the destroyer may not enter send into my soule that heavenly fire of love to thy sacred Majestie and charity to all men which may assure mee of thy acceptance of me and my sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving clens out of mee all the old leaven of sinne and maliciousnesse open my understanding increase my faith that I may see and know the assurance of my sinnes remission in the seale of eternall life which by thy mercies I am now to receive Thou hast taught mee O Lord that my blessed Saviour in the night that he was betrayed made this holy testament wherein as he tooke flesh and blood of us that he might dye for us so hee bequeathed his body and blood to us that wee might live in him and left this Sacrament as a faithfull pledge of his love to remember us of his dying for us till he come againe O Lord I know thou art the life and truth and wouldst not leave thy Church any effectlesse earnest of their salvation Lord Jesus therefore be present with my spirit worke powerfully on thine owne ordinance that it may indeed seale up my salvation in my soule with that conconstant assurance that the gates of hell may never prevaile against it that no terrour of conscience nor any delusions of Satan may be able to overthrow it but that I may with a lively faith lay hold on all thy merits that I may find therein an inward peace in confidence of my sinnes remission reconciliation with my God sound joy in the Holy Ghost my comforter sanctified will and affections purity of life and holy obedience which hath the testimony of a good conscience to be a sweet comfort both in life and death assuring me that I have fought a good fight with entire faith and therefore shall enjoy the crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall at that day give to all them that love his appearing Grant this O Lord and whatever else thou knowest to be needfull for me for Jesus Christ his sake who with thee and the holy spirit liveth and raigneth ever one God world without end AMEN An other private Prayer for one ready to receive the Lords Supper HOly Lord I humbly beseech thee for Christ Jesus sake whose sacred body and blood are here represented forgive me all my sinnes and give me a stedfast hearty and constant resolution never to commit the like againe give mee a lively faith that through these signes which my Saviour hath appointed to be received in remembrance of his death and passion untill his comming againe I may really apprehend the spirituall relish of the bread of life and to be assured that Christ's body was given for me and his most pretious blood shed for my redemption Lord lift up my soule above all worldly thoughts that I may by a steady and confident application of all the benefits of his death and passion see Christ Jesus sitting at thy right hand feed on him by a justifying faith and thereby be nourished to eternall life Holy Father heare and assist direct and guid me according to thine owne will Lord Jesus who gavest thy selfe to death for my salvation deny not the requests of my feeble soule longing for the assurance of thy saving health hungring and thirsting for thee and thy righteousnesse O holy Ghost the sanctifier of all the elect throughly cleanse me from all the old leaven of sin prepare me body and soule to an holy reverend and effectuall receiving these sacred mysteries that my soule and conscience may thereby be sealed up to redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN A private Prayer after receiving the Lords Supper MOst gratious God and mercifull Father who of thine owne free love and good pleasure hast elected created redeemed regenerated reconciled justified and preserved me unto this present who hast also bestowed â—on me unworthy of the least of thy mercies the peaceable use of thy holy word and sacraments I humbly thanke thee as for all other thy favours so for this present comfort which I have now received Lord accept this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving through Jesus Christ whose oblation of himselfe once offered for a full and perfect price of our redemption and satisfaction for all our sins we have hereby according to his owne ordinance remembred Lord perfect the worke which thou hast begun in me make good thine owne institution unto my soule seale me up unto the day of redemption worke in mee a full assurance of my sinnes remission and my reconciliation to thee by the death and merit of thy holy sonne Jesus give me a lively sense of my union with him and his living in me so guiding me by his holy spirit that his life may appeare in all my thoughts words and actions that I may henceforth live no more to sinne but being freed from the power and laws thereof may have my fruit unto holinesse and eternall life Lord make me every day more and more able to doe thy will and to abandon mine owne corrupt desires let me now feele in my soule conscience the reall benefit of thy word and sacraments which thou hast promised to all those that truely seek thee give me that longing desire of right cousnesse which is by thy grace secured from despaire and preserved from vaine glory and presumption satisfie me with that measure of grace which thy wisdome knoweth sufficient for me Lord make me knowe assuredly that I have not now received this holy sacrament in vaine nourish me hereby to eternall life give me a greater strength to walke righteously before thee with sound faith cheerefulnesse of minde firme and comfortable peace of conscience and that joy of the holy Ghost which may ascertaine me that thy kingdome is established in me Give me a zealous love of thy glory ready obedience to thy law feare to displease thee innocency of life and that holy charity towards all men which may give me boldnesse in the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus order thou my conversation so that it may be unblamable towards all men and holy before thee to thy glory and the good example of those with whom I live assist me with such a measure of thy sanctifying spirit that I may indeed performe all those vowes which I have made before thee that every day of my life may be to mee as this Sabbath an holy rest from sinne Lord who powerfully commandest all thy creatures prevent the mischievous subtiltie of the tempter let thy holy spirit keepe me body and soule give me an holy contempt of this present world and affections set on high where my blessed Saviour sitteth at thy right hand who shall in the appointed time appeare in judgement and gather his elect unto him These things and whatsoever else thou knowest needfull for me or any part of thy whole Church militant I begge at thy gratious hands who hast commanded us to aske and
and change of the Leviticall Law and Priesthood he ordained for this new covenant of grace a new Sacrament and seale thereof that it succeeding the Passeover might declare him to be the only Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world to shew and represent his death untill his comming againe to leave his Church a badge of distinction from insidells and a parting token and pledge of his love assuring the faithfull of his continuall love toward them 4. The visible signes herein are Bread and Wine the thing signified is the participation of the body and blood of Christ the benefits of whose death and passion being apprehended by faith accrew to us as our mysticall union with Christ our incorporation into him our reconciliation with God and the nourishment of our soules to eternall life 5. These signes doe not barely represent the body blood of Christ unto us but doe also truly exhibit the same so that Christ is truly there and we doe by faith truly eate his flesh drinke his blood but spiritually and mystically not carnally and bodily for neither is the bread converted into the body of Christ nor is that with or under the species thereof for if there be not visible signes distinct from that which is thereby signified it can be no Sacrament we do indeed eate his body and drink his blood as we who are many are yet indeed truly one body in and with Christ that is mystically and spiritually 1. Cor 6. 17. To eate the body and drinke the blood of Christ is by a true faith in these outward signes bread and wine in the Sacrament inwardly to apprehend all the benefits of his passion and thereby to become partakers of his body so as that we are made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone he dwelling in us and we in him The faithfull now eate drinke the same in this sacrament which the faithfull did before the incarnation of Christ in the Pascall Lambe and out of the rock that followed them that was Christ but they did not in the Passeover or out of the rock eate and drinke the body blood of Christ carnally but spiritually and sacramentally for how could they otherwise eat his body whâ—Ì„ as yet he had not taken any humane body on him so that whereas Christ said take eate this is my body we must remember that it was a sacrament he then instituted and therefore used a sacramentall phrase and manner of speaking wherein sometimes the signe is put for the thing signified as 1. Cor 11. 25. this cup is the new Testament sometimes the thing signified is put for the sign thereof Exod 12. 11. it is the Lords Passeover so they used to say eate the Passeover meaning the lambe the signe thereof so here this is my body that is a sacrament or signe thereof 1. The reprobate and elect communicate sometimes together in the elements and outward signes but the reprobate hath no part nor fellowship in the inward grace which was signified in that no part of the Pascall lambe might be carried out of the house nor any uncircumcised person eate of it 2. The elect here receiveth that spirituall refection which nourisheth his soule to eternall life but the reprobate eateth and drinketh his own damnation not discerning the Lords body but taking it as a thing of common use not sacred if the elect come unworthily he shall be punished with some temporall punishment for this cause many are weake sick among you and many sleep so the red sea was a defence to Israâ—l and destruction to the Egyptians 3. They receive unworthily who not understanding the end and institution or duty in this holy and dreadfull mystery required will yet presume for feare of humane censure fashion or company to venture on it without due reverence or preparation also unbelievers hypocrites malicious people and they who purpose to continue in any knowne sinne 4. They may be said to be fit or worthy ghests for the Lords table which understanding and well considering the institution end and due reverence herein required have the eye of faith fixed on Christ and on his merits for their redemption who out of a deep and inward sense of their owne unworthinesse judge and condemne themselves to prevent God's judgements who rest on the sole merits of Christ for their salvation who with all their hearts desire to forsake all their sinnes that they may serve God sincerely who are in charity with all men who with humble and reverend hearts receive this sacrament with all thankfulnesse shewing their dependance on Christs sacred ordinance obedience to his holy will and their expectation of his making good all his promises therein Seeing this is a matter of so high concernment it importeth every Christian. 1. to consider how he ought to prepare for his receiving it 2. how to receive it 3. what to doe after receiving 1. For thy preparation 1. Examine thy self before thou presume to come whether thou do understand the institution meaning and end of this Sacrament and if not learne of them that are able to instruct thee herein 2. Examine whether thou hast true faith assuring thee that Christ dyed for thee and with his eye of mercy and omniscience in his passion as well looked on thee as those believers who stood by his crosse then though thy faith be weake if thou hunger and thirst for righteousnesse come to this table that thou maist be strengthened The woman was cured who said in her heart If I may but touch the hem of his garment if thou beleeve in touching and tasting these signes and seales which he hath appointed to derive vertue to thy soule thou shalt be healed 3. Examine whether Christ dwell in thee by his holy spirit daily mortifying thy corrupt affections and quickning thee to the life of grace which will shew it selfe in sanctified desires thoughts words and actions at lest in sincere intention of the heart and some ability to keep Gods holy lawes without any the least purpose to yeeld indulgence to the breach of any of them The soule cannot be in the body but it shall be discovered by some acts of life and motion the being of the Arke at Obed Edoms house appeared in his thriving how much more shall the presence of Christ. 4. Examine whether thou do heartily repent thee of every sinne which thou hast committed if so then though remorse of conscience create thee feares and doubtings come to the Lords table who inviteth the heavy laden to comfort them the brazen serpent was a type of Christ that had the forme of a serpent without venome and Christ the forme and nature of man without sinne he that was stung with fiery serpents by looking up to the brazen serpent was presently cured and he
that is bitten with hels fiery serpents all other wayes uncurable by looking upon Christ with the eye of faith shall be saved therefore in case thou find any stupid impenitencie in thy stony heart be thou the more attentive in hearing the word and more serious in applying it to thy conscience more fervent in prayer and more frequent in receiving this holy Sacrament thou shalt at last find an happy effect hereof 5. Examine whether thou be in charity with all men as he that presumed to offer with any other fire then that which came from heaven was cut off from Israâ—l so shall it be with those who offer this spirituall sacrifice in malice if hee that touched the Arke with unconsecrated hands was smitten dead what shall become of them who dare come to the Lords table with bloody hands and malicious hearts if thou be not in charity leave thy gift before the altar go first and be recenciled neither maist thou thinke thy selfe excused from communicating by thy malice God biddeth thee be reconciled and then come and offer neither maist thou thinke to lay downe thy malice as they speake of the serpent while she drinketh for a time only to resume it againe in a wilfull abstinence there is a contempt of the Sacrament which shall condemne a man and in comming to Christ our Passeover with the leven of maliciousnesse is the same danger there is no safe way but in reconciliation that thou maist receive worthily 2. The second point is how we must receive we must do it with hearts lifted up to God in holy meditations of Christ's passion frequent ejaculations imploring Gods gracious assistance obsignation and sealing up of our salvation with hallowed thoughts minds sequestred from all worldly things and the most attentive and holy reverence of soule and body for so ought wee to appeare before God in his worship Psal. 95. 6 7. Secondly the riches of Gods grace all the merits of Christ are here offered and held out to us by the hand and ordinance of Christ Thirdly 't is administred and received with a prayer for which no gesture can be too humble lastly when Moses rehearsed the mercie of God to Israël in the institution of the Passeover then the people bowed downe and prostraited themselve the same reason have wee to expresse a reverend and humble thankfulnesse for Christ our Passeover 3. After receiving 1. Give thanks to God for these seales of thy redemption in Christ. 2. Be carefull to performe all thy promises vowes holy resolutions conceived and made in thy preparation to receive and live every day of this life as if thou didst therein communicate 3. Keepe a carefull watch over thy body and thy soule least the evill one repossesse himselfe of the swept garnished roome and bring with him seaven worse spirits then himselfe Lest thou relapsing to the filthy vomit of thy old sinnes thy end proove worse then the beginning I have washed my feet said the Spouse of Christ how shall I defile them 4. Pray the Lord to make good his own ordinance unto thee effectually sealing thee up unto the day of redemptioÌ„ 5 Examine thy selfe whether thy soule be nourished and strengthned by receiving which will appeare if after it thou art more cheerefull in greater assurance of thy salvation remission of sinnes peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost if thou art more quick active and able to all holy duties if receiving breed in thee a spirituall appetite to receive againe that thou maist more be confirmed in Christ if it beget a fervent love to God and thy neighbours amendment of life and more hearty loathing thy sinnes inward sense of the life of Jesus dwelling in thee an holy contempt of this world with a longing desire and constant hope of a better life to come causing thee to set thy affections on things celestiall to walke with God in holinesse and to have thy conversation in heaven if these things are in thee blessed art thou hee hath sealed thee with his holy spirit who will knowe thee for his owne and so protect thee with his providence that the destroying Angell shall not touch thee To conclude when the diseased woeman of whom spake but touched the hemme of Christ's garment shee presently felt the powerfull effect thereof in her healing though Christ had made her no such promise and if we have received his body and blood according to his command his promise must be fulfilled and wee shall be strengthned and healed we shall feele the same power nourishing us to eternall life A private Prayer before the receiving of the Lords Supper MOst gratious Lord God Father of mercy and truth Who dwellest in that light which none can attaine unto yet vouchsafest to prepare the hearts of thy servants here on earth to help their infirmities and to heare their petitions prepare my heart teach mee to pray encline thine eare unto mee and have mercy upon mee O Lord thou art a just and a severe Judge how shall I then vile and unworthy wretch appeare this day before thee in the courts of thyne house I came into this world a child of wrath disobedience naked and destitute of all goodnesse but thou O Lord my Redeemer hast bestowed the seale of thy righteousnesse upon mee in my Baptisme thou hast called mee to the knowledge of thy gospel thou hast given me the earnest of my redemption by the spirit of regeneration Lord establish now the thing which thou hast freely wrought in mee and as thou hast this day invited mee to thy table and the communion of the body and blood of thy holy Sonne Jesus Christ so Lord bestow the wedding garment on mee that I may appeare before thee cloathed in his righteousnesse whom thou madest an offering for sinne that in him wee might become righteous before thee Lord what is man that thou so regardest him and who among the sonnes of men hath more cause to praise thy mercies then wretched I thy mercy hath long spared me thou hast taken me out of the power of darknesse kingdome of Satan thou hast given me the glorious freedome of the children of light what shall I rendër the Lord for all his benefitts towards me I will call upon the name of the Lord I will declare his mercies I will take the cup of salvation and pay my vowes all is to little which I have to give thee O Lord thou hast in my creation given me my selfe in my redemption thou hast restored me to my selfe therfore now accept againe thyne owne gift Lord let me be wholy thyne And beeing now to appeare before thee whith a sacrifice of praise I pray thee for Iesus Christ his sake prepare the alter purge me with Hysope create a cleane heart within me renue a right spirit sprinkle the doore of my soule with the blood of the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world that
could foretell what he meant to doe For who hath been his counsellour Who could have named Cyrus and foretold so many yeares before that he should give command for the repaire of Jerusalem but God who alone had appointed it Who could have foretold of a deluge of waters to drowne the whole world and that an hundred and twentie yeares before while the Arke was building Who but only he Who could have told of Abrahams oppression in Egypt and inheriting the Land of Canaan by his posterity but only God It were too long to repeat the sundry particulars hereto belonging all conclude a certaine providence and prescience and that a Godhead 6 If we consider the order of causes which cannot run into infinites but must quickly come in the computation to the cause which is God 7 If we consider the common assent of all Nations in all ages acknowledging that there is a God and to be adored all which proceedeth from the weake unextinguished light of nature the slender remainer of the knowledge of God left in the conscience of man after his fall 8. Lastly if we consider the excellency of mans soule and body tell me Atheist who made that soule of thine by which thou livest and hast sense and motion who did kindle that divine sparke and lampe of reason in thee who made thee capable of knowledge could any but the God of wisedome who enlightened that eie of thine by which thou â—ow seest could any but he that created light who framed those admirable parts of thy body so as that nothing is wanting nothing superfluous nothing otherwise could be devised or framed so convenient dost thou dreame of a naturall propagation tell mee then what is nature and who made the lawes thereof Is it not as we said the ordinary power of God who thus appointed Who made the first man If he had power to make himselfe he might more easily have repaired himselfe and why then doe we dye By this and by innumerable demonstrations it may appeare that there is a God though unseen of any and unknowne of all wicked unbeleevers There is but one God for 1 So the Scripture the infallible word of truth hath revealed the Lord our God is Lord onely Deut 6. 4. Exod 20. 2. 3. Deut 5. 6 7. Psal 18 31. 2. Sam 7. 22. Mal 2. 10. Ephes 4. 5. 6 1. Tim 2. 5. there is no other God but one for though there be many that be called Gods whether in heaven or earth yet there is but one God 2 The wonders which he hath done as they are recorded in the old and new Testament declare his unitie being such as could proceed from none but an Almightie and infinite power and two almighties or infinites there cannot be therefore the Psalmist said there is none that can doe like thy workes 3 By reason it must be so for one Sun is able to enlighten the world one soule to animate man how much more can one God who alone created all of nothing rule governe and maintaine his owne worke 4 That which hath selfe-being can be but one such is God 5 God is most perfect and there can be but one such as but one omnipotent one eternall 6 The government of the world admitteth but one God for if we should suppose it distributed into severall dynasts as Benadads servants dreamed 1. King 20. 23. there must bee confusion by the discord and contrarietie or at least a limitation of each others power determined to certaine parts and places either of which suppositions were impious and absurd in reason besides that humane partnership in kingdomes never began with fidelitie or ended without blood in irrationall polities nature bringeth all to order and subordination to one there is one king to swarme the bees one leader of the heard in the reasonable necessitie God and nature have appointed the subjects and superiours to avoid confusion of opinions and practices ever dangerous to publike interests which cannot subject without unity there must be some one generall in the army to command in chiefe and one Pilate at the helme and shall we thinke that the supreame celestiall power can be divided 'T is certaine that except the power of one doe unite all that this universe consisting of parts so different and unreconcilably contrary in nature as fire and water and the one prevailing over the other must extinguish his enemie and so destroy the whole neither could the contrary motions of bodies so vast continue but by the Almightie power of one to uniteâ— and containe them all in subjection and order 7 God is omnipresent and every where therefore one for in every pluralitie there must be limitation and no infinitnesse one barring the other from being in all places 8 Lastly the wiser sort of heathens though they knew not God aright confessed that hee is onely one S. Paul citing Aratus his words for we are his generation Act 17. 28. sheweth that he spake but of one Orpheus is expresse saying there is but one selfe being and Sybilla of whom Plato and Aristophanes speake is more expresse there is only one God Thales Miletius Pythagoras Anaxagoras Aristotle Cicero and many more of them knew that there could be but one true God in so much that Varro who wrote of all the fabulous Pagan Gods acknowledged that they worship the true God who beleeve him to be the Governour of the universe the Oracles of the devill speaking in them for his other advantages confessed one God Thus much I have spoken for their sakes who are infirme We must beleeve that there are three persons in one Godhead unity in trinity and triniâ—â— in unity this Christ taught Math. 28. 19. commanding his disciples to baptise In the name of the Father Sone and Holy Ghost and at the baptisme of Christ this appeared the Father saying from heaven This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased the sonne was baptised and the holy Ghost descended in the likenesse of a dove and these three are one 1. Joh 5. 7. the same is grounded in many places of Scripture Joh. 14. 16. 17. Gal 4. 6. Cor 13. 13. For the better understanding hereof wee must knowe the difference betweene an essence and a person the essence of God is one eternall spirituall simple selfe-being having being of and in no other but giving being to all things created To this belong all his essentiall attributes of which we speake A Person is a subsistence or being in the essence or substance of God and all the sacred persons in the Godhead have a mutuall relation one to the other and are distinguished one from another not in substance or Godhead for they are all one substance and one Godhead but by some property not common to any one with the other as the father from all eternity is ingenitus unbegotten the sonne from all eternity
end of the world assisting it with his owne spirit in the speakers and faithfull hearers The subject of this annointing was the manhood of Christ made the full storehouse of Grace The spirituall oyle we must understand not of the essentiall properties of the Godhead as omnipresence infinitude uncircumscribednesse and the like for these are incommunicable in respect of the incapacity of the creature but certaine created gifts and graces placed in the humane nature The deity of Christ is infinite and therefore nothing can be added thereto neither was that nature annointed by any such addition though the person of Christ consisting of two natures was annointed and eternally consigned to the office of a mediatour as Athanasius proved against the Arians which being laid downe it may appeare that however men confesse Christ in word yet they deny him in deeds who 1. say his humane nature is omnipresent 2. Who attribute that kingly office which is peculiar to Christ to any other pretended Vicar generall or the like 3. Who depend on any other or pretend to any other Priesthood and proper expiatory sacrifice for the living and dead then the Priesthood and once sufficient expiatory sacrifice of Christ for our redemption once offered 4. Who obtrude traditions of men for his doctrine who ought to be our teacher in whose ipse dixit we must rest equalling them with the word of God 5. Who appoint other mediatours of intercession contrary to his word 1. Tim 2. 5. which saith there is one God and one mediator betweene God and men the man Christ Jesus 6. Who joine mens merits with the merits of Christ for their salvations 7. Who walke not worthy of their high calling in Christ but content themselves with the bare names of Christians whereas to be so maketh happy if thou hast indeed received the holy annointing thou shalt be a spirituall king to rule over and subdue thy corrupt affections a spirituall Priest to offer up sweet smelling sacrifices to God that will like that box of pretious oyntment powred on Christ fill all the house with the savour thereof all the faculties of body and soule shall relish of Christ it shall enlighten thy understanding make sin loathsome to thee and comfort and cheere thee in all estates this is the oyle of gladnesse when the Eunuch had but a litle touch thereof he went rejoycing home so constant and solid that it maketh men rejoce in afflictions and that they are counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. 3 The third title is his only sonne We are here to consider two things 1 That Christ is the son of God 2. That he is the only Sonne 1 We are in two relations to consider Christ as he is a Son he is of the father begotten not made as the raies are of the Sunne only we must take heed that we fix not on any finite thing further then it may serve to bring home to our finite understanding some notions of infinites this mystery is without and above all comparison as he is God he is of himselfe neither begotten nor proceeding for as the essence of the Father is its own selfe-being so is the Godhead of the Sonne for they are not divers Godheads or beings but one and the same but as he is the Sonne he is of the Father as light of light very God of very God 2 The Sonne is of the same substance with the Father and the deity of the Father is not lessened by the same nor is the Sonne divided from the Father the Father communicateth his whole nature to the Sonne not by division for infinites have no parts and therefore cannot be divided but by an incomprehensible and unspeakable communication of the whole essence of the Father to the Sonne so as that they are one and the same God coëquall coëternall for before all time he was with the Father Prov. 8. 2. Joh 1. 1. Phil 2. 6. Joh 16. 15. 3 He is the only Sonne by nature not adoption wee are Gods Sonnes by adoption not by nature as he is 4 The fourth title is our Lord so the Psalmist stileth him Psalm 110. 1. so Math 22. 44. Act 2. 36. Let all the house of Israel know for a certainty that he is made of God Lord and Christ. This Jesus I say whom yee have crucified So 1. Cor 8. 6. We have one God one Lord Jesus Christ. See Rev 1. 5. Phil 2. 10. It is not unworthy our noting that when this Lord of Lords was come into the world God's secret hand of providence made the great Master of the world Augustus Caesar vaile bonnet by a strict edict commanding that no man should give or receive the title of Lord. Christ is our Lord by right 1. of creation Joh 1. 3. 2. Redemption 1. Cor 6. 20. 3. Preservation and government Ephes 5. 23 that we may obey him trust in him and acknowledge him our Lord and God as Thomas did that we may worship him in the unitie of the sacred Trinity and finally commend our spirits into his hands as the first Martyr did Lord Jesus receave my spirit 1 We are also to beleeve that Jesus Christ our Lord was conceived by the holy Ghost as Luk 1. 35 this is that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh for though he was to be truely man consisting of an humane body and reasonable soule of the seed and posterity of Abraham yet was he not conceived of humane propagation but an extraordinary way The first Adam in whom all dye was not begotten by man but framed and made by the power of God and so it became the second Adam by whom we are restored to life to become man by the immediate sanctifying power of God whose word caused the vast seeds of the world to conceive and frame the severall parts thereof the heavens aire water and earth as now we see them And so the spirit of God was said to move upon the face of the deep Gen 1. 2. which is spoken to expresse an omnipotent and lively efficacy of the spirit and power of God digesting forming and framing the creatures according to his wisedome so must we here understand Christs humane conception to be by the power of Gods spirit so commanding and therefore so framing Christ of a sanctified masse as that the deity and humanity of Christ became one person Neither may we think that the father and the eternall word and sonne of God were here excluded because the action is attributed to the holy Ghost but this is said to intimate that this was so by the free gift and grace of God for 't is said the power of the most high shall overshadow thee Luk 1. 35. that the manhood of Christ being but a creature should be so annointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes that it should become a part of the sonne of God
not by confusion of natures but union of the Godhead and manhood of Christ into one person and because the father and the son wrought this by the holy Ghost proceeding of them both the whole sense is as if it were said the spirit of God caused him thus to be conceived after an extraordinary manner 2. Three things are here consiberable 1 That the body of Christ was of the body of the Virgin that he might be according to Gods promise of the seed of Abraham his humane soule was infused by a power of God into the sacred body prepared for it both of them from the moment of their being having their subsistence in the person of the son of God Christ. 2. It was sanctifyed and made most holy such it became him to be who redeemed and saved us free from all corruption and sinne for he was to cleanse the first Adams sinne de rived to his posterity and to overcome sinne in our flesh by taking on him our flesh without sinne that he might by his suffering satisfie Gods justice in the same nature which had offended and fulfill the whole Law of God to which we were bound under paine of damnation and that he might be able to mediateto God for us which none but the perfectly holy could doe 3 The two natures the Godhead and the manhood of Christ were so united in his conceptions as that they make but one person very God and very man there is an union in nature as the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost are one God and an union in person as when two things in nature differing are so united as that they make but one person so the body and reasonable soule make the person of a man so the Deity and humanity of Christ one being a spirituall infinite incomprehensible being the other a bodily finite creature are indivisibly united into one sacred person Christ Jesus so that his humanity is a nature but not a person but in the deity which uniteth it selfe most immediately to the soule and by it to the body of Christ now as hath beene said though these are indivisibly united yet is there no confusion of natures the humanitie becommeth not à Deitie nor the Deitie an humanitie neither do either of them loose their essentiall properties by this union as in the union of the fire with the iron the iron becommeth not fire nor the fire iron as in the union of the soule with the body the soule becommeth not corporall nor the body spirituall the manhood is unspeakeably annointed with grace and dignitie above all creatures in heaven and earth and received from the deity admirable powre to quicken us yet is it not become a deitie They that labour under their naturall corruption from the first Adam must here be comforted we are sanctified in the second for he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are of one we are in our regeneration as truly of his mysticall body as he was in his conception of our naturall body or we of Adam's We were conceived and borne in sinne the grievous remaind's whereof we are eftsoone sensible of now in our estate of regeneration yet here is our comfort Christ our Lord and Saviour was conceived by the Holy Ghost he was sanctified for us and his annointing runneth downe like that sacred ointment to the skirts of his cloathing the poorest of all his Saints 1 We are next to beleeve concerning Christ that he was borne of the Virgin Mary therefore said the Angell that holy thing which shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God that he might be knowne to be very man though he were miraculously conceived God would have him borne after the manner of men That he was borne of the Virgin the holy Ghost sheweth clearly 2 Though the first Adam were made not borne yet was it necessary that the second should be borne not made of new mold 1. How else should sinne have beene expiated in the same nature which had sinned 2. That the woman first in the transgression might become an instrument of mans reparation as she had beene of his ruine hence is the seed of the woman mentioned in the first promise Genes 3. 15. and Christ was made of the woman 3 Of a Virgin as the first Adam was taken out of the virgin earth without the concurrence of man so was the second Adam of a virgin 't was long before promised Isay 7. 14. behold à virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne and thou shalt call his name Immanuel God with us which the Evangelist sheweth fulfilled in Christ Math. 1. 20 21 22 23. she was affianced to an husband yet a virgin that Satan might not know him till he had tempted him and found him invincible that he might have experience of all our miseries without sin this was as that easterne gate of the Temple through which the Prince onely might passe 4 Shee was of the seede of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed that is the beleevers of all nations of the linage of David so much fulfilled the prophesie Isai. 9. 7. He shall sit upon the throne of David and so was hee truely stiled the sonne of David 5 He was borne at Bethleem as was foretold Mich. 5. 2. not at Jerusalem nor Nazaret but at the towne of David the providence of God so ordering it Augustus Caesar who dreamed of nothing lesse then a Saviour then and there to be borne commanded in his generall tax that every one should goe to his own Tribe to be taxed therefore Joseph and Mary went accordingly from Nazaret to Bethleem at the same season the Virgin Mother's time was accomplished and shee brought forth Christ. 6 This was in the fulnesse of time foreordained of God there was a certaine time when Israel like Gedeons fleece had the dew of heaven when the floore the rest of the world was dry herein Israel was to be exercised under the rudiments of the law afterward to be made free as heire out of his minority till their obstinacy came upon them and they were to be rejected Christ came in the last daies Isai. 2. 2. towards the end of the 70. weekes spoken of by the Prophet Daniel which were to be reckned from the end of their Babylonish captivitie about 3900 yeares after the creation when the long prefixed mark of his comming the departure of the scepter from Judah now appeared in the◠subjection to the Roman Empire when Herod was Viceroy of Judea 7 The manner of Christs birth was obscure and meane in the eies of the world as besitted the state of humiliation into which he then entred For 1. so it was prophesied of him Isai 53. 2. 2. He would thus exercise the faith of the elect and confound the carnall wisdome of worldly men esteeming none good or happy but the
prosperous rich mighty and glorious 3. Thus would he be borne poore to make us rich to expresse his love to us 4. Thus he would teach us humility how intolerable is the pride of sinfull man repining at some wants when the sonne of God was thus humbled for our sins 5. He would have this difference betweene his first and second comming first he descended like raine into the fleece without noise he came not then to make any externall politicall â—â—changes in the kingdomes of the world but only to overthrow the spirituall kingdome of Satan and to worke not the Jews temporall redemption as they dreamed but their eternall salvation who beleeve in him both of Jewes and Gentiles And so the manifestation of Christs birth was not to the kings or great Doctors of the Law but to poore shepheards first though not by men but glorious Angels Having considered these things we must learne 1 To subject our reason to the word of God in assurance that all things are possible to him which he will and certainly true which he speaketh Thou wilt say but how shall I doe that I may be assured thereof I conceive these rules very necessary here in 1. That thou understand this word is not discerned by any light but by the same spirit which indited it Therefore said our Saviour when the spirit of truth is come He will lead you into all truth These things seeme foolish and improbable to our carnall man because he wanteth the spirit of God whereby hee might bee able to discerne those things which are not otherwise then spiritually discerned 2. If thou read or heare the Gospell be sure thou bring a beleeving heart resolved in this one principle at least Gods word is certainely true though many particulars are above my apprehension it is but lost labour for him to take the holy word of life into his hand who is resolved to beleeve no more then that which he can bring within the reach and dimension of his own carnall reason which erreth grosly in many things obvious to common sense 3. In this as many other matters necessary to be beleeved the onely way being to apprehend by faith doe thou not attempt the examination of all by reason but rather renounce it as unable to measure these things as thou art to take up the vast ball of earth into thy hand or measure the orbs of heaven by the span the rather in this because the holy Ghost hath told us it is the great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 4. Lastly remember when ever thou commest to read or heare of how high a consequence that is to which thou art come it is no vaine word concerning thee but thy life and salvation if thou beleeve and obey or thy destruction on the contrary and thou wilt easily be perswaded to prepare thy selfe by earnest prayer to God for his assistance and blessing who only hath the key of David which openeth and no man can shut the want of this one duty is the cause of so much unbeleefe and impiety in so abundant a light of the Gospell as we had long amongst us 2 That thou know that Christ thus conceived and borne hath sanctified our conception and birth in sin thus are the fountaines of our naturall propagation healed holy wedlock declared an undefiled bed and sacred virginity interressed in eternall attendance on Christ the Lambe of God 3 To be contented in every estate and comforted though in a dejected considering to what Christ descended for thy sake 4 To prepare and magniâ—ie the inestimable love of God shewed us in Christ. So did the holy Angels Luk 1. 46. 47. Luk 2. 14. 5 Where thou hast the promises of God for thy assurance not to feare how impossible or improbable soever they seeme to flesh and blood they shall be fulfilled in their appointed time and manner How impossible did this promise seeme to carnall reason a Virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne the ' B. Virgin her selfe was herewith posed how can this be Yet was it fulfilled in the fulnesse of time though many ages after the promise made Though he seeme to delay yet expect it that cannot faile which God promiseth so also thinke of the promises of thy resurrection and eternall life what ever carnall reason witty to its own destruction or the malitious tempter can object against the word of truth in due time it shall be fulfilled CHAP. V. What we are to beleeve concerning § 1. Christs suffering under Pontius Pilat his crucifying death and buriall § 2. His resurrection § 3. Ascention § 4. Sitting at the right hand of God the Father § 5. His comming to judge 1 THe humiliation of Christ is considerable 1. In generall comprehending all that he suffered in the forme of a servant the whole curse of the Law all kindes of aâ—â—lictions both of body and soule quae à peccato sunt non quae ad peccatum all the effects of sinne without sinne as in his birth circumcision subjection to men temptations blasphemous contradictons and contumelies desertions of friends and most injurious malice of enimies apprehension of his fathers wrath against sinne the paines of death and torments of hell all that which is incident and due to sinfull man sin onely excepted whereby he became the man of sorrowes 2. In particular that which he suffered under Pontius Pilat the then Roman deputie for that Province 2 Concerning the generall we must observe 1. That the divine nature though personally united to the humane suffered not but only the humane yet the suffering is attributed to the person and sometimes to the deity by reason of the communication of proprieties and union of the two natures in one person so God is said to have purchased the Church with his own blood because his blood who is truely God and man was shed for the redemption of his Church As the Athenian Codrus disrobing himselfe and falling into the enemies quarters in the habit of a poore man with a burthen on his back that he might steale a death to make his people conquerers according to the Oracle which said that people should overcome whose king should be slaine in the battle So Christ assumed the forme of a servant and became of no repute so bare he the Crosse that his own knew him not but slew the Lord of life that in his death who so loved us wee might be more then Conquerers He was impatible in his deity therefore he assumed an humanity which could suffer that he might become a ransome and sacrifice for our sinnes that the dignitie and merit of his passion might be vallewed according to the dignitie of the person suffering now because the worth of his passion was to be estimated from the united deity therefore his temporall and short suffering was of infinite merit to redeeme and free us from that which we should
else have suffered to eternitie 2 That the suffering of Christ was neither accidentall or casuall nor soly in the power of man for though there were many actors in his sufferings Herod Pilat Jewes Gentiles Judas and the devill yet all these did only that which the hand and counsaile of God determined before to be done who would never suffer evill to be done but that his infinite wisedome can dispose and his goodnesse overcome evill that he can draw good out of it 3 This suffering of Christ for us was fully and soly satisfactory to the justice of God for all our sinnes here in his passion differed from all others they may truly say as that happy Convert on the crosse we are indeed righteously here but there was no sinne in him No passion of man ever hath beene or ever can be meritorious and propitiatory or satisfactory for his own sinnes much lesse for any others but Christs passion was and is satisfactory and propitiatory for the sinnes of all the elect if all men should have suffered the torments of Hell for the redemption of one soule they could never have satisfied Gods justice for that one but Christs once suffering therefore fully satisfied for all because it was of infinite valew and merit 4 The end of Christs suffering was our redemption of body and soule for so much he redeemed as he assumed to redeeme in the creation he shewed his wisedome power providence but here his justice in that he spared not his owne sonne standing in the place of our surety and his mercy in that he spared us which is a singular comfort when wee consider that hee dyed not in vaine 5 The limits of Christs passion reached from his conception to his resurrection the more evident beginnings whereof were in his life and the coâ—summation then when hee cryed upon the crosse it is finished 6 Thâ— place where his last and consummatory passion began was a garden there sinne invaded man there his soule began to be heavie to the death Math. 26. 38. while hee sweat water and blood neither is it to be wondred at why Christ was so sorrowfull herein whereas some of his Martyrs have rejoyced in their sufferings for these were assured of their sinnes remission by the sufferings of their surety Christ but he felt at once the weight of all the sinnes of the elect he was for a time left to the extreamest sense of his fathers anger and the intensest torments of hell but they in the midst of their sufferings had a comfortable sense of Gods gracious presence assuring them of their reconciliation with God and remission of their sinnes by Christ now whereas we read that he freely laid downe his life for his and none could else have taken from him I say not Pilat Jewes or Gentiles barred if he had pleased by legions of Angels but not age not death it selfe to which all others were subject by sinne but he was therefore exempt because he had no sinne and againe that he did in the bitternesse of his passion deprecate and pray the cup might passe away we must know that these flowed ex diversis principiis though he deprecated the wrath of God and that death as man subject to all our infirmities without sinne yet had he therein relation to Gods will and so willingly compleated the worke of our redemption therefore foreseeing and foretelling of his passion he would yet goe up to Jerusalem as Jonahs crying take and cast mee into the sea prefigured his voluntary passion that he would not die was of the infirmitie of the slesh which naturally and without sinne feareth and shunneth death as destructive that he would die was the promptitude of spirit for that his death was necessary for mans salvation so said he the spirit is willing but the flesh infirme relating not onely to his disciples drouzinesse The circumstance of this passion were suchlike The Jewes consult to take him the conspiracie is hatcht in the chiefe Priests house they the Scribes and Elders though they knew he was no man of violence send out an armed company against him an evill conscience is never secure they came to take him as a malefactour into that place which he had chosen to pray in that ought to have been a sanctuary to him and as the hornes of the Altar free from pursuit Judas à disciple becomes their guide his treason's signall is a kisse as many now honour him with their lips whose hearts and lives crucifie him afresh and under a faire profession betray his truth they take him who with his word could cast them downe he causeth Peter to sheath his sword and healeth one who came to destroy him he will not have his cause maintained by the sword having otherwise appointed to destroy the kingdome of sinne we were assigned for pastours not smiters they bind him and lead him away to Annas first and after to Caiphas his disciples sled the shepheard smitten the flock is scattered This sacred history affords us many good rules 1 In thy places of pleasure remember where Christs passion for thy sinnes began 2. As sorrowes encrease entreat thy fervency in prayer so did Christ. Luk 22. 14. 3 Despaire not when God answereth not thy prayers with that which thou desirest Christ was heard when he wept and offered up strong cries yet the cup did not passe from him if God give us something better then we aske as he ever doth if not that thing we aske we are heard 4 Submit to Gods will so did Christ not as I will but as thou wilt Mat. 26. 39. 42. temporall aâ—â—lictions never made any man unhappy but the impatient and wicked it cannot be an unhappy state in which Christ is neither the malice of those who to the extreame danger of religion seeme and are not religious their conspiring against thee their dealing disspightfully as with a malefactor bands convention before magistrates friends forsaking thee malitious accusations by false witnesses no nor unjust condemnation to death can make thee unhappy all this Christ suffered leaving us an example of patience 7 The high Priest examined him the officer smote him Annas sent him bound to Caiphas Peter denied him thence they lead him to the judgement hall into which his hypocriticall accusers would not enter least they should be defiled hypocrisie straines at gnats and swallowes Camels they made a conscience of going in among the Heathens being to eat the Passeover but not of murthering the Lord of life Pilat examined him sinfull man fitteth to judge the just Judge of all men offered to deliver him whom he knew delivered of envy they preferred Barabbas a murtherer Pilat to please the people scourgeth Jesus the souldiers plat a crowne of thornes and put it on his head and a purple robe on him they moâ—ke and smite him Pilat so present's him
to the people in scorne and diâ—ision the chiefe Priests and Officers lead the peoples suffrages ringing out their crucify him crucify him Pilat startled as by his dreaming wives admonition so more at their mentioning his being the sonne of God goeth againe into the Pretory reexamineth him seekâ—s to deliver him yet for feare of complaint to Caesar so powerfull an adversary to good conscience is the love of this world against his often acquitting him as innocent he once for all condemneth him us guilty and delivereth him to the popular rage to crucifie him 8 They lead him away bearing his Crosse to Golgatha the place of skulls called also Calvarie where some thinke Adam was buried but others are of a contrary judgement One thing is certaine it was the area damnatorum and place of execution and it is most likely that Gods providence so disposed that he should there be crucified as there to set up the Trophe of his victory on the Crosse in that where sinne and the punishment thereof had abounded in the execution of notorious malefactors grace should manifest it selfe in his suffering there and that most ignominious kinde of death so also that he might take away the curse from the elect so suffering and that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet he made his grave with the wicked and was counted with transgressours Isai 53. 9 12. this place was without the city having a resemblance of that which was to come that is that the maine benefit of his passion was not to be shut up in Jerusalem but to be derived also to the Gentiles who were without so he suffered in the place of sinners that it might import his suffering for sinners other moralls the Apostle openeth as to teach us to goe out of our carnall affections and love of the world to Christ and so he shewed himselfe the only satisfactory sacrifice prefigured in all the legall sacrifices whose bodies were burnt without the gates of Jerusalem Here they crucified him betweene two theeves the one converting the other dying in his obstinacy having so done they parted his garments among them and cast lots for his seamelesse coat thus was fulfilled that of the Psal 22. 18. Jesus commended his mother to John thirsting they gave him vinegre to drinke as was also foretold Psal 69. 21. having received that he said it is finished that is all the types have their meaning accomplished and the justice of God is satisfied so bowing his head he gave up the ghost 9 The certainty of his death appeared when the â—ouldiers comming to breake the leggs of the other two finding him already dead they spared him that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith a bone of him shall not be broken but pierced his side with a speare so that blood and water came out At this time the Sunne was darkned so fearefully that some are said to have concluded that either the Godhead suffered or sympathized with that which did so The vaile of the Temple rent to shew the way into the holiest made manifest and that the stop or middle wall of partition betweene Jewes and Gentiles is taken away The stones clave in sunder the graves opened the earth trembled And after his resurrection many of the dead Saints arose and were seene in the holy city to shew that in his death death was conquered and that the vertue of his resurrection should shortly after declare it selfe in the Saints rising from the death of sinne The Centurian seeing this acknowledged him the Sonne of God the multitude smote their breasts and returned home 10 Joseph of Arimathea begg's the body of Jesus takes it from the Crosse he and Nicodemus imbalme it put it into linnen cloaths with the spices and bury it in a new Sepulcher in a garden nigh the place the providence of God thus disposing to convince their malitious cavills who might pretend that either his resurrection was caused by the vertue of some other servant of God there formerly buried as one was at the touch of Elisha's bones or that it was some other rose againe not Jesus He was buried according to the Scriptures 1. Cor 15. 4. Psal 16. 10. thou wilt not leave my life in grave There were many witnesses thereof Joseph Nicodemus the women the Centurian with his band the Jewes sealing the tombe Thus he descended to the lowest step of his humiliation that he might follow death into the heart of his dominion and conquer him in his imperiall seat destroying as it were with his own sword the Goliah who had the power of death as it is written O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction that he might sanctifie our house of rest taking away the horrour of the grave the curse of death being abolished and the dead loosed from their bonds as shall appeare in the appointed houre We are next to beleeve the first degree of Christ's exaltation in that he rose againe from the dead the third day according to the Scriptures 1. Cor 15. 4 reckning the later part of the first day the second entire and the beginning of the third So Christ told his Disciples that he must goe to Jerusalem suffer many things of the Elders and be killed and raised againe the third day this was so publikely knowne before his death that his enemies remembred and spake of it so that this was the reason why they sealed up and set a guard upon the Sepulchre God so disposing that they should be made witnesses of the truth thereof who most opposed it which had they not beene they might with lesse impudency have said his Disciples came by night and stole him away The Angell testifying his resurrection referreth them to that he had told them before the type also agreeth as Jonas was three daies and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth so long he would lye in grave to manifest the truth of his death but no longer because he was not to see corruption and least the faith of his Disciples should by a longer delay have beene in hazard and lastly to fulfill his word concerning the same for the confirmation of our faith seeing his word concerning his own death and resurrection came truely to passe why should we doubt of the same word concerning our resurrection In this three daies the Deity was the middle band betweene the body and the humane soule that it might see corruption proper to sinners as before the humane soule was betweene the Deity and body in all he became a pledg of our incorruption and immortalitie in the life to come to consirme us herein he manifested himselfe to many after his resurrection by the space of forty daies See 1. Cor 15. 5.
perish so long as thou reignest over all The next is his comming to judge the quicke and the dead properly annexed to the foregoing because he so sitteth at Godâ—s right hand as that he both exerciseth the patience of the elect under the crosse and long permitteth the wicked enemies to insult over them to comfort us herein 't is necessary to beleeve that Christ who now sitteth at God's right hand will thence come to judge all men those whom he shall finde surviving who shall be changed in a moment at the sound of the last trump and the dead raised againe all elect and reprobate some to eternall absolution from sin and death and others to eternall shame and destruction of bodies and soules This judgement shall be of all our thoughts words and actions the books shall be opened and every secret thing manifested the evidence of every fact shall speak as Abels blood did The time of this judgment shall be at the second comming of Christ the particular yeare or day no creture knoweth neither the son of man himselfe here knew it in the state of humiliatioÌ„ nor need it seem strang how being God and man in one person the manhood could be ignorant of any thing the deity being omniscient seeing he tooke on him all our infirmities sinne excepted amongst which natiue ignorance was not a little one therefore t is said that from his childhood he encreased in wisedome which no infinite can doe and why shall I not as easily beleeue that there was a vaile of the slesh betweene the deity and humane soule intercepting some light of knowledge as I certainly know there was intercepting the present sense of his fathers assistance and of the comfort of the deity in his passion when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The signes of this judgements approach are 1. preaching the Gospell to all Nations 2. revelation of the man of sinne 3. a generall departing from the faith 4. Universall corruption of manners 2 Tim. 3. 1. 5. warres and rumours of warres 6. hardnesse of heart so that no importunity of the lowdest sonnes of Thunder can awake men out of sinne as it was in the dayes of Noah 7. Calling of the Jewes Rom. 11. 25. The signe which shall accompany the comming of Christ shall be the signe of the sonne of man in heaven Math. 24. 30. The Summe is Christ shall come againe to judge all men Act. 17. 31. Math. 25. 31. Jud. 14. 14. 1 Thes. 4. 16. and Math. 24. 30. where he joyneth the declaration of the judgement with the prediction of Jerusalems destruction to the end that men might be assured of the judgement to come by that which they saw or knew fulfilled in that City Concerning the place whether in the valley of Jehoshaphat or the time and lasting of this great Assizes the manner of proceeding and the like it is vaine to enquire after that which God hath not revealed specially seeing his word directeth to make better use hereof 1 To deterre men from sinne in respect of the inevitable terrour of that day 2 Not to judge one another Rom 14. 1 Cor 4. 5. 3 To prepare because the day is neere fearing God Eccles 12. 14. Rev 14. 7. keeping a good conscience Act 24. 15 16. watching that we may lift up our heads at that day Luk 22. 28. 35 36. Repenting Act 17. 30 31. Without delay 2. Pet 3. 2. Loving one another 1. Joh 3. 18. 19. That wee may assure our hearts before him and have boldnesse in the day of judgment 1. Joh 4. 17. Comforting our selves in all our sufferings our Saviour shall be our judge and who shall condemne us seeing he died to acquit us He cannot but avenge for us though he suffer long therefore we must be patient expecting his sentence Come yee blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you A Prayer O Lord God of mercy and compassion who in thy eternall and infinite love to man gavest thy onely Sonne to become man to take experience of our miseries to be tempted in all things like us sinne onely excepted and to suffer the severity of thy wrath against us sinners by offering him up a living sacrifice for us who were dead in trespasses and sins the just for the unjust that by his stripes we might be healed and hast revealed unto us that great mystery of godlinesse so much desired of the faithfull from the beginning the inestimable riches of thy grace and mercy hid from all ages unto the fulnesse of time God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seene of Angells preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received up into glory make us truly thankefull to thee for all thy unspeakeable favours give us true faith to apprehend and finde our interest in him with assurance that he is our God and Saviour O ever blessed Jesus whose name is as sweet ointment powred forth whom the Virgin soules therefore love draw us that we may runne after thee let the annointing which we have received of thee whereby we have the honour to be called and to be Christians and the happinesse to be enlightned with thy truth and led in thy paths abide in us and teach us all things necessary for the advancement of thy glory and our salvation let it bee like that precious nard wherewith thou wast imbalmed against the day of thy death to fill our hearts and affections with that comfortable savour of life unto life that thou maist wholy season us dwell in us and be all in all with us that the merit of thy death and vertue of thy resurrection may both mortify all our sinfull corrupt affections and raise us to the life of righteousnesse that dying to sinne governed here by thy power to which all things are committed in heaven and earth and hereafter acquitted by thy finall sentence when thou shalt come to judge the living and the dead we may at last come to the perfect union with thee in a full view and eternall enjoying of thee and thy blessed presence who hast suffered all these things to redeeme us and to purchase the kingdome prepared for us from eternity that wee may attaine that true blessednesse in the which thy holy Gospell hath preached unto us Grant this through thy mercies O heavenly Father thy merits O gracious Lord Jesus and thy assistance O holy Spirit three persons one onely wise omnipotent and immortall God to whom belongeth all honour glory praise might Majestie and dominion in heaven and earth from this time forth and to endlesse eternitie AMEN CHAP. VI. § 1. What we are to beleeve § 2. Rules thereto belonging 1 ALL knowledge of God the Father and Sonne with man can attaine to availeth him not except it be made good to him by a blessed application thereof to himselfe wrought by the
in them Their communion with the Sonne is in that they are united to him become his members he liveth in them guideth governeth protecteth and comforteth them He communicateth to them all the benefits of his merits and passion so that they become as surely theirs for their justification as they are his as 't is written we are made partakers of Christ Heb 3. 14. hereby we become coheires with him Rom 8. 17. This belongeth onely to the Saints and true beleevers who walke as children of the light 1. Job 1. 6 7. who hearken to him and persevere unto the end Heb 3. 14. but Christ hath no communion with Infidels Christs communion with us is 1. in nature by his becomming â—lesh of our â—lesh 2. by grace and assumption of our persons in a mysticall union with him answering to God for us and so making us partakers of the divine nature 2. Pet 1. 4. 3. The perfection hereof shall be the translation of us into his glory so certaine as the truth of God which is the reason why the Apostle pronounceth thereof as of a thing already past Christ received â— us to the glory of God Rom 15. 7. The first of these states relateth to the second and the second to the last as nature is subordinate to grace and grace to glory the first union causeth the following we cannot have communion with him in his future glory if we have not in his present grace nor could wee ever have beene united to him by grace had not he first united himselfe to our nature whereby he fulfilled the law satisfied God's justice for us and so the divine unction sloweth from the head to all the body The holy Ghost worketh this union by giving us faith and sanctification This union is the most arct and indivisible he tooke on him our nature into an hypostaticall union with the deity he joyneth us to his mysticall body whereof he is the head by the holy Ghost hee that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit with him 1. Cor 6. 17. 1. Cor 12. 13. 1. Joh 3 24. 1. Joh 4. 13. Rom 8. 11. Ephes 4. 4. Hereby wee are really sanctified in that measure which he appointeth every man to salvation whereby he changeth our vile body that it may be like unto his own glorious body Phil 3. 21. and even now suffereth with us reckning all that is done unto us as done unto himselfe He becommeth wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption unto us He freeth us from condemnation purgeth us from all sinne maketh us walk according to his good spirit mortifying the works of the flesh The communion of the holy Ghost is a participation of his grace by which he uniteth us to him regenerateth governeth teacheth leadeth comforteth us witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sonnes of God helpeth our infirmities intercedeth for us with unutterable groanes sealeth us up to the day of redemption and uniteth us one with another 3. Our communion one with another importeth 1. an externall communion and society of the Saints called and united in the body of the visible Church by the ministry of the word and use of the Sacraments 2. an internall conjunction in which those whom God hath united in an externall communion are also by the holy Ghost united unto God and one to another By which they have mutually and joyntly 1. The same right to adoption and sonship in God 2. The same interest in Christ and all his merits 3. The same faith and grace of justification 4. The same right to salvation life and eternall glory This communion is either of the living with the living or of the living with the deceased Saints present or that which shall be in the life to come in the Church triumphant which shall be the most compleat and excellent part thereof This is the first prerogative which the God of unity bestoweth on his Church that her true members hold an happy unity in Christ and a sweet and comfortable fellowship one with another for wee being many are partakers of one bread and one body by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body here is our happinesse in unity without which there is neither happinesse nor life the most excellent part the eye divided from the body cannot see communion must needs be happy where God uniteth we have now in that spirit which uniteth us a communion with the soules in heaven and have our conversation there though but imperfectly but when we also are perfect it shall be a most excellent state the more holy and wise we are the more divine is our fellowship which is only betweene the good and wise when Peter James and John saw Moses and Elias but two glorified Saints in our Saviours transfiguration ravished in spirit they cryed out 't is good for us to bee here let us build here why said they not so before being with Christ Alas there appeared in him before this only the forme of a servant and man of sorrowes no beauty that we should desire in him but now some beames of his glory brake through the clowd of his humanity When Moses and Elias lived on earth they were of no such esteeme there is not that poore despised Saint whose presence now seemeth irksome to the worldly prosperous man but he shall bee most aimiable in our perfect communion in the liâ—e to come Society of man is excellent what were the world to a man alone But he that said 't is not good for man in the state of innocency to be alone reserved the best society to the state of glory the best life excellent is that communion which we now have in this imperfect state for as much as we are united in one spirit faith and doctrine we have like affections love each other assist each other as in things externall so specially by mutuall prayers yea the Angels of heaven rejoyce at a sinners conversion because they hold communion with us under one head and no wonder for if the humane soule which is but a â—inite creature can give so much unity and sense to every member of the body as to make them have a mutuall sympathy care and love how much more shall the spirit of an infinite God give these to all those which he uniteth in Christ But if so excellent bee this communion to us now in this mortall life and state of imperfection what thinke yee shall it be when thiâ— corruptible hath puton iucorruption and God shall be all in all And beleeving this why should I doubt of our knowing one another in the world to come To him that beleeveth this comfortable Article of Faith these following rules are necessary 1 Love all men for Gods sake If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowsâ—ip of the spirit saith the Apostle fulfill my joy that yee
be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde let nothing be done through strife If yee have any part in the communion of Saints hold the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace if there be envy malice contentions schismes factions and discords 't is an ill signe of your interest in this holy communion God's sonnes are peaceable all that are guided by his spirit who is Love love and care for each other as the members of the body mutually defend and hide the blemishes of their fellowes 2. Be compassionate if one member suffer all grieve because they are animated by one soule and is it possible that any man should make himselfe beleeve that the spirit of Jesus hath quickned him who not only remembreth not but malitiously promoteth the affliction of Joseph 3 Forsake not holy assemblies where Gods word soundeth and his honour dwelleth 'T is a delusion of Satan who advanceth his throne most in our divisions which maketh men prefer private prayers and exercises before the venerable publike 4 Unite to holy societies and with draw from evill company 't is very dangerous to have society with the wicked Jehoshaphat found it so what makest thou in the way to Egypt said the Prophet The wisest Solomons hazards were from evill company have no fellowship with them saith the Apostle In the society of the holy there is good even to the wicked sometimes for their sakes Potiphers house prospered for one good Josephs sake the ships company were saved for one Paul how much more are the Saints advantaged by their holy communion Begin thy heaven on earth having society and communion with the Saints here or thou shalt never have the happinesse thereof hereafter 5 Be thou holy if thou wilt be of this society you knowe in worldly leagues 't is parity of manners which begeteeth amity like loves his like get on the wedding garment if thou wilt rejoyce with the invited If we say wee have fellowship with him and walke in darknesse we ly and doe not know the truth Saul among the Prophets became a proverb of a prodigie The Nethanims joyned themselves to Israel but when they returned they could not finde their pedegrees and therefore were diffranchised as hypocrites shall be from the elect there 's no admission of any thing uncleane into heaven no wealth can purchase entrance but only sanctity if Simon had the Indies to morgage he could not enter 6. Let it comfort thee in thy sufferings feare not they are more with thee then against thee in every distresse thou partakest of the sweet odours ascending up into Gods holy presence the prayers of the Saints if one Moses by standing in the gap could divert the plague raging among the people what shall not many thousands doe for one afflicted man We will goe with you said they in the prophesie for wee have heard that God is with you God is with thee in all that thou dost said Abimelech and Phicol to Abraham therefore they thought themselves happy to have a covenant with him what ever thou sufferest they share with thee and intercede for thee CHAP. IX Concerning Remission of Sinnes § 1. Of the necessitie hereof to whom it belongeth it is the summe of the Gospell § 2. Rules hereto appertaining THE second benefit which God bestoweth on his Church is remission of sinnes which is a free pardon of all their transgressions so that God will never impute them remember or charge them upon any of those who are justified by faith in Christ. This is an article of great necessity to be beleeved for what could communion availe us if a free remission of our sinnes did not acquit us of a due condemnation Without this what could we be but a wretched condemned society What ever we else beleeve concerning Christ the Saviour without this wee were no better then excluded Virgins with oylelesse lamps then Judas amongst the Apostles sonnes of perdition This remission is when God forgiveth faults and punishments neither imputing the one nor executing the other not onely some sinnes but all as 't is written Thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depth of the sea and Psal. 103. 3. Who forgiveth all thy iniquities who healeth all thy diseases 'T is true that sometimes the chastisement lasteth longer then the imputation of the fault so when the Prophet had said to David repenting the Lord hath put away thy sinne yet hee could not prevaile for the life of his child neither did the sword depart from his house but this was a fatherly correction an healing not a punishment and David confessed as much 't is good for mee that I have beene in trouble and it standeth good by reason that God remitteth all sinnes if any for seeing he that breaketh any one commandement is guilty of all if God retained any one sinne unremitted the whole debt must be charged upon the sinner This was that which Christ declared to Simon in the parable of the two debters one owed 50. the other 500. pence and when neither had to pay the creditor equally forgave both 2. This benefit is peculiar to the elect the Church the people that dwell therein shall have their iniquities forgiven they onely are the redeemed of the Lord all others out of Christ are in the gall of bitternesse having no part nor fellowship herein there is no other name under heavenby which we can be saved he was delivered for our offences by his blood we are redeemed the Paschall lambe belongeth onely to this house herein however the grace of God is given in diverse measures remission of sinnes is equally bestowed on all the Saints 3. This great benefit is the summe of the Gospell proclaimed by John Baptist given in charge to be preached to all for this cause God sent his onely Sonne into the world to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sinnes in him we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sinnes To this point appertaine these rules 1. That we despaire not in respect of the greatnesse of our sinnes how great soever it be it is farre lesse then the infinite merit of Jesus Christ whose blood cleanseth us from all sinnes though your sinnes be as scarlet twice dyed in originall and actuall transgression they shall be white as snow there were many who went out of Christs presence very happy some restored to sight some to hearing some to health some dispossessed of uncleane spirits some restored to life 't was true of him what was said of Caesar hee sent none away sad the yong rich mans owne fault dismissed him so but none more happy then her that heard goe in peace thy sinnes are forgiven thee let the spirit of truth say only this to my soule and in spight
of death I will sing my nune dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace securely may hee dare Death and Hell Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory who can indeed say Thankes be unto God which giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Confesse and repent thee of all thy sinnes that is forsake them and thou shalt find mercy if thou hidest them under any pretence of merit or pleading not guilty thou canst not prosper God's family saith not I am whole but heale mee O Lord and I shall be whole repentance is the second table after the shipwracke of our soules wee read that Peter after his fall repented wee read hee wept wee read not that hee satisfied repentance is no cause but a condition of our pardon without which it cannot be obtained because God is just as well as mercifull if God should forgive before we repent it were approbation of the fact rather then mercy nor could it stand with his justice This repentance is 1. in knowledge of our sinne without which we cannot repent therefore David prayeth Lord open mine eyes that I sheep not in death it is a fearfull judgement of God not to know our sinnes that we may repent The first degree of happinesse is not to sinne the second to knowe our sinnes there in entire innocency to save here followeth the medicine to heale 2. In hearty sorrow for all our sinnes without which we doe not repent 3. In a constant change of the minde purpose to sinne no more and forsaking our evill waies 't is not only in saying God be mercifull to me but in turning to him that hee may shew mercy who had not had any Saint had hee not pardoned sinners therefore the Prophet bids us search and try our waies turne againe unto the Lord. 3. Apply the word of God home to thy conscience that thou maist understand thy sinne and misery comming on thee and be toucht at heart as Peters hearers were Act 2. 37. 4. Pray earnestly to God to take away the stony heart which hindereth thy repentance and the comfortable effects thereof this lieth like the cover on the wells mouth at Padan Aram till it be roled away the flocks cannot bee watred the rocks at Horeb could not yeeld a drop of water till the rod of God smote it nor can mans harder heart one teare of faithfull repentance untill God touch it 5. Beware of living in or relapsing into any knowne sinne least the end be worse then the beginning in such case it had beene better for thee not to have knowne the way of righteousnesse then after the knowledge thereof to returue with the dog to the vomit 6. Be sure thou forgive 't is the condition of remission of thy sinne which Christ annexeth to thy petition for forgivenesse as we forgive them that trespasse against us and repeateth it to teach us the necessitie thereof for if we forgive them their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you but if yee forgive not â—neither will your father forgive your trespasses malice is strange fire which never came from heaven no sacrifice of prayer can be acceptable therewith be resolved then seeing thy daily infirmities put thee upon a daily asking mercy to shew it that thou maist find it that thou be not with the evill servant who would receive but shew no pitty delivered to the tormentors for the exaction of that which thou canst never satisfie A Prayer for repentance and remission of sinnes O Lord God of mercy and compassion slow to anger and more ready to forgive then we can be to beg pardon forgive us all our sinnes which we have at any time committed in thought word or action give us hearts to consent and obay that thou maist bee pleased according to thyne owne gratious promise to make our scarlet sinnes white as snow to take away those filthy habits where with we are naturally clothed and to put us on the robe of Christ's innocency give us hearty and unfeigned repentance of all our sins that we may abandon all our evill vaine and unprofitable waies whereby we have provoked thy wrath against our owne soules Seale up our pardon by the certaine testemonie of thy spirit of truth which cannot deceave in a comfortable peace of conscience and assurance of our reconciliation by the merits of our Lord Jesus Give us security on the second table of repentance who have unhappily let goe the first of innocency As thou hast in the pretious blood of thy deare sonne Jesus cancelled the hand writing of ordinances which was against us fastning them on his crosse so accomplish thine owne mercy cancelling them to the sense of our consciences by a certaine assurance of our salvation that the stings of death may not afflict us nor the gates of hell ever prevaile against us but that our sinnes being covered and no more imputed to us we may cheerefully thankfully and holily live before thee to thy glory the good example of of others and the assurance of our owne hearts before thee that thoâ—â— who hast in some measure sanctified hast also freely and fully pardoned us Lord answer unto our soules with good and comfortable words through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour AMEN CHAP. X. § 1. Of the resurrection from the dead § 2. How the truth thereof may appeare § 3. What wee are to make of the meditation hereof 1 THe third benefit of the Church shall be the Resurrection from the dead in the first Adam all dye in the second all live hope of a joyfull resurrection is the root of all good workes Act 24. 15. 16. Act 26. 6 7. 2. It is necessary that sinne which brought death into the world like a viperous brood eating through its mothers bowels should be destroyed by death and as necessary that sins kingdome so ended all should rise againe that they may come to judgement 3. Resurrection is of the dead body of man for first death is not only a bare negation but a privation of life so dead and livelesse differ that only which had life and after died riseth againe Secondly there are two sorts of dead bodies the first sine potentiâ ad vitam without possibilitae of rising againe so beasts dye never to live againe or in potentiâ ad vitam in abilitie once to rise againe by the power of God so determining it so man dyeth and shall assuredly rise againe all men elect and reprobates shall come from death as Pharaohs two servants from their prison one to honour the other to execution some to the joyes of heaven eternall blessednesse of body and soule the other to endlesse shame and unspeakable torments in hell sire with the Devill and his Angells 4. The same body which dyeth shall be raised againe the same substance as
the graine of corne as God giveth every seed his own body so Job saith hee shall see his Redeemer with the same eyes so they shall see Christ come to judge who peirâ—ed him only the Saint shall change for glory and immortality 5. In the resurrection God will send out his Angells his harvesters to gather the elect from all parts The last trump shall blow the graves open and sea land give up their dead it was shewed in the Prophets vision Ezek 47. 2. 3. c. the dry bones lay scattered up and downe the fields when the power of the Almighty breathed on them the sinewes and flesh came upon them the skinne covered them and they lived so shall it be in the resurrection of the dead The power of God who made us all of dust and infused a living soule into every one of us will then bring back every soule into his own body and so Christ who is the resurrection and the life will convent them and set them before him in judgement who now sleep in death He that raised Jesus from the dead shall also quicken our mortall bodies The truth hereof may appeare 1. From the word of God evidently testifying the same Job 19. 20. Isai 26. 19. Dan 12. 2. 1. Cor 15. 1. Thes 4. Joh 5. 28. 29. The Apostle proveth it from divers grounds as the preaching of the Gospell and our beleeving which otherwise were vaine but so great and powerfull an evidence of God's spirit cannot bee vaine From the communion we have with Christ who is risen for we are indeed his members flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone he is the first fruits of the dead Now in his manhood is our slesh and blood glorified where he lives wee live as he hath begun we shall follow from the comparision of the first and second Adam as in Adam all dye even so in Christ shall all bee made alive from the power of Christ able to subdue all things from the earnest of the spirit dwelling in us Rom 8. 11. If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortall bodies by the spirit that dwelleth in you by the universality of Christs kingdome to which all must be subdued Ephes 1. 14. The same is proved from the blessednesse of the dead Rev 14. 13. as also from that Christ saith God is the God of the living not of the dead Math 22. 31. 32. 2. The truth hereof may appeare from the consents even of the prudent heathen much more of all the Saints seeking another city Heb 11. 3. From the wisedome of God which cannot be frustrate now in vaine had he made man in his owne image had it beene to perish with so shore a life 4. From the justice of God if the body should not rise againe then that which had sinned with the soule should not also suffer with it the blasphemous mouth which hath so highly dishonoured â—â—od the raylers tongue which hath wounded the innocent the lying lips the theevish and murderous hands the mischievous head which hath beene a full storehouse of pernitious inventions for hereâ—ies schâ—smes seditions ravage and oppression should escape the power of justice and eternally sleepe in the dust without any sense of evill as securely as if they had never beene stained with confederacy in sinne a thought so vaine as that the conscience of an heathen could not admit it and can wee thinke that the poore afflicted and tortured bodies of the Martyrs bearing life and death the markes of the Lord Jesus shall never live againe and see a time of refreshing Certainely justice must needs put great difference betweene the wicked and the just and it must be true which God saith We must all appeare before the tribunall of Christ that every man may receive in his body according to that which he hath done whether good or evill 5. From the power of God with whom all things are possible he that made all of nothing cannot he raise the dead He that created cannot he change creatures He made the dust of the earth of nothing and man out of that dust and is his arme shortned so that he caÌ„not repaire who made of nothâ—ng consider the agent and take away all doubting Some instances as praeludiums of the generall resurâ—ection Christ made to assure us that he that raised the Rulers daughter the widows sonne Lazarus and others appearing at his owne resurrection could and would accordiâ—g to his promise raise us also He gave the Apostles themselves then subject to mortality power to raise the dead Tabitha and Eutichus were examples and shall not he who gave others this power be able himselfe to doe the same He made Aarons withered rod as it were rise againe from the dead and shall not he raise Aaron himself 6. From the common course of nature which is God's ordinary power the seed is sowed lyeth long under winter clouds except it corrupt it remaineth alone but by a kind of yearly death and resurrection every seed bringing forth its owne body that which without such changes could have lasted but few yeares continueth to the use of man since the creation unto this present 7. Lastly from the consciences of the most obstinate unbelievers tell mee Atheist if there be nothing after death why art thou so afraid to die Of these things we are to make these uses 1. It must teach us to be afraid to sinne death cannot conceale thee thou must rise againe Cain Judas Dives would think themselves happy if with a thousand thousand deaths they could but once die to live no more it is a great part of the reprobates torment that he cannot die but must be raised to an eternall torment of body and soule 2 To be comforted against all pressures and calamities of this life persecutions imprisonments sicknesse sorrow contempt death it shall not be long be an impious and ingratefull world nover so malicious before a joyfull resurrection shall assert and acquit thee from all these grievances 3. To use the deceased Saints bodies with humane and holy reverence not to handle them despicably whom God will once glorifie 4. To make death familiar to us by frequent meditation on our resurrection from the dead feare not death seeing thou shalt certainly rise againe there shall be incorruption glory and immortality See Psal. 16. 9 10. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 5. Not to sorrow as men without hope for them that sleepe in Christ remember they shall rise againe This was the very argument wherewith Christ who shewed his sympathy at Lazarus grave weeping with the living if not for the dead allayed the sorrow of Mary and Martha and comforted them in their teares I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in mee if he were
dead shall live CHAP. XI Concerning life everlasting § 1. What life everlasting is § 2. Wherein the happinesse thereof consisteth § 3. What rules of practice we are to hold concerning the same 1 WE are in the last place to beleeve that which is the end of faith the salvation of our soules life everlasting necessarily inserted as the Corônis and finishing the articles of our beleefe why else should we beleeve our resurrection or any other article but that in beleeving all the Gospell we shal have eternall life 2. The life of man is that act of body and soule united whereby he liveth life in generall is either uncreated which is the Godhead living of and by himselfe and giving life to all living this is incommunicable to any creature created life is that which is in and by anothers power as 't is written in him we live move and have our being the life of man is either naturall in this world sustained by such meanes as God hath thereto appointed or spirituall which is our union with Christ inchoate here to bee perfected in the world to come where we shall have no more need of any of the creatures to sustaine us we have need for the present of the word and Sacraments to support our life of grace but there God will be all in all all good all happinesse no noise of hammer was heard in Solomons Temple when it was raising all was prepared before so here shall be no noise of prophesie or preachching that shall cease God will be our illumination preservation joy and life Rev 21. 22. and in this life desire is never satisâ—ied but there is the tree of life Christ Jesus in the midst of the heavenly Paradise giving life to all and silling all with such absolute blessednesse that if all the joyes on earth and an abstract thereof were present we could no more desire them then a prudent man could childrens rattles Paul regenerate counted all things vile and worthlesse in respect of Christ how much more shall the gloriâ—ied As the Sunne eclipseth or obscureth all inferiour light so doe the heavenly all secular joyes which like Eliahs mantle fall off in our ascension to the things which are above Our blessednesse in this eternall life shall consist in 1. An absolute freedome from all wants spirituall and bodily There shall be no ignorance of that wee should know no unbeleefe no diffidence in the mercy of God no servile feare no envy anger lust corrupt affection no sicknesse paine want violence oppression injury no sinne sorrow or effect of sinne 2. Perfect knowledge of God Moses could see onely his back parts we see the effects of his wisdome power and goodnesse the effence it selfe is incomprehensible we see now but in part there we shall see face to face as he is that is as much as we can be capeable of 3. Perfect love of God for his owne sake without measure because we shall knowe him as he is most amiable 4. An absolute and perpetuall Sabbath we keep one now every seaventh day and at best wee fayle in our sanctification thereof but there shall be all holy soules and bodies yet shall not our life bee meerely contemplative and inactive nor servile but eternally spent in the service of God without lassitude or irksomenesse which was prefigured in Priests officiating on the Sabbath without violation of the holy rest 5. Glory of bodies and soules reunited incorruption immortality spirituall and divine life shall shine on us as on Christ in his transfiguration all corruptible qualities being put off and if the now visible parts of the heavens are free from corruption how much more shall man in his glorious liberty seeing heaven and earth were made for him When Christ ascended no corporall weight hindered him when Elias beganne to bee changed He ascended into a Chariot of fire no elementary gravity hindred him so shall our bodies bee freed from the burthen of first and second qualities and all seeds of naturall corruption and made active to move in Gods service without let 6. Unspeakable joy in the presence of God and union with Christ whatsoever we here enjoy or rejoyce in is but imperfect and transitory there 's ever some evill mixed with our present good some feare of loosing or unexpected bitternesse in possessing but there shall be perfect and absolute joy without any mixture of evill to blast it Eternall life is an entire and most pleasant possession of all good an unchangeable eternall reall true perfect blessedresse which after millions of yeares expired shall be as far from ending as at the first if we thinke of more millions of ages then there have been minuts since time began yet if they were ever to end the expectation of a long deferred end must leave joy lesse absolute time wasteth what ere we suffer enjoy or doe this which I write dictate or peruse is taken from my life but eternitie is infinite and therefore nothing can be added or taken from it it being perfect when Paul was taken up into heaven he heard and saw but things unutterable 1. Cor 12. 4. eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor can the heart of man apprehend for present the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1. Cor 2. 9. Isai 64. 4. 't is easier to say what heaven is not then what it is 't is not like this wretched world the most secure best condition of this life is far short of the least joy therein there shall be no more evill to embitter or discompose our happy soules God shall wipe all tears from our eyes there shall be no more feare of death nor bitter parting of deare friends no privation of any good nor sense of evill hither no enemie is admitted hence no friend departeth The Rules we are here to practise are 1. Labour for true faith apprehending Christ hee only is the way none can come to the Father but through him Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh 3. 16. 2. Be holy if ever thou meanest to arive here no uncleane thing can enter Rev 21. 27. Heb 12. 14. 1. Cor 6. 9. 10. Math. 5. 8. when the rich man asked Christ what good thing shall I doe that I may eternally live He replyed keepe the commandements holinesse is the way to eternally life 3. Endure afflictions patiently our momentary afflictions shall cause a far more happy weight of eternall glory in the life to come 4. Set thy affections on things above and learne an holy contempt of this world the fashion whereof continually changeth that is true life which is unchangeably blessed the most pleasant temporall life compared herewith is not to bee reckned life 5. Here take comfort in all present distresses joy shall come when Joseph had made himselfe
you are deafe or carelesse to the word of God if you continue in mee saith Christ and my words in you yee shall aske what yee will and it shall be done unto you Job 15. 7. the just cryed and he delivered them 't is the prayer of the righteous which availeth much Jam 5 16. therefore saith the Apostle let every one that calleth on the name of Jesus depart from iniquitie and I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands Sanctity like that stone which Aaron and Hur put under Moses fainting hands supporteth our prayers with assurance of obtaining his prayer is powerfull whose cause tongue action and life speake for him the Oratours rule is the hand speake's injuries cry for revenge such a voice had Abels blood so almes deeds for mercy Corâ—â—lius beneficence did so thy prayers and thy almes are come up for a memoriall before God prayer flyeth up to God with Cherub's wings faith and fervency but must have hands under those wings bee thou holy and attentive to Gods word and thou maist bee confident of audience with him otherwise hee will say when you make long prayers I will not heare you prayer is the soules soveraigne balme but cannot cure where any splinter remaineth in that wound where any intention is to continue in sin no prayers are heard The Lepers mouth by the Law was to be covered sinne thy soules leprosie stops thy mouth and therein thou but awakest Gods justice to punish thee it made the heathen in the storme say to some debauched fellowes when they prayed hold your peace least God should know such wicked fellowes sailed here To the ungodly God said what hast thou to doe to take my covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed 5. It may be God denieth what you aske that he may give you something better It is indeed a bitter triall to pray and have no sense of being heard I conceave that made David expostulate with God as if he were forsaken but let a man consider what God hath done to his dearest servants O that Ismael might live in thy sight cryed faithfull Abraham God giveth him an Isaak a blessed seed Moses prayer could not obtaine his entrance into Canaan it obtained his present entrance into heaven he many times denieth our wills that hee may accomplish his in our salvation he denieth temporall things that profit not that hee may bestow eternall Be not dejected not â—illed with indignation but consider how God giveth lands fruits health children plenty and the like to them that daily blaspheame him he that gives such things to sinners what thâ—nkst thou he reserveth for his children Certainly not earth but heaven I say he meaneth to give himselfe to thee if he removes the lets that he may so doe art thou impatient Againe some will say as Moses I am not eloquent to form a prayer I answer there are many formed already for thee but canst thou say lesse then the poore Publican God be mercifull to me a sinner say that as he did and it shall be enough for thee to goe home justified what was the meaning of that caution in the Law that he might offer a paire of turtles who had not a sheep but that God will accept if we offer the best we can be it never so litle If thou have no more offer a contrite heart I shall never beleeve him destitute of happy audience with God who looking on the merits of Christ interceding for him can but weepe those teares have strong cries why else doth David mention the voice of his teares Powerfull prayer is more in the groanes of the spirit then rhetoricall elegancies more in weeping then speaking There are certaine rules of practice hereto neceâ—â—ary 1. Before Prayer 1. Meditate on the gracious promises of God meditation and prayer are like the two Disciples going to Emaus whâ—le they are conferring Christ joyneth himselfe to them and like Eliah and his servant on Carmel one obtaineth the other discovereth the blessing comming 2. Forgive all thine enimâ—es give those that wâ—nt thy help forgive those that offend thee put out all bitternesse and desire of revenge out of thy soule count it the most divine victory to overcome thine adversary with vertue and goodnesse 3. Set thy selfe in the presence of God remembring thine owne vilenesse and guiltinesse Thinke of the dreadfull Majestie of God before whom thou art to appeare before whom are thousand thousand glorious Angels those unseene messengers of his who see and heare thee 4. Disburden thy minde of all cares and thoughts of this world prepare thy heart to thinke only of heavenly things 5. Humbly and heartely begge pardon for all those sinnes which have intercâ—pted his grace and made thee lesse apt to pray and thy former prayers lesse fruitfull 6. Compose thy body to that humble gesture which may best serve to expresse thy high reverence of body and soule to stirre up the greater devotion in thy selfe and others 7. Entreat Gods assistance and the evidence of his spirit to helpe thy infirmities and to prepare thee to pray faithfully 2. In prayer 1. Lift up thy soule to God call upon him with thy heart fix thy thoughts in heaven and as much as humane infirmitie can attaine to turne thee to looke upon the throne of God through the merits of Christ at the right hand of God receaving and presenting thy requests to him 2. Watch over thy thoughts and diligently fetch them in from their extravagancies and wandrings out forcing them into an ardent attention 3. As oft as Satan distracteth in a briefe ejaculation and quick flight of a thought desire the Lord to reprove and restraine him and to assist and help thee 3. After Prayer let thy heart 1. Thanke the Lord for his gratious assistance 2. In an ejaculation pray God to passe by and forgive all thy failings 3. Resolve to wait Gods leasure and to subject all thy desires to his holy will for the time and manner of his grant 4. Attend what answer God giveth either 1. More confidence of obtaining 2. Cheerefulnesse of spirit and resolution to trust in him what ever he pleaseth to doe with thee 3. More fervently to persevere in prayer 4. A constant resolution carefully to examine thy waies in case thou art sensible of some obstruction and let to thy obtaining 5. Granting thy requests that thou maist acknowledge his mercy and glorify him and thence gather future assurance of being heard in the like or other necessities Thus enformed and prepared loose not the comfortable suits of dayly prayers by foreslowing thy opportunity of calling on God while he is nigh every houre will serve hereto but be sure thou set apart some specially the first and the last every place hath served God's children in necessity the lyons denne the prison the belly of the Whale the
Babylonish fornace the midst of the sea So may the way thou travellest on the bed thou liest on but if it be in thy choice take that place which is freest from distractions most decent private and accommodate whether thou prayest alone or with thy family 't is never importune to any state or condition it will make thy prosperity secure and thy afflictions tolerable only when ever thou prayest doe it as with deepest sense so with greatest humility and reverence of body and soule in asâ—urance of God's mercy He that dares speake to thee said the souldier to Caesar knowes not thy Majestie he that dares not thy Clemency He knowes not the dreadfull Majestie of God who dares any way be prophane or irreverend in prayer and hee is ignorant of Gods mercy who will not be confident to pray unto him A Prayer for the spirit of Prayer O Lord God of truth and father of mercy and compassion who art clothed with Majestie and glory and yet so regardest man man vile dust and earth yet that worke of thy hands which beareth thyne owne image as that thou framest his heart and enclinest thyne eare to his petitions heare us now calling on thy holy name and let thine eare be open to our requests Lord we humbly acknowledge that we are lesse then the lest of all thy mercies spirituall and secular and their continuation as in respect of our manifold sinnes whereby we have provoked thy justice so also for our undervalewing thy inestimable favours offered us in the most easy and gracious conditions of mercy which thou hast proposed unto us concerning remission of sinnes deliverance from judgments and all blessings of this life and that which is to come whereof thou saiest but aske and have we have yet so much neglected the meanes of our being happy that we haue amongst many other sinnes of omission either forgotten and neglected to pray or formally drowzily and carelessely performed the same so many haue our failings herein been that whensoever we haue prayed for blessings or forgivenesse we had need againe to pray that thou wouldst forgiue the sinnes of those prayers lest they should awake thy justice instead of pacifying it and imploring mercy And now O Lord seeing thou art a God of pure eies dreadfull Maâ—â—stie and asearcher of hearts as we are a people of unhallow thoughts and polluted lipps wherewith all shall we come and bow our selues before the most high thou hast indeed shewed us what is good and what acceptable but we have not done justly loved mercy nor in that humility we ought walked with thee when thou wouldst instruct us we have hardened our hearts and refused to obay when thy chastning have beene upon us we have not powred out our prayer nor in our trouble visited thee as appeareth this day now when thyne arme is streched out over us with dreadfull judgements threatning utter ruine and desolation of this whole nation so stupid is our security and hardnesse of heart such a spirit of slumber is fallen upâ—n us that yet we cannot or will not understand those things which concerne our peace and attonement with thee now when the Tents of Israel are beset with destroyers so much worse then Amalekites comming against us by how much more dwelling amongst us we cannot yet repent and cry for mercy in our prayers we soone let fall cur fainting hands for want of those supports of faith fervency and resolution never to hold our peace day nor night nor to give thee rest untill thou establish us and restore our religion and peace now when the houre of darknesse is at hand the dispersion of thy litle flock to be feared and dangerous tentations by seducers able if it were possible to beguile the very elect now when the great day of of the Lord draweth neere and hasteth on us when the sound thereof in warres and rumours of warres affrighteth us on every side a day of wrath trouble distresse and desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of trumpet and alarme so senselesse a security hath taken away our hearts that we still goe on in our sins corrupting our waies and so wounding our own consciences that wee are not only become loathsome in thy sight miserable in our present condition and helplesse in our selves but also heartlesse to fly to the Sanctuary of thy mercy and saving health our owne consciences deterring us because we cannot but know that we deserve thy justice who so long centemned thy mercies and that thou maist most justly stop thine eares to our prayers as we have ours to thy precepts and leave us comfortlesse in our distresse who have so many yeares beene fruitlesse in our abundance of peace and prosperity yet Ô Lord our God in assurance that thou art true and faithfull who hast promised saying aske and yee shall have and trusting in his merit and mediation who hath said Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laded and I will give you rest wee come unto thee humbly praying thee to be reconciled unto us to open our eyes that we sleep not in death to pardon all our sinnes our neglects and defects in prayer to frame our hearts and tongues thereto to helpe our infirmities who know not what to pray as we ought to assist us with the powerfull evidence of that spirit of Christ Jesus which enditeth all those prayers to which thou hast made the promise of obtaining to send downe that heavenly fire fervency of spirit which may direct and make this spirituall incense ascend up holy and acceptable in thy sight through his mediation who now sitteth at thy right hand to make requests for us so that we may have a cheerfull assurance of being heard Lord restraine the vigilant malice of the tempter take from us all hardnesse of heart unbeleefe doubting wandering thoughts drouzinesse and deadnesse of spirit and whatsoever else hath hitherto made us unapt to pray and lesse successeful in our prayers give us true humilitie holy reverence of body and soule and that wisedome to behave our selves in thy dreadfull presence that thou maist be pleased gratiously to accept our petitions that we may carry backe a comfortable answer to the assurance of our hearts and consciences before thee and further encouragement to continue our supplications unto thee through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour AMEN CHAP. XIII § 1. Of hearing Gods word § 2. Motives thereto § 3. The usuall lets § 4. Conditions requisite to profitable hearing § 5. Rules of practice thereto appertaining 1 SInne to Gods dishonour and mans misery invaded the soule principally by the eare and it is Gods pleasure to beat it out againe by the same doore that as in our first parents we heard Satans seducements to our ruine so for our repaire we should heare the voice of Christ which is our life our wisedome and blessednesse if we keepe it 2. No word can binde and stay the conscience
a weapon in one hand and a building instrument in the other that wee may at once desend and ediâ—ie 3. Compose thy body to such a reverend posture in respect of Gods presence and the testimony of men and Angells who behold thee that thou maist thereby contribute to the Minister hearers the assistance of thy devout gesture attention countenance and voice as occasion serveth to say Amen 3. After hearing 1. Lay up the seed in a faithfull memory least the evill one come take it away and leave thee fruitlesse that thou maist be a doer of good works and not a forgetfull hearer and so bee blessed indeed as 't is written Heare therefore O Israâ—l observe to doe it that it may bee well with thee lay that to heart which thou hearest throughly applying it to thy selfe as if God pickt thee out of all the congregation to speake to thee that he might draw thee to repentance and salvation thus must thou lay up his words in thine heart and hald fast that thou hast received thou learnest only so much as thou remembrest excuse not thy selfe upon a bad memory thou seldome forgettest where thou seriously lovest where is that old man that hath forgotten where he hath laid his gold Use the best meanes by repeating writing calling to memory some things at least when thou commest home thou shalt in this constant practice â—inde thy memory amend 2. Meditate and examine how thou hast profited by hearing in case thou finde hardnesse of heart and baâ—rennesse in thy soule be not discouraged God hath his times Moses smote the rock at Horeb twice before it would yeeld at last it sent out abundant streames of living waters God speaketh once and twice and man perceiveth not line must be unto line and precept unto precept happy he who once resenteth give it not over still practise the beast which ruminateth not was reputed uncleane the morall is they are wicked who call not oft to minde that which they have heard Be constant in examination of thy selfe after every sermoÌ„ thou hearest to dresse our selves we are contented often to consult our glasse how well and decently 't is done how few doe it after hearing If thou wilt doe thy selfe right herein thou shalt at last feele the power of Gods word in thy soule Doth any enquire how shall I knowe when I heare the word as I ought The signes are 1. Joy of the holy Ghost so went the shepheards home so the Eunuch so many of the faithfull 2. Desire to heare more as those happy converts Act 13. Act 17. 32. the spirituall eare is not satiate with hearing when good Josiah had heard the Law read he gave present charge goe and enquire the Lord for us 3. Profitting by the sincere milke of the word growing thereby from strength to strength from grace to grace 4. Faithfull resolution to doe all that which thou hast learned as Israel once professed otherwise it had beene better never to have knowne the holy commandement it being lesse sin to be ignorant of Gods word then to despise it knowne Herod did many things but his dispensation with one sinne overthrew all the rest 5. Hearty and unfeigned repentance such as we read of in the Jewes at Peters sermon Act 2. 37. such as is commanded Rev 3. 3. 6. Filial feare of God this is the end of speaking and hearing to feare God and keep his commandements is the whole duty of man 7. Readinesse to impart to others what we have learned that they may teach their children said Moses Deut 4. 10. so did holy Abraham his family 3. Lastly againe commend thy soule to God that hee may send thee the former and later raine upon the seed sowed in thine eares to enable thee to bring forth happy fruitsthereof to make it powerfull and comfortable to thee in life and death A Prayer before hearing the word O Lord God eternall who hast laid the foundation of the earth and formest the spirit of man within him who art the father of light and causest the Sunne of righteousnesse to shine unto people sitting in darknesse in the region and shaddow of death that the glorious light of the Gospell might appeare to them that they may therein knowe thee beleeve see thy saving health and bee fruitfull in good workes to thy glory and the assurance of their own hearts before thee wee humbly acknowledge that we we are most unworthy of the least of all thy mercies specially of that light of truth which thou hast abundantly and long bestowed upon us seeing wee have not yet brought forth fruits worthy amendment of life but have walked every man in the stubbornesse vanity and security of his owne heart as if we had not knowne thy will thou hast allured us with promises and deterred us from our wicked waies with threatnings and sore afflictions accordingly sent upon us but wee have answered all with contempt security adding transgressions to transgressions till they have beene multiplied over our heads ascended up into thy presence and thence with wilfull hearts and violent hands pulled downe thy severe judgements upon-our selves as appeareth this day so that in our own consciencâ—s we doe deserve to heare that sentence on the barren tree cut it downe and cast it into the fire why keepeth it the ground barren That thou shouldst give us over to our owne vile affections and destruction of body and soule by taking away the comfort of thy word from this sinfull nation by permitting those sonnes of confusion who of our selves have risen up speaking perverse things still to prevaile against the unity of this Church and State that thou shouldst send us strong delusions who would not receive the love of the truth that thou shouldst suffer a fearefull darknesse againe to cover this land that night should be to us for a vision and darknesse for divination that the Sunne should goe downe upon our Prophets whose words and ministry we have so much sleghted and contemned and that the day should prove darknesse over them that thy word should become a savour of death to us and every prophesie wee heare rise in judgement against us O Lord we cannot be ignorant that our obstinary is such as that thou who art an holy and just God canst have no pleasure in us we have so often stopped our eares to thy law that we may well expect that thou wilt not accept our offerings and incense of prayers in our distresse who have wearied thee with our words and drawne neere to thee with â—eigned lips bâ—t our hearts have beene far from thee we are become the border of wickednesse and thou hast beene sore displeased with us because we have not hearkned to thy Prophets who cryed to us to turne from our wicked waies we have indeed not layed their messages to heart but refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder we made
our hearts as Adamant stone least we should heare thy law and the words which thou sentest in thy spirit by the former Prophets therofore came this great wrath from thee the Priests have offered polluted bread on thy altar with the strange â—ire of their owne inventions the oppressing Cities obeyed not thy voice nor received correction they trusted not in thee neither drew neere unto their God their Princes within them were roaring Lyons and their Judges evening Woolves yea their Prophets were light and treacherous persons their Priests have polluted thy sanctuary done violence to thy Law we have itching eares for heapes of teachers which preach pleasing things crying to us peace peace even when misery and destruction is upon us because we would not abide wholsome doctrine we have not feared thee nor received instruction but corrupted all our waies therefore are wee to this day consumed by the fire of thy jealousie we are become an aâ—â—licted poore people and we deserve that thou shouldst still be terrible unto us and powre upon us thy indignation bring distresse upon us and that our blood should be powred out like water on the bosome of this good land which we have stained with cruelty murder rapine oppression uncleanesse and that fulnesse of sinnes which is scarse heard of among those who have not heard thy law to teach them better But O Lord our God there is none holy whom thou hast not made such nor any so wicked but thou canst make him holy Lord we are in thy gracious hands we humbly pray thee to frame our hearts according to thine owne will and make us such as thou wouldst have us to be O God of mercy have compassion on them who would not swerve from thee make us a people of circumcised hearts and pure language that we may all yet once againe serve thee with one consent convert us that thou maist turne unto us and establish thy covenant of life and peace amongst us O Lord in the amazing feares and bitter aâ—â—lictions of our soules answere with good and comfortable words returne unto Jerusalem with mercies comfort Zion be still our God and let us be thy people in truth and righteousnesse be thou a wall of fire round about her the glory in the midst of her dwell thou in her that she may againe be called a city of truth the mountaine of the Lord of hoasts the holy mountaine Cut of the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the Chemarims with their Priests who turned back from thee unto vanity and superstition shew us thy waies O Lord and teach us thy statutes lead us in thy truth O God of our salvation set thy feare in our hearts that thy secret may be with us open our eyes that we sleep not in death shew us our sinnes and the way to avoid them by the knowledge of thy law and the spirit of sanctification assure us of our interest in Christ by the comfortable testimony of thy holy spirit applying the promises of the Gospell to our wounded consciences continue forth the light of thy word to us and the purity of religion and thy holy worship amongst us put thy holy spirit the spirit of prayer and prophesie abundantly upon the Ministry assist them with enlightned understandings sound knowledge of all the mysteries of eternall life and salvation enlarged hearts holy affections faithfull memories and hasâ—owed lips for the powerfull delivery of thy holy word unto us forgive us all our disobedience barrennâ—sse and unfruitfulnesse give us true and hearty repentance for all our sinnes past with a stedfast purpose and faithfully resolution never to commit the like againe take from us all spirituall blindnesse hardnesse of heart unbeleefe prejudicate opinion wandring and profane thoughts and what ever else hath hitherto hindred the fruit bearing of thy holy word resist the vigilant malice of the tempter that he may not distract us nor take away the seed of thy word out of our hearts Give us sanctified thoughts and holy reverence towards thine ordinance an hearkening eare and attentive heart O God who hast the key of David which openeth none can shut who said'st unto the deafe eares be opened and they presently were so say it unto our hearts and eares so sanctify our affections and prepare us to heare and receive thy word that we may attend unto it as thy word and not the word of man that it may prove a savour of life to us that we may bring forth better fruits then ever we have done that leading us in thy way it may bring us to Christ the truth the way and the life the end of the law to every one that beleeveth and the fruits of our hopes endeavours the salvation of our bodies and soules through thy sonne our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN A Prayer to be used after hearing the word O Lord our God we humbly present unto thee the fruits of our hearts and lips praise and thankesgiving as for all thy gratious mercies and favours spirituall and temporall so specially for the light of truth in thy holy word preached unto us whereby thou pleasest to reveale thy will concerning our duty towards thee and our salvation in Christ Jesus More particularly wee thanke thee for that portion thereof now bestowed upon us we humbly pray thee to pardon our unholy and unreverend hearing our profanesse of heart and minde inattention wandring of thoughts and drouzinesse of spirit And now holy father prosper thine owne ordinance send downe the former and the latter raine the dew of grace to mollifie our hard and stony hearts that the seed now sowed in our outward eares may be fixed in our memory and take deepe root in our hearts and affections that the fruits of our faith and entire obedience may appeare in our lives and conversations to thy glory and our comfort and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN CHAP. XIV § 2. Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper § 2. Who receive the grace thereby represented § 3. How we ought to prepare for the right receiving thereof how to receive it and what to doe after receiving 1 OUr Saviour Christ hath left us under the Gospell onely two Sacraments Baptisme the Sacrament of initiation and the Lords Supper the sacrament of confirmation that admitteth us into Christs visible body the Church this feedeth and strengthneth in the same 2. A Sacrament is a visible signe of an invisible grace an holy seale ordained of God to strengthen our faith in his promises in Jesus Christ for the free remission of our sinnes which God therefore annexed to his word to confirme us by representing the suffering of Christ to our sight and tasting as the Gospell preacheth it to our eares 3. This Sacrament is called the Lords Supper because Christ ordained it at his last supper wherein to fulfill the law he eate the Pascall Lambe and to shew the determination
his voice wherein are the issues of life and death remember that the time is holy by Gods owne institution that the place is consecrated and set apart for Gods publike worship and let that come into thy minde which God said unto Moses approaching towards him loose thy shooes from thy feet for the place thou standest on is holy ground to thy selfe thus appliable put off all thy carnall affections resigne thy selfe body soule unto the guidance of Gods holy word and spirit Christ said not in vaine my house shall be called an house of prayer to all nations and where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them 6. Pray privatly that God would forgive thee thy sinnes give thee such a measure of his spirit to enable thee to serve him as may make thee therein acceptable to him blesse his owne ordinance unto thee sanctify thee body and soule to his service that thou maist sanctify his Sabbath with that zeale care and fervency of spirit which may please him that hee would assist the Ministers of his word and thy selfe and the whole congregation so that the word may profit you to the amendment of life and building you up to the assurance of salvation in Christ. In the Sabbath if thou wilt performe thy duty well thou must 1. Begin with delight in it and all the service of God therein to be performed this was God's condition of prospering Israel that they should call the Sabbath a delight the carnall man for feare of humane law or censure resteth from his ordinary workes goeth to Church joyneth with the Congregation in prayer hearing c. but it is irksome to him he thinkes the time long because he delighteth not in the Lord and his Sabbath but he that through delight therein keepeth it not as in help to sanctification keepeth it no better then a beast 2. Glorifie God therein In hearing praying receiving the holy Sacrament singing praises c. thou shalt honour him not doing thine owne waies any servile worke Those things may be done which are subordinate to the sanctification of a Sabbath as the Priests laboured in sacrificing the Ministers now doe in preaching and officiating without breach of this precept Workes of necessitie or mercy to man or beast are to be done the Ox fallen into a pit must be releived the Physitian Apothecary Chirurgion or others in case of necessitie may and must respectively helpe though it be the ordinary worke of their calling because it is a worke of mercy so to doe is to honour God as on the contrary it were to his dishonour as if his law bound any man from doing all the good hee can or shewing mercy to the distressed whereas indeed he is a God of mercy loveth the same in all those who beare his image but thou must not for gaine doe that which might equally be omitted as bargaining bearing burdens or other servile worke or labour of thy calling or travelling except in case of necessity or subordination to a Sabbath dayes workes it is certainly an ingratefull sacriledge to rob God of his owne daies service appointed for no necessitie of his but only for our own good and salvation and to entrench on that which he hath reserved to himselfe whereas he hath allowed men six daies to doe their workes and take their lawfull delights therein Therefore hee saith as we must not on the Sabbath doe our own waies so must not we finde our owne pleasures nor speake our owne words it is an hatefull robbery of God to use pastimes on that day though lawfull on others much worse those which are never lawfull whereby the Devill is more served on that day then any other The many fearefull judgements of God on offenders herein and that which usually befalleth them in that God seldome prospereth the most probable industries of such is enough to deter all considering men from profanation of the Lords day 3. Doe what good thou canst to thy selfe in that which concerneth thy soule or thy body health and preservation in case of necessitie or to others in the like at convenient times when the publike or private worship of God require not thy attendance walke in the fields or gardens that thou maist contemplate on Gods creatures and his benificence power providence and wisedome therein visit the sick and imprisoned if thou have ability and convenience of releiving or comforting them 4. Absteine from immoderate drinking feeding sleeping and whatsoever else may render thee lesse apt for the sanctification of this day 5. As all thy life thou must rest from sinne so specially on this day wherein the very sanctity of the time violated doubleth the offences committed there when God specially requireth the sanctimony and endeavours to learne his will and doe not thinke it enough to rest from labour as God resteth not in an inactive contemplation and as the glorified Saints in the life to come in their rest aud refreshing shall yet continually sing their Halleluiahs and doe those things which shall be to the eternall glory of God in them so doe thou now compose thy selfe to have thy present conversation in heaven and to begin thy rest and Sabbath here which shall never end When the Sabbath is ended if thou canst write down some principall heads for directions or of comforts heard that day and by often perusing them commit all to memory However repeat to thy selfe if single or with thy family the summes of that thou hast heard praise God for the same sing Psalmes meditate of the eternall rest whereof this is a type frame thy whole life for the attaining thereto beg pardon of God for thy severall failings and defects and pray for the assistance of his good spirit and that his ordinance may be powerfull in thee and thine to life eternall A Prayer for the Sabbath day morning O Lord our God holy and merâ—â—â—â— Wâ—â—umbly pray thee for Jesus Christ sake to forgive 〈◊〉 our sinnes to cleanse us bodies and soules from all those corruptions which make us lesse able to serue thee as we ought and unworthy to appeare before thee O our God be pleased to send the Comforter to enlighten us and to open our understandings that being now sequested from all worldly cares affections and thoughts we may lift up our hearts to thee serving thee in fervency of spirit and truâ—th that we may this day beginne our heaven on earth in doing thy will here as it is there done And because they are unworthy of new blessings who are unmyndfull of those they have received we here desire to render thee the fruites of our hearts and lipps praise and thanksgiving for all thy mercies and favours eternall and temporall for thy unspeakable love in electing us to salvation for thy infinite goodnesse in creating us after thyne owne glorious image to a capacity of light and understanding that we might be able in some measure
to know thee who art the fountaine of life of holinesse that wee might be like thee whose beeing is an independent selfe-happinesse and immortality that we might in thy presence enjoy thy favour eternally for thy gratious providence which in thy rest from creation is ever active in our preservation for that as it was thy pleasure to forme all creatures on earth in the aire and those unseene paths of the deeps for our sakes so by the powre of the same word which at first said let them be made and they were so thou still preservest them in their severall kinds for our use releife and comfort nor is thy goodnesse lesse considerable in those remoter lights of heaven the greater and the lesse which thou hast made to distinguish and measure times and seasons to rule the day and comfort the unked shades of night O Lord the heavens declare thy glory and the firmament sheweth thy handy worke in wisedome and great power hast thou created all things the unseene multitude of those glorious Angels which thou hast made ministring spirits and sent them out to pith thâ—ir tents about us night and day for out defence and preservation are the worke of thy hands they and we live move and have our beeing in thee who art the incomprehensible beeing of beeings Above all thy workes is thy mercy and above all instances thereof is that for which we are this day to praise and glorifie thy holy name the accomplishment of the greatest worke our redemption by the resurrectioâ— of thy Sonne Jesus from the dead our creation had not profited us if our redemption had not repaired us when we were fallen in our creation thou gavest us our selves and beâ—ings but in our redemption thou not onely restoredst us to our selves but gavest us thy selfe in Christ the some of thine eternall love Lord what is man that thou so regardest him or the sonne of man that thou so visitest him Who is able to declare thy goodnesse and to set forth that praise which is worthy of thee Thou hast also made the Sabbath for man for whom thou madest this universe thou hast sanctified it and given it to be a time of rest and a signe betweene thee and us that we might knowe that thou art he who sanctifieth us that we might herein meet together in thy publike worship to learne thy holy wil for our salvation to present our supplications severall necessities before thy throne of grace and mercy â—â—ffer up the incense of our prayers and thankesgiving that wee may rest from sinne and our daily labours and being disburdened of all the cares and distractions of this world may approach neere unto thy sacred Majestie with pure hearts and hands But O Lord our God who among the corrupted sonnes of men is worthy to appeare in thy holy presence who art the searcher of hearts and a God of pure eyes O Lord we humbly acknowledge our vilenesse and unworthinesse beseeching thee for thy sonne Christ Jesus sake to forgive us all our sinnes and throughly to purge us from the old levin of our iniquities give us such a measure of thy grace and sanctifiing spirit that we may rest assured of our calling and election to eternall life repaire thy decayed image in us every day more and more enabling us to serve thee in true holinesse mortifying and subduing all our carnall affections which resist the motions of thy good spirit in us make us comfortably sensible of the vertue of Christs resurrection in us quickning us to newnesse of life in a perfect and entire obedience to all thy holy commandements that in assurance of our sinnes remission in Christ our peace we may enjoy a comfortable rest in true peace of conscience and our reconciliation to thee by a justifying faith in him To this end wee humbly pray thee to blesse thine owne ordinance to us this day Lord give thy spirit of prayer and prophesie unto thy messengers therein appointed to entreat a blessing for us and to declare thy will unto us distill the dew of heaven into their hearts and tongues that they may minister faithfull directions for the recalling those that erre confirmation of those that stand and sound comfort to the afflicted consciences of those that mourne in Zion Lord who bountifully findest seed to thy sowers grant that they may finde the hearts and affections of thy people not stony or thorny but fruitfull ground be thou present with us by thy sanctifying spirit this day that thy Sabbath may be our delight and thy word our soules food comfort and refreshing that this and all our daies we may walke worthy of our high calling in Christ and have our conversations in heaven where hee sitteth at thy right hand that this Sabbath as it is a representation of that which shall be an eternall rest from all our sorrowes cares and labours may also be a meanes to direct and bring us to the same even to the end of our hopes the salvation of our bodies and soules the fulnesse of joy and eternity of true happinesse in thy presence through the merits of thy sonne our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father of mercy and the holy Ghost the comforter of the elect be ascribed all honour praise dominion and glory this day and evermore AMEN To the ordinary evening Prayer may be added this private prayer for the Sabbath O Lord God of mercy and compassion we render all humble hearty thankes to thy gratious Majestie for all thy mercies and favours as in our whole lives so specially this day bestowed upon us for our peace health and opportunity to serve thee that in thy tender mercy sparing us thou hast not according to our deservings by our neglects of thy holy ordinance and sundry profanations of thy Sabbath made this day unto us as unto many others a day of dread and terrour of trouble and flight but a day of comfort an holy rest and refreshing to our bodies and soules in a peaceable and plentifull use of thy holy word and ordinance O good Lord continue thy goodnesse to us herein give us true repentance and reformation of all our lives forgive us our many sinnes and sundry â—ailings in our duties so sanctify our memories that wee may receive and our affections that we may readily obey thee according to thy holy will now declared in those portions of thy holy word which have this day beene opened unto us Lord who only givest the encrease to the planting and watring of those who faithfully labour in thy vineyard blesse that which wee have heard so that wee may walke in the strength thereof and give us a setled resolution to obey the same to submit our selves wholy to thy will and word to have our conversation so ordered thereby that sin may dye in us and the life of grace shew it selfe in an holy and sincere obedience of our thoughts words and ictions untill we come
the opinion of the unwise wicked doe but consider that wise men looke most to the end that they have rightly proposed to themselves which if they attaine their worke is done whether by force or counsell they passe not they looke to the end through just meanes Suppose thine end is to overcome thine enemie if thou mightest make free choice of the meanes tell me wouldst thou overcome him by good or evill by vertue or violence by excelling him in goodnesse or equalling him in evill 'T is an epidemick madnesse to thinke there is no victory but in violence and requiting evill with evill becomming as damnable as their enemies 9. Lastly resolve that every injurie shall better thee doth thine enemie hurt thee Let it occasion thee to pray for him aud to enter into a serious examination of thine owne heart whether thou hast not injured him or some other upon discovery of injury done by thee repent and give satisfaction that God may give thee thy quietus est so will hee in his good time judge for thee ever looke to the hand that smiteth thee Assyria is but the rod of Gods anger God raised up enemies to Solomon It may be that God bad Sheimei curse be not like the foolish dog to bite the stone cast at him but looke to the cause which being removed the effect shall cease There are who bend their tongues to shoot out bitter words which God permitteth to admonish his servants of some unrepented sinnes which being discovered and repented of they proove ike Jonathans arrowes shott to warne not to wound Thy friends may possibly not see or seeing dissemble thy faults marke well what thine enemies say of thee let their vigilant malice apt to accuse thee make thee more carefully watch over thy waies least thy failings advantage them or give them just occasions of reviling thee and as Theseus is said to have cut off his comely lockes least his enemies should finde advantage by catching hold of them so doe thou all occasions of calumny how many men haâ—â— perished in their sinnes unseene had not the malice of enemies awaked admonished them And like Jason Phereus enemy cured them by wounding them Selfe-love is ever blinde and true friendship sometimes but malice hath a thousand eyes this Serpent is quick sighted to find out others faults seeing I cannot but be faulty and would not be so I had rather want many acquaintance then some enemies who may amend mee though for ill will I owe much to many good friends for other offices but most to mine enimies for this who yet through Gods mercy never hurt me but to the greater advantage of my soule I hope they who never could never shall A Prayer for Love and Charity O Lord God of mercy and compassion we humbly acknowledge that so many continuall have our rebellions been against thee that we deserve thine anger and that thoâ—â— shouldst arme all the hoste of heaven and the creatures under heaven against us but we humbly pray thee to pardon us for Jesus Christ his sake give us hearts to repent before the consummation of thy feirce wrath the day of thine anger come upon us to agree with our adversary quickly while we are yet in the way to seeke righteousnesse that we may be hid in the day of thine anger Lord our hope is in thee make us not a reproach to them that hate us withold not thy tender mercy from us let thy loving kindnesse and thy truth preserve us Thou who art the God of love and unity set thine own image again upon us and as thou hast loved redeemed us in the son of thy love Christ Jesus so give us hearts to love one another that thereby all men may knowe that we are his Disciples Lord deliver us not to the will of our enemies and oppressours but forgive us all that wherein we have any waies injured or justly offended our brethren make our waies so pleasing in thy sight that thou maist bee pleased to make our enemies at peace with us Turne their hearts and mischievous intentions as thou didst revengefull Esau's give them a true sight and sorrow for their sinnes that they may repent and bee saved Prevent and divert their malice that it may not proceed further to hurt themselves or us restraine the tempter that he may no more be able to set variance and his owne bitter influence malice and enmity between those whom thoâ— hast united by their adoption in Christ Thou hast promised the blessing on brethren who live together in unity give us that spirit that we may hold the sacred band thereof in peace that we may not bring a scandall on thy truth that our prayers be not hindred that our soules may be delivered from the snares of death in which the malitious are holden that we may all meet cheerefully before thy tribunall in the holy communion of Saints and blessed unity of the body of Christ to whom with thee O Father of love God of peace and the holy Ghost the comforter be rendred all honour glory praise and dominion in heaven and earth for ever and ever AMEN CHAP. XVIII § 1. Of the soule faculties thereof affections minde and thoughts in generall § 2. Of the corruptions of the heart the danger and difficultie of the cure § 3. Of the necessitie of right ordering our thoughts § 4. Rules of practice 1 THere are many things of whose being we know whose quality we knowe not all confesse wee have a soule which commandeth and restraineth in us what a one it is none can tell hence are those many disputes about its essence seat and subject with the subordinate faculties of it no man hath throughly beene acquainted with this secret governour in man some have defined it an harmonie some a divine vertue a particle of the deity some the most exile slender aire some a blood some heat or fire some number so innate is errour that we most erre concerning our owne selves more rightly doe they say who call it an immortall spirit an incorporeall substance created by infusion and infused in its creation made to the image of the Creatour capable of the light of understanding wisdome holinesse blessednesse and eternity so that in its conjunction with the body it ammateth giveth life action and motion wherein it differeth from an Angell and in its separation from the body for a time untill it shall be reunited in the resurrection it subsisteth as doe the Angells and then hath its proper acts and apprehensions as they Now as the eye seeth the eye in a glasâ—e so the soule knoweth it selfe by a kinde of â—reflex The soule is a divine ghest sent from heaven into these earthly Tabernacles to give them life and governe them yet is it neither seene comming nor departing it is an immortall forme of moâ—tall man the body decayeth the soule doth not being
neither subject to time nor age the motions thereof are eternall it apprehendeth things present absent past and future it deliberateth formeth directeth discourseth judgeth doubteth concludeth so excellent is it that the Oratour said God hath not given any thing so divine to man and that there are certaine lineaments thereof more beautifull then of the body the body is adorned by the soule without which beauty it selfe becommeth gastly and good Abraham saith give me a possession of a burying place that I may bury my dead out of my sight the soule cannot be deformed by any unevennesse discomposure or disproportion of the body which it animateth as a beautifull feature is the same in a poore cottage and in a magnificent palace so is it in the beauty of the soule which is vertue with which could wee but see the soule of a Saint there 's no embellishment on earth so glorious no created beauty here of so divine a lustre The soule though now shut up in his darke prison having onely some diviner breathings in the rapts and heavenly contemplations which sometimes call it up like Moses to the mount or like a Jacobs ladder landeth it in God's presence hath some knowledge of its originall by grace unspeakable joy in the apprehension thereof which arresteth the desire as appeared in Peter seeing Christ transfigured and Paul wishing to be dissolved it being a great signe of our interest in heaven that wee feare not to part hence he knoweth whether he shall goe who remembreth whence he came but what shall bee the beauty of an holy soule in its separation when it shall be restored to its native heaven when it shall be all light and God shall be all in all Christs raiment on the mount became shining white as snow so as no Fuller on earth could white them Moses face he having talked with God became so glorious that Israel could not behold it without a vaile what shall our glory be when we shall be like Christ 2. The faculties of the soule are the understanding will memory affections and senses internall and externall My purpose being not to enter the lists with Philosophers but to direct Christians I shall not further consider these then as some of them doe very much concerne the practicall part and right ordering the thoughts of the heart and minde to the service of God and our mortification whereby we may be accommodated thereto 3. The heart in scripture often taken for the principall seat of the rationall soule imparteth any faculty hereof the mind is the inward act the result and proceed of its reason and discourse the thoughts as they say animus consilii est anima vitae the minde is the fountaine of counsell the soule of life and againe we understand by the minde and live by the soule This minde of man is sometimes a soveraigne to governe in vertue and sanctimonie it selfe and the body sometimes a tyrant and indulging to vice which like the worme bred in the wood destroyeth its own originall misled by tumultuous passions lusts vaine desires and other perturbations of a discomposed minde which having unthroned reason dangerously usurpe the command a prudent man whose cogitare is his vivere in the light height and use thereof differing him not only from the brutes but ignorant men doth principally enjoy himselfe in his minde and inward man There is indeed in humane possessions nothing great and excellent but a great and good minde contemning externall greatnesse or supposed excellencies as power strength riches beauty obvious to sense in respect of thaâ— which is within apprehensible by the enlightned understanding and certainly the all-wise God wâ—o created the affections ordained them to none but some excellent end use in the soule as handmaides to devotion and religion neither would he in our regeneration kill but correct them by moderating them where they grew extreame and retrenching them into their own channels where they overflow their banks like over ranck water sources becomming muddy and troubled with that which they fetch in from without or reducing them where they arâ— exorbitant All extreames are foolish and dangerous a Stoicall apathie is incompatible with a well composed minde and violent passion with a prudent the dead calme corrupteth aire water and violent blasts disturb them the moderate more safely purify the meane is best Affections are as they said of Caligula there is no better servant nor worse master good commanded mischievous reigning like fire and water there necessary here destructive without love there can be no acceptable service without anger no zeale without feare no coërcive power in the soule without hope no comfort which bringeth us to a necessary consideration of the hearts corruption vanity and exorbitancy of the thoughts and the necessity of their regulation by some rules of practice 1. The Corruptions of the heart are all only evill continually the heart is the fountaine of sinne hence are adulteries murders thefts rapine rebellions all the sinnes of man all iniquitie is here forged as 't is written Isai 32. 6. his heart will worke iniquitie hence words of falshood are conceived and uttered here is the root of war and mischiefe here errour frowardnesse and that hardnesse which excludeth all capacity of hearing and understanding Gods word and judgments that they may repent and be healed is hatched The heart is deceitfull above all things who can knowe it Jer 17. 9. Here lodgeth hypocrisie Jer 3. 10. Here secret sinnes like that unseene multitude which rangeth through the paths of the deeps such is counsell in mans heart Prov 20. 5. Nor is this the condition of some few but the secret corruption of all naturall men nor are the regenerate absolutely freed from these pollutions being yet partly flesh 2. The dangers hereof hence appeare first in that these are the seeds of every sin and fomenters thereof yea that which barreth from remedy faith and repentance Secondly as the Physitians say if there be a fault in the first concoction there will follow the like in the rest so is it here the hearts faults are derived to the tongue and all the actions of man it is a people said the Lord that doe erre in their hearts and they have not knowne my waies As the eye is deceaved through a fals medium so is the minde through the cloude of false opinion and the very thought of foolishnesse is sinne into which they must needs runne who set not their heart aright and whose spirit is not stedfast with God Thirdly God fearcheth the secrets of all hearts and will once make all the thoughts thereof manifest Fourthly hee requireth the heart Prov 23. 26. If a man regard iniquitie there hee cannot be heard Psal 66. 16. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord.
Prov 16. 5. Fiftly they who have wicked thoughts runne swiftly to iniquity and destruction is in their paths Sixtly in the corruption of the heart the very fibrae and remainders of sins reviving root Satans venome remaineth The Hydra's ever-growâ—ng heads which when occasions ability so faile that the impious cannot serve the devill in externall actions will shew its venome in their will to sinne Lastly it is a very difficult thing rightly to compose the thoughts in respect of the hearts unsounded deceitfulnesse and the mind 's unlimited agility in these depths of quick-shifting thoughts sinne easily hideth it selfe externall sinnes in words or workes are like the plague of leprosie broken out abroad and covering all the skinne neerer the cure and by so much the more easily amended or overcome by how much more evident they are not onely to others but also to our selves the sinnes of the heart are by so much more hardly cured and avoided by how much more secretly and invisibly they are committed the thoughts are more securely extravagant carelesse and presuming by how much lesse they are obvious to any reprover or censurer without And where the heart is smitten with some aufull feare of God and resolution to repent maketh inquest after sinne that which is in word or action is more easily and frequently found but the sin of the mind like Jonathan and Ahimaaz at Bahurim is let downe into the depth of the heart whose secret enemies are like those Ligurian mountainers whom the Romans chased more hardly found then vanquished Moreover man's innate selfe-love and naturall complacency make him unapt and loath to condemne himselfe in any thing wherein hee knoweth others cannot And lastly the restlesse machination of Satan is to suggest selfe-delusions as he doth temptations to sinne whereby his baits may be swallowed his policy is to keep the heart for his retreat and if any reproofe happily chase away profanenesse bitter anger obscenity or calumny out of the tongue or adultery theft murder or the like from the outward man yet if he can but cherish and maintaine any of these in the uncleansed heart hee will finde opportunity meanes to make them breake out again or if not he knoweth that where he hath the heart bee the words and actions never so saint-like God hath no part there and this bringeth us to our third consideration There is great necessitie of regulation of our thoughts and heart without which it is but vaine to draw neere God with our lips The right ordering of the affections thoughts is of two branches that we compose them first to wisdome secondly to integrity I. Wisdome is as a mistres to tumultuous servants at whose presence the most disorderly are suddainly composed silenced an understanding heart is the inward light of the soule which God looketh on without which all externall shewes and appearances of sanctity make formall hypocrites no better then Egyptian Temples which outwardly grave decent and venerable were ridiculous with their Apes Serpents Cats and Crocadiles set up for Gods within Solomon who had granted him free choice of any thing that he would aâ—ke of God desired an understanding heart above riches or life He whom God made the wisest of meere men of all the holy pen-men gave most precepts concerning the heart and minde our direction herein must be sought for in Gods word which only is able to make us wife to salvation and begged of him who giveth all men liberally and upbraideth none He that trusteth his owne heart is a foole for the heart of the sonnes of men is full of evill and madnesse is in their heart while they live Unhappy is hee who goeth on frowardly in the way of his own heart or that which the wisedome of corrupt man can teach him seeing all that is foolishnesse with God 2. Secondly we must so compose our hearts that they may be upright and sincere before God without this our best actions prayer hearing repentance almes and what ever else wee doe is worth nothing O Jerusalem saith the Lord wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saved how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge in thee It is but folly to labour the cure in the outward part while the contagion and venome of sinne invadeth the secure heart or to wash the eyes with floods of teares where the sinne of Judah is written with a penne of iron and graven with the point of a diamond upon the table of the heart Blessed are they in whose heart are the waies of God he is good unto them that are of a cleane heart they shall finde him who seeke him with all their heart they that knowe righteousnesse have the law of God in their heart their steps shall not slide they delight to doe Gods will they hide up the law of God in their heart that they may not sinne against him tho knowledge of God is pleasant unto their soule and shall give them length of daies and peace when they goe it shall lead them when they sleepe it shall keepe them when they wake it shall talke with them it is a lampe and light to direct them in the waies of life to keepe them from sinne Now however the waies of an hypocrite may seeme cleane in his owne eies yet seeing the God of justice weigheth the spirits it highly concerneth every man to looke to the ordering of this inward house that it may be a cleane temple for Gods spirit to dwell in without whose guidance man can doe no other then runne to destruction of body and soule by ordering our thoughts aright so we have our conversation in heaven wee walke with God and in our many dangerous sicknesses of minde sundry distempers and perturbations of fluctuant thoughts the wearied soule shall ever have recourse unto this Arke for rest There are troublesome errours of sicke mindes which see false comforts insteed of true there is anxietie impatience and griefe which eateth the heart there is the fire of anger to enflame envie and malice to transport vaine hopes and feares whose vicissitudes doe miserably afflict the disquiet minde there are many parturbations which if not prudently managed will master reason and violently carry men into the most dangerous precipices whence they cannot when they would stay themselves all which to a wise and good man shall be but exercises to make his victory over his owne passions more glorious nor is hee lesse honourable who overcommeth himselfe then he that conquereth others The great conquerers of kingdomes have beene overcome of their own affections thereby foolishly eclypsing all the glory of their victories the strong may overcome others but only the good can overcome themselves I had rather overcome mine own minde then all mine enemies I would I were secure of my selfe all the powers of
hell cannot overcome me nor make me unhappy if mine own affections betray me not let us therefore next advise how to secure our selves herein For the right composure of minde and thoughts it is very necessary to consider â—irst those rules of practice which concerne the same in generall and then that which appertaineth to some particular passions of the minde 1. Have a care of thy soule as thy greatest interest and that which is incomparably better then all the world and of thy minde which if well composed admirably maketh good or prudently beareth every estate without whose right temper nothing can be good or comfortable what is strength sicknes may anticipate but age must make the strongest bow what beauty Beside that these flowers quickly fade they many times become the snare and destruction of foolish and unhappy owners what are honours Where there wants a mind to manage them those Phaëtons precipitate themselves and set the world on fire What are riches without a minde to use them well but snares and easie waies to hell Truly to a prudent minde which can limit it selfe within the desire of necessaries a litle is enough to an ambitious nothing Alexander had an overgrowne minde when hee was troubled that there was but one world for him to conquer 'T is the minde which maketh truly rich or poore that contented in every estate aboundeth in its owne happinesse discontented can bee blessed in none The way to make one rich is not so much by adding to his estate as by taking from his minde that foolish desire of having superfluity beyond use worldly riches are but a burden to him who hath truly set his affections on heaven where there is nor moth nor theefe nor feare of loosing that which we lay up that which must once be lost beyond our use is nothing worth which consideration possibly made Stilpo answer like a Philosopher who when Demetrius had taken Megera and out of a noble care to give him protection from from plundering asked him if the souldiers had taken ought from him answered no for said hee I saw no man that would take any knowledge or learning from mee The minde is sacred and out of the reach of violent hands So that to make thee happy which is the scope of a prudent desire the way is not to labour so much and disquiet thy selfe in things externall but to compose thy minde aright to get true wisdome and understanding to vallew and make a good use of them thou hast and well ordered affections quietly to beare want or enjoy plenty in which there is not only an admirable skill and strength of minde requisite but also an holy habit no precepts can sodainly make a man practically wise or good which must make us resolve quickly to study this divine Philosophie and truly experience here discovereth a marvelous stupor and incogitancy of most men in any bodily disaffection wee speedily consult the Phisitian but in our soules distempers we not only delay our seeking helpe but are too often impatient of offered remedies that which thou meanest to doe well speedily put in practice 2. Keepe thine heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Many thinke it enough to keep their tongues few come so farre and their hands but it highly concerneth Christians to keepe their hearts from Satan's snares there hee beginneth all his stratagems which afterward breake out into words and actions it is true that baâ—e suggestions without any delight or consent of ours are no more our sinnes then the robbery or murder without our consent or knowledge committed in our field is ours but except wee watch over our thoughts and carefully guard them Satan's mischievous influences will beget a delight consent and yeelding to them therefore the wise man saith let not thine heart decline to her waies goe not astray in her paths 3. Resist the beginnings of sinne in thy thoughts use them roughly at the doore is not the sound of their Masters feet behinde them We must there chiefely marke and extinguish sin where 't is borne and quench the sparkes thereof before they breake out into masterlesse flames we must crush the Cockatrice in the egge before it become a fiery flying Serpent wee neglect not the biting of a serpent but presently seeke remedy to keepe the â—venome from the heart with how much more care and diligence should we looke to the biting of the old Dragon able if a litle neglected to kill body and soule Of evill seeds come evill plants murder from revenge in the heart adultery from lust unextinguished there and God justly punisheth evill intentions though they doe not alwaies breake out into actions 4. Keep a good conscience and be holy the wicked meditate on evill their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths as our actions follow our thoughts so do they leave impressions in them which prove occasions of their further working the thoughts of the righteous are right The wicked care not what they think 5. Love good thoughts and thou shalt be furnished with them as flowers spring out of buds so good desires from holy thoughts we often thinke of that we love and are ambitious of acquaintance therewith love of God will cause thee to loath all thoughts of evill as the approaches of the old malitious serpent to thy heart 6. Fix thoughts on something certaine The heart is a spirituall Labyrinth in whose perplexed turnings we often loose our selves and the best fruits of idle and extravagant fancies are but cogitat ionum quisquiliae ac minutiae As the eyes continually rowling up and down seeing see nothing intentively so the the wandring minde It is a signe of a composed minde if it can stay it selfe a while with it selfe and not run out into those vaine evagations and wandring thoughts whence waking as out of some feverish dreame after much thinking we can give our selves no good accompt what the minde busied it selfe about but that it long thinking we thought of nothing to the purpose The minde is mans most active facultie in a moment with the flight of a thought it mounts from earth to heaven and back againe from age to age from present to future or long past like lightning it moves from east to west vanishing in the appearance It is not a little skill to arrest it so as that we may say with David my heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed without this we can neither heare nor pray otherwise then profane hypocrites provoking Gods anger by drawing neere him with their lips when their hearts are far from thinking on him 7 Seek thy peace with God through faith in Christ the true composure and happy rest of the minde is herein there 's no peace to the wicked no true rest out of Christ sinne is the distemper and unrest of the soule
that breedeth it and as the rust of iron so envy the minde that hath it It is more miserable then any other for it is afflicted not only with it own sorrow but also for others joy what ever is good to others is a torment to him another mans store is the envions mans want another mans health his sicknesse anothers praises his reputed dishonour 2. Other sinnes had some remission anger will spend it self in time hatred hath some end but envy never ceaseth fierce lions are tamed and become tractable but the envious grow worse and worse The more good Christ did the Jewes curing their sick healing their infirme and bestowing the word of life on them the more destructively did they envy him 3. It is the canker that blasteth friendship the corruption of life plague of nature the devill 's incentive to rebellion who because he could not in his malice hurt God assailed man it instigated Cain to murder Abel and the Jews to crucifie the Saviour of the world 4. It hath irrational effects it would stop up the fountaines and vaile the sunne-beames it regardeth neither bonds of nature civility or religion Rachel envied her sister Gen. 30. 1. Jacobs sonnes their brother Joseph Gen. 37. 11. the Jewes the very preaching and hearing the Gospâ—l Acts 13. 45. It is the rottennesse of the bones Prov. 14 30. it slaieth the silly Job 5. 2. it excludeth from heaven what should envy doe where there is nothing but love and rejoycing in each others happinesse 5. It is a perverse distemper of a sick minde making the envious looke on any good of others as it were with sore eies grieved with seeing It delighteth immens miseries as the flies feed themselves on others sores so the envious please themselves with discoursing of other mens faults or afflictions to the setting out whereof they will sometimes personate the mercifull as if they spake thereof onely in pity when 't is to vent their malice sometimes the just then will they seem zealous of Lawes and due punishment of delinquents when indeed they but turn judgment into wormwood and kill or robbe by lawes who durst noâ— with the sword or open violence sometimes they will assume the most holy protenoes appearing like that Endor deâ—ill in the holy Prophets mantle doing some things externally good that they may thereby achieve some greater evill so the false Apostles preached Christ of meere envy to Paul that they might thereby adde more affliction to his bands 6. It is at best but a fruit of the flesh Gal. 5. 21. meere folly Tit. 3. 3. devillish sensuall earthly Jam. 3. 14 15. a dangerous signe of a reprobate minde given up to destruction Rom. 1. 28 29. the most that envy can doe toward it owne satisfaction is but to grieve where others joy and possibly to hurt temporally with it own eternall destruction of body and soule it is no better then the spirit of Satan in the envious 7. This mischiefe sometimes obrepeth on the incautious good men Joshua envied for Moses sake David confesseth My â—eet saith he were almost gone for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked c. Jeremie and Habakkuk were a little infected with this contagion which the Scripture remembreth to admonish the best of men to beware of this mischiefe which endangered such men 8. The acts thereof are unconsistent with right reason if we respect the supreme giver of that which stimulateth envy for how irrationall a presumption is it in man to controle the providence of God If Jacob dim-eyed for age would not permit his deare Joseph to change the imposition of his hands or to transpose the blessing at his pleasure how much lesse will the all-seeing God permit the envious man to alter his hands if wee respect the quality of the envied for is he evill whom thou enviest it were good reason thou shouldst pity him because his sinne makes him more wretched then all the world could doe is hee good how evill must thou be who caunt envy the happinesse of any good man or if wee respect the effect of envy which is hurtfull onely to the envious as I have noted For Antidotes against this venome 1. Put on Christ and be sure thou shalt put off envy it is the Apostle's rule Let us walke honestly as in the day not in strife and envying but put yee on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof put on Christ by an holy imitation of him hee was meek and lowly in heart and therefore envied no man the meek Moses was so free from ambition and pride that hee reproved those that envied for his sake and wisht that all God's people could prophesie and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them Christ loved all respectively love envieth not If we love for God's sake we shall never be grieved for any blessings which he bestoweth but wish them greater we shall neither undervalue others nor over-rate our selves as the envious doe 2. Learne in God's schoole there 's the best cure of envy it was a thing which troubled David to understand it Vntill saith he I went into the Sanctuary of God Here thou art taught not to value secular things too much to consider his hand which setteth up and pulleth downe to referre all thy desires to the advance of his glory to acknowledge the favours which he hath conferred on thee by Christ better then a thousand worlds which thoughts can leave no place for envy 3. Consider the end of those thou enviest David found in the Sanctuary that his enemies were not to be envied Surely said he thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into destruction remember how God mixeth bitter and sweet to all men in this life this man hath great riches but neither childe to enjoy it nor heart to use it this man is healthy in body with a sick soule this man thrives and layeth up wealth but with such a conscience as that the poorest saint is incomparably more happy another man riseth in honours it may be only to greaten his fall another is many waies prosperous to the world-ward but as the moon is then most darke toward heaven when shee is most light toward the earth and contrariwise so is it commonly with men the more gloriously they shine to us the more despicable they are to God who layeth up such terrible judgements for them that a soule in hell is as proper an object of envy as these glittering epuloe's who are hasting thither 4. Ever remember that wee are brethren members of one body whereof Christ is the head therefore wee must withall meeknesse support one another through love and mutually rejoice at each others good and so cast away the works of darknesse strife and envy 7. Impatience is
our own consciences placing religion in those things which God hath left indifferent as they who prohibited certaine meats or marriage nor will wee dispense with that word in any one point for by any humane authority pretended or pressed to the contrary 3. In all thy actions and designes before thou enterprise duely and seriously consider the end thereof that is as wee have noted like the rudder in the ship though iâ— come last it directeth first and last look before thee and consider what must be the end O that they were wise saith the Lord that they understood this that they would consider their later end so shalt thou at once and ever conclude of all sinful actions with the Apostle The end of those things is death 4. In all thy actions set thy selfe ever in the presence of God so did David professe Psal. 16. 8. ever remember that thou art in his sight and that nothing thou doest or thinkest can be hid from him neither solitude nor darknesse can vaile thee Psal. 139. 11 c. 5. In all that thou doest be sure to hold the rule of charity for that is the fulfilling of the Law this is the fruit of God's Spirit let all things be done in charity there can be nothing acceptable to God which doth not hold this 6. In all religious well designed acts be what thou seemest the hypocrite doth but personate act and counterfeit the saint hee seemeth good but is doubly impious as the Orator said of the Servilii which were very like but not the same so like that they were not distinguished abroad at home they were not of strangers by their own they were When the hypocrite hath deceived other men he never can beguile his owne conscience be thou therefore just and sincere in thy deportment before God and man 7. Do nothing to others which thou wouldst not have done to thee 't is Christ's rule and the summe of the law and the Prophets concerning our duety in the second Table 8. Doe nothing whereof thou must at best bitterly repent thee when the Philosopher had a great price of folly set him he answered I will not buy repentance so dear 9. Doe nothing against thy conscience for fear or favor of men esteem a good testimony thereof before all treasure in some things we sinne all but blessed are they that condemne not themselves in those things they know 10. In every undertaking pray God to direct counsel and blesse thee in every thing by praier and supplication let your requests be made knowne unto God hee is unworthy to be blessed in his works who will not acknowledge God's providence in asking the same A Praier for direction in all our actions MOst merciful Father who hast promised that if the wicked turne from his sins that he hath committed and do that which is lawfull and right he shall live and his transgressions shall not be mentioned unto him in humble acknowledgment of our many sinnes the equity of thy judgments to give us over to our own unhappy waies who have so long refused to be guided by thy holy word and our owne helplesse impotency to stay our selves turn unto thee or set our selves in any good way to serve and please thee wee pray thee for Christ Jesus sake to pardon all our misdeeds and to vouchsafe to lead us in thy pathes and the way thou wouldst have us to walke in we have long gone astray like lost sheep and thou best knowest O our God how dangerous Satan's snares are to us how many the distractions of a beguiling world how fraile and infirme sinful flesh and blood and how many our errours But O Lord thy wisedom cannot erre therefore renouncing our own guidance wee render our selves into thy gracious hands humbly beseeching thee who freely givest wisedom to all that aske and upbraidest no man hold thou up our goings in thy pathes that we faile not direct all our waies that we neither decline to the right hand nor to the lest to offend thee Give us the shield of our salvation and let thy right hand uphold us O thou that hearest the prayers of them that call upon thee heare us for our soules waite on thee direct and guide us keepe us and counsell us in all our actions that we may neither do nor designe any thing but that which is pleasing to thee and which thou wilt blesse unto us that we may walk unblamably and prudently toward all men and holily before thee that in all our actions wee may glorifie thee that wee may adorne the Gospel of Christ by our holy conversations give good example to our neighbours and stop the mouthes of all malicious adversaries so that when these daies of sin are ended we shall rest from our labors we may enter into that promised rest which remaineth for thy people where shall be no more sin error nor curse hear us O Lord in these and all other things necessary for our bodies or soules for Jesus Christ his sake Amen CHAP. XXIII Of the government of Families the dueties of Masters and Servants Husbands and Wives Parents and Children § 1. Of a Familie § 2. Dueties of Masters § 3. Dueties of a Servant § 4. Motives to their dutie 1. WEe have spoken of actions in general and come now to the particular falling under domestick relations of Master and Servant Man and Wife Parents and Children Duties of Publick Persons are without the verge of my present purpose 2. A Family is an epitomy and summe of a Common-wealth which consisteth of several families as the ocean of drops therefore hee meriteth well of the state who well administreth his owne family as he deserveth punishment who doth the contrary A good Patriot equally solicitous for the state and family is a rare jewell but more rare though of lesse worth is an Aristides blame-worthy in this that in his justice and care for the Republick hee was so unjust to and carelesse for his owne family that leaving them to the publick charity hee dishonored vertue with his poverty and herein his policy was lame 3. Some have distributed the family into three parts the first commandeth as Master the second commandeth but not in chiefe as the good vine not on the top but sides of the house the third are auxiliar onely obeying as children and servants 4. Now though this be the order and order so necessaâ—y that without it no society of man can subsist yet must it be with that sanctity and equity that the God of order may be known to govern though man administer and with that lenity and candor of command and willing reverence in obeying that all may seem managed with love not feare familiarity rather then rigid and imperious severity for which I suppose the ancient Latines comprised all three orders under the name of Familiares 5. God in his abundant mercy as hee hath not been sparing
family 4. That they be docible and ingenious modest willing in meeknesse to learn and obey their Masters wills an ignorant servant is troublesome but a proud and immorigerous intolerable 5. That they be not slothful and negligent 6. That they be not qâ—arrelsom or contentious or unjust accusers of their fellowes 7. That they be not murmurers or querulous persons or rude answerers again Tit. 2. 2. 8. That they be not hearkners after their Masters counsels too full of eies or busie inquisitors into those things which are above the sphere of their duety it is many times a servants wisedome not to know what he knoweth 9. That they be not given to drunkennesse ryot intemperance luxury or subject to passion he that will be a good servant to others must first be his own master The Motives hereto are 1. God's expresse command Colos. 3. 22. Ephes. 6. 5 c. where that moveth not I know not what can Obedience to thy Master is shewing thy selfe a servant of Christ and doing the will of God Eph. 6. 6. 2. This adorneth the doctrine of God Tit. 2. 10. 3. Therefore the grace of God hath appeared to all men bond and free Tit. 2. 11. 4. If servants be faithful they shall receive the reward of the Lord Col. 3. 24. 5. Hee that doth wrong to his Master shall receive the like God will revenge it Col. 3. 25. 6. A false and trecherous servant is odious to God and man commonly branded with an indelible note of infamy as an unthankfull deceiver of trust 7. The name of God and his doctrine are blasphemed by that servant who professing to be a Christian is false injurious or unprofitable to his Master because that sacred profession is not to him a spurre to duety but a cloak of hypocrisie After reading some of the Psalmes and a Chapter of the Old or New Testament to thy Family use this or the like Prayer A short Morning Prayer with a Family O Almighty God and most merciful Father wee render thee all humble and hearty thanks as for all thy mercies and favours temporal and eternal from time to time bestowed upon us so particularly for thy gracious preservation of us this night past beseeching thee to give us also a prudent and holy use of this favor to thy glory the good example of our brethren and the assurance of our consciences before thee And as thou hast been pleased to bring us safe to the begining of this â—lay so we pray thee holy Father to continue thy providence and thy merâ—y to us therein keep us safe in bodies soules and all that thou hast given us blesse us in our several labours and endeavors let thy blessing be upon all that which thou hast given us for our use and comfort make thy creatures good and successeful to us direct us in that way wherein thou wouldst have us walke that being counselled and guided by thy good spirit which cannot erre we may in all that which we speak or dâ— keepe the testimony of a good conscience doing and saying that onely which is pleasing in thy sight and walking prudently and unblameably toward all men and holily and sincerely before thee our all-seeing God Let not our hearts decline to any evil waies but give us grace ever and in every undertaking to remember our ends wherein wee must give a strict account of all our actions words and thoughts and seriously to consider that for ought wee know this day may be our last so framing our lives and conversations that at our last houre which thy providence hath set every one of us we may be found busied in a faithful watch as careful servants continually expecting the coming of our Lord that wee may with our Lord Jesus on whom wee have beleeved enter into that joy which thou hast prepared for all them who love and loâ—ke for his comming These and all other things which thou knowest more needful for â—s wee beg at thy merciful hands for Jesus Christ his sake in that holy and perfect form which himselfe hath taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the most comfortable fellowship of God the holy Ghost be with us all to direct guide and keep us this day and evermore Amen Another Morning Praier for a Family O Lord God merciful long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and trueth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving transgression and sinne unto the penitent but not acquitting the guilty and obstinate sinner wee thy poore servants through thy mercy sparing us this day appearing before thee humbly acknowledge our selves to be most vile and loathsome in thy sight not only in respect of our original corruption which we have brought into the world with us but also for our actual sinnes which we have multiplied beyond all weight and number thou art a God of pure eies and inviolable justice how shall we appeare before thee who cannot stand in the judgment of our own consciences Lord what have we more then the hearty acknowledgment of our own unworthinesse to present thee How can wee hope to prevent the curse which goeth forth over the face of the earth to cut off on this side and that 〈◊〉 afflict families and nations with sorrowes and destructions but only by condemning our selves and flying from thy justice to thy mercy our sinâ— are great and grievous but O merciful God where sinne and misery abound thy grace doth more abound and where none are able to satisfie thy justice the greatnesse of the debt can make no difference whether 500 or 50 when neither hath to pay thy mercy equally closeth an unequal account in a free forgivenesse of both Seeing theâ— for this end thou hast opened the treasures of thy mercy in Christ Jesus coming into the world to save sinners wee humbly and confidently acknowledge that of those sinners wee are chiefe Lord thou knowest there is salvation in none other look not therefore on that which we have done or can perform but on that which hee hath done and suffered for us we are indeed subject to the curse for that we many waies transgresse thy holy lawes but therefore was thy holy Jesus made a curse for us that hee might redeem us from the curse of the Law that the blessing might come on us through him in our being made heires thereof and receiving the promise of the spirit the earnest and seale of our redemption through faith Wee condemne our selves that Christ may justifie us that we may be found in him not appearing in our owne righteousness which is at best but as a soon vanishing morning cloud and in the severity of thy judgement as a silthy polluted garment in which we could expect no other sentence then Depart yee cursed into everlasting fire therefore we renounce our selves that we may be clothed with his righteousnesse which is by faith in him
that we may know him and feel in our souls and consciences the comfortable power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death in the mortification of all those corrupt and sinful affections which continually resist the working of thy regenerating spirit in us O Lord our God being deeply sensible of our own disability to save or helpe our selves wee â—ast all our care and confidence of present protection preservation and future salvation on the merits of thy son Christ Jesus in assurance that thou art faithful who hast promised as by him to save us so through him to hear and help us in all our wants and distresses O Lord God of trueth and mercy who hast commanded us to aske and promised to grant accept our obedience and confidence in asking and according to thy trueth grant our requests in forgiving all our sinnes and giving us all those blessings which thou knowest needful for us that wee may serve thee cheerfully sanctifie our bodies and soules to thy service that in them both wee may cleave to thee please thee and rest assured by the testimony of thy holy spirit and the powerful working thereof in us that thou hast sanctified called and elected us to life everlasting Lord give us experience of thy trueth which never failed give us lively and justifying faith to apprehend Christ Jesus and all his merits give us perseverance therein that no trials of life or death may ever separate us from thy love nor any powers of hell be able to overthrow our confidence therein And now O Lord our God who makest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee wee humbly thank thee as for all thy mercies and favors spiritual and temporal continually poured out upon us in our election creation redemption calling from the kingdom of darknesse our sanctification preservation from daiely imminent dangers of body and soule our liberty peace health and all those temporal necessaries for the comfort sustenance of us and ours which thy fatherly providence hath bestowed upon us so also for that it hath pleased thee to preserve us this night past from the powers of darknesse terrors of night and all the ovils thereof Lord continue thy mercy to us safely brought to the begining of this day the day is thine the night also is thine thou hast prepared the light and the sunnâ— O Lord our refuge let no evil befal us this day let not any plague come neer our dwelling give thine Angels charge over us to keep us in all our waies that wee may in nothing displease thee as thou hast put away the late darknesse which covered the face of the earth and waters by the comfortable appearance of this great light which thou madest to govern the day that men may follow their several labours therein so blessed Father of lights cause the sunne of righteousnesse Christ Jesus to arise on every one of our hearts thence to chase away the remainders of ignorance darknesse of minde and unbeliefe to open our eies that wee sleep not in death to enlighten us with a sound knowledge of all the mysteries of eternal life and salvation that we may arise and shake off the dangerous security in sinne and conscionably walk with thee who hast called us to thy kingdome that we may please thee being fruitful in every good worke encreasing in the knowledgâ— of thee strengthned to all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse and thankfulnesse for that thou hast made us partakers of the inheritance of thy saints in light that wee may walke worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called with all holinesse and meeknesse love and charity toward all men endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bâ—nd of peace so labouring in our several callings as being ever careful first to seek thy kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof in assurance that so all temporal necessaries shall be administred unto us in all our endeavours expecting the blessing from thee without which it is but lost labour to rise early late take rest eat the bread of carefulnesse and deprive our souls of ease Blesse all the creatures to us this day make them good and prosperous unto us direct us so in all our thoughts words and actions that wee may glorifie thee preserve a good conscience and give an example of holinesse to those with whom we converse that in nothing the trueth of religion with which thou hast blessed us be evil spoken of through our failings but that we may by our integrity stop the mouths of all adversaries and adorn the Gospel by walking unblameably toward all men and sincerely before thee ever remembring that of all our thoughts words and actions we must give a strict inevitable account at the dreadful day of judgment now kept from the knowledg of all men that they may every day live as if it were their last keeping a constant and careful watch in exspectation of that houre which shall come like a theefe in the night wherein thou wilt assuredly bring to light things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of all hearts manifest judging every man according to his workes Neither pray wee for our selves only but wee also beseech thee for thy whole Church and all thy distressed servants whether their afflictions be in body minde or estate comfort now and in thy good time enlarge all prisoners and captives which suffer for or with the testimony of a good conscience Lord God of all consolation assure them that when thy will and work is done in them thou wilt shew thy self their gracious deliverer and comforter Lastly we pray thee O Father of mercy blesse this family wherein by thy providence we are blesse us all from the first to the last with all those whom thou hast made neer unto us prosper us O Lord and our endeavours upon us feed us with bread of our stature that which thou knowest necessary and convenient for us give us a faithful dependance upon thy fatherly hand which never leaueth them destitute who trust in thee give us a prudent holy and thankefull use of all those good things which thou hast bestowed upon us that thou maist be pleased to continue thy mercy and providence over us give us contented mindes free from covetousnesse and distracting cares in assurance that thou wilt never forsake us and good Lord as thou art pleased to adde this day to our transitory lives so adde that grace to this day which may direct and guid every one of us in our bodies and souls that we may spend it and the remainder of our daies to thy glory and the comfortable assurance of our consciences before thee so that having our present conversation in heaven and walking with thee in sincerity of heart when these fleeting daies are ended we may live with thee in thy kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Short Evening Praier O
Lord God wee humbly pray thee for Christ Jesus sake to pardon all our sins and failings in our dueties this day strengthen our faiths unto our ends and in our ends Suffer us not for any tryals to fall from thee neither lay thou more upon us then thou wilt make us able to beare cheerfully create clean hearts in us renew right spirits mortifie all our corrupt affections subdue and subject them all to thy holy will and pleasure enable us daily more carefully and holily to serve thee so that the neerer we draw unto our deaths the more conâ—idently we may rest assured of immortality and eternal life in the world to come assist us with a measure of thy grace proportionable to our tryals so that at our last houre against all the feares and terrors paines and sorrows of death we may be enabled to render up our soules into thy gracious hands in full assurance of thy mercy and our redemption and salvation in Jesus Christ. Blesse the universall Church specially that part thereof in Great Britan and Ireland let thy blessing and mercy rest on this family from the first to the last Keep us bodies and soules forgive all our sins let our sleep be refreshing and comfortable this night grant us grace to plant all our confidence in thee that wee may love thee fear thee and rest in thee assured of thy gracious protection whose providence sleepeth not into thy hands O Lord wee commend and commit our selves bodies and soules all that we have and are sleeping waking living and dying let us be ever thine through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN An Evening Praier for a Family more enlarged O Lord God great and glorious who hast made the heavens thy throne and the earth thy foot-stoole God of justice and mercy terrible in thy wrath against obstinate sinners but long-suffering and of great mercy to them who with sincere hearts can seek thee and thy saving health our miseries compell us and thine owne gracious mercy inviteth us wretched creatures to call upon thee in the day of trouble But O Lord thou art a God of pure eies and canst not behold iniquity and wickednesse in which as we are conceived and born the children of wrath disobedience so have we continually walked therein and wherewithall shall we now come before our Lord and how our selves before the high God a thousand burnt-offerings and ten thousand rivers of oile cannot satisfie an infinite justice for the sinne of one soule and we are a sinful nation a people laden with iniquity wee have forsaken the covenants of our God and provoked the holy one of Israel to anger wee have gone backward and revolted more and more from the sole of the foot unto the head there is no soundnesse in us but dangerous wounds bruises and putrifying sores ripe for the lancet of thy judgments so that we deserve to have this good land laid waste that we who have forsaken thee should as thou hast threatned be consumed with the sword famine and pestilence until this numerous people be leâ—t as a cottage in vineyard a besieged city like Sodom and Gomorrha sad monuments of the fire of thine indignation that thou shouldst take no delight in us when we tread in thy courts and appear before thee with petitions for mercy but that our oblations of praise and incense of praiers should be abomination and our solemne assemblies a tâ—ouble and wearinesse unto thee that when wee spread forth our hands and make many praiers with strong cries thou shouldst hide away thy face from our miseries and stop thine ears to our cries as we have done ours to those gracious conditions of mercy which thou hast continually offered us by thy Prophets whom thou sentest to warn us that wee might retur from our vaine and unprofitable wayes and not die wee humbly acknowledge that such are we that the severest curses of the law and all the judgments sealed up therein are due to us confusion and helplesse destruction in this present woâ—â—d and unspeakable torments in hell fire in the eternity to come And now whereas wee must all appeare before thy judgement seat what shall wee plead before thee O thou great and just Iudge of all the world what can wee but guilty what shall wee say unto thee O merciful preserver of men what can wee more then be merciful unto us for our Lord Jesus sake Wee know O Lord that wee neither doe nor can deserve any favour at thy gracious hands whom wee have so often and so wilfully provoked to shew thy justice on our sinnes but therefore didst thou give thy sonne Christ Jesus that his merits might satisfie for us wee condemne our selves that thou maist spare us for his sake who dyed not in vaine O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us deale with us according to thy name wee have sinned against thee O thou hope of Israel and the saviour thereof in the time of trouble wee acknowledge our sinnes are for greatnesse unmeasurable and for multitude innumerable but as is the price of our redemption so are thy mercies infinite abhorre us not for thine owne mercy sake thou art our strength and refuge in the day of affliction correct us not in thine anger chasten us not in thy heavy displeasure but heale us that we may be saved Lord though we have many waies failed yet thou knowest all things thou knowest that the desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee through thine owne grace giving us that desire we would above all things in the world become so holy that we might no more displease thee O our God who only canst make us holy and unblameable give us ability to do that which thou hast given us grace to desire thou hast caused us to put our confidence in thee O God who canst not deceive trust let us not be disappointed of our hope restrain not from us thy zeal thy strength and the multitude of thy mercies and compassions O Lord our God if thou wilt thou canst make us clean cleanse us from all our iniquities that we may put away the wickedness of our doings from before thine eies that we may indeed cease to do evil and learn to do well that thou mayest make our scarlet sins twice died in original and actual guilt white as snow in Salmon that we may consent and obey and so enjoy the good things of this land and not be devoured by the sword as we are this day for our transgressions Though we deserve that the fire of thine anger should consume us as the stubble that our root should be as rottennesse and that our blossom when we hope should go up as the dust until our cities become desolate and our houses without a man because we have cast away the law of the Lord of hostes yet O Lord unto thee belongeth mercy and the issues from death though thou hast been terrible in thy
workes layed afflictions upon our loines and broken our land yet heale the breaches thereof though thou hast caused us to drinke of the wine of astonishment in thy sore displeasure and made us examples of thy just judgments yet turn again unto us and make us instances of thy mercy that sinners may in our story read that which may make them afraid to sin and confident of thy mercy in their unfeigned repentance remember thy mercy which hath been ever of old before all times thou electedst us at the begining of time thou createdst us to thine owne holy image in the fulnesse of time thou gavest thy holy sonne Jesus to death for our redemption Lord cast not that away which thou hast purchased at so deare a rate we know thy mercy faileth not thou art ever the same not like man that thou shouldst repent thee as mistaken in thy choice or defeated in thy counsels O Lord our God accomplish thine owne election in us thou hast given us thy son Iesus how shouldst thou not also with him give us al things needful for us thou hast for his sake acquitted us from eternal condemnation how shouldst thou not also spare us and deliver us in the temporal 'T is little O bountiful God which we beg at thy merciful hands for our present releife to that which thou freely gavest us before wee could aske nor is it because wee have none to stand up in the gap for us that thy wrath is not yet appeased seeing thy Christ our faithful high Priest sitteth at thy right hand making intercession for us O Lord for his sake be reconciled to us deny not our requests heare and helpe us establish thy free covenant and mercy with us strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought for us and our fathers when thou deliveredst us from the powers of darkness and taking us to be thy people didst translate us into the kingdome of thy deare son establish the trueth sincerity of religion unity of hearts and abundance of peace which thou then gavest us forgive the sins of thy people turn our hearts unto thee from the first unto the last give us unfeigned repentance and humiliation under thy mighty hand that thou maist spare us and grace to forsake all our evill waies that thine anger may cease from us give us patience to bear thy fatherly corrections who hast with so much patience born with our iniquities Bless thy Church universal with trueth and unity shew thy mercy on her distressed thou hast hid thy face from us and consumed us because of our jniquities but Lord remember them not for ever appoint now unto them that mourne in Sion give them beauty for ashes the oile of joy for mourning and the garment of praisâ— for the spirit of heavinesse comfort her waste places make her wildernesse like Eden and her desart like the garden of the Lord give her joy and gladnesse and let the voice of thanks-giving and melody be heard in her again Blesse that part thereof which thy right hand hath planted in great Britan and Ireland blesse this family and every part thereof forgive us all our sinnes sanctifie our bodies and souls to thy service give us that blessed peace of conscience which the world can neither give nor take away give us assurance of our iustification in Christ Jesus fill us with fruits of righteousnesse that wee may not foolishly sleeâ—e without oile in our lampes because wee know not whether the day now spent shall be our last when wee sleepe let thy providence which watcheth over all thine preserve us from the powers of darknesse perplexing fantasies and troublesome dreames that 〈◊〉 may rest in thee and being refreshed rise againe to glorifie thee in our several places and callings through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour Amen CHAP. XXIV Of Marriage and the dueties thereof § 1. Of Marriage the institution end and fruits thereof § 2. Of choice in general and particular who are to be avoided § 3. Dueties of the Married mutual and peculiar § 4. Advice to the widow 1. MArriage is the conjunction of one man with one woman according to the lawes of God and man in the holy indissoluble band of Wedlock whereby they become one flesh I say of one man with one woman for so God made them at first and so appointed from the begining See Matth. 19. 4 c. so that plurality of wives or husbands at once is adultery though when either party dyeth the surviver is free to marry in the Lord according to the lawes of God who saith Let every man have his owne wife and every woman her own husband and the wife is bound by the law to her husband so long as hee liveth Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled forbidding to marry is the doctrine of devils who labour to pervert the order and institution of God to corrupt and dishonor the fountain of humane propagation with impure and wandring lusts And also according to the lawes of man which being grounded on God's law necessarily binde all men thereto subject as cautioning against emergent inconveniences with relation to times places and persons as where they binde to publish the sponsals or contracts to prevent marriage without consent of parents and governers or where they limit to certain houres in the face of the congregation c. to avoid clandestine marriages or incontinent living under pretence of marriage next I say it is an holy and indissoluble band holy for whatsoever is not so in respect of the persons capacity and fitnesse the end and use thereof is neither lawful before God nor man and I say indissoluble for they two become one flesh partners of one condition in weale and woe whence they call it conjugium as à communi iugo and for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and remaine with his wife which is not simply but comparatively to be understood as if hee said Thou shalt more constantly keep with her or rather leave father and mother then thy wiâ—e and the word of Christ is cleere what God hath joined together let no man put asunder whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication and shall marry another committeth adultery now in case of adultery man separateth not but a just punishment as death dischargeth the party innocent he is cruelly impious who putteth away a chaste wife and hee impiously foolish who keepeth an adulterous or dead one by him Neither may wee conceive that God joineth all them together that are married before men there is a just age fit to give consent required freedom in consent and where these are not it is no lawful marriage If there be deceit as where the man is an Eunuch where there is fraud or errour as where a Leah is substituted for a Rachel where there is a lawful preâ—ontract of either party with some other where either party
mee that I can neither live well with thee nor without thee Such dishonors of the lovely sex disgraces of woman-hood caused some wise men besides the over-wived a Interrâ—gatus utrum melius esset uxorem ducere néâ—ne inquit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Laert. l. 1. Socrat l. 2. Psal. 128. Socrates to judge that there is matter of repentance both in wedlock and single life but the good woman openeth her mouth with wisedom and her tongue is the law of kindness Prov. 31. 26. 3. Let her b Tit. 2. 5. keepe at home like the fruitfull vine upon the walls of the house breeding up her children and providing for them it is that which God enjoineth that they be discreet chaste keepers at home it is the harlots character Prov. 7. 11. Shee is loud and stubborn her feet abide not in her house now shee is without now in the streets and lieth in waite at every corner Thus much of the duety of the married to the Widow I have to say she is free to marry again but advise her to take heed that 1. Shee marry not to low least suspicion brand her with the obloquie of some former familiarity 2. That shee marry not too soon least shee that can so quickly abolere Sichaeum be thought for want of love to make such short exequies Valeria being demanded why she married not againe could say My Servius is dead to others not to mee 3. That shee sell not her children to want and her selfe to misery by an ungodly concourse of lust and avarice 4. That shee consider well that which deterred Cato's daughter from second marriage I cannot easily said shee finde that man which loveth mee so much as my estate A Praier for the married O Lord God who didst create man and woman joyne them in marriage sanctify and blesse us whom thy providence hath joyned together Lord give us one heart to love thee and one another in thee that we may be heires together of the promise that thy blessings of heaven above and earth beneath the blessings of peace vnity and plenty may be upon us and all that thou givest us Lord Jesus who didst furnish the wants at the Cana marriage with a bountiful supply supply all our necessities with those things which thou knowest necessary for us that in every estate we may finde a cheerful sufficiency Keepe us bodies and soules from all the snares of Satan the distractions of the world corruptions of flesh and blood and the power of sinne that we may live unblameably toward all men and holily before thee to the good examples of sanctity and sobriety to our families and mutual comforts and blessings to each other through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen CHAP. XXV Concerning the duties of Parents and Children § 1. What honor to Parents want of Children good Parents of evil Children § 2. Duety of the Parent Rules thereto belonging § 3. Dueties of Children Rules thereof Motives thereto 1. HOnour thy father and thy mother saith the Lord. Under this name are comprehended all superiors and governers parents by nature order or institution as under the name of children all inferiors sonnes daughters subjects pupills servants c. and honor importeth all dueties respectively to be performed 2. Want of Children is a great affliction to some therefore Hannah wept and prayed in bitternesse of soul it was then a reproach and affliction to the just and a curse on the wicked When God said unto Abraham Fear not I am thy shield and exceeding great reward hee replyed Lord God what wilt thou give mee seeing I goe childlesse Give mee children or I die said impatient Rachel Shee knew not then what 't was to have a Benoni a sonne of sorrow Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the wombe is his reward hee maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyfull mother of children as the fruitful vine on the sides of the house with children like olive branches God maketh the just mans wife Great blessings if good or greatest afflictions if otherwise certaine cares uncertain comforts a lovely possession but ever bringing the most happy possessor many cares feares and troubles to some most bitter sorrowes if God give thee no children hee hath given thee the lesse care and occasion of sorrows which in their losse sitteth heavily even on the hearts of those mourning parents who may say as that Shunamite Did'I not desâ—re a sonne of my Lord did I not say doe not decceve mee Be thankful for that which God hath given thee no man hath all happinesse some thou hast the greatest if hee hath given thee Christ thy Redeemer and Saviour how justly may hee say that of Elkanah Why is thy heart grieved am not I better to thee then ten sons 3. That good parents have sometimes evil children appeareth in Noah's Cham Elie's and Samuel's sons David's Amnon and Absolom Jehoshaphat's Hezekiah's Manasse and the like Thus God pleaseth either to punish their neglects in breeding them or to exercise their patience and humble them so likewise to manifest to the world that sanctity is by no natural propagation but free grace Sometimes wicked parents have holy sons as appeareth in Josiah sonne of Amon and many others that none may despair of whatsoever family he come 1. The duety of a Parent toward his children is to nourish and breed them up providing necessaries for them to teach them the feare of the Lord 1 Tim. 5. 1. Tit. 2. 4. Gen. 18. 19. Exod. 12. 27. Exod. 13. 8 14. Deut. 4. 10. Deut. 6. 7 20. Deut. 11. 19. Deut. 32. 46. Josh. 4. 6 7 21 22. Josh. 22. 24. Psal. 74. 4. Isai. 38. 19. Joël 1. 3. Ephes. 6. 4. to reprove their â—innes 1 Sam 3. 13. Prov. 13. 24. Prov. 29. 17. Hebr. 12. 9. Gen. 34. 30. to pray for them 2 Sam. 12. 16. Job 1. 5. to lay up forâ—them 2 Cor. 12. 14. Gen. 24. 36. 2 Chron. 21. 3. to bestow them in marriage Gen. 24. 2 3. Gen. 21. 21. Gen. 28. 1. Judg. 14. 3 5. Therefore these following rules are necessary for parents concerning the same 1. Study thy family that thou maist not be a stranger at home first it is necessary for thee to proportion the expences thereof and the breeding of thy children according to thy estate lest thou build higher then thy foundation will beare it hath been the evident ruine of many families that parents have bred their children in so great an heigth as that the meanes they were able to leave them could not maintain them It is not a little wisedom to live within thy fortunes and to use thy children to a condition rather much too low then the least little above thy estate the minde will easily greaten and rise with the fortunes but very hardly lessen or descend it is an evident danger to beare a saile
and how canst thou correct thy children for imitating thee when thou doest worst in teaching by example When they learne cursing swearing profanation intemperance rude and foul language which hath cost many a life obscence and â—ilthy talke irreligion and neglect of all good duties from parents they think themselves justified by their sins Hence usually is hatched an evil egge of a bad bird a corrupt and cursed seed Hence cometh it to passe that children doe not more commonly inherit their fathers patrimonies then their vices and sooner are they possessed of these then them those come to them after their fathers death these in their life so have they descended to them true vices before those things which are but falsly called good Woe worth such parents and miserable are their children beyond those who by their parents impious superstition passed through those Moloch flames wherein a soon dying body perished but here is the danger of body and soul eternally perishing in hells unquenchable fire The heathen would have taught these seeming Christians better Let nothing said he uncomely to be spoken or done so much as touch these doors within which there is a childe If any evil in thy family happen to be done it ought with much discretion to be drawn to a present example of detestation of that sinne as the Spartans woont to shew their drunken servants to their children that by their discomposed deportments and loathsome deformity they might learn to detest drunkennesse 10. Pray continually for thy children O that Ismaël might live in thy sight cryed Abraham Gen. 17. 18. Job rose up early every day to sacrifice for his sonnes lest they should beare some inexpiated sinnes Job 1. 5. Thine owne experience of the folly and frailty of youth their ignorance pronenesse to error and sinne their many dangerous temptations should stirre up thy natural affâ—ctions to this duety unexcusable before God are they that neglect it and damnable they who instead of praying for them curse them on inconsiderable and lesse grounds then that which instigated Micha's mother thereto Jud. 17. 2. No wonder said the heathen that so many children prove impious seeing they grow up among their parents curses It is true the causelesse curse shall not come and that God can turn a Balaam's curse into a blessing yet Jotham's curse fell on the wicked Shechemites and heavily fell good Noah's on Cham and his posterity yea impious parents commonly see the fruits of their rash curses in their childrens ruine 11. Look on thy children as the blessings which God hath given thee we are all the sonnes of Time which devoureth all it own brood we have here â—o continuing city wee must all part again until wee meet in eternity when God took away Job's dear children he said The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord It is no little bitternesse to flesh and blood to loose hopeful children but we must in such case consider how much more happy they who rest in Christ are then we who survive to mourne for them It is one of the most incongruous acts of a reasonable soule to bewaile those whom wee beleeve blessed Next we must consider God's justice afflicting us for loving things humane too much and his mercy in taking them away from evils to come disburdening us of the care he entrusted to us for a time nor can any say what a childe may prove there are Adoniahs and Absoloms still sweet children but rebellious men there are lovely Dinahs and fair Tamars pleasant children but in their maturity bitter break-hearts Neither may wee sorrow as men without hope wee have not lost them but their company for a time David who bewailed an impious sonne bitterly comforted himself in the death of his harmless infant I shall go to him he shall not return to me Do not deceive thy self God hath given thee a short use not any lasting propriety in things secular when they told a prudent heathen of his deare sonnes death he replyed I knew I had begotten a mortal sonne Thou canst not want examples of mortality in thine own family wherein thou missest many of thy Ancestors and friends let nothing seem unsufferable or strange to thee which is both common and inevitable be sure thou want not the true use thereof which is a due value of all things present and making haste to provide thy selfe and children for a better life in the want of a good childe rather rejoice that thou hadst such an one then lament that hee is gone into God's kingdome of glory before thee while thou enjoyest their company remember to instruct them for eternity he said true An aged father is a fugitive pleasure and so are yong children thou knowest not when they goe out of thy sight whether ever thou shalt see them again till thou meet them in the kingdom of heaven there all teares shall be wiped from thine eies there shall be no more sinne sorrow curse nor fear of deaths parting deare friends there shall be blessednesse without measure or end A Parents praier for his Children O Lord God everlasting father of mercy of whom is named the whole family in heaven and earth abundant in goodnesse and trueth shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love thee and keep thy commandements Give mee grace to be upright and holy before thee that it may according to thy promise who canst not deceive go well with me and my children after mee Thou who art the God of my fathers and hast preserved me from my mothers womb who hast blessings in store for all that fear thee for their generations who depend on thee plant thy fear in every one of their hearts and sanctifie them bodies and soules whom thou hast given mee so that in whatsoever state and condition thy providence shall set them it may be my comfort and assurance that they are thy faithful and elect servants that thou maist be pleased to dispose of them as thine own to their several places and callings to which thy fatherly providence hath assigned them Lord season their tender years with grace and trueth help them and blesse them with blessings of heaven above and the earth beneath and let my blessings prevail above the blessings of my fathers give them assurance of their adoption in Christ Jesus keep them and order their steps in the way which thou wouldst have them walke in let thy faithfulnesse and mercy be with them all the daies of their lives be thou a father and rock of salvation unto them keep them by thy sanctifying spirit holy and sincere before thee uphold them that their foot-steps slip not be thou the guide of their youth keep their tender years from sinne and shame take not thy mercy and thy trueth from them preserve them from the houre of tentation in life and
death from the power of sin the snares of Satan the world and the flesh heare the voice of their praiers when they cry unto thee helpe them against all their enemies blesse their substance and accept the worke of their hands be thou ever their refuge and save them Thou who dividest the earth among the sonnes of men whose providence descendeth unto the feeding and preserving the poorest of thy creatures feed them with bread of their stature thou who encreasedst the oile and the meale so that it failed not in all the famine whether it be much or little which thou shalt be pleased to give them let thy blessing be with it that in every estate they may faithfully depend on thy gracious providence which never faileth them that trust in thee and finde such a sufficiency therein that they may live cheerfully and contentedly that they may never want that which thou knowest necessary and comfortable for their bodies and soules Lord give them hearts faithfully to seek thy kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof that all these things may be administred unto them O Lord God who hast promised to be a father of the fatherlesse who hast planted thine owne image of love and compassion in the hearts of parents towards their children heare the praiers of a poore father for his children and deny not the requests of my lips when thou shalt be pleased to take me from them leave them not destitute shew thy selfe their keeper directer and counseller that they may never swerve from thy commandements as thou hast shewed me mercy and compassion all my daies so holy father let not thy mercy depart from them but keep them in thy faith fear and love that as thy providence hath brought us together in this family so when this mortal life shall be ended we may by thy mercy all happily meet in the eternal communion of Saints in thy kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour AMEN 1. The crown of the aged is children and the duety of children toward their parents is honor reverence fear obedience gratitude châ—erishing them in their age love and patience all this is comprehended in the fifth precept of Gods law honour thy father and thy mother who are comprehended under these titles I have already shewed I have here to speak of duety to parents 2. These rules of practice are hereto observable for the guidance of those children which feare the Lord and expect the promise their made to the obedient 1. Honor thy father and mother it is Gods expresse command and a dictate of nataâ—e this importeth reverence in thy bodily gesture before them as King Solomon rose upto meet his mother Bath-sheba and bowed himself vnto her as Moses went out to meet his father in law and did obeisance reverence in thy speech toward them and thy behaviour before them that it be not rude and such as becometh not the presence of those whom God will have honored as his vicegerents in the family So saith the Apostle Wee have had fathers of the flesh and wee gave them reverence none but a cursed Cham will behave himselfe unreverently before his father or mother or any waies tell or discover their failings to discredit or dishonor them but will goe with blessed Shem and Japhet with the vaile of discreet piety to conceale them Glory not in the dishonor of thy father saith the sonne of Sirach for thy fathers dishonor is no glory unto thee for the glory of a man is from the honor of his father and a mother in dishonor is a reproach to the children When God commanded Israel to be holy hee thus beginneth Ye shall fear every man his mother and father here indeed religion beginneth toward those whom God hath set in his own room on earth to nourish and give lawes to them and to receive their first tribute of obedience due to him by them there is little hope of it when it here blasteth in the bud the breach of this law carrying a fearefull curse with it as being a sinne against God and nature therefore the heathen Decius when he was offered the imperial crown refused it saying I fear lest being made an Emperour I should forget to be a sonne I had rather be a dutiful son then an Emperour let my father rule my Empire is to obey 2. Obey thy parents in all things not prohibited by God Hearken unto thy father that begat thee Forsake not the law of thy mother Children obey your parents in all things 3. Patiently beare their infirmities where age maketh them pettish where they erre not gain-saying or answering againe contend not irreverently with them though thou art in the right when they are angry with thee overcome that anger with patience 4. Be such to thy parents as thou wouldst have thy children to thee commonly it will be so an evil sonne seldom proveth an happy father Whoso honoreth his father shall have joy of his own children but as God rewardeth the duety of children according to his promise so will he their impiety and disobedience according to his justice because hee is true in both all sinnes have their severe punishments following them and when God's justice is most slow it is most sure but there are some sins which are more destructive to humane society which God the preserver thereof usually punisheth in this life that hee may deterre men from committing them so it is observable that cruelty oppression and murder seldome goe unpunished here but most closely acted sometimes they are discovered by extraordinary meanes and disobedience to parents may hence appeare odious to God and man that it is commonly punished by the like deportments of their children an example thereof is commonly found in every family of the disobedient O Sonne cryed the father beaten and dragged out of doors by the haire of the head draw mee no further for thus farre I drew my father 5. Love thy parents tenderly though the reflexes of this love are not so strong yet doe them all the good thou canst love them next after Christ above him thou maiest not No man can requite his parents and teachers yet shew thy love and gratitude to them if they want nourish them so did good Joseph so tender ought thy care to be of them that it should be thy grief if thou do any waies grieve them My son help thy father in his age and grieve him not as long as he liveth Thou must be cheerful to them not violate this piety so much as with an ill looke A necessary document for those prodigals which will not be warned from ryot and lewd company until they bring their parents hoary head with sorrow to the grave and necessity bring them home in rags as also to the profane Esaus whose impious matches are a griefe of minde unto Isaac and make
Rebecca cry I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. Now though it be true he that doubteth whether he ought to worship God and honour his parents rather wanteth stripes then arguments yet seeing the corrupt nature of man is prone to all impiety I will hereto adde some motives to this duety 1. It is the only commandement with promise of reward Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee that it may goe well with thee the son of Sirach saith Honour thy father and thy mother that a blessing may come upon thee from them 2. This is just before God and pleasing to him releeving thy father shall not be forgotten in the day of thy affliction it shall be remembred 3. A third motive may be taken from the contrary curse to him that any way dishonoreth father or mother 1. Cursed is he that setteth light by his father or his mother there is no more evident signe of an impious minde then contempt of parents 2. He that wasteth his father and chaseth away his mother is a son that causeth shame and whosoever robbeth father or mother and saith it is no transgression the same is the companion of a destroyer 3. The eie that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother the ravens of the valley shall pick it out 4. Whoso curseth his father or his mother his lamp shall be put out in obscure darknesse every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death his blood shall be upon him so he that smiteth father or mother there is no lesse punishment severe enough for such an unnatural prodigie as a parricide or hee that retributeth injury where he oweth highest gratitude 5. Lastly I wish all disobedient children to read Deut. 21. 18 c. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son which will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and that when they have chastened him will not hearken unto them then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him and bring him unto the Elders of his city c. and the men of the city shall stone him with stones that he dye so shalt thou put away evil from among you A Praier for children to use O Lord God who hast ordained strength in the mouthes of babes and sucklings sanctifying them from the womb open our lips that wee may shew forth thy praise holy Lord Jesus who taking up children into thy sacred armes declaredst that unto such belongeth the kingdome of God who for our redemption becamest an infant and for our instruction obedient to humane parents who art the eternal son of God have mercy on us sanctify us bodies and soules unto thy kingdom and service keep us in our tender years by thy holy spirit from all the errors sins and pollutions of youth make us sincerely obedient to our God that in him wee may honor and obey our parents in all things in reverence and thankefulnesse for their tender care over us blesse their endeavours to provide for us spare them that they may live to bring us up in thy faith feare and love that thy great name may be glorified and they comforted in us and we with them preserved unto thine everlasting kingdom through Jesus Christ our ever blessed Lord and Saviour AMEN CHAP. XXVI Of the wounded spirit or conscience afflicted by the apprehension of Gods wrath against some great sinnes spiritual wants or fear of tentations § 1. What a wounded spirit is how great an affliction what the conscience is how comfortable the peace thereof why God afflicteth his § 2. What things principally wound the conscience § 3. What they who are afflicted with the apprehension of Gods wrath against them must consider § 4. What they must examine § 5. What they must practice 1. I Have spoken concerning the guidance of the Thoughts Words and Actions in generall and in some particular relations to external dueties I shall now endeavour to give directions suitable to some conditions first of the inward man and next of the outward The spirit of man will bear his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare saith Solomon The word signifieth a smitten contrite or broken spirit It is a manner of speaking borrowed from bodily afflictions by stripes contusions bruises or wounds wherein by cutting or hurting the sinews and veins the body weakened and endangered without cure to death disabled so that it cannot support it self is apt to inflammations and distempers every light touch hurteth it it depriveth a man of rest so that he is impatient of this present posture and more grieved at the change To expresse the intense sorrow of the soule weak confidence and enfeebled life of the spirit God calleth it a wounded spirit 2. This affliction is so great as it exceedeth all other temporal sorrows and is such as none can truely judge of but they who have with David seen confinia inferni as he saith Psal. 116. 3. The sorrowes of death compassed me and the paines of hell gat hold upon me or found me Other sorrowes may be eased by giving the afflicted something equivalent to that whose losse grieveth him as where one treasure is lost and another found or by some compensation and repair as Job had a second brood and encrease of wealth Elkanah intimated such a medium consolationis when hee said to afflicted Hannah Am not I better to thee then ten sonnes but so can this never be if you give a man of an afflicted spirit riches company of dearest friends or that which might relieve refresh or delight some others you do no more ease him then you could the broken bones by putting on some purple or rich robes no no the grief is within and there must be cured nothing external can do it in other griefes time will mitigate sunt verba voces excellent lenitives of sorrow in some other kindes wine merry company musick or the like meanes may have some part as the wise man saith Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts let him drinke and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more So Davids harp could for the time refresh Saul and charme the evil spirit but this grief admitteth of no efficacy in such comforts In other pressures wee may be eased or conveyed away from the evil as Paul was from the Jews conspiracy as David from Saul but there is no flight from a wounded spirit Whither ever we goe we carry our affliction with us our secret tormenter in us In fine as it is in sense of a separation from God the reality whereof is the second death so no creature in heaven or earth can cure it there can be
same sometimes want of patience want of love to God and charity to men in fine such a general debility or distemper of the inward man that hee readily concludeth with Paul I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with mee but how to perform that which is good I finde not for the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death These are great maladies of the soule and wounds of the spirit but the sense hereof as I sayed is a good sign of a bad cause where these are and the sinner is not sensible thereof they are desperate Symptoms For comfort herein let us as was proposed in case of the precedent distresse consider 1. That the very same measure of grace which to the present sense of a regenerate man seemeth incompetent may yet be a sufficient measure to save him and he is then strong by the power of Christ resting upon him and shewing it perfection in mans weaknesse when crying out for God's assistance he is most weak in his own sense so in Paul's distresse the Lord thus answered his petitions My grace is sufficient for thee hee saith not it shall be as relating to a greater supply but it is sufficient as speaking of the present measure of grace which then hee had when hee seemed to himselfe weakest 2. That the saints present measure of assurance is such as that they must not only give diligence to make their calling and election sure that so an entrance may be administred to them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of Christ but though it be God which worketh in them both to will and to do they must also work out their own salvation with fear and trembling 3. All unbeleefe concludeth not a reprobate sense there is an unbeleefe in the elect before and a perplexing remainder thereof after their calling yea in their best estate here why else did the Apostles pray Encrease our faith and why did our Saviour upbraid them with unbeleefe 4. That saving faith differeth in degrees so that there is a stronger and a weaker faith yet both true and justifying so do all other graces one hath a greater and more excellent measure of the spirit of prayer then another one hath a more discerning and attentive spirit of hearing then another and yet in either instance the least may be true and sufficient for to every man is given according to the measure of Christ one hath ten talents another but two yea in one and the same mans faith there is sometimes a greater sometimes a lesser measure of confidence and assurance and so wee must judge of other gifts sometimes there is more fervency in praier sometimes lesse the sun-beams fall not on us at all times alike neither doth the light of grace 5. That a true saving faith may be very weak and the beleever may have very little sense thereof for the time and yet the gates of hell shall never prevaile against it as may appear in Peter's example 6. That there are doubtings and failings in the best on earth because wee are here but partly spirit wee are not yet come to perfection faith here must receive contintuall encreases and be subject to tryals so must all other graces 7. That true faith can never never shall finally fall away or utterly faile though it be subject to intension and remission because Christ intercedeth for us as hee said to Peter Behold Satan hath desired that hee may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not because his grace by which wee are called and stand is immutable in the counsell and decree of God and because hereto wee are scaled up by the holy spirit of promise and the like wee are to judge of all the fruits of sanctification which being the gifts and graces of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as God repenteth not of neither finally with-draweth Wee must here againe examine the conscience I have spoken something concerning the examination of faith in the 2. Chap. but intend here onely those things which concerne this present Argument of comforting the afflicted soule aske thy conscience therefore whether 1. Thou hast indeed a true sense of thy spirituall wants and grievest at thy corruptions of heart which on every occasion breake out into acts of sin against God is this a grievous burden unto thee be comforted thy sin is out of it proper place a stranger unto thee for nothing in it owne place is heavy The danger is want of sense and taking pleasure in unrighteousnesse if a man feele not when hee is wounded hee is either dead or in some dangerous ectasie No part hath sense but the living though it were for the present more comfortable to be whole yet sense of smart in thy wounds concludeth life and indeed in God's cures who maketh all things work for the best to them that love him a better state in respect of the quiet fruits of righteousnesse accrewing to them that are thereby exercised and the ulcerous corruptions of our souls often necessitating our wounding that we may be healed then the secure prosperity of sinners it is good at the last for the saint that he hath been troubled When thou hearest or readest the Scriptures doest thou feele the want of saith assurance sanctification the spirit and fervency of praier be comforted as the sunnes eclipse and failing of light towards us can be discerned by no light but it own so neither can the want of grace be possibly discerned by any thing but grace 2. Hast thou an hearty desire to have these wants of grace supplied feare not that very desire of grace is grace without which thou couldst not desire it Blessed are they who doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled God will never famish that soul which desireth him and his saving health none can hunger but the living none hunger for grace but hee that liveth thereby but thy desire of grace must be hearty not languid such as cannot rest unsatisfied with any thing else in the world there may be a feeble or oblique appetiâ—e of salvation in Balaam for feare of damnation but hee more loved the wages of unrighteousnesse the most happy thirst for the waters of life is that which afflicteth the soule till it be obtained which can never rest or joy in any thing without it so that indeed this very condition which so much afflicteth and affrighteth thee is the most secure and happy and thou shalt once know that which hee said in the happy event of his unhappy ship-wrack Wee had perished if wee had not thus perished And when thou hast received the spirit of God in such
and to guide all thy thoughts words and actions so that waking thou maist walke sincerely in his presence and sleeping rest confidently in his protection 2. Prepare and arme thy selfe against these encounters of tentations with the whole armour of God look before hand for tryals thou hast to resist flesh and blood principalities and spiritual wickednesses it is a conflict by so much more terrible by how much more hidden and with an unseen puissant unwearied and restlesse enemy with whom thou canst have no safe truce therefore cast before-hand like the wise builder to lay the foundation upon the rocke against which no windes stormes or floods can prevaile The sea-man doth not contrive his shippe for calmes onely but also against furious storms and rough seas prepare thee good ground-tackle the anchor of the soule hope to lay hold on Christ who therefore suffered and was tempted that hee might deliver thee from and in temptations get the ballast of patience and all things necessary for tryals which thou must in reason look for before thou canst make thy port It were great incogitancy to thinke that Satan who could not abstaine from tempting Christ in whom hee found no sinne will ever give thee rest from temptations in whom hee conceives some hopes of prevailing because some sinnes to foil and grieve thee though not to make thee finally his 3. Watch least yee enter into temptation your adversary continually watcheth to destroy you be not lesse vigilant for your own salvation Many a man not marking whether a mischievous temptation carrieth him hath been surprized and led into some desperate sinnes which waking hee abhorred and trembled at looke for more and more assaults Satan leaveth men sometimes to returne with seven worse spirits that security may destroy them whom nothing else could 4. Be not precipitated into any sudden undertaking but consult with God's Oracles first and resolve to be directed thereby Let them be as the cloudy pillar to Israël where that designeth thy stations or marches there rest or thence advance 5. Resist the devil and hee will flee if thou yeeldest or givest him the least ground hee is tyrannous flee from thy lusts they are like serpents there 's no safe debate with them except by fasting and praier the best way is flight stop thine ears to the enchanting Syrens make a covenant with thine eies not to see that which thou maist not desire in thine heart Take heed of all incentives and occasions thereto beware of Tamar's waies and Delilah's embraces the curtisans invitations and presented opportunities suspected company lascivious entertainments betraying gifts and whatsoever may lead thee to the pathes of death 6. As the subtile enemy sets his snares according as hee findeth men inclinable to be taken therewith as hath been said so be thou carefull most to fortifie thy selfe where thou findest him placing his main batteries there most carefully watch over thy selfe where hee most frequently assaileth thee and be constant herein because hee is so in his malice to destroy thee he sometimes changeth his artifices now hee cometh like a mischievous fruiterer with his destructive commentaries on the forbidden fruit sometimes like an holy prophet with lying visions to bewitch the foolish and unstable sometimes like a beguiling courtier with large promises of worlds of honor and wealth sometimes hee plaies the pander shewing a naked Bathsheba sometimes the secret conspirator and puts into Judas heart to betray the King of Kings and presently the executioner presenting the desperate traitor an halter to make away himself the rule therefore is be careful and search again and again into his gifts whatever they are feare the enemy as Saul said of David See his place where his haunt is for hee dealeth very subtilely he never offereth any good but for some mischievous end hee is a great studier of men where hee findeth a gentle nature hee tempteth to luxury where an ambitious to some high and impious designes where an angry to revenge be thou as cautious learne thy selfe well and where thou art most weake most fortifie thy selfe against him 7. Take heed of idlenesse that lazy mother of all evil ever set thy selfe about something which is good that the tempter as I said may never finde thee at leisure to entertaine him What fearful advantages found hee on David in his few houres vacancy to staine so glorious a life 8. Dally not with temptations happy shall be hee who dasheth them yong as Elisha said of Jehoram's messenger Looke when hee cometh shut the doore and hold him fast there is not the sound of his masters feet behinde him So must we do with Satan's messengers sent to take away our lives wee must destroy the cockatrice egges least breaking out into a fiery serpent wee cannot overcome it but say too late as the Turke of Scanderbeg this enemy should have been subdued in his minority a tentation is nourished that houre it is not mastered 9. Pray constantly and fervently leade us not into temptation oft-times these are a divine revenge on some precedent unrepented sinne against which the Saints usually pray and if as often as Satan assaileth wee could betake our selves to hearty prayers wee should beat him at his owne weapon and hee should give us frequent alarms to awaken us to a stronger guard and occasions of fleeing to the shadow of God's wings The first enemy that assailed Israël in his way to Canaan was overcome by prayer when Moses held up his hands Israël prevailed the greatest of our enemies shall so be repulsed Mat. 17. 21. An ejaculation fit to be used as sonne as thou wakest LOrd be merciful unto us blessed be thy name as for all thy mercies so for thy gracious preservation of us this night continue thy goodnesse to us this day keep us from sinne and shame preserve us bodies soules and estates let no evil come neer our dwellings let not the mischievous tempter gaine any advantage upon us or ours this day but direct thou all our thoughts words and actions by the continual presence of thy holy spirit that wee may wholly spend this day to thy glory and our comfort Preserve the Church this family and all those whom thou hast stirred up to shew thy goodnesse to us or appointed to receive it of us blesse us all and keepe us this day through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN After thou hast strictly examined thy conscience what good dueties thou hast omitted or what evil thou hast done in the day and hast heartily repented of the sin compose thy last waking thoughts with such an ejaculation LOrd forgive us all our sinnes and failings this day seal up our redemption by thy good spirit the comforter of thine elect give us that peace of conscience which may cause us to rest securely on thy mercies let our sleep be reâ—reshing and comfortable unto us restrain the enemy that
him until fast bound to the gibbet to be put over the fire he cryed out O Solon Solon ◠Riches cannot deliver from death nor in the day of the day of the Lords wrath and how vainely doe wee call them goods in whose abundance the owner may perish with hunger 2. Set not thy soule at stake for any worldly price what shall it profit a man if hee shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule especially at so poor a one that usually hurteth the possessor I appeale herein to any thriving man doe but remember the change of thine owne minde so soon as thy estate encreased or descended to thee how quickly hadst thou learned an unstudied pride and elation of minde Estates and the owners mindes commonly rise together like those beasts and wheeles in the Prophets vision When the creatures were lifted up from the earth the wheels were lifted up this maketh it so hard for a rich man to be saved because it is very hard to be rich and not proud or not to trust in riches Adde hereto that unjust gaine maketh thee not a proprieter but an usurper and robber and hee that swallowed down riches shall vomit them up againe either hee must restore them or perish with them whether they were seized into his hands by violence or by wicked balances or the bag of deceitful weights treasures of wickednesse profit nothing moreover at the best thou canst have but a short use of any worldly thing wee brought nothing into the world and it is certain wee shall carry nothing away and is it not therefore an admirable madnesse to loose eternal happinesse for temporal riches the soule for the bodies supplies The time shall come and it is as sure and neere as death when the body shall have no use of riches the soule never had why do men tyre themselves for vaine shadowes too great possessions have commonly debauched the unhappy owners as may appeare in the Romane conquests of Asia Hannibal's of Alexander's of Persia and the like wherein it was doubtful whether they more conquered those nations or those nations them Their riches were to them but as Demetrius Lamià taken in the Egyptian spoiles aurea mala golden mischiefes and as Seneca said of prosperity viscata beneficia limed baits gifts to take men with and so desperately besotting their lovers that they passe not for any wickednesse to gaine them save that onely which may bring them into future danger of loosing them It was not said amisse Were Justice as free as once it shall be all our goales could not hold our rich men This mischiefe wealth addeth to the rest that it now freeth the wicked from punishment that they may recive it hereafter No wonder that our Saviour pronounced a woe to the rich who usually blesse themselves as the only wise and good men riches so seldom being good to the owners Why settest thou thine heart on that which is neither truely good nor truely thine if they are truely good let them make thee good and blessed if truely thine carry them with thee in death What can be more unworthy of a wise man then the love of false and transitory goods or of a Christian then to sell a soul whose redemption cost more then all the world was worth the precious blood of Christ for that which is neither truely good truely thine nor beyond necessity of safe use or possession If thou use them thou art neer luxury if thou spare them to a dangerous parsimony on the one side is the nures of idlenesse the mother of all mischiefe on the other the gulfe of insatiable avarice 3. Let thy riches serve thee there is no little necessity of the use of this rule for as the Philosopher said Most rich men doe not use their goods for extream covetousnesse others abuse them to pleasures so rich men become slaves all their life time some to pleasure others to profit but beyond all that the Philosophers could know the Scripture sheweth that if wee serve riches we cannot serve God hee that keepeth riches to himselfe is a servant to them and hee the worst of all servants a foole and a knave who grown rich with an ill conscience can be contented to live poore only that hee may die rich And hee that prodigally spendeth them is little better this may be sure his riches cannot serve him long the others doe never Yet thus parsimonious are some as they should live ever and others as lavish as if they should presently die 'T is vaine to deprive they soule of rest only to possesse and not to use riches in trueth such have not riches their riches have them buried in the foolish monument of their avarice It is no sinne to be rich if justly it is to be uncharitable to thy selfe or others How dwelleth the love of God in him God weigheth mens hearts not their chests and in his esteeme who cannot be deceived hee onely is master of his wealth not who keepeth it close but hee who bestoweth it well Ask thy conscience how thou possessest and usest riches and thou shalt know whether God hath given them for a blessing or a curse There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun saith Solomon riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt It is a blessing to know how to use them well every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eate thereof and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour this is the gift of God 4. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with those things that you have Let our meat satisfie hunger our drinke thirst and our decent garments keepe our bodies warm let our houses be to defend us from wet and cold a wise and good man is so contented with himself not that he would not gladly have friends goods to entertain them but because he can patiently bear the want of either riches are more safely had them desired They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction an inheritance may be gotten hastily but the end thereof shall not be blessed A man with a wicked eie hasteth to riches and knoweth not that poverty shall come upon him Hee that heapeth up treasure as the dust knoweth not who shall spend it in the mean time no man wanteth more then he that coveteth most he lacketh not only that which hee hath not but that also which he hath so that the covetous mans wealth leaveth him guiltiness and taketh away the comfortable use of that which hee hath it being a kinde of drunken thirst encreasing by having more Great Alexander was not contented with one world Death only confesseth
tryal of affliction a tribulation but yet such as there may be made an happy use thereof seeing to be poore and good is as they say the golden poverty of spirit Not to insist on those fruits hereof which relate to temporal advantages as it will shew thee who are thy true friends which riches can hardly do here is no flattery to beguile and carry vain minds to greaten their ruine here is the schoole of humility which any but a desperate soule will learne and thereby to be more secure I say a poore man may be truely happy which may appeare in that 1. God taketh care and often catitioneth for them charging that which is given them as a father for his children upon his own account 2. Hee hath chosen them to be rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which hee hath promised to them that love him 3. Not only many of the deare saints of God of whom the world was not worthy have wandred destitute and afflicted but also our Saviour Christ blessed for ever became poore for our sakes that wee through his poverty might be rich insomuch that the Lord of all having for our redemption taken on him the forme of a servant possessed not so much as whereon to rest his head For the more easie and comfortable bearing this burden it is necessary to consider 1. That it is sometimes a defect in the minde which thou takest to be a want in thy outward estate and the cure must be in the ease of the malady A feverish place maketh every thing bitter the cure must be of the disaffected sensory not so much in the change of dyet so here 2. Consider what state any man hath or can have in this world where is perpetual change as it were by a natural law I am a stranger here said King David Wee have here no continuing city saith the Apostle Man is of few daies and full of trouble hee cometh up like a flower and is cut down saith Job Riches are not for ever and doth the crown endure to every generation saith Solomon Our present habendum tenendum can make no certain state to our selves or heires but hee begetteth a son and there is nothing in his hand as hee came forth of his mothers womb naked shall hee return and shall take nothing of his labour which hee shall carry away in his hand there is no man liveth so poore as hee was born be contented with thy something though it be not so much 3. Consider Gods promises hee hath said hee will not faile thee nor forsake thee the whole world hath no such assurance of constant supplies If all the Kings of the earth should enter into league and binde themselves by oath and under their broad seales never to forsake thee but to supply thee with all necessaries yet they might faile all power and will of the creatures is subject to obstructions and lets but God can neither be untrue nor defeated in his counsels though heaven and earth passe away his word shall not fail The poor mans security that he shall never want that which is best for him is in Gods hands and hee hath Gods promise for it now let him that is impatient of poverty but seriously consider first whether if he had riches in his own keeping as rich men have had he better security by his own keeping them then in Gods promise to supply and keep him and them But some may say I desire that God would keep them in my possession What can thy possession adde to thy security of having and enjoying them where God keepeth them What can finites adde to infinites I but saist thou if I had an estate in mine own possession I could live more confidently and comfortably the reason of that is not a greater certainty in thy estate for that is surest in Gods hands but a lesse faith in thee then becometh those who have the infallible trueth of God for their assurance and because thou repliest more on thy senses then on God's Oracles and the creatures then the Creator himself Thou saist But yet for all the promises my want is a great bitternesse to my soule yet if God seeth it good to cure that sick minde with bitter pills such as poverty is confessed and so to save thee which wouldst thou chuse if God should referre it to thee that which thou thinkest best for thee or that which God knoweth to be so to perish with riches or to be saved by poverty Unhappy sure were wee and must often perish if God would not in mercy deny us our choice and chuse for us 4. Consider how Gods deerest children have wanted and so do still See Job 30. 3 9. Hebr. 11. 37 38. 1 Cor. 4. 11. 2 Cor. 11. 27. Art thou better then those of whom the world was not worthy I neede not tell you of Curius Socrates Fabritius or the just Aristides poverty wee have examples enough of the Saints wants it is a doctrine abundantly exemplified in these our calamitous daies 5. Consider that hee is a poore man who is so in minde not in purse he only may be ashamed of his poverty said Aristides who is poor against his will there is no such wretched poverty as that which maketh a man impatient or unjust There 's no man poore to God-ward but the wicked as none rich but the holy they that seeme poore are herein rich if they want not and covet not more Hee cannot be unhappily poore who hath Gods promise and care to provide for him wee doe not think rich mens children poore though they possesse nothing because others who are more wise and able provide for them and can we think the children of God indigent for whom the Almighty provideth 6. Consider how God hath supplied the wants of his how the oile and meale lasted all the famine how hee fed Israël 40. yeers in the wildernesse with Manna how all that time their cloaths waxed not old upon them nor their shooe on their foot how he made the Eliah's purviours to bring him bread and flesh morning and evening how hee made the oile encrease for the widow of the prophet and her children Doe but remember how hee hath all thy life long provided for thee and I may say with Joshuah Ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you and wilt thou now distrust him who never failed thee remember that hee saith hee will not famish the soule of the righteous 7. Consider that God hath not spared his own holy son Jesus for our sakes How should hee not with him give us all things necessary for us hath he bought thee body and soul not with corruptible things but with
mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith wee our selves are comforted of God 1. That Gods dearest servants have been imprisoned others had tryals of cruel mockings and scourgings of bonds and imprisonment being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy True Christians must suffer persecution in this kinde Ieremy Ioseph Michaiah Iohn Baptist and the Apostles might be cited for examples but that wee have so many modern and now sighing in their bonds 2. The Heathen boldly affirmed that it could not be a prison in which Socrates was I am certaine it can be no lesse then an happy place and condition in which Christ is as hee was with Joseph in prison so hee is still with his and hee giveth them favour oft-times with men as hee did to Joseph Jeremy Paul and Silas sometimes deliverance as hee sent his Angel to Peter with an habeas corpus and enlarged him the word and power of God cannot be bound neither canst thou any more imprison an holy minde or shut out Christ from it then binde up the sun-beames Christ is imprisoned with his servants as he saith When I was in prison yee visited mee the prison cannot shut out thy praiers from heaven nor Christ from thee and therefore is it thine honour not thy unhappinesse 3. No man knoweth the value of liberty who never wanted it nor commonly the true use of it we best know Gods blessings by wanting them for a time and so intermitted liberty is sweeter then continued 4. There hath no tentation overtaken you but such as Christ fore-told should come for the tryal of his They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prison the time cometh saith hee that whosoever killeth you will think that hee doth God service this hee fore-told that wee might not be scandaled and that wee might be assured that hee whose providence layeth these things on us is faithfull and will not suffer us to be tempted above that wee are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape so that wee may be able to beare it 5. Better is an injurious prison then an impious liberty the prison hath been a Sanctuary to some whose liberty was beset with dangers so that experience made them sorry that their imprisonment was no longer which before they esteemed too long all enlargement is not alike successfull as the examples of Pharoah's servants shew the worst prison is to be shut up within the command of our own sinful affections sinne is the worst bond they are not stone-walls locks bolts chaines geives fetters or manacles which make the worst prison Manasses was most dangerously bound when hee had most liberty to commit those purple-faced sinnes and so most free when hee was in bondage chaines and captivity the mindes pure freedome is the best hee is the most wretched vassal who is taken captive at Satan's will or subjected to his own the guilty conscience followed as the impious Aristobulus or bloody Nero with the memory of horrid acts is more straitned then the prisoner whose bodies consinement impeacheth not but sometimes advanceth the blessed liberty of his minde The rich Libertine is the basest captive it is not happinesse to have power over other mens lives and liberties of which that odious L. Sylla gloried that he could proscribe and kill so many thousand citizens but over a mans own he whose wealth is a snare to him furnishing him with meanes and opportunity to sin is the most wretched captive bound Darius-like with golden chains as heavy restraining as the most vulgar in the mindes captivity by so much more heavy and destructive by how much more of value an immortal soul is then the body The old prosecuters wont to binde a dead body to a living Christian so that it might be not only his burden but his perpetual torment to death a thousand-fold worse is the burden which sin layeth on a captivated soule Wretched man that I am cryed Paul who shall deliver mee from the body of this death External bonds and imprisonment can make a man unhappy if so much but a little while Sinne if not here discharged will to eternity Bonds and prisons to the servant of Christ are but exercises encreasing their mindes more happy liberty and resolution I had rather he any mans captive then mine owne 6. If thou make a good use of thy imprisonment thou maist finde many considerable advantages therein it will teach thee which are thy fast friends it enlargeth a well resolved minde it bringeth to minde the errour and abuse of former liberty that thou maist thereby be disposed to repentance for the same it acquainteth thee with exercises of patience fixeth in thee holy resolutions guards the eare from many turbulent clamours which torment the more free eare it restraineth the roving eies from seeing that vanity of the world which made Democritus laugh and Heraclite continually weep it restraineth many from destructive liberty it is a riged and unpleasing but profitable school of temperance and patience It is the glasse that more truely sheweth a man himselfe then liberty ever can not to deject the minde to despair and worldly sorrow but to raise it to a due consideration of the causes of Gods judgments which being ever just must bring a good man to the deep consideration of the end of his suffering and prove an happy stimulus to repentance as it did to Manasses who found his best liberty in prison and captivity It may be God permits it to try thee then it must raise and comfort thy minde to a ready meeting with Gods will therein It may be for the testimony of the Lord Jesus and his trueth then it must highthen thy resolution to an unmoved constancy to be ready not to be bound only but also to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus Great and good mindes cannot be subject to servile captivity either they will in their strength and invincible resolution grounded on the reward they look upon and assured on them by the trueth of God endure the crosse and despise the shame and sufferings which are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in them or make such use of God's fatherly corrections as shall render them no lesse then happy in the quiet fruits of righteousnesse lastly it will teach a man how subject this vaine world is to perpetual changes and wean him from the pernicious love thereof 7. The Prison is the conâ—ines of death in health and so must teach a wise man to prepare there before the evil daies and restlesse paines death's importunate harbingers
come and leave no roome for good counsel and resolution Here thou maist finde some liberty to serve God as Paul and Silas did to pray and sing Psalmes at least and who can say that God did not therefore confine thee seeing thee too attentive to the world and carelesse of holy duties that the prison might teach thee devotion which thy liberty could not There are many things which may befall thee for thy good and there are unexspected revolutions both in prosperity and adversity out of the prison hee cometh to reigne whereas also hee that is borne in his kingdome becometh poor Thou maist securely exspect that which God knoweth best for thee it may be there is but one doore into the prison there are many out either mercy or violence innocency reward favor of men or the Angel of God either man or death which hath a key to open every doore shall set thee free if nothing else enlarge thee that will not faile thee at the appointed houre and variable are the conditions to which the prison rendreth men as I. Caesar to an Empire Marius to a consul-ship Regulus and Sâ—crates to death I need not these who read of Pharoah's servants James Peter Joseph John Baptist the prison sendeth some to heaven some to destruction sooner or later one way or other it rendreth all I only note that the most infamous temporal end it rendreth men unto can be no obstruction and hindrance to their eternal happinesse in Christ who therefore submitted himselfe to the then most infamous death that hee might take away the curse of the law which saith cursed is every one which hangeth on a tree The main skill therefore is and the only certain comfort against imprisonment or death to gain assurance that thou arâ— in Christ in every place and condition doing those things which may further thy certainty thereof to which observe such like rules 1. Keepe innocency that if thou suffer it may be wrongfully for this is thanke worthy if a man for conscience toward God endureth griefe suffering wrongfully if when yee doe well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable to God And if thou hast lost the first parts of innocency despaire not but lay hold on the second table of repentance the penitent theefe on the crosse who confessed hee justly suffered yet heard of Christ this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise 2. Search thy heart diligently least some secret sin causeth this affliction in case it appear not that thou justly sufferest of men See Isai. 42. 22 23 24. 3. Think how long these imperious masters can hold thee there and feare not them who only can imprison and destroy the body but fear and trust in him who can cast body and soule into hell and save thee from thy oppressors prepare thee to entertain death cheerfully hee shall once come like the Angel to Peter and take thee out in spight of the most rigid keepers there the prisoners rest together that shall free thy body from a loathed prison and thy soul from an afflicted body 4. Improve thy time to some good some birds sing sweetest in the cage that excellent monument which beareth the title of the first part of the worlds general history is an example hereof 5. Keep thy minde free from all reigning sin and in spight of all geives and fetters and the bespattering of black and unhallowed mouths thou shalt have a more happy freedom in prison then thy persecuters have in their liberty besides that their accompt with the eternal justice of God is to come and yet not closed nothing but sinnes can miserably enthral wee may well say to them as Sampson to the men of Judah Swear to mee that you will not fall upon mee I fear none other bonds hee is a free-man whose conscience accuseth him not God's service in every state is the best freedom 6. Subject thy minde to inevitable necessity by patient bearing the way to make bonds more heavy and intolerable is vainly to struggle with them if thy minde were to stay within thy confinement were no prison it were a punishment to command thee out if thy minde be reluctant thou straitnest thy selfe a nè exeat regnum may make some man think England a prison the old man who had never gone out of the city gates receiving a warrant from the Prince prohibiting his going out could not rest till he had stollen out it was his city before but the restraint made it a prison to an impatient minde if thy minde having a willing compliance thy prison becometh no prison to thee an impatient wearisome minde maketh a kingdome no more 7. Be thou meek in affliction and thou shalt be temperate in thy liberty if God restore it so this shall not corrupt thee more then that break thee however if thou canst but learne this one lesson as thou hast the best tutor that ever suffered so shalt thou finde the best fruit rest to thy soule 8. To conclude let the prison make thee more zealous in Gods service more fervent in prayer more attentive in hearing more charitable and pitiful to others that suffer and more fruitful in all good works and thou shalt owe thanks to thy persecuters and oppressors more then thy friends deserved of thee it skilleth not much who bettereth thee if thou be indeed made better for whosoever be the instrument it 's Gods favour to thee Hee is never wanting to them that call upon him faithfully but surely he is neerest them that are in greatest troubles hee heard Jonah out of the whales belly Daniel out of the lions denne the three Israëlites out of the fiery fornace the Disciples in the storme Joseph Jeremy Paul Silas all his servants in prison the Churches praiers brought an Angel from heaven to deliver Peter No wards can shut up thy praiers remember you that are free what you owe to Christs prisoners little comfort will he afford them who cannot his earnest praiers remember you that are in bonds what you owe your selves it is in you to make the prison evil or good to you be you holy and it shall make you happy pray instantly God hath promised to heare and helpe you The prisoners Petition O Holy and merciful Lord God who hast made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is which keepest trueth for ever which excusest judgement for the oppressed givest food to the hungry raisest them that are down and loosest thy prisoners though thou afflict and try thy children thou wilt not cast them off for ever though thou causest grief yet thou wilt shew compassion according to thy mercies thou afflictest not willingly nor grievest the children of men to crush under foot the prisoners of the earth to turn aside their right and subvert them in their cause our sinnes have provoked thy justice and put this rod into thy fatherly hand thou wouldst not the
sinners death but his conversion Lord convert my soule remove my sins frame my heart affections and life according to thine own will thou who hearest the poor and despisest not the wretched captive visit all that are bound Lord our redeemer hear them in an acceptable time and help them in the day of salvation preserve the oppressed and despised of men say unto the prisoners Goe forth and to them that are in darknesse Shew your selves binde up the broken hearted proclaime liberty to the captives and opening the prison to them that are shut up comfort them that mourne let their deep sighing come before thee according to the greatnesse of thy power preserve thou them that are appointed to dye Lord lift thou up my head enlarge my feet bring me out of bondage that I may live to serve and praise thee in the assemblies of thy servants however thou pleasest to dispose of mee let all my sufferings redound to thy glory and my salvation give me patience to endure constancy to depend on thee firme faith to apprehend thy promises and hope to expect thy saving health Consider my weaknesse and lay no more upon mee then thou wilt enable mee to bear cheerfully sanctifie my afflictions and make them good to mee in the fruits of righteousnesse which thou hast laid up for all those who rest on thee Heare mee O Lord let my cry come unto thee and have mercy upon me through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN A Morning Praier for prisoners O Eternal and Almighty God Creator Preserver and Governer of all things in heaven and earth before whom the Thrones and Dominions Powers Cherubims and Seraphims vaile their faces with their wings not able to behold the brightnesse of thy Majesty nor to comprehend thy being known to none but thine owne infinite wisedome At the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure the earth is moved and the pillars of heaven doe tremble yet in thy unspeakable mercy thou vouchsafest to looke downe from thy throne of glory and to take care for man yea the poorest and most despised among the sonnes of men and not only to bow downe a gracious eare to their petitions but to command them to call upon thee that thou maist relieve and deliver them to this end hast thou made so many instances of that word of thine The fervent praier of the righteous availeth much Such praiers have divided the Seas and made their swelling waves stand on heapes beat down the armies of aliants stopped the mouthes of lions restrained the devouring flames opened and shut heaven made the Sunne and Moone stand still converted the revengeful malice of enemies into pity and compassion broken the heavy yokes of bondage shaken off the chaines opened the prison doores and delivered those that were appointed to death so that thou hast not in â—ain sayed Call upon mee in the day of thy trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Lord thy mercy is not changed thine arme shortened nor thine eare heavy only our sins have separated between thee and us this is that filthy leprosie over-spreading every part and faculty of our bodies and souls which hath covered our mouths and hindred our praies from thy graecious presence turning away thy merciful eares so that as wee have not hearkned when thou spakest unto us by thy Prophets to warn us from the waies of death and destruction so thou maist justly refuse to heare our cries But O Lord God if thy mercy could have been hindred by mans sin thou hadst never elected him to salvation for thou fore-sawest all things from eternity to all times to come If any evil could have overcome thy goodnesse thou hadst never redeemed us with so great a price as the blood of thy sonne Jesus for thou fore-knewest that they to whom thou sentest him as a redeemer would crucifie the Lord of life if the iniquity of an impious world could intercept thy bounty this sun should not shine nor thy rain descend upon the wicked neither wouldst thou have preserved us this night past that we might now meet to call upon thee for mercy and deliveraâ—ce if thy justice had not given place to mercy we therefore humbly acknowledge thy goodnesse and our own vilenesse and unworthinesse and for thy mercy sake beseech thee to pardon and put all our sins out of thy remembrance that they may no more appeare to provoke thine anger to our destruction O Lord we know not what or how to pray as wee ought help thou our infirmities by thy holy Spirit who maketh intercession for us according to thy will with groanings inuterable it is the same spirit of thine which indited the praiers of thy Prophets and Apostles by which they obtained such marvellous things which now also moveth in and for thy poore afflicted children crying unto thee Good Father give us that lively faith fervency and evidence of spirit to which thou who art the God of trueth and canst not deceive hast made the promise of audience and attaining Lord shew us the effects of that good word which saith Ask and you shall have Now give unto us that aske forgive us all our sinnes and give us an happy deliverance out of the pressures which lie so heavily upon us Give us peace with thee in the testimony of a good conscience and if it be thy holy will peace with all men as thou hast passed by us with fire storme and earth-shaking indignation so now speake unto us in the still voice of thy mercy and compassion Lord if it be possible let this cup of anger passe â—rom us if not thy will be done Give us patience and perseverance give the blessed issue who givest the bitter tryal consider whereof thou hast made fraile man Remember that wee are but poore dust and earth and as the grasse soon withering away deale with us so here that wee may not faile of living to thee in this life and with thee in that eternal life to come And now O Lord who causest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee wee bless thy holy name for thy gracious providence preserving of us this night past and giving us this present oportunity of presenting our supplications unto thee Good Father continue thy mercy to us and ours this day sanctifie us unto thy service direct all our thoughts words and actions so as that in the several waies of our callings they may all tend to the glory of thy holy name the good example of our brethren and the further assurance of our consciences before thee Lord blesse thy holy Church in all nations specially that which thy right hand hath planted in this Blesse Lord our several families let our innocency appeare as the light lift up our heads from these bonds and in thy good time restore us to them againe hear their praiers for us and ours for them and both for thy sonne Jesus sake O Lord who art the
perishing world so the more our afflictions are showred down upon us the more let our soules be lifted up unto thee and to those things which are above with thee that we being weaned from the vain love of this world may have our conversation in heaven and be willing to be dissolved that we may live with our Lord Jesus eternally And now being by thy appointment to take our bodily rest wee pray thee to assure us of our peace with thee through the merits of thy holy son Jesus let our beds put us in remembrance of our graves to which wee are descending that wee may keep a faithful watch to the coming of Christ Jesus for our deliverance out of these earthly tabernacles let thy providence keep us and all ours from the powers of darknesse and all dangers of body and soule sleeping waking living dying have us ever in thy keeping that our waking may also remember us of our resurrection from the dead unto the life of glory These and all other things necessary for our bodies or souls wee begge of thee for Jesus Christ his sake in his name and words concluding our petitions in that form of praier which hee hath taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. AMEN CHAP. XXXII § 1. Of Banishment several kindes general cause therâ—of § 2. What wee must do to be comforted herein 1. MAny are the afflictions of the righteous so that I may say of their sanctity as it was once of Agisilaus deformed and lame ignoti faciem ejus cùm inâ—uerentur contemnebant c. they who knew him not when they saw his face despised him but they who knew his vertue could not enough admire him Among the Saints impropriated evils may Banishment be numbred as also the consolation thereof among the fruits of Sanctity 2. There are three kindes of Banishment to which the Romanes were wont to condemne 1. Confinement to some one foreigne place 2. Inderdiction of the native soile onely 3. Limitation of mens approaches to some certaine Province or City 3. The general cause of Exile is sinne for which our first parents and we in them suffered an ejectionem firmi being cast out of the pleasant and commodious Eden to labor and sorrow in that attainder forfeiting our interest in all the good creatures until they are restored us againe by Christ in whom wee have a divine right to them all as it is written for all things are yours as also by the municipal lawes of that Republick whereof wee are a part we have a civil right to some of them now though depriving hereof by God is ever just because no man liveth and sinneth not and thereby often forfeiteth life liberty and all to his justice yet this punishment inflicted by men against a divine and civil right may make the Judges extreamly guilty though it can never make the proscribed Saint unhappy for the Lord will not leave them in their hand nor condemne them when they are judged For comfort then to those that suffeâ— any kinde of Banishment I advise 1. That thou be more careful for the heavenly inheritance whence no violence shall remove thee and the more thou art barred earthly comforts the more set thy affections on things which are above As the sea-men loosing sight of the land look up to fetch their directions from the starâ—es of heaven it was a great comfort to him who could say I have Christ a partner of my unjust banishment it were wretched indeed if mens enemies could confine them to some place where they could not finde their God but hee never deserteth his captives if hee know his owne so that if thou be driven from all humane society yet canst thou not be comfortlesse or alone if Christ be with thee if thou art justly banished let that affliction amend thee and it shall make thee happy if unjustly fear not that is thy enemies sinne not thy misery It is not banishment but guiltinesse that maketh a man unhappy nothing can make a man truely wretched but his own sinne if by any means hee can leave that though his place know him no more hee is happy enough who cannot be unhappy First then learne to walk with God living to him and with him ever setting thy self in his presence meditating on him praying to him and asking counsel of him and his oracles being so acquainted with spirituall company as that neither thy necessary society with man may hinder thy conversation in heaven nor this make thee neglectful of Gods ordinance in that who hath appointed thee both comfort in humane society and witnesses therein of thy conversation that in the sight of thy good works God may be glorifyed therefore cleave sted fastly to Christ let no condition pull away thy heart from him though thou be sequestred from all else Christ is incomparably better then all the creatures Secondly keepe a good conscience hee cannot be unhappy in any place who having the comfort of innocency is not so in himselfe miserable are they where erâ— they are who carry with them that portable hell a guilty conscience which in the midst af all secular prosperity maketh a man truely unhappy such a one like the wounded deere carrieth deaths messenger the killing arrow sinne sticking in the heart and cannot out-runne his misery a mans â—nemies are they of his own house among them his self is the worst no man can be hurt but by himselfe the powers of hell malicious as they are cannot hurt thee if thou have not an hand in it thy selfe there is no terror in the world like that of a guilty conscience only Gods anger maketh a man unhappy none other can if Christ be with thee every place shall be thy heaven 2. Know thy happinesse where ever God sheweth thee favour and leadeth thee so did Abraham when hee was a stranger in Canâ—an and Joseâ—h by his brothers envy sold into Egypt but God was with him and delivered him giving him wisedome and favor in the sight of Pharoah that minde is too much straitned in it selfe which confineth desire and content to one place as if the world had no more the heavens are as cheerful a covering abroad as at home the sunne shineth as comfortably on other nations as on that which wee call ours the same providence of God ruleth in all the world that place which thou countest forreigne and thy place of exile is a native soile to some who in thy house would have as much cause to think themselves banished as Philiscus urged for a comfort to the Orator All this world is as much our country as any part thereof if we reckon right within which if any man make himselfe an exile hee is straitned in minde rather then in place had such opinion limited all men how many great parts of the world had been
the faults of manners not of age which being seperated by beter counsaile and habit may leave that age a cleere and evident capacity of being most happy as neerest to our state of blessednesse the life to come doth avarice or morosity then make age evill a prudent mastering thy selfe and resolved patience will amend this and true repentance that this take away that evill into which thine own will beareth a principall part and thou shalt finde that as thou canst not be evill except thou consentest so not unhappy in age and if thou wilt not forbeare the evill which afflicteth thee thou makest thine age evill not thy age thee 2. Bodily infirmities and decayes are but the Angells sent to pull thee out of Sodom not as Lot by the hands only by warning thee of approaching death that thou maist prepare to entertaine it and not be destroyed with a perishing world 3. Prepare for death that which leadeth age with irksome sorrow is vaine love of the World and unwillingnesse to dye there is not an old man but thinkes he may live one yeare more if thy life were entire it is so short a summe that it cannot beare any long hopes and it is great folly ever to be beginning to live to lay new foundations and hopes neere our exit what is more incongruous then for an old man in vaine hope and desire to beginne to live when indeed he is neere death he only shall easily beare the inconveniences of age who is ever resolved and willing to dye and be with Christ. 4. Learne to make a prudent use of the time which admitteth no returne the conscience of a well spent life and remembrance of many good workes is very comfortable the foole loveth nothing but that which is past and vainely troubleth his soule with desire of much more time nothing solicitous to accompt to God for that he hath already given him at thy last day it shall not much concerne thee how long thou hast lived but how well it is not long life but good which shall render a man eternally happy neither is there any true profit of living here but in gaining that by which we shall live to eternity The evills of Age may be cheerfully borne if we can truly weigh the conveniences with the inconveniences thereof For 1. It is true that Age bringeth with it many good things as it doth many evills it is good that it freeth from pleasures those impudent masters of misrule giveth wisdome and maturer counsailes as the Egyptian Ibis feeding in her youth on Serpents when age hath consumed those venemous humours hath an aromaticall and sweeter breath so hath it been observed of some that after an ill dieted and mispent youth time having digested and evaporated that venome their age hath breathed divine things and more sweet then usuall to the secular man life like Wine how ever pleasing it was young in age it groweth sharpe and dull to the Saints it is not so age is their Suburbs of heaven praeludium of eternity the gate of glory where aged Simeon sang his requiem Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Luke 2. 29. 2. The old man dyeth more easily then the young a great advantage seeing all must dye none dye more gently then they that dye insensibly like a Lampe the oyle consumed quietly going out young men dye more painefully as Lamps overflowed with Water violence killeth the young maturity the old there 's a wrack here a quiet departing from the Inne so pleasing to the good that it seemeth to them as the sight of the port they are to make after a wearisome voyage that aged Barzillai could not so exactly tast or heare the voices of singers 2. Sam. 19. 35. was not so much a losse as security against temptations which oftentimes ensnare youth 3. It is the age of wisdome the spring hath pleasures but the Autumne profits the fruits of age are much better then the flowers of youth a little time is long enough to live well but if thou art gone much farther thou hast no more cause to sorrow then the Husbandman that the pleasant spring is past and the profitable autumne come except thou art of Themistocles minde who said it grieved him to dye when he began to be wise 4. It is not so much esteemed the end of this life as the beginning of eternity and the haven after a curst sea now as the traveller endureth the rough and bad wayes neere home for rest's sake and for the comfort which he expecteth there so must we the troubles of age which we shall easily doe if we gaine a certaine assurance of eternall blessednesse in the life to come 5. We have here comfort and confidence in temporall calamities they cannot now be long it was Solon's answer to the tyrant Pisistratus when he demanded on what ground of hope he durst resist him I am confident because old When Jacob saw the chariots which Joseph sent to bring him into Egypt his drooping spirit revived and certainly they who desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ are so farre from being grieved at their age that their soules are comforted to think they are going to him In the last place we are to know what rules of practice are observable to the improvement of old age to our good and comfort for it is certaine that happy is he whom old age seizeth in the service of Christ. 1. Be sure to attemperate and proportion thy minde to thy age that it be not said of thee as of Vespastans covetousnesse the fox hath changed his haire but not his manners lay downe thy youthfull minde with youth be grave not bitter it is an impious incongruity to beare the authority and port of an old man and the vices of the young to be youthfull in age is great folly and greater to wish to be young againe like some brainesick traveller who after a dangerous and wearisome journey would goe back againe for a little pleasant way sake though it be very hard to put off that which we are borne yet the happy way to be renewed is as much as we can attaine to to put off the old man corrupt with his affections and to put on the new man Ephes. 4. 22 23 24. this is the way to passe à ruga ad juventutem from old age to youth while man like the heavenly orbs inferior to the first mover goeth in body to the West of age but in his soule toward the east and rising sunne of righteousnesse the inward man renewing in the outward mans decay so becoming part of that lovely spouse which in her perfection shall be without spot or sinne in her innocency or wrinkle of age in her eternity in the meane if thou art wise thou wilt rejoyce that thou hast past over a tempestuous sea
not on her with honour tender love and duty nothing can fully recompence the ingratitude of this generation of Vipers their Mothers sorrow and destruction but hell Gods children love and honour his Ordinance in their parents For direction and comfort before their Travaile let Women 1. Spend the time of their expectation as they would doe the howers of their last day in hearty repentance for all their sinnes making their peace with God labouring to strengthen their faiths by recounting the comfortable promises of God in Christ Jesus rendring themselves with patience meeknesse and confidence into his mercifull hands who alone can keep them strengthen and comfort them in their paines and make them joyfull Mothers 2. Consult with God in all their fears and sorrowes as Rebecca did by the holy scriptures which are his Oracles giving certaine and infallible answers conference with the prudent Saints meditations and ascensions of the afflicted soule into Gods gracious presence 3. Reconcile themselves to all those whom they have injured by repairing them what they can for it is a condition of their salvation in childbearing that they continue in Faith and Charity and if all must quickly agree with their adversaries while they are in the way then they specially who as they say of Seamen may be reckoned between the living and the dead and in hazard of a sodaine convention at the barre by the end of this life 4. It must be a grave document as to all so specially to married Women of modesty and chastity I know not what comfort the adultresse can have who bringeth forth her Husbands irreparable injury her own shame Children of Whoredomes the indelible staine of their blood and their posterities dishonour all this with paine and horrour or more dangerous stupidity of a sinfull conscience whereas the good conscience of the chast is the soules rest bed of perfumes Garden of spices sorrowes lenitive griefes faire havens the soules Paradice and afflictions sanctuary with which though they have externall sorrowes yet are they blessed happy is the way however rough and fearefull by which they come to eternall life as the externall prosperity of the wicked can never make their waies better then destructive and unhappy So neither can any afflictions sorrowes feares or paines of the elect make them lesse then truely blessed because all these are but as the stepps in Jacobs ladder whose last shall land them in the presence of God as it is written we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of God 5. Let them pray frequently and fervently that God would be pleased to measure their sufferings by that assistance which he will give them strengthen them to their labour mitigate their paines grant them a speedy and safe deliverance that they may enjoy the blessing of propagation to the encrease of his Kingdome the glory of his holy name and their eternall rejoycing after their temporall sorrowes which hee hath appointed them A prayer for Woemen in or neere their Travaile MOst glorious and holy Lord God almighty creator and mercifull preserver of all thy creatures who hast commanded the weary and heavy laden to come to thee and promised by the sonne of thy love and truth Christ Jesus to ease them we prostrate our selves before thy throne of mercy with bended knees and trembling hearts yet with assurance of thy faithfulnesse to performe who hast freely promised Truth it is O Lord when we consider our own deservings we can look for nothing but the severity of thy justice and rejection from thy gracious presence that thou shouldest take no delight in us when we come before thee but that the spreadiâ—g out of our hands in Prayer should be a trouble and wearinesse unto thee we confesse that destruction of body and soule by all those judgements which thou hast denounced against the first sinners is due unto us if thou enter into judgement with us we accuse and condemne our selves as most vile and utterly unable to stand in judgment before thee the searcher of the heart and reines and most unworthy of the least of those favours which our necessities compell us to beg at thy mercifull hands in confidence that thou wilt not breake the bruised reed reject the penitent nor condemne them who condemne themselves we renounce our selves that we may be found in the righteousnesse of our Lord Jesus It was he ô blessed Father who being the eternall Word Wisdome and Power by whom the World was created and is still sustained yet to save us miserable sinners and so his enemies was made flesh for us became man to set us free took on him the forme of a Servant to sanctify and redeeme us from sinne begun in our conception and encreasing from our birth vouchsafed to be conceived in the Virgins wombe by the Holy Ghost and to be borne the man of sorrowes to suffer the severity of thy wrath against sinners 't was he that dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification that thereby he might pull out the sting of death and change the judgements into fatherly corrections 't was he that became a curse for us to redeeme us from the curse of the law that by his stripes we might be healed that the blessing the promise of the spirit the comforter might come on us through faith in him for his sake holy Father be reconciled to us for his sake encline thy gracious cares to our prayers now according to thine own appointment calling on thee Thou hast indeed threatned the first sinner to multiply her sorrowes in her travailes and that sentence as the sinne in which we fell is become hereditary in paines sorrow feare and anguish in these bitter effects of sinne we acknowledge thy just judgements but Lord correct us not in thine anger consider the frailty and infirmity of this poorâ— dust and earth wherewith thou hast clothed us consider not what we have done but what thy holy Sonne Jesus in that sacred flesh indivisibly united to the Godhead hath suffered for us accept his obedience who hath done and suffered all things which thy determinate counsaile had before all worlds appointed for the worke of our redemption We are unworthy to be heard but Lord heare him ascended into heaven to take possession thereof for us and now sitting at thy right hand a faithfull mediator for us and bearing the remembrance of us before thee he is truely God able to heare and help all them that call upon him faithfully and truly man who hath had experience and can be toucht with a sense of humane miseries for his sake heare us speaking the same things to thee here on earth which his own spirit helping our infirmities both dictateth to us from heaven and presenteth to thee for us in heaven Lord for his sake helpe us give us true and hearty repentance assure us of our sinnes remission and our discharge from the curse and rigor of the law
strengthen our Faith give us assurance of thy favour and mercy toward us shed abroad thy love in our hearts that all things even our sorrowes may worke together for the best to us in mercy asswage the sorrowes of this thy servant with the comfortable assurance of an happy issue give her patience to beare and ability to overcome her tryalls it was the word of justice which appointed this affliction but Lord whose mercy is over all thy workes allay the rigor of that sentence mitigate her paines speake comfort to her soule give a powerfull assistance to her weaknesse O gracious father by the power of whose word man is thus brought into the World give her a speedy and safe deliverance now that the child is come to the birth give her strength to bring forth to the encrease of thy Kingdome through the new birth by water and the holy Ghost to the comfort of thy now afflicted servant the Fathers joy and the praise of thy holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Lord heare and grant these our Petitions and what ever else thou knowest more needfull for us through his merits in whom thou hast promised to heare us in whose mediation and words we present and conclude our petitions saying Our Father which art in heaven c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. A thanksgiving for a Woman after her Deliverance O Lord God of our salvation who mercifully enclinedst thine eare unto us in our feare and distresse who appointedst in thy Law that she should bring a paire of mourning Turtles who had not a spotlesse Lamb for a sacrifice of thanks-giving it is the same thy clemency who wilt now accept their repentance who have not that unblemished innocency which can abide the tryall of thy severe justice and their hearty desire to be truely thankfull who have nothing worthy thy acceptance to render unto thee Lord therefore accept what thy selfe hast given us to bring before thee an humble and hearty desire to returne thee the fruits of our hearts and lipps the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as for all thy fatherly mercies so particularly for that thou hast asswaged the sorrowes of this thy servant with a comfortable Issue that thou hast given her patience to beare ability to overcome her tryalls and strength to bring forth that by thy mercy mitigating her paines thou hast allayed the rigour of thy sentence which thy justice pronounced we acknowledge thee to be the only Lord in whose hands are the Issues of life and death the God of our health and salvation And now ô Lord perfect thine own worke as thou hast delivered thy servant from her feare and sorrow so give her an heart ever to trust and rejoyce in thee as thou hast given her this fruit of the wombe so make him an accession to the encrease of thy Kingdome by the spirit of regeneration sanctify him and keep him in his tender yeares from sinne and all the malitious assaults of the enemy give thy holy Angels charge over him to keep him in all his waies that he may grow up in thy faith feare and love so that in what ever condition thy good providence shall set him his interest and assurance may be of his election and salvation in Christ Jesus Lord accomplish thy worke of mercy to thy servant repaire her health and strength give her a faithfull heart carefully to imploy the same in thy service and the holy education of those thou hast given her assist her in the whole remainder of her life that she may pay all her vowes made to thee in her feare and trouble let the tast of these bitter fruits of sinne give her a more fervent love to thy mercy pardoning it and a greater hate to all that which offendeth thee lead her in thy waies teach her so to number her daies that she may apply her heart unto wisedome make her more and more fruitfull in all good workes and zealous of thy lawes so that her life may appeare not only restored but also improoved and made more happy to the glory of thy great name the good example of others who shall see as thy worke of mercy on her so the effects of that worke the fruits of sanctity in her to the further assurance of her conscience before thee confirmed by the experience of thy mercy in her deliverance and preservation and to the salvation of her body and soule to all eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour AMEN Directions for the Sick CHAP. XXXV § 1. As all afflictions sanctified so sicknesse profitable for Gods children many waies § 2. How it may become so to us § 3. Duties of them that visit the sick 1 THere is nothing constant in this world but inconstancy and change of all things We are borne with a condition of dying mortality beginneth with life â—our sicknesse with our health we bring it from the wombe as derived to us from our first parents from the houre of whose transgression death tooke date and in the commencement of sicknesse he began to dye according to the sentence from which he became mortall and now all flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the feild the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth quickly and certainly though insensibly we perceive it soone withered though we cannot mark by what degrees it changeth so age and infirmity stealeth on 2 The good God as he is severe so is he mercifull neither loosing mercy in his justice nor his justice in his mercy There is nothing which befalleth the elect but it hath some good in it or by it to them accrewing Concerning afflictions David saith it is good for me that I have beene in trouble The very death of the Saints bitter as it is to flesh and blood is mercy to them blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord not only that they rest from their labours but also in that it is to them the death of sinne and passage to eternall life and so our sicknesse is profitable though it be the rod of an almighty Father it shall like Moses rod sometimes in the dreadfull shape of a serpent serve to divide the bitter waves and open us a passage to our eternall rest and so the decayes of these earthly tabernacles shall daily bring us neerer to the repaire of our eternall building in heaven therefore God sendeth sicknesse upon his dearest children whom he could as easily have rescued from death by a translation as he did Enoch and Eliah but hee maketh their sicknesse many waies proâ—itable unto them as by preparing them unto death by repentance and calling upon the Lord by weaning them from the love of this life by teaching them patience and subjection to the hand of God whereas impatience like the sea turneth all that which falleth into it even the otherwise sweet and comfortable blessings of
God into its own bitter relish and humility not to bee prowd of beauty youth strength subject to so many diseases as pose art it selfe and overcome the old remedies with accession of new sicknesses so that it is true Bodily infirmities stir up the vigor of the minde and transmit the strength of body into it so that it is a kinde of health sometimes to be unhealthy diseases overcomming the body the soule overcommeth sinne sicknesse is an harbinger or quartermaster to death the monitor of our ends approaching and that which taketh off the bewitching love of this world the historians tell us of a kinde of fire which rageth the more by how much more water thou castest on it is quenched only by casting on of dust it may bee true in the morall for such a kind of heat is there in the love of the world the more thou givest it the more thou inâ—lamest it it is quenched only with the dust of the grave and that which bringeth thereto The life of man is like a lovely rivers streame neere the rising set with flowrie bancks plants houses pleasant walkes gardens sweet meddowes and delightfull seats but if you follow it toward the end you shall â—inde it more and more troublesome stormy deepe dangerous and so engulâ—ing into bitternesse as the Lord permitted Israël to bitter pressures in Egypt that they might more willingly depart thence toward the promised rest so is it here the healthy and prosperous say in their hearts as the Reubenites and Gadites Numb 32. 5. when they saw the pleasant Jazer and the fruitfull Gilead if we have found grace in thy sight let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession they would not goe hence now God though he give us sweet comforts in the first fruits of his spirit like clusters from Escol Deut. 1. 24. 25. yet he embittereth our worldly delights our places of pleasure are toucht with some griefe our beds of rest become places of sicknesse and death Eden was the theatre for mans first tragoedie Christ began his passion in a garden the easterne people made their sepulchres in gardens to teach them what may and must come of their pleasures Sicknesse maketh the prudent loath sinne in the sense of the bitter effects thereof the victories of sinne are destructive if they are againe intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning as it was said in the name of those white sacrifices which Marcus Caesar used to offer in his triumphs if thou overcommest we perish we truely may say of sin happy affliction therefore which maketh us out of love with that which cannot destroy except it overcome nor overcome except we love it Sicknesse awaketh us from security except we are like those sleepy beares which cannot be awaked no not with wounds and stirreth them up to seek the Lord as hee saith in their affliction they will seeke me early Though wicked Asa in his great sicknesse sought not to the Lord Yet to the Saints sicknesse is a sweet enditer of prayers as it is written in the day of my trouble I will call upon thee for thou wilt heare me How many men for bodily sicknesse were brought to Christ and had their soules cured who being in health lived in unbeleefe before Terrour of conscience oppression poverty and sicknesse are profitable for the elect in that they serve like those foure bearers of the paralyticall man to bring them to Christ. That thou maist therefore make a right use of thy sicknesse observe these rules 1. Search thy heart and turne unto the Lord in serious repentance make thy peace with him quickly considering the cause of thy sicknesse thy sinnes judge and condemne thy selfe for them that God may acquit thee and render unto the Lord that for which he delivereth thee if thou recover 2 Set thy house in order and dispose of thy estate which God hath given thee if thou have not before done it 3 Use the help of the learned Physitian but rely on God for the blessing on the meanes there are divers pernitious errours in this case to be avoided some to their losse neglect all meanes these betray their own lives undervallew Gods favours and despise his ordinance in the good creatures made for the reliefe and recovery of the sick and the Physitian who is to be honoured some trust too much to second causes neglecting the first so did Asa some seeke to evill and unlawfull meanes Witches Charmers c. so Ahaziah sent to Baal-zebub the idol of Ekron some as fâ—olish if not so wicked seeke to the unskilfull and ignorant trusting a pretious life into the hands of those who without learning or calling are many times venterous murderers as if God were not the God of wisdome and what wonder seeing upon the like hazard they venture their immortall soule 4 Watch and pray as in all estates so specially in this that as God hath given thee this warning to prepare thee to meet him so that he would sit thee for himselfe and so sanctifie thy trialls that they may better thee and make thee ready for his kingdome that he would restore thy health and give thee an heart to make a more thankfull prudent and holy use thereof then thou hast formerly dore to give thee patience masure thy trials in mercy proportion thy strength to the affliction and to keep thee in life and death as one of his 5 Endeavour what humane infirmitie will permit to beare patiently not stupidly but in confidence of Gods mercy For 1. Impatience is but an accession to thy griefe so much worse then the disease as the soule is better then the body and the distempers thereof more dangerous then the bodily 2. All that we now can suffer commeth inâ—initely short of that we shall enjoy in Christ. 3. God can if he see it best deliver us from the greatest dangers 4. He will lay no more upon us then he will make us able to beare and give and issue out of every triall 5. Our sufferings if with patience are to his glory as Christ said of some 6. We must through many trials enter into glory 7. Christ is toucht with a feeling of our misery 8. These afflictions are but trialls and exercises of our faith and patience 9. Christ suffered inâ—initely more for thee 10. Many of the Saints have suffered long infirmities 11. As this earthly house of this tabernacle must by little and little be destroyed so must our afflictions therein have an end so that they cannot last long it is of excellent use to patience or moderation to consider well in all temporall interest how long we can suffer or enjoy 12. Sicknesse is the soules physick nothing will amend him whom sicknesse cannot we endure hard things patiently for the cure of the body and what is the health
thereof without the soules health Of what certainty or continuance is it at our best strength Are the flowers or bubles more fraile If we are wise we will not quarrell the bitternesse of the medicine so that wee may be recovered 13. Hereby we learne what we owed to God for health and in recovery what use to make thereof which is that wee be truely thankfull that we more holily employ the same knowing that God restored us not to sin that we accompt it lent us for a time to prove us ever remembring that wee must againe be sick and dye that wee betray not the good health which God hath restored us that we might serve him and be blessed to death and selfe-destruction by surfetting drinking gluttony lust this is no better then selfe-murder that wee learne in sommer to provide for winter in the calme against the storme in health against sicknesse 14. God doth herein that which he knoweth best for us though flesh and blood be impatient health hurteth many how much more happily had the theefe murderer adulterer been upon his sick bed then laying wait to sin Innocentius aegrotaret sceleratè sanus this good is in sicknesse it keepeth men more innocent 15. The hand that smiteth us should make us patient as Eli said it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good it cannot but bee best which he doth to his children he cannot erre who correcteth those he loveth it is great anger when he smiteth not where sin aboundeth without any apparent judgement as it was with Elies sons who hearkned not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them 6 Fix thy soule affections on the life to come meditate on the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead eternall life where shall be no more sin death curse sicknes old age or infirmity where the tree of life Christ Jesus is in the midest to give eternall perpetuity of happines so shalt thou be more willing to leave this miserable inconstant world for heaven if God restore thee health thou wilt pay thy vowes and spend the remainder of thy life more cheerfully in his service The duties of them that visit the sicke are 1. To remember them of the state of all men in sinne and what neede they have of the grace in Christ thereby to move them to repentance an repaire of all injuries by them done to any 2 To recount to them the promises of God in Christ endeavouring to apply them to them and to exhort them to a chearfull confession of the faith to their own and others comfort and confirmation 3. To be instant with them that they be reconciled to all with whom they have had any enmity or contention 4. To dispose of their estates for the prevention of future controversies 5. To comfort them against the feare of death by those scriptures which have Gods promises for assistance in tryalls and and a serious pressing of the resurrection of the dead and state of future glory 6. To pray with them and for them 7. To moove them faithfully to vow if God restore them to live more holily and carefully or patiently to beare their tryalls and to expect constantly the salvation and deliverance of the Lord. A prayer for the sicke MOst holy iust and mercifull Lord God we thy unworthy servants according to thyne own gratious command and promise to heare us calling on thee in the day of our trouble now appearing before thee humbly acknowledge thy fatherly hand smiting us with sicknesse thy corrections are just and so allayed with mercy that thy chastisements are few to our numberlesse sinnes thou mightest sodainly haue smitten us with death the wages of sinne and given us no more warning after our many contempts of thy law threatning and thy gospell promising but haue permitted us to a sodaine perishing in our sins whome thy long suffering could not leade home to repentance now therefore in thy judgment remember mercy correct us not in thine anger chasten us not in thy heavy displeasure Thy holy sonne Jesus hath taught us to call thee Father O let his spirit assure us that our afflictions are but fatherly chastisments smiting that thou maist heale our soules let them be occasions to make us judge our selves that we may not be condemned with an impenitent world our soules have surfetted on the sweet blessings of health and it is but just that thou now smitest us with want thereof it is mercy by these stripes to shew us our sinnes and bring us to thy mercy seat to beg pardon and obtaine remission thou hast with inâ—inite invincible patience expected our repentance and amendment thou hast allured us with every daies favours powred out upon us when that prevailed not thou doest with greater mercy shew thy justice and compell us by thy chastisements to come unto thee we come now gratious Father as out-worne prodigalls driven home by necessity but it is because when thou sawest us far off in our sinnes and miseries thou madest hast to meet us with thy preventing grace and embraced'st us with thy fatherly mercy and what can wee now say more then that we have sinned against heaven and against thee and are no more worthy to be called thy sonnes have mercy on us turne thy face from our sinnes blot out all our iniquities heale our soules cloath us with the best robe of thy righteousnesse make us as the meanest in thy kingdome doe thy will with us in health or sicknesse life or death only let us be thine It was thy eternall counsaile to redeeme sinfull man by thy sonne Christ Jesus by his righteousnesse to kill sinnes in the flesh to give us eternall life by his death and thou hast accomplished it in the appointed time it remaineth only that thou wilt be pleased to apply the assurance thereof to our consciences that after our afflictions we may enjoy the quiet fruits of righteousnesse the end of our faith salvation of bodies and soules O Lord we could looke for nothing but rejection from thy gracious presence for ever if we were to appeare before thee in our deservings but now that we come in the spotlesse robe of thy sonne Christ his righteousnesse wee are confident of the blessing because thou art faithfull in thy promises for his sake cover our sinnes let thy justice be satisfied in his merit seale up the assurance of our pardon by the spirit of truth which cannot deceave us make us fruitfull in all those workes which may give a comfortable testimony to our consciences that we are thine give us strength to fight the good fight finish our course and keep the faith against the fallacies of Satan corruptions of flesh and blood and seducements of an evill worldt o continue grounded and established that wee may be certaine that for us is laid up that immortall crowne of Righteousnesse which thou wilt give at the last day to all that love thy
provoked by our sinnes O Lord thou art a God of mercy and wouldst not destroy but the importunitie of our sinnes hath put this heavy rod into thy hands and our iniquities have so much dâ—faced thy glorious Image in us that thou maist justly hide away thy face from our miseries no more owne us for thy Children but O Lord our onely hope is in the merit and mediation of thy sonne Jesus Christ whome thou gavest to death for us it is he O Lord who beareth all our names in his secret brest-plate it is he that appeareth hefore thee for us let our petitions ascend to thy throne of mercy like sweet incense from the precious censer of his merits it is he who standeth betweene the living and the dead O let this plague which now consumeth us be stayed Lord looke not on our sinnes but his merits in whome thou art well pleased for his sake in whome we beleeve and whose holy name we beare say unto the destroying angell it is enough cause him to sheath the sword againe and let this plague cease Lord God of all consolation comfort all those whom thou hast smitten with the infection heale them that they may recover and praise thy glorious name however thou shalt be pleased to deale with their mortall bodies speake peace to their soules and save them give them full assurance of thy mercy and their redemption in Christ Jesus let thy holy spirit the comforter ever remaine with them to prâ—serue them against all the malitious assaults of the adversary that he may never make his advantages on their surrowes infirmities or the distracting and astonishing violence of their disease comfort them at the last gaspe and breathing out their afflâ—cted soules with present sense and assurance of the eternall joyes in thy Kingdome free from death sicknesse sorrow feare and all the wretched effects of sinne preserue those whom thou hast hitherto spared let no plague come nigh their dwelling and make them in their preservation understand that thou only hast kept them to serve thee more carefully and thankefully and to shew mercy to those who are visited and shut up Lord heare and help us Lord spare thy people and restore us health that we may glorifie thy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN A Thanksgiving at the ceasing of the plague GRatious God and mercifull Father we are come before thee with an humble and hearty desire to present an acceptable sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving unto thy holy Majestie for all thy gracious mercies spirituall and temporall bestowed upon us unworthy of the least of them it was thy free mercy not our merit that electedst us when we were not that thou createdst us to thine own holy image that thou redeemest us that thou didst sanctify and justify us that thou hast preserved us sparing us when now thy fierce wrath came our against us in a noisome and devouring pestilence that thou was pleased to regard our teares and accept our unworthy humiliation all this was thy free mercy had we suffered as we have all deserved not one of the multitude apearing before thee this day had beene left alive to have praised thee And now O thou Saviour of Israel in the time of trouble and the blessed preserver of man whose mercies are as the unsounded deeps and can never be drawn dry give us sanctified bodies and soules that we may render them which thou hast redeemed from death a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto thee Lord who hast the key of David who sang thy praises opening so that none can shut open our lips that our mouths may shew forth thy praise that we may now pay all our vows in our distresse and feare made unto thee As thou hast put a new song of thansgiving into our mouthes so give us new hearts new obedience new lives and conversations renew thy covenant with us and with our children to be our God and protector untill thou shalt be pleased to translate us to that Kingdome of thy Sonne where shall be joy secure from feare of loosing health without sicknesse life without death blessednesse without all measure or end where we whose hearts and soules this day praise thee shall with thy holy angels sing eternall Hallelu-jahs to the glory of thy great name through the merits of thy holy Son Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee O Father of mercy and the Holy Ghost the Comforter be rendred all honour praise thanksgiving and glory in heaven and earth this day and to all eternity AMEN Another forme of thanksgiving on the like occasion O Lord God Father of mercy and compassion we humbly acknowledge that our sinnes have beene so great and grievous that when thy wrath went out against us in thy late dreadfull visitation by the plâ—gue of pestilence it might justly have consumed us the aged with the infant the mother with the child untill thou hadst laid our habitations wast and our cities without inhabitants but seeing thou hast been pleased to remember mercy in the midst of thy judgements and to spare our lives from destruction we can do no lesse nor more then present our humble and hearty thankes unto thee in the congregation of thy people what shall wee give thee for all thy mercies what can we seeing our goods are nothing unto thee we have nothing but thankes to returne thee nor could we that except thou gavest us hearts and tongues so to doe Lord make us thankfull give us that we may give thee again and be acceptable unto thee fill our hearts with thy feare and love and our mouthes with thy praise let it come up into thy presence as the sweete incense from the Censer of the great Angell of thy covenant Christ Jesus Be thou pleased through his mediation to smell a favour of rest that thy severe judgements may be turned to mercies and fatherly corrections for our amendment that wee may truely profit thereby that we may feare and reverence thy just judgements and praise thee for thy elemency and mercy which thou hast shewed unto us in this deliverance Particularly we blesse thy holy name for these thy servants who now appeare before thee with their sacrifice of praise end thonkesgiving for that thou hast spared and delivered them from the grave and destruction which was come up into their houses Lord now grant them true thankefulnesse with holy and constant resolutions to spend the remainder of their daies to the glory of thy great name and good example of their brethren And seeing thou hast given us all the same argument of thankesgiving whom thou hast preserved and kept further off from the noisome contagion we pray thee also to accept our oblation of praise set our hearts to meditate and our tongues to sound out those praises to thy holy name which wee shall through thy mercy in Christ sing to thee for ever in the sacred Quieres of Saints and Angells in thy kingdome of glory
thou immoderately lament it 2. Remember that this losse neither tooke much time of life from him who went before thee nor left thee much to come who must ere long follow him 3. Remember Gods graces the sweet and certain effects whereof thou sawest in thy now deceased friend undoubtedly they were not bestowed on him in vaine but that in his translation God might perfect the worke of grace with glory and crowne his owâ—e gifts in him David as wee noted bewailed his impious sonne but hee mourned for the innocent no longer then he lay sicke To comfort our selves against the feares and sorrowes of death let us ever remember 1 Our resurrection and immortality in the life to come is assured us by the infallible word of God 1. Cor 15. 1. 2. 4. 20. 54. c. 1. Thess. 4. 14. 15. 18. Dan 12. 2. 3. 13. Joh 5. 28. 29. Joh 11. 23. 25. Rom 6. 23. This we are therefore sure of Democritus beleeved it not Socrates disputed of the soules immortality Pythagoras dreamed of it but as feverish men of things uncertaine and inconsistent the eternitie we beleeve is that to which God created us by his own image impressed on us unto which we are repaired in our baptisme and regeneration by that vertue which raised Jesus from the dead who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body that is in immortality and deliverance from death and corruption In that state our daies shall not come and goe as in this world they doe neither shall the beginning of one bee the end of another all shall be to gather termelesse where life it selfe shall have no end 2 That death is but a sleepe none feare that it is a separation of the soule and intermission of life and the acts thereof for a time which it endeth not because the immortall soule ever liveth in it's separation from the mortall body which shall be raised againe to immortality which shall be the soules sanctuary and haven of rest This is a truth so certaine that Gods word aboundeth with proofes and so confessed that the prudent heathens as I have noted constantly asserted it That the feare of death is much worse then death it is a servile and a miserable condition to feare that which cannot be avoided feare may be long but death or the sense thereof can be but short That which is a sick or miserable life is not to bee put on accompt to death which endeth all secular griefes death were to be feared if it could stay with thee as paine and sicknesse may but neither it commeth not when thou fearest it or it must quickly dispatch and passe from thee leaving thee free from feare and sorrow if thou dye in Christ. This is a lesson long learning that when that inevitable houre commeth thou maist willingly depart which because it is a certaine uncertainety a condition common to all men of every age seeing the longest life must have one last houre which bringeth up the rere it shall be thy wisdome as hath been said ever to expect it and to live so as that a guilty conscience doe not then terrifie thee when thou shalt most want comfort the only way to be willing to die and cheerefull in dying is to live well and to fix thy confidence in Jesus Christ wretched is hee who for want hereof is afraid of death 4 Remember that Christ dying for thee hath pulled out the sting of death and destroyed the malitious enemie that had the power thereof Christ is the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in him though he were dead yet shall he live the only Antidote against death is a lively faith in Christ let thy maine care and hearts desire be upon it give God no rest importune him with earnest and constant prayers to strengthen thy faith he cannot deceive who hath promised herein to satiate the thirsty and weary soule 5 Consider the power of God to save from death and in death what greater evidence could hee have given to men in desperate hazards then he did in Jonah buried but not dead whose living sepulchre carried him as it were to a second birth the Lord spake unto the fish and it cast out Jonah upon the dry land he can deliver in death so doth he all the elect he can raise this dying flesh againe who saith he will who made this universe of nothing he translated Enoch and Eliah certainely those chariots of God are thousand thousands which though not seene by mortall eyes are ever pressed to carry up the soules of the just in their departure into the presence of God a blessed and endlesse life 6 Consider that death is that physitian who can at once cure all diseases and is to the deceased Saints the ende of sinne and misery not of them the medicine of all griefs the debt of corrupted nature the sanctuary against all secular feares the port of a fluctuant and troublesome world the gate of eternall life as Jacob said of Luz Gen 28 17. b This is the gaâ—e of heaven opened that the righteous nation which keepeth truth may enter Now whereas there are divers waies to death some rough some smooth some short some long it is just that thou patiently submit to the providence of God who can and will best dispose of thee let me adde this to them that are impatient or fearefull of death Who is there so constant in infirmity that he would not rather wish to dye then still live weake Who is so hardy in sorrow that hee would not rather desire that death might once end it then life continue it stil If we are displeased with life when yet we knowe there is a determined end neere us how much more impatient should we bee if we knew there were no end of our miseries and labours What is more intolerable then miserable immortalitie And what is long life better then long torment 7 Lay up the promises of God concerning Christs suffering and rising againe comforting and assisting his in life and death c. Joyne here to fervent and constant prayer that God would be pleased so to direct thee in thy whole life and to strengthen thee in thy death that thou maist be willing to dy not for feare of this life's miseries for they that for that cause only are willing to dye would possibly be glad rather to live to pleasures then sanctity but for love of Gods presence and the assurance of his truth That he would proportion his grace to thy trialls the more thou art cast downe and helplesse in thy selfe that he would the more lift thee up and let thee feele his gratious hand susteining thee so he that in mercy hath borne with thy many failings and taken no advantages to judge and cast
thee away in thy daily sinnes will like a tender father pitty thee when thou art not able to pray he will remember what thou hast prayed yea what Christ Jesus sitting at his right hand then speaketh for thee when thou hast most need of a mediator when stupified with paines of approaching death thou canst not utter one word for thy selfe then hee will open the heavens to thee and give thee a cleere sight of those joyes as he did S. Stephen then will he give his holy Angells charge over thee to receive thy soule breathed out of thy gasping body to convey it to his gratious and ever blessed presence This world is full of labour sorrow misery there 's no rest here heaven is the arke to which the tired dove the holy soule returneth for rest the morall men seemed to know it who placed their Temple of rest without the gate of Agony How much more must we who beleeve that we shall live eternally with Christ who shall come to save and give us life in death Even so come Lord Jesus AMEN A Prayer for him who hath recieved the sentence of death in himselfe O Lord God almighty preserver of man father of the spirits of the just God of all true consolation the hope of Israel and deliverer thereof in the day of trouble who givest a gratious eare to the afflicted faithfully calling on thee through him whom thou hast appointed to be the only mediator betweene thee and Wretched man Christ Jesus the righteous I humbly acknowledge that I have nothing of my selfe to present unto thy Majestie but confession of mine owne vilenesse nothing in my sinfull flesh but corruption matter of severe judgement to thee who art a God of pure eies and argument of terrour and despaire to my selfe most impure in sinne was I conceived and borne a child of wrath and disobedience my whole life hath abounded with that which bringeth forth fruit only unto death I have not done the good which thy sanctifying spirit made me willing to doe the evill that I would not I have done I have not rendred unto thee according to thy goodnesse when I would summe up my sins they so much exceed all numbers that my heart faileth mee my conscience telleth me of my wilfull neglects of thy service and disobedience to thy word concluding my whole life no better then sinfull but how many waies I have offended thee when I observed not thou only knowest how many are the failings which though I through spirituall blindnesse and carnall security have not observed that I might judge and condemne my selfe for them thereby to prevent thy severe judgement shall yet by no meanes escape thy strict examination and now O Lord what can I more doe then humbly beg thy pardon condemne my selfe renounce all confidence in the world and plead only thy mercy and the merits of thy sonne Jesus for my justification Lord looke upon me through him in whom thou art well pleased Nothing can be past or future to thy eternall wisdome look therefore on his bleeding wounds who did not in vaine dye for me let thy justice be satisfied in his obedience and suffering for all my sins And now O Lord seeing according to thy sentence on all mankind the time of my departure hence draweth high I humbly acknowledge this fraile condition to be the due wages of sinne which brought mortality into the world but thou who didst put thine owne image on me hast not made me for so short a life only as thou givest unto the beasts which perish thou hast no need of my miserie nor advantage in my destruction nor could so inestimable a price of my redemption as the blood of thy holy sonne Jesus be given for that which thou wouldst have perish eternally He must surely live for whom the resurrection and the life of Christ Jesus died Lord therefore seale up my redemption in my afflicted heart now that the Bride is neere send those holy comforters faith and assurance of thy mercy to adorne his own temple to lift up the everlasting doores of my soule that the king of glory and Lord of life may come in and change my vaine love of the world to love of heaven who will change my vile body that it may be like his own glorious body let me hence forth live his life no more mine own assured thereby of the repaire of mine inward man to a joyfull resurrection and life of glory that he may be to me in life and death advantage that in full confidence of my union with and interest in him I may be willing to bee dissolved that I may be with him O holy Saviour who hast through death abolished death and him that had the power thereof take from me all carnall feare by bringing life and immortality to light unto my conscience thou that hast in thy hands the keyes of death and hell restraine the tempters malice and mischievous charges of my sinne-wounded soule make me faithfull unto the death and assure mee of the crowne of righteousnesse laid up for all that love thy appearing Raise me now to the life of grace that the second death may not touch mee And though thou bring this fraile flesh to the dust of the earth yet let not death have dominion over me Though it must to the appointed time separate my soule from this decaying tabernacle of clay let neither life nor death things present nor future seperate my soule from thee and thy Christ. I acknowledge thy mercy who justly mightest have taken me away in my sins by some sodaine and untimely death or set me who am by sinne a sonne of death in the condition of those who in horrour of a restlesse conscience and bitternesse of spirit seeke death and cannot finde it but O good God whose eye is upon them that feare thee to deliver their soules from death in whose hands are the issues thereof seeing thou hast thus long spared me now accomplish thy mercy in me be thou my God for ever and my guide unto my end and comfort in my end now when my heart trembleth in me the terrours of death are fallne upon me give me the long expected fruits of my hopes proposed to me in thy word O blessed Jesus who art the death of death now shew thy selfe my Saviour take from my afflicted soule the sting of death assure me of victory loose the paines allay the feare and sorrowes and sweeten the bitternesse of death untill in my enjoying thy presence it be swallowed up in victory O holy Saviour who hast had experience of all our miseries for sin wiâ—hout sin and hast admitted us to be baptized into the similitude of thy death and resurrection let me now feele in my languishing soule the power thereof O Christ whose humane soule in thy passion for my redemption was heavy to the death now mercifully consider my infirmitie who am going the way of all flesh now give