue me an hand of faith to receiue so much of this infinite sum as may discharge my debt and strengthen this my hand that I may hold it fast and tender it to thy Father and receiue from him an absolute and generall acquittance signed with thy blood and sealed with thy Crosse bearing date the very day of thy consummation of all things at thy death If thou bad'st required a greater thing we should haue done it for what will not a man doe for his life How much more when thou â—arest belieue and liue cast your selues vpon me and I will saue you from drowning in euerlasting perdition receiue the price of your ransome and bee freed When thou holdest out the golden Scapter of thy grace if wee will not take hold on it wee deserue double dâ—mnation for refusing so easy a meanes of saluation Adam belieued Eue and Eue the Serpent to her and our ruine why should not I much rather belieue thy Church thy Spouse and thy Spouse thy Word to saluation What should with-hold my faith from apprehending my hope from exâ—ecting the promises of thy Gospell confirmed by so many miracles testâ—fied by the Church in all Ages signed with the blood of so many Martyrs and 〈◊〉 to my soule and conscience by the holy Spirit Doth it shake and stagger my faith that thy workes recorded in holy Scriptures so farre transcend nature and the mysteries of sauing truth soare aboue humane reason But this demonstrateth rather faith to be faith and thee ô God to be true God Faith is not faith if reason comprehend it God cannot be God if nature limit him Am I the more auerse from embracing thy Gospell because it crosseth and checketh my naturall dispositions and in clinations But the cause is most euident thy Law is iust holy and pure but I am wicked prophane and impure The physick is for the most part the better which the patient liketh worst because it exasperateth the paine for the time Haue I the lesse loue and liking to the most holy faith because it restraineth my carnall liberty and abridgeth mee or altogether depriueth mee of worldly comforts and contentments But am I not spirit as welâ— as flesh Haue I not a Law in my minde controlling the Law of my members Is it not much better to sowe vnto the Spirit that I may reape peace ioy and life euerlasting then sowe to the flesh and of the flesh reape nothing but corruption Thy Gospell ô gracious God restraineth my carnall but enlargeth my spirituall liberty it denieth mee sinfull but it promiseth me holy delights and pleasures it moderateth the desire and vse of temporarie comforts and ioyes but assureth mee that my heart shall be filled with eternall Am I ready to be beaten off from my holy profession and beliefe by blowes and strokes persecutions losses imprisonment banishment scorne of the world and disgrace This should make mee hold it the faster for the Gospell foretelleth that these things should befall true bâ—lieuers and it is an honour to mee to beare the â—adge of mâ—â—profession and to drinke with thee my Sauiour in thine owne Cup. It is my profession to be thy Souldier and he is no Souldier that endureth not hardnesse I can expect no crowne without a Conquest no Conquest without a battaile no battaile without blowes and wounds and what are these light and momentary afflictions to an eternall weight of glory Thus doth thâ— Word conquer my reason and yet it will not yeeld I resolue to belieue Lord strengthen my resolution I doe belieue Lord helpe mine vnbelief All things past haue so come to passe as the Oracles of thy truth fore-shewed they should and how then can I doubt of things future reuealed in them The deluge was foretold 120 yeeres before and at the prefixed time it ouerranne the whole world Thy peoples bondage in Aegypt for 400 yeeres and their after deliuery is no otherwise described by Moses then it was in a dreame many Ages before deliuered to Abraham Thou calledst thy Shepheard Cyrus and thine annointed Iosias by name to their functions long before either of them or their forefathers were conceiued The 4 famous Monarchs pictured out in Nebuchadnezzars Image succeeded in their order The Assyrian represented by the golden head the Persian by the siluer armes and shoulders the Grecian by the thighs of brasse and the Romane by the leggs of yron And do we not see at this day the stumpe of that Image and the feete partly yron in the Turkish and partly of clay in the Germane Empire Thy Birth and Death ô Sauiour was fore shadowed in Types and fore-spoken of by Prophets euer since the world began and since thy comming into the flesh and finishing all things at thy death in Ierusalem Not a syllable or one iot of any of thy words haue passed without their accomplishment Ierusalem is destroyed the Temple made euen with the ground and neuer could be built againe The Iewes are dispersed into all nations The Gospell is preached through the whole world the man of sinne is euery day more and more discouered and why should I not then belieue as certainly that the heauens shall passe away shortly with heate and the elements melt with fire and thy signe bee seene in the clowdes and those that are in their graues be awaked with the sound of the last Trumpe and meete thee in the aire
my soule they being now vailed with thy flesh This day thou diddest vnite thy selfe to me naturally and substantially and becamest truly flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone Vnite me to thee this day spiritually and make me a true member of thy mysticall body that I may bee flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone Lord thou diddest this day participate of my humane nature make me this day participate by grace of thy diuine as farre as I am capable thereof and impart and communicate vnto mee the merrit of all thy actions and benefit of all thy sufferings in this thy nature O my Lord my God who by assuming flesh vnto thy diuine person hast sanctified it and highly aduanced it farre aboue all creatures keepe me from defiling my flesh with sinfull pollutions or abasing and inthralling it to Satan O Sonne of God who by thy incarnate nature becamest the Sonne of Man make me the sinfull sonne of man by grace and adoption to become the Sonne of God And as thou this day according to the words of thine Angel wert borne to me bee borne also in mee that from hence forth I liue not but thou in me Let thy spirit quicken me thy flesh nourish me thy wisdome guide me thy grace sanctifie me and thy Word instruct me Let the holy Ghost of whom thou wast conceiued beget thee in mee by the immortall seede of thy Word Let my faith conceiue thee my profession bring thee forth my loue embrace thee and Deuotion entertaine and continually keepe thee with mee till thy second comming So come vnto me Lord Iesus come quickly THE Feast of our Lord's Circumcision OR new-New-yeares dayes Deuotion The ground of this Feast are The type thereof in the old The accōplishmēt in the new Testament PARALELL The Type And Abraham circumcised Isaak when he was eight daies old as God commanded him Gen. 21. 4. The accomplishment And when the eight dayes were accomplished that they shuld circumcise the child his name was then called IESVS Luk. 2. 21. Meditate ô deuout Christian 1 For thine instruction vpon the circumcision of thy Sauiour 2 For thy comfort applie to thy selfe the 3 For thy correctiō examine the circumcision of thy heart and quicken thine 1 Obedience by the exhortation 2 Thankfulnes by the hymne 3 Zeale deuotiō by the praier THE ADMONITION for New-yeeres day THE ANALYSIS wee ought to desire striue and pray for the circumcision of the heart 1 In respect of GOD who Desireth it a Commandeth it b Loueth it c Obserueth it d Praiseth it e Rewardeth it f Brandeth the contrarie g 2 In respect of man's heart which needeth it 1 Because it is most corrupt and impure 2 Because it is most deceitfull THE TEXTS a MY son giue me thy heart Prou. 23. 16. vid. Ier. 4. 4. b Circumcise the fore-skinne of your hearts Deut. 10. 16. O Ierusalem clense thy heart Ier. 4. 4. c Clense your hearts yee sinners Iames 4. 8. Behold thou louest truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. d God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh vpon the outward appearance but God seeth the heart 1 Sam. 16. 7. e The circumcision is of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of man but of God Rom. 2. 29. In whom yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh through the circumcision of the flesh Col. 2. 11. Beware of the concision For wee are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Iesus and haue no confidence in the flesh Philippians 3. 3. f The good Lord be mercifull to him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord his God 1 Chron. 30. 19. He will doe good to such as be good and true of heart Psal. 125. 4. There is sprung vp a light for the righteous and ioyfull gladnesse to such as bee true hearted Psal. 99. 12. g The eyes of the Lord behold the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart towards him 1 Chron. 16. 9. Yee of vncircumcised eares and hearts haue alwaies resisted c. Acts. 7. The peruerse in heart are an abomination to the Lord. Pro. 11. 20. All the imaginations of mans heart are onely euill continually Gen. 6. The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things Ier. 17. 9. The Psalme for New-yeeres day OSing vnto the Lord a new song sing vnto the Lord all the whole earth Psal. 96. 1. Sing vnto the Lord and praise his name be telling of his saluation from day to day verse 2. The heauent declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Psal. 19. 1. One day telleth another and one night certifieth another v. 2. There is neither speech nor language but their voice is heard among them verse 3. Their sound is gone out into all lands and their words vnto the end of the world verse 4. In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the sunne which commeth forth as a bridegroome out of his chamber and reioyceth as a gyant to runne his course verse 5. He appointeth the Moone for certaine seasons and the Sunne knoweth his going downe Psal. 104. 19. O Lord how manifold are thy workes In wisedome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches verse 24. So is the great and wide c. verse 25. vsque ad 〈◊〉 When thou lettest thy breath goe forth they are made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth verse 30. The glorious Maiesty of the Lord shall endure for euer the Lord shall reioyce in his workes verse 31. Thou crownest the earth with thy goodnesse and thy cloudes drop fatnesse Psal. 65. 12. They shall drop vpon the dwellings of the wildernesse and the little hills shall reioyce of euery side verse 13. The flocks also shall bee full of sheepe the valleys also shall stand so thick with corne that they shall laugh and sing verse 14. The day is thine and the night is thine thou hast prepared the light of the sunne Psal. 74. 17. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made summer and winter verse 18. The Prayer for New-yeeres day MOst tender and compassionate Lord now first knowne by thy name Iesu who being the true vine which yeeldest the wine that gladdeth the heart wast pruned this day with the sharpe knife of circumcision and bleddest for me haue pitty and compassion on mee who with weeping eyes and a bleeding heart come vnto thee beseeching thee that those drops of blood which fell from thee this day may satisfie for the sinne of my birth and the whole streame that ranne from all the parts of thy body in the Garden and on the Crosse may expiate all my numberlesse actuall sinnes whether they be sinnes of lighter tincture or of a Scarlet dye Sinnes like beames or sinnes like moates Sinnes conceiued
The Sonne of man came to giue his life a ransome for many Math. 20. 28. I lay downe my life for my sheepe Ioh. 10. 15. Feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Acts 20. 28. He was deliuered for our offences and was raised againe for our iustification Rom. 4. 21. Being iustified by his bloud wee shall bee saued from wrath through him Rom. 5. 9. Who gaue himselfe a ransome for all to be testified in due time 1. Tim. 2. 6. How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge our conscience from dead workes Heb. 9. 14. His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that we being dead to sin should liue vnto righteousnes by whose stripes ye were healed 1. Peter 2. 24. The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud Reu. 5. 9. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek Psal. 110. 4. It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs. Rom. 8. 34. There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2. 5. He is able to saue them to the vttermost that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 21. Christ is entred into heauen it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for vs. Hebrewes 9. 24. If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous 1. Ioh. 2. 1. And he is the propitiation for our sinnes ver 2. Giue thankes ô Israel to the Lord from the ground of the heart Psal. 68. 26. It is a good thing to giue thanks to the Lord. Psal. 92. 1. O giue thanks to the Lord and call vpon his Name Psal. 105. 1. I will giue thankes to the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation Psal. 111. 1. He fell downe on his face at his feete giuing him thanks Luke 17. 16. There are not found that returned to giue glory to God saue this stranger ver 18. Giuing thankes alwayes for all things vnto God and the Father Ephes. 5. 20. Whatsoeuer ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thanks to God and the Father by him wee giue thankes to God alwayes 1. Thes. 1. 2. In euery thing giue thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus concerning you 1. Thes. 5. 18. What shall I render to the Loro for all his benefits Psal. 116. 12. 〈◊〉 Psal. 10. 7. 8. Psal. 116. 12. But ye are a chosen generation a royall Priest-hood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light 1. Pet. 2. 9. They that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull Reu. 17. 14. Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Ioh. 15. 16. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8. 33. According as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world Ephes. 1. 4. God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit c. 2. Thes. 2. 13. God created man in his owne image Genes 1. 27. Haue dominion ouer the fish â—f the sea and the fowles of the 〈◊〉 and ouer euery liuing thing that moueth vpon the earth ver 28. Thy hands haue made me and fashioned me Psal. 119. 73. Thou hast fashioned me behind and before and â—â—yed thine hand vpon me Psal. 139. 4. Thine eyes did see my substance yet being vnperfect and in thy book all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Psal. 139. 16. Thou art worthy ô Lord to receiue glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Reu. 4. 11. Thou hast redeemed me ô Lord God of truth Psal. 31. 5. Blessed be the Lord for hee hath visited and redeemed his people Luke 1. 68. Being iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Rom. 3. 24. Christ Iesus of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law being made a curâ—e for vs. â—al 3. 13. In whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenes of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Ephes. 1. 6. Colos. 1. 14. By his owne bloud he entered in once into the holy place hauing obtained eternall redemption for vs. Heb. 9. 12. Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by tradition from your fathers 1. Pet. 1. 18. But rather the pretious bloud of Christ as of a lambe without a blemish and without spot v. 19. Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euery kindred and tongue and people and nation Reu. 5. 9. I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloued which was not beloued Hos. 2. 23. I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Math. 9. 13. Among whom also are yee the called of Iesus Christ. Rom. 1. 6. Whom hee did predestinate them he also called Rom. 8. 30. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. Walke worthy the vocation wherewith ye are called Eph. 4. 1. I presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Phil. 3. 14. God hath not called vs to vn cleannesse but to holines 1. Thes. 4. 7. Faithfull is he that calleth you who also will do it 1. Thes. 5. 24. Zion shall be redeemed with iudgement and her Courts with righteousnesse Isa. 1. 27. By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for he shall beare their iniquities Isa. 53. 11. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiuen and sinne is couered Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie ver 2. It is one God which shall iustifie the circumcision by faith and vncircumcision through faith Rom. 3. 30. To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom 4. 5. Whom he hath called them he also iustifieth Rom. 8. 30. Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 5. 1. Much more being now iustified by his bloud wee shall be saued from wrath through him ver 9. Being iustified by his grace we shall be made heires according to the hope of eternall life Tit. 3.
7. Purge me with Hysope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Psal. 51. 7. I will purge away thy drosse and take away all thy Tinnâ— Isa. 1. 25. For their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified Iohn 17. 19. Being sanctified by the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 16. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified 1. Cor. 6. 11. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Eph. 5. 26. For by one offering he hath perfected them for euer that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. To them that are sanctified by God the Father c. Iude 1. 1. I know that my redeemer liueth c. Iob 19. 25. Though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God ver 26. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsell and afterwards receiue me to glorie Psal. 73. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen me bee with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17. 24. Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Math. 25. 34. Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome Luke 12. 32. If so be we suffer with him we shall also bee glorified together with him Rom. 8. 17. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glorie that shall be reuealed in vs ver 18. Whom he iustifieth them also he glorifieth ver 30. Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned to his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith 2. Tim. 4. 7. Henceforth there is layed vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing ver 8. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal. 103. 2. Which forgiueth all thy sinne and healeth all thy diseases ver 3. O Lord thou hast brought vp my soule from the graue thou hast kept me aliue that I should not go downe to the pit Psal. 30. 3. The Lord killeth and maketh aliue c. 1. Sam. 2 6. It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect Psal. 18. 32. He teacheth my hands to warre so that a bow of steele is broken by mine armes ver 34. Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things and maketh thee young and lustie as an Eagle Psal. 103. 5. Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale vs he hath smitten and he will bind vs vp Hos. 6. 1. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan and now I am become two bands Genes 32. 10. Also the Lord gaue Iob twise as much as he had before Iob 42. 10. Charge the rich in this world that they bee not high minded nor trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God who giueth vs richly all things to enioy 1. Ti. 6. 17. Thou hast set me at libertie when I was in thrall Psal 4. 1. Cornelius a iust man and of good report Acts 10. 22. And these all hauing obtained a good report through faith receiued not the promises Hebrewes 11. 39. Oyntment and perfume reioyce the heart so doth the sweetnes of a mans friend by heartie counsell Prou. 27â—9 Then came to Iob all his brethren and all his sisters and all they that had bene of his acquaintance c. Iob 42. 11. Thou Lord onely makest mee dwell in safetie Psal. 4. 8. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie Psal. 91. 1. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Psal. 121. 4. The Lord shall preserue thee from all euill he shall preserue thy soule A preparatorie Hymne collected out of diuerse Psalmes where in the deuout soule desireth Accessea. Audienceb. Assistancec. Acceptanced. a Thou sayest seeke ye my face my heart said vnto thee thy face Lord will I seeke Psal. 27. 8. Hide not thy face farre from mee nor put thy seruant away in anger ver 9. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal. 51. 11. b Heare ô Lord when I crie vnto thee haue mercy also vpon me and answer me Psal. 27. 7. Ponder my words ô Lord consider my meditation Psal. 5. 1. My heart is enditing a good matter my tongue is the pen of a ready writer Psal. 45. 1. c O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal. 51. 15. Let my prayer bee set forth before thee as incense and the lifting vp of my hands as an euening sacrifice Psal. 141. 2. Set a watch ô Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips ver 3. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight ô Lord my strength and my redeemer Psal. 19. 14. A preparatorie Prayer wherein all the conditions requisite in Prayer are expressed and prayed for HEauenly Father whose gift it is that I can aske any good gift at thy hands without whose grace I cannot desire thy healthfull and sauing grace Infuse into my heart the Spirit of supplication that in an awfull reuerence of thy Maiestie out of a true sence and feeling of my wants and infirmities and a liuely faith in thy promises I may with chearefulnesse of mind and feruencie of Deuotion and constant perseuerance lift vp a pure and plaine heart vnto thee at all times humbly intreating thy souereigne bountie for such things onely as thou in thy eternall wisdome hast pre-ordained to giue and calling vpon thee in such order and manner as thou hast prescribed me to aske in that absolute patterne of all prayer set downe in the Gospell by my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. In whose name mediation and words I crie Abba Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy Name c. A preparation to the hearing of the word GOd in his infinite wisedome hath so disposed the meanes of our saluation that the soueraigne Antidote against sinne death is conueyed into the soule through the same passage whereby the deadly poyson first entered Death stole in at the eare by suggestion of the euill spirit and now life in the hearing of the word passeth in at the same gate of the soule by the operation of the holy Spirit Hast thou an eare ô Christian by thy profession for the diuell and none for God An eare to receiue poyson dropped in and not to
endure the iust reproofe of them by his Ministry and loue him for it and amend by it Open my heart that I may attend to those things that belong to my peace Endue me with wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding that I may descerne those things that differ and try all things and hold that which is good and apply it to my selfe for the subduing of my fleshly members and affections and building me vp in the most holy faith of thine Elect. Quicken me with thy spirit that I may cheerefully and willingly and constantly listen to the voice of the heauenly charmer that hee may kill the venome of sinne in my soule Let the words of thy Preacher drop as raine and distill as deaw vpon me and into mee to make my barren heart fruitfull in holy affections desires my minde in heauenly thoughts and conceptions my tongue in wholsome words and graceful speeches my hands in all manner of good workes that I proue not an idle hearer but a doer of the Word constant practicer of al holy duties to the honour of thy holy and blessed Name and the saluation of my soule in the day of the Lord Iesus To whom with thee and the holy Ghost c. The Preparation to the receiuing of the holy Sacrament IT being reuealed to aged Simeon that hee should see his Sauiour in the flesh before hee rendered vp his owne Spirit when hee came into the Temple of the Lord and there found the Lord of the Temple hee was so ouer-ioyed there with that hee tooke the babe into his armes embraced it and began his Swan-like song or Nunc dimittis saying Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for I haue seene the Prince of Peace Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation and I desire to see no more Into thy hands ô sweete babe whom I hold in mine arms I commend my fainting Spirit Embrace my soule with thine armes of mercy as I embrace thy body with these arms of flesh This singular prerogatiue of Simeon or rather a farre greater the Lord vouchsafeth thee ô deuout soule when he biddeth thee to his holy Table euen to take into thy hands thy Sauiour To see with thine eyes handle with thy hands yea and taste with thy mouth the Word of life For by with the sacred elements though not in or vnder them thou partakest of the flesh and bloud of the Son of God spiritually for his words are spirit and life yet truly and in very deede for hee is the liuing bread that came downe from heauen his flesh is meate indeede and his blood is drinke indeede As at sumptuous feasts where curious seruices are thou seest the proportion and shape of the Deere or Fowle set out in gold and colours on the outside or lidde of those baked meates which are truly contained vnder it and to bee eaten So vnder the holy formes of bread and wine thou feedest on thy Sauiour That which is represented in the signe to the eye of the body is presented in the thing signified to the eye of the soule and hand of thy faith what is shadowed in the Sacrament is truly also exhibited by it Qui credit edit If thou belieuest that thou eatest thou eatest that thou belieuest let no hereticall Harpyes pluck from thee thy heauenly dish or meate as Celaeno did Aeneas's Beware of two sorts of Hereticks especially which seeke to beguile thee in the Sacrament or rather of it viz the Sacramentaries Papists the one denyeth the signe the other the thing signified The one offereth thee a shadow without the body the other the body without the shadow and consequently neither of them giueth thee the true Sacrament which in nature and substance cosisteth of both The Sacramentary would robb thee of the Iewell the Papist of the Casket Lay thou thine hands on both hold both fast as thou seest the verity and substance of the one so beleeue that verity and substance of the other As thou takest the one receiue the other As thou handlest the one apprehend the other As thou feedest with thy mouth on the one feede in thy heart on the other And as truly as the one nourisheth thy body to a temporall so the other shall preserue thy soule to eternall life For it is the tree of Life which growes in the middest of the Paradice of God his Church on earth The way to the mysticall tree in Paradice was guarded by an Angel wauing a flaming sword The way to this in like manner is fenced There stands an Angell at the Table Gods Minister brandishing the sword of the Spirit and forbidding vnder paine of death any to eate of this fruit that haue their teeth set on edge with the apples of Sodome and grapes of Gomorrah Other fruits and meate are prepared for vs but we must be prepared for this before we eate it The bread of the earth cannot feed when thou eatest it till it bee changed into thy body because thou art more excellent then it but this bread which came downe from heauen is more excellent then thou art and therefore thou must be changed into it before it nourish thee All other meate is receiued as it is in it selfe and no otherwise but this is diuers as it is receiued Other meate affecteth and altereth the taste but heere the taste altereth the meate For if it be worthily receiued it is the body and blood of Christ if vnworthily it is but bare bread and wine If it meete with a spirituall taste and appetite stomack purged and prepared it proueth the food of life nay of immortality if otherwise it turneth into deadly poyson for hee that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not discerning the Lords body A learned Physitian that tendreth the health and life of thy body will neuer minister strong physick that will amend or end thee before hee prepareth thy body accordingly This Sacrament is not onely foode but also physick to cure thy soule yea such strong physick as will worke effectually one way or other to thy health and saluation or to thy death and damnation Bee carefull therefore before thou takest it to prepare thy selfe for it and for thy helpe peruse the Admonition Hymne and Prayer following The admonition before the Communion THE ANALYSIS The due preparation to the Sacrament is by 1 Examinatiō whether thou hast 1 A feruent desire to partake of this holy table 2 Competent knowledge in this high mysterie 3 Faith in Christs incarnation death and affiance in the merits of both 4 A conscience cleansed by true repentance 5 An heart free from malice and all vncharitablenesse 2 Prayer THE TEXTS Let a man examine himselfe and so let him cate of that bread and drinke of that cup. 1. Cor. 11. 28. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse sake for they shall be satisfied Math. 5 6. Ho euery one that thirsteth come
ye to the waters Isa. 55. 1. Giue vs euermore of this bread Ioh. 6. 34. For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drâ—nketh damnation to himselfe not discerning the Lords bodie 1. Corinth 11. 29. I am the bread of life hee that cometh to me shall not hunger and he that belieueth in me shall neuer thirst Ioh. 6. 35. Christ dwelleth in vs by faith Ephes. 3. 17. I will wash mine hands in innocencie and so will I go to thine altar ô God Psal. 26. 6. To the impure all things are impure Tit. 1. 15. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Math 5. 23. Leaue thou thy gift before the Altar and go thy way be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift ver 24. Wee being many are one bread and one bodie for we are all partakers of this one bread 1. Cor. 10. 17 A preparatory Hymne to bee vsed before or at the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament wherein the deuout soule expresseth her a Desire of the foode of life b Hope that she shall obtaine it c Thankes for it a As the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee ô God Psal. 42. 1. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God ver 2. My soule thirsteth for thee my soule longeth for thee as a drie and thirstie land Psal. 63. 1. I will blesse thee while I liue I will lift vp my hands in thy Name ver 4. b My soule shall be satisfied with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with ioyfull lips ver 5. Thou preparest a table before me and my cup runneth ouer Ps. 23. 5. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup. Psal 16. 5. I will take the cup of saluation call vpon the Name of the Lord Psal. 116. 13. c I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord now in the presence of all his people ver 14. I will offer vnto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiuing and will call vpon the name of the Lord ver 17. saying The Prayer before the Communion GRacious Redeemer who out of thy pierced side openedst to all that thirst for thy grace a double fountaine for sinne and vncleannesse the one of water the other of bloud the one to purge the guilt the other the filth of sinne and hast sealed these inestimable benefits of sanctification and redemption vnto all beleeuers by the Sacraments of Baptisme and of thy holy Supper assist me by thy Spirit in the sanctified vse of these holy Mysteries and Symholls of thy most blessed bodie and bloud Most louing bountifull Lord who hast prepared such a table for me giue me a mouth and stomacke according that I may worthily receiue these heauenly dainties to the glorie of thine infinite goodnesse and the euerlasting comfort of my soule Cleare the eyes of mine vnderstanding from all mists of hereticall fancies carnall imaginations that I may rightly distinguish the signes from the things signified by them and also discerne thy bodie from common meate Sharpen my appetite that I may hungrily feede vpon this bread of which whosoeuer eateth shall neuer hunger and stily drinke of this cup of which whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer thirst O thou true foode of my soule receiue me who am now to receiue thee Quicken me with thy Spirit who wilt feede me with thy flesh vouchsafe me thy grace who communicatest to me thy nature that as in and by these holy Mysteries I receiue life from thee so I may also receiue by them grace to liue to thee not seeking mine owne pleasure nor doing mine owne will but deuoting the remainder of my life to thy seruice and yeelding my selfe wholly to the power of thy sanctifying grace to worke in me alwaies that which is pleasing in thy sight So be it Amen Religious duties to be performed at the time of the receiuing the Communion 1. Prepare thy body by a decent gesture 2. Recollect thy mind and fixe thy thoughts wholly vpon this most sacred action stir vp in thee 3. Stirre vp in thee 1 An holy feare out of this consideration that God is there present in a speciall manner and his Angels attending on him and obseruing thee Say to thy selfe in the words of Iacoh O how fearefull is this place it is no other then the house of God and gate of heauen 2 An holy astonishment or admiration out of this consideration that the Lord thy Maker and Redeemer and the high possessour of heauen and earth so farre humbles himselfe as to bee thy guest Say to thy selfe in the words of Salomon Is it true indeed that God will dwell on the earth Behold the heauen and heauen of heauens cannot containe him how much lesse the narrow roome of my soule 1. King 8. 27. 3 An holy abashment or confusion out of this consideration that so vile a worme and sinfull wretch as thou art should haue so infinite a Maiestie and holy God to come and sup with thee Say to thy selfe in the words of the Centurion Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe or with S. Peter Depart from me for I am a sinfull man 4 An holy sorrow out of this consideration yâ— thy sins did put thy Sauiour to these torments which are signified and liuely represented in this Sacrament Say to thy selfe in the words of Ieremiah O that mine eyes were a fountaine of teares to bewaile those sinnes which drew so much bloud from my Sauiour 5 An holy ioy out of this consideration that the infinite debt of thy sins is discharged and the acquittance deliuered into thy hands Say to thy selfe in the words spoken of Zacheus This day saluation is come into mine house 6 An holy desire of expressing some kind of thankfulnesse to God out of this consideration that together with the SacrameÌ„t thou receiuest Christ himselfe and all the benefits of his passion Say to thy selfe in the words of Dauid What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits that he hath done vnto me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. 4 Ioyne the signes with the things signified Take Feede on bodily Bread Wine ghostly Bodie Bloud 5 Obserue meditate vpon the resemblances betweene them 1 Bread and wine true and in substance not in appearance onely Christs bodie a true bodie his bloud true bloud not in shew onely as some Hereticks haue imagined 2 Bread one bodie or lumpe made of many graines wine one liquor or drinke of many grapes Christ his body one of many members vnited together 3 Bread and wine an entire repast Christs body and bloud the perfect refection of the soule 4 Bread and wine strengthen and comfort the heart Christs body and bloud est ablisheth the heart and comforteth the conscience 5 Bread and wine the common foode of men not children
his who made them Saints In the Deuotion fitted to these dayes first I lay the ground out of Scripture and then descant vpon it in the Admonition Hymne and Prayer all which allude to the History of that feast 4. After these feasts the week-dayes come in their order The Saints Martyrs and Arch-angels dayes I haue purposely omitted not that I dislike the keeping of them for I haue euer and will iustify and maintaine the obseruation of them according to that godly institution and practice of our Church But I desired to keepe my book within the compasse of the title which is a Manuell And albeit wee honour Saints and Martyrs yet religious Deuotion which is my Theame is restrained to God by holy Dauid Whom haue I in heauen but thee ô Lord. In the Church of Rome there are many Deuotionâ— to Saints and more to our Lady then to Christ but wee acknowledge no religious Deuotions but to him who charmed the old Serpent with that voice of his Father Him onely shalt thou serue In the weeke daies Deuotion those words of our Sauiour were my loadestarre My father worketh and I worke For all the morning prayers haue relation to some worke of God the Father in the sixe dayes of Creation and all the euening to some worke of God the Sonne in the sixe dayes immediately before his glorious resurrection The admonitions for morning and euening containe 12 beatitudes or blessednes 8 mentioned by our Sauiour Mathew 5. and the rest out of other choice Texts of Scripture All which blessednesses I wish thee from my heart desiring thee to afford me one Prayer who haue stored thee with many Thine in the Lord Iesus D. F. THE MORNINGS DEVOTION An admonition for the Morning VVEE haue a more sure word of Prophecie whereunto ye do well that yee take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a dark place vntill the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts 1 Pet. 1. 19. I am the roote and the off-spring of Dauid saith Christ and I am the bright morning Starre Reu. 22. 16. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Ephes. 5. 14. It is now time to awake out of sleepe for now our saluation is neerer then when wee belieued Rom. 13. 11. The night is past the day is at hand therfore cast off the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light verse 12. See that ye walk circumspectly redeeming the time because the dayes are euill Eph 5. 15. Walke honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonesse not in strife and enuying but put on the Lord Iesus and make no prouision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 13. 14. A Hymne for the Morning O Lord thou art my God earely will I seeke thee my soule thirsteth for thee I will sing alowd of thy power and mercy in the morning Psal. 63. 1. 2. Psal. 59. 10. My tongue shall speake of thy righteousnesse and thy praise all the day long Psal. 35. 28. I layd mee downe and slept for thou Lord sustainedst me Psal. 3. 5. I haue dwelt in the secret place of the most High abode vnder the shadow of the Almighty Psal. 91. 1. 4 He shall couer me with his feathers and vnder his wings will I trust his faithfulnesse and truth shall bee my shield and buckler ver 4. Lord arise and lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me Ps. 4. 7. Teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome Instruct mee in the way which I shall go and guide me with thine eye Psal. 90. 12. Psal. 32. 9. Teach mee thy way ô Lord and I will walke in thy truth ô knit my heart to thee that I may feare thy Name Psal. 86. 11. Hold vp my goings in thy path that my footsteps slip not Psal. 17 5. O satisfie mee earlie with thy mercy and that soone that I may reioyce and be glad al my dayes Psal. 143. 8. Let the beauty of the Lord my God be vpon mee establish thou the worke of my hands vpon me ô prosper thou my handie worke Psal. 90. 17. A Prayer for the Morning GRacious Father rich in mercy to all thy children that call vpon thee accept I beseech thee this my morning Sacrifice of praise thanks giuing which with a willing heart and deuout affection I offer vnto thee in confidence of thy sonnes infinite merits and acknowledgement of thine euerlasting loue and those inestimable benefits which by him and for him and with him thou conferredst vpon me and all thine Elect in him How deare are the thoughts of thy mercies vnto me how great is the â—umme of them Who can value the precious Pearle of thy Word and treasure of thy grace Who can raise his thoughts and desires to the high price of our â—aling an incorruptâ—ble crowne of glory layd vp for vs in heauen Lord fit me with thy grace that I may abound in thanksgiuing and praises for it Enlarge my heart with thy loue that I may in some sort comprehend with al Saints the measure of thine infinite â—oue mâ—nifested to me in the faith of Iesus Christ and abundantly testified by writing my name in the booke of life before I was and engrauing me as a signet with thine owne image at my creation and when I had defaced and in a manner quite raced it out by renuing it in me againe and redeeming mee that had sold my selfe as a bondslaue vnder sinne and death not with corruptible things as gold siluer or pretious stones but with the inualuable and incorruptible blood of thine onely begotten son who gaue his life for my ransome and by his suffering and death hath purchased for me a crowne of life To whom therefore with thee and thy spirit which sealeth all thy mercies vnto me and me vnto the day of redemption bee ascribed the whole glory of my creation redemption sanctification and saluation For vnto me nothing belongeth but shame and confusion who insteede of embracing any mercy and answering thy loue prouoke thy iustice and incense thy wrath and grieue thy spirit and despight thy grace and as much as in me lyeth crucifie againe to my selfe the Lord of life and trample the blood of the New Testament vnder foot Such is my peruerse nature and vngratious disposition that the better thou art to me the worse I proue to thee What couldest thou haue done vnto mee that thou hast not done Thou hast planted me in a fruitfull country thou hast fenced mee with thy prouidence watered me with the former and latter raine of thy Word pruned me with milde and seasonable afflictions and thou castest continually the hot and bright beames of thy fauour vpon me and thou lookest for grapes but behold nothing but wilde grapes What remaineth therefore but that thou shouldest roote mee out of thy vineard and plant another in my
place that might bring forth better fruits Yet thou sparest mee and striuest to ouercome my euill nature with thy goodnesse Mine eyes gush out like riuers of waters for my sin and the sinne of this nation Doth not the land euen groane vnder the heauy burden of our transgressions Haue not our infectious sinnes long agoe deserued an infectious disease and our rebellions against thee the sword and our barrennesse in good workes a dearth and our want of penitent and compassionate teares a drouth our ouerflowing luxury a deluge and our burning lusts fier from heauen and our loathing the Manna of our soule a famine of the Word Notwithstanding thy mercie triumpheth ouer iustice and contrary to mine and all our deserts and aboue hope of any of vs thou sendest blessings for curses peace for trouble plenty for want beauty for ashes and the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse Who is a God like vnto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage who considerest not the euill that we do but the goodnesse which thou art This last night past for the sinnes of the former day thou mightest most iustly haue taken me away in the darke and east mee â—nto vtter darknesse But thou coueredst my sins and hiddest me safe vnder the shadow of thy wings and I haue taken quiet and comfortable rest and with ioy and cheerefulnesse I behold the day spring from on high come to visit me Lord let not these thy mercies because they are ordinary diminish but rather because they are continual increase my thankfull duties and religious obsequies vnto thee As thou heapest blessing vpon blessing so still adde grace to grace that thy goodnesse continued to me may make me continually better And sith now thou hast giuen mee a day more to my life grant that I may giue and consecrate it to thee by spending it wholly in thy seruice and the necessary duties of my calling Which that I may more cheerefully performe open thy hand to fit mee with all those good things I neede and stretch out thine arme to turne from me all the euills I feare Aboue all things keepe mee from the vnprofitable workes of darknesse that my sins turne not day into night sith thy goodnesse hath turned night into day Awake my soule from carnall security as thou hast my body from sleepe that I may stand vp from the dead and Christ may giue me light to walke honestly vprightly and circumspectly as becommeth the childe of the day And that I be not ashamed to walke naked in the light put vpon mee the true wedding garment and couer me with the robes of thy sonnes righteousnesse And as the light of the Sunne shineth before mee so grant that my light may shine before men that they may see my good workes and glorifie thee my heauenly Father And because thou art the light which enlightneth euery man that commeth into the world cast I beseech thee the bright beames of thy fauour vpon thy whole Church Propagate thy Gospell through the whole world and by the preaching of thy Word adde those daily to the Church that shall be saued Say to the North Giue and to the South Restore and speedily accomplish the number of thine Elect and so Come Lord Iesu come quickly More particularly I pray thee for the prosperous and flourishing estate of the Churches of great Britaine and Ireland Crowne the Kings Maiesty with all royall graces befitting his high calling Establish his Throne that hee may aduance thy Kingdome Blesse our Queene that she may bee a nursing Mother to thy Spowse Blesse the Prince and Princesse Palatine and all the royall Issue that in their stocke the roote of Iesse may spring vp and flourish ouer the whole earth Blesse the Nobles and Peeres of this Realme that they may maintaine thine Honour and support thy Gospell Blesse the Bishops and Ministers that they may preserue thy worship and carefully feede thy flocke Blesse the Iudges and Magistrates that they may execute thy iudgements and keepe thy peace Blesse the Captaines and Soldiers that they may fight thy warres and defend thy Church Finally blesse all thy people that they may obey thy Gospell and enlarge thy Kingdome And giue mee grace in this my day to learne and follow the things that belong to my peace to accept the saluation now offered vnto mee and bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life So be it deare Father for the merits and Passion of thy Sonne by the powerfull operation of the holy Ghost with whose assistance I summe vp all my requests and tender them vnto thee in that forme of Prayer which thy Son hath taught me saying Our Father which art in heauen c. The close out of Scripture THe Lord blesse me and keepe me The Lord make his face shine vpon me and be gratious vnto me The Lord lift vp his countenance vpon me and giue mee peace The Admonition for the Euening IF any man walke in the day hee stumbleth not because hee seeth the light of this world Ioh 11. 9. But if a man walke in the night hee stumbleth because there is no light in him verse 10. Walke while yee haue the light least darknesse come vpon you for hee that walketh in darknesse knoweth not whither he goeth Ioh. 12. 35. While ye haue the light beleeue in the light that yee may be the children of the light verse 36. Worke while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke Ioh. 9. 4. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse rather then light because their deeds were euill Ioh. 3. 19. For euery one that doeth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light least his deedes should be reproued verse 20. He that hateth his brother is in darknesse and walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whither he goeth because darknesse hath blinded his eyes 1 Ioh. 2. 11. Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath Ephesians 4. 26. And haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknes but reproue them rather Eph. 5. 11. For it is a shame euen to speake of those things which are done of them in secret verse 12. Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day ye are not of the night nor of darknesse 1 Thes. 5. 5. Therefore sleepe not in sinne and carnall security as doe others but watch verse 6. Watch yee for yee know not when the Master of the house commeth at euen or at midnight or at the Cock-crowing or in the morning least comming suddenly he finde you sleeping Mar. 13. 35. A Hymne for the Euening IT is a good thing to giue thankes vnto the Lord and to sing praises vnto thy Name O thou most high Psal. 92. 1. To shew forth thy louing kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnes euery night ver 2. For day vnto day vttereth speech and night vnto night
Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words Isa. 58. 13. Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride vpon the high places of the earth and feede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it ver 14. When the first day of the weeke began Marie Magdalen and the other Marie came to the sepulcher Math. 28. 1. Marke 16. 1. Iohn 20. 1. And behold there was a great earth-quake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and rolled backe the stone from the doore and sate vpon it Math. 28. 2. And the Angell answered and said to the woman Feare yee not for I know that ye seeke Iesus that was crucified Math. 28. 6. He is not here for he is risen ver 7. And when the day of Pentecost was come they were all with one accord in one place Acts 2. 1. And suddenly there came a sound from heauen as of a rushing mightie wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting ver 2. And they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance ver 4. Euery first day of the weeke let euerie one lay aside as God hath prospered him c. 1. Corinth 16. 2. And the first day of the weeke the disciples being met together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them Acts 20. 7. And I was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as it had bene of a trumpet Reu. 1. 10. THE MORNING HYMNE for the Sabbath or the Lords day Wherein the deuout soule expresseth her performance at least in desire of all holy duties requisite on the Sabbath which are 1 Priuate as a 1. Premeditation b 2. Early rising or watchfulnesse c 3. The soules examination of her selfe d 4. Prayer at home consisting of 1. Confession of sinne e Originall f Actuall g 2. Profession of faith 3. Supplication for h 1. The Church i 2. The King k 3. The Minister l 4. Our selues 2 Publike as m 1. Going to the Church n 2. Ioyning in publike prayers and thankesgiuing with the congregation o 3. Hearing the word p 4. Contributing to the poore a I haue thought vpon thy Name in the night season and haue kept thy Law Psal. 119. 55. b Early in the morning do I cry vnto thee for in thy word is my trust ver 147. c I called mine owne wayes to remembrance and turned my foote to thy testimonies ver 59. d I will make my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart be mercifull vnto me according to thy word ver 58. e Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me Psal. 51. 3. f Who can tell how oft hee offendeth O cleanse thou mee from my secret faults Psal. 19. 12. g I said I will confesse my sin and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne Psal. 32. 6. h O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem Psal. 51. 19. Thou shalt arise ô Lord and haue mercie vpon Sion for it is time that thou haue mercie vppon her yea the time is come Psal. 102. 13. For why thy seruants thinke vpon her stones and it grieueth them to see her in the dust ver 14. i Giue the King thy iudgements ô Lord and thy righteousnesse to the Kings sonne Psal. 72. 1. Then shall hee iudge the people according vnto right and defend the poore ver 2. Hee shall keepe the simple by the right and punish the wrong doer ver 4. k Let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousnesse and let thy Saints sing with ioyfulnesse Psal. 132. 9. l O send out thy light and thy truth that they may leade mee and bring mee to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling Psal. 43. 3. m I was glad when they said vnto me Let vs go into the house of the Lord. Open me the gates of righteousnesse that I may go in and giue thanks to the Lord. Psal. 118. 19. n O magnifie the Lord our God and let vs fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy Psal. 99. 5. o The Lord gaue the word great was the companie of the Preachers Psal. 68. 11. I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning me for hee shall speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they turne not againe Psal. 85. 8. For his saluation is nigh them that feare him that glorie may dwell in our land ver 9. p O my soule thou hast said vnto the Lord Thou art my God my goods are nothing vnto thee Psal. 16. 2. All my delight is vpon the Saints and such as excell in vertue ver 3. An offering of a free heart will I giue thee and praise thy name because it is so comfortable Psal. 58. 7. A Prayer for the Sabbath Morning BLessed Creator and Author and finisher of the saluation of man-kind who in memorie of thy glorious rest from both thy noble workes hast blessed and sanctified a day of holy rest vnto thy selfe sanctifie me for it that laying aside my accustomed businesse and sequestring my thoughts from all worldly cares I may keepe it and my selfe holy to thee by dedicating it and deuoting my selfe wholly to thy peculiar worship and immediate seruice And to the end that this my religious seruice may bee more acceptable to thee quicken me with thy Spirit that I may performe it with all alacritie and chearefulnesse and may make thy Sabbath my delight Touch my heart and tongue with a coale from thine Altar that from the sweet incense of my meditations hymnes prayers and thanksgiuing thou mayest smell a sauour of rest O holy Lord God of Sabbath sanctifie thy rest vnto me let thy Spirit rest in me that I may find rest to my soule from all tentations troubles and feares and may rest from my owne workes which are painefull and sinfull trauels and may employ this day all the powers and faculties of my soule and bodie in doing and considering thy workes in adoring thy Maiestie and admiring thy wisdome and acknowledgeing thy power and embracing thy loue and magnifying thy goodnesse and reioycing in thy mercies trembling at thy iudgements In visiting thy holy Temple and praising thee with thy Saints and offering vp the calues of my lips In diligently reading thy Scriptures attentiuely hearing thy word reuerently celebrating thy mysteries charitably relieuing thy members and zealously practising all holy duties both publike and priuate O let me this whole day walke with thee as Enoch did and talke with thee as Moses did and seeke thy face as Dauid did And grant that beholding thine image in thine holy word as in a cleare and cristall mirrour I may bee changed into the same image euen from glorie to glorie Let this Sabbath put
come then that which is in part shall be abolished 1 Cor. 13. 10. Loue doth neuer fall away though that prophecying be abolished or that tongues cease c. ver 8. I pray that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee euen that they may be also one in vs c. Ioh. 17. 21. An Hymne for the Sabbath Euening REturne to thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee Psal. 116. 7. In Gods Word will I reioyce in the Lords Word will I comfort me Psal. 56. 10. The words of the Lord are pure words like as siluer which from the earth is tryed and purified seauen times in the fire Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will bee alway praysing thee They will goe from strength to strength and to the God of Gods appeareth euery one of them in Sion Psal. 84. 47. I will giue thankes to the Lord in the Congregation from the ground of the heart Psal. 68 26. Vnto thee ô God I will pay my vowes vnto thee will I giue thanks Psal. 56. 12. Shew the light of thy countenance vpon thy seruant and teach me thy Statutes Psalme 119. An Euening Prayer for the Sabbath HOly holy holy Lord God Almighty which was which art and which art to come hallow my nature that I may hallow thy Name As thou impartest thy goodnes to me whereby I liue and moue in thee so I beseech thee communicate to mee some measure of thy holinesse that I may liue and moue to thee Let thy Spirit of grace possesse my body and soule that the desires of my minde and thoughts of my heart and words of my lipps may be holinesse vnto thee Sanctifie me that I may glorifie thee And first with ioy and thankfulnesse I acknowledge it a special testimony of thy loue that thou hast giuen me liberty and meanes to keepe a holy Sabbath vnto thee to meete in thy House to offer vp my ioynt-prayers and thanks-giuing with thy holy congregation to confesse my sinnes to professe my faith to lay open my wants to cheere vp my selfe by singing the sweete songs of Sion to heare thy sacred Word read and Preached whereby my faith hath beene strengthened in the misteries of saluation my hope established in the promises of thy Gospell and my life set forward in a setled course of holinesse and righteousnesse whereby the Kingdome of sinne and Satan is beate down and destroyed and the Kingdome of Christ built vp in me By this thy Word the carelesse sinner is admonished the ignorant instructed the presumptuous terrified and the penitent comforted the power of sinne is abated the force of temptations weakned the motions of the spirit quickned grace reuined and my Election assured by these insallible Marks and tokens thereof set before me in holy Scriptures Blessed bee thy Name for it this day thy Word hath dwelt with me richly in all wisedome The dispenser of thy misteries hath scattered many Doctrines like so many pearles among thy people Lord grant that with Mary I keepe these and all thy sayings in my heart and make vse of them in my life and receiue comfort from them at my death And here I would proceed to intreate at thy hands the continuance and increase of thy spiritual and temporall blessings vpon mee but my sinnes lye at the doore of my conscience and affright mee My heart smites mee for my failings in the performance of the duties of thy Sabbath My deuout Meditations haue bin stefled in the wombe that bare them my prayers haue not beene without distractions my hearing without wearisomenesse nor my almes-deeds without grudging Pardon deare Father my want of preparation before I come to thine house of intention and Zeale at thy seruice and want of Meditation and Application of those things which I heard there since I came thence Bury I beseech thee these slips and all other my sins especially of this weeke and day in the night of eternall obliuion Ease me of the burden of them that I may more securely repose my body and soule vpon thy gracious protection to take their naturall refreshing by sleepe whereby I may bee enabled and strengthened to doe thee better seruice the next day in walking carefully diligently conscionably and constantly in the waies of thy commandements and the duties of my calling The close out of Scripture Now the very God of peace sanctify mee throughout and I pray God that my whole spirit and soule and body may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ Amen THE PRACTICE of Extraordinarie DEVOTION In the Religious obseruation of Christian Feasts as namely our Lords Birth Circumcision Epiphanie Resurrection Ascension Sending downe the Holy Ghost Fasts as namely Ashwednesday Good friday By Daniel Featly Doctor in Diuinity LONDON Printed by G. M. and R. B. for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at his shop at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1626. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE and Religious Ladie the Countesse of DENBIGH May it please your Honour YOur conference with me about my conference with the Iesuites and your gracious acceptation of the relation and defence thereof left in me such an impression of the Character of your Noble and Religious disposition that I euer since desired the aduantage of some good opportunitie to testifie my dutifull respect to your Honour The truth of God receiueth not onely support but great honour from the patronage and countenance of great Personages and she much glorieth in finding so strong a Champion euen in the weaker sexe Albeit the Sun-beames are alwayes most bright in themselues yet they neuer appeare so glorious to vs as when they fall vpon crystall glasse or pretious stones In like sort Religion and vertue the raies of diuine light in the soule although they shine alwayes brightly in themselues yet they neuer seeme so conspicuous and resplendent as when they receiue some luster from the subiect when Nobilitie of birth and minde concurre when ornaments of bodie and soule meete when eminencie of grace eminency of conditions toyne in one and reflect mutually each on the other And verily if your more then or dinarie fauour and respect to the Ministers of the Gospell and to my selfe in particular had not made this my voluntarie oblation a necessarie obligation to your Ladiship yet your constancie in the truth and loue to Sion and her solemne and sacred assemblies might iustly challenge to your Honour the Dedication of this part of my HAND-MAIDES Taske which is to furnish Christian fastes and feasts with proper MEDITATIONS HYMNES and PRAYERS As our bodie liues to the soule by which it liueth so our soule should liue to God by whom it liueth And no otherwise is the life of the bodie preserued by heate and moisture then the life of the soule is maintained and kept by the heate of diuine loue and radicall moisture of teares bedewing the heart
roote of a true penitent To kindle the one and feede the other I Dedicate and deuote the DEVOTION of this part of my HAND-MAIDE to your Honour For the feasts representing to your Religious thoughts what Christ hath done for you will through the blasts of Gods Spirit inflame the heate of heauenly loue in you and the fasts admonishing you what Christ hath suffered for you must needs yeeld aboundant matter to supply the springs of godly sorrow In heauen ioy taketh vp all times and parts in hell sorrow on earth they diuide In heauen there is ioy without sorrow in hell sorrow without ioy on earth sorrow and ioy act their parts fasts and feasts haue their courses mirth and mourning their turnes and at euerie turne my HAND-MAIDE is readie to attend you either with sackcloth for the one or the wedding garment for the other S. Bernard taking his ground from those words of the Prophet Ioel Rent your hearts c. and returne to the Lord with your whole heart thus pleasantly descanteth therupon We cannot returne vnto the Lord with our whole heart vnlesse it be broken first with true contrition There is no whole heart but a rent heart no sound heart but a broken S. Ierome according in the same note summeth vp the whole practice of a deuoute soule in her priuate carriage with God in these words She sorroweth after a godly manner and reioyceth for that sorrow Godly sorrow for sinne and holy ioy for that sorrow is the whole Deuoute man Madame if my Meditations vpon the fasting suffering and death of our Sauiour make you sad and sorrowfull remember out of S. Ierome that you ought to be ioyfull for such sorrow If the piercing Texts of holy Seripture in the ADMONITIONS and HYMNES appointed for the Christian fasts diuide betweene your soule and spirit and bruse if not breake your heart with an holy sympathy remember out of S. Bernard that There is no returning to God with a whole heart but by breaking it And if you find in the whole Deuotion of Fasts matter of pensiuenesse and griefe in the Christian feasts you shall haue store of oyle to make you a cheerfull countenance and reuiue your deaded thoughts The heart of a man is in continuall motion it alwayes either dilateth it selfe or contracteth and the hidden man of the heart in like manner hath his Systole and Diastole as the Anatomists speake his heart continually either enlargeth it selfe by ioy or contracteth it selfe by sorrow And no doubt when God bespeakes our hearts for himselfe he especially expects and respects these motions thereof and affections producing them He will haue vs ioy in him and sorrow and long after him Ioy in his fauour and sorrow in his displeasure Ioy in his promise and sorrow at his threates Ioy in the holy Ghost and sorrow in our owne spirits Feast to him in a thankefull profession of his gracious goodnesse and fast to him in an humble confession of sinfull wickednesse Like the Heliotropium turne alwayes to the Sunne open when he sheddeth abroade his beames and shut when he draweth them in Inlarge our hearts with ioy at his gracious presence and sorrowfully shut and contract them when he is or seemeth to be absent from vs. Thus if our ioy be the interpreter of our loue to him and our sorrow of our desire of him if our ioy be holy and our sorrow holy if our feasts be feasts of Deuotion and our fasts be fasts of contrition our gracious Redeemer will vouchsafe to be present at both he will feast and fast with vs. At our fasts he will weepe for our spirituall as he did for Lazarus his corporall death At our feasts he will turne our water into wine and rauish our soules with heauenly melodie Our feasts shall be as temperate and holy as fasts and our fasts as comfortable as feasts A good conscience shall be vnto vs a continuall feast here and the Marriage supper of the Lamb an euerlasting feast hereafter To both which feasts God by his Spirit which biddeth you bring you for his sake who by his fasts and sorrowes on earth hath purchased for vs euerlasting feasts and ioyes in heauen In whom I rest Your Honour 's to dispose of DANIEL FEATLY PART 1. SVPPART 3. The Festiuall's Deuotion The Feast of the Birth of our Lord IESVS CHRIST The ground of this feast Prophecies in the old Testament Histories in the New of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God PARALELL Prophecie The Seede of the woman shall break the Serpents head Historie He took not on him the nature of Angels but he tooke the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. In the fulnes of time God sent his Sonne made of a woman Gal. 4. 4. The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a lawgiuer from betweene his feete vntill SHILOH come Gen. 49. 10. Christ is called Shiloh from an Hebrew word signifying to send or to saue or secundinam to intimate Christs virgin birth quasifilium secundinoe When IESVS was borne in Bethlem of Iudea in the daies of Herod the king who raigned when Christ was born was a stranger and so the Scepter was then departed from Iuda Mat. 2. 1. The Lord himselfe shall giue you a signe Be hold a Virgin shal conceiue beare a sonne and shall call his name Immanuel Isa. 7. 14. Ioseph being raised from sleepe did as the Angell of the LORD had bidden him and tooke vnto him his wife Mat. 1. 24. But knew her not till she had brought forth her first begotten Sonne and hee called his name IESVS ver 25. For vnto vs a child is borne vnto vs a sonne is giuen Isa. 9. 6. The Angel said Vnto you is borne this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is CHRIST the Lord. Luk. 2. 11. But thou Bethlem EPHRATA though thou bee little among the thousands of Iuda yet out of thee shall hee come forth to me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth haue bin from old and from euerlasting Mich. 5. 2. When Iesus was borne in Bethlem c. Mat. 2. 1. Ioseph went to the City of Dauid called Bethlem Luk. 2. 4. And the dayes were accomplished that she should bee deliuered verse 6. And shee brought forth her first borne sonne verse 7. For thine instruction meditate on Christs birth For thy comfort apply the benefits to thy selfe For thy correction examine thy new birth and life and quicken Thine obedience by the exhortation Thy thankfulnesse by the Hymne Thy Zeale and Deuotion by the prayer AN EXHORTATION TO STRIVE AND PRAY for the state of grace and regeneration THE ANALISIS Wee must defire and pray that we may bee regenerated and borne anew because by it we obtaine 1 Entrance into the Kingdome of Grace Glory 2 Knowledge 3 Liberty from Corruption Raigning sin 4 Adoption and the title of the Sonnes of God 5 The preheminency of the first borne 6 The spirit of supplication and accesse
in the heart onely or sinnes brought forth into act Sinnes in my beliefe or sinnes in my life Sinnes once committed or often repeated Sinnes before or after my calling Sinnes of impiety against thee or sinnes of iniquity against my neighbour or sins of impurity against mine owne flesh for of all these I haue a great loade They are more in number then the haires of my head they are a burden too heauy for me to beare They lie vpon my conscience like so many Talents of lead and would presse mee downe to hell did not thy mercy take hold of the hand of my faith to support me in hope euen aboue hope How should I hope if I thinke vpon thy greatnesse How should I not hope if I think vpon thy goodnesse How should I hope if I weigh my sinnes How should I not hope if I weigh thy merits How should I hope if I consider my actions How should I not hope if I consider thy passions How should I hope if I number my transgressions How should I not hope if I number thy blessings and fauours towards mee How should I hope if I remember how oft I haue refused grace after it hath bin offered to mee How can I but hope if I remember how oft grace hath bin offered mee after I refused it And still hope I wil as long as thou reteinest thy name Iesu which this day thou receiuedst when thou offeredst the first fruits of thy blood for my sin without which thou couldest not haue bin my Iesus For so fowle and festered were my soares that nothing could heale them but a bloody knife But why should this bloody instrument be applyed to thy purest tenderest immaculate flesh made all of Virgins blood There was no superfluity to be pared off in thee no ranke blood to bee let out The superfluous skinne was on me yet the knife is on thee The festered sores were in my body yet the Launce is in thy flesh Thou hast the paine I the ease thou the smart I the cure O wonderfull cure O more wonderfull loue Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings as thou hast ordained so maist thou iustly chalenge praise who in thy infancy madest such an assay of my redemption and tendered the earnest of thy blood for me Not nine dayes old thou sheddest dropps of blood for me farre more precious then so many drops of the richest balsamom to cure my wounds Let all flesh praise thee who healedst it by thy wounds Eternall thankes be giuen to thee for thy circumcision whereby thou hast abolished circumcision it selfe and prouided mee an easier remedy of originall sinne the sacred lauer of regeneration Water now serueth insteede of blood and a gentle rubbing of the flesh for cutting and wounding it By the circumcision of thy flesh thou hast also merited for me the fulfilling of thy fathers promise and condition of his couenant to circumcise the foreskinne of our hearts By this thy razor thou hast fitted the tables of my heart now write thy lawes loue in them By receiuing this seale of the couenant in thy flesh thou hast sealed to me thy care of mee in thy nonage First ô Lord I am euerlastingly to praise thee for taking my flesh vp on thee and next for leauing part of it with mee as a pledg of thy loue thou bearedst for me from thy mothers wombe In thy infancy thou bleddest for me in thy twelfth yere thou arguedst for me in thy youth thou obeyedst for me and in thy ripe perfect age thou sufferedst and dyedst for me To thee therefore as it is my bounden duty I offer the budds of my childe-hood the blossoms of my youth and the fruits of my age As thou betimes didst set to the worke of my redemption and and on those termes acceptedst the name Iesus so let me betimes giue my name to thee and enter into thy seruice Let mee beare thy yoke euen from my youth Lord who this day wert circumcised in the flesh circumcise me in the heart that I may in purity sincerity and vprightnesse of heart walke before thee all the dayes of my life Neither circumcise my heart onely but my eares eyes hands heart and feete that no superfluity of maliciousnesse nor impurity remaine in me Now thou hast renewed the face of the earth renew this day and repaire thy decaied Image in me Thou hast begunne a new yeere beginne in me a new reformation Make me I beseech thee a cleane heart and renew a right spirit within me The yeere like the serpent hath cast off his old skinne and put on a new let mee also cast off my old man and put on the new man and from this day to my old age and death walke in newnesse of life that I may be a fit guest to be admitted into the new heauen where dwelleth righteousnesse and to be entertained at thy table and drinke new wine with thee in thy heauenly Kingdome for euermore Amen THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY OR TWELFE-DAYE'S DEVOTION The ground of this feast Prophecie in the old History in the new Testament of our Lords manifestation to the gentiles PARALELL Prophecie There shall come a starre out of Iacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel Num. 24. 17. History Lo the starre which they saw in the east went before them till it came to the place where the childe was Mat. 2. 9. When they saw the starre they were exceeding glad and went into the house and found the childe with Mary his mother verse 10. The daughter of Tyre shall bee there with a gift like as the rich also among the people shall doe homage before thy face with presents Psal. 45. 12. They fel down and worshipped him Mat. 2. 11. Kings shall bring presents vnto thee Psal. 68 29. The kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts Psal. 72. 10. And opened their treasures and presented to him c. Mat. 2. 11. All thy garments smel of Mirrh Aloes and Cassia Psal. 45. 9. To him shall be giuen of the gould of Arabia c. Psal. 72. 15. Gold and incense Mirrh Mat. 2. 11. For thy instruction meditate on the Prophecy Historie of Christ's manifestatiō For thy comfort apply to thy selfe the benefits thereof For thy correction reprooue thy backwardnesse in comming to Christ and honouring him with thy substance Quicken Thy Charitie by the admonition Thy FAITH by the Psalme Thy Zeale and deuotion by the prayer THE ADMONITION for Twelfe-day THE ANALYSIS We ought freely and liberally to offer to God and his Church because we haue in Scriptures Commandements for it Examples of it Promises vnto it Threats to the cōtrary THE TEXTS TAke from among you an offering to the Lord Whosoeuer is of a willing heart let him bring it an offering of the Lord c. Exod. 35. 5. Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase Prou. 3. 9. Be reconciled to thy brother and then
drinkes neither in feasting or fasting and Tertullian's censure is obseruable Hee that worshippeth God by meates or placeth worship in them is not farre off from making his belly his god yet it may bee truly called not only a good work but also a religious i. e. a worke commanded by religion and tending to religion as a preparation and helpe thereunto 〈…〉 to two 1 The Spirituall or metaphoricall fast of the soule which is the abstinence from the forbidden fruit of sin and this Fast although it may truly be so termed in regard of the restraint of our carnall appetites which as greedily desire sinfull objects as our stomake doth meate yet it is indeed a Feast as Salomon calleth it A good conscience is a continuall Feast 2 Corporall when wee abstaine from bodily sustenance and this is also 2 fold 1 Constrained and inuoluntary when Either we want meate to our stomake as in famine Or stomake to our meat as in sicknesse 2 Voluntary vndertaken deliberately when we abstaine from meate though wee could and might eate and this is 3 fold 1 Medicinall when wee forbeare either certaine meates or all meate for a while for the preuenting of sicknesse or recouering health 2 Ciuill when some kinde of meate is forborne for the profit of the Common-wealth 3 Religious when our abstinence is for the mortifying of our flesh and fitting and preparing vs to religious duties This also is either 1 Priuate in which euery man's conscience guided by Scripture and discretion must bee his law 2 Publike for which there must be a command from lawfull authority These publike fasts are either 1 Extraordinary as in time of warre plague or the like 2 Ordinary as the holiday Eues Embers anâ— Lent Fasts Place this first and second Table of Fasting in M btween fol. 260 and 261. Of the Lent Fast. THe Lent Fast is a mixed constitution partly ciuill appointed by the King or State to preserue young cattell spend fish and encourage fishermen partly Ecclesiasticall ordered by the Church for religious ends As those that haue a care of their bodily health vsualy purge in the Spring so the Church of God hath thought fit to prescribe this physick of fasting for the soule in the same season of the yeere for these ends especially 1. To beate downe the flesh at that season when by reason of the heate of the blood it vsually waxeth most wanton The ancient Romans vsed to hallow a spring to God and the Primitiue Church disdaining to bee outstripped by the heathen in any thing that sauored of Deuotion likewise consecrated the spring to the more strickt Seruice of God by fasting and prayer then at other times 2. To conforme the members to the Head In this season of the yeere our Lord's Agony and bitter Passion were endured and are remembred and therefore most fit it is that by fasting watching and teares wee expresse true remorse and sorrow for those our sinnes which were the causes of those his sufferings Godfrey of Bulloigne after he had conquered the holy land and regained it from the Saracens yet would neuer bee crowned there saying That it was not fit that the seruant should were a crowne of gold there where the Lord and Master ware a crowne of thornes Neither would Christ's dearest Spowse at that time of the yeere crowne her selfe with rose-budds in which Christ ware that crowne of thornes nor lye in beddes of downe when hee lay on the hard bed of his Crosse nor fare deliciously or drinke liberally when hee had nothing but gall giuen him to eate and viniger to drinke 3 To prepare vs to the celebration of the Feast of Easter and the participation of the Blessed Sacrament VVhat time fitter to call our selues to an accompt for the whole yeere then at or before the time which the Church hath appointed is in it selfe most proper for the most generall and solemne communion of the Lords Bodie and Bloud 4 To celebrate and as farre as wee are able to imitate our Lord 's fast of fortie dayes at least by some kind of abstinence during that whole time to imprint that miraculous fast of our Sauiour for vs deeper in our memories Question Doth the Church of England keepe the Lent fast as religious or a meere ciuill constitution Answere Not as a meere ciuill but also a religious sanction for as it appeareth in the booke of Common Prayer speciall Collects Epistles and Gospells with a Commination are appointed for diuers dayes in Lent Obiection Is it not Popery to keepe strictly the Lent fast as a religious institution An. It is not for First The religious obseruation of Lent is far more ancient then popery There are such euident prints and footsteps of it in the Authenticall Records of the Primitiue Church that he is altogether ignorant in the writings of the Fathers or blinde that seeth them not Secondly we keepe not Lent as the Papists doe but as the antient Christians did before Popery was hatched As in other things so in this we purge away the drosse wee retaine the gold wee remoue the abuse wee preserue the vse 1. Wee place not Religion or the substance of Gods worship in abstaining from any kinde of meate 2. We renounce all merit by fasting 3. Wee abstaine not from flesh as being any way conceiued by vs to bee more vnholy then fish 4. We doe not equalize humane constitutions Ecclesiastical or Ciuill to Diuine Lawes The one we teach directly and immediately to binde the conscience the other but indirectly iâ—mediately 5. We keepe it not by vertue of any papal constitution but in conformity to the ancient Church and obedience to his Maiesties Ecclesiasticall Lawes THE LENT' 's DEVOTION beginning on Ashwednesday â‚ The ground or at least the occasion of this Fast. In the Old Testament TYPES In the New an example in our LORD'S Fast. The Type Moses was with the LORD fortie dayes and fortie nights he did neither eate bread nor drinke water Exod. 34. 28. Hee went in the strength of that meate fortie dayes and fortie nights till hee came to Horeb the Mount of God 1. Kings 19. 8. Example Then Iesus c. Mat. 4. 1. And when he had fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights afterward he was an hungry ver 2. Being 40 daies tempted of the diuell and in those daies he did eat nothing Luke 4. 2. And the diuell tooke him vp into an high mountaine ver 5. IVdicious Caluin Videlius other excellent learned Doctors of the reformed church teach that this Fast of Christ was miraculous so no patterne for our imitation and they put Saint Chrisostome vpon it also whose words are Christ said Learne of mee not that I fast although hee could haue sayd so for he fasted forty dayes yet he saith not that but Learne of mee that I am meeke and lowly in heart The solution is not difficult for Christ's Fast may be considered two waies First
the earth and of them that remaine in the broad Sea ver 5. Thou stillest the raging of the Sea and the noise of the waues and the madnesse of his people ver 7. They that dwell in the vttermost parts of the earth shall bee afraid of thy tokens thou that makest the our goings of the Morning and Euening to praise thee ver 8. Thou visitest the earth and blessest it thou makest it very plenteous ver 9. Thou waterest her furrowes thou sendest raine into the little Vallies thereof thou makest it sofi with the drops of raine and blessest the encrease of it ver 11. Thou crownest thy yeeres with thy goodnesse and thy clouds drop fatnesse ver 12. They shall drop vpon the dwellings of the wildernesse and the little hils shall reioyce on euery side ver 13. Hee gathereth the waters of the Sea together and layeth vp the deepe as in a Treasure-house Psal. 33. 7. O praise the Lord of Heauen praise him in the height Psal. 148. 1. Praise him all ye Heauens and ye waters that bee aboue the Heauens ver 4. Praise the Lord vpon earth yee Dragons and all deepes ver 7. Fire and Haile Snow and vapours wind and storme fulfilling his Word ver 8. Sing vnto God ò ye Kingdomes of the earth ô sing praises vnto the Lord Psal. 68. 32. Which sitteth in the Heauens ouer all from the beginning loe he doth send out his voice yea and that a mighty voice ver 33. Ascribe ye power vnto God his worship and strength are in the Clouds ver 34. The Admonition for Munday being an Exhortation to humility or pouerty in Spirit Wherunto our Sauiour ascribeth the first BEATITVDE THE ANALYSIS The speciall motiues to humility set down in the Scriptures are 1 God's infinite Majestie puritie perfection 2 Mans vilenesse sinfulnesse wretchednesse wants of vvhich before See the Preparation to Prayer 3 Diuine Precepts 4 Holy patterns of this vertue in God the Father Christ. The Saints vnder the Lawe Gospell 5 Gratious promises made to the humble of 1 Neerenesse societie with God 2 Sauing knowledge 3 Sanctifying grace 4 Honour and preferment 5 Eternal blessednes in heauen THE TEXTS TAke my Yoake vpon you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and you shall finde rest to your soules Mat. 11. 29. Vnlesse yee become as one of these little ones yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Mat. 18. 23. Cast downe your selues before the Lord and he will lift you vp Iam. 4. 10. Decke your selues inwardly with lowlinesse of minde 1. Pet. 5. 5. Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God that he may raise you in due time verse 6. Who is like to the Lord our God that hath his dwelling on high and yet humbleth himselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and in earth Psal. 113. 5. I am among you as hee that ministreth Luke 22. 17. And he began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the towell wherewith hee was girded Iohn 13. 5. He emptied himselfe or made himselfe of no reputation Phil. 2. 7. He humbled himselfe and became obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. 8. I will speake vnto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 17. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shewed to thy seruant Gen. 32. 10. And he said wherewith shall I saue Israel Behold my Father is poore in Manasseth and I am the least in my fathers house Iude 6. 15. Lord I am not high-minded c. Psal. 131. 1. And Dauid said vnto Saul who am I and what is my life and my father's family in Israel that I shall bee sonne in Law to a King 1. Sam. 18. 18. And now O Lord my God thou hast made thy seruant King in stead of Dauid my father and I am but a little child I know not how to goe in and out 1. King 3. 7. Notwithstanding Ezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart both hee and the inhabitants of Ierusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not vp them 2. Chron. 32. 20. Then Iob arose and rent his Mantle and shaued his head and fell downe vpon the ground and worshipped Iob 1. 20. O Lord God righteousnesse belongeth to thee but to vs confusion of face at this day Dan. 9. 7. He that commeth after me is greater then I whose shoo-latchet I am not worthy to vnloose Math. 3. 11. When hee was not farre from the house the Centurian sent vnto him saying Master trouble not thy selfe I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder the roofe of my house Luke 7. 6. When Simon Peter saw it hee fell downe on his knees saying Goe from me Lord for I am a sinfull man Luke 5. 8. The Publicane standing a farre off would not lift vp his eyes to heauen but striking his breast said Lord be mercifull to mee a sinner Luke â—8 15. I am the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle c. 1. Cor. 11. 9. Iesus Christ came to saue sinners whereof I am chiefe 1. Tim. 1. 15. I am the Rose of the field and the Lilly of the valleys Cant. 2. 1. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble contrite heart to reuiue the spirit of the humble Is. 57. 15 To this man will I look euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word Isa. 66. 2. When pride commeth then commeth shame but with the lowly is wisedome Prou. 11. 2. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and reuealed them vnto babes Math. 11. 21. Hee giueth more grace wherefore hee saith God resisteth the proud but giueth grace to the humble Iam. 4. 6. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty but before honour is humilitie Pro. 18. 1â— Hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Luke 14. 11. He raiseth the poore out of the mire and lifteth the needie out of the dunghill Psal. 113. 7. That he may set him with Princes euen with the Princes of his people verse 8. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Mat. 5. 3. THE PRAYER FOR Munday morning composed of 1. Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2. Motiues to humilitie agreeable to the precedent exhortation The Prayer it selfe The second dayes Deuotion FAther Almighty maker of heauen and earth who createdst the Euening and the Morning the second day as wel as the first Continue I beseech thee vnto mee as well the comfortable rest of the Euening to refresh mee after my labour and trauaile as the most needfull light of the Morning to manage my affaires and businesses But especially perpetuatt vnto mee the repose of a quieâ—
conscience and the cleare light of the Gospel to guide my feete into the way of peace This light conuinceth the errours of my vnderstanding the deprauation of my will the disorder of my affections the impurity of my thoghts the vanity of my desires the deceitfulnesse of my heart the wickednes of all my wayes This light sheweth mee what I was in my birth slime and filthinesse what in my life vanity and folly and what in my death stench rottennesse This light discouereth vnto me that I haue nothing which I haue not receiued that without Christ I can doe nothing that in me that is in my body dwelleth no good that I am not able of my selfe as of my self think a good thought that I cannot desire to thinke nor haue wil to desire nor grace to will any good My comforts are rare my crosses frequent my pleasures momentary my paines permanent my gifts small my wants and infirmities great my helpes weake my assaults strong my good deeds few and they tainted with imperfections my sinnes infinite Let these considerations O Lord humble me in my selfe that Christ may raise me wound mee in my selfe that Christ may heale me burden mee in my selfe that Christ may ease me kill mee in my owne conceits that Christ may quicken me make mee most vile in mine own eyes that I may bee most deare and precious in his O Lord which as vpon this day createdst the clouds to raine vpon the earth showre downe thy graces abundantly into my heart to mollifie it that the seede of the Word may take deepe root downeward in humility and spring vpward in hope and spread abroad by charity and fructifie in all kindes of good workes Lord who this day separatedst the waters from the waters separate I beseech thee and distinguish betweene the waters of teares which I shed for my sinnes and those others which I shed for worldly crosses and calamities Cast away the one and put the the other into thy bottle Lord who this day madest the heauens or ayre without which I cannot liue naturally no not for a moment infuse into my heart the Spirit of grace without which spiritually I cannot breathe in my prayers nor sigh nor so much as moue any facultie or part of soule or body vnto thee As oft as I take in or let out the aire which I breathe let mee receiue in grace from thee and breathe out praise vnto thee Amen The close out of Scripture The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with me 2. Cor. 13. vlt. The Euening's Deuotion for Munday THE HYMNE Heare me O Lord in the multitude of thy mercies euen in the truth of thy saluation Psal. 69. 14. Let not the water floods drowne mee nor the deepe swallow me vp and let not the pit shut her mouth vpon mee verse 16. Thou diddest diuide the sea through thy power and brakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters Psal. 74. 14. Thou smoest the heads of Leuiathan in pieces and gauest him to be meate for the people in the wildernesse verse 15. Thou broughtest out fountaines and waters out of the hard Rocks thou driedst vp mighty waters verse 16. Thou art the God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power among the people Psal. 77. 14. The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee and were afraid the depths also were troubled verse 16. The clouds powred out water the aire thundered and thine arrowes went abroad verse 17. The voice of thy thunder was heard round about the lightnings shone vpon the ground the earth was moued verse 18. Thou bringest forth clouds from the ends of the world and sendest forth Lightnings with the raine bringing the windes out of his treasures Psal. 135. The springs of water were seene and the foundations of the round world were discouered at thy chiding O Lord at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure Psal. 18. 15. Thy way is in the Sea and thy pathes in the great waters and thy footsteps are not knowne Psal. 77. 19. THE ADMONITION for Munday's Euening being an exhortation to meeknes THE ANALYSIS The speciall Arguments to perswade meeknes set downe in Scripture are drawne from 1. The causes Impulsiue 1 Diuine precepts 2 humane frailty Exemplary God the Father Sonne H. Ghost The Saints The creatures in which nature hath patern'd this vertue 2 The effects 1 Peace With God With men 2 Wealth 3 Wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding 4 Sanctifying graces the fruits of the Spirit 5 Blessednesse THE TEXTS PVt them in minde c. Tit. 3. 1. That they be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekenesse to all men verse 2. If any man bee ouertaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6. 1. I beseech you that yee walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with lowlinesse and meeknesse with long suffering forbearing one another in loue Ephes. 4. 2. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued the bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long-suffering Col. 3. 12. Forbearing one another forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue you so also doe ye verse 13. But thou O man of God flye these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith patience meekenesse 1. Tim. 6. 11. Dearely beloued auenge not your selues but rather giue place vnto wrath For it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Rom. 12. 19. Wherefore my beloued Brethren let euery man bee swift to heare slow to speake and slow to wrath Iam. 1. 19. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God verse 20. Look diligently least any man faile of the grace of God least any root of bitternesse spring vp and trouble you and thereby many be defiled Heb 12. 15. Consider thy selfe least thou also be tempted Gal. 6. 1. Let him among you that is without sinne cast the first stone Ioh. 8. 7. Hee shall haue iudgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy reioyceth against iudgement Iam. 3. 13. And they heard the voice of the Lord in the coole of the day walking in the garden c. Gen. 3. 8. And after the earthquake there was a fire but God was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice verse 12. in which voice God was And it was so when Eliah heard it c. verse 13. Neuerthelesse for thy great mercies sake thou diddest not vtterly consume them nor forsake them for thou art a gracious and mercifull God Nehem. 9. 31. God said to Ionah Doest thou well to be angry for thy Gourd Ion. 4. 9. Thou hast pitie on the Gourd for which thou hast not laboured which came in a night and perished in a night verse 10. And should not I spare Nineueh that great
Citie wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left and also much cattell verse 11. Tell the daughter of Soon Behold the King commeth vnto thee meeke Mat. 21. 5. He shall not striue nor crie neither shall any man heare his voice in the streets Mat. 1â— 19. A bruised reede shall hee not breake nor smoking flaxe shall hee not quench verse 20. I beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 1. The said Lord wilt thou command that wee call for fire from heauen c. Luk. 9. 54. But hee turned and rebuked them and said yee know not of what spirit yee are made verse 55. Loe the heauens were opened vnto him and hee saw the Spirit descending like a Doue and lightening vpon him Math. 3. 16. Now Moses was a very meeke man aboue all the men that were vpon the face of the earth Num. 12. 3. Let him curse seeing the Lord hath said vnto mee Curse Dauid who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so 2. Sam. 16. 10. My soule is euen as a weaned child Psal. 131. 3. But I was like a Lambe or an Oxe that is brought to the slaughter and I knew not that they had deuised deuises against me Ier. 11. 19. Iesus said it is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to Dogs Mar. 7. 27. And shee said vnto him Yes Lord yet the dogges vnder the table eate of the childrens crums verse 28. But wee were gentle among you euen as a nurse cherisheth her children 1. Thes. 2. 7. Thy name is as an ointment powred out Cant. 1. The anointment which ye haue receiued of him abideth in you 1. Ioh. 2. 27. I will giue them hearts of flesh Ezek. 11. 19. I send you as Lambes among wolues Luke 10. 3. Behold the Lambe of God c. Ioh. 1. 29. Hee was led as a sheepe to the slaughter and like a Lambe dumb before the shearer so opened hee not his mouth Acts 8. 32. Be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doues Mat 10. 16. Learne that I am meeke and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules Math 11. 29. The meeke shall prosper in the earth and shall delight themselues in the aboundance of peace Psal. 37. 11. The Lord lifteth vp the meeke Psal. 147. 6. The meeke shall hee guide in iudgement and the meeke will he teach his way Psal. 25. 9. Who is a wise man and indued with knowledge among you let him shew out of a good conuersation his workes in meekenesse of wisedome Iam. 3. 13. Receiue with meekenesse the word ingraffed in you which is able to saue your soules Iam. 1. 21. The wisedome which is from aboue is first pure then peaceable Iam. 3. 17. And the fruits of righteousnesse are sowne in peace of them that make peace verse 18. Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth Mat. 5. 5. The Prayer for Munday-Euening Composed of 1 Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2 Motiues to meeknesse agreeable to the precedent exhortation O Lambe of God which takest away the sinnes of the world who as vpon this day wert led as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a Lambe before thy Shearers openedst not thy mouth who gauest thy back to the smiters and thy cheeks to the nippers and thine armes to the binders and thy face to the spitters apply I beseech thee vnto mee these thy meeke sufferings Make that profitable to mee which thou enduredst for me Let thy bonds O meeke Redeemer set me free let thy silence pleade for me let thy spittle cure my blindnesse let thy stripes heale me let thy nakednesse cloth me and let thy meekenesse in all discipline me If thou who in the forme of God thoughtest it no robbery to be equall with God yet humbledst thy selfe didst become obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse shall not I meekely submit my necke to the yoke If thou who art God didst empty thy selfe and become of no reputation shall I that am but a worme of the earth fill my selfe and swell with pride If thou suffâ—redst blowes shall not I an affront If thou the Beauty of Heauen enduredst spitting vpon shall not I endure the fome of a loose tongue Shall I for a word of disgrace venter my owne life and assault the life of my brother Doe I value the life of my body and soule so low that I will pawne it for a toy a triflle a mocke a word God forbid Thy Law O God commandeth meekenesse thine example my Lord perswades meekenesse my condition requires meekenesse my frame and temper after a sort preacheth meekenesse Why hast thou giuen me a soft skinne but to patterne in my body this vertue of the minde Why hast thou giuen me a tender heart but to receiue deepe the impression of compassionate griefe Why hast thou giuen me melting eyes but to weepe for mine owne infirmities and my brethrens calamities Why am I brought into the world disarmed without any offensiue Weapon but to teach me that I should not fight with nor hurt any Thou O Lord hast created me a Lambe shall I by rage and cruelty make my selfe a Tyger Thou madest me as a soft rose of Sharon and Lillie of the Vallie shall I turne my selfe into a thorne and thistle I know Anger dis-figureth the body much more the soule It hurteth and endangereth others much more my selfe It is very offensiue to man much more to thee Wherefore I beseech thee let thy peace alwaies rule in my heart and quell and subdue all my rebellious affections especially this of wrath the most violent and impetuous of all the rest Weede out of my heart all accursed Thornes and Thistles that the seedes of thy Word may bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse which are sowne in peace of them that loue peace O let not the Sunne goe downe on thy wrath against me or my wrath against my brethren but grant that hauing made my peace with thee by faith in thy bloud with my brethren by forgiuing them from my heart and reconciling my selfe to them I may lay me downe in peace and take my rest And let thy hand O Sauiour which shall protect mee this night from all perills and dangers raise me the next morning to serue thee in my calling and magnifie thy goodnesse for all thy mercies and fauours vouchsafed vnto me So be it Amen I The close out of Scripture BLessing honour glory and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe for euer and ouer Amen Reuel 5. vlt. Tuesday's Deuotion being the third day from the Creation The Father worketh Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Creation GOd said againe Let the waters vnder the Heauen bee gathered into one place and let the dry land appeare and it was so Gen. 1. 9. And God called the
dry land earth and he called the gathering together of the waters Seas and God saw that it was good v. 10. Then God said Let the earth bud forth the bud of the herbe that seedeth seede the fruitfull tree which beareth fruit according to his kinde which hath his seede in it selfe vpon the earth and it was so ver 11. And the earth brought forth the bud of the herbe that seedeth seede according to his kind also the tree that beareth fruit which hath his seede in it selfe according to his kinde and God saw that it was good ver 12. So the Euening and the Morning were the third day ver 13. And I worke Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Redemption WHo is this that commeth from Edom with red garments from Bozrah He is glorious in his apparell and walketh in his great strength I speake in righteousnesse and am mighty to saue Isa. 63. 1. I haue troden the Wine-presse alone of all people there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and tread them vnder foot in my wrath and their bloud shall bee sprinkled vpon my garments and I will staine all my rayment ver 3. And two dayes after followed the Feast of the Passeouer and of vnleauened bread and the high Priests and Scribes sought how they might take him by craft and put him to death Mar. 14. 1. But they said Not on the feast day least there bee a tumult among the people ver 2. And when he was in Bethania in the house of Simon the Leper as he sate at Table there came a woman hauing a box of Ointment of Spikenard very costly and shee brake the Box and powred it on his head ver 3. For thine instruction meditate In the Morning vpon the worke of Creation In the Euening vpon the worke of Redemption For thy comfort apply the Vse of the one Benefit of the other For thy correction reproue thy Abuse of the one Vnthankfulnesse for the other Quicken Thy thankesgiuing by the Hymne Thine obedience by the admonition Thy zeale and deuotion by the prayer ensuing The Hymne for Tuesday-morning SIng vnto the Lord a new song sing cheerefully with a loud voice Psal. 33. 3. For the Word of the Lord is true and all his workes are faithfull ver 4. He loueth righteousnesse and iudgement all the earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord ver 5. Hee gathereth the waters of the Sea together as it were vpon an heape and layeth vp the deepe as in a Treasure-house ver 7. Let the Earth feare the Lord stand in awe of him all yee that dwell in the world ver 8. For hee spake and it was done hee commanded and it stood fast ver 9. He so layed the Foundations that it should not moue at any time Psal. 104. 5. He watereth the hills from aboue the earth is filled with the fruits of his workes ver 3. Hee bringeth forth grasse for the Cattle and greene herbes for the vse of men ver 14. That he may bring food out of the Earth and Wine that maketh glad the heart of man and Oyle to make him a cheerfull countenance and Bread to strengthen mans heart ver 15. The Trees of the Lord also are full of sap euen as the Cedars of Lebanon which hee hath planted ver 16. Hee couereth the Heauens with Clouds and prepareth raine for the earth and maketh the grasse to grow vpon the mountaines Psal. 147. 8. Which giueth to the beasts their foode and to the young Rauens that cry ver 9. Praise the Lord vpon earth yee Dragons and all deepes Psal. 148. 7. Mountaines and all Hills fruitfull Trees and all Cedars ver 9. Euery day will I giue thanks vnto the Lord and praise his Name for euer Psal. 145. 2. Thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart then they whose Corn and Wine and Oyle increased Psal. 4. 8. The Admonition for Tuesday morning being an exhortation to godly sorrow THE ANALYSIS We must desire pray for godly sorrow because it is 1 A speciall duty required in the Law Gospel 2 The Saints continuall practise 3 A necessary disposition to make vs capable of the Gospel 4 A Sacrifice well pleasing to God 5 An effect of true conuersion 6 An efficient cause of many diuine vertues 7 An assurance of eternall ioy and comfort 8 The want of it a fearefull signe of a reprobate sense THE TEXTS TVrne ye vnto me with all your heart with fasting weeping and mourning Ioel 2. 12. And rent your hearts and not your garments c. ver 13. And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and girding with Sackcloth Isa. 22. 12. Now I reioyce not that yee were made sorry but that yee sorrowed to repentance 2 Cor. 7. 9. For ye were made sorry after a godly manner that ye might receiue damage in nothing Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues Luk. 23. 28. Ye shall weepe and lament c. Io. 16. 20. Howle and lament c. Iames 5. 1. I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Iob. 42. 6. I fainted in my mourning I cause my bed euery night to swimme and water my couch with my teares Psal. 6. 6. I will confesse my wickednesse and be sorry for my sin Ps. 38. 18. Hezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart he and the inhabitants of Ierusalem and therefore the wrath of the Lord came not in the dayes of Hezekiah 2 Cro. 33. 12. And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers 2 Cr. 33. 12 And prayed vnto him and was intreated of him ver 13. Now when Ezra had prayed and had confessed weeping and casting himselfe downe before the house of God there assembled vnto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children for the people wept very sore Ezr. 10. 1. And Peter remembred the words which Iesus said vnto him Before the Cocke crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice and he went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26. 75. Come vnto me all ye that are heauy laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. 28. He hath anointed me to preach the Gospell to the poore hee hath sent me to heale the broken hearted Luke 4. 18. The Sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal. 51. 17. Put my teares in thy bottle are not these things noted in thy booke Psal. 56. 8. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping Psal. 6. 8. Tell Hezekiah the Captaine of my people saying I haue heard thy prayer I haue seene thy teares I will heale thee 2 Kings 30. 5. And when they heard these things they were pricked in their hearts and said vnto Peter Men and Brethren what shall we doe Act. 2. 37. Godly sorrow
causeth repentance not to be repented of but worldly sorrow causeth death 2. Cor. 7. 10. For behold this selfe same thing that yee sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what cleering of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what reuenge ver 11. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Psal. 126. 7. I dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to reuiue the heart of the contrite Isa. 57. 15. Ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy Ioh. 16. 20. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted Mat. 5. 4. Wee haue mourned vnto you and yee haue not wept Luke 7. 32. And yee are puffed vp and haue not sorrowed 1 Cor. 5. 2. Woe bee vnto thee Corazin woe vnto thee Rethsaida c. for they c. in sack cloth Mat. 11. 21. And I gaue her time to repent and shee would not repent Reuel 2. 21. After thy hard and impenitent heart treasurest vp to thy selfe wrath in the day of wrath Rom. 2. 3. THE PRAYER FOR Tuesday morning composed of 1. Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2. Motiues to godly sorrow agreeable to the precedent exhortation O That my head were water and mine eyes were a spring of teares that I might weepe day and night for the deluge of sinne ouerflowing the whole world but especially for the inundation therof in this our Iâ—â—nd We are ouerwhelmed in this Torrent and should be drowned but that the gales of thy Spirit driue it somewhat backe and thy restraining Grace with the publike discipline of our Lawes and Canons set some bounds to it What hearts can vent sight enough what eyes yeeld sufficient teares to bewaile those publike sinnes vnder the burthen whereof the Land sinketh besides those priuate which lye as heauy on each of vs in particular Sinnes of omission sinnes of commission sinnes of birth sinnes of life sinnes of youth sinnes of age sinnes of frailty sinnes of â—ilfulnesse sinnes of act sinnes of habit and custome sinnes of secret taint sinnes of open stâ—inâ— Sinnes of infirmity committed against the power of the Father sinnes of ignorancâ— against the wisdome of the Sonne and sinnes of malice against the grace of thy holy Spirit If I should goe about to extenuate my sinneâ— euen that would aggrauate them if to excuse them my conscience would condemne me For I must confesse to thy glory and my owne shame that by my Originall and Actuall secret and open sudden and aduised ignorant anâ—â—â—â—icious sinnes I haue dishonoured thy Name prophaned thy Word defaced thine Image grieued thy Spirit despighted thy Grace wounded my owne conscience stained my good name scandalized my profession depriued my selfe of the comforts of the Gospell of the protection of Angells of the sweet fellowship of thy Spirit and drawne vpon mâ—e many heauy iudgements and treasured vp wrath against the day of wrath Yet because I mourne with Dauid in my prayers I weepe bitterly with Peter I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes with Iob I am ashamed and confounded with Ezra Lord let thy mercy preuaile against thy iustice my sighs and teares against my sinfull ioyes and thy Sonnes bloud euen against my crimson sinnes Lord who on this day madest dry Land and firme ground to appeare dry vp my â—â—â—res with the beames of thy mercy and giue me firme ground of comfort in thy Word Lord who on this day createdst all kinde of seedes sow in my heart the incorruptible seede of thy Word that I may thereby be regenerated to a liuely hope Lord who on this day createdst all kindes of fruitfull Trees make mee like a good Tree to bring forth good fruit here that I may hereafter eate of the Tree of Life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God So be it Amen The close out of Scripture GOd the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ grant mee according to the riches of his glory that I may be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man Ephes. 3. 16. That Christ may dwell in my heart by faith that I being rooted and grounded in loue ver 17. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height v. 8. And to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that I may bee filled with the fulnesse of God verse 19. The Deuotions for Tuesdayes Euening THE HYMNE alluding to the worke of God on this day in the Allegory OVT of the deepe haue I called vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice Psal. 130. 1. O let thine eares consider wel the voice of my complaint verse 2. If thou Lord wilt be extreme to marke what is done amisse O Lord who can abide it ver 3. But there is mercy with thee therefore thou shalt bee feared verse 4. I looke for the Lord my soule doth waite for him in his word is my trust verse 5. My soule flyeth to the Lord before the Morning watch I say before the Morning watch verse 6. I haue watched and am euen as a Sparrow that sitteth alone on the house top Psal. 102. 7. My heart is smitten down and withered like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread verse 4. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and instructest him in thy Law They that sowe in teares shal reape in ioy Psal. 126. 7. Hee that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth forth good seede shal doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him verse 8. The righteous shall flourish like a Palme-tree and shall spread abroad like a Cedar in Lebanon Psal. 92. 11. Hee shall be like a tree planted by the Riuer's side which bringeth forth her fruit in due season Psal. 1. 3. Whose leafe shall not fall and what soeuer hee doth it shall prosper verse 4. Such as bee planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God Psal. 92. 12. They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age and shal befat and well liking ver 13. THE ADMONITION for Tuesday Euening being an exhortation to hunger and thirst for righteousnesse whereunto our Sauiour ascribeth the fourth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS We must diligently and earnestly seek after the meanes of our saluation because therby 1 Wee obey God 2 Wee imitate his Saints 3 Wee obtain blessings Temporall Spirituall 1 Fauour 2 Delight 3 Peace 4 Life 5 CoÌ„tentment 6 The Kingdom of heauen THE TEXTS SEek the Lord and his strength seeke his face euermore Psal. 105. 4. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to euerlasting life Ioh. 6. 27. Receiue mine instruction not siluer and knowledge rather then fine gold Prou. 5. 10. For wisedome is better then precious stones and all pleasures are not to bee
it may be night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest doe moue ver 20. The Sunne ariseth and they get them away together and lay them downe in their dens ver 22. Man goeth forth vnto his worke and to his labour vntill the Euening ver 23. O Lord our Gouernour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Psal. 8. 9. The Admonition for Wednesday Euening being an Exhortation to purity in heart answerable to the sixth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS Purity especially in heart is to bee prayed for and sought after in regard of God his 1. Speciall command for it 2. Particular taking notice of it 3. High esteeme and approbation thereof 4. Gracious promises to it of 1 Life 2 Fauor of Kings 3 Sight of himselfe 4 His fauour and bounty 5 Profit by the Word 6 Abode in Heauen THE TEXTS NOw therefore serue the Lord and serue him in sinceritie of heart and in truth Ios. 24. 14. Prepare your hearts vnto the Lord and serue him onely 1. Sam. 7. 3. They that are of a forward heart are an abomination to the Lord but such as are vpright in the way are his delight Prou. 11. 20. My sonne giue mee thy heart and let thine eyes obserue my wayes Pro. 23. 26. Cleanse your hands yee sinners and purge your hearts yee double-minded Iam. 4. 8. Serue God with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all imaginations of the thoughts 1. Chron. 28. 9. O Ierusalem wash thine heart Ier 4. 4. God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God iudgeth the heart 1. Sam. 16. 7. Thou knowest the hearts of all men Acts 1. He will lighten things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of thy heart manifest 1. Cor. 4. 5. Thou louest truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. Wee speake not as pleasing men but as pleasing God who tryeth the hearts 2. Thes. 2. 4. Let it bee the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1. Per. 3. 4. Keepe the heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Prou. 4. 23. Hee that loueth purenesse in heart the King shall be his friend Prou. 22. 11. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Math. 5. 8. Truely God is good vnto Israel euen to him that is of a cleane heart Psal. 73. 1. That which fell on good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the Word and keepe it and bring forth fruits with patience Luke 18. 15. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his Holy place Psal. 24. 3. He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart verse 4. Hee that walketh vprightly and speaketh vprightly c. Isai. 33. 15. He shall dwell on high c. The Prayer for Wednesday-Euening Composed of 1 Petitions sutable to the sufferings of Christ on this day 2 Motiues to perswade purity in heart and sincerity agreeable to the precedent exhortation MOst holy blessed and glorious God who dwellest in light which none may approach I miserable and sinfull creature by nature a child of the night and of darknesse nay very darknesse it selfe am ashamed and confounded to lift vp mine eyes to heauen or looke towards the place where thine honour dwelleth For I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and deserue to be cast out for euer from the sight of thy face and presence of thy glorious Maiestie into vtter darknesse which the diuel the Prince of darknesse and his Angels that are reserued in chaines of darknesse till the great and terrible Day of thy wrath For that heauenly light which thou hast kindled in my heart though I seeke to smother it neuer so much clearely conuinceth my conscience that I preferre the pleasures of sinne which are the workes of darknesse before the glorious inheritance of thy Saints in light hauing my very vnderstanding the onely light which is in me much darkened through the ignorance that is in me by reason of the hardnesse of my heart And notwithstanding thou hast called mee early and late and stretched thy hands all the day long vnto mee yet I haue walked still in the vanitie of my minde and wearied my selfe in the wayes of wickednesse and haue not hearkened to thy voice whereby I might walke in thy lawes which thou hast appointed for me Or if for a short time I haue reioyced in the light of the Gospel yet soone after I haue quenched thy Spirt and haue giuen my selfe to wantonnesse to worke filthinesse with greedinesse Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Though thou shouldest drowne all my former sinnes in the bottomelesse sea of thy mercy yet the sins of this day alone giue sufficient euidence against mee to condemne mee My vnsanctified desires and impure thoughts and vaine imaginations and idle words and vnfruitfull workes make mee vnexcusable before thee I cannot answer for my abuse of the creatures mis-spending my time which is most precious ouerstipping many occasions of doing good How negligent haue I beene in the duties of my calling How cold and dull in my exercises of Religion How defectiue in the confession of my sinnes How carelesse in applying the soueraigne remedies of the Word My very prayers which I make vnto thee for the supplying of all my wants and healing of all my infirmities are accompanied with so many wants and infirmities that I haue neede to aske pardon for these my imperfect prayers Lord giue mee a sense of my stupidity and senselesnesse and a feruent desire of more feruency and zeale and true remorse and sorrow for want of remorse and sorrow for these my sinnes And because that I know not how to pray as I ought let thy Spirit make intercession for me with sighs and grones which cannot be expressed and let the bloud of thy Sonne speake better things for mee then the bloud of Abel O let not the glorious light of Heauen goe downe vpon thy displeasure against me but for thy decre Sonne Iesus Christ his sake who is the prâ—pitiation for my sinnes be reconciled vnto mee while it is called to day that I may finde rest vnto my soule this night together with the comfortable refreshing of my body by sleepe So shall I neuer cease with a ioyfull heart and a cheerefull voice to praise thee for thine vnspeakable loue in electing me to eternall life in Heauen before thou hadst laid the foundations of the earth Thy goodnesse in creating mee after thine owne Image thy mercy in redeeming mee with the bloud of thine onely begotton Sonne thy grace in calling mee to the knowledge of thy truth and thy fatherly care in safely protecting me mercifully
our Lord Rom. 8. 39. Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Iesus nor of mee his prisoner but bee partakers of the afflictions of the Gospell 2 Tim. 1. 8. As the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation abounds through Christ 1 Cor. 1. 5. Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that wee should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. Whom he fore-knew he predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Rom. 8. 29. I was hungry and ye gaue me no meate I was thirsty and yee gaue me no drinke c. Mat. 25. 43. In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not vnto me ver 45. He that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Act. 9. 4. Ioseph said Feare not for am not I vnder God Gen. 50. 19. Naked came I out of my Mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither againe the Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the Name of the Lord Iob. 1. 21. Shall wee receiue good at the hands of the Lord and shall wee not receiue euill In all this did not Iob sinne with his lips Iob 2. 10. But I was a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes Psal. 38. 14. For thy sake are we killed all the day long c. Psal. 44. 22. It is good for a man that hee beare the yoke in his youth Ier. 3. 27. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence because hee hath borne it vpon him ver 28. He putteth his mouth to the dust if so bee there may be hope ver 29. Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him he is filled full with reproach Others were tortured and would not bee deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection Heb. 11. 35. And others haue beene tryed by mockings and scourgings yea moreouer by bands and imprisonment ver 36. They were stoned they were hewen in sunder they were tempted c. verse 37 38. And they departed from the presence of the Councell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Act. 5. 41. Then Paul answered What meane you to weepe and to breake mine heart for I am ready not onely to be bound but to dye also at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Acts 21. 13. In labours more abundant in stripes aboue measure in prison more frequent in death often 2. Cor. 11 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 verses Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of loue and patience of hope in our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Thes. 13. God hath set forth vs the last Apostles as it were approued to death for wee are made a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men 1. Cor. 4. 9. Ye endured a great fight of afflictions Heb. 10. 32. Partly while ye were made a gazing stocke both by reproches and afflictions and partly while ye became companions of them that were so vsed ver 33. I know thy workes and thy labour and thy patience Reue. 2. 2. I know thy faith and thy patience and thy workes ver 19. My bonds in Christ are manifest in that place and all other places Phil. 1. 13. And many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are made more bold to speake the Word without feare Phil. 1. 14. And they cast Stephen out of the City and stoned him and the Witnesses laid downe their clothes at the young mans feet whose name was Saul Act. 1. 58. And they stoned Stephen calling vpon God and saying Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit ver 59. And he kneeled downe and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sinne to their charge and when hee had said this hee fell asleepe ver 60. Sauls conuersion Act. 9. They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you deliuering you vp to their Synagogues and into prison being brought before Kings and Rulers for my Names sake Luk. 21. 12. And this shall turn to you for a testimony against them ver 13. And you shall be brought before Gouernors and Kings for my Names sake for a testimony against them and against the Gentiles Mat. 10. 18. Others had tryalls of cruell mockings and scourges yea moreouer of bonds and imprisonment Heb. 11. 36. The trying of your faith worketh patience Iam. 1. 3. Ye are in heauinesse through manifold tentations 1 Pet. 1. 6. That the triall of your faith being much more precious then Gold though it bee tryed with fire might be found vnto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ ver 7. Brethren account it exceeding great ioy when ye fall into diuers tentations Iam. 1. 2. I reioyce in my sufferings Col. 1. 24. Your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy 10. 16. 20. As many as I loue I rebuke and châ—sten Reu. 3. 19. Whom the Lord loueth he chasteueth and hee scourgeth euery son that he receiueth Heb. 12. 6. No chastening for the time seemeth to bee ioyous but grieuous Neuerthelesse afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby ver 11. He chasteneth vs for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse ver 10. Let patience haue her perfect worke that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing Iames. 1. 4. By patience ye shall inherite the promises Heb. 6. 12. By your patience possesse your soules Luke 21. 19. Because thou hast kept the world of my patience I will keepe thee from the houre of tentation Reu. 3. 10. Whosoeuer confesseth me before men I will confesse him before my Father which is in heâ—uen Luke 12. 8. Verily I say vnto you that no man that hath forsaken house or lands for my sake but he shall receiue an hundred fold and in the world to come life euerlasting Mark 10. 29. If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake blessed are ye yea feare not their feare neither be troubled 1. Pet. 3. 14. But sanctifie the Lord in your hearts ver 5. If we suffer with him wee shall also raigne with him Rom. 8. 17. The afflictions of this present life are not worthy the glory that shall be reuealed ver 18. Blessed are they that suffer for righteousnesse sake for their is the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5. 10. THE PRAYER FOR Thursday euening consisting of Petitions sutable to the workes of redemption on this day Motiues to patience agreeable to the precedent exhortation GRacious Lord and Sauiour who this day didst eate the Passeouer and went eating in thy Supper Suppe with me in the Euening of this life and grant that I may Dine with thee in thy day of eternitie Gracious Redeemer who this day gauest thy selfe to me in the Sacrament first instituted by thee and
restâ—red me to my former blisse Nay I haue gained by my losses and am raised higher by my fall through thy infinite mercie which hath not onely ransomed me from death but purchased me an eternall inheritance and crowne of life in thiâ—e heauenly kingdome Sith thou hast done so great things for me whereat I reioyce sith thou hast prepared such things for me as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor euer entred into the heart of man to conceiue what manner of man ought I to be in all holy conuersation How cleare ought those eyes to be which shall see God How cleane those eares which shall heare words that cannot be vttered How pure that heart which shall be filled with those ioyes whiâ—h neuer entred into the heart of man Thou ô Father which hast created me art the holy one of Israel Thou ô Sonne who redeemedst me art the Holy one of God Thou ô Spirit which sanctifiest me art the holy Ghost Thou ô Father hast created me according to thine Image in holinesse and righteousnes thou ô Sonne hast redeemed me to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life thou ô Spirit hast freed me from sinne and made me seruant to God that I might haue my fruite in holinesse and the end euerlasting life Our vocation is a holy calling our societies a holy communion our stile a holy Priesthood our assemblies holy congregations our CouÌ„trie the holy land of Promise our Citie the holy Ierusalem our Charter the holy Scriptures our immunities holy priuiledges our seales which confirme them holy Sacraments All our happinesse here is holinesse and holinesse hereafter shall bee our happinesse Lord make mee therefore to be so happy heere as to be holy and so holy here that I may be hereafter happy Amen The close out of Scripture The God of Peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the Sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting Couenant Heb. 2. 20. Make mee perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in mee that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ. ver 21. The Hymne for Friday Euening Wherein the deuout soule Prayseth God for her Creation Redemption Prayeth for Preseruation Glorification THE TEXTS THy hands haue made me and fashioned me ô giue me vnderstanding that I may learne thy Commandements Psal. 119. Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed mee thou God of Truth O let mee heare thy louing kindnesse betimes in the morning for in thee is my trust Shew thou me the way that I should walke in for I lift vp my soule vnto thee Psal. 41. 8. Teach mee to doe the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God let thy louing Spirit leade me into the land of righteousnesse verse 10. Set a watch ô Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lipps Psal. 41. O let not mine heart bee inclined to any wicked thing let me not be occupied in vngodly workes with the men that work wickednesse verse 4. O Lord thou hast searched me out and knowne mee thou knowest my downe-sitting and mine vp-rising thou vnderstandest my thoughts long beforâ— Psal. 139. 1 2. For loe there is not a word in my tongue but thou ô Lord knowest it altogether verse 3. Thou hast fashioned mee behinde and before and layed thine hand vpon me verse 4. Such knowledge is too wonderfull and excellent for me I cannot attaine vnto it verse 5. I will giue thanks vnto thee for I am fearefully and wonderfully made meruailous are thy workes and that my soule knoweth right well verse 13. My bones are not hid from thee though I be made secretly and fashioned beneath in the earth verse 14. Thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance were fashioned when there was none of them before verse 15. O how deare are thy counsels to me 〈◊〉 God O how great is the summe of them verse 16. If I tell them they are more in number then the sands of the sea when I awake vp I am present with thee verse 17. Lord guide me with thy counsell and after that receiue me with glory Keepe mee as the Apple of thine eye hide mee vnder the shadow of thy wings Psal. 17. 8. I will behold thy presence in righteousnesse and when I awake vp after thy likenesse I shall be satisfied with it ver 16. The Admonition for Friday Euening being an Exhortation to Faith in CHRIST The principall inducements to stirre vs vp to faith in Christ are the 1 Necessity of this vertue in respect of 1 The Commandement of God in generall to which faith is requisite 2 All other duties in Speciall Praying Hearing Communicating 2 The excellencie of it for it is Pretious Holy The faith of the Elect. 3 The certainty of it for it is grounded on God The Father his VVord Oath The Sonne his Promises Prayer The Spirit his Earnest Seale 4 Efficacie 1 Extraordinary as working miracles 2 Ordinary as Victorie ouer the VVorld Diuell Iustification Saluation THE TEXTS YE beleeue in God beleeue also in me Ioh. 14. 1. This is the worke of God that ye beleeue on him whom he hath sent Ioh. 6. 29. Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and all thine house Act. 16. 31. This is his commandement that we should beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ 1. Ioh. 3. 23. Earnestly contend for the saith Iud. 13. Repent ye and beleeue the Gospel Mar. 1. 15. Follow righteousnesse faith charitie peace c. 2. Tim. 2. 22. Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. 23. How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10. 14. He that prayeth let him pray in faith nothing doubting Iam. 1. 6. All things whatsoeuer ye aske for in prayer beleiuing ye shall receiue Mat. 21. 21. The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. Christ dwelleth in vs by faith Eph. 3. 17. I am the Bread of life whosoeuer beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Ioh. 6. 35. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him ver 56. He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life ver 47. I am the Bread of life ver 48. To them that haue receiued like pretious faith with vs grace and peace be multiplied 2. Pet. 1. â— But ye beloued building your selues in your most holy faith pray to the holy Ghost Iud 20. Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ according to the faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1. As many as were ordained to saluation beleeued Act. 13. 48. This is my welbeloued Sonne heare him Mat. 3. vlt. So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer
I belieue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Is it not as easy for thee to raise mee out of ashes as at the first to reare me out of the dust to send backe my Spirit into my body as at the first to breathe it in I see the seede in the ground the plants in the garden dye before they rise and spring vp I see wormes and flies and diuerse other creatures that spend the winter season in a kinde of death reuiue in the Spring I see my selfe dead euery night and aliue in the morning Why then should I call in question this Article of my beliefe of all most comfortable Lord who this euening dist cast Adam into a dead sleepe and thy selfe fellest asleepe on the bedde of thy Crosse and awakedst him againe and raisedst thy selfe out of thy sleepe of death sanctifie my rest and sleepe this night vnto me that I may by it not only be strengthened in my body and reuiued from my bed of slumber to rise to my labour and trauell the next morning but also more confirmed in my faith touching the resurrection of this my body out of the bedde of the graue at the last day So bee it Amen The close out of Scripture To him that loued vs and washed our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and Priests to God euen his Father bee glory and dominion for euermore Amen Reu. 1. 5 6. Saturdayes Deuotion The Father resteth from the workes of Creation IN the seauenth day God ended his worke which he had made and the seauenth day he rested from all his worke which he had made Gen. 2. 2. So God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it because that in it hee had rested from all his worke which God had created and made verse 3. The Sonne resteth in the Sepulcher ANd when the euen was come there came a rich man of Arimathea named Ioseph who had also himselfe bin Iesus's Disciple Mat. 27. 57. He went to Pilate and asked the body of Iesus And Pilate commanded the body to bee deliuered verse 58. So Ioseph tooke the body and wrapped it in a cleane linnen cloth verse 59. And put it in his new Tombe which he had hewen out in a Rocke and rolled a great stone to the doore of the Sepulcher and departed verse 60. And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting ouer against the Sepulcher verse 61. Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation the chiefe Priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate verse 62. Saying Sir we remember that that deceiuer sayed while hee was yet aliue After three dayes I will rise againe verse 63. Command therefore that the Sepulcher be made sure vntill the third day left his Disciples come by night and steale him away and say vnto the people He is risen from the dead so the last error will bee worse then the first verse 64. Pilate saide vnto them Yee haue a watch goe your way make it as sure as you can verse 65. So they went and made the Sepulcher sure sealing the stone and setting a watch verse 66. For thine instruction meditate In the morning on the Father's rest from works of Creation In the euening on the Sonn's works of Redemption For thy comfort apply the benefits of both to thy selfe which are A holy rest here and happy rest hereafter Euerlasting For thy correction reprooue thy prophaning God's holy Sabbath by First Worldly businesse Secondly Carnal pleasures Thirdly Omitting holy duties Fourthly Performing them Negligently Vnwillingly Quicken thy Preparation to holy duties by the Psalme Constancy in life and death by the Admonition Zeale Deuotion and resolution by the Prayer ensuing The Hymne for Saturday Morning I Haue remembred thy Name ô Lord in the night season and haue kept thy Law Psal. 119. 57. I thought on my waies and turned my feete to thy testimonies verse 59. I preuented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word v. 147. Heare my voice according to thy louing kindnesse ô Lord quicken mee according to thy iudgements verse 149. Seauen times a day doe I praise thee according to thy righteous iudgement v. 164. Great peace haue they that loue thy Law and nothing shall offend them verse 165. I haue longed for thy saluation ô Lord thy Law is my delight verse 174. Deliuer me ô Lord from the wicked which is a sword of thine Psal. 17. 13. From men which are thy hand ô Lord from men of the world which haue their portion in this life and whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasures verse 14. My heart is pained within me and the terrors of death are fallen vpon me Psal. 55. 4. Fearefulnesse and trembling are come vpon me and horror hath ouerwhelmed me v. 5. O that I had wings like a Doue for then would I fly away and be at rest v. 6. I would hasten my escape from the windy storme and tempest v. 8. An Admonition for Saturday Morning being an exhortation to perseuerance the twelfth BEATITVDE All that expect the reward of Pietie must striue and pray for perseuerance and abhorre and shunne falling away from grace because in Scripture The one is Commanded by God Commended in his Saints Encouraged vnto by promises of Certaine reward Saluation Assured cōfort An incorruptible Crowne of glorie The other is Vehemently disswaded Seuerely censured Dreadfully threatned Eternally punished THE TEXTS VVAtch yee therefore and pray continually Luk. 21. 36. Continue yee in loue Ioh 15. 9. Take heede to thy selfe and to thy Doctrine continue in them 1 Tim 4. 16. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast bin assured of 2 Tim 3. 14. Let vs hold fast our profession Heb. 4. 14. Hold fast till I come Reu. 2. 25. Reioycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer Rom. 12. 12. Dearely beloued and longed for my ioy and crowne stand fast in the Lord Phil. 4. 1. Paul and Barnabas perswaded them to continue in the grace of God Acts 13. 43. Confirming the soules of the disciple◠and exhorting them to continue in aith Act. 14. 22. But ye brethren be not wearie in well doing 2. Thess. 3. 13. Let brotherly loue continue Heb. 13. 1. Stand fast in one spirit with one minde striuing together for the faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. 17. Therefore my brethren be ye stedfast vnmoueable alwayes aboūding in the worke of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 28. Watch ye stand fast in the faith acquit you like men 1. Cor. 16. 13. Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free Gal. 5. 1. Wherefore take vnto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the euill day and hauing done all stand fast Eph. 6. 13. Brethren stand fast hold the traditions which ye haue beene taught 2. Thess. 2. 13. Whom resist steadfast in the faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. Ye therefore seeing ye know these things beware lest yee also
being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your owne stedfastnesse 2. Pet. 3. 17. He spake a parable that we ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Luke 18. 1. Shall not God auenge his Elect which crie vnto him day and night though he beare long with them ver 7. He after he had patiently endured obtained the promise Heb. 6. 15. O Lord God of my saluation I haue cried day and night before thee Psal. 88. 1. I haue called daily vpon thee I haue stretched foorth my hands vnto thee ver 9. He kneeled vpon his knees and prayed three times a day Dan. 6. 10. And they which went before rebuked the blind man that he should hold his peace but he cried so much the more Sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me Luk. 18. 39. And behold a woman of Caanan cried vnto him saying Haue mercie on me c. Mat. 15. 22. But he answered her not a word and his disciples besought him saying Send her away for she crieth after vs ver 23. He answered I am not sent c. ver 24. Then came she and worshipped saying Lord helpe me ver 25. But he answered It is not meete c. ver 26. And she said Truth Lord yet the doggs eate the crummes c. ver 27. Then Iesus said Woman be it to thee as thou wilt ver 28. Ye are they which haue continued with me in my tentations Luk. 22. 28. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplications with Marie the Mother of Iesus Act. 1. 14. We will giue our selues continually to prayer c. Act. 6. 4. There were added to them about three thousand soules c. Act. 2 41. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer ver 42. By the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne euerie one night day with tears Act. 20. 31 Since the day we heard we ceased not to pray for you Col. 1. 9. For this cause we thanke God without ceasing 1. Thess. 2. 13. A deuoute man which gaue much almes to the people and prayed to God alwaies Act. 10 2. And the foure beasts had each of them sixe wings vpon them and they were full of eyes within and they ceased not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God almightie which was and is and is to come Reu. 4. 8. I declare vnto you the Gospel which ye haue receiued and wherein ye stand or continue 1. Cor. 15. 1. Then said Iesus to those Iewes that beleeued on him If ye continue in my word then are ye indeede my disciples Ioh. 8. 31. Who so looketh into the perfect law of libertie and continueth therein he being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer shall be blessed in his deede Iames 1. 25. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs 1. Ioh. 2. 19. Whosoeuer abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Ioh. 2. 9. So runne that ye may obtaine 1. Cor. 9. 26. Let vs not be weatie in well doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not Gal. 6. 9. Hold that thou hast that no man take thy crowne Reu. 3. 11. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end Heb. 3. 14. He that endureth to the end shall be saued Mat. 10. 22. Continue therein for in doing this thou shalt saue thy selfe and them that heare thee 1. Tim 3. 8. Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 4. 12. Shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end Heb. 6. 11. To him that ouercometh I will giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of the garden of God Reuel 2. 7. Let vs labour therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after that same example Heb. 4. 11. Let vs feare lest a promise being left vs of entering into his rest any of you should seeme to come short of it Heb. 4. 1. Ye haue continued with me c. Luk. 22. 28. And I appoint vnto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed vnto me ver 29. Be faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee the crowne of life Reuel 2. 10. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course c. 1. Tim. 4. 7. Hencefoorth there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to them also that loue his appearing ver 8. Take heede lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeleefe in departing away from the liuing God Heb. 3. 12. If after they haue escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiouâ— Iesus Christ they are againe intangled therein and ouercome the latter end is worse then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. For it had beene better for them neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commandement deliuered vnto them ver 21. But it is happened vnto them according to the true Prouerbe The dogge is turned to his vomit againe and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire ver 22. When the vncleane spirit is gone out of a man c. Mat. 12. 44. He taketh to himselfe seuen other spirits and they dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first ver 45. Let him that standeth take heede lest he fall 1. Cor. 10. 12. Are ye so foolish hauing begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect with the flesh Gal. 3. 3. Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine it it be yet in vaine ver 4. Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward Heb. 10. 35. If any withdraw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him ver 38. We are not of them which draw backe vnto perdition ver 38. In the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith 1. Tim. 4. 1. Hauing their conscience seared with a hot iron ver 2. Holding faith and a good conscience which some hauing put away concerning faith haue made shipwrack 1. Tim. 1. 19. Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I haue deliuered to Sathan ver 20. Hauing forsaken the right way they are gone astray following the wayes of Balaam the son of Bozor c. 2. Pet. 2. 15. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnes and committeth iniquitie c. All the righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he trespasseth and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them shall he die Eze. 18. 24. It
dayes as it were a span long Psal. 39. 6. Wee are but as yesterday our dayes on earth are a shadow Iob 8. 9. What man is hee that liueth and shall not see death Psal 89. 47. All flesh is grasse and the glory of it as the flower 1 Pet 1. 24. As the flower of grasse hee shall passe away Iam. 1. 10. What is our life It is a Vapour that appeareth for a little time and vanisheth away Iam. 4. 14. Man his dayes are determined the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed him his bounds that hee cannot passe Iob. 14. 5. Lord let me know mine end and the number of my dayes Psal. 39. 5. I will adde vnto thy dayes fifteene yeeres Isa 38. 5. O teach vs to number our dayes c. Psal. 90. 12. Whether we dye or liue wee are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. The right vse of Fasting consisteth in the 1 Manner that it be sincere not hypocriticall 2 Measure that it be not immoderate 3 Cause or end which must bee either 1 To tame and subdue the flesh such was Paul's fast I beate downe my bodie 2 To testifie our humiliation and sorrow for our sinnes such was Ezra's and the Nineuites fast 3 To quicken zeale and deuotion such was Hanna's fast Luke 2. The abuse of Fast likewise is seene in the 1 Manner if wee abstaine from one kinde of meate and feede daintily on another forbeare one meale and glut our selues another 2 Measure if we continue or fast so long that we much impaire our strength or endanger our health 3 Cause or end 1 If we abstaine from any kind of meat out of an opinion and erroneous scruple of conscience that it is of it selfe vncleane as the Tatians and Encratites did or as being now forbidden vs vnder the Gospell as some Iudaising Christians at this day 2 If we abstaine from all or any kind of meate to merit or satisfie thereby as Papists doe 3 If wee keepe a Fast to colour any vngodly or malicious purpose as Iezebel did The second Table of Fasting The Lord is faithfull who shall keepe you from euill 2 Thes. 3. 3. Commit the keeping of their soules to him who is a faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. I know whom I haue trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day 2 Tim. 1. 12. For this end Christ dyed and rose and reuiued that he might be Lord both of the liuing and the dead Rom. 14. 9. In that hee dyed hee dyed to sinne once but in that hee liueth hee liueth to God Rom. 6. 10. If we be dead with Christ wee belieue that wee shall also liue with him verse 8. I was dead I am aliue and I liue for euer and I haue the keys of death and of hell Reu. 1. 18. I am the resurrection and the life Hee that beleeueth in mee though he were dead yet shall he liue Ioh. 11. 25. Christ hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospell 2 Tim. 1. 10. Death is swallowed vp into victory 1 Cor. 15. 54. O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory v. 55. The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law verse 56. But thankes bee to God who hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ verse 57. Hee also tooke part of the same that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death euen the diuell Heb. â— 14. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth Ioh 11. 11. And when hee had thus spoken he fell asleepe Acts 7. 60. And many are fallen asleepe 1 Cor. 11. 10. Which are asleepe in Christ 1 Cor. 15. 18. Christ is risen from the dead the first fruits of them that sleepe verse 20. Christ to me is life and to die is gaine Phil. 1. 21. Whosoeuer loseth his life for my sake shall saue it Mar. 8. 35. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord Reu. 14. 13. For they rest from their labours verse 16. There remaineth a rest for the people of God Heb. 4. 9. God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes Reu. 1. 17. They shall hunger no more nor thirst no more neither shall the Sun light on them nor any heate Reu. 7. 16. Hee that is dead is free from sinne Rom. 6. 7. We looke for a new heauen in which dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. And there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or maketh a lye Reu. 21. 27. For without shall bee doggs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh a lie Reu. 22. 15. The creature shall be deliuered from bondage Rom. 8. 21. His the tempters place was no more found Reu. 12. 8. Your ioy shall no man take away from you Ioh. 16. 22. Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Luke 2. â—9 I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ for that is best of all Phil. 1. 23. For we know that if the house of this earthly Tabernacle were dissolued we should haue a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heauens 2 Cor. 5. 1. For in this we groane earnestly desiring to be clothed vpon with our house which is from heauen verse 2. We are willing rather to bee absent from the body and present with the Lord v. 7. So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Ioh. 3. 16. He that beleeueth on him is not condemned v. 18. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene Heb. 11. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Ro. 8. 1. I am perswaded that neither life nor death c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord v. vlt. We know that wee are passed from death to life because wee oue the brethren 1 Iohn 3. 14. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for the Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ Phil. 3. 20. Hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5. 5. If we hope for that we see not then doe we with patience waite for it Rom. 8. 25. Reioycing in hope Rom. 12. 22 I would not haue you ignorant concerning them which are fallen asleepe that ye sorrow not as they which haue no hope 1 Thes. 4. 13. The full assurance of hope vnto the end Heb. 6. 11. Let vs hold fast the profession of our hope vnto the end for he is faithfull that promiseth Heb. 10 23. Which hope we haue as an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast and which entereth to that within the veile Heb. 6. 19.
trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God c. 1 Tim. 6. 17. In him shall the Gentiles trust Rom. 15. 12. God will prouide a Lambe for a burnt offering Gen. 22. 8. Abraham aboue hope belieued vnder hope that he should bee the Father of many Nations Rom. 4. 15. Through faith Sarah receiued strength to conceiue Seede and was deliuered when she was past age because shee iudged him faithfull which had promised Heb. 11. 11. Moses said Feare not stand stil and behold the saluation of the Lord which hee will shew you this day Exod. 14. 13. Dauid said the Lord that deliuered me out of the pawe of the Lyon and out of rhe pawe of the Beare he will deliuer mee out of the hand of this Philistine 1 Sam. 17. 37. Eliah said As the Lord liueth before whom I stand I will surely shew my selfe vnto Ahab this day 1 Kings 18. 15. I also and my Maides wil fast and so I will goe to the King which is not according to the Law and if I perish I perish Hester 4. 16. I am sure that my Reedemer liueth c. Mine eyes shall behold him though my reines bee consumed within me Iob 19. 25. see Iob. 13. 15. Shadrach Meshach Abednego answered We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter Daniel 3. 16. Behold our God whom wee serue is able to deliuer vs from the hot fiery Furnace and he will deliuer vs out of thy hands ô King v. 17. Ionah prayed to the Lord out of the fishes belly Ionah 2. 1. I said I am cast away out of thy sight yet will I looke againe toward thine holy Temple v. 4. Commit their soules to him in well doing as a faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4. 19. God is faithfull which will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that you are able but will euen giue the issue with the tentation 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithfull that our words to you were Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 18. All the promises of God in him are Yea and Amen v. 20. God is the Sauiour of all men especially of them that beleeue 1 Tim. 4. 10. The Lord is my strength my stonie rocke my Sauiour my might my buckler c. Psal. 18. 1. Casting all your care vpon God for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. To him that is able to doe exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke Eph. 3. 20. He is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe Phil. 3. 21. We receiued the Sentence of death in our selues that wee should not trust in our selues but in God which raiseth the dead 2 Cor. 1. 9. Who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that hee also will deliuer vs v. 10. God is able to make all grace to abound towards you that ye alwaies hauing all sufficiency in all things may abound in euery good worke 2 Corinthians 9. 8. With God all things are possible Mat. 19. 16. Who is able to keepe that which is committed to him till that day 2 Tim. 1. 12. God is good vnto all men and his mercy is ouer all his workes Psal. 145. 9. Who so dwelleth vnder the defence of the most High shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almighty Psal. 91. 1. A thousand shall fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee v. 7. God is faithfull and will establish vs and keepe vs from euill 2. Thes. 3. 3. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Psal. 2. vlt. Trust thou in the Lord and verily thou shalt be fedde Psal. 37. 3. Put thy trust in him and hee shall bring it to passe ver 5. Hungry thirsty their soule fainted in them Psal. 107. 5. So they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble and hee deliuered them out of their distresse ver 6. vide 13. 19. 28. The men put forth their hands and they pulled Lot into the house Gen. 19. 20. And smote the men that were at the dore with blindnesse v. 21. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea as on the ground ver 23. And the Rauens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the euening c. 1. King 17. 6. The Captaine of fifty sayd Thus sayth the man of GOD Come downe 2. King 1. 9. And there came downe fire from Heauen and consumed him and his fiftie ver 10. There was a great famine in Samaria and they besieged it till an Asses head was sold for eight pieces of siluer and the fourth part of a kab of doues dung for fiue pieces of siluer 2. King 6. 25. Elisha sayd To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flowre be sold for a shekell and two measures of barlie for a shekell and it came to passe chap. 7. ver 16. So Shadrach Meshech and Abednego came forth of the fierie furnace Dan. 3. 26. There was not a haire of their heads singed neither were their coates changed neither had the smell of fire passed on them verse 27. Daniel sayd My God hath sent his angel shut the Lyons mouth that they haue not hurt mee c. Dan. 6. 22. And the Lord spake to the fish and the fish vomited out Ionah on the drie land Ionah 2. 10. And behold the Angel of the Lord came to Peter and a light shined in the prison and hee smote Peter on the side and raised him saying Arise vp quickly And his chaines fell from his hands Acts 12. 20. When they passed the first and second watch they came to the yron gate which opened to them of its owne accord c. A THANKSGIVING for safe Deliuery AETernall praises thanks bee rendered to thee ó Lord of my health and strength in whose hands are the waies of life and issues of death I looked for extreme danger and behold safetie I looked for out-cries of sorrow but behold shoutes of ioy I looked for sudden death and behold present life to me and my sweete babe O that my heart were a skilfull inditer and my tongue as the pen of a ready scribe to write downe thy praises and record the wonderous things thou hast done for my soule Thou hast deliuered my life from death mine eyes from teares and my feete from falling Thou hast dealt graciously with mee aboue my desert enabled me aboue my strength deliuered me aboue my hope and therefore I will reioyce in thee aboue measure magnifie thee without end Thou hast shut the mouth of the pit which would haue swallowed mee â—herefore will I open my mouth in thy praises Thou hast made good thy promises vnto mee therefore I will make good my vowes vnto thee Thou hast giuen mee the fruite of my wombe therefore will I returne vnto
thee the fruite of my lippes Now I haue felt thy strength in my greatest weakenesse I haue tasted thy goodnesse in my bitter pangs I will therfore cal vpon thee in my troubles and will praise thee in my deliuerances and depend vpon thee as well in want as in plentie in sicknesse as in health in death as in life Thou mightest most iustly haue depriued me of the benefit and my infant of the hope of life Thou mightest deseruedly haue cut off the roote and the branch in the same moment for both were at thy mercie and liable to a curse But thy mercie is ouer all thy workes thou art good to them that are bad gracious to them that are vngracious mercifull to them that are most sinfull Thou desirest not the death of a sinner but of sin Thou wouldest that all should liue and here sowe the seedes and in heauen reape the fruite of immortality For to this end thou breathedst into vs the life of nature to make vs capable of the life of grace that thereby we may attaine the life of glory Therefore doest thou bring vs into the light of this world and set vs in the way that walking the paths of thy Commandements we might in the end ariue at our country in heauen This life of nature thou hast now giuen to my childe and continued to me adde now I beseech thee grace to nature and glory to grace hereafter that as we now liue in thee by nature so wee may liue to thee by grace and hereafter for euer liue with thee in glory Thou hâ—st ordained strength out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings and iustly maist expect praise from them Gracious Lord first giue my infant strength and then receiue praises from it The hidden treasure which for many moneths thou layedst vp in me is now safely taken out of me and deliuered me therefore I now offer it to thee in thy holy Temple Accept that from mee which thou hast giuen to me Receiue that into thy hands which thou hast put into mine armes Wash it in the Font of Baptisme regenerate it by thy holy Spirit feede it with the sincere milke of thy Word till it haue knowledge to choose the good and refuse the euill As it groweth in yeeres and stature strength so grant that it may grow in thy grace and fauour and increase in wisedome and in the knowledge of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ. So be it Amen The close out of Scripture NOw vnto the King immortal euerlasting inuisible vnto God onely wise be honour and glory for euer and euer Amen 1 Tim. 1. 17. The Sicke-mans Deuotion when there is yet hope of recouerie In his Sicknes After his Recouery When thou art smitten with sicknesse ô deuout Christian 1 ENter into thy priuate Chamber and commune with thine owne heart and search out diligently the cause of thy Fathers displeasure Psal. 4. â— 2 Confesse the particular sin or sinnes for which thy heart smiteth thee most with sighs and teares Psal. 32. 5 6. 3 Promise and fully purpose amendment through the assistance of grace Psal. 39. 1. 4 Aduise with the Physitian of thy soule and follow his godly direction and desire him to pray for thee and minister a word of comfort vnto thee and if thou find thy selfe fit for it in the beginning of thy sicknesse when thou art in perfect sence and memorie participate of the blessed Sacrament rather then when thy faculties are more enfeebled Iob. 33. 23. Iam. 5. 14. 5 Vse carefully all good meanes of Physicke and dyet for thy recouerie yet rely not vpon the meanes or instrument but vpon God Eccl. 38. 1. 2. Chr. 16. 12. 6 Pray to God instantly continually First absolutely for the health and saluation of thy soule Secondly conditionally for the health of thy bodie 7 Settle thine estate and make thy Will that thou mayest bee more free for holy and heauenly meditations Isa. 38. 1. 8 Submit thy self wholly and absolutely to God's good wil and pleasure concerning thee whether for life or death 1. Pet. 4. 19 9 Reade if thou be able or appoint to be read vnto thee at seasonable times select Chapters of Scripture and deuout Sermons and Prayers Rom. 8. Philippians 1. 1. Corinth 15. 1. Thes. 4. 2. Cor. 5. Ioh. 5. 6. 17. Hâ—b 12. Iob. 19. Reu. 2. 3. 21. 22. Iob 14. Isa. 38. 40. Among other helpes in this kind Open thy sorrow and griefe by the Hymne Strengthen thy faith patience by the exhortation Quicken thy Zeale and Deuotion by the Prayer ensuing A PSALME FOR the sicke wherein The deuout Soule Expresseth her Maladie affection Hope in God Experience remembrance of his former goodnes Meek patience Prayeth for Ease Helpe Recouerie Quickning grace Pardon for sinne Wisedome to make good vse of sicknesse THE TEXTS HAue mercy vpon mee ô Lord for I am weake O Lord heale mee for my bones are vexed Psal. 6. 2. My soule also is sore troubled But Lord how long wilt thou punish mee v. 3 My Spirit vexeth within me and my heart within mee is desolate Psal. 143. 4. Yet I doe remember the time past I muse vpon all thy workes yea I exercise my selfe in the worke of thy hands verse â—5 I stretch forth my hands vnto thee my soule gaspeth vnto thee as a thirsty land v. 6. Heare me O Lord and that soone for my Spirit waxeth faint Hide not thy face from mee â—est I bee like vnto them that go downe into the pit v. 7. Thou art he that tooke me out of my mothers wombe thou wast my hope when I hanged yet vpon my mothers brest Psal. 22. 9. I haue bin left vnto thee euer since I was borne Thou art my God euen from my mothers womb v. 10. Though I walke in the shadow of death I will feare no euill thy rod and thy staffe comfort me Psal. 23. 4. Lord what is my hope Truly my hope is euen in thee Psal. 39. 5. I became dumbe and opened not my mouth for it was thy doing v. 10. I will patiently abide alway and praise thy name more and more Psal. 71. 12. O Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger nor chasten mee in thy heauy displeasure Psal. 6. 1. The sorrowes of my heart are enlarged O bring me out of my trouble Psal. 25. 16. Heare ô Lord and haue mercy vpon me Lord bee thou my helper Psal. 30. 11. Turne thee ô Lord and deliuer my soule ô saue mee for thy mercies sake Psal. 6. 4. For in death no man remembreth thee and who will giue thee thankes in the pit v. 5. What profit is there in my blood when I goe downe to the pit Psal. 30. 9. Shall the dust giue thanks vnto thee Or shall it declare thy truth v. 10. Take thy Plague away from me I am euen consumed by the meanes of thy heauy hand Psal. 39. 11. Quicken mee ô Lord for thy names
Abraham of the most high God possessor of heauen and earth Gen. 14. 19 And blessed be the most high God who hath deliuered thine enemies into thy hand ver 20. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed to thy seruant For with my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan and now I am become two bands Gen. 32. 10. And when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that he looked vpon their afflictions they bowed their heads and worshipped Exod. 4. 31. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song vnto the Lord saying I will sing vnto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse the rider hath he throwne in the Sea Exo. 15. 1. Then sang Debora and Barak c. Iud 5. 12. sequ And Anna prayed vnto the Lord and said My heart reioyceth in the Lord my horne is exalted in the Lord 1. Sam. 21. sequ vsq â—d 11. And Dauid spake vnto the Lord the words of this Song in the dayes that the Lord had deliuered him out of the hand of all his enimies c. 2. Sam. 22. 1. sequ See Psal. 8. 9. 18. 21. 27. 30. 34. 45. 46. 47. 48. 65. 66. 68. 75. 77. 81. 85. 89. 92. 95. 96. 98. 99. 100. 103. 104. 105. 107. 108. 111. 113. 115. 117. 118. 124. 134. 135. 136. 138. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. Blessed be the Lord God that hath giuen rest vnto his people Israel according to all that he had promised and hath not failed one word of all his good promises which he promised by the hand of Moses his seruant 1. Kin 8. 5. Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart Ezr. 7. 27. O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee I will praise thy Name for thou hast done wonderfull things thy counsels of old are faithfulnesse and truth Isay 25. 5. The writing of Ezekiah king of Iuda when he had beene sick and was recouered of his sickenesse I said c. Isa. 38. 9. 10. vsq ad 21. Then was the secret reuealed vnto Daniel in a night vision then Daniel blessed the God of heauen Dan. 2. 19. Blessed be the Name of God for euer and euer for wisedome and might are his verse 20. I thanke thee and praise thee ô thou God of my fathers who hast giuen me wisedome and might and hast made knowne vnto me what we haue desired of thee v. 23. I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voice of thanksgiuing I will pay that I haue vowed Saluation is of the Lord Ionah 2. 9. MARIE said My soule doth magnifie the Lord c. Luke 1. 46. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. v. 68. And the shepheards returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seene Luke 2. 20. And immediately he rose vp and departed to his owne house glorifying God Luke 5. 25. And there came feare on all and they glorified God saying A great Prophet is risen among vs and God hath visited his people Luke 7 16. When he had laid hands on her immediatly she was made straight and glorified God Luke 13. 13. And one of them when he saw that he was â—ealed turned backe and with a loude voyce glorified God Luke 17. 15. And immediatly hee receiued his sight and followed him glorifying God and all the people when they saw it gaue praise vnto God Luke 18 45. And he leaping vp stood and walked and entred with them into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God Acts 3. 8. Paul when he saw the brethren thanked God and tooke courage Act. 18. 15. I thanke God alwayes c. Rom. 7. 21. See 1. Cor. 14. 14. 10. 30. 14. 18. 15. 57. 2. Cor. 9. 15. Eph. 1. 16. Phil 1. 3. Col. 1. 12. 1. Thess. 1. 2. 2. 13. 2. Tim. 1. 3. Phil. 4. To him be glorie and dominion for euer 1. Peter 5. 11. To the onely wise God our Sauiour be glorie and maiesty dominion and power now and for euer Iud 25. To him that hath loued vs c. be glorie and dominion for euer and euer Reuel 1. 5. 6. Offer vnto God thanksgiuing and pay thy vowes to the most High Psal. 50. 14. Turne to the Lord say vnto him Take away all iniquity and receiue vs graciously so we will render the calues of our lips Hos. 14. 2. Let no vncleanenesse c. be once named amongst you neither iesting which is not conuenient but rather giuing of thanks Eph. 5. 3 4. In euery thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiuing let your requests be made knowne vnto God Phil. 4. 6. Giuing thanks to the Father which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. Being rooted and built vp in him and established in the faith as ye haue bin taught abounding therein with thanksgiuing Col. 2. 7. Whatsoeuer ye do in word or deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God and the Father by him Col. 3. 17. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing Col. 4. 2. In euery thing giue thankes for this is the wil of God in Christ Iesus concerning you 1 Thes. 5. 18. Wee are bound to thanke God for you alwaies brethren 2 Thes. 1. 3. 2. 13. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for all men 1 Tim. 2. 1. Commanding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to bee receiued with thanksgiuing 1 Timothie 4. 3. By him therefore let vs offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lipps giuing thankes to his Name See more at the end of the preparatory Admonition to Prayer A PSALME OF THANKSGIuing for recouerie I Will magnifie thee ô Lord for thou hast set mee vp and not made my spirituall foes to triumph ouer me Psal. 30. 1. O Lord my God I cryed vnto thee and thou heardest me v. 2. Thou Lord hast brought my soule out of hell thou hast kept my life from them that go downe into the pit v. 3. Sing praises vnto the Lord ô ye Saints and giue thankes vnto him for a remembrance of his holinesse v. 4. For his wrath endureth but for the twinkling of an eye and in his pleasure is life heauines may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning v. 5. O what great troubles and aduersities hast thou shewed me Psal. 71. 18. Yet diddest thou turne and refresh me and broughtest me from the deepe of the earth againe Thou hast turned my heauinesse into ioy thou hast put off sackloth and girded me with gladnesse Psal. 30. 11. Praise
the eternall Spirit offered himselfe to God without spot purge our consciences from dead workes verse 14. The blood of Iesus Christ his Son clenseth vs from al sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. If any man sin wee haue an Aduecate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous 1 Iohn 2. 1. And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world v. 3. These haue washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe Reu. 7. 14. Thou hast redeemed vs by thy blood to God Reu. 5. 9. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from the euill Ioh. 17. 15. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth v. 17. Neither pray I for these alone but for them which shall belieue on me through the word v. 20. I haue prayed for thee that thy faith may not faile Luke 22. 32. In that day ye shall aske in my name and I say not vnto you that I will pray the Father for you Ioh. 16. 26. For the Father himselfe loueth you because ye haue loued me v. 27. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs Rom. 8. 34. Hee is able to saue them euermore that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25. IOHN did baptize in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins Mar. 1. 4. According to his mercy hee saued vs by the lauer of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. The like figure whereunto euen baptisme doth now saue vs by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. Repent and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of the Lord Iesus for the remission of sins Act. 2. 38. This is the Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Mat. 26. 28. Seeke the Lord while hee may be found call ye vpon him while he is neere Isa. 55. 6. Let the wicked for sake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne to the Lord and he will haue mercy vpon him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon v. 7. For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor my waies your waies saith the Lord v 8. As I liue saith the Lord God I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Ezekiel 18. 22. Turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will yee dye ô yee house of Israel Ezek. 33. 11. I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lord God wherefore turne your selues and liue Ezek. 18. 32. They shall know me from the least to the greatest saith the Lord and I will forgiue their iniquity and remember their sin no more Ier. 31. 34. Thou shalt finde the Lord if thou seeke him with al thy heart and with all thy soule Deut. 4. 29. For the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee nor destroy thee v. 31. If my people shall humble themselues and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked waies then I will heare from heauen and will forgiue their sinne 2 Chro. 7. 14. If thou returne to the Almighty thou shalt be built vp Iob 22. 23. I haue blotted out as a thick clowde thy transgressions and as a clowde thy sins returne vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Isa. 44. 22. Cease to doe euill learne to doe well Isa. 1. 17. Come now let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as skarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall bee as wooll Isa. 1. 18. Goe proclaime these words to the North and say Returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall vpon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord and will not keepe anger for euer Ier. 3 12. Onely acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed the Lord thy God verse 13. Come let vs returne to the Lord for he hath torne and hee will heale vs he hath smitten and he will binde vs vp Hosea 6. 1. I will heale their back-slidings I will loue them freely Hosea 14. 4. Seeke the Lord and yee shall liue Amos 5. 6. Turne yee vnto mee saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turne vnto you Zac. 1. 3. Come vnto me all ye that are heauy laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. 28. Likewise I say vnto you There is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth Luke 15. 10. The Son of Man came to saue that which was lost Luke 19. 10. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Luk. 5. 32. That repentance and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his name among all Nations Luke 24. 47. Repent ye therefore and bee conuerted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3. 19. The Lord is not slacke as some men account slacknesse but is long suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. If wee confesse our sins hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Manasses built altars for al the Host of heauen 2 Chron. 33. 5. And he caused his children to passe by the fire in the valley of Hinnon also he vsed Witch-craft and dealt with familiar Spirits c. v. 67. But when hee was in his affliction hee besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the Lord of his Fathers v. 12. And prayed vnto him and he was intreated of him and he heard his supplication v. 13. He denied before them al saying I know not what thou sayest Mat. 26. 70. And againe he denyed him v. 72. Then he began to curse and to sweare saying I know not the man v. 74. And the Lord turned and looked vpon PETER and PETER remembred the words of the Lord Luk. 22. 61. And PETER went out and wept bitterly v. 62. And behold a woman in the City which was a sinner brought an al abaster box of ointment c. Luk. 7 37. Her sinnes which are many are forgiuen her for she loued much v. 47. A woman which had bin healed of euill Spirits and infirmities Mary Magdalene out of whom went seauen diuels Luk. 8. 2. The younger tooke his iourney into a farre countrey and wasted his substance with riotous liuing Luk. 15. 13. When he came to himselfe he said c. v. 18. I will arise and goe to my Father and say Father I
discipline mentioned by Saint Paul are most necessarie exercises of religion yet cannot be so safely done nor so decently nor so effectually in publike as in priuate These parts are not to be acted on the stage but within the hangings He that actes these on the stage will haue the person of an hypocrite put vpon him for it Where was our Sauiour in his agonie but alone in Gethsemaine Where was hee transfigured in his prayer but on the holy Mount alone Moses his face shined after he came from his secret parlie with God and our soules shall shine with all spirituall graces if we haue often priuate conference with him by prayer but alwayes with due reuerence and preparation before PARAG. 2. Of Preparation Preparation to religious exercises is twofold 1 Extraordinarie as watching fasting and the like of which see the admonition for Ash-wednesday 2 Ordinary which consisteth in 1 Clensing our conscience from the guilt and staine of foule sinnes especially grosse actuall sins newly committed 2 Sequestring our thoughts from worldly cares businesses 3 Considering before hand what the RELIGIOVS worke is wee are about and how we ought to performe it and carrie our selues in it Moses put off his shooes and Dauid washed his hands before he drew neare to God The Iewes and Turkes at this day wash themselues before they enter their Temples and the ancient Pagans vsed many ablutions and lustrations before they durst come in sight of their faigned gods The vncleane Spirit in the Gospell had a cleane lodging and shall we entertaine the most pure and holy Spirit of God in an vncleane roome in our soules What Courtier presumeth to come into the Kings presence in stinking and nastie cloathes or with his hands and face all besmeared with dirt or spotted with inke How dare we then appeare before God with a foule and nastie conscience with a heart full of malice eyes full of adulterie hands full of the treasures of wickednesse mouthes full of deadly poyson of Aspes When wee haue defiled our eyes with vnchast lookes shall we presently cast them vp to heauen and confidently looke God in the face who is a God of most pure eyes and cannot endure the least spot of impuritie when we haue defiled our hands with bloud or vncleannesse or telling our vse money shall we presently lift them vp in supplication to God when wee haue defiled our tongues with corrupt and rotten communication shall we presently employ them in diuine prayer when we haue defiled our bodies with beastly lusts and wallowed in the mire of swinish pleasures shall wee presently present our selues as a sacrifice vnto God in priuate or publike deuotion God by his holy Prophet teacheth vs another lesson wash you make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes Cease to do euill learne to do well Come now let vs conferre and reason together Secondly he that will consecrate his thoughts and affections by priuate Deuotion vnto God must remoue and sequester them from earthly affaires and worldly negotiations For the cares of this life as they choake the seedes of the word so they stifle deuout meditation in the wombe that conceiueth them It is not more difficult to cast vp one eye to heauen and the other downe on the earth at the same instant then to fixe our cogitations and intentions at once on God and the world Holinesse in the Greeke implyeth a direct contradiction to earthlinesse Hagios is deriued from A the priuatiue particle and Ge signifying earth as if you would say vnearthlinesse God is a Spirit and cannot be otherwise seene of vs then in spirit Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The soule of man is the glasse most truly representing Gods image If a glasse be furd or soyled with dust or dirt it reflecteth no shape or proportion aright but wipe the dust from the glasse and you shall see clearely So saith Saint Bernard rub thy glasse wipe away all dustie earthlinesse from thy mind and thou shalt see God in thy soule and conceiue cleare and diuine imaginations of him Thirdly he that desireth that God should haue respect to him and to his spirituall offerings must bee more readie to heare the wise man and looke to his foote then to make hast to offer the sacrifice of fooles What is it to offer the sacrifice of fooles but rashly and vnaduisedly not to bring and lay downe but to throw his gifts on Gods Altar without considering what he offereth or 〈◊〉 or to whom He that makes no more of prayers to God then of speaking with one of his companions nor of perusing inspired Scriptures then reading a peice of Aristotle or Liuie nor of participating of the blessed Sacrament then taking a morsell of bread or drinking a cup of wine can expect no blessing for the vse but rather ought to feare a curse for the abuse of these meanes of saluation These ordinances of God sanctifie not such but they rather prophane them Numa Pomphilius forbad any man vnder a great penaltie to salute his gods in the high way or to pray or bow or to do any reuerence to their temples or images as they walked by them in the streets and Wouer yeelds a reason of this law better then the law it selfe Diuine Maiestie sayes hee must not be sleighted holy duties must not bee suddenly slâ—bbered ouer but performed with reuerent regard 〈◊〉 religious cunctation or delay to frame and compose the mind vnto them But men haue forgotten the feare of the Lord euen in his presence and vnder his eye The holy name of God is made so common in mens mouthes and his dreadfull Maiestie so cheape in their estimamation that as they speake of him without reuerence so also they speake to him without aduised premeditation They are farre from Dauids modestie who went step by step and fetched a compasse to come to Gods altar I will wash my hands in innocencie and so I will compasse thine altar but these make but one step to it They suddenly and rudely rush vpon Almightie God neuer thinking that he is a consuming fire Augustus being inuited by a priuate Gentleman to his house entertained but slenderly below the maiestie of so great an Emperour in stead of thanking him gaue him a secret but smart checke for it I knew not said he before that we were such familiars But hath not the King of heauen and Monarke of the whole world more iust cause to censure in the like manner or more seuerely those among vs that seeme most forward to inuite and entertaine him who runne into his presence without shewing any reuerence speake vnto him without bowing their knee heare him in the Ministry of the Word without vncouering their heads participate of the dreadfull Mysteries as the Fathers call them of his
blessed Body and Blood sitting at the Communion as they doe at their ordinary table without expressing any thankfull humility or giuing testimony that they discerne the Lords body from common meat Is this to serue the Lord Christ with feare To reioyce vnto him with trembling To kisse the Sonne least hee be angry Nay to fall lowe before his footstoole because hee is holy But I will speake no more of Preparation to holy duties in generall least the preludium grow longer then the lesson I am now to prick The Preparation to Prayer PARAG. 1. My heart is indighting of a good matter my tongue is the penne of a ready writer saith the Kingly Prophet and againe My heart was hot within mee while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue If this sweete singer of Israel first pricked the notes in his heart before he began to sing them If he who was inspired by the holy Ghost framed his Prayers and Psalmes of thanksgiuing in his minde before hee deliuered them by his tongue ought not we who are as farre behinde him in his gifts as we are below him in condition much more meditate before we vtter any thing to the Lord I speake not of pious â—iaculations which must needs be suddaine as their occasions are and the motions of Gods Spirit within vs but of a set conceiued Prayer wherein we ought not onely well to ponder the matter but euen weigh if wee haue time euery word in the ballance that they bee not found too light and thereby our Prayers against sin be turned into sinne Bee not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to vtter any thing before God Seneca obseruing how bold men made with God and what strange petitions they blushed not to preferre vnto him gaue this sage aduise So deale with men as if God saw thee and so speake with God as if men heard thee For many men vent such vncharitable enuious and malitious matters such confused and vndigested stuffe such impertinencies inconsequencies absurdities especially in their priuate extemporarie Prayers as they would be ashamed that any man of quality or vnderstanding should ouer heare them It would make a prophane man laugh but a Religious man weepe to listen and marke how sometimes they court Almighty God with idle complements sometimes they cast vp Prayers with strong lines to heauen hoping thereby to drawe downe a blessing from God sometimes they expostulate with God in a sawcie and sometimes pose him in a ridiculous manner Sometimes they discourse profoundly in their Prayer as if they meant in good earnest to teach Almighty God what hee ought to doe Sometimes they are too tedious cloying his eares with bablings and vaine repetitions and sometimes againe they are too briefe curtayling their Orisens and breaking off in the middest One while they fly too high and meddle with counsells of State and another while they fall too low and tell God a Homely houshould tale If they heare a strange Phrase or an affected straine of puf-past eloquence this they cull out carefully and insert into their garlands Peter Moulin iustly taxeth a Fryar for styling Christ the Dolphin of heauen and I thinke he as well deserueth blame who prayeth to God that he may march to heauen in perfect equipage or come vnto God not with the soales of his foot but the foot of his soule who layeth open before God his manifold defections infections imperfections his sinnes of an higher straine and deeper staine and commendeth to his gracious goodnesse al the Ministers of the Church by what titles soeuer they are signified or dignified Giue me leaue to tell these men in their owne language that this is playing not Praying and that in sending vp such prayers they burne not incense to God but incense him rather Or if they will not heare me let the graue high-Priest among the ancient Romans Schoole them as he did a Vestall whom he obserued to be too curious and neate about her work which was tending the holy fire Vergin doe your work holily rather then handsomely reuerently rather then trimly There are a sort of men in direct opposition to these who affect a kinde of Rhetorike which weedeth out all flowers of Rhetorike They can away with no Prayer or meditation which fauours of the lumpe though the oyle be sacred Nothing pleaseth them in this kinde but that which is spunne with an ouer course thread Coursnes to them is strength dulnes grauity drinesse iudgement leanenes health and pack-staffe plainnesse the euidence as they terme it of the Spirit and simplicity of the Gospell Well may they claime kindred with the old Aegyptians who as Herodotus and Straboreport temper morter with their hands and kneade their dow with their feete Right so these men in all other things like well of art and wit where the matter is vile and base but in the deliuery of heauenly conceptions vtterly abandon them But they should haue considered better that sharpnesse of wit and true eloquence are gifts of God and therefore best of all to bee employed in holy things as gold and siluer are best bestowed in adorning Gods house so it bee without superstition Was not fine linnen and blew silke and Scarlet of as good vse in the Arke as Camels haire Is not the Queene brought into the spirituall Salomans chamber in Vesture of gold wrought about with diuers colours Was not the holy oyle and precious oyntment made by Gods coÌ„mandement according to the art of the Apothecary Are there not in the Prophet Esay the Psalmes of Dauid and the Epistles of Saint Paul in the originall language and other parts of Scripture more exquisite peeces of Artt and streines of eloquence then are to be found in any other writings whatsoeuer If they are accursed who doe the worke of the Lord negligently certainly the more diligence we vse the more blessed our holy labours shall be For my part I am resolued with Dauid neuer to offer that to God which costeth mee nothing There remaine yet in some places some of the base sect of the Patttalorochita who place Religion in nosing their words and speaking to God in a harsh and vncouth sound and pronuntiation They will not cry but howle and bellow to him But these are so few in number and their error is so contemptible that I hold it scarce fit the naming and no way worthy the refuting I would there were no more left of the sect of the Pharisees who vnder colour of long Prayers 〈◊〉 widowes houses who persume their consâ—â—ing and corrupt dealing with the balme of Gâ—lead who make Religion and Deuotion a stalking horse to their ambition and auaritious purposes and ends O mercifull God how is thy patience abused How is thy Maiesty sleightned How is thy worship prophaned O what sinfull wretches are we who need a large pardon not onely for our profane