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
that thou hast received me into the covenant of grace and made me an heir of everlasting life I acknowledge it is thy gift that I was born of Christian parents and by them brought unto this heavenly fount How many thousands of infants are born in Gentilisme and without this sacrament do die in their sinnes There is no difference in nature between me them Onely thy superabundant grace hath made a difference I was joyned with them in communion of sinne But I was separated from them by participation of thy grace How great is this thy goodnesse that thou diddest finde me when I sought thee not that thou didst heare me before I asked that thou didst open unto me before I knockt This thy mercie exceeds all praise yea and all admiration I was baptized in thy holy name thy name for me was called upon Therefore I am received into the heavenly family being made the sonne of my heavenly Father the brother of Christ and the temple of the holy Ghost This is an holy and heavenly laver In it therefore I am washed and purged from all my uncleannesse It is the laver of regeneration and renovation By it therefore I am regenerated renewed by the grace of the holy Ghost Whatsoever Christ my Saviour merited by his most holy obedience by the effusion of his most precious bloud of all that he hath left the saving fount of baptisme as a pledge Therefore the conferring of baptisme is the besprinkling of the bloud of Christ. That precious bloud of Christ doth make me clean from all my sinnes and makes me whiter then snow in the sight of God O eternall God thou hast made an eternall covenant with me in baptisme unto which I have alwayes recourse by true and serious repentance Thou hast betrothed me unto thee for ever in judgement and righteousnesse in grace and mercy Thou hast given me an earnest and pledge of thy Spirit in baptisme Therefore thou wilt not cast me away from thy face but being mindefull of thy promise thou wilt lead me into the joyes of the celestiall marriage As at the baptisme of Christ my Mediatour and head the heavens were opened So by the communion of the same baptisme thou hast opened unto me the gate of paradise As at the baptisme of Christ the holy Ghost descended upon him and a voice from heaven did testifie that he was the beloved Sonne of God So by the same communion of the same baptisme I am made a partaker of the holy Ghost and adopted to be a sonne of God For which inestimable benefit I will give thanks unto thee my God for ever Amen PRAYER XIII He renders thanks for the sacrament of the Lords supper HOw great thanks do I ow unto thee most high God for that in the most sacred mystery of the supper thou dost feed me with the bodie and bloud of thy Sonne What is there in heaven or in earth of more price and excellency then that body which is united to thy Sonne personally What more certain testimonie and pledge of thy grace can there be then the precious bloud of thy Sonne poured out for my sinnes on the altar of the crosse The very price of my redemption thou bestowest upon me that I may have a most certain testimony of thy grace towards me As often as I fall through my sinnes from the covenant of baptisme So often by true repentance and the saving use of this supper I am restored unto it again It is a sacrament of the new Testament and it alwayes enriches me with new gifts of the Spirit In this body life it self dwells and therefore it refresheth me and quickneth me unto everlasting life By the effusion of this bloud satisfaction is made for our sinnes And therefore by the drinking thereof the remission of my sinnes is confirmed unto me Christ saith it Truth it self saith it Whosoever shall eat my flesh and drink my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day that is to the life of glory For this is the bread of life which descended from heaven that whosoever shall eat thereof may not die but have everlasting life It is the eating by faith that Christ so commends which must needs be added unto the sacramentall eating that so that which was appointed to life may be received by us unto life I come therefore with true faith unto this heavenly banquet being firmly perswaded that the body which I eat was delivered unto death for me and the bloud which I drink was poured forth for my sinnes I cannot in any wise doubt of the remission of my sinnes when as it is confirmed by the participation of the price which was offered for my sinnes I cannot in any wise doubt of Christ his dwelling in me when he seals unto me the same by the communion of his body and bloud I cannot in any wise doubt of the assistance of the holy Spirit when my infirmity is strengthened with such safegard I am not afraid of Satans assaults when as this angelicall food doth make me strong to fight I am not afraid of the allurements of the flesh when as this quickning and spirituall food doth corroborate me by the vertue of the Spirit These taken and drunk do make Christ to dwell in me and me in Christ. The good shepherd will not suffer the sheep that is fed with his own body and bloud to be devoured by the infernall wolf Neither will the power of the Spirit suffer me to be overcome by the weaknesse of the flesh To thee O Saviour most benigne be praise honour and thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen PRAYER XIIII He renders thanks to God for preserving us from sundry evils TO thee O eternall and mercifull God I render eternall thanks for that thou hast hitherto preserved me from infinite evils and dangers and hast kept me safe by the guard of thy holy angels Thy privative blessings by which thou dost keep me from evil are more in number then thy positive by which thou dost conferre good upon me As many evils of soul and bodie as I see in others so many tokens do I see of thy mercie toward me For my deliverance from those evils is to be attributed as due onely to thy goodnesse How great is the power of the devil How great is his subtiltie As often therefore as that malignant and most subtile spirit and our most potent adversarie doth labour to do us any mischief so often by the buckler of thy benignity and by the guard of thy holy angels being protected I have been able to escape his nets But who can reckon up the treacherous assaults and invasions of the devil Who can therefore reckon up the riches of thy bounty When I sleep by night the eye of thy providence doth watch over me that the infernall enemy which goeth about like a roaring lion may not be able by his
sinners grievously afflicted on the crosse God dies upon the crosse God suffers God poureth forth his bloud Judge the greatnesse of the danger by the greatnesse of the prize Judge the danger of the disease by the value of the remedie Surely those wounds were great indeed which could no otherwise be cured but by the wounds of the living and quickening flesh Surely that disease must needs be great which could not be cured but by the death of the physician Consider thou faithfull soul Gods most fierce anger against us After the fall of our first father the eternall onely begotten and well beloved sonne of God becomes suter unto his Father for us And yet his anger was not turned away from us He by whom the world was made interceded for us became our advocate and took the cause of us miserable sinners upon himself And yet his anger was not turned away from us Our Saviour took upon him our flesh that by the glorie of the divinitie communicated unto the humanitie he might expiate and purge our sinfull flesh that by the saving vertue of his most perfect righteousnesse communicated unto our nature he might wipe away that venemous qualitie of sinne which cleaveth to our nature and in stead thereof conferre grace upon us And yet his anger was not turned away from us Our sinnes and the punishment of our sins he taketh upon himself His body is bound whipped wounded pierced crucified buried His bloud like a dew distilled most copiously down all his members at his passion His most holy soul is made sorrowfull above measure yea even unto death He feels the pains of hell The eternall Sonne of God crieth out that he is forsaken of God So great was his bloudie sweat so great was his anguish that he which comforteth the angels stood in need of an angel to comfort him He dies who is the authour and giver of life to every living thing If this comes to paâ—se in the green tree what shall become of the dry wood If this comes to passe in the just and holy what shall become of sinners How shall God punish us for our own sinnes who is so wrathfully displeased with his own sonne for other mens sinnes If his sonne is so grievously punished shall we his servants think to escape alwayes unpunished What shall the reprobate suffer if such be the sufferings of his best beloved If Christ departed not without a scourge and yet came into the world without sinne what scourges do they deserve which come into the world in sin live in sin and depart in sinne The servant rejoyceth whilest the sonne is in grievous dolour and pain and that for his sinne The servant heapeth up the anger of God whilest the sonne doth thus labour to pacifie and appease his Fathers wrath Oh the infinite anger of God! oh his unspeakable furie oh the inestimable rigour of his justice He which is thus enraged against his onely and best beloved sonne the partaker of his own essence and that not for any sinne of his own but because he intercedeth for the servant what will he do to the servant that persevereth and continueth still securely in his sinnes Let the servant fear and tremble and be sorrowfull for his own merits when the sonne is thus punished and yet not for his own Let the servant fear who ceaseth not to sinne when the sonne of God is thus afflicted for sinne Let the creature fear which hath crucified his Creatour Let the servant fear which hath slain his Lord. Let the sinner and the ungodly fear which hath thus tormented the pious and the godly Beloved let us heare his cries let us behold his teares he cries from the crosse Behold O man what I suffer for thee I cry unto thee because I die for thee behold the punishments that I suffer behold the nails with which I am pierced and see if any grief be like unto my grief Although my outward grief be thus great yet my inward grief is more grievous because I finde thee so unthankfull Have mercy have mercy on us thou whose propertie it is to have mercy and convert our stony hearts unto thee Meditat. III. Of the fruit of true and serious repentance Our Saviour cry'd Repent repent As John that 'fore our Saviour went THe foundation and beginning of holy life is saving repentance For where there is true repentance there is remission of sinnes And where there is remission of sinnes there is the grace of God And where there is the grace of God there is Christ And where Christ is there is his merit And where there is Christs merit there is satisfaction for sinnes And where there is satisfaction for sinnes there is righteousnes And where there is righteousnesse there is joy and tranquillitie of conscience And where there is tranquillitie of conscience there is the holy Spirit And where the holy Spirit is there is the sacred and holy Trinitie And where the holy Trinitie is there is eternall life Therefore where there is true repentance there is eternall life Where there is not true repentance neither is there remission of sinnes nor the grace of God nor Christ nor his merit nor satisfaction for sinnes nor righteousnesse nor tranquillitie of conscience nor the holy Spirit nor the holy Trinitie nor eternall life Why therefore do we deferre our repentance and why do we procrastinate it from day to day To morrow is not ours and to repent truely is not in our power And in the day of judgement we must give an account not onely for to morrow but also for the present day To morrow is not so certain as the destruction of the impenitent is certain God hath promised remission to the repentant but he hath not promised to morrow There is no place for Christ his satisfaction where there is not true contrition in the heart Our sinnes do separate betwixt God and us so saith the Prophet Esay And by repentance we return again unto him Acknowledge and bewail thy sinnes so shalt thou finde God in Christ appeased towards thee I blot out thine iniquities saith the Lord Therefore our sinnes are enrolled in the court of heaven Turn away thy face from my sinnes begs the Prophet Therefore our iniquities are set in the sight of God Be converted unto us O God prayeth Moses Therefore our sinnes do separate us from God Our sinnes have answered us complaineth Esay Therefore they accuse us before Gods judgement-seat Cleanse me from my sinnes prayeth David Therefore our sinnes appeare most foul and filthie in the sight of God Cure my soul for I have sinned against thee prayeth the same David Therefore sinne is the disease of the soul. Whosoever shall sinne against me I will blot him out of my book saith the Lord Therefore for our sinnes are we blotted out of the book of life Cast me not away from thy face prayeth the Psalmist
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
everlasting and without end Come Lord Jesus and whosoever loveth thee let him say Come Meditat. VI. Consolation for the penitent from the crosse of Christ gathered chiefly out of Anselm Christs crosse my crown I do esteem What 's ' ever heathen men do deem ALl the glorie of the godly consists in the ignominie of the Lords passion All the rest of the godly consists in the wounds of our Saviour our life in his death our glory in his exaltation How great is thy mercy O heavenly Father and Almighty God! Of my self I could offend thee but of my self I could not appease thee Thou therefore in Christ dost reconcile me unto thee Behold therefore holy God the holy pledge of his flesh and forgive the guiltinesse of my flesh Have respect unto what thy Sonne hath suffered for me and forget what thy wicked servant hath done against thee My flesh doth provoke thee to anger Let the flesh of Christ I beseech thee move thee to mercy It is much that my wickednesse hath deserved but it is much more that the holinesse of my redeemer hath merited Great is my unrighteousnesse but much more great is the righteousnes of my redeemer For as much as God is higher then man so much is my wickednesse lower then his goodnesse both in qualitie and quantitie I am wholly thine by condition grant also that by love I may be wholly thine Thou that makest me to ask make me also to receive Thou that grantest unto me to seek grant unto me also to finde Thou that teachest me to knock open unto me when I knock To desire I have from thee Let me have from thee also to obtain To will I have from thee Let me have from thee to do also Holy God just Judge If my sinnes be concealed they are uncurable if they be seen they are detestable they do burn me with grief and do much more terrifie me with fear Do not withhold I pray thee thy true mercy where thou findest so true miserie Great is the sinne which thou findest here but let thy grace be greater and more plentifull Holy Father poure not I beseech thee thy wrath upon me seeing that thou hast smitten thy Sonne for me O holy Jesus deliver me from the wrath of God thou that didst take it upon thy self for my sake upon the crosse O holy Spirit protect me by thy consolation against the wrath of God thou that in the gospel hast declared mercie to the contrite and penitent O holy God and just Judge I finde no place to flie unto from the presence of thy wrath If I ascend up into heaven thou art there If I descend into the deep behold thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea there also shall thy hand lead me and thy right hâ—nd lay hold on me Unto Christ therefore will I flie and hide my self in his wounds O mercifull God behold the body of thy Sonne wounded in every part and look not upon the wounds of my sinnes Let the bloud of thy Sonne wash me from all my spots Heare his most ardent prayers offered unto thee for the salvation of the elect O holy God and just Judge my life affrights me for if it be exactly examined it is either sinne or barrennesse And if there seem to be any fruit in it it is either counterfeit or imperfect or some wayes corrupted so that it cannot please thee yea it must needs displease thee Truly all my life is either sinfull and damnable or unfruitfull and contemptible But why should I separate unfruitfull and damnable Certainly if it be unfruitfull it is damnable for every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire Not onely the tree that bringeth forth ill fruit is cast into the fire but that also which bringeth forth no fruit The goats affright me for they were set on the left hand of the judge not because they did any evil but because they did no good To the hungry they gave no meat To the thirsty they gave no drink Therefore thou withered and unfruitfull tree which hast deserved everlasting fire what wilt thou answer in that day when thou shalt give account for all the time spent in this life even to the twinkling of an eye An hair shall not perish from thy head nor a moment from time O the straits On this side shall be thy sinnes accusing On that side justice terrifying Underneath thee the horrible pit of hell gaping Above thee the angry judge condemning Within thee thy conscience burning Without thee the world flaming The just man shall scarce be saved Whither then shall the sinner thus taken unawares betake himself To lie hid it is impossible To appear it is intolerable From whence then shall I seek for the salvation of my soul from whom shall I seek counsel Who is he that is called the Angel of great counsel It is Jesus He is the judge between whose hands I tremble Fear not then O my soul be comforted despair not Hope in him whom thou fearest betake thy self unto him from whom thou hast fled O Jesus Christ for this thy names sake do unto me according to thy name Look upon me miserable man that call upon thy name If thou receive me into the most ample bosome of thy mercy thou shalt no whit be straited It is true O Lord my conscience hath deserved damnation and my repentance is not sufficient for satisfaction But it is most certain that thy mercie is greater then my offence In thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be confounded Meditat. VII Of the fruit of the Lords Passion My hope on Christ is fixed sure Who wounded was my wounds to cure AS often as I think of the Lords passion I presume much of the love of God and the forgivenesse of my sinnes He bowes down his head to kisse me He stretcheth forth his arms to embrace me He openeth his hands to give unto me He openeth his side that I may see his heart flaming with love He is lifted up from the earth that he may draw all unto him his wounds are blue with grief and shining with love Therefore by the opening of his wounds we ought to enter into the secrets of his heart With him there is most plenteous redemption because his bloud distilled not down drop by drop but flowed down most plentifully from five parts of his body As the grape cast into the wine-presse is squeezed and poureth forth liquour on every side So the flesh of Christ being pressed with the weight of Gods anger and our sinnes doth on every side poure forth the liquour of blood When Abraham would have offered his sonne for a sacrifice the Lord said Now I know of a truth that thou lovest me Do thou likewise acknowledge the
ours and dwells in us And where Christ is there is the grace of God And where the grace of God is there is the inheritance of eternall life By faith Abel offered unto God a greater sacrifice then Cain So by faith we offer unto God spirituall sacrifices that is the fruit of our lips By faith Enoch was translated So faith takes us from the society of men and makes us have our conversation in heaven yea whiles we are here upon earth Christ even now dwels in us we have already eternall life in us but it is hid By faith Noah prepared the ark So we by faith do enter into the Church in which our souls are preserved when all other perish in the vast sea of this world By faith Abraham left the idolatrous land So by faith we go out of this world leaving our parents brethren and kinsfolks and cleave unto Christ who calleth us by his word By faith Abraham went into a strange countrey in expectation of the promised land So we by faith do look for the celestiall Jerusalem which God hath prepared in the heavens We are strangers and pilgrims in this world and travel by faith unto a celestiall countrey By faith Sarah conceived her sonne Isaac in her old age So we being spiritually dead have received by faith strength to conceive Christ spiritually For as Christ was once conceived in the sanctified wombe of the virgin Mary So in the faithfull soul which hath kept it self pure from the contagion of the world he is every day spiritually born By faith Abraham offered up Isaac So also we by faith do spiritually mortifie and sacrifice our own will which is the beloved sonne of our soul For he which will follow Christ must denie himself that is renounce his own will his own honour and the love of himself By faith Isaac blessed Jacob So we by faith are made partakers of all divine benedictions For in the â—eed of Abraham that is in Christ all nations shall be blessed By faith Joseph prophesied of the Israelites going out of Egypt and gave commandment concerning his bones So we by faith expect an egresse out of â—he spirituall Egypt of this world â—nd a blessed resurrection of the boâ—ie By faith Moses was preserved â—or three moneths So faith hideth us from the tyrannie of Satan untill at length we be brought into Godâ— royall palace and be adopted spirituall kings By faith Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to live in the glorie of Egypt So faith begets in us the contempt of glorie honour riches and the pleasures of this world and excites in us the desire of the kingdome of heaven By faith we choose rather the ignominie of Christ then the treasures of this world By faith Moses left Egypt and feared not the kings anger So faith doth animate and confirm us that we are not terrified by the threats of the tyrants of this world but rather obey the call of God with a couragious and constant minde By faith Israel celebrated the Passeover So also we by faith do celebrate a Passeover Chrisâ— was sacrificed for our Paschal lambe whose flesh is meat indeed anâ— whose bloud is drink indeed Bâ— faith the Israelites passed througâ— the red sea So we by faith do passâ— through the sea of this world Bâ— faith the walls of Jericho fell So wâ— by faith destroy all the munitions of Satan By faith Rahab was saved So in the universall destruction of this world by faith we shall be saved from destruction By faith the Fathers overcame kingdomes stopt the mouthes of lions and quenched the force of fire So we by faith destroy the kingdome of Satan escape the treacheries and rage of the infernall lion and are delivered from the scorching of hell fire But faith is not a naked opinion and profession but a true and lively apprehension of Christ propounded to us in the gospel a full perswasion of the grace of God the confident rest of our soul and peace which relies onely upon the merit of Christ. This faith is begotten of the seed of Gods word For faith and the Spirit are one and the word is the coach by which the holy Spirit is brought unto us The fruit doth follow the nature of the seed Faith is a divine fruit Therefore the seed must be divine and that is The word As in the creation light was made by the word of God for God said Let there be light and there was light So the light of faith ariseth from the light of the word of God In thy light shall we see light saith the Psalmist Seeing faith doth joyn us unto Christ seeing it makes us one with him therefore it is the mother of all vertues in us Where there is faith there is Christ where Christ is there is an holy life to wit true humility true gentlenesse true love Christ and the holy Spirit are not severed where the holy Spirit is there is true holinesse Therefore where there is not an holy life there is not the sanctifying Spirit And where there is not the Spirit neither is there Christ where there is not Christ neither is there faith Whatsoever branch doth not suck its life and nourishment from the vine is not to be judged a part of the vine So neither are we yet joyned to Christ by faith unlesse we suck our life and nourishment from him Faith is a kinde of spirituall light For our hearts are enlightned by faith Therefore it spreads abroad the rayes of good works But where the rayes of spirituall life are not there is not yet the true light of faith Bad works are the works of darknes But faith is light And what communion is there between light and darknesse Bad works are the seed of Satan But faith is the seed of Christ And what communion is there between Christ and Satan By faith our hearts are purified But how can there be any inward purity in the heart when the words are impure and the outward works appear impure Faith is the victorie which overcometh the world And how can there be true faith there where the flesh overcometh the Spirit and leadeth it as it were captive By faith we have Christ and in Christ eternall life But no impenitent sinner that persevereth in his sinnes can be partaker of eternall life How then can he be partaker of Christ How can he be partaker of faith Kindle in us O Christ the light of true faith that by faith we may obtain eternall salvation Meditat. XIII Of the spirituall wedlock of Christ and the Soul Christ is by marriage knit to thee If thou to him by sanctitie I Will betroth thee unto me for ever saith Christ unto the faithfull soul Christ therefore would be present at the marriage which was celebrated in Cana
evening of this world would Christ be born to shew that the benefits of his incarnation concern not this life but that which is everlasting In the time of Augustus the peace-maker would he be born because he made peace between God and man In the time of Israels servitude would he be born because he is the redeemer and deliverer of his people Under the reigne of a forrein king would he be born because his kingdome was not of this world He is born of a virgin to signifie that he is not conceived or born but in the hearts of those that are spirituall virgins that is whose mindes adhere not unto the world and the devil but unto God in one spirit His birth was pure and holy to sanctifie our impure and polluted nativity He is born of a virgin betrothed to an husband to honour matrimony which was Gods institution He is born in the darknesse of the night because he was the true light which illuminateth the darknesse of the world He is laid in a manger because he is the true food of our souls He is born betwixt an ox and an asse that men which were become like unto the beasts might be restored to their former dignitie He is born in Bethlehem that is in the house of bread because he brought with him most plentifull food of divine benefits He is the first and onely begotten of his mother upon earth because he was according to his divine nature the first and onely begotten of his Father in heaven He is born poore and needie to purchase for us celestiall riches He is born in a stable to bring us to his royall palace which is in heaven From heaven is sent the messenger of this so great a benefit because no man on earth understood the greatnesse thereof And further it was meet that the messenger of celestiall gifts should be celestiall The armies of the angels rejoyce because we are by the incarnation of the Son made partakers of their happinesse To the shepherds first is declared this so great a miracle because the truâ— shepherd of our souls came to bring back the lost sheep into the way To the ignoble and those that were despised is the matter of so great joy declared because no man can partake thereof unlesse he become vile in his own eyes To them that watch over their flocks is his nativitie declared because they onely whose hearts do watch unto God and not they that lie snorting in their sinnes are made partakers of so great a gift The quire of heaven which was made sorrowfull for the sinne of our first father doth now sing and rejoyce The brightnesse and glory of that Lord and King appeareth now in the heavens whose lowlinesse men despised here on earth The angel sayes unto them Fear not because he was born who would quite take away all cause of fear Joy was declared from heaven because the authour and giver of joy was born Joy is commanded because enmity between God and man the cause of all sorrow is removed Glory in the highest is rendred unto God which our first father by his unlawfull transgression of the commandment would have taken away True peace is obtained by his nativitie because before men were enemies unto God before their own conscience was their adversarie before they were at dissension one with another True peace is restored to the earth because he is overcome which held us captive Let us go with the shepherds to Christs manger that is to the church and in his swadling-clothes that is in the sacred scriptures shall we finde the infant enwrapped Let us with Mary the holy mother of our Lord keep the words of so great a mysterie and let us every day recall them to our memorie Let us follow with our voice the angels which sing before us and let us render unto God due thanks for so great a benefit Let us rejoyce and be glad with all the heavenly army For if the angels do so greatly rejoyce for our sake How much more ought we to rejoyce seeing unto us he is born and given If the Israelites did lift up their voices with jubile when the ark of the covenant was brought unto them which was but a figure and shadow of the Lords incarnation How much more ought we to rejoyce unto whom the Lord himself is come and hath taken our flesh upon him If Abraham rejoyced when he saw the day of the Lord when the Lord in an humane shape assumed for a time appeared unto him What should we do now Christ hath coupled unto himself our nature by an everlasting and inviolable covenant Let us admire here the infinite goodnesse of God who himself would descend unto us seeing that we could not ascend unto him Let us admire the infinite power of God who of two things most distant I mean the divine and humane nature could make one so nearly that one and the same should be God and man Let us admire the infinite wisdome of God who could finde out means to work our salvation when men and angels saw no means An infinite good was offended and an infinite satisfaction was required Man had offended God of man was satisfaction required But by man neither could an infinite satisfaction be made neither could Gods justice be satisfied without an infinite price Therefore God was made man that both he which had sinned might satisfie and he which was infinite might pay an infinite price Let us admire this wonderfull temper of Gods justice and mercie which no creature could finde before God did manifest it and none could fully perceive after it was made manifest Let us admire these things and not curiously prie into them Let us desire to look in though we cannot conceive all Let us rather confesse our ignorance then deny Gods omnipotence Meditat. XV. Of the saving fruit of the Incarnation Christ was conceiv'd in Virgins wombe That thou might'st sonne of God become I Bring you tidings of great joy saith the angel at our Saviours nativitie Of great joy indeed that is such as passeth mans understanding It was a very great evil that we were held captive under the wrath of God under the power of the devil and under eternall damnation But it was yet greater because men either knew it not or else did neglect it But now great joy is declared unto us because he that delivereth us from all evils is come into the world He is come a physician to the sick a redeemer to the captives the way to the wanderers life to them that were dead salvation to them that were condemned As Moses was sent from the Lord to deliver the people of Israel from the servitude of Egypt So Christ was sent from his Father to redeem all mankinde from the devils slavery As the dove after the drying up of the waters
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
the night unlesse thou dost first arm thy self by prayer What fruit canst thou expect of thy labours unlesse thou dost first worship him without whose blessing all labour is unprofitable If therefore thou wantest spirituall or temporall blessings ask and receive If thou desirest Christ seek him by prayer and thou shalt finde If thou desirest that the gate of divine grace eternall salvation should be opened unto thee Knock and it shall be opened unto thee If in the desert of this world the thirst of tentations and the penurie of spirituall goods afflict thee Come unto the spirituall rock which is Christ come with devotion and strike it with the rod of prayer thou shalt feel the streams of divine grace cool the thirst of thy penurie Wouldest thou offer an acceptable sacrifice unto God Offer thy prayers so shall God smell a sweet odour and his wrath shall cease Wouldest thou every day converse with God Love prayer which is the spirituall conference between God and the devout soul. Wouldest thou taste how sweet the Lord is Invite the Lord to the house of thy heart by prayer Prayer pleaseth God if it be made in a due manner Whosoever therefore desireth to be heard let him pray with wisdome with fervencie with humilitie with faith with perseverance with confidence Let him pray with wisdome that is for such things as tend to the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbour God is omnipotent Therefore do not thou in thy prayers tie him to means God is most wise Therefore do not thou in thy prayers prescribe him an order Let not thy prayers break forth rashly but let them follow the conduct of faith Now faith hath respect unto the word Therefore such things as God hath promised in his word absolutely pray for absolutely and such things as he hath promised with a condition as temporall things pray for with a condition and such things as he hath in no wise promised in no wise pray for God oftentimes gives in his wrath that which in his mercy he doth denie Therefore follow Christ who resigned his will wholly unto God Pray with fervencie For how canst thou desire that God should heare thee when thou hearest not thy self Wouldest thou have God mindfull of thee when thou art not mindfull of thy self When thou wilt pray go into thy closet and shut thy doore Thy heart is the closet thou must enter into it If thou wilt pray as thou oughtest thou must shut the doore that the cogitations of worldly businesse may not trouble thee Thy words come not unto Gods eares without the affection of the heart The minde must be so inflamed with the heat of cogitation that it may farre surpasse what the tongue expresseth And this is to worship in spirit and in truth as the Lord requireth Christ prayed in the mount and lifted up his eyes unto heaven So we must turn away our mindes from all the creatures and turn them unto God Thou doest injurie unto God if thou prayest unto him to attend unto thee when thou dost not attend unto thy self We may pray without ceasing if we pray in the spirit that is if our mindes do alwayes by holy desires watch unto God There is not alwayes need of clamour because God heareth even the sighs of our hearts seeing that he dwelleth in the hearts of the godly There is not alwayes need of words because he is present even with the thoughts Oftentimes one sigh moved by the holy Ghost and offered to God in the spirit is more acceptable to God then long repetitions of prayers where the tongue prayeth and the heart is plainly dâ—mbe Let him pray with humilitie and place no confidence in his own merit but in the grace of God onely If our prayers relie upon our own worth they are condemned yea though the heart for very devotion should sweat drops of bloud No man pleaseth God but in Christ Therefore no man prayeth aright but through Christ and in Christ. The sacrifices did not please God which were not offered on the onely altar of the tabernacle So prayer pleaseth not God unlesse it be offered upon the onely altar which is Christ. God promised to heare the Israelites prayers if they prayed with their faces turned toward Jerusalem So we in our prayers must convert our selves unto Christ who is the temple of the divinitie Christ at his passion being about to pray cast himself to the ground Behold how that most holy soul humbled it self before the divine majestie Let him pray with faith let him offer himself to want all joy and to suffer all punishment The sooner one prayeth the more profitably the oftner the better the more fervently the more acceptably with God Let him pray with perseverance For if God delay his benefits he commends them and doth not deny them The longer things are desired the sweeter they are being obtained Let him pray with confidence that is ask with faith without doubting O most mercifull God who hast commanded us to pray give us grace to pray aright Meditat. XXVI Of the holy angels appointed by God to be our keepers The angels of the Lord protect All those that are the Lords elect COnsider thou devout soul how great the goodnesse of the Lord is who hath made his angels thy keepers Our heavenly Father sends his own Sonne to redeem us The Sonne of God is made flesh to save us The holy Ghost is sent to sanctifie us The angels are sent to protect us So then all the court of heaven doth as it were serve us convey their benâ—fits unto us I do not wonder now that all the inferiour creatures were made for man seeing that the angels themselves creatures farre more excellent do not deny their ministerie unto us What wonder is it that the heaven ministers light unto us by day that we may labour and darknesse by night that we may rest seeing that those that dwell in heaven do minister unto us What wonder is it that the aire affordeth us vitall breath and all kindes of fowls to our service seeing that the celestiall spirits watch over us for our safety What wonder is it that the water affordeth us drink purgeth away our filth watereth things that are dried and brings forth sundry kindes of fishes when as the angels themselves are present with us and do refresh us when we are weary with the heat of calamities and tentations What wonder that the earth beareth us and nourisheth us with bread and wine and furnisheth our tables with all kindes of fruits and living creatures when as he hath given his angels charge to keep us in all our wayes and to bear us up in their hands that we dash not our foot against a stone The angels were solicitous concerning Christ. For an angel foretells his conception An angel declares
his nativitie An angel bids him flee into Egypt The angels minister unto him in the desert The angels minister unto him in the whole ministerie of his preaching An angel is present with him at the agonie of death An angel appeares at his resurrection The angels are present at his ascension The angels shall be with him when he returns to judgement So then as the angels waited upon Christ in the dayes of his flesh so also are they solicitous for all them that are incorporated into Christ by faith As they served the head so do they also serve the members They rejoyce to serve them on earth whom they shall have their companions in heaven They do not deny their ministerie unto them whose most sweet fellowship they hope for hereafter The angels of God appeared to Jacob in the way to his countrey So in this life which is the way to our heavenly countrey the angels are the keepers of the godly The angels defended Daniel in the midst of the lions So likewise they defend all the godly from the treacheries of the infernall Lion The angels preserved Lot from the fire of Sodom So by holy inspirations and protections against the devils tentations they often preserve us from the fire of hell The angels carry the soul of Lazarus into Abrahams bosome And so they translate the souls of the elect unto the palace of the heavenly kingdome The angel leads Peter out of prison And so he doth often deliver the godly out of most apparent dangers Great is the power of our adversarie the devil But let the guard of the angels lift us up Doubt not but these will be present to aid thee in all dangers because the Scripture describeth them with wings under the figure of Cherubim and Seraphim that thou mayst know assuredly that they will come with incredible celeritie to bring aid and succour Do not doubt but these will be thy protectours in all places because they are most subtile spirits which no body can resist All visible things give way unto them and all bodies alike though they be solid and thick by them are penetrable and passable Do not doubt but these spirits know thy dangers and afflictions because they alwayes behold the face of thy heavenly Father and are alwayes ready prest for his service Know also thou devout soul that these angels are holy Therefore study for holinesse if thou wouldest enjoy their fellowship Likenesse of conditions doth most beget friendship Accustome thy self therefore to holy actions if thou desirest to have the angels to be thy keepers In every place and angle stand in awe and reverence of thy angel and do nothing in his presence which thou wouldest be ashamed to do in the sight of man These angels are chaste Therefore they are driven away by filthy actions Smoak drives away bees and an ill savour drives away doves So lamentable and stinking sinne drives away the angels the keepers of our life If by sinne thou deprivest thy self of their tuition How canst thou be safe from the devils treacheries If thou beest destitute of the angels protection How canst thou be safe from the invasioâ— of many dangers If thy soul be not fenced by the wall of the angels defence the devil will easily overcome it by his deceitfull perswasion The holy angels are sent by God as his messengers to us Therefore thou must be reconciled unto God by faith if thou wilt have an angel to be thy keeper Where the grace of God is not neither is there the guard of angels Let us behold the angels as Gods saving hands which are moved to no work without his direction There is joy in heaven before the angels over one sinner that repenteth The teares of the penitent are as it were the wine of the angels But an impenitent heart puts to flight the angels our keepers Let us therefore repent that we may cause the angels to rejoyce The angels are of an heavenly and spirituall nature Let us therefore think upon heavenly and spirituall things that they may take pleasure to be with us The angels are humble and hate pride altogether because they are not ashamed to tend little children Why then is earth and ashes proud when the heavenly spirits so humble themselves At death especially the devils subtiltie is to be feared because it is written that the serpent lieth in wait for the heel The heel which is the extreme part of the bodie is the last term of our life In that last agonie of death the angels guard is most necessary that they may deliver us from the fierie darts of the devil and carry our soul when it is gone out of the prison of our bodie into the heavenly paradise When Zacharie was in the temple busie about his holy function the angel of the Lord came unto him So likewise if thou delightest in the exercise of the word and prayer thou mayst rejoyce to have the angels thy protectours O most mercifull God thou that leadest us through the desert of this world by the conduct of the holy angels grant that we may at length be carried by them into the kingdome of heaven Meditat. XXVII Of the devils treacheries The devils treacheries who knows A thousand wayes he seeks our woes COnsider thou devout soul in what danger thou art because the devil thine adversarie is alwayes lying in wait for thee He is an enemie for boldnesse most ready for strength most powerfull for subtiltie most cunning for engines well stored in fight indefatigable into all shapes changeable He enticeth us into many sinnes and having enticed us he accuseth us before Gods judgement seat He accuseth God to men and men to God and men one to another He exactly considers every ones naturall inclination and then he layes for them the snares of tentations As in the besieging of cities the besiegers come not against the strong and fortified places but where they finde the walls weak the ditches plain and the turrets without guard So the devil when he assaults the soul of man first sets upon that part which he findes softest and best affected for him the easier to work upon If he be once overcome he doth not presently remove but comes again to tempt with greater force that so he may by tediousnesse and neglect overcome those whom by violence of tentations he could not overcome Against whom will he not use his subtile tricks when he was so bold as to set upon the Lord of majestie himself with his craft and subtiltie What Christian will he spare when he sought to winnow Christs apostles themselves like wheat He deceived Adam in his nature instructed Whom cannot he deceive in his nature corrupted He deceived Iudas in the school of our Saviour And whom will he not deceive in the world the school of errour In all states the devils
treacheries are much to be feared In prosperitie he lifts us up with pride In adversitie he drives us to despair If he sees a man delighted with frugalitie he entangleth him in the fetters of unsatiable covetousnesse If he sees a man of an heroicall spirit he sets him on fire with flaming anger If he sees a man somewhat merrier then ordinary he incites him to burn with lust Those whom he sees to be zealous in religion he labours to entangle in vain superstition Those whom he sees exalted to dignities he pricks them forward with the spurres of ambition When he allureth a man to sinne he amplifies Gods mercie and when he hath cast him headlong into sinne he amplifies Gods justice First he will leade a man to presumption and afterwards he labours to bring him to desperation Sometimes he assaults outwardly by persecutions sometimes he assaults inwardly by fiery tentations Sometimes he sets upon us openly and by force sometimes secretly and by fraud In eating he sets before us gluttony in generating luxurie in exercising sluggishnesse in conversing envie in governing covetousnesse in correcting anger in dignitie pride In the heart he sets evil cogitations In the mouth false speakings In the other members wicked actions When we are awake he moves us to ill works when we are asleep he moves us to filthy dreams So then in every place and in every thing we must beware of the devils treacheries We sleep but he watcheth We are secure and he goes about like a roaring lion If thou shouldest see a lion ready to assault thee how wouldest thou fear and tremble When thou hearest that the infernall lion lies in wait for thee doest thou sleep soundly on both eares Consider therefore thou faithfull soul the treacheries of this most potent enemie and seek the aid of spirituall arms Let thy loyns be girt with the girdle of truth and covered with the breast-plate of righteousnesse Put on Christs perfect righteousnesse and thou shalt then be safe from the devils tentations Hide thy self in the holes of Christs wounds as often as thou art terrified by the darts of this malignant serpent The true beleever is in Christ as therefore Satan hath no power over Christ so hath he no power over the true beleever Let thy feet be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace Let our confession of Christ be alwayes heard in our mouthes So no tentations of the devil shall hurt us The words of the enchanter do not so drive away the corporall serpent as the voice of constant confession doth put to flight this spirituall serpent Take the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of this most wicked enemie Faith removes mountains understand the mountains of doubts persecutions and tentations The Israelites whose doore-posts were signed with the bloud of the paschall Lambe were not smitten by the destroying angel So likewise those whose hearts are by faith sprinkled with the bloud of Christ shall not be hurt by this destroyer Faith relies upon Gods promises Now Satan cannot overthrow Gods promises Therefore Satan cannot prevail against faith Faith is the light of the soul and the tentations of the malignant spirit do soon appeare through this light By faith our sinnes are thrown into the profound sea of Godâ— mercie and in that the fiery darts of the devil shall be easily quenched We must put on likewise the helmet of salvation that is holy hope Endure tentation and expect an issue out of the tentation For God is the moderator of them that contend and the crown of them that overcome If there be no enemie then no fight if no fight no victorie if no victorie no crown Better is that fight that brings us nearer to God then that peace which alienateth us from God We must also take the sword of the Spirit that is the word of God Let the consolations in Scripture prevail more with thee then the contradictions of the devil Christ overcame all Satans tentations by the word and still by the word Christians overcome all Satans tentations To conclude In prayer thou hast great aid against tentations As often as the little ship of the soul is ready to be overwhelmed with the waves of tentations awake Christ by thy prayers We overcome visible enemies by striking but we overcome our invisible enemie by pouring forth prayers Fight thou O Christ both in us and for us that so through thee we also may overcome Meditat. XXVIII Generall rules of a godly life He 's onely wise who God doth know And doth by life his knowledge show EVery day thou drawest nearer to thy death judgement and eternitie Therefore think every day how thou mayst be able to stand in that most strict and severe judgement and so live for ever Look diligently unto thy thoughts words and deeds because hereafter thou must give an exact account for all thy thoughts words and deeds Every evening think that thou shalt die that night Every morning think that thou shalt die that day Do not deferre thy conversion and good works till to morrow because to morrow is uncertain but death is certain and hangs over thy head every day Nothing is more contrary to godlinesse then delay If thou contemnest the inward calling of the holy Spirit thou shalt never attain to true conversion Deferre not thy conversion and good works till thy old age but offer unto God the flower of thy youth It is uncertain whether the young man shall live till he be old But it is certain that destruction is prepared for the young man which is impenitent No age is fitter for Gods service then youth which flourisheth in strength both of body and minde For no mans sake undertake an evil cause for it is not that man but God that shall hereafter judge thee Do not therefore preferre the favour of men before the grace of God In the way of the Lord either we go forwards or else we go backwards Therefore examine thy life every day whether thou goest forwards or backwards in the study of pietie To stand in the way of the Lord is to go back Do not delight then to stand still in the course of godlinesse but study alwayes to walk in the way of the Lord. In thy conversation be courteous towards all grievous to none familiar with few To God live piously to thy self chastly to thy neighbour justly Shew favour to thy friend shew patience towards thy enemie shew thy good will towards all and thy bountie to whom thou art able In thy life die daily unto thy self and unto thy vices So in death thou shalt live unto God Let mercie appeare in thy affection courtesie in thy countenance humilitie in thy attire modestie in thy neighbourhood and patience in tribulation Alwayes think upon three things past the evil committed the good omitted and the time pretermitted Alwayes
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
into everlasting fire because ye fedde me not when I was hungry The holy seed of almes-giving as it is sowed sparingly or bountifully so it shall be reaped sparingly or bountifully If thou wouldest be in the number of the sheep do good unto the sheep Let the goats cause thee to fear For they are placed at the left hand not because they took any thing away but because they gave not Incline our hearts O God unto thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse Meditat. XXXVI Of the properties of true love and charitie The signe by which the Saints we know It is by love their faith to show TRue sincere love is an inseparable property of the godly No Christian without faith and no faith without charitie Where there is not the brightnesse of charitie neither is there the heat of faith Take away light from the sunne and thou mayst take away charitie from faith Charitie is the outward act of the inward life of a Christian man The bodie is dead without the spirit and faith is dead without charitie He is not of Christ that hath not the Spirit of Christ he hath not the Spirit of Christ that hath not the gift of charitie Charitie is the fruit of the Spirit The tree is not known to be good unlesse it bring forth good fruit Charitie is the bond of Christian perfection As the members of the bodie are knit together by the spirit that is the soul So the true members of the mysticall bodie are united by the holy Spirit in the bond of charitie In Solomons temple all was covered with gold within and without So in Gods Spirituall temple let all be beautified with love and charitie within and without Let charitie move thy heart to compassion and thy hand to contribution Compassion is not sufficient unlesse there be also outward contribution Neither is outward contribution sufficient unlesse there be also inward compassion Faith receiveth all from God and charitie giveth it again unto our neighbour By faith we are made partakers of the divine nature But God is love Therefore where charitie sheweth not it self without let no man beleeve that there is faith within No man beleeveth in Christ which loveth not Christ And no man loveth Christ unlesse he love his neighbour He doth not yet apprehend the benefit of Christ with true confidence of heart whosoever doth denie unto his neighbour the office which he oweth unto him That is not truely a good work which proceedeth not from faith Neither is it truely a good work which proceedeth not from charitie Charitie is the seed of all vertues It is no good fruit which springeth not forth from the root of charitie For charity is the spirituall tast of the soul For unto it alone is every good thing sweet every hard thing sweet all adversitie sweet and all pain and trouble sweet yea more the taste of charitie maketh even death it self most sweet For love is strong as death yea stronger then death because love brought Christ to die for us And love doth so stirre up the true godly that they doubt not to die for Christ. All the works of God proceed from love yea punishments themselves So let all the works of a Christian man proceed from love In all the creatures God hath set before us the glasse of love The sunne and the starres shine not to themselves but to us The herbs purge not themselves but us Aire water beasts and all creatures serve man Do thou also give thy self wholly to serve thy neighbour Tongues profit not without charâ—tie Because without charitie knowledge of tongues puffeth up but charitie edifieth Knowledge of mysteries profits not without charitie Because the devil also hath knowledge of mysteries but charitie is onely proper to the godly Faith also which can remove mountains profits not without charitie For such faith is the faith of working miracles and not of salvation Charitie is better then the gift of doing miracles Because that is the undoubted mark of true Christians but this is sometimes granted to the wicked It profits not to give all that one hath unto the poore if there be not charitie For the outward action is done in hypocrisie if there be not inward love Rivers of bounty profit not unlesse they spring from the fountain of charitie Charitie is patient For no man is easily angry with him that he loveth truly Charitie is bountifull For he that by charitie hath bestowed his heart which is the chief good of the soul how should he denie the outward goods which are lesse Charitie envieth not Because he that is in charitie looketh upon anothers good as upon his own Charitie thinketh no evil No man easily hurts him whom he loveth truly and from his heart Charitie is not puffed up Because by charity we are all made the members of one bodie and one member prefers not it self before another Charity doth not behave it self undecently For it is the property of an angrie man to bear himself undecently but charitie is the bridle of anger Charitie seeketh not those things which are her own Because that which one loveth he preferreth before himself and seeketh the profit thereof more then his own Charitie is not provoked to anger For all anger proceedeth from pride but charity puts it self under all Charitie imagineth no mischief For it plainly appeareth that he is not yet in perfect charitie whosoever worketh mischief against any one Charity rejoyceth not in iniquitie For charitie maketh anothers miserie to be her own Charitie beareth all things beleeveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things For charitie refuseth not to do unto others as she desires that others should do unto her Tongues shall cease prophesies shall cease and sciences shall be destroyed But charitie shall not cease but the imperfection thereof shall be taken away and the perfection thereof shall be compleat in the life to come God commanded two altars to be built in the tabernacle and fire was carried from the outward to the inward God hath congregated a twofold Church a militant and a triumphant The fire of love shall at length be translated from the militant to the triumphant Think upon these things O devout soul and study after holy love Whatsoever thy neighbour be yet he is one for whom Christ vouchsafed to die Why then dost thou deny to shew thy charitie to thy neighbour when as Christ did not stick to lay down his life for him If thou lovest God truly thou must also love his image We are all one spirituall body Let us therefore have all one spirituall minde It is unfit that they should be at variance upon earth which must at length live together in heaven Whilest our mindes agree in Christ let our wills also be conjoyned We are the servants of one Lord It is not fit that we should
be at variance That member of the body is dead which hath not a sense of anothers grief Neither let him judge himself a member of Christs mysticall bodie whosoever doth not grieve with another that suffereth We have all one Father that is God whom Christ hath taught thee daily to call our Father And how shall he own thee to be his true sonne unlesse thou again own his sonnes to be thy brethren Love him that is commended unto thee by God if he be worthy because he is worthy and if he be not worthy yet love him because God is worthy whom thou oughtest to obey If thou lovest a man that is thine enemie thou shewest thy self to be the friend of God Do not mark what man doth against thee but what thou hast done against God Observe not the injuries offered thee by thine enemies but observe the benefits conferred upon thee by God who commandeth thee to love thine enemie We are neighbours by the condition of our earthly nativity and brothers by the hope of our celestiall inheritance Let us therefore love one another Kindle in us O God the fire of love and charity by thy Spirit Meditat. XXXVII Of the studie of chastitie The soul that 's chast is Christ his spouse His bed of rest his lodging-house HE that will be the true disciple of Christ must study to be chast and holy Our most gracious God is a pure and chast Spirit And thou must call upon him with chast prayers It was the saying of a wise man That the chastitie of the body and the sanctitie of the soul are the two keys of religion and felicitie If the body be not kept pure and immaculate from whoredome the soul cannot be ardent in prayer Our body is the temple of the holy Ghost We must beware therefore and be very carefull that we pollute not this holy habitacle of the holy Ghost Our members are the members of Christ We must beware that we take not the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot Let us cleave unto the Lord by faith and chastitie that we may be one spirit with him Let us not cleave unto an harlot that we be not made one body with her The Sodomites burning with lust were smitten by the Lord with blindnesse corporall and spirituall And such is the punishment of unchast men even unto this day The Sodomites lust was punished with fire and brimstone falling down from heaven So God shall inflame the heat of this evil concupiscence in whoredomes with everlasting fire This fire is not to be extinguished But the smoke of the torments ascendeth up for ever and ever Without that is without the heavenly Jerusalem are dogs that is impure and lustfull men Christ hath washed us with his precious bloud in baptisme And therefore we must beware and be carefull that we do not defile our selves with filthy lust Even nature her self hath taught men to blush and to be ashamed to commit such filthinesse in the sight of men And yet they are not ashamed to commit it in the sight of God and his angels No walls can hinder God from seeing for his eyes are brighter then the sunne No angles or corners can exclude the presence of the holy angels No secret turnings can keep away the testimonie of the conscience This is a wonderfull thing That the heat of lust should ascend up into heaven when the stink thereof descendeth even unto hell This short pleasure shall bring forth everlasting sorrow That which delighteth is momentany but that which tormenteth is everlasting The pleasure of fornication is short but the punishment of the fornicatour is for ever Let the memorie of him that was crucified crucifie in thee thy flesh Let the remembrance of hell quench in thee the heat of concupiscence Let the tears of repentance extinguish in thee the fire of lust Let the fear of God wound thy flesh that the love of the flesh deceive thee not Consider with thy self that the appetite of lust is full of anxietie and folly the act full of abomination and ignominie and the end full of repentance and shame Look not upon the fawning face of the devil inciting thee to lust but look back upon his tail when he flyeth which is full of pricks Think not upon the shortnes of the pleasure but rather think upon the eternitie of the punishment Love the knowledge of the Scriptures and then thou wilt not love the vices of the flesh Be alwayes doing somewhat that the tempter when he cometh may finde thee busied He deceived David when he was idle He could not deceive Joseph for he was busied in his masters service Think every houre that death is at hand and thou wilt easily despise all the pleasure of the flesh Love temperance and thou shalt easily overcome evil concupiscence The belly set on fire with wine doth presently some with lust Amidst thy dainties thy chastitie is in danger If therefore thou feedest thy flesh daintily and immoderately thou nourishest thine own enemie So feed thy flesh that it may serve thee keep it so under that it be not proud Think upon the terrour of the last judgement and thou shalt easily extinguish the fire of lust For at the day of judgement the secrets of the heart shall be revealed and then how much more those things that are done in secret Thou must give an account for unprofitable words And how much more then for filthy speeches Thou must give an account for filthy speeches How much more then for impure actions As long as thy life hath been so long shall thy accusation be As many as thy sinnes have been so many shall thy accusers be Those thoughts which men make no reckoning of shall come to judgement What then doth it profit thee to have thy fornication for a time concealed from men seeing that it must be revealed in the sight of all men at the day of judgement What doth it profit thee to escape the judgement-seat of an earthly judge seeing that thou canst not escape the judgement-seat of the supreme judge This judge thou canst not corrupt with gifts for he is a most just judge This judge thou canst not move with prayers for he is a most severe judge This judge his province and jurisdiction thou canst not flee from for he is a most powerfull judge Him thou canst not deceive with vain excuses for he is a most wise judge From his broad and proclaimed sentence thou canst not appeal for he is the supreme judge There shall be truth in the inquisition nakednesse in the publication and severitie in the execution Therefore O soul devout towards God let the fear of this judge be alwayes before thine eyes and the fire of lust shall not deceive thee Be thou the rose of charitie the violet of humilitie and the lilie of chastitie Learn
its greatnesse exceeded heaven and earth Imagine also that some bird every thousandth yeare should carrie from this mountain one grain of the smallest dust There might be some hope that at length after the end of many incomprehensible thousands of yeares the greatnesse of that mountain might be consumed But it cannot be hoped that the fire of hell should ever go out The rewards of the elect shall never be ended therefore the punishments of the damned shall never be ended Because as the mercy of God is infinite towards the elect so the justice of God is infinite towards the reprobate Imagine that the damned had so many kindes of torments as there are little drops in the vast sea Imagine also that at every thousandth yeare some little bird should fly thither and suck a small drop thereof There might be some hope that at length the sea would be exhausted and become dry But it cannot be hoped that the punishments of the damned should ever have an end O devout soul think alwayes upon the eternall punishments of the damned To think upon hell preserves a man from falling into hell Have a care to repent whiles yet there is time for pardon What else shall the fire devoure but thy sinnes The more thou heapest up sinnes the more matter thou layest up for the fire O Lord Jesus which by thy passion hast made satisfaction for our sinnes deliver us from eternall damnation Amen Meditat. LI. Of the spirituall resurrection of the godly Doth Adam die Christ in thee live Christ shall eternall life thee give CHrists resurrection profits thee nothing unlesse Christ also rise in thee As Christ must be conceived born and live in thee So also must he rise in thee Before resurrection goes death because none riseth again but he that is fallen And so it fares in this spirituall resurrection Christ riseth not in thee unlesse Adam first die in thee The inward man riseth not unlesse the outward man be first buried The newnesse of the spirit will not come forth unlesse the oldnesse of the flesh be first hidden It is not enough for thee to have Christ once risen in thee because the old Adam cannot be extinct in one moment The old Adam will revive in thee daily And thou must daily mortifie him that Christ may begin to live in thee daily Christ ascended not into heaven neither entred he into his glory before he rose from death So neither canst thou enter into celestiall glory unlesse Christ first rise in thee and live in thee He is not a member of the mysticall bodie of Christ in whom Christ liveth not Neither shall he be brought by Christ into the Church triumphant who hath not been a member of his bodie in the Church militant Betrothing goes before matrimonie And that soul shall not be brought in unto the marriage of the heavenly Lambe which is not in this life betrothed to Christ by faith and sealed by the earnest of the holy Spirit Let Christ therefore rise and live in thee that thou mayst live with him for ever This is the fiâ—st resurrection Blessed and holy it be that hath part in the first resurrection over him shall the second death have no power If thou wilt at the resurrection come forth unto life Christ must daily rise in thee in this life At the resurrection of Christ the sunne rose So if Christ be spiritually risen in thee the light of the saving knowledge of God shall rise in thy soul. How can the light of the saving knowledge of God be there where the darknesse of most grievous sinnes still hath place The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome How then can heavenly wisdome be there where the fear of God hath no place But he that is destitute of the light of divine knowledge in this life how can he be made partaker of eternall light in the life to come The sonnes of light onely do passe unto eternall light but the sonnes of darknesse unto eternall darknesse Christ at his resurrection triumphed over death So he in whom Christ is spiritually risen is passed from death to life For he cannot be overcome by death in whom Christ the conquerour of death doth live Christ rising again brought with him perfect righteousnesse for he died for our sinnes and rose again for our justification So he also in whom Christ is spiritually risen is justified from his sinnes For how can sinne have place there where the perfect righteousnesse of Christ liveth and flourisheth Now this righteousnesse of Christ is applyed unto us by faith Christ rising from the dead got the victory over Satan for in his descent to hell he destroyed his kingdome spoiled his palace and broke his weapons in pieces And so also in whomsoever Christ is spiritually risen against him shall not Satan prevail for how can he be overcome of Satan in whom Christ liveth who overcame Satan At Christs resurrection there was a great earthquake So the spirituall resurrection with Christ is not without the earnest commotion and contrition of heart The old Adam cannot be overcome without striving and resistance Therefore Christ also cannot rise in thee spiritually without great commotion There is no spirituall resurrection with Christ unlesse there be a blotting out of sinne and there is no blotting out of sinne unlesse acknowledgement of sinne go before and there is no true acknowledgement of sinne without serious contrition of heart Therefore there is no spirituall resurrection of Christ in thee without inward contrition of heart Holy Ezechias said As a lion hath he broken in pieces my bones Behold great contrition But he addes presently O Lord so shall they live again and so shall my spirit be quickned Thou shalt correct me and thou shalt quicken me Again Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy back Behold a spirituall resurrection from sinne At Christs resurrection an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and sat upon the sepulchre So if Christ be risen in thee spiritually thou mayest rejoyce in the fellowship of the angels Where the old Adam lives and reignes there is a pleasing bed for the devil But where Christ liveth and reigneth there the angels rejoyce to dwell For it is written There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth But where there is true repentance there also is Christ risen spiritually Where Christ is not yet risen spiritually neither is there yet the grace of God and where there is not yet the grace of God neither is there the guard of angels Where Christ is not yet spiritually risen there still doth the old Adam reigne and where the old Adam doth reigne there doth sinne also yet reigne and where sinne doth reigne there the devil doth reigne And what communion can there be between the blessed angels and the devil Christ after his resurrection presented himself alive unto his disciples So if thou beest
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
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
grace and remission of my sinnes Thy creatures accuse me the book of my conscience accuseth me both the tables of thy divine law accuse me Satan accuseth me day and night But take thou upon thee my patronage O sweet Jesus To thee the poore man is left bereft of all solace of the creatures All my refuge is placed in thy satisfaction for my sinnes and in thy intercession at the right hand of the Father for me My soul take thou the wings of the morning and like a dove hide thy self in the clefts of the rock that is in the wounds of Christ thy Saviour Hide thy self in this rock till the anger of the Lord be passed by and thou shalt finde rest and thou shalt finde protection and thou shalt finde deliverance therein Amen PRAYER VIII He by the effects of contrition argues us to be convicted of the hainousnesse of sinne HOly God and just Judge My heart is contrite and humbled my spirit is heavy and in a great strait by reason of the burden of my sinnes wherewith I am oppressed The courage of my heart hath failed and the sharpnesse of my eyes is decayed My heart is pressed and from thence gush out tears My spirit is oppressed and I forget to take my bread My heart is wounded and from thence gusheth out bloud and a fountain of tears Who knows how oft he offendeth Who knows the sorrow of the heart that is in a great strait by reason of offences My soul is dry and broken in pieces and thirsteth after the fountain of life O Christ feed me with the dew of thy Spirit of grace My heart that is in a great strait sigheth unto thee O thou true joy give unto me peace and quietnesse of heart that being justified by faith I may have peace with God My heart condemneth me But do thou absolve me who art greater then my heart My conscience accuseth me But do thou absolve me who hast fastned to the crosse the hand-writing of my conscience I offer unto thee O my God my contrite and humbled heart for a most acceptable sacrifice I offer unto thee my sighs as the messengers of true and serious contrition I offer unto thee my tears as abundant witnesses of my unfeigned grief In my self I despair In thee is my trust In my self I faint In thee I am refreshed In my self I feel straitnesse In thee again I finde enlargement I am troubled and burdened overmuch Thou shalt refresh me and give rest unto my soul. One deep calleth upon another The deep of my misery calleth upon the deep of thy mercy Out of the deeps do I cry unto thee Cast thou my sinnes into the deep of the sea There is no soundâ—esse in my flesh by reason of thy anger neither is there any rest to my bones by reason of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone over my head and become too heavy for me Cure my soul thou heavenly Physician that I be not swallowed up of eternall death Take the burden of my sinnes from me thou that hast taken it upon thy self on the crosse that I despair not under the intolerable burden thereof Have mercy on me thou fountain of grace and mercy Amen PRAYER IX He declareth the number and greatnesse of Gods benefits unto us and the grievousnesse of our sinnes HOly God and just Judge By how much the more benefits thou hast bestowed upon me by so much the more I grieve that I have so often displeased thee so loving a Father As many gifts as thou hast heaped upon me so many bonds of love hast thou sent over unto me Thou wouldest have bound me unto thy self but I have forgotten thee and thy beneficencie and linked sinne unto sinne Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired servants I am altogether displeased with my self Make thou me altogether to please thee Thy large bounty and wonderfull patience have often invited me to repentance But hitherto I have been backward to come Thou hast often called me O most bountifull God by the preaching of thy word by the teaching of thy creatures by the punishment of the crosse and by inward inspiration But I have stopped the eares of my heart altogether at thy call All the faculties of my soul all the members of my bodie are thy gifts I ought therefore with all the powers of my soul and parts of my bodie be ready to do thee all holy service which is due unto theâ— But I have made them the more is my grief the weapons of iniquitie and unrighteousnesse The breath which I fetch is thine the aire which I suck in is thine the sun whose light I see daily is thine All these ought to have been unto me as furtherances and instruments to sanctitie of life But I have abused them the more is my grief to the slavery of sin Thy creatures I should have used to the glory of thee the Creatour But I have wickedly abused them to thy dishonour In the light of the sunne I should have put on the armour of light But therein have I committed the works of darknesse How much soever is added unto my life comes all from thy bountie Therefore my whole life ought to be employed in thy service on whom it doth wholly depend And yet I have scarce bestowed the least part thereof in thy service As many good inspirations as I have felt within me so many hand-maids of thy grace hast thou sent as ambassadours to invite me mosâ— lovingly to return unto thee by true repentance But alas how often have I stubbornly refused to give them audience But yet receive him who now at length returns unto thee with sighing and a contrite heart Sprinkle me with the bloud of thy Sonne that so being purged fâ—om all the pollutions of the flesh and the spirit I may become whiter then snow and with all thy elect praise thee in the heavenly Jerusalem world without end Amen PRAYER X. He considereth the severitie of Gods angeâ— against our sinnes in the death and passioâ— of Christ. HOly God and just Judge I behold thy Sonne hanging upon the crosse and pouring forth plentifull rivers of bloud I behold him and behold for very terrour I faint altogether My sinnes are those iron nails with which I have bored his hands and his feet My sinnes are â—hose pricking thorns with which his most sacred head which is to be reverenced of the angelicall powers was crowned My sinnes are those stinging thongs with which his most â—ure bodie the proper temple of Diâ—inity was scourged A cruel wilde â—east hath torn in pieces the heavenly Joseph and embrewed his coat with his bloud I miserable sinnner am that wicked beast for my sinnes did make an assault and rush upon thy most beloved Sonne If thy most obedient Sonne is so vexed
many offences and corrupted with so many iniquities But thy mercy did abound above my sinnes thy goodnesse was greater then mine iniquity How often have I shut the gate of my heart when thou diddest knock Therefore when I knocked thou mightest most justly have shut the doore of mercy against me How often have I stopt mine eares that I might not heare thy voice Therefore when I sighed unto thee thou mightest most justly have stopped thine eares and not hearkened unto my voice But thy grace was more abundant then all my sinne and transgression Thou didst receive me with thy hands spread forth and put away mine iniquities as it were a cloud and cast all my sinnes behinde thy back Thou remembrest my sinnes no more but receivest me into the most ample bosome of thy mercy For this thy inestimable benefit I will give thanks unto thee for ever Amen PRAYER X. He renders thanks unto God for conserving us in that which is good TO thee Lord be honour and glorie and blessing and thanksgiving for that thou hast not onely in mercy received me upon my repentance but also hast enabled me to abstain from sinne and live more reformedly What should it profit a man to be free from his sicknesse and presently to fall into a worse relapse What should it profit to be absolved from sinnes past unlesse grace be conferred to lead a godly life Thou God most faithfull hast shewed all the parts and offices of a faithfull and skilfull Physician in the cure of my souls wounds My wounds were deadly and thou didst cure them by the wounds of thy Sonne But there was cause to fear that the wounds that were healed might wax raw again And thou by the grace of thy holy Spirit as it were a fomentation hast hindred it How many be those that after remission of sinnes obtained return again to their former course of life and reiterating their sinnes more grievously offend God! Alas how many do we see that being freed from the yoke of sinne return to their former captivitie and being brought out of the spirituall Egypt look back again to the pots They have fled from the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of Christ and do wallow again in the same by repeating the former conversation of their most wicked life They were freed out of the bonds of Satan by their conversion and again are held entangled in the same by the delusion of wicked spirits Surely their latter end is worse then their beginning And it had been better for them never to have known the way of righteousnesse then having known it to turn away from the path of the holy commandments which were delivered unto them These are the dogs that return again to their vomit and sowes that after their washing wallow again in the mire Whatsoever hath happened unto them might have happened unto me but that it hath pleased thee by the grace of thy power and the efficacie of thy holy Spirit to enable me to continue in that which is good The same wicked spirit that vanquished them assaulted me The same world that seduced them enticed me The same flesh that overcame them allured me Onely thy grace protected me against their assaults and furnished me with power sufficient for victory Thy strength was powerfull in my weaknes From thee the strength of the Spirit descended with which I was enabled to bridle the assaults of the flesh Whatsoever good there is in me it descends all from thee who art the fountain of all good for in me by nature there is nothing but sinne Therefore as many good works as I finde in me which notwithstanding are impure and imperfect by reason of my flesh so many gifts they are of thy grace I must needs confesse For this thine inestimable gift conferred upon me I will give thee thanks for ever Amen PRAYER XI He renders thanks for all the gifts of the soul and bodie and for externall goods I Render unto thee eternall and mercifull God as it is most due eternall thanks for that thou hast not onely made me a bodie and a soul but moreover hast furnished me with sundry gifts of the soul and bodie and also with externall goods Thou which art wisdome it self teachest man all knowledge If therefore I know any good it is a demonstration of thine abundant grace towards me Without thy light my minde is darksome Without thy grace my will is captive If there be in me either any wit or prudence it is all to be attributed to thy clemencie Wisdome is the eye of the soul and divine grace is the eye of wisdome Whatsoever we know we know either by the light of nature or by the revelation of thy word But from thee O thou light of eternall wisdome doth the illumination of nature spring From thee also doth the revelation of the word come Therefore whatsoever we know descendeth unto us as thy gift Thou O indeficient fountain of life art my life and the length of my dayes Thou O eternall health it self art the strength of my body and the vigour of my vertue Man liveth not by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of thy mouth So then man is not preserved in health and strength by bread onely neither is he preserved from diseases by physick onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Tranquillitie of the minde preserveth the health of the bodie And true godlinesse begetteth tranquillitie of the conscience From thee O thou chief good all true godlinesse all tranquillitie of the minde without disturbance and all wished-for health of body doth come Moreover whatsoever externall good I do possesse all that I ow unto thy liberality and bounty A crust of bread is not due unto my deserts How much lesse then are all these externall goods which thou dost heap upon me They are called indeed the gifts of fortune But they are in deed and in truth the gifts of thy grace There is nothing more blessed then to do good and to be liberall to others and thou hast made me partaker of this blessednesse by bestowing liberally these outward goods upon me Thou hast sowed in me the seed of thy grace that from thence there may arise to others an harvest of liberality and beneficency Thou hast committed many things unto me as unto a steward that I might have wherewithall to do good to my fellow-servants From thee the fountain of all good there descends upon me streams of goods Whatsoever I am whatsoever I possesse whatsoever I bestow depends all I confesse upon thy bounty For this thine inestimable mercy I will give thee thanks for ever Amen PRAYER XII He renders thanks for the sacrament of Baptisme TO thee O eternall and mercifull God Father Sonne and holy Ghost I render humble thaâ—â—s for that thou hast washed me in the holy laver of baptisme from all my sinnes and for
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
be holy in spirit and holy in body Without holinesse no man shall see thee who â—rt the most pure light As much therefore as thy beautifull vision is to be loved and desired so detestable and odious let the decrease and losse of chastitie be unto me The holy Spirit is made sorrowfull with the sparks of filthy speeches How much more then with the flaming fire of lust The very appetite of lust is full of anxietie and folly The act is full of abomination and ignominie And the end is full of repentance and shame The heat thereof ascendeth up into heaven and the stink thereof descendeth even unto hell Why therefore should I open the doore of my soul to this most filthy enemie and receive him even into the inward chamber of my heart Give unto me thou God of holines and fortitude thou Lord of hosts give unto me the strength of the Spirit that I may overcome that enemie which within me fighteth against me Grant unto me that I may not onely abstain from unlawfull embracings and outward acts of filthinesse but also that I may be freed from the inward flames and desires thereof seeing that thou dost not onely require a pure body but also a pure heart and dost behold with thy most pure eyes not onely the outwards but the inwards also Crucifie in me O Christ thou which wast crucified for me my flesh and the concupiscence thereof I beseech thee PRAYER IX He prayes for contempt of earthly things HOly God heavenly Father I call upon thee through thy beloved Sonne that by thy holy Spirit thou wouldest withdraw my heart from earthly things and lift it up unto the desire of heavenly things As fire by nature doth tend upwards So let the spirituall fire of love and devotion kindled in my heart tend to heavenly things What are these earthly things They are more brittle then glasse more moveable then Euripus more changeable then the windes I were a fool therefore if I should set my heart upon them and seek rest for my soul in them We must leave all earthly things when we die though it be against our wills Grant therefore that with a free and voluntary affection of the heart I may first forsake them Mortifie in me the love of the world that the holy love of thee may increase in me Preserve me by the aid of thy holy Spirit that I settle not my love on this world lest my heart become worldly The figure of this world passeth away the momentany glorie thereof passeth away the dissolution both of heaven and earth is at hand Bend my heart therefore that I may become a lover of the life that lasteth for ever and not of this world which soon fleeth away Whatsoever is in this world is concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life But how vain a thing is it to love the concupiscence of the flesh How dangerous a thing is it to satisfie the concupiscence of the eyes How hurtfull a thing is it to make choice of the pride of life He cannot truly love Christ which is the heavenly bread of life that is full with the earthly husks of the swine He can not freely flie up to God whose heart is held captive with the love of this world The love of God cannot enter in there where the heart is full with the love of this world Quench in me therefore O God my love the desire of earthly things Take from me this bond of the love of the world scoure the vessel of my heart that I may love thee with sincere love and cleave unto thee with a perfect heart Alas Why should I love those things which are in the world seeing that they cannot satisfie my soul which was created for eternitie nor recompense me again love for love Him shall my soul love with whom she shall dwell for ever Thither will I send before the desires of my heart where eternall glory is prepared for me Where my treasure is there shall my heart be also Give unto me the wings of a dove that I may flie on high unto thee and hide my self in the holes of the rock lest the hell-hunter catch me in the snares of this worldly love and draw my soul again to earthly things Let all the world wax bitter unto me that Christ alone may become sweet unto my soul. Amen PRAYER X. He prayes for deniall of himself O Jesu Christ Sonne of the living God which proclaimest in thy word Whosoever will be my disciple let him denie himself take up his crosse and follow me I intreat thee by thy most precious death and passion to perfect in me that deniall of my self which thou requirest I know it is easier to forsake all other creatures then for a man to deny himself That which I cannot therefore in my self perfect perfect thou in me I beseech thee Let the desires of mine own will keep silence that I may hearken unto thy divine oracles Let the rootie strings of the love of my self be rooted out of my heart that the most sweet plants of divine love may grow in me Let me die wholly unto my self and mine own concupiscences that I may live wholly unto thee and thy will My will is changeable and moveable wandring and unconstant Grant therefore that I may submit my will to thy will and cleave inseparably unto thee who art alone the immutable and eternall good Then do divine vertues grow in us when naturall strength decayes in us us Then at length are our works done in God when our own will is mortified in us Then are we truly in God and live in him when we are annihilated and made nothing in our selves Therefore O thou true life mortifie in me mine own will that I may begin truly to live unto thee Whatsoever in us ought to be approved and please God must from him descend upon us Therefore to God alone must all good be ascribed and to him must we leave that which is his own Whatsoever doth shine and glitter in us doth come from the eternall and immutable light which lighteneth the naturall darknesse of our mindes Let our light therefore so shine before men not that we our selves but that God may thereby be glorified O Christ thou which art the true light kindle this light of true knowledge in my minde O Christ thou which art the true glory of thy Father work in my heart this abnegation of mine own honour It is better for me in thee then in my self Where I am not there am I most happy My infirmity desires to be strengthened by thy vertue my nothing looketh up unto thy being Let thy holy will be done in the earth of my flesh that thy heavenly kingdome may come into my soul. Mortifie in me the love of my self and of mine own honour that it may not hinder the coming of thy heavenly kingdome
Whosoever therefore is a true and a living member of the Christian Church let him daily Pray For the conservation of the word For pastours and people For magistrates and subjects and For the Oeconomicall and houshold estate For these are those three Hierarchies and hoâ—y magistracies 〈◊〉 by God for the safetie and preservation of this life and foâ— the propagation and increase of the heavenâ—y kingdome Let him pray also For his kinâ—folk and his benefactours to whom he must acknowledge himself to be bound in some speciall bond of duty Let him pray For his enemies and persecutours and seriously desiâ—e their conversion and salvation Let him pray likewise For all those that are afflicted and in miserie and shew hâ—â—â—elf to be moved with a feâ—low-feeling of their calamities PRAYER I. He prayes for the conservation and continuance of the word and for the propagatiâ—â— and increase of the Church ALmightie eternall and mercifull God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that by thy holy Spirit dost gather thy Church out of mankinde and in it dost keep the heavenly doctrine committed unto it In humilitie I adore and worship thee and pray unto thee that thou wouldest be pleased to continue unto us the saving doctrine of thy word inviolable and every day propagate and inlarge the bounds of thy Church Thou hast of thine infinite mercie lighted unto us that were in the darknesse of this world the light of thy word Suffer not therefore the clouds of humane traditions to extinguish it or to obscure it Thou hast given unto us thy word for the wholesome meat of our souls Suffer it not therefore by the delusion of the devil and the corruption of men to be turned into poyson Mortifie in us the sinfull lusts of the flesh that thirsteth after earthly things that so we may taste the spirituall delicates of thy word which is that heavenly Manna No man can feel the sweetnesse thereof but he that will taste and no man can taste whose palate is corrupted with abundance of worldly delights Thy word is the word of spirit and life of light and grace Take away therefore the carnall affections and the corrupt senses of our hearts that it may shine to us within and be a light to lead us unto the light of everlasting life From the light of thy word let there arise in our hearts the light of saving faith that in thy light we may see light in the light of thy word the light of thy Sonne As in the old time that heavenly Manna descended in the wildernesse with a wholesome dew So likewise by the hearing of thy word let our hearts be filled with the fire of the Spirit that our cold and lukewarm flesh may be excited and may be tempered against the boilings of sinfull lusts Let the seed of thy word take deep root in our hearts that by the dew of thy holy Spirit watering it it may bring forth wholesome fruit and plentifull increase like standing-corn Protect O Lord the vineyard of thy Church in which thy word is as seed scattered and fruit is gathered unto everlasting life Set an hedge of angelicall guard round about it that the wilde boars and the foxes break it not down the wilde boars by violent persecutions and the foxes by fraudulent delusions Erect up in it an high tower of thy fatherly providence that by thy custodie it may be free from all devastation But if thou shalt at any time think good to presse the grapes of this vineyard in the presse of the crosse and of calamities let them be ripened first by the heat of thy grace that they may yeeld the most delicious fruits of faith and patience Whatsoever is put into the root of the vine is converted in the grapes into the most sweet liquour of wine Grant I beseech thee that whatsoever shall happen unto us in this life whether scoffings persecutions praises or whatsoever else our souls may turn it into the wine of faith hope and charitie and into the fruit of patience and humilitie Out of this militant Church translate us at length into the Church triumphant And let this tabernacle of clay be changed into that most beautifull and everlasting temple of the heavenly Jerusalem Amen PRAYER II. He supplicates for pastours and their hearers O Jesu Christ Sonne of the living God our alone Mediatour and Redeemer who being exalted at the right hand of the Father dost send pastours and teachers of thy word by whose ministerie thou dost gather together unto thee thy Church amongst us I humbly intreat thee the onely true God together with the Father and the holy Spirit to govern these thy ministers in the way of truth and to turn the hearts of their hearers unto the true obedience of the faith There is no state or condition of men that is more subject to the hatred and treacheries of Satan then the ministers of thy word Defend them therefore by the buckler of thy grace and furnish them with the strength of patience that Satan by his sleights may not supplant them Give I beseech thee unto thy ministers that knowledge that is necessarie for them and a pious vigilancie in all their actions that they may first learn of thee before they presume to teach others Govern and illuminate their hearts by thy Spirit that being in the place of God thâ—â— preach nothing else but the oracles 〈◊〉 God Let them feed the flock that is committed unto them which thou hast bought and redeemed with the precious bloud Let them feed the flock out of true and sincere love and not for covetousnesse and ambition Let them feed them with their minde with their mouth and with their works Let them feed them with the sermon of the minde with the exhortation of the word and with their own example that they may be followers of his steps to whom the cure of the Lords flock was three severall times commended Stirre them up that they may watch â—ver the souls that are committed â—nto them as being to give a strict â—ccount for them in the day of judgement Whatsoever they exhort by â—he word of their holy preaching let them studiously labour to demonstrate the same in their actions lest that being lazie themselves and loth to work they labour in vain to stirre up others Unto what good works â—oever they stirre up others let them shine by the same first themselves being set on fire by the holy Spirit Before the words of exhortation be heard let them first proclaim by their works whatsoever they shall speak with their tongues Thrust forth faithfull labourers into thy harvest that they may gather together many handfulls of saints Open likewise the hearts of the hearers that they may receive the seed with holy obedience Give unto them thy grace that with a pure heart they may keep thy holy word committed unto them and bring forth plentifull fruit with patience
consequently into the pit of hell Let them remember the commandment of honouring their parents let them be carefull to recompense their parents after the manner of storks let them remember to feed them as they have been fed by them that they precipitate not themselves into the gulf of sundry evils Let parents and children with joynt desires study in this life to worship thee the true God that they may bear parts in consort and together praise thee in the life to come Let servants obey their masters with alacritie and with fear and with singlenesse of heart not with eye-service or to please men but as it becometh the servants of Christ. In like manner let masters embrace their servants with fatherly kindnes that they turn not their just government into tyrannical cruelty Let their societie in their private house be an oeconomicall private Church beloved of God and of the angels Amen PRAYER V. He prayes for parents brethren sisters kinsfolk and benefactours MOst holy and mercifull God from whom large heaps of sundry benefits descend down upon us who hast given unto me kinsfolk and benefactours to be helps unto me in this present life I beseech thee to bestow upon them in the life to come everlasting rewards Those whom thou hast joyned unto me in a speciall bond of nature and bloud I do specially commend unto thy protection Those unto whom I do ow speciall love and respect with serious and fervent prayers I commend unto thy keeping Grant that my kinsfolk may with joynt consent and unanimitie serve thee in the true faith and with true pietie that they may receive all of them hereafter a crown of eternal glory Unto my parents whom thou hast made next after thee the authours of my life and my informers in true pietie I cannot by any means render deserved rewards I humbly beseech thee therefore who art the authour of all good and the rewarder of all benefits to recompense their benefits here with temporall rewards and hereafter with eternall Let the example of Christ thy Sonne who about the agonie of his death commended unto his disciple the care of his mother let his example teach me even to the last breath to take care for my parents Let nature it self by the example of the stork teach me that I ow perpetuall thanks and rewards unto them for their merits Unto thee mercifull Father I commend the care and tuition of my brethren sisters and kinsfolk Let them become the brethren and sisters of Christ and so heirs of the kingdome of heaven Let us all be joined together in the kingdome of grace whom thou hast joined together in the life of nature And let us all together with those whom by death thou hast separated from us and taken unto thy self let us all at length be joined together in the kingdome of glory Make us all citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem as thou hast made us in this life members of the true Church The same likewise I intreat of thee for all my benefactours whose health and welfare both of soul and body I am bound to desire and further even by the law of nature Receive them into the everlasting tabernacles of the citie which is above whom thou hast used as thy instruments to conferre upon me so many and so liberall benefits My heart propoundeth unto thee the infallible promise of thy word that thou wilt of thy meer free grace recompense even a cup of cold water How much more then wilt thou be liberall and bountifull to those that with full hand bestow benefits of all kindes upon those that want Let not thy graces cease to run down upon them that poure forth so plentifully upon others Let the fountain of thy goodnsse alwayes spring unto them from whom such plentifull rivers of liberality do flow Grant I beseech thee most mercifull God that they which sow temporall things so liberally may reâ—p with much increase things spirituall Fill their souls with joy that feed the bodies of the poore with meat Let not the fruit of their bounty perish though they show it by bestowing of the goods that perish Give unto them that give unto others thou that art the giver of every good gift blessed for ever Amen PRAYER VI. He prayes for enemies and persecutours LOrd Jesu Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God that hast prescribed us in thy word this rule of charitie Love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you I beseech thee who art most gracious and most readie to forgive to forgive mine enemies and the persecutours of the Church Give unto me the grace of thy holy Spirit that I may not onely forgive mine enemies from mine heart but also pray for their health and salvation even from my soul. Whet not against them the sword of severe revenge but anoint their heads with the oyl of thy mercie and compassion Extinguish the sparks of hatred and anger that are in their hearts that they break not forth into the infernall flames of hell Let them know and acknowledge that our life is but a vapour and a smoke that soon vanisheth away that our bodie is but ashes and dust that flyeth away that they bear not immortall anger in their mortall bodies nor entertain into this brittle tabernacle of clay their souls enemie Let them know likewise that inveterate hatred is their greatest enemie because it kills the soul and excludes them from the participation of heavenly life Illuminate their mindes that they beholding the glasse of thy divine mercie may see the deformitie of anger and hatred Govern their wills that being moved by the example of thy divine forgivenesse they may leave off and cease to be angry and to do harm Grant unto me mercifull God that as much as in me lies I may have peace with all men and turn the hearts of mine enemies to brotherly reconcilement Let us walk with unanimitie and concord in the way of this life seeing that we hope all for a place in our celestiall countrey Let us not disagree upon earth seeing â—hat we all desire to live together hereafter in heaven We all call upon thee our Lord our God which art in heaven And it is not meet for the servants of the same Lord to fall out one with another We are one mysticall bodie under Christ our head And it is base and shamefull for the members of the same bodie to fight one with another They which have one faith and one baptisme ought to have one spirit and one minde Neither do I pray alone for my private enemies but also for the publick enemies and persecutours of the Church O thou which art truth it self bring them into the way of truth O thou which art power it self bring to nought their bloudie endeavours and attempts Let the brightnesse of the heavenly truth open their blinde eyes