and magnifie thy glorious Name because thou hast given me an assured hope that I shall with them hereafter evermore praise thee and say Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Glory be to thee O Lord most high The sick mans second lesson John 5. 24. VErily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life His second Canticle Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for calling me to the knowledge of himself and to faith in his Son and to Communion with his holy Spirit Lord I believe help thou my unbelief And grant me so perfectly and without all doubt to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ that my faith may never be reproved and my person and my prayers may alwaies be accepted in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness incline thine ear unto me and save me Be thou my strong hold whereunto I may alway resort Thou hast promised to help me for thou art my house of defence and my Castle As for me I will patiently abide alway and will praise thee more and more My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation for I know no end thereof O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me and yet didst thou turn and refresh me yea and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness O God playing upon an instrument of Musick Unto thee will I sing upon the Harp O thou holy one of Israel My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered and ever wilt deliver according to thine infinite Mercies in Jesus Christ. The sick mans Creed or the Confession of his Faith by way of prayer I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of heaven and earth Grant me Lord so to believe in thee my Father that as a Father pittieth his own child so I may find and feel that thou art pittiful and merciful towards me Grant me so to believe in thee as my Lord and my God that I may find the eternal comfort of being thy servant and that as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters even so my eyes may wait upon the Lord my God until he have Mercy upon me Grant me so to believe in thee as my Father God and Maker that I may alwaies rely on thy Fatherly Goodness that I may alwaies submit my self body and foul to thy Almighty power and that I may commit my soul unto thee not only in well-doing but also in well-suffering as to my saithful Creator Grant me so to believe in Jesus Christ thy only Son my Redeemer that from this Jesus I may have salvation from this Christ I may have the holy Unction from this thy Son I may have spiritual adoption Grant me so to believe in God the Holy-Ghost that from this God I may be inspired with true godliness from this holy-Holy-Spirit I may be sanctified and made a member of the Catholike Church and both live and die in the Communion of Saints And that from this spiritual Comforter I may be filled with spiritual comforts and consolations for evermore even with the immortal comfort of the Forgiveness of my sins of the Resurrection of my body and of the translation of my soul to the life everlasting Amen Or this O blessed Lord God who fillest heaven and earth with the Majesty of thy Glory and with the Riches of thy Mercy Let not my sinful soul be empty but let me evermore be filled with dreadful apprehensions of that great and glorious Majesty wherewith thou wilt hereafter come to Judge me And with comfortable apprehensions of that great and gracious Mercy whereby thou hast already come to save me that I may never want grace to prevent and keep me from sinning nor Mercy to pardon and forgive me all my sins nor the testimony of thy holy-Spirit to assure me of that pardon and forgiveness That though thou kill me yet I may put my trust in thee and even at the hour of death may be able to say with a strong heart though with a weak voice I believe in God the Father my Creator in God the Son my Redeemer in God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter That this my Father will provide for me health and ease and all other comforts of this world as far as they shall conduâ—…e to his glory and to my salvation And hath provided for me a Portion and Inheritance in the world to come That this Redeemer hath redeemed my soul from the bondage of Sin and Satan and will also at the last day redeem my body from the bondage of death and corruption That this Comforter will not leave me comfortless when I most want and most ask his comforts but that he will be with me according to his Promise and will keep me in all places whither I go of sickness of life of death and will bring me at last to the Land of Eternal rest for he will not leave me till he hath done that which he hath spoken to me of Gen. 28. 15. till he hath translated me from his holy Church-Militant to his holy Church-Triumphant And to that Communion of Saints whereof he is the only head who is the King of Saints And to that blessed company of sanctified spirits which have mercifully received the forgiveness of their sins do earnestly expect the resurrection of their bodies and do incessantly enjoy the life everlasting Amen The sick mans Collect for the Day O Sweet Jesus who comest from the bosom of thy heavenly Father to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised shew also these thy Mercies at once and together in shewing Mercy on me who am now broken and bruised and under great blindness and captivity The eye of my soul is so dim by reason of my sins and of my sufferings that I cannot clearly see thy Merits The hand of my soul is so weak that I cannot eagerly reach after them nor strongly take hold of them Thus am I a captive under miserable blindness and weakness But shew thou me the light of thy countenance and that will recover my sight and release my captivity For in thy light I shall see the true light everlasting and in thy countenance I shall enjoy it O thou Son of righteousness which knowest not any going down and givesâ—…â—…fe food and gladness unto all things vouchsase to shine into my mind that I may not either through the weakness of the flesh or the assaults of the Devil any where stumble to fall into impatience
enjoy thee And now O Lord God the Word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant establish it for ever and do as thou hast said for thou O Lord God hast spoken it and with thy blessing let the soul of thy servant be blessed for ever 2 Sam. 7. 18. 75. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us O Lord let me not fear being deprived oâ—… my earthly inheritance by death whiles 〈◊〉 find in my self the work of this Regeneration and cherish in my self the hope of this resurrection But let me ever be kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time that I may therein greatly rejoyce though now for a season I am in heaviness through manifold temptations 2 Pet. 1. 3. That the tryal of my faith being much more precious then of Gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire may be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 76. O thou who hast given me the soul of thy Christ and of my Jesus to sanctifie me the body of Christ to nourish and strengthen me the blood of Christ to redeem me the stripes of Christ to heal me the agonies of Christ to comfort and to refresh me give me also the wounds of Christ to hide me that thou mayest not Judge me or the Merits of Christ to cover me that I may be acquitted in the Judgement O Lord who didst not despise man transgressing and falling from thee do not despise me repenting and returning to thee but as thou hast opened unto me a door of faith and repentance unto life so shut not that door against me now I am desirous to enter in by it and to come to thee O Lord I believe help my unbelief O Lord â—…repent increase my repentance and give unto me that repentance whereby thou wiâ—…t accept me and that faith whereby I may receive and embrace thee for ever 77. The Lord make me faithfully to remember and thankfully to consider and constantly to believe that he who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for me will also with him freely give me all things or rather hath already with him freely given me all things that I was capable to receive and now is enlarging my capacity that he may enlarge his own bounteous liberality He is making me capable of receiving more that he may freely give more He hath made me capable of receiving himself his Son his holy Spirit by Faith Hope and Love He will now make me capable of receiving and enjoying himself his Son his holy Spirit by vision comprehension and fruition A vision that shall see him as he is in his excellent glory A comprehensioâ—… that shall fully receive and firmly retaiâ—… him And a fruition that shall perfectlâ—… enjoy him and perfectly rejoyce in him One God Father Son and Holy-Ghost world without end Amen 78. Abide thou with me O Lord Jesuâ—… Christ for it is towards evening with me and the day is far spent of this my toilsom and troublesom life And though my eye be holden that I do not see thee whiles I have sad communications with mine own heart yet be thou pleased still to tarry with me and to sit at meat with me and to bless to me the holy repast of eternity and mine eyes shall soon be opened to see thee and my heart shall be opened to receive thee And do not vanish out of my sight till thou hast brought me to see thee in thy heavenly Kingdom Amen 79. God be merciful unto me and bless me and shew me the light of his countenance in my passing through Death and be merciful unto me in bringing me to everlasting life The Lord bless me and keep me the Lord make his face to shine upon me and be gracious unto me The Lord lift up â—…is countenance upon me and give me â—…eace God the Father preserve me in my â—…assage by his Almighty power God the â—…on guide and direct me by his All-seeing wisdom God the Holy-Ghost assist and comfort me by his All-sufficient Grace and Goodness and bring me to everlasting life Amen 80. Now the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing that I may abound in Hope through the power of the Holy-Ghost Rom. 15. 13. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen 2 Tim. 4. 18. The sick mans Devotions To the Reader DEvotion is seldom Cordiaâ—… when it is constrained and iâ—… is commonly constrained when either Fear or Paâ—… makes a man devout For then he may seem to have taken up Sauls resolution 1 Sam. 13. 12. Therefore said I the Philistines will now come down upon me and I have not made supplication unto the Lord I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering So is it too too frequently with those men who neglect the motives and means of prayer whiles they are in health and leave all their suplications to be made in their sickness or any other great extremity for whiles â—…y vainly fear lest custom should make â—…ir prayers uncordial or undevout they â—…erably find that compulsion doth indeed â—…ve them to be so since therefore either â—…tom of praying will steal away thy heart thou fondly thinkest or contempt of praywill harden thy heart at I flatly averr now in good time what thou hast to do a phantastical fear is no excuse for runâ—…g into a real mischief Whiles thou â—…ishly fearest lest thy heart should be stolen 〈◊〉 impiously causest thy heart to be hardenâ—… Consider therefore what the Prophet â—…uel hath taught thee to say and do in thy â—…resses to thy Maker since God hath set 〈◊〉 appointed him to direct and guide thee â—…y Devotions And do not as Saul did 〈◊〉 without a Priest or with a Priest of â—…e own choosing perhaps of thine own â—…ing offer thy burnt-offering lest Samuel 〈◊〉 at the end of thy sacrifice and say unto 〈◊〉 as he said unto him v. 13. thou hast 〈◊〉 foolishly thou hast not kept the comâ—…dment of the Lord thy God which he â—…manded thee this reproof as it doth â—…rly concern thee so it will undoubtedly siâ—…e thee for when God hath given thee a sure Guide for thy Devotions even such a Church as neither the wit of man can prove nor the malice of Devils can make guilty either of Faction or of Superstition If thou wilt not go along with this Guide but wilt needs gad after thine own imaginations thou dost indeed follow Saul in his sin and art like to follow him in his punishment thou appeasest not wrath but provokest it thou forsakest God and
take heed he forsake not thee Wonder not then if you find many of Samuels words that is much of the Churches dictates in these Devotions but know it is because God hath taught Samuel to pray that he might teach you And having taught you to pray by Samuels Devotions may perchance not hear your prayers eveâ—… as he accepted not Sauls offering out oâ—… Samuels Communion However you may certainly by this gleaning of some few grapes see what store of good wine was and is in thâ—… whole Vintage And I hope you will noâ—… have good wine only to see and to look upon but also to tast and to make good use of it Or confess it is your own wilfulness thaâ—… you I will not say your prayers are either Faint or Dry for not tasting it The sick mans confession of his sins I Confess unto thee O Lord God Almighty and most merciful Father that I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son nor to have any portion in thine inheritance because I have been hitherto so unthankful for thy Mercy so unreverent towards thy Majesty and so undutiful to thine Authority wherefore innumerable troubles are most justly come upon me and my sins have taken such hold of me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number then the hairs of my head and my heart hath failed me But O Lord let it be thy pleasure to deliver me make hast O Lord to help me and comfort the soul of thy distressed servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul gasping for that Mercy and Forgiveness which thou hast promised to Repentant-sinners for the Merits of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judge of all men I acknowledge and bewail my manifold sins and wickedness which I from time to time most grievously have committed by thought word and deed against thy Divine Majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against me I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for these my mis-doings the remembrance of them is grievous unto me the burthen of them is intollerable Have Mercy upon me have Mercy upon me most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christs sake forgive me all that is past and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in the newness of my life or in the contentedness and patience of my death to the honour and glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Absolution or Remission of sins to be pronounced by himself alone when he cannot have the benefit of a Minister to absolve him HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins and absolve me from the guiltiness of all my transgressions according to the Promise of Mercy by thy Word the Purchase of Mercy by thy Son and the Pledges of Mercy by thy holy Spirit made and given to Repentant-sinners in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen Or this Almighty God our heavenly Father who of his great Mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them which with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him have Mercy upon me pardon and deliver me from all my sins confirm and strengthen me in all goodness and bring me to everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Then likewise he shall say O Lord open my heart that thou mayest open my lips O Lord open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hast to help me That I may with a thankful heart and with a chearful voice sing and say unto thee Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy-Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Praise ye the Lord I praise the Lord. The sick mans Psalm Psal. 6. 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure 2. Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed 3. My soul is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me 4. Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy Mercies sake 5. For in death no man remembereth thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit 6. I am weary of my groaning every night wash I my bed and water my couch with my tears 7. My beauty is gone for very trouble and worn away because of all mine enemies 8. Away from me all ye that work vanity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping 9. The Lord hath heard my Petition the Lord will receive my Prayer 10. All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The sick mans first lesson Job 19. 25 c. I Know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me His first Canticle I praise thee O God I acknowledge thee to be the Lord. O praise our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard Which holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to slip I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings and will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips and spake with my mouth when I was in trouble O come hither and hearken all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. I called unto him with my mouth and gave him praises with my tongue If I encline unto wickedness with my heart the Lord will not hear me But God hath heard me and considered the voice of my prayer Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his Mercy from me Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities Which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and loving-kindness Praise the Lord O my soul whiles I live will I praise the Lord yea as long as I have any being I will sing praises unto my God Lord make me so to praise thee here whiles it is my duty that I may exactly know how to praise thee hereafter when it shall be my reward For therefore with Angels and Arch-angels and with all the company of heaven do I now laud
offered and the time of my departure is at hand 2 Tim. 4. 6. Now therefore I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight shew me now thy way that I may know thee that I may find grace in thy sight and consider that I am one of thy people And he said my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest And he said unto him if thy presence go not with me carry me not up hence for wherein shall it be known here that I have found grace in thy sight is it not in that thou goest with me And the Lord said I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken for thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name And he said I beseech thee shew me thy glory so saith my soul O Lord and because no man shall see thee and live I desire to die that I may see thee Exod. 33. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Unto him that is able to keep me from falling into the pit of everlasting destruction and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy do I recommend my soul even to the only wise God our Saviour to whom be glory and Majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen Epist. of Saint Jude v. 24 25. The Lord shall preserve me from all evil yea it is even he that shall keep my soul. The Lord shall preserve my going out and my coming in from this time forth for evermore Amen Psal. 121. 7 8. The sick mans Departure or Dismission ARise ye and depart for this is not your Rest because it is polluted it shall destroy you even with a sore destruction Micah 2. 10. Return unto thy Rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living Psal. 116. 7 8 9. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the people of God Heb. 4. 9. Lord I willingly go out of this world that I may enter into that everlasting rest Amen I have set God before me he is at my right hand I shall not fall Therefore my heart is gland and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Amen Psal. 16. 8 9 10 11. To me to live is Christ and to die is gain I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ. Lord now lettest thou servant depart in peace that he may rest in hope rise in joy and reign in glory Amen A sick mans Resignation Psal. 31. 5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit thou hast Redeemed me O Lord God of Truth THere is nothing more the duty of a good Christian then whiles he lives to possess his soul in patience and when he shall die to resign his soul in comfort And indeed he must possess his soul in patience that he may resign it in comfort He must possess his soul in patience as not being fully contented much less fully delighted with his present â—…ndition in this world wherein he canâ—…t but see very much to trouble him but â—…thing at all to satisfie him Help Lord â—…h the Psalmist Psal. 12. 1. in great â—…ation of his heart and we may gather threefold reason why he is so vexed 〈◊〉 the godly man ceaseth the faithful fail â—…d they speak vanity Defectus sanctitatis 〈◊〉 affectu veritatis in intellectu sanctitatis 〈◊〉 â—…ffectu saith Alensis The defect of holiâ—…ss in the will of truth in the understandâ—…g of innocency in the action This is â—…e threefold defect that makes the good â—…ristian possess his soul not in delight as â—…on choice but only in patience as upon â—…cessity because he wants holiness in his â—…ill and cannot love God because he â—…nts truth in his understanding and â—…not know God because he wants inâ—…grity in his action and cannot honour â—…od as he is bound and desires to do This the reason that he possesseth his soul not delight but in patience and the trouble â—…at he finds in his possession makes him 〈◊〉 think himself of a Resignation The â—…ssessing his soul in patience whiles he â—…es makes him Resign his soul in comâ—…t when he is to die And here we have the form of that comfortable Resignatioâ—… Into thy hands I commit my spirit thou haâ—… redeemed me O Lord God of truth I hopâ—… no man will say that this set form of thâ—… Resignation of his soul doth stint Goâ—… Spirit which teacheth him how to Resigâ—… his own For sure we are that he useâ—… this same form of whom it is said Gâ—… giveth not the spirit by measure unto hiâ—… John 3. 34. And if a set form did not coâ—…fine the spirit in him who received it not bâ—… measure much less can it confine the spirâ—… in us who have it measured from him Well may set forms teach us rightly tâ—… commend our own spirits to God but theâ—… cannot possibly make us confine his Spirit Had there been any such inconveniency 〈◊〉 using of set forms the Spirit of Goâ—… would not have provided us so many seâ—… forms of Prayers and Praises in the Psalm and other parts of the Text so that no objection can be made against set forms oâ—… Prayer as such which may not be retorteâ—… to some undervaluing if not undermininâ—… of the Scripture it self the very light oâ—… our eyes the breath of our nostrils and thâ—… joy of our hearts We may not then hearken to this objection above all the rest unless we will say That the Spirit of Goâ—… did intend to confine himself Or the Son â—…f God did intend to confine his own Spiâ—…it in us when he absolutely prescribed a â—…t form in his own most holy Prayer comâ—…anding it to be said Luke 11. 2. when ye â—…ray say Our Father nay yet more unâ—…ess we will say that the Son of God did â—…ntend to confine his own Spirit in himself when he used this very particular form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into thy hands I commend my spirit Luke 23. 46. For it is the very same Greek Text in both places and the very same translation in the vulgar Latine though we in English have seemed to make a Verbal but not a Real difference And therefore it is evident that our blessed Saviour by using this set form hath sanctified it for our use and taught us thereby how to Resign our souls to him that gave them And indeed the Spirit of God had sufficiently sanctified it before so that now we have this Resignation doubly sanctified to us by the spirit and by the Son of God so happy a thing is it for us seriously to consider and much
truth Jam. 1. 18. And if God be Our Father by Spiritual Generation then are we also his sons by Adoption and can rightly and truly say Our Father and all the Petitions after it without giving the Lie to our own Consciences Whereas a man that is in the state of sin cannot truly say any one Petition of the Lords most Holy Prayer He cannot say Our Father for he will not be the son of God He cannot say Hallowed be thy name for he delights to profane it He cannot say Thy Kingdom come for he fears nothing more then its coming He cannot say Thy Will be done for he resolves against the doing it Wherefore if you ask me how shall sinners not yet converted say to God Our Father I Answer if they truly desire to be converted and to become his children they may say so as the Prodigal son resolving to arise and go to his Father though he were not yet come unto him had a right of calling him Father Luke 15. 18. For an unfained desire of conversion shews a true convert God accepting the will for the deed As working in us to will no less then to do of his own good pleasure And the best man that is will meet with inextricable Difficulties if he Ground the Truth of his conversion upon the Ability of his Performance and not upon the sinceritity of his desire Saint Bernard tells of a very Religious Monk who undertaking to say his Pater Noster without the least A vocation or A version of his thoughts from God which another professed that he could not obtain to do by all the fasting and prayer that he had used for many years convinced and condemned himself by his own mouth before he had gone over half the petitions interposing such an Impertinency in his prayer as plainly shewed that his mind was on earth whiles his tongue was in heaven I conclude then that only those sinners among the sons of men have no right to their Pater Noster but do hypocritically and falsly say the Lords prayer who neither are nor desire to be the children of God who so are sinners as that they also are in the state of sin and desire to continue in that state For how can that man have a right to pray who before he praies hath set his heart against his God and whiles he is praying doth set his own tongue against his heart SECT II. Weighing of our sins EVery man shall bear his own burden saith the Apostle Gal. 6. 5. And it will conâ—…ern every wise man to see he hath no greater burden then he is able to bear Of all burdens none is so heavy as sin â—…or other burdens can only press down to â—…earth but this presseth also down to hell Therefore above all other burdens it is a â—…oint of wisdom to be rid of this burden of â—…in But how shall we rid our selves of it Who will take it from us who will bear it â—…or us The Psalmist hath told us Psal. 55. â—…2 saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord â—…nd he shall sustain thee If it be thy wiâ—…est course to cast upon him the burden of â—…hy Body then much more the burden of â—…hy soul Say then to him as Hezekiah did O Lord I am oppressed Undertake for me Isa. 38. 14. Thou didst bear the heavy â—…urden of thy Cross that thou mightest â—…ear the far heavier burden of my sins This is the burden that most oppresseth me this is the burden that I most earnestâ—…y beseech thee to undertake for me and to take from me thou didst admit of one to help thee bear the burden of thy Cross but of none to help thee bear the burden of my sins Therefore I can flee to none for helâ—… but to thee alone Thou only wert able toâ—… satisfie the Justice of an angry God and 〈◊〉 beseech thee to make me a joyfull Partakeâ—… of that blessed Satisfaction One Angeâ—… was enough to strengthen thee to beaâ—… the burden of the sins of the whole worldâ—… But all the Angels in Heaven are noâ—… enough to strengthen me to bear the burden only of mine own sins therefore I sleeâ—… unto thee to undertake for me Be thou myâ—… Pledge my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pawn Lift for Life soul for soul in my stead That 〈◊〉 who have forfeited both life and soul iâ—… my self may Recover them both in my Pledge in my Undertaker But I may not hope to be so easily rid of my heavy burden by desiring to lay it upon another shoulders unless I first lay it on mine owâ—… Heart For if my Saviour were so exceeding sorrowfull for my sins it is greaâ—… reason I should be sorrowfull for mine own Sins which alone caused his greateâ—… Sorrow And How can I be sorry for my Sins till I know the burden of them How can I know their burden till I have weighed Them in the ballance of the Sanctuary There I shall find that sin is directly opposite to the Goodness of God and therefore must needs be as odious to Him as His own Goodness is amiable to Himself There I shall find that the wilfull Sinner is a Rebell against the King of Heaven doth despise the Golden scepter of his mercy and would put him down from the Throne of his Majesty There I shall find that every Sin Unrepented separates from God Isa. 59. 2. Your Iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God Grieves his Holy Spirit excludes and expels Grace from the soul nay excludes and expels the soul from it self bringing Darkness on the Understanding Perversness on the Will Forgetfulness on the Memory Debility and weakness on the Power of Action So that by Sin the soul is neither rightly Intellective nor Retentive nor Affective nor Active Most ingeniously the Casuist Dicat Saluberrimum Peccavi cujus Singulae literae indices illi esse possunt miseriae in qua constituitur Let the Sinner frequently and Heartily cry Peccavi the several Letters of which word will put him in mind of His several losses and miseries by His sins as for example P Praemiis omnium meritorum privatus e Egestate oppressus c Coecitate mentis percussus c Charitate divina spoliatus 〈◊〉 a Amaritudine repletus v Viam perdiâ—…tionis ingressus i Iram Dei meritus 〈◊〉 Reginaldus de Prudentia in Confessarioâ—… cap. 5. Innumerable are the miseries oâ—… the impenitent sinner yet reducible All tâ—… these seven Heads 1. That he loseth thâ—… benefit of his former righteousness 2. Thaâ—… he is oppressed with many wants anâ—… above All with the want of Repentance 3. That he is smitten with blindness in hiâ—… Understanding 4. That he is out oâ—… Gods Favour 5. That He is full of bitterness 6. That he is in the way of Peâ—…dition 7. That he is under the wrath oâ—… God And the word Peccavi in Latineâ—… will put Him in mind of All these 〈◊〉 and as it will shew him His Disease soâ—… will also Help
sins of the whole world but thou wast pleased to shed many drops of it to shew that there was satisfaction still left for the sins of many worlds Lord hath thy blood satisfied for more sins then we can commit and shall it not satisfie for those sins that we have forsaken and do detest Hast thou purchased mercy for more then do repent and wilt thou not shew mercy on those to whom thou hast given Repentance Hast thou been so long calling us that thou shouldst at last reject us Hast thou so long promised salvation that thou shouldst at last deny it Thou hast purchased Redemption for us by thy blood thou hast promised it in thy Word Thou hast purchased more then thou hast promised and hast thou promised less then thou wilt perform I am thy Debtor for the Purchase and I owe thee more then I am able if not more then I am willing to pay But thou art my Debtor for the promise I could not oblige thee by my desert but thou hast obliged thy self by thy Word and the Obligation is much the stronger for being of thy making then if it had been of mine This is the Obligation that I trust to the Obligation whereby thou art obliged to thy self to thine own blood to thine own truth Help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy precious blood and to whom thou hast promised the benefit of this Redemption in thy Word Thou wilt Judge me for those sins for which thou thy self hast satisfied and is it possible that the sentence of thy Judgement should disannual the merit of thy satisfaction How comfortable are those words of thine to my guilty soul The Father Judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgement to the Son John 5. 22. For when I look upon the Father I must needs say of him Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. He is as fire and I am as stubble easily consumed my sins have made my soul combustible which his goodness had made impassible Have so much fewel about me and within me that I cannot but dread the fire therefore I do most exceedingly rejoyce that the Father will not Judge me but hath committed all Judgement to the Son For in the Son I cannot but see Flesh of my Flesh and Bone of my Bone And since no man yet ever hated his own Flesh Ephes. 5. 29. I will not think that the Saviour of man will be the first to hate that Flesh in me which he hath in himself I will then no longer stagger at those words of the Apostle That the Lord the righteous Judge hath laid up a Crown of righteousness for them and will give it to them and to them only that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 8. For now I my self cannot but love it I cannot but love his appearing as my Judge when my soul doth magnifie him as my Lord and my spirit doth rejoyce in him as God my Saviour For to me being thus prepared and disposed as I ought it is all one to look for that blessed hope and to look for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2. 13. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and therefore it is nothing else but looking for that blessed hope to look for his appearing to the compleating of our Redemption Divines tell us of a three-fold Advent or Coming of Christ to Holy and Religious men Adventus ad Redemptionem Consolationem Remunerationem his coming to their Redemption to their Comfort and to their Reward His first coming was in the Flesh when he took on him their Nature His second coming was in the Spirit when he imparted unto them of his grace His third coming will be in Power when he will impart unto them his Glory His first coming was to Redeem them his second coming to Comfort them and therefore his third coming cannot be so much to Judge as to Reward them Himself hath said no less John 6. 40. This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life Lord thou hast opened mine eyes to see thee here by Faith and wilt thou not hereafter open thy self that I may see thee by clear Vision And what priviledge is it that I may have everlasting life here where it is not if I may not have it hereafter where it is And yet for strengthening my faith thou hast said much more to shew that I cannot believe enough of thy goodness John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life And again John 5. 24. He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life it is as sure as if he had it already and shall not come into condemnation though he shall be Judged yet he shall not be condemned in Judgement but is passed from death to life He is already passed from the Death of sin to the Life of Grace and shall assuredly pass from the life of Grace to the life of Glory And indeed what is the summe of the whole Gospel but the Promise of Eternal life upon condition of Faith in Christ This is the Record that God hath given to us Eternal life and this life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath life 1 John 5. 11 12. Have I life in having thee my Saviour and can I lose it in having thee my Judge O the immortal comfort that my soul enjoyes to think that though I have been to my Master in heaven a far worse servant then Onesimus was to Philemon not only to run away from him but also to rob him yet upon my true Repentance my Saviour will say to his Father on my behalf as Saint Paul did to his friend If thou count me a Partner and truly he is his Partner in the same God-head receive him as my self now he is invested with my righteousness if he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that on mine account Saint Paul to Philemon v. 17 18. O Lord I owe thee so much that I can never say sufficiently and much less may leave off saying Forgive us our debts yet since thou hast already put my debts upon thy Sons account how wilt thou let them lie still on mine Didst thou not punish thy Son that thou mightest spare thy servant Or canst thou in Justice punish the same sin twice once in my Surety another time in me It was the great necessity of thy offended Justice to punish the sin and is it not as great a necessity of thy satisfied Justice to spare the sinner I will not then say He is to be my Judge whose Majesty I have honoured whose mercy I have embraced whose glory I have promoted whose goodness I have proclaimed whose presence I have desired for if I have done any of these
yet t was not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. And yet for that very cause alone I must needs confess that those are thrice happy who have so far been assisted by Gods grace that they can not Pharisaically but Truly say this for though it was his meer mercy to give the grace yet it is in some sort his Justice both to continue and to regard his own gift So saith Saint Paul God is not unrighteous or unjust to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his Name Heb. 6. 10. where this is in effect his argument He that desists from a just work justly begun is unjust But God is not unjust therefore he will not desist from those good works he hath begun in you so far as not to perfect them and much less so far as not to reward them But I am contented to pretend to no such happiness This is the immortal comfort of the Righteous Let my soul look after the comforts of the sinner wherein I am not like to have the less remedy because I am sure to have the more company I will say then He is to be my Judge whose Majesty I have contemned whose mercy I have neglected whose glory I have hindered whose goodness I have denyed whose presence I have shunned But withall he is to be my Judge for those sins for which I have already Judged and Condemned my self and will he for these Judge and condemn me the second time This is scarce agreeable with his Justice much less is it agreeable with his mercy For the Apostle saith If we would Judge our selves we should not be Judged 1 Cor. 11. 31. I ask how should we not be Judged not temporally that were not to be loved For whom he loveth he chasteneth Heb. 12. 6. And Saint Peter saith That Judgement must begin at the House of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. and sure we are that his love begins there and comes down to particular men but as they are parts of his Family or Houshold we must therefore say That if we would Judge our selves we should not be Judged Eternally For most universally true is that Rule of the Civil Law Favores sunt Ampliandi all matters of Favour are to be enlarged Gods mercies if they could be with Restriction they could scarce be without Repentance and what a cruel mercy were this not to Judge Temporally that he might Judge Eternally I say then I have Judged my self for all my sins and therefore believe that I shall not be Judged of the Lord that is not so Judged as to be condemned in the Judgement For sin as it must be Judged so it can be Judged but once If I have Judged my self for it I shall not be Judged of the Lord I shall then be enabled to pray in Faith unto my Saviour Enter not into Judgement with thy servant Psal. 143. 2. And I am sure that praying thus in Faith I shall find him my Advocate and not my Judge Why should I then be dismayed for fear of that Judgement wherein he is to be the Judge who at first suffered for me as my Surety that he might satisfie his Fathers Justice and my debts Hath ever since prayed for me as my Intercessor and will at last Plead for me as my Advocate SECT V. Comforts against Judgement from the manner of the Judges proceeding THere is none that is guilty but the Law will none that is innocent but the Judge may condemn him what then can be the comfort of a Malefactor but that he shall have his Tryal by a favourable Law and by a more favourable Judge And this is my comfort against the Judgement to come That my Judge will proceed to a favourable Trial with me because according to that Law which will not easily condemn me and with that mind which will readily acquit me For I have confessed my sins and therefore may not doubt but that He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness 1 John 1. 9. He is faithful to forgive my sins because himself hath promised forgiveness He is just to forgive my sins because his Son hath purchased forgiveness And how shall he then not cleanse me from all unrighteousness by his Holy Spirit and seal unto me the assurance of that forgiveness And if I be cleansed from all unrighteousness why should I not be rid of all my fears How can I look upon him as an angry Judge when I have found him a most merciful Father If God will not withdraw his Anger the proud helpers do stoop under him Job 9. 13. That is the Angels saith Jarhci that are the Helpers of Egypt for he there takes Rahab for Egypt as indeed it may signifie which we interpret Proud And proves out of Dan. 10. 13. That particular Nations have particular Angels as it were their Patrons in heaven ready to intercede on their behalf Some late Divines have unadvisedly enlarged those Patrons finding out amongst men some tutelarie Saints which having righteousness over and above to serve their own turn are able to spare enough to help others Hence that strange kind of Invocation O Thomas Didyme succurre nobis miseris ne damnemur cum impiis in adventu Judicis O good Saint Thomas help us that we be not condemned in the last Judgement when alas the Saints will have enough to do to help themselves and the best of them all may say to his Petitioner If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee 2 King 6. 27. But be it so that there may be Phansied such lofty and puissant Helpers for they can never be Proved yet sure we are that if God withdraw not his anger even those Helpers must stoop under him as it is said Job 4. 18. Behold he put no trust in his servants that is his Saints his best servants for the Text makes it an universal Negative admitting of no exception and we may not doubt it concerning any man when we cannot deny it concerning any Angel as it follows And his Angels he charged with folly Therefore if these mighty Helpers cannot in this day of anger help themselves much less can they help me If God withdraw not his anger they must stoop and if they must stoop all that lean and rely upon them must needs fall I will then look after such an Helper as may be able to stand himself and to support me for else it cannot be worth my while and much less worth my Devotion to pray to him for help and truly I can find none but the Eternal Son of God who is able to withdraw the anger of his Father because he was able to satisfie his Justice and yet having him my Helper it will not be safe for me to argue and dispute but only to pray and deprecate as it follows v. 15. Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but
I would make supplication to my Judge And what is the supplication that I would make unto him Even that which his own holy Spirit hath taught me to make and will cause him to hear That he will not be extream to mark what is done amiss Psal. 130. 2. Lord hear the voice of my supplications for what even for this that thou shouldst not mark iniquities as it follows If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared This is the favourable proceeding by which I hope to be acquitted for why hast thou taught me to believe the forgiveness of sins unless I may attain what I do believe And if I may attain forgiveness of my sins here how shall I be condemned or punished for them hereafter since that is no forgiveness which either holds guilty to condemn or holds as guilty to punish and torment I do then believè that God will proceed in Judging me not according to the Law which requires an absolute obedience without sin but according to the Gospel which admits of Repentance for the forgiveness of sins Thus hath the Doctor of the Gentiles long since determined Rom. 2. 16. In the day when God shall Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Not according to the Law which will condemn all that have been guilty of any sin but according to the Gospel which will condemn none but the unbelieving and impenitent sinners For the Gospel pronounceth sentence of Absolution to all that Believe So Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Where damnation is denounced not for breaking the Law but for rejecting the Gospel And again John 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The words speak four such truths as the Angels desire to look into and men can never enough look upon yet four Miracles rather then Truths 1. That God who was provoked to inflict Death should offer Life and that Everlasting Life 2. That he should offer it to the world which had so provoked him 3. That he should offer it by sending his only begotten Son away from himself into the world 4. That he should so send this Son as to give him giving his only Son the Son of his love to give life to those that hated him and more deserved his hatred That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Since then I know that I believe why should I fear that I shall perish Why should I think that I shall not have this everlasting life which the Father hath promised the Son hath purchased and the Holy-Spirit hath sealed for I can say with a thankful heart and a chearful voice In Te Domine speravi ne confundar in aeternum Psal. 71. 1. In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion deliver me in thy righteousness I pray not to be delivered in mine own righteousness but in thine Deliver me in thy Righteousness O God the Father of heaven for thou hast promised deliverance Deliver me in thy Righteousness O God the Son Redeemer of the world for thou hast purchased deliverance Deliver me in thy Righteousness O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son for thou hast sealed both the Promise and the purchase of deliverance Deliver me in thy Righteousness O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three Persons and one God for I trust on thy Promise on thy Purchase on thy Seal for deliverance For with thee is the Fountain of life in thy light shall we see light Psal. 36. 9. My soul desires nothing but Life and Light for as a Spirit she was made for Life as an Intellectual or Rational spirit she was made for Light And she must go to God for both She must go to him for Life for with thee is the Fountain of Life and she must go to him for Light for in thy Light shall we see Light And the Life is before the Light even as Living is before Seeing The soul cannot work before she sees and she cannot see before she lives so that Life is in truth given before the work and cannot possibly be given for it And will you know who gives both Life and Light Saint John will tell you John 1. 4. In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men Life and Light both proceed from the Eternal Son of God and Life before Light I had Life in him before I had Light from him He purchased the Life before he gave the Light and therefore sure he hath not given the Light to take away the Life I know it is said That we must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ that every one may bear the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. And I confess I have done very bad things in my body but since my Saviour hath already born them for me must I still fear to bear them for my self Christ is called The Mediator of the New-Testament Heb. 9. 15. It is not said The Mediator of the New-Covenant as in other places but of the New-Testament for a Covenant doth wholly depend upon mutual conditions which if either partie fail the Covenant is broken and made of none effect But a Testament is a thing meerly of Grace and Liberality without any condition and so may be fulfilled meerly out of the goodness of the Testator And this goodness is the support and comfort of my soul I am afraid of the Covenant and I flie to the Testament even to that Testament by which I am made a child an heir even an heir of God and joint heir with Christ Rom. 8. 17. Wherefore I cannot but hope that he will Judge to me the Inheritance which he hath already given me by his own Will and Testament For I look for him to appear the second time without sin unto salvation Heb. 9. 28. not only without sin in himself for he never had any but also without sin in me and all his members from whom he hath taken away all For the death of Christ is doubly beneficial to all true Believers First in respect of his Priest-hood that he hath expiated their sin Secondly in respect of his Testament That he hath given them an Inheritance I dare not deny the first the benefit of his Priest-hood for he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world And why should I doubt the second the benefit of his Testament since he did therefore take away the sin that he might give the Inheritance I confess that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. whether Fornicators or Idolaters or Adulterers or Thieves or
For being a Penitent sinner that is one of those sinners that Christ came to save as I have been chief in the sin so I shall be chief in the salvation The more I have seen mine own sins the more I shall see the salvation of my God It is a most comfortable observation of Divines That our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible And therefore that Doxologie in 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen is to be expounded of God the Father because the Word invisible is in it and our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible And truly blessed be his mercy I have hitherto found it so for when I have most seen my sins to trouble me I have most seen his salvation to relieve me And sure I am that though my sins should be never so visible at the last day yet they shall not be half so visible as my Saviour For I shall then certainly with Saint Stephen see Jesus standing on the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. I shall see him standing up as ready to give sentence but surely that sentence will be for me not against me For he is not willing to give sentence against me but sure he cannot give sentence against himself that is against his Word For a sentence against his Word is against himself His Word therefore being the truth because it is his Word who is the truth Therefore the sentence that shall be given at the last day can be no other then what is given already in Gods Word and in mine own conscience His Word hath pronounced a merciful sentence and I must never leave Rectifying my conscience till that pronounce sentence according to his Word SECT VI. Comforts against the last Judgement from the sentence that shall be pronounced A Sentence that is resolved on before the hearing of the cause though not pronounced till after it must needs be the sentence of an unrighteous Judge and is most like to be the sentence of an unrighteons Judgement But shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. And how then can we now have comfort from the sentence he will pronounce at the last day since he cannot resolve upon a sentence before the hearing of the cause nor can we know before hand what is his resolution I answer The cause is heard here and the sentence is pronounced here though many men will not take notice of it And that which shall be pronounced hereafter shall not be a new sentence but a Publication of the old which may not unfitly be called an old sentence since it hath been twice pronounced here already once in Gods Word another time in our own consciences For the Spirit of God doth here Judge us in Gods Word And the Son of God will not thwart or contradict the Judgement of Gods Spirit but only ratifie and confirm it The word that I have spoken the same shall Judge him at the last day John 12. 48. that is the sentence at the last day shall be but a declaration and confirmation of the sentence that is already spoken in the Word And haply in this respect it is said That the Apostles shall Judge the world not only in regard of their persons as all other Saints shall Judge it by approving the sentence of the righteous Judge but also in regard of their Doctrine which shall be the rule of Judgement Wherefore if we can have comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles we may have also comfort from the sentence that will be passed upon us by their Master And truly if we be not Hypocrites or Apostates but true and constant Christians we may have very great comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles A comfort which no partial Judge here can give us though he resolve to come with omnia bene and to admit of none but of white suffrages for in vain doth the spirit of man set it self to absolve â—…hose whom the Spirit of God doth conâ—…emn And a comfort which no unrighteâ—…s Judge here can take from us though he â—…esolve to write his sentence as Draco did â—…is Laws in Characters of blood For in â—…ain doth the spirit of man set it self to â—…ondemn those whom the spirit of God â—…oth absolve For this is the sentence â—…assed upon us by the Apostles He that â—…elieveth on the Son hath everlasting life â—…ohn 3. 36. The whole Doctrine of the New-Testament driving at this That true â—…aith in Christ as it is not to be supposed without a true Christian life and conversation agreeable to the faith for it is in â—…ain to profess Christian and to live Atheâ—…st or to act Infidel so it cannot but deâ—…iver the true Believer from the guilt and â—…urden of all his sins For all the whole Gospel is nothing else but a Sermon upon â—…his Text of our Saviours own choosing John 11. 25 26. I am the resurrection and â—…he life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever â—…iveth and believeth in me shall not die for â—…ver Words properly used by the Church as they were spoken by Christ himself at the burial of the dead For they are the chiefest comfort against Death because they are the chiefest comfort against Judgement And so hath the beloved Disciple explained them that leaned in his Masters bosom and thence got this soul-healing and soul-saving Divinity But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin And again If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 7. and 9. Here is the true comfort against Judgement for if my soul be cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness I shall have reason not to dread but to desire the coming of my Judge And this Christian consolation cannot be separated from the true Christian Faith that is to say Faith in the blood of Christ which cleanseth us And this Christian Faith cannot be separated from a Christian conversation walking in the light nor from a Christian Communion we have fellowship one with another nor from Christian Repentance and Contrition if we confess our sins And wheresoever we find this Christian Faith and Christian Conversation and Communion and Contrition we may not deny the Christian Consolation For God himself hath said Comfort ye comfort ye my people Isa. 40. 1. They that are Gods people may not be deprived of Gods comforts And what are his comforts but as it follows that our warfare is accomplished and our iniquity is pardoned The beginning of the pardon is the end of the war her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity
thoughts that I may often feel the influence of thy mercy in heavenly joyes I have many sad and dismal sorrows from my self O give unto me true comfort in my Saviour let my trouble be in the day when thou wilt hear me and not in the day when thou wilt Judge me There is no trust but may deceive me save only my trust in thee there is nothing in which I may not miscarry but only thy Mercy O Lord let my trust be so in thee that though I have miscarried in all the desires and designs and delights of this world yet I may not miscarry in thy Mercy but may have the joyes and delights of the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 37. Be thou exalted Lord in thine owâ—… strength so will I sing and praise thâ—… power Thy strength is that whicâ—… strengthens souls and thou lovest to shew thy strength in our weakness Lord let thy strength be made perfect in my weakness so shall I most gladly rather glory then repine in my infirmities whiles the power of Christ doth-rest upon me and my soul doth rest upon thee and thy Mercies in Jesus Christ. 38. O Lord who forgivest the sins of the penitent and coverest those sins which thou forgivest I beseech thee to accept my repentance and to cover all those sins which I desire thee to forgive That I may have the blessing of him whose unrighteousness is forgiven and whose sin is covered For if my sins should be all discovered to my self they would fill me with fear if they should be discovered to others they would fill me with shame And how wilt thou discover them either to my fear or to my shame since thou canst not forgive them unless thou cover them O then be pleased so to cover my sins here as not to discover them again hereafter so to hide my transgressions in the day of thy Mercy as not to lay them open in the day of Wrath Or if thy Justice shall require that all my sins be revealed in the day of the revelation of thy righteous Judgement let the atonement also for my sins be then revealed which I have laboured to make and thou hast promised to accept through the Merits and satisfaction of thy Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 39. O thou who art gracious and righteous and in thy righteousness teachest the upright the way of innocency and by thy grace leadest sinners in the way of repentance Have mercy upon me thy most unworthy servant and grant that my great defects and wants of the first righteousness that of Innocency may be supplyed by the fulness of the second righteousness that of Faith and Repentance And make mine eyes look so diligently to thee that I may never again want care in looking to my self Order my steps in thy Word and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me Order my heart in thy Faith and so shall I have dominion over all my wickedness for though my fears shall force me to say O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet my Faith will be able to suppress that saying and suggest unto me this heavenly comfort and triumph I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 40. O Lord I am in the midst of many troubles and sorrows by reason of my sufferings and much more by reason of my sins but thou hast promised that the righteous shall rejoyce in the Lord and put his trust in him and all they that are true of heart shall be glad Psal. 64. 10. O then make me true of heart that I may trust in thee and be truly righteous And give unto me true righteousness that thou mayst give unto me true joy There is no true righteousness but the righteousness of thy Son There is no true joy but the joy of thy Spirit O thou Father of Mercy give unto me the righteousness of God the Son my Redeemer that thou mayst give me the joy of God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter to be with me and to remain in me for evermore 41. O Lord thou hast brought upon me so much misery that I cannot love my condition And I have so much sin that I cannot love my self Wherefore I beseech thee to fix my love wholly upon thee that my soul may thirst for thee and my flesh also may long after thee in this barren and dry Land where no water is either to cleanse or to refresh or to revive me That looking for thee in holiness I may behold thy power and glory For my soul cannot truly thirst for thee till my flesh also long after thee since whiles my flesh is in love with the profits and pleasures of this life my spirit cannot but lose the desire and neglect the pursuit of the life everlasting O Lord thou hast taken away from me most of the profits and all the pleasures of this life O take from me also the love of it That I may not fear to lose that life which I do not love nor love that life which I am sure to lose but let me so love thee as to live in thee that I may not fear the loss either of my life or of my love 42. O Lord I am assaulted by vexations without and by temptations within and to whom should I flie for succour but only to thee who art not so displeased for my sins but that thou wilt be appeased by my repentance O give unto me that repentance which thou wilt accept and take from me that displeasure which I so fear Thou canst defend me with thy favourable kindness as with a Shield O Lord I ask no other defence but only this defence of thy Mercy to defend me from my self and all my sinfulness to defend me from thy wrath and from all the punishments of my sins Though thou leave me destitute of all other defence yet let thy loving-kindness evermore defend me according to that eternal love wherewith thou hast loved me in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 43. O Lord thou hast hitherto guided me by thy counsel and thou wilt hereafter receive me with glory Therefore have I none in heaven but thee because none else can receive me with glory and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee because none else can guide me with true counsel O Lord pardon my strayings from thy directions as thou hast been my guide that thou mayst receive me into thine habitation and be my glory for Jesus sake Amen 44. O Lord make my soul willing to depart and go from hence because it here dwells among the enemies of my peace even among mine own sins and fears which disturb the peace of a good conscience here and threaten to destroy the peace of a blessed eternity hereafter Make me to long for that blessed minute which will restore to me perfect innocency and will transmit me into everlasting peace
even that peace of God which passeth all that I do understand and will fullfill all that I can desire Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart to this peace that thou mayest at once deliver me from all my troubles for his sake who hath shed his precious blood to purchase this peace for me Jesus Christ the only righteous Amen 45. Lord give unto me an earnest repentance to cleanse and purge my soul from dead works that thou mayest give unto me a true and lively faith to settle and establish my soul in the light of life That acknowledging and bewailing mine own demerits and unrighteousness I may by the Merits and Righteousness of my blessed Redeemer obtain remission of all my sins whereof I now stand guilty before thy Judgement-seat and the assurance of that remission sealed unto my conscience by the testimony of thy holy Spirit that I may not be terrified with the thought of death being delivered from the terrours of Judgement and having that righteousness interposed in answer for me which cannot but answer all the accusations of the Devils and all the attestations and convictions of mine own conscience O my blessed Advocate do thou come to plead for me and then come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen 46. Lord make me daily more and more to see the manifold miseries of my pilgrimage whereby I am a stranger to eternity and a so journer with vanity burdened and clogged with a heavy weight of flesh and a far heavyer weight of sin That I may heartily pray to be delivered from all those burdens and miseries and not be afraid least thou shouldst hear my prayer but that my soul providing to return into her own Countrey may accordingly have longings and earnest desires after the Land of Promise and after the heavenly Jerusalem and after thee my God who there livest and reignest world without end Amen 47. Lord make me patiently to undergo this punishment of my body but earnestly to long for the deliverance of my soul Make me thankful for that small ease and refreshment thou givest me on earth but much more for the eternal rest thou hast provided for me in heaven grant that though I have affliction in the world yet I may have peace in thee and may rejoyce in that peace for thou hast overcome the world grant that though I am weak in my body yet I may be strong in my soul for thou art the strength of souls grant that though I find pain and anguish in my flesh yet I may find joy and comfort in my spirit for thou art the God of spirits grant that I may not look on thy hand scourging me with an evil eye whiles I believe that the thoughts which thou thinkest towards me are thoughts of peace and not of evil and that though thou givest me a sad beginning yet thou wilt give me an expected end Jer. 29. 11. 48. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him and I may well bear it patiently nay rather take it thankfully since it is his great goodness to punish temporally that he may spare eternally For he will at last plead my cause and execute Judgement for me he will at length bring me forth to light out of this dismal darkness and I shall behold his righteousness and he will not behold mine unrighteousness Then shall I say with great joy Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by transgressions and retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Therefore he will turn again he will have compassion upon me he will subdue mine iniquities before he suffer death to subdue me and he will cast all my sins into the depth of the Sea before he will cast me into the deep of the earth Mich. 7. v. 9 18 19. 49. Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy One and I but only of yesterday and for a moment I shall not die whiles thou art my Resurrection and my Life O Lord thou hast ordained these pains and sicknesses for Judgement and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction O Lord let them prove so to me as Judgements to advise me and as Chastisements to amend me for thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and therefore sure of purer hands then to embrace it and thou canst not look on iniquity therefore sure wilt not encourage it O then let this thy visitation so purge away all evil and iniquity from me that thou mayest both encourage my soul in my life and embrace it at my death Hab. 1. 50. O thou the high and lofty one that inhabitest eternity whose Name is Holy thou that dwellest in the high and lofty place but with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite one be pleased to look upon the great humiliations of my body and the unfeigned contritions of my soul That thou mayst dwell with me and I may be revived in the spirit whiles I am daily put to death in the flesh And do not contend for ever neither be thou alwaies wrath least my spirit should fail before thee and the soul which thou hast made for the iniquity of my conversation thou wast wrath and smotest me but for the abundance of thine own mercies heal me and restore comforts to me and to my mourners and give unto me true joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord Isaiah 57. 15 c. 51. O Lord I have been long cloathed with filthy garmens even by the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh And Satan is standing at my right hand ready to tempt me here and to accuse and torment me hereafter But O Lord I beseech thee to say unto Satan The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen his servant rebuke thee And take away the filthy garments from me and say unto me behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment even with the wedding-garment the righteousness of that immaculate Lamb the Lord Jesus Christ so shall I appear before thee with comfort stand before thee with confidence and remain before thee with joy for evermore Zach. 3. 52. O Lord thou hast left me a Promise of entering into thy Rest O let me not come short of it and not enter into it But since I have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God an high-Priest touched with the feeling of my infirmities let me through him come boldly to the Throne of grace that I may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 53. O Lord my strength and my fortress and my refuge in the day of affliction I desire to come unto thee from the ends of the earth where I have inherited lyes and vanity and things wherein there is
no profit but I beseech thee cause me to know thy hand and thy might and take not away thy peace from me even loving-kindness and Mercies Jer. 16. v. 19 21 5. 54. O Lord the Hope of Israel let no distress whatsoever make me forsake that blessed Hope which thou hast given me for all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of living waters O Lord I have often forsaken thee by my sins yet let me not be ashamed because I return again to thee by my Repentance O Lord I have often departed from thee by my transgressions yet let me not be written in the earth because I now at last thirst for thee the Fountain of living waters Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved so shalt thou be my praise now and for evermore Jer. 17. 13 14. 55. O Lord my soul is heavy and my body is sick unto the death But do thou bring me health and cure and reveal unto me abundance of peace and truth cleanse me from all mine iniquities whereby I have sinned against thee cause my captivity to return and have mercy upon me according to thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ Jer. 33. 6 8 26. 56. O Lord thou hast added grief to my sorrow for I have fainted in my sighing and I find no rest yet dost thou forbid me to add sorrow to my own grief and to say wo is me now because that which thou hast built thou hast broken down and that which thou hadst planted thou hast plucked up even this whole Land Therefore thou forbiddest me to seek great things for my self for behold thou hast brought evil upon all flesh and how shouldst thou not bring evil upon my flesh which is the most sinful of all O then suffer me not to be a seeker of mine own discontents rather then of thy redresses whiles I look after great and good things in such miserable and wretched times but make me thankful that thou hast hitherto given me my life as a prey unto me in all places whether I have gone that remembering what thou hast given me I may not repine for what others have taken from me assuring my self that there is yet another life to come which thou wilt give me not as a prey that I should fear losing it but as an inheritance that I should long to possess it in thee and with thee for ever Amen Jer. 45. 3 4 5. 57. O Lord bring my soul out of this prison of the flesh and the shackles of sin and misery that I may wholly and entirely give thanks unto thy holy Name for all thy Mercy and great Deliverances and most especially for this the greatest of all That thou wilt deliver me from my self from the burden of mine own flesh from the bondage of mine own corruption from the thraledom of mine own body And wilt set me at liberty that I may do nothing else but serve thee whose service is perfect freedom and whose wages are life and light and joy in beholding thy presence for evermore for I earnestly desire only those Mercies wherein thou dost infinitely delight who lovest to shew Mercy to penitent sinners in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 58. O Lord pour not out thine indignation upon me blow not against me in the fire of thy wrath but deliver me from this brutish and burning disease or if thou wilt in thy Justice make my body as fewel for the fire yet in mercy deliver my soul from the everlasting burnings Ezek. 23. 31 32. 59. Grant Lord that I being risen with Christ may seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God that I may henceforth set mine affection on things above not on things in earth alwaies remembering that I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God and alwaies rejoycing that when Christ who is my life shall appear then shall I also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 3 4. 60. Lord make my tongue sing of thy praises whiles I have breath and when I shall be breathless make my heart bear two parts to fill up that blessed Harmony that my soul may praise thee whiles it is in the state of union with my natural body and much more when it shall be in the state of separation from it and shall be joyned in consort with the holy Angels and with the beatified spirits And most of all when it shall be in the state of re-union again with that same body being made spiritual That I being at last all spirit both in soul and body neither my heart may be wearied in thinking nor my tongue in speaking thy praises to all eternity Amen 61. I will thank thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will praise thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the neathermost hell and wilt receive my soul into the highest heavens there to give thee thanks and praises for evermore 62. All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14. 14. Lord grant I may so wait that I may receive my wages and that my change may come seasonably speedily and happily A seasonable change not to find me unprepared for it A speedy change to deliver me from the pains of sickness and from the pangs of death And a happy change to let me in to the fruition of thy glory and eternal life Amen 63. By thine unknown sufferings O my blessed Redeemer intercede for me in all my pains and sufferings that I may find Mercy and obtain Relief And make me alwaies remember and confess that my sins are far above my sufferings so shall I suffer patiently and that thy Mercy is far above my sins so shall I suffer comfortably and hope for a joyful end of all my sufferings 64. Lord grant that my conversation may from henceforth be in heaven that my soul may be prepared to go thither and know how to busie it self there that I may with joy look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ from thence who shall change my vile body that it may be like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3. 2. O Lord work that blessed change in my soul to subdue all its carnal affections by a heavenly conversation before thou workest that miserable change in my body to subdue its natural constitution by an unnatural destruction And according to that mighty working whereby thou art able even to subdue all things unto thy self in the first place subdue all my sinfulness 65. Lord speak the word only and thy servant shall be whole speak the word of comfort in my distress and the greatest comfort in my greatest
or infidelity or any other grievous sin but may be able to stand stedfastly through thy supporting and to walk on constantly in the way of Piety and of Patience till by thy good guiding and conducting I may at last come to the life everlasting As thou still holdest open the eyes of my weak body to behold the light of nature so be pleased daily more and more to open the eyes of my sinful soul to behold the light of grace till thou bring me to enjoy the light of glory there to glorifie and praise thee for ever Amen The sick mans Collect for Peace O God which art the Author of our peace for thine own Mercies sake but the Author of our troubles only for our sins Give unto me thy unworthy servant that peace which this wicked world cannot give and which this tumultuous and troublesom world cannot take away and defend me in all the assaults of my afflictions both corporal and spiritual that I surely trusting in thy defence and wholly submitting to thy providence may not fear the power of any adversity whatsoever through the might and for the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Collect for Grace O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God which hast safely brought me through many dangers and troubles and diseases to the beginning of this dangerous and desperate sickness defend me in the whole continuance of the same with thy mighty power and grant that herein I may fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger whereby I may become either impenitently sinful or uncomfortably miserable But that all my doings and all my sufferings being ordered by thy Governance I may alwaies do that which is righteous in thy sight and suffer that which may be profitable for mine own salvtion through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Letany O God the Father of heaven and of all Mercies have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner And grant that in the greatest extremities and anguishes of my body I may find the greatest comforts and refreshments of my soul Grant that when I am most tormented in my flesh I may be most relieved in my spirit That though my loins are filled with a sore disease and there is no whole part in my body yet my soul may magnifie the Lord and my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour for he hath regarded my low and miserable estate and he will relieve it O God the Son Redeemer of the world and of my sin-sick and sinful soul have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and take away all my sins that thou mayest take away all my miseries As thou hast made me a happy Believer so also make me a joyful partaker of thy Redemption and then most especially when I shall most feel my self as it were swallowed up of grief and destruction through the pains and torments of my increasing sickness or the pangs and horrours of my approaching death Be thou my comfort in distress my strength in weakness my health in sickness my joy in sadness Be thou my life whiles I am living and my Resurrection from the dead that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I may fear no evil for thou art with me to conduct me through the dangerous downfalls of that valley to direct me through the dismal darknesses of that shadow and to sustain me in the dreadful dissolution of that death O thou who now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me reject me not when I am making intercession for my self for through thy death I hope for life through thy life I hope for glory through thy glory I hope for eternal glory And in that hope do I now commend my spirit into thy hands for thou hast redeemed me O God thou God of truth And thou wilt save me O God thou God of Mercy because I have believed thy truth and do rely upon thy Mercy Therefore do I wholly resign my self body and soul unto thee submitting them both to thy good will and pleasure either for life or death beseeching thee to Receive my soul and to Restore my body and to grant that I may be able to stand upright in the dreadful Judgement being supported by the arm of thy All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies to bless and praise thee O my blessed Redeemer world without end O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and give unto mean assurance of thy Mercy that thou mayest give unto me an abatement of my misery O thou which art the Comforter of thine Elect give unto me daily more and more the heavenly comforts of mine Election and in the greatest agonies and distresses of my body transfix my soul with the most joyful apprehensions and the most firm perswasions of thine everlasting Love and undeserved Mercies towards me in Jesus Christ That neither the apprehensions of a sad and miserable life nor the fears and terrours of an uncomfortable death may ever be able to affright my soul nor to disturb that sweet peace resâ—… and repose which my spirit now hath and desireth to have in thee the God of spirits who givest unto those souls that are oâ—… thy Communion the antepast of eternity the blessed anticipation of immortal joy 〈◊〉 O my God my Stay my Comforter unto thee do I flie for the comforts of immortality Like as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall 〈◊〉 come to appear before God when shall I drink my fill of the waters of life to quench my thirst O let my tears no longer be my meat day and night whiles mine own troubled thoughts say unto my soul Where is now thy God for surely my God is in heaven whatsoever pleaseth him that doth he in heaven and in earth 〈◊〉 and though for a while in the evening of this life I have sadness upon earth yet in the morning of eternity I shall for eveâ—… have joy in heaven Amen O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have Mercy upon me a most miserable and wretched sinner and therefore most miserable and wretched because a sinner because I have sinned against heaven and against thee the God of heaven But since thou hast given me grace through the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity I beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith I may be absolved from all my sins and also be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Remember not Lord mine offences nor the offences of my fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of my sins spare me good Lord spare me thy most afflicted but most unworthy servant whom thou hast
redeemed with thy most precious blood and be not angry with me for ever Spare me good Lord. From this and all other evil and mischief of my body from the more afflictive and contagious sin of my soul from the crafts and assaults of the Devil either against my body or against my soul from the fear of thy wrath and from the sentence of everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver me By thine agony and bloody-sweat help and assist me in all mine agonies By thy Cross and Passion make me conquerer in all my sufferings By thy precious death and burial sweeten my death and sanctifie my grave By thy glorious resurrection and ascention raise me up again at the last day and glorifie me and by the coming of the Holy-Ghost give unto me now amidst the torments of my life and the terrours of my death the immortal comfort of a blessed resurrection to eternal glory And in this my distress by this thy special assistance help and comfort Good Lord deliver me In all time of my tribulation and adversity which thou hast now sent me In all time of my wealth and prosperity if thou shalt be pleased once again to send it me in the hour of my death and in the day of Judgement Good Lord deliver me I that am a sinner do beseech thee to hear me O Lord God And that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universally in the right way And to deliver this thy distressed and oppressed Church from all her sins and from all her troubles and to restore her to her former Truth and Peace I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand and the Son of man whom thou hast made so strong for thine own self and so will not we go back from thee O let us live and we will call upon thy Name Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts shew us the light of thy countenance and we shall be whole I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to defend and strengthen all Bishops and Ministers of thy Church That notwithstanding the manifold oppositions contempts and persecutions of disobedient and gainsaying people they may still uphold thy true and lively Word and thy holy and blessed Sacraments and by their preaching and administring and their living and dying may set them forth and shew them accordingly I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to be a Father to the Fatherless whom my sins have helped to make so and whom my repentance cannot but thy Mercy can relieve To be a husband to the widow a comfort to the comfortless and to relieve all that be desolate and oppressed and to shew thy pity upon all exiles prisoners and captives especially those that suffer imprisonment and captivity or banishment for the cause of righteousness for the Doctrine of a Catholick Faith or for the duties of a Christian life I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to have Mercy upon mine enemies persecutors and slanderers to turn their hearts and to forgive their sins and to save their souls and to make me forgive as I desire to be forgiven and to make me desire to be forgiven as I stand in need of forgiveness and to make my waies to please thee that thou mayest make mine enemies to be at peace with me I beseech thee to hear me good Lord That it may please thee to give us all true repentance that thou mayest forgive us all our sins not only our negligences and ignorances but also our perversnesses and profanesses and to endue us with the grace of thy holy Spirit that we may lay aside our own animosities self-interests and worldly advantages and joyn together with one heart and mouth to praise thee and to glorifie thy holy Name not looking after fond pretences and fading vanities but looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. Son of God I beseech thee to hear me O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world take away my sins also inwhom alone there is a world of sin and grant me thy peace and have Mercy upon me O Christ hear me and as thou camest to redeem me when I was utterly lost so I beseech thee suffer me not to be lost now thou hast redeemed me Lord have Mercy upon me Christ have Mercy upon me Lord have Mercy upon me And remember me according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation that I may once more if it be thy will see the felicity of thy chosen and rejoyce in the gladness of thy people and give thanks with thine inheritance through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Benediction BLessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which only doth wonderous things And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty and my soul shall be filled and revived with his Mercy Amen Amen The Lord Jesus be within me to strengthen without me to assist before me to direct behind me to defend and protect beneath me to uphold and sustain above me to receive my soul. Let the power of the Father preserve me the wisdom of the Son guide and énlighten me the operation of the Holy-Ghost quicken and revive me in my passage through the gates of death and bring me into everlasting life The blood that ran from the wounded heart of my blessed Saviour which hath purchased for me abundance of grace in my life of comfort in my sickness and of hope in my death wash my soul from sin and from iniquity that it may be presented without spot or blemish before the righteous Judge of men and Angels in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen The sick mans Valediction LORD I am willing to forsake all to follow thee O let me follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth I willingly forgive all men and heartily desire all men to forgive me that though I came into this world hating my God yet I may not go out of it hating my Brother for God with whom I hope to dwell when I go from hence is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4. 16. I follow after to apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus This one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Phil. 3. 12 13 14. The sick mans Preparation for his Departure I am now ready to be
Secondly the faithfulness of the Redeemer O Lord thou God of truth First the fulness of the Redemption for it had a threefold fulness a fulness of Excellency a fulness of Appearance a fulness of Redundancy which is Bonaventures distinction concerning our blessed Saviour lib. 3. sent dist 13. Quod est loqui de Plenitudine secundum Excellentiam secundum Apparentiam secundum Redundantiam We may speak of the fulness of Christ according to its Excellency according to its Appearance and according to its Redundancy for Christ had a fulness of Excellency from his first conception And he had a fulness of Appearance from the discent of the Holy-Ghost upon him for then his excellent holiness was made apparent to all the world by the testimony of the Father and of the Holy Spirit And he had a fulness of Redundancy from the time that he sanctified his disciples and servants by the communication and participation of his holiness And this same threefold fulness is in this Redemption A fulness of Excellency or Perfection in the nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hast Redeemed A fulness of appearance or manifestation from the Author of it Thou thou hast Redeemed And a fulness of Redundancy from the subject of it me Thou hast Redeemed me First there is a fulness of Excellency or Perfection in this Redemption from the nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast Redeemed So saith the Master of Greek Criticisms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is properly used concerning the Redemption of Captives that are Redeemed with a price For they that are otherwise delivered then by a price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are said rather to be Rescued then to be Redeemed Eustath in Iliad a. Here is then a Redemption as excellent as the price that was paid for the Captives and that was the blood of the Eternal Son of God A price that was infinitely more worth then all the whole Creation both in heaven and in earth which hath in truth no other preciousness but what it hath from this price is no farther precious then as it is sprinkled with this blood Secondly A fulness of appearance or manifestation in this Redemption from the Author of it Thou thou hast Redeemed Thou whom God hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds and who art the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1. 2 3. This heir of all things came to make us partakers of his inheritance The same God that made the world by his Power and governed it by his Wisdom Redeemed it by his Mercy He that was the brightness of the glory of God and the express image of his person was pleased to make himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and being found in fashion as a man to humble himself and become obedient unto death Phil. 2. 7. That by his death he might destroy death and by his rising to life again might restore to us everlasting life But that 's the third fulness in this Redemption A fulness of Redundancy from the subject of it Me Thou hast Redeemed Me Thou Me Heaven and Earth are meet together in the Mysterie But Heaven and Hell are met together in the Mercy of this Redemption God and Man in the Mysterie but God and sinful Man in the Mercy of it Me in my Nature was a great mysterie but Me in my Sins was a far greater mercy Thy love did seek me when I did not deserve it Thy care did keep me when I did not observe it O let neither Love nor Care forsake me now I do desire it And indeed thou hast promised not to forsake us And that is the second Reason we are so willing to Resign our selves to thee the faithfulness of our Redeemer O God thou God of Truth Thou art powerful in thy performances as God and faithful in thy Promises as the God of Truth As none can resist thy power in performing so none may distrust thy truth in promising It was thy Mercy that made thee promise but it is thy Truth that maketh thee keep thy promises Mercy and Truth are together in God as Cruelty and Falseness go together in man Though I have no right to thy Mercy from it self yet I have a right to thy Mercy from thy Truth And thine own Holy Spirit hath taught me to claim this Right Heb. 13. 5. For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee He said it to Joshua yet will have me believe he said it to me for though that promise in its occasion was particular and concerned only Joshua and those with him Josh. 1. 5. yet in its document it was universal and concerned all the faithful servants of God that should be to the end of the world for that promise was made to Joshua as Leader of the people and therefore belonged in common to him and to them even to the whole Church of the Jews And by the same reason belongs to us now as it did to them even to the whole Church of the Gentiles For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek or Gentile For the same Lord over All is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. 12. If we call upon him as Joshua and the Israelites did we have the same interest in his promises as Joshua and the Israelites had He will be as rich in Mercy to us as he was to him and to them or else in vain hath his Apostle said For whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. 4. Where is the comfort of the Scriptures if it be not in the Promises or what promise can be the ground of our hope like this I will never leave thee nor forsake thee A promise which he made in Mercy as Lord over All and therefore rich in mercy to All that call upon him But a promise that he keepeth in truth as being the same Lord over All That is one and the same constantly in himself and therefore not diverse in his Word nor in his Promises O God thou God of truth As God thou art a Creditor to All by thy Mercy All borrow of it All depend on it All are obliged to it But as a God of Truth thou art a Debtor to All that is to All that call upon thee for the Promise though it be universal yet it is conditional Thou art a Debtor to All by thy Truth they have an Interest in thy Promise claim it as their Right look to it as their Treasure look on it as their Comfort Debitor fidelitatis non Justitiae God is to man a Debtor of faithfulness though not a Debtor of Justice A Debtor of faithfulness because of his own Word though he cannot be a Debtor of Justice because of mans Merit As he is God he hath
provided Mercy for as is his Majesty so is his Mercy But as he is the God of truth so he hath moreover assured it In this assurance did Saint Paul comfort himself 2 Tim. 1. 12. For I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depositum meum servare God is contented to be our Depositarius or Trustee to keep that which we commit to him so it be worth his trust or fit for his keeping And nothing is fit for his keeping which hath relation to this day or any thing of this world but only that which hath relation to that day or to the world to come Therefore I may commit nothing else to him as to my Depositary or Trustee but only my soul which alone can remain and a bide till that day And if I commit my soul unto him against that day he will see it then forth-coming as safe as I can desire and more safe then I can deserve This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Depositum Saint Paul speaks of And the word used by him is a Noun derived from the Verb used in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will Depose Into thy hands will I Depose my spirit Saint Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly agrees with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Depositum with this Deposing The thing that he commits to Gods trust is his spirit his soul which he commits into his hands as the only Trustee of souls And it is much to be observed that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Text is not in the Present but in the Future-Tense so that it is to be rendered not I do depose or commit or commend but I will depose or commit or commend my spirit to shew to us mans uncessant Dutifulness and Gods uncessant Faithfulness First mans uncessant Dutyfulness for this act of Resigning the soul is a continued act it is a thing long in doing before it can be well done It requires great preparations greater deliberations and greatest Resolutions And after all our Preparations and Deliberations and Resolutions it is still a motion that is rather in fieri then in facto esse rather compleating then compleated that hath more perfection from the time to come then from the time present or past more perfection in the Purpose then in the Performance in the Resolution then in the Execution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will commit No man can so fully Resign himself to God as he ought and though our blessed Saviour could and did yet to teach us this Document of humility he also speaks as if he had not done it for he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as David I will commit As if something were still behind something still more in the Resolution then in the Execution For though the grace of union in Chirst was infinite the grace whereby he took his humane soul yet the habitual grace was not infinite the grace whereby he resigned his soul But God is infinite as in himself so also in his Obligation and an infinite Obligation requires an infinite Satisfaction which to a Finite nature must needs be rather in the Purpose then in the Performance for which cause our blessed Saviour himself thought fit to say not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do commit but I will commit my â—…pirit O Lord let me never think I can â—…o too much when thine own Son hath â—…ught me that I can never do enough He said I will do it when he had done it â—…hall I say I have more then done it when cannot do it Did he speak by way of â—…xtenuation in his works and shall I â—…hansie a Supererogation in mine Did â—…e seem to intimate something less in his â—…erformance then was in his Obligation â—…nd shall I dream of Performing more then was Obliged O let me never come to â—…at height of Impiety as to neglect my â—…uty much less to that height of Impuâ—…ence as to over value it Let me never â—…y I Do or Have done but only I will â—…o accounting it thy greatest mercy to my â—…oul that thou givest the will to do and â—…he greatest security of my soul that thou â—…cceptest the will for the deed Secondly Gods uncessant faithfulness for David could not have said I will commit by a continued act of giving if he â—…ad not believed Gods uncessant faithfulness in a continued act of receiving Gods faithfulness is as everlasting as himself And that makes him look upon his trust as never fully discharged but as alwaies newly undertaken And he would have us believe that he is as careful of it and as faithful in it as if he did every moment newly undertake it for this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Future-tense which doth shew mans continued act in resigning his soul to God doth also import Gods continued act in receiving souls that are resigned unto him that he is alwaies ready to Receive them and alwaies as careful to Retain them and will be as faithful to Restore them He Receives them by his Mercy he Retains them by his power nonâ—… is able to pluck them out of his hands Johâ—… 10. 28. He will Restore them by his Truth And he will Restore them infinitely better then he can Receive them contrary to all other Trustees who generally Receive much better then they Restoreâ—… Never any man gave his spirit to God in his life-time though but for an instant bâ—… an holy Contemplation or Affection buâ—… he received it again much better then he gave it How much more shall he that gives him his spirit at his death by a full and free Resignation receive it again infinitely better at the last Resurrection Wherefore let us pray unto him that hâ—… will be pleased to make us ready to resign â—…ur souls to him without reluctancie and â—…areful to resign them without spot or â—…emish being throughly washed by the â—…ars of our own Repentance and by faith 〈◊〉 our Saviours blood that so he may â—…ceive them into his Mercy and sanctifie them by his grace and satisfie them with â—…is glory through Jesus Christ our Lord â—…nd only Saviour to whom with the Father and the Eternal Spirit be ascribed all â—…onour and glory be performed all bounâ—…en duty and obedience from this time â—…orth and for evermore Amen Quod de te per te loquimur da transeat ad te Utque tui simus nos age solus habe FINIS