Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	israel_n	lord_n	redemption_n	2,132	5	10.1091	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17589	The countesse of Marres Arcadia, or sanctuarie Containing morning, and evening meditations, for the whole weeke. By M. Ia. Caldwell sometimes preacher of Gods Word, at Fawkirke. Enriched with a godlie treatise, called, An ascension of the soule to heaven, by meditation on the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ.	Caldwell, James, 1580?-1616.; Anderson, Patrick, 1575-1624.	1625 (1625)	STC 4366; ESTC S116200	116,521	496

and where I am a weak creature in a waste Wildernesse Therefore as thou carried thy own Israel vpon Eagles winges through the wildernesse towards that earthlie Canaan carrie mee through this waste Wildernesse of the Worlde vntill I come to mine heavenlie Canaan Thou knowest O Lorde my soule is as a shippe tossed to and fro with continuall tempests manie times when I haue a straight course to Heaven I am driven aside by the contrarie windes of my corrupt affections Lord Iesus bee thou Pylote to the Shippe of my soule that I make no shipwracke as tentations followeth tentations like the waues of the sea everie one vpon the backe of another so let grace bee doubled that although Satan seek to winnow me as wheat yet he prevaile not I long O Lord to be with thee where Satan will not tempt sin will not accuse and these vnrulie affections will not trouble me Ah when shall this poore spirit bee disburthened of this lodging of clay that that which is divine may behold thy divine Majestie alwayes so long as I am heere in the bodie Thou that teachedst Davids fingers heere to fight Psal 18.33 so that a Bow of brasse was not able to withstand him So strengthen thou mine arme that I may bee able to resist these malitious enemies Thy servant David overcame the Lyon and the Beare and the vncircumcised Philistim yet was hee overcome with his vncircumcised heart Of all difficulties it is the greatest to ●me man to overcome himselfe Lord helpe mee by grace to sight against my selfe I will not despare Lord notwithstanding of all these enemies so long as I may make my plaint to thee Thy eyes are vpon the lust Psal 34.15 thine eares open vnto their crye Thou didst heare the groanings of thine owne Israel Lorde heare the gronings of my soule Thine eare O Lorde is not heavie Esay 59 1. nor is thine hand shortened streatche foorthe the arme of thy mercie and help my distressed soule Didst not thou command the stormie windes and raging seas when thy Disciples were in hazard and they obeyed thee If my small affections never rage so mightilie if thou wilt command peace they will settle and bee obedient to thy voice And now O Lorde this daye wherein I am entred I know not what inconvenient I may meete with leade me safelie through all difficulties O thou that art the shepheard of my soule Psal 23.1 that I safelie going through the snares of this daye at evening I may bow my knees and sound thy praises in Iesus Christ Amen Evening meditation of the fifth Day I Haue wandred frō thee O Lord this day That troublesome Spirit hath oppressed my Spirit with varietie of vnnecessarie affaires I bussie my selfe about manie thinges Luc. 10.42 but yet one thing is needfull I finde by daylie experience that the cares of this worlde are thornie cares they pricke and annoy my soule Mat. 13.7 they chocke the seede of grace which in mercie thou didst sowe I to mine heart they are mightie impediments to the growth of my inner man I pray thee let not these earthlie cares diminish mine inward peace nor prejudg my vnion with thy Majestie nor draw on darknes vpon my mind but O Lord let the secret beames of thy lightsome face continuallie shine vpon my soule Let mee ever live in a spirituall sense of my vnion from the which such inward joy may flow to my spirit as may make all estates acceptable to mee O Lorde of all difficulties I finde it the greatest to keepe the heart in a sense of thy presence I confesse O Lorde for all the paines I haue yet taken in thy worship if thou yet leave mee I may fall into as great Athisme as they who never knew thee Therefore waken my Spirit renew my senses lift vp all the powers of my soule Phil. 3.19 that I may ever minde heavenlie things True it is O Lord my earthly calling is a great impediment to my heavenlie calling althogh I were no ways distracted but all times gave my selfe to reading prayer and meditation it were litle enough for the intertaining the life of Christ in my soule But O Lorde as thou hast laide a double burthen vpon mee so double thy Spirite vpon mee that even whilest I am doing the points of my earthlie calling my spirit may bee above Lorde open mine eyes that I may see my predominant sinnes let mee not bee a slave to my affections but give mee grace to strive against everie sinfull motion And as thou O Lord dost now cover all thinges heere beneath with darknesse so cover my sinnes that they bee not seene againe Let never mine heart bee so farre from thee as it hath beene neither bee thou so longe absent from my soule Esay Write my name vpon the palmes of thine hands and let mee be as a signet vpon thy right hand O thou the Watchman of Israel Psal 121.3 who neither slumbrest nor sleepest bee thou my keeper this night Let this temporall rest bee a pledgde to mee of that everlasting rest which I hope to enjoye in the Heavens through Iesus Christ Amen Morning meditation of the sixt Day I Complaine to thy Majestie of the vncessant malice of my sworne enemie hee is a restlesse tempter and I am a carelesse resister hee knoweth my weaknesse and taketh his advantage of my infirmities When I haue best resolutions to serve thee then rageth hee most against mee and when I set my face towards heaven then hee laboureth to dryve me frō the right mark that Evill one albeit I went not to my rest after in calling vpon thy name yet hath caryed my fantasie after profane earthlie and carnall thinges Ah Lorde I what hee cannot accomplishe in the daye hee laboureth to bring it to passe in the night Take not these for mine actions but for mine enemies divelish suggestions I wold wish the minde were so pure and the heart so spirituallie disposed that ever sleeping or waking I were about spirituall matters And because O Lord thou canst not dwell inro a filthy heart sweepe the house of my soule wash mee a-new Psal 51.7 and make mee cleane prepare a lodging for thine owne Spirit into the secreet corners of mine heart possesse tho● thine owne dwelling for thou h●st bought it with the bloode of thine owne Sonne Keepe me O Lord 1. Iohn 1.7 1. Pet. 1.5 vnto that Life which thou hast keeping for mee and whilest I am heere in the bodie save mee from carnall securitie Let my delite ever bee to watch and praye and multiplie the spirit of prayer vpon mee Mat. 6.6 Let mee not wearie of wel-doing but leade mee in thy pathes I am sorie that my time hath beene so wasted time slydeth away and I profite litle or nothing in it Let no day slippe away without some spirituall advantage O Lord I count it my greatest gaine to gaine Christ Phil. 3.8 yea I

Christ by election before the world was made Rom. 5.1 Wee are iustified by a livelie Faith the obedience of the sonne of God Rom. 5.16 being imputed vnto vs wee are sanctified through the Spirit 1. Pet. 1.2.22 Iohn 15.3 our soules are purified in obeying the Trueth Wee walke not after the flesh when wee resist covetous cogitations Rom. 8. 1. ambitious desires voluptuous thoughts envious conceits Gal. 5.19.22 malitious purposes or whatsoever else corrupt of olde Adam Wee walke after the Spirit when wee imbrace love wee follow peace and holinesse show longe suffering gentlenesse meekenesse temperance crucifieing the fleshe with the affections and lusts thereof to such as are in Christ there is no condemnation 5. The fifth Fruite wee haue of Christ his Passion is the Wrath of God is pacified Col. 3.6 for as they which obeye not the Sonne shall not see Life but the w●ath of God abydeth on them so they which beleeve in the Sonne haue everlasting Life reserved in Heaven for them 1. Pet. 1.4.5 which by the power of God are kept to salvation for his sak God pardoned all our offences and our sinnes and our iniquities will he remember no more Ier. 31 33 34. but will put his Lawes in our mindes and write them in our hearts and will bee our God Esay 42. 1. and wee shall bee his people Mat. 3 17. for hee is his beloved Sonne in whom hee is well pleased who is also our Advocate with the Father if we sinne 1 Iohn 2.1 even Iesus Christ the lust 6. The sixt benefite of Christ his passion is Victorie over Sathan for where sinne is purged Gen. 3.15 and remitted and not imputed where the malediction of the Lawe is abrogated Eph. 2.14 where the second Death is abolished where the wraith of GOD is pacified there the Devill hath nought For Christ by death destroyed him that had power of death Heb. 2.14 that is the Devill that hee might deliver all them which for feare of Death were all their lifetime subiect to bondage For this purpose appeareth the sonne of God 1. Iohn 3.8 that hee might lowse the workes of the Devill wherefore though Sathan bee yet suffered to tempt the children of God yet shal hee neuer b●e able to draw them awaye from the state of Salvation because Iohn 18.28 God is saithfull and will not suffer his to bee t●mpted aboue their strength but shall in the middest of their tentation make a way that they may bee able to beare it 7. The seventh benefite is Victorie over Death and our freedome from the feare thereof for hee sayeth I will redeeme them from the power of the grave Hos 13.14 I will deliver them from death O Death I will bee thy death O graue I will bee thy destruction Death 1. Cor. 15.55.56 where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of Death is Sinne and strength of sinne is the Law But thankes be to God who hath given vs victory through the Lord Iesus Christ Now ●y the meanes of the death of Christ death is nothing else but a sweet passage way to eternall life to the faithfull Iohn 8.51 for if any man keepe his word hee shall never see death Let vs therefore couragiouslie follow our Ch●staine the Lord Iesus Christ who as hee did not perish in Death so shall hee not suffer vs to perish neither he is the God of the living Mat. 22.32 and not of the dead that is which cease to be For this is his Fathers will which hath sent him that of all which hee had given him hee shoulde lose none but raise them vp againe at the latter Daye for the things which the eye hath not seene Cor. 2.2 neither eare heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that love Him And finallie besides these singulare benefites by Christs Passion Rom. 5.2 wee haue the same peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding Heb. 2.18 and accesse to this grace wherein wee stande by the mediation of Christ and after this wretched life entrance to behold the glorious and blessed Trinitie in Glorie Maiestie and Eternitie AND now Gentle Reader that wee may make heavenlie and spirituall vse of his sufferings First diligentlie weigh what person in the Deitie did suffer Se●ondlie what hee did suffer Thirdlie why hee did suffer And lastlie what our Me●iatour requyreth at our hands The Apostle s●yeth 1. Pet. 2.21 Christ suffered once for vs that is the Sonne of God and the virgine Marie Iohn 1.14 That Worde which was made fleshe and dwelt amongst vs and wee saw sayeth hee● the glorie ther of as the glorie of the onelie begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and trueth And so confesseth Peter Mat. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God whi●h was ●e whō when the fulnes of time was come Gal. 4.4 GOD sent foorth made of a woman and made vnder the Law Iohn 7.14 for his name is Immanuel being a child borne to vs and a S●nne given vs Esay 9.6 whose governement is vpon his shoulder whose name is wonderfull Eph. 3.9.10 Counsellour to the mightie God everlasting Father the Prince of peace But we should rather adore the Hypostaticall vnion and Incarnation of the sonne of God than searche it by our shallow braines anxiouslie for the minde and vnderstanding of man cannot reach to it much lesse can it bee expressed by tongue yea and the verie Angells admired 1. Tim. 3.16 that the eternall sonne of God that did take the shape of a servant Phil. 2.7.8 and willinglie yeelded himselfe to the ignominious death of the Crosse But why was thy Mediator both God and man If hee had beene man onelie hee could not haue satisfied the Iustice of God so should our Redemption haue beene vnperfyte and not sufficient for he suffered in that nature 1. Pet. 4. 1. that could suffer that is the flesh Yet because of that strait vnion of both the natures in Christ wee may convenientlie say God to haue beene dead and crucified for the sonne of man and purchased his Church Act. 20.28 by his owne Bloode Now then because thy Mediator is God hee can free thee from death and Hell 1. Tim. 2.5 and because hee is man bone of thy bone and fleshe of thy fleshe hee is sensible of thy miserie for wee haue not a high Priest Heb. 4.15 which can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all thinges tempted in like sort yet without sinne goe therefore boldly vnto the throne of grace that th●u mayest finde mercie and receiue grace to helpe in time of neede But why did God perfyte this great worke of our Redemption from Sinne by the death of his Son not by other meanes besides that it pleased God to declare his

2.22 24. all which were fastned on his shoulders and hee did beare them who never displeased God nor offended man and of whom his verie enemies did confesse He had done all thinges well yet did the Lorde broke him and made him subject to infirmities Esay 53.10 and layd vpon him the iniquities of vs all And what griefe thinkest thou was hee in when hee sweate so powerfully and prayed so ferventlie No doubt he felt the vnsupportable weight of thy sinne Mat. 11.28 the fierce wrath of God against it Rom. 2.8 the justice of the righteous God requiring due punishment for it 1. Thess 1.10 the killing power of the Law Rom. 5.12 pronuncing condemnation to it the strong force of Death Rom. 7.11 the Stipend and reward addebted to it the tyrannie of Sathan Iohn 8.34 insulting on thee for it the infinite and eternall tormentes of Hell 1. Pet. 2.19 just desert to it which no tongue can expresse 1. Pet. 3.19 Mat. 24.41 Mat. 13.42 nor heart conceiue where the worme dieth not and the fire not quenched where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth This I say made thy sweete Saviour in anguish of spirit so to bemone himselfe Iohn 3.16 yet to show that God so loved the world that bee gave his onely begotten Sonne for it And that bee came hither to save sinners Ioh. 12.47 for whom hee was contented to die Hee yeelded his wil to Gods saying neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt THE THIRD STEP to ascend by THirdlie this did aggravate his miseries that hee was betrayed by his familiar friend whom he trusted Psal 44.9 which did eate of his bread his own Purse-master Iohn 13.12 whose feete hee had washed and that with a kisse speaking as the custome of this worlde is pea●eablie with his mouth Ier. 9.8 but in his heart bee layed waite for his neighbour Psal 28.3 Bee thou not drawne away poore Soule with the wicked Psal 120.2 and with the workers of iniquitie which speakes friendlie to their neighbours Psal 105. 17.18 when malice is in their heart Deliver my Soule O Lord from the lying lippes and from a deceitfull tongue So did Ioab kill Amasa 2. Sam. 20.4 Iudg. 16.20 and Cain slewe Abel Sampson is betrayed by Philistimes so Ioseph was solde for a slaue they helde his feete in stockes vntill his appointed time came and the counsell of the Lord had tryed him Hypocriticall was thy salutation O sonne of perdition Sayest thou Haile Master Thy Master Iudas whom thou wast bound to defend But what will not the hungrie desire of money doe by it hee lost Christ Col. 3.5 hee lost his Soule hee lost Heauen Iohn 3.36 and damned himselfe The Traitor had a fit end hee hanged himselfe but that was not all hee hanges in Hell perpetuallie for it 2. Thess 1.6.7 Iudg. 1.7 Gen. 9.6 as hee deserved so is hee served for blood will have blood for had hee repented truely he had not put hands in himselfe the word was in his mouthe but the thing was not in his heart Such is the force of conscience setting before him the hainousnesse of his fact the grievousnes of GODS vvrath judgement without mercie and hells fire without redemption For an evill conscience is a Witnesse a Summonder a Iudge a Tormenter a Prison of sinners What thing more grieuous thā day and night to cary about such a one a man may avoide all thinges but his owne heart for whither soeuer he goeth it goeth with him either to accuse or excuse Rom. 2.15 The testimonie of a good conscience is a continuall feast which maketh a man alvvayes merrie 1. Tim. 1 19. The putting avvay of a good conscience maketh ship-vvracke of Faith Endevour therefore O my Soule to haue a cleare Conscience towardes GOD and towardes man For if thy heart condemne thee God is greater than thine hearte and knoweth all thinges But if thine heart condemne thee not then hast thou boldnesse towards him and whatsoeuer thou seekest in faith shall thou receiue from him A sicke conscience can no Physician in the world cure but that heavenlie Physician Iesus 1. Tim. 6.10 Thou seest the desire of money is the roote of all mischiefe they who are poysoned therwith doe erre from the Faith Pro. 27.20 these pierce themselves through with many sorrowes they fall into tentations into snares into manie foolish and noysome lustes which drowne men in perdition and destruction which is too evident in this miserable creature Iudas But thou my Soule flie thou those thinges Tim. 6.11.12 and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith love patience meeknesse laying hold on eternall Life wherevnto thou art called Thus there is no griefe to that of thy minde no losse to that of life no feare to that of destruction so there is no enemie to a covetous and a dissembling friend no treachrie to that which one of a mans own may practise Iudas was amongst the Apostles by externall vocation but not of them by inwarde sanctification as Christ often foretold them that twelue hee had chosen Iohn 6.70 and one of them was a devill Where the Lordes mercie is evident and thy prodigious malice manifest neither did the faith and firmitie of the Apostles fall by reason of this Traitours defection for what though some did not belieue Rom. 3.3.4 shall their vnbeliefe make the promises of GOD without effect God forbid Let GOD bee true and all men lyears Hee departed from Christ the rest did abide vnto the end they that continued Luc. 23.28 shall bee saved He went to the chiefe Priestes hee might haue knowne Psal 1.1 That blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the wicked And Iacob in the spirite of prophesie saw this Tragedie and abhorred the Actors Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.5.6 brethren in evill the instruments of crueltie are in their habitations vnto their secrets let not my soule come my glorie bee not thou joyned with their assemblies for in their wrath they slew the man Christ and in their selfe-will they digged downe a wall Hee vvent I say not called or sent for or seduced by his Lordes enemies but vvillingly offered himselfe the sinne is more tolerable that hath a preceeding cause Adam was deceiued by the Serpent but the Devill hatched and brotched these venemous contagions of himself and in himselfe No man motioned this businesse to him hee intruded himselfe separating himselfe in soule and bodie from his Master It is good to haue the heart established by grace Heb. 13.9 and alwayes to cleaue vnto the Lord. Hee would recompense the losse hee had by the pouring out of Maries box of Oyntment but hee came short Neither seeketh he a certain summe as to gain much by the bargane but as selling a vyle slaue or base thing referreth the price to themselves what they would giue

not haue turned into a glorious life Shee knew the conference betwixt her and the Angel before for Faith and Hope will not extinguish Displeasure naturall Ioy but will mitigate them both for she looked to haue with him a joyfull meeting her heart was knit with him whilst hee hang on the Crosse not ashamed of him neither hee forgetfull of her Hee called her woman 2. Cor. 5.16 not Mother raised from all earthly thinges which men count much of for hee knew nothing according to the flesh for in heaven we shall be like Angels to the end that wee may enjoye that heavenlie life And her I say Hee commended to Iohn whom hee loued inteirelie neither will he translate her from the world but will haue everie member of his Churche to keepe one another as he commended his mother to Iohn to be entertained in his suffring forgetting as it were himselfe yet forgetting not her not willing to divide the first and second Table in the first keeping his duetie to his Father to the death and in the midst of that obedience to his Father hauing regard respect to his Mother for if thou hatest not father or mother for his sake Lu. 14.26 thou art not worthie of him Preferre God to any naturall affection which Christ notwithstanding in the middest of torment of blasphemies combate with everlasting Death with the wrath of the Father and with all the infernall powers is carefull to obserue Sāctified affections do entertaine naturall loue or else they are suffocated for this duetie standeth not in ceremonies but in performing of necessary adoes this registration will rent the conscience of these who procure their mothers curse Iohn ha●●rection from the Crosse wee from the heavenly Throne hee tooke an others Mother not his owne and that to his owne house Seeing Christe therfore hath suffred in the flesh it is convenient that wee bee of the like minde Naomi destitute of her two Children Ruth 1. did say when shee came to Bethlehem Call mee not Naomi that is beautifull but Mara which is bitternesse Tob. 10. What did Tobias mother when her Son went away Did not King Salomon acknowledge the true mother of the Childe 1 King 3.24 while shee would not haue him cut in two And what did Rizpah in hanging vp the sacke-cloathes from the beginning of Harvest vpon the Rocke vntill water dropped vpon them from the heaven 2. Sam. 21.10 neither suffering the Birds of heaven to light on the sonnes of Saul by day nor beasts of the fielde by night But what doloure I say can be compared to this of his Mothers whose heart was so deepelie wounded thorow Shee did not extinguish those affections but moderated them for she stood by the Crosse of Christ seeing them whom hee had fed in the wildernes with Māna broght throgh the red Sea presēt her Son Gall for Manna Vinegar for water Thou didst feede fiue thousand with fiue loaues filled all Iudea with the wordes of Life and now is that Sunne eclipsed the bright Moone darkned the creatures acknowledge their Creator but the miserable Iews shut their eyes from the tender mercie of God whereby Luc. 1.78 the day-spring from on high hath visited them but it could not bee that either affection or the tender bowels of compassion could stay this sweet Iesus from perfecting the will of his Father and that glorious worke of the Redemption of his owne Elect. The fourth Steppe of the fourth degree of the ascension of the Soule to Heauen c. BEtweene eleven and twelue a clocke both sentence of condemnation and execution thereof fell out From twelue houres to three afternoon the space of three houres a fearefull and terrible darknesse was ouer the face of the earth yeelded the Spirit betweene three foure houres His Father did testifie by this darknesse not onelie of his innocencie as hee was man but also of his Glory as he was God the creatures did vtter their sorrow and began to teach that senslesse hardned people such a judgement is it to fall into a reprobate sense This Eclipse fell out beyond naturall course in the full Moone for the Passeouer was to be celebrated in March the fourteenth day thereof when the Sunne the Moone are far from other and the whole Globe of the car●h casten betwixt them but in this Eclipse the Moone which was opposed to the Sunne turned suddenlie and came vnder the Sunne which made this darknesse For the which cause Act. 17. the Philosophers in Athens not finding natural reasons erected an altar to the vnknowne God At this time beganne his greatest agony which was in his Soule with he vvrath of his Father frō Heaven which were the dolours of death so extreame like as a woman hath in hearing her birth Act. 2. vvhich doth expresse also the paines of hell 1. Thess 5.3 vvhere mountaines of dolour heapes of wrath are laid vp for the reprobate as the waues of the sea followeth one another so are they in growing everlastinglie His God-head never left him nor never shall but the God-head kept it selfe so close that it vvould let him haue no joy vntill he should pay that ransome to the utmost farthing vvhereby the Iustice of God was satisfied for our sinnes And therfore hee cryed out on the Crosse as deserted of God My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Confidence in God will oftimes bee without feeling of joy albeit the spirit be not taken from the Soule yet at last it doeth reviue For ●s knowledge availeth wher feeling is alwayes dead no sense of the old canker of sinne mortified and quickened with a new life to liue to God Those then are not words of Diffidence or Indignation but of combate of the flesh with Faith in the which hee felt the eternall curse that was due for sinne otherwayes he would never haue called God his God the burden of one sin yea of an evill thought can not be born of all the world how heavie must all the sins of the Elect bee that Iesus ba●e on his backe And now poore Soule behold the dealing of God with his own albeit he loued them never so well hee will touch them with the sense of wrath for sinne in some measure from heaven that thou mayst vnderstand how heavy a wrath Iesus suffered that he might conquesse vnto thee mercie and peace of conscience which was bought payed for with his Blood Detestable and filthie must sinne be that made him thus double his crying Fie on the filthie works of the flesh which drowne men in perdition Esay 34.7.8 Hee did take him to prayer vvilling thee ever to haue refuge into thy God in all trouble Psal 22. who neither can nor will leaue thee He choosed this armor to resist out of the Scripture Which is Eph. 6.13 the sword he hath put in our hands for it vvas in our persons

woundes salue for my sores whose mercies are infinitelie more than my detestable sinnes can bee I haue wandred alace like a lost sheepe Good Sheepheard seeke mee and bring me home againe O Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world let the light of thy countenance shine on me and looke on mee as thou didst on Peter By dying thou hast overcome Death and brought ag●ine Life by rysing therefrom If I had the knowledge of Angels and all my members were converted into tongs never should I be able worthily to magnifie the boweles of thy compassion extended to mee wretched sinner which passeth all vnderstanding Thou didst not take deare Christ the Angels but the seed of Abraham beeing made like vnto mee in all things Sinne excepted which nature thou hast glorified in the heavens Now since it is humane nature wherein thou raignest I beleeue also to reigne and bee glorified with thee And albeit my sins hinder me in the constant course of my Salvation yet thy loue this Commnuion and coniunction taketh all lettes out of the way Thou art not so hard O Lord as to despise mee since thy Sonne hath caried my nature vnto heaven Canst thou forget that which thou hast fast by thee No truelie thou art slow to anger full of mercie with thee is plentifull redemption Most louing art thou for no man hateth his owne flesh at any time thou O God louest thy Sonne and they that are his which are risen with him and placed by Faith hope in heavenlie places I was not worthie to bee thy servant but thou hast made mee thy Sonne and fellow-Heire with my Brother Christ Consider the paines of my Redeemer and pardon the redeemed his offences Why did he so obedientlie suffer the punishment of disobedience but onelie to saue mee and thine Elect There was no goodnesse in mee that could induce thee to the same it was thy bountie and free mercie and now thine hand is not shortned but it can saue mee Wil thou then try thy power against straw and stubble against mee who am but a shaddow and lighter than vanitie My sinnes are alwayes in my sight still representing before me thy anger I feele the grievous burthen of them thy iudgements against them but thou will not the death of a Sinner but that hee should turne and liue Enter not therefore in iudgement with mee O Lord for no flesh shall bee iustified in thy sight for thy Christ whom I imbrace by a true Faith is made vnto mee righteousnes wisedome and redemption To whom with thee and the holie Ghost bee all glorie and praise for euer Amen A PRAYER BEFORE the Communion WOunderfull must thy loue bee O Lord towards mee poore and miserable Sinner that thou woldest haue thy deare and onelie Sonne to suffer all tormentes and death for mee and to take vpon him all my infirmities and miseries yet not contented therewith wouldest haue the remembrance of this thy great mercie least it should be forgotten razed out of mine heart and that my Faith should not waxe faint sith thy Sonne hath ascended vp to Heaven after a strange and wonderfull manner fed and nourished mee and distilled in mee that spirituall Life by the meanes of his Bodie making the Crosse the wine-presse out of the which those grapes liquor of eternall life are drawne out Giue me thy holy Spirit that I may haue strēgth against Sathan the World the Flesh Grant spirituall life to abide in mee as the branches hath that naturall from the wine that forsaking my selfe louing of my selfe I may liue in thee by thee and for thee vntill I come vnto thee where I shall see thee face to face True it is O Lord no reasō can reach to this spirituall food but Faith onely doeth goe through for by those visible Elements I d●e apprehend spirituall and invisible graces and that not by imagination for as Breade doeth nourish the body so doest thou O Christe the soule And as Flesh is a substance so thou Sonne of God incarnate is the cause of this substantiall nourishment of my soule As life is in the bodie so Christ by his Blood shall giue mee life and is my life the condition estate of my flesh my blood and my whole life was more than miserable but by throgh and in thee O Christ all things were restored and made perfect in me The forebidden blood of beastes in the Law should make me shunne a brutish and a beastlie life But thy Blood teacheth mee to liue a Christian holie righteous and sober life For it is not nowe I that liueth but thou in mee who is only consubstantiall with the Father and holy Ghost yea this vnion I haue with thee by true faith as the head with the members an vnion I say of affections wittes participation of heavenlie and eternall blessednesse that I liue not to my selfe but to thee O Lord who loued me and gaue thy selfe for me For they that liue on sweet meates haue sweete breath so they haue a sweet odour in all their words works who taste of this spirituall and heavenlie food in whome Christe doeth spiritually dwell by faith O Christ thy manhood was seene on earth but the God-head not at all yet did great wonderfull things without changing or cōfounding of natures so in these Symboles Christs bodie I see not which notwithstanding worketh in me a beginning and grouth of renovation The body of the Sunnes light aboue is in it selfe whole albeit it bee dispersed heere beneath so thou O Christ is aboue in heaven whole yet dost communicate to everie belieuer to bee partaker of thy Body and Blood but diminution or weakening of thy selfe which thou offeredst for me weak not inclosed in me when thou is receiued of mee without any dishonour at all to thy Maiestie when thou commeth vnto this my sinfull cottage hauing mine heart to be thy Temple and dwelling place who filleth the heavens and the earth thy Footstoole O happy is he that doth eate the flesh of my Lord and Saviour with earnest desire to obey his will and stayeth on his promises trusting alwaye● on him In this earth am I partaker of Christ by the helpe of his word Sacraments But in heaven aboue without any externall meanes I shall feede on that heavenlie Breade and drinke of that spirituall drinke feeling in effect his presence and enioying that glorious life fulfilled in the Kingdome of God where I shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on mee neither any heate For thou O Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall governe mee and lead me vnto the liuelie fountaines of waters And thou sweete Saviour shall wype away all teares from my eyes O happy day when I shall feede on that heavenlie Manna the food of thy holy Angels in that Paradise and thrise happie am I in Christ to taste of the sweetnesse of the life