fruit thou didst hang on the cursed tree I plaid the glutton and thou didst fast evil concupiscence drew me to eat the pleasaâ—â— apple and perfect charity led thee to drink of the bitter cup I assayed the sweetness of the fruit and thou didst taste the bitterness of the gall Foolish Eve smiled when I laughed but blessed Mary wept when thy heart bled died O my God here I see thy goodness and my badness thy justice and my injustice the impiety of my flesh and the piety of thy nature And now O blessed Lord thou hast endured all this for my sake what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits bestowed upon me a sinful soul Indeed Lord I acknowledge that I owe thee already for my creation more than I am able to pay for I am in that respect bound with all my powers and affections to love and adore thee If I owed my self unto thee for giving me my self in my creation what shall I now render to thee for giving thy self for me to so cruel a death to procure my Redemption Great was the benefit that thou wouldest create me of nothing but what tongue can express the greatness of this grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse than nothing Surely Lord if I cannot pay the thanks I owe thee and who can pay thee who bestowest thy graces without respect of merit or regard of measure it is the abundance of thy blessings that makes me such a bankrupt that I am so far unable to pay the principal that I cannot possibly pay so much as the interest of thy love But O my Lord thou knowest that since the loss of thine Image by the fall of my first unhappy Parents I cannot love thee with all my might and mind as I should therefore as thou didst first cast thy love upon me when I was a child of wrath and a lump of the lost and condemned world so now I beseech thee shed abroad thy love by thy Spirit through all my faculties and affections that though I can never pay thee in that measure of love which thou hast deserved yet I may endeavour to repay thee in such a manner as thou vouchsafest to accept in mercy that I may in truth of heart love my neighbour for thy sake and love thee above all for thine own sake Let nothing be pleasant unto me but that which is pleasing unto thee And sweet Saviour suffer me never to be lost or cast away whom thou hast bought so dearly with thine own most precious blood O Lord let me never forget thine infinite love and this unspeakable benefit of my Redemption without which it had been better for me never to have been than to have any being And seeing that thou hast vouchsafed me the assistance of thy holy Spirit suffer me O heavenly Father who art the Father of Spirits in the meditation of thy Son to speak a few words in the ears of my Lord. If thou O Father despisest me for mine iniquities as I have deserved yet be merciful unto me for the merits of thy Son who so much for me hath suffered What if thou seest nothing in me but misery which might move anger and passion Yet behold the merits of thy Son and thou shalt see enough to move thee to mercy and compassion Behold the mystery of his incarnation and remit the misery of my transgression And as oft as the wounds of thy Son appear in thy sight O let the woes of my sins be hid from thy presence As oft as the redness of his blood glisters in thine eyes O let the guiltiness of my sins be blotted out of thy Book The wantonness of my flesh provoked thee unto wrath O let the chastity of his flesh perswade thee to mercy that as my flesh seduced me to sin so his flesh may reduce me unto thy favour My disobedience hath deserved a great revenge but his obedience merits a greater weight of mercy for what can man deserve to suffer which God made man cannot merit to have forgiven When I consider the greatness of thy passion then do I see the trueness of that saying That Christ came into the world to save the chiefest sinners Dâ—rest thou O Cain say that thy sins are greater than may be forgiven Thou lâ—est like a murtherer the mercies of one Christ are able to forgive a world of Cains if they 'll believe repent The sins of all sinners are finite the mercies of God are infinite Therefore O Father for the death and passions sake which thy Son Jesu Christ hath suffer'd for me I have now remembred to thee pardon and forgive thou unto me all my sins deliver me from the curse vengeance which they have justly deserved through his merits make me O Lord a partaker of thy mercy It is thy mercy that I so earnestly knock for neither shall mine importunity cease to call and knock with the man that would borrow the loaves until thou arise and open unto me thy gates of grace And if thou wilt not bestow on me thy loaves yet O Lord deny me not the crums of thy mercy and those shall suffice thy hungry hand-mind And seeing thou reqâ—i est nothing for thy benefits but that I love thee in the truth of my inward heart whereof a new creature is the truest outward testimony and that it is as easie for thee to make me a new creature as to bid me to be such create in me O Christ a new heart and renew in me a right spirit and then thou shalt see how mortifying old Adam and his corrupt lust I will serve thee as thy new creature in a new life after a new way with a new tongue and new manners with new words and new works to the glory of thy Name and the winning other sinful souls unto thy Faith by my devout example Keep me for ever O my Saviour from the torments of hell and tyranny of the Devil And when I am to depart this life send thy holy Angels to carry me as they did the soul of Lazarus into thy Kingdom Receive me into that joyful Paradise which thou didst promise to thâ— penitent thief which at his last gasp upon the Cross so devoutly begg'd thy mercy and admission into thy Kingdom Grant this O Christ for thy own Name 's sake to whom as is most due I ascribe all glory and honour praise and dominion both now and for ever Amen FINIS * 1 Tim. 6. 15. Rev. 12. 13. †1 Sam. 20. 20. * 2 Chron. 34. 3. * Qui monet ut facias quod jam facis ipse moneâ— do Laudat hortatu comprobat acta suo 2 Cor. 8. 7. Matth. 15. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 4. * Exemplum accidit mulieris Domino teste quae Theatrum adiit inde cum daemonio â—â—diit Itaque in exorcismo cùm oneraretur immundus spiritus quod ausus est fidelem aggredi
man to travel in and the night for him to take his rest so I beseech thee sanctifie unto me this night's rest and sleep that I may enjoy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit That so this dull and wearied body of mine being refreshed with moderate sleep and rest I may be the better enabled to walk before thee doing all such good works as thou hast appointed when it shall please thee by thy divine Power to waken me the next morning And whilst I sleep do thou O Lord who art the keeper of Israel that neither slamberest nor sleepest watch over me in thy holy providence to protect me from all dangers so that neither the evil Angels of Satan nor any wicked enemy may have any power to do me any harm or evil And to this end give a charge unto thy holy Angels that they at thine appointment may pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safety as thou hast promised that they should do about them that fear thy name And knowing that thy name is a strong Tower of defence unto all those that trust therein I here recommend my self and all that do belong unto me unto thy holy protection and custody If it be thy blessed will to call for me in my sleep O Lord for Christ his sake have mercy upon me and receive my soul into thy heavenly kingdom And if it be thy blessed pleasure to add more days unto my Life O Lord add more amendment unto my days and wean my mind from the love of the world and worldly vanities and cause me more and more to settle my conversation on heaven and heavenly things And perfect daily in me that good work which thou hast begun to the glory of thy Name and the salvation of my sinful soul. O Lord I beseech thee likewise save and defend from all evil and danger thy whole Church our King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the religious Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue keep them all in the sincerity of thy Truth and prosper them in all grace and happiness Bless the Nobility Ministers and Magistrates of these Churches and Kingdoms each of them with those graces which are expedient for their place and calling And be thou O Lord a comfort and consolation to all thy people whom thou hast thought meet to visit with any kind of sickness cross or calamity Hasten O Father the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Make me ever mindful of my last end and of the reckoning that I am to make unto thee therein and in the mean while careful so to foâ—â—ow Christ in the regeneration during this life as that with Christ I may have a portion in the resurrection of the just when this mortal life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou O Father knowest to be requisite and necessary for me I humbly beg and crave at thy hands in the name and meditation of Jesus Christ thy Son and in that form of Prayer which he himself hath taught me to say unto thee Our Father which art in Heaven c. Another short Evening Prayer O Eternal God and heavenly Father if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy Gospel and the examples of Peter Mary Magdalen the Publican the Prodigal child and many other penitent sinners that thou art so full of Compassion and so ready to forgive the greatest sinners who are heaviest laden with sin at what time soever they return unto thee with penitent hearts lamenting their sins and imploring thy grace I should despair for mine own sins and be utterly discouraged from presuming to come into thy presence considering the hardness of my heart the unruliness of my affections and the uncleanness of my conversation by means whereof I have trangressed all thy laws and deserved thy curse which might cause my body to be smitten with some fearful disease my soul to languish with the death of sin my good name to be traduced with scandalous reproaches and make mine estate liable to all manner of crosses and casualties And I confess O Lord that thy mercy is the cause that I have not been long ago confounded But O my God as thy mercy only staied thy judgment from falling upon me hitherto so I humbly beseech thee in the bowels of the mercy of Jesus Christ in whom only thou art well pleased that thou wilt not deal with me according to my deserts but that thou wouldst freely and fully remit unto me all my sins and transgressions and that thou wouldst wash them clean from me with the vertue of that most precious blood which thy Son Jesus Christ hath shed for me For he alone is the Phâ—sician and his blood only is the medicine that ean heal my sickness And he is the true brazen Serpent that can cure that poison wherewith the fiery Serpent of my sins have stung and poisoned my sick and wounded soul. And give me I beseech thee thine holy Spirit which may assure me of mine adoption and that may confirm my faith encrease my repentance enlighten my understanding purifie my heart rectifie my will and affections and so sanctifie me â—hroughout that my whole body soul and spiâ—it may be kept unblameable until the glorious â—oming of my Lord Jesus Christ. And now O Lord I give thee most hearty thanks â—nd praise for that thou hast this day preserved me from all harms and perils notwithstanding all my sins and ill deserts And I beseech thee likewise defend me â—his night from the roaring Lyon which â—ight and day seeketh to devour me Watch â—hou O Lord over me this night to keep â—e from his temptations and tyranny and â—et thy mercy shield me from his unappeaâ—ble rage and malice And to this end I â—ommend my self into thy hands and proâ—ection beseeching thee O my Lord and God not to suffer Satan nor any of his eâ—il members to have power to do unto me â—ny hurt or violence this night And grant â—ood Lord that whether I sleep or wake â—ve or die I may sleep wake live and die â—nto thee and to the glory of thy name â—nd the salvation of my soul. Lord bless â—nd defend all thy chosen People every â—here Grant our King a long and happy â—eign over us Bless our gracious Queen Mary with their Princely Progeny the â—ady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and â—er Princely Issue together with all our â—agistrates and Ministers comfort them â—ho are in misery need or sickness good â—ord give me grace to be one of those â—ise Virgins which may have my heart â—repared like a Lamp furnished with the 〈◊〉 of faith and light of good works to meet the Lord Jesus the sweet Bridegroom of my soul
A Publick Fast is when by the Authority of the Magistrate either the whole Church within his Dominion or some special Congregation whom it concerneth do assemble themselves together to perform the forementioned duties of Humiliation either for the removing of some publick calamity threatned or already inflicted upon them as the sword invasion famine pestilence or other fearful sickness or else for the obtaining of some publick blessing for the good of the Church as to crave the assistance of his holy Spirit in the election and ordination of fit and able Pastors c. or for the tryal of Truth and execution of Justice in matters of difficulty and great importance c. When any evil is to be removed the Pastors are to lay open unto the People by the evidence of God's Word the sins which were the special causes of that Calamity call upon them to repent and publish unto them the mercies of God in Christ upon their Repentance The People must hear the Voice of God's Messengers with hearty sorrow for their sins earnestly beg pardon in Christ and promise unfeigned amendment of their life When any blessing is to be obtained the Pastors must lay open to the People the necessity of that blessing and the goodness of God who giveth such graces for the good of Men. The people must devoutly pray unto God for bestowing of that grace and that he would bless his own means to his own glory and the good of his Church And when the holy Exercise is done let every Christian have a special care according to his ability to remember the poor And whosoever when just occasion is offered useth not this holy Exercise of Fasting he may justly suspect that his heart never yet felt the power of true Christianity So much of Fasting Now followeth the exercise of holy Feasting Of the Practice of Piety in Holy Feasting HOLY Feasting is a solemn Thanksgiving appointed by Authority to be rendred unto God on some special day for some extraordinary blessings or deliverances received Such among the Jews was the Feast of the Passover to remember to praise God for their deliverance out of Egypt's bondage or the Feast of Purim to give thanks for their deliverance from Haman's conspiracy Such amongst us are the fifth of August to praise God for delivering our Gracious King from the bloody conspiracy of the traiterous Gowries And the fifth of November to praise God for the deliverance of the King and the whole State from the Popish Gun-powder Treason Such Feasts are to be celebrated by a publick rehearsal of those special benefits by spiritual Psalms and Dances by mutual feasting and sending presents every man to his Neighbour and by giving gifts to the poor But forasmuch as the benefit of our Redemption was the greatest that Man needed from God or that God ever bestowed upon Man and that the Lord's-Supper is left by our Redeemer as the chiefest memorial of our Redemption every Christian should account this holy Supper his chiefest and joyfullest Feast in this World And seeing that as it ministreth to worthy partakers the greatest assurance which they have of their salvation so it pulleth temporal judgments on the Bodies and without repentance eternal damnation on the Souls of them who receive it unworthily Let us see how a Christian may best sit himself to be a due partaker of so holy a feast and to be a worthy Guest at so sacred a Supper Meditations concerning the due manner of practising Piety in receiving the Holy Supper of the Lord. THough no man living is of himself worthy to be a Guest at so holy a Banquet yet it pleaseth God of his grace to accept him for a worthy receiver who endeavoureth to receive that holy mystery with that competent measure of reverence that he hath prescribed in his Word He that would receive this holy Sacrament with due reverence must conscionably perform three sorts of duties First those which are to be done before he receiveth Secondly those that are to be done in the receiving Thirdly those that are to be done after that he hath received the Sacrament The first is called Preparation the second Meditation the third Action or Practice Of Preparation That a Christian ought necessarily to prepare himself before he presume to be a partaker of the holy Communion may evidently appear by five Reasons First Because it is God's Commandment For if he commanded under the pain of death that none uncircumcised should eat the Paschal Lamb nor any circumcised under four days preparation how much greater preparation doth he require of him that comes to receive the Sacrament of his Body and Blood which as it succeedeth so doth it exceed by many degrees the Sacrament of the Passover Secondly Because the Examples of Christ teacheth us so much for he washed his Disciples Fâ—et before he admitted them to eat of this Supper signifying how thou shouldest lay aside all unpureness of heart and uncleanness of life and be furnished with humility and charity before thou presumest to taste of this holy Supper Thirdly because it is the counsel of the Holy Ghost Let every man examine himself and so let him eat c. And if a man when he is to eat with an earthly Prince must consider diligently what is before him and put a Knife to his Throat rather than commit any Rudeness how much more oughtest thou to prepare thy soul that thou mayest behave thy self with all fear and reverence when thou art to feast at the holy Table of the Prince of Princes Fourthly Because it hath been ever the practice of all GOD's Saints to use holy preparation before they would meddle with divine Mysteries David would not go near to God's Altar till he had first washed his hands in innocency much less shouldest thou without due preparation approach to the Lord's Table Abimelech would not give nor David and his Men would not eat the Shew-bread but on condition that their Vessels were holy How much less should'st thou presume to eat the Lord's Bread or rather the Bread which is the Lord unless the Vessel of thy heart be first cleansed by repentance And if the Lord required Joshua as he had done Moses before to put off his shooes in reverence of his Holiness who was present in that place where he appeared with his sword in his hand for the destruction of his Enemies how much rather should'st thou put off all the affections of thine earthly conversation when thou comest near that place where CHRIST appeareth to the Eye of thy Faith with Wounds in his hands and side for the Redemption of his Friends And for this cause it is said That the Lamb's Wife hath made her self ready for the marriage Prepare therefore thy self if thou wilt in this life be betrothed unto Christ by Sacramental Grace or in Heaven married unto him by Eternal Glory Fifthly
are always in my sight Oh what a wretched sinner am I void of all goodness by nature and full of evil by sinful custom Oh what a world of sin have I committed against thee whilst thy long-sufferance expected my conversion and thy blessings wooed me to repentance Yet O my God seeing it is thy property more to respect the goodness of thine own nature than the deserts of sinners I beseech thee O Father for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that all saving death which he hath voluntarily suffered for all which believe in him Have mercy upon me according to the multitude of thy mercies turn thy face away from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Cast me not out of thy presence neither reward me according to my deserts For if thou dost reject me who will receive me or who will succour me if thou dost forsake me But thou O Lord art the helper of the helpless and in thee the fatherless findeth mercy for though my sins be exceeding great yet thy mercy O Lord far exceedeth them all neither can I commit so many as thy grace can remit and pardon Wash therefore O Christ my sins with the vertue of thy precious Blood especially those sins which from a penitent heart I have confessed unto thee but chiefly O Lord for Christ his sake forgive me And seeing that of thy love thou didst lay down thy life for my ransom when I was thine enemy Oh save now the price of thine own Blood when it shall cost thee but a smile upon me or a gracious appearance in thy Father's sight in my behalf Reconcile me once again O merciful Mediator unto thy Father for though there be nothing in me that can please him yet I know that in thee and for thy sake he is well pleased with all whom thou acceptest and lovest And if it be thy blessed Will remove this sicknes from me and restore me to my former health again that I may live longer to set forth thy glory and to be a comfort to my friends which depend upon me and to procure to my self a more setled assurance of that heavenly inheritance which thou hast prepared for me And then Lord thou shalt see how religiously and wisely I shall redeem the time which heretofore I have so lewdly and prophanely spent And to the end that I may the sooner and the easier be delivered from this pain and sickness direct me O Lord I beseech thee by thy divine providence to such a Physician and helper as that by thy blessing upon the means I may recover my former health and welfare again And good Lord vouchsafe that as thou hast sent this sickness unto me so thou wouldst likewise be pleased to send thy holy Spirit into my heart whereby this present sickness may be sanctified unto me that I may use it as thy School wherein I may learn to know the greatness of my misery and the riches of thy mercy that I may be so humbled at the one that I despair not of the other and that I may so renounce all confidence of help in my self or in any other creature that I may only put the whole rest of my salvation in thy all sufficient merits And forasmuch as thou knowest Lord how weak a vessel I am full of frailty and imperfections and that by Nature I am angry and froward under every Cross and Affliction O Lord who art the giver of all good gifts arm me with patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure and of thy mercy lay no more upon me than I shall be able to endure and suffer Give me grace to behave my self in all patience love and meekness unto those that shall come and visit me that I may thankfully receive and willingly embrace all good counsels and consolations from them and that they may likewise see in me such a good example of Patience and hear from me such godly lessons of comfort as may be arguments of my Christian faith and profession and instructions unto them how to behave themselves when it shall please thee to visit them with the like affliction of sickness I know O Lord I have deserved to die and I desire not longer to live than to amend my wicked life and in some better measure to set forth thy glory Therefore O Father if it be thy blessed will restore me to health again and grant me a longer life But if thou hast according to thine eternal decree appointed by this sickness to call for me out of this transitory life I resign my self into thy hands and holy pleasure thy blessed will be done whether it be by life or by death Only I beseech thee of thy mercy forgive me all my sins and prepare my poor soul that by a true faith and unfeigned repentance she may be ready against the time that thou shalt call for her out of my sick and sinful body O heavenly Father who art the hearer of prayers hear thou in heaven this my prayer and in this extremity grant me these requests not for any worthiness that is in me but for the merits of thy beloved Son Jesus my only Saviour and Mediator for whose sake thou hast promised to hear us and to grant whatsoever we shall ask of thee in his Name In his Name therefore and in his own words I conclude this my imperfect Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed by thy Name c. Having thus reconciled thy self unto God in Christ 1. Let thy next care be to set thy House in order as Esay advised King Hezekias making thy last Will and Testament if it be not already made If it be made then peruse it confirm it and for avoiding all doubts and contention publish it before Wittnesses that if God call for thee out of this life it may stand in force and unalterable as thy last Will and Testament and so deliver it locked or sealed up in some Box to the keeping of a faithful Friend in the presence of honest Witnesses 2. But in making thy Testament take a Religious Divine's Advice how to bestow thy Benevolence and some honest Lawâ—er 's counsel to continue it according to Law Dispatch this before thy sickness doth â—â—crease and thy memory decay lest otherwise thy Testament prove a dotement and so be another man's fancy rather than thy Will 3. To prevent many inconveniences let me recommend to thy discretion two things 1. If God hath blessed thee with any competent state of wealth make thy Will in thy health-time It will neither put thee farther from thy goods nor hasten thee sooner to thy Death but it will be a greater ease to thy mind in freeing thee from a great trouble when thou shalt have most need of quiet for when thy House is set in order thou shalt be better enabled to set thy Soul in order and to dispose of thy
outward man doth decay so my inward man may more and more by thy grace and consolation increase and gather strength O Saviour put my Soul in a readiness that like a wise Virgin having the Wedding Garment of thy Righteousness and holiness she may be ready to meet thee at thy comming with Oyl in her Lamp Marry her unto thy self that she may be one with thee in everlasting love and fellowship O Lord reprove Satan and chase him away Deliver my soul from the power of the Dog Save me from the Lyon's mouth I thank thee O Lord for all thy blessings both spiritual and temporal bestowed upon me especially for my Redemption by the death of my Saviour Christ. I thank thee that thou hast protected me with thy holy Angels from my youth up until now Lord I beseech thee give them a charge to attend upon me till thou callest for my soul and then to carry her as they did the soul of Lazarus into thy Heavenly Kingdom And as the time of my departure shall approach nearer unto me so grant O Lord that my Soul may draw nearer unto thee and that I may joy fully commend my Soul into thy hands as into the hands of a loving Father and merciful Redeemer and at that instant O Lord graciously receive my Spirit All which that I may do assist me I beseech thee with thy Grace and let thy holy spirit continue with me unto the end and in the end for Jesus Christ his sake thy Son my Lord and only Saviour In whose Name I give thee the glory and beg these things at thy hand in that Prayer which Christ himself hath â—aught me saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. Meditations against Despair or doubting of God's Mercy IT is found by continual experience that near the time of Death when the Children of God are weakest then Satan makes the greatest flourish of his strength and assails them with his strongest temptations For he knoweth that either he must now or never prevail for if their souls once go to Heaven he shall never vex nor trouble them any more And therefore he will now bestir himself as much as he can and labour to set before their eyes all the gross sins which ever they committed and the Judgments of God which are due unto them thereby to drive them if he can unto despair which is a grievouser sin than all the sins hat they committed or he can accuse them of If Satan therefore trouble thy Conscience more towards thy death than in thy life 1. Confess thy sins unto God not only in general but also in particular 2. Make satisfaction unto those Men whom thou hast wronged if thou beâ—st able And if thou dost injuriously or fraudulently detain or keep in thy possession any Lands or Goods that of right do belong to any Widow or Fatherless Child presume not as thou tenderest thy Soul's health to look Christ the righteous Judge in the face unless thou dost first make a restitution thereof to the right owners for the Law of God under the penalty of his curse requireth thee to restore whatsoever was given thee to keep or which was committed to thy trust or whatsoever by robbery or violent oppression thou tookest from thy neighbour with a fifth part for amends added to the principal And unless that like Zaccheus thou dost make restitâ—tion of such Goods and Lands according to God's Law thou canst never truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst never be saved But though by the temptation of the Devil thou hast done wrong and injury yet if thou dost truly repent and make restitution to thy power the Lord hath promised to be merciful unto thee to hear the Prayers of his faithful Ministers for thee to forgive thee thy trespass and sin and to receive thy Soul in the Merits of Christ's Blood as a Lamb without blemish 3. Ask God for Christ his sake pardon and forgiveness And then these troubles of mind are no Discouragements but rather Comforts Exercises not Punishments They are assurances unto thee that thou art in the right way for the way to Heaven is by the gates of Hell that is by suffering pains in the body and such doubtings in the mind that thy estate in this life being every way made bitter the joys of eternal life may relish unto thee better and more sweet If Satan tell thee that thou hast no Faith because thou hast no feeling Meditate 1. That the truest Faith hath oftentimes the least feeling and greatest doubts but so long as thou hatest such doubtings they shall not be laid unto thy charge for they belong to the flesh from which thou art divorced When thy flesh shall perish thy weak inward man which hates them and loves the Lord Jesus shall be saved 2. That it is a better Faith to believe without feeling than with feeling The least Faith so much as a grain of Mustard-seed so much as is in an Infant baptized is enough to save the Soul which loveth Christ and believeth in him 3. That the Child of God which desireth to feel the assurance of God's favour shall have his desire when God shall see it to be for his good For God hath promised to give them the Water of Life who thirst for it we have an example in Mr. Glover the holy Martyr who could have no comfortable feeling till he came to the sight of the Stake and then cryed out and clapped his hands for joy to his Friends saying O Austin he is come he is come meaning the feeling joy of Faith and the Holy Ghost Tarry therefore the Lord's leisure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart If Satan shall aggravate unto thee the greatness the multitude and hainousness of thy sins meditate 1. That upon true Repentance it is as easie with God to forgive the greatest sin as the least and he is as willing to forgive many as to pardon one And his mercy shineth more in pardoning great sinners than small offenders as appears in the Examples of Manasses Magdalen Peter Paul c. And where sin most aboundeth there doth his Grace rejoyce to abound much more 2. That God did never forsake any man till a man did first forsake God as appears in the examples of Cain Saul Achitophel Ahazia Judas c. 3. That God calleth all even those sinners who were heavy laden with sin and that he did never deny his mercy to any sinner that asked his mercy with a penitent heart This the history of the Gospel witnesseth There came unto Christ all sorts of sick sinners the blind lame halt Lepers such as were sick of Palsies Dropsies Bloody-fluxes such as were Lunatick and possessed with unclean Spirits and Devils Yet of all these not one that came and asked his mercy and help went
away without his errand If mercy he asked mercy he found were his sin never so great were his Disease never so grievous Nay he offered and gave his mercy to many that never asked it being moved only with the Bowels of his own compassion and the sight of their misery as to the woman of Samaria the widow of Naim and to the sick man that lay at the Pool of Bethesda who had been 38 years sick If he thus willingly gave his mercy to them that did not ask it and was found of them as the Prophet saith that sought him not will he deny mercy unto thee who dost so earnestly pray for it with Tears and dost like the poor Publican so heartily knock for it with penitent fists upon a bruised and broken heart Especially when thou prayest to thy Father in the name and mediation of Christ for whose sake he hath promised to grant whatsoever we shall ask of him as sure as God is true he will not Though Nineve's sins had provoked the Lord to send out his sentence against them yet upon their repentance he recalled it again and spared the City how much more if thou likewise repentest will he spare thee seeing his sentence is not yet gone forth against thee if he deferred the judgments all Ahab's days for the external shew only which he made of humiliation how much more will he clean turn away his vengeance if thou wilt unfeignedly repent of thy sin and return unto him for grace and mercy He offered his mercy unto Cain who murthered his innocent Brother If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted As if he should have said if thou wilt leave thy envy and malice and offer unto me from a faithful and contrite heart both thou and thine Oblation also shall be acceptable unto me And to Judas that so treacherously betray'd him in calling him friend a sweet appellation of love and when Judas offered he willingly consented with that mouth wherein never was found guile to kiss those dissembling lips under which lurked the poyson of Asps. Had Judas apprehended this word friend out of the mouth of Christ as Benhadad did the word Brother from the mouth of Ahab doubtless Judas should have found the God of Israel more merciful than Benhadad found the King of Israel But God was more displeased with Cain for despairing of his mercy than for murthering his Brother and with Judas for hanging himself than for betraying his Master in that they would make the sins of mortal men greater than â—he Infinite mercy of the eternal God or as if they could be more sinful than God was merciful Whereas the least drop of Christ's Blood is of more merit to procure God's mercy for thy salvation than all the sins that thou hast committed can be of force to provoke his wrath to thy damnation If Satan shall suggest that all this is true of God's mercy but that it doth not belong unto thee because thy sins are greater than other mens as being sins of knowledge and of many years continuance and such as whereby others have been undone and all for the most part â—ommitted wilfully and presumptuously against God and thy Conscience And therefore though he will be merciful unto others yet he will not be merciful unto thee Meditate 1. That many who are now in Heaven most blessed and glorious Saints committed in the same kind when they lived on earth as great and greater sins then ever thou hast committed and continued before they repented in those sins as long as ever thou hast done As therefore all their sins and the continuance in them could not hinder God's mercy upon their repentance from forgiving their sins and receiving them into favour no more shall thy sins and continuance therein hinder him from being merciful unto thee if thou dost repent as they did yea upon thy Repentance every one of their examples is a pledge that he will do the same unto thee that he did unto them For as the least sin in God's Justice without repentance is damnable so the greatest sin upon repentance is in his mercy pardonable Thy greatest and inveteratest sins are but the sins of a man but the least of his Mercies is the mercy of God Because thou knowest thine own sins thou doubtest whether they shall be pardoned Mark how this doubtful case is resolved by Good himself Many in Isaiah's days thought as thou dost that they had continued so long in sin that it was too late for them now to seek to return unto God for Grace and Mercy But God answereth them Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found call ye upon him whilst he is near As if he had said whilst life lasteth and my Word is preached I am near to be found of all that seek me and pray unto me The People reply But we O Lord are grievous sinners and therefore dare not presume to call upon thy Name or to come near thine Holiness To this the Lord answereth Let the wicked forsake his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts and let him return unto me and I will have mercy upon him and to his God and I will pardon him abundantly But we would think say the people that if our sins were but ordinary sins this promise of Mercy might belong unto us But because our sins are so great and of such long continuance therefore we fear lest when we appear before God he will reject us To this God answereth again My thoughts of mercy are not your thoughts neither are your ways of pardoning my ways for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts If therefore every sinner in the world were a world of such sinners as thou art do thou but yet what God bids thee repent and believe and the Blood of Jesus Christ being the Blood of God will cleanse both thee and them from all your sins 2. That as God did foresee all the sins which the world should commit and yet all those could not hinder him from loving the world so that he gave his only begotten Son to death to save as many of the world as would believe and repent much less shall thy sins being the sins of the least member of the world be able to hinder God from loving thy soul and forgiving thy sins if thou dost repent and believe 3. That if he loved thee so dearly when thou wast his Enemy that he payed for thee so dear a price as the spilling of his heart blood how can he now but be gracious unto thee when to save thee will cost him but the casting of a gracious look upon thee Look nor thou therefore to the greatness of thy sins but to the infiniteness of his mercy which is so surpassing great that if thou puttest all thine own grievous sins
together and addest unto those the sins of Cain and Judas and puttest unto them all the sins of all the Reprobates in the World doubtless it would be a huge heap yet compare this huge heap with the infinite mercy of God and there will be no more comparison betwixt them than betwixt the least Mole-hill the greatest Mountain in a Country The cry of the grievous est sins that ever we read of could never reach up higher than unto Heaven as the cry of the sins of Sodom but the mercy of God saith David reacheth up higher than the Heavens and so overtoppeth all our sins And if his Mercy be greater than all his works it must needs be greater that all thy sins And so long as his mercy is greater than the sins of the whole world do thou but repent there is do doubt of pardon If â—â—tan shall object that thou hast many times vowed to repent and hast made a shew of repentance for the time and yet didst fall to the same sins again and again and that all thy repentance was but feigned and a mocking of God And that seeing thou hast so often broken thy vow therefore God hath withdrawn his mercy and hath changed his love c. mediâ—ate 1. That though this were true which indeed is hainous yet it is no sufficient cause why thou shouldst despair seeing that this is the common case of all the Children of God in this life who vow so oft to forbear some sin till perceiving their weakness nor able to perform it they vow that they will vow no more Their Vows shew the desires of their spiritual Man their breaking the weakness of their corrupt flesh And our oft slips into the same sins Christ foresaw when he taught us to pray daily Our Father forgive us our trespasses And why doth Christ enjoyn thee who art but a sinful man to forgive thy brother seven times in a day if he shall return seven times in a day and say it repenteth me But to assure thee that he being the God of mercy and goodness it self will forgive unto thee thy seventy times seven-fold sins a day which thou hast committed against him if thou return unto him by truâ— Repentance The Israelites were cured by looking though with weak eyes on the Brazen Serpent as oft as they were stung by the fiery Serpent in the Wilderness to assure thee that upon thy tears of repentance thou shalt be recovered by â—aith in Christ as often as thou are wounded to death by sin 2. That thy salvation is grounded not upon the constancy of thine obedience but upon the firmness of God's Covenant Though thou variest with God and the Covenant be broken on thy behalf yet it is firm on God's part and therefore all is safe enough if thou wilt return for there is no variableness with him neither shadow of change He hath locked up thy salvation and made it sure in his own unchangeable purpose and hath delivered to thy keeping the keys which are Faith and repentance and whilst thou hast them thou mayst perswade thy self that thy salvation is suâ—e and safe For whom God loveth he loveth to the end and never repenteth of bestowing his love on them who repent and believe Lastly If Satan shall perswade thee that thou hast been doubting a long time and that it 's best for thee now to despair seeing thy sins increase and thy judgment draweth near meditate 1. That no sin though never so great should be a cause to move any Christian to despair so long as God's mercy by so many millions of degrees is greater and that every penitent and believing Sinner hath the pardon of all his sins confirmed by the Word and Oath of God two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye His Word is that at what time soever a sinner whosoever doth repent of his sin whatsoever for both time and sins and sinners are indefinite from the bottom of his heart God will blot forth all his sins out of his remembrance that they shall be mentioned unto him no more If we will not take his word which God forbid we should doubt of he hath given us his Oath As I live I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live As if he had said will ye not believe my Word I swear by my life that I delight not to damn any sinner for his sins but rather to save him upon his conversion and repentance The meditation hereof moved Tertullian to exclaim O how happy are we when God sweareth that he wills not our damnation O what miserable wretches are we if we will not believe God when he sweareth this truth unto us Listen O drooping Spirit whose soul is assailed with ways of faithless despair how happy were it to see many like thee and Hezekiah who mourn like Doves for the sense of sin and chatter like Cranes and Swallows for the fear of God's anger rather than to behold many who die like Beasts without any feeling of their own estate or any fear of God's wrath or Tribunal Seat before which they are to appear Comfort thy self O languishing soul for if this earth hath any for whom Christ spilt his blood on the Cross thou assuredly art one Chear up therefore thy self in the all-sufficient atonement of the blood of the Lamb which speaketh better things than that of Abel And pray for those who never yet obtained the grace to have such a sense and detestation of sin Thou art one indeed for whom Christ died and from whom a wounded spirit judging rather according to his feeling than his faith hath wrung that doleful voice of Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And doubt not but ere long thou shalt as truly reign with him as now thou dost suffer with him for Yea and Amen hath spoken it No sin bars a man from salvation but only Incredulity and Impenitency nothing makes the sin against the Holy Ghost unpardonable but want of repentance Thy unfeigned desire to repent is as acceptable unto God as the perfectest repentance that thou couldest wish to pâ—râ—orm unto him Meditate upon these Evangelical comforts and thou shalt see that in the very agonâ— of death God will so assist thee with his spirit that when Satan looketh for the greatest victory he shall receive the foulest foil yea when thy eye-strings are broken that thou canst not see the light Jesus Christ will appear unto thee to comfort thy Soul and his Holy Angels will carry thee into his Heavenly Kingdom Then shall thy Friends behold thee like Manoah's Angel doing wonders indeed when they shall see a frail man in his greatest weakness by the mere assistance of God's Spirit overcoming the strength of sin the bitterness of death and all
by which God doth indeed whatsoever he will and hindreth whatsoever he will not have done Psal. 115. 3. 5. Majesty is that by which God of his own absolute and free authority reigneth and ruleth as Lord and King over all Creatures visible and invisible having both the right and propriety in all things as from whom and for whom are all things as also such a plenitude of Power that he can pardon the offences of all whom he will have spared and subdue all his Enemies whom he will have plagued and destroyed without being bound to render to any Creature a reason of his doing but making his own most holy and just Will his only most perfect and eternal Law From all these Attributes ariseth one which is God's soveraign blessedness or perfection Blessedness is that perfect and unmeasurable possession of joy and glory which God hath in himself for ever and is the cause of all the bliss and perfection that every creature enjoys in its measure There are other Attributes figuratively and improperly ascribed unto God in the Holy Scriptures as by an Anthropomorphosis the members of a man eyes ears Nostrils mouth hands feet c. or the senses and actions of man as seeing hearing smelling working walking striking c. By an Antropopatheia the affections and passions of a man as gladness grief joy sorrow love hatred c. or by an Analogie as when he is named a Lyon a Rock a Tower a Buckler c. Whose signification every Commentary will express Of all these Attributes we must hold these general Rules NO Attribute can sufficiently express the Essence of God because it is infinite and ineffable Whatsoever therefore is spoken of GOD is not GOD but serveth rather to help â—ur weak Understanding to conceive in â—uâ— Reason and to utter in our Speech â—he Majesty of his Divine Nature so far as â—e hath vouchsafed to reveal himself unto â—s in his Word 2. All the Attributes of God belong to very of the three Persons as well as to the Essence it self with the limitations of a â—ersonal propriety As the mercy of the Father is mercy begetting the mercy of the â—on is mercy begotten the mercy of the H. â—host is mercy proceeding and so of the rest 3. The Essential Attributes of God difâ—er not from his Essence because they are â—o in the Essence that they are the very Essence it self In God therefore there â—s nothing which is not either his Essence â—r Person 4. The Essential Attributes of God difâ—er not Essentially or Really one from anoâ—her because whatsoever is in God is â—ne most simple Essence and one admits no â—ivision but only in our reason and underâ—â—anding which being not able to know â—arthly things by one simple Act without â—he help of many distinct Acts must of â—ecessity have the help of many distinct Acts to know the incomprehensible GOD. Therefore to speak properly there are â—ot in God many Attributes but one only which is nothing else but the Divine Esâ—ence it self by what Attributes soever you all it But in respect of our reason they â—re said to be so many different Attributes for â—ur understanding conceives by the name of mercy a thing differing from that which is called justice The Essential Attributes of God are not therefore reallâ— separate 5. The Essential Attributes of God are no parts or qualities of the Divine Essence nor Accidents in the Essence nor a Subject but the very whole and entire Essence of God So that every such Attribute is no aliud aliud another and another thing but one and the same thing There are therefore no Quantities in God by which he may be said to be so much and so much nor Qualities by which he may be said to be such and such but whatsoever God is He is such and the same by his Essence By his Essence he is wise and therefore Wisdom it self By his Essence he is good and therefore Goodness it self by his Essence he is merciful and therefore Mercy it self By his Essence he is just and therefore Justice it self c. In a word God is greaâ— without quantity good true and just without quality merciful without passion aâ— act without motion every where present without sight without time the fiâ—st and the last the Lord of all Creatures from whom all receive themselves and aâ— the good they have yet neither needed nor receiveth he any increase of goodnesâ— or happiness from any other This is the plain description of God so far as he hath revealed himself to us in his Word This Doctrine of all other every true Practitioner of Piety must competently know and necessarily believe for four special uses 1. That we may discernour true and only God from all false Gods and Idols for the Description of God is properly known only to his Church in whom he hath thus graciously manifested himself 2. To possess our hearts with a greater awe of his Majesty whilst we admire him â—or his simpleness and infiniteness adore him for his unmeasurableness unchangeableness and Eternity seek wisdom from his underâ—tanding and knowledge submit our selves to his blessed will and pleasure love him for his â—ove mercy goodness and patience trust to his word because of his truth fear him for his Power Justice and Anger reverence him â—or his Holiness and praise him for his Blesâ—edness and to depend all our life on him who is the only Author of our Life Being â—nd all the good things we have 3. To stir us up to imitate the Divine â—pirit in his holy Attributes and to bear in some measure the image of his Wisâ—om Love Goodness Justice Mercy Truth â—atience Zeal and Anger against sin that â—e may be wise loving just merciful true â—atient and zealous as our God is 4. Lastly That we may in our Prayers â—nd Meditations conceive aright of his Diâ—â—ne Majesty and not according to those â—â—oss and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in Mens Brains as wheâ— they conceive God to be like an old Man sitting in a Chair and the blessed Trinity to bâ— like that tripartite Idol which Papists havâ— painted in their Church-Windows When therefore thou art to pray untâ— God let thine Heart speak unto him as tâ— that Eternal Infinite Almighty Holy Wise Just Merciful Spirit and moâ— Perfect indivisible Essence of three severâ—â— Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost wâ— being present in all places ruleth Heaveâ— and Earth understandeth all mens heart knoweth all mens miseries and is only able bestow on us all graces which we want and deliver all penitent sinners who with faithfâ— hearts seek for Christ's sake his help out all their afflictions and troubles whatsoever The ignorance of this true knowledgâ— of God maketh many to make an Idol the True God and is the only cause wâ—â— so
â—â—at the place shall be thereabouts 2. Because that as Christ was thereaâ—â—uts crucified and put to open shame â—â— over that place his glorious Throne â—hould be erected in the Air when he â—â—all appear in Judgment to manifest his Majesty and Glory For it is meet that â—â—st should in that place judge the â—orld with righteous Judgment where â— himself was unjustly judged and conâ—mned 3. Because that seeing the Angels shall â— sent to gather together the elect from the â—â—â—r winds from one end of heaven to the other it is most probable that the place whither they shall be gathered to shall be near Jerusalem and the Vally of Jehoshaphat which Cosmographers describe to be in the midst of the supersicies of the Earth if the termini à quibus be the four parts of the world the terminus ad quem must be about the Center 4. Because the Angels told the Disciples that as they saw Christ ascend from Mount Olivet which is over the Vally of Jehoshaphat so he shall in like manner come down from Heaven This is the opinion of Aquinas and all the Schoolmen except Lombard and Alexander Hales 5. Lastly When Christ is set in his glorious Throne and all the many Thousands of his Saints and Angels shining more bright than so many Suns in glory sitting about him and the Body of Christ in glory and brightness surpassing them all the Reprobates beiâ—g separate and remaining beneath upon the earth for the right-hand signifies a blessed the left-hand a cursed estate Christ will first pronounce the sentence of absolution and bliss upon the Elect First because he will thereby increase the grief of the Reprobate that shall hear it Secondly to shew himself more proâ—e to mercy than to Judgment And thus from his Throne of Majesty in the Air he shall in the sight and hearing of all the World pâ—onounce unto his Elect Come ye blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world c. Come ye Here is our blessed Vnion with Christ and by him with the whole Trinity Blessed Here is our absolution from all sins and our plenary Endowments with all Grace and Happiness Of my Father Here is the Author from whom by Christ proceeds our Felicity Inherit Here is our Adoption The Kingdom Behold our Birth-right and Possâ—ssion Prepared See God's Fatherly Care for his chosen From the foundation of the World O the free Eternal unchangeable Election of God! How much are those Souls bound to love God who of his meer good Will and Pleasure chose and loved them before they had done either good or evil For I was hungry c. O the goodness of Christ who takes notice of all the good works of his Children to reward them How great is his love to poor Christians who takes every work of mercy done to them for his sake as if it had been done to himself Come ye to me in whom ye have believed before ye saw me and whom ye have loved and sought for with so much devotion and through so many tribulations Come now from labour to rest from disgrace to glory from the jaws of Death to the joys of eternal Life For my sake ye have been railed upon reviled and cursed But now it shall appear to all those cursed Esau's that you are the â—rue Jacobs that shall receive your heavenly Father's blessing and blessed shall you be Your fathers mothers and nearest kindred forsook and cast you off for my truth's sake which you maintained but now my Father will be unto you a Father and you shall be his Sons and Daughters for ever You were cast out of your lands and livings and forsook all for my sake and the gospels but that it may appear that you have noâ— lost your gain but gained by your loss instead of an earthly inheritance and possession you shall possâ—ss with me the iâ—heritance of my heavenly kingdom where you shall be for love sons for birth-right heirs for dignity kings for holiness priests and you may be bold to enter into the possession thereof now because my Father prepared and kept it for you ever since the first foundation of the World was laid Immediately after this sentence of Absolution and Benediction every one receiveth his crown which Christ the righteous Judge puâ—s upon their Heads as the reward which he hath promised of his Grace and Mercy unto the Faith and good Works of all them that loved that his appearing Then every one taking his crown from his head shall lay it down as it were at the feet of Christ and prostrating themselves shall with one heart and voice in an heavenly sort and consort say Praise and Honour and Glory and Power and Thanks be unto thee O blessed Lamb who sittest upon the Throne wert killed and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests to reign with thee in thy Kingdom for evermore Amen Then shall they sit in their Thrones and Orders as Judges of the Reprobates and evil Angels by approving aâ—d giving testimony to the righteous Sentence and Judgment of Christ the Supreme Judge After the pronouncing of the Reprobates Sentence and Condemnation Christ will perform two solemn Actions 1. The presenting of all the Elect unto his Father Behold O righteous Father these are they whom thou gavest me I have kept them and none of them is lost I gave them thy word and they believed it and the world hated them because they were not of the world even as I was not of the world And now Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me and that I may be in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me and that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me 2. Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to God even the Father that is shall cease to execute his office of Mediatorship whereby as he is King Priest Prophet and supreme Head of the Church he suppressed his Enemies and ruled his faithful People by his Spirit Word and Sacraâ—â—â—ts So that his Kingdom of Grace over his Church in this World ceasing he shall 〈◊〉 immediately as he is God equal with â—he Father and the H. Ghost in his Kingdom of Glory for evermore Not that the dignity of his Manhood shall be any thing diminished but that the glory of his Godhead shall be more manifested so that as he is God he shall from thenceforth in all fulness without all external means rule all in all From this Tribunal-seat Christ shall arise and with all his glorious company of Elect Angels and Saints he shall
that Almighty God is about thy bed and seeth thy down-lying and thy up-rising understandeth thy thoughts and is acquainted with all thy ways Remember likewise that his Holy Angels who guarded and watched over thee all night do also behold how thou wakest and risest Do all things therefore as in the awful presence of God and in the sight of his holy Angels 5. As thou art putting on thine apparel remember that they were first given as coverings of shame being the filthy effect of sin and that they were made but of the offails and excrements of dead Beasts Therefore whether thou respect the stuff or the first institution thou hast so little cause to be proud of them that thou hast great cause to be humbled at the sight and wearing of them seeing the richest apparel are but fine covers of the foulest shame Meditate rather That as thine apparel serves to cover thy shame and to fence thy body from cold so thou shouldest be as careful to cover thy soul with that wedding-garment which is the righteousness of Christ and because apprehended by our faith called the righteousness of the Saints Lest whilest we are richly apparalled in the sight of Men we be not found to walk naked so that all our filthiness be seen in â—he sight of God But that with his righteousness as with a Robe we may cover our selves from perpetual shame and shield our Souls from that fiery cold that will procure eternal weeping and gnashing of Teeth And withal consider how blessed a people were our Nation if every silken suit did cover a sanctified Soul And yet a Man would think that on whom God bestowed most of these outward blessings of them he shâ—uld receive greatest inward thanks But if it prove otherwise their reckoning will prove the heavier in the day of their accounts 6. Consider how God's Mercy is renewed unto thee every Morning in giving thee as it were a new life and in causing the Sun after his uncessant Race to rise again to give thee light Let not then his glorious light burn in vain but prevent rather as often as thou canst the Sun-rising to give God thanks and kneeling down at thy bed-side salute him at the day-spring with some devout Antelucanum or Morning Soliloqui containing an humble confession of thy sins the pardon of all thy faults a thanksgiving for all his benefits and a craving of his gracious protection to his Church thy self and all that do belong unto thee Brief directions how to read the Holy Scriptures once every year over with ease profit and reverence BUt for as much that as faith is the soul so reading and meditating of the Word of God are the Parents of Prayers therefore before thou prayest in the Morning first read a Chapter in the word of God then meditate a while with thy self how many excellent things thou canst remember out of it As first what good counsels or exhortations to good works and to holy life Second what threatnings of judgments against such and such a sin and what fearful examples of Gods punishment or vengeance upon such and such sinners Thirdly what blessings God promiseth to patience chastity mercy alms-deed zeal in his service charity faith and trust in God and such like Christian vertues Fourthly what gracious deliverances God hath wrought and what spâ—cial blessings he hath bestowed upon them who were his true and zealous servants Fifthly Apply these things to thine own heart and read not these Chapters as matters of Historical discourse but as if they were so many Letters or Epistles sent down from God out of Heaven unto thee for whatsoever is wâ—itten is written for our learning Rom 15. 4. Sixthly Read them therefore with that reverence as if God himself stood by and spake these words unto thee to excite thee to those virtues to dissuade thee from those vices assuring thy self that if such sins as thou readest there be found in thee without repentance the like plagues will fall upon thee but if thou doest practise the like piet and vertuous deeds the like blessiâ—gs shall come unto thee and thine In a word apply all that thou readest in H Scripture to one of these two heads chiefly either to confirm thy faith or to increase thy repentance for as Sustine Abstine bear and forbear was the Epitome of a good Philosopher's life so Crede Resipisee believe and repent is the whole sum of a true Christian's profession One Chapter thus read with understanding and meditated with application will better feed and comfort thy soul than five read and run over without marking their scope or sense or making any use thereof to thine own self If in this manner thou shalt read three Chapters every day one in the Morning and another at Noon and the third at Night reading so many Psalms instead of a Chapter as our Church Liturgy appoints for morning or evening Prayers thou shalt read over all the Canonical Scripture in a year except six Chapters which thou maist add to the task of the last day of the year The reading of the Bible in order will help thee the better to understand both the History and scope of the H. Scripture And as for the Apocrypha being but penned by Man's spirit thou maist read them at thy pleasure but believe them so far as they agree with the Canonical Scripture which is indited by the Holy Ghost But it may be thou wilt say that thy business will not permit thee so much time as to read every morning a Chapter c. O Man remember that thy life is but short and that all this business is but for the use of this short life but salvation or damnation is everlasting Rise up therefore every morning by so much time the earlier defraud thy foggy flesh of so much sleep but rob not thy soul of her food nor God of his service and serve the Almighty duly whilst thou hast time and health Having thus read thy Chapter as thou art about to pray remember that God is a God of holiness whereof he warneth us by repeating so often Be ye holy for I am holy And when he devoured with a sudden fire Nadab and Abihu for offering unto him incense with strange fire like those now-a-days who offer Prayers from hearts fraught with the fire of lust and malice the Lord would give no other reason of his judgment but this I will be sanctified in them that come near me As if he should have said If I cannot be sanctified by them who are my servants in serving me with that holiness that they should I will be sanctified on them by confounding them with my just judgments which their lewdness doth deserve God therefore cannot abide any wilful uncleanness or filthiness in them who serve him insomuch that he commanded the Israelites That when they were in
in the state of Corruption no man living can sanctifie a Sabbath in that spiritual manner that he should but that he commits many breaches thereof in his Thoughts Words and Deeds humbly crave pardon for thy defects and reconcile thy self unto God with this or the like Evening Sacrifice A Private Evening Prayer for the Lord's-day O Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbath suffer me who am but dust and ashes to speak unto thy most glorious Majâ—sty I know that thou art a consuming â—ire I acknowledge that I am but withered stubble My sins are in thy sight and Satan stands at my right-hand to accuse me for them I come not to excuse but to judg my self worthy of all those judgments which thy Justice might most justly inflict upon me a wretched Creature for my sins and transgressions The Number of them is so great the Nature of them is so grievous that they make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more loathsome in thy sight I confess they make me so far from being worthy to be called thy Son that I am altogether unworthy to have the Name of thy meanest Servant And if thou shouldest but recompence me according to my desert the Earth as weary of such a sinful burthen should open her mouth and swallow me up like one of Dathan's Family into the bettomless pit of Hell For if thou didst not spare the natural branches those Angels of glorious Excellency but hurldst them down from the heavenly Habitations into the pains of hellish darkness to be kept unto damnation when they sinned but once against thy Majesty and didst expel our first Parents out of Paradise when they did but transgress one of thy Laws alas what vengeance may I expect who have not offended in one sin only heaping daily un upon sin without any true repentance drinking iniquity as it were water ever pouring in but never pouring out any filthyness and have transgressed not one but all thy holy laws and commandments Yea this present day which thou hast straitly commanded me to keep holy to thy praise and worship I have not so religiously kept and observed nor prepared my soul in that holiness and chastity of heart as was fit to meeâ— thy blessed Majesty in the holy assembly of the Saints I have not attended to the preaching of thy Word nor to the administration of thy Sacraments with that humility reverence and devotion that I should For tho' I was present at those holy exercises in my body yet Lord I was overtaken with much drowsiness And when I was awake my mind was so distracted and carried away with vain and worldly thoughts that my â—oul seemed to be absent and oâ—â— of the Church I have not so duly as I should meditated with my self nor conferred with my Family upon those good instruâ—ctions which we have heard and received out of thy holy Word by the publick Ministry For default whereof Satan hath stoln the most part of those instructions out of my heart and I wretched creature have forgotten them as though they had never been heard And my family doth not thrive in knowledge and sanctification under my government as they should Though I know where many of my poor brethren live in want and necessity and some in pain and comfortless yet I have not remembred to relieve the one with my Alms nor the other with Consolations but I have feasted my self and satisfied mine own Lusts. I have spent the most part of the day in idle talk vain sports and exercises Yea Lord I have c. And for all these my sins my Conscience cries guilty thy Law condemns me and I am in thy hand to receive the sentence and curse that is due to the wilful breach of so holy a Commandment But what if I am by thy Law condemned Yet Lord thy Gospel assures me that thy mercy is above all thy works that thy grace transcends thy Law and thy goodness delighteth there to reign where sins do most abound In the multitude therefore of thy Mercies and for the Merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour I beseech thee O Lord who despiseth not the sighings of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent sinner to pardon and forgive me all those my sins and all the errors of this day and of my whole life and free my soul from that curse and Judgment which is due unto me for them Thou that didst justifie the contrite Publican for Four Words of confession and received'st the Prodigal Child when he had spent all the stock of thy grace into favour upon his repentance pardon my sins likewise O Lord and suffer me not to perish for my transgressions O spare me and receive me into thy favour again Wilâ— thou O Lord reject me who hast received all Publicans Harlots and Sinners that upon repentance sued to thee for grace Shall I alone be excluded from thy mercy Far be it from me to think so for thou art the same God of mercy unto me that thou wast unto them and thy compassions never fail Wherefore O Lord deal not with me after my merits but according to thy great mercy Execute â—ot thy severe Justice against me a sinner but exercise thy long-sufferance in forbearing thine own creature I have nothing to present unto thee for a satisfaction but only those Bloody Wounds bitter Death and Passion which thy blessed Son my only Saviour hath suffered for me Him in whom only thou art well pleased I offer unto thee for all my sins wherewith thou art displeased Him my Mediator the Request of whose Blood speaking better things than that of Abel thy mercy can never gain-say Illuminate my understanding and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit that it may bring to my remembrance all those good and profitable lessons which this day and at other times have been taught me out of thy holy Word that I may remember thy Commandments to keep them thy Judgments to avoid them aâ—d thy sweet Promises to rely upon them in time of misery and distress And now O Lord I resign my self to thy most holy Will O receive me into thy favour and so draw me by thy grace unto thy self that I may as well be thine by love and imitation as by calling and creation and give me grace so to keep holy thy Sabbaths in this life as that when this life is ended I may with all thy Saints and Angels celebrate an eternal Sabbath of joys and praise to the honour of thy most glorious Name in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore Amen And then calling thy Family together shut up the Sabbath with the Meditations and Prayers before prescribed for thy Family And the Lord will give thee 〈◊〉 Night a more sweet and quiet rest than ordinary and prosper thee the better in all the labours of the week following Thus far of the ordinary
can there be fit under thy ribs for Christ's holiness to dwell in If the Blood-issued sick Woman feared to touch the hem of his garment how should'st thou tremble to eat his flesh and to drink his all-healing Blood Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid unto thy charge and this Sacrament shall seal unto thy Soul that all thy sins and the Judgments due unto them are fully pardoned aâ—d clean washed away by the Blood of Christ. For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners unto perfection Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And he saith that the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Those hath Christ called and when they came them hath he ever helped Witness the whole Gospel which testifieth that not one Sinner who came to Christ for mercy went ever away without his errand Bathe thou likewise thy sick Soul in this fountain of Christ's Blood and doubtless according to his promise Zach. 13. 1. thou shalt be healed of thy sins and uncleanness Not Sinners therefore but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Sacrament Fifthly Meditate that Christ left this Sacrament unto us as the chief token and pledge of his love not when we would have made him a King John 6. 15 which might have seemed a requital of kindness but when Judas and the High-Priests were conspiring his Death therefore wholly of his mere favour When Nathan would shew David how intirely the poor man loved his sheep that was killed by the rich man He gave her saith he to eat of his own Morsels and of his own Cup to drink 2 Sam. 12. 3. and must not then the love of Christ to his Church be unspeakable when he gives her his own flesh to eat and his own blood to drink for her spiritual and eternal nourishment If then there be any love in thine heart take the Cup of Salvation into thy hand and pledge his love with love again Psal. 116. 11. Sixthly when the Minister beginneth the holy Consecration of the Sacrament then lay aside all praying reading and all other cogitations whatsoever and settle thy Meditations only upon those holy actions and rites which according to Christ's institution are used in and about the holy Sacrament For it hath pleased God considering our weakness to appoint those rites as means the better to lift up our Minds to the serious contemplation of his Heavenly Graces When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lord's-Table and consecrating them by Prayers and the rehearsal of Christ's Institution to be a holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his mere love to Mankind set apart and sealed his only begotten Son to be the all-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to his grace and to bring us to his glory When thou seest the Minister break the Bread being blessed thou must meditate that Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was put to death and his blessed Soul and Body with the sense of God's anger broken asunder for thy sins as verily as thou now seest the holy Sacrament to be broken before thine eyes And withal call to mind the heinousness of thy sins and the greatness of God's hatred against the same seeing God's Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When the Minister hath blessed and broken the Sacrament and is addressing himself to distribute it then meditate That the King who is the Master of the Feast stands at the Table to see his guests and looketh upon thee whether thou hast on thee thy Wedding-Garment Think also that all the holy Aâ—gels that attend upon the Elect in the Church and do desire to behold the celebration of these holâ— mysteries do observe thy reverence and behaviour Let thy soul therefore whilst the Minister bringeth the Sacrament unto thee offer this or the like short Soliloquy unto Christ. A sweet Soliloquy to be said betwixt the consecration and receiving of the Sacrament IS it true indeed that God will dwell on earth Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens are not able to contain thee how much more unable iâ— the soul of â—uch a sinful Caitiff as I am to receive thee But seeing it is thy blessed pleasure to come thus to sup with me and to dwell in me I cannot for joy but burst out and say What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou so regardest him What favour soever thou vouchsafest me in the abundance of thy Grace I will freely confess what I am in the wretchedness of my Nature I am in a word a carnal Creature whose very soul is sold under sin a wretched man compassed about with a body of Death Yet Lord seeing thou callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I have thrust my self in among the rest and seeing thou callest all with their heaviest loads I see no reason why I should stay behind O Lord I am sick and whither should I go but unto thee the Physician of my Soul Thou hast cured many but never didst thou meet with a more miserable Patient for I am more leprous than Gehazi more unclean than Magdalen more blind in Soul than Bartimeus was in Body for I have lived all this while and never seen the true light of thy Word my soul runs with a greater flux of sin than was the Hemorrhoise Issue of blood Mephibosheth was not more lame to go than my Soul is to walk after thee in love Jeroboam's Arm was not more withered to strike the Prophet than my Hand is maimed to relieve the Poor Cure me O Lord and thou shalt do as great a work as in curing them all And though I have all their Sins and Sores yet Lord so abundant is thy grace so great is thy skill that if thou wilt thou canst with a word forgive the one and heal the other and why should I doubt of thy good will when to save me will cost thee now but one loving smile who didst shew thy self so willing to redeem me though it should cost thee all thy heart-blood and now offerest so graciously unto me the assured pledge of my Redemption by thy blood Who am I O Lord God and what is my merit that thou hast bought me with so dear a price It is merely thy mercy and I O Lord am not worthy the least of all thy mercies much less to be partaker of this holy Sacrament the greatest pledge of the greatest mercy that ever thou didst bestow upon those sons of men whom thou lovest