THE Blinde-Mans Sermon OR Confutation of the blinde Pharises By THOMAS GRANGER Preacher of the Word at Botterwike nere Boston in Lincolnshire LONDON Printed by T. S. for Thomas Pauier and are to besold at his shop in Iuie-Lane 1616. TO THE WORshipful and my very good friend Mr. Charles Leuenthorpe Student in Christs Colledge in Cambridge SIR the duty that I owe vnto you on the one side and the consideration of your worthinesse on the other moued me first to send this small present vnto you desiring thereby to exhibite some testimony of my sincere affection towards you in the good opinion that I haue of you for your good choise and hope of your happy proceeding therein Trusting in the Lord that as you haue deuoted your selfe to Learning and intend to consecrate your selfe to the Church of God so the Lord will blesse you in all your studies and make you a powerfull instrument in the building and maintaining of his kingdome Your Worships in the Lord to command THOMAS GRANCER THE BLINDE-MANS Sermon IOHN 9. 31. Now wee know that God heareth not sinners but if any be a worshipper of God and doth his will him hee heareth THese are the words of one that was borne blinde to whom our Sauiour Christ had restored his sight And hée was occasioned héer eunto by the enuious and ignorant Pharisées who said in the verse 24. that they knew Christ to be a sinner And in the vers 29. that they knew not whence hée was that is whether his doctrine and miracles were of God or of Sathan In the verse 30. he closely reproueth their ignorance by way of admiration Doubtlesse this is a maruellous thing that you know not whence hee is c. Now in this verse hée goeth forward teaching them and prouing vnto them that Christ is not a sinner and that he is of God That Christ is not a sinner he proueth in this verse and thus he argueth God heareth not sinners But God hath heard this man Therefore this man is not a sinner The Assumption namely that GOD hath heard him he proueth in the vers 32. his argument being drawne from the effect of Gods power in him namely the wonderfull Miracle that hée wrought in restoring him to his sight which he amplifieth by the comparison of all times Since the world began it was neuer heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind The greatnes of the Miracle appeareth héerein that being borne blind he had no eyes therfore it must néeds follow that hée made him new eyes and hée that can make eyes can also create a man which none can doe except God alone and hée to whom God giueth power to doe it The Proposition is a doctrine which he first confirmeth by the ground that is the common knowledge and consent of all men in the first words We know Secondly he illustrateth the same by the contrary But if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him hee heareth Heerein therefore thrée things are to be handled First the ground of the Doctrine Secondly the Doctrine it selfe Thirdly the illustration thereof I. Wee know Which is as much as if hée had said all men learned and vnlearned Iew and Gentile euen all men by the light of Nature know that God heareth not sinners And héerein we are to obserue that whereas he saith wee hée alludeth to that proud and ignorant spéech of theirs in the verse 24. closely deriding their ignorance As if hée had said you Pharises that are puft vp with pride and vaine-glory whose hearts Satan hath filled with couetousnes whose minds the poyson of blacke enuy hath blinded whose iudgments worldly lusts haue corrupted that you neyther will nor can discern the truth nor iudge righteous iudgment you know this man to be a sinner Because this man conuinceth you of open rebellion against GOD laying open the foule corruptions of your hearts which with your subtle delusions of Almes Fasting and Prayer you kéepe secret and close within your selues from the eyes of the poore Commons and because he glorifieth not your persons neither any whit respecteth you in the sight of the people which would be honoured and called Rabbi of euery man but contrarily reprooueth your pride couetousnesse cruelty in deuouring widdowes houses and hypocrisie whereby you thinke your selues greatly disgraced therfore are you incensed in malice enuy and hatred against him deuising plotting against him séeking to insnare and intangle him in his spéeches if by any meanes colour or pretence you might bring him within the compasse of treason or danger of Law Hence it is that euen contrary to your owne knowledge you say that you know him to be a sinner But I that haue béene afflicted euer since I was borne that haue euer till now borne this heauy crosse of blindnesse now at length haue obtained mercy that not onely bodily eyes should be giuen mée to behold this comfortable light of the Sun but the eyes of my mind should be opened to behold the son of God I and such as I euen we know that this man is not a sinner whatsoeuer it pleaseth you to know and iudge of him Héere wée obseruc and sée a poore and vnlearned man teaching the learned Pharises profest Doctors of the Law and Prophets and yet are they so ignorant in both as that a common man must teach them yea they are so dull as that they cannot learne which maketh the man to maruell at them Surely indéede it is a maruellous thing that plaine simple and vnlearned men should teach learned Clerks the wise and prudent yet so it is for the Gospell is a Mystery it is all wonder for it is not grounded on any principle in nature therfore it is as great a wonder also that any man should beléeue it but that it should be rather to the Iew a stumbling block to the Gentiles foolishnes In Mat. 11. Our Sauiour Christ had preached the Gospel to thrée great populous cities Corazim Bethsaida and Capernaum whereof Capernaum was euen lifted vp to Heauen with the wealth pompe and pride of this world In this city there were many rich Merchants that had knowledge enough by their traffique to encrease their substance In it were learned men and great Schollers In it were prudent and politicke gouernours yet for all this when Christ preached the Gospell among them there is none that repenteth none that beléeueth none that vnderstandech They flockt about him to heare newes for so his doctrine was accounted and to sée wonders and when they had sufficed themselues with nouelties there is no more repenting beléeuing remorse for sinne than if they had béene at a play but they returned backe againe like the Dog to his vomit and the Sow to her wallowing in the mire Héereupon hee declareth the causes héereof by way of thanksgiuing for the instruction of his Disciples then present ver 25. I thanke thee O Father
eloquence what dost thou with thy wealth what vse dost thou make of thy friends assistants what doth thy soule work with those instruments the members of thy body Let not the sword boast it selfe of the good mettall the curious workmanship and sharp edge but rather who doth vse it and to what end Whether the Magistrate doth vse it to the terrifying of the wicked and the comfort of the godly in their preseruation or the tyrant doth vse it to shedde innocent bloud therewith as King Manasses did Whether the true man doth weare it for his defence or the robber to spoyle and kill If thou beest an vngodly person and settest thine heart to doe mischiefe then all these excellent parts are but as a sharpe edge or whetting whereby Sathan spoyleth and deuoureth but yet so as the will of the Lord which is cleane contrary to thy will and Satans will shall be executed by thée and him to the punishment of the wicked to the triall of the godly to the destruction of thy selfe and to the glory of God and good of his elect Fourthly the Lord doth grant the wicked their desires as they are vessels of wrath Because he will magnifie his power and iustice in their iust ouerthrow which is altogether their owne séeking For all that they desire aske wish and séeke for is is against themselues and so they bring euill vpon their owne heads Rom. 9 22. 23. What and if God would to shew his wrath to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessell of wrath prepared to destruction and that hee might declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy which hee hath prepared to glory An example hereof in the Amorites Gen. 14. 13. 16. The Amorites and Canaanites c. must be spared 400. yeares till their wickednesse and strength were come to the full They must be strong for their multitude the Giant-like Anakins must be multiplied their walls must be mounted vp to heauen their munition good the land affording store of iron and brasse and then will God magnifie his power and iustice in casting them out by a weake people that were but as Grashoppers in comparison of them and his mercy in planting them in and the glory of his name in both So Goliah must be a strong Giant trained vp in feates of warre from his youth bold and couragious able to handle a speare and to tosse a pike as thicke as a Weauers beame and therefore so confident in his strength and skill as that hée durst oppose himselfe against the whole host of Israell and euen bid defiance to all men Contrarily Dauid must be a Shepheard the yongest and meanest of all his brethren not able to handle speare shield or sword or to weare harnesse but with a little stone in a sling must hee deliuer the people of God and destroy their enemies that the power of God might be made manifest in the ouerthrow of his enemies and his mercy in the deliuerance of his seruants The like wee sée in Nebuchadnezzar in Senacherib in the foure Monarchyes in Antichrist in our owne obseruation euery where The vse If thou dost excell other men in naturall gifts and worldly prerogatiues and that the world and all things concurre together for thy desired aduancement looke well to thy heart and to thy affections what thou aymest at what thou séekest for and feare take héede that thou oppose not thy selfe inwardly or outwardly against God his Church his Gospell and professors thereof least thou proue a vessell of wrath on whom God will shew forth his power and iustice when thou art at the height and in most safety trusting in thine owne strength and his mercy in deliuering his out of thy oppressing hand Examples hereof wée haue in Pharaoh Haman Antiochus and others before mentioned For it is the glory of the Lord to catch the wise in their own craftines 1 Cor. 3. 19. To bring downe the high lookes of the proud to cast downe Princes from the Throne into the dust and to raise the poore out of the dust to sit with Princes Psalm 113. Therefore if thou béest high and eminent in the world be humble and lowly in heart disrobe thy selfe of all earthly royalty and set the Lord alwaies before thine eyes that so thou maist with Dauid be eminent in the Church and kingdome of Christ Then mayest thou and shalt thou with ioyfulnes and with a good conscience inioy the blessings of God Moreouer séeing that God suffereth the wicked to waxe great that in their humiliation deiection the glory of his name may be more manifested to all people that they may feare him and praise him this teacheth the godly being oppressed by their might to be patient till the Lord come which is a sure deliuerer of his Seruants for as Dauid saith The patient abiding of the meeke shall not alway be forgotten The consideration heereof also affoordeth great comfort to them that feare God that whiles the vngodly triumph saying who is Lord ouer vs who shall controll vs wée will tread downe on euery side all that withstand vs that whiles they are thus digging pittes to bury the children of God in and with Haman making gallowes to hang them on themselues shall fall into the same destruction Marueile not therefore if one be made rich or if the glory of his house be increased as Dauid saith III. He illustreteth his doctrine by the contrary But if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Héere he sheweth whom God heareth to wit the godly which is opposed to the sinner The godly man hee describeth by his fruits of sanctification He is a godly man that is a worshipper of God and doth his will Herein obserus two things First he saith not that doth worship but that is a worshipper which word implieth a continuance in worshipping or habite whereas hypocrites worship God by constraint by fits and in outward shew and are therefore vnconstant not being firmely setled on the foundation as the graft is vnited to the stocke growing together with it but rather loose and tottering as things ioyned together called contigua and not as things vnited called continua which haue one spirit or common forme He that worshippeth God in spirit without hypocrisie and in truth without will-worship is one spirit with the Lord and there is none vnrighteousnesse in him 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Secondly note that these words must be taken collectiuely not distributiuely that is they must not be parted but goe together The reason is because that worshipping of God without obedience is formall hypocrisie obedience without workes is but ciuill honesty and both are sinnes The former is false worship and hypocrisie for disobedience discouers it to be so the latter are false workes or beautifull abhominations for prophannesse shewes it and God will heare neither the false worshipper nor prophane liuer Concerning the former worship without
workes is counterfeit and hypocrisie the Lord cannot abide it Esay 1. The Lord saith that their sacrifices burnt offerings incense are abhominations that their new Moones Sabaoths solemne feasts solemne dayes and assemblies are a but then and wearisomnesse neyther will he heare their prayers But they must be washed they must be purged the euill of their workes must be taken away they must cease to doe euill they must learne to doe well This was the sinne of Saul he would séeme to be a true worshipper of God offering sacrifice and therein was he diligent enough but hée was slow enough in doing the will of the Lord when hee was commaunded to slay the Amalekites man woman childe beast c. he spared the King and brought of the best of the things to sacrifice with 1 Sam. 15. 21. 22. There be aboundance of Sauls in these dayes Therefore S. Iames teacheth Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues Iam. 1. 22. Hee that looketh in the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he not being a forgetfull hearer shall be blessed in his deede And the whole second Chapter throughout Therefore Worship without Obedience is flat hypocrisie Againe concerning ciuill honesty or morall life wherein the common Protestant resteth himselfe with contentment is odious in the sight of God without sincere worship For the frame of mans heart is euill continually Gen. 8. 21. how good soeuer he séeme to be to himselfe and others that cannot discerne betwéene naturall and spirituall life but make a confusion of both vnder an outward profession or rather bare name and title All our righteousnes is as a menstrous cloth Esay 64. 6. and Iob saith Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse Iob 144 vaine therefore are the supposed good works of Papists séeing that they worship not God rightly and as vaine are the workes of vaine-glorious worldlings séeing that they worship not God truely Therefore worship and obedience must go together procéeding from a right fountaine that is from an humble and obedient heart purged from hypocrisie by a working faith and vnfeigned repentance from sanctified affections and a good conscience This is onely acceptable to God and those actions obedience that procéed from this fountaine though stayned with many wants and imperfections God accepteth as pure the impurity not being imputed Psal 32. 1. 2. Furthermore there be sundry reasons why that God heareth the godly namely those that worship him sincerely and doe his will First because that they being redéemed from the bondage of sinne are the sonnes of God they haue the spirit of adoption or of ingenuous and frée-borne sonnes by which they both know God acknowledge God to be their God and loue God their Father and consequently call vpon him Prayers procéeding from a prophane heart doe not pierce the heauens but those which come from Gods owne spirit therefore S. Paul saith Ephes 6. 18. Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit And Rom. 8. 26. The spirit maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed Such holy motions and rauishments doth the spirit of God worke in our hearts as that wée are not able to expresse the same in words but with sighes euen as when words faile vs wée vse to declare our mindes by gestures Such prayers come as it were immediately from the spirit with little vse of mans discourse and phantasie and no vse of the tongue Esau prayed with wéeping eyes but with a prophane heart therefore he is not heard The Pharises make long prayers with an hypocriticall heart therefore they are not heard But Moses prayed onely in minde and his desire is heard Exod. 14. 15. Yea the Lord accepted his prayer as much as if he had earnestly cryed therefore the Lord sayd to him Why cryest thou Goe forward with the people So Anna prayed in her heart with submisse and vnperfect words which caused Eli to thinke that shée was drunke 1 Sam. 1. 13. Therefore the Lord heard her And hence it is that the Apostle bids vs pray continually 1 Thes 5. 17. For with the heart minde or spirit a man may pray alway This teacheth vs in praying to pray for the spirit of Prayer Secondly the Lord heareth the godly because they alone being taught by the word and spirit doe pray aright As Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for hee maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God both teaching them what to pray for and how to pray Which prayers the Lord accepteth as S. Iohn teacheth This is the assurance that wee haue of him that if we aske any thing according to his will hee heareth vs. An example héereof 1 King 3. 9. 10. Because Salomon prayed not for riches nor for long life nor the life of his enemies but that a wise and vnderstanding heart might be giuen him to iudge the Lords people righteously therefore it pleased the Lord and he granted his prayers Thus our Sauiour Christ prayed Not my will but thy will be done Thirdly the Lord heareth the godly because they are truely penitent and sorrowfull for sinne and therefore come into the presence of God clad with the righteousnesse of Christ Psalm 51. 17. The sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O Lord wilt thou not despise Psal 28. 7. Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voyce of mine humble petitions Our Sauiour Christ calleth onely such vnto him Matth. 11. 28. Come vnto mee all yee that are heauy laden and I will ease you For the Lord hath annointed mee to binde vp the broken hearted Esay 61. 1. Therefore the poore Publicane confessing his sinnes with a penitent and sorrowfull spirit is heard before the Pharisée iustifying himselfe by his workes Luke 18. Fourthly the Lord heareth the godly because they pray feruently I am 5. 16. The praier of a righteous man preuaileth much if it be feruent Heereby two things are specially necessary in Prayer First a man must be a righteous man Hée is righteous that by faith is ingraffed into the righteous Iesus Christ and in him bringeth forth fruits of thankefull obedience to God Secondly he must pray feruently that is to say seriously or with earnest desire For this feruency argueth that a man praieth in the spirit which ouercommeth the dulnes and drowsines of the flesh which quencheth and oppresseth the spirit This wée may sée in the heauy and sléepy Disciples Matth. 26. 40. though they had a willingnesse and desire to watch and to pray yet the flesh quelled and dulled the spirit Secondly feruency argueth the necessity of the thing that wée pray for Wée most of all and most earnestly pray for that which wée haue most néede of Thirdly feruency argueth Faith in Gods power that hée is able to helpe and in his goodnesse that hée is willing and ready to helpe For this
preserue all things therein for their sakes but for his owne children from whom they snatch and catch all that they can to dishonour God and his children therewith They are the children of Abaddon or Apollyon the destroyer that abuse all things to the dishonour of God the disgracing and harming of the godly and to their owne condemnation And this is the kingdome of the Deuill héere on earth Goe to now you cunning catchers you flouting politicians you proud and wanton damsells you lustfull and Epicurish Gluttons and thou muddy Mammonist on whom haue yee ieasted vpon whom haue ye gaped and thrust out you togue Are ye not rebellious children and a false seede Bastards and not Sonnes Are ye not witches children the seede of the Adulterer and the Whoore Esay 57. 3. 4. You boast your selues to be the children of God and the true members of Christ As for others you make mocks on them with your mouthes and you deuise terms for them to make them sectaries and hypocrites they are your gazing stocks and taunting Prouerbs But where is your Deuotion Where is your Zeale Where is your Feruency Sobriety Prayer Thanksgiuing Humility What fruits of the Spirit appeare in you What loue of God in the zealous exercises of Gods worship What contempt of the worlds pompe pride vanity in your moderate liuing and sober conuersation What regard of the afflictions of Ioseph Yea your bodies are your Idolls and your soules like drudges doe homage to your bodies This appeareth in your excessiue fare in your excessiue apparell in your excessiue varieties of fashions in your excessiue curiosity in the putting on thereof In these excesses ye compare one with another emulate one another and striue to goe beyond one another Your backes and bellies are grown to be so chargeable require so great maintenance like to the Idoll Bell as that the land is hardly able to beare you You grow so insupportable that the earth groneth vnder you I would ye knew but mockers pleasing themselues in their owne fancies will know nothing till they be made sober taught by iudgements that these are no fruits of the spirit but of a sensuall appetite they are no signes of Christianity but of a dissembling and proud heart and of lust that reigneth in your mortall and corruptible members It is to be feared that as God giueth you your hearts desires in all these things so some heauy iudgements hang ouer your heads to purge this shamelesse corruption and filthy rottennesse out of this land that hath had rest for many yeares It is a shame and an abhomination to sée what priding and decking there is of these corruptible carkasses how this earthly masse of mortality this lumpe of sinne and death doth magnifie and exalt it selfe It is a wonder to sée what pride in apparell what curiosity in the fashion and putting on of the same is to be séene on the Lords day a day of humility and denotion but such fleshly shewes and swaggering seruice the Lord abhorres For a penitent humble lowly and deuout heart doth not shew foorth it selfe in such flourishes Such were the conditions and practises of the Iewes in Esayes time Esay 3. and in Ezech. 33. 30. to the end They come to thee as the people vse to come and my people sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not do them for with their mouthes they make ieasts and their hearts goeth after their couetousnesse And loe thou art to them as a ieasting song of one that hath a pleasant voyce for they heare thy words but do them not Ciuility swallowes vp Christianity in this present age and pride deuoureth hospitality the very name whereof is worne out of mans memory Thirdly God granteth the withes desires enterprises and indeauours of the wicked as they are instruments of his iustice and rods of correction For by them as by asword a fire a rod the Lord doth chastise his children and punish the hypocrites Yea by their wickednes the Lord doth effect those things which may be for his owne glory and the good of his children they not knowing what they doe Fire naturally desireth nourishment or fuell wée giue it the same that we may do our works with it yet fire intendeth not the doing of our worke but the consuming of it Therefore wée call it a good seruant but an euill master The Deuill and the wicked are as fire in their owne natures destroyers yet by accident as I may say they are builders and repayrers for such is the power wisedome and goodnesse of God as that hée doth his owne worke by contrary meanes In this respect the Lord calls Nabuchadnezzar his seruant in that by him he punished the rebellious Iewes Nabuchadnezzar did this out of his couetousnesse and pride of his heart magnifying himselfe against God and his people yet he executeth the Lords iudgements on the rebellious and mercy on the obedient But what was the reward of this his seruice what he did out of his own euil heart was one thing what the Lord did out of his power and wisedome is another thing His wages was according to his owne worke Esay 33. Woe to thee that spoylest and wast not spoyled and dost wickedly and they did not wickedly against thee when thou shalt cease to spoyle thou shalt be spoyled when thou shalt make an end of doing wickedly they shall doe wickedly against thee Esay 45. 1. In this respect is Cyrus called comparatiuely the annointed of the Lord. The Lord will by him execute iustice on Nabuchadnezzar for his tyranny pride couetousnes cruelty by him shew mercy on his people in their deliuerance out of their seauenty years captiuity Thus Iudas the high-Priests Pharises had their desires they were not disappointed of their wicked proiects crafty plots but the end and proofe thereof was the building of Christs kingdome which they thought to ouerthrow and the destruction of their owne kingdome which they sought to establish by this meanes Ioh. 11. 48. If we let him thus alone all men will beleeue in him and the Romaines will come and take away both our place and the nation The vse of this Hast thou power hast thou wisdome policy hast thou a iudicious contriuing plotting head hast thou a searching imagination strong memory hast thou learning and eloquence hast thou wealth and friends hast thou a healthfull and strong body these things are much desired admired of the world But consider what thou art not what thou hast How dost thou vse thy power to build the kingdome and Church of Christ therwith or to build vp thy selfe in the destruction thereof to thy power how little soeuer it be How dost thou vse thy poliâ—y and wisedome and wherein are these gifts exercised wherein art thou iudicious what is the ground and end of thy proiects what vse dost thou make of thy learning in what matter and what causes dost thou practise thy
for thy fatherly care ouer vs in prouiding all things necessary for our soules and bodies for our food rayment health peace liberty friends which many of thy children want that are as déere vnto thée as our selues But especially aboue all we praise thy name for the blessings of a better life as namely for our election in Christ Iesus before the world was for our creation after thine owne image in the beginning for our estectuall vocation out of the darkenes of this world into thy glorious light and kingdome by the outward preaching of thy word and the inward operation of thy spirit for our iustification by the obedience bloudshed of thine owne sonne for our adoption from the thraldome of Satan into the glorious liberty and priuiledge of Sonnes for our sanctification in the crucifying of the body of sinne and quickning of the inner man for our continuall preseruation against the temptations and conquest of sinne Satan and this euill world for the frée donation of thy holy spirit the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased and for the continuance of thy Gospell the word of truth and the meanes whereby wée are partakers of all these blessings O Lord open our blinde eyes euery day more and more to sée and consider of thy great and maruellous loue towards vs in all these things that by the due consideration thereof we may be drawne néerer vnto thée to loue thée much because thou hast giuen much And as thou doest abound towards vs in all goodnes so grant that wée may abound toward thee in all obedience and thankefulnesse And as O Lord thou being infinite in mercy hast had mercy on vs when wée deserued iudgement euen so we beséech thée be mercifull to all them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death cause the glorious light of thy Gospell to shine in their hearts according to the good pleasure of thine owne will and in whom thou hast already begun the worke of conuersion vouchsafe them also the grace of perseuerance that continuing to the end they may be partakers of glory with thy Saints in light And whereas saluation came of thine ancient people the Iewes but they through vnbeléefe were cut off that wée by faith might be grafted in Lord call them in thine appointed time take away the vaile from before their blinde and vncircumcised hearts and reueale the knowledge of thy sonne vnto them that they and wée may be one shéepefold vnder one shepheard Christ Iesus In the meane time destroy the kingdom of sinne Satan and Antichrist euery day more and more Build vp thine owne kingdome of Grace in the hearts of euery one of vs and hasten thy kingdome of glory that when this miserable life is ended wee may raigne with thée eternally in glory Be gratious and mercifull to them that suffer affliction for the testimony of a good Conscience deliuer them out of the hands of their enemies or so strengthen them with the comfortable assistance of thy spirit that in dying they may ouercome the world death and hell Comfort all that are troubled in mind with the burthen of their sins speake peace to their Consciences say vnto their soules I am thy saluation Come vnto me all ye that are weary and heauy laden and I will ease you And to this end giue the tongue of the learned to thy Ministers that they may know to Minister a word in time to him that is weary Be mercifull to them that are afflicted in body with paines sicknesses or diseases giue them grace to beare the crosse with patient thankefulnesse and to learne by those visitations to confesse their sinnes to acknowledge their faults to call vpon thy name to amend their liues that as heretofore they haue gone astray after the course of this world through the inticements of naturall concupiscence so they may now be brought to the knowledge of thée and of themselues And also strengthen them that are any manner of wayes assaulted by Satan giue them a ioyfull issue with the temptation that thy grace in their deliuerance by them may be glorified and thy power conquering Satan in their weakenesse may be manifested and for euer magnified Thankesgiuing before meate VVE thanke thée O Heauenly Father for all thy blessings and mercies heretofore bestowed vpon vs and still continued renued vnto vs. Especially at this time for these thy good creatures that of thine owne goodnesse and bounty thou hast ordained and prouided for the maintenance of our bodies giue them vertue and power to nourish vs that thereby our strengths being renued we may be more fit and able to serue thée in the duties of our callings to thine honour and glory and to the comfort of our owne soules and consciences through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Thankesgiuing after meate VVE desire to return all honour glory praise thankesgiuing to thy Maiesty for thy fatherly care ouer vs since the beginning of our dayes till this present houre Chiefly for thy heauenly word the foode of our soules for thy Sabaoths and the peaceable exercises of all holy dueties therein And in speciall at this time for these thy good creatures whereof at this present wée haue béene partakers by thy good prouidence beséeching thée so to blesse and sanctifie the same vnto vs as that we may walke in the strength of them in the performance of all good duties to thy glory and our owne comforts through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS