is deformed so it is also depraved by â—…t Nor may we here alledge as before the necessity of nature for though the deformity of mans flesh may in some sort be ascribed to the condition of his nature yet the depravation of it may not for God may be the Author of a comparative deformity for that is but a lesser good but by no means of a positive depravation for that is in it self an Evill or a Sin and he cannot be the Author of Sin Wherefore it is a dangerous Position which some late Divines have greedily embraced and as violently maintained That there was the same inordinate propensity in the nature of man to the works of the flesh before the Fall as is in it since the Fall Onely then it was restrained and fettered by original justice or righteousness but is now let loose by original sin This opinion is in it self dangerous because it casts a blasphemous aspersion upon God For he is the Author of Nature and therefore the Author oâ—… the necessary conditions thereof as wâ—… those that flow from the matter as froâ—… the Form but in its consequences it iâ—… no less then damnable For if it be granted that the rebellion of the sensitive Appetite against the dictates of Reason dotâ—… flow from the very principles and being 〈◊〉 the flesh then it must follow that it cannot be a sin for what is natural is no sinfull sin being no less a Monster oâ—… nature then a Monster is a sin of nature and consequently that a man maâ—… in and of himself attain to such a perfection of righteousness as to say meerly ouâ—… of humility not according to the truth forgive us our trespasses A tenent anathematized by the second Milevitane Council in which Alypius and St. Augustinâ—… were present as appears by the Synodicaâ—… Epistle in the Canon in these words Sâ—… quis asserat haec verba dominicae orationis demitte nobis debita nostra à sanctis diâ—… humiliter non veraciter Anathema sit the very same with the 117. Canon in thâ—… Council of Carthage as it is set forth bâ—… Balsamon who thus puts it into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when yoâ—… see Binius and Balsamon so well agree yoâ—… may look on the Tenent not as Anathemaâ—…ized by one Council but by the Catholick Church Therefore we must conclude that â—…his inordinate desire of the flesh against â—…he spirit in man is not a condition but a â—…orruption of his nature and entered â—…ot into the flesh till sin entered into the spirit Then and not till then did the body refuse to be subject to the soul when the soul refused to be subject unto God then that which before was a body of life was presently made a body of death Rom. 7. 24. Not of Gods but of mans own making God made the body but man made the death The soul in that it is united to the body hath by nature an inclination to the things of the body but it hath onely by sin not by nature an inordinate an unruly inclination to them The desires of the flesh are from nature but it is only from sin there is a depravation and irregularity in any of those desires Thirdly mans flesh is depressed by sin for it cannot be depraved by the guilt of sin and not be depressed by the burden of that guilt Wherefore we may justly complain of a weight that is upon us whiles we cannot but complain of the sin that doth so easily beset us Heb. 12. 1. Man now groaning under a two-fold burden the one of his flesh and the otheâ—… of his sins which is the heavier of thâ—… two and makes the burden of the flesâ—… the more burdensome and unsupportable And as in sin there is macula reatuâ—… poena The pollution the guilt the punishment So in the flesh because of sin therâ—… is Deformity Depravation and Depression Deformity from the pollution Depravation from the guilt and Depression from the punishment of sin I will therefore be glad and rejoyce in the wasting of my flesh as I would rejoyce in the deliverance from my blemish that most deforms me from my corruption that most depraveâ—… me and from my burden that most depresses me It is a sweet contemplation of Aquinas 12 ae q. 42. art 5. That spirituall things the more we consider them the greater they appear so that we may lose our selves in the consideration of them if at least we can be said to lose our selves whiles we seek and finde our God But Corporal things the more we consider them the less they appear and vanish by degrees till at length they are quite losâ—… in their consideration So is it with my flesh the longer I consider it the more iâ—… wasts and becomes less in my opinion And therefore it is but reason that the â—…onger I wear it the more it should wast â—…nd become less in its own substance till â—…t length it come to nothing CHAP. II. The Comforts of the Soul against Death THere is nothing more profitable for us then to think of death yet of all our thoughts that is the least welcome and the most terrible for death is the King of Terrors when nothing else will draw us unto God that will frighteâ—… us to him when nothing else will frighteâ—… us from our beloved sins that will makâ—… us affraid of sinning whence it is the wisâ—… mans advice Remember thy last end anâ—… sin no more Excellent is the Casuisâ—… distinction of Articulus mortis verus 〈◊〉 Praesumptus That there is one point oâ—… death in Truth another in Presumption Articulus mortis non intelligitur solus ilâ—… in quo quis moritur sed etiam ille in quo â—…ori probabiliter timetur saith Navar. The point of Death is not only that whereâ—… a man doth actually die but also that wherein he may probably dye so that any â—…mminent danger any dangerous sickness â—…s to be looked on as the point of Death Nay yet further according to the Christianity though not the Criticism of Caâ—…uisticall Divinity there being not one moment of our life exempted from the â—…anger of Death the point of Death doth 〈◊〉 effect pierce through our whole life â—…uch more should it pierce through our â—…earts As many mischiefs as are in the â—…orld so many dangers as many dangers 〈◊〉 many Deaths Let this wicked world â—…en have this priviledge That though it is â—…e worst that ever was to teach a man to â—…e because its doctrines are so dubious â—…et it is the best that ever was to teach a â—…an to die because its practices are so â—…ngerous Welcome then all ye mischiefs â—…d outrages of ungodly men for their â—…es that suffer them though not for â—…eir sakes that do them We can easily â—…sh the one less sin in their doings â—…t we may not wish the other less beneâ—… in their sufferings See the admirable Providence of God towards his Prophet he
then to touch it and of a purer heart then to save it Lastly the undutifulness of the flesh hinders him as a Christ to instruct for he will teach none that saith not to him as Samuel did Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3. 10. I will therefore gladly put off my flesh that I may put off my unruliness my uncleanness my undutifulness Thus I will gladly put off my self my unruly my unclean my undutifull self that I may wholly put on my Saviour as Loâ—… as Jesus and as Christ as Lord to goveâ—… me as Jesus to save me and as Christ to iâ—…struct and to direct me Christus susceâ—… fidelem ad curandum docendum tuenduâ—… dirig endum saith Hugo Christ hath uâ—…dertaken the true Christian to heal him to teach him to defend him to direct him To heal him as Jesus to defend him aâ—… Lord to teach and to direct him as Christ I know that the Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will teach uâ—… all things Joh. 4. 25. And all these mercieâ—… will he most readily bestow on me when 〈◊〉 most want them and fly to him to supply my wants when I am most sick he will most heal me when I am most weak he will most defend me when I am least capable of other instructions then will he most teach and instruct me when I am least able to guide my self then will he undertake to direct and lead me in the way everlasting There are some things that he hath to teach me which whiles my strength is in me I am not fit to learn I must therefore be content to lose my strength that I may gain these Instructions There are three impediments in men which either keep them from the knowledge of Gods Truth or hinder them in knowing it saith Aquinas hebetudo ingenii Occupationes Temporales torpor addiscendi Their naturall incapacity Their temporall distractions and their spiritual slothfulness All these proceed from the grossness of the flesh Let that vanish these will vanish with it The natural dulness as to heavenly things decaies with the nature The temporall distractions vanish with the time The spiritual slothfulness is shaken off with the flesh that brought it on the soul. Thus I must confess my flesh needs be much wasted to make me live well but much more to make me die well for whiles that is in its vigour and lustiness it will scarce afford me time to pray much less sincereness and fervency in my prayers I will then rejoyce in the wasting of my flesh because it will promote the working of Gods Spirit Nor is this my onely comfort that whiles I wast in flesh I grow in Grace but I am also comforted in this that whiles I wast in my flesh the shame wasts that deforms me the sin wasts that depraves me the burden wasts that depresseth me For mans flesh is Deformed Depraved and Depressed by the sin that dwelleth in it First Mans flesh is deformed by sin for had there never been sin in the flesh there would never have been deformity iâ—… it neither deformity from the want noâ—… from the indisposition of any member sâ—… brought in both deformities and though at the Resurrection God will take awaâ—… from the bodies of the wicked the deformity that is in them from want or defect of any of their members for he will justifie his own Creation yet he will not take away the deformity that is in their bodies proceeding from the indisposition or defect of a due proportion in their members for he will not justifie their sin and therefore not abolish that deformity which is in punishment thereof St. Paul tels us There is a natural and there 〈◊〉 spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15. 44. And yet he speaks of one and the same body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Epiphanius Haer. 64. not another but the same body which iâ—… now natural shall then be spiritual And indeed St. Paul himself speaks of the Individuum Demonstrativum This corruptible this mortall Magis enim expresse non poteraâ—… loqui nisi eutem suam manibus teneret saith Tertullian He could not have spoken more expresly unless he should have pinched up his flesh with his own fingers to shew it us Accordingly Ruffinus saith the Church did providently profess the Doctrine of the Resurrection in saying Huâ—…us carnis resurrectionem the resurrection of this body or of this flesh to wit this same flesh in Substance but not in Qualities It is now the flesh of a natural body and is accordingly clogged with corruption mortality infirmity and gravity or grossness It shall then be the flesh of a spiritual Body and accordingly Incorruptible Immortal full of Power and full of Activity For these are the four Properties assigned to the body at the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called by the School Impassibilitas Claritas Agilitas Subtilitas The contraries whereof are in the same body as long as it is a natural body to wit Corruption Dishonour Weakness and Grossness which are all as so many natural Deformities of or in the Body whereby it becomes unamiable to it self and unproportionable to the soul that doth inform and should govern it So that though the body be never so beautiful in outward appearance yet whiles it continues in the state of disobedience to the soul it continues also in the state of deformity And disobedience will not be out of it as long as sin is in it Corpus gloriosum est ex totali subjectionâ—… ad Animam saith Aquinas The body is not glorious till it hath learned a total subjection to the soul even as the soul is not glorious till it hath learned a total subjection to its God And the same Author asserting That the Body of man hath a most convenient disposition makes it good by this distinction Non simpliciter sed sâ—…cundum comparationem ad finem not simply but in comparison of the end for which it was made that is the operations of the soul Therefore though Heavenly Bodies are much more beautifull then is mans body yet a Heavenly Body had been less convenient for a man then an earthly body because a Heavenly Body had been impassible and consequently incapable of Sense And the soul of man knows nothing naturally but by and from the Senses Wherefore as an Artificer making a File or Saw to cut doth not make it of Glass but oâ—… Iron for he looks not after the beauty but after the use of it and cares not that it is the less beautifull so he may have it the more usefull So did God in making man not a Coelestial but a Terrestrial Body Wherefore if the necessity of Nature hath â—…ut mans body under a comparative deforâ—…ity to make it the less glorious How much more hath the corruption of Nature â—…ut the same Body under a positive Deformity to make it the more inglorious Secondly mans flesh is depraved by sin As it
when â—…we meet with such Preachers we have reaâ—…on to be afraid of such Doctrine Souldiers can easily teach others to serve them but they can hardly teach themselves much less others to serve God And now you may also if you please see a third Quake more terrible then the other two not a quaking of Earth nor a quaking of bodies but a quaking of souls in the first Sect of Quakers They who before quaked for fear of an Angel now much more quaking for fear of Devils But be not you O Christian Souls afraid of that sight The Angel himself saying Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified Mat. 28. 5. not seek much less help to crucifie him This reason doth no less concern all other seekers that seek Jesus which was crucified then it did the women They may well seek without fear for they are sure to find with joy They shall find that their Lord is risen and calleth them to rise with him Immediately in their souls Immortally in their bodies Incorruptably both in souls and bodies This will be thâ—… best exercise of thy hope that Christ thâ—… Head being risen will make thee his member partaker of his joyfull Resurrection which consideration made our Church compose a choice Hymn of purpose for Easter day to express the joy and exultation oâ—… true Christian souls for the Resurrection of Christ And I suppose none will condemn her of singularity or novelty concerning that Hymn although it is not to be found entirely either in Greek or Latine Liturgies for there is no doubt of her communicating with the Church of Christ whiles she communicates with the Spirit of Christ And in this Hymn she immediately communicates with the Spirit of Christ because it is all taken out of his Word Rom. 6. 8. and 1 Cor. 15. 20 c. And though the Hymn it self may possibly be taken out of good Christians mouths yet surely the Joy of it can never be taken out of their hearts That Christ Rising again from the dead now dieth not Death from henceforth hath no power upon him and in that it hath no power upon him I am sure it shall not long have a power upon me And that other Christ is risen again the first fruits of them that sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theophil He that goes first sure hath some to follow him There cannot be first-fruits but there must be after-fruits This is my Hope the head being risen will not leave his members for ever in the dust My soul and my body cannot be now so unwillingly parted in the Death As they shall hereafter be joyfully United in the Resurrection from the dead Lastly Thy love and charity will best exercise it self about his glorious Ascention Thou wilt there see hin attended on Earth by his Disciples ready to receive his Instructions Thou wilt there see him attended in the Air by a Cloud ready to receive his Person Thou wilt there see him attended in heaven by millions of Angels and glorified Souls ready to congratulate his reception If these considerations will not make thee love the Christan Faith that teacheth such heavenly mysteries it is because thou hast dull affections If they will not make thee love thy Saviour Christ who hath prepared such heavenly mercies it is because thou hast no affections This will be the best exercise of thy love to inflame thy soul with the contemplation of those Unspeakable joyes which cannot more Inflame then they will content it Christ ascended into heaven What hast thou to do but in heart and mind thither to ascend after him that thou maist continually dwell with him He is gone to prepare a place for thee what hast thou left to do but to prepare thy self for that place and beseech him to assist and bless thee in that preparation SECT II. The soul Divided from the body when it dies by a violent separation THE Soul of man had no subsistence before his body and is therefore unwilling to have a subsistence without it Creatio infusio sunt simul respectu animae is the Tenent of the School The soul is not created till the body be fitted to receive it so that in the same instant wherein it is Created it is also received into the Body And that 's the reason That coming cloathed into the world she is so much troubled to think that she must at last go as it were naked out of it Hence it is that though we groan in this tabernacle being burdenâ—…d with the miseries and much more with the sins of our Flesh yet we do not desire to be Uncloathed but cloathâ—…d upon that mortality might be swallowed up of Life 2 Cor. 5. 4. That is we would so lay aside our burden as not to lay aside our Flesh and would have our mortal bodies not by Death put off their mortality but by a change put on Immortality Wherefore the Union of the soul with the body being altogether natural the separation of the soul from the body must needs be against nature Consequently it is not possible that a meer natural man should deliberately desire to die for nature cannot desire its own destruction and therefore a deliberate desire of Death cannot possibly proceed from nature but from grace which alone can make a man both live contentedly and die comfortably where there 's a great measure of grace there is also a great measure of contentment in life and of comfort in death In so much that if we do not wilfully shut our eyes we cannot but see if we do not wilfully shut our hearts we cannot but believe if we do not wilfully shut our mouths against the truth we cannot but confess that Godly and Religâ—…ous men do continually dye with more Pâ—…tience and comfort then we dare live bâ—… the original of this Patience of this Comfort is not from the man but from thâ—… Godliness For thereby alone he is able tâ—… say with Saint Paul For me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1. 21. To me tâ—… live is Christ for I die unto sin to me tâ—… die is gain for I have lived unto righteousness Or else as Beza expounds that place mihi enim est Christus in vita in morte lucrum Christ is a gain to me both iâ—… life and death To talk of gain in death to a natural man were to make him mad or to think you so for he loseth his soul he loseth himself but to talk of gain iâ—… death to the spiritual man is to make him the more sensible of his spiritual comfort and Condition for the less he hath of the Flesh the more he hath of the Spirit So that though death takes from him his Body yet it gives him his Soul though it take from him his Soul yet it gives him his Saviour Be it then that death takes from him all things but his God yet
sins of the whole world but thou wast pleased to shed many drops of it to shew that there was satisfaction still left for the sins of many worlds Lord hath thy blood satisfied for more sins then we can commit and shall it not satisfie for those sins that we have forsaken and do detest Hast thou purchased mercy for more then do repent and wilt thou not shew mercy on those to whom thou hast given Repentance Hast thou been so long calling us that thou shouldst at last reject us Hast thou so long promised salvation that thou shouldst at last deny it Thou hast purchased Redemption for us by thy blood thou hast promised it in thy Word Thou hast purchased more then thou hast promised and hast thou promised less then thou wilt perform I am thy Debtor for the Purchase and I owe thee more then I am able if not more then I am willing to pay But thou art my Debtor for the promise I could not oblige thee by my desert but thou hast obliged thy self by thy Word and the Obligation is much the stronger for being of thy making then if it had been of mine This is the Obligation that I trust to the Obligation whereby thou art obliged to thy self to thine own blood to thine own truth Help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy precious blood and to whom thou hast promised the benefit of this Redemption in thy Word Thou wilt Judge me for those sins for which thou thy self hast satisfied and is it possible that the sentence of thy Judgement should disannual the merit of thy satisfaction How comfortable are those words of thine to my guilty soul The Father Judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgement to the Son John 5. 22. For when I look upon the Father I must needs say of him Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. He is as fire and I am as stubble easily consumed my sins have made my soul combustible which his goodness had made impassible Have so much fewel about me and within me that I cannot but dread the fire therefore I do most exceedingly rejoyce that the Father will not Judge me but hath committed all Judgement to the Son For in the Son I cannot but see Flesh of my Flesh and Bone of my Bone And since no man yet ever hated his own Flesh Ephes. 5. 29. I will not think that the Saviour of man will be the first to hate that Flesh in me which he hath in himself I will then no longer stagger at those words of the Apostle That the Lord the righteous Judge hath laid up a Crown of righteousness for them and will give it to them and to them only that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 8. For now I my self cannot but love it I cannot but love his appearing as my Judge when my soul doth magnifie him as my Lord and my spirit doth rejoyce in him as God my Saviour For to me being thus prepared and disposed as I ought it is all one to look for that blessed hope and to look for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2. 13. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and therefore it is nothing else but looking for that blessed hope to look for his appearing to the compleating of our Redemption Divines tell us of a three-fold Advent or Coming of Christ to Holy and Religious men Adventus ad Redemptionem Consolationem Remunerationem his coming to their Redemption to their Comfort and to their Reward His first coming was in the Flesh when he took on him their Nature His second coming was in the Spirit when he imparted unto them of his grace His third coming will be in Power when he will impart unto them his Glory His first coming was to Redeem them his second coming to Comfort them and therefore his third coming cannot be so much to Judge as to Reward them Himself hath said no less John 6. 40. This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life Lord thou hast opened mine eyes to see thee here by Faith and wilt thou not hereafter open thy self that I may see thee by clear Vision And what priviledge is it that I may have everlasting life here where it is not if I may not have it hereafter where it is And yet for strengthening my faith thou hast said much more to shew that I cannot believe enough of thy goodness John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life And again John 5. 24. He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life it is as sure as if he had it already and shall not come into condemnation though he shall be Judged yet he shall not be condemned in Judgement but is passed from death to life He is already passed from the Death of sin to the Life of Grace and shall assuredly pass from the life of Grace to the life of Glory And indeed what is the summe of the whole Gospel but the Promise of Eternal life upon condition of Faith in Christ This is the Record that God hath given to us Eternal life and this life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath life 1 John 5. 11 12. Have I life in having thee my Saviour and can I lose it in having thee my Judge O the immortal comfort that my soul enjoyes to think that though I have been to my Master in heaven a far worse servant then Onesimus was to Philemon not only to run away from him but also to rob him yet upon my true Repentance my Saviour will say to his Father on my behalf as Saint Paul did to his friend If thou count me a Partner and truly he is his Partner in the same God-head receive him as my self now he is invested with my righteousness if he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that on mine account Saint Paul to Philemon v. 17 18. O Lord I owe thee so much that I can never say sufficiently and much less may leave off saying Forgive us our debts yet since thou hast already put my debts upon thy Sons account how wilt thou let them lie still on mine Didst thou not punish thy Son that thou mightest spare thy servant Or canst thou in Justice punish the same sin twice once in my Surety another time in me It was the great necessity of thy offended Justice to punish the sin and is it not as great a necessity of thy satisfied Justice to spare the sinner I will not then say He is to be my Judge whose Majesty I have honoured whose mercy I have embraced whose glory I have promoted whose goodness I have proclaimed whose presence I have desired for if I have done any of these
or infidelity or any other grievous sin but may be able to stand stedfastly through thy supporting and to walk on constantly in the way of Piety and of Patience till by thy good guiding and conducting I may at last come to the life everlasting As thou still holdest open the eyes of my weak body to behold the light of nature so be pleased daily more and more to open the eyes of my sinful soul to behold the light of grace till thou bring me to enjoy the light of glory there to glorifie and praise thee for ever Amen The sick mans Collect for Peace O God which art the Author of our peace for thine own Mercies sake but the Author of our troubles only for our sins Give unto me thy unworthy servant that peace which this wicked world cannot give and which this tumultuous and troublesom world cannot take away and defend me in all the assaults of my afflictions both corporal and spiritual that I surely trusting in thy defence and wholly submitting to thy providence may not fear the power of any adversity whatsoever through the might and for the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Collect for Grace O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God which hast safely brought me through many dangers and troubles and diseases to the beginning of this dangerous and desperate sickness defend me in the whole continuance of the same with thy mighty power and grant that herein I may fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger whereby I may become either impenitently sinful or uncomfortably miserable But that all my doings and all my sufferings being ordered by thy Governance I may alwaies do that which is righteous in thy sight and suffer that which may be profitable for mine own salvtion through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Letany O God the Father of heaven and of all Mercies have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner And grant that in the greatest extremities and anguishes of my body I may find the greatest comforts and refreshments of my soul Grant that when I am most tormented in my flesh I may be most relieved in my spirit That though my loins are filled with a sore disease and there is no whole part in my body yet my soul may magnifie the Lord and my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour for he hath regarded my low and miserable estate and he will relieve it O God the Son Redeemer of the world and of my sin-sick and sinful soul have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and take away all my sins that thou mayest take away all my miseries As thou hast made me a happy Believer so also make me a joyful partaker of thy Redemption and then most especially when I shall most feel my self as it were swallowed up of grief and destruction through the pains and torments of my increasing sickness or the pangs and horrours of my approaching death Be thou my comfort in distress my strength in weakness my health in sickness my joy in sadness Be thou my life whiles I am living and my Resurrection from the dead that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I may fear no evil for thou art with me to conduct me through the dangerous downfalls of that valley to direct me through the dismal darknesses of that shadow and to sustain me in the dreadful dissolution of that death O thou who now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me reject me not when I am making intercession for my self for through thy death I hope for life through thy life I hope for glory through thy glory I hope for eternal glory And in that hope do I now commend my spirit into thy hands for thou hast redeemed me O God thou God of truth And thou wilt save me O God thou God of Mercy because I have believed thy truth and do rely upon thy Mercy Therefore do I wholly resign my self body and soul unto thee submitting them both to thy good will and pleasure either for life or death beseeching thee to Receive my soul and to Restore my body and to grant that I may be able to stand upright in the dreadful Judgement being supported by the arm of thy All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies to bless and praise thee O my blessed Redeemer world without end O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and give unto mean assurance of thy Mercy that thou mayest give unto me an abatement of my misery O thou which art the Comforter of thine Elect give unto me daily more and more the heavenly comforts of mine Election and in the greatest agonies and distresses of my body transfix my soul with the most joyful apprehensions and the most firm perswasions of thine everlasting Love and undeserved Mercies towards me in Jesus Christ That neither the apprehensions of a sad and miserable life nor the fears and terrours of an uncomfortable death may ever be able to affright my soul nor to disturb that sweet peace resâ—… and repose which my spirit now hath and desireth to have in thee the God of spirits who givest unto those souls that are oâ—… thy Communion the antepast of eternity the blessed anticipation of immortal joy 〈◊〉 O my God my Stay my Comforter unto thee do I flie for the comforts of immortality Like as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall 〈◊〉 come to appear before God when shall I drink my fill of the waters of life to quench my thirst O let my tears no longer be my meat day and night whiles mine own troubled thoughts say unto my soul Where is now thy God for surely my God is in heaven whatsoever pleaseth him that doth he in heaven and in earth 〈◊〉 and though for a while in the evening of this life I have sadness upon earth yet in the morning of eternity I shall for eveâ—… have joy in heaven Amen O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have Mercy upon me a most miserable and wretched sinner and therefore most miserable and wretched because a sinner because I have sinned against heaven and against thee the God of heaven But since thou hast given me grace through the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity I beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith I may be absolved from all my sins and also be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Remember not Lord mine offences nor the offences of my fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of my sins spare me good Lord spare me thy most afflicted but most unworthy servant whom thou hast