Amen the Son yet there 's a blush But take Amen for vox praeterea nihil wherein then lies the resemblance 1. God is Alpha and Omega This Amen is Omega for alwaies last 2. God comprehends all sic Amen omnia praedicta Amen comprehends all mens votes and supplicats 3. God undestands all Tongues and Languages and Amen it 's well known is no stranger to none of them 4. God is every where sic Amen in una quaque regione you may finde Amen in every nation 5. God is the very same yesterday to day and to morrow Et hoc verbum Amen semper idem ejus nomen nunquam amittitur and to shew it is no changeling it is set next secular seculorum Since this Amen blushes noble a personage The Avowry this shall make me ponder in minde ere I say with my tongue Amen In the next place Amens three significations maintain this Amen blushes the three persons Father Sonne Holy Ghost And first God the Father while by Amen is meant an oath it 's the sole decider of all in Earth so he in Heaven Secondly God the Son Amen is like him if not him Dum hoc verbum est veritas Thirdly God the Holy Ghost while as he so this Amen is signum the mark the seal seals all assuredly I will ever have in high esteem that prayer upon whose last word is imprint the Character of the ever blessed Trinity The Avowry And now if you chance to dislike the allusion dislike not my endevour which is to satisfie as some with common Cates so some with a novelty Bit you know ere cloth be taken away novelties are expected or never Let each take a morsell of the meat will best digest with him and not condemn the Cateror for that at cost with variety We see the dish set up upon the long board of your understanding cal'd Amen Let us all close up our stomachs with this Amen A very taste whereof hath put the people of God in minde of one God And God the Father Sonne Holy Ghost My vote for all Gods people shall be this His vote that while to their prayers end they have in their mouthes and bear in their mindes God so that God would be ever pleased to grant all their prayers put up unto him The third part of my method moves me to give you the compleat character of this one Amen Amens Character I mean its description in decurt short significant sentences Amen then as you have heard is an Hebrew by Nation a Laconian by Language and a traveller by nature hath talkt with sundry of sundry nations and when they have said all they can gives them it all over in a word This is hath marcht through all the provinces in the Christian world yet in the rear never in the front The Officer at armes who drawes up the broad Body into a little circle The son of Mars makes an end of all he is plac't the lowest yet is of greatest account for comprehends quic quid in buccam venit the last yet the first while from the first to the last all hangs dependency upon this one Amen This is the pacifier of the people which makes them of one minde the little map deciphers out their unanimous universall agreement the prosective glasse in which I see a fort gone farre before The notary bears in minde every petition put up Lo the repeater over of our prayers which bindes all us to bear in minde all said This Amen is a memento for man and a testis to God our remembrance of what spoke and the witnesse betwixt God and us we meant as we spoke this is he saies little yet saies much while gives us magnum in parvo much in a little a word of weight which if pondered weighs as heavie as the whole prayer Behold the nut is nought but kernell the fountain is sea-full and the ship is full fraught this is it fils and full the magazine mans understanding and hath to lay up a somewhat lest in the out-room memory Will must not be a wanting lest there be a want when search is made for what came aboard I will board the booty in this bottome The Avowry and desite my God to give me understanding to conceive and memory to bear in minde all lies hid in this howle Amen But come what is it lies here hid Sub tegmine Deus sub tegmine Christus as much Amen signifies God Christ Christ God himself saies I am the Amen If you end with God and Christ have nought to do with the Devill have you Christ in your mouthes keep then Satan out of your hearts Thou never with a good heart sayest this prayer but this last word shuts door upon the Devill Principium a Jove finis Jesu thou beginnest with the Father endest with the Son Without doubt the Spirit is thy guide and teaches thee to pray teaches thee thus to pray teachers thee * Pater noster this to say let me tell thee to have God in thy mouth the Son on thy tongue end makes probable proof the holy Ghost is in thy heart So on the other side to slight such a prayer which begins with our Father ends with the Son maketh it more than probable the Spirit of the Lord is departed from that suppliant take it for a maxime in Divinity he that wilfully refuses to say Christs Prayer is not inspired with christs Spirit Let me tell you I can see no other cause why any should lay aside our Lords Prayer unlesse unwilling to use the name God the Father at the first and God the Son at the end in their Rosary The Jewes were so fear'd to take Gods Name in vain that they used another word in stead it may be we have such a piour people who fear to sin if they should do what Christ bids them doe Say the Lords Prayer yet since Amen is in stead of Christ there is no excuse neither ever took I those men to be squeasie stomach who can strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel who make scruple to say Christs prayer yet stick not to rob Christs Church in one work who destroyed her Discipline defaced her Doctrine unhallowed her sacred Sacraments and doe to many of Gods Embassadors as Hanun did with Davids cut off their garments to the hams Beleeve me those who have such strong stomachs to the maintenance of the Ministry I never knew bear any good will to the Doctrine of the Church They will cry Amen sooner to the one then the other I will leave them and pray for them the Lord awake them out of that surreptitious sin Sacriledge And thus I passe on to the fourth part of my method which desires since the subject is short you would give me leave to extract an heavenly fancy from the letters in this last word of our Lords Prayer I know some will carp at it but for my own part I
met with I dare not promise much it is presumption nor underprize my pains since some say it is a slie vain-glory a begging by refusing I much desire you would not discourage these my first endeavours and if you chance to spie a blemish in Venus her face not to eye it more than all her beauty which if you doe you have got a bargain but lost a chapman every one can say it is an easier thing to finde fault with than to mend And he that will mend what here 's amisse hath leave to finde fault with what he list I speak not this to make a variance but salve a difference assuring my self he is not a Scholar that will carp I have put my self to the worlds wide venture and aime at my * Scholars Coat to defend my cause Humorous heads who have more words than wit and censures than solidity they can gain nought at my hands by their opprobries these have a good word for none not then for me It is the ingenuous auspicious Reader I relie on for his favour whose favourable report shall make my printed paper his debtor and my self his devoted To the Author of the Prayer THE Author of the Book in all humility begs leave to dedicate these few ensuing lines to the Author of this Prayer Christ Jesus God blessed for ever Amen O my God and my King the holy Pen-man of this most holy prayer thou art one who wa st who art to be forever God and yet man man and yet God In thee the Godhead is hominified in thee the manhood is deified thou art an immense Majesty present with us in earth and at the same time Lord President in Heaven Thou art one in person yet hast two natures one of the three Persons yet all the three but one in substance begot before all Time born in the dispensation of Time not to encrease thy honour but to set us from thrall Thou taughtest Exemplo Thou taughtest Praecepto Voce By learning us Prece By praying for us Thou prayedst to thy Father for us Thou preachedst to us how we should pray to thy Father not as we will but as thou hast wil'd thou teachest us what to say and we are bound to say thy prayer Thou hast taught us how to pray so ties us not at all times to the same words O thou wisdome of the Father let me learn wisdome from thy lips Who to furnish the meanest of * In Understanding men prescribes them a Plat-forme who so sets down a plat-form as licenses the more gifted to exercise their gift of prayer Thy prayer O Christ is not given to stint the spirit thy prayer is lent to support it Blessed be thou my God and my Christ who hast not only purchased for us to be cal'd Gods Sons but taught us to say Our Farther Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I give over thy prayer I honour its Author I reverence its matter I admire its method it was made by Christ God made by Christ for man usefull for all men never could so much be contained in so narrow a room but that of Gods making the Sons penning the Holy Ghost his inspiring Let the Enthusiasts slight it the fratra cilli lay it by as men conceiving they are come to an acme of perfection yet such as fail I finde in the best of my expressions that let them be the protasis this shall be the apodosis and if with my own I begin with our Lords * Prayers I desire to make an end the Lords Prayer is the summary of all things necessary and when I have prayed for all I can in this as in a glasse my Christ lets me see the face of all my desires while I am expounding this sacred Prayer Lord let thy sacred Spirit descend down upon me so shall thy Name be honoured and I inabled to discharge this great work I have in hand O thou who madest this prayer make me understand its meaning and while I am in hand with this work blow the spark of my meditations into a flame let my paraphrase be set Carbo lampas a light shinning and lamp burning by this light guide babes in knowledge on to a set form of prayer by it confute all Hereticks who deny a set form of prayer O my Christ I will shut up my too much boldnesse of speech to thee with admiration of thee who art all in all unto us all bread to feed us wine to cherish us the white robe to cover us thou hast slain our sins by thy passion quickned us to a life of grace by thy Resurrection provided a mansion for us by thy Ascension we may enter in for thou art the door no danger by the way for our Christ is the way we can have no better assurance then from him is the truth nor let us fear the sting of death for we are servants to the Lord of life to him who is the way the truth and the life O my Saviour I blesse God for thee I glory in thee I cast my self upon thee upon the bended knee of my body I beg thy blessing praying in thy own words saying thy own Prayer Our Father which art c. The Author of the Book his Speech to the Prayer O All heavenly Prayer the very language of the Lord Jesus the Christian * A good Word till abused Directory The Rubricks Epitomy short in words copious in matter which gives God his Due begs all needfull for us all all thy precious petitions it is my every daies prayer may be writ with the pen of a Diamond in my heart O Divine Prayer I am purposed to give thee every morning the visit every night to hold conference with thee the first to salute the last to take my leave of Thou hast taught me to blesse God my here welfare my hereafter happinesse what to seek a Kingdome how to ensure it by doing what thou wilt as thou wilt O most holy prayer which suites God for us all and for all needfull which teaches us how to unravell our debts and discharge them to prevent sin by praying against sin yea prayes in the midst of our temptations for safe deliverance Thou art magnum in parvo yet sayest little yet when we have said all we can we can say no more I admire thy brevity short yet sweet few words yet full as the Patriarchs sacks understood we at length what thou comprehendest in short we would every day lengthen our esteem of thee lessen our opinion of our own barren expressions But I am sorry thou art so slighted by those who think themselves none-such and for my part I would be very sorry to be such as they are O most sacred Prayer whither wilt thou go the Enthusiast his hasty conceptions will be thy death the Sectarian Minister for fear of popular displeasure is feared to acknowledge thee in the Pulpit yet thou hast one
we relie on Gods mercy too much we wrong Gods justice not a little I will poise my Spirit betwixt hope and fear The Avowry and to ballance even while I hope for mercy fear justice 2. Wrongs God Justice are two brothers both sons to carnall security The name of the one is call'd Carelesse heed taking of Gods proceeding against malefactors The name of the other is Non-notice taking of the generall Assize to be holden when every one must answer for all he hath done in the flesh as avow'd 2 Cor. 5.10 Gods justice is much dishonoured while men neither minde what inflicted nor what is threatned against impenitent sinners We love to dandle in our hands Gods staffe or support will not cast so much as an eye at the Rod of his wrath God hath holden his corrections these many years prescribing divers their penances Measels Small Pox Plague and the Sword dipt in bloud have all certified thousands have taken pennance in white sheets God it is to be feared is about opening a vein and putting us to a new penance non flumine sed sanguine This was upon the first entrance of the Scots And what shall be the end of these things it 's not hid from us it 's upon record that without repentance we shall perish All this is true which blazes O God how thou art just Luk. 13.5 yet how little is thy justice feared O it is our carelesse passing by of Gods visitation past and to be holden which makes us set his * Justice corrections light and live so loosly lewdly I will call to minde what horrid punishments I have seen The Avowry and pray I may beleeve what denounc'd A mean while I admire Gods mercy to make me fear his Justice 3. Such neglect to hallow Gods Name who wrong Gods word Who be they Quest There are three offer it injury Res one is very many unwritten Traditions full cousin-german to old wives tales whose word is in credit with Papists not Protestants will be taken in Spain and Rome but in none of our K. Dominions our sacred Synods did never give them hearing and yet Tridentinum concilium una cum veteris novique Testamenti libris traditiones etiam pari pietatis affectu reverentia suscipit ac veneratur The Councell of Trent esteems unwritten Traditions as highly as the old and new Testament Vox Dei vox hominis are in the weigh scales what a wrong is this to Gods word for mans word to parragaud with it for unwrittn traditions to face it out they will be as well trusted as Gods own written word I will make a more high estimate of Gods Word than all other The Avowry lest while I admit of a parity to honour Earth I dishonour heaven 2. Ignorance is another doth offer much wrong to Gods good Word men esteem not what they know not a barly corn is better lik'd by the midden Cock than a pearl It was but an Asse fell to the thistle and left the fertile soile Heraclitus laught at him Hist we will be sorry for these who are so very ignorant they know not they know nought their grosse ignorance hath made them undervalue that inestimable word the Word of God insomuch divers have better appetites to hear a play acted then a Chapter read or a Sermon preached especially by an orthodox Divine For my own part I am resolved The Avowry to fall in love with knowledge lest my want of knowledge diminish my love to the Word of God 3. The world is a third that wrongs Gods Word not a little Gods Word hath no greater enemy than this world Lord how many fly draw offs hath it to withdraw us from reading it hearing it medicating on it How doth it shuffle by all religious duties proponing either pleasure and go to the womans house in the Proverbs or profit and go to Mammons or ease and stay at home all Sermon time he that will be counselled by the world was never known to wish the Word well Well though the wicked so far make use of God and his Word The Avowry as that he may enjoy the world and its goods I am resolved only so far to make use of this world and its good things as that I may enjoy God and his Word 4. They neglect to hallow Gods Name who live but lewdly the honour of the Prince is laid to the stake when the subjects are exceeding lews and live wickedly But who hinders our country men from living well and doing good works Quest which others seeing should cause them to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven There are six of them Res 1. Insensiblenesse of sins 2. Want of true faith 3. Want of charity 4. Incredulity that God will not repay back 5. Love of this world 6. Fear to need Six Orators and all to draw us from good works and since I cannot stay to decipher to you out nor portray the perfect portracture of these wicked wretches I will send you to a sort of my very good friends who are able to rid you of all those idle consorts 1. Repair to a troubled conscince one can free thee from an insensiblenesse of sin 2. Repair to Abraham who against hope beleeved I mean to a true and lively faith this will send misbelief a packing 3. Hast thee on to the house of unity thou shalt there meet with brotherly love will banish malice 4. Go me on from hence and get to speak in private with Consideration I mean consider with thy self what largesses received already Hear is one will thrust Diffidence by the head and shoulders out of the door of thy heart 5. There is a fift his name I have forgotten yet his Motto is this I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ This is he is only able to drive away and cause to depart out of thine heart and in post-hast love of this world 6. Let Solomon be the sixt whose very language the creatures neither spin nor labour is of strength sufficient to free the from that slavish bondage in which thou wert to fear fear to need Since I have these six to oppose those six The Avowry I am resolved to fight under the banner of Gods Graces lest poor soul be ensnared in the ginne of hellish vice The fist moiety of my method warns me to give a call upon those graces prayed for in this petition yea and to provide them house-room in my heart Graces two They be two Sincerity They be two Vigilancy Sincerity The Parallel a Jonadab whose heart is upright Vigilancy a David whose eyes prevent the night watches Behold the Mine without drosse Sincerity The Court of Guard which guards it Vigilancy That 's my riches Sincerity This their keeper Vigilancy How much do I want and want that * Sincerity First How much may I lose and let go this * Vigilancy Latter For