faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse 4. From his Truth Psal 69.13 O God in the multitude of thy mercy hear me in the truth of thy salvation 2 Sam. 7.28 And now O Lord God thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodnsse unto thy servant therefore now let it please thee c. 5. From his Mercies Psal. 6.4 O save me for thy mercies sake Psal. 25 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old Isa. 63.15 Look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holines and thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained 6. From his Glory Josh. 7.9 What wilt thou do unto thy great Name 2 Kings 17.19 Now therefore O Lord our God I beseech thee save thou us out of his hands that all the Kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God even thou onely Pal. 79.10 Wherefore should the Heathen say where is their God Jer. 14.21 Do not abhor us for thy names sake do not disgrace the Throne of thy Glory 7. From his Covenant and Promise 1 Kings 8.25 26. O Lord God of Israel keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him c. And now O God of Israel let thy word I pray thee be verified which thou spakest unto him c. Psal. 74.20 O deliver not the soul of thy Turtle unto the multitude of the wicked forget not the Congregation of the poor for ever Have respect unto the Covenant c. Jer. 14.21 Remember break not thy Covenant with us 8. From his Command of calling upon him and appointing this Ordinance as the means of our help and supply in any condition Psal. â—7 8 Thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek Psal. 50.5 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal. 86.5 For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee 2. The second sort of arguments from our selves are derivable from some of these heads 1. From our Relation to him as being his people servants children Psal 74.1 2. Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture remember the Congregation which thou hast purchased of old the rod of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed this Mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelt Psal. 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds Psal. 143.12 Of thy mercy cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul for I am thy servant Isa. 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer Isa. 64.8 But now O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou our Potter we are all the work of thine hand Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Jer. 14.8 9. O! the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land and as a wayfayring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not 2. From our own sincerity Psal 40.16 Let all those that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee let such as love thy salvation say continually The Lord be magnified Psal. 119.38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear vers 94. I am thine save me for I have sought thy precepts vers 159. Consider how I do love thy preceâ—t quicken me O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse Isa. 38.3 Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight 3. From our present Dependance upon him Ps. 7.1 O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me Psal. 2â— 2 O my God I trust in thee let me not be ashamed vers 20. Keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee Psal. 57.1 Be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me for my soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge untill these calamities be over-past 4. From the greatnesse of our Need and sufferings Psal. 25.19 Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with a cruel hatred Psal. 60.1 2 3. O God thou hast cast us off thou hast scattered us thou hast been dâ—spleased O turne thy self to us again thou hast made the earth to tremble thou hast broken it thou hast shewed thy people hard things thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment Psal. 79.8 Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Psal. 142.6 Attend unto my cry for I am brought very low deliver me from my persecutors for they are stronger then I. 5. From the Benefit of his hearing and granting our requests Psal. 80.18 So will not we go back from thee quicken us and we will call upon thy name Psal. 102.15 So the Heathens shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory vers 18. This shall be written for the generations to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. Psal. 106 47. Save us O Lord our God and gather us from among the Heathen to give thanks unto thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise 6. From our Experience and former examples Judg. 15.18 Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised Psal. 22.4 5. Our father 's trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them They cryed unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Psal. 27.9 Thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation To these may be added in the businesse of Imprecation another Topicke from the insolence and impiety of Gods enemies Exod. 32.12 Wherefore should the Egyptians say for mischief did he bring them out to stay them in the mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth Psal. 140.8 Grant not O Lord the desires of the wicked further not his wicked device lest they exalt themselves From some of these heads a man may fetch arguments
Man is like to vanity his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away Isa. 2.22 Whose breath is in his nostrils and wherein is he to be accounted of Isa. 40.17 All Nations before him are as nothing and counted to him lesse then nothing Prodigal children unprofitable servants of polluted lips and uncircumcised hearts c. 1 Tim. 1.15 The chief of sinners III. III. An expression of our purpose to approach unto him in this duty That we do desire Psal. 95.6 To worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Num. 5.15 Num. 29.7 Jer. 17.17 To bring our iniquity to rememberance To afflict our souls in his sight To make him our hope and refuge in the day of evill To seek his face to meet him in his wayes To speak good of his Name To wait upon him in his Ordinances Psal. 65.4 To approach before him in his courts that we may be satisfied with the goodnesse of his house even of his holy Temple Psal. 66.2 To set forth the honour of his Name and make his praise glorious Verse 8. To blesse our God and make the voice of his praise to be heard Psal. 96.8 To give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name to bring an offering and come into his Courts Verse 9. Psal. 99.5 To worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse To exalt the Lord our God and to worship at his footstool Psal. 116.17 Verse 18. To offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving and to call upon the name of the Lord. To pay our vowes unto the Lord in the presence of his people in the Courts of the Lords house Ps. 138.2 To worship towards his holy Temple and to praise his Name for his loving kindnes and for his truth Ps. 145.5 To speak of the glorious honour of his Majesty and of his wonderous works IV. IV. A desire of his assistance acceptance and attention that we may be enabled to performe this duty in an acceptable manner with such holy affections as he hath required Rom. 8.26 Rom. 5.5 Isa. 64.7 That his good spirit may help our infirmities and make intercession for us That he would shed abroad his love in our hearts and stir up our souls to lay hold of him Ps. 51.15 That he would open our lips that our mouthes may shew forth his praise Isa. 45.19 That we may not seek his face in vain Ps. 80.18 That he would quicken us to call upon his name Verse 19. That he would cause his face to shine upon us and lift up the light of his countenance 1 Kings 8.28 Have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication to hearken unto the cry and to the Prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to day Verse 30. Hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and when thou hearest forgive 2 Kings 19.16 Lord bow down thine eares and hear open Lord thine eye and see Neh. 1.6 Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayst hear the prayer of thy servant Psal. 5.1 Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Vers. 2. Hearken to the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray Psal. 18.6 That he would hear our voice out of his holy Temple and let our cry come before him even into his ears Ps. 19.14 That the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts may be alwayes acceptable in his sight Psal. 27.7 Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me Ps. 55.1.2 Give ear to my prayer O God and hide not thy self from my supplication Attend unto me and hear me Psal. 88.2 Let my Prayer come before thee incline thine ear unto my cry Psal. 130 2 Lord hear my voice let thine ear be attentive to the voice of my supplication Psal. 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice Psal. 143.1 Hear my Prayer O Lord give ear to my supplications in thy faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse Vers. 7. Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit Isa 63.15 Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory Some one or more of these Particulars may upon several occasions afford fitting matter for a Preface which is the first thing to be considered and inlarged in conceiving a form of Prayer CHAP. VII Confession of sins by enumeration of them and first of Original sin NExt to the Preface Confession does according to the more usual and ordinary course succeed The first thing to be confessed in the Enumeration of sin as is before expressed in the scheme of Confession is Original sin Whereas God at first made man upright he hath since corrupted himself by seeking out many inventions He planted our first Parents a noble Vine a right seed but they quickly turned into degenerate plants of a strange Vine So that we are transgressors from the wombe Being shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin A seed of evill doers children that are corrupters Branches of the wild Olive Being naturally dead in trespasses and sins Children of wrath bearing about us the old man A body of sin and of death A law of our members Being born only of the flesh Having sin that dwels in us And is alwayes present with us And doth so easily beset us This Originall sin hath been propagated to us both by Imputation Real Communication 1. By Imputation of Adams particular transgression in eating the forbidden fruit for we were legally parties in that Covenant which was at first made with him and therefore cannot but expect to be liable unto the guilt which followed upon the breach of it By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men 2. By reall Communication of evil concupiscence and depravation upon our natures which was the consequent of the first rebellion We were all of us naturally in our first Parents as the streams in the fountaine or the branches in the root and therefore must needs partake the same corrupted nature with them For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean And what is man that he should be clean or he that is borne of woman that he should be righteous This might justly make us more loathsome and abominable in Gods eyes then either Toads or Vipers or any other the most venomous hurtfull creatures are in ours and for this alone he might justly cut us off and condemne us though it were meerly for the prevention of that mischief and enmity against him which the very principles of our natures are infected with Though man were at first made little lower then the Angels being crowned with glory and honour having dominion over the other
forget not the congregation of the poor for ever O let not the oppressed return ashamed let the poor and needy praise thy name Arise O God plead thine own cause c. We are become a reproach to our neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us How long Lord wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire O remember not against us our former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name deliver us and purge away our sins for thy names sake O God the proud are risen against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them But thou O Lord art our God full of compassion gracious long-suffering plenteous in mercy and truth O turne unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and save the sonne of thine handmaid Shew me some token for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me Arise O Lord and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come 2. In times of Famine We should pray that our land may yield us bread without scarcenesse That he would not send upon us the evil arrowes of famine nor break our staffe of bread Nor take away our corne in the time thereof nor afflict us with cleannesse of teeth When men shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry and shall eat on the left hand and shall not be satisfied but every man shall eat the flesh of his own arme When we shall pine away and be stricken through for want of the fruits of the earth When we shall eat bread by weight and with care and drink water by measure and with astonishment When the land shall mourne and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the field and the fowles of the Heaven When the husband-man shall be ashamed and the vine-dressers shall howle because the harvest of the field is perished The fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vine the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no heard in the stalls When we shall sowe much and bring in little when we shall eat and not have enough drink and not be filled cloath our selves and not be warme That he would according to his promise abundantly blesse our provision and satisfie our poore with bread That our Garners may be full and plenteous affording all manner of store That he would hear the Heavens and let them hear the Earth and the Earth hear the Corne and the Wine and the oyle and that they may hear his people Now because Famine is usually occasioned either by immoderate raine or drought therefore in our intercessions against this National judgement we may frame our Petitions more immediately against each of these as necessity shall require 1. Against immoderate raine That God would remember the Covenant which he hath made and though our wickednesse be very great upon the earth so that he might justly repent that he hath made us and now again resolve to destroy us from the face of the earth yet he hath promised that he will not any more cut off all flesh by the waters of a flood neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth That he would give us the former and the latter rain moderately and not punish us with a sweeping rain which leaveth no food 'T is he alone by whom the windows of Heaven are opened who giveth raine upon the earth and sendeth waters upon the fields Who cloatheth the Heavens with blacknesse and maketh sack-cloth their covering Who calleth for the waters of the Sea and poureth them out upon the face of the Earth He maketh small the drops of water they poure down raine according to the vapor thereof which the clouds do drop and distill upon men abundantly He covereth the light with clouds and commandeth it not to shine He commandeth the clouds from above and openeth the doors of Heaven That he would so order all those things which are at his disposal as that the earth may yield her increase and all the ends of the earth may fear him 2. Against Drought That he would open to us the good treasures of Heaven and give rain to our land in its season and blesse the labour of our hands He is the Father of the rain and does beget the drops of dew The bottles of heaven are at his command to open and shut them as he pleases He bindes up the waters in thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them 'T is he that does stay the heaven over us from dew and the earth from his fruits Who doth with-hold the raine from us causing it to rain upon one City and not upon another It is by his command that the Vine-tree is dryed up and the Fig-tree languisheth and all the trees of the field are withered The seed is rotten under the clods the garners are laid desolate the barnes are broken down for the corne is withered the beasts groan and the herds of cattel are perplexed because they have no pasture and the flocks of sheep are made desolate 'T is at his command that the clouds do not raine upon us He makes the heavens over us to be brasse and the earth under us to be iron and the rain of our land to be powder and dust He causes the land to mourne and the herbs of every field to wither When the ground is chapt for want of rain when the plowmen are ashamed and cover their heads when the wilde Asses do stand in the high places and snuffe up the winde like Draggons and their eyes do faile because there is no grasse And therefore unto him it is that we must make our addresses for help and supply in all such exigences That when heaven is shut up and there is no rain because of our sins against him Yet if we shall pray unto him and confesse his name and turne from our sins when he afflicts us That then he would hear in heaven and forgive the sins of his servants and teach them the good way wherein they should walk and give rain unto the land which he hath bestowed upon them for an inheritance Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain or can the heavens give showers art not thou he O Lord our God therefore we will waite upon thee for thou hast made all these things That he would open the windows of heaven and cause the rain
to come down in his season and let there be showers of blessing making grasse to grow for the cattel and herbs for the service of men That we may fear the Lord our God who giveth us rain both the former and the latter in its season reserving unto us the pointed weeks of harvest 3. In times of Pestilence That he would according to his promise deliver us from the noysome Pestillence that we may not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day nor for the Pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor for the destruction that walketh at noon-day that no evil befall us nor any plague come nigh our dwellings That he would command his destroying Angel to put up his sword again into the sheath thereof That he would teach us to see the plague of our own hearts and to returne unto him with unfeigned repentance that he may returne unto us in mercy and compassion and pardon our sins and heal our land O thou sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy self into thy scabberd rest be still That the arrows of the Almighty may not be any longer within us nor the poison thereof drink up our spirits That death may not come up into our windows nor enter into our palaces to cut off the children from without and the young men from the streets that he would not sweep us away with the besome of destruction but would be pleased now at length to heal us and to restore comfort unto us and to our mourners We are consumed by thine anâ—er and by thy wrath we are troubled thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Returne O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servants O satisfie us early with thy mercies that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes For the better strengthening of our faith and fervency in our intercessions for any National mercy we may back our requests with some of those Arguments which the Scripture does afford to this purpose God hath stiled himself a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble and that he will never forsake them that seek him He is a present help in trouble and hath proclaimed himself to be a God that hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants He hath promised that the poor shall not alwayes be forgotten the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever But he will redeem their souls from deceit and violence He heareth the poor and despiseth not the prisoners He hath said that he will not alwayes contend with the children of men lest their hearts should faint and their spirits fail within them But when their power is quite gone then it shall repent him for his servants when there is no other help or uphold then the arme of the Lord shall bring salvation He hath assured us that if we commit our way unto the Lord and trust in him he will bring it to passe That the mâ—ek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace That the upright shall not be ashamed in the evill time and in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied that though the wicked doth watch the righteous and seek to slay him yet the Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged But if we wait on the Lord and keep his way he will exalt us to inherit the land That the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord who is their strength in timâ— of trouble The Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him He has promised that the rod of the wicked shall not alwayes rest upon the lot of the righteous The Scripture is very copious in such expressions as may afford Arguments to this purpose besides those that were mentioned before in the fourth Chapter which are properly reducible to this place CHAP. XXV Of Particular Intercession for our several relations PArticular Intercession may be distinguished into two sorts Ordinary Occasional By Ordinary I understand our prayers for those particular persons whom we are bound in our common and usual course to remember as we should all those to whom we are tied by any neer relation whether of Order Friendship or Enmity Neighbourhood or converse 1. For the relations of Order These are either publike and Politicall or private and Oeconomicall 1. Concerning our Publike relations the Apostle does enjoyn us to pray for Kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty that he would give unto them wise understanding hearts to judge their people and to discern between good and bad That they may be a terror only to evil doers but an encouragement to those that do well That he would according to his promise make them nursing fathers unto his Church and People that they may prove friends to his friends and enemies to his enemies Considering that those who rule over men must be just ruling in the fear of the Lord. That they may know the God of their fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind that it may be well with them and their posterity after them That he would make them to beleeve and to consider that 't is not only their duty but their honour and their interest to promote the power and the reputation of Religion For all publike Counsellours and Judges that he would make them wise and upright and successefull in the discharge of all those difficult businesses that they are called unto That they may not turne judgement into wormwood by unjust decrees nor into Vineger by long delays that he would be unto them both a Sun and a Shield A Sun to direct them and a Shield to protect them in all their ways 'T is he alone who is able to instruct Magistrates and teach Senators wisdom that he would remove from them all negligence cowardize prejudice self-ends or whatever may hinder them in the free and equal administration of justice That judgement may run down as a river and righteousnesse as a mighty stream For the Nobility and Gentry that he would endow them with such vertue and spiritual graces as can alone truly ennoble them whereby they may be made the children of God and heires of Heaven that they may strive to become as eminent members in the mystical body as they are in the civil For all inferiour Magistrates those more especially under whose Jurisdiction we live that they may be men of courage fearing God wise and faithful in their places Haters of
faithfulnesse in destruction Shall thy wonders be known in the dark or thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfulnesse Hear my prayer O Lord give ear unto my cry hold not thy peace at my teares O spare me a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more seen I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Let I pray thee thy merciful kindnesse be my comfort let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live Thus does Job petition for himself Are not my days few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death And thus the Prophet Jeremiah Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise For the better strengthening of our faith and fervency in this desire there are such considerations as these He hath commanded us to call upon him in the time of trouble and hath promised to deliver us 't is in his power alone to kill to make alive to bring down to the grave and to raise up again He hath stiled himself the God of Salvation to whom belong the issues of death He can give powâ—r to the faint and to them that have no might increase of strength He has profest that the death of his Saints is dear and precious in his sight He hath promised to strengthen them upon the bed of languishing and to make their bed in their sicknesse He hath said that the prayer of faith shall save the sick He hath permitted us concerning his sons his daughters to command him thereby implying that in our intercessions for one another we may be as sure of successe as we are of those things which are in our own power to command To which may be added our former experience of his truth mercy in the like cases from all which we may be encouraged to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy in the time of need But if he hath otherwise determined and the days of their warfare be accomplished that then he would fit them for death and make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of his Saints in light that they may be willing to depart and to be with Christ which is far better then still to be exposed to the evil to come to sinful temptations paines and diseases of the body troubles and vexations of the vain world especially considering that now death hath lost its sting and is swallowed up in victory And that it was the end of our Saviours passion to deliver them who through the fear of death have been all their life-time subject to bondage That neither death nor life nor things present nor things to come shal be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. That by this means we must be brought to enjoy the beatifical vision of God the blessed company of innumerable Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect That he would be pleased to shine graciously upon them with his favour and reconciled countenance to fill their hearts with such divine joyes as belong unto those that are heires of a celestial kingdome and are ready to lay hold on everlasting life That this light affliction which is but for a moment may work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory That when this their earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved they may have an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens That his blessed Angels may convey their soules into Abrahams bosome Now as in such cases we should thus intercede for others so likewise may we hence take fit occasion to pray for our selves That in the diseases and paines of others we may consider the frailties of our own conditions the desert of our own sins and may magnifie his special mercy in sparing of us so much and so long That we may be more seriously mindful of our later ends as knowing that he will bring us also to death and to the house appointed for all the living and that when a few dayes are come we shall go the way whence we shall not returne That we are but strangers and pilgrims in this world dwelling in houses of clay being here to day and not to morrow in the morning and not at night that our dayes on earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding our years passe away as a tale that is told Our life is but as a vapour that appears for a while and then vanisheth away coming forth as a flower that is suddenly cut down flying as a shadow that continueth not Our times are in the hands of God all our dayes are determined the number of our moneths is with him He hath appointed our bounds that we cannot passe Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes that I may know how fraile I am So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome That he would give unto us the Spirit of judgement whereby we may discerne the true difference betwixt this spanne of life and the vast spaces of immortality Betwixt the pleasures of sin for a season and that everlasting fulnesse of joy in his presence Betwixt the vain applause of men and the testimony of a good conscience That in the present days of health and peace and prosperity we may treasure up for our selves such spiritual strength comforts as may hereafter stand us in stead when we come to lie upon our death-beds when all other contentments shall vanish away and prove unable to help us when the conscience of well-doing in any one action shall administer more real comfort to the soul then all our outward advantage or enjoyments whatsoever That our conversations may be in heaven from whence we may continually expect the coming of our Lord and Saviour That all the dayes of our appointed time we may wait till our change shall come That since we all know and cannot but be amazed to consider of that dreadful day of judgement when every one must appear before the Tribunal of God to receive an eternal doome according to his works that therefore he would make us such manner of persons as we ought to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat that we may labour diligently to be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse CHAP. XXVII Concerning Thanksgiving by enumeration of Temporal favours THe third and last part of Prayer is Thanksgiving This according
the fulnesse of Christ From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part may increase and edifie it self in love 2. Special Intercession may be either Ordinary Occasional 1. In Ordinary or common we are to pray for the Nations uncalled whether Jewes Infidels 1. For Jewes that God would perswade Sem to dwell in the tents oâ— Japhet that he would not forget his old loving kindnesse to his first-borne the seed of Abraham his friend that he would raise up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen and close up the breaches thereof And make Jerusalem a praise upon the whole earth That he would do good in his good pleâ—sure unto Sion and build up the walls of Jerusalem that he would open their eyes to see him whom they have pierced that the merit and not the guilt of his blood may be upon them and their children 2. For the uncalled Gentiles whom he hath decreed to salvation who are without the pale of the visible Church that God would wisit them with the Day-spring from on high send forth his everlasting Gospel amongst them and bring in the fulnesse of the Gentiles and make us all one sheepfold under one shepherd according to those many promises which he hath made to this purpose Amongst the Nations that are called we are to pray more especially for them to whom we are allied by Neighbourhood League Religion c. But chiefly for those of the houshold of faith the Nations and Families that call upon his Name Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them shout for joy because thou defendâ—st them let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous with favou wilt thou compasse him as with a shielâ— O continue thy loving kindnesse to them that know thee and thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart Let all them that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee let such as love thy salvation say continually The Lord be magnified Do good O Lord unto those that be good and to them that be upright in their hearts let peace be upon Israel But above any other we are to pray more especially for our own Nation the land of our nativity to which as we have a neerer relation so ought we to have a greater affection That God would pardon our crying sinnes purge out our corruptions heal our distempers that he would remove the judgements under which we suffer and prevent those which we have most justly deserved that he would continue to us the mercies we enjoy and bestow upon us the blessings we want That he would teach us to observe and understand his meanings towards us in all his publick dispensations that we may accordingly apply our selves to meet him in his wayes That he would sanctifie unto us every condition and make us wise by the example of others that we may be willing to learn righteousnesse when his judgements are abroad in the world To hear his rod and who hath appointed it as knowing that every judgement hath as well a noise to informe as a blow to correct and that if we will not amend by the sound of them upon others we shal feel the smart of them our selves· These are some of the general heads which ordinarily may be insisted upon and inlarged in our intercessions for National mercies upon occasion of any extraordinary want or judgement We ought in a more particular manner to frame our petitions according to the present condition of a people in regard of any publick necessity but chiefly in respect of those three principal judgements Warre Famine Pestilence 1. In times of Warre that he would take care for the interest of his own people and cause in the midst of all confusions That he would behold the tears of those that are oppressed and have no comforter that he would be strength to the poor and to the needy in their distresse a refuge from the storme a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storme against the wall That upon all the glory there may be a defence That he would consider their troubles and know their soules in adversity and not shut them up in the hand of their enemies That they may not any longer hear the sound of the Trumpet and the alarm of Warre That he would remove that judgment from them and let them not fall into the hands of men whose mercies are cruel He can make warre to cease in all the world breaking the bowe and cutting the spear in sunder And he hath promised a time when men shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks when Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn Warre any more He is the great Peace-maker the Prince of peace who did finde out away hidden from ages and generations to reconcile the sinful world unto himselfe He can bring light out of darknesse and settlement out of confusion He can with a word of his mouth rebuke and alay the tempestuous windes and sea He can still the raging of the seas the noise of his waves and the madnesse of the people He can create peace where there is no pre-existent disposition or preparation towards it He can make the wrath of man turn to his praise and when he please he can restrain it That he would think thoughts of peace towards us and not of evil to give us an expected end That he would repaire the desolations that have been hereby occasioned that he would sow the wast places with the seed of man and of beast and as he hath formerly watched over them to pluck up and to destroy so he would now watch over them to build to plant To this purpose the book of Psalmes does abound with many petitions and complaints O let the wickednesse of the wicked come to an end but establish thou the just Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse O thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thee from such as rise up against them Let not those that waite on thee be ashamed Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles O God thou hast cast us off thou hast been displeased O turne thy selfe to us again Thou hast made the land to tremble thou hast broken it heal the breaches thereof for it shaketh Thou hast shewed thy people hard things thou hast made them to drink the wine of astonishment Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him fly before him O deliver not the soul of the turtle unto the multitude of the wicked
in his corrections To observe and understand his meaning in the troubles that befal us that we may accordingly apply our selves to meet him in his ways These occasions for particular intercession are distinguishable into several kindes comprehending all manner of inward or outward exigences all difficulties and doubts in respect of any weighty businesse or temptation but the two chief kinds of them are troubles of conscience sicknesse of body 1. If the occasion be trouble of Conscience and spiritual desertions in such cases the petitions arguments before-mentioned in our deprecation against the guilt of sin are fitly applyable to which may be added such other desires as these That God would inable them to beleeve and consider that feares and doubts and temptations are an unavoidable part of our Christian warfare that not only his dearest servants Job David c. but also his only Sonne Christ himself hath suffered under them That he being touched with a feeling of our infirmities might be ready to help us in the time of need That God is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to bear it He hath promised that he will not contend for ever nor be alwayes wroth lest the spirits of men should fail before him the souls which he hath made that though for a small moment he doth forsake us yet with great mercies will he gather us though in a little wrath he doth hide his face from us for a moment yet with everlasting kindnes will he have mercy upon us The Lord upholdeth those that fall and raiseth up all those that be bowed down He is nigh unto them that be of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit That as for our infirmities the best men in this life are not without them nor shall they be imputed to us If we do that which we would not it is no more we that do it but sin that dwelleth in us as for our wilful sins if they be particularly repented of and forsaken though they be as red as scarlet yet he will purge us from them if we do count them as a burden and come unto Christ for help he will ease us of them That God in the New Covenant does undertake for both parts that our hopes are not now to be grounded upon our own works or sufficiency but upon the infallible promise of God and the infinite merits of Christ that if we were without sin or could do any thing perfectly we should not in that respect have need of a Mediatour From all which considerations those who are afflicted with spiritual desertions may receive sufficient comfort in respect of their sins past and for the future we should pray in their behalf That God would inable them to put on the breast-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation That they may labour to keep a good conscience to be observant of all those experimenss which they have had of Gods love unto them for experience worketh hope Unto this head concerning comfort against the dejections of mind and trouble of conscience those expressions of the Psalmist may be fitly applied My soul is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Return O Loâ—d deliver my soul O save me for thy mercy sake Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted the troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses look upon mine affliction my pain forgive me all my sins O keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee Let integrity and uprightnes preserve me O hide not thy face from me neither cast thy servant away in displeasure Make thy face to shine upon thy servant O save me for thy mercy sake Withhold not thou thy tender mercy from me O Lord let thy loving kindnes thy truth continually preserve me for inumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Be pleased O Lord to deliver me O Lord make haste to help me Be merciful unto me O Lord be merciful unto me for under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge until my calamities be overpast In the multitude of the sorrowful thoughts within me let thy comforts O Lord delight my soul. Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation That I may see the good of thy chosen and rejoyce with the gladness of thy people and glory with thine inheritance Do thou save me O Lord for thy name sake for I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me 2. If the occasion be Sicknesse of Body in this case we ought to intercede for others That God would teach them quietly to submit unto his afflicting hand as considering that diseases do not arise meerly from naturall or accidentall causes without the particular appointment and disposal of his wise providence which doth extend to the very hairs of our head much more to the dayes of our lives and the health of those dayes and that he is faithful and true having ingaged his promise that all conditions though never so troublesome Tribulation and anguish and sicknesse and death it self shall work together for the good of those that belong unto him That he would sanctifie their pains and troubles unto them giving them a true sight of their sins an unfeigned sorrow for them and a steadfast faith in the merits of Christ for the remission of them That he would recompence the pains and decays of their bodies with comfort and improvement in their souls That as their outward man does decay so their inward man may be renued daily That he would fit them for whatever condition he shall call them unto That Christ may be unto them both in life and death advantage That if it be his will he would recover them from their paines and diseases and restore them to their former health That he would direct them to the most effectual means for their recovery and blesse unto them those that have been or shall be used to that end Of this kinde are those petitions of the Psalmist for himself Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed for in death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit What profit is there in my bloud if I go down into the pit shall the dust praise thee shall that declare thy truth Shall thy loving kindnesse be declared in the grave or thy
to the method proposed may be connected with the former by some fitting Transition which for the matter of it may consist of some such considerations as these 1. Our confidence of obtaining the things we petition for by our experience of former mercies though they are many and great things which we are suiters for yet when we reflect upon Gods continual bounty towards us and how much we do every day receive from him we have no reason to doubt of his favour but still to depend upon him in every condition 2. The danger of ingratitude in hindering the successe of our petitions He that is not careful to pay his old debts cannot expect so much credit as to run upon a new score Under the Law when any one came before God to make any special request for himself he was to bring with him a peace-offering that is an offering of thanks for the favours he had already enjoyed thereby to prepare himself for what he expected The matter of our Thanksgiving is reducible to these two general heads 1. The Enumeration of mercies 2. The Amplification or heightning of them 1. In our Enumeration of mercies those particulars before mentioned in our Confessions Deprecations Petitions will each of them administer some help both in respect of matter expression according as our conditions may be in respect of freedom or deliverance from those evils which we confesse or deprecate or the enjoyment of those good things which we have petitioned for and upon this account I shall not need to be so large upon this head as the former 2. The Amplification or heightning of mercies may be either in General by their multitude greatnesse continuance which is capable of a distinct enlargement by its self Or else in particular by their circumstances degrees contraries which are to be insisted upon in the mention of those particular mercies to which they belong In the Enumeration of mercies we are to take notice of those that are either Ordinary Occasional By Ordinary I understand such as we enjoy in our common course without relation to any particular necessity or deliverance these again are either Temporal Spiritual Temporal are those which concern our well-beings in this life as we are men whether in our Private Publick capacities The Private or personal favours which we are to acknowledge do belong either Generally to the whole man in respect of his being nature birth education preservation or more Particularly in regard of his Soul Body Friends Name Estate In the recital of the mercies which we enjoy we are not to be unmindeful of those common favours which are bestowed upon us in respect 1. Of our Creation and Beings that God did not suffer us to beswallow'd up in our primitive nothing 2. Our noble Natures that we were not made senslesse things but endowed with living souls Men and not beasts He might have made us wormes and no men of a despicable perishable condition whereas he hath created us after his own image but little lower then the Angels capable of injoying eternity with himself in the heavens Crowning us with glory and honour putting all things in subjection under our feet 3. Our Birth that we are free-born not slaves of generous not base and ignominious parentage that we were brought forth in a place and time of Religion He might have sent us into the world without the pale of the Church in some place of idolatry or ignorance amongst the blaspheming Turks or wilde Americans We might have been born in those bloody times of persecution and martyrdom And therefore we have reason to acknowledge it for a great mercy that he hath brought us into this world both when and where his Gospel hath been professed and flourished 4. Our Education by honest loving careful Parents and Tutors under good Magistrates pious Ministers in Religious families We might have been forlorn exposed to the wide world as many others are following the dictates of our own corrupt natures without any restraint upon us We might have been put under the Tuition of such Governours as by their Negligence Example Advice would have encouraged us in evil courses and therefore we ought to acknowledge it for a great mercy that we have had such Religious and ingenuous education 5. Our Preservation God might have cut us off in the womb and being children of wrath he might from thence have cast us into hell and therefore we have reason to praise him in that he hath covered us in our mothers womb where we were fearfully and wonderfully made and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth Being cloathed with skin and flesh fenced with bones and sinews Where he granted us life and favour and by his visitation hath preserved our spirits He took us out of the womb and made us hope when we were yet on our mothers breasts We were cast upon him from the womb and he is our God from our mothers belly He might many times since justly have snatched us out of this world with our sins and fears upon us It is from the Lords mercies that we are not yet consumed because his compassions faile not There may be many now in hell who have not been so great sinners as we and therefore we are bound to magnifie his name for his good providence over us through the whole course of our lives That he hath hitherto made us to dwell in safety and watched over us in journeys sicknesses and common dangers whereby so many others have been surprized and swept away round about us For defending us under the shadow of his wings and protecting us by his blessed Angels more particularly for his preservation of us the Night Day past 1. The Night past for refreshing our bodies with rest and sleep For lightening our eyes that we slept not to death For bringing us to the light of another day and that notwithstanding those many opportunities which we have formerly abused It is a good thing to give thanks unto thee O Lord and to sing praises unto thy Name O thou most high to shew forth thy loving kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnesse every night He might have made our beds to be our graves surprized us with our last sleep He might appoint wearisome nights for us so that when we lie down we should say When shall we arise and the night be gone and should be full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day When we expect that our bed should comfort us our couch ease our complaint then he might scare us with dreams and terrifie us through visions and therefore we have very great reason to praise him for our freedome in this kinde that when we lie down he makes our sleep sweet unto us 2. The Day past that he hath not given us over to the sinfulnesse of our own natures the subtiltie and malice of the Devil the
not persecute us with his tempests and make us afraid with his stormes nor sweep us away with a generall deluge as he did the old world 2. For visiting the earth and watering it and greatly enriching it with the river of God providing for the corn setling the furrows thereof and making it soft with showers and blessing the springing thereof so that the pastures are cloathed with flocks and the vallies are covered over with corn for that he hath sent us a plentiful rain whereby he hath confirmed and refreshed his inheritance when it was weary 3. For healthful seasons that he hath delivered us from the noysome Pestilence that walketh in darkness and from the destruction that walketh at noon-day so that no evil doth befall us nor any plague come nigh our dwellings but hath satisfied us with long life and shewed us his salvation That he hath not made the Land to spue out her inhabitants CHAP. XXVIII Of the kindes of spiritual mercies to be enumerated THese Temporal favours which we ought thus to enumerate though they are very excellent in themselves and far beyond our deserts yet are common with us to Hypocrites and such as shall hereafter be damned and therefore 't is requisite that we should after a more especial manner magnifie his glorious name for those spiritual mercies that concern our eternity Chiefly for the Lord Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith the fountain of all the other mercies which we enjoy For his Birth Incarnation Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension Intercession with all those unspeakable benefits that we receive by them for blessing us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. More particularly for those remarkable effects of his love and merits in our 1. Election For that God hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself accordng to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace whereby he hath made us accepted in the beloved and hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth He might have designed us for vessels of wrath as he did the fallen Angels and then we had been eternally undone without all possible remedy There was nothing to move him in us when we lay altogether in the general heap of mankind It was his own free grace and bounty that made him to take delight in us to chuse us out from the rest and to sever us from those many thousands in the world who shall perish everlastingly 2. Redemption For that incomprehensible miracle of his wisdome and mercy in the contrivance of our redemption by the death of Christ. For he hath redeemed us by the precious blood of his dear Son who is the Image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature who gave himself a ransome for all 3. Vocation That he hath called us by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ And that with an holy calling not according to our own works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began 4. Justification For pardoning our sins the least of which would have been enough to have undone us to all eternity For that he hath forgiven our trespasses blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to the crosse For the remission of our sins through the blood of Christ according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdome and prudence 5. Sanctification For renuing upon our souls in any measure the blessed Image of the Lord Jesus Christ the least glimpse whereof is infinitely more worth then the whole world For that he hath changed our vile natures and made us partakers of the divine nature Of strangers and forreigners raising us up to be fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Making us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light delivering us from the power of darknesse and translating us into the Kingdom of his dear Son And because our Sanctification is considerable both according to the Parts Means of it therefore it may be further amplified from each of these 1. For the Parts of it both in respect of our Judgements Affections Conversations 1. For our Judgements that he hath not given us over to blindnesse of minde a reprobate sense to wilde and desperate errors by which we see so many others deluded but hath in some measure revealed unto us those mysteries of godliness which are hid from many wise and great ones of the world and hath according to his divine power given us all things pertaining to life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue 2. For our Affections That he hath not given us over to hardnesse of heart slightnesse of spirit that he hath in any measure weaned our souls from looking after solid contentment in the creatures and raised them up to any love of holiness any desire of a neerer communion with himself 3. For our Conversations That he hath in any measure enabled us to do him service to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty to walk in some degree as becomes children of light Having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse not allowing our selves in any course which we know to be unlawful The Means of our Sanctification are principally these five 1. His Spirit to convince direct assist comfort us to prevēt follow us with his grace to support us in afflictions to strengthen us in tēptations to quicken us to duty to seal us up unto the day of redēption 2. His Word so powerful in discerning the thoughts intents of the heart able to make us wise unto salvation being profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good work for his holy and righteous Law for the many gracious invitations and promises in his Gospel 3. The Sacraments That he hath not left us as strangers without the Covenāt of promise but hath ordained visible signes and seals to represent that to our senses w ch we ought to apprehend by our faith 4. The Sabbaths and publike Ordinances that we have liberty to behold the face of God in his sanctuary and to enquire in his Temple that amidst some outward troubles the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet our Teachers are not removed into corners but our eyes may see them That vision does not fail in our days that we are not punished with a famine of the Word that the Sun does not go down upon our Prophets 5. The Communion of Saints