her prayers may she worship in spirit So shall she be able with Abraham to escape the everlasting fire prepared For the plain of this world Bethanie signifieth a village of humilitie and affliction by which we must passe to the kingdome of heaven even as Christ himself passed from the place of affliction to the joyes of heaven Till this time heaven was shut and paradise which is above was kept by a flaming sword But now Christ being conquerour doth set open heaven unto us to shew us the way into our heavenly countrey from which we had fallen away The disciples stood lifting up their eyes and looking up towards heaven So let the true disciples of Christ lift up the eyes of their heart to behold heavenly things Lord Jesus what a glorious clause followed thy passion How happie and sudden a change is this How did I see thee suffering on mount Calvarie and how do I behold thee now in the mount of Olives There thou wast alone here thou art accompanied with many thousands of angels There thou didst ascend up to the crosse here thou dost ascend up into heaven in a cloud There thou wast crucified between theeves here thou rejoyced among the companies of angelâ— There thou wast nailed to the crosse as a condemned man here thou aâ—â— at libertie and dost deliver those thaâ— were condemned There dying and suffering here rejoycing and triumphing Christ is our head we are his members Rejoyce therefore and be glad thou faithfull soul for the ascension of thy head The glory of the head is the glory also of the members Where our flesh doth reigne there let us beleeve that we shall also reigne Where our bloud doth rule let us hope that we shall also obtain glorie Though our sinnes do hinder us yet the communion of nature doth not repell us Where the head is there shall the other members be also Our head is entred into heaven Therefore the members have just cause to hope for entrance not onely so but that they have possession there already Christ descended from heaven to redeem us and again he ascended up into heaven to glorifie us Unto us was he born for us did he suffer For us therefore did he ascend Our charitie is confirmed by Christs passion our faith by Christs resurrection our hope by Christs ascension We must follow Christ our bridegroom not onely with our ardent desires but also with our good works Into that citie which is above nothing shall enter that is defiled In token of this the angels that came from the heavenly Jerusalem appeared in white apparel by which puritie and innocencie is figured With the Doctour of humilitie there ascended no pride with the Authour of goodnesse there ascended no malice with the Lover of peace there ascended no discord and with the Sonne of the Virgin there ascended no lust After the Parent of vertues there ascend no vices after the Just there ascend no sinnes and after the Physician there can ascend no infirmities He that desires to see God hereafter face to face let him here so live as in his sight He that hopes for celestiall things let him contemn terrestriall O draw our hearts thee good Jesus Meditat. XXII An Homilie of the holy Ghost God sealeth by his holy Spirit As many as shall life inherit OUr Lord ascending up into the heavens and entring into his glory sent the holy Ghost unto the disciples upon the day of Pentecost As in the old Testament God when he proclaimed the law in mount Sinai came down unto Moses So when the gospel was by the apostles to be propagated throughout all the world the holy Ghost came down upon them There was thundering and lightning and the loud sound of the trumpet because the law doth thunder against our disobedience and makes us subject to Gods indignation But here is the sound of a gentle winde for the preaching of the gospel doth lift up the souls that are cast down There was the fear and trembling of all the people because the law worketh wrath But here the whole multitude doth flock together to heare the wonderfull things of God for by the gospel we have accesse unto God There the Lord descended in fire but it was in the fire of his wrath and furie therefore was the mountain moved and did smoke But here the holy Ghost descendeth in the fire of love so that all the house is not shaken by the wrath of God but is rather replenished with the glory of the holy Ghost What wonder is it if the holy Ghost be sent from the court of heaven to sanctifie us seeing that the Sonne was sent to redeem us The passion of Christ had not profited us unlesse by the gospel it had been preached unto us For what use is there of a treasure that is hid Therefore our most mercifull Father did not onely prepare a great benefit by the passion of his Sonne but also would have it offered to all the world by sending the holy Ghost The faithfull mother giveth unto her tender infant both her dugs God who is faithfull doth send unto us both the Sonne and the holy Ghost But the holy Ghost came upon the apostles when they were assembled together at prayer with one accord For he is the Spirit of prayer he iâ— obtained by prayer and he moveth us to pray Wherefore Because he is that bond by which our hearts are united with God as he doth unite the Father with the Sonne and the Sonne with the Father For he is the mutuall substantiall love of the Father and the Sonne This our spirituall conjunction with God is wrought by faith But faith is the gift of the Spirit It is obtained by prayer But true prayer is made in the Spirit In the temple of Solomon when incense was offered unto God the temple was filled with the glory of the Lord So if thou offerest unto God the sweet odours of prayers the holy Ghost shall fill the temple of thy heart with glory Let us here admire the mercy and grace of God The Father promiseth to heare our prayers the Sonne maketh intercession for us and the holy Ghost prayeth in us The angels carrie our prayers unto God and the court of heaven is open to receive our prayers God of his mercie doth give unto us the affect of prayer because he giveth unto us the spirit of grace and prayer He giveth unto us also the effect of prayer because he doth alwayes heare our prayers if not according to our will yet according to that which is most profitable for us The holy Ghost came when they were all met together with one accord in the same place For he is the Spirit of love and concord that joyneth us unto Christ by faith unto God by love and unto our neighbour by charitie The devil is the authour of discord and separation by
our sinnes he separates us from God by hatred contention and brawling he separates men one from another But the holy Ghost as in Christ he hath conjoyned the divine and humane nature by his wonderfull overshadowing So doth he by his gifts poured upon us conjoyn men with God and God with men As long as the holy Ghost remaineth in man by his grace and gifts so long doth man remain united to God As soon as man by sinne falleth from faith and love and shaketh off the holy Ghost he is separated from God and is deprived of that most blessed union He that hath the holy Ghost hateth not his brother Why Because by the Spirit he is made partaker of the mysticall bodie of Christ whose members all the godly are And who ever hated his own members Yea more He that is governed by the Spirit of the Lord loveth even his enemies Why Because he that cleaveth unto the Lord becomes one spirit with him And God causeth his sunne to rise upon the good and bad And hateth nothing which he hath made He that hath the Spirit of God is readie to be servant unto all he to his power doeth good unto all he is readie for all to make use of because God is the fountain of all mercie and grace to all Now the Spirit of God effects in man such motions as he himself is As the soul gives unto the body life sense and motion So the Spirit makes man spirituall seasons his minde with divine saltnesse and directs all his members to the performance of all duties towards God and towards his neighbour From heaven came that sound which was the signe of the coming of the holy Ghost Because the holy Ghost is of an heavenly nature to wit of the same nature with the Father and the Sonne from whom that is the Father and the Sonne he proceedeth from all eternitie Moreover he maketh men to think upon heavenly things and to seek those things which are above He which cleaveth unto earthly things and is by his love united unto the world is not yet made partaker of the heavenly Spirit He came in the type of breath Because he affordeth unto the afflicted quickning consolation and because we live according to the flesh by the reciprocall breathing out and sucking in of the aeriall spirit He came under the type of spirit and breath For he giveth unto us To live according to our better part The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but thou knowest not whence it comes or whither it goes So is every one that is begotten of the Spirit And it was meet that he should come in the type of breath Because he proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne by one breathing from eternitie It was a powerfull breath Because the grace of the holy Ghost comes with power The holy Ghost moveth the godly in whom he dwelleth to all that is good and so moveth them that they regard neither the threats of tyrants nor the treacheries of Satan nor the hatred of the world He conferreth upon the apostles the gift of tongues Because their sound was to go into all lands And so the confusion of tongues which was the punishment of pride and rashnesse in the building of the tower of Babel was taken away and the dispersed nations by the gift of the holy Ghost through diverse tongues were gathered together into the unitie of faith It was meet that he should come in the figure of tongues Because the holy men of God did speak as they were inspired by him Because he spake by the apostles and because he putteth the words of God into the mouthes of the ministers of the church For these so great gifts blessed and praised be the holy Ghost together with the Father and the Sonne for ever and ever Meditat. XXIII Of the churches dignitie Great is the churches dignitie Which chosen is Christs spouse to be COnsider thou devout soul what a great benefit God hath bestowed upon thee in calling thee to the communion of the church One is my beloved saith the bridegroom in the Canticles One indeed because there is but one true and orthodox church the beloved spouse of Christ. Without the body of Christ there is not the Spirit of Christ and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is not his and he that is not Christs cannot be made partaker of life everlasting All that were without the ark of Noah did perish in the floud And they that are without the spirituall ark of the church must needs be overwhelmed in everlasting destruction He shall never have God to be his Father in heaven that hath not the church for his mother upon earth Consider thou devout soul that every day many thousands of souls descend into hell for this cause because they are without the bosome of the church Nature hath not separated thee from them but onely the grace of God that sheweth mercie When Egypt was involved in palpable darknesse the Israelites onely had light So in the church onely is the light of divine knowledge They that are without the church do passe from the darknesse of ignorance in this present life to the darknesse of eternall damnation in the life to come He that is not a part of the militant church shall never be a part of the church triumphant For these things following have a neare conjunction together that is to say God the word faith Christ the church and life everlasting The holy church of God is a mother a virgin and a spouse She is a mother Because she brings forth spirituall sonnes unto God every day She is a virgin Because she doth keep her self chaste from the embracements of the devil and the world She is a spouse Because Christ hath betrothed her unto himself by an everlasting covenant and hath given unto her the pledge of the Spirit The church is that ship that carries Christ and his disciples and brings them at length to the haven of everlasting felicitie The church sails through the sea of this world with a prosperous course having the stern of faith God for her pilot and the angels for her rowers and carrying the companies of all the saints In the midst thereof there is erected the saving tree of the crosse upon which do hang the sails of evangelicall faith by which she is carried to the securitie of eternall rest by the breathing of the holy Ghost The church is that vineyard that God hath planted in the field of this world which he hath watered with his bloud about which he hath set an hedge of angelicall guard in which he hath made the winepresse of his passion and gathered out the stones and impediments thereof The church is that woman clotheâ— with the sunne Because she is arayed with the righteousnesse of Christ. She treadeth the moon under heâ— feet
were all made for her use How insufficient the creatures are to satiate and fulfill our desires it appeareth at death when all creatures forsake us It is wonderfull that we should so firmly stick unto the creatures when as they stick unto us so weakly and unconstantly Adam when he turned away from the consolation of God and sought delight in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was driven out of Paradise Our soul if it turn away from God unto the creatures is deprived of celestiall comfort and is quite driven away from the tree of life But what remains unto them that neglect this feast The world passeth away and so do all they that cleave unto it The creatures passe away and all they that put their trust in them Our heavenly Father sweareth that they which preferre oxen fields wives that is any earthly things whatsoever before the sweetnesse of the heavenly feast shall never taste of his supper After supper there is no further provision of meat made and if we neglect Christ there is no other remedy left for us Those contemners shall be punished with eternall famine and live in eternall darknesse They which would not heare Christ thus inviting them Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden shall heare him at length denouncing Go ye cursed into everlasting fire The Sodomites were consumed with fire because being called to this feast by the preaching of Lot they would not come The fire of Gods wrath which lasteth for ever shall consume them who being called by the gospel have despised this feast At the coming of the bridegroom the virgins that had no oyl in their lamps staying too long were shut out So they whose hearts in this world are not filled with the oyl of the holy Spirit shall not be admitted by Christ to the participation of joy but they shall have the gate of indulgence the gate of mercy the gate of consolation the gate of hope the gate of grace the gate of good works shut against them Christ hath yet an inward kinde of calling and happy is he that heares it Christ often knocks â—t the gate of our hearts by holy desires devout sighs and pious cogitations and happy is he that openeth unto him As soon as thou feelest in thy heart any holy desire of heavenly grace assure thy self that Christ knocks at thy heart Let him in lest he passe by and afterwards shut the gate of his mercy against thee As soon as thou feelest in thy heart any spark of godly meditations perswade thy self that it was kindled by the heat of divine love that is of the holy Spirit cherish and nourish it that it may grow to be a fire of love Take heed that thou quench not the Spirit and hinder the work of the Lord. He that destroyeth the temple of the Lord shall feel his severe judgement Our heart is the temple of the Lord And he destroyeth it whosoever refuseth to give place to the holy Spirit inwardly calling by the word In the old Testament the prophets could heare the Lord speaking inwardly In the new Testament all the true godly do feel those inward motions of the holy Spirit drawing them Blessed are they which heare and follow Meditat. XVII Of the fruits of Baptisme If thou polluted art with sin The fountain's open enter in REmember thou faithfull soul the grace of God conferred upon thee in the saving laver of baptisme Baptisme is the laver of regeneration Therefore he that is dipt in the laver of baptisme is no longer altogether carnall as before But because he is born of God by water and the Spirit therefore he is also the sonne of God and because a sonne therefore an heir also of eternall happinesse As the eternall Father at the baptisme of Christ uttered this voice This is my beloved Sonne So all those that beleeve and are baptized he adopteth to be his sonnes As at the baptisme of Christ the holy Ghost appeared in the shape of a dove So also is he present at our baptisme and gives force unto it yea he is conferred by baptisme upon the beleevers and effects in them new motions that they become wise as serpâ—nts and innocent as doves As it was at the creation so is it also at our regeneration At the first creation of things the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the waters and gave a vitall force unto them So also in the water of baptisme the holy Ghost is present and makes it a saving means of our regeneration Christ himself our Saviour would be baptized that he might leave a testimonie that by baptisme we are made his members Oftentimes medicines are applyed to the head to heal some other parts of the bodie Christ is our spirituall head He received the medicine of baptisme for to heal his mysticall bodie God in the old Testament made a covenant with his people by circumcision So by baptisme in the new Testament we are received into the covenant of God Baptisme succeeded in the place of circumcision He therefore that is in the covenant of God need not be afraid of the devils accusation In baptisme we put on Christ And from hence it is that the Saints are said to have made their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe Christs perfect righteousnesse is that beautifull robe whosoever therefore hath put on this robe let him not fear the stains of sinne There was a pool in Jerusalem about the sheep-market into which at a certain time the angel of the Lord descended and troubled it and he that first descended into it after the troubling of the water was cured of what disease soever The water of baptisme is that pool which healeth us of every disease of sinne when the holy Spirit descends into it and troubles it with the bloud of Christ who was made a sacrifice for us In like manner in time past the sacrifices were washed in that pool at Jerusalem As at the baptisme of Christ the heavens were opened So also at our baptisme the gate of heaven is opened unto us At the baptisme of Christ all the holy and sacred Trinitie was present And so likewise at our baptisme And so by the word of promise which is annexed unto the element of water faith receiveth the grace of the Father adopting the merit of the Sonne cleansing and the efficacie of the holy Ghost regenerating Pharaoh and all his host was drowned in the red sea The Israelites passed through safe and sound So in baptisme all the host of vices is drowned and the faithfull safely attain to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Therefore also is baptisme that sea of glasse which John saw Through it as through a kinde of glasse the brightnesse of the sunne of righteousnesse enters into our mindes And that sea was before the throne
of the Lambe The church is the throne of the Lambe in which onely the grace of holy baptisme is to be had The prophet Ezekiel saw waters going out of the temple which did quicken and heal all In the spirituall temple of God that is in the church the saving waters of baptisme do yet spring forth into the profunditie whereof our sinnes are thrown Whosoever come unto it shall be healed and live Baptisme is the spirituall floud in which all flesh of sinne is drowned The impure crow goes forth like the Devil But the dove like the holy Ghost flies and brings the olive-branch that is peace and tranquilitie unto our mindes Remember therefore thou faithfull soul the greatnesse of the grace of God conferred upon thee in baptisme and render due thanks unto him The more plentifull grace is conferred upon us in baptisme the more diligent must we be in the custodie of the gifts conferred We are buried with Christ by baptisme Therefore as Christ was raised up from the dead unto the glory of his Father So let us walk in newnesse of life We are made whole let us sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto us We have put on the most precious robe of Christs righteousnesse Therefore let us not defile it with the stains of sinne Our old man is crucified and dead in baptisme Let the new man therefore live in us We are regenerated and renewed in the spirit of our mindes by baptisme Therefore let not the flesh domineer over the spirit Old things are past Behold aâ— things are become new Let not therefore the oldnesse of the flesh prevail against the newnesse of the spirit We are made the sonnes of God by spirituall regeneration Let us therefore live as it becometh the sonnes of such a Father We are made the temple of the holy Ghost Let us therefore prepare a thankfull seat for such a guest We are received into Gods covenant Let us take heed therefore that we do not serve under the devil and so fall from the covenant of grace Effect in us all these things O blessed Trinity in Unitie Thou that hast given us such grace in baptisme give us also the grace to persevere in it Meditat. XVIII Of the saving participation of the body and bloud of Christ. He that doth eat and drink by faith Christs flesh and bloud salvation hath HE that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud shall live for ever saith Christ. Exceeding great was the bountie and goodnesse of our Saviour in that he did not onely assume our flesh and exalt it to the throne of celestiall glory but also feedeth us with his bodie and bloud unto eternall life Oh the saving delicates of the soul Oh the heavenly and angelicall food to be desired Although the angels did desire to look into this mysterie yet he did not assume the nature of the angels but the seed of Abraham Our Saviour is nearer unto us then unto the angels for we have knowledge of his love by this in that he hath given us of his own Spirit neither of his Spirit onely but of his bodie and bloud For so saith Truth it self of the bread and wine in the Eucharist This is my bodie This is my bloud How can the Lord forget those whom he hath redeemed with his bodie and bloud and whom he hath nourished with his bodie and bloud He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the bloud of Christ remaineth in Christ and Christ in him I do not much marvel therefore that the haires of our head are numbred that our names are registred in heaven that we are described in the hands of the Lord and that we are carried in his bosome seeing that we are fed with the bodie and bloud of Christ. Without doubt great is the dignitie of our souls seeing that they are fed with a price of redemption of such value Great also is the dignitie of our bodies which being redeemed and fed by the bodie of Christ become the habitacles and temples of the holy Ghost and the dwelling places of the whole and most holy Trinitie It cannot be that they should remain in the grave being fed with the bodie and bloud of our Lord. This is meat indeed We eat it But we change it not into the nature of our bodie but are changed into it We are the members of Christ and are animated by his Spirit and fed with his body and bloud This is the bread which came down from heaven and giveth life unto the world He that eateth thereof shall never hunger This is the bread of grace and mercy Of this whosoever eateth he shall taste and see how sweet the Lord is and receive of his fulnesse grace for grace This is the bread of life not onely the living bread but the quickning bread Whosoever eateth thereof he shall live for ever This is the bread which came down from heaven neither is it onely heavenly but it makes those that eat thereof heavenly They which eat it savingly in the spirit shall become heavenly because they shall not die but shall be raised again at the last day They shall be raised again but not to judgement because he that eateth of this bread cometh not into judgement nor into condemnation because there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but they shall be raised to life and salvation For he that eateth the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinketh his bloud hath life in himself and shall live through Christ. His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drink indeed Let us be filled therefore with the meat not of our works but of the Lord. Let us be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse not of our house but of the Lord. This is the true fountain of life He that shall drink of this water shall never thirst but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternall life All ye that thirst come unto these waters and ye that have no silver make haste buy without money Let them that thirst come and come thou my soul that art vexed with the raging heat of sinne But if thou beest destitute of the silver of thy merits make haste the rather If thou hast no merits of thine own make haste the more ardently to the merits of Christ Make haste therefore and buy without silver Here is the chamber of Christ and the soul from which let not thy sinnes deterre thee and into which let not thy merits enter For what can be our merits They lay out their silver and not for bread they labour and not for fulnesse Our labours do not satiate neither is the grace of God bought with the silver of our merits Therefore heare O my soul and eat that which is good and thou shalt be delighted with fatnesse These words are spirit and
of his life For how dost thou love Christ if thou lovest not his holy life If ye love me keep my commandments saith our Saviour Therefore he that keepeth not his commandments loveth him not Christs holy life is the perfect rule of our life And this one rule of Christs life is to be preferred before all the rules of Francis or Benedict If thou wilt be the adopted sonne of God consider what was the life of his onely begotten Sonne If thou wilt be a coheir with Christ thou must be a follower of Christ. He that liveth in vices hath given himself to the service of the devil And he that will be with the devil how can he be with Christ To love sinne is to love the devil because all sinne is from the devil How then can he that is a lover of the devil be a lover of Christ To love God is to love holy life because all holy life is from God How then can he that is not a lover of holy life be a lover of God The doing of the work is the triall of love It is the property of love to follow and to obey him that is beloved to will the same that he willeth and to be affected as he is If then thou lovest Christ truly thou wilt obey his commandments thou wilt with him love holy life and being renewed in the spirit of thy minde thou wilt think upon heavenly things Eternall life consists in the knowledge of Christ And he that loves not Christ knows him not He that loves not humility chastitie gentlenesse temperance and charitie loves not Christ Because the love of Christ was nothing else but humilitie chastitie gentlenesse temperance and charitie Christ saith that he knows not them that fulfill not the will of his Father Therefore they also know not Christ that fulfill not the will of their heavenly Father But what is the will of our heavenly Father It is according to the Apostle our sanctification He is not of Christ that hath not the Spirit of Christ Now where the Spirit of Christ is he is present with his gifts and fruits But what are the fruits of the Spirit Love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance As the holy Ghost rested upon Christ So doth he also rest on all those that are in Christ by true faith Because the spouse of Christ doth run in the odour of Christs ointments He that cleaveth unto the Lord is one spirit with him As the carnall copulation of the man and the woman maketh of them one flesh So the spirituall conjunction of Christ the faithfull soul maketh of them one spirit And where there is one spirit there is one will and where there is the same will there are the same actions Therefore he that doth not conform his life to the life of Christ is convinced that he neither doth cleave unto God neither hath his Spirit Is it not meet that we should conform all our life to the life of Christ who in love conformed himself wholly unto us God manifesting himself in the flesh set before us an example of holy life that whosoever doth not live an holy life might be without excuse as concerning the flesh No life is more pleasant or quiet then the life of Christ because Christ is true God And what can enjoy more pleasure or tranquillity then God who is the chiefest good This life bringeth forth short joy but draws with it eternall sorrow To whomsoever thou conformest thy self in this life to him also shalt thou be conformed in the resurrection If thou beginnest here to conform thy self unto the life of Christ thou shalt in the resurrection be more fully conformed unto him If thou conformest thy self unto the devil by sinne thou shalt in the resurrection be conformed unto him by torment He that will follow me let him denie himself saith our Saviour and take up his crosse daily If in this life thou deniest thy self at the day of judgement Christ shall acknowledge thee for his If for Christ here in this life thou renouncest thine own honour the love of thy self and thine own will in the life to come Christ will make thee partaker of his honour of his love and of his will If in this life thou partakest of the crosse in the life to come thou shalt partake of eternall light If in this life thou partakest of tribulation in the life to come thou shalt partake of consolation If in this life thou partakest of persecution in the life to come thou shalt partake of a most large retribution He that shall confesse me before men saith our Saviour him also will I confesse before my Father which is in heaven But we must confesse Christ not onely by the profession of doctrine but also by conformity of life So shall he at length at the day of judgement acknowledge us for his Whosoever shall denie me before men him also will I denie before my Father which is in heaven Christ is not onely denied by words but also and that much more by wicked life Whosoever therefore doth in this life deny Christ by his deeds shall in deed be denied by Christ at the day of judgement He is not a Christian that hath not the true faith of Christ But true faith ingrafts us into Christ as vine-branches into the spirituall vine Every branch that is in Christ and bringeth not forth fruit the heavenly husbandman taketh away But he that remaineth in Christ and in whom Christ dwelleth by faith bringeth forth much fruit That branch is not in the vine which draweth not from the vine its sap nourishment So neither is that soul in Christ by faith which draweth not from Christ the sap of love by faith Conform us good Jesus unto thy life in this world that in the world to come we may be fully conformed unto it Meditat. XXXI Of the deniall of a mans own self Thou from thy self must first depart Before thou canst in Christ have part WHosoever will follow me let him denie himself saith our Saviour To denie ones self is to renounce the love of ones self For the love of ones self doth exclude the love of God If thou wilt be Christs disciple it is necessary that self-love should altogether die in thee No man loveth Christ unlesse he hateth himself Vnlesse the grain of wheat which is cast into the earth do die it doth not bring forth fruit So thou canst not reap the fruits of the holy Spirit unlesse self-love do die in thy heart The Lord said unto Abraham Go out from thine own land and from thine own kindred and from thy fathers house unto the land which I shall shew thee Thou canst not be the true disciple of Christ and a true spirituall man unlesse thou goest forth from the love of thy self Jacob in his wrestling with the
requires that I should live chastly modestly and temperately But how often hath the love of drunkennesse and lust made my soul captive to sinne How often do fires of lust flame within me although my outward members be restrained He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart saith the Text How often therefore in the sight of God do we commit adultery The inordinate and immoderate use of meat drink and wedlock often steals upon us and makes us appear guilty before thee if thou wouldest enter into judgement with us Thy holy Writ requireth that in bargaining I deceive not my neighbour in any sort but that I rather further and procure his good that I traduce not his faults but rather cover them with the cloke of charitie and that I do not censure him rashly and unadvisedly But how often do I seek mine own profit by injustice How often do I spend my judgement rashly upon my neighbour Thy holy will requires that my spirit minde and soul be free from concupiscence But how often doth my flesh solicite me to sinne and contaminateth my spirit with wicked concupiscences As a fountain doth abound with continuall bubbling of water So doth my heart alwayes swell with evil concupiscence For these and all other my sinnes and defects I offer unto thee most holy Father the most perfect obedience of thy Sonne who loved all men with perfect love and in whose mouth was found no guiâ—◠〈◊〉 whose words and deeds no aberrations no corruption in nature To this propitiation I flee with true faith and by faith I â—uck out of his wounds as much as is sufficient to justifie me and save me Have mercy on me my God and my Father Amen PRAYER VI. He sheweth that we often partake in other mens sinnes HOly God and just Judge Thou â—ast committed unto me not onely the care of mine own soul but also the care of my neighbours But how often doth my neighbour through my negligence suffer great losse of godlinesse How often do I neglect freely and boldly to chide him when he sinnes How often do I being hindred either by favour or fear reprove him for his sinnes more slightly then I ought In pouring out prayers for his salvation I am too remisse in reprehending his sinnes I am too-too timorous in furthering his salvation I am too slothfull insomuch that thou mayest justly require at my hands the bloud of my neighbour that perisheth If there were in me a perfect and sincere love of my neighbour surely from thence would proceed freedome in reproving of sinne If the fire of sincere charitie did burn in my heart surely it would break forth more clearly into the spirituall incense of prayers to be made for the salvation of my neighâ—ours For a man to pray for himself it is a duty of necessity But to pray for the salvation of his neighbour it is a deed of charity As often therefore as I neglect to pray for the salvation of my neighbour so often I condemne my self for the breach of the commandment of the love of my neighbour My neighbour dies the death of the body and sorrow fills all with lamentation and mourning when as yet the death of the body brings no hurt to a godly man but rather gives him a passage into a celestiall countrey My neighbour dies the death of the soul and behold I am nothing troubled at it I see him die and grieve not at all when as yet sinne is the true death of the soul and brings with it the losse of the inestimable grace of God and eternall life My neighbour delinquisheth against the king who can onely kill the body and behold I seek by all means his reconciliation but he sinneth against the King of all kings that can cast both body and soul into hell-fire and yet I behold it in security and consider not that this offence is an infinite evil My neighbour stumbles at a stone and I runne presently to save him from a fall or otherwise to raise him up if he be fallen He stumbles at the corner-stone of our salvation and behold I securely passe by it and labour noâ— with care and diligence to lift him up again Mine own sinnes are grievous enough And yet I have not been afraid to participate in other mens sinnes Be propitious O God unto me great sinner and overburdened To thy mercy I flee in Christ and through Christ promised unto me I come unto this Life being dead in sinne I come unto this Way having gone astray in the path of sinne I come unto this Salvation being by reason of my sinne guilty of damnation Quicken me guide me and save me thou which art my Life my Way and my Salvation for ever and ever Amen PRAYER VII He sheweth that we are many wayes convinced of sinne HOly God and just Judge If I look up to heaven I think with my self that I have many wayes offended thee my God and Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne If I look down upon the earth I think with my self how I have abused thy creatures by my sinnes I have infinitely abused not onely the darknesse of the night but also the light of the day to work works of darknesse If I look upon the examples of sinners upon whom thou in thy just judgement hast inflicted punishment I finde that the weight of my sins will counterpoise theirs If I look upon the examples of the saints I finde that I come farre short of them in my holy service of thee If I think upon the angel my keeper I finde that often I put him to flight by my sinnes If I think of the devils I finde that I have often given place to their suggestions If I weigh with my self the rigour of thy law I finde that my life is many wayes irregular If I look upon my self I finde that the very cogitations of my heart do accuse me before thy judgement If I think upon the houre of death to come I finde that it is the just reward of my sinnes and unlesse thou of thy meere mercie for Christ his sake shalt receive me the gate and entrance into everlasting death If I think upon the judgement to come I finde my deserts such that thou mayst justly call me to the most exact account and punish my sinnes according to the strict severitie of thy law If I think upon hell I finde that I have deserved by my sinnes the most just punishment there If I think upon eternall life I finde that I have by my sinnes justly fallen away from all hope of attainment All things therefore convince me of my sinnes Onely thou O my God be not thou extreme against me To Christ thy beloved Sonne my onely Mediatour I betake my self By him I most firmly beleeve I shall obtain thy
The law of sinne in my members is repugnant unto the law of mâ— minde which is renewed But givâ— unto me the Spirit of thy grace that I may captivate the law of sinne and not be captivated by the old flesh The flesh within me lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The spirit indeed is ready but the flesh is weak Grant therefore unto my spirit the riches of thy strength and vertue that it may overcome the evil concupiscences of the rebellious flesh That whorish Dalilah with her allurements doth daily set upon me But strengthen thou me by thy Spirit in the inward maâ— that at length she overcome me not O how grievous and hard a thing is it for a man to fight against himself that is against his flesh How difficult and hard a matter is it for one to overcome a domestick enemie Unlesse in this combate thou dost arm me with thy heavenly strength there is great fear that I shall be constrained to yeeld unto this enemie by reason of her secret and hidden treacheries Presse burn â—aunce mortifie the old man that I may escape his fawning deceit and seducement Grant unto me that I may daily die in my self that by the allurements of the flesh I be not separated from the life that is in Christ. Kindle in my heart the fire of the Spirit that I may sacrifice unto thee the beloved sonne of all my evil lusts and mine own will Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God Let them therefore die in me that I be not excluded from the kingdome of heaven They that live according to the flesh shall die But they which by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh shall live They that are Christs do crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Therefore strike thorow and crucifie my flesh O Christ thou that wast upon the altar of the crosse pierced thorow and crucified for me Amen PRAYER II. He prayes for the conservation and increase of faith THou hast lighted in my heart thou living and eternall God the light of saving faith which I humbly beseech thee of thy goodnesse and clemencie to keep and increase I often feel weaknesse of faith I often waver and am tossed with storms of doubts and fears Therefore I humbly call upon thee with thy blessed Apostles that thou wouldest vouchsafe to increase it My heart propounds unto thee a good word Thou wilt not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax I carrie my treasure in a vessel of clay The torch of faith I bear about me in a brittle vessel What else remains there but that with serious prayers and sighs I commend it unto thy custodie and daily pray unto thee for increase of the same In the darknesse of this life and present world make me partaker of the heavenly light of faith Thy word is light and life Grant unto me of thy mercie that by true faith I may stick unto thy word and be made by thee a sonne of light and life Against all the tentations of Satan against all oblocutions of the world yea against the cogitations of mine own heart let the comfort of thy word prevail in me One word of Scripture is of more worth then heaven and earth in that it is more firm then heaven and earth Effect in me by thy holy Spirit that I may firmly beleeve thy word and yeeld my reason and my senses to the obedience of faith Thy promises are of thy meer free grace neither do they depend upon the condition of my worth and merits I may therefore with most assured faith relie upon them and with my whole heart trust in thy goodnesse By faith Christ dwells and lives in my heart Conserve therefore in me the free gift of faith that my heart may be and alwayes remain the habitacle of Christ. Faith is the seed of all good works and the foundation of holy life Conserve therefore most bountifull Lord and confirm this in me that my spirituall harvest and dwelling suffer no losse Strengthen my faith that it may overcome the world and the prince of the world Increase the light thereof that it may daily cast forth more clear beams outwardly Conserve it in the midst of the darknesse of death that it may cast a light before me to true life Rule me by thy holy Spirit that I lose not this faith by consenting unto the lusts of the flesh and taking pleasure in sinne against my conscience But confirm in me that good work which thou hast begun that by perseverance of my faith I may obtain the inheritance of eternall life Amen PRAYER III. He prayes for the conservation and increasâ— of hope ALmighty eternall and mercifull God I beseech thee by the most sacred wounds of thy Sonne to uphold in me the prop of saving hope Sometimes my heart doth wave lik a ship in the midst of the sea But grant thou unto me the safe and firm anchor of immoveable hope Still the waves of tentations and doubts Thou that art the God of hope and all consolation As certain and immoveable as the truth of thy promise is so certain may the firmnesse of holy hope be in me I rest upon thy promises And thou wilt not leave me destitute of aid My confidence is in thy bountie And thou wilt not leave me destitute of comfort I know on whom I have beleeved and I am sure that he is able to keep that which is committed unto him by me against that day I am most certainly perswaded that thou which hast begun a good work in me wilt also finish it untill the day of Jesus Christ. There are three things that lift me up when I am prostrate that uphold me when I am falling that direct me when I am wavering to wit thy love in my adoption the truth of thy promise and thy power in performance This is the threefold cord that thou lettest down unto me into this prison out of my heavenly countrey that thou mayst lift me up and draw me unto thee unto the sight of thy glory This hope is the anchor of my salvation This is the way that leadeth unto paradise The meditation of thy command makes me hope The meditation of thy goodnesse suffers me not to despair of thy mercie the meditation of mine own frailtie suffers me not to hope and trust in my self or mine own power and merit By how much the lesse my hope is fastened on these frail and fluxible sands of present goods and humane aid By so much the more solidly and certainly it is stablished upon the firm and immoveable rock of thy promise and celestiall things Unite my heart unto thee that I may altogether withdraw my self from the woâ—ld and cleave unto thee with all my heart Unto thee I flee as unto the throne of grace and altar of mercie and ark of the covenant
Therefore for our sinnes God casts us off Take not thy holy Spirit from me Therefore as bees are driven away with smoak and pigeons with ill savours so by our sinnes is the holy Spirit driven out of the temples of our hearts Restore me the joy of thy salvation Therefore sinne doth torment the minde and dry up the moisture of the heart The earth is defiled by the inhabitants thereof which have transgressed the law crieth Esay Therefore sinne is a contagious and infectious poison Out of the deeps have I cryed unto thee O Lord saith the Psalmist Therefore our sinnes presse us down unto hell We were sometimes dead in our sinnes saith the apostle Therefore sinne is the spirituall death of the soul. By mortall sinne man loseth God God is the infinite and incomprehensible good Therefore to lose God is an infinite and incomprehensible evil As God is the chiefest good so sinne is the chiefest evil Punishments and calamities are not absolutely evil for many times there comes good of them Yea rather it appeares that they are good because they come from God who is the chiefest good from whom can proceed nothing but that which is good They were in the chiefest good to wit in Christ And the chiefest good cannot partake in that which is evil truely so called And moreover they leade us unto the chiefest good that is to life everlasting Christ by his passion entred into his glorie And so do Christians by tribulations enter into eternall life Therefore sinne is the chiefest evil because it withdraws us from the chiefest good The nearer thou comest unto God the further thou departest from sinne The nearer thou comest unto sinne the further thou departest from God How saving therefore is repentance which withdraws us from sinne and brings us back again unto God! Sinne is measured by the greatnesse of him that is offended But him the heavens the earth cannot contain In like manner such is our repentance as he unto whom we return by repentance The sinner is accused by his conscience which he hath defiled by the Creatour whom he hath offended by the sinnes which he hath committed by the creatures which he hath abused and by the devil by whom he hath been seduced How saving then is repentance which frees us from such accusations Let us make haste therefore let us make haste to such a saving medicine for such a grievous disease If thou repentest at thy death thou dost not leave thy sinnes but thy sinnes leave thee Thou shalt scarce finde any one that repented truely at his death unlesse it were the thief upon the crosse Fourteen yeares have I served thee said Jacob to Laban it is time now that I should provide for mine own house And if thou hast served the world and this life so many yeares is it not fit that thou shouldest begin now to make provision for thy soul Every day doth our flesh heap sinne upon sinne Let the Spirit therefore every day wash them away by repentance Christ died that sinne might die in us And shall we suffer that to live and reigne in our hearts for the destroying whereof the sonne of God himself died Christ enters not into the heart of man by grace unlesse John Baptist prepare the way by repentance God poureth not the oyl of mercie but into the vessel of a contrite heart God doth first mortifie us by contrition that afterwards he may quicken us by the consolation of the Spirit He first leads us into hell by serious grief that afterwards he may bring us back again by the taste of grace Elias first heard a great and strong winde overturning mountains and cleaving rocks and after the winde an earthquake and after the earthquake there appeared fire At length there followed a small and still voice In like manner terrour goes before the taste of Gods love and sorrow before comfort God bindes not up thy wounds unlesse thou lay them open by confession and bewail them He covers not unlesse thou first uncover He pardons not unlesse thou first acknowledge He justifies not unlesse thou first condemne thy self He comforts not unlesse thou first despair in thy self This true repentance God by his holy Spirit work in us Meditat. IIII. Of the name of JESVS Blessed blessed name of Jesus Who tormented was to ease us O Good Jesus be thou my Jesus for thy holy names sake have mercy on me My life condemnes me but the name of Jesus shall save me For this thy names sâ—ke do unto me according to thy name seeing that thou art a true and a great Saviour surely thou dost respect those that are sinners indeed yea great sinners Have mercie on me O good Jesus in the time of mercie that I be not condemned in the time of judgement If thou receive me into the bosome of thy mercy thou shalt have never the lesse room If thou bestow upon me the crumbes of thy goodnesse yet thou shalt want never the more For me thou wast born for me thou wast circumcised to me also thou art become a Jesus How sweet and delightfull is this name For what is Jesus but a Saviour and what harm can happen to those that are saved what else can we desire or expect beyond salvation Receive me Lord Jesus into the number of thy sonnes that together with them I may land thy holy and saving name Though I have lost my integritie yet thou hast not forgotten thy mercy Though I had power to lose and condemne my self yet thou in thy mercie art more powerfull to save me Lord do not thou so look upon my sinnes as to forget thy mercy do not so ponder and weigh my offences that they overpoise thy merit do not so remember my wickednesse as therefore to forget thy goodnesse Remember not thy anger against my guiltinesse but remember thy mercie towards my miserie Thou who hast given me a minde to desire thee withdraw not thy self from my desire Thou who hast shewed unto me my unworthinesse and just damnation hide not from me thy merit and the promise of everlasting salvation My cause is to be tried at the heavenly tribunall but this is my comfort that in the court of heaven thou hast assigned unto thee the name of a Saviour for that name was brought down from heaven by an angel O most mercifull Jesus to whom wilt thou be Jesus if not to miserable sinners that seek thy grace and salvation They that trust in their own righteousnesse and holinesse seek salvation in themselves but I flie unto thee my Saviour for I finde nothing in my self worthy of eternall life Save the condemned shew mercie to the sinner justifie the unrighteous absolve the accused Thou Lord art truth thy name is holy and true Let thy name also become true in respect of me and become thou my Jesus and Saviour Be thou unto me Jesus
made a partaker of the spirituall resurrection by faith shew thy self to be a lively member of Christ by love A man is not judged to be alive unles he shew forth outwardly the actions of life Where Christ is there is also the holy Spirit where the holy Spirit is there he inciteth and moveth to every good work because they which are led by the Spirit of God are the sonnes of God If therefore we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit The light of the sunne doth every way disperse the brightnesse of his beams So the light of faith doth every way diffuse the heat of love Take light from the sunne and thou mayest separate love from true faith Sinnes are dead works If thou walkest in dead works how dost thou live in Christ and Christ in thee Sinnes belong unto the old Adam If the old Adam doth still reigne in thee how art thou spiritually risen with Christ Sinnes belong to the old flesh If thou walkest in the old flesh how doth the new man live in thee Raise us up O good Jesus from the death of sinne that we may walk in newnesse of life Let thy death kill the old Adam in us and let thy resurrection raise up the inward man unto life Let thy bloud wash us from our sinnes and let thy resurrection put upon us the robe of righteousnesse To the vertuous gentlewomen Mris Anne Henshaw Mris Elisabeth Dilk and Mris Helen Probey the daughters of Mr. William Bonham late citizen of London now citizen of the celestiall Jerusalem health and happinesse VErtuous Gentlewomen It was the respect which I owed unto your father and to your fathers house that first moved me to translate Gerards Prayers and being translated to dedicate them unto you But the Stationer whom I would not name because he is dead and yet I must name for fear lest by my silence I may seem to wrong others Richard Jackson of Fleetstreet to whose trust I committed the book to be printed usurped the dedication and obtruded it upon a Religious Countesse whose name for honour I conceal Hereupon I committed it unto the presse at Cambridge being first purged from innumerable errates Since Jacksons death the copie it seems came to one Williams his hands Stationer in Popes-head-alley With him I had conference as one desirous to restore unto you what of right belonged unto you But in stead of satisfaction I received nothing but ill language To conclude I bade him if he thought good go on to do you wrong but I promised withall that you should finde one to do you right as long as I lived In part I hope I have made good my promise If you accept of this my service as a scholars New-yeares-gift for so the time of the Edition makes it I have my desire and shall alwayes remain A true lover of your family R. W. From Kings Colledge in Cambridge January 1. 1631. Pray alwayes Luke 18. DIstressed soul if thou conceiv'st what 't is To mount unto the tower of endlesse blissâ— Embrace this work it reacheth to the skie And higher if beyond it ought do lie Mans dull capacitie weak humane sense Wide worlds expansion starres circumference Cannot it comprehend Prayer presseth even To Gods pavilion to th' imperiall â—eaven That is the golden chain fixt to Gods care Knock and hee 'l open call and he will heare This surely this is blessed Jacobs ladder On which our souls climbe by Christ to Christs Father Faith is praiers chief attendant Christ the way Gods Spirit both moves helps how to pray True love admittance gains humble confession Both helps devotion and procures remission Edmund Sheaf IF lothed ulcers do thy soul possesse See see a med'cine hither make addresse Or if tentations fears or future harms 'Gainst such assaults receive these pow'rfull charms These prayers may prove if well these prayers thou note 'Gainst those a balm 'gainst these an antidote Th. Bonham THe sunne doth shine the blinde man doth not see Light is but dark if eye-sight none there be Gerard to Latines gave a glorious light But in our English Hemisphere 't was night Th' eclipse is past night gone 't is now high day Gerard hath learn'd i th' English tongue to pray Fr. Winterton A Margarite's a precious thing but he that hath no skill â—steemeth it no more then that the cock found on the hill A candle lights not if it be in lantern dark conceal'd But turn the lantern and there is an usefull light reveal'd The Englishman knew not the worth of Gerards Margarite But now it is in English priz'd there 's profit and delight The lantern's turn'd the light appears which was before conceal'd And now there 's English none so blinde to whom 't is not reveal'd John Noare The contents of this book divided into foure parts I. Confession of sinnes Prayer 1 HE weigheth and considereth the grievousnesse of originall sinne Page 1 Prayer 2 He recalls to our memorie the sinnes of our youth Page 4 Prayer 3 He reckons up our daily falls and slips Page 6 Prayer 4 He examines our life according to the first table of the commandments Page 8 Prayer 5 He examines our life according to the second table of the commandments Page 11 Prayer 6 He sheweth that we often partake in other mens sinnes Page 14 Prayer 7 He sheweth that we are many wayes convinced of sinne Page 17 Prayer 8 He argues us to be convinced of the grievousnesse of our sinnes by the effects of contrition Page 19 Prayer 9 He aggravates our sinnes by the greatnesse of Gods benefits Page 22 Prayer 10 He considereth the severitie of Gods anger against our sinnes in the passion death of Christ. Page 24 II. Thanksgiving for Gods benefits Prayer 1 HE renders thanks to God for forming us in our mothers wombe and for our nativity Page 28 Prayer 2 He renders thanks for our sustentation Page 31 Prayer 3 He renders thanks for our redemption wrought by Christ. Page 33 Prayer 4 He renders thanks for the incarnation of the Sonne Page 36 Prayer 5 He renders thanks for the passion of Christ. Page 39 Prayer 6 He renders thanks for our vocation by the word Page 42 Prayer 7 He renders thanks for the expectation of our conversion Page 45 Prayer 8 He renders thanks for our conversion Page 47 Prayer 9 He renders thanks for the forgivenesse of our sinnes Page 50 Prayer 10 He renders thanks for our continuance in good Page 53 Prayer 11 He renders thanks for all the gifts of the soul and body and for externall goods Page 56 Prayer 12 He renders thanks for the sacrament of Baptisme Page 59 Prayer 13 He renders thanks for the sacrament of the Lords supper Page 62 Prayer 14 He renders thanks for our preservation from evil Page 65 Prayer 15 He renders thanks for the promise of eternall salvation Page 68 III. Petitions for our selves Prayer 1 HE prayes for mortification of
mud of my offences hath in a wonderfull and miserable manner defiled me The first age of man is amongst all the rest the fittest for the service of God But I have spent a good part thereof in the service of the devil The memory of many sinnes which the unbridled loosenesse of my youth hath committed is set in my sight and yet there are many more which I cannot call to memory Who knows how oft he offendeth cleanse thy servant from secret faults For these offences of my youth I offer unto thee holy Father the most holy obedience and perfect innocency of thy Sonne who was obedient to thee unto death even the death of the crosse When he was but a childe of twelve yeares old he performed holy obedience unto thee and began to execute thy will with great alacritie This obedience I offer unto thee just Judge for a price and satisfaction for the manifold disobedience of my youth Amen PRAYER III. He reckons up our daily falls and slips HOly God and just Judge There is no man innocent in thy sight no man free from the spot of sinne And I am bereaved of that glory which I should bring with me to judgement I am stripped of that garment of innocencie with which I ought to appear arayed before thee Seven times yea and oftener every houre I fall seventie times seven times I sinne every day The spirit indeed is sometimes ready but the flesh is alwayes weak The inward man flourisheth and is strong but the outward man languisheth and is weak For I do not the good that I would but the evil that I would not How often do vain wicked and impious cogitations arise in my heart How often do vain unprofitable and hurtfull words break forth How often do perverse wicked and ungodly actions pollute me All my righteousnesse is as the cloth of a menstruous woman Therefore I dare not plead for my righteousnesse before thee But I humbly prostrate my self before thy most just tribunal and out of the deeps do I cry unto thee Lord if thou shalt decree to impute sinne who shâ—ll abide it If thou wilt enter into judgement who shall stand If thou wilt call me to appear according to the severitie of thy justice how shall I come before thee If thou wilt exact a strict account of my life I shall not be able to answer thee one for a thousand Therefore my mouth is stopt and I acknowledge before thee that I have deserved eternall torments and withall I confesse with tears that thou mayst justly cast me into prison for ever Therefore for these daily sinnes of my life I offer unto thee holy Father the most precious bloud of thy Sonne which was poured forth on the altar of the crosse which washeth me from all my sinnes My sinnes which lead me captive are many in number and most powerfull But the ransome of thy Sonne is much more precious and of more efficacy Let that most perfect plenarie and holy price payed by Christ obtain for me remission of sinnes Amen PRAYER IIII. He examines our life according to the rule of the first table of the commandments HOly God and just Judge Thou gavest unto us thy Law in mount Sinai and thou wouldst have it to be the rule of all our actions words and thoughts That whatsoever is not squared by it should in thy judgement be accounted sinne As often as I look upon that most clear glasse I perceive mine own filthinesse and tremble every part of me I ought to love thee O my God above all things But how often do I love the world and forget the love of thee I am bound to fear thee O my God above all things But how often do I consent to sinne and let thy fear slip out of my memorie Thou requirest that I should trust in thee O my God above all things But how often in adversitie doth my soul waver and anxiously and carefully doubt of thy fatherly goodnesse I am bound to obey thee O my God with all my heart But how often doth my refractary flesh resist the resolution of obedience and lead me captive into the prison of sinne My cogitations ought to be holy my desires pure and holy But how often is the quiet state of my minde troubled with vain and impious cogitations I ought to call upon thee O God with all my heart But how often doth my minde wander in prayer and doth anxiously doubt whether her prayers be heard or no! How often am I remisse in prayer and demisse in conceiving confidence How often doth my tongue pray and yet I do not worship thee in spirit and in truth How profound oblivion of thy benefits doth seize upon me Thou dost daily poure thy benefits upon me in a loving manner and yet I do not daily return unto thee thanksgiving How cold is my meditation of thy immense and infinite gifts bestowed upon me What slender devotion is there for the most part in my heart I use thy gifts and yet I do not praise thee who art the giver I stick in the rivers and come not to the fountain Thy word is the word of spirit and life But I through sinne and corruption have destroyed the work of thy holy Spirit within me The sparks of a good resolution often inkindled I as often extinguish and yet I do not sue to thee for increase of thy gifts For these and all other my sinnes and defaults I offer unto thee O my God the most pure and perfect obedience of thy Sonne who loved thee in the dayes of his incarnation most perfectly with his whole heart and cleaved unto thee most firmly with all his soul in whose deeds words and thoughts there was found no blot of sinne nor spot of the least offence That which I want by faith I draw from his fulnesse Therefore for this thy wel-beloved Sonnes sake have mercy Lord upon thy servant Amen PRAYER V. He considereth our life according to the rule of the second table of the commandments HOly God and just Judge It is thy eternall and immutable will that I should honour with due respect my parents and the magistrates But how often do I think too meanly of their authoritie How often do I in heart refuse to obey then How often do I traduce their infirmities O how often do I omit by serious prayers to further their safetie I often cherish anger conceived agâ—iâ—st them whereas I ought with patience to submit my self unto them Thy sacred will requires that I should do good to my neighbour in all things to my power But how often doth it irk me to do him good How doth it go against my stomack to forgive him How often am I solicited by my flesh to anger hatred envy and brawling How often doth the fire of my angry heart burn within me although contentious words be not heard without Thy holy will
God for the expectation of our conversion I Render unto thee most mercifull Father immortall thanks for that thou wouldest with so great patience and long-suffering expect my conversion and hast brought me out of the path of sinne unto the fellowship of thy kingdome How great is thy long-suffering that thou hast not cast me away from thy face and thrust me down into everlasting torments whereas I have deserved it a thousand times How many thousands hath death prevented before they could attain unto true repentance How many sinners hath the devil made obstinate that they might not obtain forgivenesse of their sinnes There was no distinction in nature between me and them onely thy goodnesse and long-suffering My offence was no lesse then theirs but thy grace did abound Thy mercie strove with my miserie I went on in my sinne and thou didst go on in thy mercy I deferred my conversion and thou didst deferre my punishment I went astray and thou didst call me I refused to come and still thou didst expect me This thy goodnesse most indulgent Father I cannot extoll with sufficient praises This thy long patience most mercifull God I cannot recompense with any merits Thou didst preserve me from many sinnes whereinto the corruption of the flesh the deceit of the world and the perswasion of the devil would have thrown me headlong as well as others Neither hast thou onely kept me from falling into sinne but also hast most graciously expected my conversion from sinne into which I had fallen I finde thee more mercifull then I am sinfull I sinned and thou madest as if thou didst not see it I contained not my self from wickednesse and yet thou didst abstain from punishment I did long time prolong my iniquity and thou didst prolong thy pitie What were then my deserts Surely evil and the worst of evils to wit my sinnes many in number most grievous for weight and detestable for varietie Therefore to thy grace and bountie alone do I attribute it that thou hast so long expected my conversion and delivered my soul out of the snares of â—â—nne To thee O Lord be praise hoâ—our and glory for ever and ever Amen PRAYER VIII He renders thanks for our conversion I Render thanks unto thee my God for that thou hast converted my heart that was hard and knew not how to repent and for that thou hast taken from me my stony heart and given me an heart of flesh I had of my self power to sinne But I had not of my self power to rise again to repentance I could go astray of my self But I could not return again into the way without thee For even as he that is born crooked from his mothers wombe cannot be made straight by naturall means but onely by divine and supernaturall power So my soul being by nature crooked and prone to sinne and the love of earthly things could by no humane power but thy grace onely be rectified and lifted up to the love of thee and heavenly things I could deform my self by my sinnes most foully But thou onely couldst reform me As the Ethiopian cannot change his skinne nor the leopard his spots Sâ— neither can I do that which is good being by nature addicted unto the love of that which is evil Thou my God didst convert me and I was converted and when I was converted then I repented and when I was instructed then I smote my thigh I was dead in sinne And thou didst quicken me As much power as a dead man hath to raise himself So much had I to convert my self Unlesse thou hadst drawn me I had never come unto thee unlesse thou hadst stirred me up I had never watched unto thee unlesse thou hadst illuminated me I had never seen thee My sinnes were more sweet unto me then hony and the hony-combe But I am to thank thee that now they are sharp and bitter unto me for thou hast given me a spirituall taste The works of vertue were more bitter unto me then gall and aloes But I am to thank thee that now they are become pleasant and sweet for thou hast by thy Spirit changed the corrupt judgement of my flesh I went astray as a sheep that is lost and declined to the way of iniquitie But thou which art the good shepherd hast found me out and brought me again unto the flock of thy saints It was late ere I knew thee for there was a great and darksome cloud of vanitie before mine eyes which would not suffer me to see the light of the truth It was late ere I saw the true light because I was blinde and loved blindnesse and walked through the darknesse of sinne into the darknesse of hell But thou hast illuminated me thou soughtest me when I sought not thee thou calledst me when I called not upon thee thou convertedst me when I was not converted unto thee and thou saidst with a most powerfull voice Let there be light in the inward parts of his heart and there was a light and I saw thy light and I knew mine own blindnesse For this thy immense and infinite benefit I will praise thy name for ever and ever Amen PRAYER IX He renders thanks for the forgivenesse of sinnes I Ow and render unto thee eternall and mercifull God great thanks for that thou hast not rejected me when I came unto thee but diddest most readily receive me and most mercifully forgive me all my sinnes I was that prodigall sonne most indulgent Father I was that prodigall sonne that by living riotously wasted his Fathers substance For I have defiled the gifts of nature I have refused the gifts of grace I have deprived my self of the gifts of glory I was naked and destitute of all good things and thou coveredst and enrichedst me with the robe of righteousnesse I was lost and condemned and thou of thy free grace hast bestowed upon me eternall salvation Thou of thine ardent mercy didst embrace me and kisse me in sending thy most beloved Sonne that is in thy bosome and thy holy Spirit which is the kisse of thy mouth as ample witnesses of thine infinite love Thou clothedst me with my first robe in restoring me my former innocencie Thou gavest me a ring for my hand by sealing me with thy Spirit of grace Thou didst put shoes upon my feet by arming me with the Gospel of peace Thou killedst the fat calf for me by delivering thy most deare Sonne to death for me Thou didst cause me to feast and make merrie by restoring the joy of heart and the true peace of conscience unto me I was dead and through thee I was restored to life I went astray and through thee I came again into the way I was consumed with povertie and through thee I entred again into my former possession Thou mightest in thy just judgement have rejected me seeing that I was polluted with so many sinnes covered with so
strength and subtilty to oppresse me When by day Satan by his tentations doth set upon me the strength of thy right hand doth most bountifully comfort and strengthen me that the deceitfull tempter may not allure me into his snares When an innumerable host of evils hangs over my head thy blessed angels encamp about me like a fiery wall There is no creature so vile so weak and so little of which I do not stand in danger many wayes How great and immense a benefit is it therefore that thy providence doth preserve me safe from them My soul is prone to sinne and my bodie to falling Therefore O Lord most benigne my soul thou governest by thy blessed Spirit and my body by thy angelicall buckler For thou hast given thy angels charge over me to keep me in all my wayes and to bear me up with their hands that I dash not my foot at any time against a stone To thy mercy I attribute it that I am not consumed New dangers compasse and environ me about every day Thy mercy is therefore renewed unto me every morning Thou dost neither slumber nor sleep O thou faithfull and watchfull keeper of my soul and bodie Thy grace is the shadow on my right hand that the noon-tide rayes of open and violent persecution strike me not nor the darknesse of the night cause me to fall into the secret and hidden snares of the devil Thou dost keep my ingresse thou dost direct my progresse thou dost govern my egresse For which thy great benefit I will sing praises unto thee for ever Amen PRAYER XV. He renders thanks for the promise of everlasting salvation I Render thanks unto thee heavenly Father for that thou hast not onely given me free remission of my sinnes and the inward renewing of the Spirit but also an assured promise of everlasting salvation How great is thy goodnesse that to me poore miserable man and a sinner having had so often experience of thy mercy thou hast given boldnesse to hope even after heavenly things and to conceive an assured hope of habitation in the everlasting mansions of thy heavenly house The goods of that true and everlasting life are so great that they cannot be measured and so many that they cannot be numbred so farre extended that they cannot be termed and of such price that they cannot be valued How great therefore is thy goodnesse and bounty to me undeserving wretch in that thou dost in the prison and work-house of this life make me blessed in part with an infallible promise of those goods That I am already saved by hope the Apostle of the truth doth manifest And that hope maketh not ashamed it is proved by evident testimonie Why therefore is the ship of my heart in which Christ is carried by faith so often tossed up and down with storms and waves of doubtings Thou hast given unto me a promise of salvation O God thou God of truth How can I therefore any longer doubt of the certainty and immutability of thy promise That promise of life comes of thy meer free-will And therefore it depends not upon the merit of my works I am by faith as surely ascertained of the benefits promised of thy grace as I am assured by the sight of mine eyes of those which I already have Thou feedest me with the bodie and bloud of thy Sonne Thou sealest me by the inward testimony of thy Spirit What more certain testimony or more precious pledge can there be to confirm unto me the promise of salvation I finde in very deed that thou art with me in the troubles of this present life How can it otherwise be but that I shall be with thee in that most blessed fellowship of eternall life If thou bestowest upon me such great things in the poore cottage of this world How much greater wilt thou bestow in the palace of the heavenly paradise Whatsoever thing to be hoped for thou hast promised is as certain unto me as all those things which thou hast given me for my use in this world Thy mercy and truth is strengthened and shall be strengthened over me for ever Thy mercy did prevent me and thy mercy shall follow me It prevented me in my justification and it shall follow me in my glorification It prevented me that I might live piously it shall follow me that I may live for ever with thee Therefore I will praise and sing of thy mercy and truth for ever Amen The third part Of Petitions for our selves The Argument The meditation of our own wants doth shew that 〈◊〉 have of our selves no manner of spirituall good And therefore that it becometh â—s to renounce all confidence in our own strength and to flee to the aid 〈◊〉 succour of Gods mercy promised unto us through Christ By this consideration of our manifold wants 〈◊〉 soul is lifted up unto God and begs of him morâ—â—fication of the old man and renovation of the new â—hich is necessarie for all those that are born again â—his renovation consisteth in the conservation and inâ—â—ease of faith hope charitie humilitie patience â—entlenesse chastitie and the other vertues And â—â—erefore we ought with serious prayer to sue unto 〈◊〉 for it Moreover seeing that daily we are assaultâ—â— by the flesh the world and the devil insomuch 〈◊〉 our flesh solicits us uâ—to the love of earthly 〈◊〉 the world with hatred and Satan with his â—â—eacheries oppugnes us We have just cause to pray 〈◊〉 unto the Lord of hosts who proposeth unto us 〈◊〉 battel and a reward of victorie For contempt 〈◊〉 earthly things For deniall of our selves For â—â—nquest over the world For comfort in all adâ—â—rsitie and true tranquillitie of the minde For â—â—ctorie in tentations and preservation from the deâ—â—ls treacheries And to conclude seeing that the aid 〈◊〉 assistance of God in the houre of death and the 〈◊〉 of judgement is most necessary Therefore we must 〈◊〉 day humbly pray for a blessed departure out of 〈◊〉 life and a blessed resurrection unto life 〈◊〉 PRAYER I. He prayes for mortification of the old man MOst holy and most mercifull God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ through the same thy beloved Son by thy holy Spirit I humbly beseech thee that thou wouldest be pleased to work in me a daily mortification of the old man thaâ— according to the inward man I may in thee be strengthened Sinne dwellâ— in my flesh But give thou unto me the strength of the Spirit that I do not suffer it to reigne in me Thou dost set my secret sinnes before thee in the light of thy countenance But set thou them I beseech thee in the light of my heart that I may see them and grieve and humbly sue untâ— thee for pardon I am not as yeâ— altogether free from sinne dwelling in me But grant I beseech thee iâ— mercie that I may be free from thâ— guilt thereof and from condemnation
and my glory for ever Amen PRAYER VI. He prayes for the gift and increase of patience ALmighty eternall and mercifull God with humble sighs I implore thy grace that thou wilt grant unto me true and sincere patience My flesh coveteth after things pleasing unto it that is soft and carnall and refuseth patiently to endure things contrary I beseech thee powerfully to represse in me this desire of the flesh and underprop my weaknesse with the power of patience O Christ Jesu thou doctour of patience and obedience furnish me within with thy holy Spirit that I may learn of thee to renounce mine own will and patiently to bear the crosse that is laid upon me Thou enduredst for me things more grievous then thou layest upon me and I have deserved more grievous punishments then thou inflictest Thou didst bear the crown of thorns and the burden of the crosse thou didst sweat bloud thou didst tread the wine-presse for me Why therefore should I refuse with patience to endure such small sufferings and afflictions Why should I be loth to be made conformable unto thy sorrowfull image in this life Thou didst drink of the brook of passions in the way Why then should I deny to drink a small draught out of the cup of the crosse I have by my sinnes deserved eternall punishments And why should not I suffer a little in this world a fatherly correction Those that thou from eternitie before the foundations of the world were laid didst foreknow thou hast decreed that they should be made conformable unto the image of thy Sonne in the time of this life Therefore if I should not endure patiently this conformitie by the crosse I should despise thy holy and eternall counsel concerning my salvation which farre be from me thy unworthy servant It is for triall and not for deniall that thou dost so exercise me with sundry calamities As much of the crosse and tribulation as thou layest upon me so much light and consolation dost thou conferre upon me neither is my chastisement increased so much as my reward is The sufferings of this life are not worthy of that heavenly consolation which thou sendest in this life and that heavenly glory which thou promisest in the life to come I know that thou art with me in trouble Why therefore should I not rejoyce rather for the presence of thy grace then be sorrowfull for the burden of the crosse that is laid upon me Lead me which way thou wilt thou best Master and Teacher through thorns and bushes I will follow thee onely do thou draw me and make me able to follow thee I submit my head to be crowned with thorns being fully perswaded that thou wilt hereafter crown me with an everlasting crown of glory Amen PRAYER VII He prayes for the gift and increase of gentlenesse and meeknesse O Most gracious Lord that dost so lovingly and kindly invite us to repentance and with such long patience dost wait for our conversion give unto me the riches of long-suffering and meeknesse The fire of anger doth flame in my heart as often as I receive the least detriment from my neighbour Therefore I humbly pray thee that by thy Spirit thou wouldest mortifie this sinfull affection of my flesh What hard words and harder blows and most hard punishments did thy beloved Sonne endure for me Who when he was reproched reproched not again but referred all to him that judgeth all things most righteously What pride is this therefore and stubbornnesse in me that I miserable and mortall dust of the earth and ashes cannot endure a rough word and overcome with meeknesse of heart the offence given me by my neighbour Learn of me O learn of me for I am meek and humble in heart thou cryest out O Christ. Receive me receive me with sighs I humbly intreat thee into that practick school of thy Spirit that I may learn there true meeknesse With what grievous and divers sinnes do I offend thee most gracious Father whose daily pardon I stand in need of Why therefore do I being a man harbour anger against man and presume to ask pardon of thee who art Lord of heaven and earth Were it not absurd for me to take no pitie upon man that is like unto my self and to ask of thee Lord remission of my sinnes Vnlesse I shall remit unto my neighbour his offences neither can I hope for remission of my sinnes Therefore most gracious Lord that art of much mercie and long-suffering give unto me the spirit of patience and meeknes that I do not presently conceive anger when my neighbour offendeth me but that I may shun it as the enemie of my soul or if it steal upon me unawares that I may presently lay it aside Let not the sunne go down upon my wrath lest it depart as a witnesse against me Let not sleep seize upon me whilst I am angry lest he deliver me in my anger to death his sister If I desire to take revenge of mine enemie why do not I set my self against mine anger which is my greatest and most hurtfull enemie seeing that it kills the â—oul and makes me subject to eternall death Set a watch before my mouth and give me prudence to govern the actions of my life that I offend not my neighbour either in word or deed Grant that I may be unto my neighbour by the fragrant smell of my vertues a sweet senting rose and not by offences and detractions a pricking thorn Grant good Jesu that I may insist in the footsteps of thy meeknesse and with a sincere heart love my neighbour Amen PRAYER VIII He prayes for the gift and increase of chastitie HOly God thou which art a lover of modestie and chastitie and a severe hater of filthinesse and lust for Christ his sake the most chaste Bridegroom of my soul I intreat thee to work and increase in me true chastitie inward and outward of the soul and of the body of the spirit and of the flesh and contrariwise to extinguish the fire of evil concupiscence that is in my heart Let the holy fear of thee wound my flesh that it rush not headlong into the fire of lust Let the celestiall love carrie my soul up unto thee that it cleave not through inordinate love unto the unsavourie things of the world Showre down a upon me the streams of thy heavenly grace that the flames of concupiscence may thereby be extinguished as fiery darts are in the water My soul was created after thy image and repaired again by Christ I should offer great injurie unto thee therefore my Creatour and Redeemer and unto my self also if I should be-black the beautifull face of my soul with the smoke and stains of dishonest love Christ dwelleth in my heart The holy Ghost dwelleth in my heart Let him therefore replenish me with the power of his grace and the larges of his spirituall gifts that I may