our betters it is no scorn to take them for our samplers such are Angels Os homini sublime dedit saith the Poet God hath made man to look up as ever to have an eye on his masters such are the Angels Gods servants but our Schoolemasters and as the Master is more perfect in the Lecture than the shooleboy so they than we We desire to know they do know we desire to do what we know The Parallel it is they can do what God hath made known unto them in our works are many weaknesses in theirs not the least of imperfection we procrastinate they cry haste haste for his Majesties service yea their wings witnesse their readiness willingnesse I will resolve upon it The Avowry while earth to cast an eye at Heaven and to make those all * The Angels glorious creatures the samplers of my readinesse willingnesse to do the wil of my Father which is in Heaven Again the three persons by turns have all of them undertaken to teach us Angels scholars in their uppermost Lecture are set to be our samplers to guide our * Our wils and affections feet in the waies of God That I note is this We have divers schoolemasters Doct. God the head who teacheth us by his Word Angels in Heaven who teach us by their Examples Nay nigher the very creatures the poor pismire we are bid to go to her and learn Five things I inferre from this Thesis First God would we were good scholars so much pains is to make us profit Secondly we can want no teaching no whilest a God Angels or any creatures Thirdly there are no few lessons to learn where many messengers many messages Fourthly we are hard of learning with Fambo some are nineteen year a learing one line Fifthly here may be a strong surmise by these many eyes over us we would play the Trewants in very deed man naturally hath no heart to what 's good But since I have so much teaching The Avowry I am resolved by Gods good assistance not to lose my time byt ot minde what it is my Master hath to say unto me The Cases of Conscience are the fourth moity of my method which are three First is this Whether is a perfect obedience to Gods will required I. Case To this question I give this resolution Christ would never have set us to pray for it if God had not look'd for it it were needlesse for man to pray for so much if his Creator would be content with ought lesse I am injoyned by God to do what my Christ wils me to pray I may do A perfect obedience then is required at our hands and we must do what God wils as doe the Angels Since now O Lord The Avowry I have thus much to do I will dismisse my worldly businesse to follow this my heavenly calling We have seen what we should do 2. Case now let us see what it is we are able to do and so I come to the second Case Whither are we able to do all God doth will 1. My answer is negative No apparent first by our every day confession we break all Gods commandements 2. By Esays evidence we are all unclean all our righteousnesse is like unto filthy rags 3. By our prayer put up we need not beg that which is within our reach it is that we pray for we have no power over my beseeching God to grant shewes my want and since I pray for ability to do Gods will it assures me the good I would I cannot I will confesse my frailty The Avowry and alwaies acknowledge though to will be present with me yet I finde no means to performe that which is good And so I come to the third Case 3. Case how we are made capable to attain to do what God doth will wee ‖ should doe To this I answer To will is of our own power but to will what we should and do it is God the instrument is ours the right use of it from God In me is a something vid. to will That it object is good I may thank God for it of whom is both the will and the deed that is the willing good and doing the good I have willed But my last avowry prefers a quere to be discust and tels us even man in the state of grace who hath a will to do good findes no means to finish the work he hath willed But know it that is not meant of a totall defect but a plenary performall though he faile in most not in all It seems then by Gods good aid Gods childe may both will and do good yet not all the good God doth will in his Law To this I answer God hath a twofold Law There is Lex Operum Lex Fidei the Law of works the Law of Faith The Law of Works requires an exact fingular obedience at all times in all places to all particular statute Lawes enacted by the Lord I pray for this cannot attain to it height pray for progresse though fail to fulfill The Law of Faith requires a full beleef what I cannot do my Christ hath done it for me for which I pray and may attain But can you prove a man may be made righteous without the Law of Works that is without exact keeping all the Commandements Beleeve not me Res but S. Paul who * Rom 3.21 22. saith the righteousnesse of God without the Law that is without the Law of Works is made manifest even the righteousnesse of God which is by faith in Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that beleeve here are Faith and Works met they are at ods about reconciling man to God But here is one inspired with Gods own Spirit Paul the Apostle he certifies us it 's not works the Law of Works but faith the Law of Faith which justifies and makes the beleever reputed a fulfiller of Gods will The Law of Moses had been able to have saved us if we had been able to have observed it now that we cannot observe the Old Law of Moses God hath made a New Law we shall be saved by beleef in Christ Jesus and this is cal'd the New Covenant When God gave out the Law of Works first it was not to save any by it for God knew none could do what he commanded but the Law of * The ten Commandements Works was given First to discover mans infirmities Three ends of the Law to discover to humble to guide on like a glasse in which to let him see the warts and wens growing upon the face of his Conscience Secondly that Law was given to humble man whileft seeing he had injoyned so much and had fail'd in all Thirdly that Law was given to be a Schoolmaster to teach man the way to his Master which Master is our Lord and Saviour who hath done for man what man cannot for himself whose beleef Christ hath done it
a parte ante so a parte post for ever to endure for long beyond all time are to last Gods Kingdome Power Glory Yea world without end Longer than all the Kingdomes upon Earth longer than Sun and Moon longer than the sons of men All these wax old as doth a garment and after these perish it 's these three which break out and bud afresh like Aarons Rod. And yet if there be ought on earth to resemble their ever being Being it is Man not man living to die but dying to live not this his corruptible life but his life everlasting We had a beginning shall never have an ending and this no end of ours is like theirs but their beginning is like to Gods who is without beginning O how long since they were how long yet to last O ever everlastingly Such a King such a Kingdome Ever everlasting Such a Lord and such his Power Ever everlasting Such a State and such his state of Glory its Glory Ever everlasting Let me not doubt to get if I goe to him who hath enough to give a Kingdome and for Ever Let me not fear forgivenesse but beg of him hath power to grant it Power for Ever Let me not be discomforted but still live in hopes of deliverance since he is my friend will rescue who stands upon his Honour and Glory and that for Ever The Divine Contemplation upon the first Reason For thine is the Kingdome Loe have I not hopes of a supply I beg a boon of the King I had not turned a suppliant but that he whom I invocate is owner of a Kingdome O God and my King give me what I beg since thou hast enough to bestow without diminishing thy store look not at me an unworthy begger but consider how much I want and how much thou haft thou canst give to none more poor I can crave of none hath more to give I pray the Father let thy wealth supply my want since all my want may easily be supplyed with thy wealth I have been the Prodigall I have spent my portion I have fed on husks I am now in a sad and sorrowfull estate O like a father whose bowels earn with compassion say to my soul Welcome my son my son I will own thee I will enrich thee thou hast spent me much I have yet much more more to give than thou canst spend there are treasures at my right hand for evermore O thou who ownest even all who art Lord Paramount of heaven and earth I commend all my needs to thy bounteous liberality thou wilt help for art mercifull thou canst help for hast and a Kingdome Dear Father since thou ownest so much make me master of a little of one poor mansion for thine is the Kingdome I have no nothing and canst thou deny me thou hast a Kingdome and wilt thou not give me O give me what I want since what I want thou hast and much more abundance be so good to me since there is enough for thee a magazine to supply my want and maintain thy train I have a strong saith to beleeve thou wilt my illuminate reason assures me thou canst now thy submiss son and servant is begging shut not up thy mercifull compassion For thine is the Kindome The Divine Contemplation upon the second Reason For thine is the Power What were it to own a Kingdome and want power to dispose of it I serve a Master hath enough and power enough he hath a Kingdome and all in it and all at his command Angels in heaven the hearts of Kings upon earth and the very Devils in hell I am now ready to sing a Gloria patri all glory honour and praise be given to him who sits upon the Throne who sits betwixt the Cherubims and clasps the heavens in his hands who dashes the heathen in pieces like a potters vessell who hath put a stand to the sea and his hook in the nosthrils of the Leviathan such a Prince is my Master and such a Master do I serve who can what he will O will what thou canst even the saving my soul in the great day of the Lord Jesus But I have many enemies the world about me the Devill beheath me the flesh within me all are combining my destruction many to one and that one a weakling lame with Jacob limping with Mephibosheth What shall I now go do shall I despair no against hope I will hope I will put my considence in the God of Israel and why for have faith to beleeve thine is the power to vanquish power to deliver power to exalt out of the dust dunghill to a crown of immortall glory O God and my King I will fight with beasts at Ephesus go out against great Goliah encounter the unclean spirit with seven worse than himself I am sure to be more than conqueror so I fight under thy Banner for thine is the power to subdue Hell death and the Devill Othou the preserver of men be thou my Lord Protector and I doe not fear the fury of all the furies of Og and Magog I aske nought without thy reach I crave nought more than thou canst give give me strength to fight thy battell ability to hold out in the day of Temptation then Lord will I not fear the Tempter since I am sure thou hast the sole power to support The Divine Contemplation upon the third Reason For thine is the Glory It 's an happy exchange when both parties fare the better canst thou give me nought but thou gettest by giving Lord supply thou my wants and take thou the honour of it I have nought to retaliate yet still I receive give me more of that I want Mercy and take what is due to thee thy Glory I am imboldned still to beg since my begging inhances the honour of thy name who will not give to gain give me what I want and the supply of my want shall be the Trumpet of thy praise It is my shame I am become so destitute of all good that I am supplyed by the Lord for it all glory be to the Lord. Thus our God casts his bread upon the waters not many daies after findes it we receive it in lumps of Mercy he findes it in a whole patch of Glory he gives what we need he receives what he stands no need of and thus he helps us poor despicable creatures and thus he heaps up a full measure of glory upon himself Ride on O Lord with thine honour be thou to us a God of compassion and inhaunce in the sight of the Heathen thy own Honour While thou doest good to man thou unmaskest thy Majesty among men Lord stretch out thy hand to do us good yea give us Grace and take thou the Glory A Divine Contemplation upon Ever I cannot see how this can be Thy Kingdome Power and Glory from all eternity I had a beginning in Time and therefore uncapable to conceivean Eternity before all Time O now that Reason
air next us Mat. 6.26 The birds of Heaven labour not 6. Heavenly creatures as inanimate so animate as Angels Job 15.15 The Heavens are not clear in his sight 7. A great height thus Deut. 1.28 The cities are walled up to Heaven 8. The bodies of the Saints here God is said to abide ut in Coelo 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 6. I finde only these 8 acceptations of Heaven in the holy Bible and though one be but meant I will give you two to make choice of far distant both significant the one * Above supra the other * Below infra the one the place of the Church triumphant the other the mysticall subject of the Church militant first then by Heaven may be meant the seat of the blessed that majesticall place of magnificence as I may so say Gods chief Mannor House in the Highlands Or if you minde not to look so high you have nigher at hand an Heaven the righteous Saints on earth they are the Temple of the living God yea and he dwels in them and walks in them here it is God dwels these are his Temples Gods house above is Heaven and his Heaven below the Saints The letter makes us subscribe to the first exposition the Spirit causes our acknowledgement of the second Dame Nature hath set her hand to the one it s the Lady Grace perswades us to confesse this other And ut potenter God is said to dwell above sic virtualiter here below his Highland House Heaven displayes his power This his * The Saints on earth house in these Netherlands his efficacious work in us Well while I acknowledge the sense litterall The Avowry I will not let passe the sense mysticall viz. that by Heaven may be meant the elect on earth Nor wants there some semblance betwixt the Saints and Heaven they shine sicut luminaria in mundo and as the Heavens lend us light so are the Saints will'd to let their light shine before men and ut sol in Coelo sic mundi in mundo as the Sun is the lightest part of Heaven so of these saies our Saviour Vos estis lux mundi Ye are the light of the world the Death of these is like the Suns Eclipse the Life of these that high noon or Sun at height which is a guide to all that are not blinde O ye Saints The radiant rayes of your good works have given me cause to conjecture how like you is that Heaven whither you are a going as also to presume I have not much miss't of Heaven while met with such so like it But come what may these two interpretations put us in minde of The first of something which concerns God The second of something which concerns our selves The first doth divulge what God himself is The second what we ought to be Our God his abode is in heaven The Extract which proclaims he is an immortall Majesty dwelling in light inaccessible By Heaven likewise may be meant us men in whom God dwels as in an house Extract O what ones then behoves it us to be The wicked are the Devils house to which he is return'd Mat. 12. Look at his house though a base beggerly one yet loe how it 's kept fine and neat swept and garnisht formality garnisht with the gilt of hypocrisie And yet to consider how we let this mansion house of Gods in the Isle Man lies full of Mamholes we may be ashamed of it in very deed we let all lie forlorne To please our friends against they come we make all trim Lord why should we not do as much to please the Lord And yet in every corner of that Hall Heart you may spie an ash-heap of evill imaginations Gen. 6. That back room Memory is fill'd with old ill done deeds That upper room Judgement with error and heresie Those out houses Ears are fil'd with rubbish of newes State newes what done in Court Countrey newes how rules price of Corn ribauldry newes obscene songs our Eyes are full of vanity our Tongues full of deceit and now while neither in-room nor out-room soul nor body is trim'd up nor cleansed how can the Lord take delight to dwell in us A fair caveat to go make fit to dresse our house yea all in this Isle of Man I am resolved against my Lord come The Avowry to make ready lest my Lord and Master take dislike with his own and in stead of taking it up for an house of prayer he leaving it it become a den of theeves Thus much for the Preface Now I purpose Deo juvante God enabling to speak upon that post-put and first of the Petitions and in brief to make this my method to take notice of 1 Their Division 2 Their Equality 3 Their Order 4 Their Precedency 5 Subject matter mued up in each Petition First for their Division they are of two severall sorts or kindes the first sort of them concern God Second our selves Secondly for Equality they are three and three three concern God and three man Thirdly for Order this order is observed Gods three precede mans mans three come behinde Gods ours are set after his his before ours Fourthly their Precedency prayes us to take a view of each particular Petition as set before one another Fiftly their matter makes us privie to what is begged of God in each of these petitions in speciall For the first these Petitions are divided into two sorts First sort or kinde are divine and cast a glance at Heaven The second sort are humane and cast a glance at earth first looks at God the other at us 1. Now this Division implies an union Three Extracts and that when we send out our supplications abroad we let them walk hand in hand Such a compound should be our Prayers Petitions sharing out requests meet for God and us joyntly 2. By this Division we are taught man was not made for himself he is to pray as well for Gods glory as his own good many remember themselves forget God in their prayers few remember God but themselves in their prayers A Sect here found fault with A platform which teaches them a better lesson yea this division of these Petitions into two sorts or kindes the one concerning God the other us tels us That who prayes aright must pray for Gods glory as well as for his own good 3. Thing this Division informes us of is that as discords make the sweetest harmony so prayers sound best in Gods ears which consist of sharps and flats risings and fallings which are now in alto as high as Heaven Anon in Basse as low as earth I mean prayers consisting of two parts Gods glory who lives above Mans good who dwels below he that would avoid the name of simple must make his prayer a compound of these two severall sorts of simples And thus while God and he meet in prayer it 's my hopes they shall do the like in
of daies when I am first in my own thoughts I am the last in Gods Book Let me set my self and all my wants a while aside till God be served let his glory be my aime in prime the second place will serve all my needs In glorifying thee a glorious good redounds to me I will not clip thy coine of glory lest I go not for currant in thy kingdome of grace O that thou wouldest inlarge my heart to give thee praise lest the want of this Foreman cause the rest of the Jurore my petitions to be excepted against in the presence of thee the Judge of Heaven and Earth The second Petition THe second Petition now succeeds by name Thy Kingdome come I will God willing speak upon The Number The Nature of the words to be explained First for number here is but one word difficult to be understood two in the former one here Can we learn no lesson from Gods plaining his speech O it shewes us 1. The more we acquaint our selves with God Three Intracts more plainly he will speak to us 2. As we grow in devotion we shall grow in understanding 3. That Gods Word with modesty the more we dive into it the more knowledge God gives to hold up our heads from drowning in the gulf of false exposition I am resolved to hold out my Rosary The Avowry with the Collect. reinforce my genius to peruse the Scriptures and all to prevent misprision augment my talent and enucleate the Text. Here is only one word to be explained Kingdome This word may be taken four waies 1. For the Scripture thus Mat. 21.43 where said Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you 2. For the visible Church thus Mat. 5.19 where said He that shall break one of the least of these Commandements and teach men so shall be call'd the least in the Kingdome of Heaven 3. It may be taken for the grace of God Luk. 17. where said The Kingdome of God is within you 4. For the Church triumphant Mat. 8.11 where said Many shall come from the East and the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven Now all may be here meant though in prime but one 1. And then we pray in this Petition That Gods Word and its understanding may come among us 2. That upon earth there may be a fellowship of faithfull professors visible 3. That Gods grace sent by that sayne his Spirit in that Charriot the ministery of his Word may visit our hearts 4. That these daies of misery being perioded Gods Kingdome of glory we may be seated in it In one word we pray for four things 1. That the word of God and its sound may be heard in our land 2. That we may be Gods visible Church on earth 3. For Gods grace 4. And for heaven at our ending Of this last what hopes without that precedent A circumvolution of the four fold sense Again its presumption to brag of grace and live without the Church Lastly it we aime at all we must doe a somewhat more It you purpose to be members of the Church be inspired with the Spirit hereafter have heaven let the Word of God dwell plentifully in your hearts I am resolved for my own part to make much of Gods Word The Avowry with the Collect. a mean to make me a member of the Church aequire grace and gain heaven You may be bad ground and sown with this seed A review the Word where this seed Interpretation 1. the Word for so it s call'd Luk. 8. is not sown that most fertile soils manured with Ethicks and the humane arts brings out but figtree-like cursed fruit Hence it is we pray way may be made for the Word of God and it may come ut adveniat hoc regnum that the kingdome may come So the Latine signifies which makes us sensible of Two things Extracts two 1. Our Condition 2. That in Expectation 1. Of our Condition that we are dronish in our devotion and love our ease more than our gains apparent while we pray Thy Kingdome come to us we walk not on to it 2. This in the second place makes us sensible of what in expectation That since advenit verbum the Word is come into our towns oratories ears that now prayed for is that the Word may enter into our hearts I am resolved to take notice of my backwardnesse in devotion The Avowry and all to make me more eager now this * Messenger sayne Gods Word is come to open the door of my heart and give it harbour Now this word its hieroglyphick or resemblance is a Kingdome for whilest we pray Gods Kingdome may come we mean Gods Word the word of truth And in these particulars the resemblance holds 1. For Kingdome like Resembances Gods Word is of power to correct instruct and reprove 2. It 's of force sufficient to make all outlawes inlaw themselves to Gods Law 3. Hath strength enough to meet in the field and to oppose all opposers be they Schismaticks or Hereticks Schismaticall in Discipline or Hereticall in Doctrine 4. The Nerves of a Kingdome are meat and ammunition such is the Word we live by it Deut. 8.3 it is call'd the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 hath in it to feed at home and defend abroad 5. The best of Kingdomes Canaan had its commendation for abounding with milk and honey such is this whole land the word and therefore call'd sincere milk 1 Pet. 2.2 And therefore aver'd when the Prophet Ezekiel had put in his mouth a morsell of this earth that it was in his mouth as honey for sweetness Ezek. 3 3. I have travel'd through the land of the Philistims and the wildernesse of Sin A Supplicat But now O Lord strengthen my resolution to set up my resting place of abode in this * he means the word Taught Kingdome That here we pray for is a visible Church Interpretation 2. thy Kingdome come that is Lord let us enjoy a Church visible This interpretation I next bring in for that unmeet to be a Church untill it have received Gods good word Here we have leave to pray as against an Elias his paucity and the 7000. inforc't concealment So for liberty to continue daily in the Temple and to finde the favour to preach and hear the Gospell Act. 2.46 47. We pray then in this petition and it 's allowed for God by this second Exposition 1. That God may adde daily unto the Church Extracts two such as shall be saved 2. For the flourishing estate of the Church to the outward eye of the world Divers can endure the Queens * Church Daughter to be all glorious within but not that her Raiment should be of pure gold They cry all for sincerity within will tolerate no honourable train without Others would have the Church in worse case
for him brings all home and makes it man 's own How can Christs fulfilling the Law be made mine Object Let me aske thee Did not one sin Res and all became guilty Wilt thou not then admit this ones righteousnesse is able to make many righteous If thou wilt not I will prove it by an undeniable witnesse Est Deus test is God is my witnesse whilest he saith * Isa 53.11 By my righteous servant shall many be made righteous that place will perswade thee to subseribe to what delivered The sin of one brought death upon all and the righteousnesse of one should it restore life but to one since the sin of the first Adam was made mine why may not the righteousness of thesecond Adam be made to appertain to me The disobedience of one hath spoiled me and shall not the obedience of another better me It is my beleef and this my beleef is grounded upon Gods word that as by one man came sin into the world so by that one man Christ righteousnesse And as we whilest Adam did transgresse were reputed for transgressors so we Christ fulfilling Gods Law are reputed to do what is Gods will in the Law The honour of the deed is dayed us yet not by the Law of Works but by the Law of Faith in Christ Jesus while our belief in him estate us in his Works The Avowry For my onw part I am resolved upon it to beg of God the gift of faith which can interest me in that I never swet for yea and though I fail in much make me reputed one who hath done Gods will in earth as it is in Heaven We stand in need of two Graces to put ut this Petition Wisdome * Graces two Resolution Wisdome to discern what is Gods will The Paralle Resolution to do as God wils By the advice of wisdome I make my choice By Resolutions assistance I follow the chace Wisdome discovers Resolution pursues and what that first presents this latter laies hold on This is hath made me resolve upon it The Avowry to duplicate my Boon and to beg of God both these Graces that so I may be enabled both to discern and do Gods will in Earth as it is in Heaven The Grace in chief Wisdomes Character when I say this petition I stand in need of is Wisdome as hard to be found as the Philosophers stone the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God and it we oft meet This sacred wisdome we seldome meet with yet when we meet with it it makes us much set by tels us among many proffers which to be preferred in an harvest of imployment whose work we must do when many masters at whose bid we must be In a case of doubt lo the best resolver when cross commands lo the sole dictator and one upon whom rests the Spirit of the Almight This is one can acquaint Earth with Heavens minde sent out Gods from the Devils gives us Gods in the winde wils us to outrun the Devils yea one can sever out from the droke of lustfull command the pure grain of Gods good will and pleasure The Sun seems a little body of light in this great world Wisdome is that great body of light in this * Man little world it gives more light to the soul than the sun to the Body The one lets us see what 's betwixt heaven and earth the other lets us see the will of God in heaven down to earth Since it is wisdome hath the spirit of discerning The Avowry I am resolved when I pray to beg the grace of wisdome that so I may discern Gods will which is to be done is Earth as in Heaven The second grace prayed for in this petition Resolutions Character is Resolution one of the worthies of Israel who makes his way through an hoste of Philistims a May at armes and means to do what bid or die i th' field this resolution is of an high spirit and will on at what perill soever He is more taken with the deed than danger and hath ever shewed himself a man of action you cannot take him off on what bent but in despight of the devill he will do what God commands he weighs not who gainsaies but goes on he makes his way through a sea of troubles and marches on through a wildernesse of stinging serpents he stands to his Commander Christ though beset with staves and clubs and if his honour be call'd to the Bar his worship will be hard by want this assistant resolution and thy endevour will perish in the blossome and though it bud will never bring out unto perfection I will by Gods good assistance hold on my resolution The Avowry and resolve while I live yea all my life resolve to do Gods will in earth as it is in heaven The Vices prohibited are two The Vices Foolishnesse Cowardize Foolishnesse The Parallel which wants wit Cowardize which wants heart Foolishness which cannot what God wils Cowardise which dare not what God wils The one of those Vices is deficient in wisdome the other in fortitude While that first hath heart to attempt wants judgement to go about That second hath judgement to goe about wants heart to attempt Since the onset of either disinables me to do whatsoever God wils The Avowry I am resolved to pray my God to give me heart I attempt and judgement to go about yea and to do his will in Earth as it is in Heaven Foolishnesse is the Vice I am here forewarn'd of Foolishnesses Character and a vice for which S. Paul did blame the Galatians It is spirituall foolishnesse I now speak of which is the Devils purveyor but the souls improverisher one makes God neglected his precept be passed by and his will lightly lookt on This vice will not let in master overcharge his head piece makes him let of or ought put in its resetter is troubled with * hemeans that 's good nought for hath not so much wit yet incumbred but not about what bid and busie but to no purpose he findes himself enough to do whilest he doth nought and makes others jest his earnest he mindes all but Gods will for his wit will not serve him to see what God wils he hath this part of an innocent in the swadling belt the infants head as if begun newly to live yet all his life he is to learn he is yet to go to the school and let him have never so good a Master he proves a bad scholar you may as well hold your tongue as tell him of heaven and certifie him what is Gods good pleasure and it 's all lost labour I know one in spirituals so foolish as when bid say his Lords Prayer he told his Minister he was brought up with hard labour not used to learn to give you it in his own English such bible bables How doth this vice underprize that of
When first I pursed Gods Debt-book I gave it for granted I was bankrupt The condition of the obligation revives my drooping spirit O my God I am deep in arrears to three give me grace to make thee my pattern in forgiving and the debt 's discharged But O how happy am I have met with so good a Creditor I van have much forgiven for a little I now see I had been utterly undone had I not faln into the hands of a most mercifull redeemer O God my God I will eye my misery the more I shall admire thy mercy But what am I a sinner whom have I offended God How oft it is past count O this piece of my prayer protests the best of us have finned against God and exceedingly This is my grief My sins can not be numbred This is my Joy They can be forgiven Well I will not sin that grace may abound yet rejoyce my soul and again I say rejoyce that Gods grace is sufficient for thee The petition is a prospective glasse And lets me see My hard fortune that a sinner My goodhap how to be assoyled It is a picture Look here at it and I am any ugly creature Hold it close then I look like the Kings son O mighty God thou shewest thy wisdome in the discovering my deformities thou shewest thy goodnesse in insuring me the cure of my sore Unhappy I who have sinned against thee how happy I who for forgiving Man can have God to forgive me This is no strange newes to hear I am a sinner This is the wonder that upon these termes God grants forgivenesse It was Elisha his saying to Naaman Wash and be clean and it is Christ hath said it Forgive and thou shalt be forgiven O the depth of the wisdome of our God! He hath found out the way to keep heaven and earth in peace One of us with another and himself with us all God will be friends with us so we will be friends among our selves But O my native soil hast thou not cause to fear the wrath of my God when such superlative hatred in the land For the divisions of Ruben are great grief of heart Thou who hast the hearts of Kings and Commons at thy disposall incline our hearts unto a peace say to the devouring sword it is sufficient let us not increase our sins by increasing our malice lest our malice to men make our God to hate us The sixt Petition THe river which runneth by Chester changeth her channell every moneth in like sort the stream of our discourse hath found out a new channell it is a drain of Christs own making and the Jordan we mean to bathe in Give me leave as did the Angell a while to move in this * Petition pool the troubling of this water-work may work a cure upon some and make them more sensible I mean of the sense and meaning of this petition Yet here are two passages to be opened that done we may march on without stop or let to the meaning of this petition What are these two passages but two words we must passe by by fine force that is by the power and help of explication Temptation is the one word Evill is the other into the first of which we beg to God not to lead us and from that other to deliver us and thus we have to do with two two worse than which rake hell and they have no fellowes for the one is the bait and the other is the hook by Temptation we are drawn on by Evill we are hung on the hooks of vice Lo the lure to intice Temptation and the net to intrap Evill Since such is our danger let us fall to prayer and pray to God not to lead us into Temptation but deliver us from evill Now that you may know what temptation is here prayed against know it Temptation is Probationis Perditionis Commonly call'd the Temptation on the right hand and Temptation on the left hand The right hand Temptation or Temptation celestial is when God tempts man which what is his Temptation but his making a triall of mans obedience sometimes by sacrificing as Abraham sometimes by advising to sell all and give it to the poor as the rich young man in the Gospell sometimes by our suffering crosses and calamities to be laid upon us as on Just Job all of which Temptations count it saith S. James exceeding joy when you are thought worthy to fall into them these are not evill of themselves but approved proofs to discover to the world what we are and to us our selves whether God hath a part or no in us against such we pray not in this petition There are Temptations of a lower and baser descent sublunary Temptations call'd Temptations on the left hand Now these are of two sorts either Temptations Ad extra or Ad intra Ad extra are two 1. Terrestriall 2. Infernall Terrestriall are 1. Forein 2. Civill 1. Terrestriall forein Temptation ad extra is when man tempts God tempting that is making an experiment whether he be of power can know or be present Gods omnipotence omniscience omni-presence we so often tempt as call in question his Can his privity his presence This is an immediate presumptuous act of man against God to cry out Can God provide bread in the wildernesse doth God see or regard or is God among us Three sentences which savours of the language of Ashdod and * Make known divulge man tempts God with an high hand while his power he questions Psal 78.18 19. his knowledge Psal 94.7 his presence Exod. 17.7 I am ever resolved The Avowry to pray my God to free my from being insnared in that sin of Temptation which makes the creature doubt of the power privity The Collect and presence of the Almighty 2. There is a Terrestriall civill Temptation ad extra which is when man tempts man Thus did the Pharisees Christ and the woman in the Proverbs the young youth subtle questions passing pleasant proffers are the midwives give birth to these Temptations divers have had their bosomes full of these Temptations wherein men make shew more of their wit than grace and women more of their courtesie than honesty I will pray my God The Avowry as from presuming to tempt him so likewise that none neither by subtill craft nor proff red kindenesse may tempt or draw me on to do evill 2. The next kind of Temptation is infernall which is when the devill of hell tempts man on earth 1 Thes 3.5 that he tempts us S. Paul can witnesse how he doth it that 's most covert The dispute is not de facto that 's granted de modo that 's the doubt and scarce discoverable of this so secret and slie a work of the Devil let me say somewhat since on all sides acknowledged Satan tempts us to sin 1 Chron. 3.1 since by so few the manner of his march up to our hearts is