father can come near the love of our heavenly Father for how doth his heart mourn how do his mercies over-look our iniquities how are his bowels troubled how are his repentingsrouled together how doth he in the midst of wrath remember mercy how doth he aâ—ter all his menacings and threatnings recall our frailties and his own blessed glorious and ever renowned attribute the mercifull God And so spare us heu quam bonus est deus quam vilis homo O How good is God to Israel and how unworthy and unthankfull and disobedient is Israel to this good God and that we may the better blush and be ashamed of our selves and sinfull courses let us look upon some branches of his Love As 1. When we were deadly sick and nothing could recover us but the blood of his beloved and onely begotten Son then he spared not his own Son but gave him for us all to death that we might live Rom. 8. 32. 2ly The eminency of his Love shines the more clear if we consider the persons upon whom he cast and bestowed his Love and that was upon grievous sinners as the Apostle shews Rom. 5. 6. for Christ when we were yet of no strength died for the ungodly 3ly The unworthiness of the persons is aggravated by their loathsome condition being à capite ad calcem from the crown of the head to the soal of the foot full of nothing but wounds and sores and swellings full of putrified corruption Isa 1. 6. Job in that condition was loathed by his own wife and friends and for the King of Kings to be enamoured on such wretched Lazarusses Quantus amor how great was his Love The blind and the halt and the lame the soul of David hated and who but God would but have done the like and therefore the stronger tie and bond to bind us to love him Who hath so loved us as it is 1 Joh. 4. 11. 4ly If our condition had been loathsome by divine Providence it had not been much to be wondered at that he should love deformed creatures of his own making but when it came by our making and marring by sin what he had made beautifull this speaks his goodnesse indeed 5ly Or for a good man one may die Rom. 5. 7. but for an open and professed enemy who but David would die Yet when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. We conspired and crucified and killed the Lord of Life Acts 3. 15. and the Lord of Life layes down his life to give us life and is not this unheard-of love 6ly His love is most apparent by the rich purchase and price he paid for us For we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb undefiled and without spot 1 Pet. 1. 18. All the blood of Bulls and Goats in the world could not help us but it must be the blood of the Lamb of God must purifie our consciences from dead works Heb. 9. 14. and when this Lamb must be slain to save us sinners who can deny his love to be very great The uses hereof are these Vse 1. The bountifulness and loving-kindeness of our heavenly Father towards us should lead us all unto repentance Rom. 2. 4. What could he have done for his vineyard that he hath not done unto it Isa 5. 4. he hath planted it with the best plants he hath watered it and dungde it and pruned it and hath bestowed much labour and cost about it and love upon it as the Dresser did upon the barren fig-tree Luk. 13. 7 8. He feeds us he clothes us and in a word blesseth us with the blessings of his right hand and of his left Prov. 3. 16. And now O man what doth the Lord thy God require of thee Surely nothing but to do justly and to love mercy and to humble thy self and to turn from thy evil wayes and to walk with thy God Mic. 6. 8. So that as the servants of Naaman spake unto him 2 Kingâ— 5. 13. If the Prophet had commanded thee some great matter would'st thou not have done it how much rather then when he saith to thee wash and be clean I speak unto you if God had required of you your lands treasures wives husbands yea your Absaloms ye must have parted with them but he soares not so high but contents himself with little and that little is to be grieved with our selves for grieving him to return unto the Lord that he may return unto us Zach. 1. 3. and to repent us of all our wickedness He that will grudge God this deserves not to be owned for his childe It was the saying of the man of God to the good Shunamite 2 King 4. 13. Behold thou hast had all this care for us what shall we do now for thee and of David Psal 116. 12. Quid retribuam domino What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits even so let it be our meditation what we shall do for God that hath done such great things for us For where much is given much is looked for saith Christ Luk. 12. 48. Let us then with the Samaritan leper chap. 17. 15. return and praise God and that not only in tongue or word but in our deeds and lives and conversations Mark the Apostles argument 1 Cor. 6. 20. yeare bought with a price there is our Heavenly Fathers love Now the sequel tells us what lieth on our part to perform Glorifie God therefore in your bodies and in your spirits A son honoreth his father and a servant his master If he be then our Father let us honour him If our master let us fear him Mal. 1. 6. Vse 2. Here is comfort and Balm of Gilead to heal all that are wounded with their sinnes for if David could forget and forgive as we use to say all the unkindeness and wrongs done to him by his unnatural son Absalom and wish to die for him who had as willingly die as see him live then out of all question God hath more yerning melting and tender bowels towards them that lie grovling on the earth for their failings Can David soal a pardon to his son that stands up in defiance of him abuseth his wives and concubines rebels and takes armes to pull him out of his Throne by head and ears and wil not our heavenly Father receive us to mercy when we shall submit lament and bewail our errours and transgressions weep and howl and beg and crave forgiveness shall David look a squint and a to side upon the faults of his childe and only eye him as the fruit of his loins and will not God cast all our sinnes into the bottom of the Sea Mic. 7. 19. and not look upon us in our selves but in his Christ in whom he is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. and with us in him Wherefore let us comfort one another in these words 1 Thes
all the works of darknesse and of the Devil and with the day to walk honestly as children of the light and of the day Teach us by our walking and wandring up and down from one place to another ever to remember that we are but Pilgrims and Sojourners here on earth and so to fix our hearts and eyes homeward and heaven-ward and upon that rest remains to the people of God Teach us by every thing we take in hand to do all to the glory of God by whom we live move and have our being To this end guide our eyes that they behold no more vanity Guide our ears that they let in no more folly Guide our tongues that the name of God be no more blasphemed amongst us Guide our hearts that they suggest and act such things as are pleasing to the Lord. Guide our hands that they may be more quick and lively in doing Gods businesse than our own Guide our feet that we may run in the wayes of thy commandments even unto the death Lord so guide us in our hearts bodies minds and affections that above all things we may apply our selves to glorifie thee on earth that at last we may be glorified by thee in the Kingdom of glory And seeing thou hast made man for thy glory give us of thy grace that we may serve thee to thy glory Give us instead of hearts of stone hearts of flesh and hearts of wax that they may be alwayies pliable to serve thee our Maker and Redeemer Give us a true sight and light into all our sins and a true Repentance for our sins yea even a loathing of our selves for all the evils which we have committed in all our abominations against our kind God that our sins may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power Give us a true taste of the joyes above that we may with Davids hunted hart pant after the Rivers of living water and long to be with Christ our Love our Head and Captain of our salvation Quicken us in the wayes of godlinesse that we may serve thee with alacrious and chearfull spirits Enflame our hearts with an holy zeal towards thy Law thy word and thy worship that it may be as meat and drink unto us alwaies to do thy will And as we have given up formerly our Members as weapons of unrighteousnesse unto sin so henceforward strengthen us with thy holy Spirit that we may give up our Members as weapons of righteousnesse to serve the everliving God not labouring so eagerly so earnestly so heartilie so greedilie after that bread and meat which perisheth together with us as after that bread which endures unto everlasting life For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and at last lose his own soul Our souls they were and are dear unto thee and they cost the son of thy love thy onelie begotten son and thy best beloved son thy son in whom alone thou art well pleased the dearest price of his dearest blood how then ought they to be dear unto us and how can we better shew that they are dear and precious unto us than by seeking the good of them more ferventlie than after anie thing else whatsoever O Lord grant that we may not onlie know what is good but that we may do that which is good For they that know their Masters will do it not shall be beaten with many stripes Except the Lord saith David builds the house they labour in vain that build it Except the Lord keepeth the City the watchman waketh but in vain Paul may plant and Apollo may water but all is in vain without thy blessing let therefore thy good blessing accompany all our spiritual bodilie labors that all things may work together for thy glorie and for the best unto them that love thee and desire to fear thy name Lord be with us this day quicken us unto every good work stand by us restrain the corruptions of our own natures quench the fierie darts of that wicked one that they may not prevail against us in this world and so be never able to witnesse against us in the world to come And all this we beg of thee for the Lord Jesus Christs sake in whose name we conclude our Prayers in that absolute manner and form which he hath taught us Our Father which art in heaven c. A Prayer for Noon day IT was Davids practice Evening and Morning and at Noon to pray and that we may be followers of him having him for an ensample to walk according to his rule that we may obtain peace and mercie as the true Israel of God we thy poor servants Blessed Lord God do humblie cast our selves down at thy feet and footstool begging of thee that as thou art the shepherd of Israel which leadest thy people in and out like a flock of sheep so thou wouldest be pleased to lead us into the green pastures there to feed us with spiritual and corporal food whereby bodie and soul may be fed fullie comfortablie and with comforts everlasting O thou shepherd of Israel among the manifold chances and changes of this uncertain life defend us from Gog and Magog that neither inward nor outward enemies hurt us not but above all that sin nor Satan prevail not against us Direct us in the narrow way of repentance and amendment of life that when our day shall end we may enter in at the straight gate and so enjoy the Ancient of daies Rowz up our dull spirits that we may run in the waies of thy Commandements and so obtain that Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord our righteousnesse shall give unto those that love him and call upon his name The night is past and the bright day come Grant us therefore grace to walk as children of light holilie unblameablie unspottedlie and without fault in thy sight Grant that with the Morning we may look fresh in grace and with the Noon grow to a fulnesse of grace and with the Evening lie down in grace that the God of grace may receive us into his tuition and favour We have enjoied a comfortable morning O thrice blessed be thy name for it but we might and all that we have might have been consumed into dust and ashes hadst not thou of thy goodnesse preserved us so that who can think who can say it is in vain to serve the Lord But now who can promise himself one hour more much lesse an Evening if thou shalt hide thy face and withdraw the light of thy countenance from us and therefore we crave of thee to succour us to guard us to continue thy loving kindnesse towards us and to guide us to our rest Our enemies are many in this our vallie of tears that it is of the Lords mercie that we have not long since been consumed our strength to withstand them very weak like a reed to the
great Leviathan Our friends to help us are like Jobs miserable comforters our footing on this sea of glasse very slipperie but when all our other trust is but as a spiders web this is our comfort in our afflictions that although our father and mother and all the world forsake us yet the Lord will then gather us up and will not leave us comfortless Wherefore in all humble acknowledgement of all thankfulness due unto thee vve offer up unto thee our selves our souls and bodies a quick and living sacrifice that the God in whom we live move have our being may be glorified in and by our being This is our day therfore it is our duty whilst it is called to day to seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him whilst he is near This is our day wherein we are to work and so let it be our sole wisdome to work out our salvation lest the night come and overtake us when no man can work This is our day and how ill doth it become us to trewant and loiter it away like those that stood idle in the market place or to riot it and revelling it eating and drinking and cursing Abimelech lest we be in hell to morrow yelling and howling and roring with Dives Devils and damned ones Let the Sun which cometh as a Bridegroom out of his chamber and rejoiceth to run his race Ever teach us to be active in spiritual duties and heavenlie exercises Let the Sun which encreaseth from glorie to glorie teach us to encrease in vertue goodnesse and godlinesse adding to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to temperance patience to patience brotherlie kindnesse and so one grace to another that we may be complete Christians like unto our head and Lord and Master Let the morning instruct us to remember our Creator in the daies of our youth Let the Noon tutour us to be strong in the faith Let the Evening admonish us to think of the end of our life and shutting in of our daies Let all teach us so to number our daies that we may applie our hearts unto wisdome Let a waterie daie ever mind us of the sorrows afflictions and troubles attend us in this life Let a pleasant day mind us of the pleasures to come when these are faded and forgotten Let a short daie mind us of the shortnesse of this life which is but as a span long and swifter than a Weavers Shuttle Let a long daie mind us of Eternitie of life either in blisse or bane and so read us a continual Lecture to labour for that meat which endures unto everlasting life and not after that bread which perisheth with us the which that we may do the Lord grant unto us for the Lord Jesus Christs sake our blessed Saviour and redeemer Amen A Prayer for the Evening I Will lay me down and also sleep in peace for thou Lord makest me dwell in safety saith David Now good God grant that as we lie down in thy love so we may rise by thy power and glorifie thee for thy mercy O most gracious God and in thy son Jesus Christ our loving Father we miserable sinners dust and ashes worms and not men do prostrate our selves before the footstool of thy Throne of grace beseeching thee that seeing thou hast made the night for man to rest so well as the day for him to labour so that thou wouldest be pleased to blesse us this night and keep us from fire sword sicknesse death and those manifold evils may befall us and overtake us by reason of our manifold sins and wickednesses Thou art about their beds and givest thy Angels charge over them that seek unto thee for succour thou knowest their down-lying and uprising and art near unto those that call upon thee in truth and syncerity of heart wherefore graciously good God spread thou the wings of thy loving kendnesse and favour over us this night and let not this house be as a tomb and Sepulchre erected over our heads let not our beds be as our graves our blankets as the mold of the earth and our sheefs as our winding-sheets but let them all serve to minister comfort and refreshment to our wearied bodies and senses that the day following we may be the better enabled to set forth thy praise and thy glorie Let not our sleep be insatiable according to the desires of the flesh but onely so as that it may revive our dull and heavy drooping spirits and make them active in thy service and in the works of our calling Teach us by our unclothing and uncovering of our selves and casting away our garments from us continually to think of casting away every weight and casting off that old man which is corrupt through his deceivable works Teach us by our nakednesse when our garments are from us continually to think of harmlesnesse and innocency of life endevouring our selves daily to live void of offence towards God and towards man Teach us by going out of our warm clothes into our cold beds continually to think on a change of life how that we shall one day leave this sinfull world and passe into another there to receive according to our several works Teach us by our sleep continuallie to think on death and by our waking from sleep again continually to think of resurrection of life how that we shall one day wake and rise out of the dust of the earth and behold our God not with other but with these same eyes O let everie thing be our instruction to shew us the right way to heaven and everlasting blisse Father blesse us bodily yea and blesse us spiritually give unto our bodies a happie rest in Christ Jesus whensoever as we know not how soon thou maiest call them out of this sinful world and say unto our souls that he was the redemption thereof and paid the ransom of them with his dearest blood that under the shadow of his wings we may flie to thy heavenly Sanctuary Father bless us inwardlie and blesse us outwardly blesse us inwardly with all these graces which are fit and needfull for our several places conditions and callings and blesse us outwardlie with all those things we want and stand in need of as health strength ease wealth blesse us likewise in everie thing belongs unto us that they yielding forth their strength and encrease unto us we may yield forth unto thee our God the strength of our obedience praise and thanksgiving O father thou art great and therefore to be feared thou art good and therefore to be praised according therefore to thy greatnesse and according to thy goodnesse be thy praise and we entreat thee to continue this thy loving kindnesse to us unto our lives end and to life eternal And that we may obtain this mercy we beseech thee to give us grace to walk worthie of thy mercies that we may find and feel the fruits of thy favour budding in our souls O give us grace that
we may look unto our feet that we walk no more in the waies of disobedience whereby we should offend and grieve the good Spirit of so Good a God and so loving a father for our own Consciences tell us That what couldest thou have done more for thy vineyard and the plants of thy vineyard and such vile sinfull wretches that thou hast not done unto us and yet what could any stubborn and stiffe-necked generation have done more to provoke thee to anger wrath and sore displeasure than we have done But Lord call not thou our sins to thy remembrance lay not thou our sins to our charge for if thou shouldest be but strict to mark wherein we have done amisse who should be able to stand in thy sight Wherefore for thy mercie sake spare us for the multitude of thy tender mercies sake have compassion on us for the Lord Jesus Christs sake forgive us all that is past how many how great how grievous how crying soever our sins have been and strengthen us with strength from above that we may spend the residue of our lives in thy service whollie resigning up our selves unto thee fearing of thee keeping of thy Commandement labouring indevouring to live as much hereafter to thy honour as ever we have heretofore done to thy dishonor And for as much as thou hast commanded us to be mindfull of the afflictions of Joseph we beg of thee to be good to all thy poor afflicted ones work in them a true insight into all their sins and a true Repentance for their sins and a strong faith to believe that their sins are pardonable in the blood of that immaculate Lamb Lord if it be thy will let them live to praise thee and for the comfort of those that belong unto them but if thou in thy secret counsel hast decreed them for death grant that although their bodies return to the earth yet their spirits may return to their Maker And preserve thou our lives and healths unto us not that they may be a means to follow our former wantonnesse with the greater greedinesse but that we may be the better abilicated to set forth the glorie of our most Glorious God Blesse those of our nearest relation blesse them and us and all of us with inward and outward with spiritual and corporal health and wealth that we may glorifie thee our God with both all the daies of our lives Blesse thy poor Zion deliver thy Israel out of all his troubles Make not us who were once thy Beulahs thy Hephzibahs thy joy thy delight now to become Loammies Loruhamaes a despised and forsaken people Make not us who were once Naomies a pleasant seed now to become Marahs a seed drunken with bitter waters of a full cup wrung out unto us Make not us who were once as Abigails the fathers joy now to become Benonies the sons of our mothers sorrows O let not this be published in Gath nor proclaimed in Askalon lest the uncircumcised take up this Proverb against us Go ye unto Shiloh go ye unto England and see how their Sun is set their pride abased and their pomp vanished because they would not hear and obey nor regard the voice of the Lord Jehovah O for thy Christs sake be pacified with thy servants that call upon thy name as Herod was with the men of Tyre and Zidon for Blastus his sake and mediation and as thou art wonderfull in thy name so be thou wonderfull in thy works and command at length deliverances for thy Jacob. Blesse our Supreme head Let every mountain and hill that is exalted against it be made low let the crooked be made straight let the rough be made plain oh let the zeal of the Lord God of Hosts in his good time perform all this Call home all those that have erred like lost sheep and are deceived open their eyes to see the truth direct their hearts to walk in that truth that walking in the old way which is the good way they may at last come to him who is the way the truth and the life Sanctifie this nights rest unto us Grant that our sleep it may be sweet for the refreshing of our wearied senses that the day following we may be the better strengthened to set forth the honour of our God Give thy angels charge over us this night for they alone are well kept whom thou keepest wherefore into thy hands both now and ever with blessed Steven do we commend all our spirits These O father and all other things thou in thy infinite and all-seeing goodnesse shalt better see to be requisite either for our selves or for any other we humbly beseech thee to grant them unto us not for our own sakes for we acknowledge our selves unworthy to gather up the crumb that fall from thy table wherefore we beg them for thy Christs sake in whose name we conclude our prayer in that perfect form which he hath taught us saying Our father c. FINIS