vertues are wrapped vp in labours and great expences that thou shouldest get to them by many difficulties Carefull labours or laborsome cares prepare the way to the attaining of faire and honest things Thou hast striuen to enter at the narrow gate procéede in the way giue not thou place to euill but throng on more boldly Pray and take paines and thou shalt ouercome all difficulties Labor improbus omnia vincit vntired labour doth ouercome al But nothing is so easie that seemes not hard if we goe about it with an ill will we clime to honour by vertue nature hath placed nothing so high whither vertue cannot reach They are deceiued with the error of a Vertue hath her delights false opinioÌ„ that think that a godly life is ful of trouble labour paine so that it is altogether voide of swéetnesse pleasure when as vertue is not without delight Christs yoke is swéet his burthen light Let vs heare Dauids experieÌ„ce I haue delighted as much in thy testimonies as in al maner of riches Item The iudgemeÌ„ts Psalm 9. of the lord are to be desired aboue gold precious stones sweeter thaÌ„ the hony the hony comb God himself in his couenant promiseth preseÌ„t helpe I wil giue them a new heart and a new spirit will Gods aide promised I settle in their bowels and I wil take away their stonie heart and giue them â— fleshie heart that they may walke in my precepts and keepe my iudgements and doe them that they may bee my people and I may be their God He therefore who is true and mightie will bring it to passe that thou maiest say with the Apostle Our old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroied that wee might no more serue sinne Feare not saith Esay because Esay 40. I am with thee shrinke not because I am thy God I haue strengthened thee and haue helped thee and sustained thee by my right hand Behold all they that striue against thee shal be confounded brought to shame and bee as though they were not c. I am thy Lord God who take thee by the hand saying vnto thee Feare not I haue holpen thee When Iesus our Sauiour commeth And euery valley is exalted and euery mountaine and hill is humbled and the rough waies are made plaine That which thou canst not that shall the holy Ghost aboundantly performe in thée The Lord thy God shall circumcise Deut. 30. thy heart and the heart of thy seed that thou maist loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue Say with Saint Augustine Lord giue that thou biddest and bid what thou wilt Be carefull to kéepe the loue of God and that wil Loue endureth many troubles make thée to swallow al troubles without paine For this is the loue of God that wee keepe his commandements and his commandements are not burthensome for all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world And Saint Augustine He that loueth laboureth not for all labour is contrary to them that loue not onely loue it is that blusheth at the name of difficultie Temptations of the world 4. The world also either with his glory and brauerie will allure thée to loue it or by his contempt and embacing will discourage thee when thou art entred into the way of pietie and charitie or will strike into thee a certaine I know not how to call it impudent shame to professe the truth No small impediments in the way of godlines But learne with me O Christian Spernere muÌ„â—uÌ„ spernere nulluÌ„ spernere to met Spernere te sperni disce beatus eris Despise the world despise no man Except thy selfe perdee Learne to despise to be despisde So shalt thou happie bee Consider with me I pray you how Aydes against worldly felicitie short and transitorie the felicitie of this world is How many and great miseries are mingled with worldly delights How many and great dangers and snares lye in their way that walk through the parching heate of this world Consider the horrible blindnes and Egyptian darknes of worldings Looke on the world thou shalt looke on a filthy dunghill of sin and vncleannes Looke on the world and thou shalt looke into a shoppe of fraude and deceits yea into the house of death Contemne therefore the contempt of this world which being despised despiseth thee but thou shalt be commended of him that is most to be commended euen of God from whom all true praise procéedeth But if thou bee ashamed of the truth Aydes against shaming at truth and blushest at the waies of Gods holy Commandements Remember O man remember that thou must shortly dye and be presented before Christ how great shame shalt thou then be couered with If Christ were not ashamed to hang naked on the Crosse for thee why art thou ashamed to kéepe Christs sayings So many thousands men women haue powred out their blood with their life for Christs sake and art thou ashamed for loue of him to doe any good What wilt thou say in the day of the last iudgement what will he thy shame what confusion of face If thou be ashamed to doe well thou shamest to bee a Christian what shame can be more shameful Thou knowest what Christ saith He that is ashamed of me before men of him will I be ashamed before my father all his Angels Thou knowest also that of the Apostle If I endeuoured to please men I should not bee the seruant of Christ And one saith Why doest thou respect men why doest thou delay to doe those things which are acceptable to God good men Didst thou not promise in thy Baptisme to renounce the diuel and all The vow of Baptisme his workes and onely to loue God into whose name Godhead thou wast baptized Shame therefore to doe the workes of the diuel reioyce to doe the will of God It is a shamefull madnes to blush at well doing for the which we shall bee despised both in heauen and earth and not to blush or be ashamed of euill doing which hath a curse following it and punishment both in this and in the world to come Thou art not ignorant of that saying of our Sauiour The seruant Luc. 12. knowing his Lords will and not doing it shall bee beaten with many stripes What is it I pray thée that thou praiest daily that Gods will might be done and yet to please the world thou doest it not Consider I pray thée that it cannot be By the world vnderstand the wicked that it should bee well with thée concerning God and also concerning the world that thou shouldest please God and the world If other shuld laugh thée to scorne whiles thou séekest for treasure yet thou wouldest not desist from thy purpose for their scorning why then doest thou giue ouer to séeke the treasure of diuine grace and
vp by hardnesse of heart Giue me grace therefore O Lord spéedily to returne to thée for what is the certaintie of my life Or who knoweth the day and hower when thou wilt come to iudgement Blessed is that seruant whom the Lord when he commeth shall find watching Verily he shall be crowned with immortall glory with Christ Iesus our Lord. Amen A prayer not to faint or go backward fitting the argument of the second Member Ne defice Faint not nor goe backward O Almightie God and most mercifull The second meÌ„ber father forasmuch as through thy grace I haue in some sort attained the knowledge of the way of life and haue also by thy grace entred the same giue me encrease of thy grace that I may walke in it For there are many stumbling blocks many snares many temptations in the Temptations in the way of godlines By God way so that we had néede of thy helpe to stay vs that we faint not or fall away 1. If it be thy good will to tempt me O Lord I know it is for my good not to cast me downe but to drawe me from the loue of this present world to stirre me vp to the loue of our heauenly country and that I might know from whence I haue power to resist temptations Giue me grace therefore by faith and patience to humble my selfe vnder thy mightie hand 2. If sathan tempt me I know it is to ouerthrow me yet thogh he be very stroÌ„g By Satan giue mestreÌ„gth to resist him though he be very subtil giue me wisdom to beware of him though he be cruell giue me courage to triumph ouer him through Christ our Captaine who hath spoiled him cast him out and led him captiue 3. If the flesh doe tempt me it is so much the more troublesome as it is By the flesh Memorie of sinne with sorrow more domesticall 1. For sometimes the memorie of my former sinnes hath recourse with sorrow which maketh me to doubt of my true reconciliation with thée which though it be troublesome yet it is not vnprofitable That I might thereby consider the heynousnesse of sinne whereby I haue prouoked thée that thereby I might conceiue a feare and sorrowe for the same that I might blush and be ashamed before thée our father be stirred vp to loue thée so much the more who hast pardoned our sinnes by thy mercie in Iesus Christ 2. Sometimes the memorie of my Memorie of sinne with delight former sinne hath recourse with delight whereby it appeareth that there remaineth some remnant of the olde wounds which memorie is dangerous because it bringeth with it a certaine heauinesse whereby I am excluded from the sweetnesse of my conuersion to thée by delighting in the former lusts of the flesh before my conuersion Giue me therefore O Lord thy speciall grace that I may remember my former sins with sorrowe and not with delight with detestation and not with desire with condemnation and not with iustification Purge my memorie from vncleane phantasies drawe out that filthy sincke Make the purpose of my minde constant in good Grant me to detest inconstancie ydlenesse and sloth As soone as I am prouoked with wicked cogitations grant me earnestly to withstaÌ„d them that with a cleane heart I may receiue thy holy spirit 3. Some times euen in the entry of the way of life my minde is troubled to The cares of a Christian life thinke how many cares and troubles Christian life is tossed with which it séemed to be voide of while I gaue the raines to my lusts whereby the way of godlinesse séemeth hard and difficult Giue me grace therefore O Lord according to thy coÌ„mandemeÌ„t to denie my self and to take vp my Crosse followe thée Deniall of our selues Thou O Christ our guide and standard-bearer hast gon this way This way haue all the Saints troden The way of life is not so hard and difficult where Christ is our guide where hée is our spéede Thou hast promised that thou wilt giue vs a newe heart and a new spirit that we may walke in thy precepts giue vs that thou commandest and command vs what thou wilt 4 If the world either by allurements would drawe me to his loue or by contempt By the world would driue me from my profession with a certaine shame thereof Giue me grace to despise the world and not much â—â— care to be despised for how transitorie is the felicitie of this world how many troubles is it mixed with Giue me grace to remember that shortly we shal all be presented before the tribunall of Christ of whom whosoeuer shall be ashamed before men of him will Christ be ashamed before his holy Angels Grant me grace therefore neuer to be ashamed of any good but to be ashamed of sinne which bringeth shame and confusion from which vouchsafe to deliuer vs through Iesus Christ Amen 5. Moreouer for as much as all relapse into sinne is dangerous least our last be worse than the first Both in respect of Danger of Relapse God into whose fauour to returne it is harder after we haue despised his grace than God into whose fauour to returne it is harder after we haue despised his grace than before we haue receiued it Secondly in respect of the diuell who returneth with seauen worse spirits Thirdly in respect of our selues who by custome engender wicked habites hardly to be cured Grant me therefore grace O Lord that I returne not as a dogge to my vomit least I may seeme to despise thy Maiestie whose mercie I haue so often begged that I might obtaine pardon Least I giue opportunitie to the vncleane spirit to enter againe with seuen worse spirits Least by custome of sinne I growe to an hardnesse of heart to commit sinne with gréedinesse without repentance From those so dangerous euils of relapse stay me O Lord by thy mightie hand through thy mercy in thy sonne Iesus Christ Amen A prayer to profit and goe forward fitting to the Argument of the third Member Profice seu pergredere The third Member Profit or goe forward O Almightie God and most mercifull Ourbackwardnesse in profiting father I acknowledge that it is not in a mans power to direct his owne waies or to reforme his owne life But either we sticke in the beginning of the race or we goe not forward so well or so fast as either we ought or desire Graunt me therefore O Lord according to the riches of thy grace that I may be strengthned by thy spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith that I being rooted and grounded in loue may goe forward in the way of saluation First in denying of my selfe and Next in practising righteousnesse And because all sinne be it neuer so small doth make vs guiltie of punishment Care of lesser sins and defileth the soule doth diminish the seruor of Charitie and weaken the force of
first learne to knowe that we knowe how to liue godly Let vs learne to knowe God and To know Our selues For he that knoweth himselfe knoweth God He that knoweth God shall be made like to God c. Let vs so liue here that hereafter wee To liue may liue with Christ for euer For this life is not to be desired for it selfe but for another life vnto which we must come by the gate of death Therefore that we may euer liue with Christ Let vs learne both to Liue and well Dye We learne to liue well by meditating on death Wee learne to dye well by liuing godly We leare to liue godly by dying happily To this way there is a marke set vz. Eternal life And the way to this marke The mark and the way Ioh. 14. How to know the way is Iesus Christ our Sauiour who saith I am the way the truth and the life we attaine to the knowledge of this way 1. By a right vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures 2. By Illumination of the holy Ghost 3. Wherof ariseth an experience feeling God himselfe working in vs. Begin therefore O man Know and Liue. Begin faint not but goe forward 1. Beginne to enter the way of life The first member which leadeth to the marke of saluation The entry is made by a conuersion The Conuersion is made by An auersion from sinne the worst Conuersion twofold Auersion from sin Euill and by A Reuersion to God the best good 1 In turning from sinne consider O sinner thy miserable estate while thou art yet in thy sinne Thou art an enemie to God and he The miserable state of a sinner to thée A friend to Sathan nay a slaue both to Sathan sinne Beggerly filthy and guiltie of eternal death Beg therefore the grace of God which may preuent thée accompanie thée and follow thée Now Gods grace in the Conuersion of a sinner vseth two meanes The knowledge of sinne and knowledge of sinne A consternation of the mind 1. We come by the knowledge of sin by the lawe which is the rule of righteousnes By knowing how sinne is bread vz. 1. Foure waies inwardly in the heart How sin is bread By suggestion delight consent defence 2. Foure waies also is it performed in worke First priuily next openly without shame Then it groweth to a custome At length it comes either to securitie or desperation Consider also the heinousnes of sinne vz. It is an iniurie to God A grieuous waight casting vs headlong A tyranny of satan A gilt not pardonable if Christ had not died The sonne of God must néedes dye to purge it 2. After the knowledge of sin followeth Cōsternation of mind a consteruation or casting down sorrowing for sinnes committed And fearing Gods wrath Hereof ariseth A feare and A sorrowe A feare thréefold Least we be forsaken of grace depriued of the sight of God Feare and tormented in Hell A sorrow twofold The first for feare of punishment which is called a worldly Sorrow sorrowe The second for sinne and offending of God which is called a godly sorrowe Either of them is wrought by the spirit of GOD but by diuers Instruments vz. The first by the Lawe The second by the Gospell 2. In returning to God we must consider Reuersiō to God the nature of God That he is the chiefe good c. We returne by faith resting in the By faith mercie of God the father in the merits of Iesus Christ his sonne This faith ariseth in our hearts First How it riseth the Illumination of the spirit with an inward sense of our own wretchednesse Secondly succéedeth a hope of pardon that although wée feele not our sinnes yet pardoned we hope they are pardonable Thirdly we shall perceiue an hunger and thirst of the grace that is offred vs in Christ Fourthly thou shalt come to the Throne of grace that there thou maiest finde fauour Now in this accesse thou shalt performe Two things in returning two things Thou shalt confesse thy sinnes generally and specially Thou shalt aske perdon of thy sins with groanes which cannot be expressed Fiftly thou shalt by an assured perswasion imprinted in thée by the holy Ghost apply the premises of the Gospell specially to thy selfe Here looke to the practise of Dauids Dauids practise Delaies dangerous repentance And beware of delaies and long lingring meditate the shortnes of thy life And the manifold dangers of delaies vz. The treasuring vp of wrath The alienation from God An euill conscience The offence of the Angels The engladding of Sathan The tragicall ends of impatient sinners Faint not neither goe backward The secōd member When thou hast in some sort learned entred the way of life walke in it with thankesgiuing take héede thou faint not neither goe backward 1. Resist therefore temptations for Temptations God tēpteth and why God to whom thou art returned will try his new souldier Both to stirre thée vp to long for the rest of thy heauenly country And to draw thée from the loue of the world And that thou maiest knowe from dines whence thou hast power to resist Here thou must haue these helps in a rea Ardent Prayer Constant Hope A strong Patience 2. Sathan thy aduersarie from whom Sathan tempteth thou art fallen will sift thée Though he be most subtile as a Serpent yet listen not to him Neither yet trust thine owne iudgement Though he be very strong as a Lion yet resist him being armed with a true faith in Christ wherby thou shalt quench his fierie darts 3. Often times we tempt our selues Domesticall enemies for we haue our domesticall enemies for euery one is tempted when he is drawne away and enticed with his owne concupiscence Against this inward enemie we must make warre continually by mortificatiō 4. Without vs in the world many Externall enemies temptations are offered which may disturbe our wittes But thou O man shalt ouercome them By shunning or remouing the occasions of euill 5. To conclude thou shalt méete with manifold temptations vz. Manifold temtations 1. The memory of former sinnes which griefe is byting but it is not vnprofitable 2. Sometime the remēbrance of former sins with a delight which is very hurtful 3. The troubles and vexation of a Christian life 4. The contempt of the world striking a certaine shame of our profession into vs or alluring vs by his loue to these temptations are set downe their remedies And the danger of Relapse is shewed least the last be worse than the first Relapse dāgerous Dangers of relapse Relaps is dangerous in three respects 1. On the diuels part who séeketh to returne to his house from whence he went out 2. On Gods part whose spirit is grieued and he as it were deluded 3. On mans part himselfe who getteh a custome of sinne hardly to bee recouered Goe forward or profit To goe forward in the
Eph. 5. vnderstand that no fornicator or vncleane person or Adulterer hath any inheritance in the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6. Christ And againe Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ the Temples of the holy Ghost Vessels of honour shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Item If any man defile the Temple of God him will GOD destroy Item This is the will of GOD euen your Sanctification 1. Thes 4 that yee shoulde abstaine from fornication and that euery one of you should knowe how to keepe his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lustes of concupiscence as doe the Heathen which knowe not God And our Sauiour Christ saith Hee that looketh on a Mat. 5. woman to lust after her hath committed Adulterie with her alreadie in his heart And Ierom. It is a great gift of faith and a great grace of vertue to keepe the Temple of God pure and to offer our selues a whole burnt offering to the Lord and to be holy both in body and spirit 2 Thus must thou prouide for graces of the mind Take a care also for goods Cares for goods of the bodie of the body by a lawfull endeuour to preserue the health of the body If therefore thou loue thy selfe haue a care of thy bodily health maintaine as Health much as in thée is thy life and welfare that it may be whole and sound It is maruellous how much the former temperance through abstinence and continence doe helpe to preserue health If thy health bee endamaged apply medicine to recouer health and to auoide Medicine Sirach 38. sicknesse My sonne saith Ecelesiast consider diligently what is good for thy body and what hurteth thy health and abstaine from it Honour the Phisitian with due reward and vse him for necessitie sake Againe Health and a good habite of body is better than gold and Cap. 30. an able body than great riches Reade more Chap. 38. 3. Thou must prouide for externall Care for goods of fortune goods which they cal the goods of fortune if thou loue thy self such as are Honour and Riches Let a godly contentment and sufficiencie moderate and gouerne both these sorts that thou rest content with thy portion and estate both of honour and wealth which God hath allotted thée with a thankefull minde to GOD not desiring or carefully séeking more For godlinesse is great gaine with a 1 Tim. 6. Syrach 31. minde content with his lot And a moderate man is content with fewe things Bee content therefore with present 42. things Learne with the Apostle to bee content with thy estate I haue learned saith hee In whatsoeuer estate I am Philip. 4. therewith to be content I knowe how to be humble and how to excell euery where and in al things I am instructed both to be full and to hunger both to abound and to suffer penurie Hauing 1. Tim. 6. foode and cloathing let vs bee therewith content c. 1. Concerning honour Let modestie be the moderator of thine Honour honour whereby thou maiest desire pursue and maintaine thine honour so farreforth as is conuenient lawfull and seemely Let your modestie bee knowne to all men Through modestie Philip. 4. 2. let euery man esteeme an other better then himselfe The greater thou art the more humbly behaue thy selfe saith the sonne of Syrach Endeuour in the meane while by godlinesse vertue and honest arts to get thy selfe a good report among men for honour is an honest estimation conceiued of vs by other men for vertues sake If it may be procure an Rom. 12. honest report in the sight of all men Item Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer Philip. 4. honest iust pure louely or of good report if there be any vertue any praise thinke on these things for a good name is better thâ— riches saith the wise man 2. Concerning riches and wealth Let godly industrie bee thy guide in Riches Getting getting thy riches or wealth I say godly that thou shouldest pray For Omnia cuÌ„precibus ferivda cura potest Prayer Labour Isay industry that thou shuldest labor Labor omnia vincit improbus As praier with care doth much auaile So earnest labour doth preuaile Performe therefore the duties of thy calling diligently expecting an heauenly blessing by calling vpon God and labour earnestly to get thy liuing that thou maiest eate the labour of thine owne hands In the vse of thy riches gouerne them Vsing by a godly possession that being iustly gotten thou maiest hold them lawfully and maiest be master of them as long as it shall please God Be thou alone owner Prou. 5. of thine owne fountaine and not strangers with thee Vse them and enioy them frugally Vsing and thristily by making thy expences according to thy abilitie tollerable honest and necessarie answerable to thy degrée The iust man saith Salomon vseth Prou. 10. his riches for the benefite of his life And the sonne of Syrach saith Take Sirach 14 benefit thy self of thy wealth or goods And Dauid God shall fill thy mouth Psal 103. with good things Thus must thou exercise righteousnesse by louing thy selfe in a godly sort giuing to thy selfe thy due to thy soule that which is due to it to thy body that which is due to it to thy externall goods that which is due to them But thou art not borne to thy selfe thou oughtest to loue thy neighbour as thy selfe thou must be conuersant with him To him thou owest loue to vse him familiarly nourishing societie in a ciuill life Here obserue two things Who is our neighbour Luk. 10. First that euery man is thy nighbour whether thy friend or thine enemie whether rich or poore whether domesticall or a stranger whether knowne or vnknowne especially if he stand in néede of vs. But among Christians hée chiefely Gal. 6. is our neighbour who professeth the same religion with vs and therfore chiefly to be beloued Secondly let this be â—â— common rule whatsoeuer ye would thâ—â— men should doe to you doe ye the same to them againe 2. Let iustice therefore both giue and Iustice towards thy neighbour To euery man liuing retribute vnto thy neighbour that which is due to him whether A liue Ordead To euery man liuing generally and to some speciall persons especially To euery man liuing beare inwardly â— Christian affection and shew outwardly the effects thereof 1. Thou oughtest to beare a Christian Beneuolence in-affection affection towards thy neighbour that is to say a good wil embracing euery man as he is a man and Gods Image with a welwilling affection of minde being willing and readie to helpe or further thy neighbour in his businesse no lesse than thy selfe in thine owne Endeuour as much â—â— thou caust to preserue Christian Concord and peace towards all men Concord
Heathen man Heare them ponder them blush and followe them Except thou walke and continue in this way Thou shalt be odious to God The conclusion who hateth the workers of iniquitie Thou shalt be offensiue to good men and euen to the vnbelieuers because for thy sake the name of God is euill spoken of among the Gentiles Thou shalt be cursed euery where and procure grieuous punishments vpon thy selfe Thou shalt be holden captiue as a slaue in Sathans snares To conclude thou shalt haue no part in Gods kingdome but shalt heare that fearefull sentence of the most high Iudge Goe thou cursed one into euerlasting fire O homo Mors tua Mors Christi Fraus Mundi Gloria Coeli Et dolor Inferni sunt meditanda tibi Remember man thy dying day Generall restraints of sinne And Christ who for thee dide Remember Sathans subtilties And how this world doth slide Remember ioyes celestiall And paines that are in hell Let not thy flesh seduce thy soule Remember these things well FINIS Certaine short Praiers framed to the Argument of the parts and members of this booke for the vse of such as desire to profit by calling for the assistance of Gods grace in whatsoeuer they shall be instructed by this booke to be needefull for them 1. A Prayer to prepare vs to enter the way of Christian Pietie and Charitie fitting to the argument of the Prologue O Almightie God and most mercifull father who hast engrafted in al men a desire to knowe and liue And To know from whom all true knowledge and life procéedeth Grant me true knowledge whereby I may knowe thee and my selfe aright Least by knowing much and yet not knowing thée and my selfe aright It may bee saide of mee as of many other that I haue much knowledge and little conscience And am puft vp with knowledge but void of Charitie And seeing this life is not to be desired To liue for it selfe but for an other wherevnto we must enter by the gate of death Giue me grace that I may so liue here that I may alwaies liue with Christ that I may learne both to die and liue aright That I may studie not to liue long but to liue well That I be not sodenly taken out of this life before I haue begun to liue well Moreouer O Lord for as much as thou hast set a marke to such as will liue A marke godly to wit Euerlasting life and hast shewed the way to this marke Euen by The way Iesus Christ who is the way the truth and the life Grant me O Lord the knowledge of The knowledge of the way this way by the right vnderstanding of thy holy word and by the instruction and illumination of thy holy spirit That at the length I may féele thy grace working in my heart That by beginning in thée and not falling from thée but profiting and going forward in godlinesse I may walke in faith and charitie till I come to the marke by Iesus Christ c. Amen A prayer for the entrance of the way The first member of Christian Pietie and Charitie fitting to the argument of the first Member Incipe Begin O Almightie God and most mercifull The end and the way father who hast proposed a happy ende to a Christian life and hast shewed vs a good and right way whereby we might attaine the same yea and hast set vs in that way by the Sacrament of Baptisme and hast instructed vs by thy holy word and confirmed vs in the same by the blessed Sacrament of thy Body and Blood Giue me grace that I may earnestly bend my whole studie and desire to attaine that end or marke And that my heart may long after thée my God from whom I haue long time bin wandring Grant me now at length seriously to meditate my conuersion by turning from sinne the worst of all euils and by returning to thée my God the best of all goods And that I may truly turne from sin Turning from sin giue me grace to consider the miserable state of man liuing in sinne vz. How grieuous a thing it is to haue thée his The miserable state of a sinner enemie and thereby to be depriued of grace in this life and of glorie in the life to come How grieuous a thing it is to grieue the holy spirit and the holy Angels our kéepers How grieuous a thing it is to become a slaue to sinne and Sathan and so an heire of damnation I craue thy helpe therefore O God to leade me to repentance That I may Repentance search my selfe and examine all my actions both internall and externall according to the rule of thy Iustice euē thy law whereby I may discerne how I haue in Degrees of sinne inward heart grown from suggestion to delight from delight to consent from consent to a defence or iustifying of my sinne How Outward I haue growne in action from secret sinning without feare before thée to open sinning without shame of men from thence to a custome without compunction deceiuing my selfe with a vaine hope of mercie with danger of dispaire in the Feare of God end strike therefore O Lord a feare of thée into my heart and astonish my minde that I may feare to be forsaken of thy grace to bee depriued of thy sight to bee tormented in hell pricke my heart not so much with a sorrowe Godly sorrow of thy punishments as with a sorrow of offending thée my good and mercifull father that the spirit of adoption Rom. 8. may succéede the spirit of bondage And the swéete comforts of thy Gospel may sucéede the terrors of thy Lawe Through Iesus Christ our Sauiour c. Amen Now in our conuersion as there is Returning to God Terminus a quo so there is Terminus ad Quem As we must turne from sinne so we must returne to thée who art the chiefest good most simple most perfect Grant mee therefore thy holy spirit which onely can worke this conuersion Effects of our conuersion in my soule By illuminating my vnderstanding that it may iudge aright By directing my will that it may choose aright and by inspiring my heart that it may desire that which is good That in the ende I may bring forth the fruits of holinesse and obedience towards thée my God to whom I am infinitely bound c. And the duties of charitie towards my neighbours As in the practise of the holy Prophet Dauids repentance we are taught And because delaying of returning is dangerous as by thy holy word and Dangers of delay sundry examples we are taught Giue me grace not to defer my conuersion vnto thée but euen this day at the least to begin Least by continuing in sinne I treasure vp for my selfe wrath against the day of wrath Least I be restrained from thée Least I be depriued of ioy and comfort of the spirit Least my conscience be seared