PIOUS THOUGHTS VENTED In pithy Ejaculations OR THE WAY TO MAKE A RELIGIOUS USE OF ordinary offered occasions By RICHARD GOVE 2 Thess. 5. 17. Pray continually LONDON Printed by J. G. for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1658. TO ALL THOSE that are desirous to make a Religious use of ordinary offered occasions R. G. VVho desires to further the glory of God and the everlasting good of his peoples soules Dedicateth this ensuing TREATISE Zacharias cum loqui non potuit scripsit Luk. 1. 20. 63. Ambros. A WORD OF Advise to the Reader READER ALl ordinary offered occasions should be to a Christian as are Spectacles to a weak or dim sight which not onely looketh on them but through them too and by their help seeth that that without them was hardly discernable These Spectacles I have made use of in this ensuing Treatise and by the help of them have discovered what Religious use may be made of such ordinary offered occasions If this like thee which I have done thou mayst make use of the same and if not let me see a better forme of thine and I shall gladly make use of that and be thy Debtor for it Howsoever let us pray one for another which for his part he shall not cease to doe who is Thine hearty well-wisher in what may be for thy Souls good Richard Gove PIOUS THOUGHTS VENTED In pithy Ejaculations OR The way to make a Religious use of ordinary offered occasions I. Upon a mans first awaking in the morning LORD grant me thy grace to awake out of the sleep of sin that I may live righteously in thy sight II. Upon the putting off of a foule shirt and the putting on of a clean LOrd grant me thy grace that I may every day be more and more enabled to put off the old man and to put on the new III. Upon a mans arising out of his bed LOrd grant me thy grace that I may arise out of the bed of my carnall security whereon I have so long layn IV. Upon a mans putting on of his clothes LOrd clothe thou me with the robes of thy Sons righteousnesse and let thy blessed Spirit every day more and more put on upon my soul that new Man which after thee is created in holinesse and true righteousnesse V. Upon a mans kembing of his head LOrd thy Word doth assure me that all the hairs of my head are numbred and that not one of them doth fall to the ground or perish without thine especiall Providence Oh grant me therefore thy grace that I may still remember this and learn thereby more and more to depend upon thy fatherly care and gracious providence over me for greater matters seeing thou art so providentially carefull for me in these least things VI Upon the washing of a mans face and hands LOrd wash thou me with the bloud of thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ from the guilt of all my sins past and let thy blessed Spirit by his grace wash and clense my soul every day more and more from the power and pollution of them for the time to come VII Upon a mans washing of his feet LOrd my affections are the feet of my soule and doe carry that as these other doe my body and passing through the foule and filthy wayes of sin cannot but be much more defiled in thy sight then these are in mine O wash them therefore every day more and more by the powerfull work of thy grace from all former pollutions and being thus washed keep me from defiling them again VIII Upon a mans paring of his Nailes THe captive Damosell under the Law before she could be the wife of him that tooke her in warre must first have her Nailes pared And therefore how shall I ever hope to be espoused to my Saviour Jesus Christ and be presented unto him as a pure Virgin except I doe cut off those excrements of * naughtinesse which are so lothsome to thee my God and to all good men which that I may the better doe Lord give me thy grace to doe it and it shall be done IX Upon a mans looking his face in a Glasse LOrd give me the grace that as by looking in this Glasse I doe see the spots and other deformities of my body so by looking into thy word I may see the spots and other deformities of my Soul and may learne to amend them X. Upon a mans brushing of his Clothes OH that I were as carefull to clense my Soul from my sins as I am to clense my clothes from the spots and dust which are on them XI Upon a mans putting on of some Upper-garment LOrd my desire is not to be unclothed but to be clothed upon and that with that house which is from Heaven And that I may not faile of this my desire Lord give me the grace to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and that both by believing in his merits and by living according to his manners whilest I am here XII Upon the sight of a womans spending much time in her neat and curious dressing of her selfe OH that I were as carefull to adorn and trim my soul to make it pleasant in the sight of God as this woman is to adorn and trim her body to make that pleasing in the sight of men XIII Upon the hearing of a child crying after his father LOrd send forth the spirit of thy Son into my heart that I may in all my distresses cry Abba Father unto thee as thy child should doe XIV Upon the sight of one abhorring a filthy and nasty thing O Lord that I might have thy grace thus to abhorre evill both in my self and others XV Upon the sight of a Carvers cutting and framing of a curious Image out of stone LOrd my heart is stony yet canst thou out of this stony disposition of mine with infinitely more ease make it an heart of flesh and me a child of Abraham which my hearty desire and prayer unto thee is that thou wilt doe for me XVI Upon the sight of the Sunne-rising LOrd grant that Jesus Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse may also arise in my heart and with his beames of saving knowledge dispell more and more the darknesse of ignorance in me XVII Upon the sight of one giving an account of monies received LOrd this will be one day my case and I know not how soon nor how suddenly I shall be called to make this my account before thee O give me thy grace therefore that I may live in a continuall expectation of it and may accordingly provide for it XVIII Upon the sight of one teaching to cast account LOrd teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisdome XIX Upon the locking and bolting of a door LOrd shut thou me in with the bolts of thy fatherly providence and
sight of a traveller wearing a sword OH that I were as carefull in my journey to Heaven-wards to put on the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God to defend me from my spirituall enemies as I see this traveller is careful to put on his materiall sword ro defend him from his bodily enemies LXXXVIII Upon the sight of a Sparrow lighting on the ground LOrd thy word doth assure me that this sparrow doth not light or fall on the ground without thy providence Oh give me the grace therefore that I may not fear to fall from an higher to a lower estate if thy will be to have it so seeing I am more worth then many sparrowes LXXXIX Vpon the hearing of one that was gone to sojourn at another mans house LOrd this mans estate and mine are much alike he is a sojourner with man but I with thee my God for I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were Oh give me the grace therefore that I may passe the time of this my sojourning here in fear XC Upon the sight of a snare baited LOrd I cannot passe through any place in this world where the Devil hath not his snares laid and baited for me with some pleasure or profit pretended Oh give me the grace therefore to be alwaies vigilant and watchfull over him and his designes and enterprises that for any worldly respect I may not fall into any of his snares XCI Vpon the sight of one smitten for his faults LOrd let the righreous smite me and and it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent Oyle which shall not break mine head XCII Vpon the sight of a Blackmoore LOrd this Blackmoore cannot change his skin no more can he do good that is accustomed to do evil Oh keep me therefore by thy grace that I may not get any evil custom or delight in the practise of any known sin XCIII Vpon the sight of a waiting Gentlewoman BEhold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistresse so Lord grant that mine eyes may wait upon thee untill thou have mercy on me XCIV Upon the sight of a grain of mustard-seed LOrd this seed is the least of all seeds yet when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree so that the birds of the aire come and lodge in the branches of it So Lord grant that that little measure of grace which is yet to be seen in me may in thy good time increase and by thy blessing and gracious assistance become so great that thou thereby maist be glorified others edified and my own soul more and more comforted XCV Upon the sight of the Sea roaring and beating with his waves against the shore in a great storm LOrd Isee in this the truth of thy word which tels me that thou hast set bars and doors to the Sea and hast said unto it hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed Lord deal so with the rage and fury of thine and mine enemies and suffer it not to proceed any further then it may make for thy glory and for the good both of my self and others XCVI Upon the sight of a most loving fathers correction of his child I Know that there cannot be a more loving and tender-hearted father towards a child then this father is and yet for the amendment of something that he knoweth to be amiss in him see how severely he doth correct him Lord therefore keep me from doubting of the love towards me when thou shalt be pleased in never so grievous a manner at any time to afflict me XCVII Upon the sight of footmen running a Race LOrd enlarge my heart that I may run the way of thy commandement and that with that patience confidence and perseverance that I may in the end obtain the incorruptible crown of glory XCVIII Upon the sight of water running out of a rock LOrd strike my hard and stony heart with due remorse for my sinnes that my head may be as waters and mine eyes as a fountain of tears to weep mourn and lament for them as thy child should do XCIX Upon the sight of a Snakes or Adders skin LOrd I see that nature hath taught this Serpent to renew his age by casting his old skin Oh that grace might teach me in like manner to put off the old man that I might be renewed in the spirit of my mind and become a new man in thy sight C. Upon the sight of one starting back at the sudden sight of a Serpent OH that I might have the grace to flee from sin as I see this man to flee from this Serpent CI. Upon the sight of an old weak man leaning on and going by a staff THis staff I see is this old mans stay without which he can neither stand nor go Lord I am as weak in spirituall strength as this old man is in bodily Oh be thou therefore my stay that I fall not and keep thou me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed on thee CII Vpon the sight of the Day-star LOrd this Star assures me that it is not far to day and that ere long the Sun will arise Oh that the day of Salvation would dawn unto me and that the day-star of saving knowledge would arise in my heart to assure me that the day-spring from on high will shortly visit me and that the Sun of righteousness Jesus Christ will arise unto me CIII Vpon the sight of one sowing his ground when it rained LOrd give me the grace to sow to the Spirit though it be in tears that I may one day reap in joy CIV. Vpon the sight of one slinging a stone out of a sling LOrd do thou thus sling the souls of thine enemies as out of the middle of a sling but do thou bind up the souls of thy servants in the bundle of life with thee the Lord their God CV Vpon the hearing of a master calling up his servants LOrd it is as high time for me to awake out of the sleep of my sins as it is for these servants to awake out of their bodily sleep Oh therefore call me by thy Word blessed Spirit that I which have so long slept in sin may at last awake and arise out of the bed of my carnall security CVI. Upon the hearing of a Countrey-mans joy for his good crop of corn I Confesse Lord that the Husbandmans joy in harvest for his good crop of corn is great but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me and then shall I have more gladnesse in my heart then such men have when their corn and wine and oyl encreaseth CVII Vpon the sight of one running
more in the Summer of my life health and prosperity think of the Winter of death sicknesse and adversity and make provision for them XLV Upon the sight of a shooting match at Buts Here I see some shooting above the Mark others under it some on the right hand others on the left at last cometh one and hit's the mark it self and just so dealeth Death with us sometimes it shooteth above us and takes away our Superiours and Elders sometimes beneath us and takes away our Inferiours and younger sometimes on the right-hand and taketh away our dear friends and sometimes on the left-hand and taketh away our deadly foes and happy were we if we could take these as warning arrowes shot from a loving hand to warn us to look to our selves but such is our improvidence that we will not lay these fair warnings to heart but go on still in our carnall security till at last and it may be when we look least for it it shoots also to us our selves and wo be unto us if it find us unprovided Lord give us therefore the grace so to think of Death every day as if it were to be our dying day XLVI Upon the sight of a man felling or cuiting down a Tree LOrd here I see the Axe laid to the root of this tree to cut it down This tree is a refemblance of me his root of my heart and conscience and the Axe of thy word which hath strook me and pierced me often and that to the very heart by the Ministery thereof But because there hath followed upon it no amendment of life Lord what can I now expect if thou shouldest deal with me in justice but that thou shouldst now also lay to me the axe of thy judgements and cut me down therewith and cast me into hell fire To prevent which Lord make me more and more sensible of the strokes of thy former Axe and give me grace to amend my life thereby XLVII Upon the sight of a new born babe seeking after and sucking the Nurses breast LOrd give me the grace that I may as a new borne babe desire the sincere milk of thy word that I may grow thereby XLVIII Upon the sight of Balme put into a wound LOrd I am a poor wounded Soul wounded in spirit with the sight of my sins and the sense of thy wrath due unto me for them Oh doe thou therefore pour into my Soul the precious Balme of thy soul-saving word that this poor wounded soul of mine may by the comforts thereof be also comforted and cured XLIX Upon the sight of two parties betrothed LOrd betroth thou me unto thy self for ever and that in righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies L. Upon the sight of one that had a bone out of joynt LOrd this is my case as long as I am out of that place and calling wherein thou hast placed me I may be still of the body but am neither for use nor ease and neither that to my self nor to my fellow-members and so I must continue till thou shalt be pleased to set me right again which I beseech thee for thy son Christ Jesus sake to do for me LI. Upon the sight of a Bone-setters binding up and splintering of a broken bone THis man hath done a great work in bringing every part and piece of this broken bone into his right place but I see except he do also bind them up and splinter them they will not so continue nor grow together again Lord I have taken many a grievous fall and by means of it I am heart-broken O sweet Jesus do thou whose office it is to bind up the broken-hearted bind up this broken heart of mine that it may continue firm and grow in grace goodness LII Upon the sight 〈◊〉 something blotted out in a Book LOrd my sins are all written in the book of thy remembrance and in the book of my conscience and at the last day when the books shall be opened they will manifestly appear to God Angels and men as so many evidences against me except thou in thy mercy shalt blot them out for thine own sake with the blood of thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ which that thou wilt do for me it is my hearty desire and prayer LIII Upon the hearing of certain Captives redeemed LOrd do thou redeem me with the precious bloud of thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ from the Captivity thraldom and slavery of Satan wherein I have been so long held to do his will LIV. Upon the sight of one breathing out his last breath LOrd here I see that my life is but a breath which as ths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…vest me at first so thou maist take from me again when thou pleasest Oh give me grace therefore that I may make such good use of this transitory and uncertain life of mine that I may be prepared for death whensoever or wheresoever it shall in like manner happen unto me LV Vpon the sight of a bruised Reed LOrd I am of my self as weak as this bruised reed having been so much and so often bruised both with outward afflictions and inward temptations yet seeing thou hast promised not to break such a bruised reed in confidence therefore of this thy mercy and gracious promise made unto me in thy word I do now come unto thee beseeching thee so to support my weaknesse by thy power and so to heal me thus miserably bruised by thy grace that though I be weak in my self yet I may be strong in thee and in the power of thy might LVI Upon the sight of a shield LOrd give me the grace to put on the shield of faith that I may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked LVII Upon the sight of one that was buffeted LOrd I am often and grievously buffeted by Satan and his messengers Oh that I were freed from these their buffetings or that I might have some comfortable assurance that thy grace shall be sufficient for me either to keep me from being overcome by them or if I am at any time overcome to pardon my weakness and failing therein and to restore me to thy mercy and favour in Jesus Christ LVIII Vpon the sight of a surety arrested and made to pay the debt of the principall THus do I believe that my Saviour and surety Jesus Christ was by death arrested for my debt of sin and that he hath satisfied it to the full concealing the hand-writing that was against me Lord therefore enter not into Judgement with me for any of my sins past but accept of thy Sons active and passive obedience as a full satisfaction for them all LIX Vpon the sight of Snow LOrd thou hast promised that though my sins were as crimson double-dyed dyed in the wool of my originall corruption and dyed
afterwards again in the many threds of my actuall transgressions yet if I will but consent and obey thou wilt make them as white as snow Make good this thy promise to me thy servant who is both willing and desirous to obey thee in all things as far as thy grace shall enable me LX Upon the sight of two wrastling together LOrd give me thy grace that when I shall wrastle with thee by my prayers and my tears as thy servant Jacob did that I may not let thee goe till thou hast blessed me and when I shall wrastle with the Devil to withstand his temptations doe thou so assist me with thy grace and let thy power be so seen in my weaknesse that he may not be able to prevail against me LXI Upon the sight of one winning a wager at running LOrd this man hath taken great pains to win this earthly wager Oh that I could take the like pains in running my Christian Race that I might in the end obtain the Crown of Glory LXII Upon the hearing of the wind rising ARise O North and come O South and all ye other Soveraign winds of the Spirit of God do ye breath and blow upon the garden of my soul that the sweet odours of Gods heavenly graces which are therein may be dispersed to the glory of God and to the benefit of other Christian Souls LXIII Upon the sight of a thirsty Traveller going to a Well to drink LOrd this man doth not more thirst after the water of this Well to quench his bodily thirst then my Soul doth after thee the fountain of ever-living water Oh give me therefore of this water and do thou which biddest me to come unto thee and drink satiate my soul therewith when I am come LXIV Upon the sight of a weaver weaving in his looms LOrd this mans work is to me a Remembrancer of my mortality and that many waies His shuttle sheweth me the swift passing away of my time his weaving the addition of daies to my age but so as the more of his work is added to the cloth the less is upon the beam and the more the one increaseth the nearer the other approcheth to his end and cutting off so the more daies are added to my age the more is detracted from my life and the nearer it draweth to its end and cutting off Therefore Lord give me thy grace that I may make a right use of this my short and swift-passing life and be ever mindfull as I should be of my mortality and ever preparing for it lest I be cut off before I look for it LXV Upon the hearing of a Cock crowing LOrd the crowing of a Cock was to Peter a means with thy blessing to bring him to the sight of his sin and to true repentance for it Oh that thou wouldst so bless unto me the voice of thy Spirituall Cocks the Ministers of thy word and mine own conscience that they may also by thy blessing be a means to bring me to the like sight of my sins and to true repentance for the same LXVI Upon the sight of a Malefactors arraignment LOrd this must one day be my case for I must appear before the judgement-seat of Christ the Judge of quick and dead that I may there receive the things which have been done in my body according to that I have done whether it be good or evil and therefore good Lord give me the grace that I may in the mean time ever think upon it and use the means to have my sins put away by true repentance for them and by a lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ before that great and fearfull day shall come LXVII Upon the sight of one stooping and striving to go in at a strait passage LOrd the way leading to thy Kingdome is through a low and a strait passage through which none can enter that are not lowly and humble and can be content for the Kingdome of heavens sake to strip themselves of whatsoever thing may be an hindrance to their entrance thereinto O give me the grace therefore to be truly humble in thy sight as thy child should be and to cast away every thing that presseth down and my sins that hang so fast on that I may with the more speed and ease enter thereinto LXVIII Upon the sight of Reapers reaping down a close of corn THis field of corn being ripe what wonder is it to see Reapers put into it to cut it down And therefore Lord when our sins are become so ripe what can be expected but that the sickle of thy wrath should be put in amongst us to cut us down also All that I can say for my self or the people of this sinfull nation is Lord enter not into judgement with us or if our sins shall force thee so to do Lord in justice remember mercy and repay us not according to our deserts LXIX Upon the sight of a Mower cutting down grass in a medow THis medow is the emblem of mankind for as in this there is grasse of all sorts and sizes â—â—me longer some shorter some younger and but newly sprung some elder and othersome so ripe that it is ready to wither yea and amongst these too there are many flowers of a most gay and specious colour and yet when the Mower comes with his sithe down they go all neither one not other is spared And just so is it with mankind some are taller and lifted up higher than others in honours and worldly preferment others are of a meaner sort rank and condition some are infants newly born others of elder and riper years yea some by reason of their old and decrepit age ready to wither yea and amongst these too there are some of a more beautifull and specious shew in the eyes of the beholders than others yet when Death Gods mower once comes with his sithe he spares neither young nor old neither rich nor poor nor any of any sort or condition amongst mankind but down they go all one as well as another Lord teach me therefore so at all times to prepare for it that when it shall come it may not find me unprepared LXX Upon the sight of a Dog returning to and eating up his own vomit THe stomach of this Dog before he vomited seemed to be very sick and much pained and yet being eased of that pain how ready and willing is he to return to this his vomit again which formerly pained him and to eat it up And if this be so odious a thing in my sight Lord what shall I be unto thee when after the confession of my sins unto thee whereby I have found ease and comfort I shall return again to my former sinfull course of life that so much dishonoured thee and wronged mine own soul Therefore Lord I beseech thee so strengthen me with thy grace that having confessed my sins
unto thee and thereby found ease and comfort I may never wittingly nor willingly relapse and fall back again into those my sins that have so much dishonoured thee and wronged my own soul LXXI Upon the sight of a mother putting mustard on her nipples to wean her child and to keep it from sucking LOrd I have long sucked at the breasts of this world and have drawn from them much sweet and pleasing milk of sin fensualness and other vanities whereby I am grown a greater child of disobedience yea even of wrath and utter perdirion too without thy great mercy in Jesus Christ Oh therefore wean me I beseech thee and mine affections from all such worldly vanities and if nothing else will do it Lord embitter the nipples thereof with such a measure of thy fatherly chastisements that I may in thy good time be so weaned from them LXXII Upon the hearing of a wayfaring man enquiring after his way OH that I could be as carefull to stand in thy wayes and to enquire after the old way that I might walk therein and that I may be the better enabled to do so Lord Jesus do thou which art the Way the Truth and the Life make me every day more and more willing to seek after it and having found it assist me with thy grace that I may walk therein as thy child should do LXXIII Upon the sight of a Souldiers putting on of his armes LOrd this man I see will not venture to fight against his bodily enemies without his armes and shall I venture to fight against sin and Satan and the other spirituall enemies of my salvation unarmed Oh that I might have thy grace therefore to do as thou commandest and to put on the whole armour of God that like a good Souldier of Jesus Christ I may be able to fight the good fight of faith against them all and in the end overcome them LXXIV Upon the sight of two walking together CAn two walk together except they be agreed Lord then how shall I ever look to walk with thee in white in another world except I be reconciled unto thee by the bloud of thy Son here in this world which that I may the better be and have the better assurance thereof let the Ministery of reconciliation to whom thou hast committed the word of reconciliation be every day more and more powerfull towards me for the effecting of it and let thy blessed Spirit bear witness more and more unto my soul and conscience that it is thus effected for me LXXV Upon the sight of one paying workmen their wages HEre I see none but those that have laboured called to receive wages Oh that I might therefore have thy grace so to labour in thy Vineyard here that when the evening of my life shall come I may receive the penny of eternal bliss with the rest of thy labourers in heaven LXXVI Upon the sight of one vomiting after the taking of luke-warm water LOrd this man shews me what I must expect from thee if Laodicea-like I am neither hot nor cold but luke-warm in the profession of thy true Religion his stomach lothing this luke-warm water doth not with more readinesse cast and vomit up that then I must look to be spued out of thy mouth if I am such a luke-warm person Oh therefore give me the grace that I may be truly zealous for the time to come and may carefully and conscionably amend what is past LXXVII Upon the sight of one that was very carefull not to spot or stain a new suit LOrd give me the grace to keep my self unspotted of the world and to hate even the garment spotted by the flesh and not to have either spot or wrinkle in me that may be displeasing in thy sight but that I may be found of thee in peace without spot and blameless LXXVIII Upon the sight of a roome furnished with all variety of utensills LOrd here I see vessells not onely of Gold and silver but also of wood and of stone and some for honour and some for dishonour and such are men in the visible Church But Lord give me the grace that I may be so purged from my sins that I may be a vessell to honour sanctified and meet for thee my Masters use and prepared unto every good work LXXIX Upon the sight of a mist rising out of the earth LOrd this sheweth me what my life is for what is it else but even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Oh give me the grace therefore to make the best use of it whilst I have it LXXX Upon the sight of a Vine pruned MY Saviour Jesus Christ thou art the Vine and I hope that through thy grace I am a branch thereof Oh that thy Father who is the husbandman of it would so prune and purge me that I may bring forth more fruit then heretofore I have done LXXXI Vpon the sight of a dried Neats-tongue served in at a table OH that my speech might be alwaies with grace seasoned with the salt of wisdom and discretion that I might know how I ought to answer every man which whom I have to do LXXXII Vpon the sight of one breaking up fallow ground OH that I might have thy grace O Lord to break up the fallow ground of my heart that the seed of thy word might be no longer sown amongst the thorny cares of this world lest they do as hitherunto they have done grow up with it and choak it LXXXIII Vpon the sight of one smiting himself upon the thigh as being sorry and ashamed for something which he had done OH that I might have thy grace O Lord so to smite upon my thigh that being ashamed of that which I have done amiss I may unfeignedly repent of it and turn unto thee LXXXIV Vpon the sight of a freath'd hedge of Thornes LOrd I am apt to go astray and to wander from the waies of thy commandements and rather then I should continue so to do Lord do thou stop my waies with thornes and make an hedge thereof that I may not be able to find my sinfull waies and courses again LXXXV Vpon the hearing of an house broken up and goods carried away LOrd I see by this how vain and transitory the goods of this world are Oh give me therefore thy grace that I may not seek to lay up treasure for my self here on earth where the moth and rust do corrupt and theeves break through and steal but that I may lay up treasure for my self in Heaven where neither moth nor rust do corrupt nor theeves break through and steal LXXXVI Upon the hearing of one telling a tale LOrd suffer me not to spend my years as a tale that is told which commonly are idle and of little use and profit and many times do much hurt LXXXVII Upon the
some comfortable assurance that I am one of those trees which thou my Heavenly Father hast planted that so I may not be rooted up CLX Upon the sight of an old aged servant cast off by his master LOrd cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth CLXI Upon the sight of one that held up his hand to defend his eye from a stroke LOrd keep thou me as the apple of thine eye CLXII Vpon the sight of one levelling and making plain a way LOrd make thy way plaine before my face CLXIII Upon the sight of one that was cast out of favour and was desirous to be received into favour again O God thou hast for my sins deserved ly cast me out of thy favour thou hast been justly angry with me oh return again unto me CLXIV Upon the sight of one rescued out of his enemies hands O My God deliver me I beseech thee from out of the hands of all my spirituall enemies CLXV Upon the sight of one that earnestly petitioned a friend to help him HEar my prayer O God and hide not thy self from my supplication CLXVI Upon the sight of pigeons flying from a Hawk OH that I had wings like a Dove then should I likewise flee away and be at rest from my persecutors CLXVII Vpon the sight of a Sow wallowing in the mire LOrd I have been washed both in my Baptism the laver of regeneration and I trust by thy blessed Spirit I am sure I have with many a tear washed and bathed my soul in hearty sorrow for my filthy sinnes past Oh never suffer me to return to wallow in those my filthy sins again as this sow which hath been washed doth now wallow again in the mire CLXVIII Vpon the sight of night drawing on LOrd thy word doth tell me that when the night cometh no man can work I see the night of death is coming on upon me Oh give me therefore the grace to work so whilst the day of my life doth last that when the night of death shall come I may not have that work to do which may be for the everlasting good of my soul CLXIX Upon the sight of one that was dumb LOrd I see in this dumb person wherein I have been so often faulty in thy sight not daring to speak of thee or for thee when I should have done it Lord pardon this my sin past and do thou which hast and still canst open the mouth of the dumb open my mouth which hath been so often dumb that it may speak both to thy glory and my own souls comfort CLXX Upon the sight of a Mill-wheel driven about with the water HEre I see that the more this wheel is driven away by the water the faster it returns unto it again So Lord give me the grace that when thou shalt by the water of affliction seem to drive me at any time from thee I may with the more speed return unto thee for ease and comfort CLXXI. Upon the sight of a field that was white and ready for the harvest LOrd this field shews me how ready I am for the sickle of thy wrath to cut me down for my many and manifold sins if thou shouldst deal with me according to my deserts But Lord in mercy look down upon me and withhold the hand of thy sin-revenging Justice from me that I may by thy grace live more to thy glory than hitherto I have done CLXXII Upon the sight of a candle put out LOrd put not out the candle of my life in utter darkness as thou usest to put out the candle of the wicked CLXXIII Upon the sight of Bees labouring in the summer LOrd these little creatures I see will not neglect any time or season wherein they may gather food to preserve them alive in winter Oh that I had but the like care in the summer of my life health and strength to provide for the good of my soul against the winter of death sicknesse or weaknesse CLXXIV Upon the sight of one stung with a Bee LOrd I see in this party that is stung what hurt the sting of so little a creature as the Bee is may do Oh give me therefore the grace to take heed of the sting of death which is sin and the sting of conscience which is for sin for these will put me to farre more pain than this stinging of the Bee can do him CLXXV Upon the sight of Bees fighting with strange Bees that came to rob them of their honey LOrd here I see that even these little creatures cannot endure to be robbed of what they have laboured for but will fight for the preservation of it even unto death Oh that I might have the like care and courage to fight against and to withstand all those my spirituall enemies which seek to rob my soul of thy spirituall graces CLXXVI Upon the sight of a dead mans coffin deckt with flowers LOrd here I see the love of the living to the dead how carefull they are to deck even that which shortly must be put into the earth Oh give me the grace that I may shew so much love to my poor soul which is dead in trespasses and sins that I may every day more and more seek to deck it with the spirituall flowers and herbs of grace that it may appear lovely in thy sight and may smell sweet unto thy nostrils through my Saviour Jesus Christ CLXXVII Upon the hearing of sweet musick LOrd if this musick here on earth be so sweet how needs must that musick in heaven be sweet where there are perpetuall Hallelujahs sung unto thee by the heavenly quire of Saints and Angels into which quire Lord in thy good time admit me to bear a part CLXXVIII Vpon the sight of an old ruinous house fallen down LOrd here I see in this house the very picture and pattern of mans frailty whither he must at last when all is done to support him Oh give me therefore the grace that before this earthly house of my body be dissolved I may be provided of a celestiall habitation wherein I may dwell with thee for ever CLXXIX Vpon the sight of the shadow on a Diall LOrd here I see this shadow passeth on though I cannot discern it and just so it is with my life it passeth away like a shadow though I do not discern and take notice of it Oh give me therefore the grace that I may improve my time to the best uses whilst I have it lest when it is past it be too late to recall it or to make that use of it that we would or should do CLXXX Vpon the sight of a Mole heaving LOrd I see in this creature my own earthly mindedness and how apt and prone I am to settle my affections on earthly things Oh help me therefore with thy grace to
me the grace therefore to magnifie thy mercy for the favour which thou hast shewed me in preserving my life thus long and teach me so to numbet my daies that be to come that I may apply my heart unto wisdome and may spend the residue of them in thy fear that dying never so suddenly I may die in thy favour through Jesus Christ CCLII Vpon the hearing of the sentence of death pronounced against a malefactour LOrd here I see in what a fearfull agonie this poor soul is upon the Judges pronouncing of the sentence of Death against him And if this sentence of Death pronounced by an earthly Judge be so terrible how much more terrible must needs be that sentence which the Judge of the quick and the dead shall pronounce against sinners at the last day Oh give me therefore the grace that I may so judge my self here that I may not be thus judged of thee with the Judgement of condemnation hereafter CCLIII Vpon the sight of one bending his bow to shoot LOrd how often have thine and mine enemies bent their tongues like bows to shoot out bitter words like arrowes against me But Lord as thou hast ever been so still be thou my shield and then I shall be safe CCLIV Vpon the sight of a shepherd breaking the teeth of his sheep-dog LOrd do thou thus break the teeth of thine and mine enemies that they may by their barking at me and my good name and not biting or hurting me hasten me in the way to that blessed field and fold of thine in heaven hereafter and fetch me in when I am strayed and stragled from thee here CCLV. Vpon the sight of one teaching a child to read LOrd I am a very child in understanding and can no more spell or read any thing in thy book the holy Scriptures for my souls present comfort here or everlasting good hereafter then this child can do unlesse I have one to teach me Oh do thou then by the ministers of thy word which thou hast appointed to be teachers of thy people and by the co-operating and assisting grace of thy blessed Spirit which thou hast promised shall teach us all things teach me every day better and better to spell read and understand what may be for my souls good CCLVI. Vpon the sight of swine eating acornes under an Oake HEre I see these swine greedily grouzing up the Acornes which they finde under this tree but I see not one of them lifting up so much as half an eye towards the tree that sned them down unto them And just so Lord have I too often done for how many blessings have I received from thy bounteous goodness for which I have been so far from giving thee deserved thanks that I have scarce ever looked up with an acknowledging eye to that bountifull hand of thine from whence they all have come Lord pardon this my great unthankfulnesse past and make me every day more and more thankfull as thy child should be CCLVII Vpon the sight of a boy which had a bird tied by one leg in a string LOrd herein I see how the Devil deals with me This poor bird having his wings at liberty may flutter up and down and sometimes seem to take his wings and to flie away but being fast tied by but one of his legs he is still in the boys possession and do what he can he cannot flie from him and just so it is with me if the Devil have gotten hold of me though it be by the voluntary entertainment of but any one lust or sin he cares for no more for he knowes that I am thereby in his possession and that he may when he pleaseth if I shall at any time offer to flie from him call me back to his obedience again Good God therefore give me the grace that I may mortifie and subdue all my vile lusts and sinfull affections every day more and more and that I may not willingly continue in any one of them to thy dishonour and the wronging my of own soul CCLVIII. Upon the sight of one tasting of sweet-meats LOrd give me thy grace to taste and see how gracious thou art and that thy word may be as sweet to my taste as this that he hath now tasted feems to be unto his CCLIX Vpon the hearing of one blamed for tarrying longer then was expected LOrd I have been long in misery and I have sent my prayers as messengers unto thee for release therefrom but yet I see little or no appearance of any such release Oh my God make no longer tarrying if it be thy blessed will but rid me out of this misery under which I have so long groaned or if thy will be that I shall continue in it then Lord give me the grace to submit to thy blessed will therein and with patience to attend thy deliverance therefrom when thy will and pleasure shall be to have it and in the mean time not to murmure and repine against thee though to flesh and blood thy tarrying seem longer then ordinary CCLX Upon the hearing of some that were taken captives by the Turks LOrd these poor souls are like to undergo much misery in the place to which they are carried captives and must remain in the same except they be redeemed from thence by some ransom paid for them And this just is my case for Lord I have been taken captive by the Devil to do his will and am like still so to continue except thou O sweet Jesus the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind shalt by the ransome which thou hast paid for me redeem me from thence which I do believe thou hast done for me and wilt in thy good time give me the comfortable assurance thereof which Lord hasten to do for thy mercies sake I do beseech thee CCLXI Upon the sight of a post riding by LOrd this post I see rideth apace but my daies if I had the grace to take notice of it do post away with a far greater speed Lord give me the grace to take notice of it as I should do and to make the best use of it whilst time serveth CCLXII Upon the sight of a swallow LOrd this bird I see observes the time of his returning to us Oh that I might have the grace to observe in like manner the time of my returning unto thee by true and sound repentance CCLXIII Upon the sight of one that stumbled at a stone in his way LOrd how many stumbling-blocks doth the Devil continually cast in my way towards Heaven from all which good Lord deliver me But above all other keep me I beseech thee so by thy grace that neither Jesus Christ my crucified Saviour may be unto me a stumbling-block as he was unto the Jewes nor thy word as it hath been unto other disobedient persons CCLXIV Upon the sight of stubble burnt in a