glory of God might shine in the face of Iesus Christ whose glory we sée in the preaching of his word wherein he declareth the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory This glory the more the spirituall man beholdeth the more is he moued with desire to sée more and more and can neuer be sufficiently filled with that heauenly Contemplation Much were the Disciples moued at the sight of Christs transfigured glory in so much as they desired to haue enioyed the sight of it still so glorious it was that their minds were euen rauisht with the beauty thereof So Dauid desired to dwell in the Temple of the Lord not for a day but all the daies of his life to behold the beauty the goodnesse and mercies of God reuealed in his Word and to exercise himselfe in prayer Where God is duly and truly called vpon by a holy Congregation there appeareth the glory and beauty of Iehouah There is the Arke of the Lord the presence of the mighty God of Iacob whose glory filleth the Temple which the faithfull man séeth with a spirituall eye but the carnall man though bodily present in the same Temple apprehendeth it not As when Paul was conuerted he saw the glory of God shine vpon him but they that iournied with him though néere him saw nothing So that God is onely séene of them to whom hée pleaseth to reueale himselfe This beauty of the Lord shineth in the hearts of Gods elect children by the reuelation of the holy Ghost which none séeth but themselues And they take such sweet delight in the beholding of the face of God in Christ as they doe receiue in their soules the very Impression of the Image of the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and truth euen as Moses receiued thorow the splendor of the glory of God vpon Mount Sinai in his countenance such an impression of that glory that the children of Israel could not endure to behold with their eies the glory of his countenance What remaineth then but that we neglect not the continuall visitation of the temple of God to accompany the Congregation in the hearing of that heauenly Word to pray vnto God for his blessings and to giue him praise for his benefits And the Lord open our spirituall eies that we may euen here behold his beautie and bee hereafter pertakers of his glory A Praier for spirituall knowledge and increase of our holy desires to visit the Temple of God to heare his Word to pray vnto him and to praise him O Gracious Lord God most louing who reiectest none that come vnto thee with a perfect heart and none can come vnto thee vnlesse thou call him as well by thy inward Grace as by thy outward Word Vouchsafe according to the riches of thy Grace to grant that I may be strengthned by thy Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith and that my whole spirit soule and body may bee kept blamelesse to the comming of the Lord Iesus For thou knowest Lord what I am by nature a man vnworthy to enter vnder thy roofe or to presse into the place where thine honour dwelleth For thou art a God that louest righteousnesse and acceptest of such as are of cleane hearts and whose conuersations are vpright before thee but I am a sinner and corrupt as all my fathers were Cleanse me therefore O gracious Lord God in the bloud of Iesus Christ and make me fit to approach thine holy Temple that I may see thy beautie and behold thy glory Open mine eares that I may heare prepare my heart that I may vnderstand what thou teachest in thy word Enlighten mine inward eies the eies of my soule that I may see thee and take comfort in thy presence And open my lips that I may speake vnto thee in faith and answer mee againe in loue Teach mee that celestiall language that may moue thee to heare me For what booteth it me to come into thy house with deafe eares not to heare thee without attention to vnderstand thee mute and not be able to speake vnto thee Yet I know good Father that thou hearest them that cannot speake and thou teachest them that vnderstand not and thou openest the eies of them that see not such is thy loue towards vs as thou acceptest euen of the language of heartie sighes whither they be for sinne or for want of spirituall graces Thou knowest the inward desires of the heart tending to good or euill I am sorry good Father that any corruption lurketh in my defiled heart to keepe out that blessed guest thy Spirit I cannot of my selfe abandon corruption I cannot of my selfe so mortifie my sinne but that the dregges therefore will still remaine But cast me not out of thine holy Temple because I am a sinner but rather because I am a sinner admit to visit thy Temple to heare thy Word that I may learne to liue more and more obediently vnto thee Make thou my heart cleane and I shall bee all cleane so shall I visit thine house to honour thee and comfort my selfe by thy holy presence and shall take spirituall pleasure in thy beautie and be finally pertaker of thy glory Thou louest righteousnesse O make me righteous Thou hatest iniquity abandon my sinnes Knit my heart vnto thee that I may both feare and loue thy name Giue me a holy desire to seeke thee and to serue thee both in the materiall Temple with thy people and in all places at all times for thou art euery where to be found And where thou art there is thy house for thou dwellest not in Temples made with hands but in the heauens and in the hearts of them whom thou hast sanctified Turne thy face vnto me O Lord for thy face I seeke Shew me thy beauty and glory of thy countenance and change mee into thine owne Image by thy Spirit and in the same Spirit admit me continually to visit thy holy Temple Make my heart stable and vnblameable before thee in holinesse that I may serue thee with a sincere and pure heart and conscience vndefiled That I come not into thine house onely to seeme religious but in true faith and due reuerence and giue thou a blessing vnto my godly desires Amen VERSE 5. In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Tabernacle in the secret place of his Pauilion shall he hide mee and set me vpon a Rocke THe very name of Trouble is fearefull to a worldly man for he loues pleasure ease and when trouble commeth he is cast downe and is as it were at deaths doore but the true childe of God being fore-warned that if he will liue godly he must looke for and prepare himselfe to suffer trouble and affliction in this life Trouble therefore doth little or nothing moue him when it commeth because when he first entred into the schoole of christianity he learned that
and comfort in affliction 359 An effectuall Prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes 370 A Prayer for the morning with thanks for rest and safety 382 A Prayer to be vsed before a man goes to his rest 387 A MOTIVE to the Reader touching Meditation and Prayer First of Meditation MEditation is an inward action of the soule wherin the faithfull exercise themselues especially vpon the Word and promise of God vpon Heauen and heauenly things arising by the attentiue hearing or serious reading of the same Word deliberate consideration of the truth and infallibility of Gods promises contained therein and the assured performance of them touching their future blessed and glorious being after this life whereof the faithfull heart being assured through the testimony of Gods holy Spirit it delights in nothing so much as continually to thinke and meditate of the same according to the words of Christ Where our treasure is there are our hearts and thereof wee continually thinke DAVID had his heart set vpon his treasure hid with Christ aboue which made him to meditate cheerefully to sing O how loue I the Law of the Lord It is my continuall meditation yea I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy waies So did Salomon cry out Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel who spake with his mouth to Dauid my father and with his hand hath performed it 1 King 8. 15 16. All the promises of God in Scripture doe administer vnto the faithfull matter of continuall meditation and serious consideration and among many of his promises his promse of defence and deliuery of his in the time of danger trouble and affliction is to be often considered for that it concerneth especially the children of God that are most afflicted who considering the waies of God to be mercy and truth and that what he promiseth he will assuredly performe cannot but worke patience and patience hope and how can he bee without continuall holy Meditation whose heart is with God from whom he hopeth his helpe will come but in Gods owne time and therefore though wee hope we may not make haste though he promise to defend vs from danger deliuer vs in trouble he will not so answer our expectations as if wee knew the time when or the manner how to be releeued or defended better than he He will exercise his owne children awhile to proue their patience faith and obedience to cause vs to meditate and ponder his word and promise till hee haue sufficiently tried our constant assurance of his timely deliuery for it is his property to come to helpe his when they thinke hee hath most forgotten them How suffered he Dauid a man chosen after his owne heart to bee enuironed with infinite dangers in so much as he thought God had forsaken him altogether and forgotten him and therefore cries out How long wilt thou forget me Lord for euer and againe hee confessed that God had giuen him his hearts desire and that hee had not denied the request of his lips whereby appeareth that the sorce of liuely faith holy meditation and diuine prayer are able to make God offended God appeased suddenly to remoue sorrow and so bring ioy God hath promised to be a defence to the faithfull in whatsoeuer dangers yet if we wel weigh and consider the course of Gods dealing with his owne children and duly meditate of his power prouidence and wisdome wee shall finde that hee doth not alwaies come immediatly at the call of his dearest children DAVID was banished and persecuted long Ioseph was imprisoned long they both prayed for deliuery yet continued in a hard estate which was an argument in humane reason that God cared not for them and aboue them both was innocent Iob long and many waies afflicted God saw his miseries and heard his prayers but he left him yet to be an example to vs of like expectation of Gods timely releeuing vs and in his good time he made Dauid a King and Ioseph the chiefe vnder Pharaoh in Aegypt and restored Iob to his former yea to farre greater glory Thus doth God try his dearest children to occasion them to know and acknowledge that howsoeuer hee seeme to absent himselfe from them in their deepest dangers and to seeme deafe as it were vnto their prayers he yet hath an eie both on them and their enemies hee was a shelter vnto Dauid and curbed Saul he saw Ioseph in prison but with his liberty prepared his aduancement He saw Iobs afflictions but kept a hooke in Satans nosthrills that all that he did against Iob serued to his finall comfort Though therefore it happen the faithfull to be straited and enuironed with so many and mighty enemies and troopes of troubles that there appeareth no euasion no deliuery by any visible meanes yet there remaineth holy Meditation patient deliberation and serious consideration of Gods wonderfull deliuerances of his in all like dangers Consider Dauid and all his troubles and you shall finde hee fainted not but depended onely vpon the promises and prouidence of God with a godly resolution to wait the issue of his hope onely meditating on Gods promises and considering his waies and how he had before dealt with Abraham Izaak Iaacob Noah Lot Moses and other faithfull fathers before him the meditation and consideration of whose wonderfull deliueries cannot but work assurance in any beleeuing heart in like manner though by vnlike and hidden meanes in good time to be deliuered and therefore saith Dauid by way of meditation and confirmation of his and consequently our faith in God Our Fathers trusted in thee they called vpon thee and were heard they prayed vnto thee and thou deliueredst them out of all their troubles as if hee should say in himselfe by way of Meditation I finde by the Word of God that he hath deliuered many before my time that trusted in him called vpon him in greater dangers than I am in why then should I doubt or despaire of like deliuery I trust in him as these fathers trusted I call vpon and pray vnto him as they did therefore surely hee will heare me and helpe me in time conuenient thus did Dauid meditate in his troubles God commanded Iaacob to returne from Laban his Vncle into his countrie and Kindred from whom and whence he fled promising to doe him good Gen. 32. 9. Could Iaacob doe lesse than meditate and tâ—inke seriously of this command and promise of God considering hee was to returne to his desperatly malicious brother Esau who sought to murther him yet vpon due Meditation and consideration of Gods faithfull promise of defending him and doing him good hee ouercame feare by faithfull prayer and the Lord appeased his brothers malice towards him Examples of like nature are plentifull in holy Scriptures as of Mordecay and the Iewes Ester 7. of the Bethulians Iudith 7. and many others Holy meditation is most necessary and an especiall Motiue to faithfull prayer and prayer can neuer be so powerfull as vpon holy
procure thine attention any thing at all Why then should I say vnto thee hearken Why did Dauid say vnto thee hearken He was assured to bee heard Therefore I pray thee hearken O my God Hearken vnto the voice of my cry haue mercy also vpon me and heare me Heare the voice of my renewed heart the voice of my soule that figheth for my sinnes haue mercy therefore vpon me O Lord and pardon me that I may so cry and it may please thee so to heare as I may heare thine answer within as I cry within Lord let thy holy Spirit both speake to thee and answer me for I cannot preuailingly cry vnto thee vnlesse thou cry in me by thine owne Spirit sanctifying my spirit and answering my spirit again by thy spirit Hearken euen vnto thy selfe speaking in me and let my spirit heare thy spirit speaking to me and in mee So shall my soule sound forth a glorious voice a sharpe and piercing voice a voice whose sound shall ascend aboue the clouds where I haue a most louing and preuailing Mediator with thee euen Iesus Christ the righteous in whose name and for whose sake thou wilt deny nothing vnto those that come and cry faithfully vnto thee Then I euen I shall heare a most sweet and comfortable Eccho of Grace resound in the eares of my soule that shall assure me of answer of euery my petitions When I cry Lord forgiue me my sinnes I shall heare Thy sinnes O man are forgiuen thee when I shall say Open thou my lips I shall heare Open thy mouth and I will fill it When I shall say Lord I beleeue I shall heare Thou beleeuedst therefore shalt thou be saued When I call for strength in my tentations I shall heare My grace is sufficient for thee When I shall call vnto thee in my necessities for helpe I shall heare I will neuer faile thee nor forsake thee This is thy goodnesse O Lord and thy mercy therefore will I euermore pray vnto thee O hearken vnto my voice when I cry vnto thee haue mercy also vpon me and heare me The ground of all my comforts in all my troubles to bee eased is thy mercy yea thy mercy onely In mee there is nothing worthy to bee regarded of thee it is thy mercy only that maketh me to dwell in safetie And had it not beene of thy free mercy I had bin confounded long agone therefore in thy mercy heare me when I call vpon thee and in thy mercy releeue mee in thy mercy helpe mee Then shall neither enemies preuaile against me pouertie and want shald not ouer-much oppresse me sicknesse shall not dismay me nor any outward or inward trouble sinne nor Satan preuaile against me For thou O God art the God of my saluation my glory the God of my strength in thee will I euer trust So be it VERSE 8. When thou saidst seeke yee my face mine heart answered vnto thee O Lord I will seeke thy face IN this verse there is as it were a familiar conference betwéene the Lord and Dauid God saies vnto Dauid and in the plurall number to all that are his Seeke yee my face And Dauid againe in the name of the faithfull replies Thy face O Lord will I seeke It séemeth to be a strange command that we weake Creatures that cannot looke with stedfast eies vpon the Sun that is but one of his inferior Creatures but shall be striken blinde with the radiant beames thereof should séeke and behold his face which none could euer sée and liue And it séemeth likewise to be as strange a promise in Dauid to say that hée would séeke the face of God To séeke the Lord is in many places of Scripture enioyned vs but to séeke and to sée his face is not so frequently commanded But these phrases of spéech differ not for both signifie the séeking of his helpe and are not literally to be vnderstood as if God had a visible face to be séene or that he had a corporall being to be felt God is a spirit and spiritually to be sought and spiritually to be discerned and is not otherwise to be séene but in the face of Iesus Christ who is also now glorified in the heauens not visibly to bee apprehended by vs vntill his second comming What is then meant by the séeking of the face of God onely his fauour and his protection in the time of our danger And to séeke God is to implore his power prouidence and helpe in our afflictions As Ieremiah comforting the captiue Israelites in Babylon You shall goe and pray vnto me saith God and I will heare you and if you seeke me yee shall finde me if you seeke me with all your hearts And againe Azariah said to Asa Iuda and Beniamin The Lord is with you while yee be with him And if yee seeke him he will be found of you but if yee forsake him hee will forsake you God is present with the faithfull by his continuall helping power as long as they hold him fast by their praiers and wrastle with him with their faithfull petitions as Iacob did with the Angell and cry vnto him till he answer and neuer leaue seeking of him till hee finde him If we séeke him in the Word wée shall finde him there as the spirit hath described him both a mercifull God and a consuming fire The faithfull finde him mercifull euen in this life the wicked shall finde him a seuere Judge hereafter The first shall sée his face and reioyce the second shall sée his face and tremble The first shall sée and behold the beauty of his countenance with great gladnesse for euer the second shall sée his face for a moment in his last sentence and that with horror God saies vnto all Seeke yee my face but few with their hearts doe séeke him And that is the reason that many call vpon him and are not heard they séeme to séeke him and finde him not but vnto the truly faithfull hée offereth himselfe as he did to Moses My presence shall goe with thee and I will giue thee rest This is the true beholding of the face of God to enioy his presence namely when he is ready in his power and prouidence to helpe vs in our afflictions and to deliuer vs in our dangers any other presence of his in this life we néede not séeke his glory is aboue the Heauens What is man then that he should séeke to sée his all-glorious face here in earth which Moses saw but in a bush obscurely in respect of his full and compleat glory and yet with that sight his face did shine so as the people could not abide the glory of his face How much lesse the glory of the most vnspeakable beauty of y e face of y e most high whose dwelling is in the heauens and whose power is ouer all his works in heauen and earth And therefore saith Dauid O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world which hast
within the same the fountaine of all perfect hope the giuer of patience and maintainer of our strength thou knowest my troubles and beholdest mine afflictions and what and how many they are and how burthensome vnto mee thy weake creature in stead therefore of my weake ability giue mee thy preuailing strength giue me hope in thee let mee be strong in thee let my comfort be of thee and let me truly trust in thee then shall I with patience beare these and whatsoeuer troubles it shall please thee to lay vpon me Arme mee with faith O Lord that I trusting in thy defence may not sinke vnder the weight of my troubles importable to flesh and bloud thou hast promised to bee the God of my saluation so shall nothing hurt mee my glory so nothing shall disgrace me my rocke and my strength so nothing shall moue mee nor remoue mee from my trust in thee I am thine saue mee keepe me as the apple of thine eye hide me vnder the shadow of thy protecting wings then shall no enemy annoy mee no trouble dismay mee nor affliction or feare shall cast mee downe by thee I shall withstand or escape the fury force fraud of all my foes by thee I shall bee timely releeued in all my necessities and in thee shall I bee comforted in all mine afflictions I will not feare thou art my God I will not faint thou art the comfort of my heart Let mee still taste of thy goodnesse and behold thy saluation in hope let mee hold fast by thee in faith let me be strong in thee with comfort let mee reioyce and be glad in thee Continue thy mercies towards mee O Lord for my soule trusteth in thee knowing and confessing that I haue no other Comforter but thee no Defender but thee nor any Helper but thee Forsake me not therefore O my God in my greatest need send from Heauen and saue me for all power belongeth vnto thee therefore doth my soule cleaue vnto thee it longeth and thirsteth for thy saluation O let mee plentifully taste how sweet thy goodnesse is thy goodnesse appeared in my creation more in my redemption but most in mine election thou formedst me in the wombe thou broughtest me thence giuing me hope euen from my Mothers brest and I was euen then cast vpon thy prouidence therefore leaue me not nor be farre from mee now trouble is befalne mee but as thou hast taken charge of me from the beginning so continue still to defend me for I haue none besides thee to helpe me therefore cast I my burthen vpon thee for thou hast taken vpon thee to nourish me In thee O Lord I trust let mee neuer be ashamed nor confounded deliuer me according to thy promise for thou art my hope O Lord in thee haue I trusted from my youth Let my prayers O Lord enter into thy presence heare me and helpe me let nothing hinder the worke of thy mercies towards me not mine vnworthinesse O Lord but accept me worthy in thy most worthy then shall not the weaknesse of my faith diminish my hope nor extenuate my strength nor depriue me of my comfort in thee but my faith hope strength and comfort shall increase more and more and patience shalâ— haue it perfect working in me to wait vntill thine appointed time come for my deliuery out of some of my troubles for I endure many O Lord and the least of them of weight more than sufficient to presse mee downe vnlesse thou support mee yet I acknowledge them easie in comparison of my euill deseruings O pardon mine offences cleanse me of my sinnes and make mee vpright in thy waies then shall I with perfect patience beare my troubles and rest in hope vntill it shall please thee to ease me of my troubles or to bring them to an end which grant gracious Lord God in Iesus Christ to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be honour power and praise for euermore Amen A Prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes reformation of life and comfort in affliction O My God my God hide not thy face from mee stop not thine eares at my prayers and refuse not to heare the words of my complaint though I cannot but confesse O Lord against my selfe that by reason of my sins I haue deserued thy displeasure and that in so high a measure as if thou shouldest vtterly confound me yet were there no iniustice in thee for the euills that I haue committed and the good duties I haue omitted in thy seuere iustice deserue the same but Lord looke not so narrowly into my waies as to obserue and register against me euery sinne committed and euery duty omitted by me knowing that I am by nature corrupt and sinfull as all my fathers were Lord what were Abraham Izaak Iaacob Iob Noah Lot Moses Eliah or Dauid though a man chosen after thine owne heart Paul that elect vessell but men by nature carnall and euen sold vnder sinne vntill thou of thine owne free mercy vouchsafedst to infuse heauenly wisdome into their hearts and diuine graces into their soules vntill thou diddest fully season them aboue others by thy holy Spirit yet Lord thou knowest that euen these select vessels of thine were not without their owne naturall infirmities They stood not vprightly by their owne strength but by thee if they had had will and power of and in themselues to worke righteousnes they might haue had whereof to boast but not with thee but being only supported by thee they gaue the sole glory to thee Seeing then gracious Father that all our most godly fore-fathers had their defects by nature and their perfection through thy grace I being corrupt as they were by nature borne corrupt and brought forth the fruits of corruption vntill thou begattest them anew by thy Spirit what differ I from them by nature And therefore Lord as they became holy not of themselues but by thee so canst thou make me holy as they were holy by the same grace There is none O Lord that by his owne wisdome is capable of that wisdome whereby to know thee aright how much lesse able by his owne power to performe that obedience which may make him accepted of thee If then it be as indeed it is of thine owne free mercy and grace that any man becomes wise in thee and righteous before thee who hath cause to boast of his owne merit Or who needs despaire of his owne vnworthinesse seeing thou art equally mercifull to all whom thou hast called and accepted into the number of them that shall be saued O send downe send downe from Heauen that thy sanctifying Spirit into my heart that that liuely faith whereby our most godly fore-fathers were accepted of thee may be more and more inkindled and breake forth into a holy flame of godlinesse and zeale and my whole man be changed into the same image of sanctity which appeared in them in whom thou most delightest then thou my God now deseruedly offended with me for
of presumption though he were a King whose examples in some cases is not fit for inferiours to imitate But in matters concerning holy duties to God there ought to be no difference betweene Princes and people for God is no accepter of persons but hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse be he high or low rich or poore King or vassall is accepted of him And hee that commeth neerest in the imitation of the holy life of a godly King hee neerest resembleth the King of Kings who is holy and would haue all men without exception to become holy as hee is holy and to beare all troubles crosses and afflictions with a godly resolution for his sake that willingly suffered infinite miseries and torments for ours and hee that endureth most with most resolute and godly patience becommeth likest vnto Christ our Redeemer This consideration comming into my minde and feeling the heauy burthen of this worlds miseries crosses and afflictions of diuers kinds I could not but for mine owne satisfaction and comfort search the Scriptures the Register of things of old written for our learning where finding that all our holy fathers the dearest children of God in all ages from the beginning haue suffered and patiently vndergone infinite and grieuous troubles with most godly and constant resolution I tooke counsell and courage to imitate as farre as by the assistance of the same grace of God whereby they suffered I might some worthy preceding patterne of faith and constancy And among many most worthy I finde none in generall troubles and dangers for constant resolution faithfull prayer and patience more fit for imitation than godly Dauid whom although hee were a King and a man chosen after Gods owne heart yet was hee not without his variety of afflictions especially enemies both before hee came to his Kingdome by Saul and his vngodly instruments and after also not onely by forraine enemies as the Philistines the Amonites the Moabites the Amalakites the Edomites and others but by his owne subiects nay by them of his own house as by Ahitophel his owne priuy Councellor and Absolon his owne son He was enforced to flie and to hide himselfe in the Wildernesse in the time of Saul who sought his life and was discouered vnto Saul by faithlesse Doeg He suffered hunger and was denied to be refreshed by sottish Nabal His wiues were taken prisoners and with great danger he recouered them He was like to be stoned of his owâ—e people He was derided and mocked by Michâ—l his owne wife for praising God in a dance before the Arke His seruants were shamefully intreated by Haman to whom hee sent them to congratulate him in loue Hee was forced to flie bare footed from Absolon his sonne He was railed on and causlesse cursed by wicked Shemey with many other extremities of all kinds yet fainted hee not but through faith hee tooke courage and comfort by his prayers vnto and dependance on GOD who neuer failed him noâ— forsooke him but alwaies and in all his perills deliuered him and returneth the praise and glory to God The example of this most worthy King among many other godly fore-fathers doe witnesse vnto vs that it is no new thing to see the dearest children of God afflicted in this life yea most worthy Kings and that not without the speciall prouidence and loue of God who will consecrate his owne through many troubles which yet deserueth not the glory which shall follow Dauid in all his troubles was neuer destitute of Gods assistance inward comfort for he depended vpon diuine prouidence in faithfull praier the strongest armour against enemies the safest Castle against dangers and the best assurance to obtaine whatsoeuer we need And therefore as Dauid beleeued in and prayed vnto this powerfull and preuailing God so may all Gods afflicted childreÌ„ imitate his faithfull and godly resolution in all their dangers with like patience and hope and they shall be safe as he plainly and plentifully testifieth in sundry most sweet and comfortable Psalmes especially in this 27. Psalme wherein being in the middest of his troubles he sheweth the force of his saith to bee such as though hee were in danger and forsaken of all his friends he was as fully assured to bee deliuered in due time as if he had beene euen then out of all danger This blessed example then of a liuely faith and the successe thereof laid thus before our eies cannot but stirre vp in vs if we haue any faith a holy desire to imitate him according to the measure of that spirit which guided this godly King and made him as it were the pen of a most diuine Scribe whose Scripture hath left vs such heauenly learning as may teach vs all things both for this life and that which is to come and happy is the man that truly followeth his worthy example MEDITATIONS and Prayers vpon the 27. PSALME VERSE 1. The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I bee afraid AS God hath giuen vs outward and corporall eyes to see and behold the workes of his hands here below so hath he giuen vs inward and spirituall light to sée himselfe and spiritually to behold the wonderfull things hee hath done for our soules saluation therefore when we looke vpon his creatures with our corporall eies wee should lift vp the eyes of our mindes to behold him that hath made framed and preserued these visible things The Sunne is a visible creature by whose beames our bodily eies are enlightned for the eye it selfe giueth not but receiueth the light which the Sunne giueth for if of it selfe it gaue the light wee should apprehend â—no darknesse at all but take away outward light and the eye is darke So the eye of the minde the eye of the soule cannot of it selfe apprehend that spirituall light which is Christ that lighteth euery man that commeth into the world And without him the minde is darke and runneth and rusheth vpon diuers stumbling blocks of errors and dangers But he that is guided by that light which was Dauids light séeth and walketh the way of safety and saluation in that light Christ is the well of life he is the light in whom all the Elect sóe the true light and walke in it The ordinary meanes to apprehend Christ the light is the word which he taught and left vnto vs yet not of it selfe that light but onely sheweth it for euery man that heareth the word séeth not the light comprehended in the same but they onely whose inward eies the Lord openeth to behold Christ the light and they walke in the light Many saw Christ but not as hee was the light and their saluation for they delighted in darknes more than light working wickednesse euen against that light in whom and by whom and through whom they onely that truly séeke that light haue assured saluation neither is there safety or saluation in any
heard that our enemies haue boasted through the false and forged benediction of him that is a deceiuer and yet taketh the falsly conceiued authority from heauen But our God laughed their pride insolency and security to scorne taking our cause into his owne hand confounded their deuices daunted their hearts weakned their armes abandoned their Nauies by his owne power euen as he gaue proud Benadab into Ahabs power though a wicked King and an Idolater therefore not for Ahabs sake but for his owne Names seke and his owne peoples safety And to shew his Omnipotent power in defending his owne and confounding his and their enemies So that the truly faithful in God being threatned beset and besieged by wicked multitudes néed not to be afraid for though war be raised against them that God that defended Dauid Hezekias and all that haue truly called vpon him in like danger will as hée hath euer hitherunto defend vs. They that haue the God of Hosts on their side néed not to feare though Kings combine and people rage as if they would eat vp their flesh Onely let them liue godly pray faithfully and vse ordinary meanes lawfully then if an Host pitch against them their hearts néed not be afraid though warre be raised against them let them trust in him and they shall sée the saluation of God They that fight against Gods people fight euen against God himselfe as Paul persecuting his children persecuted Christ. If therefore a mighty Host inuade vs we may boldly though in seeming weaknesse encounter them for there are more with the children of God though not séene than with the wicked God neuer faileth nor forsaketh his vnlesse they forsake him he leaueth them not vnlesse they leaue him Infinite are the examples hereof in holy Scriptures which might be also produced further to confirme our assurance And were it néedfull there might be inserted not a few examples of Gods like deliueries recorded in our owne Chronicles and in our own remembrances But where Gods Spirit speaketh by the pens of Gods owne Secretaries there néed no humane testimonies but onely to shew that God is still the same He is Alpha and Omega the same yesterday to day and for euer therefore may the man that is godly assure himselfe with holy Dauid If an Host of enemies pitch against him his heart need not bee afraid though war be raised against him he may trust in this That when the wicked euen his enemies and his foes come vpon him to eat vp his flesh they shall stumble and fall A Praier to God that he will defend vs from our Enemies O Holy and most mightie God of Hosts who dwellest in the heauens and yet art thou absolute also in the earth gouerning guiding directing and protecting those that feare thy name so that they need not feare the power or malice of whatsoeuer aduersaries for saluation belongeth vnto thee alone and thy blessing is euermore vpon them that faithfully depend vpon thee Therefore Lord though we be weake in power ignorant in carnall policies destitute of humane aid and beset with enemies who raise deadly warre against vs confirme our faith in thee and we shall be strong yea stronger than our enemies and wiser than our most politicke and subtill aduersaries and shall be either able to withstand their violence or escape their mischiefes though we haue no other defence but thy prouidence no other armour but thy loue no other weapons but true faith and a holy feare of thy name yet in this defence will we trust and in this saluation will we reioyce In this confidence Lord come we vnto thee powring out our hearts before thee not because thou knowest them not but because thou knowest them therefore come we vnto thee that thou maist bee pleased to remoue our feare and ease our griefe and to be strengthned and confirmed in a liuely assurance of our safetie and saluation in thee and of thy defence against these our enemies for there is none besides thee that can deliuer vs. Remember Lord thy goodnesse which thou vouchsafedst to our faithfull fore-fathers of old how thou deliueredst them from their enemies when they cried vnto thee Heare vs we pray thee O Lord and helpe vs for vaine is the helpe of man Turne our feare into assurance of thy fauour and helpe our mourning into reioycing in thee Loose our sorrowes and gird vs againe with gladnesse let not our sinnes hinder thy mercies wherein wee pray thee to turne the counsell of our wicked aduersaries into foolishnesse their strength into weaknesse and their hope into despaire Thou art the Lord of hosts high and mightie louing vnto those that feare thee helpfull vnto those that trust in thee and a terrible God vnto them that despise thee or thine What Tyrant can stand before thee What King can encounter thee or take thy children out of thy hands Pharaoh could not detaine Israell when thou wouldest transplant them Saul could not hurt Dauid thou defending him Senacherib could not haue his desire against Hezâ—kias thou fighting for him our enemies could not hurt vs thou curbing them O shew thy selfe now as thou hast euer done our defender With speed O'Lord reforme all our imperfections couer the multitude of our grosse and fearefull sins which call for enemies and other punishments in thy iustice to be inflicted vpon vs Turne thou vnto vs and we shall returne vnto thee Let our repentance appeare by the mortification of our sinfull desires Humble vs and we shall be humbled then shalt thou in compassion pardon vs and in thy fauour compasse vs about as with a shield Thou shalt bee our refuge in our greatest danger for there is no God besides thee no help but of thee Thou alone art able to command an Hoste of Angels from heauen to attend and guard vs Twentie thousand thousand Angels canst thou send from heauen to defend vs thy selfe the chiefe Leader of that celestiall army whereof one of them is sufficient to confound a million of thine and our wicked enemies when they assaile vs to cat vp our flesh thou in a moment canst make them to stumble and fall What then is man Or what is the force of Princes when thou takest part against them in the behalfe of them whom thou wilt defend Therefore cast we our burden and care vpon thee for thou hast promised to care for vs. O send therefore from heauen and saue vs haue mercy vpon vs O God haue mercy vpon vs for we trust in thee And vnder the shadow of thy wings will wee shelter our selues vntill our enemies bee either conuerted or confounded Then shall we praise thy name O Lord for that thou hast not left vs as a prey vnto the will of our enemies and though we walke in the midst of troubles yet we know and are assured that thou wilt take a conuenient time to finish the worke of our absolute deliuery For thy mercy and thy truth and thy power endure from
Wildernesse of Ziph in the holds of Engedy in Maan and Gath vncoth and solitary places hee found the Lord his God euen in his holy Temple for where God is present there is his Temple In the Lions den Daniel found him in the Furnace the three children in the Dungeon Ieremy in the Prison Peter vnder the stones Stephen in Sodom Lot in the floud Noah God is euery where where hée is called vpon faithfully Euery faithfull childe of God is alwaies in Gods house where Dauid desired so earnestly to dwell yet though he found God euery where where he called vpon him he had an earnest desire to bée conuersant euen in that materiall temple where the children of God did assemble to celebrate the praises of God and to heare his Word and though he were their King thought it no disparagement but the greatest part of his duty to accompany his subiects according to conueniencie in the holy exercises of Religion whereof being preuented by meanes of his enemies hée complaineth that hée was as a Pelican in the Wildernesse and as an Owle in the Desert And déemed the Sparrow more happy than he because that silly Bird could at all times resort vnto that holy place to which he could not come Lord saith Dauid who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle and who shall rest in thy holy Mountaine that is who shall worthily enter into thy holy Temple and behold thy beauty he answereth Hee that worketh righteousnesse c. for God is holy and requireth holinesse of life walking vprightly in a liuely faith And therefore though it be the duty of all men to frequent the materiall Temple of God to accompany the congregation in prayer praising of God and hearing his Word yet all come not with that holy desire that Dauid did nor qualified as Dauid was yet hée that is vnprepared to day may bée fit to morrow for the Word of God is as a Net and often times catcheth men ere they bee aware therefore ought all men to desire as Dauid did to visit Gods Temple where this Net of the Word is spread for being once taken hee will then with Dauid require that one thing namely to dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life and often to visit his Temple Dauid did not onely make a bare request vnto God but did euen presse him hée required him as if he had béen familiar with him as the faithfull may vse a holy familiarity with God in their prayers praying God to afford him that blessing of blessings as to admit him into his holy presence wherein is the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore not for a day a moneth or a yéere as worldlings haue and then perish but begun here and shall neuer haue end To dwell in the house of Iehouah is to dwell abide in his fauour to be partaker of his sanctifying grace to haue the true knowledge of his diuine will and to practice it by faith obedience zeale prayer and to beare about vs the markes of the Lord Jesus in patient vndergoing the burthen of the Crosse and in continuall exercise of holinesse and righteousnesse whosoeuer is in this case is safe in the holy Temple of God as in a safe Sanctuary and is a true member of the mysticall body of our conquering Christ the head of that Church which is the true Temple neither made with hands and which hands cannot pull downe Out of which are barred all such as trust in lying miracles and workes that cannot profit such as steale commit idolatry adultery such as sweare falsly and such as fall downe and worship false gods or the true God after a false and idolatrous manner Though these stand in the materiall Temple or seclude themselues in Cloisters in séeming deuotion to sequester themselues from the world to God and yet commit many barbarous sinnes and grosse impieties thinking themselues safe and to be reconciled to God by a confessory penance God will not onely not heare them but reiect them their prayers for they seeme religious and are not obedient to God and are not faithfull and are not but are méere Hypocrites who resorting to the Temple of God commit rather sacrilege than offer sacrifice acceptable to God These visit not the Temple but rather defile if with their counterfeit holinesse who would séeme in shew Saints but in heart enemies to Christ and Christians yet cry they the Church the Church and yet farre from being members of it So many séeming-good Christians cry out Preach Preach and séeme neuer satisfied with Sermons this desire is good if their hearts desire it to profit and practise the word but if it be but to séeme religious and inwardly retaine their corrupt desires if they amend not their waies and their workes séeme they neuer so holy they are but Hypocrites for this is to bée in the Temple of God by his Word preached to learne to execute iudgement not to oppresse the poore nor the stranger the fatherlesse nor the Widow not to deceiue nor to walke after other gods after riches and pleasures If this fruit of hearing appeare in them they are no doubt of the family and house of God and shall dwell in his Tabernacle and rest securely vpon his holy Mountaine for they are of the generation of the iust but there is a generation saith Salomon that are pure in their owne conceits and yet are not washed from their filthinesse they follow the deuices of their owne hearts And assume vnto themselues a peculiar manner of seruing of God not according to the sincere truth but as God abhorreth all sacrifices of vncleane things so doth hee all counterfeit showes of sincerity God admitteth not sinners namely such as make no conscience of sinne to come into his holy presence much lesse to dwell in his holy Temple though they may séeme to honour him with their lips He detesteth their forged sacrifices and their very praiers are abhominable though they pertake of the holy Sacraments and performe outwardly other diuine duties Hee is not pleased with them neither behold they the beauty of the Lord but his seuere and fierce countenance is bent against them But such as desire with the like affection as Dauid did to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his Temple are such as the Lord enuiteth and willeth to come and louingly embraceth them They come not for a spirt and away but desire to make their continuall abode where they may still behold his beautie and his glory his louing kindnesse and mercies towards them shewed in his word as in a glasse which appeareth more swéet and amiable to the cies of their sanctified soules than the most beautifull feature of Angels This most heauenly beauty Dauid desired to sée saw it as Paul teacheth saying That God cōmanded the light to shine out of darknesse euen in our harts that the light of the knowledge of the
whatsoeuer or whosoeuer shall rise vp against me I will neither faint nor feare for thou wilt be my succour thou wilt neither faile me nor forsake me O God of my saluation Amen VERSE 10. Though my Father and my Mother forsake me thou Lord wilt take me vp IT is impossible for man to comprehend the depth of Gods vnsearchable wisdome prouidence and loue towards his children his wisdome in disposing his prouidence in finding out and his loue in bestowing things both spirituall and corporall vpon his children necessary In so much as wée may admire with Saint Paul and say O the déepnesse of the vnsearchable riches of the wisdome prouidence and loue of God towards vs who when father mother friends and meanes faile vs hée taketh charge of vs we are all cast vpon his prouidence and care euen as well before as when we are borne And if then father and mother faile vs or forsake vs he will take vs to himselfe as he tooke vp Moses out of the riuer being cast into it in a basket of réeds in a most desperate danger to be vtterly cast away Did father or mother preserue him Was it not the prouidence of God that saued him Was not Ioseph cast into a pit by his Brethren intending hée should haue there perished Was hee not after sould to Merchants and then as a slaue depriued of the aid or comfort of father mother or friends falsly accused vniustly imprisoned Who tooke him into protection Who tooke care of him was not God alone he that preserued him The prouidence of God ouer-ruleth all things that fall out in the world for hée causeth them all to worke for the best not onely for them that are of age to loue him and to pray vnto him as Dauid did but euen vnto Infants as vnto Moses when he was a childe preseruing him beyond the expectation of his owne Parents It worketh also all troubles crosses and afflictions to the good of his There is none so young nor any so old but God disposeth of them yea when they haue neither father nor mother or friend to helpe them hée then comes and takes them into his own guard and kéeping bée they neuer so base and vile in mans corrupt indgement he can make them honorable be they neuer so abiect and despised either for birth or poore estate he is all one to all he respecteth no degrée Though he dwell in the heauens farre aboue our apprehension yet he beholdeth all his creatures and knoweth them he can sée through the Clouds and behold all the things on earth He is good to all and his mercies are ouer all his workes He vpholdeth all that fall and lifteth vp all that are ready to fall When a man loseth father and mother being left naked and destitute of helpe is it not a great tentation When he knowes not which way or to whom to turne for reléefe What a comfort is it then which the holy spirit hath here recorded of the prouidence and loue of God who hath promised that when we are depriued of all earthly meanes he will be a father and mother vnto vs Children commonly in their young yeeres care for no prouision for food or maintenance but relie onely vpon their parents So the Children of God howsoeuer old they are yet vnable of themselues to prouide things necessary without their heauenly fathers helpe And therefore as the young birds â—ang at the bill of the old for food so doe Gods children depend vpon God for all that they néed and he doth nourish them He is in stead of their naturall father and mother nay fathers and mothers may haue a good desire to prouide for their children but want the meanes but our heauenly father wanteth none To come to preferment nay to bee supplied with things necessary is neither from the East nor from the West saith Dauid nor from the South But God is the Iudge he maketh low and he maketh high What a strange kinde of care then is it in many Parents that setting God as it were aside his prouidence and care and onely study how they may aduance their children to greatnesse after their deaths As if when they can sée them richly prouided for it is sufficient riches lands and reuenues are in stead of father and mother and of Gods prouidence also And yet if these men were not wilfully blinde or rather besotted whether more with the fond loue of their children or foolish desire of vaine-glory I cannot tell they might obserue more poore cast and depending vpon the prouidence of God by religious endeuors to liue more contentedly with their little than many left rich with their plentie and more from meane beginnings to rise to greatnesse than in hereditary greatnesse to gaine glory and continuance Let them then that are in a meane estate wanting father and mother which imply all worldly meanes take comfort and courage in this That God to the faithfull is in stead of al helps and if our naturall fathers that begat vs our naturall mothers that bare vs our friends that professed friendship to vs and the meanes that wée had to sustaine vs faile all let vs not feare for the Lord of heauen and earth and the owner and disposer of all things within the same hath giuen vs a promise to be a father vnto vs if a father he will loue vs if he loue vs he will not see vs want any thing that is fit and necessary for vs. Though then our eies faile vs our féet falter vnder vs our hands be helplesse to vs though our limbs become weake though we hane neither Gold nor Siluer nor food nor raiment nor friend nor helper but our ancient friends and companions to deride vs for our basenesse enemies to rage and raile against vs for our poorenesse let vs not dismay nor fall from our faith and assurance in God he is our father let vs returne vnto him though as Prodigalls he will entertaine vs into his house not as seruants but as sonnes Hée will regard vs as his sonnes prouide for vs as his sonnes and defend vs as his sonnes and in stead of our naturall father he will be our heauenly father hee will bring vs vp and wée shall want nothing that is good though hee séeme here to expose vs to be as Apprentises for a time in the world to learne to beare the Crosse of Christ it is but seuen yéeres be it seuenty hee in the end will make vs frée men of the City new Ierusalem where we shall worke no more in our former trade of life but in stead of all the miseries and troubles wée here endure wee shall haue peace and rest and glory for euermore Therefore in the meane time while we shall liue as the worlds slaues here let vs vndergoe it with patience it is but a little while If we want any thing for soule or body hee willeth vs to tell him and hee will supply it If any wrong vs
Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan Sauls sonne who accused him most falsly to Dauid perswading him that Mephibosheth went about to take from Dauid the kingdome onely to get Mephibosheths patrimony as it is commonly the end of all the testimonies false witnesses giue to gaine outward reward thereby As the Iewes hired and suborned false witnesses against that most sanctified man Stephen to put him to death The like against innocent Naboth by wicked Iezabel who was likewise stoned to fulfill the lust of enemies It is a dangerous thing for the most innocent man in the world to fall vnder the testimony of false witnesses The accused seldome escapes vnlesse there be a Daniel to examine circumstances to finde out the truth A false witnesse is one of the six things that God himselfe abhorreth for of all men he is the most dangerous and therefore no maruell that Dauid hauing such enemies as made no conscience of whatsoeuer deuillish inuention to betray him and to haue their lust of him did pray Giue me not ouer to the lust of mine enemies for there are false witnesses risen vp against mee and such as speake cruelly Dauid feared more false witnesses than the open force of his enemies who when they came vpon him they stumbled and fell and therefore was not dismaied if an Host pitched against him Secret false combinations of enemies accompanied with false witnesses who can withstand or auoid The tongue which God made in the beginning good and to be a faithfull witnesse of the heart the Deuill hath made the instrument of falshood and lies For now in many the heart the tongue are so estranged as the one vttereth what y e other thinks not the other thinks what y e other vtters not The tongue becomes an instrument to deceiue which was made to explaine the true meaning of the heart But where the tongue speakes falsly the heart cannot be right and where the heart is corrupt the tongue cannot be sound There was once a confusion of tongues not of that part which moueth to frame the voice for the tongue it selfe remained as before it was but inforced to alter the language but now there séemeth to be a confusion betwéene the tongue and the heart which should be as one Both which being so farre disioyned in consent now as it séemeth to be another confusion of our language One knew not what another said when that one language became so changed and who vnderstands now what another speakes when he speakes what he meanes not How then can hee bee truly vnderstood what hée speakes Men indéed are become as it were false witnesses against themselues when the tongue beares witnesse against the heart and the heart against the tongue If then we become so confounded in our language when we call for one thing we bee offered another all good men had néed to craue a diuine Interpreter who knoweth the heart for by the tongue we cannot truly vnderstand what some men meane And that is the reason so many are at this day deceiued and vniustly many times condemned and therefore not vnfit for euery man though he obserue to haue no professed enemy as Dauid seemed to haue to pray as Dauid did vnto God the searcher and disposer of all hearts and she restrainer of all false tongues O giue me not ouer to the lust of mine enemies for there are false witnesses risen vp against mee and such as speake cruelly A Prayer that God will preserue vs from our enemies that they preuaile not against vs and to preuent vs of false witnesses O Most mighty God Defender of the faithfull the Protector of them that betake themselues vnder thy protecting hand the mightiest among men cannot hurt the least whom thou protectest the subtillest cannot circumuent them whom thou guidest in thine owne waies Saul could not hurt Dauid though he pursued him with deadly hatred pursuing him to take away his life Thou neuer leftest him to the lust of his enemies Thou art powerfull and in respect of thee my most powerfull and politickest Aduersaries are weake and foolish O let them not haue their wished desires against me though they suborne false witnesses against me let their false tongues falter in their mouthes Let their lying lips be shut vp with shame and let all those that take malicious counsell against me and combine together to hurt or to destroy me be turned enemies one to the other and let them doe each to other as they intend to doe vnto me Let their tongues wherewith they thinke to speake falsly against me cleaue to the roofes of their mouthes For thou hearest how proudly hatefully and disdainfully they speake against me falsly as if I were their enemy But thou art a righteous Iudge and markest theirs and my waies their thoughts and their practises and policies and my simplicitie None of their inward inuentions none of their wicked proiects policies and secret practises are hid from thee and therefore Lord leaue me not vnto their lust Confirme my faith in thee powre thy grace and holy spirit into the inward parts of my soule that I sincerely seruing thee may either win their vnfained friendship or that thou wilt preuent their malicious deuices against me and that I may possesse mine owne in peace Although they now stand vpon the open stage of the world and sound out the Trumpets of their enuious and slanderous tongues of reproach against me And although they suborne false witnesses against me let my vprightnesse approue them lyers Let my course of life so contrary to their false reports try and approue proue them false witnesses risen vp against me Though I cannot but confesse against my selfe not onely vnto thee in secret but vnto them openly that I come short of some duties that I ought to performe yet consider my willing minde to performe them without reproofe Lord I am weake in strength I am not wise enough to deale with the Politicians of this world I cannot withstand nor finde out the practises that mine enemies contriue against mee who haue a strong desire to haue their wills to execute their lust especially false witnesses being suborned against mee but giue me not ouer to the lust of mine aduersaries that speake so cruelly against me falsifying the cause of their hatred as if I had done them iniury extenuating their owne malice and mischiefe as if their wicked deuices were lawfull and grounded vpon Iustice and their violence rather charitable than malicious what they haue done and what they intend thou knowest and how vniustly they afflict me thou seest who art a God that iudgest right Rise vp therefore O Lord and take my cause into thine owne hand make their wicked counsells as Achithophels for haue they not said in their hearts Come let vs cut them off from being a people and let their name bee no more had in remembrance In so much as many of them say There is no helpe for me in thee Yet
desires to die he destroyed them in the Wildernes in his heauy displeasure The frailty of a faithlesse man is great he can beare no troubles hee can endure no afflictions with any kinde of patience because hée hath no true and sound vnderstanding of God and his prouidence He thinkes if he prosper and by his naturall policy and meanes can preuent dangers and troubles or hauing them can vse sinister meanes to ease them hée ascribes it to his owne carnall wisdome but when that preuaileth not but that hée is pinched and déeply plunged in distresses and miseries which he cannot ease then hee begins to faint and to murmur and cry Who shall giue mee flesh to eat How shall I get mony to supply my wants Would God I had died when I was young would God I were dead and the like The troubles and afflictions of the wicked and the godly differ not in the outward shew the wicked may bee poore so may the most godly they may haue like outward crosses and afflictions but their bearing of them is vnequall the wicked as before is said faint and fume and murmur and grudge at euery small crosse or affliction and although they heare the promises of God who is ready to helpe yet they beléeue them not They can bee assured of nothing that hangs vpon Gods promises they would think and speake and obiect against God as that Prince in Samaria did when Elisha foretold from the mouth of God plenty to that distressed and besieged City Though the Lord said hee would make windowes in the Heauen could this come to passe So incredulous are men without sound faith that once downe they thinke they shall neuer rise once in trouble they shall neuer haue ease and this is the cause that men séeming faithfull faint vnder their crosses and despaire in their afflictions but it is otherwise with the truly faithfull indéed who know by the foretelling of the Spirit of God in his Word that troubles attend the godly as the shadow the body and therefore prepare themselues before hand for them and reioyce in them in as much as they are partakers here of Christs sufferings So they are likewise assured that when his glory shall appeare they also shall appeare with him in glory yet the most faithfull may haue a kinde of fearefulnesse and fainting for a time but not such as shall preuaile but they will soone ouercome all such faithlesse qualmes by a liuely apprehension of Gods ready helpe through faith and then they may indéed say as Dauid did I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing There is none of himselfe so strong but when troubles and afflictions come will faint if faith in God faile them A Prayer that God will not forsake vs in our troubles and that our faith faile not HAd I not taken hold O God of thy louing promises and beleeued thy Word I should haue fainted and yet should faint vnder my troubles if I did not beleeue that thou O Lord knowest my troubles and that mine afflictions are not hid from thee thou hast promised to be a refuge for the poore a refuge in due time euen in affliction keepe me O Lord as the apple of thine eye according to thy promise hide me vnder the shadow of thy wings from the wicked that oppresse me I haue called vpon thee in my troubles O Lord and cried vnto thee my God and thou hast heard me and holpen mee yea when I haue beene ready vtterly to haue fainted I haue cried vnto thee and thou hast redeemed mee and deliuered me Those mercies of thine O Lord remember still renue them euermore towards mee for I stand in continuall need of thy continuall presence Thy goodnesse is great O Lord which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee and done to them that trust in thee euen before the sonnes of men I haue felt thy fauour and formerly tasted of thy loue How could I but haue fainted but that I still beleeued to bee partaker of thy goodnesse and mercy in my troubles Thou O Lord art my secret place thou preseruest me in trouble and compassest me about with ioyfull deliuerance therefore will I not faint knowing that thine eies are vpon mee and thine eare open vnto my prayers I trust in thee I will not bee afraid what man can doe vnto me Thou Lord hast said concerning the faithfull hee shall call vpon mee and I will heare him so that both my prayers and thy hearing are both thine owne gifts Nay thou addest further Lord I will bee with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him O why should I feare then or faint seeing thou art pleased to be with me in my troubles as to take part as it were with me of mine afflictioÌ„s wonderfull and vnspeakable O Lord is the extent of thy power and wonderfull the limits of thy loue impossible it is to finde out the depth of thy compassions towards thy children thou hearest vs before we call thou giuest before wee aske thou helpest vs before wee cry thou giuest vs power to call thou teachest vs what to aske and thou euen meetest vs when we are but euen comming vnto thee Thus gracious hast thou euer beene O Lord thus gracious thou art and thus gracious wi lt thou shew thy selfe vnto them that beleeue to see and taste of thy goodnesse euen vnto the end of the world and as thou art gracious so art thou absolute in wisdome thou knowest how to releeue the distressed and how to comfort the afflicted yea when they are ready to faint and to giue ouer any more to call for helpe being as it were hoarse with crying as Dauid was thou giuest them of thy water of life and it reuiueth the fainting soules and strengthneth the weake spirits that gâ—oane vnder the burthen of any calamity or trouble Strengthen mee therefore with thy grace O Lord I shall not then faint nor feare for my sure defence is in thee who wilt in time bring the malice of mine enemies to an end and as I beleeue so shall I see thy goodnesse in the land of the liuing for thou that hast promised it art iust of thy promises and powerfull to performe what thou hast said Therefore euen here I doe meerely beleeue to receiue at thy hands free release and pardon of all that hath beene the ground of my troubles and cause of my miseries Grant mee Lord freedome from mine enemies and restitution of what I haue beene depriued of by any of them then shall they finde that I haue not onely not fainted but beleeued to see and haue seene thy goodnesse O Lord euen here in the Land of the liuing where euen mine enemies and my soes shall witnesse that I haue not beleeued in thee my God in vaine VERSE 14. Hope in the Lord be strong and he shall comfort thine heart and trust in the Lord. THis
world if I say Satan inticed me and I did sinne thou hast commanded me to resist Satan and his tentations so that though I plead with Adam that my Heuah my carnall part that thou gauest me did moue me and I did sinne it will be no excuse for mee if I say the world allured or Satan tempted me it booteth me not and therefore Father I cannot but freely confesse against my selfe that I euen I haue sinned and done all these euills against thee against thee O Lord I haue sinned against my selfe and haue deseruedly stirred vp thy displeasure against me and in thy displeasure is death This this O Lord is the gaine that my sinnes haue gotten not onely a dissolution of the soule and body due to all flesh but the death of body and soule due onely to impenitent sinners among whom I euen I acknowledge my selfe worthy to bee numbred without thy mercy For who hath power Lord by his owne corrupt nature to repent By nature Lord I sinne How can I by the same sinfull part repent of that wherein nature it selfe delighteth A fountaine bringeth not forth bitter water and sweet How then Lord can I bring forth true repentance out of a corrupt heart as it is corrupt Yet Lord though my heart bee corrupt by nature being made in part sincere and holy by thy grace it shall so farre forth worke repentance as is thy grace powerfull and effectuall in me So that though sinne by nature dwell in me by thy grace may sanctity also as Esau and Iaakob in Rebeccahs wombe striuing for superiority Therefore good Father as Esau the elder gaue place and became seruant to Iaakob So let sinne which is in me the first borne giue place in mee vnto sanctity And let sanctity haue the sole dominion in my heart then shall my heart bring forth the good fruits of a godly life though while I liue here the weeds of corruption will also grow but Lord let them not ouergrow the good seed of thy spirit but let them wither and die before they grow vp to beare any fruit vnto death But feed me now at the last with the most wholesome fruits of thy spirit and giue me grace to expresse my sorrow for my sins that I haue done with an inward relenting heart grieued that euer I contriued sin in my inward thoughts that euer I acted it or consented vnto it Lord see and behold my sorrow for my sins if it bring not forth sincere repentance water it so with thy mollifying spirit that it may worke in mee that which may testifie that I repent indeed so that sinne may become loathsome vnto me and sanctitie sweet And although while I carrie about me this vnholy lump of earth my best exercises cannot but sauour of the fountaine from whence they flow if of corruption corruptly if of thy spirit heauenly O season therefore my heart O Lord my soule and whole man with thy spirit that whatsoeuer I thinke speake or doe may sauour from aboue that I may feele in my heart and soule a true and liuely detestation of whatsoeuer sauoureth of the loue of this world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life Giue me strength to performe all perfect obedience in all righteousnesse euen to the forgetting of sinne And yet to remember my sinnes past and to repent them that thou my louing Father before whose presence I presently stand maiest bee pleased to turne thy louing and fatherly countenance in mercy towards me in the merits and mediation of Christ my Reedeemer Let these mine humble petitions O Lord ascend vp vnto thee and let the infallible tokens of thy mercies appeare towards mee that my heart now cast downe for feare of thy iudgements may bee againe lifted vp feeling the inward testimonies of thy mercies in Christ. To whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glory A Praier for the morning with thankes for rest and safetie O Father mercifull and euermore louing in Iesus Christ who this night past hast beene a powerfull and prouident Watch-man ouer me euen when by the deadnesse of sleepe I was depriued euen of sense care or feare of any danger which yet without thy preseruation and prouidence might suddenly haue seized vpon me and that by infinite meanes For Lord thou knowest what a malicious and watchfull Aduersary we haue who is attended on by a troupe of infernall Ministers that hourely seeke by some meanes to surprize vs Besides the corruption of our owne nature that is alwaies working in vs sinfull thoughts vncleane desires and most vngodly affections mouing vs in our night-wakings in stead of holy meditation and godly praier to purpose the committing of infinite sorts of sinnes when we enter into the day hauing no meanes to preuent the execution of most sinfull actions but by thine owne most gracious working holy feare and godly obedience in our hearts Wherefore louing Father I come this morning into thy holy presence from which I cannot hide mee and vpon the knees of my heart I vnfainedly intreat thee that as it hath pleased thee this night to preserue me and giuing me comfortable rest and sleepe in safetie so thou wilt be pleased to watch ouer mee this day that no danger befall me either in body soule or any thing belonging vnto me But that I may be so led vnder the pauilion of thy protection guided by thy spirit that neither in thought word or deed I may offend thee endeuouring to performe all holy and heauenly duties vnto thee my God who for all thy mercies requirest onely pure and sincere obedience which is also thy gift for none by his owne power can thinke a good thought much lesse Lord worke any thing pleasing vnto thee but the contrary therefore disclaime I all mine owne merit and cleaue onely vnto thy mercy in Iesus Christ Humbly beseeching thee for his sake to take charge of me this day preuent the malicious intentions of Satan and his ministers mortifie mine owne sinfull affections and infuse into my heart all diuine graces that my waies this day may nothing sauour of sinne but of sanctitie And as I haue by thee safely passed this night so I may begin continue and end this day and all the daies of my life in thy faith feare and obedience And that in all mine actions whereunto I am bound by my place and calling I may so walke and so performe them as that thy blessingâ— may accompany whatsoeuer I endeuour Giue me Lord an vpright heart asking and let me euer receiue counsell from thee to be guided in whatsoeuer I purpose that so prospering the glory may bee thine to whom all power wisdome strength and glory belongeth Amen A Praier to be vsed before a man goes to his rest LOrd as it hath now pleased thee to bring mee in safetie to the end of this day and hast therein by many blessings testified thy fatherly care