Prison Thoughts WRITTEN BY Thō Browning CITIYEN AND COOK OF LONDON Who hath been a PRISONER in Ludgate ever since the Twelveth day of August 1680. Dum Spiro Spero in Deum Adjutorem meum London Printed and are to be Sold by the Author in Ludgate who is still a Prisoner there Anno 1682. To the Worshipful Geo. Dashwood Esq Dame Margeret his Wife the Lady Elizabeth Hare their Daughter John Pery Esq Mrs. Katherine Browning my Wife where ever she is and to all that are related to their Families Grace and Peace NOtwithstanding my many great Troubles I have had some retired Thoughts in my Adolescens which are here brought to publick View and do desire you to Patronize the same If you and others shall find such benefit by reading them as I have done by writing the same my ends are answered Time was when I had no Thoughts of putting my self in Print but Necessitas non habet Legem These are my first Fruits as an Offering to the World which pray accept I do intend another suddenly which perhaps may be more acceptable and sell better than this My weak Endeavours shall not be any whit wanting therein Who am Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant in the Lord Thomas Browning Nosse Teipsum Vivat Rex Curret Lex Floret Grex. Finis Coronat Opus A Coppy of a Letter sent to my Wife My Admiration IN my Fifty Eighth Letter I sent you some Verses and this is my Fifty Ninth where you may find an Epistle which pray peruse It is in vain to expect any Approbation from you having never yet received one Line in Writing from your Hand And perceiving that you are resolved neither to see nor send to me I do think that this may be the last time that I may trouble you in Writing only remember that you have abused neglected slighted and robbed a most Indulgent and loving Husband for which I pray God to give you a hearty Repentance before it be too late and there be no meanes left to help your self as likewise all those who have unlawfully and very malitiously advised against me without any Cause And if you or they have any Pretences I do hereby dare either to make them known to me or the World assuring that mine shall shortly be made known in Print with as much Severity as Truth will bear who am still you Loving though most Abused Husband Thomas Browning Prison Thoughts c OH despised despised despised rejected rejected rejected and Destroyed by you my own Dear Wife whose Name is Katherine Browning I pitty I pitty I pitty and shall not cease Praying for you Day and Night that you may be converted when you hear of Brownings Death occasioned by your meanes you may shed a tear for him if there be any Grace in you none ought to despise their own Flesh Whom God hath Joyned together let none put ader And if you had not gone from me you might have been Mistriss of our Company they have chosen an old Master this year in my stead Take heed of these dreadful Sentences You that are filthy be filthy still There remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment Fiery Indignation and fierce Anger of the Lord with a Go ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for Divels and Damn'd Spirits From which Place Good Lord deliver us My Epistle begins Few and evil have been the days of my Pilgrimage I have had for Inheritance the Months of Vanity and painful Nights have been appointed unto me and do know that hereafter is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousiness and not for me only but for all them who love the appearance of the Lord Jesus Therefore all the days of my Life will I wait as a Hireling till my Change shall come For I desire to be Dissolved and to be with Christ and do long to remove out of the Body to dwell with the Lord For I do know that if this Earthly House of my Tabernacle were destroyed I have a Bulilding given of God that is a House not made with Hands but Eternal in the Heavens Therefore I sigh desiring to be cloathed with my House which is from Heaven and I do heartily look for and do hope that in noth ng I shall be ashamed but that with all confidence Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether it be by Life or Death for whither I live it is to the Lord or whether I die it is to the Lord therefore whether I live or die I am the Lords To Him therefore be Praise and Glory for evermore I have fought a good Fight I have kept the Faith and do know in whom I have Believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to his Charge Against that Day the Lord will quicken my mortal Body and make it like to his own Glorious Body Yea though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet I shall see God in my Flesh whom I my self shall see and mine Eyes shall behold and none other for me though my Reins be consumed within me therefore I willingly lay down my Life and commit my Soul unto God as unto my faithful Creator How excellent is thy Mercy O God therefore do I trust under the Shadow of thy Wings O blessed is the man whom thou dost choose and causest to come unto thee he shall dwell in thy Courts and shall be satisfied with the Pleasures of thine House even of thy Holy Temple thou shalt give him drink out of the Rivers of thy Pleasures for with thee is the Well of Life and in thy Light shall we see Light send me therefore thy Light and thy Truth and let thy good Spirit lead me unto the Land of Righteousness Carry me O Lord by thy Mercy and bring me in thy Strength to thy Holy Habitation Plant me in the Mountain of thine Inheritance even in the Place which thou hast prepared and the Sanctuary which thou hast Established that I may see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Let me behold thy Face in Righteousness and let me be satisfied with thine Image for in thy Presence is the Fulness of Joy and at thy right Hand are Pleasures for evermore Into thy Hands O Lord I commend my Spirit for thou hast Redeemed it O Lord God of Truth Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The end of the upright man is Peace As many as walk according to this Rule Peace shall be upon them and upon the Israel of God Now unto Him that is able to keep us that we fall not and to present us faultless before the Presence of his Glory with Joy to God only-wise be Glory Majesty Dominion and Power both now and ever ever ever Amen Ludgate The 12th of April 1682. For my most Esteemed Mistriss Katherine Browning These This was sent to her Aunt Madam Margaret Dashwood by the hand of Mr. Joseph Steed her Nephew to
of this Life is to meditate often upon Eternity It 's the great misfortune of man to desire those things which he should only use To have a desire not to be poor to receive the Inconveniences of it is too great Ambition for it is to desire the Honour of Poverty the Commodity of Wealth There is no way happily to end a true Spiritual Life better than dayly to begin it He that would have a Part with Jesus glorified must first take part with Christ crucified we should live in this present Evil World as if our Souls were in Heaven and our Bodies in the Grave In the death of our Passions consists the Life of our Souls It is not Humility to acknowledge our selves miserable that is only to be a Beast but it is Humility to desire that others should esteem us so There is no reason to be given for the Fault we commit in Sin for the Fault would not be Sin if it were not against Reason Vertues have not their full Growth but when they have Desires to bring forth Advantage which like Spiritual Seeds serve to bring forth and produce new degrees of Virtues We should never speak of God or the Things which concern his Service carelesly or by way of Common Discourse or Entertainment but always with a great respect and humble mind We should fear the Judgments of God without Discouragement and encourage our selves without Presumption The ready way for the Soul to have Peace with its self is to obtain his Peace with God we may perform many Holy Actions and yet not please God if we neglect to do what he requires of us no more than a Painter in representing an Eagle pleaseth him that desired a Bee Let us never look on our Crosses but through the Cross of Jesus Christ thereby we shall find them pleasant and have fresh Desires to be afflicted Desire to obtain the Love of God makes us to meditate but that Love once obtained makes us contemplate The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom and the Price of Wisdom is above Rubies Oh let my Prayers be set before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my Hands be as the Evening Sacrifice O Lord my Strength and most mighty Redeemer Oh my Soul What fearful tremblings are these that have seized upon thee now So that the Thoughts of God that have been and ought to be thy greatest Comforts are now become thy Amazement Whence is this miserable Altaration that thou must behold nothing but Judgment in the Father of Mercies and Anger in the Fountain of Love What hath provoked him that delights to spare to be resolved to punish Surely my Sins are very many for it is not a few that will insense him and they have more than ordinary Aggravations for he is not so highly displeased at small Offences and certainly I have often committed them and long continued in them for he begins not to frown upon the first Misdemeanour Alas Alas the Cause is too apparent my Sins are both very many and exceeding great frequently repeated with heynous Circumstances and of long continuance I have despised Mercy now am like to feel Judgment most miserable Wreth that I am I have tired out the Patience of a long-suffering Father and have run away from the Embraces of a Loving Saviour and have rejected the Offers of a most indulgent Holy Spirit so that now I fear I have stopt up the Fountain of his Mercy and unsealed the Treasure of his Vengeance and I ought to wonder how God could spare me so long then why he should strike me now since many have been cut off for fewer and lesser sins I see that I have deserved most justly to suffer the worst of Evils And therefore shall esteem it an incomparable Favour to be only corrected with Temporal Afflictions if I might be so excused but it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God Therefore O Lord my Flesh trembleth for very Fear of thee and I am afraid of thy most heavy Judgments yet I know no way to escape them To deny my Sins were great Impudence and to Excuse them will be Apparent Hypocrisy and to be concealed is impossible to be found intollerable I am miserably confounded but was never any in this sad Case before that I might receive some Advice and Comfort from them Yes surely the Church hath presented me with a King and a Prophet both dear to God whose Fears were greater though their Sins were less and their danger not so great as mine Yet these in the midst of their Fear considered their Sins as the only Cause of their Evils and accordingly they freely confessed them bitterly lamented and exceedingly humbled themselves for them not striving so much to avoid them in the Punishment as to obtain the Pardon of their Offences knowing that the guilt once removed thou wouldst totally spare them or gently chastise them for their good where they rendred themselves up into thy Hands rather aggravating than extenuating their Sins and yet humbly begging that they might be corrected in Mercy and they found the Benefit of it Go to then O my Soul and do thou likewise thou hast occasioned Gods Wrath by the Breach of his most holy Laws O do not increase it by mistrusting the blessed Gospel thou hast forsaken him by Sin do not run from him by Despair for the faster that thou runnest from his Mercy the sooner thou shalt be sure to meet with his Justice delay no longer but go in before he sends for thee accuse thy self before thou art Indicted and confess thy Sins freely before the Witnesses be called out against thee pass sentence on thy self before the Judge come to condemn thee I cannot expect wholly to escape but it will be a great Favour if I meet only with a Sickness instead of Death Losses in my Estate instead of loosing my God and my Soul both for ever I will not therefore desire my Heavenly Father altogether to lay aside his Rod but only to use it genâ—ly that I may by this smart be warn'd against those future sins that would bring me to utter Ruine O Lord rather chastise me than dis-inherit me and those Stripes shall be welcome which come in an exchange for Eternal Torments For thou who dost change thy Sword into a Rod I hope will be so compassionate in thy Afflictions that I shall only feel what my destempered Soul needs to recover it and my Flesh and Spirit cannot bear not what my Sins deserve and thy Justice might exact wherefore I will no longer hide my sins but by an humble hearty Confession will declare that I hate them more than I fear to fall into thy most merciful Hands and I hope hereafter that I shall so fear to offend that I shall be freed from those sad Expectations of thy heavy Wrath which Wisdom God grant me for my Saviour Jesus Christ's Sake He that hath
true Repentance unto Salvation never to be repented of and for Jesus sake accept a Morning Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise which I do desire at this time in all sincerity to offer to thy Divine Majesty humbly begging the Assistance of thy Grace O Eternal Almighty and most Glorious Lord God in whom I Live Move and have my Being thou art the Mighty Majesty of Heaven and Earth thou art the great Creator and Governour of all Things who didst make all Things by the Word of thy Power and dost uphold the same by thy Providence who art the Omnipotent God Dwelling in the highest Heavens and hast Eternity for thy Habitation in that Light which is inaccessable to whom no mortal Eye can approach Infinite in all thy Attributes before whose Glorious Presence the Angels Cherubims and Seraphims those spotless Creatures do cover their Faces the Elders do cast down their Crowns Worshipping thee continually thou art Glorious in Majesty Fearfull in Praises doing Wonders God over all Blessed for evermore from Everlasting to Everlasting Infinitely Happy in the Injoyment of thine own Perfections and needest not the Services of any of thy Creatures and hast an innumerable Company of Angels Arch-Angels Cherubims Seraphims with the Spirits of Just Men and Women made Perfect all the Heavenly and Coelestial Host continually Celebrating thy Praise crying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which Was which Is and which is to come O where shall I appear that am Vile Sinful Dust and Ashes For Jesus Sake have Mercy upon me I confess that I am very sinful by Nature and more vile by Practice who am of the Seed of Evil Doers and have been a Transgressor from the Womb that I was Conceived in Sin Brought forth in Iniquity and my Life hath been as a continued Act of Sinning against thee as if I had been born for no other Purpose but to dishonour displease and disobey the God that Made me and to destroy that Immortal Soul for whom Christ dyed and the Lord world Save thou hast been very Gracious and Merciful to me in my Creation and Preservation but above all in the Lord Jesus Christ the Fountain and Foundation of all my Mercies and through whom I have Hopes of Eternal Salvation It is a Faithful Saying and worthy all Acceptation That Jesus Christ came into the World to Save Sinners Of whom I am chief and I am never able sufficiently to Admire Adore and Magnifie thy great Name for thy Infinite Love in the Lord Jesus thy Mercy Goodness and Condescention hath appeared in this that thou who art the Mighty Majesty of Heaven and Earth a God of all Power Omnipotency it self shouldest find out a way to reconcile those great Attributes of thy Mercy and Justice through the Blood of thy Onely Begotten Son that so poor lost and undone Mortals might be Eternally Saved and this thou hast declared unto me Jesus Christ Crucified and for me who am less than the least of thy Mercies and this thou hast made known by thy Holy Gospel O the Height Length Depth and Breadth of thy Love in Jesus Christ it is above my Apprehension and Comprehension it is past my finding out lâ—t it be Matter of Eternal Praise in the Heavens and through him thou hast been pleased to afford me the meanes of Grace and Salvation in very plentiful manner thy Sabboths thy Word and Ordinances thy Holy and Blessed Spirit to assist me the Checks of my own Conscience and the Light of Nature to instruct me I have had Line upon Line Precept upon Precept here a little and there a little often hearing a Voice within and behind me saying This is the Way walk in it Thou hast lengthened out my Days and afforded me a large time to Repent in exercising thy Patience and Long-suffering towards me I have had large Experience of thy Goodness to lead me to an Amendment of Life and though in all Times Ages and Places thou hast shewed thy self highly displeased with Sin and Sinners yet thou hast been pleased to spare me and I have aggravated my Sins with hainous Circumstances the Angels when they sinned were cast down and are reserved in Everlasting Chains of Darkness made Monuments of thy Justice Wrath and Fury and there was never any Meanes found out for their Recovery Jesus Christ took not upon him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham my first Parents were banished out of Paradice for their Transgressions and the Old World for their Sin were drownded Sodom and Gomorhea once famous Places for their Sins felt the Divine Vengeance by Fire from Heaven and were consumed with an utter Overthrow yet thou hast spared me the chief of Sinners O Lord grant that thy Severity towards others and thy Goodness towards me may lead me to an Amendment of Life or how shall I escape to neglect such great Salvation O Lord thou hast been very gracious unto me by keeping me Mercifully in my Infancy Child-hood Youth Riper Age Manhood and Age thou hast taken Care of me when I took none of my self I have been Fed Cloathed and Led along by thy good Hand of Providence thou hast given me a Healthy Body a Sound Mind and a Large Memory my Diseases have been Cured I have been Fed both with the Vpper and Nether Springs thou hast not only given me Things convenient for this Life hut likewise the Mercies of Grace and Salvation leading to a better Life even to Life Everlasting thou hast preserved me in Prison beyond my Desert contrary to my Expectation when the World frowned upon me and I was forsaken by my Relations then the Lord was a Sun to comfort and a Shield to defend me thou hast been my present Help in time of Trouble my exceeding great Reward my All in All my God Alsufficient thou hast compassed me about with thy Salvation Songs of Deliverance thy Special Favours yea thou hast prevented me with thy very Loving Kindness I have been both Loaded and Cloathed with thy Mercies as with a Garment and they are more in number the very kinds of them than I am able to reckon up O Lord thou hast not only given me a Being but a comfortable and well Being to make me the more fit to Serve thee thou hast kept me from many Deaths and Dangers in the time of War thou didst preserve me from the Peril of the Bloody Sword when I deserved as much as any to have been cut off the Land of the Living thou hast preserved me by Land and by Water and in Forreign Parts from many Evils that I have been subject to thou hast kept me in the Times of Centagion and Visitation from the Noysom and Devouring Pestilence and other Distempers many that lived with me are gone to the Grave before me and as they are dead I am dying not knowing what a Day may bring forth my Breath is in my Nostrils and goes out every Moment and whensoever it shall be stopt I must dye
Sins for thy own Names-sake and thou desirest not the Death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and live and hast promised That at what time soever a sinner repenteth him of his sin from the bottom and ground of his Heart thou wilt put away his Wickedness out of thy sight and remember his Transgressions no more And it is a faithful Saying worthy of all Acceptation That Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners Of whom I am chief O Lord I Believe help my Unbelief help me to Believe Repent and Obey for Jesus sake have Mercy upon me and work in me a godly Sorrow for my sins which may cause a true Repentance unto Salvation never to be repented of and for thy Names-sake pardon all my sins for thy Mercies-sake do away my Iniquities for thy Promise sake do not remember my Transgressions any more And for Jesus Christ his sake seal a free and a full Pardon of all my sins unto my Soul Say That thou art become my Salvation And let the blood of Jesus cleanse me from all sin Oh this is a great Request I beg who am unworthy of the least Mercy but I beg of thee for the sake of Jesus he is thy Beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased through whom thou canst not be offended he is my Saviour and died to save me according to the multitude of thy Compassions in the Lord Jesus deal with me in the pardoning of all my sins and let not sin nor Satan whom thou hatest destroy the Work of thy hands my Immortal Soul for whom Christ died furnish me with the Graces of thy Holy Spirit and give me Believing Grace and Mercy Repenting Grace and Mercy Pardoning Grace and Mercy Restraining Grace and Mercy Comforting Grace and Mercy Renewing Grace and Mercy with Confirming Grace and Mercy Oh renew me in the Spirit of my Mind help me to redeem time because I have mispent much pretious time already and because the days are evil make me consider the shortness and uncertainty of my time I have but a Moment to work for Eternity e're long Death will come and I shall be in a future state then time will be no more and many have been taken off in their sins and for their sins that are now in an Eternal state of Wo. O teach me in this my Day to know the things that belong to my peace before they are hid from mine Eyes my day is already far spent and my Night is at hand I do not know what a Day may bring forth let me not therefore any longer defer my Amendment of Life after so long a time as it is called to day help me to up and be doing and work while it is called to day before the Night comes when none works help me to work out my Salvation with Fear and Trembling and let me be very diligent to make my Calling and Election sure the one thing needful even the Salvation of my Immortal Soul which is of everlasting Concernment that whatever I miscarry in I may not be mistaken in the great business of my Eternal Happiness to that end I most humbly pray thee again for Jesus Christ's sake to free me from the Power of all sin especially those that my Nature is most prone to such as do beset and overtake me daily and be pleased to discover unto me the Deceitfulness of my own Heart which is very naughty and above all things deceitful and desperately wicked the Thoughts and Imaginations of my Heart have been evil and only evil continually O Lord create in me a Clean and New Heart renew a right Spirit within me sanctifie my Nature and help me to sanctifie thee the Lord of Hosts and make thee my Fear and Dread that thou may'st be unto me a Sanctuary O be pleased to convince me of thine Omnisciency and Omniprescency strike me with an Awe and Fear of thy Presence make me to consider that where-ever I am whatever I am about thou knowest it who art a God of purer Eyes than to behold Sin with the least Approbation and that I have always about me an Immortal Soul and that it is against thee that I have sinned who art a Sin-hating and a Sin-revenging God and that I must very shortly appear naked before thy dreadful Tribunal to render an Account for all things done in the Flesh and 〈◊〉 râ—ceive my Eternal Doom from the Righteous Judge of â—ll the World O â—eaâ—h me with the Robes of Christs Righteousness leâ— his Meritorious Death and Passion satisfie thy Justice for my Sins let the Blood of Jâ—â—us clâ—anse me from all sin and make me circumspect in time to come lâ—t me be Sober Watchful and Vigilant because my Aiversary the Devil goeth about as a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour continually and my poor weak frâ—il Nature is ready to yield to every Temptation and Suggestion not able to think a good Thought O let thy Grace be sufficient for me let it shield me from all hurt cloath me with the Righteousness of my Jesus let me be girt with Truth and always shod with the Preparation of the Gospel but above all things give me the Shield of Faith the Breastplate of Righteousness a Helmit of Salvation with the Sword of the Spirit whereby I may be able to fight against the World the Flesh and the Devil resisting the Fiery Darts of Satan fighting against Principalities Powers and Spiritual Wickedness in High-Places let not the Gates of Hell nor Powers of Darkness prevail against me but let the Grace of God which hath so plentifully appeared toward me teaching to deny all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts defend me O let me be redeemed from a Vain Conversation help me to bring forth fruits meet for Repentance worthy an Amendment of Life and let thy Holy Spirit seal me up unto the Day of Redemption make me holy here that I may be happy hereafter Oh make me such a one as thou wouldst have me and inable me to evidence unto my self the Assurance of my Justification by the fruits of my Sanctification thou hast promised That what soever shall be asked in thy Sons Name according to thy Will shall be granted Now Lord I know that this is thy Will even my Sanctification for Jesus sake sanctifie me thorowout and write upon my Heart Holiness to the Lord make me walk according to the Pattern of my Jesus who was Humble Holy and Obedient to thy Will in all things even to the death of the Cross make me to consider that I was Redeemed and bought with a Price not of corruptible Things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Jesus Christ therefore let me live to the Praise of him that hath so dearly bought me with his most pretious Blood let me walk like one that is Redeemed and Translated from Death to Life as one whose Life is hid with God in Christ that when he
and turn to dust then after Death there is no Repentance this is the Opportunity of Life the Day of Grace and Salvation which if neglected I can never have another it is therefore of everlasting Concernment to improve the present Opportunity because it is appointed for all Men and Women once to dye and then to Judgment and as Death leaves Judgment will find as the Tree falls so it lies there is neither Desire nor Invention in the Grave where I am going O Lord thou hast been very merciful to preserve me in the Calamities of Fire and hast wonderfully Protected and Provided for me ever since and thou hast been merciful to me indeed to preserve me against my own Will. I am a Living Monument of thy Mercies a Brand snatcht out of the Burning Flame thou hast given me my Life for a Prey and I have not lived to thy Praise but like a Vile Wretched Vuworthy and most Vngrateful Creature I have sinned against thee both in Thought Word and Deed. The Sins of my Thoughts have been more than I can think those of my Words more than I am able to express and the Sins of my Deeds have been innumerable my Life hath been an Act of open Rebellion against thee I am guilty of Sins by Omission Commission Ignorance and Wilful Disobedience Having left undone those Things which I ought to have done and committed those Things whith I ought not to have done I have sinned against Heaven Thee my Relations and against the Motions of thy Blessed Spirit having made a Shew of Godliness I have denyed the Power of it and have called upon the Name of Christ but have not departed from Iniquity I have given evil example unto others by living conâ—rary to what I have Professed and have quenched and grieved the Mations of thy Holy Spirit which should have sealed me up unto the day of Redemption I have Committed all Impieties with Greediness and have aggravated my Transgressions with hanious Circumstances for I have sinned not only against the Law but against the Gospel not only Ignorantly but Wilfully and very presumptiously against the Checks of my Conscience and the Light of Nature insomuch that my own Heart doth condemn me and thou art greater knowing all Things I have abused thy Mercies despised thy Judgments and turned thy very Graces into Wantonness insomuch that my Iniquities are gone over my Head and my Sins have covered me I have nothing to plead for my self but Guilty Guilty Guilty of the Breach of all thy most Holy and Righteous Laws I have forfited my Right to all that is Good have made my self liable to all Evils both Temporal Spiritual and Eternal it is even a Miracle of Mercy that I had not long ago been taken off in my Sin and for my Sins and have been made so Hellfull as I have been sinful and have had my Portion given me with Hyppocrites Vnbelievers and those that loveth and maketh a Lye in that Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone there to be tormented with Devils and Damned Spirits for evermore that instead of praying unto thee and calling on thy Nâ—â—e in Mercy I am not howling amongst the Damn'd in an irrecoverable State that thy Patience is not ended toward me and the Dâ—or of Grace shut everlastingly against me thou mightest justly long ago have said unto me I would have healed thee and thou wouldst not I would have Saved thy Soul but thou hast despised my Salvation I would have made thee happy and thou hast refused therefore thou that art filthy be filthy stâ—ll there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment Fiery Indignation and the Fierce Anger of the Lord the Most Mighty God therefore go thou Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devils and their Angels It had been but just with thee O Lord thus to have dealt by me and thou mightest have Glorified thy Justice in my Just Condemnation and Eternal Damnation but there is Mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared and thy tender Mercies are over all thy Works and Mercy pleaseth thee it is because thy Compassions fail not that I am not consumed O what shall I say unto thee thou Preserver of Men Whether shall I go or to whom shall I fly 'T is thou alone that hast the words of eternal Life and there is nâ— Name under Heaven by whom I can be Saved but by the Name of Jesus Christ and 't is against thee O Father thee O Holy Jesus thee O Holy Blessed Spirit that I have sin'd against the Holy and Blessed Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity Jesus Christ was wounded for my Transgressions that by his Stripes I 〈◊〉 be healed and I have wounded him afresh by my Sins Tâ—e Chast sement of my Peace hath been upon his Shoulders and he that knew no Sin was made a Curse unto Sin for me that I might be made the Righteonsness of God in him He was pierced thorow with many Sorrows and his precious Side was pierced with a Sphear and his most precious Blood was spilt that my Soul might be Eternally Saved and I have pierced him again by my Sins Jesus was Crucified and dyed the bitter and Cursed Death of the Cross that I might be Blessed and Everlastingly Saved and I have Crucified the Lord of Life afresh have put him to open shame O help me to look upon him whom I have pierced and mourn over him that I may be in bitterness of Spirit and gâ—ieve because I cannot grieve enough for my Sins and because I have grieved the Motions of thy Holy Spirit Oh work in me a hatred of all sin which is the cause of all Evil and help me to avoid the very Appearance of it O Lord thou hast given some Encouragement for poor penitent Sinners to come unto thee and graciously invited them saying Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy Laden and I will give you Rest seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you call upon me in the Day of Trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Oh Lord I come I seek I call I cry beseeching thee for Jesus Christ his sake to let me find rest unto my Soul Open unto me the Gates of Salvation and be ye opened ye Everlasting Gates that the King of Glory may come in and deliver me from the Intollerable Burthen of my Sins Help me to Glorifie thee here that I may be Glorified with thee to all Eternity Lord thou hast promised that Thou wilt not break the Bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax nor despise the day of small Things but hast mercifully stiled thy self to be a God hearing Prayers and none of the Sons of Jacob ever sought thy Face in vain And thou hast graciously declared thy self to be the Lord Merciful Gratious of Patience and great Goodness who pardoneth Iniquity Transgressions and