Royalty THough the Lord shares so liberally with man that of all his Creatures he reserved but the least part to himselfe yet in most things he will have us to acknowledge him for our cheif Lord and of every thing to pay him something as his chief rent and royalty As of our time the seventh day of the trees of Paradise the tree of knowledge of good and evill of all our increase the tenth of our generation the first born of our Corn the first fruits of his people Israel the tribe of Levi of all Cities Jerusalem of all mountaines Mount Sion of all the sons of Ishai little David of all women the blessed Virgin and of all the members of our bodies the heart Spark 52. O King of Glory how liberall doest thou deale with us and how niggard are we in repaying thee For how many a thousand thoughts have we conceived and not one of them in remembrance of thy goodness How many thousand words have we spoke and not one of them to the praise of thy name How many thousand deeds have we done and not one of them for the setting-forth of thy glory Good Lord as thou hast given me all things saving thy glory so for thy glory give me of thy grace that I may acknowledge thee Let my heart be alwayes inditing of a good matter that my tongue may be the pen of a ready writer Psal 45 and my hand diligent in well doing and open unto the needy through Jesus Christ Prov. 12.30 Amen Sect. LIII The earthly Planet AS the Bridegroom the bright Son of happiness and Lord of life is often compared to the Sun of heaven so his Spouse the Church doth often resemble the Moon For as the Moon hath all her light from the Sun so the Church from Christ And as the shadow of the earth doth somtimes hinder and Eclipse the Moon that she cannot shew the light of the Sun the which she received so our sins like earthly shadows do hinder and debar us oftentimes from giving thanks and glory to God for what we received and to shew the same to others giving him the glory from whom they proceed But as that good Planet the sun faileth not to give light continually unto the body of the Moon and to all inferiour bodies though sometimes it seems to be eclipsed in regard of us so the glorious Sun of Righteousness doth never fail to give light unto his Church and his Elect here on earth though by reason of the black cloud of our sins he seems sometimes for a while to be absent from us And as the Moon will not utterly fail by any Eclipse that can happen though to our sight is be almost quite darkened so the Church of God can never faile nor fall clean away but shall ever be a Church world without end being grounded upon a sure Rock Jesus Christ being the chief corner Stone Spark 53. O most glorious Sun of Righteousnes and the bright day-Star of grace and glory vouchsafe we beseech thee to lighten our darknesse by thy holy Spirit and to shew us the pure light of thy countenance by shining in our hearts and souls Let thy holy word be a lanthorn to our feet and a light unto our paths disperse all the black clouds of ignorance and errours that may Eclipse the light of thy holy Spirit from us be thou alwayes with us unto the end of the world and pray unto the Father for us that our Faith may not faile Marry us unto thy self for ever that though we seem sometimes to have a faile yet we may never fall finally from thee which art the way the life and light for ever Sect. LIV. The Sympathy of Christ's Passion O Sweet Saviour work in me that pitty of thy paint that the Creatures had at thy Passion For then the Sun was darkned the earth quaked the temple rented the stones cleaved and the graves opened And yet thou didst not suffer for the sun nor the earth for the graves the temple nor the stones but for us men and our salvation Shall these be amazed at the pungs and we not moved at thy pains Sparke 54 O Lord let the wounds of thy hands cause a wound in my heart The nayles of thy feet prick my conscience Thy Vineger and Gall draw tears from mine eyes Thy bloudy side cause me a bleeding Soul And thy paines cause in me sorrow and passions Sect. LV. The eyes Imperfection SOme can see a mote in their brothers eye and not so much as a beam in their own such was the Pharisee that prayed with the Publican Some again can see a mote in their brother's eye a beam in their own such was Peter when he denied Christ and wept And Paul who counted himself not worthy to be called an Apostle There be also some that espie beames both in their own eyes and in every bodies else such are they that know themselves in conscience to be bad and therefore think every body else to be so Such was Pharaoh that thought God's people to be idle because he was idle himself Some again see no mote neither in their own eyes nor in others such are blinde Atheists and loose Liberties that think that every man may do what he will Some again can see two beames in their own eyes and a beam in others such was Judas and Cain and such as see their own sin so great that they despaire of Gods mercy For though they judge others to be great sinners yet they think their own unpardonable Sparke 55. O Lord blesse me from such a sight For Lord if I offend thy Justice by transgression yet let me not offend thy mercy by disperation And yet give me grace alwayes to see the beam in mine own eye and to take it away that then I may the better see the mote in my brothers eye Sect. LVI Our Credite once Crack't c. VVE have need to have Gods Grace to guide us every minute in all our actions For we may commit in an houre such a fault as will be a blemish to us in a whole age Noab was but once drunk yet is ever spoken off David but once in Adulterer yet his fact never forgotten Adam but once tasting of an apple yet his posterity smart for it to the worlds end Lot once committing incest with his Daughters yet his fin is notorious for ever Lots wife turning but once back to Sodome yet an example for ever Peter but once fallen yet his weakness perpetually noted Sparke 56. O Lord let thy Angels guard me thy grace guide me thy word direct me and thy spirit preserve me that I neither stirre nor nor start waver nor wander out of thy path Lord keepe me as the apple of thine eye and as the fignet on thy right hand that all my thoughts may be of thy goodnesse all my words to thy praise and all my works to thy glory to whom be all glory and goodnesse
Holy Ghost according to his own will Sparke 43. O Holy Father I believe help my unbelief though an Angell from Heaven should teach preach contrary to that which thou by thy holy Prophets Apostles hast taught let me not believe him but hold him accursed Let me never doubt of the verity of the Scripture because it is thy word For as thou hast commanded us not to believe every spirit 2 Ioh. 4. so are we forbidden to doubt of that Truth which proceeds from the spirit of Truth Which cannot deceive nor dissemble Let us therefore never gain-say what thou dost affirm never doubt what thou dost promise never mistrust what thou hast spoken nor call into question what thou hast verified Sect. XLIV How to purchase Heaven LOrd A great purchase thou hast taught us that there be four kindes of men which by foure kind of meanes come to Heaven For some buy it at a rate at it were and bestow all their temporall goods for the better compassing thereof Some catch it by violence and they forsake Father and Mother land and living trade and traffick and all that they have for the possession of it Some steal it and do their good deeds secretly and they are rewarded openly And some are enforced to take it and by continuall affliction made to fall to a liking thereof Spark 44. O dear Saviour thy Kingdome is such a Pearle that all I have cannot buy it For I have nothing to give thee but that which came from thee and is thine own Therefore teach me to obtain thy Kingdom by what means thou wilt so that I may enjoy It. Let not my care be for the things of this world but give me grace first to care for that one thing necessary namely the seeking of thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof and all temporall blessings shall be added thereto through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. 45. God in his Glory will be All in All to his Elect. IF we consider the right use of a Temple An End of man's Ministry we shall easily perceive the reason why John having seen the Order and Ornaments of the heavenly Jerusalem saw no Temple therein For Temples here on earth had by the Lord's Commandements but five uses or ends First To offer Sacrifices for sins and burnt offerings as in the time of the Law Secondly to preach the Word as in the time of the Gospell Thirdly To administer the holy Sacraments Fourthly To offer prayers and supplications unto Gdo And Lastly To laud and praise his holy name with Thanksgiving hymnes and spirituall songs But in Heaven there needs no sacrifices for there are no sins committed no preaching of the Word for the word incarnate will manifestly speake unto all men face to face according to the Prophet Jeremiah Ierem. 31. The use of the Sacraments likewise have an end which being but signes and seales of true things themselves serve no longer seeing the things signified by them are perfectly seen and enjoyed And as for Prayers and Praises to God there needs no Temple erected in Heaven to performe them for they shall see God as he is seen openly face to face and he shall be easily heard of all men for he himself will be their Church Temple and House of Devotion Sparke 45 O Gracious Father build the Kingdom of grace here upon earth and hasten the Kingdome of Glory Let us visit thy holy Temple often here upon earth to worship thy name that at last thou mayst bring us to that place that needs no Temple to Jerusalem than is above that is the free Mother of us all where thou art our Temple for ever Let us dwell in thee by faith and love while we are on earth that hereafter we may by an inward reverence and humility be so neerly joyned unto thee that thou mayest be our Temple to sing Hal-le-lu-jah to thy name for ever through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XLVI Of God's Fore-warnings ALthough the sword of our God is ever ready drawn and burnished Gods Covenant to his people his bow bent his arrowes prepared his Instruments of death made ready his cup mingled yet he seldome powreth down his plagues but a shower of mercy goeth before them to make us the more heedy before his wrath be kindld to consume in 's sore displeasure for peace be to this house was so indeed to every house where th' Apostles entred but if that house was not worthy of peace then war followed and their peace returned back unto them Vertues were wrought at Chorazin and Bethsaida before the woe took hold upon them Noah was sent to the old World Messengers to the Hirers of the Vineyard Moses and Aron to the Aegyptians Prophets from time to time to the Children of Israel John Baptist and Christ and the Apostles together with signes in the host of heaven and tokens in the Elements to Jerusalem before it was destroyed Yea many signs of warning foretold us before that fearfull and finall day of Judgement as the Preaching of the Gospell to all Nations the revealing of Antichrist a departing from the faith corruption in manners great tribulations a deadly security and the conversion of the Jewes which is the last signe and warning we must expect for saving the signe of the Son of man Sparke 46. O Dear Father let thy pitty prevent my punishments and the greatness of thy mercy supply the grievousness of my misery for thou Lord wilt not the death of a sinner but rather he should convert and live Therefore let me know that my salvation is neerer than when I believed Let me not despise the riches of thy bountifulness and patience and long suffering but let me know that thy bountifulness leadeth me to repentance through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom 2.4 Amen Sect. XLVII The Titles of the Damned IF we observe the Scripture Satans bag we shall find that the Devill hath no name given him which the wicked are not branded with For he is called a Lyar so are they He if called a Tempter and they are called Tempters He is called an Enemy and they are called Enemies He is called a Murtherer and they are called Murtherers He is called a Slanderer and they are called Slanderers He is called a Viper and they are called Vipers Thus God will'd that they which should be damned should bear the name of him that is damned Spark 47. O Lord Jesus grant me grace to differ from the damned in nature as the godly do in name Lord do thou give me of thy hid Manna to eat and a white stone and in that stone a new name written which no man knoweth but he that hath it Grant this O Father for our dear Saviour's sake who hath a name above all names to whom all things shall bow in heaven in earth and under earth Amen Sect. XLVIII God is the best Master IT is counted meer folly for any man to serve three
fire doth heat and warme all things and ascend upward so doth thy love warme our cold zeal and cause our hearts to ascend up to seek those things that he above And as the clouds do drop down waters to wash the filthiness of the earth so the grace of thy holy spirit doth cause often a cloud of sorrow for sins to arise in our hearts and so to dissolve into tears at our eyes Thirdly as the Dove is a mild bird void of gall so that Dove-like spirit the holy ghost would have his nest in our hearts that we might be meek as thou art meeek Lord patient and peaceable like the milde Dove void of anger and malice Lastly As the tongue doth exhort and perswade by the eloquence thereof so the blessed spirit of thee our God by appearing in the forme of tongues would have us to be exhorted and perswaded by the wisdome and eloquence thereof and not to build upon vain philosophy and humane wisdome Sparke 16. Gracious Father let thy good spiriâ— a Psal 143. lâ—â—d us into the lâ—nd of righteousnesse let it go still before us to give us as b Exod. 13.21 a pillar of cloud by day and as the pillâ—r of fire by night Yea let him still be the starre of Grace to direct us unto that blessed Saviour of the world â— Mat. 2.11 thy onely son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XVII Our soules are not begotten by men THat principle which denieth the soule to be begotten from the parents The Soul's Pedegree needs no other proof than experience For if the soul came from the substance of the parents as the body doth the soul then of one man should be some kinne to the body and soul of another man his begetter and so one man would love the soul of his friend better than his body But we see by Experience that men are more carefull for the body of their children than for their soul for the most part and men will venter much to fetch the bodies of their friends out of prison or to save them from death but for the soul which is as it were Gods kinsman infused by him into us men are lesse carefull And therefore our Saviour Christ careing most for the soul which was most dear to him taught us â—wo petitions for the good of the soul and but one for the necessities of the body which is the petition for our dayly bread Sparke 17. Good Lord grant we may love both in our selves that which thou best lovest and hate which thou hatest r Mat. 6.10 O good father from thâ—e we have received this soul and living breath Å¿ Gen. 1. by which we breathe we commâ—nd it Lord into thy carefull t Psal 31. hands deliver it good Lord from the ungodly and comfort the souls of thy servants And let our u Luk. 1.46 souls magnifie thee Lord and our spirit ever rejoyce in thee our God and Saviour The very God of peace sanctifie us throughout w 1 Thes 5. and I pray God that our whole spirit and soul and body may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XVIII Love admits no excuse IN man's reason we may finde some excuse for omitting any duty but love for there is no excuse for our defect in love For there is no charges no weariness no labour no pain nor no grief in loving yea it maketh all paines and labour to seeme sweet and delightfull For the hunter for love of his game will travell all day without weariness And herein appeareth the sweetness of God's mercy and the greatnesse of his liberality towards us which would not tye man to that which was heavy laborious and wearisome buâ— to that which was most pleaâ—ant and â—asie Sparke 18 O sweet Lord true it is that thy q Mat. 11 30. yoke is easie and thy burden light Lord make us to love thee and thy truth more than all thy creatures yea more than our goods more than our friends d Mat. 10 37. more than our flesh more than our selves our soules and our bodies And seeing thou hast given b Gen. 1.28 29. us all things for thy service Lord give us a heart to love thee above c Psal 119. all with all our hearts with all our strength with all our mind and with all our soul through Jesus Christ Deut. 6. Amen Sect. XIX The love of God and the love of Mammon The Soul's Solace THere 's no proportion between the love of worldly things and the love of God For from the one must needs follow sorrow from the other continuall joy For all things in this world are mutable coâ—ruptible Therefore as often as the object or the thing we set our love upon doâ—h either perish change or vanish so often must it needs be a grief unto us to lose it that we loved â—o well But if God â—e the object of our love and the thing we best affect then must we needs have continual joy and never sorrow For we never sorrow much but for the loss of the thing we love most Therefore if God be the object of our love and marke of our affection our joy can never decay for God can neither die nor perish nor be changed nor be wanting but is alwayes present to our wills alwayes sufficient to our desires alwayes omnipotent to our wants alwayes loving alwayes mercifull alwayes most good most pleasant most just most wise and most glorious Therefore the object of our love never failing our joy shall never fail No marvaile then if with God there is everlasting joy and never dying happinesse himself being the object of our love and cause of our joy For seing all our love ariseth from God and all our joy from our love therefore both our joy and our love will endure so long as God endureth Sparke 19. O Lord God the onely Lover and Saviour of our soules let us not love the world nor the things that are therein q 1 John 2. Good Father thou that best knowest the deceitfull baits of this alluring world let us live in the world and not love the world If riches r Psal 6 10. encrease let us not set our hearts thereon If honours be heaped upon us let us not be delighted therewith If pleasures do tempt us let us not be enamoured therewith x Mark 10. But let us love thee Lord with all our heart with all our soul and with all our strength Let us never love father mother brother sister nor friends more than thee lest we be not worthy of thee y Psal 5.12 For they that onely love thy name shall be joyfull in thee b and they shall prosper that love thee Therefore Lord let me love thee above all and love all in thee and for thy love Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ our sweet and onely Saviour Amen Sect. XX.
The mean is best Vertue 's Chayre O Lord thou hast often by thine own example encouraged us to follow the meane and to avoid vices and extreams For first in the blessed Trinity thy place is in the middle room In our Redemption thy place is a middle room for thou art the mean between us and thy Father In thy Fathers congregation thou hast the middle room for for thou art that middle Arch in Gods Church that doest couple together Jew and Gentile The place of thy birth was a middle roome the heart of the world The time of thy birth about midnight Thy passion not farre from mid-day The place where thou suffâ—redst a middle roome between two Theeves one upon the right hand and the other upon the left Thy peaceable abode after thy rising from death in the middest of thy Disciples Therefore Lord there is no fitter place for thee to dwel in me than in my middle which is my heart made to be thy seat and thy holy Temple Sparke 20. O Lord I beseech thee to dwell in my q Eph. 3.17 heart by thy holy Spirit Let every vertue be a middle room in my heart for thy gracious self to lodge in and grant that I never decline from thy Commandments either to the right hand or to the left x Prov. 4. Let my faith Lord be a meanes to apprehend thee and thy merits and be thou still a mean to reconcile me unto thy Father y 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 5. Eph. 2. that being justified through thee we may have peace wi h God the Father To whom with thee and the holy Spirit in unity of Godhead be all praise and glory for ever and ever Amen Sect. XXI Crosses Christians coats IT is partly suspition The Christians Coat that they that at no time have crosses have at all time no Christ For indeed we find but few of God's children void of all trouble For either they are troubled in their reputation as Susannah was or crossed in their children as Ely was or persecuted by their enemy as David was or wronged by their friends as Joseph was or tormented in their bodies as Job was or restrained in their liberty as John was For indeed the good man is but as it were the but of the wicked whereat they shoot their sharpest headed Arrowes Sparke 21. O dear Father lay upon us any misery so it be in thy mercy any punishment in thy pitty r Jer. 10.24 Psal 6.1 correct us O Lord yet in thy Judgement not in thy fury least we should be consumed and brought to nothing t Job 2.8 O Lord if it be thy will to let us ly sick in the ashes with Job or imprisoned in iron with Joseph Å¿ Gen. 29.20 or persecuted with Enemies with David l 1 Sam. 22.1 or pinched with hunger like o Luk. 15. the prâ—digall son yet Lord be not angry with us for ever If heavinesse endure for a night let joy appear in the morning Grant good Father that we may with patience expect and see the blessed Jubilee of thy free mercy through Jesus Christ our dear Saviour Amen Sect. XXII A Christian the best Artist AN upright Christian is a Musitian A Salve for every sore a Physitian a Lawyer and a Divine to himself For What is sweeter musick than the witnesse of a good conscience What is better Physick than abstinence and patience What deeper counsell in Law than in having nothing to possesse all things And what sounder Divinity than to know God whom he hath sent Jesus Christ Sparke 22. O blessed Jesus let my musick be peace o Rom. 14.19 of conscience and joy d 14.17 in the holy Ghost My Physick the blessed potions and restoratives of thy precious blood My Policy to keep thy statutes And my Divinity to know Christ and him crucified and in the end with joy to behold him glorified for the merits of his bitter death and passion Amen Sect. XXIII Of spirituall blindness IT is most certain good Lord that spirtuall blindnesse is farre worse than corporall The borne-blinde For to want the eyes of angels is worse than to want the eyes of beasts for whereas the bodily blind is led by his Servant his Wife or his Dogg the spiratually blind is misled by the World the Flesh and the Devill Yea the bodily blinde will be sure to get a seeing guid but the spiritually blind followeth his own lust which is a blinde guid so falleth into the ditch The bodily blinde feeleth and acknowledgeth his want of sight and imperfection but the spiritually blind thinks no blame nor blemish in his sight The bodily blind supplieth his want of sight oft by feeling as Iasac a Gen. 27.11 did but the spiritually blinde though he feels the flashing yet never avoids the flame of hell fire To conclude the bodily blind accounts them happy which see but the spiritually blind despiseth the seers Sparke 23. O Lord open our blind eyes that we may see our wickedness and by our wickedness our weaknesse and by them both our accursedness For good Lord thou knowest that of our selves we are stark blinde For The naturall b 1 Cor. 2.14 man perceiveth not the things that be of God and knowes them not because they are spiritually discerned Lighten our eyes O Lord that we sleep not in Death Awake thou us b Ephes 5.14 from sleep raise us up froÌ„ the dead then give thou us light grant Lord that we may c John 12 35 36. walk while we have the light least the darkness come upon us Therefore Lord open thou the eyes of our understanding that we may believe in the light O good Lord seeing that we trust in thee that art the tru light d Eph. 4.17 18. let us not walk as other Gentiles blâ—nded in vanity of minde having their cogitation darkened and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them But we being once darkness and now are made light in thee x Lord Psal 5.8 let us henceforth walk as the children of light that we may see perfectly and attain that eternall light in the Kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XXIIII The Drunkard the greatest Self-Enemy The danger of Drunkennesse OF all men the Drunkard is the greatest Enemy to himself A malicious man is a murtherer of himself The Prodigall man a Thief to himself The Voluptuous man a Witch to himself The Covetous man is a Devill to himself But a Drunkard is all these to himself Namely a Murtherer to his body a Thief to his purse a Witch to his witt and a Devill to his Soul Sparke 24 O Lord give me the spirit of Sobriety and grant that I be not drunken with wine wherein is a Eph. 5.18 excess Lord let me never make a god of my belly b Phil. 3.19 but ever be moderate
bones do quake for fear yea my sins have taken such hold upon me that I cannot look q Psal 40. up If Mary Magdalen was possessed with seven Devills Lord thou knowest that many Devils do continually walk about not onely to seek to possess but to devour my p 1 Pet. 5.11 soul And though Mary and Martha had cause of grief for the death of their brother whom thou didst restore yet my grief is more John 11. being dead in sin my self desiring to be revived by the spirit of thy Grace Lord as thou didst commit thy Mother the blessed Virgin to the tuition of q Joh. 19. John So dear Father command thy holy a Psal 34.7 Angells to guide and guard me from all evill Grant also sweet Jesus that with the three Maries I may seek thee early in the morning and seeking thee finde thee and finding thee believe in thee and lodge thee in my heart for ever Amen Sect. XXIX To performe Promise needfull IT is an old saying An honest promise is due debt That an honest Promise is due debt I have often promised to serve thee my good God and yet never perform'd the same as I ought and therefore the more I promise except thy grace help me to performe the more I am indebted unto thee Sparke 29. O Lord grant that I may promise unto thee that which thou hast commanded me and after b Deut. 23.21 performe that which I have c Psal 66. promis'd that I may obtain thy promise through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXX Of Christ's vertues in healing and Satan's policie in hurting IT is no wonder that the Devill did so much prevail against the Jewes to have Christ tormented in every member A box of precious ointments as his Head with Thornes his Hands and Feet with Nailes his Sides with the Spear his Eyes with Spittings his Face with buffettings and his Taste and Mouth with Gall for the Devill well perceived that there issued out great vertue from every member of Christ For he healed the Leper by touching him with his hand he healed Peter by looking back upon him with his eye he healed Matthew with his mouth by saying come and follow me he healed the deaf and dumb with his fingers by putting them into his ears he healed Mary Magdalen with the vertue that went from his feet when she washed them wiâ—h her tears he healed the woman diseased with the twelve years issue with the hem of his garment he healed raised up Lazarus out of his grave with his voice sayinâ— Lazarus come forth he heâ—lâ—d all the souls of his children with the blood and water that ran out of his blessed side Spark 30. Heal us O Lord for our bones are b Psal 6. vexed send out thy curing Word and heal our wounded soules that refuse all manner of comforts c Psal 107.19 20. say unto my soul I am thy salvation d Psal 35. O thou pittifull Saviour and sweet Samaritan e Luke 10. leave me not thus wounded and half dead in the high-way of perdition but bind up my wounds and poure therein the oyle of thy everlasting grace through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXXI Of Avarice and Oppression The Worldliings Woe ALbeit every sin calls for eternall vengeance yet we read in Scripture but of four crying sins The First is Murther and Bloodshed f Gen. 4.10 The Second is Gluttony and Idleness or the sin of Sodom g Gen. 18.21 The Third is the sin of Wrong and Oppression h Exod. 3.9 The Fourth is the detaining of the Labourers hire i Jam. 5.4 Now three of these cry with open mouth against the Covetous wretch as against an open Oppressor a secret Defrauder both an open and secret Murtherer Therefore the clamours of many poore Debters in the Dungeon of many poor Labourers in the Field and of many poore Neighbours crying and dying in the street enters into the ears of the Lord of hosts Nay the cry of his owne soul and body will come against him for though he keepeth his pelf with many locks from others yet from none doth he keep them so fast as from himself For though he possesseth them yet hath he no power to use them as holy Records doe shew Eccles 6.1 where the Spirit of God sayeth That there is an evill under the Sun which is much used among men A man to whom God hath given Riches and Treasure and Honour wanteth nothing for his soul of all that it desireth but God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a strange man shall eat it up This is an evill sickness Consider this then thou Worldling that sayest in thy heart I shall never have enough Spark 31. O blessed Trinity that fillest every living thing with thy l Psal 104. blessing Lord blesse us and thy blessings that in using them we abuse not thee O Sacred All sufficient Trinity fill thou our hearts so full that we may desire r Ezech. 36. nothing but thee thy glory our hearts good Lord are made Triangle-wise a fit seat for the blessed Trinity They are made narrow below and shut close to keep out worldly desires and wide and open above to receive all heavenly blessings O Lord as they are thy vessels so let them be of thy filling yea fitted with nothing but with thy self and thy love Psal 10.17 through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Sect. XXXII Nothing can satisfie God for our sins but his Son VVHat is that which man can off r unto his Maker The Acceptable Sacrifice to pacifie his wrath ' gainst sins If he cold give the whole world unto God what doth he offer but what he hath received of God and lost by his disobedience If man could offer himself what offereth he but unâ—hankfulness dust and ashes blasphemy and wickednes which provokes Gods wrath more more If the Angells would offer themselves and their service to satisfie the wrath of the everlasting God what were that but a thing finite in goodness to seek to cover an infiâ—it evill Therefore God himself was fain to step between his Justice and Mercy to reconcile us again unto him by his own merits Spark 32. O Lord from whence then cometh our help Surely our help cometh of thee f Psal 121. which hast made heaven and earth There was no other water to waâ—h away Naaman's leprosie but Jordan's p 2 Kings 5 No ladder that reached up to Heaven but Jacob's q Gen. 28.12 No serpent that healed the Israelites but the brasen k Numb 21 9. So there is no other Name under heaven whereby we may be saved f Acts 4. but only by thy name and merits sweet Jesus O Lord it was not our own arm that helped us b Psal 44.3 4. but thy right hand and thy arm and the light of thy countenance because thou
hast a favour unto us it is thou that savest us from our enemies and puttest them to confusion that hate us Sect. XXXIII Christ onely a fit Mediator because God and man The Onely Man NOne but Christ could be a fit Mediator between us and the Majesty of God For whosoever would be a Mediator t' is requisit that he be God man Man to be born under the Law God to performe the Law Man to serve God to set free Man to humble himself under all God to exalt himself above all Man to suffer God to overcome Man to dye God to triumph over death Man to be born of a woman God to overcom the Devill So that now we may see Jesus in the Stable there behold the man Jesus In the Temple disputing with the Doctors there behold the Lord Jesus in Simon 's house washing the Disciples feet there behold the man Jesus walking on the Sea there behold the Lord Jesus calling for meat when he was hungry there behold the man Jesus feeding five thousand with five loines and two fishes there behold the Lord Jesus weeping over Lazarus behold the man Jesus but calling Lazarus out of his grave behold the Lord Jesus riding on an Ass behold the man Jesus but riding on the clouds behold the Lord Jesus If therefore sweet Jesus we may not with Moses behold thy face yet we may behold with him thy hinder parts If thy Godhead be too terrible to behold yet we see the terrour thereof mitigated with thy manhood If thy humanity seem too humble we see it again exalted by thy Godhead So that now sweet Jesus we find no cause we should too much fear thee because of thy glory nor at all despise thee because of thy humility but both and for both to love and reverence thee to believe and trust in thee as in a most wonderfull Saviour whose name is wonderfull for ever Spark 33. O blessed Jesus let thy Majesty teach us true fear and thy manhood true humility In thy manhood thou hast made thy self lower than thy Father saying my Father is b John 20. greater than I lower than the Angells r Psal 8. For which of the Angells did wash the feet of sinners Lower than men for thou wast counted a l Ps 22.6 worm and no man yea the very scorne of men Lower than all thy creatures by dying and descending intâ— hell And therefore thou art exalted to be equal with the Father above Angells above men above all creatures For thou hast a name above all names for at the name of Jesus all knees shall bow of things in heaven of things in earth and of things under the earth d Phil. 2.10 Good Lord grant we may follow the steps of thy humiliation that we may be exalted through thy mercy and merits Amen Sect. XXXIV O Humility The Lesson of Lowliness GOod Lord thou hast commanded us to learne of thee that thou art meek and humble Sweet Jesus thou hast not said learne of me to make the world to raise the dead to cast out Devills to turne water into wine but to be lowely of heart and this lesson thou hast often commanded unto us by thine own examples For thou hast chosen a lowly woman to be thy mother and a poor Carpenter to be thy reputed father a lowly place to be thy bed of rest which was the manger a lowly house which was but a stable in an In a lowly brast to carry thy blessed body which was but an Ass lowly men to be thy disciples and followers being for the most part but poor fishers a lowly exercise which was to wâ—sh thy disciples feet and a lowly and base dâ—ath which was the detah of the cross Sparke 34. Good Lord seeing thy precept is that I should imitate thy pattern o Mat. 11.29 so far as I can in my fraile nature grant me grace to endeavour and desire to become like unto thee not in thy power knowledge or miracles but in thy moralls especially in true humility which is the first lesson to be learned in thy schoole Lord when I think upon the poor Carpenter grant I brag not of my birth When I think of the stable and mâ—nger wherein thou didst lye grant I vaunt not of my buildings or be too desirous of beds of downe for my ease When I think that thy disciples were poor fishers l Mat. 4. Luke 5. grant I may learn not to despise any poor brethren a Mat. 18. O Saviour of soules Let Mount Calvary be my Schoole thy Crosse my Pulpit thy Passion my Meditation thy Wounds my Letters thy Lashes my Comma's thy Nailes my Ful points thy open Side my Book and to know thee Crucified my whole lesson Let me learn by thy nakednesse how to adorne me by thy vineger and gall how to diet me by thy prayer for thy Murtherers how to revenge me by thy cry on the Crosse how to bewaile my sins and by thy bloody sweâ—t to weepe for my wickednesse Sect. XXXV Of the fall of Adam The Sinners Preferment VVHen the Serpent had deceived our parents God said cursed art thou above all beasts upon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eat And presently unto man that sinned God said dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne If by the Serpent the devil be meant and if dust must be the Serpent's meat and if a sinfull man be but dust and must returne to dust then a wicked sinner is but that old Serpent the devill 's meat Sparke 35. O Lord that hast made us for thine own glory r Ephes 1.6 redeemed us with thine own bloud Å¿ 1 Pet. 1. Apoc. 5. sanctified us with thine own spirit f 2 Thes 2. save us by thy own mercy challenge what is thine in us If our sins displease thee wash them away g Psal 51. and let satan feed upon sin which is his own and not upon us miserable sinners being the works of thy hand let it be meat and drink unto us to do thy will c Joh. 4.34 and to feed our souls with that blessed Manna b John 6. that came down from Heaven Amen Sect. XXXVI We must imitate God in his goodness c. SEeing the Lord hath created heaven and earth and brought such a glorious world out of his secret and hidden treasure The godly Ape and bestowed it upon the sons of men desiring to make others partakers of his goodness he doth teach us that if we have either riches knowledge or counsell in store we should most freely let it out for the good and profit of our neighbours But why are we so covetous that we can part with nothing Is it not a wonder to see so bountifull a master as God is to have so miserable a servant as man is What hath God bestowed on us gold or silver or precious stones yea and a greater matter heaven and
Rom 13. Gal. 5. 1 Cor. 15. and be skilâ—ul in the rules of Christianity through that loadstone of love Jesus Christ Amâ— Sect. LXXIX The House-holder's Office EVery man in his House should beare the same Office as Christ doth in his Gen. 32. Church who is King Priest and Prophet So most that good man be a King to rule his Family and to correct his Children so did Jacob A Priest to pray for his Children Job 1. 1 Kings 2.2 so did Job And a Prophet to teach and instruct them so did David Spark 79. Grant O Lord that I may correct my Children For Prov. 13. The sparing of the rod is the spoyling of the Childe Teach me to instruct them in their youth that they may it when they are old Teach me how to pray both for me and them Mat. 7. For to him that knocketh it shall be opened Sect. LXXX A Medicine well tempered THough God's blessings be sweet alwayes in themselves yet he maketh them often times seem more sweet to us by the manner of giving them as when he sends a calm after a great tempest perfect health after long sickness free liberty after close Imprisonment a bright day after a dark night a blessing to Jacob after long wrastling the Land of Canaan to Israel after long Warre riches to Job after great poverty light to Paul after long darkness Sorrow for a night to his Children but joy in the morning Spark 80. O Lord If thy blessings taste not sweet enough in the mouth of my sickly and sinfull soul feed me sometimes with â—hy tart benefiâ—s that thy sweet blâ—ssings mâ—y be the more welcome to me and my self more thankfull unto thee that I may say with David â—er 10 24. It is good for me that I have been in trouble for before I was troubled I went wrong Sect. LXXXI Sin 's port-way IF a man wil take his journey towards Hell he need not fear to be out of his way for that way is both common and plain where he shall overtake many to bear him company but none coming back to bring him commendation to his friends But he that will resolve to take his voyage towards Hâ—aven shall have much ado to finde the way for it is a troublesome path frequented but by few and therefore we had need to set forwards betimes if we will come to the end of our journey But the best is though we travailâ— hard to come to it yet when we come we shall be sure of a good lodging where we may be joyfull and merry and rest for ever without any more pain banquetting and feasting like glad children in our elder brother's house Spark 81. Psal 5. Psal 139. Psal 143.10 Luk. 16. Mat. 4. Exod. 23 20 Teach me O Lord thy way and let thy holy spirit direct me thy Word conduct me and the blessed Angells attend me that I neither wander fall nor stumble untill I arrive at the haven of happiness to dwell with thee forever more Amen Sect. LXXXII The chiefest Trade VVHen men are about to bind their children to any Trade they will commonly be carefull to know that profession wherein they may be admitted with less charge where the Professor is of good name and credit the calling honest and gainfull and whereby in the end they shall be sure to come to great preferment Christianity is the best profession of all and such a calling that the poorest man may be admitted unto without charge Who is of greater credit than God And who can choose a better mastâ—r to serve than his Maker The calling is most honest and gainfull For what greater honesty than to do unto all men as I would they should do unto me And what greater gain than godliness Lastly having served out the time what greater freedome can any have than to be a free-man of Heaven what greater preferment can any wish than to have a Crowne of glory and life everlasting Sparke 82. O Lord this is onely my profession I am bound to it since I was a child Howbeit I have a thousaand times broken my Indentures and run away from thee and thou hast still brought me back again and forgiven me I am ashamed Lâ—rd I have so often displeased so gentle a Master Good Lord forgive me for Jesus Christ's sake Amen Sect. LXXXIII The best conception SOme have bin for a time barren in body but fruitfull in soul so was Sarah Rebecca and Elizabeth Some have been fruitfull in body but barren in soul so were Lot's Daughters that so readily conceived of their Father Some again are fruitfull both in body and soul and so was the blessed Virgin for she conceived Christ in her womb and pondered all his sayings in her heart Sparke 83. Lord grant that how barren soever our bodies be in multiplication yet our souls may be always bringing forth fruit in due season conceiving a good faith in thee and bringing forth good works to thy praise and glory Sect. LXXXIV Welcome God's Will SOme men have many children and have no inheritance for them some have inheritance and no children some have both children and inheritance some neither children nor inheritance c. Sparke 84. Lord if it please thee to send me many Children without inheritance make them thine by adoption and then they shall be inheritors of thy Kingdome If thou send me children and inheritance make me the more thankfull unto thee and let me not esteem them above thee If I have neither children nor inheritance then give me a lively faith in Christ to purchase Heaven for my patrimony and to become a childe my self that I may have thee for my Father But if it please thee to send me wealth without children Lord give me grace to bestow it upon my poor brethren which are thy children and my spirituall kinsmen for in so doing I do but lend unto thee of thine owne thou wilt be sure to pay me the best interest Sect. LXXXV For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven VVHen I view the earth and see that of her own accord she brings forth both herbs and fodder and food sufficient for all creatures save man wiâ—hâ—ut labour or tillage and that onely man must till and labour for his food then I well perceive Lord that it is man onely that hath and do h daily offend and not the bruit creature Spark 85. Good Lord forgive me my sins both originall and actuall that I with all thy elect may evermore praise thee that the earth may bring forth her increase and that God even our own God may give us his blessing c. Sect. LXXXVI The Kings Court. IF it pleased such as attend the Court to see the difference between the Court of Princes here on earth and the Court of the King of Glory in heaven they would quickly forsake all the Profits of the one to attaine unto the pleasurs of the other For First
times in the midst of greatest calms there ariseth at Sea the soarest tempest So oftentimes in the midst of the worlds solace ariseth the greatest sorrow Sixthly the Sea is no certain place of abode but serves onely to bring men to some surer haven or harbour No more is this world any certain place of dwelling for us but a mean to bring us to that City which we expect for Seventhly as a man on the Sea cannot saile whither he would but whither the winde driveth him So is it not in the power of man in this world to do what he will or to go whither he will but onely as the Spirit of God guideth him Eighthly as the water of the Sea is brinish and bitter and the extreamest holes and end thereof but sand So is the world bitter and distastfull the end thereof but sand dust and ashes And as upon the Sea Ships do alwayes sail So on the Sea of this world the Church of God like Noah's Arke doth continually abide whose main-Mast is the Cross of Christ her Sails the holy Scriptures her Anchor true Faith her Pilate the Spirit of God hee Calls Christian Hope and Gods gracious Promises her chief Master Governour Christ himself This Ship is often tossed and troubled with the tumults of our Enemies which are like uno foure tempestuous windes the Atheist the Turk the Papist and the Puritan The Atheist acknowledgeth not the Ship-Master the Turk would hew down her main-Mast the Papist would take away her Anchor-hold the Puritan would break her Sterne of Government and cast away her Ordnances But God still these windes Yet those that are at Sea seâ— by their Card that in the midst of tempestuous weather the needle of their Compass remaineth always unmovable stayeth upon one point because it governs it self by the Pole In like sort the soul of a faithfull Christian in the midst of all these unruly windes and sturdy stormes will stand quiet enjoy a most assured peace because his love and affection like the needle point aimeth at Heaven and stayeth it selfe upon Gods Promise which is the true Pole and Object of our love Spark 87. O sweet Jesus sleep not in the Ship of thy Church still and stay all tempests and unruly stormes that may arise to terrifie us Lord look upon us in these dangerous times wherein we are well nigh covered with wicked waves Lord save us least we perish and rebuke these winds and waves that trouble thy poor Mariners Mat. 8.23 24 25 26. Good Lord walke thou with us upon the Sea of this world that if the Sea cast us up as dead thou mayest receive us Hinder the great Leviathan to devour us and the mighty Nimrods of the world to hunt after us and let the needle of our affection remain alwayes stedfast to the Pole of thy Promises Be with us on the Sea as thou wast with Jonah and on the Land as thou wast with Joseph that if we be cast to the Whale's belly with the one or into the Prisons profundity with the other yet do thou never forsake us But till our Cause be knowne let us still out of the deep call upon thee that the deep of thy mercy may help the deep of our misery so one deep may call upon another Sect. LXXXVIII Good Service IT is the common custom of many men to use their servants as they do their apparel that is to cast them away when they are worne out and can serve them no longer as before Happy are they therefore that serve such a Master in youth that will be sure not to forsake them in age and for a little sorrow on earth will give them continuall solace in Heaven Sparke 88. Grant Lord that I bestow both life and Limbe time and talent to thy glory that now being by Christ delivered from the hands of mine Enemies I may serve thee without fear all the dayes of my life Sect LXXXIX Christ's Rest O My Saviour thy first lodging was a new womb wherein never man before was conceived Thy second lodging a new tomb wherein never man before was buried And thy third lodging must be in a new heart that must never be defiâ—ed Sparke 89. Grant Lord that as thy Mother conceived thee in her wombe so I may conceive thee in my heart Lord let my heart be thy grave thy stable and manger thy Tem le and thy dwelling House that I may dwell in thâ—e and thou in me for evermore Amen Sect. XC Hopes Confirmation VVHen I see the earth to bring forth all things that are committed unto it my hope is confirmed and my joy increased because I know it must one day râ—store our bodies committed in trust unto it and then the year of the great Jubile will come when such as groan under their burden and all the lands Prisoners shall be set at liberty For the just in Christ saith David shal flourish as the Palm tree which though it have many weights at the top and many snakes at the root yet is it still neither opprâ—ssed with the weights distressed with the snakes so though the earth oppresse us and thâ— worms devour us when our Salvation draweth neer at hand we shall lift up our heads again shall no more die but death and corruption shall die in us Then may evâ—ry one of us sing with David I layd me down and slâ—pt and rose up again for the Lord sustained mee O my God how many things hast thou ordained to strengthen my faith and to confirm my hope herein For the sun setteth and is closed up in darknesse and yet riseth again the next moring The moon waneth every moneth and becometh small or nothing to our sight yet it groweth again to her glorious and former light The trees in winter are as dead before us and all their beautifull leaves withered wasted and fallen away yet when the spring commeth they revive again and are gorgeously cloathed as before The Lion being too long ere he finde his prey when he commeâ—h home he findeth his whelps dead and with his very roaring reviveth them again The Pelican by her blood reviveth her young ones The Phenix from her dead ashes receiveth life The Serpent being cut in twain by lying a while in the dung knitteth her self and reviveth again Many small birds for the Winter lie in fens holes and caves and trees as buried and dead yet rise again in Spring and sing melodiously Lastly what is our bed but the Image of our graves the clothes that covers us of the dust and earth cast upon us The little flea that biteth us of the wormes that shall consume us The Coâ—k that croweth of the last Trumpet Therefore as I rise up lustily when sluggish sleep is past so I hope to risâ— Joyfully to Judgment at the last Sparke 90. Gâ—â—nt me O Lord a lively faith 1 Cor. 15. not to sorrow for my brethren that sleep in thee Mat.
Sparke 99. O dear Father that art one God true and constant in all thy wayes and unchangeable yea a jealous God and a consuming fire grant that I may be true and constant in all my wayes not having a shew of godliness and denying the power thereof let me not become half a christian like Agrippa but grant unto me the love of thy servant John the heart and constancy of David the zeal of Phineas the boldnesse of Peter the resolution of Paul the patience of Job the perseverance of Joseph the courage of Joshua the earnestness of Moses and the constancy and integrity of my Saviour That so I may run the way of thy commandments and count it my meat and drink to do thy will Good Lord make me every day more fervent of thy glory more faithfull in thy service more fearfull of thy judgements and more sorrowful for my sins through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. C. The death of his Saints is dear in the Lords sight IT is not without great reason that murther is so hatefull unto God that the bloud of the slain crieth in his ears for revenge For if we respect the majesty of Goh himself what can be more odious to him than to see his own image defaced in his own presence or what can be more contemptuous than to kill one in his view which he loved so dear that he gave his onely son to dy for him Nay what more wicked than willfully to deprive him of life of whose life and safety God was so carefull that he numbred the haires of his head least one of them should perish Sparke 100. O Lord keep mee from bloud thirsty men give me grace to love thy image for thy sake and not to destroy that which thy hands have made and for whom thy son died Sect. CI. The beastly Man IT was not for nothing that the Poets did faine men to be transformed into the shape of some beasts for indeed we are worse in some things than beasts The drunkard is more filthy than the swine the murtherer more cruell than the tiger the wordling more subtile than the Serpent the cholerick more angry than the Wasp the covetous more greedy than the Wolf the adulterer more leacherous than the Goat Yea many beasts have exceeded us in vertue but we exceed all in vice Sparke 101. O Lord renew thy image in us and repaire our defects let us not any more with the Swine wallow in the mire of our filthiness Instruct thou us Lord and let us not be like horse and mule that have no understanding but keep us in thy wayes that we walk in thy wisedom through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CII The Foolish Worldling and the wise Christian BOth will yield honour to man but diversely the one honoureth him that hath the richest garment and other externall ornaments glorious to the eye the other honours him most who is richly adorned within with wisedom and good qualities For as the world respects the outward man so do the chil of the world And as God respects the inward man so do the children of God For if a man be vain outwardly he is like unto the world and therefore the worldlings will honour him but if he be good inwardly he is like God and therefore the godly will reverence him Spark 102. O Lord grant I may give tribute to whom tribute honour to whom honour worship to whom worship and fear to whom fear is due through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. CIII Faith's feeding Some Creatures by the providence of God are said to live in the air as the Chamaeleon some in the water as Fishes c. some in the earth as Wants and Wormes c. some in the fire as Salamanders c but hope is such a creature that is not tied to any one Element but hath free liberty to comfort and refresh her self upon all these As first upon the aire and light of heaven For how can we see the sun and the rest of those glorious Planets to set and rise every day and not be confirmed in our hope of our own resurrection Secondly upon the fire which we see covered and buried at night in the ashes like our bodies in the dust and in the morning to be kindled with a little dry straw which may assure us that â—hough now the dust doth cover our bodies as it were for a night yet the joyfull morning of our resurrection will come when our bodies shall be quickened and lightened again with the candle of our soul through the power of our Saviour and the fiery force of the holy spirit that we may shine as bright lamps in his house for ever Thirdly is not our hope much sustained by the water which now we see to decrease and ebbe within few hours after to flow and fill again all those empty chinkes and channels which of late were dried up and so to revive them with a new floud and fresh current and shall not those empty veynes of our bodies and those holy arteries of our flesh at the spring-tide of the resurrection by the powerfull blowing of the Southern wind of Gods spirit be filled again with bloud and the spirit of life Fourthly shall we observe the earth to bring forth all things committed unto her and not hope without doubt that she will one day likewise deliver up our bodies committed to their trust and that much more glorious than she doth any corne or seeds which she keep but for lesse than a year Let us not think it therefore unlikely for our vile bodies to be made glorious seeing that fine paper is made of foul rags and pure glasse of the ashes of ferne yea of a heap of dry bones faire and stronge bodies and life given unto them with a blast of winde Ezek. 37 For could God create all things of nothing and can he not work his own will in his own creatures could he fetch light out of darkness as it were out of a grave can he in the womb of a woman of a little bloud frame a body distinguished with so many and sundry instruments as that it may go for a little world and within the space of some few dayes add lifâ— unto it And can he not restore the body that hath been so to what it was Can he quicken us in the womb of our mother and can he not receive us in the womb of the earth Can we fetch fire out of the flint and cannot he fetch us out of the earth 1 King 17.23 2 King 4 32 Acts 9.40 23.10 Could Eliah and Elisha raise the widow of Zareptha the Shunamites children Could Peter raise Tabitha and Paul Eutychus and cannot God their Lord and ours raise both them and us Sparke 103. O dear Father 1 Pet. 1. which by thy great mercy hast regenerated us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Chrst from the dead 1 Tim. 3. Rom.
5. to the end that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternall life which hope maketh us not ashamed I humbly beseech thy Fatherly goodness to illuminate the eyes of my soul that I may clerely see what the hope of those is Whom thou hast called to the incorruptible inheritance of thy glory And as thou hast in many of thy workes printed the true character of our resurrection so fix fasten the same for ever in the heart and soul of thy servant that I be not as a man without hope either of my own glorification or of theirs that sleep in thee 1 Cor. 15. that in the end this body of mine being renewed and to my soul in farre more glorious manner reunited I may in the society of Angells being co-heir with the glorified Spirits shine as the Sun in glory and be fully united unto Christ the true Son of righteousness and the first fruits of the resurrection And let this holy meditation and the hope to enjoy that full and perfect contentation so possesse my soule and senses that it may be my thought my pleasure delight labour and care to attain to that perfection through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. CIV God's wayes are not our wayes THere is a Speech of Socrates greatly commended by St. Augustine De consens Evang. l. 1. c. 18. Vnumquemque sic câ—li oportere quomodo ipsum colendum praeceperat that is Every god was to be honoured as he himself had given in Commandement which sheweth by the judgement of a Heathen that no man must serve his God after his own lust but after Gods Law not after our owne reason but after God's direction Least otherwise the Lord cry out upon us saying Who hath required this service at your hands For is it reason that we should serve an earthly Master after his own will and not serve God after his owne Law Therefore certain it is that our good meanings in Gods service makes not alwayes our doings good neither is our Zeal a rule whereby we may measure out either our faith or good workes but only the known will and pleasure of God There wanted not a good intent or meaning either in the Isralites when they made a golden Calfe Exod. 3.24 or in Nadab or Abihu whâ—n they offered strange fire or in Saul when he spared King Agag or in Vzza when he put his hand to hold the Arke or in Jehu Levit. 10. when he would needs joyn the worshipping of Jeroboam's goldens calves with the worship of the true God of Israel Sparke 104. O gracious Father as in our godly endeavours we intend thy service and not our own so grant good Lord that in the doing thereof we may alwayes have thy will for our warrant thy law for our levell and thy commandments for our direction Give us grace dear Father to shun and avoid all those things be they never so good in mans sight which thou either hatest or hast no pleasure in And that we be not blinde servers of thee running after our own inventions grant us true understanding and knowledge of thy word which is the glass of thy will that seeing therein both thy will and our own weakness we desire thy grace to perform that which thou hast commanded us through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CV A Caveat for the Demas's of our dayes THat Caveat of our Saviour to his Disciples should be his Saints care namely to endure to the end that we may be saved Mat. 10.22 and so to run that we may obtain and not to look back with Lots Wife or to faint in our journey or be weary of well doing For to what purpose is it that the Marriner sayls prosperously and obtaines a rich prize if he sink or suffer Shipwrack before he arrives at the haven of his own home That a Christian be laden with many Craces and obtain the rich pearle of the Gospel and be fairly imbarked for heaven if afterwards he suffer Shipwrack of his faith What availeth it a Captain to march hotly with Jehu to fight manfully with Jonathan if he turn his back with Ephraim before the end of the battaile For us to encounter Satan if we suffer him to sâ—yle and conquer us If the Souldier shall fly forth of the field revolt from his Captain forsake his colours run from his company and turn to the enemy he disgraceth his profession disableth himself for the Trophies of honour and meriteth condigne punishment O Lord we are thy souldiers the Church is our field Christ Jesus our Captain thy word and Sacraments are our colours the communion of Saints our company he that shâ—ll fly forth of this field revolt from this Captain forsake these colours run from this company and be found fighting under Satan's conduct dishonoureth his christian profession depriveth himself of the Crowne of glory and incurreth the danger of God's heavy Judgement For if we have given our names to Christ served in his camp 2 Tim. 4 9. 2.17 taken pay in his wars and yet play the carnall Apostates with Demas the Hereticall with Hymeneus and Philetus the scornfull with Julian the Emperour the spightfull with Alexander the Copper-smith their remaines small hope of receiving any comfort by the bloud of the Lambe and Christ's eternall Sacrificâ— but rather extream terrour in the expectation of his fearfull sentence small probability of being cleansed in his precious bloud but rather a sore possibility of being devoured by a violent fire For he onely that fights the good fight finishes his course 2 Tim. 4.7 and keeps the faith can expect the Crown of righteousness Sparke 105. O most mighty and mercifull God which art able to give more than we can deserve or desire for thy tender mercies sake keep me poor weakling and unconstant waverer from the shame of backsliding and defend me from the dreadfull sinne of Apostasie Keep me by thy power that I fall not restore me by thy mercy when I am fallen preserve me by thy grace that I never finally fall away take not thy holy spirit from mee but establish me with thy free spirit that I may be settled and confirmed in thy truth that being effectually sanctified in thy Kingdome of Grace I may be eternally blessed in the Kingdome of Glory Through the merits and mercy of thy sweet Son and my sole Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CVI. The Christian Weather-Cock Psal 65.7 THe wavering Professor is not unfitly compared unto the waves of the sea Esay 17.12 It is the Lord that stilleth the raging of the sea and the madness of the people So delighted with novel ies so full of alterations is the fickle faith and the temporizing profession of the palsie shaking members of the Church that there be no waves so restless no winde so mutable Acts 28. no creature so changable while the Viper hung upon Paul's hand he