PIOUS THOUGHTS VENTED In pithy Ejaculations OR THE WAY TO MAKE A RELIGIOUS USE OF ordinary offered occasions By RICHARD GOVE 2 Thess. 5. 17. Pray continually LONDON Printed by J. G. for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1658. TO ALL THOSE that are desirous to make a Religious use of ordinary offered occasions R. G. VVho desires to further the glory of God and the everlasting good of his peoples soules Dedicateth this ensuing TREATISE Zacharias cum loqui non potuit scripsit Luk. 1. 20. 63. Ambros. A WORD OF Advise to the Reader READER ALl ordinary offered occasions should be to a Christian as are Spectacles to a weak or dim sight which not onely looketh on them but through them too and by their help seeth that that without them was hardly discernable These Spectacles I have made use of in this ensuing Treatise and by the help of them have discovered what Religious use may be made of such ordinary offered occasions If this like thee which I have done thou mayst make use of the same and if not let me see a better forme of thine and I shall gladly make use of that and be thy Debtor for it Howsoever let us pray one for another which for his part he shall not cease to doe who is Thine hearty well-wisher in what may be for thy Souls good Richard Gove PIOUS THOUGHTS VENTED In pithy Ejaculations OR The way to make a Religious use of ordinary offered occasions I. Upon a mans first awaking in the morning LORD grant me thy grace to awake out of the sleep of sin that I may live righteously in thy sight II. Upon the putting off of a foule shirt and the putting on of a clean LOrd grant me thy grace that I may every day be more and more enabled to put off the old man and to put on the new III. Upon a mans arising out of his bed LOrd grant me thy grace that I may arise out of the bed of my carnall security whereon I have so long layn IV. Upon a mans putting on of his clothes LOrd clothe thou me with the robes of thy Sons righteousnesse and let thy blessed Spirit every day more and more put on upon my soul that new Man which after thee is created in holinesse and true righteousnesse V. Upon a mans kembing of his head LOrd thy Word doth assure me that all the hairs of my head are numbred and that not one of them doth fall to the ground or perish without thine especiall Providence Oh grant me therefore thy grace that I may still remember this and learn thereby more and more to depend upon thy fatherly care and gracious providence over me for greater matters seeing thou art so providentially carefull for me in these least things VI Upon the washing of a mans face and hands LOrd wash thou me with the bloud of thy Son and my Saviour Jesus Christ from the guilt of all my sins past and let thy blessed Spirit by his grace wash and clense my soul every day more and more from the power and pollution of them for the time to come VII Upon a mans washing of his feet LOrd my affections are the feet of my soule and doe carry that as these other doe my body and passing through the foule and filthy wayes of sin cannot but be much more defiled in thy sight then these are in mine O wash them therefore every day more and more by the powerfull work of thy grace from all former pollutions and being thus washed keep me from defiling them again VIII Upon a mans paring of his Nailes THe captive Damosell under the Law before she could be the wife of him that tooke her in warre must first have her Nailes pared And therefore how shall I ever hope to be espoused to my Saviour Jesus Christ and be presented unto him as a pure Virgin except I doe cut off those excrements of * naughtinesse which are so lothsome to thee my God and to all good men which that I may the better doe Lord give me thy grace to doe it and it shall be done IX Upon a mans looking his face in a Glasse LOrd give me the grace that as by looking in this Glasse I doe see the spots and other deformities of my body so by looking into thy word I may see the spots and other deformities of my Soul and may learne to amend them X. Upon a mans brushing of his Clothes OH that I were as carefull to clense my Soul from my sins as I am to clense my clothes from the spots and dust which are on them XI Upon a mans putting on of some Upper-garment LOrd my desire is not to be unclothed but to be clothed upon and that with that house which is from Heaven And that I may not faile of this my desire Lord give me the grace to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and that both by believing in his merits and by living according to his manners whilest I am here XII Upon the sight of a womans spending much time in her neat and curious dressing of her selfe OH that I were as carefull to adorn and trim my soul to make it pleasant in the sight of God as this woman is to adorn and trim her body to make that pleasing in the sight of men XIII Upon the hearing of a child crying after his father LOrd send forth the spirit of thy Son into my heart that I may in all my distresses cry Abba Father unto thee as thy child should doe XIV Upon the sight of one abhorring a filthy and nasty thing O Lord that I might have thy grace thus to abhorre evill both in my self and others XV Upon the sight of a Carvers cutting and framing of a curious Image out of stone LOrd my heart is stony yet canst thou out of this stony disposition of mine with infinitely more ease make it an heart of flesh and me a child of Abraham which my hearty desire and prayer unto thee is that thou wilt doe for me XVI Upon the sight of the Sunne-rising LOrd grant that Jesus Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse may also arise in my heart and with his beames of saving knowledge dispell more and more the darknesse of ignorance in me XVII Upon the sight of one giving an account of monies received LOrd this will be one day my case and I know not how soon nor how suddenly I shall be called to make this my account before thee O give me thy grace therefore that I may live in a continuall expectation of it and may accordingly provide for it XVIII Upon the sight of one teaching to cast account LOrd teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisdome XIX Upon the locking and bolting of a door LOrd shut thou me in with the bolts of thy fatherly providence and
sight of a traveller wearing a sword OH that I were as carefull in my journey to Heaven-wards to put on the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God to defend me from my spirituall enemies as I see this traveller is careful to put on his materiall sword ro defend him from his bodily enemies LXXXVIII Upon the sight of a Sparrow lighting on the ground LOrd thy word doth assure me that this sparrow doth not light or fall on the ground without thy providence Oh give me the grace therefore that I may not fear to fall from an higher to a lower estate if thy will be to have it so seeing I am more worth then many sparrowes LXXXIX Vpon the hearing of one that was gone to sojourn at another mans house LOrd this mans estate and mine are much alike he is a sojourner with man but I with thee my God for I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were Oh give me the grace therefore that I may passe the time of this my sojourning here in fear XC Upon the sight of a snare baited LOrd I cannot passe through any place in this world where the Devil hath not his snares laid and baited for me with some pleasure or profit pretended Oh give me the grace therefore to be alwaies vigilant and watchfull over him and his designes and enterprises that for any worldly respect I may not fall into any of his snares XCI Vpon the sight of one smitten for his faults LOrd let the righreous smite me and and it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent Oyle which shall not break mine head XCII Vpon the sight of a Blackmoore LOrd this Blackmoore cannot change his skin no more can he do good that is accustomed to do evil Oh keep me therefore by thy grace that I may not get any evil custom or delight in the practise of any known sin XCIII Vpon the sight of a waiting Gentlewoman BEhold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistresse so Lord grant that mine eyes may wait upon thee untill thou have mercy on me XCIV Upon the sight of a grain of mustard-seed LOrd this seed is the least of all seeds yet when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree so that the birds of the aire come and lodge in the branches of it So Lord grant that that little measure of grace which is yet to be seen in me may in thy good time increase and by thy blessing and gracious assistance become so great that thou thereby maist be glorified others edified and my own soul more and more comforted XCV Upon the sight of the Sea roaring and beating with his waves against the shore in a great storm LOrd Isee in this the truth of thy word which tels me that thou hast set bars and doors to the Sea and hast said unto it hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed Lord deal so with the rage and fury of thine and mine enemies and suffer it not to proceed any further then it may make for thy glory and for the good both of my self and others XCVI Upon the sight of a most loving fathers correction of his child I Know that there cannot be a more loving and tender-hearted father towards a child then this father is and yet for the amendment of something that he knoweth to be amiss in him see how severely he doth correct him Lord therefore keep me from doubting of the love towards me when thou shalt be pleased in never so grievous a manner at any time to afflict me XCVII Upon the sight of footmen running a Race LOrd enlarge my heart that I may run the way of thy commandement and that with that patience confidence and perseverance that I may in the end obtain the incorruptible crown of glory XCVIII Upon the sight of water running out of a rock LOrd strike my hard and stony heart with due remorse for my sinnes that my head may be as waters and mine eyes as a fountain of tears to weep mourn and lament for them as thy child should do XCIX Upon the sight of a Snakes or Adders skin LOrd I see that nature hath taught this Serpent to renew his age by casting his old skin Oh that grace might teach me in like manner to put off the old man that I might be renewed in the spirit of my mind and become a new man in thy sight C. Upon the sight of one starting back at the sudden sight of a Serpent OH that I might have the grace to flee from sin as I see this man to flee from this Serpent CI. Upon the sight of an old weak man leaning on and going by a staff THis staff I see is this old mans stay without which he can neither stand nor go Lord I am as weak in spirituall strength as this old man is in bodily Oh be thou therefore my stay that I fall not and keep thou me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed on thee CII Vpon the sight of the Day-star LOrd this Star assures me that it is not far to day and that ere long the Sun will arise Oh that the day of Salvation would dawn unto me and that the day-star of saving knowledge would arise in my heart to assure me that the day-spring from on high will shortly visit me and that the Sun of righteousness Jesus Christ will arise unto me CIII Vpon the sight of one sowing his ground when it rained LOrd give me the grace to sow to the Spirit though it be in tears that I may one day reap in joy CIV. Vpon the sight of one slinging a stone out of a sling LOrd do thou thus sling the souls of thine enemies as out of the middle of a sling but do thou bind up the souls of thy servants in the bundle of life with thee the Lord their God CV Vpon the hearing of a master calling up his servants LOrd it is as high time for me to awake out of the sleep of my sins as it is for these servants to awake out of their bodily sleep Oh therefore call me by thy Word blessed Spirit that I which have so long slept in sin may at last awake and arise out of the bed of my carnall security CVI. Upon the hearing of a Countrey-mans joy for his good crop of corn I Confesse Lord that the Husbandmans joy in harvest for his good crop of corn is great but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me and then shall I have more gladnesse in my heart then such men have when their corn and wine and oyl encreaseth CVII Vpon the sight of one running
to a tree for shelter in a storm IN like manner Lord do I desire to run unto thee Lord be thou my shelter from the storm of my potent adversaries that the blast of these terrible ones may be as a storm against the wall CVIII Upon the sight of April showers OH let thy word drop down into my heart as these showers doe descend upon the earth that like good ground it may bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God CIX Upon the sight of a quiver of Arrowes LOrd make me as a polished shaft and do thou hide me in thy Quiver from the face and fury of thine enemies and mine CX Upon the sight of one quenching out of fire LOrd thy Spirit within me is as fire and my sins are as water Oh strengthen me therefore with thy grace that these sins of mine may never be so prevalent in me as to have the power to quench any good motion of thy blessed Spirit within me CXI Vpon the sight of a great load of Corn LOrd keep me from pressing thee down with my sins as I see this cart is pressed down with sheaves CXII Vpon the sight of one making preserves OH thou which art the preserver of men do thou preserve me in Jesus Christ unto thy heavenly Kingdome CXIII Vpon the sight of one overjoyed for having gotten into the presence of an earthly Prince LOrd let me come into thy presence in heaven who art the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and then shall I have infinitely more joy then this world can afford even joy unspeakable and glorious and such pleasures as never shall have end CXIV Vpon the sight of one that endeavoured to save his child by pulling of him out of the fire into which he was faln LOrd I am thine Oh save me for thy mercies sake from the fire of hell CXV Upon the sight of one striving to take something out of anothers hand LOrd I am one of thy sheep and therefore never suffer any of thine and mine enemies to pluck me out of thy hands CXVI Upon the sight of a great preparation made for the entertainment of a great personage LOrd who is greater then thou art Oh that I could with as much care and with as great preparation seek to entertain thee in my soul as this man doth this great personage into his house CXVII Vpon the sight of one that was at plough LOrd thou hast said that no man putting his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdome of God Oh that I might therefore have thy grace to persist and to go on in that Christian course that I have begun that I may not in the end be bereaved of thy heavenly Kingdome CXVIII Vpon the hearing of a Counsellour or Advocate pleading for his Client LOrd Jesus be thou my Advocate with thy Father and do thou appear in his presence for me and plead thou my cause before him against all the enemies of my salvation when they shall seek to lay any thing to my charge CXIX Vpon the sight of a Gardener watering his garden LOrd this Gardener may water his garden to make it fruitfull and the things in it to grow but when he hath done all that he can there will be neither fruit nor growth without thy blessing for Paul may plant and Apollos may water but 't is thou onely must give the increase Lord therefore let thy blessing second my endeavours in all that I shall undertake in thy fear CXX Vpon the sight of a Physitian giving physick to his patient LOrd heal my soul for I have sinned against thee and heal all mine other infirmities for thou Lord onely canst do it and without thee all other are Physitians of no value CXXI Vpon the hearing of one that was cut and cured of the stone THe stone whereof this man complained and wherewith he was so grievously vexed was onely in his body but I Lord have a stony heart within me Oh do thou therefore according to thine own gracious promise made unto me in thy Word take this stony heart out of my flesh and give instead thereof an heart of flesh CXXII Vpon the sight of a pattern to work by LOrd give me the grace to shew my self a pattern of good works to all those with whom I live that thou maist be glorified thereby CXXIII Vpon the sight of one slipping and taking a fall LOrd it is thy charge that he that thinketh he standeth should take heed lest he fall Oh do thou therefore hold up my goings in thy paths that my feet slip not CXXIV Vpon the hearing of Partridges to call THese Partridges being severed do by this their call come together but commonly for their hurt because hereby they discover to the Partridge-taker where they are and so make themselves his prey Lord give me grace to avoid the company and not to hearken to the call of wicked men lest being in their company and being made partaker of their sins I doe also partake of their punishments CXXV Upon the sight of money tied up in a napkin LOrd keep me from being like that unprofitable servant in the Gospel who laid up his masters talent in a napkin lest that be taken from thee and I for not imploying it to thine advantage be cast into utter darkhess where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for ever CXXVI Vpon the sight of a naked Infant LOrd thus naked came I out of my mothers womb and thus naked shall I return thither again O give me grace therefore to seek for that true clothing the robes of thy Sons righteousness that howsoever it fareth with my body yet my soul may not appear naked in thy sight CXXVII Upon the sight of a Carpenter driving a nail into a piece of timber LOrd do thou fasten me in thy favour as a nail in a sure place and let thy soul-saving word be fastened in my heart by the Masters of the Assemblies the Ministers of thy Word as a naile never to be pulled out from thence CXXVIII Upon the sight of one ear-marking his sheep LOrd grant me the true ear-mark of thy sheep which is to hear thy voice speaking unto me in thy Word as thy child should do CXXIX Upon the sight of a Master beating his Servant LOrd give me the grace that seeing I know the will of thee my Master so much as Ido I may endeavour to do it by leading my life accordingly lest for my carelesness and neglect of my duty therein I be also beaten with many stripes in hel-fire hereafter CXXX Vpon the sight of a cholerick person that was apt to take notice of and to be very angry for the least offence offered him LOrd if thou shouldst be thus extreme to mark every thing that I have
unto thee and thereby found ease and comfort I may never wittingly nor willingly relapse and fall back again into those my sins that have so much dishonoured thee and wronged my own soul LXXI Upon the sight of a mother putting mustard on her nipples to wean her child and to keep it from sucking LOrd I have long sucked at the breasts of this world and have drawn from them much sweet and pleasing milk of sin fensualness and other vanities whereby I am grown a greater child of disobedience yea even of wrath and utter perdirion too without thy great mercy in Jesus Christ Oh therefore wean me I beseech thee and mine affections from all such worldly vanities and if nothing else will do it Lord embitter the nipples thereof with such a measure of thy fatherly chastisements that I may in thy good time be so weaned from them LXXII Upon the hearing of a wayfaring man enquiring after his way OH that I could be as carefull to stand in thy wayes and to enquire after the old way that I might walk therein and that I may be the better enabled to do so Lord Jesus do thou which art the Way the Truth and the Life make me every day more and more willing to seek after it and having found it assist me with thy grace that I may walk therein as thy child should do LXXIII Upon the sight of a Souldiers putting on of his armes LOrd this man I see will not venture to fight against his bodily enemies without his armes and shall I venture to fight against sin and Satan and the other spirituall enemies of my salvation unarmed Oh that I might have thy grace therefore to do as thou commandest and to put on the whole armour of God that like a good Souldier of Jesus Christ I may be able to fight the good fight of faith against them all and in the end overcome them LXXIV Upon the sight of two walking together CAn two walk together except they be agreed Lord then how shall I ever look to walk with thee in white in another world except I be reconciled unto thee by the bloud of thy Son here in this world which that I may the better be and have the better assurance thereof let the Ministery of reconciliation to whom thou hast committed the word of reconciliation be every day more and more powerfull towards me for the effecting of it and let thy blessed Spirit bear witness more and more unto my soul and conscience that it is thus effected for me LXXV Upon the sight of one paying workmen their wages HEre I see none but those that have laboured called to receive wages Oh that I might therefore have thy grace so to labour in thy Vineyard here that when the evening of my life shall come I may receive the penny of eternal bliss with the rest of thy labourers in heaven LXXVI Upon the sight of one vomiting after the taking of luke-warm water LOrd this man shews me what I must expect from thee if Laodicea-like I am neither hot nor cold but luke-warm in the profession of thy true Religion his stomach lothing this luke-warm water doth not with more readinesse cast and vomit up that then I must look to be spued out of thy mouth if I am such a luke-warm person Oh therefore give me the grace that I may be truly zealous for the time to come and may carefully and conscionably amend what is past LXXVII Upon the sight of one that was very carefull not to spot or stain a new suit LOrd give me the grace to keep my self unspotted of the world and to hate even the garment spotted by the flesh and not to have either spot or wrinkle in me that may be displeasing in thy sight but that I may be found of thee in peace without spot and blameless LXXVIII Upon the sight of a roome furnished with all variety of utensills LOrd here I see vessells not onely of Gold and silver but also of wood and of stone and some for honour and some for dishonour and such are men in the visible Church But Lord give me the grace that I may be so purged from my sins that I may be a vessell to honour sanctified and meet for thee my Masters use and prepared unto every good work LXXIX Upon the sight of a mist rising out of the earth LOrd this sheweth me what my life is for what is it else but even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Oh give me the grace therefore to make the best use of it whilst I have it LXXX Upon the sight of a Vine pruned MY Saviour Jesus Christ thou art the Vine and I hope that through thy grace I am a branch thereof Oh that thy Father who is the husbandman of it would so prune and purge me that I may bring forth more fruit then heretofore I have done LXXXI Vpon the sight of a dried Neats-tongue served in at a table OH that my speech might be alwaies with grace seasoned with the salt of wisdom and discretion that I might know how I ought to answer every man which whom I have to do LXXXII Vpon the sight of one breaking up fallow ground OH that I might have thy grace O Lord to break up the fallow ground of my heart that the seed of thy word might be no longer sown amongst the thorny cares of this world lest they do as hitherunto they have done grow up with it and choak it LXXXIII Vpon the sight of one smiting himself upon the thigh as being sorry and ashamed for something which he had done OH that I might have thy grace O Lord so to smite upon my thigh that being ashamed of that which I have done amiss I may unfeignedly repent of it and turn unto thee LXXXIV Vpon the sight of a freath'd hedge of Thornes LOrd I am apt to go astray and to wander from the waies of thy commandements and rather then I should continue so to do Lord do thou stop my waies with thornes and make an hedge thereof that I may not be able to find my sinfull waies and courses again LXXXV Vpon the hearing of an house broken up and goods carried away LOrd I see by this how vain and transitory the goods of this world are Oh give me therefore thy grace that I may not seek to lay up treasure for my self here on earth where the moth and rust do corrupt and theeves break through and steal but that I may lay up treasure for my self in Heaven where neither moth nor rust do corrupt nor theeves break through and steal LXXXVI Upon the hearing of one telling a tale LOrd suffer me not to spend my years as a tale that is told which commonly are idle and of little use and profit and many times do much hurt LXXXVII Upon the
me the grace therefore to magnifie thy mercy for the favour which thou hast shewed me in preserving my life thus long and teach me so to numbet my daies that be to come that I may apply my heart unto wisdome and may spend the residue of them in thy fear that dying never so suddenly I may die in thy favour through Jesus Christ CCLII Vpon the hearing of the sentence of death pronounced against a malefactour LOrd here I see in what a fearfull agonie this poor soul is upon the Judges pronouncing of the sentence of Death against him And if this sentence of Death pronounced by an earthly Judge be so terrible how much more terrible must needs be that sentence which the Judge of the quick and the dead shall pronounce against sinners at the last day Oh give me therefore the grace that I may so judge my self here that I may not be thus judged of thee with the Judgement of condemnation hereafter CCLIII Vpon the sight of one bending his bow to shoot LOrd how often have thine and mine enemies bent their tongues like bows to shoot out bitter words like arrowes against me But Lord as thou hast ever been so still be thou my shield and then I shall be safe CCLIV Vpon the sight of a shepherd breaking the teeth of his sheep-dog LOrd do thou thus break the teeth of thine and mine enemies that they may by their barking at me and my good name and not biting or hurting me hasten me in the way to that blessed field and fold of thine in heaven hereafter and fetch me in when I am strayed and stragled from thee here CCLV. Vpon the sight of one teaching a child to read LOrd I am a very child in understanding and can no more spell or read any thing in thy book the holy Scriptures for my souls present comfort here or everlasting good hereafter then this child can do unlesse I have one to teach me Oh do thou then by the ministers of thy word which thou hast appointed to be teachers of thy people and by the co-operating and assisting grace of thy blessed Spirit which thou hast promised shall teach us all things teach me every day better and better to spell read and understand what may be for my souls good CCLVI. Vpon the sight of swine eating acornes under an Oake HEre I see these swine greedily grouzing up the Acornes which they finde under this tree but I see not one of them lifting up so much as half an eye towards the tree that sned them down unto them And just so Lord have I too often done for how many blessings have I received from thy bounteous goodness for which I have been so far from giving thee deserved thanks that I have scarce ever looked up with an acknowledging eye to that bountifull hand of thine from whence they all have come Lord pardon this my great unthankfulnesse past and make me every day more and more thankfull as thy child should be CCLVII Vpon the sight of a boy which had a bird tied by one leg in a string LOrd herein I see how the Devil deals with me This poor bird having his wings at liberty may flutter up and down and sometimes seem to take his wings and to flie away but being fast tied by but one of his legs he is still in the boys possession and do what he can he cannot flie from him and just so it is with me if the Devil have gotten hold of me though it be by the voluntary entertainment of but any one lust or sin he cares for no more for he knowes that I am thereby in his possession and that he may when he pleaseth if I shall at any time offer to flie from him call me back to his obedience again Good God therefore give me the grace that I may mortifie and subdue all my vile lusts and sinfull affections every day more and more and that I may not willingly continue in any one of them to thy dishonour and the wronging my of own soul CCLVIII. Upon the sight of one tasting of sweet-meats LOrd give me thy grace to taste and see how gracious thou art and that thy word may be as sweet to my taste as this that he hath now tasted feems to be unto his CCLIX Vpon the hearing of one blamed for tarrying longer then was expected LOrd I have been long in misery and I have sent my prayers as messengers unto thee for release therefrom but yet I see little or no appearance of any such release Oh my God make no longer tarrying if it be thy blessed will but rid me out of this misery under which I have so long groaned or if thy will be that I shall continue in it then Lord give me the grace to submit to thy blessed will therein and with patience to attend thy deliverance therefrom when thy will and pleasure shall be to have it and in the mean time not to murmure and repine against thee though to flesh and blood thy tarrying seem longer then ordinary CCLX Upon the hearing of some that were taken captives by the Turks LOrd these poor souls are like to undergo much misery in the place to which they are carried captives and must remain in the same except they be redeemed from thence by some ransom paid for them And this just is my case for Lord I have been taken captive by the Devil to do his will and am like still so to continue except thou O sweet Jesus the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind shalt by the ransome which thou hast paid for me redeem me from thence which I do believe thou hast done for me and wilt in thy good time give me the comfortable assurance thereof which Lord hasten to do for thy mercies sake I do beseech thee CCLXI Upon the sight of a post riding by LOrd this post I see rideth apace but my daies if I had the grace to take notice of it do post away with a far greater speed Lord give me the grace to take notice of it as I should do and to make the best use of it whilst time serveth CCLXII Upon the sight of a swallow LOrd this bird I see observes the time of his returning to us Oh that I might have the grace to observe in like manner the time of my returning unto thee by true and sound repentance CCLXIII Upon the sight of one that stumbled at a stone in his way LOrd how many stumbling-blocks doth the Devil continually cast in my way towards Heaven from all which good Lord deliver me But above all other keep me I beseech thee so by thy grace that neither Jesus Christ my crucified Saviour may be unto me a stumbling-block as he was unto the Jewes nor thy word as it hath been unto other disobedient persons CCLXIV Upon the sight of stubble burnt in a