the part of a good Christian in renouncing the vanities of this wicked world and cōmitting your selfe wholly both body and soule to Gods carefull tuition whose armes of mercie no doubt are now spred wide open readie to embrace you But because you answere so directly I will be bold to put moe questions vnto you Doe you from the bottom of your heart ask forgiuenes of all those whom you haue offended in this world by thought word or deede and are you in heart sorrie for the same Answ I am heartily sorrie for my offences both towards God and Man I must needs confesse I haue not once but often offended both and therefore I humbly craue pardon of both whom I haue often abused and I must desire you to signifie so much to the Congregation among other remembrances of mee Quest. 8. Doe you your selfe for Christs sake vnfainedly and from the bottome of your heart forgiue all those that by any means haue iniured and offended you either in speeches thought or actions Answ I willingly and freely forgiue al the world euen as I looke to bee forgiuen my selfe at the hands of my heauenly Father whom many times and sundry waies I haue offended Or otherwise I know I could neuer with a good conscience repeat that Petition of the Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses as Math. 6. 12 wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And furthermore our Sauiour Christ saith If you doe not forgiue men their Math. 6. 15 trespasses no more will your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses c. And therefore I know assuredly if I had a stout and stonie stomake and not a fleshy and tender heart apt and prone to forgiue I could not die in loue and charitie with the world and then not in Gods fauour For as Saint Iohn saith If 1. Ioh. 4. 11 God haue so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another Which we cannot doe except we forgiue one another and that dayly for in many things we offend all Iam. 3. 2. and who knoweth how oft he offendeth And therefore it remaineth seeing the case so standeth that if wee will be beloued wee must loue if wee will bee forgiuen we must forgiue if we will be blessed wee must blesse and not curse and if we will haue mercie we must shew mercy God grant vs his mercie and giue vs grace so to do and so to liue that wee may make a godly and quiet end and so die the death of the righteous Quest 9. I pray God both now and euer shew the light of his countenance vpon you and continue this good which hee hath begunne in you euen to the end for most Christianly and like a good seruant of God you haue taken your leaue of the world in disposing your selfe and yours towards God and Man And I find you so furnished and fit for God that you may boldly assure your selfe of his fauour loue towards you if you continue in so good and godly a minde to the end And truely I am glad and so are all your wel-willers here present this day to heare and see in you so good fruits of a Christian whose end is commonly according to his life If any other thing be in your mind that you would haue done touching worldly matters I pray you aduertise me thereof and I will doe my diligence to haue your minde and will fulfilled therein so farre forth as is requisite Answ Sir I am at a point with the world and all worldly affaires and I haue no more to say or to deale with such matters but leaue them and their appurtenances to those that come after And I renounce here before you and the rest all worldly wealth pleasures goods lands and liuings I yeeld and surrender them vp to the longest liuer and now resigne my selfe wholly to God that made mee and saued mee And my heartie desire is now to dwell with the Lord in the Land of the liuing My faith is there fixed and I hope assuredly to attaine vnto it by the bloud of the Innocent Lambe of God Iesus Christ my Redeemer Quest 10. The Lord increase your faith and God grant you your hearts desire and that Land which you long for you are in the high-way towards it God keepe you in it for if you liue and die as you haue professed assure your selfe the gate is open alreadie and you are longed and looked for it was prepared for such as you are from the beginning and that you may be the better perswaded hereof I will put forth vnto you a few spirituall questions which being answered as before you shal sufficiently satisfie me and all that heare you this day that you are the Child of God and an Inheritour of his heauenly Kingdome and so we will proceed to Prayers But I feare I am too tedious and troublesome vnto you Answ No good Sir thinke not so hardly of me I beseech you though I be wearie of sicknes yet I am not wearie of well-doing and of good counsell I had neuer more neede of it neither can it come in a better time and I take great pleasure therein being now past the pleasure of the world therefore I pray you in Gods name say on for my earnest desire is to be prepared and made readie for the good houre that God hath appointed for my deliuerance out of this wretched world and I looke euery moment for the comming of the Bridegroome I am ready with my Lamp burning and my trust is he is ready to let me in Examples of Spirituall Questions Quest 1. GOd be thanked for your good remembrance and for your stedfast beliefe and I pray God continue it euen to the end But now I will by your patience apply the rest of my speech onely to the safety of your Soule Doe you not acknowledge your selfe to bee a sinner and grieuously to haue offended God in not liuing so well and vprightly in this world as you ought to haue done Answ I must needs acknowledge and confesse that I am a grieuous sinner and that I haue oftentimes and many waies disobeyed and broken the Law and will of God both in my thoughts words works Quest 2. How doe you know the same Answ By the Law of God For the Law hath said Doe this and I haue not done it Doe not that and yet I haue done it and in this sort I haue sinned both by omitting that which was good and by committing that which was bad Quest 3. What danger haue you incurred by this meanes and what hath your negligence and disobedience herein deserued at Gods hands Answ Of my selfe I must needs say that I haue thereby deserued at Gods hands eternall death and damnation a curse and not a blessing and so I am taught by the word it selfe For it is written Cursed is Gal. 3. 10. euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the
lose by rigour For like as too great noise hurteth the eare too much meate hurteth the body too much raine hurteth the ground euen so weake wits and fearefull consciences may soone bee surcharged and oppressed with ouer-hard questions especially when the minde is disquieted with troubles and the body grieued with sicknesse The second Dutie of the Pastor THe second Dutie of the Pastor is to vse faithfull and hearty prayer for the sick For as he is the mouth of God vnto the people euen so hee is the mouth of the people vnto God by his zealous sute and by powring out pure prayers vnto his Maiestie in their behalfe Therefore Saint Iames saith Is any Iam. 5. 14. man sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and anoint him with oyle in the Name of the Lord and the Prayer of Faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shall bee forgiuen him I will not take vpon me simply to prescribe any man a forme of Prayer but as the Spirit of God shall mooue him and according as time and occasion shall serue so let him with â— groning Spirit frame his prayers vnto him that is able to helpe and can saue both bodie and soule Neuerthelesse I haue thought good to set down a forme of some for the further instruction of the vnlearned But before Prayer I think it not amisse to reade any one of these three selected Psalmes as preparatiues to Prayer which I haue collected receiued at Dauids own mouth most meete for that purpose The first Psalme OVt of the deepe haue Psal 130. I called vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice O let thine eares consider well the voice of my complaint If thou O Lord straitly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand or who shall be able to abide it For sure and certaine it Psal 1. is that the vngodly shall not bee able to stand in iudgement neither the sinners in the Congregation of the righteous O Lord rebuke me not Psal 6. therefore in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure Haue mercie vpon mee O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale mee for my bones are vexed My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me Turne thee O Lord and deliuer my soule O saue mee for thy mercies sake For in death no man remembreth thee and who shall giue thee thankes in the pit I am wearie of my groning euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares My God my God looke Psal 22. vpon mee why hast thou forsaken mee and art so farre from my health and from the words of my complaint O my God I crie in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season also I take no rest But thou art hee that tooke me out of my mothers wombe thou wast my hope when I hanged yet vpon my mothers brests I haue beene left vnto thee euer sithence I was borne thou art my God euen from my mothers wombe O go not from me then for trouble is hard at hand and there is none to helpe me I am powred out like water all my bones are out of ioynt my heart also in the middest of my bodie is euen like melting Wax My strength is dried vp like a pot-sheard and my tongue cleaueth to my gummes Turne thee therefore Psal 25. vnto mee O Lord and haue mercie vpon me for I am desolate and in misery The sorrowes of my heart are inlarged O bring thou me out of al my troubles Looke vpon mine aduersitie and miserie and forgiue me all my sinne How long wilt thou forget Psal 13. me O Lord for euer How long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long shall I seeke counsel in my soule and be so vexed in my heart The paines of hell came Psal 18. about mee the snares of death ouertooke me But in my trouble will I call vpon the Lord and complaine vnto my God So shall hee heare my voice out of his holy Temple and my complaint shal come before him it shall enter euen into his eares O Lord let it be thy pleasure Psal 40. to deliuer mee Make haste O Lord to help me For innumerable troubles are come about mee my sinnes haue taken such hold vpon mee that I am not able to looke vp yea they are more in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed mee For thine arrowes sticke Psal 38. fast in mee and thy hand presseth mee sore There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne For my wickednesses are gone ouer my head and are like a sore burthen too heauie for me to beare I am feeble sore smitten I haue rored for the verie disquietnesse of my heart Lord thou knowest all my desire and my groning is not hid from thee My heart panteth my strength hath failed mee and the sight of mine eyes is gone from mee Take thy plague away Psal 39. from mee O Lord I am euen consumed by the meanes of thy heauy hand For when thou with rebukes doest chasten man for sinne thou makest his beautie to consume away like as it were a moth sretting a garment euery man therefore is but vanitie O spare mee a little O Lord that I may recouer my strength before I goe hence be no more seene O tarry thou the Lords Psal 27. leisure be strong he shal comfort thine heart put thou thy trust in the Lord. Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the c. The second Psalme O Lord God of my saluation Psal 88. I haue cryed day and night before thee O let my prayer enter into thy presence incline thine eare vnto my calling For my soule is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh vnto hell Vp therefore O Lord Psal 44. why sleepest thou Awake and be not absent from vs for euer Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our misery and affliction Rise vp for our succour and redeeme vs for thy mercies sake My soule is athirst for Psal 42. God yea euen for the liuing God when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God O remember not the sins Psal 25. and offences of my youth but according to thy mercie thinke vpon mee O Lord for thy goodnes For thy name sake O Psal 69. Lord bee mercifull vnto my sinne for it is great Hide not thy face from thy seruant for I am in trouble oh haste thee and heare mee Thy rebuke hath broken my heart I am full of heauinesse I looked for some to haue pitie on mee but there was no man neither found I any to comfort mee Therefore I will cry vnto Psal 77. God with
me O Lord a fit sacrifice for thy selfe by punishing my fleshly body and pardoning my sinfull soule Grant mee perfect remembrance of the houre of my death last gaspe that I may thankefully take this thy fatherly visitation and willingly beare my crosse after thy deare Son Iesus Christ my Sauiour O Lord prepare me for the good houre which thou hast appointed for the deliuerie of my soule out of this wretched world settle my thoughts and fixe my faith on the life to come that I neuer shrinke from thee and thy sauing health what paine or torment soeuer thou inflictest vpon mee here on earth yet deare Father let heauen be my reward in the end Finally so dispose of me good Lord as may be most meete for thy glory and mine own saluation in Christ Iesus my mercifull Redeemer and Sauiour to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour power and praise world without end Amen A Prayer to be said in the pangs of Death O Infinite Deitie and vnmeasurable goodnes O blessed and glorious Trinitie O perfect loue and charitie haue mercy on mee and open the bowels of compassion vpon mee a wretched sinner wrapped in woe and ouerwhelmed with anguish of soule and vexation of spirit Into thy hands O Lord I wholly commit and resigne my selfe make haste O Lord to deliuer mee for it is high time My flesh trembleth my bones are brused mine eyes wax dimme my strength faileth my heart panteth and my sorrow and paine euery way increaseth O mercifull Creator shew mercy to thy creature In thee O Lord alone is all my trust In my misery and smart I haue no other to make my mone vnto but onely to thee O thou preseruer of men Therefore forsake me not vtterly but stand by me and with comfort relieue me in this my extremitie and last combate Stretch out thine arme O Lord and hold thy hands of pitie ouer me that lyeth here in woe and misery O Iesu O sweet Iesu mercie O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me O Father of Heauen help me O holy Spirit of God confirme comfort me O God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghost three persons and one God haue mercie vpon me O Iesus my sweet Sauiour receiue my silly soule into thy holy hands Place it O LORD for thy mercie sake with thine owne selfe in thy heauenly Kingdome among thine holy Angels and Saints O my good God and my heauenly Father pitie my case ease my paine comfort my soule and be mercifull vnto me Lord shew the light of thy louing countenance vpon mee And in the houre of my death strengthen my faith So that my body returning to the earth from whence it came my soule may ascend to thee which gaue it and at the day of doome generall iudgement when they shall both meete againe they may rise to life euerlasting thorow our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen Short Petitions collected for the Sicke Partly out of other Authors BEhold O gracious Father the body of thy deare Sonne all to rent and torne and remember I most humbly beseech thee of how small base substance I am Behold O good God the grieuous paine Passion of Christ my Redeemer and forgiue the sinnes of me thine vnworthy and vnprofitable Seruant which am therby redeemed O Lord looke downe from Heauen incline thine eares vnto my prayers confort my sobbing soule cheere my carefull conscience increase my faith forgiue me my sinnes and haue mercy vpon me through Iesus Christ my Sauiour Amen O Lord I beseech thee mercifully heare my prayers and spare mee which doe confesse my sinnes to thee that I whose conscience by sin is accused by thy mercifull pardon may be absolued through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen O GOD the Father which made mee blesse mee O God the Sonne which redeemed me preserue mee O God the holy Ghost which sanctifieth me confirme and strengthen me The blessing defence and sauing health of the Almighty God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost preserue mee from all euill and bring mee to euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Glory be to thee O Father my Maker Glory be to thee O Sonne my Redeemer and glory bee to thee O holy Ghost my Comforter from age to age from posteritie to posteritie both here and in the world to come and let all people say Amen The peace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the power of his Passion the prayers of his Elect the Communion of Saints the sword of the Spirit and the shield of Faith bee betwixt mee and all mine enemies bodily and ghostly publike and priuate visible and inuisible both now and in the very houre of my death Amen O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit Thou hast redeemed mee O Lord thou God of Truth Lord Iesu at thy pleasure and at the time which may be acceptable vnto thee receiue my spirit into thy heauenly Kingdome Amen The third Dutie of the Sicke THe third and last duty of the sicke person is to be patient in his sicknes or any other aduersitie willingly to beare the burthen of Christs Crosse so to follow him for the better performance wherof I haue thought good to annex to the premisses this short Treatise of Patience wherein I will obserue this order First I will perswade by Precepts to suffer aduersitie and all kinde of calamitie Secondly I wil produce out of the Scriptures some speciall and particular examples which may prouoke vs both to suffer affliction and to be patient therein Thirdly I will shew some Reasons to allure vs thereunto 1. Precepts perswading FIrst it is an old saying Patience in aduersitie is a goodly vertue and truely so it is and Patience is a rare vertue and so it may well bee because it is so seldome seene and neuer so seldome as in these our dayes wherein wee haue many motions to euill but few or none to that which is good We offer wrong we will take none Wee giue shrewde words to others wee can brooke none towards our selues Wee haue Eagles eyes to espy a mote in our Brothers eye but like blinde buzzards wee see none at all in our owne We complaine of euery griefe in our selues bee it neuer so little wee pitie none in others bee it neuer so great And therefore we had need both of Precepts to perswade and Examples to prouoke but I feare neither the one nor the other will preuaile or take place in vs. And why Mens hearts are steeped in bitter gall their hands are cruell their feete swift to shead bloud their braine busie to inuent mischiefe And to speake the truth without flattery Loue is lost Charitie is cold Faith is not to be found Pietie maketh mone being pinched by aduersitie and patience is gone beeing forced by extremity Wel what is to bee done in this wofull case Wee must comfort our selues with sentences and examples which are written for our
increase in the fulnesse of our Sauiour Christ Behold vs with the eye of thy mercie and vouch safe to defend vs that commit our selues wholly vnto thee both now and euermore Giue vnto vs a heart alwayes affected to honour thee a minde euer meditating of thy righteousnesse and a spirit burning with zeale of thy worship that wee may warily stand vpon our guard and neuer yeeld to the treacherie of the Aduersarie Blesse and prosper our enterprises O Lord that whatsoeuer we take in hand we may by thy direction bring it to good successe and euermore praise thy holy Name for thy gracious assistance and singular goodnes grant this O Father for Iesus Christ his sake our onely Sauiour and redeemer An Euening Prayer GOod God the Creator and Maker of all mankinde seeing it hath pleased thee of thy diuine prouidence to ordaine the night as a meane to deliuer vs from the trauels of the day and to minister ease and gladnes to the wearied limmes of our bodies to the great comfort and refreshing of the same by the fruitiō of quiet sleepe and rest according to humane nature wee beseech thee therefore O Lord of thy vnspeakeable goodnesse and mercie to bee our watchman and defender this night that wee bee not ouercome by fantasies dreames or other illusions but that through thy permission wee may take such quiet rest and voluntarie sleepe as nature requireth though our grosse sences are at such times stopped yet vouchsafe euer to grant vs the assistance of thy grace and holy Spirit that our soules may respect the comming of thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ that at what time soeuer he calleth we may bee sound watchfull and continually ready to performe his will that after this life ended wee may eternally rest in glory and as the brightnesse of the Sunne doth in the morning disperse the darke clouds and thicke mists from the face of the earth whereby the same was before couered with darknesse so wee humbly beseech thee vouchsafe to disperse and bury our sinnes in the bloud and obedience of thy deare Sonne which doe as it were shadow vs from the bright beames of thy fauourable countenance and euermore assist vs with thy gracious goodnes that our sleepe may be so healthfull vnto vs that wee with willing mindes arising in the morning may vtterly shake off all manner of drowsinesse and make haste to exercise our selues in such Christian labours as thy diuine prouidence hath ordained vs vnto to the aduancement and renowne of thy holy name credit of thy Church comfort and reliefe of our Christian Brethren and our euerlasting saluation In mercy grant this O Lord we beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake our onely Redeemer and Sauiour vnto whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all power and dominion for euer Amen A Table of the principall matters contained in this Booke A Preparatiue for the Sicke fol. 1. God doth visit vs diuers wayes fol. 20. In Gods visitation consider three things fol. 23. The first Dutie of the Pastor fol. 24. Examples of Temporall Questions fol. 25. Examples of Spirituall Questions fol. 55. The second Dutie of the Pastor fol. 84. The first Psalme fol. 87. The second Psalme fol. 95. The third Psalme fol. 100. A pithy Prayer for a Patient being pained with Sicknesse fol. 112. A comfortable Prayer against Desperation fol. 122. An effectuall Prayer for those which be Lunaticke or possessed with any euill spirit fol. 137. A fruitfull Prayer in time of any common sicknesse or Plague fol. 159. The third Dutie of the Pastor fol. 177. The fourth Dutie of the Pastor fol. 201. Consolation against Damnation fol. 219. The summe of the Beliefe confessed fol. 250. The Protestation of the Sicke fol. 274. The second Dutie of the sicke Person fol. 283. A godly motion or Meditation before Prayer In which wee craue for Grace Faith Patience fol. 284. A fruitfull Prayer for the assistance of God in the extremitie of sicknes fol. 289. A pithy and profitable Prayer when we are in danger of Death wherein wee commit our selues to God renounce the world craue pardon for our sinnes and forgiue fol. 296. A Prayer to be said in the pangs of Death fol. 303. Short Petitions collected for the Sicke fol. 307. The third Dutie of the Sicke fol. 311. Precepts perswading fol. 313. Two Examples prouoking fol. 332. Three reasons alluring fol. 382. A generall and fruitfull Prayer for all Christians to be reuerently said at altimes Morning Euening Night or Day fol. 396. A Morning Prayer f. 409. Euening Prayer fol. 412.