Prayer we have to do Have we that importunity and Earnestness of Supplication that warmth and Zeal of Devout Address which is any way suitable to those pressing Indigencies we have to be supply'd To those burthensome miseries we have to be delivered from Or does not coldness and indifferency of affection wandering and distraction of thoughts Dulness and weariness of mind mix with and deprave our Divine Worship Ah how Little fervour of Spirit have we in serving the Lord how Little of the true Spirit of Prayer in our praying unto him Do not Gods Sabbaths his Religious Ordinances seem Tiresome unto us A very Toil and Burthen does not his Easie Yoak of precept sit Heavy on our Necks And 〈◊〉 Commandments appear Grievous by reason of our want of Approbation Love and Affection towardâ— them which would breed pleasure and Delight in their performance Ah 't is for that we are Ignoranâ— how God's Service is perfect freedom and hat a Slavery there is in serving diverse Lusts and Passions which makes us so Dead and Listless in his service when otherwise we should be all Spirit and Life whilst Employed in pious Exercises Ah had we more Love for God it would render us more Active more Warm and spirightly in his Worship it would put us upon doing our utmost to please him and we should not Endure coldness and flagging of affection in our religious Addresses But Lukewarmness of Devotion would appear to us â—igh as distasteful as perfect Deadness in Duty and we should never think that flat Lifeless Service Acceptable to God which we could not Approve of to our selves The Prayer BLessed and Glorious Lord God who infinitely Deservest our most warm and Zealous Services who makest thy Angels Spirits and those thy Ministers a flame of fire flames indeed of Devotion of Divine Love and Gratitude of Delight and fervour in holy Obedience O make us also all flame and Spirit in thy Worship that we may worship thee with Zeal and Ardour of Affection as well as with Sincerity and uprightness of heart Produce in us holy Father a Zealous importunity in prayer Suitable to 〈◊〉 wants we have to be Supplyed suitable to the Dangers and Evils we have to 〈◊〉 delivered from suitable to the worâ—â— the Necessity the Importance of thâ—â— Divine blessings Temporal Spiritual and Eternal which we stand in Neeâ— of and which are only to be derived froâ— thee the fountain of all Blessedness O cause us to Evidence our high Value and Esteem of thy Heavenly favours of the Gifts and Graces of thy Holy Spirit by our Zealous Concernment for the obtaining them by our coveting Earnestly those best Gifts and Seeking 〈◊〉 such things which are more Excellent Give us Give us Good Lord more Love to thee our God that we may have a greater Zeal for thy Honour and Glory that we may boldly Rebuke vice Earnestly promote Holyness be Grieved principally for sin because thy blessed Spirit is Grieved thereby may our hearts burn within us with pious Love Reverence and Delight when we Read and meditate on thy Sacred Word when we Pray when we return Thanksgivings or are any ways Employed in Religious Duties let our hearts be sad when our Affections are cold and languid in thy Service O Endue us with the burning Love with the flame and Zeal of holy Cherubims that we may Experience also their Transports of Delight their Extasies of Joy and Satisfaction in thy Worship make us we beseech thee thus Exceeding Jealous for Thee the Lord God of Hosts may the Zeal of thine House well nigh Consume us may we account it our very Meat and Drink to be doing thy Will and let nothing flat and lifeless mingle it self with our piety and Devotion Does Gracious God our Eternal Salvation depend upon our aright worshipping thee and do we worship thâ—â— with a faint and heartless Service Aâ—â— cure the Deadness and formality of thy Servants best Religious performances cure the indifferency and Earthlyness 〈◊〉 our Affections Make s rather tobe on the wing of Devotion to be always Zealously affected in a Good matter 〈◊〉 be fervent in Spirit Serving the Lordâ— that so we may Anticipate much of 〈◊〉 Heavenly State and Temper which shall be compleated hereafter that our lives at present may be full of inward peace and comfort our Deaths of Joy and Consolidation in believing and our Eternity full of Glory and Celestial Happyness Amen for the sake of our dying Redeemer Amen Meditation XII On Trust in God TRust and Relyance on God is our Duty and our Priviledge 't is our Duty as we were created frail impotent Necessitous Beings and for that reason Confiding Dependant ones as also God our Sustainer is a Self-sufficient and All sufficient Store of Happyness whose infinite Perfections render him an object of our Hope and Trust proportionable to our greatest Wants of Ability to Remove or Relieve our most extream acutest Distresses And what more Natural and Reasonable than that we should there place our Confidence and Relyance where we have our Support and Dependance But that we should there found our Trust where we cannot be Disappointed But that a poor helpless distress'd Creature should seek abroad for Succour and Relief And where should he Seek it so Suitably and Effectually as in God-Almighty the fountain oâ— all Strength the inexhaustible Magazine of Relief the protecting Sanctuary of the distress'd who fly unto him for Refuge A God as Willing and Ready as Sufficient and Powerful to Relieve us And that this flying to God for Help and Succour and reposing all his Trust and Confidence in the Deity is the Confiding person's Priviledge and Advantage as well as bounden-Duty is evident for what can give that Man inward Quiet and Tranquillity even in his best Condition who is subject every moment to the uncertainties and vicissitudes of Human Affairs to all the Dangers all the Hazards all the Actual Evils and Misfortunes of this mortal life but a Relying Assurance that nothing can befall him beside the wise Counsel gracious Will and Ordination of that God in whom he puts his Trust Whose power is of that extent as to furnish all our Needs and Satisfie all our desires as to secure to us his favours and blessings and to keep off from us or else Sanctifie our troubles and afflictions whose Omnipotence is directed by infinite Wisdome to Know that 's best for us his Wisdom exercised in Contriving and Ordering what 's best for us and both his Power and Wisdom vigorously moved in their operations by infinite Love and Goodness to Do what 's best for us An humble confidence in God makes us deâ—â—e the worst of the Creature 's Threatenings frees us from Carking troubles within our selves preserves a firm peaceful temper in the midst of Storms and Adversities giving us an unbroken Magnanimity of Spirit a true Dominion of Mind over all outward things and occurrences All our inordinate Care taken without Gods immediately Ordaining
much Larger measure Wean we pray Thee our affections from the Creature which can make no Suitable Return to our Love which cannot Satisfie the Longing of our Souls and win them unto Thee who by thy Mercies preventest our Love by thy Mercies dost nourish and improve it canst fully Gratifie the Good desires of our hearts and wil't amply Recompence and Reward them O Thou Joy of Angels and Soveraign Happynes of all thy Saints Oh that our Souls cold Love Thee without Limits as Thou art without Limits Lovely and Amiable Oh that we may Love Thee for thy Essential Goodness in Thy self as much as for thy Derived imparted Goodness unto us Let our thoughts let our desires and affections zealously Embrace Thee and may we be embraced with a peculiar love and favour by Thee may still new Degrees of thy Love widen and enlarge our Capacities of Receiving them and as they Enlarge do Thou flow in with an increase of Divine Communications Convince us O Lord that those Excellencies which are Borrowed which are Imperfect which are variously Dispers'd in the Creation are all concenter'd in Thee the Original in infinite Beauty and Perfection and shall we not Love Thee the Spring head of Blessedness more than the Derived Streams than the lesser Rivulets of felicity O perswade us that we are unkind to our selves if we Love not Thee the Author the Treasury of our Happyness Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Alass we find our hearts Cold Dead and Sluggish in thy Service Lord Quicken Lord enflame them Enflame them with thy Divine Love Quicken them in thy Righteousness They have gone Astray they have wander'd after many other Lovers after the pleasures profits and honours of this world which have miserably Deceived them O fix them upon Thee who wilt everlastingly Love them Everlastingly Contiâ—â— Lovely and never Disappoint them Make holy God our Love of Thee an Vniting an Assimilating Love that We may Love what Thou Lovest and hate what Thou hatest that we may do whatever will please Thee forbear whatever will offend Thee conforming our selves to thine Image in Holyness O that our Affections could Ever continue such towards Thee as they are at present O that we may demonstrate the Truth of our Love to Thee by our obeying with all Willingness Zeal and Chearfulness thy Divine precepts by obeying them Vniversally Sincerely and Constantly to our lives End Then only O Heavenly Father can we have Confidence towards Thee shall we be Assured we Love Thee aright when we Love Thee for thine Own self when we Love Thee Soveraignly and Supreamly when our Love is so Exalted as that we may be said to hate and Despise all other things in Comparison of Thee O give us thus Zealously to be affected towards Thee Grant that the Love of thy Self may Crucifie in us the Vndue Love of our selves the inordinate Love of the World or of any our Dearest Relations and that being Empty of our selves and of all Confidence in the Creature we may be wholely taken up with Admiration Love and Delight in Thine infinite Perfections and in the Astonishing Expressions of thy Goodness and Loving-kindness to the Lost Sons of Adam O may thy Love Conquer and Over-power our hearts Melt them into Gratitude and Obedience may it Disingage their Affections from every Narrow and particular Good and Setile them upon Thee the Vniversal One Causing us to Love Thee Above all things every created blessing as it bears the impressions of thy Wisdom Beauty and Power and all mankind for Thy sake and in Obedience to thy Commands Preserve 〈◊〉 us Good Lord such Devout flames of a Godly Affection and let us be our Beloved's and Thou our Beloved ours to all Eternity Amen Amen Meditation XI On Zeal in the Service of God HOW natural a Consequent is this of the Love of God Zeal to please him Zeal to Resemble him Zeal to promote his Honour and Glory Where if not here is Zeal Becoming Where else can it be so Suitably placed Nay our Divine Services how can they well be Acceptable without it For where there is Sincerity of Intention in doing our Duty without which no Duty can be pleasing to Heaven we can scarce conceive Fervency of Spirit to be wanting unless through weakness and indisposition of Body And for the Service of God the most Glorious and Excellent of Beings to be a cold and Languid Worship how Great an Absurdity how Great an Inconsistency is this Certainly the Service of the Temple the Sacrifice of the Altar requires the flame and Fire of the Altar to render it of a sweet-smelling Savour To perform Duty to God with formality and indifferency of Spirit is neither to consider the Nature of the Work we are about the Greatness and Excellency of the Divine Majesty nor yet what Earnestness and Zeal the Care of our own Salvation exacts from us The Love of God demands our whole heart Soul and Strength and consequently the keeping his Commandments the Genuine Evidence of our Love demands the utmost Exercise of our Powers and Faculties both bodily and Spiritual That is not a Service of God which is carelesly discharged but rather an Affront rather a Contempt of him 'T is a doing somewhat in Religion to Still and Quiet the uneasie Reproofs of our own Consciences but not doing any thing with a design of pleasing God out of Obedience and Love to his Commandments or from a desire of becoming Like unto him in Holiness which Regards alone can consecrate and render acceptable our Services Zeal where is it due if not in the Divine Worship Than which nothing is of greater Importance nothing of greater Worth nothing more for our Interest and Advantage Where the safety of our Immortal Souls our Heaven and Eternal Happiness are concern'd there certainly no warmth of Heart no Diligence of endeavour can be too much Ah did we but consider God's Zeal the sounding of his Bowels and tenderness of his Compassion toward us we could not sure want Zeal and Ardency of Affection towards him The holy Angels above who best understand the Value of God's Service who know best how Exalted a pitch of Love and Duty an infinitely Good and Gracious Divine Majesty merits at our hands what a Pattern do They set us of Industry Zeal and joyful Alacrity in Religious worship And how does their intense and flaming Affection in God's Service Shame and Reprove our doing the work of the Lord negligently Can we serve either a Greater Master or a Better One who Deserves better our Services or who is more willing and Able to Reward them plenteously Do we pray thy Will be done on Earth as 't is in Heaven with a like Universality Constancy Fervour and Chearfulness of holy Duty and yet do we contradict this our Petition by a partial formal and undelightful Obedience Have we that pious Reverence amidst our Devotions which is answerable to the Great and Glorious Presence of God with whom in
God its firmest Dependance on him for Supplies and Belief its heartyest Sorrow for Sin its strongest Faith in Divine Mercy it 's most assured Hope in a Saviour its most earnest pantings and breathings after Heavenly Communications its most ardent Love entire Reâ—ignation and Expectant pâ—â—everâ—â—ce in well-doing And of all the parts of Prayer none more Noble and Generous none more endearing and Acceptable unto God because none more Disinterested and unmercenary than Praise and Thanksgiving Petition respects Good things to come which we stand in Need of Deprecation Regards the keeping off or Removal of those Evils which we apprehend our Sins have righteously deserved and therefore Self-Interest as well as Religious Inclination put us upon the frequent use of these parts of Prayer but Praise respecting purely an Admiration and awful Extolling of the Divine perfections and Thanksgiving being the making a Grateful Return to God for his manifold favours and Loving kindnesses past and Gone Praise and Thanksgiving are hereupon the more undesigning the more free and unselfish acts of Devotion and consequently the more valuable and worthy in themselves the more Approved of and well-pleasing to Heaven And indeed what more Just and Reasonable what more becoming and Suitable as well as Joyous and Delightsome a thing than to be Thankful for Divine blessings received Ah since the whole World is but one large Store-house one Magazine and Treasury of Heavenly Love and beneficence how ought the World hereupon to be one large Temple one Universal Quire of Devout Praises and Hallelujahs Of Thanksgivings as Zealous Fervent and Affectionate as the Divine benefactions which we enjoy are Great Prizable and Important How ought our fire of Devotion to be like that of the Vestal Virgins perpetual and unexpiring How ought the Glowing Embers of an habitually Grateful Temper and disposition to be constantly kept alive upon our hearts though they are not ever actually breaking forth into a flame And indeed Prayer let it have never so much LIght never so much Quickness of thought and Lustre of Expression yet if it have not also warmth and Zeal of Affection 't is but as the Glimmerings of a Glow-worme or like those Shining Exhalations which make Men believe they are Safe Conducted when they are leading all the while into Bogs and Rivers into peril and Destruction Devotion if it has not the fire of the Altar will never prove the Sacrifice of the Altar such a Sacrifice wherewith God is well-pleased for 't is the fervent Prayer alone which is Effectual and unless Effectual 't is of no Value and Advantage But the fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man Availeth much it pierceth the very Clouds Enters into God's Presence besieges his Throne and Mercy-Seat and will not turn away will not give over its Solliciting till such time as the Almighty hears and gives an Answer either by a Grant of its Requests or by as kind and obliging a Denyal Importunity at the Throne of Grace in the Court of Heaven is not there accounted Troublesomness and Impertinency Clamour and Ill-manners as 't is in Earthly Courts but Heaven willingly suffers violence the force and power of Devotion is Delightsome unto it and the violent importunate Supplicants are those only who take it by force When Jacob wrestled all night in Prayer with God the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Christ Jesus Such was his Prayers prevalency Such its holy and Spiritual Charms that Almighty God could not or would not free himself from them till such time as Jacob ceasing his Prayer let him Go and Dismist him Gen 32. from 24 to 29. ver Since all our Temporal all our Spiritual Blessings all our Vertuous Abilities all our Vertuous Inclinations the very Beginnings the after-progress the Entire Completion of our Life of Grace depends so mightily upon the Aids and Communications of Heaven and these are only to be derived thence by Prayer and a Good-Life how Assiduous how Diligent how fervent and importunate ought we to be in the Duty Prayer 't is which Lifts us up Above this Earth lets us into Heaven Gives us a Delightsome prospect of the Glories therein makes us talk and utter things as if we had been there Prayer 't is which Spiritualizes our Minds purifies our Affections Exalts us above this World's cares or fears and Sordid Concernments Prayer which giving us a fore-taste of the Joys to come thereby conforms our Relish unto them makes us Scorn and Despise this world's mean Empty Entertainments hunger and Thirst after the Noble Satisfying Delights of another Life which renders us also fit Associates for the pure Intellectual Beings Above who burn with Devotional Love Gratitude and Obedience and whose Continual Employ it is to Adore to praise and offer up Thanksgivings to the Divine Parent of their Beings and Author of all their Enjoyments By Prayer 't is we hold the most Intimate Communion with God and lye open to all the propitious influences of his Spirit then 't is when at our Devotions that the Sun of Righteousness Christ Jesus ariseth by his Grace with more especial Spiritual healing under his Wings Dissipates our Darkness of Understanding mollifies our obduracy of Will imprints his own most Glorious Divine Image on our Souls Then 't is when engaged in Prayer that holy Men feel their hearts Glow within them as if toucht with a coal of Devotion from God's Sacred Altar now 't is that they Disdain sin and every Degenerate action Disdain even the Appearances of Evil nay even Innocent Earthly Delights And being Enravish'd with the Divine Love being transported with Celestial Contemplation every Vertue in them becomes the more Sprightly and Vigorous and every Devout passion arises the nearer to Rapturous and Seraphical So that in Devotion if ever doth the Soul make its most powerful Sallys Heavenward and become whilst in the body as if out of it having its Affections its Conversation Above with God! The Prayer O Blessed Jesu who didst instruct thy Disciples in the holy and heavenly Exercise of Prayer who not only permittest but Invitest us miserable and needy Creatures to present our Petitions unto thee O give us not only Leave and Allowance to pray but also power and Ability to discharge the Duty Acceptably What do we mean O Lord by praying if we pray not in the Spirit with all fervency of Supplication and Thanks-giving What do we mean by offering this Sacrifice of the Altar if the flame and fire of the Altar a Zealous Devotion be wanting in us Ah better were it we were otherwise employ'd if while we now draw near to thee with our lips our hearts are far from thee and so our very prayers become turned into sins O call then home our straggling thoughts fix our Attention confirm our faith raise and enflame our pious Affections pour forth upon us the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication that this petitionary oblation may come up before thee as Incense and this lifting up of our hands
be heal'd Wash his Soul clean O God in Christ's most Precious Blood Conform him more and more to the Holy Doctrine and Example of the Ever-blessed Jesus Sanctifie him with all the Saving Graces of thy Renewing Spirit Give him if it be thy Will some Delightful Foretastes and Anticipations of Celestial Blessedness Hope towards Thee an Enravisht Sense of thy Favour Joys in the Holy Ghost unspeakable and full of Approaching Glories However if this be too great a Vouchsafement make him at least Willing to be Dissolved Fit for Heaven Full of his Saviour Empty of himself and of all Trust in his own Defective Righteousness and whenever thou takest him out of this World take him we Beseech Thee unto thy self into Everlasting Felicity Amen Holy Jesu for thy Precious Death and Passions sake Amen A Prayer to be used on the Lord's Day in the Morning Preparatory to the Duties of the Day BLessed and Glorious Lord God Thou Lord and Instituter of the Sabbath who allowest us Six Days in Seven for our Temporal and Worldly Concerns and hast Set Apart the Seventh only for thine own more Especial Service O how wisely hast thou Provided for both our â—ouls and Bodies For how would our Outward Man want Food and Raiment were not Days of Labour afforded it wherein by honest Industry to procure those Necessaries and how would our Spirit Pine away and Languish as to all Gracious Endowments were not Seasons appropriated to thy Divine Worship O that therefore at present we may Rest from the works of Sin as well as from those of our particular Callings O that we may be in the Spirit on this thine own Day that we may worship thee thereon in Spirit and in Truth that we may keep it so Holy and Sanctified unto Thee as that it may be a Pledge and Earnest of an Eternal Sabbatisme with thee in Light and Glory This is the Day which the Lord hath made by his Justifying Resurrection O may we Rejoice and be Glad therein with an Holy Rejoycing This is the Day which was the Birth-Day of our Hopes and future Blessed Expectations O may it prove a Day of Growth and Improvement in Grace of holy Ardours and Devont Enravishments Grant Gracious Father that we may not find our own Pleasure nor Speak our own Words nor do our own Deeds on this thine Hallowed-Day but may both Call and Esteem it a Delight Holy of the Lord Honourable O that Heaven an a Heavenly Frame and Temper of Spirit may be Begun in us Here by means of our pious Intercourses with Heaven amidst the Duties of thy Day We are Going O Lord unto thy House of Prayer the Place where thine Honour dwells O pardon us that we are not Prepared according to the Preparation of thy Sanctuary that we have not yet put off our Carnal and Earthly Affections Considering that the place whereon we are to stand is Holy Ground O do Thou our God vouchsafe to Go along with us into thy Temple by the Holy Aids and Assistances of thy Spirit Cause us to Approach Thee there with Reverence and to worship before thee with a Zealous Affection when we Meditate let us do it with all Seriousness Heavenly-Mindedness and Edification when we Pray let it be with the utmost Attension Faith and holy Fervour when we Hear the Glad Tidings of thy Gospel may it be with all Diligent and hearty Attendance on thy Word and Doctrine when we Read thy Holy Scriptures may they make us wise unto Salvation may we Read them with Vnderstanding with an Affectionate Gust and Relish with a Reforming Change and inward Digestion of them into Spiritual Grace and Nourishment O may this Day be added to our Share in an Happy Eternity by our Religious Improvement of it mayst Thou our God come Down unto us herein by thy Divine Influences and may we be Taken up unto thee by Devout Praises and Adorations Accompany we beseech Thee O Lord with thine own more Especial Presence thine own more Especial Ordinances and holy Institutions Cause us by the Spiritual food of pious Duties to Increase in Grace and to be Nourished up to a perfect Manhood in Christ Jesus Being Rooted and Grounded in Divine Love and built up through Faith unto a Capacity of Eternal Salvation How Earthly O God would beour Affections How Carnal and Sensual our Souls were their Thoughts and Desires alwayes busied about the things of this World Blessed be thy Name therefore that thou hast Enjoyn'd us a Season wherein to call off our Thoughts and Affections from things Temporal wherein to unloosen our Spirits from Sense and Sensual Concernments and allowest us a Sweet Converse and Communication with Thee the Fountain of all Happyness O make us more to value this inestimable Priviledge make us at present to Improve it to the best Advantage Cause us to hold a pious Harmony of Praises and Hallelujahs with thy Blessed Saints and Angels now in Heaven 'T is the Employment will be our Continual Joy and Blissful Recreation in the Regions Above O give us therefore to Habituate our selves to it Now and thereby partake of Heavenly Satisfactions even on Earth Give a Blessing to thy word Preached and to the Prayers offer'd to thy Divine Majesty on this Day while Paul plants and Apollos â—aters do Thou O God Give the Sanctifying Increase That we may be able Experimentally to say we have Tasted and Seen â—ow Gracious the Lord is we have of a Truth found how 't is Good for us that â—e have waited upon thee in the midst of thine holy Ordinances And then by these means of Grace being Train'd up and Fitted for Everlasting Glory we shall at length be Translated thither where the Exercises of Holyness shall Cease being means of Begetting or Confirming us in Grace and shall only be our Delight and Joy and Heavenly Entertainment for an Eternal Duration Amen Blessed Lord Amen FINIS Books Printed for and Sold by Thomas Speed at the Three Crowns near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1693. THirty Six Sermons viz. 16 Ad Aulum 6 Ad Clerum 6 Ad Magistratum 8 Ad Populum With a large Preface by the Right Reverend Father in God Robert Sanderson late Lord Bishop of Lincoln The Eight Edition corrected and amended Whereunto is now added the Life of the Reverend and Learned Author Written by Isaac Walton Folio Conversation in Heaven Being Devotions consisting of Meditations and Prayers On several Considerable Subjects in Practical Divinity Written for the Raising the Decay'd Spirit of Piety By Lawrence Smith LL. D. Fellow of St. John's College in Oxford A Sermon at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Grey Late Vicar of Dedham in Essex Preach'd in the Parish-Church of Dedham Febr. the 2d 1691 2. With a short Account of his Life By
Imprimatur Geo. Royse RRmo in Christo Patri ac Dom. Dom. Johanni Archiep. Cantuar. a Sacris Domest Januar. 17 169â— Conversation in Heaven BEING DEVOTIONS Consisting of MEDITATIONS and PRAYERS ON Several Considerable Subjects in Practical Divinity Written for the Raising the Decay'd Spirit of PIETY By LAWRENCE SMITH LLD. Fellow of St. John's College in Oxford LONDON Printed by J. R. for Thomas Speed at the Three Crowns near the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1693. TO The most Reverend Father in God JOHN Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of all England and one of Their Majesties most Honourable Privy-Council May it please your Grace I Beg your Pardon for my Presumption in Dedicating this Performance to your Name but my Experience of your Goodness and Obliging Temper has encouraged me to this freedom of Recommending it to your Patronage My Lord 't was not an Ambition of appearing in Print which induced me to this Publication but an hearty Desire since I am not in a Publick Station to do all the Good I can in my Private Capacity and if this Endeavour may but prove Instrumental to the encrease of Piety and Devotion in any I shall not Repent my Pains but acknowledge the Success with all Thankfulness to God's Glory May the Almighty long preserve your Grace and make you a great Blessing to this Church which is the earnest Prayer of My Lord Your Grace's most Obedient Son and humbly devoted Servant Lawrence Smith THE PREFACE TO THE READER Christian Reader THE Subjects here treated on are some of the weightiest and most considerable in all Practical Divinity and being Matters of the greatest Importance to a good Life and consequently to our future Everlasting Welfare were therefore industriously handled with all imaginable Plainness and Perspicuity that Persons of all Ranks and Qualities being nearly concern'd in them they might accordingly lye Level to the Capacities of all men The Author is not Ignorant that several excellent Treatises of this Nature have been transmitted into publick View and Consideration which though he has not the Vanity to think he has excell'd yet he hopes this further Help to Devotion may not be without its proper Vsefulness The Composer of these Devotions is indeed conscious of his inability to Gratifie the Expectations of a nicely Critical Reader but however he had much rather expose himself to the Censures of the Over-curious than fail of promoting in the least the Piety and Devotion of â—ruly Religious and well-disposed People To such he Writes who having a Spiritual discerning of Spiritual things these Spiritual Exercises of Prayer and Holy Meditation are the likeliest to prove Relishing and Acceptable unto them Devout and Pious Meditation is that which at once Delights and Profits Recreates and improves in Goodness rendering the Mind by degrees of a Godlike Celestial Temper It ennobles the faculties of our Souls by making them conversant about truly Great and Noble Objects things Spiritual Divine and Heavenly It withdraws us from the Noise and Tumult exempts us from the Cares Fears Troubles and Vexations of this Lower World and causing us to dwell much in our thoughts and desires Above it makes our Spirits too Big and Haughty too Nice and Delicate for any impure sublanary Enjoyments nay of such an Indifferency of Affection even to this Worlds Innocent and Allowable Gratifications as that no Loss or Detriment which befalls them no imaginary Excellency which is in them is able to Excite our Passions to Discompose our Thoughts to abate our Religious Diligence to weaken our Faith impair our Trust or so much as Cool our Love for God Holiness and Celestial Happiness All other things Cloy and Satiate with their often Repeated use but the more we exercise this most Excellent Duty devout Contemplation the more shall we desire to be still exercised therein Its Pleasures will grow upon our Hands and we shall find no Sensual Entertainment half so Quick and Relishing our Vnderstandings will be hereby Enlarged and Exalted our Wills Rightly Byassed and Inclined our Affections Purified and Refined and our whole Spiritual Powers Disintangled from the Depraving Profits and Delights of this inferiour Animal Life and Refreshed with new varieties of a lively prospect into the Joys Celestial which are Pure Sincere Holy and Intellectual Let us then in frequent Solemn Meditation on the Divine most Amiable Perfections the very Life and Employment of Angels become more exact Representations of the Divine Purity and Holiness Let us Spiritualize our Minds Becalme our Passions Deaden and Suppress our Appetites to all Earthly Pomps and Vanities and then neither this World's Honours Profits or Pleasures shall seduce and soften us nor shall its Changes and Mischances Grieve and Disquiet us but being Exalted in our Devout Conversation to Regions whither the Storms and Tempests of this Lower State never reach we shall enjoy an undisturbed Peace and Tranquillity nay a delightsom Enravishment of Mind while Living and when we Dye shall go whither our Pious Thoughts Holy Desires Zealous Endeavours Fervent Prayers and Grateful Thanksgivings went before to prepare us Mansions even into the Heavenly Jerusalem Of which that we may be all Inheritors is the Hearty Prayer of him who earnestly desires thy Spiritual and Eternal wellfare L. Smith The CONTENTS Meditation I. ON the Vanity Vexation and Contempt of the World page 1 The Prayer p. 14 Meditation II. On the Redemption of Time p. 17 The Prayer p. 28 Meditation III. On the Folly and Danger of deferring Repentance p. 32 The Prayer p. 41 Meditation IV. On the Malignity and Evil Nature of Sin p. 45 The Prayer p. 60 Meditation V. On Watchfulness against Sin and Temptations p. 65 The Prayer p. 73 Meditation VI. Against the Sin of Pride p. 77 The Prayer p. 85 Meditation VII Against the Sin of Vnchastity p. 89 The Prayer p. 97 Meditation VIII Against the sin of Immoderate Anger p. 101 The Prayer p. 114 Meditation IX Against the sin of Murmuring and Impatience amidst Divine Chastisements p. 119 The Prayer p. 129 Meditation X. On Love to God p. 135 The Prayer p. 140 Meditation XI On Zeal in the Service of God p. 145 The Prayer p. 151 Meditation XII On Trust in God p. 155 The Prayer 162 Meditation XIII On the Fear of God p. 166 The Prayer p. 176 Meditation XIV On Love and Charity to our Neighbour p. 179 The Prayer p. 197 Meditation XV. On Improvement in Grace p. 202 The Prayer p. 211 Meditation XVI On Death p. 215 The Prayer p. 225 Meditation XVII On the Last Judgment p. 229 The Prayer p. 240 Meditation XVIII On Heaven p. 244 The Prayer p. 253 Meditation XIX On Hell and the Eternity of its Torments p. 258 The Prayer p. 271 Meditation XX. On Prayer and the Powerful Efficacy thereof p. 276 The Prayer p. 291 A Prayer for the Morning p. 298 A Prayer for the Evening p. 311 A Prayer for a Sick Person p. 320 Another Prayer for the
all probability renders his Distemper desperate and incurable To delay Amendment and continue in Sin with intent of quitting it hereafter is to wound our Consciences with the stings and remorses of Guilt on purpose of healing them again some time hence 'T is to refuse to do what is in our power and to defer the doing it till it may be out of our power 't is to make our future work of Repentance much greater more grievous and difficult than it would be at present and yet to hope to set about it more Advantagiously in time to come 'T is to increase our Task to lessen both our Will and Ability to perform it with and yet to think to perform it better under these Disadvantages To defer Conversion is to persist becoming vain in our Imaginations erroneous in our Elections corrupt in our Performances that afterwards we may become Wise and retract with Bitterness of Self-condemning thoughts our former vain Judgments wrong Choices evil Practices that we may upon change of Mind Will and Affections call our selves fools a thousand times for our former wicked goings astray and may be ashamed of may abhor and grieve for our past Impieties as much as ever heretofore we loved and delighted in them all these Absurdities and Foilies Delay of Repentance implies 'T is a refusing to become well and safe and happy at present and a referring our spiritual Welfare our everlasting safety and happiness to the hazardous uncertainties of Futurity But do we act thus imprudently in other Affairs of far lesser moment No certainly when Sick we delay not the use of means for our Recovery when Maim'd or Wounded we apply our selves immediately to a Cure but when sick with Sin nigh unto death Eternal when wounded in Mind by the Rebukes of Guilt contracted and maimed in all the Faculties of our Souls by the disorders of Impiety so that from the Crown of the head to the sole of the feet there is no whole part in us yet here we hug our Distemper seem unwilling to be cured at present and defer the healing remedy Repentance till some further season but ah that we should be so wise and provident in Temporals and so careless and inconsiderate in Spirituals Ah that we should be so much concern'd for the Body and so little for the Soul Oh that men should judge it too early to become instantly secure of endless Salvation when they are not secure of living till to morrow till the next moment Vain inadvertent Wretches That they should be daily a dying hourly subject to Death and yet promise themselves some years hence the making sure of Eternal Life Certainly they know not what it means of what value and importance it is that they thus stupidly neglect it Ah can they think God will lengthen out that Life which is a design'd Course of Audacious Defiance and wicked Rebellion against him Ah can they think he will so unweariedly wait to be Gracious unto them Alas they consider not what Bonds and Fetters an Evil Custom puts upon the Soul how frequent Acts of doing wickedly improve into a confirm'd habit and an habit of Impiety becomes a second Nature almost unrelinquishable and yet do they imagine they shall be freer to break loose from Sin after a long-continued Bondage thereunto That their Chains of Iniquity will be the easier shaken off after they are Rivited by Custom and Inveteracy of wicked Practice Can we make too much haste to be Saved To get out of a state liable to Eternal Death and Condemnation into a state of Divine Grace and Favour Are our Minds Wills and Affections likely to be softer more melting and impressible with the sorrows of Repentance after they are Harden'd through the Deceitfulness of continued sinning Will God's Grace the more abound towards us the more we abound in Transgressing against him What Surety hast thou impenitent Delayer but thy day of Grace may be ended before the day of thy Life But that not Believing and Repenting at present hereafter may be too Late He that Believeth and Repenteth not says our Saviour is condemned Already The Irreversible Sentence may be Pronounc'd on thee here though Executed in another World Repent Hereafter Why dost thou consider what Hereafter means It imports the utmost Hazard and Uncertainty In reckoning on Futurity thou reckonest on a thing out of thine own Power and only in God Almighty's Disposal for the Grace of Repentance as all other Graces is the Divine Gift and He who has promised pardon to the Penitent has no where told us we can be penitent when we Please On the contrary God has inform'd us that 't is his Spirit which works in us both to Will and to do of his Own Good pleasure and canst thou think he will work it though never so long Resisted in the endeavour That his Divine Patience will never be tired the Treasures of his Long-suffering be never exhausted The Holy Scripture indeed tells us God waits to be Gracious but how Long he waits we are not acquainted on the contrary it is written My Spirit shall not Always strive with manâ— To Day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Seek the Lord while he may be found call upon hiâ— while he is near What can be thâ— meaning of these places of Sacreâ— Writ but that if we neglect thiâ— present Accepted time hereafteâ— may be an unacceptable one buâ— that if we hear not Now God's Voice calling us to Repentance he may hereafter refuse to hear our Voice calling to him for Grace Mercy and Acceptance But that if we neglect the instant Season of seeking the Lord while he may be found and calling upon him while he is near there may and will come a time when he will not be found a season when he will be afar off with his Divine help and Assistance and when as holy David says in the great water-floods in the time of our bitterest Distress and Calamity we shall not come nigh him Read Proverbs the First the 28 and 29 verses God despises that Death bed Repentance when men leave sin meerly because sin must leave them because they can keep that and the World no longer when being by constraint a going hence they desire to go unto God rather than into the place of Torments prepared for the Devil and his Angels But no imposing upon Omnisciency The searcher of Hearts sees that such a forsaking of sin is forced imperfect flowing from no right Principle and therefore he values it not Ah there is a time when God leaves sinners to themselves when they will not by any means be perswaded to leave their sins There is a certain measure of God's Grace and of man's Impieties after which the Holy Spirit withdraws himself and will not any longer be entreated And how knowest thou persevering Impenitent but that if thou neglectest Grace and the season thereof Now the measure of thy sins may hereafter be compleated and both
thy allowance of Grace and the opportunity of making use of it may be over with thee Which God grant that it may not be Amen Amen The Prayer MOST Merciful Father Patitient and Long-suffering who waitest to be Gracious and yet whose Spirit will not always strive with obstinate impenitent sinners dost Thou O Lord call unto us Behold Now is the Accepted Time behold Now is the Day of Salvation and do we cry to morrow is soon enough some Days or Years hence will be as Acceptable a time as this present one Ah Mad-men that we are Ah foolish Self-deceiving Creatures who should know best the Day of our Salvation Thou our God the Author of it or We Who should know best how Long thy Spirit will strive with us How Long Thou wilt wait to be Gracious O cause us to Day while 't is call'd to Day to hear thy voice and not harden our hearts against thy Invitations to Repentance Convince us blessed Lord in order to a present amendment that 't is some degree of hardening our hearts not to hearken to thy Voice this Day That every continuance in sin is one Advance more towards final Impenitence a rendering our future Conversion the more Grievous and Difficult and our Confirmation in wickedness the Greater and nearer to irretrievable And in a sense of all this make us we beseech thee to Retire out of the ways of Iniquity immediately For would we be willing to be surprized by Death Judgment and Eternal Torments in an Impenitent State Would we be willing to be summon'd before thy Judgment-seat to give an Account of our Stewardship before our Accompts are duely Stated and made up If we would not O cause us then to give all Diligence at present to make our Calling and Election Sure to work the Religious work for which we were sent into this World while 't is Day before the Night of Death cometh wherein 't is impossible to work out our Salvation Is there Lord any one of us but would willingly Repent and turn unto Thee sometime before he Dyes because otherwise he knows he cannot be saved but who of us can be sure he shall Repent before Death that delays the work till to morrow For who can tell what a Day may bring forth Cause us therefore Gracious God to live every day as if it were to be our last for that we know not but it may be such Cause us to live so at present as we shall wish we had done when we come to Dye O grant we may not Dye with any Guilt upon our Consciences or any known sin unrepented of Grant that we may not put far from us the Evil Day and thereby flatter our selves into a state of impenitence and endless Destruction but give us Grace to use well the means of Grace and improve the opportunities of Salvation while they are mercifully afforded us lest we provoke thee our God to swear in thy wrath that such obstinate sinners shall never enter into thy Rest Let holy Father the uncertainty of the time of our Saviour's coming to Judgment either to the universal one or that of each particular person soon after his Death make every one of us live in a continual Readiness and Preparation for it that we may not have our Oyl of Grace to seek our Lamp of an holy Conversation to Trim and Replenish when we should enter in with the Bridegroom of our Souls Christ Jesus into his Marriage-Feast But grant that at what Season soever our Lord comes to call us to an Account of the Talents committed to our trust he may behold all our Debts to his Divine Justice ready Cancell'd by our Repentance through the Merits of his Blood and finding us perseveringly employ'd in Good Works he may say unto us Well done Good and Faithful Servants Enter ye into your Master's Joy Amen blessed Jesu Amen Meditation IV. On the Malignity and Evil Nature of Sin O Sin how common art thou and yet how little understood How Common and therefore how little Dreaded and Abhorr'd Did men consider and understand thee more they would sure Love and Practice thee Less Alass they consider not thy direct opposition to God's Soveraign Authority Rectitude of Will and purity of Divine Essence thy contrariety to the Laws of Nature of Reason and of Grace How thou art a Violation of God's Revealed Will and Pleasure in the Sacred Scriptures Writings which contain nothing but precepts Holy Just and Good and which consequently 't is our greatest Interest and Advantage as well as Bounden-Duty to observe and our greatest Disadvantage as well as Disobedience to break and violate They consider not Sin how opposite thou art to their own Personal Welfare and Happiness Temporal Spiritual and Eternal how Degrading and Defiling to their Souls and Consciences what an Ignominy and Reproach to our Understandings what a Violence and Affront to our Reasons what a perversion and wrong-byass of our Wills and Affections what a cause of Regret and Disquietude of Mind to those who voluntarily Commit thee how offensive to God how injurious to Man how prejudicial to the Common Order Peace and Prosperity of the Universe What an ungrateful Return thou art to the Divine Goodness Patience and Forbearance how thou art an offering despite to the Spirit of Holiness a Grieving a Quenching a total Driving it away from us a Crucifying afresh the blessed Son of God a Treading him under foot and accounting the Blood of the New-Covenant an unholy thing a Rejection of all the Merciful Terms and offers of Gospel-Reconciliation a rendering the means and instruments of begetting Grace in us ineffectual a choosing Death Eternal Death rather than Life Eternal Life a wilful Treasuring up of Wrath against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of a provok'd offended Deity All this and much more the Commission of known voluntary Sin implies and can we be so irrational so Vile and Dis-ingenuous so even like Beasts before God as to continue practicing vicious Impurity with Greediness after having thus weigh'd and consider'd how Evil how bitter and Lothsom a thing it is Oh is there no knowledge no understanding in the Workers of Impiety is there no Shame no Fear no Regard in them to their Everlasting Salvation that they drink down Iniquity like Water and Rush into the occasions of their own Ruin into the performance of all Wickedness as the War-Horse rusheth into the Battle fearlessly and inconsiderately Ah Vice how stupifying a thing art thou What a polluter first of our Souls and Consciences and after long Custom of sinning what a layer of them Asleep what an hardener of our hearts through thy continued and dayly advancing deceitfulness Thou Wickedness art pleasurable indeed in the Act but alass how transient the Act how vain and inconsiderable the pleasure whereas the after-Memory of thee is tormenting and much more exquisite much more Durable a Pain than thy vicious Enjoyment was a Delight
that of an Afflictive sense of having no Lot or Portion in the Love and Enjoyment of God an infinite Good Sin must needs be the greatest Evil the worst of any thing which is Enemy to either God or Man because 't is God's usual method to punish sin with sin when all his other Reclaiming Essays of Providence have through the obstinacy of the sinner proved ineffectual I will chuse their delusions says God and give them over to their Iniquities he that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still As if to be a Sinner was misery sufficient and no vengeance for Impiety like that of being permitted a continuance therein The exceeding Great Malignity of Sin is in nothing more seen than in this that it cost God more to Redeem the World than at first to Create it cost him but the fiat of his Will but a Word 's speaking to make it out of Nothing but stood him at the invaluable Expence of his Son's Blood to Ransom it out of worse than Nothing a polluted sinful self-undone Condition At God's Creation of the World there was only want and absence of previous matter whereout to make it no repugnant inaptitude no contrariety in the subject whereby in the least to obstruct or retard the Divine Efficacy whereas in the Redemption of the lost World there was the deep rooted Corruption of our Nature inveteracy of Evil Custom and Habit depravity of Affection and perverseness of Man's Will to be conflicted with and overcome by God's Spirit by his holy Word and Sacraments before the Ransome purchased could be applyed and made Savingly Effectual So much more is there in Sin of inconquerableness and Difficulty of subjection than in the most difficult and miraculous material product of an Almighty power O let but our thoughts carry us to the places of our Saviours bitter Agonies and Sufferings and there let us behold him greatly Amazed and sore troubled Sweating great drops of blood bowing beneath the weight of his Fathers Displeasure crying out Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me and at last suffering on a painful and Ignominious Cross those extream torments both of body and mind which the sins of all Mankind had deserved which none but the Manhood in Conjunction with the Godhead could have undergone and which were abundantly Sufficient to Expiate the Guilt of the whole world and of multitudes of worlds were multitudes really existing Let us consider our Blessed Lord suffering all this though without Sin in himself only because he had taken it on him by Imputation and by becoming our Surety bore the iniquities of us all and then let us if we can continue to think so Lightly so harmlesly oâ— Sin as we do Here 's a sight our Redeemers Crucifixion which at once shews his inestimable Love to us and the mighty Malignity of Sin in that nothing Less than his precious Bloodshed that Seal of the New-Covenant could Aâ—one Divine Justice and do away the Guilt the Condemnation of our impieties The Prayer O Thou immaculate Purity Thou perfectly holy and Righteous Divine Being who hast manifested thy Love to holyness and thy Hatred against all impiety chiefly in sending thy Son into the World by his pure Example and by his holy Doctrine to destroy the sinful works of the Devil and to promote a Life of uprightness O that those Excellent Graces which shined so eminently in our Saviour may be formed within us thy servants the Hope of Glory that the life which we henceforth lead in the Flesh may be by the Faith of the Son of God Conform us we beseech thee to his Image in Holiness making us partakers of a Divine Nature Ah blessed Lord 't is not the Guilt 't is not the Condemnation of sin we so much desire to be deliver'd from as the foul stain and pollution as the Reigning power and prevalency thereof destroy then Vice within us as well with respect to the inward Love and Approbation as to the outward Act and Performance While we are in the World preserve us holy Father from the Corruptions of the World suffer not sin to have Dominion over us in any kind for we are not under the Law but under Grace O may thy Grace be sufficient for us Keep us holy Spirit by thy power thorough Faith unto Salvation Let not Sin Reign in our mortal Bodies that we should fulfil the lusts thereof but Grant that thy good Spirit thy holy Word and heavenly Graces may bear sway in us and abound Turn our Eyes from beholding sinful vanity and cause thou us to make much of thy Law O give us to behold more of the malignant Nature of Sin of the Turpitude Folly Baseness and Ingratitude thereof and then shall we more thoroughly Grieve Detest and Resolve on the abandoning of it Convince us gracious God that Sin 't is the greatest of Evils and then shall we betake our selves to Thee the greatest of Goods work in us that Holiness without which we not only Shall not but also Cannot see Thee the Lord by reason of a natural Incapacity in us for Seeing Thee O divine Object of blessedness imports Enjoying thee a seeing thee with Delight and Satisfaction and this we can never do unless we first become Like Thee in Purity in the holy Tempers and Dispositions of our Souls O lay in us that Foundation of future Happiness Grace the Hope and Qualification of inheriting Endless Glory Lord we are poor and blind and naked blind as to true saving Knowledge operative by Love poor and naked as to any inherent Acceptable Righteousness of our own O let us be cloath'd upon with the Robes of thy perfect imputed Righteousness we are Dead in sins and trespasses O do thou Quicken do Thou Raise us up to Newness of Life and Obedience Purge our Consciences from dead Works that we may henceforth serve more Acceptably thee the Everliving God Let our lives be a continual Endeavour of subduing in our selves the Love of Sin of becoming Enamoured with the Beauty of Holiness of becoming Like thee therein more Approved of by thee and every way such as Thou wouldst have us to be Cleanse us O God from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and cause us to endeavour after the perfecting of Holiness in thy fear And then Holiness the chief ingredient of Heavenly Happiness being our New-Nature being the fix'd Temper and Habit of our Regenerate Minds we shall be both Meet for Heaven and our Souls will Tend thither as to their proper place and most desireable state of Enjoyment Amen Amen Meditation V. On Watchfulness against Sin and Temptations THat this is a Duty our Saviour teaches us Watch and Pray says he that ye enter not into Temptation that ye come not within the reach or first Enticements thereof And St. Peter exhorts Be ye sober be vigilant because your Adversary the Devil goes about as a roaring Lion
of Love and Approbation but the proud heâ— knoweth afar off Psalm 138. versâ— the 6th Nothing also more obstructs the holy Influences of the Divine Spirit upon our Hearts God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to thâ— humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. He has but two Habitations wherein he more especially delights to dwell Heaven and the Soul of him who is of a contriâ— and humble spirit Isa 57. 15. On the contrary nothing is more oppositâ— to the Nature of the Deity or to the Humiliation of his blessed Son Christ Jesus than Pride and Haughtiness And therefore our Saviour thougâ— the Brightness of his Father's Glory and the Express Image of his Person who thought it no Robbery to be equal with God yet took on hiâ— the form of a Servant came not to be minister'd unto but to Minister appeared in a mean and low condition that he might teach us Meekness and Lowliness of Heart the first Good disposition for the Receipt of his Self-denying Gospel and of all Evangelical Graces And indeed What have we poor silly Worms and no Men to be proud of What should hinder our Humility Alass how do Angels so much Rais'd above us in Excellency Angels who see our Vileness by reason of sinning how do they both pity and wonder at our Pride At our Folly of being exalted in our own Conceits above Measure They though they much transcend us in Knowledge in Beauty in Strength and all other Endowments both Natural and Moral yet are they Humble and Modest they cover their faces before God and cast down their Crowns at the feet of the Lamb Christ Jesus acknowledging him alone worthy to be prais'd The sense they have that their Angelick Excellencies however Great and Glorious are yet Finite and derived from their Creator their sense of hiâ— Divine Perfections infinitely suâ— mounting theirs keeps them meek anâ— lowly and the Abundance of theiâ— Celestial Revelations by this meaâ— no way puffs them up but render them the more Thankful the morâ— sensible of God's Goodness unto theâ— Let Them therefore be our Patterâ— of Humility nay rather let the eveâ— blessed Jesus be our Example herein who has directed us to learn of him for he was meek and lowly thougâ— the most High God! Ah 't is but comparing our selveâ— with the Deity and then 't will appear how there is no comparison between us what vile Creatures an miserable Sinners we are and whaâ— an infinitely Glorious Being and imâ—maculate Purity is God! and theâ— the sense of his Greatness and Glorâ— will lessen and humble us in cur owâ— Conceits Amen blessed Saviour Amen The Prayer O THOV King of Glory who dwellest in the Heaven of Heavens and yet condescendest to look down from the habitation of thy Holyness on us poor Vnworthy Mortals whose foundation is in the Dust and our Soujourning in houses of Clay we beseech thee take up thy Glorious Residence in our Hearts by banishing thence the sin of pride and Self-conceit by possessing us with high Reverential thoughts of thy Divine Majesty which may make us appear Mean and Low and Despicable in our own apprehensions O that we may appear such Now in thy Presence for that thou Resistest the Proud but givest Grace an Increase of Grace unto the Humble humble us therefore O Lord amidst these our Devotions that thou mayst exalt us in thy due season Mortifie in us at present all Haughtiness of Spirit for what more incongruous than Pride and a Lowly Begging Supplication What more incongruous than a Display of our wants 〈◊〉 Acknowledgment of our Vileness and Dependance an Imploring of Mercy and Relief all which import thâ— deepest Humility and yet a self-conâ—ceited Arrogant and Lofty temper 〈◊〉 Mind O grant it may no longer beaâ—â— Sway over us Grant that we may 〈◊〉 cloathed with Humility that we 〈◊〉 see the imperfections of our best Services Make us pure in Heart yet poor 〈◊〉 Spirit vile in our own Eyes that 〈◊〉 may be precious in thy sight Strike 〈◊〉 with a deep and lively sense of our wreâ—â— chedness by reason of sinning and maâ—â— us as Humble as we are Wicked What O Lord are all the Nationâ— of the Earth if compared with Thee 〈◊〉 Creator and Supream Governour of 〈◊〉 things What but as a drop of 〈◊〉 Bucket and as the small dust of 〈◊〉 ballance How may we then justly 〈◊〉 with shame when we consider our multiplyed hainous transgressions against so great and glorious a God! when we consider in what manner we lift up our hearts against Thee the Giver of every Good and Perfect Gift by arrogating to our selves the propriety of thy free beneficence O make us account our highest Attainments in Humane Knowledge as Dung and Dross for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord make us Ambitious of being found in him cloathed with his Spotless imputed Righteousness Suffer us not O our God to exalt our selves above measure by placing undue Confidence in any thing we do or in what-ever we Suffer for thy Names sake lest we fall not only from the Stedfastness of our holy profession but also into the Condemnation of the Devil sinning according to the Similitude of his transgression O let him not Rule in our hearts by the Disobedience of pride permit us not to Resemble him in so foul a Vice which will Deface thine Image within us but teach us to tread in the Steps of our blessed Saviour and to learn of him who was Meek and Lowly 〈◊〉 shall we find Rest unto our souls Grant Holy Father that in Lowlyness of mind we may think meanly of our selves in honour preferring each other that neglecting the praise of men or making it a subordinate motive in our practice of things vertuous we may have a principal Regard to the Testimony of a Good Conscience and may seek in the first place that praise which cometh of thee our God O let us be nothing in our own account that Thou mayest be all in all unto us Make us to imploy all industry and care in Approving our selves unto Thee that being Conformed unto our Redeemer in Humility who humbled himself unto Death even the Death of the Cross we may become thy workmanship O God ready prepar'd unto every Good work and may Abound therein without any vain ostentation Amen for thy Mercies sake Amen Meditation VII Against the Sin of Vnchastity UNchastity Ah how small is its Temptation when placed in Equal View with the deterring evil consequents thereof For who can be allured with Poverty and Beggery with Shame and Ignominy with Rottenness and Corruption which are the usual Attendants of impure Embraces Ah to burn in Lust is to Anticipate Hell-flames and to burn in uneasie Torments of Mind even in this life for the eager appetite of Lust is full of Anxiety and disquieting impatience till such time as 't is Gratified Hence the usual terms of expressing a violent Amour are Flames and Darts are Feavours and
for his plaâ—â— of Worship and Residence Make 〈◊〉 such a Remove from all uncleanness 〈◊〉 the outer 〈◊〉 as to hate the very Garment 〈◊〉 with the Flesh as to become 〈◊〉 of Angelick Purity as if we were not cloath'd on with Rayment of Moriality as if whether will St. Paul we were in the Body or 〈◊〉 of the Body it was uncertain O Divine Spirit of Purity thou Author and Preserver thou Beginner and Finisher of the Grace of Chastity as 〈◊〉 all other Good and perfect Gifts let 〈◊〉 Consideration of thy unspotted Purity preserve us from all filthines both 〈◊〉 Flesh and Spirit and may the apprehension of thine All-seeing inspection who art of purer Eyes than to behold 〈◊〉 least Speck of iniquity with Approbation Awe us into an entire Sanctity O our God how ought we to offer up our Souls and Bodies Living Saerifices Holy Pure and Acceptable unto Thee whenas both are the purchases of thy Dear Son 's most precious Blood both are the Care and Protection of thy Good Providence the Temples of thy blessed Spirit when as both bear the beautiful impressions of thy Wisdom Power and Goodness both were Dedicated to hy Service in Baptisme and have frequently since Renewed their Engagement of Renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil O keep us to the performance of this solemn Engagement keep us to a Reverencing of our Humanity which God hath Dignified by his susception thereof keep us undesiled both in Soul and Body And wherefore O blessed Saviour to what End were we Redeem'd by thee But that we should be Redeem'd from all Iniquity and purified unto thee a peculiar peopole Zealous of Good works O purifie us thoroughout by the Spirit in Soul Body and Spirit May we live no longer after the flesh fulfilling the impure Lusts thereof having a Name indeed to live yet being Dead unto the Life of Grace but Grant that mortifying through thy Spirit the deeds of the Body we may live a life of inward Peace and Joy and Freedom from the slavery of serving diverse corrupt Lusts and Passions Enable us holy Jesu to take up the Banner of thy Cross against the World the Flesh and the Devil to Crucifie the Flesh with its corrupt Desires and Affections hereby shewing that we are Thine followers of thee as dear Children in all Purity and Chastity That so possessing our vessels in Sanctification and Honour we may lay them down in a pious Hope and receive them again in a Joyful Resurrection when the Bodies of Saints shall Rise first and the Bodies of Virgin-Innocencies with a brighter Lustre and Ray of Revived Glory Amen Thou Resurrection and the Life Amen Meditation VIII Against the Sin of immoderate Anger AH did but a furious Angry Person behold himself in the midst of his unrulely Passion and see his own Blood-shot Eyes his Distorted Face his wild Disorders of Countenance Speech and Gesture he would I perswade my self be so out of Love with the unseemly Picture his Anger drew of him as to fly and abhor it ever after for 't is a Passion which for the time is Raging Madness which puts a man Besides himself out of his own power and keeping perverts the Order of God and Nature in our Primitive Constitution causing Reason that Spark of the Divinity that at first design'd Ruling Faculty of our Souls to Crouch and become Obeysant and headstrong Lust and Passion to be Uppermost and Domineer Ah how doth impotent Wrath and Fury debase and vilifie Humane Nature transforming a man into Wolf or Bear into a Lion or Tyger so that with some shew of Reason did the Pythagoreans Fancy a Transmigration of such wild and savage Souls into the Bodies of as wild and savage Beasts for how should they be suitable inhabitants of more calâ—â— and peaceable Receptacles And upon account of this Tumult and Disorder of Soul which the Vice of inordinate Anger and other Passions put us in the Stolck-Philosopher advises his Wise Man to a Total suppression and Eradication of all Passion that hereby he may live undisturb'd and at Peace in his own Bosom But the Good Christian abstains from undue Anger upon higher Considerations viz. for that 't is contrary to his known Duty and to the Divine Precepts enjoyning Meekness of Spirit for that 't is Displeasing unto God rendering of us unlike Him who is Patient and Long-suffering contrary to our Saviour's Calm and Gentle Temper and Behaviour for that also Anger indisposes a man for Communion with God in Prayer and other holy Exercises and makes his Soul an unquallifed Temple for the Dove-like Spirit of Grace to keep his Residence therein For if the Divine Spirit of Prophesie under the Law a Law for the Hardness of Jewish hearts less strictly restraining Anger and a desire of Revenge rested not however on the head of a furious passionate person at least not till his Anger was over and dislodged much less can we think that under the state of the Gospel a more meek and Loving Dispensation the Celestial Spirit of Meekness and Gentleness will inhabit a passionate malicious or Revengeful persons Soul No 't is Meekness and Humility 't is Good Nature and Slowness to Anger which consecrate ouâ— Souls Sanctuaries to that God whose Sovereign Attribute is Clemency and Goodness and our being in a lower Measure endued with this is that which makes us partakers of the Divine Nature for God is Love says St. John And furthermore that a violeâ— passion of Anger or any other inordinate perturbation of Mind are utterly inconsistent with the Quiet and peaceable Spirit of God which 〈◊〉 it descended formerly on our Saviour in the Shape of a Dove descends now only on Meek Dovelike Dispassionate persons the sacred Scriptures do plainly and abundantly testifie for when the Prophet Elijah was upon the Mountain Horeb there came a Great Strong Wind but the Lord was not in the Wind and after the Wind an Earthquake but the Lord was not in the Earthquake and after the Earthquake a Fire but the Lord was not in the Fire Last of all came a Still Small Voice an Emblem of Meekness a Cessation of all former boisterous Commotions and then was it that the God of Peace Unity and Concord was more immediately present 1 Kings 19. 11 12. A Calm Joyous Unmolested temper of mind is a lively Representation of the Celestial state of Blessedness a fit Preparatory for it and which makes an Heaven upon Earth to the man who possesses it but a furious Angry Disposition is all its Contraries 'T is an Argument of a weak pusillanimous Spirit which can bear nothing to be in a passion upon every provocation a sign that the mind is Galled and fretted within that the Owner thereof has no Command or Governance over himself but is rather at the Disposal of others who can discompose him when they please But a truely Great and Noble Spirit is Superiour to many Lesser Affronts and not immoderately
how can we expect to obtain Mercy from Thee if we Exercise it not first towards our offending Brethren O Rebuke in us then the evil Spirit of Rage and fury Dispossess and Change it into a Spirit of Mildness Still the Storms becalm the boisterousness of our passions which otherwise like a troubled Sea will never suffer us to be at Rest Convince us O Lord that Immoderate Anger is the Impotency of Reason and Vnderstanding the wild breaking Loose of head-strong lust and passion that 't is a short kind of Madness an Effect of Pride and Haughtiness the Discovery of a weak impatient and Effeminate Mind which can bear very Little And by force of these Considerations in Conjunction with thy Grace cause us to cease from Anger to let go wrath and have a care we fret not our selves in any wise to do evil Convince blessed God the furious that by studying Revenge they Resemble their Father the Devil the most Malicious of Beings that they act quite Contrary to thy Mercyful and Gentle Nature who takest not Advantage against sinners punishing them according to their provocations but much beneath their sinful Demerits Convince Passionate Persons that they are their own Greatest Tormentors while they possess not their Souls in Patience but turn other mens sins and offences into their own both Sins and Punishments O that we may therefore walk as the Ever-blessed Jesus did in abundance of Love Meekness and Patience and so find Rest unto our Souls O that we may put off all Anger Wrath Malice Strife and every turbulent uneasie passion and may put on bowels of Mercy Kindness Humbleness of mind Long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another If any of us have a Quarrel against any even as Christ forgave us Grant that we may do so likewise O Give us Grace to Quench the first Sparks of an Angry Resentment before they kindle into a flame not to suffer our whole Anger to arise but to suppress the smallest Beginnings of it before it Settles on our minds and grows to a greater height Convince us holy Father that we give place to the Devil when ever we indulge a furious Passion that the wrath of man worketh not the Righteousness of thee our God O thou therefore who Rulest the Raging of the Sea-Still the madness of our Passions O thou who commandest the Winds and the Waves and they obey thee allay the Storms of our enraged Displeasure Grant O Gracious Lord that we may so watch over the least Tendencies to immoderate Anger that the Sun may not at any time Go down upon our wrath that it may not ranckle into Hatred and a desire of a Revenge but that it may be as Soon Dismists as Excited Turn we beseech Thee our natural passion of vicious fury into the Channel of an holy Zeal for Revenge upon our Lâ—â—sts and Vices let us be excessively Angry at our selves instead of being Displeas'd with others for our weak estate in Grace and for our abounding Strength in wickedness O make us ward to Give an Offence and as forward to Forgive one offer'd us may a Spirit of Meekness and Gentleness Rest upon us let the Peace of God so Rule in our Hearts that we may Love and shew Kindness to our most implacable Enemies Cause us to Forgive as we Desire and Look to be forgiven make us Calm and Dispassionate that thy Dove-like Spirit of Truth and Holyness may visit us with an Olive-branch of Peace And then Tranquillity and quiet Sedateness of mind having been the General temper of our Souls on Earth we shall at Death be Removed as Quietly out of our Bodies into Celestial Regions where there is nothing but Eternal Calm 〈◊〉 the least Disturbance or Dis 〈◊〉 of Spirit Amen Amen Meditation IX Against the Sin of Murmuring and Impatience amidst Divine Chastisements IMpatience under Affliction is our punishment as well as Sin it frets and corrodes the Mind and thereby doubles upon us our sufferings adding to that of the Body that of the Spirit also and most Just and Agreeable is it that those who refuse submission to God's Government should be punish'd by their own perverseness Ah how foolish a Vice is Discontent with God's Dispensations of Providence toward us it can in no wise make our Condition better but will certainly render it much worse both on a Natural account and likewise by Divine most just Ordination For wriggling our Necks under the Yoke of Distress is the ready way to make it sit more heavy and Galling and Repining Discontent at the Chastisements of Heaven is so far from Relieving us of them that they provoke God both to continue and Aggravate them upon us Alass Man how knowest Thou but thy Affliction is Design'd to thee in Mercy but that 't is the Greatest Blessing can be bestow'd upon thee by keeping off the Greatest Plague Spiritual Sickness Death and Destruction And canst thou think it Reasonable to Repine at thy Soul's Cure or preservative in health Canst thou think it suitable to murmur at what may be thy highest instance of Happiness thy Greatest Matter of Rejoycing God sees thou canst not be happy Eternally and free from Temporal Affliction and hadst thou rather imprudent Creature enjoy thy Good things here with Dives than Rest with Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom God foresees that his Blessings of Earthly prosperity would be Real Curses unto thee by proving Dis-advantages to thy Soul and therefore is it he in Compassion with-holds them Thus he denies thee Temporal Riches that thou may'st be Rich towards God Rich in Faith and Good Works He with-holds from thee plenty of provision and fulness of Bread lest giving it thee he might send Leanness withall into thy Soul lest being full thou might'st Deny him and say who is the Lord He finds poverty of Spirit most consistent with thy poverty of Fortune he finds thy Dependance upon him the more firmly Establish't by dispensing to thee Day by Day his Fatherly Allowance Does he deny thee Health of Body and soundness of Constitution Why he does it 'tis likely to a very Good purpose that thy Soul may be the more healthy and Thriving in the Graces of his Spirit in Humility in Patience in Contempt of the World in Resignation to the Disposals of his All-wise and Just and Gracious Providence A person who does not consider 't is in order to his future ease and welfare will be apt to account his Chirurgeons painful Launcing and laying open the Ill-affected part in his Body a cruel unkindness unto him but he who is mindful that all the Smart and Anguish he is put to is only in order to his subsuent Ease and for Recovery of the unsound part to its accustomed Constitution This Man will be ready to Kiss the hand that probes and cuts him and will Thank his healer for dealing faithfully with him though never so severely Yet ah the perverseness which is in most of us who wound our selves by
Grace would but duely Exercise those proportions of it we Already have we should soon find larger ones flowing in upon us from Above and we should have more Abundantly of God's Spirit If we would but water and cultivate upon his implanting Gracious Dispositions in our Souls he would give Encrease to them and perfect them into holy Habits for former measures of Grace well comply'd with fit and Qualifie us for further Succeeding ones and the Sanctifying Light of the Holy-Ghost like that of the Sun shines in upon every Eye of the humane Understanding which will open to Receive it And therefore whenever we find a Good Motion in our Hearts let us remember 't is afforded us to improve that Good Disposition into a vertuous Act and to Grow thereby in Grace when-ever we find a check of Conscience against Sin a Restraining suggestion of God's Spirit let us carry it on till we arrive to an Hatred of that Vice let us proceed from an hatred of it to a Resolution of Amendment and from that to an actual Endeavour against the particular iniquity We are accountable to God not only for that measure of Grace we have Receiv'd but also for further Degrees thereof which had we well-managed the present ones we should have been made partakers of and therefore not only the mis-using Divine Gifts we were possessors of but likewise the hindrance by that misusage of God's bestowing on us future ones will be charged upon us to our Condemnation if we set not to the work and improve present Gracious intrustments And what should hinder us from doing it The Difficulty of such an undertaking Alass this is Lessen'd by the Divine Aids proffer'd and which will certainly Assist us in the performance And what I pray can seem Grievous when an Almighty power lends an helping hand to alleviate the Burthen Ah it argues a weak and Low Measure of Grace to Covet after so much of Holiness only as will barely exempt us from Hell and carry us to Heaven Such a mean Spirited person in Religion shews that Grace is not his desire upon its own account upon its pure intrinsick worth but meerly as it frees him from Divine punishment 'T is not for Love of the former so much as for fear of the Latter that he would be partaker of Holiness at all but ah how Little do they deserve Eternal Glory who are not desirous of the most Essential part thereof Divine Grace in an encreasing Measure Ah be there Different Degrees of Celestial Blessedness attainable by different Degrees of Piety and shall not this raise in us an holy Emulation a Godly to Aim at Heroick Extraordinary Measures of Goodness At the very Highest procureable Let us consider that the Longer the credited Loan of Grace remains in our Custody unimproved the Greater daily will Grow its Debt and the more ample and enflamed the Reckoning which we shall at the End of all things be call'd to give in and then to whom much was Given of him shall much be Required and whether we have put out our Talents of Grace to Usury or no yet Interest and Encrease of them will be demanded at our hands It being that we should have been busied about the procuring however we have left it unprocured Then at the Day of final Accompts it will not be Enough to say Lord here is what is Thine what thou committedst to my Trust but where is the Improvement of it where is the multiplying of it will be Enquired O then rest not Satisfied with present Attainments with weak unprogressive Measures of Sanctity but forgetting the things in Religion which are behind which are already arrived unto let us press forward to the mark for the Prize of our high Calling in Christ endeavouring after the perfecting of Holiness in God's Fear And then He who is an overflowing Fountain of Grace and Goodness and who communicates of it where ever he finds Subjects Capable of his Communications will cause us to proceed from Strength to Strength in Holyness from one Degree of Grace unto another till he has compleated our Renew'd Nature and fitted us for Eternal Glory Amen Amen The Prayer O Thou Divine Fountain and Dispenser Thou Author and Finisher of every Good and perfect Gift perfect we beseech thee that Good work of Grace which Thou hast begun to work in us carry it on to a full Growth and Maturity Assist us Holy Inspirer so constantly from Above that we may be always in our Thoughts and Affections there that whatever Good â—houghts are at any time suggested to our Minds may Spring up into fixt Principles and all our heavenly desires may become a New-Nature the constant Tenour and â—emper of our Spirits and all our holy purposes and Resolutions may Advance into a serious practice and Zealous Exercise of Godliness and all our pious Actions may improve into confirm'd Habits may become more free chearful vigorous and Delightsome O may we evidence the Sincerity of Grace within our hearts by a daily Growth and Encrease thereof may we Evidence our selves to be Alive unto God to be Quicken'd by thy Spirit by a Religious motion and progression Make us O God who are thy Husbandry like unto Trees planted by the Rivers of water which bring forth fruit in their due season O Suffer us not to be like Trees without fruit ' twice Dead pluckt up by the Roots but grant that our Leaf of holy Profession may never fall nor our Good fruit wither but that whatever pious work we take in hand it may prosper Grant that the more we Advance in years the Greater progress we may make in Grace that we may bring forth much fruit of Righteousness in our mature Age and may then be chiefly fat and well-liking as to our improvements in Holyness O blessed Lord give us to become thus more and more Like thee partakers in a larger measure of thy Divine Nature and Excellencies Give us to hunger and thirst more after Righteousness that we may in an higher Degree be Satisfied therewith Give us to lay up to our selves Treasures of Grace for Heaven rather than Treasures of Mammon upon Earth to multiply and encrease our Spiritual Talents to Grow Rich in Faith and Good Works to Rise up to a fulness of Stature in Christ Jesus to walk worthy of thee our God unto all well-pleasing perfecting of holiness in thy fear to be fill'd with all the fruits of thy Spirit which accompany Salvation That these things being in us and Abounding an Entrance may be administred unto us abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen blessed Saviour for thy Cross and Passion Sake Amen Meditation XVI On DEATH DEath the very Thoughts the very Name thereof strikes us with Horror and Affrightment but alas the first Temporal Death what is it if compared with the second Eternal one which is to be the sad Portion of all finally impenitent Sinners Were the Temporal Death
unto Thee who art of purer Eyes than to behold the least iniquity with Approbation With what Joy and Thankfulness ought we to acknowledge this thine inestimable favour that thou who art so highly Exalted wilt humble thy self to take notice of such Despicable polluted Beings as we are For ever blessed be thy Goodness who hast made Prayer our Duty which is so much our Interest and Priviledge O how inexcusable should we be should we neglect so Great a means of Grace and Salvation Wilt thou O Lord Admit and Accept our poor unworthy Services and shall not we Gladly Embrace the Vouchsafement Since our Righteousness Extendeth not unto Thee since we only are the Gainers by thy Service which is its own Reward which is our perfect freedom O cause therefore all that is within us to bless thy holy Name Cause all that is within us to render thee most willing and Chearful Obedience But O God most Glorious whose Transcendent Excellency is Exalted above all Glory and Praise the more we Speak of thine Honour the more we become Sensible how infinitely we fall short of it O make us to shew forth thy praise not only with our Lips but in our Lives by giving up our selves to thy Service by conforming our selves to thy Likeness in Holyness by â—aising Spiritualizing and Enflaming by thy help our Affections towards thee in Prayer Yet Alass Alass how soon are we weary of this most Delightsome most Beneficial Duty of Devotion How much Averseness is there in us unto the Vndertaking how much Distraction of Thoughts and Deadness of Spirit in the performance What formality want of Relish want of Zeal and fervour is there mingled with the best of our Religious Services How prone have we been to Deceive our selves with Shadows of Piety and Devotion instead of the Substance With a form of Godlyness instead of the Life and power thereof How prone to Content our selves with the bare praises of thy Divine perfections which we have not had the Godly Ambition the Sincerity of heart to imitate O pardon the sins and iniquities of these our Holy things But besides the imperfections of our best performances how many ways have we presumptuously offended thee our God! By innumerable Omissions and Commissions Omissions of Duty Commissions of Evil by many frequently Repeated and long Continued acts of wickedness by sinful provocations in Thought Word and Deed against thy Divine Majesty O how often have we Stifled the Convictions the Reproofs of our own Consciences How often Resisted the holy motions the Restraints of thy blessed Spirit How long neglected the Great Salvation of thy Gospel How many times violated our most Solemn Baptismal Vow and Covenant The very Multitude of our sins is Enough to Amaze and Affrighten us to cover us with Shame and Confusion of face but the Heinousness the Baseness the Ingratitude of our mis-demeanours towards so Gracious and heavenly a Father so Long-suffering a preserver so Mercyful a Benefactor Sanctifier and Redeemer O how Grievous is the Remembrance thereof to us the burthen of so much wickedness how Intolerable O our God Strong and patient hadst thou not been God how couldst thou have had patience with such perfidious such ungrateful such willfully Disobedient Rebells Well for us is it that thy mercy and forbearance Exceed that of Man are like the self unlimited O the Riches of thy Grace wilt thou again Receive such prodigal Children into thy favour Wilt thou Still be Reconciled unto us Ah let thy Goodness let thy Reconcileableness lead us to Repentance to a more compleat consummated one and our Repentance may it fit us for thy pardon and Acceptance And not meerly for the Pardon of our sins implore we mercy at thy hands but for a Divine power to enable us to subdue them Set we beseech thee O Lord our hearts in such a perfect Enmity against all things contrary to thy blessed Will and Nature that we may never be Reconciled to them any more dispose us to such an Entire Affection to thy Commandments that they may become our Choice our Desire our Exceeding Great Rejoycing O that we may walk more circumspectly Redeeming the time because the days are Evil O that we may give all Diligence to make our Calling and Election Sure O that the life the pure unspotted life of Christ Jesus may be formed within us the hope of Glory Fill us Gracious God with the whole Knowledge of thy Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding and Assist us with thy Grace unto the Conscientious practice of such knowledge Increase in us that faith which worketh by Divine Love which purisieth the heart and life and overcometh the wicked world Excite in us that ardent Affection to thee which may make us chearfully Do thy Will or patiently suffer it in all instances and which will cause us to Love our brethren as our selves for Christ's sake with a pure heart out of Love unfeigned not in Tongue only but also in Deed and in Truth Keep us O Lord pure and unspotted with the World Temperate Chaste and Unspotted with the flesh keep us Safe and unseduced by our own hearts lusts by Satans wicked Suggestions and Allurements Cause us to have our Conversation without Covetousness to have it more in Heaven less on Earth teach us contempt of Earthly things teach us to deny our selves to conquer all Temptations to live above the corruptions which so much abound in the Age Give us Patience give us supporting comfort and quiet submission in Adversity let a contented mind be instead of all we want and a thankful heart sweeten all our Enjoyments O that we may mind more the one thing Necessary that we may seek in the first place the Kingdom of Heaven and its Righteousness and whatever other things we leave undone we may be still working out our Salvation with fear and trembling Make us O our God more careful of pleasing thee fearful of offending thee diligent and industrious in thy Service more observant of thy Good Providence in every thing more grateful for thy benefits Received more readily disposed in all conditions to every good thought word and work * Stir us up we entreat thee to a frequent mindfulness of our Latter End and fit and prepare us for it let our approaching sleep this Night put us in mind of our last sleep our Bed remind us of our Grave and the darkness of the evening of the days of Darkness which shall be many in the Chambers of Death Lighten our Eyes O Lord that they sleep not therein but that we may Awake with the morning Light unto thy Praise and Glory Forgive those actual sins of thy servants which the day past hath been witness unto Lord give us a Godly sorrow for them a perfect hatred of them and more carefulness to avoid them for the future and whether we sleep this night in death or awake to the fresh Mercies of the following day O Grant that Christ
Essentials of his Religion let our Wills also be conjoyn'd for what an Absurdity is it that we who are to live together in Heaven if our Uncharitableness hinder not should live at variance here below O Heavenly Samaritan Thou holy Jesu Prince of peace Look down Look down behold here a miserably torn and Divided Church torn with Schisme and Faction fallen among Robbers and Spoilers who most inhumanely have Entreated her behold with a succouring compassion her bleeding wounds which are as so many Mouths importunately begging it Pour thy suppling Oyl and Wine of Union into her Sores bind up with the bond of Love and Concord her broken and Disjoynted Members Pass not by on the other side of the way as did the Relentless Levite but let the Distress'd sight of our misery move thee to compassion and thy Compassion produce a Speedy Relieving us Suppress in us blessed Saviour Entirely banish from us that Stingy Selfishness of Spirit that narrow Confinement of Love to a Sect or Party which so much abounds in the Nation and make us of a more publick Generous Temper more Consultive of the Good of the Community both in Church and State And then the Spirit of God the Spirit of Love and Unity shall dwell amongst us Love shall be our Guide and Love shall be our Guard and Defence Love shall fit us for Heaven and Love shall Conduct us thither Nay Love shall bring down Heaven upon Earth unto us shall make us live in Peace in Amity in a Joyous Complacency at each others Happyness Amen Amen The Prayer O OUR God who hast taught us that all our doings without Charity are nothing worth that he only who dwelleth in Love dwelleth in Thee and Thou in him send thy Holy-Ghost and pour into our hearts that most Excellent Gift of Charity the very bond of Peace and of all Vertues make us Children of thee our God Disciples of our Dear Lord and Master in loving one another as he hath loved us in being Merciful as Thou our Heavenly Father art Merciful O that the same mind may be in us which was in Christ Jesus who went about doing Good healing the Diseas'd comforting the Afflicted compossionating the Distressed and whose pity did not content it self with a bare saying Be ye warmed be ye cloathed be ye filld and deliver'd from your Sufferings but which did always Exert it self in Real Acts of Mercy and Beneficence O make us also thus followers of our Redeemer's Steps being Exceeding pittyful and compassionate and actually employing all our abilities for our necessitous Brethrens Succour and Relief Give us we beseech thee O most merciful God such a Sympathizing Tenderness of Spirit that we may be deeply affected with both the miseries and Prosperities of our Neighbours mourning with those that mourn and Rejoycing with those that Rejoyce as Living Members of our Saviours mystical body his Church O that it may become the Center of Unity and Concord the very Joy and Delight of the whole Earth Fulfil O Lord that promised blessing of thine unto the Christian State whereby the Wolf is to dwell with the Lamb the Loeopard to lie down with the Kid the Calf and the young Lyon together a little Child to lead them a weaned Child to put his hand on the Cockatrice-Den and nothing to hurt or destroy in thy holy mountain but all fury malice and bitterness being done away Gospel-Love and Peace and Gentleness of Spirit is to succeed O may this Gracious Promise be near its Accomplishment may this blessed State this Kingdom of thy Dear Son come Quickly O thou Composer of differences thou God of all Peace Compose those unhappy Animosities which are too much propagated among Christians let them not any longer Dishonour thy Name bring an evil Report upon our Holy Profession in General nor weaken the Interest of the Protestant Religion in particular But grant that by Brotherly Love and Concord we may Adorn the Gospel of our Saviour may win over Converts thereunto and thereby Enlarge Strengthen and Advance the Kingdom of the Ever-blessed Jesus Let the Peace of Thee our God Rule in our Hearts to the which we are call'd in one and the same hope of an Heavenly Inheritance that as we have one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of us all so we may henceforth be all of one Heart and of one Soul united in one holy bond of Truth and Peace of Faith and Charity And being thus Studious of Emulating each other in kindness provoking thus one another to Love and Good works and being in such a manner the Sons of Peace on Earth we shall be fitted and made meet for the joynt participation of Heavenly Glory where may we all Reign Rejoycing in each others Happyness as Sincerely if not Equally as in our own Amen Blessed Jesus Amen Meditation XV. On Improvement in Grace THe Life of Grace is best evidenc'd by Growth therein Spiritual Life no more than the Natural one can subsist without Activity and progressive Motion where-ever the seed of God is sown in Truth and Reality it will fructifie and become prolifick In the School of Grace as well as in that of Humane Learning not to Go forward and make improvement is to Go backward and Vertue like a tender young Plant if it does not Thrive and Flourish is in a Tendency to Decay and Wither The slothful unprofitable Servant who did not improve his Talent is in the Scripture-reckoning in our Lord and Saviour's account nigh as bad and as severely punish'd as the unjust Steward who wickedly embezzled it and not to make use of Grace is here reputed the same thing as not to have had it To have it by Exercise and Improvement is judg'd by God the only true Possession and he who has not the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit in this manner is said in Holy Writ only to seem to have them And instead of encreasing their Store 't is denounced there that he shall loose even those measures of Divine Vertues which were once afforded him Genuine Grace cannot stand at a stay if it does not Ascend and improve it infallibly Declines And when God gives us this Talent to Trade withal and encrease it shall we frustrate his End of Giving it by letting it lye Dead and unexercised Did Christ purchase us the Graces of the holy Spirit at the Dear and inestimable Rate of his own Bloodshed and shall we Neglect them when so purchased Did He by his precious Death and All-prevalent Intercession procure the Effusion and sending down of those Graces and shall we slight them when so sent and bestow'd on us Ah what will not obstinate Ingratitude of Sinning do It will make us turn the blessed means of Grace into occasions of Damnation make what was intended towards us a Savour of Life unto Life to become the Savour of Death unto Death through our mad folly and supine Negligence If we would but cooperate with Divine