good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not v. 24. that I do c. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death None can be wholly freed from this corruption of the flesh in this life but after death we shall be altogether deliver'd from it and they who shall be thought worthy to enter into the blessed life above shall sin no more And farther a great trouble and misery it is to pious Men that they are forc'd to live and sojourn amongst so many wicked Persons Psal 120.5 like Sheep amongst Wolves this made David cry out Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have my Habitation among the Tents of Kedar Besides our Salvation is exposed to the greatest dangers the Devil as a Roaring Lyon 1 Pet. 5.8 walketh about seeking whom he may devour The World is daily exciting us to Sin by evil Examples and fair Promises the Snares wherewith Satan and the World endeavours to intrap us are every where laid for us in Riches in Meat and Drink in our Eyes and in our Ears in our Words and in our Actions now Death wholly frees us from the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil And not only from these but also from all the Calamities and Misfortues which so usually happen to Mankind in this Mortal Life That this Life is full of troubles there needs not many words to prove since both Sacred and Prophane Authors complain of the Miseries of Humane Life Job 14.1 whilst they teach that Man that is born of a Woman is of few days and full of Trouble And that the very name of Man imports all miseries This truth we all daily experience For how lamentable is our Nativity To how many evils is our Infancy exposed Our youth to how many injuries and dangers is it obnoxious With how many cares is our Manhood distracted And how is our old Age Surrounded with Calamities What reason then we have to fear death which at once frees us from all these miseries which is the only safe Haven to us who sail on this Stormy and Tempestuous Sea Nor doth death only deliver us from Sin and all the Troubles of this World but is also the gate through which we are to pass into Eternal Life wherein the just shall enjoy the most delightful Society of God the Father of Christ our Saviour of the Holy Ghost the Comforter and of all the Angels and Blessed Spirits How great this future Happiness and Beatitude is the mind of Man cannot conceive nor words express And although our Bodies shall rot in the grave or be other ways dissolved yet is there no danger that we shall be separated from Christ to whom we are joyned by the Bond of the Spirit but the dead shall remain united to Christ both in their Bodies and in their Souls and in the last Judgment their Souls and Bodies being made one shall arise together to Eternal Glory Hence in Holy Writ Death is called a Sleep and the Grave a Bed or Dormitory For all these reasons the True Christian is so provided that not only death but sudden death also doth not affright him men indeed do usually not without cause dread sudden death but if we duly consider it a wicked life spent without Repentance is much more to be fear'd than a sudden death nor is a sudden death bad because it is sudden but because for the most part it overtakes Men unprepar'd and impenitent and so casts them headlong into Destruction whereas if it finds us ready a sudden death is not evil but rather a more speedy passage from this to an Happy and Eternal Life The Prayer MOst Merciful Father open and enlighten the Eyes of my Mind to see and rightly consider the Misery and Vanity of this present life that I may not set my affections on the World nor the things in it but may with my whole Heart long after the Joys of Heaven O Lord excite in me an ardent Desire after the Celestial Life and vouchsafe me some fore taste of it by the sweetness whereof the bitterness of death may be so allay'd that I may be daily ready to leave this World and desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ our Lord Amen CHAP. X. The Duty of a Christian THE third Head of the Preparation for a Blessed Death Non potest malè mori qui bene vixerit de discipline christiana cap. 12. was to live holily and to enter into such a course of life as becomes a Christian for as St. Augustin says No Body can die ill that hath liv'd well Now he lives well that performs the Duties of a Christian He therefore who is mindful of his Eternal Salvation must diligently consider what the Duty of a Christian is or what way of living may best conduce towards the attaintment of everlasting life after this For he who would die like a Christian must live as a Christian But he who lives wickedly shall die wickedly and shall arise and be condemned with the Wicked Now although there be many Duties which belong to Christians in common with other Men yet are they not peculiar to a Christian but are ordained for the preservation of Humane Society and honest Behaviour in the World One kind of Duty there is which properly belongs to a Christian which only is needful and which whoever performs it will be well with him hereafter for evermore And what that duty is the very name of a Christian doth sufficiently intimate For whereas the Sects of all Philosophers and Religions have received their Names from their Author and Master whose Precepts Ordinances and Institutions they follow in like manner Christians are so called because they only imitate Christ and as much as in them lies tread in his steps and obey his command and moreover what cannot be said of any other Religion a Christian is one who doth not live himself but Christ liveth in him by Faith Gal. 2.20 so that Christ is the life of Christians who thenceforth manifests himself in all their actions It is then chiefly requisite a Christian should know who Christ is whose Name he bears and to whom he gave up himself in the Sacrament of Baptism what he hath done for our Salvation and what he requires of us to do To this end first we are to remember that Man was Created by God after his own Image Gen. 1. that is as the Apostle explains it Gal. 4.24 in true Holiness and Righteousness so that his understanding was comformable to God and gave to him alone all Honour and Glory Him alone he lov'd reverenced and worshipped and with Him hereafter he should have enjoy'd an immortal eternal and most blessed life Secondly 'T is to be remark'd
speak of God or Holy things do it reverently and discreetly and take not the name of God in vain speak ill of no body neither maliciously slander any person whatever And then as to your Life and Conversation commit your ways unto God and whatever you take in hand begin it in his Name and do all to the glory of God What ever you are about to do think first whether you would approve of it if another did it For why should you do your self what you would not like in another What ever you hear and see another speak or do that is good and praise-worthy do you endeavour to imitate it But if you observe any one to do things for which he deserves to be blam'd beware least you do the like Moreover consider whether you can give a good account of what you are going to do before the great Judge at the last Day Your own Conscience will be a better Judge of your Actions than all the World and although Men are ignorant of what you do yet remember that God sees you and that you can do nothing so privately but your own Conscience will be a Witness and a Judge of it In the duties of your calling trust in God nor ever attempt to discharge them by unlawful means which God hath forbidden Never think any thing gainful or expedient which may in the least hinder the Salvation of your Soul Do what is right and just and never prefer the praise of Men before the favour of God if God be gracious to you be not concern'd though the World hate you In short let this be your constant rule to direct all your actions to the glory of God and to the good and profit of your Neighbour so that whatever offends against this forbear it however goodly and specious it may appear In all your Conversation behave your self as becomes a faithful Servant that you may one day hear that joyful voice of God Mat. 25.21 Well done thou good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. When you are about to eat or drink pray for Gods Blessing on it that it may succeed to the health of your Body and take so much as may suffice for the satisfying of your hunger and thirst after you have done render thanks unto God for all his gifts and graces bestowed on you and desire his blessing may go along with them And when your Body is full take care that your Soul be not empty but beg that it may be replenish'd with the Grace of God All the day long whatever your Employment be lift up your Heart unto God in frequent and short Ejaculations rendring him thanks for all his benefits and commending you and yours to his Protection and Governance On Holy-Days or any others appointed by the Church for Prayers or hearing Gods Word let no business ever detain you from joyning your Prayers with those of the Congregation for the obtaining publick and private Blessings from God since our Saviour hath promised his gracious presence where two or three are gathered together in his Name It is also requisite towards our dying Happily that we frequently receive the Holy Supper of our Lord that amongst other Fruits of this Divine Banquet we may be Admonished of our Union with Christ and so be fortified against the fears of Death for altho' our Bodies putrifying in the Grave or be any other ways dissolv'd yet is there no danger of our being separated from Christ with whom we are made one by the Bond of the Holy Spirit but when we are dead we still remain united to him both in Body and Soul and in the last day when our Bodies shall be again joyned unto our Souls they will arise unto Eternal Glory for it is not possible that our Bodies should remain in their Graves when they are united to the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ Moreover for as much as none can be certain of the hour of their Death nor promise themselves to morrow and that on our last hour depends our Eternal State and that after Death we shall be translated either to the joys of Heaven or to the everlasting Torments of Hell it is therefore our great concern to be always thinking of that hour on which depends our Eternal Happiness or Misery He is a prudent Man who thinks that every hour may be the last hour of his life Such a one will not easily fall into notorious sins but will use the things of this life thriftily and look upon them as vain and transitory But this cannot be done without Gods assistance so that it will be very fitting as you regard your Eternal Salvation to pour out your Prayers unto God with Ardent affections for his direction and assistance in such a form as is at the end of this Chapter or any other that suits your Devotion When the day is finished before you go to sleep be sure you never omit to examine your own Conscience which judging of the Conscience being a thing so very useful was even by the Heathen much approv'd of so that it will be a shame for Christians to come behind them in the study of Vertue and will hereafter be very dangerous Pythagoras hath described this Examination of the Conscience in very elegant Verses the sense whereof is that at night before we compose our selves to rest we ought to call to mind the Actions of the day past and chiefly to enquire into three things what we have done what we have lest undone and wherein we have transgressed our Duty and as we find our actions to have been accordingly we are to behave our selves to be griev'd and displeas'd with our selves for what we have done amiss and to take delight in what we have done well This Examination of the Conscience Seneca did not omit even amongst the Noise and Distractions os the Court I use saith he this Authority Vâ—or hae pâ—testate quotidie apud â—e causam dico 〈◊〉 sublatum Conspeâ—â—e lumen est conticuâ—t uâ—â—◠〈…〉 conseta â—â—â—ium 〈…〉 sirutor facâ—â—◠〈…〉 remetiâ—r 〈…〉 semdo 〈…〉 enim 〈…〉 mels 〈…〉 cere vide ne 〈…〉 saclas nunc 〈…〉 Lib. 3. de 〈…〉 and daily plead my cause with my self when the light is withdrawn from my sight and my Wife is silent being now inured to this custom I examine with my self the whole day past and review all that I have said or done I hide nothing from my own Serutiny I pass by nothing for why should I fear any thing by reason of my Errors When as I can say see that thon doâ—t it no more and for this time I will pardon thee Much more necessary then will it be for thee O Chrisâ—â—an to recal to your mind every day what things you have done and compare them with what you did the day before when Evening comes to summon
that I may desire thee alone and be inflam'd with the love of thee that after Death I may be translated to the joys and blessedness of thy glorious Kingdom and live with thee for ever and evâ—â— Amen CHAP. XV. That we are to love our Neighbour AFter God our Neighbour is to be beloved whom a Christian ought to love as himself And these two the love of God and of our Neigheour are joyned together by an indissoluble Bond so that the love of God can never be separated from the love of our Neighbour If any one shall say I love God and hate his Brother he is a Lyar. He who is angry with his Brother without cause doth not love God no one can hurt his Brother but at the same time he offends God And therefore amongst the Characters of a Christian this is one of the chief to love our Neighbour A new Commandment saith our Saviour John 13.34 35 I give unto you that ye love one another By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Although a Christian be endued with all other Vertues yet without Charity they will all profit him nothing Of which St. Paul thus speaks 1 Cor. 13.1 c. Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and have no Charity I am nothing c. In the last Judgment the Faith of Men shall be judged by their Charity Whilst the Just Judge shall say to the Blessed Mat. 25. I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me for as much as ye have done it unto the least of these ye have done it unto me And on the contrary to the wicked he shall say I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not and forasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me By this Christians are distinguished from the Heathen they indeed love their Friends but Christians must love their Enemies as our Saviour teacheth us But I say unto you love your Enemies Mat. 5.44 c. Bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh the Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and and sendeth rain on the Just and on the Vnjust For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect For in this the Eminency and Prerogative of a Christian consists in overcoming the World and the Flesh Accordingly St. Paul thus adviseth us Rom. 12.17 18. Recompence to no Man Evil for Evil Provide things honest in the sight of all Men If it be possible as much as lieth in you vers 19. live peaceably with all Men Dearly beloved avenge not your selves If thine Enemy hunger vers 20. feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap Coals of fire on his Head Be not overcome of Evil but overcome Evil with good vers 21. The Prayer LORD Jesus who hast given us a new Commandment that we should love one another and wentest before us by thy Example in doing good and praying for thine Enemies grant that we may bear a brotherly love and kindness to all Men that we may hurt no body but do good to all Men even to our Enemies and commit all Revenge to thee alone Take from us O Lord Anger Hatred Malice and all bitterness of Spirit that the Sun may not go down upon our wrath but that we may forgive those that have Trespassed against us even as we desire thee to forgive us our Trespasses grant unto us kindness and good will that our Faith may work by love and all Men may say that we are thy Disciples indeed CHAP. XVI That we must guard our minds from Capital Sins ALthough a Christian if he loveth God above all and his Neighbour as himself and orders all his Actions by the love of God and of his Neighbour will not easily be tempted to commit any Heinous Crime yet because sins do easily insinuate themselves under the mask of good and the World the Flesh and the Devil do endeavour a thousand ways by allurements by deceits or by force to tempt us from our good purposes and resolutions of living well it therefore behoves a Christian to arm himself against the Assaults of all Capital Sins For as in War he that knows the Enemy is near provideth himself with all necessary Weapons keeps Watches and Sentinels that so he may at all times be in a readiness to oppose the Enemy In like manner it is our Duty to have always our Spiritual Armour at hand with which we may resist the Enemies of our Salvation the World the Flesh and the Devil This is that Warfare by which we overcome the World and our own selves and we ought daily to improve our selves in it Wherefore if Men would but take half the pains in vanquishing their Lusts and implanting Piety in their Minds as they do in getting Riches hunting after Honours and resolving nice and intricate Questions there would be fewer offences in the World and the exercises of Vertue would be much more frequent and vigorous amongst Men. And whereas all that are in the World are the Lusts of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life or the love of Pleasures Riches and Honours 1 John 2.16 and those Enormous Sins which arise from hence as Pride Covetousness Luxury Envy Anger Enmity and Hatred and the like It is therefore the Duty of a Christian diligently to consider how he may best fortifie himself against these vices And first against Pride The Christian may easily cure himself of this Evil by accustoming himself to Humility and considering how little one Man is better than another We are born all alike one wants Meat and Drink as well as another and all the labour of Man is for his Mouth and yet the Appetite is not filled one is sick as well as another and we all die and return unto the Earth from whence we were taken And indeed this consideration alone that in a short
how unsuitable it would be to have a mind filthy and stained with sin under a fair and clean garment Never undertake any business unless you have first humbly compos'd your mind and body to Prayer Thank God from your very heart that he hath been pleased to preserve you the last night and even all your life from the Snares and Violence of Satan and to keep you and yours from all outward perils and dangers and pray unto him that he would mercifully forgive you all your sins for the Merits of Christ that he would preserve you and yours all the faithful and the universal Church from the power and subtilty of the Devil that he would please to defend you from all dangers of Body and Soul and so guide you by his Holy Spirit that you may not offend him this day by any sin but that all your Thoughts Words and Actions may be directed to the glory of God and the good of Mankind that he will please not to take you out of the World unprepared by a sudden death and that if he should think it fitting to take away your life this very day he would be merciful unto you and receive you to himself Every Morning renew your resolutions of serving God and as if this were the first day of your returning to God and that hitherto you had done no kind of good firmly purpose in your mind to love the Lord your God and serve him only And humbly pray unto God that he would please to keep and assist you in these your good Resolutions of serving him In the Morning advise with your self what you are to do that day in the Evening take an account of what you have done And that you may have comfort at night stedfastly determine to spend the day well Having offer'd up your prayers to God read a Chapter or two in the Holy Scriptures and attentively consider what there is contained in it for your Consolation or Instruction or Admonition From the Sacred History you may observe how great Gods anger is against sins and with what terrible plagues he hath punish'd sinners and on the contrary with what signal Rewards he hath recompenced Holiness and how wonderfully he hath conducted his own People In short so read the Scriptures as thereby to confirm your Faith and excite in you the practice of Piety Do the same also at night when you are going to Bed and thus in no long space of time you will have read over the whole Bible and so will be provided with a sure guide in the paths of Virtue all the days of your life As Holy David saith Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet Ps 119.105 and a Light unto my Path. The Law of the Lord is perfect Ps 19.8 c. converting the Soul The Testimony of the Lord is sure making Wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the Heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever The Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous all together More to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine Gold Sweeter also than Hony and the Hony Comb. Moreover by them is thy Servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward Be careful therefore not to read the Holy Scriptures out of Custom only and as it were by the by but stay a while in the Meditation of what you have read for there is no Chapter but will yield very profitable matter for Holy Contemplations to wit on the Wisdom of God his Omnipotency Infinity Goodness Mercy and Justice On the Corruption of Humane Nature our own sins the Snares and Temptations of the Devil the punishments of the Wicked and the Rewards of the Righteous on the frailty shortness and mortality of Humane Nature On Repentance Faith the exercise of Holiness On our Blessed Saviours Incarnation Nativity Miracles Passion Death Resurrection Ascention Intercession and his Redemption of Mankind On the last Judgment the Happy State of the Blessed in the life to come and the misery of the Damned in Hell These and the like as they offer themselves are to be heedfully attended to and some time Meditated upon until some sorrow of Mind some ardor of Devotion some act of Faith some Divine flame of love springs up in your Soul Having thus performed your Devotions from which never suffer your self to be withdrawn by any thing whatever since there is nothing so serious and weighty as to be preferr'd before God you may then apply your self to the Duties of your Calling with a full intention to discharge them faithfully for the due performance whereof you are not only diligently to beware of offending God either in Thought Word or Deed and of injuring your Neighbour but you ought also to direct all your Actions to Gods glory and the good of others First as to what concerns your thoughts although the godly by reason of the Corruption of Humane Nature cannot avoid all evil thoughts yet be careful least you too much indulge them but suppress them betimes and be sure never to bring them forth to act nor suffer your self to be seduced in your Affections to any thing contrary to Honesty and Piety and which may in the least alienate your mind from the happiness of the life Eternal Never seek after popular Fame Be not Ambitious after Honours Riches or any Worldly thing but more especially do not prefer them before God be humble and contented with a competency and a good Conscience he is very happy and hath every thing who hath God for his Friend He is most miserable and hath nothing who hath God for his Enemy When ever any sinful affections begin by little and little to steal into your mind as Avarice Voluptuousness Envy Anger Enmity and Hatred and such like as we have before mentioned in the precedeing Chapter be diligent to stifle them in their first motions As to what concerns your words and discourse so govern your self as always remembring that severe expression of our Lords Mat. 12.36 That every idle word that Men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment And therefore in your jesting observe never to cast a blot upon Religion or Scandalize any one or offend against the Rules of Honesty and Modesty So order all your Speech that you never Scandalize your Neighbour but endeavour to build him up in the most Holy Faith to this end pray with David Set a Watch O Lord Ps 141.3 and keep the Door of my Lips There is no true joy but what is joyned with the love of God and a good Conscience We often laugh when if the great danger we are in were rightly consider'd there is more need we should weep let your words and your Heart go together and let both always agree with truth avoid lying and desraud none with deceitful words when ever you
best done if instead of thinking any more on Death it self he rather transfers his thoughts and fixes them on the most Happy State of the Heavenly life to which he is hastning Apoc. 14.13 For Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them For although Death be the Wages of Sin yet by the Death of Christ it is changed into a happy passage to a true life by which being set loose from the Prison of this World from the Bondage of Trouble and from the Chains of sin we come unto Christ By the Dissolution of our Corporeal Tabernacle we are Translated from our Earthly Pilgrimage to dwell for ever with the Lord By Death we leave this valley of Tears this Dungeon of Misery and mount up to the Heavenly Jerusalem where there is no crying nor pain nor Death but perpetual Pleasures and rejoycing for evermore Hence the Apostle truly calls Death the gain of the godly for is it not great gain to leave evil things and to possess an infinite good The sick Person may perhaps be sad and melancholly when he thinks that he must now endure a great deal of pain and when he is dead must be left by all his Friends and Travel alone into an unknown Region but to confort him against this let him consider that he enjoys the presence of God and the Divine assistance according to Gods promise that the Blessed Angels will wait on him to Conduct his Soul to the Pallace of the Great King for they are all Ministring Spirits Heb. 1. ult sent forth to Minister unto those who shall be Heirs of Salvation That as no Body is born into the World by chance so doth no body die by chance neither but that Diseases and Death happen to us by Gods appointment And let him Meditate on such Texts of Scripture as these Thus saith the Lord Isa 43.1 â— when thou passest through the Waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee When thou walkest through the fire thou shall not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Call upon me in the day of Trouble Ps 50.15 I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Though I walk through the Valley of the shaddow of Death I will fear no Evil Ps 23.4 for thou art with me Ps 43. ult Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God Ps 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee vers 26. My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the strength of my Heart and my portion for ever vers 28. It is good for me to draw near to God I have put my Trust in the Lord God Mat. 10.29 vers 30. vers 31. Joh. 8.51 One Sparrow shall not fall to the ground without your Father and the very hairs of your Head are all numbred Fear ye not therefore Verily verily I say unto you if a Man keep my saying he shall never see Death That is not only he shall not see Eternal Death but also shall not feel the bitterness of the Temporal Death Rom. 8.31 2 Chr. 20.21 If God be for us who can be against us O our God we know not what to do but our Eyes are upon thee 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations Shall we receive good at the hand of God Job 2.10.1.21 Job 13.15 Job 19.25 and shall we not receive evil Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him I know that my Redeemer liveth and though after my skin worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh shall I see God 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be Tempted above that ye are able but will with the Temptation also make away to escape that ye may be able to bear it But suppose you should feel some of the cruel pangs of Death yet consider that they befal you by the Will of God to whom the very Hairs of our Head are known and without whose Pleasure nothing in the World happens That they are Tokens of Gods Favour rather than his Anger Heb. 12.6 for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth However these pains are very short and Momentary and by them we have admission into Eternal life Our Nativity is attended with Sorrow and Crying But the sharper these pangs are the sooner they will be over and then succeeds everlasting Joy and Gladness Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us 2 Cor. 4.16 For which cause we faint not but though our outward Man perish vers 17. yet the inward Man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a Moment encreaseth for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory If we die with him we shall also live with him 2 Tim. 2.11 We must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God and the God of all grace 1. Pet. 5.10 who hath called us unto his Eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while will Establish Strengthen and Settle you Chronical Diseases may perhaps be troublesome and painful for some time yet all even the longest are but a moment in respect of Eternity Therefore wait on the Lord Ps 27.14 be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart wait I say on the Lord For though he should seem to hide his face from thee for a Moment Isa 54.8 yet with everlasting kindness will he have Mercy on thee His anger may endure for a Moment Ps 30.5 but in his favour is life weeping may endure for a Night but joy cometh in the Morning If any should be concern'd least in the agony of Death their Ears should be deaf and their Senses fail them and so should be destitute of necessary Consolations let them remember that the Spirit it self will bear witness with our Spirits Rom. 8.16.26 that we are the Children of God Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered He is the true and only Comforter who when our Eyes are darkned inlightens our Heart when our Ears are shut will speak Consolation to our Souls Let them also attentively meditate on what our Saviour said a little before his Passion Now is the Prince of this World judged Joh. 16.11 that is he who brought Death into the World is overcome by my Death and condemned and is deprived
out all my transgressions O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure If I consider what I have done what I suffer is not so much what I have committed is grievous what I suffer is but light righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgments O Lord deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities but according to the multitude of thy mercies think thou vpon me O Lord for thy goodness Thou God art my strength and the horn of my Salvation thou makest sore and bindest up thou woundest and thy hand make whole thou killest and makest alive thou bringest down to the Grave and bringest up if therefore thou pleasest to permit my Soul to remain any longer in this Earthly Tabernacle for thy Glory and Service O Lord help thy afflicted Servant and give me patience But if thou seest it fit to take away my Life thy Will be done and let thy Servant depart in peace Protect me against all the temptations and assaults of Satan with the Shield of thy mercy Grant that my faith may not fail me nor my hope be shaken nor the weakness of my Nature be cast down by the terrours of Death but after my Eyes are dim my Tongue faulters and my senses have lost their power and faculties grant that my Mind and Soul may be continually fix'd on thee and by the Assistance of thy Holy Spirit may be firmly united to thee and with my last breath I may commend my Soul into thy hands O Lord who livest and reignest for ever and ever Amen II. Blessed Lord forasmuch as I must bid farewel to this World I commend unto Thee all mine Thou who relievest the Fatherless and the Widow be their Father and Protector It is not for me to intermeddle with what is thy prerogative but give me Grace to use all Diligence to make my own calling and election sure before I go hence and be no more seen All my other care I cast upon Thee Be thou pleas'd to provide for all mine Bless them O Lord and replenish their hearts with a godly fear and love of thy holy Name Give them health of body soundness of mind and all good things which thou seest fit for them Keep from them all such things as may alienate their minds from Thee or any ways hinder them from the profession of a true faith or the practice of a Holy Life III. O Eternal Lord I now see all things in the World leave me but do not thou forsake me O my God In thee is my trust leave not my Soul destitute I flee unto thee for succour Make hast to help me O Lord my Salvation O my God be not far from me in this my last hour I confess indeed I am not worthy to be called thy Son or even the meanest of thy Servants but I cast my self at thy feet and fall down before thy Throne of Grace O deal with me according the multitude of thy mercies and enter not into judgment with thy Servant I do not hide my transgressions from thee but humbly confess them before thy Divine Majesty but according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord look upon my affliction and pain and forgive all my sins for the merits and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ Cast me not away from thy thy presence since thou hast redeemed me with the blood of thy Son O keep my Soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee O dear Jesu thou art my Redeemer and my Saviour thou hast overcome the World Sin and Hell it self that they can do me no harm Lord I come unto thee do not reject me O do not leave me in this my hour of Death Into thy hands I commend my Spirit Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen Amen O Man remember Death and Eternity and whilst you live here consider where after Death you are to live for ever and ever FINIS Books Printed for and are to be Sold by Sam. Keble at the Great Turks-head in Fleet street MONASTICON ANGLICANUM Or the History of the Ancient Abbies and other Monasteries Hospitals Cathedral and Collegiate Churches in England and Wales with divers French Irish and Scotch Monasteries formerly relating to England Collected and Published in Latin by Sir William Dugdale Knt. late Gartor King of Arms in Three Volums and now epitomiz'd in English Page by Page price 10 s. The Historical Parts of the Old and New Testament in Verse with One Hundred and Twenty Cuts being the best use of Poetry and Sculpture 12o. price 2 s. EPICTETI Enchiridion Or the most Excellent Morals of Epictetus Made English in a Poetical Paraphrase By Ellis Walker M. A. A Collection of Private Forms of Prayers for Morning Noon and Night and other special Occasions by the Author of the Weeks Preparation to the Sacrament Degrees of Marriage that which is ordered to be had in all Churches