grace that I may now willingly leave this fraile and wicked flesh in hope of the resurrection which in better manner shall restore it to me againe grant me O Lord God that thou wilt by thy grace make strong my soule against all temptations and that thou wilt cover and defend me with the buckler of thy mercy against the assaults of Satan I acknowledge that there is in my selfe no hope of salvation but all my hope and trust is in thy most mercifull goodnesse I have no merits nor good workes which I may alleadge before thee of sinnes and evill works alas I see a great heape but through thy mercy I trust to be of the number of them to whom thou wilt not impute their sins but take and impute mee for righteous and just and to be the inheritor of everlasting glory Thou O most mercifull Lord wert borne for my sake thou didst suffer both hunger and thirst thou didst preach teach pray and fast for my sake thou didst all good works and sufferedst most grievous pangs and torments for my sake and finally thou gavest thy most precious body to dye and thy blessed bloud to bee shed on the Crosse for my sake wherefore most mercifull Saviour let all these things profit me which thou hast freely given mee which hast given thy selfe for me let thy bloud cleanse and wash away the spots and foulenesse of my sinnes let thy righteousnesse hide and cover my unrighteousnesse let the merits of thy bitter sufferings be a sufficient and propitiatory sacrifice and satisfaction for my sinnes give me O Lord thy grace that my faith and beleefe of thy true and grievous death waver not in me but ever be firme and constant that the hope of thy mercy life everlasting never decay in me that charity waxe not cold in me and finally that the weaknesse of my flesh be not overcome with the feare of death grant me also O most mercifull Saviour that when death hath shut up the eyes of my body yet the eyes of my soule may still behold and look upon thee and that when death hath taken away the use of my tongue and speech yet my heart may cry and say unto thee O Lord into thy hands I give and commit my soule Lord Jesus receive my spirit and take me to thy mercies Amen A Prayer for a Woman in time of her travaile RIghteous and holy Lord God I doe now finde by experience the fruit of my sinne that I must travaile in sorrow and bring forth in paine and I unfainedly adore the truth of thy sacred Word as certifying unto me that sorrow must be in the Evening so comforting me also against the Morning that a Childe shall be borne Willingly I doe desire to submit my selfe in hope unto this thy chastisement and to learne the desert of my sinnes horrible in themselves that these temporall paines are forerunners of eternall and yet by thy mercy may be so sanctified unto me as not onely to prevent eternall vengeance but also prepare for eternall comforts even to be saved by bearing of Children Grant me therefore gracious Father true repentance and pardon for my sinnes past that they may not stand at this time in this my need betweene mee and thy mercy Give mee a comfortable feeling of thy love in Christ which may sweeten all other pangs though never so violent or extreame make me still to lift up my soule unto thee in my greatest agonies knowing that thou alone must give a blessing to the ordinary meanes for my safe deliverance Lay no more upon me then I am able to endure strengthen my weake body to the bearing of what sorrowsoever by which it shall seeme good unto thee to make triall of me Grant mee to consider that howsoever it be with me yet I am alwaies at thine hand whose mercies faile not who wilt bee found in the Mount and greatest extremitie and to whom belong the issues of death so prepare me therefore to death that I may be fit for life even to yeeld fruit alive unto the world and to be renewed and enabled to nourish the same And when thou hast safely given mee the expected fruit of my wombe make me with a thankfull heart to consecrate both it and my selfe wholly to thy service all the daies of my life through Jesus Christ mine onely Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Thankesgiving after safe deliverance O Blessed for ever bee thy great and glorious Name most deere and loving Father for thy great mercy to me most weake and sinfull woman Wonderfull art thou in all thy workes O Lord the riches of thy mercies are past finding out thou hast plunged me with great afflictions and yet thou hast returned and refreshed me againe thou hast brought mee to the feare of the grave and yet thou hast raised me up again to life O how hast thou shewed thy power in my weaknesse How hath thy loving kindnesse prevailed against my unworthinesse Thou mightest for my sinnes have left me to perish in mine extremities but thou hast compassed me about with joyfull deliverance thou mightest have made my wombe a grave to bury the dead or in affoording life to another thou mightest have procured my death but yet thou hast not onely made my wombe a well-spring of life but restored life unto me also for the cherishing thereof Marveilous O Lord are thy workes infinite are thy mercies my soule by present experience knoweth it well O my soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits Thou hast heard my prayers and looked upon my sorrow thou hast redeemed my life from death and healed mine infirmities and crowned me with thine everlasting compassions O give me I humbly pray thee a thankfull heart not onely now while the memory and sense of thy favour is fresh before me but continually even so long as I have any being Grant that I may learne by his lively evidence of thy power and mercy for ever hereafter â—o depend only on thee Quicâ—en me also to all holy duties â—hat my thankfullnesse may appeare in my pure and Christian â—arriage Make me a kind and carefull â—nother willing to undergoe the â—aine and trouble of education â—et no nicenesse or curiositie â—inder me from those services â—o whom both nature and reliâ—ion hath appointed me let me â—â—so be carefull when time reâ—uireth to season the fruit thou â—ast given me with the saving â—nowledge of thee thy deere on that my desire may manifestly appeare to be set for the â—ncrease of thy Kingdome Vouchsafe so to order my affections and to bring them in obedience unto thee that if it should bee thy pleasure either now oâ— hereafter to take this infant from me I may as willingly part with it as thou freely gave it me And now O God perfect in mee that strength which thou hast begun make me to grow in care to
it not meet that that time which thou hast hitherto given to the world to thy flesh and to the Divell should suffice and that thou shouldest bestow some little time of that which remaineth to serve him who hath given thee all that thou hast Were it not a point of wisedome after so long time and so many great injuries to feare the most terrible justice of Almighty God who the more patiently he suffereth sinners the more hee doth afterwards punish them with severity and justice Were it not meet for thee to feare thy long continuance so many yeares in sinne and in the displeasure of Almighty God procuring thereby against thee such a mighty adversary as he is and provoking him of a mercifull loving Father to become thy severe terrible judge and enemy Were it not meet to feare least that the force of evill custome may in continuance of time be turned into nature and that thy long vicious usuall manner of committing sinne may make of a vice a necessity or little lesse Why art thou not afraid least by little and little thou maiest cast thy selfe downe head-long into the deep pit of a reprobate sence whereinto after that a man is once falne hee never maketh account of any sinne be it never so great The Patriarke Iacob said unto Laban his father in law These fourteene yeares have I served thee and looking to thine affaires now it is time that I should looke to mine owne and begin to attend unto the affaires of mine owne houshold Wherefore if thou hast likewise bestowed so many yeares in the service of this world and of this fraile transitory life were it not good reason that thou shouldest now begin to make some provision for the salvation of thy soule and for the everlasting life to come There is nothing more short nor more transitory then the life of man and therefore providing so carefully as thou doest for all such things as be necessarie for this life which is so short why doest thou not provide likewise somewhat for the life that is to come which life shall endure for ever and ever Earths Vanity A Sigh HEnce lazie sleepe thou sonne of sullen night That with soft-breathing Spels keeps sorrowes under Thy charmes cheares up the spirits with delight And laps the Sences in Lethaean slumber Packe and be gone for my sad soule knowes well Care best accordeth with a gloomic Cell And what more darke then my sin-clouded Soule Where yet the Sunne of Sapience never shone But still in Errors ougly cave did roule Where nought keepes concord but discordant mone Leave me I say and give me leave to tell That to my Soule my selfe ha's not done well Good man if good there lives one Thou that art So farre thrust from the worlds imperious eyes Helpe me to aâ—t this penitentiall part I meane No coyner of new Niceties Nor wodden Worshipper Give me him than That 's a God loving and good living man To be my partner in this Tragedie Whose scenes run bleeding through the wounded Acts Heart-strucke by Sinne and Satans fallacie And poyson'd by my selfe-committed facts Send me thy prayers if not thy presence found To stop the Ore-face of this streaming wound Steere me sweet Saviour while I safe have past The stormie Euroclydons of Despaire Till happily I have arriv'd at last To touch at Thee my Soules sole-saving stayre Tow up my sin-frought Soule sunke downe below And long lien weltring midst the waves of wo. New rig me up lest wallowing Iorewhelme Thy Mercy be my Main-mast And for Sayles My Sighs thy Truth my tackling Faith my Helme My ballast Love Hope Anchor that ne're failes Then in Heav'ns haven calme Peace me arrive Where once enharbor'd I shall richly thrive Woes me how long ha's Pride besotted me Proposing to dim Reason my good parts My nimble Wit my quicke proclivitie To Apprehension and in high deserts How many stood beneath me I vaine foole Thus fob'd by Satans sleights ore-slipt my Soule Who in darke Error downe embodied lies Blacke as the Star-lesse Night and hideously Impuritie with rustie wings crosse flies Betwixt the Sunne of Righteousnesse and me Whil'st Bat-like beats my Soule her leather sayles Gainst the soft Ayre and rising fals and failes Must I for each unsyllabled close Thought Render account O wit-fi'lde Conference Cal'd in is thy protection then deare bought How was my brow o'rehatcht with Impudence To let whole worlds of words my cheekes up-swell The least of whom would ding me downe to Hell O wretched Impes then of mans impious race who 'l breath out Blasphemies to make a Iest And call wit flashing the sole punctuall grace Of genuine knowledge But amongst the rest Iudge in what case are those wit-hucsters in That hourely practise this soule sinking sinne O may my tongue be ever rivetted Fast to my roofe but when it speakes Gods praise May not one vocall sound by breath be fed But when it carols out celestiall Layes Let not one tone through my tongues hatches flie But what beares with 't heav'ns glories harmonie Helpe Lord of power my feeble joynted praiers To clamber th' azure Mountaines throwne above me And keepe a seat for me there mongst those haires Apportion'd out to such as truely love thee Admit them in thine eares a resting roome Vntill to thee and them my soule shall come Meane while moyst ey'd Repentance here below Shall Inmate wise be Tenant to my minde For Prayers without true Penitence doe show Like meats unseason'd or like Bils unsign'd Or corne on tops of Cottages that growes Which uselesse no man either reapes or sowes O how my Soule 's surpriz'd with shallow feares When thinking to leane on Lifes broken staffe And counting to mine age large summes of yeares I heare the sweet and sacred Psalmograph Compare Life to a Flowre a Puffe a Span Who 's Monarch now next minute 's not a Man Must I needs dye why surfet I on Pleasure Must I needs dye why swim I in Delight Must I needs dye why squint I after Treasure Must I needs dye why live I not aright Must I needs dye why live I then in sin Thrice better for me I had never bin Feuntaine of breathing Dust such grace me give That I in life prepare in dust to lye Let me be dying still whiles I doe live That I may blisfull live when I shall dye For in Christs Schoole this Paradox learne I Who dies before he dies shall never die If I must die then after must begin The life of Ioy or Torment without end The life of Torment purchas'd is by sinne The life of Ioy by life that learnest ' amend Why should I then prophane sweare curse lust lie If I but thinke on this That I must die Why should I quaffe to more then Nature can Sith more drinke I gaine more losse is mine For may I not be term'd a bâ—stiall man To drowne my Reason in a cup of wine Yea tenfold worse Thus monster made
at least God made me Man I make my selfe a Beast How swelt I with hard travell through the Dale That leads to Prophanations irkesome cell But freeze by softly pacing up the skale Where burning zeale and her bright sisters dwell Thus sweat I in the shadow shake i' th shine And by free choice from good to ill decline Sweet Saviour cleanse my leprous loathsome soule In that depurpled Fount which forth thy side Gurgling did twixt two Lilly-mountaines roule To rinse Mans tainted Race Sin soylifide Wash it more white than the triumphant Swan That rides o' th silver brest of Eridan Suffer my prayers harmony to rise Into thine eares while th' Angels beare a part Accept my Sighs as smelling Sacrifice Sent from the Altar of my bleeding heart Vp to thy nostrils sweet as th' Oyle of Aaron Or th' odoriferous Rose of flowrie Sharon The Hart ne're long'd more for the purling brookes Nor did the lustfull Goate with more pursuit After the blossom'd Tritisolie looke Then do's my panting Soule t' enjoy the fruit Of thy Life-waâ—er which if I attaine To taste of once I ne're shall thirst againe Even as the chapped ground in Summers heat Cals to the clouds and gapes at every showre Whose thirstie Casma's greedily intreat As tho they would th' whole house of heav'n deuour So do's my riven Soule be parcht with sin Yawne wide to let moyst drops of Mercie in Earths Vanitie VAnitie of vanities and all is but vanitie saith the wisest Preacher that ever wrote One generation passeth and another commeth and all is but vexation of spirit Which divine theorem that we may the better perceive let us set our selves to the serious meditation of it for the more we search the more we shall see all things to be vanity nothing constant nothing for our eternall good but our soules salvation Mans life on earth doth no sooner begin but his end approacheth his death hasteneth Some come upon the stage of this world but to have a breathing and are presently gone others stay a while longer it may be a day perhaps a weeke perhaps a month peradventure a yeare or it may bee some few yeares but alas the longer they stay the greater their griefe care feare and anxietie of minde Even in the infancy of age man is oft times left as Moses sometime was in the flouds of misery but as age increaseth sorrow increaseth because sinne increaseth when youth runnes most at randome and thinketh it selfe most safe it is then hemm'd in with greatest dangers then the rashfoole-hardy minde of man hurrieth him headlong to hell except the irresistible power of Gods preventing grace doth speedily stay him then his wits are even intoxicated with a frenzie of iniquity and wholly bent upon riotousnesse rashnesse luxury jollitie superfluity and excesse in carnall pleasures Hee then devoteth his time and addicteth himselfe to all manner of evill drinking dancing revelling swaggering swearing whoring gaming quarreling fighting and in the meane while never thinkes on Heaven nor feareth hell His head is frought with vanities his heart with fallacies where by his soule is brought into â— labyrinth of inextricable miseries So great is the temerity oâ— his unadvised minde that nâ— consideration of Gods judgements either past or present or to come can set a stop to his wickednesse His youthfullnesse damps at no bogges quagmires hils or mountaines but wingeth him over all impediments mounts him over all motives that might way-lay his sinnes He sticks not to offenâ— his maker to recrucifie his Redeemer to resist shall I say his Sanctifier no but the Spirit whom God hath given to be his sanctifier and if hee so carry himselfe toward these no mervaile that he derideth his Tutor scornes the Minister like the little children that mock'd Elisha oppresseth his poore brother as Pharaoh did the Israelites spareth not Infants no more then Herod did regardeth not parents no more then Hophni and Phinias did Let the mother direct him the father correct him his ancients instruct him alas all is in vaine youth makes men head-strong selfe-conceited and proud so that they swell with an overweening opinion of their owne worth they thinke themselves the onely wits of the time the onely men of the world more fit to teach others then to learne themselves more able to give then to take advice If they go on a while in their lewd courses without the restraining and renewing Grace of God they get a habit of evill are hardned through the custome of sinne none may resist them none compare with them no law of God or man can restraine them They take counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed saying Let us breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Whereupon oftentimes the ripenesse of sinnâ— being hastened by outragiousnesse of sinning God suddenly cuts them off in their intemperancy luxury quarrels and disorders which shewes theâ— vainenesse to be meere vanity Suppose they grow as great as Tamberlaine yet a Gunne Pike Arrow nay a Fly Flea or Gnat a dram nay a drop of poyson proves them to bee vaine men one of these silly creatures may send him presently to his Creator to receive his finall doome Yet alas what doe these most minde The bum-basted silken Gallants of our time that come forth like a May morning decked with all the glory of Art the Epicurean Cormerants the gusâ—ing and tipling tosse-pots the dainty painting Dames the dedicate mincing Ladies the sweet-singing Syrens the dancing Damsels the finicall youths the couzening Shop-keeper the crafty Crafts-man I say what doe all these but set their minds upon vanitie upon glory honour pride drosse and such like trash which weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary prove lighter then vanity Doe we not sometime see more spent upon one suite in Law then would keepe a poore Country towne with the inhabitants for a whole yeare See wee not more spent upon one suite of apparell for one proud carkasse then would build Free-schoole So that the cloathes on many a Gallant backe exceeds his Rent-day See wee not more spent upon Feast to satisfie the curiosity oâ— a few then would satisfie thâ— necessity of a hundred poore wretches almost famished to death See wee not more drunke in a Taverne at one sitting by a small company then would serve a troope of sturdy Souldiers in the field Many goe daily to the Tavern where they sticke not to spend their twelve pence who would grudge to give one penny nay one farthing to a hungry begger Againe is there not now more spent upon a Ladies feather then would pay a meane mans tythes Is there not more spent upon one paire of sleeves then would cloath sixe bodies and more spent at a Whitsun-ale then would keepe the poore of the Parish for a yeare Have wee not amongst our Gentry some of the female sexe who will spend more upon a Glasse and a pot of complexion then they will give a
there ran unto him of all â—sates and conditions of men â—ven of the very Pharisees and Publicans yea and Souldiers also which of all others are wont to be most dissolute and to have the least care of their consciences and each of them demanded for himselfe particularly of that holy man what he should doe to attaine unto salvation and to escape those terrible threatnings which hee had denounced unto them so great was the feare they had conceived of them And this is that deare Christian brother which I doe a this present in the behalfe oâ— Almighty God deliver unto thee although not with such fervency of spirit and like holinesse of life yet that which importeth more in this case with the same truth and certainty for so much as the faith and Gospell which Saint Iohn Baptist then preached is even the same now taught Now if thou be desirous to understand in few words how great the punishment is that Almighty God hath threatned in his holy Scriptures to the wicked that which may most briefly and most to the purpose be spoken in this matter is this That â—â—ke as the reward of the good is â—â— universall good thing even â—o the punishment of the wicked is an universall evill which comprehendeth in it al the evils â—â—at are For the better understanding whereof it is to be noâ—â—d That all the evils of this life are particular evils and therefore doe not torment all our sences generally but onely one or some of them As taking an example of the diseases of our body we see that one hath a disease in his eyes another iâ— his eares one is sicke in thâ— heart another in the stomacke some other in his head And so divers men are diseased in diver parts of the body howbeit â— such wise that none of all the diseases be generally through out all the members of the body but particular to some on of them And yet for all thiâ— we see what griefe onely one â— these diseases may put us untâ— and how painefull a night tâ— sicke man hath in any one these infirmities yea although â—t be nothing else but a little ach â—n one tooth Now let us put the case that there were some one man sicke of such an universall disease that he had no part of his body neither any one joynt or sence free from his proper paine but that at one â—ime and instant hee suffered most exceeding sharpe torment â—n his head in his eyes and â—ares in his teeth and stomack â—n his liver and heart and to be â—hort in all the rest of his members and joynts of his body and â—hat he lay after this sort stretâ—hing himselfe in his bed being â—ained with these greeses and â—orments every member of his â—ody having his particular torment and griefe Hee I say that should lye thus pained and afflicted how great torment and griefe of minde and body thinke ye should he sustaine Oh what thing could any man imagine more miserable and more worthy of compassion Surely if thou shouldest see buâ— a dogge to be so tormented and grieved in the street his very paines would move thy hear to take pitty upon him Now this is that my deare Christian brother if any comparison may be made betweene them which is suffered in that most curseâ— and horrible place of hell and not onely during for the spacâ— of one night but everlastingly for ever and ever For like the wicked men have offended Almighty God with all their members and sences and have made armour of them all to serve sinne even so will he ordaine that they shall bee there tormented every one of them with his propertorment There shall the wanton unchaste eyes be tormented with the terrible sight of Divels the cares with the confusion of such horrible cries and lamentations which shall there be heard the nose with the intollerable stinke of that ougly filthy and loathsome place the taste with a most ravenous hunger and thirst the touching and all the members of the body with extreame burning fire The imagination shall be tormented by the conceiving of griefes present the memory by calling to minde the pleasures past the understanding by considering what benefits are lost and what endlesse miseries are to come This multitude of punishments the holy Scripture signifieth unto us when it saith Mat. 15. Psal 10. That in hell there shall be hunger thirst weeping wailing gnashing of teeth swords double edged spirits created for revengement serpents wormes scorpions hammers wormewood water of gall the spirit of tempest and other things of like sort Whereby are signified unto us as in a figure the multitude and dreadfull terrous of the most horrible torments and paines that be in that cursed place There shall bee likewise darkenesse inward and outward both of body and soule farre more obscure than the darkenesse of Aegypt which was to be felt even with hands Exod. 20. There shall be fire also not as this fire here that tormenteth a little and shortly endeth but such a fire as that place requireth which tormenteth exceedingly and shall never make an end of that tormenting This being true what greater wonder can there be than that they which beleeve and confesse this for truth should live with such most strange negligence and carelesnesse as they doe What travell and paines would not a man willingly take to escape even one onely day yea one houre the very least of these torments and wherefore doe they not then to escape the everlastingnesse of so great paines and horrible torments endure so little a travell as to follow the exercise of vertue Surely the consideration of this matter were able to make any sinfull soule to feare and tremble in case it were deepely regarded And if amongst so great number of paines there were any manner hope of end or release it would be some kinde of comfort but alas it is not so for there the gates are fast shut up from all expectation of any manner of ease or hope In all kinde of paines and calamities that be in this world there is alwaies some gap lying open whereby the patient may receive some kinde of comfort sometimes reason sometimes the weather sometimes his friends sometimes the hearing that others are troubled with the very same disease and sometimes at the least the hope of an end may cheare him onely in these most horrible paines and miseries that be in hell all the waies are shut up in such sort and all the havens of comfort so embarred that the miserable sinner cannot hope for remedy on any side neither of heaven nor of earth neither of the time past or present or of the time to come or of any other meanes The damned soules thinke that all men are shooting darts at them and that all creatures have conspired against them and that even they themselves are cruell against themselves This is that distresse whereof the sinners doe lament by the Prophet saying The
the â—ittle pleasure that I have enâ—oyed and the great felicity which I have lost and how far greater that was which I might have gained by forgoing that little which J would not forgoe This is that immortall worme that shall never dye but shall lye there everlastingly gnawing at the entrailes of the wicked which is one of the most terrible paines that can possibly be imagined Peradventure thou art now perswaded good Reader that there can be added no more unto this than hath beene said But surely the mighty arme of God wanteth not force to chastise his enemies more more for all these paines that are hitherto rehearsed are such as doe appertaine generally to all the damned but besides these generall paines there are also other particular paines which each one of the damned shall there suffer in divers sorts according to the quality of his sinne And so according to this proportion the haughty and proud shall there be abased and brought low to their great confusion The covetous shall bee driven to great necessity The glutton shall rage with continuall hunger and thirst The lecherous shall burne in the very same flames which they themselves have enkindled And those that have al their life time hunted after their pleasures and pastimes shall live there in continuall lamentation and sorrow But because examples are of very great force to move our hearts I will bring onely one for this purpose wherby somewhat of this matter may the better be perceived It is written of a certaine holy man that he saw the paines in spirit of a licentious and worldly man in this sort First he saw how the divels that were present at the houre of his death when hee yeelded up his ghost snatched away his soule with great rejoycing and made a present thereof to the Prince of darkenesse who was then sitting in a chaire of fire expecting the comming of this present Immediately after that it was presented before him he arose up out of his seat and said unto the damned soule that he would give him the preheminence of that honourable seat because he had been a man of honour and was alwaies very much affected to the same Incontinently after that he was placed therein crying and lamenting in that honourable torment there appeared before him two other most ougly divels and offered him a cup full of most bitter and stinking liquor and made him to drinke and carouse it up all perforce saying It is meet sithence thou hast beene a lover of precious wines and bankets that thou shouldest likewise prove of this our wine whereof all we doe use to drinke in these parts Immediately after this there came other two with two fiery trumpets and setting them at his eares began to blow into them flames of fire saying This melody have we reserved for thee understanding that in the world thou wast very much delighted with minstrelcie and wanton songs and sodainly he espied other divels loaden with vipers and serpents the which they threw upon the breast and bellies of that miserable sinner saying unto him that for somuch as he had beene greatly delighted with the wanton embracings and lecherous lusts of women he should now solace himselfe with these refreshings instead of those licentious delights and pleasures which he had enjoyed in the world After this sort as the Prophet Esay saith in the 47. Chapter when the sinner is punished there is given measure for measure to the end that in such a great variety and proportion of punishments the order and wisedome of Gods justice might the more manifestly appeare This vision hath Almighty God shewed in spirit to this holy man for advertisement and instruction not that in hell these things are altogether so materially done but that by them we might understand in some manner the variety and multitude of the paines which bee there appointed for the damned Whereof I know not how some of the Pagans have had a certaine knowledge for a Poet speaking of this multitude of paines affirmed That although he had a hundred mouthes and as many tongues with a voice as strong as Iron yet were they not able onely to expresse the names of them A Poet he was that spake this but truely therin he spake more like a Prophet or an Evangelist than a Poet. Now then if all this evill shall most assuredly come to passe what man is he that seeing all this so certainely with the eyes of his faith will not turne over the leafe and begin to provide for himselfe against that time Where is the judgement of men now become Where is their wits yea where is at least their selfe-love which seeketh evermore for his owne profit and is much afraid of any losse May it be thought that men are become beasts that provide onely for the time present Or have they peradventure so dimmed their eye-sight that they cannot looke before them Hearken saith Esay O yee deafe and ye blinde open your eyes that you may see Who is blinde but my servant And who is deafe but wee unto whom I have sent my messengers And who is blind but he that suffereth himselfe to be sold for a slaue Thou that seest so many things wilt thou not suffer thy selfe to see this Thou that hast thine eares open wilt thou not giue eare hereunto If thou beleeve not this how art thou then a Christian If thou beleeve it and doest not provide for it how canst thou be thought a reasonable man Aristotle saith That this is the difference betweene opinion and imagination that an imagination alone is not sufficient to cause a feare but an opinion is a for if I doe imagine that a house may fall upon mee it is noâ— enough to make me afraid unlesse J beleeve or have an opinion it will be so indeed foâ— then it is sufficient to make mee afraid And hereof commeth the feare that murderers alwaies have by reason of the suspition they conceive that their enemies doe lye in waiâ— for them If then the opinion and onely suspition of danger is able to cause the greatest courage to feare how is it that the certainty and beleefe of so many and so great terrible miseries which are farre more sure than any opinion doth not make thee to feare If thou perceivest that for these many yeares past thou hast led a licentious and sinfull life and that at the last according to present justice thou art condemned to these horrible torments in hell if also there appeare by probable conjecture that there is no more likelihood of thy amendment for ensuing years to come than there was in those already past how happeneth it that running head long into so manifest a danger thou art not at all afraid Especially considering the sinfull state wherein thou livest and the horrible paines and torments which doe attend for thee and the time which thou hast lost and the endlesse repentance which thou shall have therefore in the most horrible
so that none â—f those judgements which our â—â—nes have deserved have bin â—flicted upon us thou hast â—nlarged our time and opportuâ—ity to repent thou hast proâ—â—ded for our soules and bodies â—â—ou hast bin no way wanting â—nto us if we had hearts to acknowledge it Forgive us that â—e cannot acknowledge thy goodnesse as we ought to doe and more and more quicken uâ— in this dutie that we may with heart and voyce acknowledgâ— thee to be that Father of lights from whom we doe receivâ— every good and perfect giftâ— ascribing unto thee the whole glory of all that we enjoy both now and evermore And granâ— we pray thee that our thankefulnesse may not be onely verâ— ball but reall we labouring iâ— deede and in truth to be dutifulâ— unto thee that hast bin so bountifull unto us Pardon us for thâ— sinnes of this day wherein weâ— have offended thee whether open or secret of ignorance oâ— of knowledge of infirmity oâ— presumption of omission oâ— commission in thought word or deed The sinnes of this day are enough to plunge us soule and body into the bottomlesse gulfe of perdition If thou shouldest straightly mark them what answer shall we be able to make thee how shall wee dare to appeare in thy presence before whom all thy creatures feare and tremble But thy mercy is above all thy workes much more above all our works of sinne In the confidence of thy mercy we come unto thee beseeching thee in thy sonne Christ to be reconciled with us and to assure us hereof by the certificate of thine owne blessed spirit Breake the strength of sin that would subdue us more and more and reare in us cleane hearts and renew a right spirit within us Increase our faith in the sweet promises of the Gospell and our repentance from dead workes our hope of eternall life our feare of thy name our zeale for thy glory our hatred of sinne our love of righteousnesse our contentment in all estates our patience in adversity our prudence in prosperity that so being furnished with the endowments of grace here we may be fitted for the enjoyment of glory hereafter And because the night is now upon us and our bodies desirous of quiet rest wee pray thee to take us into thy blessed tuition and to refresh our wearied bodies with comfortable sleepe Protect us and all that doe belong unto us under the shadow of thy vings defend us from all evill both of sinne and punishment keepe us from security and carelesnesse from dulnesse and drowsinesse of spirit from fire and robbery from the malice of Satan and all his adherents from all perils into which for our sinnes wee might justly fall Let the sight of the bed minde us of that last bed the grave wherein wee are shortly to take up our lodging we know not how soone None of us here present can certainely tell whether these eyes of ours once closed up shall ever any more open againe in this world therfore receive us good Lord receive us into the armes of thy mercy unto thine Almighty protection wee bequeath our selves soules and bodies and all that we have upon thy mercy alone wee cast our selves both this present night and for evermore Bee mercifull to thy whole Church continue the flourishing state of the Kingdomes wherin we live Decrease in it the number of superstitious Papists and prophane Atheists and increase in it the number of such as unfainedly feare thee Preserve from all dangers and conspiracies our religious King Charles our gracious Queene Mary the Lady Elizabeth and her children Give them all such a measure of thy Spirit grace that they may seeke to advance thy kingdome on earth and at last be advanced to thine everlasting Kingdome in Heaven Endow the right Honourable of our Privie Counsell with all such graces as may make them fit for so high a place Stirre up Magistrates and men in authority to endeavour after the furthering of thine honour and the benefiting of thy people Make the Ministers able and willing to discharge the duties of their weighty calling with diligence and conscience water their indeavours with the dew of heaven that daily such as belong unto life eternall may be added unto the Church Comfort O comfort thine afflicted servants wheresoever or howsoever troubled sweeten their afflictions and season their sorrowes with the comforts of thy Spirit Give them all needfull assistance and in thy owne time a joyfull deliverance And make us ready for afflictions that they may not come upon us as a snare but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins bee prepared for the comming of Christ Jesus the sweet Bridegroome of our soules Finally wee pray thee beare with the weakenesse and coldnesse and imperfection of our prayers and to grant our requests not for our merits but for thine owne mercies and for the sake of thy dearely beloved Sonne Jesus Christ who died to make satisfaction for us and liveth to make intercession for us in whose words we shut up our imperfect prayers saying as himselfe hath taught us Our Father c. O Lord blesse and save us make thy face to shine upon us thy Word to instruct us thy grace to direct us thy Angels to protect us thy Spirit to comfort and support us unto the end and in the end Amen Amen A Prayer in time of VVarre O LORD GOD of Hoasts in power invincible in wisdome unsearchable in mercy incomprehensible that givest deliverance in the time of trouble assistance in the day of battel we most humbly and heartily beseech thee to save us from all those extremities and in speciall from our enemies which our sins do threaten to bring upon us Hitherto thou hast pleased to make our Nation a spectacle of thy ineffable goodnesse but we deserve to be made a spectacle of thy unsupportable wrath Our contempt of thy threatnings our abuse of thy mercies our neglect of thy judgements with infinite other innormities doe menace the taking away of thy old mercies and the bringing in of some judgement We have just cause to feare O Lord that our loud and crying sinnes doe call in our enemies upon us and arme them against us yea that they are already prest and prepared to execute thy vengeance Then open our eyes we pray thee that we may see thy Ensigne set up thy Banner displayed and the evidence of thy approaching sword open our eares that wee may heare thee blowing of thy trumpet and giving the alarum to warre open our hearts that we may not be secure in so great danger but may quake and tremble to see thy hand of vengeance before us And howsoever by our sinnes we are set in the middest of this danger yet let the hand of thy mercy which is as omnipotent as that of thy justice rescue us let thy out stretched arme deliver us Put up thy sword into the scabbard O bid it rest and be still Be favourable and gracious unto