sleep not in sin lest the sleep of death surprize thee the hour is certain in nothing but uncertainties For sure thou must die yet thou knowest not on what day nor in what place nor how thou shalt be disposed when death must be entertained O Lord how many thousand Bills of Mortality have passed over our heads and we little or nothing regard them who knows but some of us may fill up the next weeks account and be forc'd to render up our accounts before the Just Judg of all the Earth of all our deeds done in the flesh whether they be good or evil He that once thought to begin to take his ease was fain that very night whether he would or no to make his end would you have thought this He but now flourished like a green bay tree his thoughts full of mirth his soul of ease but I passed by and lo he was goue Gone whither his body to the grave his soul to hell whose turn may be next God only knows who knoweth all But whosoever we be that go on in a course of sin in the name of God let us seriously bethink our selves of Mortality how many have we heard of that went well to bed over night for ought any man could tell and yet have been found dead the next moâ—ning O help us to repent of all our sins by crying and sighing and sorrowing for sin It may be this night and that is not long to come but we may sleep our last in this world O keep us that we go not to bed with a conscience laden with sin O how should we take any rest or sleep with the brother of death when we lie down in danger of eternal death O there is no more but a breath one breath and no more no more but a step one step and no more Oh were not this lamentable that some One of us who are standing or sitting here should this night sleep his last and to morrow have his body carried to his Grave yea and before to morrow morning which the good Lord in mercy forbid have his soul cast from a bed of Feathers into a bed of Fire And yet alas alas if any of us should die this night in our sins or in an unregenerated state thus will it be with whomsoever we be To morrow may our bodies be cold under earth and our souls frying in the flames of hell 'T is good for us all to expect death every day and by this means death foreseen cannot possibly be sudden No 't is he dies suddenly that dies unpreparedly Watch therefore saith our Saviour be ever in a readiness and as we tender the everlasting wellfare of our poor souls let us learn that Lesson of our blessed Saviour not to lay up for our selves treasures on earth where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and where Thieves break through and steal but lay up for our selves treasure in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where Thieves do not break thro' and steal it is those treasures those stocks of grace that will last us for ever which is a circumspect walking that Fervency of spirit that Zeal of good works that purity of conscience St. John speaketh of which is the property of every true hearted profeâ—sor It is the work the life the power of that prayer that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy O that we could lay up such heavenly provision against the day of caamity if while it is called to day we could make our peace with our peace with our heavenly Father by an humble exercise of repentance If in this time of grace we could purchase Gods Favour and those rarest Jewels of Faith and a good conscience if now before we come to appear at that dreadful Tribunal that we could be so happy as to make God and Christ our Friends in the Court of Heaven O how wellcom and how blessed then would our death be unto us come it never so suddenly still should death find us ready and if ready no matter how suddenly yea tho it were this night Oh help us seriously to consider what Jesus Christ did and suffered for us and for our sins O how was he sorrowful even unto death with exceeding sorrow which made him pray that the cup might pass from him yet with submission to his Fathers will and all to save our poor lost and undone souls O the riches and love and the free grace of Jesus Christ to us Oh the earnestness of his prayers and the agony he was in not drops of water only but his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground O how was he buffeted spit on reviled mocked and scourged sor our sins Oh how was the chastisement of our sins laid upon him and by his stripes are we healed And dear Father do thou be graciously pleased to keep up in us an humble remembrance of this abundant love wherewith the Lord Jesus Christ hath bound us he was crowned with Thorns for our sins that we through his merits might be crown'd with glory in the Kingdom of Heaven O unspeakable love how were his tender hands and feet nailed to the Cross his holy unspotted breast peirced with a spear and his dearest hearts blood let forth and all to save our poor souls from the pit of eternal destruction O let us consider the great necessity we are in in not looking unto this Jesus we have need of Christ we have need that he pray in us and need that he pray for us unto our heavenly Father we have need that he work in us and need that he work for us of his plessed will and pleasure We have need that he present us and ours blameless before his Fathers presence in life and death and at the Judgment day O Lord there is not a moment in our lives wherein we stand not in continual need of Jesus Christ O then let our necessities drive us to Christ and mind us of Christ And as it hath been our great misery in departing from God dear Father we beseech thee to cause us now to lay out all our strength by the blessed assistance of thy holy spirit of grace to the uttermost of our power to gain a reconciliation with God to close with him on his own terms propounded to us in the Gospel And dear Father be pleased to raise up in us a love and a delight in the keeping holy thy Sabbaths here on earth that so we may be fitted and prepared to keep an ever lasting Sabbath with thee in Heaven Dear Lord pardon cleanse purge O purifie and make new our inward man by thine Almighty power subdue our corruptions and renew our Natures and bring us near unto thy self by the gracious workings of thy blessed spirit O forget not thy loving kindnesses of old but reach O reach our souls by the blessed spirit of thy grace O let us feel the power of thy
spiritual and Gospel meltings upon our souls O cause us to feel the warming and the reviving blood of the everlasting covenant working effectually upon our poor dead hearts and consciences And dear Father do thou be pleased to rescue us from our selves deliver us we humbly pray thâ—â— from a vain trisling spirit in the things of Eternity O make us captives of thy love and then shall we follow hard and close after thee the Captain of our salvation The Lord in much mercy waits on us continually to be gracious unto us and shall not we wait on him to be made glorious for ever Dear Father we humbly pray thee to be pleased to soften our rebellious hard hearts by the gracious meltings of thy holy spirit that so we may be fitted to receive thy truths and bring forth the fruits of them in a most holy and a most heavenly conversation O for Christ Jesus sake make bare thy own arm and deliver our poor distressed souls from that bottomless pit of eternal destruction O strengthen our Memories increase our faith kindle our zeal renew our Natures and make us such as thou wouldst have us to be best at heart and best at last for Christ's sake O rectifie our wills enlighten our understandings and subdue every lust within us and cause us to run the ways of thy commandments Dear Father we beseech thee we humbly beseech thee to make us more serious and more sincere â—n the things of Eternity that we may not trifle â—n those things of so high a nature wherein our â—oor immortal souls are so nearly concerned Good Lord in much mercy be graciously pleased â—o carry on thy own work in us and for us to he honour and glory of thy name and for the eternal welfare of our poor distressed souls O for Christ Jesus sake open blind eyes soften our hard hearts unstop our deaf ears subdue our rebellious wills and renew our corrupt natures and bring us into a conformity and an humble subjection unto thy blessed self O when shall it once be that we may with our blessed Lord and Saviour count it our Meat and our Drink to do thy will O God O for Christs sake cast an eye of pity and compassion upon ns shew us the favour of thy chosen make us glad with thy inheritance and visit us with thy salvation Good Lord we beseech thee to enable us to lay fast and sure hold on him on whom thou hast been graciously pleased to lay help And dear Father we humbly pray thee to be pleased to raise us up from the death of sin to a life of righteousness And we humbly beseech thee to let us feel the power of Christ's Death killing sin in our mortal bodies that we may no longer obey it in the lust thereof Dear Father we beseech thee to be graciously pleased in mercy to blot out all our sins by the precious blood of thy dearly beloved Son that so our names may not be blotted out of the book of life and we for ever thrust out from thy presence out of the holy City of our God And for Christ Jesus sake make us faithful to the death and then give unto us a Crown of Life And dear Father do thou be pleased to rouze up our drowsie dull consciences and help us we beseech thee seriously to look into our inward man knowing that it is high time to awake out of sleep the time is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light leâ— us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fullfil the lust thereof O Lord our God thou hast promised to keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee O help us we beseech thee help us to trust in thee and sincerely to wait on thee that so we may be brought into the possession of this peace that lasts for ever O help us seriously to look up unto thee for thou art the Lord our God and there is none else so shall we be saved with an everlasting salvatâ—on And dear Father we humbly intreat thee to make us to be zealously affected for the honour of thy great name and then seal unto us thy everlasting covenant of life and peace Then shall we greatly rejoice in the Lord and our souls shall be joyful in our God for he will cloath us with the garments of salvation and will cover us with his robes of righteousness then shall we be drawn with his loving kindness and mercy and loved by our dear Lord with an everlasting love And we humbly intreat thee to prepare us for that great day of our Lord Jesus Christ when he shall come to shake terribly the Earth O blessed and happy aâ—e they who put their whole ttust and confidence in him and sincerely hope in his mercy O Lord we are upon the very brink of an endless eternity and it will not be long e're we shall be in another world as certainly as we are now in this O help us now help us dear Lord that whatsoever our hands find to do to do it with all our might for there is no wisdom nor knowledge nor work nor device in the grave whither we are all a going Dear Lord we humbly beg thy pardon we have none to fly unto but unto thee thou hast the words of Eternal Life O! for Christ Jesus sake forgive all our Transgressions and in Mercy heal all our Back-slidings and dear Father as ever thou intendest mercy unto our poor souls work a thorough change upon our hearts consciences and save us by believing O for ever blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us who are kept by the power of God thro' faith unto salvation O make us more heavenly and more holy that we may be blessed in the first resurrection that the second death may have no power over us that we may live and reign with our God and our dear Redeemer for ever and ever Amen Psalm 4 HEar me when I do call O God my Righteousness Thou hast enlarged me when I Was bound in sore distress Have mercy upon me And now my Prayer hear O Sons of men how long will ye My Name refuse to fear My Glory into shame You turn and Vanity You love to see How long will ye My Truth you plain deny But know the Lord will set The godly man apart Even for himself for he will hear When he calls with his heart Be still and stand in awe O sin not on your bed In heart
SOME Collections of Scripture WITH Private Meditations As an help in PRAYER WITH Some Hymns and Psalms of DAVID 2 Chro 6. 19. Have respect therefore to the Prayer of thy Servant and to his Supplication c. Jer. 29. 12 13. Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and Pray unto me and I will hearken unto you And ye shall seek me c. Collos 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom c. Cum Humilitatis Reverentia By G. M. London Printed for the Author 1695. A Form of Prayer in Scripture-Phrase O GOD the God of the Spirits of all Flesh who hath Created the Heavens and stretched them out and the Earth with the Fruits thereof and Breath and Spirit to them that walk herein who art clothed with Honour and Majesty who coverest thy self with Light as with a Garment Look down from Heaven â—hy holy Habitation and have respect unto the Prayers of thy Servants and let our Prayers â—ome before thee as Incense and the lifting up of our hands as the Morning Sacrifice We â—onfess O Lord thou didst Create our first Parents in thy own Image and beathedst into â—hem the Breath of Life but they have eaten of the forbidden Fruit all mankind from their Loyns have sinned and come short of the Glory of God And yet O Lord to fill up the Measure of our Condemnation we have â—dded actual Sins for who can say he hath made his Heart clean We have sinned in thought opur Souls which should have been seasoned with the sweet Meditations of thy Goodness Mercy and Grace have been prostrated and assailed with black and hollish thoughts of Atheism and Dispair Blasphemy and all manner of Soul-vexing fears O! what a world of Ignorance Vanity of Mâ— and disesteem of thy mercy and unbâ—â— have seated themselves in our Hearts confess O Lord we have sinned in our woâ— oâ—r Tongues that should have been as Trâ—pets to sound thy praise have been deâ—guilty of Blasphemy Swearing Lying Sâ—dering Reviling Rayling Brawling Scosâ— Boasting Sowing Seeds of Discord amoâ— our Neighbours The Tongue is a Firâ— World of Iniquity and hath defiled whole Bodies and is set on Fire of Hell confess Lord we have sinned indeed witâ— our worldliness covetousness pride lust â—â— lice lukewarmness impatiency vain glory self love O the wrongs we have done the Goods we have ill-gotten and the time have mispent and O the Sabbath we have pâ—phaned Oh! the pollutions the distempâ— and estrangedness from God in our Souâ— Oh the Villanies and the Vanities of â—â— who le Life O Lord we may as well numâ— the Stars as our sins But dear Father thou pleased to translate us from darkness light and from the Power of Satan into â—â— Kingdom of thy dear Son Let us no lonâ— abuse the good gifts of our God and turn Grace into wantonntss And let us not griâ— the Holy Spirit of God whereby we are seaâ— unto the day of Redemption O help a keep us that we do not wrong the blesâ— Name of God his Word Religiopn and Pâ—â—fession of Godliness We confess Lord have sinned against thy Law and have 〈◊〉 all thy Commandments O Lord we confess we have sinned against the Gospel we are ashamed of the Gospel of Christ tho it be the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth We have not thirsted after Christ our Souls have not panted after him as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks We have not loved the Lord Jesus in Sincerity nor considered him as the Life of our Souls We have not counted all things loss and dung for the knowledg of Christ Jesus our Lord we take no pains to know him and the power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings we hide as it were our Faces from him and will not have him to Reign over us we have not relied upon Christ for Justification Sanctification and Salvation O Christ there is not one of us that stireth up himself to take hold on thee And yet Lord thou hast given us space to repent of all our Abominations which we have committed yet we have not repented but have made our faces harder than a Rock and have refused to return But above all Oh the insolencies and accesses and tyrannies of our bosom sins our darling delights which we cannot part withal And for all these sins thou O God hast Punished us less than our Iniquities have deserved It is of the Lord's Mercy we are not consumed because his compassions fail not If thou shouldst lay Judgment to the line and righteousness to the plumeâ— thou mightest make thy Jealousy to smoke against us and the Curses that are written in thy book thâ— mightest lay upon us and blot out our Namâ— from under Heaven Thou mightest maâ—thine Arrows Drunk with Blood and tâ—â— Sword devour Flesh from the beginning of râ—venges and give us our Portion with tâ—â— wicked that are turned into Hell and all tâ—â— Nations that forget God But thou O Lorâ— hast said If we confess our Sins thou art faitâ—ful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse uâ— from all our unrighteousness Thou hast proâ—mised That he that covereth his sins shall noâ— prosper but he that confesseth his sins anâ— forsaketh them shall have Mercy Thou haâ— proclaimed Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anâ—ger to fall upon thee for I am Merciful saith the Lord only acknowledg thy Iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God Thou hast threatened I will return toâ— my place till they acknowledg their Offences in their Afflictions they will seek me early Thou hast sweetly encouraged us if any man say I have sinned and pâ—rverted that which was right and it profitted me not thou wilt deliver his Soul from the Pit and his Life shall see the Light And O Lord in reference to these thy sayings promises and proclamations threats and encouragments we do embolden our selves to come before thee to acknowledg our Wickedness and our iniquities O Lord we lie down in our shame and â—ur confusion covereth us We cannot but say we have sinned against the Lord our God we â—nd our Fathers from our youth have not oâ—eyed the voice of the Lord our God And â—oh that we could seek the Lord as the Children of Israel and Judah together going and weepâ—ng asking the way to Zion with our Faces thither-ward This is a time of Mourning our sins have given us an occasion of sorrow Oh that we were on the Mountains like the Doves of the Vallies every one of us mourning for our Iniquities Why Lord it is thy own promise A new Heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away thy stony Heart out of your Flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh Oh let us take to us words and say to the Lord take away all iniquity from us and receive
give us all other Graces a lively hope that may save us yea in those times let us with Abraham against hope believe in hope and give us joy in the Holy Ghost Thou hast said Joy is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in heart O give us a filial Fear because thou takest pleasure in those that fear thee For in that day that thou makest up â—â—y Jewels they shall be thine and thou wilt spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him O give t is humility and lowliness of Spirit casting down imaginations and every thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledg of God O give us meekness of mind that the Wolf may dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard may lie down with the Kid the Calf and young Lion and the Fatling together whilst a little Child may lead them O give us peace of conscience and the peaco of God that may guide guard and garison our whole souls And for our further assurance o give an increase and growth to all these Graces and do thou guide us continually and satisfie our souls in drought O make Fat Our Bones that we may be like a watered Garden and like a Spring of water whose waters fail not O let the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings that we may go forth and grow up as the Calves of the Stall O that thopu would'st be pleased to make our path as the path of the just even as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day O that thou wouldest be unto us as dew unto Israel that we might grow as the Lilly and cast forth our Root as Lebanon that our branches might spread and our beauty be as the Olive-tree and our smell as Lebanon O Lord hast not thou said I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground and I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thy Off-spring O put into our hearts their ways who go from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appearing before God Nor pray we only for Remission but for cleansing not only for Pardon but for purifying and power against sin and deliverance from sin Holy God thou hast promised That he that is left in Zion and he that is left in Jerusalem shall be called holy when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the Daughters of Zion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Judgment and by the Spirit of burning Holy God thou hast said thou wilt put thy law in our hearts and write it in our inward parts Holy God it is thy promise the first promise and the Foundation of all other promises that the Seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head that Christ should break the Power and Dominion of Satan O that having those Promises we could live by Faith that we could rest upon God and believe that God of his Free Grace in Christ will purge us from the filthy Remainders of sin and renew us more and more after his Own Image in Righteousness and true holiness Surely Lord thoâ— hast said it and therefore no Presumption buâ— true Obedience to assure our selves of whatsoever thou hast promised and entred into bond and covenant Freely to give us He that believeth on thee as the Scripture saith Out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living waters Christ is a Fountain of Grace ever flowing and ever Full and of his fulness we all receive grace for grace There is no grace but from Christ nor no communion with Christ but by Faith O therefore that we could embtace him by Faith for our sanctification that so we might be filled with the gifts of his grace in our measure 'T is Christ that is our Wisdom and Sanctification as well as Righteousness and Redemption O that our Jesus would justifie our Persons and sanctifie our Natures and enable us to those duties of holiness that he requires and that he would make us unto himself a Kingdom of Priests an holy Nation O Lord we have many potent Enemies that daily war against us the World the Flesh and the Devil and Our strength is too weak to vanquish the Allurements of this World and to repress the Lusts of our rebellious hearts or to defeat the Polices of Satan much more to cleanse our own hearts But O Lord thou hast promised O help us to believe that God who is rich in mercy will aid and assist and bless our Endeavours yea and do the whole work for us and in us according to his good pleasure O grant we may not love the world nor the things of the world that our hearts be not over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life to neglect â—uâ— immortal souls O do thou be pleased to rouze us and lift us up from the death of sin unto a life of righteousness And good Lord grant that we may not suffer sin to reign in our mortal bodies that we should obey it in the lust â—hereof Neither suffer us to yeild our Members as â—nstruments of unrighteousness unto sin but unto God as those that are alive from the dead that being made free from sin and become the Servants of God we may have our fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life And dear Father grant that we may be sober and vigilant because our Advetsary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour O make us strong in the Lord and in the power of his might that we may be able to stand against all the wilds of Satan Why Lord we wrestle not against flesh and blood only but against principalities and powers against thr Rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places O therefore strengthen us that we may stand having the girdle of truth about our Loins the Breastplate of Righteousness and the shield of Faith wherewith we may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked We confess and acknowledg O Lord to thy glory that all our strength is in thee and in the power of thy might And dear Father we humbly beg that thou wilt be pleased to stand and stay by us by thy blessed Spirit of Grace the remaining part of our days that we may live righteously and godly in this present world so that we may be able to stand when the secrets of all hearts shall be laid open and may hear that joyful call thy blessed Son shall then pronounce Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom prepared for you That then we may enter into those Joys that the Living God hath provided for such as Fear and Love and delight in him and for ever enjoy that glory our blessed Saviour speaketh of that he had with thee before the Foundation of the world O help us to draw near unto thee in