to fit prayers and deâ—â—tions to seuerall seasons and speciall occasions baulked the Christian faste and feasts For albeit the Saints dayes might fare the worse with them because Popish superstitioÌ„ ouer cloyed them Which yet is an abuse of arguing to argue from the abuse to the abolishing the right vse By this meanes they might take from vs the vse of all Gods creatures because they haue beene superstitiously or profanely abused some way or other But admit there might be a legall caueat put in against the Saints Plea what haue the feasts of our Lord and Sauiour deserued that they should be struck out of their Callender or sleightly passed without the honour of a meditation Hymnes or Prayer on them They cannot pleade want of president authoritie or direction for they haue Coppies faire written in golden characters by Chrysostome in his Homilies Chrysologus Leo Augustine Bernard other deuout Fathers in their Sermons vpon these dayes If they saw not them why did they not follow the excellent patterne in the booke of Common Prayer Which laying before me I haue drawne formes of exhortations hymnes and prayers carying throughout a manifest impression of the feast to which they are dedicated And before them I haue prefixed a Paralell of the Prophesie of the old and the Historie of the new Testament compared together that thou mightest haue an ocular demonstration of that which S. Austine writeth concerning both The new Testament is vailed in the old and the old is reuealed in the new After the feasts or before as preparatiues to them the Church fasts should haue beene ranked But there being in their Deuotions no spirituall dainties allowed for the festiuals I nothing maruelled at it that Christian fastes were vtterly vnprouided for and if I may so speake fast with them Extraordinarie fasts of humiliâ—tion to auert some fearefull Plague or imâ—inent iudgement they take notice of but the ordinarie fasts of Deuotion they mention not at all Yet certainely the deuoute soule out of a sympathie with her Sauiour cannot 〈◊〉 weepe with him as well as reâ—oyce with him in some measure Fast with him on good-friday as well as feast with him and for him on Easter day If any teares of a sinner are the wine of Angels I am perswaded they are those teares of Deuotion which after much fasting and Prayer and meditation spring out of the serious apprehension of Christs infinite loue testified to man-kinde by his fasting watching praying weeping bleeding and dying for vs on the Crosse. But they wil say these are the sacred fewell of euery dayes deuotion Yet it is more proper to remember the â—orke of the day in the day wherein it was wrought And albeit the Iewes were bound alwayes to remember Gods wonderfull deliuerances yet more stricktly were they bound on the very day for that end appointed to be kept solemne What though we finde no expresse commandement for them The practise of the ancient Church and the religious constitutions of the present ratified by Supreme authoritie should sway in a matter of this nature according to that golden rule of S. Bernard Obey him as God who is in the place of God in those things that are not against God These fasts therefore should not haue bene forgotten I come now in the last place to the weekely Deuotions wherein I finde Prayers for each seuerall day of the weeke Yet as it is noted by the learned of S. Gregories Comment vppon Iob that It is an excellent Commentarie fraught with rich learning especially in matter of moralitie But it might haue beene wrote almost as well vppon any parcell of Scripture as vpon Iob. So you shall finde that the Prayers for each day may serue for any day as well as that to which they are intituled For example Munday's Prayer well fits Tuesday and Tuesday's Wednesday and all three Thursday Friday and Saturday No day hath more interest in the Deuotion for it then another When Timothie found fault with ALEXANDER for striking a stroke amisse vpon the Harpe and Alexander demanded of him Is it not all one whether I strike it this way or that way with these fingers or these True answered Timothie It is all one to an Emperour but not to a Musitian It is no error in stale to strike as you doe but it is an error in art I confesse in like manner it is no error in Religion â— set a godly Prayer for the day which hath no interest or relation at all to the day yet it is an indecorum and blurre in Art It is all one as if they should set a marke before them and shoote no more towards it then any other white To auoid this improprietie if not incongruitie in the Morning Hymne and Prayer I haue an eye to some worke of God the Father in the Creation wrought on that day In the Euening Hymne and Prayer to some worke of God the Sonne wrought or by the Church remembred on that day in the Passion weeke For the admonitions and exhortations wherewith the Deuotions are interlaced I tooke my patterne of them from S. CYPRIAN De agno per quem redempti viuificati sumus lanam ipsam purpuram misi quam cum acceperis toâ—icam tibi pro voluntate conficies In exhortatione â—am necessaria amputandae sunt verborum nostrorum morae ambages sermonis humani sâ—btrahendae ponenda illa sola quae DEVS loquitur Wâ—th whose words I will not cloathe mine owne I haue sent thee cloth saith he made of the fleece of that Lamb by whose bloud we are all redeemed Take as much as will serue thy turne and fashion and fit thy garment to thine owne minde All inferences and discourses of mine owne I omit because in so needfull exhortations the delayes and lingering protractions of mens words are to be cut off and onely Gods owne words to bee set downe To summe vp all in a word I haue brought thee into the Spouse garden of flowers and spices I haue gathered some out almost of euery bed and layed by them a thread in the Analysis or Method to binde them vp together Make thou thy Posie as thou likest best and breathe out with mee that sweete Prayer of the Spouse cut in one of her knots Arise ô North and blow ô South winde thaâ—â—he sent of our Spices flowers may flow and the beloued may come into his Garden GEntle Reader the lesser escapes I intreat thee to mend with thy pen and to set some marginall notes at the right place which thou shalt find here and there a little misplaced A Generall Table representing the Method of this Worke. This Manuell hath in it described a plat of holy ground diuided into 1 A garden of spirituall flowers 1 For ornament to decke and dresse vp the inner roome to entertaine the Spouse as preÌ„parations to religious duties In generall Prayer Hearing the Word In speciall to Receiuing § Sacrament 2. For sent to
make nose-gayes according to the seasons of the yeere as formes of hymnes prayers and thanksgiuings Ordinarie for the weeke dayes Extraordinary for Christian Feasts Fasts 3 For medicine to cure strengthen as Admonitions out of Scripture Prayers for Men in sicknesse Women in childbearing ThaÌ„ksgiuing for Recouerie of men Deliuery of women 2 The nursery thereof which is set with 52. plants of Paradise agreeable to the weekes in the yeere digested into a Catechisme in which are set downe Rules according to which Graces by which Blessings for which wee ought to pray and giue thaks A TABLE OF THE particular Contents 1. The Preparation to religious exercise in generall p. 1. 1. Of Deuotion p. 2. 2. Of Preparation and the seuerall kinds thereof p. 9. 1. Purgation p. 11. 2. Sequestration of the mind p. 12. 3. Preconsideration p. 14. 2. The Preparation to Prayer p. 18. 1. A preparatory Exhortation p. 27. 2. A preparatorie Hymne p. 56. 3. A preparatorie Prayer p. 58. 3. The preparation to bearing the Word p. 59. 1. A preparatory Admonition p. 69. 2. A preparatorie Hymne p. 74. 3. A preparatorie Prayer p. 76. 4. The preparation to the receiuing of the Sacrament p. 79. 1. The admonition before the Communion p. 85. 2. The Hymne before the Communion p. 87. 3. The Prayer before the Communion p 88. 5. Religious Duties to be performed and affections to be stirred vp in the time of receiuing the Communion p. 91. 6. Short Prayers to be vsed at the receiuing of the Communion p. 97. 7. Short Formes of thanksgiuing to be vsed after the Communion p. 98. 8 A larger Forme of thanks giuing after the Communion p. 102. 9. The practise of priuate Deuotions both ordinarie and extraordinarie p. 106. 10. The Mornings Deuotion 1. An admonitioÌ„ for the Morning p. 116 2. A Hymne for the Morning p. 117. 3. A Prayer for the Morning p. 119. The Close out of Scripture p. 128. 11. The Euening Deuotion 1. An admonitioÌ„ for the Euening p. 128. 2. An Hymne for the Euening 131. 3. A Prayer for the Euening p. 133. The Close out of Scripture p. 137. 12. The Christian Sabbath or Lords day's Deuotion p. 138. 1. The admonition for the Sabbath Morning p. 139. 2. The Hymne for the Sabbath Morning p. 148. 3. The Prayer for the Sabbath Morning p. 147. 1. The admonition for the Sabbath Euening p. 153. 2. The Hymne for the Sabbath Euening p. 160. 3. The Prayer for the Sabbath Euening p. 162. The Close out of Scripture p. 166 13. The Feast 〈◊〉 the Birth of our Lord 1. The ground of the Feast p. 167. 2. The admonition for it p. 171. 3. The Hymne for it p. 174. 4. The Prayer for it p. 178. 14. The Feasts of our Lord's circumcision 1. The ground of it p. 183. 2. The admonition for it p. 184. 3. The Psalme for it p. 187. 4. The Prayer for it p. 190. 15. The Feast of the Epiphanie 1. The ground of it p. 197. 2. The admonition for it p. 200. 3. The Psalme for it p. 204. 4 The Prayer for it p. 206. 16. The Feast of our Lord's resurrection 1. The ground of it p. 212. 2. The Psalme for it p. 216. 3. The admonition for it p. 219. 4. The Prayer for it p. 222. 17. The Feast of our Lord's Ascension 1. The ground of it p. 228. 2. The Hymne for it p. 230. 3. The Admonition for it p. 233. 4. The Prayer for it p. 237. 18. The Feast of the coming downe of the holy Ghost 1. The ground of it p 243. 2. The Hymne for it p. 245. 3. The exhortation for it p. 248. 4. The Prayer for it p. 252. 19. The Christian fast's Deuotion p. 257. Of the Lent Fast. p. 261. The ground of it p. 266. 1. A Psalme for Ash wednesday p. 270. 2. An admonition for it p. 274. 3. A Prayer for it p. 278. 20. Good Friday's Deuotion p. 284. 1. The ground of this Fast. p. 284. 2. The admonition for it p. 288. 3. The Hymne for it p. 295. 4. The Prayer for it p. 300. 21. The Weeke day's Deuotion p. 310. 1. Munday's Deuotion The ground of it p. 311. 1. The Hymne for the Morning p. 312. 2. The admonition for the Morning p 317. 3. The Prayer for the Morning p. 322. The close out of Scripture p. 325. 1. The Hymne for the Euening 2. The admonition for the Euening p. 329. 3. The Prayer for the Euening p. 335. The Close out of Scripture Ibid. 2. Tuesday's Deuotion The ground of it p. 339. 1. The Mornings Deuotion 1. The Hymne for the Morning p. 343. 2. The admonition for the Morning p. 346. 3. The Prayer for the Morning p. 342. The Close out of Scripture p. 355. 2. The Euening's Deuotion 1. The Hymne for the Euening p. 356. 2. The admonition for Euening p. 359. 3. The Prayer for the Euening p. 363. The Close out of Scripture p. 368. 3. Wednesday's Deuotion The ground of it p. 369. 1. The Morning's Deuotion 1. The Hymne for it p. 37â— 2. The admonition for it p. 376. 3. The Prayer for it p. 382. The Close out of Scripture p. 388. 2. The Euenings Deuotion 1. The Hymne for it p. 389. 2. The admonition for it p. 391. 3. The Prayer for it p. 395. The Close out of Scripture p 405. 4. Thursday's Deuotion The ground of it p. 406. 1. The Mornings Deuotion 1. The Hymne for it p. 410. 2. The admonition for it p. â—14 3. The Prayer for it p. 418. The Close out of Scripture p. 422. 2. The Euening's Deuotion 1. The Hymne for it p. 423. 2. The admonition for it p 427. 3. The Prayer for it p. 435. The Close out of Scripture p. 440. 5. Friday's Deuotion The ground of it p. 441. 1. The Morning's Deuotion 1. The Hymne for it p. 444. 2. The admonition for it p. 445. 3. The prayer for it p. 451. The Close out of Scripture p. 455. 2. Euening's Deuotion 1. The Hymne for it p 456. 2. The admonition for it 460. 3. The Prayer for it 471. The Close out of Scripture 481. 6. Saturday's Deuotion The ground of it 481. 1. The Morning's Deuotion 1. The Hymne for it 485. 2. The admonition for it 448. 3. The Prayer for it 469. The Close out of Scripture 474. 2. The Euening's Deuotion 1. The Hâ—mne for it p. 474. 2. The admonition for it p. 477. â— The Prayer for it p. 487. The Close out of Scripture p. 491. 22. The Child-bearing Woman's Deuotion 1. In her trauaile 1. The admonitioÌ„ 493. 2. The Hymne p. 495. 3. The Prayer 497. 2. After her trauaile The admonitioÌ„ 50â— The Hymne The Prayer 510. The sicke man's deuotion when there is hope of recouerie p. 515. A Psalme for the sicke p. 518. An admonition to the sicke p. 523. A Prayer for the sicke p. 530. The sicke man's deuotion after his recouerie p. 537. The exhortation to thanksgiuing p. 538. A Psalme
of thy mysticall bodie and when the head reigneth in eternall glorie the members must needs participate of glorious eternitie What shall I offer vnto thee for these so singular benefits which I receiue by the Sacrament My body is vile my soule sinfull and worse then nothing in respect of thy glorious and sacred flesh and bloud One drop of thy bloud is more to be valued then a thousand worlds which yet to testifie the aboundance of thy loue thou pouredst out and offeredst plentifully for me vpon the crosse and now affordest to me in the cup. Shall I not spend my dearest hearts bloud in thy seruice who hast shed thine for me Shall I not willingly seale thy truth if need bee with my bloud who haue now receiued the pardon of all my sinnes signed with it What shall I render to thee for all thy louing mercies contained in this conduit of thy grace I will take this cup of saluation and I will not refuse the cup of trembling for thy sake by the helpe of thy grace I will more strictly keepe my holy vowes which I haue heretofore made and now renew I will seeke to carrie my selfe as a guest of so holy a table Hauing eaten Angels meate I will endeauour my selfe to leade an Angels life Hauing supped with thee I will rest with thee haue my conuersation in heauen and dwell with thee for euer Amen THE PRACTICE OF PRIVATE DEVOtion both ordinarie and extraordinarie in health and sicknesse and at the houre of death The scope of the Author and reason of his method and order CHRISTIAN READER IN these Deuotions which I first offered for the greater part to God for my selfe and now offer to the presse for thy vse all that I intend affect and labour for is to expresâ—e in the matter pious affection in the forme Scripture phrase and elocution For it seemeth to mee most agreeable to speake to God as neare as wee can in the same language he speakes to vs which is the sanctified language of the Bible As for affected humane eloquence consisting instreined conceits of wit and swelling words of vanitie which as it is puffed vp it selfe so it puffeth vp those that vse it I hold it altogether vnfit for a Minister of the Gospell especially in meditations or exercises of this nature For in these we ought most of all to denie our selues and to captiuate not onely our thoughts to the conceptions but our tongs to the words and phrases of the inspired Oracles of God As Menander said of women that they were fairest who were not painted at all and Tullie of Atticus his booke that the grauitie of the stile and neglect of light ornaments was a graâ—e and ornament vnto it So it may be most truly auouched of holy vowes meditations and prayers that sinceritie is best art and simplicitie their garbe modesty their trimming and zeale their glorie when they are so conceiued and vttered that they shew most affection and least affectation of art wit or language Sighs are the figures that moue Almightie God and teares the fluent and most current Rhetoricke before him for he that made the mouth is not taken with words vnlesse they be such as proceed from his owne mouth and are warranted by his word such as carrie in them a manifest print of that patterne of sound or wholesome words set before vs by the Apostles Now a swelling member is not sound neither is blowne meate wholesome The wisest among the heathen could distinguish betweene a Matrons and a Curtizans attire and ornaments a loftie and a turgent stile the Asiaticke Superfluitie and Attick knife and modesty which pruned the luxuriancy of pregnant wits flourishing styles running out into superfluous stemmes that the presses of eloquence might abound not with leaues of words but iuyce sap of Sentences as it were grapes pressed together Thus eloquently Saint Ierom declareth that Athenian eloquence and singularly approued it to whose iudgement I submit onely I would adde this that euen this iuycie kinde of sententious eloquence relisheth not of a deuout soule vnlesse it haue in it the taste and tincture of the vines of Engaddy Draw me saith the Spowse we will runne after thee say her honourable attendants because of the sweete sauour of thy oyntments The spowse of Christ delighteth not in exoticall perfumes though neuer so costly because howsoeuer they please thy smell yet they corrupt the braine and oftentimes poyson the spirits But the smell of Christs oyntments who was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all his brethren is the sauour of life vnto life Therefore both the Spowse her selfe and all her maides of honour i. e. Virgins and chaste soules runne after it And this my hand-maid also followeth after them yet as Peter followed Christ a farre off The path in which shee treads is this From the generall she passeth to particular from extraordinary to ordinary from the chamber and Closet to the sicke and death-bedds Deuotion Haec erit admissa met a terendarota 1 BEcause the morning and euening were euery day in the weeke I beginne with the dayes Deuotion in generall and for morning and euening I frame such Admonitions Hymnes and Prayers as may serue for any day Sabboth or weeke day festiuall or common 2. Next I furnish the Christian Sabboth because as Ignatius styleth it it is the chiefe and soueraigne day and the Queene of all dayes and may rightly challenge the precedency of all festiualls both in regard of Gods strict command for the religious obseruing it and for that it is the sampler of them they being cut as it were out of the dayes of the weeke otherwise dayes of labour according to the patterne of the Sabboths rest 3. The feasts peculiarly dedicated to our Sauiour and the holy Ghost succeede the Sabboth and precede the weeke dayes For whatsoeuer scruple hath bin made of Saints dayes the whole world as farre as it is or euer was Christian hath obserued religiously these feasts as Monuments and a kinde of Sacraments to refresh the memory of the chiefe workes of our Lord and mysteries of our faith to checke and controle whose vniuersall and vniforme practice especially in a matter of this nature is most insolent madnesse God saith Paulinus hath garnished the Church Calender with festiuall dayes as the heauen with Starres or a garlaÌ„d with roses Is not Christ the rose of Sharon and the bright morning Starre Doubtles then the festiualls in speciall consecrated to him ought to bee as the fairest flowrs in the round garland of the yeere and brightest Starres in the Church firmament Wee neuer reade of any saith Caluin that were blamed for drawing too much water out of the well of life Neither can wee possibly giue too much honour to the King of glory Saint Bernards consequence is as sound as it is pious If we celebrate the Saints solemnities how much more ought wee to keepe
his who made them Saints In the Deuotion fitted to these dayes first I lay the ground out of Scripture and then descant vpon it in the Admonition Hymne and Prayer all which allude to the History of that feast 4. After these feasts the week-dayes come in their order The Saints Martyrs and Arch-angels dayes I haue purposely omitted not that I dislike the keeping of them for I haue euer and will iustify and maintaine the obseruation of them according to that godly institution and practice of our Church But I desired to keepe my book within the compasse of the title which is a Manuell And albeit wee honour Saints and Martyrs yet religious Deuotion which is my Theame is restrained to God by holy Dauid Whom haue I in heauen but thee ô Lord. In the Church of Rome there are many Deuotionâ— to Saints and more to our Lady then to Christ but wee acknowledge no religious Deuotions but to him who charmed the old Serpent with that voice of his Father Him onely shalt thou serue In the weeke daies Deuotion those words of our Sauiour were my loadestarre My father worketh and I worke For all the morning prayers haue relation to some worke of God the Father in the sixe dayes of Creation and all the euening to some worke of God the Sonne in the sixe dayes immediately before his glorious resurrection The admonitions for morning and euening containe 12 beatitudes or blessednes 8 mentioned by our Sauiour Mathew 5. and the rest out of other choice Texts of Scripture All which blessednesses I wish thee from my heart desiring thee to afford me one Prayer who haue stored thee with many Thine in the Lord Iesus D. F. THE MORNINGS DEVOTION An admonition for the Morning VVEE haue a more sure word of Prophecie whereunto ye do well that yee take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a dark place vntill the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts 1 Pet. 1. 19. I am the roote and the off-spring of Dauid saith Christ and I am the bright morning Starre Reu. 22. 16. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Ephes. 5. 14. It is now time to awake out of sleepe for now our saluation is neerer then when wee belieued Rom. 13. 11. The night is past the day is at hand therfore cast off the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light verse 12. See that ye walk circumspectly redeeming the time because the dayes are euill Eph 5. 15. Walke honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonesse not in strife and enuying but put on the Lord Iesus and make no prouision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 13. 14. A Hymne for the Morning O Lord thou art my God earely will I seeke thee my soule thirsteth for thee I will sing alowd of thy power and mercy in the morning Psal. 63. 1. 2. Psal. 59. 10. My tongue shall speake of thy righteousnesse and thy praise all the day long Psal. 35. 28. I layd mee downe and slept for thou Lord sustainedst me Psal. 3. 5. I haue dwelt in the secret place of the most High abode vnder the shadow of the Almighty Psal. 91. 1. 4 He shall couer me with his feathers and vnder his wings will I trust his faithfulnesse and truth shall bee my shield and buckler ver 4. Lord arise and lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me Ps. 4. 7. Teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome Instruct mee in the way which I shall go and guide me with thine eye Psal. 90. 12. Psal. 32. 9. Teach mee thy way ô Lord and I will walke in thy truth ô knit my heart to thee that I may feare thy Name Psal. 86. 11. Hold vp my goings in thy path that my footsteps slip not Psal. 17 5. O satisfie mee earlie with thy mercy and that soone that I may reioyce and be glad al my dayes Psal. 143. 8. Let the beauty of the Lord my God be vpon mee establish thou the worke of my hands vpon me ô prosper thou my handie worke Psal. 90. 17. A Prayer for the Morning GRacious Father rich in mercy to all thy children that call vpon thee accept I beseech thee this my morning Sacrifice of praise thanks giuing which with a willing heart and deuout affection I offer vnto thee in confidence of thy sonnes infinite merits and acknowledgement of thine euerlasting loue and those inestimable benefits which by him and for him and with him thou conferredst vpon me and all thine Elect in him How deare are the thoughts of thy mercies vnto me how great is the â—umme of them Who can value the precious Pearle of thy Word and treasure of thy grace Who can raise his thoughts and desires to the high price of our â—aling an incorruptâ—ble crowne of glory layd vp for vs in heauen Lord fit me with thy grace that I may abound in thanksgiuing and praises for it Enlarge my heart with thy loue that I may in some sort comprehend with al Saints the measure of thine infinite â—oue mâ—nifested to me in the faith of Iesus Christ and abundantly testified by writing my name in the booke of life before I was and engrauing me as a signet with thine owne image at my creation and when I had defaced and in a manner quite raced it out by renuing it in me againe and redeeming mee that had sold my selfe as a bondslaue vnder sinne and death not with corruptible things as gold siluer or pretious stones but with the inualuable and incorruptible blood of thine onely begotten son who gaue his life for my ransome and by his suffering and death hath purchased for me a crowne of life To whom therefore with thee and thy spirit which sealeth all thy mercies vnto me and me vnto the day of redemption bee ascribed the whole glory of my creation redemption sanctification and saluation For vnto me nothing belongeth but shame and confusion who insteede of embracing any mercy and answering thy loue prouoke thy iustice and incense thy wrath and grieue thy spirit and despight thy grace and as much as in me lyeth crucifie againe to my selfe the Lord of life and trample the blood of the New Testament vnder foot Such is my peruerse nature and vngratious disposition that the better thou art to me the worse I proue to thee What couldest thou haue done vnto mee that thou hast not done Thou hast planted me in a fruitfull country thou hast fenced mee with thy prouidence watered me with the former and latter raine of thy Word pruned me with milde and seasonable afflictions and thou castest continually the hot and bright beames of thy fauour vpon me and thou lookest for grapes but behold nothing but wilde grapes What remaineth therefore but that thou shouldest roote mee out of thy vineard and plant another in my
Lord in the depth of thy Wisdome finde meanes to helpe my ignorance in the depth of thy goodnesse to ouercome my wickednesse in the depth of thy mercy to relieue my misery Inlighten mine vnderstanding that I may know mine ignorance rectifie my will that I may detest my wickednesse and mollifie my heart that I may bewaile my misery and by faith incorporate me into thy Sonne Iesus Christ that I may be partaker of his knowledge righteousnesse and happinesse As he made my ignorance his ignorance and my sinne his sinne and my misery his misery by taking vpon him my guilt and satisfying for my punishment so make thou I beseech thee his Wisdome my instruction his Righteousnes my sanctification and his Glory my happinesse Consider mee I beseech thee not as I am in my selfe defiled but as I am in him washed not as I am in my selfe naked but as I am in him clothed not as I am in my selfe wounded but as I am in him healed not as in my selfe a childe of wrath but as in him reconciled and at peace with thee And hauing my peace made with thee by his chastisement grant that I may haue peace as farre as it is possible with all men especially with all the children of peace Let mee euer remember and consider that thou my Father art the God of peace and thy Sonne my Sauiour the Prince of peace and his Law the Gospell of peace and his Seruants the Children of peace whose duty is the study of peace and the marke they principally aime at as the end of their faith the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding O let mee striue and contend against strife and contention as a thing most hatefull to thee hurtfull to my neighbour and most of all preiudiciall to my selfe by endangering my person and state disturbing the quietnesse of my minde hindring me in the prosecution of my businesse and which is worst of all making me indisposed and altogether vnfit for the performance of diuine duties Teach me of what spirit I am or should be euen of that which descended vpon thy Sonne in the likenesse of a Doue without Gall By this spirit mortifie in me the lusts and affections of the flesh as enuy wrath reuenge and the like By the still voice in which thou spakest to Elias let mee learne that thou art not in the fire of my rage nor in the storme of my passion but in the saft gale of grace Lord who on this day replenishedst the Sea and Riuers with fish and Aire with Fowles in shapes admirably various and in number almost infinite stir me vp by the consideration thereof to admire thy power wisdome in thus storing and as it were peopling this vaste and fearefull seeming solitude and much more to magnifie thy goodnesse in thus richly and daintily furnishing the tables of men Blessed Lord who this day madest the waters fruitfull let thy Spirit moue vpon the waters of my teares that they may abound in the fruits of repentance and bee blessed in the encrease of spirituall consolatious Lord who this day commandest the Fowles to flye through the aire lift vp my soule from the earth with the wings of faith and hope that she may flye vp towards Heauen Make mee light and cheerefull after my heauy sorrowes and grieuous afflictions that though I haue beene as blacke and sad in my heart and countenance as if I had layen among the pots yet I may be by the grace of thy Spirit which descended in the likenesse of a Doue like that Doue whose wings are siluer and her feathers like gold So be it Amen The close out of Scripture God grant that my loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement Phil. 1 9. That I may discerne things that differ one from another that I may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ ver 10. Filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Chirst vnto the glory and praise of God ver 11. The Deuotion for Thursday Euening THE HYMNE Wherein the deuout soule expresseth her desire of prayer for peace Publike Priuate THE TEXTS BEhold how good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwel together in vnity Ps. 133. 1. It is like the precious Ointment vpon the head that ranne downe vpon the Beard euen Aarons Beard and went downe to the skirts of his clothing v. 2. As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended vpon the Mountaine of Sion for there the Lord promiseth his blessings and life for euermore ver 3. Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Meseck and to haue my habitation in the tents of Kedar Psal. 120. 4. My soule hath long dwelt among them that be enemies vnto peace ver 5. I labour for peace but when I speake to them therof they make themselues ready to battaile v. 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Psal. 122 6. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Palaces ver 7. For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee ver 8. Because of the house of the Lord my God I will seeke thy good ver 9. The Admonition for Thursday Euening being an Exhortation to Patience the eightth BEATITVDE THE ANALYSIS All true Christians must valiantly and cheerfully endure troubles for the Gospell in respect of 1 God his Will. Power Ordinance 2 Christ his Loue. Example Sympathy with vs. 3 The Saints Practice Encouragement 4 The enemies Conuersion or Conuiction 5 Our selues who therby receiue 1 Tryall 2 Ioy. 3 Assurance of God's loue 4 Quiet fruit of Righteousnes 5 Holinesse and perfection 6 Life 7 Protection 8 Honor before God 9 Inestimable rewards 1 In this life 2 In the life to come THE TEXTS IN the world ye shall haue afflictions Iob 6. 33. I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hadst done it Psal. 39. 9. Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit their soules to him in well doing as their faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4. vlt. Who hath euer resisted his Will Rom. 9. 19. He is able to subdue all things to himselfe Phil. 3. 21. We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. All that liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecutions 2 Tim. 3. 12. Thou therefore endure hardnesse as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 2. 3. You shal be hated of all men for my Names sake Luke 21. 17. The loue of Christ constraineth vs because wee thus iudge that if One dyed for all then all were dead 2 Cor. 5. 14. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or distresse or persecution or famine or sword Rom. 8. 35. Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus
of thanksgiuing p. 547. A prayer after recouerie p. 551. The Close out of Scripture p. 559. The dying man's deuotion p. 560. The first admonition to the sicke being an admonition to patience p. â—63 The second admonition against despaire p. 594. A Psalme for the sicke lying at the point of death p. 594. A Prayer for the sicke To the Vnitie p. 600. To the Trinitie p. 604. To the Lord Iesus p. 608. THE PREPARATION TO RELIGIOVS exercises in generall PAR. I. Of Deuotion PRemeditation is the preparation to priuate prayer priuate to publicke priuate and publicke to the hearing the word priuate and publicke prayer together with the hearing of the word to the worthie participation of the holy Sacrament For the Sacrament receiues strength and vigour from the word preached the word preached from publicke prayer publicke prayer from priuate Deuotion and that from premeditation and consideration of the nature of deuotion and necessitie of preparation it selfe to all holy duties in the immediate worship of God Deuotion is the harts warmth or rather lifes bloud of religion It is a sacred bond knitting the soule vnto God It is a spirituall muskle mouing onely vpward and lifting vp the hearts eyes and hands continually vnto heauen And because it consisteth rather in the feruour of the affections then light of the thoughts of blaze or lustre in the words it is better felt then vnderstood and yet better vnderstood then can be expressed Especially priuate deuotion which is the Saint to whom I deuote this Treatise For priuate deuotion to shunne ostentaâ—ion and hypocrisie in heauenly things alwayes shuts her selfe vp in her closet desiring no eye to see her but her Fathers in secret Wounded she is like the spouse in the Canticles with the darts of diuine loue and continually bleedeth but inwardly in teares of compassion compunction and excessiue ioy There appeares no externall orifez in the flesh to be seene Shee resembles the strange plant in Plinie which buds inwardly and shooteth forth no bud blossome or leafe outwardly For if priuate deuotion cometh once to be knowne it ceaseth to be priuate The greatest commendation of it is like to that of the Garamantite a precious stone that hath no beautie nor lustre in the outside or in the surface but within the bodie of it appeares golden drops of diuine infusion What Cyprian speaketh of the wâ—rke of regeneration may be truly applyed to this vertue It is felt before it can be spoken of and it must be kindled in the heart by the Spirit before it can be felt It is the true Vest all fire that should be still kept burning in the heart but if it go out like that of the Vestals it must bee kindled from heauen To thee therefore ô most holy Spirit I addresse my prayer to kindle and keepe this fire in my soule by thy heauenly blasts Heate my heart with the feruour of true Deuotion and touch my tongue with a coale from thine altar that the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart may inflame all that reade these deuotions with a loue of deuotion it selfe and true Zeale Lev's censure may seeme too tart He that is not more religious in Lent then at other times hath no religion as all But I haue good warrant to suspect the sinceritie of their Deuotion altogether who are not more deuout in priuate then in publike For fire the closer it is kept the hotter it burneth and the exhalations which are violently detained in cranies vnder ground and can haue no vent are of force to moue the earth it selfe It cannot be otherwise but that the penitent or compassionate eye which droppeth in publike should runne and gush out with riuers of waters in priuate The afflicted soule which sometimes stealeth a groane and fetcheth a sigh in the Church offers vp often prayers with strong cries at home He that is affected and eleuated with spirituall ioy in publike is transported when he is alone and hath priuate communications with God S. Paul spake words of truth and sobernesse to the Corinthians Whether we he besides our selues it is to God or whether we be sober it is to you And Saint Ierome confirmeth it with an oath that after many dayes nay weekes spent by him in fasting and prayer in the end hee was rauished in spirit and seemed to haue priuate conuersation and familiaritie with quires of Angels My intent is not to detract any thing from publike deuotion but my desire is to adde to priuate Publike is more solemne but priuate ought to be more frequent Publike makes more noise but priuate for the most part hath a deeper channell Our Sauiour diuideth blessednesse equally betweene them both Blessed saith he is he that heareth the word and keepeth it it is publike deuotion that heareth the word preached but priuate that keepes it Publike gathereth Manna in greater aboundance but priuate is the golden Omer that preserueth it The Hart doth not so pant and bray for the riuers of waters as the soule of euery religious man longeth for the waters of life running plentifully out of the golden spoutes of the Temple the Ministers of the word but priuate deuotion it is that breedes this longing after the publike Ministerie Let vs take a patterne of Deuotion from our blessed Sauiour to whom all deuotions are due What commandeth hee by expresse precept When thou prayest enter into thy closet and what commendeth hee most by his owne practise It is true he calleth his house the house of prayer and as we reade that he was daily preaching so I doubt not but hee was daily praying in the Temple yet ye shall find him oftener on the Mount or in the Garden or in some priuate solitarie place praying alone then in the Temple yea and continuing longer in prayer spending sometimes whole nights in it This practise of our Sauiour hath bene a president to all those whose names in the Church of God are and haue bene as a sweete ointment for daily offering the sweetest incense of prayer to God Religious men neuer are wanting in publike assemblies but they exceed in priuate Deuotion Publike exercises of religion be their feasts but priuate their ordinarie Where find you Daniel but in his chamber at his Deuotion looking towards Ierusalem Where find you Dauid but in his couch watering it with his teares and communing with his owne heart in the night Where find you Cornelius but in his house in praying Where find you Saint Iohn on the Lords day but in the I le alone by himselfe in the spirit The powring out our speciall complaints to God our vowes to refraine such companie and such occasions of sinne the ripping vp of our whole life with a particular confession of our sins aggrauated by all circumstances and all those parts of repentance or the soules
discipline mentioned by Saint Paul are most necessarie exercises of religion yet cannot be so safely done nor so decently nor so effectually in publike as in priuate These parts are not to be acted on the stage but within the hangings He that actes these on the stage will haue the person of an hypocrite put vpon him for it Where was our Sauiour in his agonie but alone in Gethsemaine Where was hee transfigured in his prayer but on the holy Mount alone Moses his face shined after he came from his secret parlie with God and our soules shall shine with all spirituall graces if we haue often priuate conference with him by prayer but alwayes with due reuerence and preparation before PARAG. 2. Of Preparation Preparation to religious exercises is twofold 1 Extraordinarie as watching fasting and the like of which see the admonition for Ash-wednesday 2 Ordinary which consisteth in 1 Clensing our conscience from the guilt and staine of foule sinnes especially grosse actuall sins newly committed 2 Sequestring our thoughts from worldly cares businesses 3 Considering before hand what the RELIGIOVS worke is wee are about and how we ought to performe it and carrie our selues in it Moses put off his shooes and Dauid washed his hands before he drew neare to God The Iewes and Turkes at this day wash themselues before they enter their Temples and the ancient Pagans vsed many ablutions and lustrations before they durst come in sight of their faigned gods The vncleane Spirit in the Gospell had a cleane lodging and shall we entertaine the most pure and holy Spirit of God in an vncleane roome in our soules What Courtier presumeth to come into the Kings presence in stinking and nastie cloathes or with his hands and face all besmeared with dirt or spotted with inke How dare we then appeare before God with a foule and nastie conscience with a heart full of malice eyes full of adulterie hands full of the treasures of wickednesse mouthes full of deadly poyson of Aspes When wee haue defiled our eyes with vnchast lookes shall we presently cast them vp to heauen and confidently looke God in the face who is a God of most pure eyes and cannot endure the least spot of impuritie when we haue defiled our hands with bloud or vncleannesse or telling our vse money shall we presently lift them vp in supplication to God when wee haue defiled our tongues with corrupt and rotten communication shall we presently employ them in diuine prayer when we haue defiled our bodies with beastly lusts and wallowed in the mire of swinish pleasures shall wee presently present our selues as a sacrifice vnto God in priuate or publike deuotion God by his holy Prophet teacheth vs another lesson wash you make you cleane put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes Cease to do euill learne to do well Come now let vs conferre and reason together Secondly he that will consecrate his thoughts and affections by priuate Deuotion vnto God must remoue and sequester them from earthly affaires and worldly negotiations For the cares of this life as they choake the seedes of the word so they stifle deuout meditation in the wombe that conceiueth them It is not more difficult to cast vp one eye to heauen and the other downe on the earth at the same instant then to fixe our cogitations and intentions at once on God and the world Holinesse in the Greeke implyeth a direct contradiction to earthlinesse Hagios is deriued from A the priuatiue particle and Ge signifying earth as if you would say vnearthlinesse God is a Spirit and cannot be otherwise seene of vs then in spirit Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The soule of man is the glasse most truly representing Gods image If a glasse be furd or soyled with dust or dirt it reflecteth no shape or proportion aright but wipe the dust from the glasse and you shall see clearely So saith Saint Bernard rub thy glasse wipe away all dustie earthlinesse from thy mind and thou shalt see God in thy soule and conceiue cleare and diuine imaginations of him Thirdly he that desireth that God should haue respect to him and to his spirituall offerings must bee more readie to heare the wise man and looke to his foote then to make hast to offer the sacrifice of fooles What is it to offer the sacrifice of fooles but rashly and vnaduisedly not to bring and lay downe but to throw his gifts on Gods Altar without considering what he offereth or 〈◊〉 or to whom He that makes no more of prayers to God then of speaking with one of his companions nor of perusing inspired Scriptures then reading a peice of Aristotle or Liuie nor of participating of the blessed Sacrament then taking a morsell of bread or drinking a cup of wine can expect no blessing for the vse but rather ought to feare a curse for the abuse of these meanes of saluation These ordinances of God sanctifie not such but they rather prophane them Numa Pomphilius forbad any man vnder a great penaltie to salute his gods in the high way or to pray or bow or to do any reuerence to their temples or images as they walked by them in the streets and Wouer yeelds a reason of this law better then the law it selfe Diuine Maiestie sayes hee must not be sleighted holy duties must not bee suddenly slâ—bbered ouer but performed with reuerent regard 〈◊〉 religious cunctation or delay to frame and compose the mind vnto them But men haue forgotten the feare of the Lord euen in his presence and vnder his eye The holy name of God is made so common in mens mouthes and his dreadfull Maiestie so cheape in their estimamation that as they speake of him without reuerence so also they speake to him without aduised premeditation They are farre from Dauids modestie who went step by step and fetched a compasse to come to Gods altar I will wash my hands in innocencie and so I will compasse thine altar but these make but one step to it They suddenly and rudely rush vpon Almightie God neuer thinking that he is a consuming fire Augustus being inuited by a priuate Gentleman to his house entertained but slenderly below the maiestie of so great an Emperour in stead of thanking him gaue him a secret but smart checke for it I knew not said he before that we were such familiars But hath not the King of heauen and Monarke of the whole world more iust cause to censure in the like manner or more seuerely those among vs that seeme most forward to inuite and entertaine him who runne into his presence without shewing any reuerence speake vnto him without bowing their knee heare him in the Ministry of the Word without vncouering their heads participate of the dreadfull Mysteries as the Fathers call them of his
Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words Isa. 58. 13. Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride vpon the high places of the earth and feede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it ver 14. When the first day of the weeke began Marie Magdalen and the other Marie came to the sepulcher Math. 28. 1. Marke 16. 1. Iohn 20. 1. And behold there was a great earth-quake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and rolled backe the stone from the doore and sate vpon it Math. 28. 2. And the Angell answered and said to the woman Feare yee not for I know that ye seeke Iesus that was crucified Math. 28. 6. He is not here for he is risen ver 7. And when the day of Pentecost was come they were all with one accord in one place Acts 2. 1. And suddenly there came a sound from heauen as of a rushing mightie wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting ver 2. And they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance ver 4. Euery first day of the weeke let euerie one lay aside as God hath prospered him c. 1. Corinth 16. 2. And the first day of the weeke the disciples being met together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them Acts 20. 7. And I was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as it had bene of a trumpet Reu. 1. 10. THE MORNING HYMNE for the Sabbath or the Lords day Wherein the deuout soule expresseth her performance at least in desire of all holy duties requisite on the Sabbath which are 1 Priuate as a 1. Premeditation b 2. Early rising or watchfulnesse c 3. The soules examination of her selfe d 4. Prayer at home consisting of 1. Confession of sinne e Originall f Actuall g 2. Profession of faith 3. Supplication for h 1. The Church i 2. The King k 3. The Minister l 4. Our selues 2 Publike as m 1. Going to the Church n 2. Ioyning in publike prayers and thankesgiuing with the congregation o 3. Hearing the word p 4. Contributing to the poore a I haue thought vpon thy Name in the night season and haue kept thy Law Psal. 119. 55. b Early in the morning do I cry vnto thee for in thy word is my trust ver 147. c I called mine owne wayes to remembrance and turned my foote to thy testimonies ver 59. d I will make my supplication in thy presence with my whole heart be mercifull vnto me according to thy word ver 58. e Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me Psal. 51. 3. f Who can tell how oft hee offendeth O cleanse thou mee from my secret faults Psal. 19. 12. g I said I will confesse my sin and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne Psal. 32. 6. h O be fauourable and gracious vnto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem Psal. 51. 19. Thou shalt arise ô Lord and haue mercie vpon Sion for it is time that thou haue mercie vppon her yea the time is come Psal. 102. 13. For why thy seruants thinke vpon her stones and it grieueth them to see her in the dust ver 14. i Giue the King thy iudgements ô Lord and thy righteousnesse to the Kings sonne Psal. 72. 1. Then shall hee iudge the people according vnto right and defend the poore ver 2. Hee shall keepe the simple by the right and punish the wrong doer ver 4. k Let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousnesse and let thy Saints sing with ioyfulnesse Psal. 132. 9. l O send out thy light and thy truth that they may leade mee and bring mee to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling Psal. 43. 3. m I was glad when they said vnto me Let vs go into the house of the Lord. Open me the gates of righteousnesse that I may go in and giue thanks to the Lord. Psal. 118. 19. n O magnifie the Lord our God and let vs fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy Psal. 99. 5. o The Lord gaue the word great was the companie of the Preachers Psal. 68. 11. I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning me for hee shall speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they turne not againe Psal. 85. 8. For his saluation is nigh them that feare him that glorie may dwell in our land ver 9. p O my soule thou hast said vnto the Lord Thou art my God my goods are nothing vnto thee Psal. 16. 2. All my delight is vpon the Saints and such as excell in vertue ver 3. An offering of a free heart will I giue thee and praise thy name because it is so comfortable Psal. 58. 7. A Prayer for the Sabbath Morning BLessed Creator and Author and finisher of the saluation of man-kind who in memorie of thy glorious rest from both thy noble workes hast blessed and sanctified a day of holy rest vnto thy selfe sanctifie me for it that laying aside my accustomed businesse and sequestring my thoughts from all worldly cares I may keepe it and my selfe holy to thee by dedicating it and deuoting my selfe wholly to thy peculiar worship and immediate seruice And to the end that this my religious seruice may bee more acceptable to thee quicken me with thy Spirit that I may performe it with all alacritie and chearefulnesse and may make thy Sabbath my delight Touch my heart and tongue with a coale from thine Altar that from the sweet incense of my meditations hymnes prayers and thanksgiuing thou mayest smell a sauour of rest O holy Lord God of Sabbath sanctifie thy rest vnto me let thy Spirit rest in me that I may find rest to my soule from all tentations troubles and feares and may rest from my owne workes which are painefull and sinfull trauels and may employ this day all the powers and faculties of my soule and bodie in doing and considering thy workes in adoring thy Maiestie and admiring thy wisdome and acknowledgeing thy power and embracing thy loue and magnifying thy goodnesse and reioycing in thy mercies trembling at thy iudgements In visiting thy holy Temple and praising thee with thy Saints and offering vp the calues of my lips In diligently reading thy Scriptures attentiuely hearing thy word reuerently celebrating thy mysteries charitably relieuing thy members and zealously practising all holy duties both publike and priuate O let me this whole day walke with thee as Enoch did and talke with thee as Moses did and seeke thy face as Dauid did And grant that beholding thine image in thine holy word as in a cleare and cristall mirrour I may bee changed into the same image euen from glorie to glorie Let this Sabbath put
to God with confidence 7 The guidance of the spirit 8 An incorruptible inheritance THE TEXTS EXcept a man bee borne againe hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Ioh. 3. 3. Except a man be borne of water and the spirit c. verse 5. Ye were darknesse but now yee are light in the Lord. Ephes. 5. 9. The creature shall bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God Rom. 5. 21. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neither can hee sinne because he is borne of God 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vndâ—â— the Law but vnder grace 〈…〉 6. 14. As many as receiued 〈…〉 them he gaue power to 〈…〉 Sonnes of God euen to them that belieue on his name Ioh. 1. 12. Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God verse 13. That he might redeeme them that are vnder the Law and that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Gal. 4. 5. And to the congregation of the first-borne Heb. 12. 23. Of his owne will begat hee vs with the Word of truth that we should bee the first fruits of his creatures Iam. 1. 18. Wee haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father Rom 8. 11. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 14. Blessed bee God the Father of 〈◊〉 Lord Iesus Christ which 〈◊〉 to his abundant mercy 〈◊〉 vs againe vnto a 〈◊〉 â—pe 1 Pet. 1. 3. To an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you verse 4. The same spirit testifieth to our spirits that we are the children of God Rom 8. 6. If we be children then heires euen the heires of God and coheirs annexed with Christs verse 17. A Hymne for the Natiuity of our Lord consisting of fowre parts 1. God the Fathers 2. Christs 3. The Prophets 4. The Churches Glory be to God on High in earth peace good will to men THe Lord euen the most mighty God hath spoken and called the world from the rising vp of the Sunne to the going downe thereof Ps. 50. 1. Out of Sion hath God appeared in perfect beauty verse 2. Saluation is nigh them that feare him that glory may dwell on the earth Psal. 85. 9. Mercy and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other verse 10. Truth shall flourish on the earth and righteousnesse hath looked downe from heauen ver 11. Thou art fairer then the children of men full of grace are thy lipps because God hath blessed thee for euer Psal. 45. 3. Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherfore God euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes verse 8. O Lord my God great are thy wonderous workes which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to vs ward yet there is no man that ordereth them vnto thee Psal. 40. 6. If I would declare or speake of them they should be more in number then I am able to expresse verse 7. Sacrifice and meate offerings thou wouldest not haue but mine eares hast thou opened verse 8. Burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required then said I Loe I come verse 9. In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to doe it yea thy law is in my heart verse 10. I haue declared thy righteousnesse in the great congregation Loe I will not refraine my lipps ô Lord and that thou knowest verse 11. I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart my talking hath beene of thy truth and of thy saluation verse 12. I wil preach the lawe whereof the Lord hath said vnto me Thou art my Sonne this day haue I bogotten thee Psal. 2. 7. He shall call me Thou art my Father my God and my strong saluation Psal. 89. 27. And I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth verse 28. Shew vs thy mercy ô Lord and grant vs thy saluation Psal. 85. 7. Lord saue vs now Lord sende vs now prosperity Through thy tender mercy whereby this day spring from on high hath visited vs. To giue light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feete into the way of peace Cant. Zach. The Prayer GRatious Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of man the ioy of Angels and dread of diuels the Iewes Messiah the Gentiles starre the hope of the liuing and resurrection of the dead the way to all that come vnto thee the truth to all them that know thee and the life to all them that belieue in thee Make good all thy glorious gratious titles to me Lord protect me Iesu saue me Christ my anointed King rule me my anointed Priest sanctifie me my anointed Prophet reueale vnto mee the secrets of thy Kingdome O Christ whose name is an oyntment powred out annoint me with the oyle of gladnesse this day aboue others This is the day which the Lord hath made I wil reioyce and be glad in it nay I dare take the note higher This is the day in which the Lord was made I will exult and triumph in it Thou which madest all dayes wert this day made of a woman and made vnder the Law From all eternity it was neuer heard that eternity entred into the Kalender of time supreame Maiesty descended into the wombe immensity was comprehended infinity bounded vbiquity inclosed and the Deity incarnated Yet this day it was seene for this day the Word became flesh God became man and to effect this wonderfull mystery a Virgin became a Mother One deepe calleth vpon another one miracle begetteth another The Sunne bringeth forth all other dayes but this day brought thee forth the Sonne of righteousnesse If wee set our voices and instruments and heart-strings to the highest straine of ioy at the birth of great Kings and Princes What ought I to doe this day on which thou the king of heauen wast born vpon the earth At the mariage of great Personages men giue full scope to all manner of expressions of carnall ioy euen oftentimes to the very surfeit of the senses with pleasure How then should I bee rauished with spirituall ioy at this time when heauen and earth the diuine nature and humane were married The contract was in heauen before all times but the marriage was this day consummated in the vndefiled bedde of the Virgin Lord who this day cammest downe to me draw me vp to thee and giue me accesse with more confidence and bouldnesse for now thou art become my brother and ally by bloud The rayes of thy diuine Maiesty will not dazle the eyes of
my soule they being now vailed with thy flesh This day thou diddest vnite thy selfe to me naturally and substantially and becamest truly flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone Vnite me to thee this day spiritually and make me a true member of thy mysticall body that I may bee flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone Lord thou diddest this day participate of my humane nature make me this day participate by grace of thy diuine as farre as I am capable thereof and impart and communicate vnto mee the merrit of all thy actions and benefit of all thy sufferings in this thy nature O my Lord my God who by assuming flesh vnto thy diuine person hast sanctified it and highly aduanced it farre aboue all creatures keepe me from defiling my flesh with sinfull pollutions or abasing and inthralling it to Satan O Sonne of God who by thy incarnate nature becamest the Sonne of Man make me the sinfull sonne of man by grace and adoption to become the Sonne of God And as thou this day according to the words of thine Angel wert borne to me bee borne also in mee that from hence forth I liue not but thou in me Let thy spirit quicken me thy flesh nourish me thy wisdome guide me thy grace sanctifie me and thy Word instruct me Let the holy Ghost of whom thou wast conceiued beget thee in mee by the immortall seede of thy Word Let my faith conceiue thee my profession bring thee forth my loue embrace thee and Deuotion entertaine and continually keepe thee with mee till thy second comming So come vnto me Lord Iesus come quickly THE Feast of our Lord's Circumcision OR New-yeares dayes Deuotion The ground of this Feast are The type thereof in the old The accōplishmēt in the new Testament PARALELL The Type And Abraham circumcised Isaak when he was eight daies old as God commanded him Gen. 21. 4. The accomplishment And when the eight dayes were accomplished that they shuld circumcise the child his name was then called IESVS Luk. 2. 21. Meditate ô deuout Christian 1 For thine instruction vpon the circumcision of thy Sauiour 2 For thy comfort applie to thy selfe the 3 For thy correctiō examine the circumcision of thy heart and quicken thine 1 Obedience by the exhortation 2 Thankfulnes by the hymne 3 Zeale deuotiō by the praier THE ADMONITION for New-yeeres day THE ANALYSIS wee ought to desire striue and pray for the circumcision of the heart 1 In respect of GOD who Desireth it a Commandeth it b Loueth it c Obserueth it d Praiseth it e Rewardeth it f Brandeth the contrarie g 2 In respect of man's heart which needeth it 1 Because it is most corrupt and impure 2 Because it is most deceitfull THE TEXTS a MY son giue me thy heart Prou. 23. 16. vid. Ier. 4. 4. b Circumcise the fore-skinne of your hearts Deut. 10. 16. O Ierusalem clense thy heart Ier. 4. 4. c Clense your hearts yee sinners Iames 4. 8. Behold thou louest truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. d God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh vpon the outward appearance but God seeth the heart 1 Sam. 16. 7. e The circumcision is of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of man but of God Rom. 2. 29. In whom yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh through the circumcision of the flesh Col. 2. 11. Beware of the concision For wee are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Iesus and haue no confidence in the flesh Philippians 3. 3. f The good Lord be mercifull to him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord his God 1 Chron. 30. 19. He will doe good to such as be good and true of heart Psal. 125. 4. There is sprung vp a light for the righteous and ioyfull gladnesse to such as bee true hearted Psal. 99. 12. g The eyes of the Lord behold the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart towards him 1 Chron. 16. 9. Yee of vncircumcised eares and hearts haue alwaies resisted c. Acts. 7. The peruerse in heart are an abomination to the Lord. Pro. 11. 20. All the imaginations of mans heart are onely euill continually Gen. 6. The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things Ier. 17. 9. The Psalme for New-yeeres day OSing vnto the Lord a new song sing vnto the Lord all the whole earth Psal. 96. 1. Sing vnto the Lord and praise his name be telling of his saluation from day to day verse 2. The heauent declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Psal. 19. 1. One day telleth another and one night certifieth another v. 2. There is neither speech nor language but their voice is heard among them verse 3. Their sound is gone out into all lands and their words vnto the end of the world verse 4. In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the sunne which commeth forth as a bridegroome out of his chamber and reioyceth as a gyant to runne his course verse 5. He appointeth the Moone for certaine seasons and the Sunne knoweth his going downe Psal. 104. 19. O Lord how manifold are thy workes In wisedome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches verse 24. So is the great and wide c. verse 25. vsque ad 〈◊〉 When thou lettest thy breath goe forth they are made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth verse 30. The glorious Maiesty of the Lord shall endure for euer the Lord shall reioyce in his workes verse 31. Thou crownest the earth with thy goodnesse and thy cloudes drop fatnesse Psal. 65. 12. They shall drop vpon the dwellings of the wildernesse and the little hills shall reioyce of euery side verse 13. The flocks also shall bee full of sheepe the valleys also shall stand so thick with corne that they shall laugh and sing verse 14. The day is thine and the night is thine thou hast prepared the light of the sunne Psal. 74. 17. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made summer and winter verse 18. The Prayer for New-yeeres day MOst tender and compassionate Lord now first knowne by thy name Iesu who being the true vine which yeeldest the wine that gladdeth the heart wast pruned this day with the sharpe knife of circumcision and bleddest for me haue pitty and compassion on mee who with weeping eyes and a bleeding heart come vnto thee beseeching thee that those drops of blood which fell from thee this day may satisfie for the sinne of my birth and the whole streame that ranne from all the parts of thy body in the Garden and on the Crosse may expiate all my numberlesse actuall sinnes whether they be sinnes of lighter tincture or of a Scarlet dye Sinnes like beames or sinnes like moates Sinnes conceiued
of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the Law of sinne and of death Romans 8. 2. Yee haue not receiued the Spirit of bondage againe to feare but the Spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father verse 15. They despight the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 29. The Spirit maketh Intercession for vs with sighs and grones that cannot be expressed Romans 9. 29. To one is giuen the Spirit of the Word of Wisedome to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit 1 Corinthians 12. 8. All these worketh one and the same Spirit verse 11. The Father of Glory giue vnto vs the Spirit of Wisedome and reuelation in the Knowledge of him Ephes. 1. 17. The Spirit of Glory and of GOD resteth in vs. 1 Peter 4. 14. When the Spirit of Truth is come hee will leade you into all Truth Ioh. 16. 13. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 1 Corinthians 3. 17. He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life euerlasting Gal. 6. 8. Walke in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. The fruits of the Spirit are loue peace ioy c. verse 17. If yee be led by the Spirit yee are not vnder the Law verse 18. Whosoeuer speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall not bee forgiuen him neither in this world nor in the world to come Mat. 12. 32. Of how much sorer punishment shall hee bee thought worthy who hath troden vnder foot the Sonne of GOD and hath accounted the blood of the couenant wherewith hee was sanctified an vnholy thing and hath done despight to the Spirit of God Hebrewes 10. 29. A Prayer for Whit sunday INcomprehēsible Spirit the third Person in the blessed and glorious Trinity who after the Father had manifested himselfe to the world in the works of Creation and the Sonne in the works of Redemption finished in the flesh diddest manifest thy selfe on this day in a wonderfull manner by the sound of a rushing winde and the light of fiery tongues Manifest thy selfe most powerfully and gloriously in the vniuerfall Church by enlarging her bounds and making vp her breaches and hallowing her Assemblies and furnishing her Pastors and knitting the hearts of all her members in true loue the bond of perfection Perfect the work of sanctification in all thine Elect manifest thy selfe also graciously this day and declare thy gifts in the tongues of the Preachers and eares of the hearers and the hearts of all the Congregation Direct the mouthes of the Preachers that they may skilfully sowe the Seede and open the eares and mollify the hearts of the hearers that they may receiue it profitably and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit abundantly which are loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance c. O Eternall and infinite holy Ghost the loue of the Father and the Sonne who diddest descend vpon our Sauiour in the likenesse of a Doue without gall purge out of my conscience all gall of malice and bitternesse and grant that with meeknesse I may receiue the ingraffed Word which is able to saue my soule O holyest Spirit eternall breath of the Father and the Son and former of the Word in the wombe who camest with a sound come down vpon me in the sound of thy Word Preached though not in the extraordinary gifts of Prophecy tongues and healing yet in the ordinary graces of faith hope and charity the Spirit of supplication and Prayer of wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding of power and ghostly comfort O heauenly Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Sonne who descendedst from heauen like a mighty rushing winde throw mee downe to the ground in humility and prostrate my heart and soule before thee Beate downe all strong holds of carnall imaginations and worldly thoughts resisting thy grace Chase away all cloudes of error out of my vnderstanding cleare my will of all foggs of noysome desires coole and refresh me in the heate of persecution fill the sailes of my affections and driue mee speedily into the faire hauen where I would bee O diuine fire burning continually in the hearts of the faithfull and consuming all our spirituall sacrifices who this day diddest descend and appeare in the likenesse of fiery tongues bee a fire in my heart and tongue that I may be feruent in my Meditations and Prayers and Zealous in the profession and defence of thy Truth Inlighten the darknesse of my vnderstanding inflame the coldnesse of my affections purge out the drosse of my corruptions direct me in all the affaires of this life assist mee in all the exercises of Deuotion strengthen me in al the assaults of temptation comfort me in all the miseries and afflictions seale all thy gracious promises of thy Gospell vnto mee and seale mee to the day of redemption So bee it Amen Into my minde descend ô Doue Purge gall cleane out of me With siluer wings raise me aboue My Sauiour Christ to see PART 1. SVPPART 4. The Christian FAST'S Deuotion Of FAST'S in generall There is a 3-old fast 1 Fast from sinne 2 Fast for sinne 3 Fast against sin THe fast from sinne ought to bee perpetuall The fast for sinne is extraordinarie vpon speciall occasions to auert some dreadfull iudgement or auoide som imminent danger The fasts against sinne ought to be more frequent and according to the customes of the ancient Church and the present practise of the Church of England They are Weekly on the Fridaies Monethly on the Holy-day Eeues Quarterly in the Ember weekes Yeerely in the Lent THe Doctrine of fasting hath met with errors and superstitions on both hands Some ascribing too much to it and placing the immediate and principall worship of God in it some ascribing too little and making it no matter of Religion at all Some superstitiously obseruing and others out of a contrary superstition scrupulously declining the obseruation of all Fasts appointed by the Church To steere the iudgement in a middle course betweene these rocks on both sides conceiue thus of the nature of Religious acts the seuerall kindes of Fasts and the vse thereof A Religious act or work may be taken 1 In a larger sence for any work commanded by Christian Religion in vvhich sence all the duties of the second Table may be called Religious acts or workes as well as the first 2 In a more restrained acception for such workes and acts in which Religion properly taken for the worship of God consists And these are of two sorts 1 Principall as Believing in God Praying the like 2 Accessarie seruing as helps or preparations to the princi pall as Watching Fasting and the like FAsting is not to be esteemed such an act of religion as wherein principally and immediatly we worship God for the Kingdome of God as the Apostle reacheth consisteth not in meates and
as a miraculous demonstration of his Diuinity or an euidence that hee was the true Messias because hee accomplished the Types foregoing in Moses and Eliah and in this regard it is to bee admired of vs but no way to be imitated And in this sence Caluin Videlius's words mayâ—passe and Saint Chrisostome must bee taken vnlesse thy will haue him contradict himselfe Secondly as a morall remedy against tentation or rather a spirituall Armour which Christ tooke vpon him when he was to buckle with the Diuell and thus wee may and ought to imitate Christ's Fast in the kinde though not in the degree As we cannot fast as Christ fasted so neither can we pray as Christ prayed whole nights and with strong cries and a bloody sweat yet no Christians euer doubted but that we may and must follow Christ in all religious exercises though not with euen paces yet as wee are able And because they appeale to S. Chrysostome let him be the Vmpire Our Lord Iesus Christ wheÌ„ he entred into the lists with Sathan fasted forty days giuing vs an example how wee ought to arme our selues against the Diuel Certainely if the Learned Bishops afterwards Martyrs that penned our Booke of Common Prayers had thought Christ's Fast of forty dayes no way to belong to our Fast they would neuer haue appointed the Story of Christ's Fast for the Gospell the first Sunday in Lent nor touched vpon it in the Collects For thine instruction meditate on Christ's Fast. For thy comfort apply the benefit of it to thy soule For thy correction condemne thy luxury and consider what great cause thou hast to humble thy soule with fasting Quicken Thy repentance by the Psalme Thy fasting by the exhortation Thy Deuotion by the prayer ensuing The Psalme for Ash-wednesday PVt mee not to rebuke ô Lord in thine anger neither chasten mee in thy heauy displeasure Psal 38. 1. For thine arrowes stick fast in mee and thy hand presseth me sore verse 2. There is no life in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne verse 3. For my wickednesses are gone ouer my head they are like a sore burden too heauy for me to beare verse 4. Lord thou knowest all my desires and my groaning is not hid from thee verse 9. Heare my Prayer ô Lord consider my desire ô hearken vnto mee for thy Truth and righteousnesse sake Psal. 43. 1. And enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified verse 2. My spirit is vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate verse 4. I stretch forth my hands vnto thee my soule gaspeth vnto thee as a thirsty land verse 6. Lord be mercifull vnto me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee Psal. 41. 9. O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth but according to thy mercy thinke vpon me ô Lord for thy goodnesse Psal. 21. 6. I haue eaten ashes as it were bread and mingled my drinke with weeping Psal. 102. 9. And that because of thine indignation and wrath for thou hast taken me vp and cast me downe verse 10. My dayes are gone like a shadow and I am withered like grasse verse 11. When thou with rebuke doest chasten man for sinne thou makest his beauty to consume away like as it were a moth fretting a garment euery man therefore is but vanity Psal. 39 12. What man is he that liueth shall not see death and shal deliuer his soule from the hand of the graue Psal. 89. 47. When the breath of man goeth forth he shall turne againe to his earth and then all his thoughts perish Psal. 146. 3. What profit is there in my blood when I goe downe to the pit Psal. 30. 9. Shall the dust giue thanks to thee Or shall it declare thy Truth verse 10. Heare Lord and haue mercy vpon me Lord be thou my help verse 11. Here my Prayer ô Lord and let thine eares consider my colling hold not thy peace at my teares Psal. 39. 13. For I am a stranger vpon earth and a soiourner as all my Fathers were verse 14. O spare me a little that I may recouer my strength before I go hence and bee no more seene verse 15. AN ADMONITION FOR ASH-WEDNESDAY OR Exhortation to Fasting THE ANALSYS A deuout Christian ought to Fast because 1 God commandeth it 2 Christ commendeth it by Precept Example 3 The Saints practised it Vnder the Law Vnder the Gospell 4 It expelleth the Diuell 5 It quickens Prayer 6 It humbleth the Spirit 7 It tameth the flesh 8 It auerteth God's Iudgements 9 It obtaineth blessings Temporall Spirituall THE TEXTS BLow the Trumpet in Zion sanctifie a Fast call a solemne Assemblie Ioh. 2. 16. Is this the Fast which the Lord requireth c. Isa. 58. 5. The Bridegroome shall be taken away and then they shall Fast. Mat. 9. 15. When yee Fast bee not as the hypocrites c. Mat. 6. 16. Giue your selues to Fasting 1 Cor. 7. 5. And when he had fasted forty dayes and forty nights afterward he was an hungry Mat. 5. 2. Moses fasted Exod. 34 28. Fliah Fasted 1 King 19. 8. I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth Dan. 10. 3. Hanna serued God with Fasting and Prayer Luk. 2. 37. About this howre I Fasted Acts 10. 30. As they Ministred to the Lord and Fasted Acts 13. 2. Then Fasted they and Prayed verse 3. In Fasting often 2 Cor. 11. 27. And Prayed and Fasted Acts 14. 23. This kinde of Diuell goeth not out but by Fasting and Prayer Mat. 17. 21. I humbled my soule with Fasting Psal. 35. 13. I beate downe my body 1 Cor. 9. 27. And hee proclaimed through Nineueh Let neither man nor beast taste any thing neither feede nor drinke water Ionah 3. 7. And God saw their workes and God repented him of the euill which hee said he would doe vnto them and hee did it not verse 10. Go and assemble all the Iewes that are found in Shushan and Fast ye for me and eate not nor drinke in three dayes I also and my Maides will Fast likewise Ester 4. 16. And the Posts went forth with speede to exe cute the Kings decrees Ester 8. 14. Mordecay went out in a crowne of gold and to the Iewes was come Ioy and gladnesse verse 15. I Fasted Acts 10. 30. Peter sayd Of a trueth I see c. ver 34. The holy Ghost fell on them verse 4. 4. A Prayer for Ash-wednesday O Let not my Lord be angry that I who am but dust and ashes dare speake vnto him for my sinnes cry for vengeance and shall I be silent for pardon Gracious God either silence them or heare mee If thou wilt not heare the voice of my words heare the voice of my teares if thou wilt not heare them heare the voice of thy sons blood which
speaketh better things then the blood of Abel I confesse I haue sorely displeased thee but it troubleth me that I haue so incensed thee I haue grieued thy spirit but it grieueth mee that I should bee so gracelesse as to grieue that Spirit of grace which sealeth thy chosen to saluation I deserue that thou shouldest euen abhorre me for my sinnes but I abâ—orre my selfe for them in dust and ashes I haue offended thee in gluttony but I now fast for it in pride but I humble my selfe in laughter and sports but I weepe for it in sinfull ioyes but I mourne for it I haue wallowed in filthy pleasures but Iâ—wallow for it in dust and ashes haue broken all thy commandements but I haue broken my heart in true contrition for it Thou didst not breake a bruised reede wilt thou grind to powder a broken heart What profit is in my blood O Lord when I go down into the pit Nay what profit is in thy blood O blessed Redeemer if they for whom it was shed god downe into the pit of destruction Shall the dust giue thankes vnto thee O Lord or the ashes and cinders of hell praise the God of heauen Hâ—are O Lord and haue mercie vpon me thou that healest those that are broken in heart and giuest medicine to cure their sicknesse raise vp my prostrate and deiected soule Why didst thou hunger O Lord but to satisfie for my gluttony Why didst thou thirst but to satisfie for my drunkennesse Why didst thou weepe but to satisfie for my sinfull ioyes Why didst thou endure vnspeakeable torments but to satisfie for my Iewd pleasures Why didst thou dye an ignominious death but to satisfie for my shamefull life Why didst thou shed thy blood but to satisfie for my crimson sinnes Adam our first Parent did eat the forbidden fruit and all our teeth are set on edge but thy fasting forty dayes hath fully satisfied for his eating But I renue my sinnes dayly and thou renewest thy mercies The guilt of my sinne is great but the price of thy blood is greater I haue offended an infinite Maiestie but satisfaction hath beene made by an infinite Maiestie My wickednes cannot exceede thy goodnesse for my power of sinning is finite but thy facultie of pardoning is infinite Wherefore sith my sins bee they neuer so many neuer so weighty fall within the measure of thy mercy and compasse of thy goodnesse And sith it is all one with thee to giue what I aske and to ineite mee to aske to heale my wounds and to make mee feele the smart of them Lord who hast giuen mee the one deny mee not the other Rebuke the surges of temptations and quiet my soule Thou who in the dayes of thy flesh offeredst vp prayers with strong cryes heare the strong lowd cryes of a penitent sinner Thou who tookest vpon thee our infirmities take pitie vpon them thou wert in thine agony stricken with horror and vnutterable griefe allay the troubles of my affrighted conscience Thou who fastedst forty dayes accept of my humiliation these forty dayes and graunt that my stomacke may not onely fast from accustomed meates but all my sences from their vsual delights and most of all my heart from worldly comforts and contentments Let no fight delight mee till I see my sinnes remoued like a mist and thy countenance shine vpon mee Let no sound or voice delight mee till I heare thee by thy Spirit to speake peace to my conscience and say to my soule I am thy saluation Let no pleasant fields and gardens delight me til I haue gathered red flowers out of that garden which was watered with thy blood Let no fruit delight me till I haue fully tasted the fruit of the tree of thy Crosse. Let no meate delight me till with the sower herbes of sorrow and anguish of heart for my sinne I haue eaten the Christian Passeouer the flesh of thee that immaculate Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Heare me blessed Redeemer and as thou wroughtest in dust when thou tookest the woman in adultery So I beseech thee write my sins in dust and bury them all in the ashes of obliuion So be it Amen GOOD FRIDAY'S DEVOTION OR The Christian Fast on the Passion of our Lord. The ground of this Fast In the Old Testament Prophecies Types geuerall speciall In the new Historie Sacrament of Christ's death of which before in the preparatioÌ„ PARALELL Prophecie Thou shalt bruise his heel c. Gen. 3. 15. He was cut out of the land of the liuing Isa. 53. 8. He shal make his soule an offering for sinne ver 10. And after threescore and two weekes Mâ—ssiah shall bee slaine Dan. 9. 26. They shall looke vpon him whom they haue pearced Zac. 12. 10. Historie This is your houre the Power of darknesse Luk. 22. 53. Then Iesus cried with a loud voice and yeelded vp the Ghost Mat. 27. 50. Him haue yee crucified slaine Acts. 2. 22. Christ dyed for our sins 1 Cor. 15. 3. He offered himselfe by the eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. One of the Souldiers with a Speare peirced his side Iohn 19. 34. Type Besides all sacrifices of the old Law which foreshewed Christs death there are 2. speciall types 1 Abraham builded an Altar and bound Isaak his son Gen. 22. 9. And stretched out his hand and tooke the knife to kill his sonne ver 10. Accomplishment So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Io. 3. 16. He became obedient to death euen the death of the crosse Phil. 2. 8. So Moses made a Serpent of brasse set it vp for a signe and when a Serpent had bitten a man then he looked to the Serpent of brasse and liued Numb 21. 9. They crucified him Luk. 23. 33. Iesus whoÌ„ ye haue crucified Act. 2. 36. Hee was crucified concerning his infirmity 2. Cor. 13. 4 I if I were lift vp from the earth wil draw all men to me Io. 12. 32. This he spake signifying what death he should die v. 33. IOH. 14. As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of Man be lift vp For thine instruction meditate vpon Prophecie Tipes Storie of Christ's Passion For thy comfort apply to thy self the benefits of his death For thy correction remember and bewaile thy sinnes for which Christ suffered and dyed Quicken thy Faith by the Psalme Obedience and patience by the admonition Zeale and Deuotion by the Prayer ensuing THE ADMONITION for good-friday THE ANALYSIS We must suffer afflictions because 1. a By them we are made conformable to our Head Christ Iesus 2. b They are the Chastisements of our heauenly Father 3. c They proceede from loue 4. d They are moderated and mitigated by his mercy 5. e They are sweetened with many comforts 6. f They are the common lot of all Gods dearest children 7. g They are medicinable to the soule 8. h They bring vs to a sence of our sins and remorse for them 9. i
me and the paines of hell gat hold vpon me I found trouble and sorrow Psal. 116. 3. The Kings of the earth set themselues and the Rulers take councell together against the Lord and against his Christ. Psal. 2. 2. Mine enemies whisper together against mee against me doe they deuise hurt Psal. 41. 7. l Yea mine own familiar friends in whom I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lift vp his heele against me ver 9. I am like a Pelican in the Wildernesse and an Owle in the Desart Psal. 102. 6. I watch and am alone as a Sparrow on the house top ver 7. My louers and my friends stand aloofe from my stroke and my Kinsmen stand a farre off Psal. 38. 11. Mine enemies reproch mee all the day long and they that are mad vpon mee are sworne against me Psal. 102. 8. But I as a deafe man heard not and as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth Psal. 39. 13. I am as a worme and no man a reproch to men and despised of the people Psal. 22. 6. All they that see me laugh mee to scorne they shout out their lips and shake their heads saying ver 7. He trusted in the Lord that he would deliuer him let him deliuer him seeing he delighted in him Psal. 22. 8. Many Oxen came about me strong Bulls of Basan haue beset me round ver 12. They gaped vpon mee with their mouthes as it were a ramping and roaring Lyon ver 13. Thy wrath lyeth hard vpon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waues Psal. 88. 7. I am powred out like water all my bones are out of ioynt Psal. 22. 14. They pierced my hands and my feet Psal. 22. 16. My strength is dryed vp like a Pot-sheard and my tongue cleueth to my gums ver 15. Reproch hath broken my heart and I am full of heauinesse I looked for some to haue pitty on me but there was none for comforters but I found none Psal. 69. 20. They gaue me gall to eat and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke ver 21. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22. 1. Into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal. 31. 5. Thou keepest all my bones so that not one of them is broken Psal. 34. 20. My heart is like wax it is melted in the middest of my bowels Psal. 22. 14. They part my garments among them and on my vesture doe they cast lots Psal. 22. 18. Thou hast layed me in the lowest pit in a place of darknesse and in the deepe Psal. 88. 5. Free among the dead like to them that bee wounded and lye in the graue which be out of remembrance and are cut away from thine hand The close out of Ieremiah IS it nothing to you all yee that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his wrath Lam. 1. 12. A Prayer for Good-friday DEarest Redeemer the Mediatour of Heauen and Earth who this day werest placed on the Crosse betweene them both with thine armes stretched abroad to embrace and thy head bowed downe as it were to kisse all that come vnto thee I humbly prostrate my selfe at thy feet desiring in vnfained repentance with my teares to wash those thy wounds that bled for my sinne and in a liuely faith to touch the print of thy nailes and thrust my finger into the hole of thy side thereby to take reall and corporall possession of thee that I may with Thomas truely call thee My Lord and my God my dread and my loue my surety and my ransome my Sacrifice and my Priest my Aduocate and my Iudge my desire and my contentment the life of my hope here and hope of my life hereafter Before I was thine for thy hands haue made me and fashioned me but now sith thou hast offered thy selfe to be my pledge and thy bloud for my ransome thou art truly mine My Lord and my God O let the Speare which ranne thee thorow fasten my heart to thy Crosse Let the nailes which printed thy flesh imprint thy loue in my soule let the thornes which pricked thy temples not suffer the temples of mine head to take any rest in sinne let the vineger which was giuen thee melt my adamantine heart into sorrow let the Spunge which was offered thee on the Crosse wipe out all my debts out of thy Fathers Tables Let others goe on forward if they please I will stay still at the Crosse and take no other Lesson for I desire no other Pulpit then that tree no other Preacher then thy crucified body no other Text then thy death and passion no other parts then thy wounds no other amplification then thy extension no other notes then thy markes no other points then thy nailes no other booke then thy opened side The first Adam did eat the fruit of the forbidden tree therefore thou the second Adam hangedst vpon a Tree By his fall all mankinde were so sorely wounded that the whole head was sicke and the whole heart faint from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing but wounds and bruses and sores full of corruption therefore thy whole head was pained thy whole heart wounded from the sole of thy foot which was gored with nailes to the crowne of the head which was pricked with thornes there was nothing but cuts and stripes and markes and skars and sores and wounds in thy whole body Because our heads plotted and deuised wickednesse on thy head was platted a Crowne of thornes Because our eyes burned with lust thy eyes were bedewed with teares Because we belched out blasphemies against God thy face was spit vpon Because our bodies haue beene stretched want only vpon our soft beds thy body was stretched vpon the hard Crosse. O Lord our eares haue offended thee by listening to want on Musicke prophane speeches and songs therefore thou suffredst in thine eare by hearing scoffes and blasphemous taunts Wee haue offended God in our smell by luxurious perfumes and sweete odours therefore thou sufferedst in thy smell by the stench of Golgotha Our taste had offended in gluttony and drunkennesse therefore thou sufferedst in thy taste by gall and vineger Because our feet were swift to shed bloud thy feet were nailed to the crosse Because our hands were defiled thy hands were bathed in bloud Because all parts of our bodies offended thou wast punished in all parts in thy temples with thornes on thy cheekes with buffets in thy ioints with straines in thy flesh with stripes Lastly because our hearts most grieuously offended in vnchaste malicious couetous ambitious thoughts desires and affections and piercing our selues with worldly cares therefore thou wast most grieuously punished in thy heart which was run thorow with the Speare If all the sufferings
the earth and of them that remaine in the broad Sea ver 5. Thou stillest the raging of the Sea and the noise of the waues and the madnesse of his people ver 7. They that dwell in the vttermost parts of the earth shall bee afraid of thy tokens thou that makest the our goings of the Morning and Euening to praise thee ver 8. Thou visitest the earth and blessest it thou makest it very plenteous ver 9. Thou waterest her furrowes thou sendest raine into the little Vallies thereof thou makest it sofi with the drops of raine and blessest the encrease of it ver 11. Thou crownest thy yeeres with thy goodnesse and thy clouds drop fatnesse ver 12. They shall drop vpon the dwellings of the wildernesse and the little hils shall reioyce on euery side ver 13. Hee gathereth the waters of the Sea together and layeth vp the deepe as in a Treasure-house Psal. 33. 7. O praise the Lord of Heauen praise him in the height Psal. 148. 1. Praise him all ye Heauens and ye waters that bee aboue the Heauens ver 4. Praise the Lord vpon earth yee Dragons and all deepes ver 7. Fire and Haile Snow and vapours wind and storme fulfilling his Word ver 8. Sing vnto God ò ye Kingdomes of the earth ô sing praises vnto the Lord Psal. 68. 32. Which sitteth in the Heauens ouer all from the beginning loe he doth send out his voice yea and that a mighty voice ver 33. Ascribe ye power vnto God his worship and strength are in the Clouds ver 34. The Admonition for Munday being an Exhortation to humility or pouerty in Spirit Wherunto our Sauiour ascribeth the first BEATITVDE THE ANALYSIS The speciall motiues to humility set down in the Scriptures are 1 God's infinite Majestie puritie perfection 2 Mans vilenesse sinfulnesse wretchednesse wants of vvhich before See the Preparation to Prayer 3 Diuine Precepts 4 Holy patterns of this vertue in God the Father Christ. The Saints vnder the Lawe Gospell 5 Gratious promises made to the humble of 1 Neerenesse societie with God 2 Sauing knowledge 3 Sanctifying grace 4 Honour and preferment 5 Eternal blessednes in heauen THE TEXTS TAke my Yoake vpon you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and you shall finde rest to your soules Mat. 11. 29. Vnlesse yee become as one of these little ones yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Mat. 18. 23. Cast downe your selues before the Lord and he will lift you vp Iam. 4. 10. Decke your selues inwardly with lowlinesse of minde 1. Pet. 5. 5. Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God that he may raise you in due time verse 6. Who is like to the Lord our God that hath his dwelling on high and yet humbleth himselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and in earth Psal. 113. 5. I am among you as hee that ministreth Luke 22. 17. And he began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the towell wherewith hee was girded Iohn 13. 5. He emptied himselfe or made himselfe of no reputation Phil. 2. 7. He humbled himselfe and became obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. 8. I will speake vnto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 17. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shewed to thy seruant Gen. 32. 10. And he said wherewith shall I saue Israel Behold my Father is poore in Manasseth and I am the least in my fathers house Iude 6. 15. Lord I am not high-minded c. Psal. 131. 1. And Dauid said vnto Saul who am I and what is my life and my father's family in Israel that I shall bee sonne in Law to a King 1. Sam. 18. 18. And now O Lord my God thou hast made thy seruant King in stead of Dauid my father and I am but a little child I know not how to goe in and out 1. King 3. 7. Notwithstanding Ezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart both hee and the inhabitants of Ierusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not vp them 2. Chron. 32. 20. Then Iob arose and rent his Mantle and shaued his head and fell downe vpon the ground and worshipped Iob 1. 20. O Lord God righteousnesse belongeth to thee but to vs confusion of face at this day Dan. 9. 7. He that commeth after me is greater then I whose shoo-latchet I am not worthy to vnloose Math. 3. 11. When hee was not farre from the house the Centurian sent vnto him saying Master trouble not thy selfe I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder the roofe of my house Luke 7. 6. When Simon Peter saw it hee fell downe on his knees saying Goe from me Lord for I am a sinfull man Luke 5. 8. The Publicane standing a farre off would not lift vp his eyes to heauen but striking his breast said Lord be mercifull to mee a sinner Luke â—8 15. I am the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle c. 1. Cor. 11. 9. Iesus Christ came to saue sinners whereof I am chiefe 1. Tim. 1. 15. I am the Rose of the field and the Lilly of the valleys Cant. 2. 1. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble contrite heart to reuiue the spirit of the humble Is. 57. 15 To this man will I look euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word Isa. 66. 2. When pride commeth then commeth shame but with the lowly is wisedome Prou. 11. 2. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and reuealed them vnto babes Math. 11. 21. Hee giueth more grace wherefore hee saith God resisteth the proud but giueth grace to the humble Iam. 4. 6. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty but before honour is humilitie Pro. 18. 1â— Hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Luke 14. 11. He raiseth the poore out of the mire and lifteth the needie out of the dunghill Psal. 113. 7. That he may set him with Princes euen with the Princes of his people verse 8. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Mat. 5. 3. THE PRAYER FOR Munday morning composed of 1. Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2. Motiues to humilitie agreeable to the precedent exhortation The Prayer it selfe The second dayes Deuotion FAther Almighty maker of heauen and earth who createdst the Euening and the Morning the second day as wel as the first Continue I beseech thee vnto mee as well the comfortable rest of the Euening to refresh mee after my labour and trauaile as the most needfull light of the Morning to manage my affaires and businesses But especially perpetuatt vnto mee the repose of a quieâ—
conscience and the cleare light of the Gospel to guide my feete into the way of peace This light conuinceth the errours of my vnderstanding the deprauation of my will the disorder of my affections the impurity of my thoghts the vanity of my desires the deceitfulnesse of my heart the wickednes of all my wayes This light sheweth mee what I was in my birth slime and filthinesse what in my life vanity and folly and what in my death stench rottennesse This light discouereth vnto me that I haue nothing which I haue not receiued that without Christ I can doe nothing that in me that is in my body dwelleth no good that I am not able of my selfe as of my self think a good thought that I cannot desire to thinke nor haue wil to desire nor grace to will any good My comforts are rare my crosses frequent my pleasures momentary my paines permanent my gifts small my wants and infirmities great my helpes weake my assaults strong my good deeds few and they tainted with imperfections my sinnes infinite Let these considerations O Lord humble me in my selfe that Christ may raise me wound mee in my selfe that Christ may heale me burden mee in my selfe that Christ may ease me kill mee in my owne conceits that Christ may quicken me make mee most vile in mine own eyes that I may bee most deare and precious in his O Lord which as vpon this day createdst the clouds to raine vpon the earth showre downe thy graces abundantly into my heart to mollifie it that the seede of the Word may take deepe root downeward in humility and spring vpward in hope and spread abroad by charity and fructifie in all kindes of good workes Lord who this day separatedst the waters from the waters separate I beseech thee and distinguish betweene the waters of teares which I shed for my sinnes and those others which I shed for worldly crosses and calamities Cast away the one and put the the other into thy bottle Lord who this day madest the heauens or ayre without which I cannot liue naturally no not for a moment infuse into my heart the Spirit of grace without which spiritually I cannot breathe in my prayers nor sigh nor so much as moue any facultie or part of soule or body vnto thee As oft as I take in or let out the aire which I breathe let mee receiue in grace from thee and breathe out praise vnto thee Amen The close out of Scripture The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with me 2. Cor. 13. vlt. The Euening's Deuotion for Munday THE HYMNE Heare me O Lord in the multitude of thy mercies euen in the truth of thy saluation Psal. 69. 14. Let not the water floods drowne mee nor the deepe swallow me vp and let not the pit shut her mouth vpon mee verse 16. Thou diddest diuide the sea through thy power and brakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters Psal. 74. 14. Thou smoest the heads of Leuiathan in pieces and gauest him to be meate for the people in the wildernesse verse 15. Thou broughtest out fountaines and waters out of the hard Rocks thou driedst vp mighty waters verse 16. Thou art the God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power among the people Psal. 77. 14. The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee and were afraid the depths also were troubled verse 16. The clouds powred out water the aire thundered and thine arrowes went abroad verse 17. The voice of thy thunder was heard round about the lightnings shone vpon the ground the earth was moued verse 18. Thou bringest forth clouds from the ends of the world and sendest forth Lightnings with the raine bringing the windes out of his treasures Psal. 135. The springs of water were seene and the foundations of the round world were discouered at thy chiding O Lord at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure Psal. 18. 15. Thy way is in the Sea and thy pathes in the great waters and thy footsteps are not knowne Psal. 77. 19. THE ADMONITION for Munday's Euening being an exhortation to meeknes THE ANALYSIS The speciall Arguments to perswade meeknes set downe in Scripture are drawne from 1. The causes Impulsiue 1 Diuine precepts 2 humane frailty Exemplary God the Father Sonne H. Ghost The Saints The creatures in which nature hath patern'd this vertue 2 The effects 1 Peace With God With men 2 Wealth 3 Wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding 4 Sanctifying graces the fruits of the Spirit 5 Blessednesse THE TEXTS PVt them in minde c. Tit. 3. 1. That they be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekenesse to all men verse 2. If any man bee ouertaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6. 1. I beseech you that yee walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with lowlinesse and meeknesse with long suffering forbearing one another in loue Ephes. 4. 2. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued the bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long-suffering Col. 3. 12. Forbearing one another forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue you so also doe ye verse 13. But thou O man of God flye these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith patience meekenesse 1. Tim. 6. 11. Dearely beloued auenge not your selues but rather giue place vnto wrath For it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Rom. 12. 19. Wherefore my beloued Brethren let euery man bee swift to heare slow to speake and slow to wrath Iam. 1. 19. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God verse 20. Look diligently least any man faile of the grace of God least any root of bitternesse spring vp and trouble you and thereby many be defiled Heb 12. 15. Consider thy selfe least thou also be tempted Gal. 6. 1. Let him among you that is without sinne cast the first stone Ioh. 8. 7. Hee shall haue iudgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy reioyceth against iudgement Iam. 3. 13. And they heard the voice of the Lord in the coole of the day walking in the garden c. Gen. 3. 8. And after the earthquake there was a fire but God was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice verse 12. in which voice God was And it was so when Eliah heard it c. verse 13. Neuerthelesse for thy great mercies sake thou diddest not vtterly consume them nor forsake them for thou art a gracious and mercifull God Nehem. 9. 31. God said to Ionah Doest thou well to be angry for thy Gourd Ion. 4. 9. Thou hast pitie on the Gourd for which thou hast not laboured which came in a night and perished in a night verse 10. And should not I spare Nineueh that great
causeth repentance not to be repented of but worldly sorrow causeth death 2. Cor. 7. 10. For behold this selfe same thing that yee sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what cleering of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what reuenge ver 11. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Psal. 126. 7. I dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to reuiue the heart of the contrite Isa. 57. 15. Ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy Ioh. 16. 20. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted Mat. 5. 4. Wee haue mourned vnto you and yee haue not wept Luke 7. 32. And yee are puffed vp and haue not sorrowed 1 Cor. 5. 2. Woe bee vnto thee Corazin woe vnto thee Rethsaida c. for they c. in sack cloth Mat. 11. 21. And I gaue her time to repent and shee would not repent Reuel 2. 21. After thy hard and impenitent heart treasurest vp to thy selfe wrath in the day of wrath Rom. 2. 3. THE PRAYER FOR Tuesday morning composed of 1. Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2. Motiues to godly sorrow agreeable to the precedent exhortation O That my head were water and mine eyes were a spring of teares that I might weepe day and night for the deluge of sinne ouerflowing the whole world but especially for the inundation therof in this our Iâ—â—nd We are ouerwhelmed in this Torrent and should be drowned but that the gales of thy Spirit driue it somewhat backe and thy restraining Grace with the publike discipline of our Lawes and Canons set some bounds to it What hearts can vent sight enough what eyes yeeld sufficient teares to bewaile those publike sinnes vnder the burthen whereof the Land sinketh besides those priuate which lye as heauy on each of vs in particular Sinnes of omission sinnes of commission sinnes of birth sinnes of life sinnes of youth sinnes of age sinnes of frailty sinnes of â—ilfulnesse sinnes of act sinnes of habit and custome sinnes of secret taint sinnes of open stâ—inâ— Sinnes of infirmity committed against the power of the Father sinnes of ignorancâ— against the wisdome of the Sonne and sinnes of malice against the grace of thy holy Spirit If I should goe about to extenuate my sinneâ— euen that would aggrauate them if to excuse them my conscience would condemne me For I must confesse to thy glory and my owne shame that by my Originall and Actuall secret and open sudden and aduised ignorant anâ—â—â—â—icious sinnes I haue dishonoured thy Name prophaned thy Word defaced thine Image grieued thy Spirit despighted thy Grace wounded my owne conscience stained my good name scandalized my profession depriued my selfe of the comforts of the Gospell of the protection of Angells of the sweet fellowship of thy Spirit and drawne vpon mâ—e many heauy iudgements and treasured vp wrath against the day of wrath Yet because I mourne with Dauid in my prayers I weepe bitterly with Peter I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes with Iob I am ashamed and confounded with Ezra Lord let thy mercy preuaile against thy iustice my sighs and teares against my sinfull ioyes and thy Sonnes bloud euen against my crimson sinnes Lord who on this day madest dry Land and firme ground to appeare dry vp my â—â—â—res with the beames of thy mercy and giue me firme ground of comfort in thy Word Lord who on this day createdst all kinde of seedes sow in my heart the incorruptible seede of thy Word that I may thereby be regenerated to a liuely hope Lord who on this day createdst all kindes of fruitfull Trees make mee like a good Tree to bring forth good fruit here that I may hereafter eate of the Tree of Life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God So be it Amen The close out of Scripture GOd the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ grant mee according to the riches of his glory that I may be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man Ephes. 3. 16. That Christ may dwell in my heart by faith that I being rooted and grounded in loue ver 17. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height v. 8. And to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that I may bee filled with the fulnesse of God verse 19. The Deuotions for Tuesdayes Euening THE HYMNE alluding to the worke of God on this day in the Allegory OVT of the deepe haue I called vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice Psal. 130. 1. O let thine eares consider wel the voice of my complaint verse 2. If thou Lord wilt be extreme to marke what is done amisse O Lord who can abide it ver 3. But there is mercy with thee therefore thou shalt bee feared verse 4. I looke for the Lord my soule doth waite for him in his word is my trust verse 5. My soule flyeth to the Lord before the Morning watch I say before the Morning watch verse 6. I haue watched and am euen as a Sparrow that sitteth alone on the house top Psal. 102. 7. My heart is smitten down and withered like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread verse 4. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and instructest him in thy Law They that sowe in teares shal reape in ioy Psal. 126. 7. Hee that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth forth good seede shal doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him verse 8. The righteous shall flourish like a Palme-tree and shall spread abroad like a Cedar in Lebanon Psal. 92. 11. Hee shall be like a tree planted by the Riuer's side which bringeth forth her fruit in due season Psal. 1. 3. Whose leafe shall not fall and what soeuer hee doth it shall prosper verse 4. Such as bee planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God Psal. 92. 12. They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age and shal befat and well liking ver 13. THE ADMONITION for Tuesday Euening being an exhortation to hunger and thirst for righteousnesse whereunto our Sauiour ascribeth the fourth Beatitude THE ANALYSIS We must diligently and earnestly seek after the meanes of our saluation because therby 1 Wee obey God 2 Wee imitate his Saints 3 Wee obtain blessings Temporall Spirituall 1 Fauour 2 Delight 3 Peace 4 Life 5 CoÌ„tentment 6 The Kingdom of heauen THE TEXTS SEek the Lord and his strength seeke his face euermore Psal. 105. 4. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to euerlasting life Ioh. 6. 27. Receiue mine instruction not siluer and knowledge rather then fine gold Prou. 5. 10. For wisedome is better then precious stones and all pleasures are not to bee
is impossible for those who were once enlightened and haue tasted the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost Heb. 6. 4 It they shall fall away to renew them to repentance c. ver 5. The Angels which kept not their first estate he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Iud 6. THE PRAYER FOR Saturday Morning composed of Petitions sutable to the rest of the Father and the Sonne on this day Motiues to perseueraÌ„ce agreeable to the subsequent exhortation ALmightie Creator of heauen and earth and all things therein who this day restedst froÌ„ all thy workes and blessedst it grant to me after the painefull laboures and trauailes of this life are ended a sweete blessed and comfortable rest with thee in heauen where I may keepe a continuall Sabbath hold a perpetuall feast sing an euerlasting song weare an incorruptible crowne possess an eternall inheritance and fully enioy thee in all things and all things in thee in endlesse quietnesse ioy content and rest This rest is the marke at which all my desires aime this is the price for which all my endeauouâ—s runne this is the hauen to which by the gales of thy spirit my christian course driues For in this rest there is perfect tranquillitie and in this tranquillitie contentment and in this contentment ioy and pleasure and in this ioy and pleasure varietie and in this varietie securitie and in this securitie eternitie This is the end without end to which all my labours in thy seruice and sufferings for thee through my whole life tend vnto Here I haue labour without rest there shall be rest without labour here perturbations without tranquillitie there tranquillitie without perturbations here desire without content there content without desire heere paine and sorrowes without sincere pleasures and ioy there ioyes and pleasures without all paine and sorrowes heere satiety of delights without variety there variety without satiety here feare without safety there safety without feare heere a sudden end without ioy there ioyes without end Wherefore I beseech thee heauenly Father loosen my desires and affections from the things that are belowe and knit them to the things that are aboue Breake and dissolue the vnlawfull contracts betweene my soule and the creatures and marrte her to thee in righteousnesse Breede in me more and more the loathing of the forbidden fruit and a longing for the fruits of the tree of life Let mee not leane vpon the reedes of Aegypt which will breake vnder me and the splinters run into my body Let mee not repose my selfe vnder Ionâ—s's worme-eaten gourd but the sollid wood of Christ's Crosse. Let me not set vp my rest on this side of Iordan but passe ouer into the celestiall Canaan And because death is the narrow passage betweene this life and the life to come let mee not so much feare this cut as I doe for on this side I leaue labour sorrow sinne shame vexation anxiety paine and mortality and on the other side I finde rest righteousnesse glory contentment pleasure and immortality It is but a short passage and my Sauiour hath made it safe All thy Saints either haue or shall passe it ouer I lose nothing in this passage my soule is presently transported and though my body stay a while heere yet it shall follow in due time And no sooner this darke world and the shadow of it goes out of sight but the glorious light of heauen shineth vpon me I see streetes of gold and gates of pearle and foundations garnished with all sorts of pretious stones I shall behold thee the Father in thy Maiesty Christ thy Sonne in his glory the Spirit in his sanctity the Arch-angels and Angels in their excellency and the Saints in their felicity I shall then hunger no more I shall labour no more I shall trauell no more I shall feare no more I shall grieue no more I shall desire no more I shall need no more any house for the heauen heauen of heauens shall be my habitation nor Temple for God shall bee my Temple nor light for the Lambe shall be my light O Lord let the hope and expectation of this euerlasting rest and happinesse sweeten all my labours and ease my torment and mittigate my sorrowes and comfort my heart that I faile not in my labour nor tyre in my trauell nor sinke vnder my burdens nor fall vnder my crosses nor die for sorrow of my wounds receiued in the Lord's battailes but hold on cheerefully strenuously and valiantly till I ariue at the land of promise and there receiue the lot of mine inheritance with the Saints in light So be it Amen The close out of Scripture The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding preserue my heart and minde through Iesus Christ Phil 4. 7. The Deuotion for Saturday Euening THE HYMNE I Will blesse the Lord at all times his praise shall bee in my mouth continually Psal. 34. 1. O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layed vp for them that feare thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men Psal. 31. 19. Blessed be the Lord for hee hath shewed mee meruailous kindnesse v. 21. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth vs with benefits euen the God of our saluation Psal. 68. 19. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits Psal. 116. 12. O loue the Lord all yee his Saints for the Lord preserueth the faithfull and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer Ps. 31. 23. Behold the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and vpon them that hope in his mercie Ps. 33. 18. To deliuer their soule from death and to keepe theÌ„ aliue in famine v. 19. Though I haue layen among the pots yet shall I bee as the wings of a Doue couered with siluer and her feathers with yellow gold Psal. 68. 13. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of all Psal. 34. 19. He keepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken v. 20. Why art thou cast downe ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Psal. 42. 11. THE TEXTS IN. Adam all dye 1 Cor. 15. 22. It is appointed to men once to dye Heb. 9. 27. Death went ouer all Rom. 5. 12. Man that is borne of a woman is but of few dayes Iob. 14. 1. Hee commeth forth like a flower and is cut downe he flyeth away as a shadow and continueth not verse 2. And where is he verse 10. When the breath of man goeth forth hee shall turne againe to his earth and then all his thoughts perish Psal. 146. 3. Man lyeth downe and riseth not till the heauens be no more Iob 14. verse 14. They shall not be awaked nor raised out of their sleepe v. 14. Thou hast made my
forget her but wilt giue her a man-childe I will giue him to the Lord all the dayes of his life 1 Sam. ◠11. Loe children and the fruit of the wombe are an heritage and gift that commeth of the Lord Psal. 127. 4. Like as arrowes in the hand of a gyant euen so are young children v. 5. Happie is the man that hath his quiuer full of them they shall not be ashamed when they speake with their enemies in the gate v. 6. Thou fillest their belly with thy hid treasure Psal. 17. 14. Elizabeth said Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the daies wherein he looked on me to take away my reproach among men Luke 1. 25. Vnto the woman he said I will greatly multiply thy sorrowe and thy conception In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children Gen. 3. 16. Adam was not deceiued but the woman being deceiued was in the transgression 1 Tim. 2. 14. A woman when she is in traueile hath sorrow because her howre is come but as soone as shee is deliuered of a childe shee remembreth no more her anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the world Ioh. 16. 21. Be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth Gen. 1. 28. Be ye fruitfull and multiply and bring forth abundantly on the earth Gen. 9. 7. Notwithstanding she shall be saued in childe bearing if they continue in faith and charity holines sobriety 1 Tim ◠15. A Psalme for women in their trauaile IN thee ô Lord doe I put my trust let me neuer be put to confusion Psal. 71. 1. Deliuer mee in thy righteousnes and cause me to escape incline thine eare vnto me and saue me v. 2. Lord strengthen mee vpon the bed of languishing make all my bed in my sicknesse Psal. 41. 3. Lord be mercifull vnto me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee v. 4. Make haste ô God to deliuer me make haste ô Lord to helpe me Psal. 70. 1. For thou art my hope ô Lord God thou art my trust from my youth Psal. 71. 5. By thee haue I bin holden vp euer since I was borne thou art hee that tooke mee out of my mothers wombe my praise shall be continually of thee v. 6. I am feeble and sore broken I haue roared by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart Psal. 38. 8. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee v. 9. My soule is bowed downe to the dust my belly cleaueth to the earth Psal. 44. 21. Make haste to helpe mee ô Lord my saluation Psal. 38. 22. Lord heare me in this day of my trouble thy name ô God of Iacob defend me Psal. 20. 1. Send mee helpe from the Sanctuary and strengthen me out of Sion v. 2. Blesse me Lord and blesse the fruit of my wombe A Prayer for a woman in time of her trauaile O Most righteous and mercifull God who hast iustly inflicted the sorrowes vpon me which I now endure for the transgressions of Eue the Mother of the liuing and yet in iudgement remembring mercie hast sanctified them to the propagation of thy Church and doest graciously and wonderfully strengthen and help thy seruants in them both to ouercome the paines and escape the danger Haue pitty vpon the feeble estate of thy poore Hand maid vnable without thy speciall assistance to goe through this great worke of patience and labour My first parent did eate the sowre grapes and my teeth are set on edge and I now taste the bitternesse of that forbidden fruit and from my heart loathe and detest it I confesse gracious Lord that both my selfe my childe yet vnborne haue deserued to perish in our sin originall or actuall and I humbly submit it and my selfe to thy gracious will and pleasure yet my hope is in that blessed seede of the woman that brake the Serpent's head that thou hast a blessing in store for me and that I beare in my wombe of which I am as much in trauaile in my soule to bring it forth to thee and make it thine as I am in labour in my body to bring it forth to me and make it mine Blesse me deare Father in both workes that of nature and this of grace Lord punish not the childe for the parents sake but preserue the parent for the child's sake that both may liue and praise thy Name Sanctifie vnto mee these paines and throwes that they may serue not onely as a corasiue for sinnes past but also as a preseruatiue against sinne to come Blesse me in the vse of all ordinarie meanes for my sake bearing and bringing forth my childe Comfort my fainting heart and strengthen my weake body and asswage my bitter pangs and sorrowes and sweeten them with an assured hope of a happie and speedy exchange of them into comfort and ioy that a childe is borne into the world Lord who wert present with me at my conception be present with me in the safe deliuery of that I haue conceiued Let thy hand which formed and fashioned my babe in my wombe keepe all the parts and members of it in due shape substance proportion that the notes of the parent's sin bee not seene in the markes maimes and defects of the childe It is my labour but it is thy work ô Lord to make it a liuing instrument of thy glory Perfect I beseech thee the worke thou hast begunne and wrought in mee thine vnworthy worke-house Make it like all the works of the creation to which thine own mouth gaue testimony that they were perfect good Deale not with me according to my wickednes but according to thy gracious goodnesse Carrie such a hand ouer me in al time of my labour grieuous paines and after my deliuery also that I may euer praise and magnifie thee for the effects of thy grace in my patience of thy power in my strength of thy prouidence in my timely deliuery and thy great mercy in my safety and the preseruation of my fruit for which I humbly beg a blessing from thee and both dedicate it and my selfe to thee Receiue both in and for thy holy childe Iesus's sake to whom with thee and the blessed Spirit be all honour praise and thanksgiuing now and for euer Amen The Child-bearing womans Deuotion after her Deliuerie The Admonition to confidence in God THE ANALYSIS For confidence in God in greatest and imminent dangers we haue in Scripture 1 Precepts 2 Presidents in ABRAHAM SARAH DAVID MOSES ELIAH HESTER IOB SHADRACH MESECH and ABEDNEGO IONAH PETER 3 Reasons drawn frō God his Names of Faithfull Creatour Preseruer of men Mighty deliuerer Sauiour Attributes Omnipotencie Goodnesse Promises Works or performances THE TEXTS OFFER the Sacrifice of righteousnesse and put your trust in the Lord Psal. 4. 5. Put thou thy trust in the Lord and be doing good Psal. 37. 3. Commit thy way vnto the Lord and put thy trust in him v. 5. Charge the rich that they
cast aliue into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Râ—u 19. 20. Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuel and his angels Mat. 25 41. And they haue no rest day nor night Reu. 14 12. And the diuel that deceiued them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and false Prophets are and shall be tormented day and night for euer and euer Reu. 20. 10. How much she hath glorified her selfe and liued deliciously so much torment sorrow giue her Reu. 18. 7. He began to be sorrowfull and very heauy Mat 26. 37. Then sayd he vnto them My soule is exceeding sorrowfull euen vnto death Mat. 26. 38. And being in an agony he praied more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great droppes of bloud falling downe to the ground Luke 22. 44. There stood by the Crosse of Iesus his Mother and his Mother's sister c Ioh. 19. 25. And Iesus cryed with a loud voice saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Mar. 15. v. 34. Pilate released Barabbas and deliuered Iesus vnto them when he had scourged him to be crucified Mar. 15. 15. The Souldiers plotted a crown of thorns and put it on his head Ioh. 19. 2. And hee bearing his crosse went forth into a place called The place of a skull ver 17. Where they crucified him c. ver 18. One of the Souldiers with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out water and bloud ver 34. In the daies of his flesh when he had offered vp prayers supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5. 7. Though he were a sonne yet learned hee obedience by the things which he suffered v. 8. Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that wee should follow his steps 1. Pet. 2. 21. There hath no such tentation taken you but such as is common to men 1. Cor. 10. 13. The same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world 1. Pet 5. 9. Satan smote Iob with sore biles from the sole of his foote to the crowne of his head Iob. 2. 7. And he took him a potsheard to scrape him withall and hee sate downe in the ashes ver 8. I haue sinned what shall I do vnto thee ô thou Preseruer of men why hast thou set mee as a mark against thee so that I am a burden to my selfe Iob. 7. 20. Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night in which it was sayd There is a man-child conceiued Iob. 3. 3. Let that day be darknesse let not God regard it from aboue neither let the light shine vpon it ver 4. seq I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long Psal. 38. 6. My loynes are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundnesse in my bones v. 7. I am feeble and sore-smitten I haue roared by reason of the disquietnes of my heart v. 8. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee ver 9. See Psal. 6. Psal. 22. Psal. 102. Ps. 30. ps 142. psal 143. I am the man that haue seene affliction by the rod of his wrath Lam. 3. 1. He hath filled me with bitternesse and made me drunke with wormwood ver 15. I think God hath set forth the last Apostles as it were appointed to death for wee are made a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men 1. Cor. 4. 9. In iournying often in perils of Waters in perils of Robbers in perils by mine owne Countrimen in perils by the Heathen in perils in the Citie in perils in the Wildernesse in perils in the Sea in perils among false brethren 2. Cor. 11. 26. In wearinesse and painfulnes in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakednesse 2. Cor. 11. 27. For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter Rom. 8. 36. If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ then are we of all men most miserable 1. Cor. 15. 19. Others were tryed with mockings and scourgings yea moreouer with bonds imprisonment Heb. 11. 36. They were stoned they were sawed asunder they were slaine with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goate-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented v. 37. Of whom the world was not worthy They wandred in deserts and mountaines and in dennes and in Caues of the earth verse 38. These are they that came out of great tribulation and haue washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb Reu. 7 14. I saw as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victorie ouer the Beast and ouer his image and ouer his name c. Reu. 15. 2. And they sang the Song of Moses and of the Lambe v. 3. God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but will with the tentation also make a way to escape that we may be able to escape 1. Cor. 10. 14. The God of all grace who hath called vs to his eternall glorie by Christ Iesus will after that you haue suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you 1. Pet. 5. 10. For a small moment haue I forsaken thee but with great mercie will I gather thee Isa. 54. 7. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with euerlasting kindnesse will I haue mercy on thee sayth the Lord thy Redeemer ver 8. His anger endureth but a moment in his fauour is life weeping may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning ps 30. 5. The diuell shall cast some of you in prison that ye may be tried and ye shall haue tribulation tenne dayes Reu. 2. 10. And it was sayd vnto them that they should rest yet a little season vntil their fellow seruants also and their brethren which should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Reu. 6. 11. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reuealed in vs Rom. 8. 18. The light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for vs a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glorie 2 Cor. 4. 17. No chastening for the time seemeth to be ioyous but grieuous neuerthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12. 11. If thou art terrified in conscience with the gilt of thy sinnes and fearefully tempted to despaire support thy selfe with these helps 1 Most earnest prayer of thy self of others for thee 2 Bitter teares in aboundance for thy particular sinnes 3 Restitution 4 Reconciliation 5 Almes deedes 6 The comfort of thy Pastor 7 The absolution of the
haue sinned against heauen and against thee c. v. 20. And he arose went to his Father but when he was yet a great way off his Father sawe him and had compassion came fell on his neck and kissed him v. 20. And he said to Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Luk. 23. 41. And Iesus said vnto him Vetily I say vnto thee This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise v. 43. Him ye haue taken and by wicked hands haue crucified and slaine Act. 2. 23. Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom yee haue crucified both Lord and Christ v. 36. Now when they heard this they were pricked in heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall wee doe verse 37. Then Peter said Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins v. 38. Then they that gladly receiued the Word were baptized and the same day were added vnto them about three thousand soules verse 41. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe 1 Tim. 1. 15. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee Iesus Christ might first shew forth all long suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter belieue on him to eternall life v. 16. A Psalme for the sicke lying at the point of death wherein The humble and faithfull Christian 1 Layeth open his affliction In body In minde 2 Confesseth his many and grieuous sins 3 Earnestly prayeth for Audience Sence of Gods fauour Pardon for his sinne 4 Acknowledgeth God's great mercies through his whole life 5 Professeth his Trust in God Ioy in the holy Ghost Peace of conscience Desire of Death Assured hope of eternall blisse 6 Commendeth his soule to God O Lord God of my saluation I haue cryed day and night before thee ô let my prayer enter into thy presence Psal. 88. 1. For my soule is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh vnto hell v. 2. I am weary of my groaning euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares Psal. 6. 6. I am accounted as one that goeth downe to the pit I haue bin as a man that hath no strength Psal. 88. 3. Free among the dead like vnto them that bee wounded and that lie in the graue which be out of remembrance and cut away from thine hand v. 4. Thine indignation lyeth hard vpon me and thou hast vexed me with all thy stormes v. 6. I am powred out like water and all my bones are out of ioynt my heart also in the middest of my bowells is like melted waxe Psal. 22. 14. My strength is dryed vp like a potsheard and my tongue cleaueth to my gummes and thou shalt bring mee into the dust of death v. 13. The sorrowes of death compasse me and the ouerflowings of vngodlines make me afraid Psal. 18. 3. The paines of hell come about me the Snares of death ouertake me v. 4. Thine arrowes stick fast in me and thy hand presseth mee sore Psal. 38. 2. There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither any rest in my bones by reason of my sin v. 3. For my wickednesses are gone ouer my head and are like a sore burden too heauy for me to beare v. 4. If thou Lord wilt bee extreame to marke what is done amisse ô Lord who may abide it Psal. 130. 3. Out of the deepe haue I called vnto thee ô Lord Lord heare my voice v. 1. O let thine eares consider well the voice of my complaint v. 2. Lord why abhorrest thou my soule and hidest thy face from me Psal. 88. 14. I am in misery and like to him that is at the point to dye from my youth vp thy terrors haue I suffered with a troubled minde v. 15. Thy wrathfull displeasure goeth ouer me and the feare of thee hath vndone me v. 16. Haue mercy vpon mee ô God after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences Psal. 51. 1. Wash me throughly from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne v. 2. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me v. 11. O giue me the comfort of thy helpe againe and stablish me with thy free Spirit v. 12. Neuerthelesse I am alwaies with thee for thou hast holden me vp by thy right hand Psal. 73. 23. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell and after that receiue me with glory v. 24. Whom haue I in heauen but thee ô Lord and I desire none in earth in comparison of thee v. 23. Returne to thy rest ô my soule for the Lord hath rewarded thee Psal. 116. 7. Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then theirs whose corne and wine and oyle increaseth Psal. 4. 8. I will lay me downe and take my rest for it is thou Lord onely that makest mee dwell in safety v. 9. I will behold thy presence and when I awake vp after thy likenesse I will bee satisfied with it Psal. 17. 16. I shall be satisfied with the plenteousnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue mee drinke of thy pleasures as of the riuers Psal. 36. 8. For with thee is the well of life and in thy light shall I see light v. 9. Thou shalt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for euermore Psal. 16. 12. Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me ô Lord thou God of truth Psal. 31. 6. A Prayer for the sicke lying at the mercy of God and ready to depart AETernall and omnipotent infinite incomprehensible God Lord of my life and determiner of my dayes My body now is resoluing into dust and my soule returning to thee that gauest it O Lord most holy ô God most mighty draw neere vnto me who make hast to come vnto thee Giue mee a cleerer sight of thee by how much the neerer I am out of the darke prison of my body Giue me also a quicker taste of the powers of the life to come that I may more comfortably passe ouer these last troubles of this present life O Lord my soule is heauy euen vnto death for the weight of al my sins aggrauated by the diuel is at once vpon me and I sink and faint vnder this burdon which is too heauy for me to beare Neither is there any meanes vnder heauen to ease mee of it but by laying it vpon him that hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes O Father of mercy and God of all consolation let not the guilt of my sins or horror of thy iudgements or Sathans suggestions or the feare of death or terrors of hell driue me to desperation I confesse that for