some comfortable assurance that I am one of those trees which thou my Heavenly Father hast planted that so I may not be rooted up CLX Upon the sight of an old aged servant cast off by his master LOrd cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth CLXI Upon the sight of one that held up his hand to defend his eye from a stroke LOrd keep thou me as the apple of thine eye CLXII Vpon the sight of one levelling and making plain a way LOrd make thy way plaine before my face CLXIII Upon the sight of one that was cast out of favour and was desirous to be received into favour again O God thou hast for my sins deserved ly cast me out of thy favour thou hast been justly angry with me oh return again unto me CLXIV Upon the sight of one rescued out of his enemies hands O My God deliver me I beseech thee from out of the hands of all my spirituall enemies CLXV Upon the sight of one that earnestly petitioned a friend to help him HEar my prayer O God and hide not thy self from my supplication CLXVI Upon the sight of pigeons flying from a Hawk OH that I had wings like a Dove then should I likewise flee away and be at rest from my persecutors CLXVII Vpon the sight of a Sow wallowing in the mire LOrd I have been washed both in my Baptism the laver of regeneration and I trust by thy blessed Spirit I am sure I have with many a tear washed and bathed my soul in hearty sorrow for my filthy sinnes past Oh never suffer me to return to wallow in those my filthy sins again as this sow which hath been washed doth now wallow again in the mire CLXVIII Vpon the sight of night drawing on LOrd thy word doth tell me that when the night cometh no man can work I see the night of death is coming on upon me Oh give me therefore the grace to work so whilst the day of my life doth last that when the night of death shall come I may not have that work to do which may be for the everlasting good of my soul CLXIX Upon the sight of one that was dumb LOrd I see in this dumb person wherein I have been so often faulty in thy sight not daring to speak of thee or for thee when I should have done it Lord pardon this my sin past and do thou which hast and still canst open the mouth of the dumb open my mouth which hath been so often dumb that it may speak both to thy glory and my own souls comfort CLXX Upon the sight of a Mill-wheel driven about with the water HEre I see that the more this wheel is driven away by the water the faster it returns unto it again So Lord give me the grace that when thou shalt by the water of affliction seem to drive me at any time from thee I may with the more speed return unto thee for ease and comfort CLXXI. Upon the sight of a field that was white and ready for the harvest LOrd this field shews me how ready I am for the sickle of thy wrath to cut me down for my many and manifold sins if thou shouldst deal with me according to my deserts But Lord in mercy look down upon me and withhold the hand of thy sin-revenging Justice from me that I may by thy grace live more to thy glory than hitherto I have done CLXXII Upon the sight of a candle put out LOrd put not out the candle of my life in utter darkness as thou usest to put out the candle of the wicked CLXXIII Upon the sight of Bees labouring in the summer LOrd these little creatures I see will not neglect any time or season wherein they may gather food to preserve them alive in winter Oh that I had but the like care in the summer of my life health and strength to provide for the good of my soul against the winter of death sicknesse or weaknesse CLXXIV Upon the sight of one stung with a Bee LOrd I see in this party that is stung what hurt the sting of so little a creature as the Bee is may do Oh give me therefore the grace to take heed of the sting of death which is sin and the sting of conscience which is for sin for these will put me to farre more pain than this stinging of the Bee can do him CLXXV Upon the sight of Bees fighting with strange Bees that came to rob them of their honey LOrd here I see that even these little creatures cannot endure to be robbed of what they have laboured for but will fight for the preservation of it even unto death Oh that I might have the like care and courage to fight against and to withstand all those my spirituall enemies which seek to rob my soul of thy spirituall graces CLXXVI Upon the sight of a dead mans coffin deckt with flowers LOrd here I see the love of the living to the dead how carefull they are to deck even that which shortly must be put into the earth Oh give me the grace that I may shew so much love to my poor soul which is dead in trespasses and sins that I may every day more and more seek to deck it with the spirituall flowers and herbs of grace that it may appear lovely in thy sight and may smell sweet unto thy nostrils through my Saviour Jesus Christ CLXXVII Upon the hearing of sweet musick LOrd if this musick here on earth be so sweet how needs must that musick in heaven be sweet where there are perpetuall Hallelujahs sung unto thee by the heavenly quire of Saints and Angels into which quire Lord in thy good time admit me to bear a part CLXXVIII Vpon the sight of an old ruinous house fallen down LOrd here I see in this house the very picture and pattern of mans frailty whither he must at last when all is done to support him Oh give me therefore the grace that before this earthly house of my body be dissolved I may be provided of a celestiall habitation wherein I may dwell with thee for ever CLXXIX Vpon the sight of the shadow on a Diall LOrd here I see this shadow passeth on though I cannot discern it and just so it is with my life it passeth away like a shadow though I do not discern and take notice of it Oh give me therefore the grace that I may improve my time to the best uses whilst I have it lest when it is past it be too late to recall it or to make that use of it that we would or should do CLXXX Vpon the sight of a Mole heaving LOrd I see in this creature my own earthly mindedness and how apt and prone I am to settle my affections on earthly things Oh help me therefore with thy grace to
afterwards again in the many threds of my actuall transgressions yet if I will but consent and obey thou wilt make them as white as snow Make good this thy promise to me thy servant who is both willing and desirous to obey thee in all things as far as thy grace shall enable me LX Upon the sight of two wrastling together LOrd give me thy grace that when I shall wrastle with thee by my prayers and my tears as thy servant Jacob did that I may not let thee goe till thou hast blessed me and when I shall wrastle with the Devil to withstand his temptations doe thou so assist me with thy grace and let thy power be so seen in my weaknesse that he may not be able to prevail against me LXI Upon the sight of one winning a wager at running LOrd this man hath taken great pains to win this earthly wager Oh that I could take the like pains in running my Christian Race that I might in the end obtain the Crown of Glory LXII Upon the hearing of the wind rising ARise O North and come O South and all ye other Soveraign winds of the Spirit of God do ye breath and blow upon the garden of my soul that the sweet odours of Gods heavenly graces which are therein may be dispersed to the glory of God and to the benefit of other Christian Souls LXIII Upon the sight of a thirsty Traveller going to a Well to drink LOrd this man doth not more thirst after the water of this Well to quench his bodily thirst then my Soul doth after thee the fountain of ever-living water Oh give me therefore of this water and do thou which biddest me to come unto thee and drink satiate my soul therewith when I am come LXIV Upon the sight of a weaver weaving in his looms LOrd this mans work is to me a Remembrancer of my mortality and that many waies His shuttle sheweth me the swift passing away of my time his weaving the addition of daies to my age but so as the more of his work is added to the cloth the less is upon the beam and the more the one increaseth the nearer the other approcheth to his end and cutting off so the more daies are added to my age the more is detracted from my life and the nearer it draweth to its end and cutting off Therefore Lord give me thy grace that I may make a right use of this my short and swift-passing life and be ever mindfull as I should be of my mortality and ever preparing for it lest I be cut off before I look for it LXV Upon the hearing of a Cock crowing LOrd the crowing of a Cock was to Peter a means with thy blessing to bring him to the sight of his sin and to true repentance for it Oh that thou wouldst so bless unto me the voice of thy Spirituall Cocks the Ministers of thy word and mine own conscience that they may also by thy blessing be a means to bring me to the like sight of my sins and to true repentance for the same LXVI Upon the sight of a Malefactors arraignment LOrd this must one day be my case for I must appear before the judgement-seat of Christ the Judge of quick and dead that I may there receive the things which have been done in my body according to that I have done whether it be good or evil and therefore good Lord give me the grace that I may in the mean time ever think upon it and use the means to have my sins put away by true repentance for them and by a lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ before that great and fearfull day shall come LXVII Upon the sight of one stooping and striving to go in at a strait passage LOrd the way leading to thy Kingdome is through a low and a strait passage through which none can enter that are not lowly and humble and can be content for the Kingdome of heavens sake to strip themselves of whatsoever thing may be an hindrance to their entrance thereinto O give me the grace therefore to be truly humble in thy sight as thy child should be and to cast away every thing that presseth down and my sins that hang so fast on that I may with the more speed and ease enter thereinto LXVIII Upon the sight of Reapers reaping down a close of corn THis field of corn being ripe what wonder is it to see Reapers put into it to cut it down And therefore Lord when our sins are become so ripe what can be expected but that the sickle of thy wrath should be put in amongst us to cut us down also All that I can say for my self or the people of this sinfull nation is Lord enter not into judgement with us or if our sins shall force thee so to do Lord in justice remember mercy and repay us not according to our deserts LXIX Upon the sight of a Mower cutting down grass in a medow THis medow is the emblem of mankind for as in this there is grasse of all sorts and sizes â—â—me longer some shorter some younger and but newly sprung some elder and othersome so ripe that it is ready to wither yea and amongst these too there are many flowers of a most gay and specious colour and yet when the Mower comes with his sithe down they go all neither one not other is spared And just so is it with mankind some are taller and lifted up higher than others in honours and worldly preferment others are of a meaner sort rank and condition some are infants newly born others of elder and riper years yea some by reason of their old and decrepit age ready to wither yea and amongst these too there are some of a more beautifull and specious shew in the eyes of the beholders than others yet when Death Gods mower once comes with his sithe he spares neither young nor old neither rich nor poor nor any of any sort or condition amongst mankind but down they go all one as well as another Lord teach me therefore so at all times to prepare for it that when it shall come it may not find me unprepared LXX Upon the sight of a Dog returning to and eating up his own vomit THe stomach of this Dog before he vomited seemed to be very sick and much pained and yet being eased of that pain how ready and willing is he to return to this his vomit again which formerly pained him and to eat it up And if this be so odious a thing in my sight Lord what shall I be unto thee when after the confession of my sins unto thee whereby I have found ease and comfort I shall return again to my former sinfull course of life that so much dishonoured thee and wronged mine own soul Therefore Lord I beseech thee so strengthen me with thy grace that having confessed my sins
field LOrd let not the fire of thy wrath and fierce indignation devoure me as this fire doth the stubble that is cast into it but in wrath remember mercy CCLXV. Upon the sight of Rookes in a corn-field newly sown LOrd these fowls are not more desirous to eat up and devour this newly sown corn then is the Devil that master-fowl of the aire to catch away that precious seed of thy word sown in my heart by the ministers and preachers thereof Lord give the grace therefore that I may not be like the ground by the high-way side on which whatsoever seed was sown the fowles presently devoured it because it was not covered with earth but that I may rather be like the good ground wherein the seed sown was so hid and covered that it brought forth fruit in abundance CCLXVI. Vpon the hearing of a strong castle or fort taken by force LOrd my heart the Devil hath for a long time fortified hoping to keep it for himself for ever But Lord thou art stronger then he oh do thou therefore overcome him for me and take me out of his possession that I may live to glorifie thee for this thy wonderfull deliverance of me and for all thy other mercies which thou hast shewed towards me in Jesus Christ CCLXVII Vpon the sight of one that trode in the steps of another that went before him LOrd Jesus thou hast suffered for me and in thy sufferings hast left me an example that I should follow thy steps Oh that I might have thy grace so to do it that following thee here in this world I may in the next attain to that happinesse in Heaven which thou hast promised to all those that follow thee in sincerity and truth CCLXVIII Vpon the sight of one that was sent to reconcile two that were at variance LOrd thou and I have been long at variance by reason of my many and manifold sins committed against thee yet thou art willing I see to have me reconciled unto thee again and for that end hast sent the ministers of thy word as thy Ambassadours to pray me in Christs stead to be reconciled unto thee Lord let not their paines taken herein be fruitlesse and to none effect but give me the grace to accept of the conditions offered and to blesse thy name for the mercy vouchsafed me therein CCLXIX Vpon the sight of chaffe driven away with the wind when one was winnowing LOrd let thine and thy Churches enemies be as chaffe before the wind and let thine Angel scatter them CCLXX. Vpon the sight of one dipping a sop in wine and eating it LOrd grant that after the taking of thy holy Sacrament I may not be like Judas into whom after the taking of the sop Sathan entred lest being filled with iniquity I be brought to destruction both of body and soul as he was CCLXXI. Upon the hearing of some that had suffered shipwrack LOrd keep me from making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience CCLXXII Upon the hearing of a shepherd that watcht his flock by night LOrd be thou my shepherd and do thou which never slumbrest nor sleepest watch over me with the eye of thy fatherly providence that neither the Devil which goeth up and down like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour nor any of his wicked instruments may be able to hurt me CCLXXIII Vpon the sight of a mastive lying before a door LOrd here I see in this mastive lying before this door what I must expect if I shall boldly enter into any known sin for as this mastive lying before the door of this house is ready to fly upon those that shall enter therein so will my conscience fly upon me if I shall enter into the waies of sinne Oh help me therefore with thy grace and keep me by thy power from all such courses that I may neither offend thee my God nor draw upon my self any such sad inconvenience CCLXXIV Upon the sight of a crab-stock grafted with good fruit which yet sent forth many shoots of his own kind LOrd here I see what I am and what I must expect to be as long as I live in this world I may have thy word engrafted in me and may seem thereby to grow in grace and goodnesse but yet still do what I can there will some shoots of my naturall corruption be sprouting forth savouring of the old stock Adams sinfull loines from whence we all came Oh do thou therefore so assist me with thy grace that though such sins may be in me yet they may not reign in me but do thou like a good husband cut and prune them off so as that they may not hinder the growth of thy word in me nor make me unfruitfull in the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ CCLXXV Upon the sight of one that sheltred himself under a tree in the time of a storm LOrd the times wherein we live are stormy times and we know not whether to run for shelter in these sad times but onely unto thee who hast promised to be a place of refuge and a covert from the storm to all those that be thine Oh be thou then such a shelter for us and we will glorifie thy name for this thy mercifull deliverance of us CCLXXVI Upon the sight of divers mens sheep put into one and the same sheep-fold LOrd Jesus thou hast other sheep which are not yet of this thy fold wherein we are Oh do thou then which art the good sheph erd in thy good time bring these also into this thy fold that so there may be one sheep-fold and one shepherd CCLXXVII Vpon the washing of mine own hands LOrd give me the grace that I may be as carefull to wash my hands in innocency before I do approch unto thine Altar there to receive the body and bloud of my Saviour Jesus Christ CCLXXVIII Upon the sight of a cart laden with corn LOrd I have by my many and manifold sins often pressed thee as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Oh be mercifull unto me for what is past and give me thy grace that I may never do so again hereafter CCLXXIX Vpon the sight of one taking larks in a field HEre I see nets spread here I see larks flittering up and down with their wings though tied by their legs here I see a turning glasse against the Sun with the radiant and shining brightnesse whereof those silly birds are so taken that without fear they hasten to the place here I also see the bird-catcher himself sitting a good way off watching to cast his net over them when he thinks they are within the reach of them And Lord what is this but a lively representation of the Devils that grand fowlers dealing with me For where can I go in this wide field of the world where he hath
not spread his nets where he hath not many of his instruments which are in his possession though they seem to be at liberty puposely there set to tempt and toll me into their company and be partaker with them of their sinnes and sinnefull courses where he hath not also many vain pleasures and delights to draw me to his lure and he himself alwaies ready at hand to surprise me and to catch me and to make me his here and eternally his in hell fire hereafter except thou by thy grace shalt ptevent it which I beseech thee for thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ his sake to grant unto me CCLXXX Upon the sight of a lamb OH sweet Jesus the eternall Son of the eternall God thou which art the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world do thou so take away my sins that they may neither terrifie my conscience here nor condemm my soul hereafter CCLXXXI Upon the sight of a sheep shearing OH sweet Jesus my onely Lord and Saviour which in thy sufferings wert like a sheep dumb before his shearer and openedst not thy mouth to revile or threaten those that thus wronged thee but committedst thy cause to him that judgeth righteously and therein didst leave me an example that I should follow thy steps give me the grace I beseech thee that I may do the like whensoever I shall be called to suffer with thee or for thee CCLXXXII Vpon the hearing of one that had wronged his neighbour and for it being to appear before a Justice of peace procured some friends in the way thitherwards to take up the matter and to end it for him LOrd I have wronged thee my God and mine own conscience many waies by my sins and have often injured my neighbours by meanes of which both thou and they are become mine Adversaries Oh give me the grace therefore that whilst I am in the way and do live here I may so agree with you all that hereafter I be not delivered to the judge of quick and dead the Lord Jesus Christ that righteous judge and be by him delivered to the Devil the Jaylor of hell who will cast me into that easelesse and endlesse prison of Hell never to come forth thence again CCLXXXIII Upon the sight of a painted and curiously wrought sepulchre LOrd keep me that I may not be like unto this sepulchre to appear beautifull and righteous outwardly to the eies of men and be in the meane time as full of sin and wickednesse within as this is of dead mens bones and all filthinesse CCLXXXIV Upon the sight of one that sought for a thing lost LOrd I have so long erred from the waies of thy commandements that I have at last lost my self and thy favour Oh seek thy servant therefore and in thy good time find me again lest I be lost for ever CCLXXXV Upon the sight of a pot boyling and not skummed LOrd here I see how much skumme and filthinesse is apt to arise out of my heart when once my choler that is within me doth begin to boile and if it be not skummed and taken away by thy grace how soon it will intermix it self with my best actions Oh help me therefore by thy preventing grace that it may not so any more arise in me or if it do that by the same grace assisting me I may speedily repent me of it and skumme it and take it away as it doth arise lest thy wrath lighting upon me both I and it be in the end consumed with the fire of this thy wrath and just indignation CCLXXXVI Upon the sight of one that was corrected by his master for his bad writing and withall taught how to amend it LOrd thy word doth assure me that he is in a happy condition whom thou chastisest and withall teachest him by thy word how to amend That I may then be so happy Lord let me not onely be chastised by thee for what I have done amisse but be taught also by thy blessed word and Spirit how to amend it CCLXXXVII Vpon the sight of a Smith at work upon his Anvile THey say that the more the Anvile is beaten upon the harder it groweth Lord keep me from being so that I may not be the more hardened in my sins by the strokes of thy judgements inflicted on me for them lest not being amended by them I either cause thee to inflict on me or mine some more heavy judgements or to cease punishing of me which will prove in the end the heaviest judgement of all CCLXXXVIII Vpon the sight of a Dog flying upon the stone that hit him without regard to the throwers hand LOrd how often have I done the like by flying upon those with bitter reproches which were but the secondary causes and instruments of my wrong without ever looking at thy hand which set them on work Lord be mercifull unto me for what is past and give me the grace to look up to thy hand better for the time to come that I may with the more patience and comfort undergo what thou by them shalt think meet to lay upon me CCLXXXIX Vpon the sight of a glasse of distilled water stirred and shaken AS long as this glasse of distilled water stood still and unshaken there was nothing to be seen in it but fair and clear water but now being stirred and shaken what a moode and muddy residence doth there arise in it And just so Lord is it with me as long as I am not stirred moved and provoked by any I seem a Saint and as if I had in me nothing of spleen and gall at all but being once moved and provoked how much impatience techinesse frowardnesse and other like corruptions do there manifest themselves in me Lord give me grace therefore rightly to know my self and mine own heart that I may neither conceive too well of my self nor judge too ill of others when I am exempted and they are suffered to fall in any grosse sin CCXC. Vpon the sight of one skilfull in Chymistrie that extracted salt out of herbs CHymicks are of opinion that there is almost nothing but salt may be drawn out of it and that there is no man but hath salt in him Lord give me the grace that I may also have salt in my self the salt of true spirituall wisdome and discretion that I may by the same so season all my actions and so temper all my affections that both by the one and other I may bring glory to thy name good to others and comfort to my own soul CCXCI. Vpon the sight of a burning fire-brand which was soon extinguished when cast into water LOrd here I see how great a measure of zeal may be soon quenched amongst wicked company Oh give me therefore the grace to keep out of such company which are so prejudiciall to thy glory and to my souls