his father In him I haue a portion of flesh aud bloud in him a parte of my selfe euen now doth reigne in him a part of my selfe is alreadie glorified and as I doe nothing doubt of this his communion with mee in nature soe will I not distrust of my participation both heere of his grace and heereafter of his glorie for although I am sinnefull yet is not hee soe vnnaturall that either hee can forgette or will forsake his owne meÌ„bers Hee that dispaireth or distrusteth his owne safetie hee denieth Christes mercie and consequently hee denieth his loue hee denieth his truth hee denieth his power the loue of his passion the truth of his promise and the power of his ascention Therefore the more willinge hee was to suffer and the more able hee is to saue the lesse cause haue I to feare for when all thinges shall faile he will most constantly keepe his faith O wonderfull misterie O exceeding mercie euer to bee admired euer to bee loued wee were not worthye to bee seruantes and loe we are made the sonnes of God yea the heires of God and fellowe heires with Iesus Christ. Who but must bee amased at such bowelles of mercie who but will reioice at such aboundance of loue which when I call to my consideration the burthen of my flesh doeth not so presse me the weight of my mortalitie and miseries are not soe grieuous as they were wont Gracious Lorde what thankes what praise shall I tender to thee for this adoption where shall I get good wordes to set forth this thy good will Surely if I had the tongue and knowledge of Angells yet could I neither thanke thee nor thinke of thee as is it meete For thy exceeding loue proceding from thy meere goodnesse reacheth beyond all boundes both of vtterance and vnderstandinge thy praise Oh Lord is incomprehensible and then wee doe most praise thee when wee knowe thee to bee thine owne praise and acknowledg our selues vnable to praise thee But O sweete Sauiour whome none seeketh but the admonished none findeth but the guided I beeseech thee by thine inestimable goodnesse let mee not bee vnthankfully silent for these thy benefits teach me secretly in my hearte O my God teach mee thy humble seruant O mercifull God euen by thy greate mercies I beseech thee teach my hearte with what reuerence it shoulde thinke of thee tell my soule with what delight it shoulde loue thee giue my tongue some power to poure forth praises vnto thee correct my weakenesse erect my hope direct my desires finish the work that thou hast beegunne and bringe mee to the fullnesse of thy mercie I was dead and buried in sinne I shoulde haue rotted in distruction but thou diddest raise mee thou diddest reuiue mee by thy loue I liue aâ—d therfore I offer my selfe wholly vnto thee most earnestlye entreating thy gracious acceptance that wee may loue and liue together O Lorde Iesus I bowe the necke of my soule vnder the feete of thy maiestie and in the lowest degree of reuerence doe giue thee most humble and hartie thankes for these thy benefites I yeelde thee praise O Lorde although base and bare and farre vnanswerable to thy desertes yet something my weaknesse is bounde to performe namelye to settle my minde to beeholde and loue thee and to praise thee with wordes soe well as I can O amiable O admirable Iesu let mee loue thee allwaies because thou diddest loue mee firste let mee loue thee onlye for hee loueth thee too little that loueth any thing besides thee except it bee for thy sake allwaies and onely let mee loue thee beecause by thee onelye I shall alwaies liue O that my hearte did so languish with thy loue that it might melt the moysture of my bodie into teares oh that the bowells of my soule were soe enflamed with thy loue that it might consume all drossie desires and drie vp the verie marrowe of my bones oh that I were sicke for the loue of him whoe died for the loue of mee Lorde allthough I bee not worthy soe to loue thee yet art thou worthy much more to bee loued Therefore O louing Iesu doe not soe denie mee that wherof I acknowledge my selfe vnworthy that thy selfe be depriued of that wherof thou art most worthye Graunt O Lorde graunt I beeseech thee not for my desertes but for thy mercies sake grauÌ„t to my soule that it may loue thee as thou hast deserued Grannt I say that I may bee worthy to giue that which thou art worthy to receiue soe shall I bee worthy of that whereof nowe I am vnworthy It is verie much O Lorde that I doe desire beeinge alltogether vnworthy to speake vnto thee but thy bountie hath made mee bold I will speake therefore againe vnto my Lorde although I bee but dust and ashes I will speake againe vnto him who hath not onelye licensed but prouoked but commaunded vs that we should aske O Lord our God O gracious O allmightie God is it not better that thou shouldest freelye giue mee that which I haue not deserued then that I shoulde vnthankefullye not yeelde to thee that which is thy due the one woulde bee a propertie of thy mercie the other an effect of my iniustice Giue therefore vnto mee thy grace that I may returne vnto thee thy due bestow vpon mee thy mercies that I may commit against thee noe iniustice bee liberall vnto me that I may not seeme iniurious to thee giue O Lorde giue vnto my soule aboundance of thy loue which I doe iustlye desire that I may not be vnthankfull vnto thee which thou mayest iustlye punish Deare Christ I doe feele in my heart a weake warmnesse of thy loue but my prayer is that the coales were throughly kindled with desire and blowne with delight into a full flame O sacred fire how comfortablye doest thou burne O heauenlye lighte how sweetlye doest thou shine how desirous are they more and more to burne whom thou dost enflame how are they delighted whome thou doest enlightten Alasse how late haue I loued thee O beautie most exceedinglye both auncient and fresh and yet alasse how little do I loue thee wherfore I beeseech thee O Lorde by thy precious woundes from which gushed out the streames of our redemption wound my sinnefull soule with the dart of thy loue strike Lorde strike with the two edged sworde which procedeth out of thy mouth strike deepe into my harde harte pierce my sencelesse soule parte all the inner partes of my spirit that I may crie out but not complaine how I am wounded with thy loue O sweete Christ O good Iesu euen for thine intercession sake and for thy merites sake I beeseech thee giue me thy holy and chast loue and then shall I bee fullye furnished with all heauenly verâ—ues Lorde thou diddest loue vs when wee were thine enemies and wilt thou denie vs now to loue thee againe thou hast commaunded vs with our whole harte to loue thee and wilt thou not graunt vs abilitie to obey Heare O my God heare O light of mine eies encrease my desire and grant my request stop not thime eares against mee beecause of my sinnes Indue my soule with thy loue subdue my flesh with thy feare that I may allwaies thinke of thee ioyntlye both with tremblinge and trust Settle the loue of thee in mee and the care of mee in thee let my prayer come vnto thee and thy mercie come vnto mee let the ioy of thy happinesse remaine with mee and the coÌ„passion of my miseries remaine with thee Let my hearte loue thee let my flesh feare thee let my whole substance in this worlde ioie whollye in thee that it may enioye thee wholye in the worlde to come Amen Aut vbique aut nusquam liber pag. Lin. error corrected 49 9 my thy 51 13 path pathes 73 12 at them for them 112 7 my any 121 4 shall shalt 114 16 both age both in age 151 7 the God the God of Israell  4 heir their 153 7 resolue resolute 1â—3 11 goodnesse goodnesse 161 15 sonle soule  16 it it 187 14 ether either  16 occsions occasions 184 8 wheeein wherein 189 3 lif lift 191 1 for his merites for his happinesse to praise him for his merites 193 4 sonle soule 197 15 thert veat vtter that 216 2 the whole world the world  3 prepared pierced 217 11 beutifull beautifull 223 2 resoning reasoning
thy deserts O Lord I confesse vnto thee that my harte is vncleane and that I am a man of polluted lippes wallowing in the dunge and stinkinge in the rottennesse of my owne sinne soe that I may iustlye tremble to appeare before thy glorious presence much more to present vnto thee thy pure prayses out of my defiled mouth But who except thou O Lorde can make mee cleane and what is pure which thou hast not purged Thee therefore O Father of life O Lord of light thee with all the forces of my soule thee most humbly most earnestly I do beseech heare O mercifull helpe O myghtye Lord helpe thy seruant whome of thy mercie thou hast created clense my filthynes lighten my darknes enflame my coldenes quicken my dulnes awake my drowsines reuiue my deadnes repaire the ruines of my soule enlarge the frame of the vnderstanding thereof clense it from all earthly corruption garnish it with thy heauenly graces that it may bee conueniently both fitt and furnished to receiue thee that thou maist make thine entrie possesse that which is thine owne both by creation also by redemption and that as thou art exalted aboue all creatures soe aboue all creatures I may honour thee loue thee and praise thee not with that affection wherewith my weakenesse is able either to doe or to desier but with that perfection wherewith in dutie I should and wherewith thy Saintes and angells indeede doe O giuer of life O restorer O preseruer O enlightner of life O most louinge and louely Lorde But what shall I say where shall I finde full praises to extoll thee my speach faltreth and my spirit faileth my tongue can applie no fitting wordes neither can my minde supplye sufficient matter I want wordes to expresse my minde I want alsoe a minde to apprehende thy merites I conceiue farre aboue the abilitie of my vtterance and yet farre vnder the dignitie of thy desertes Lord my soule is desirous to yeelde praises to thee for thy benefites but it is vnable to conceiue that which is worthy and vnwilling to vtter that which is vnworthy it is ashamed to sende forth woordes knowinge how weake they are for soe weightie an office without thy presence it can neuer attaine to any degree of thy praise let it therefore haue thee O Lorde that it may in some measure praise thee For what worthy praise can I giue vnto thee by whose goodnes I was created by whole mercie I was redeemed by whose power I am preserued and by whose grace I looke to bee glorified when I was not thou diddest make mee when I was lost and forlorne thou camest downe and tookest mortallitie vpon thee to redeeme mee thou a King diddest humble thy selfe to exalt mee thou wert sould to redeem mee thou wert wounded to heale mee and thou diddest dye to saue mee O sonne of God how hast thou abased thy selfe how were thy affections inflamed how large were the limits of thy mercie Lorde thou hast loued mee more then thy selfe beecause for my sake thou wouldest endure not onely a contemptible life but both a shamefull and painfull death And yet did not thy loue in this sorte leaue mee but thou hast continuallye soe followed mee with thy fauours as though thou haddest regarded mee alone and neglected all thy other creatures When I wandred thou diddest seeke mee when I was ignorant thou diddest instruct mee when I offended thou diddest correct mee when I sorrowed thou diddest comforte mee when I stumbled thou diddest stay mee when I fell thou diddest raise mee when I stoode thou diddest strengthen mee in my affaires thou diddest direct mee in my troubles thou diddest helpe mee in my dangers thou diddest deliuer mee waking thou diddest inlighten mee sleeping thou diddest watch mee sinninge thou diddest suffer mee and prayinge thou diddest heare mee Further thou hast annointed mee with thy holy spirit and giuen mee a minde to follow thee thou hast called mee by thine owne name and thou hast sealed mee with thy bloude vnto eternall life These and manye other benefites haue I receiued some in hand and some in hope although through my owne sinnefull demeanor I haue almost both let go my hold and lost my hope But what if by my owne fault I haue lost these graces shall I bee vnthankefull to him by whose fauoure once I had them Lorde I can yealde noe reason wherefore I had them but that thou wert mercifull ney can I say any thinge nowe I haue soe neere lost them but that thou art iust therefore I thanke thee beecause thou diddest giue mee them I am sorie beecause I haue noe better kept them and I pray thee that thou wouldest againe fully restore them For I assure my selfe that thy goodnes is as willinge to restore as it was to giue and that my weakensse is as able to recouer as it was to receiue Therefore O Lorde Iesus by thy precious teares by thy blessed bloude which thou diddest shedd for my redemption by the aboundance of thy mercies I most humbly beeseech thee saue thy seruant saue one of thy members though poore and feeble saue I saye a part of thy selfe Be as greate in pardoning those that are submitted vnto thee as in punishing those that are rebellious poure vpon my heart the sweete streames of thy mercies conforme my life confirme my faith settle mee in a right and vpright course and contynue mee in the same euen vnto the end The worlde O Lorde is wrapped in darkenesse whereby it is made subiect both to the pollicies and power of our most dangerous and deadly enemy who beeing the prince of darkenes is thereby become alsoe the prince of the worlde but by thy light his malice is discouered by thy wisdome his deceites are auoided and by thy strength his power is repelled Hee hath manye and verye greate thinges I confesse to laye vnto my charge but for thy names sake O Lorde rebuke him and deliuer me Drawe my desires aboue the pitch of his darkenesse raise my soule out of this myrie lake of misery which affoordeth nothing but eyther daungers or discontentmentes that this filthy lumpe of flesh onely may abide on earth but my thoughtes may continually attend vpon thee O sweete Iesus the way of health the gate of life the pallace of pietie of ioy of safetie I doe too much depresse thy benefites whilest I labour to expresse them for they haue not onely filled but ouerflowed the frame of the worlde But O thou who vnfealest the silence of the dumbe vntie my tongue that I may declare thy goodnes and giue my voice a power to praise thee for the same By thee O Lord the exile is reduced the captiue redemed the sinner is iustified the sicke are healed the dead are raised and the damned are saued By thy goodnesse wee are created by thy power wee are preserued by thy mercye wee are saued Thou diddest create vs without any neede thou doest gouerne vs without any labour thou mayest
destroie vs without any losse Thou hast giuen all thinges vnder heauen for our vse either necessarye or conuenient and yet diddest thou not thinke that enough but thou hast allsoe appointed thine angells to attend vpon vs to stande aboute vs to watch ouer vs to bee messengers for our seruice beetweene thee and vs. And not onelye mankinde hast thou exceedinglye both honoured and enriched with thy blessinges but the heauens the starres the earth the aire the seas the floudes the day the night and whatsoeuer else thou hast ordained either for the necessitie or delight of man are by thee renued and restored to the end for which they were created For all thinges were made for the seruice of man and man for the seruice of God but once they serued those who serued idoles and then they were without anie dignitie then in a verie kinde of death being diuerted from the right vse of their creation But now they are exalted now reuiued now they reioice to serue those who serue and worship thee O Lorde But why doe I confine thy benefites within the compasse of the whole worlde They haue prepared downe into hell they haue alsoe surmounted aboue the heauens Thou hast subdued the kingdome of Sathan thou hast broken the chaines of darkenesse and death thou hast loosed the captiuitie of hell By thee alsoe the angells expect a restitution of the breach which was made amongst them by reuolt of those which fell O singular grace O admirable goodnesse whereby mankinde is saued the elementes are renued hell is vanquished and heauen is repaired O beutifull O bountifull Iesu thou hast blessed al creatures all creatures againe doe blesse praise thee by thy holinesse they are blessed by thy happinesse they reioice by thy fullnesse they flourish O holy O happie O high Iesu how is my dull sight dazelled with thy exceeding brightnesse My affections laboure to attaine vnto thee but whether I pray thee doest thou flie the pursuite of my vnderstanding How exceedest thou the compasse of my conceite Tarry O Lord tarrie a while for my feeble feete which straine to followe thee hide not thy selfe from my dim eies which seeke to see thee haue pittie vppon my weake soule which wearily panteth after the sauour of thy saluation Reach forth thine heauenly hand leade mee Lorde lighten mee Lorde let mee put the finger of my faith into thy woundes let mee looke a little how thou hast loued mee Oh wonder of wisdome O miracle of mercie God made all thinges and God was made man God made all-thinges of nothinge and without man all-thinges had turned to nothinge God made all thinges of him selfe but God would not restore all thinges without man Hee was beegotten of God by whome all thinges were made hee was borne of a woman by whom all thinges were renued he was beegotten of God with out whome there was nothinge hee was borne of a woman without whome nothing was well O Christ perfect God and perfect man O sweete safetie O secure ioye howe wonderfull how worthy a matter how weightie is it which I doe beehoulde I am much delighted to see it and yet I scarce dare vtter it Let my sences bee silent for a time let the tumultuous cogitations of my minde bee quiet reason cannot shewe her selfe more reasonable then to leaue resoning in matters aboue her reach What was hee made and what hath hee made vs Shall I speake with ioie or with modestie houlde my peace But that which my hearte doth beelieue with loue shall not my mouth confesse with praise I wâ—ll speake therefore not with an high but with an humble spirite not to glorie in my selfe but to glorifie God The Sonne of God was made man to make men the sonnes of God If then hee hath made vs the sonnes of his father hee hath therby made him selfe our brother therfore our intercessor is our brother our iudge is our brother our Sauiour is our brother our God is our brother With what assurance then may wee hope what feare shall inforce vs either to dispaire or to doubt seeing our saluation dependeth vpon the will of our most louing brother With what securitie may wee flie vnto him with what bouldnesse may wee embrace him with what confidence may wee intreate him Our louinge brother will giue vnto vs the good which wee do desire and forgiue vs the euell which wee doe deserue hee will aske for vs hee will obtaine for vs whatsoeuer is expedient the sonne wil entreat the father for his children and the father will heare the sonne for his brethren Let the diuell then doe his worst to dismay mee let my foolish feare murmur as much as it will let them both vrge they re abiect obiections and saye who art thou howe greate are thy sinnes and where in Gods name are thy demerites I will answere with assurance I knowe what I am my felfe and I knowe who hee is vnto whome I trust Hee hath giuen mee his gracious worde who is both in promise true and mightie in performance hee will doe what he can for my safetie and can doe whatsoeuer hee will When I call to my consideration the inestimable both bent of his loue and treasure of his mercie then may I plainly both see and say as the seruant of the prophette did when his eies were opened they are more that stande for vs then they who are against vs. 2. Reg. 6. 15. The multitude of my sinnes shall neuer choake his loue I can want noe merites soe longe as hee doeth want noe mercies If his loue bee greate my sinnes are but small and if greate bee his mercies greate likewise shall bee my merites He hath registred mee on his backe he hath engrauen me in his handes hee hath sealed me on his side the whippes the nailes the speare haue surely signed his loue vnto mee they proclaime his mercie to bee claimed of all men they crie comfortably vnto mee that I neede not feare Hee hath displaied his blessed bodie abroade vpon the crosse his armes spreade to imbrace mee his heade bowed downe to kisse mee his hearte laide open to loue mee Into those armes of my Sauiour will I runne beetweene these armes will I rest beetweene these armes will I reioice I will sprinckle my heart with the bloud of this lambe and the destroyer shall haue noe power to hurte My sinnes greater then can bee forgiuen Thou liest Caine our sinnes can stande in noe degree of comparison with the mercies of God but soe farre as God is greater then man soe much doeth the goodnesse of the one exceede the euell of the other As the nature of God is infinite and vnmeasurable soe cannot his loue bee limitted soe is there noe measure of his mercie as the nature soe the goodnesse of God is knowne only to him selfe The sonne of God hath taken our substance vpon him hee hath exalted it aboue the heauens he hath seated it in the kingdome and glorie of