by which God doth indeed whatsoever he will and hindreth whatsoever he will not have done Psal. 115. 3. 5. Majesty is that by which God of his own absolute and free authority reigneth and ruleth as Lord and King over all Creatures visible and invisible having both the right and propriety in all things as from whom and for whom are all things as also such a plenitude of Power that he can pardon the offences of all whom he will have spared and subdue all his Enemies whom he will have plagued and destroyed without being bound to render to any Creature a reason of his doing but making his own most holy and just Will his only most perfect and eternal Law From all these Attributes ariseth one which is God's soveraign blessedness or perfection Blessedness is that perfect and unmeasurable possession of joy and glory which God hath in himself for ever and is the cause of all the bliss and perfection that every creature enjoys in its measure There are other Attributes figuratively and improperly ascribed unto God in the Holy Scriptures as by an Anthropomorphosis the members of a man eyes ears Nostrils mouth hands feet c. or the senses and actions of man as seeing hearing smelling working walking striking c. By an Antropopatheia the affections and passions of a man as gladness grief joy sorrow love hatred c. or by an Analogie as when he is named a Lyon a Rock a Tower a Buckler c. Whose signification every Commentary will express Of all these Attributes we must hold these general Rules NO Attribute can sufficiently express the Essence of God because it is infinite and ineffable Whatsoever therefore is spoken of GOD is not GOD but serveth rather to help â—ur weak Understanding to conceive in â—uâ— Reason and to utter in our Speech â—he Majesty of his Divine Nature so far as â—e hath vouchsafed to reveal himself unto â—s in his Word 2. All the Attributes of God belong to very of the three Persons as well as to the Essence it self with the limitations of a â—ersonal propriety As the mercy of the Father is mercy begetting the mercy of the â—on is mercy begotten the mercy of the H. â—host is mercy proceeding and so of the rest 3. The Essential Attributes of God difâ—er not from his Essence because they are â—o in the Essence that they are the very Essence it self In God therefore there â—s nothing which is not either his Essence â—r Person 4. The Essential Attributes of God difâ—er not Essentially or Really one from anoâ—her because whatsoever is in God is â—ne most simple Essence and one admits no â—ivision but only in our reason and underâ—â—anding which being not able to know â—arthly things by one simple Act without â—he help of many distinct Acts must of â—ecessity have the help of many distinct Acts to know the incomprehensible GOD. Therefore to speak properly there are â—ot in God many Attributes but one only which is nothing else but the Divine Esâ—ence it self by what Attributes soever you all it But in respect of our reason they â—re said to be so many different Attributes for â—ur understanding conceives by the name of mercy a thing differing from that which is called justice The Essential Attributes of God are not therefore reallâ— separate 5. The Essential Attributes of God are no parts or qualities of the Divine Essence nor Accidents in the Essence nor a Subject but the very whole and entire Essence of God So that every such Attribute is no aliud aliud another and another thing but one and the same thing There are therefore no Quantities in God by which he may be said to be so much and so much nor Qualities by which he may be said to be such and such but whatsoever God is He is such and the same by his Essence By his Essence he is wise and therefore Wisdom it self By his Essence he is good and therefore Goodness it self by his Essence he is merciful and therefore Mercy it self By his Essence he is just and therefore Justice it self c. In a word God is greaâ— without quantity good true and just without quality merciful without passion aâ— act without motion every where present without sight without time the fiâ—st and the last the Lord of all Creatures from whom all receive themselves and aâ— the good they have yet neither needed nor receiveth he any increase of goodnesâ— or happiness from any other This is the plain description of God so far as he hath revealed himself to us in his Word This Doctrine of all other every true Practitioner of Piety must competently know and necessarily believe for four special uses 1. That we may discernour true and only God from all false Gods and Idols for the Description of God is properly known only to his Church in whom he hath thus graciously manifested himself 2. To possess our hearts with a greater awe of his Majesty whilst we admire him â—or his simpleness and infiniteness adore him for his unmeasurableness unchangeableness and Eternity seek wisdom from his underâ—tanding and knowledge submit our selves to his blessed will and pleasure love him for his â—ove mercy goodness and patience trust to his word because of his truth fear him for his Power Justice and Anger reverence him â—or his Holiness and praise him for his Blesâ—edness and to depend all our life on him who is the only Author of our Life Being â—nd all the good things we have 3. To stir us up to imitate the Divine â—pirit in his holy Attributes and to bear in some measure the image of his Wisâ—om Love Goodness Justice Mercy Truth â—atience Zeal and Anger against sin that â—e may be wise loving just merciful true â—atient and zealous as our God is 4. Lastly That we may in our Prayers â—nd Meditations conceive aright of his Diâ—â—ne Majesty and not according to those â—â—oss and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in Mens Brains as wheâ— they conceive God to be like an old Man sitting in a Chair and the blessed Trinity to bâ— like that tripartite Idol which Papists havâ— painted in their Church-Windows When therefore thou art to pray untâ— God let thine Heart speak unto him as tâ— that Eternal Infinite Almighty Holy Wise Just Merciful Spirit and moâ— Perfect indivisible Essence of three severâ—â— Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost wâ— being present in all places ruleth Heaveâ— and Earth understandeth all mens heart knoweth all mens miseries and is only able bestow on us all graces which we want and deliver all penitent sinners who with faithfâ— hearts seek for Christ's sake his help out all their afflictions and troubles whatsoever The ignorance of this true knowledgâ— of God maketh many to make an Idol the True God and is the only cause wâ—â— so
and the Son by proceeding These are incommunicable Actions and â—o make not an essential accidental or â—ational but a real distinction betwixt the â—hree persons So that he who is the Father â—n the Trinity is not the Son He who â—s the Son in the Trinity is not the Faâ—her He who is the holy Ghost in the Triâ—ity is neither the Son nor the Father â—ut the Spirit proceeding from both â—hough there is but one and the same Essence common to all three As thereâ—ore we believe that the Father is God he Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God â—o we likewise believe that God is the Faâ—her God is the Son and God is the Holy Ghost But by reason of this real distinction the Person of the one is not nor ever can be the Person of the other The three Persons therefore of the Godhead do not differ from the Essence but formally but they differ really one from another aâ—d so are distinguished by their hypostatical proprieties As the Father is God begetting God the Son the Son is God begotten of God the Father and the holy Ghost is God proceeding from both God the Father and God the Son Hence it is that the Scriptures use the name of God two manner of ways Either Essentially and then it signifieth the three Persons conjointly or Personally and then by a Synecdoche it signifieth but one of the three Persons in the God-head As the Father 1 Tim. 2. 5. or the Son Act. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 16. or the holy Ghost Acts 5. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 16. And because the Divine Essence common to all the three Persons is but one we call the same Vnity But because there be three distinct Persons in this one indivisible Essence we call the same Trinity So that this Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity is a holy Mystery rather to be religiously adored by faith than curiously searched by reason further than God hath revealed in his Word Thus far of the diverse manner of being in the Divine Essence now of the Attributes thereof ATtributes are certain descriptions of the Divine Essence delivered in the Scriptures according to the weakness of of our capacity to help us the better to understand the nature of God's Essence and to discern it from all other Essences The Attributes of God are of two sorts either nominal or real The Nominal Attributes are of Three sorts 1. Those which signifie God's Essence 2. The Persons in the Essence 3. Those which signifie his Essential works Of the first sort is the Name Jehovah or rather Jehueh which signifieth eternal being of himself in whom being without all beginning and end all other beings both begin and end Isa. 42 8. Psal 83. 18. God tells Moses Exod. 6. 3. That he was not known to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by his Name Jehovah Not but that they knew this to be the Name of God for they used it in all their Prayers but because they lived not to see God effecting indeed that which he promised them in graciously delivering their â—eed out of Egypt and in giving them the real possession of Canaan's Land and so to be not only God Almighty by whom all things were made but also performing indeed to the Children that which he promised in his word to the Fathers which this Name Jehovah especially signifieth And for this cause Moses calls God first Jehovah when the universal creation had its absolute being Gen. 2. 4. And this Admirable Name is graven on the Decalogues forehead which was pronounced upon the Israelites deliverance to be the Rule of Righteousness after which they should serve their Deliverer in the promised Land This Name is so full of Divine Mysteries that the Jews hold it a sin to pronounce it but if it be no sin to write it why should it be unlawful to pronounce it This holy Name of God teacheth us First What God is in himself namely an eternal being of himself Secondly How he is unto others because that from him all other Creatures have received their being Thirdly That we may confidently believe his promises for he is named Jehovah not only in respect of being and causing all things to be but especially in respect of his gracious promises which without fail he will fulfil in his appointed time and so cause that to be which was not before And so this Name is a golden pledge unto us that because he hath promised he will surely upon our repentance forgive us all our sins at the time oâ— death receive our Souls and in the resurrection raise up our Bodies in glory to life everlasting The second Name denoting God's Essence is Ehejeh but once read Exod. 3. 14 of the same root that JEHOVAH is and signifieth I AM or I WILL BE for when Moses asked God by what Name he should call him God then named himself Ehejeh Asher Ehejeh I am thaâ— I am or I will be that I will be signifying that he is an eternal unchangeable Being for seeing every Creature is temporary and mutable no Creature can say Ero qui ero I will be that I will be This name in the New Testament is given to our Lord Christ when he is called Alpha and Omega The beginning and the ending which is which was and which is to come The Almighty Apoc. 1. 8. For all time past and to come is aye present before God And to this name Christ himself alludeth Joh 8. 58. Before Abraham was I AM. This Name should teach us likewise to have always present in our minds our first Creation present Corruption and future Glorification and not content our selves with I was good or I will be good but to be good presently that when ever God sends for us he may find us prepared for him The third name is Jah which as it comes of the same root so is it the contract of Jehovah and signifieth Lord because he is the beginning and Being of Beings It is a name for the most part ascribed unto God when some notable deliverance or benefit comes to pass according to his former promise and therefore all Creatures in Heaven and Earth are commanded to celebrate and praise God in this Name Jah The fourth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord used often in the New Testament for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth I am Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the first Essence of a thing or authority when it is absolutely given to God it answereth to the Hebrew name Jehovah and is so translated by the seventy Interpreters for God is so a Lord that he is of himself Lord of all This Name should always put us in remembrance to obey his Commandments and to fear his Judgments and submit our selves to his blessed Will and Pleasure saying with Eli It is the Lord let
Turning the curses which he deserved to crosses and fartherly corrections yea all things all calamities of this life Death it self yea his very sins unto his good 5. God gives him his Holy Spirit which 1. Sanctifieth him by Degrees throughout so that he doth more and more die to sin and live to righteousness 2. Assures him of his Adoption and that he is by Grace the Child of God 3. Encourageth him to come with boldness and confidence into the presence of God 4. Moveth him without fear to say unto him Abba Father 5. Poureth into his heart the gift of sanctified Prayer 6. Perswadeth him that both he and his Prayers are accepted and heard of God for Christ his Mediator's sake 7. Fills him with 1. Peace of Conscience 2. Joy in the holy Ghost in comparison whereof all earthly joys seem vile and vain unto him 6. He hath a recovery of his sovereignty over the creatures which he lost by Adam's fall and from thence free liberty of using all things which God hath not restrained so that he may use them with a good conscience For to all things in Heaven and Earth he hath a sure title in this life and he shall have the Plenary and peaceable possession of them in the life to come Hence it is that all Reprobates are but usurpers of all that they possess and have no place of their own but Hell 7. He hath the assurance of God's Fatherly care and protection day and night over him which care consists in three things 1. In providing all things necessary for his Soul and Body concerning this life and that which is to come so that he shall be sure ever either to have enough or patience to be content with that he hath 2. In that God gives his Holy Angels as Ministers a charge to attend upon him always for his good yea in danger to pitch their Tents about him for his safety where ever he be Yea GOD's Protection shall defend him as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night and his providence shall hedge him from the power of the Devil 3. In that the eyes of the Lord are upon him and his ears continually open to see his state and to hear his complaint and in his good time to deliver him out of all his troubles Thus far of the blessed Estate of the Godly and Regenerate Man in this life Now of his blessed Estate in Death 2. Meditations of the blessed Estate of a Regenerate Man in his Death WHen GOD sends Death as his Messenger for the Regenerate Man he meets him half the way to Heaven for his conversation and affection is there before him Death is neither strange nor fearful unto him Not strange because he died daily not fearful because whilst he lived he was dead and his life was hid with God in Christ. To die unto him therefore is nothing else in effect but to rest from his labour in this world to go home to his Father's house unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Whilst his body is sick his mind is sound for God maketh all his bed in his sickness and strengtheneth him with Faith and Patience upon his bed of sorrow And when he begins to enter into the way of all the World he giveth like Jacob Moses and Joshua to his Children and Friends godly Exhortations and Counsels to serve the true God to worship him truly all the days of their life His blessed Soul breatheth nothing but blessings and such speeches as savour a sanctified spirit As his outward man decayeth so his inward man increaseth and waxeth stronger When the speech of his Tongue faltereth the sighs of his heart speak louder unto God when the sight of the eyes faileth the Holy Ghost illuminates him inwardly with abundance of spiritual light His Soul feareth not but is bold to go out of the Body and to dwell with her Lord. He sigheth out with Paul Cupio dissolvi I desire to to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And with David As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God He prayeth with the Saints How long O Lord which art holy and true Come Lord JESVS come quickly And when the appointed time of his dissolution is come knowing that he goeth to his Father and redeemer in the peace of a good Conscience and the assured perswasion of the forgiveness of all his sins in the blood of the Lamb he sings with blessed old Simeon his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. And surrenders up his Soul as it were with his own hands into the hands of his heavenly Father saying with David Into thy hands O Father I commend my Soul for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth And saying with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit He no sooner yields up his sacred Ghost but immediately the holy Angels who attended upon him from his Birth unto his Death carry and accompany his Soul into Heaven as they did the Soul of Lazarus into Abraham's bosom which is the Kingdom of Heaven whither only good Angels and good works do accompany the Soul the one to deliver their charge the other to receive their reward The Body in convenient time as the sanctified Temple of the Holy Ghost the Members of Christ nourished by his Body the price of the blood of the Son of God is by his fellow Brethren reverently laid to sleep in his grave as in the Bed of Christ in an assured hope to awake in the Resurrection of the Just at the last Day to be partaker with the Soul of life and glory everlasting And in this respect not only the Souls but the very Bodies of the Faithful also are termed blessed Thus far of the Blessedness of the Soul and Body of the regenerate Man in death Now let us see the Blessedness of his Soul and Body after death 3. Meditations of the Blessed Estate of the Regenerate Man after Death THis Estate hath Three Degrees 1. From the Day of Death to the Resurrection 2. From the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the Sentence 3. After the Sentence which lasts eternally As soon as ever the regenerate Man hath yielded up his Soul unto Christ the holy Angels take her into their Custody and
estate for evermore Therefore it is termed everlasting life and Christ saith that our joy no man shall take from us All other joys be they never so great have an end Ahasuerus's Feast lasted an hundred and eighty days but he and it and all his joys are gone For mortal man to be assumed to heavenly glory to be associated to Angels to be satiated with an delights and joys but for a time were much but to enjoy them for ever without intermission of end who can hear it and not admire it who can muse of it and not â—e amazed at it All the Saints of Christ as soon as they felt once but a true taste of these eternal joys counted all the riches and pleasures of this life to be but loss and dung in respect of that And therefore with uncessant prayers fastings alms-deeds tears faith and good life they laboured to ascertain themselves of this eternal life and for the love thereof they willingly either sold or parted with all their earthly goods and possessions Christ calleth all Christians Merchants Luke 19. and Eternal Life a precious Pearl which a wise Merchant will purchase tho' it cost him all that he hath Matth. 13. Alexander hearing the report of the great riches of the Eastern Country divided forthwith among his Captains and Soldiers all his Kingdom of Macedonia He phaestion asking him what he meant in so doing Alexander answered That he preferr'd the riches of India whereof he hoped shortly to be master before all that his Father Philip had left him in Macedonia And should not Christians then preferr the eternal riches of Heaven so greatly renowned which they shall enjoy ere long before the corruptible trash of the Earth which lasts but for a season Abraham and Sarah left their own Country and Possessions to look for a City whose builder and maker is God and therefore bought no Land but only a place of Burial David preferred one day in this place before a thousand elsewhere yea to be a door-keeper in the house of God rather than to dwell in the richest Tabernacles of wickedness Elias earnestly besought the Lord to receive his Soul into his Kingdom and went willingly tho in a fiery Chariot thitherâ— St. Paul having once seen Heaven continually desired to be dissolved that he might be with Christ. St. Peter having espied but a glimpse of that eternal glory in the Mount wished â—hat he might dwell there all the days of his life saying Master it is good for us to be here How much better doth Peter now think it to be in Heaven it self Christ a little before his death prayeth his Father to receive him into that excellent Glory And the Apostle witnesseth that for the joy which was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the shame If a Man did but once see those joys if it were possible he would endure a hundred deaths to enjoy that happiness but one day Saint Augustine saith That he would be content to endure the torments of hell to gain this joy rather than to lose it Ignatius St. Paul's Scholar Being threatned as he was going to suffer with the cruelty of Torments answered with great courage of Faith Fire Gallows Beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body all the torments of the devil together let them come upon me so I may enjoy my Lord Jesus and his Kingdom The same constancy shewed Polycarp who could not by any terrours of any kind of death be moved to deny Christ in the least measure With the like resolution answered Basil his persecutors when they would terrifie him with death I will never said he fear Death which can do no more than restore me to him that made me If Ruth left her own Country and followed Naâ—â—i her Mother-in-law to go and dwell with her in the land of Canaan which was by a type of Heaven only upon the fame which she heard of the God of Israel though she had no promise of any portion therein how shouldst thou follow thy holy Mother the Chruch to go unto Christ into the heavenly Canaan wherein God hath given thee an eternal inheritance assured by an holy Covenaâ—t made in the word of God signed with the Blood of his Son and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments this shall be rhine eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven where thy life shall be a communion with the blessed Trinity thy joy the presence of the Lamb thy exercise singing thy ditty hallelujah thy consorts Saints and Angels where youth flâ—urisheth that never waxeth old beauty lasteth that never fadeth love aboundeth that never cooleth health continueth that never slacketh and â—ife remaineth that never endeth Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himself without delay the aforesaid knowledge of God and himself THou seest therefore O Man how wretched and cursed thy state is by corruption of â—â—ture without Christ insomuch that whereas the Scriptures do liken wicked men unto Lions Bears Bulls Horses Dogs and such like savage Creatures in their lives it is certain that the condition of an unregenerate man is in his Death more vile than a Dog or the filthiest Creature in the World For the Beast being made but for Man's use when he dieth endeth all his miseries with his death But Man endued with a reasonable and immortal soul made after God's image to serve God when he ends the miseries of this life must account for all his misdeeds and begin to endure these miseries that never shall know end No creature but man is liable to yield at his death an account for his life The brute creatures not having reason shall not be required to make any account for their deeds and good Angels tho' they have reason yet shall they yield no account because they have no sin And as for evil Angels they are without all hope already condemned so that they need not make any further accounts Man only in his death must be God's accountant for his life On the other side thou seest O Man how happy and blessed thy estate is being truly reconciled unto God in Christ in that through the restauration of God's Image and thy restitution into thy soveraignty over other creatures thou art in this life little inferiour to the Angels and shall be in the life to come equal to the Angels Yea in respect of thy Nature exalted by a personal Vnion to the Son of God and by him to the glory of the Trinity superior to the Angels a Fellow-Brother with Angels in spiritual Grace and everlasting Glory Thou hast seen how glorious and perfect God is and how that all thy chief bliss and happiness consisteth in having an eternal Communion with his Majesty Now therefore O impenitent sinner in the bowels of Christ Jesus I intreat thee nay I conjure thee as thou tenderest thy own salvation seriously
by Faith only a carnal Christian gathereth That good works are not necessary He commends others that do good works but he persuades himself that he shall be saved by his Faith without doing any such matter But he should know that though good works are not necessary to justification yet they are necessary to salvation for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath predestinated that we should walk in them Whosoever therefore in years of discretion bringeth not forth good works after he is called he cannot be saved neither was he ever predestinated to life eternal Therefore the Scripture saith that Christ will reward every man according to his works Christ respects in the Angels of the seven Churches nothing but their works and at the last day he will give the heavenly inheritance only to them who have done good works in feeding the hungry clothing the naked c At that day righteousness shall wear the Crown No righteousness no crown no good works according to a man's talent no reward from God unless it be vengeance To be rich in good works is the surest foundation of our assurance to obtain eternal liâ—e For good works are the true fruits of a true faith which apprehendeth Christ and his obedience unto salvation And no other faith availeth in Christ but that which worketh by love and but in the act of justification that faith which only justifieth is never alone but ever accompanied with good works as the Tree with his fruits the Sun with his light the fire with his heat the water with his moisture And the faith which doth not justifie her self by good works before men is but a dead faith which will never justifie a man's soul before God But a justifying faith purifieth the heart and sanctifieth the whole man throughout II From the Doctrine of God's eternal Predestination and unchangeable Decree he gathereth that if he be predestinated to be saved he cannot but be saved if to be damned no means can do any good Therefore all works of Piety are but in vain But he should learn that God hath predestinated to the means as well as to the end Whom therefore God hath predestinated to be saved which is the end he hath likewise predestinated to be first called justified and made conformable to the Image of his Son which is the means And the saith St. Peter who are elect unto salvation are also elect unto the sanctification of the spirit If therefore upon thy calling thou conformest thy self to the Word and Example of Christ thy Master and obeyest the good motions of the Holy Spirit in leaving sin and living a godly life then assure thy self that thou art one of those who are infallibly predestinated to everlasting salvation If otherwise blame not God's predestination but thine own sin and rebellion Do thou but return unto God and God will graciously receive thee as the Father did the prodigal Son and by thy conversion it shall appear both to Angels and Men that thou didst belong to his Election If thou wilt not why should God save thee III. When a carnal Christian hears that Man hath not free will unto good he looseth the reins to his own corrupt will as tho' it lay not in him to bridle or to subdue it Implicitly making God the Author of sin in suffering Man to run into this necessity But he should know that God gave Adam free-will to stand in his integrity if he would Man abusing his free-will lost both himself and it Since the Fall Man in his state of corruption hath free-will to evil but not to good for in this state we are not saith the Apostle sufficient to think a good thought And God is not bound to restore us what we lost so wretchedly and take no more care to recover again But as soon as a Man is regenerated the grace of God freeth his will unto good so that he doth all the good things he doth with a free-will For so the Apostle saith That God of his own good pleasure worketh both the will and the deed in us who as the Apostle expoundeth cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and finish our sanctification in the fear of God And in this state every true Christian hath free-will and as he increaseth in grace so doth his will in freedom for when the Son shall make us free then shall we be free indeed and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty for the holy spirit draws their minds not by coaction but by the Cords of Love Cant. 1. 4. by illuminating their minds to know the truth by changing their hearts to love the known truth and by enabling every one of them according to the measure of grace which he hath received to do the good which he loveth but thou wilt not use the freedom of thy will so far as God hath freed it for thou dost many times wilfully against God's Law to the hazard of thy Soul that which if the King's Laws forbid under the penalty of death or loss of thy worldly Estate thou wouldst not do Make not therefore thy want of free-will unto good to be so much the cause of thy sin as thy want of a loving heart to serve thy heavenly Father IV. When the natural man hears that no man since the Fall is able to fulfil the Law of God and keep all his Commandments he boldly presumes to sin as others do he contents himself with a few good thoughts and if he be not altogether as bad as the worst he concludes that he is as truly regenerate as the best And every voluntary refusal of doing good or withstanding evil he counts the impossibility of the Law But he should learn that though since the Fall no man but Christ who was both God and Man did or can perfectly fulfil the whole Law yet every true Christian as soon as he is regenerated begins to keep all God's Commandments in truth though he cannot in absolute perfection Thus with David they apply their hearts to fulfil God's Commandments always unto the end And then the spirit of grace which was promised to be more abundantly poured forth under the Gospel helpeth them in their good endeavours and assisteth them to do what he commands them to do And in so doing God accepteth their good will and endeavour instead of perfect fulfilling of the Law supplying out of the merits of Christ who fulfilled the Law for us whatsoever wanteth in our obedience And in this respect Saint John saith that God's Commandments are not burthenous And St. Paul saith I am able to do all things through the help of him that strengtheneth me And Zachary and Elizabeth are said to walk in all the Commandments of the Lord
without reproof Hereupon Christ commends to his Disciples the care of his keeping of his Commandments as the truest testimony of our love unto him So far therefore doth a Man love Christ as he makes conscience to walk in his Commandmenâ—s and the more unto Christ is our love the less will our pains seem in keeping his Law The Laws curse which under the Old Testament was so terrible is under the New by the Death of Christ abolished to the regenerate the rigour which made it so impossible to our Nature before is now to the new born so mollified by the spirit that it seems facil and easie The Apostles indeed pressed on the unconverted Jews and Gentiles the impossibility of keeping the Law by ability of Nature corrupted But when they have to do with regenerate Christians they require to the Law which is the Rule of righteousness true obedience in word and deed the mortifying of their members the crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof resurrection to newness of life walking in the spirit overcoming of the world by faith so that tho' no Man can say as Christ Which of you can rebuke me of sin yet every regenerate Christian can say of himself which of you can rebuke me of being an Adulterer Whoremonger Swearer Drunkard Thief Vsurer Oppressor Proud Malicious Covetous Prophaner of the holy Sabbath a Lyar a neglecter of God's Publick service and such like gross sins else he is no true Christian. When a man casts off the conscience of being ruled by God's Law then God gives him over to be led by his own lusts the surest sign of a Reprobate sense Thus the Law which since the fall no man by his own natural ability can fulfil is fulfilled in truth of every true regenerate Christian through the gracious assistance of Christ's Holy Spirit And this Spirit God will give to every Christian that will pray for it and incline his heart to keep his Laws V. When the unregenerate man hears that God delights more in the inward mind than in the outward man then he feigneth with himself that all outward reverence and profession is but either superstitious or superfluous Hence it is that he seldom kneeleth in the Church that he puts on his Hat at singing of Psalms and the publick Prayers which the prophane Varlet would not offer to do in the presence of a Prince or Noble man And so that he keep his mind unto God he thinks he may fashion himself in other things to the world He divides his thoughts and gives so much to God and so much to his own lusts yea he will divide with God the Sabbath and will give him almost the one half and spend the other wholly in his own pleasures But know O carnal Man that Almighty God will not be served by halfs because he hath created and redeemed the whole Man And as God detests the service of the outward man without the inward heart as hypocrisie so he counts the inward service without all external reverence to be meer prophaneness he requireth both in his worship In prayer therefore bow thy knees in witness of thy humiliation lift up thine eyes and thy hand in testimony of thy confidence hang dowâ— thy head and smite thy brest in token of thy contrition but especially call upon God with a sincere heart serve him holily serve him wholly serve him only for God and the Prince of this world are two contrary masters and therefore no man can possibly serve both VI. The unregenerate Christian holds the hearing of the Gospel preached to be but an indifferent matter which he may use or not use at his pleasure but whosoever thou art that will be assured in thy heart that thou art one of Christ's Elect Sheep thou must have a special care and conscience if possibly thou canst to hear God's Word Preached For first the preaching of the Gospel is the chief ordinary means which God hath appointed to convert the souls of all that he hath predestinated to be saved therefore it is called the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth And where this Divine Ordinance is not the people perish and whosoever shall refuse it it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for those people Secondly the preaching of the Gospel is the Standard or Ensign of Christ to which all Soldiers and Elect People must assemble themselves when this Ensign is displayed as upon the Lord's Day he is none of Christ's People that flocks not unto it neither shall any drop of the rain of his Grace light on their souls Thirdly it is the ordinary means by which the Holy Ghost begetteth faith in our hearts without which we cannot please God If the hearing of Christ's voice be the chief Mark of Christ's Elect sheep and of the Bridegrooms friends then must it be a fearful mark of a reprobate goat either to neglect or contemn to hear the preaching of the Gospel Let no man think this position foolish for by this foolishness of preaching it pleaseth God to save them which believe Their state is therefore fearful who live in peace without caring for the preaching of the Gospel Can men look for God's mercy and despâ—â—s his means He saith Christ of the Preachers of his Gospel that despiseth you despiseth me He that is of God heareth God's Word ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God Had not the Israelites heard Phineas's message they had never wept Had not the Baptist preached the Jews had never mourned Had not they who crucified Christ heard Peter's Sermon their hearts had never been pricked Had not the Ninevites heard Jonas preaching they had never repented and if thou wilt not hear and repent thou shalt never be saved VII The opinion that the Sacraments are but bare signs and seals of God's promise and grace unto us doth not a little hinder Piety whereas indeed they are seals as well of our service and obedience unto God which service if we perform not unto him the Sacraments seal no Grace unto us But if we receive them upon the resolution to be his faithful and penitent servants then the Sacraments do not only signifie and offer but also seal and exhibit indeed the inward spiritual grace which they outwardly promise and represent and to this end Baptism is called the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and the Lord's Supper The Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Were this truth believed the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper would be oftener and with greater revereâ—ce received VIII The last and not the least block whereat Piety stumbleth in the course of Religion is by adorning Vices with the names of
that God should forget to save thee in thy death who art so unmindful now to serve him in thy life the fear of Death will drive many at that time to cry Lord Lord but Christ protesteth that he will not then know them for his Yea many shall then like Esau with tears seek to repent and yet find no place of repentance For Man hath not free-will to repent when he will but when God will give him grace And if Mercy shewed her self so inexorable that she would not open her gates to so tender suitors as Virgins to so earnest suitors as kneâ—kers because they knocked too late How thinkest thou that she will ever suffer thee to enter her gates being so impure a wretch that nâ—ver thinkest to leave sin till sin first leaveth thee and didst never yet knock with thine own fists upon the breasts of a penitent heart and justly doth her grace deny to open the gates of Heaven when thou knockest in thine adversity who in thy prosperity wouldest not suffer Christ whilst he knocked to enter in at the door of thy heart Trust not either late repentance or long life not late repentance because it is much to be feared lest that the repentance which the fear of Death enforceth dies with a man dying And the Hypocrite who deceived others in his life may deceive himself in his death God accepteth none but free-will offerings and the repentance that pleaseth him must be voluntary and not of constraint Not long life for old age will fall upon the neck of youth and as nothing is more sure than Death so nothing is more uncertain than the time of dying Yea often times when ripeness of sin is hastened by outragiousness of sinning God suddenly cutteth off such vicious livers either with the sword intemperateness luxury surfeit or some other fearful manner of sickness Mayst thou not see that it is the evil spirit that persuades thee to deferr thy repentance till old Age when experience tells thee that not one of a thousand that takes thy course doth ever attain unto it Let Goa's holy Spirit move thee not to give thy self any longer to eat and drink with the drunken lest thy master send death for thee in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an hour that thou art not aware of and so suddenly cut thee off and appoint thee thy portion with the hâ—pocrites where shall be weeping aâ—d gnashing of teeth But if thou lovest long life fear God and long for life everlasting The longest life here when it is come to the Period will appear to have been but as a tale that is told a vanishing vapour a flitting shadow a seeming dream a glorious flower growing and flourishing in the morning but in the evening cut down and withered or like a Weavers shuttle which by winding here and there swiftly unwinded it self to an end It is but a moment saith St. Paul O then the madness of Man that for a moment of sinful pleasure will hazard the loss of an Eternal weight of glory These are the seven chief hinderers of Piety which must be cast out like Mary Magdalen 's seven Devils before ever thou canst become a true Practicer of Piety or have any sound hope to enjoy either favour from Christ by grace or fellowship with him in glory The Conclusion TO conclude all for as much as thou seest that without Christ thou art but a slave of sin Death's Vassal and Worms Meat whose thoughts are vain whose deeds are vile whose pleasures have scarce beginnings whose miseries never know end what wise Man would incurr these helâ—ish torments tho' he might by living in sin purchase to himself for a time the Empire of Augustus the riches of Croesus the pleasures of Solomon the policy of Achitophel the voluptuous fair and fine apparel of Dives for what should it avail a Man as our Saviour saith to win the whole world far a time and then to lose his soul in hell for ever And seeing that likewise thou seest how great is thy happiness in Christ and how vain are the hindrances that debar thee from the same bâ—ware as the Apostle exhorteth of the deceitfulness of sin For that sin which seems now to be so pleasing to thy corrupt nature will one day prove the bitterest enemy to thy distressed soul and in the mean while harden unawares thine impenitent heart Sin as a Serpent seems beautiful to the eye but take heed of the sting behind whose venomous Effects if thou knewest thou wouldest as carefully fly from sin as from a Serpent For 1. Sin did never any Man good and the more sin a Man hath committed the more odious he hath made himself to God the more hateful to all good Men. 2. Sin brought upon thee all the evil crosses losses disgraces and sicknesses that ever befel thee Fools saith David by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted Jeremy in lamenting manner asketh the question Wherefore is the living man sorrowful The Holy Ghost answereth him Man suffereth for his sin Hereupon the Prophet takes up that doleful out-cry against sin as the cause of all their miseries Wo now unto us that ever we have sinned 3 If thou dost not speedily repent thee of thy sins they will bring upon thee yet far greater plagues losses crosses shame and judgments than ever hitherto befel thee Read Levit. 26. ver 18 c. Deut. 28 15 c. 4. And lastly if thou wilt not cast off thy sin God when the measure of thine iniquity is full will cast thee off for thy sin for as he is just so he hath power to kill and cast into hell all hardened and impenitent sinners If therefore thou wilt avoid the cursed effects of sin in this life and the eternal wrath due thereto in the world to come and be assured that thou art not one of those who are given over to a reprobate sense Let then O sinner my counsel be acceptable unto thee break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy towards the poor O let there at length be an healing of thine error Nathan used but one Parable and David was converted Jonas preached but once to Nineveh and the whole City repented Christ looked but once on Peter and be went out and wept bitterly And now that thou art oft and so lovingly intreated not by a Prophet but by Christ the Lord of Prophets yea that God himself by his Embassadors doth pray thee to be reconciled unto him leave off thine adultery with David repent of thy sins like a true Ninevite and whilst Christ looketh in mercy upon thee leave thy wicked companions and weep bitterly for thine offences Content not thy self with that formal Religion which unregenerated Men have framed to themselves instead of
Camp against their Enemies they should dig a hole with a paddle and cover their excrements his reason is For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst oâ— thy Camp to deliver thâ—e and to give thee thine Enemies before thee therefore thy host shall be holy that he see no filthy thing in thee and turn away from thee If he will have Men to be so holy in time of war in the Field how much more holiness expecteth he at our hands in time of peace in our houses therefore saith Zophar in Job If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand towards God to pray if iniquity be in thy hand put it far away and let no wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle For as Esay saith If there be any uncleanness in our hands that is any sin whereof we have not repented tho' we stretch not our hands unto him and make many prayers the Lord will hide his eyes from us and will not hear our prayers Therefore before thou prayest let God see that thy heart is sorrowful for thy sin and that thy mind is resolved through the assistance of his grace to amend thy faults And then having washed thy self and adorned thy body with apparâ—l which beseemeth thy calling and the Image of God which thou bearest shut thy chamber-door and kneel down at thy bed-side or some other convenient place and in reverent manner lifting up thy heart together with thy hands and eyes as in the presence of God who seeth the inward intention of thy soul offer up unto God from the Altar of a contrite heart thy prayer as a morning-sacrifice through the mediation of Christ in these or the like words A Prayer for the Morning O Most mighty and glorious God full of incomprehensible Power and Majesty whose glory the very heaven of heavens is not able to contain look down from heaven upon me thine unworthy servant who here prostrate my self at the footstool of thy Throne of Grace But look upon me O Father through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ thy beloved Son in whom only thou art well pleased For of my self I am not worthy to stand in thy presence or to speak with mine unclean lips to so holy a God as thou art For thou know'st that in sin I was conceived and born and that I have lived ever since in iniquity so that I have broken all thy holy Commandments by sinful motions unclean thoughts evil words and wicked works omitting many of those duties of Piety which thou requirest for thy service and committing many of those vices which thou under the penalty of thy displeasure hast forbidden Here thou maist confess unto God thy secret sins which do most burthen thy conscience with the circumstances of the time place person and manner how it was committed saying But more especially O Lord I do here with grief of heart confess unto thee c. And for these my sins O Lord I stand here guilty of thy curse with all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in hell fire when this wretched life is ended if thou shouldest deal with me according to my deserts Yea Lord I confess that it is thy mercy which endureth for ever and thy compassion which never fails that is the cause that I have not been long ago consumed But with thee O Lord there is mercy and plenteous redemption In the mutitude therefore of thy Mercy and confidence in Christ's Merits I intreat thy divine Majesty that thou wouldst not enter into judgment with thy servant neither be extreme to mark what I have hitherto done amiss for if thou dost then then can no flesh be justified in thy sight nor any living stand in thy presence But be thou merciful unto me and wash away all the uncleanness of my sin with the merits of that precious blood which Jesus Christ hath shed for me And seeing that he hath born the burthen of that curse which was due to my transgressions O Lord deliver me from my sins and from all those judgments which hang over my head as due unto me for them and separate them as far from thy presence as the East is from the West bury them in the burial of Christ that they may never have power to rise up against me to shame me in this life or to condemn me in the world which is to come And I beseech thee O Lord not only to wash away my sins with the blood of thine immaculate Lamb but also to purge my heart by thy holy Spirit from the dross of my natural corruption that I may feel thy Spirit more and more killing my sin in the power and practice thereof so that I may with more freedom of mind and liberty of will serve thee the everlasting God in righteousness and holiness this day And give me grace that by the direction and assistance of the same thy holy Spirit I may presevere to be thy faithful and unfeigned servant unto my life's end that when this mortal life is ended I may be made a partaker of immortality and everlasting happiness in thy heavenly kingdom In the mean time O Lord whilst it is thy blessed will and pleasure that I may continue to spend and end that small number and remnant of days which thou hast appointed for me to live in this vale of misery Teach me so to number my days that I may apply my heart unto wisdom and as thou dost add days unto my life so good Lord I beseech thee add repentance and amendment to my days that as I grow in years so may I increase in grace and favour with thee and all thy people And to this end give unto me a supply of all those graces which thou knowest to be wanting in me and necessary for me with an increase of all those good gifts wherewith thou hast already endowed me that so I may be the better enabled to lead such a godly life and honest conversation as that thy Name may thereby be glorified others may take good example by me and my soul may more chearfully feed on the peace of a good conscience and be more replenished with the joy of the Holy Ghost And hear O Lord according to my bounded duty I give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all those Bessings which of thy goodness thou hast bestowed upon me And namely for that thou hast of thy free love according to thine eternal purpose elected me before the foundation of the world was laid unto salvation in Jesus Christ for that thou hast created me after thine own Image and hast begun to restore that in me which was lost in our first Parents for that thou hast effectually called me by the working of thy Spirit in the preaching of the Gospel
and receiving of the Sacrament to the knowledge of thy saving grace and obedience of thy blessed will for that thou hast bought and redeemed me with the blood of thine only begotten Son from the torments of Hell amd thrall of Satan for that thou hast by faith in Christ freely justified me who am by nature the Child of wrath for that thou hast in good measure sanctified me by thy holy Spirit and given me so large a time to repent together with the means of repentance I thank thee likewise good Lord for my life health wealth food raiment peace prosperity and plenty and for that thou hast preserved me this night from all perils and dangers of body and soul and hast brought me lafe to the beginning of this day And as thou hast now wakned my body from sleep so I beseech thee waken my soul from sin and carnal security and as thou hast caused the light of the day to shine in my bodily eyes so good Lord cause the light of thy Word and holy Spirit to illuminate my heart and give me grace as one of thy children of light to walk in all holy obedience before thy face this day and that I may endeavour to keep faith and a clear conscience towards thee and towards all men in all my thoughts words and dealings And so good Lord bless all my studies and actions which I shall take in hand this day as that they may tend to thy glory the good of others and the comfort of mine own Soul and Conscience in that day when I shall make my final accounts unto thee for them Oh my God keep thy servant that I do no evil unto any man this day and let it be thy blessed will not to suffer the Devil nor his wicked Angels nor any of his evil Members or any malicious enemies to have any power to do me any hurt or violence But let the eye of thy holy providence watch over me for good and not for evil and command thy holy Angels to pitch their Tents round about me for my defence and safety in me going out and coming in as thou hast promised they should do about them that fear thy Name For into thy hands O Father I do here commend my soul and body my actions and all that ever I have to be guided defended and protected by thee being assured that whatsoever thou takest into thy custody cannot perish nor suffer any hurt or harm And if I at any time this day shall through frailty forget thee yet Lord I beseech thee do thou in mercy remember me And I pray not unto thee O Father for my self alone but I beseech thee also be merciful unto thy whole Church and chosen people wheresoever they live upon the face of the earth Defend them from the Rage and Tyranny of the Devil the World and Antichrist Give thy Gospel a free and a joyful passage through the world for the conversion of those who belong to thine Election and Kingdom Bless the Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live with the continuance of Peace Justice and true Religion Defend the King's Majesty from all his Enemies and grant him a long life in health and all happiness to reign over us Bless our gracious Queen Mary Prince Charles the Lady Mary the Lady Elizabeth and her Princely Issue Increase in them all heroical gifts and spiritual graces which may make them fit for those places for which thou hast ordained them Direct all the Nobility Bishops Ministers and Magistrates of this Church and Common-wealth to govern the Commons in true religion justice obedience and tranquility Be merciful unto all the Brethren which fear thee and call upon thy name and comfort as many among them as are sick and comfortless in body or mind especially be favourable to all such as suffer any trouble or persecution for the testimony of thy truth and holy Gospel And give them a gracious deliverance out of all their troubles which way it shall seem best to thy Wisdom for the glory of thy Name the further enlarging of the truth and the more ample increase of their own Comfort and Consolation Hasten thy coming O blessed Saviour and end these sinful days And give me grace that like a wife Virgin I may be prepared with oil in my Lamp to meet thee the sweet Bridegroom of my Soul at thy coming whether it be by the day of Death or of Judgment and then Lord Jesus come when thou wilt even Lord Jesus come quickly These and all other graces which thou knowest needful and necessary for me this day and evermore I humbly beg and crave at thy hands O Father giving thee thy glory in that form of Prayer which Christ himself hath taught me to say unto thee Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy Name c. Meditations to stir us up to Morning Prayer IF when thou art about to pray Satan shall suggest that thy Prayers are too long and that therefore it were better either to omit Prayers or else to cut them shorter meditate that Prayer is thy spiritual sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased and therefore it is so displeasing to the Devil and so irksome to thy Flesh. Bend therefore thy Affections will they nill thy to so holy an exercise assuring thy self that it doth by so much the more please God by how much the more it is unpleasing to thy flesh 2. Forget not how the Holy Ghost puts at down as a special note of reprobates they call not upon the Lord they call not upon God And when Eliphaz supposed that Job had cast off the fear of God and tha◠God had cast Job out of his favour he chargeth him that he restrained prayer 〈◊〉 God making that a sure none of the 〈◊〉 and a sufficient cause of the other On the other side that God hath promised that whosoever shall call on his name shall be saved It is certain that he who maketh no conscience of the duty of Prayer hath no grace of the holy Spirit in him For the spirit of grace and of prayer are one And therefore Grace and Prayer go together But he that can from a penitent heart morning and evening pray unto God it is sure that he hath his measure of grace in this world and he shall have his portion of glory in the life which is to come 3. Remember that as loathing of meat and painfulness of speaking are two symptoms of a sick body So irkesomness of praying when thou talkest with God and carelesness in hearing when God by his Word speaks unto thee are two sure signs of a sick Soul 4. Call to mind the zealous devotions of the Christians in the Primitive Church who spent many whole nights and vigils in watching and praying for the forgiveness of
their sins and that they might be found ready at the coming of Christ. And how that David was not concent to pray at Morning at Evening and at Noon but he would also rise up at midnight to pray unto God And if Christ did chide his Disciples because they would not watch with him one hour in praying what chiding dost thou deserve who thinkest it too long to continue in prayer but one quarter of an hour If thou hast spent divers hours in seeing a vain Mask or Play yea whole days and nights in carding and dicing to please thy flesh be ashamed to think a Prayer of a quarter of an hour long to be too long an exercise for the service of God 5. Consider that if the Papists in their blind superstition do in an unknown and therefore unedifying Tongue fit only for the Children of mystical Babylon mutter over upon their Beads every morning and evening so many scores of Ave-Maries Pater-Nosters and idolatrous prayers how shall they in their superstitious devotion rise up in judgment against thee professing thy self to be a true worshipper of Christ If that thou thinkest these Prayers to be too long a task being shorter for quantity than theirs but far more profitable for quality tending only to God's glory and thy good and so compiled of Scripture phrase as that thou may'st speak to God as well in his own holy words as in thine own native language Be ashamed that Papists in their superstitious worshipping of creatures should shew themselves more devout than thou in the sincere worshipping of the true and only God And indeed a prayer in private devotion should be one continued speech rather than many broken fragments 6. Lastly When such thoughts come into thy head either to keep thee from prayer or to distract thee in praying remember that those are the Fowls which the evil one sends to devour the good seed and the carcases of thy spiritual Sacrifices but endeavour with Abraham to drive them away Yet notwithstanding if thou perceivest at some times that thy spirits are dull and thy mind not apt for Prayer and holy devotion strive not too much for that time but humbling thy self at the sense of thine infirmity and dulness knowing that God accepteth the willing mind tho' it be oppressed with the heaviness of the flesh endeavour the next time to recompence this dulness by redoubling the zeal and for the time present commend thy soul to God in this or the like short Prayer Another shorter Morning Prayer O Most gracious God and merciful Father I thine unworthy Servant do here acknowledge that as I have been born in sin so I have lived in iniquity and broken every one of thy Commandments in thought word and deed following the desires of mine own will and lusts of my flesh not caring to be governed by thy holy Word and Spirit and therefore I have justly deserved all shame and misery in this life and everlasting condemnation in hell-fire if thou shouldest but deal with me according to thy Justice and my desert Wherefore O heavenly Father I beseech thee for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake and for the Merits of that bitter Death and bloody Passion which I believe that he hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto me all my sins and deliver me from the shame and vengeance which is due to me for them And send thy Holy Spirit into my heart which may assure me that thou art my Father and that I am thy Child and that thou lovest me with an unchangeable love and let the same thy good Spirit lead me in thy truth and crucifie in me more and more all worldly and carnal lusts that my sins may more and more die in me and that I may serve thee in unfeigned righteousness and holiness this day and all the days of my life That when this mortal life is ended I may through thy mercy in CHRIST be made partaker of everlasting glory in thy heavenly Kingdom And here O Lord from the bottom of my heart I thank thee for all thy blessings which thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for electing me in thy love redeeming me by thy Son sanctifying me by thy Spirit and preserving me from my youth up until this present day and hour by thy most gracious providence I thaâ—k thee more especially for that thou hast defended me this night from all perils and dangers and hast brought me safe to the beginning of this day And now good Lord I beseech thee keep me this day from all evil that may hurt me and from falliâ—g into any gross sin that should offend thee Set thy fear before mine eyes and let thy spirit so rule my heart that all that I shall think do or speak this day may tend to thy glory the good of others and the peace of mine own conscience And to this end I commend my self and all my ways and actions together with all that do belong unto me unto thy gracious direction and protection praying thee to keep both them and me from all evil and to give a blessing to all our honest labours and endeavours Defend thy whole Church from the tyranny of the world and of Antichrist Preserve our gracious King from all conspiracies and treasons grant him a long and prosperous reign over us Bless our gracious Queen Mary Prince Charles the Lady Maâ—â— the Lady Elizabeth and her Princely â—â—sue endue them with thy grace and defend them from all evil Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with those graces and gifts which thou knowest necessary for their places Be favourable to all that fear thee and tremble at thy judgments comfort all those that are sick and comfortless Lord keep me in a continual readiness by faith and repentance â—or my last end that whether I live or die I may be found thine own to thine eternal glory and mine everlasting salvation through Jesus Christ my only Saviour In whose blessed name I beg these mercies at thy hands and give unto thee thy praise and glory in that praâ—er which he hath sanctifyed with his own lips saving Our Father which art in Heaven hallâ—â—â—d be thy Name c. Further Meditations to stir us up to Prayer in the Morning THink not any business or haste though never so great a sufficient excuse to omit prayer in the Morning but meditate 1. That the greater thy business is by so much the more need thou hast to pray for God's good speed and blessing thereon seeing it is certain that nothing can prosper without his blessing 2. That many a Man when he thought himself surest hath been soonest crossed so maist thou 3. That many a Man hath gone out of his door and never come in again Many a Man who rose well and lively in the morning hath been seen a dead Man ere night So may it befal thee and if thou
be so careful before thou goest abroad to drink to fence thy body from ill airs how much more careful shouldest thou be to pray to preserve thy soul from evil temptations 4. That the time spent in prayer never hindreth but furthereth and prospereth a Man's journey and business 5. That in going abroad into the world thou goest into a Forest full of unknown dangers where thou shalt meet many briars to tear thy good name many snares to crap thy life and my hunters to devour thy Soul It is a Field of pleasant Grass but full of poisonous Serpents Adventure not therefore to go naked amongst these briars till thou hast prayed Christ to clothe thee with his righteousness nor to pass thorow these snares and ambushments till thou hast prayed for God's providence to be thy guide nor to walk barefoot through this snaky field till having thy feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace thou hast prayed to have still the brazen Serpent in the eyes of thy faith that so if thou comest not home holier thou maist be sure not to return worser than when thou wentest out of door Therefore tho' thy haste be never so much or thy business never so great yet go not about it nor out of thy doors till thou hast at least used this or the like short Prayer A brief Prayer for the Morning O Merciful Father for Jesus Christ his sake I beseech thee forgive me all my known and secret sins which in thought word or deed I have committed against thy Divine Majesty and deliver me from all those judgments which are due unto me for them and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit that I may henceforth lead a more godly and religious life And hear O Lord I praise thy holy name for that thou hast refreshed me this night with moderate sleep and rest I beseech thee likewise defend mâ— this day from all perils and dangers of body and soul. And to this end I commend my self and all my actions unâ—o thy blessed protection and government beseeching thee that whether I live or die I may live and die to thy glory and the salvation of my poor soul which thou hast bought with thy precious Blood Bless me therefore O Lord in my going out and coming in and grant that whatsoever I shall think speak or take in hand this day may tend to the glory of thy name the good of others and the comfort of mine own conscience when I shall come to make before thee my last accounts Grant this O heavenly Father for Jesus Christ thy Son's sake In whose blessed Name I give thee thy glory and beg at thy hands all other graces which thou seest to be needful for me this day and ever in that prayer which Christ himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. Meditations directing a Christian how he may walk all the day with God like Enoch HAving thus begun keep all the day after as diligent a watch as thou canst over all thy thoughts words and actions which thou maiest easily do by craving the assistance of God's holy Spirit and observing these few rules First for thy thoughts 1. BE careful to suppress every sin in the first motion Dash Babylon's children whilst they are young against the stones Tread Betimes the Cockatrice's egg lest it break out into a Serpent Let sin be to thy heart a stranger not a home-dweller Take heed of falling oft into the same sin lest the custom of sinning take away the conscience of sin and then shalt thou was so impudently wicked that thou wilt neither fear God nor reverence Man 2. Suffer not thy mind to feed it self upon any imagination which is either impossible for thee to do or unprofitable if it be done but rather think of the world's vanity to contemn it of death to expect it of judgment to avoid it of Hell to escape it and of Heaven to desire it 3. Desire not to fulfil thy mind in all things but learn to deny thy self those desires tho' never so pleasing to thy nature which being attained will draw either scandal on thy Religion or hatred to thy Person Consider in every thing the end before thou attempt the Action 4. Labour daily more and more to see thine own miseri through unbelief self-love and wilful Breaches of God's Law and the necessity of God's mercy through the merits of Christ's Passion to be such that if thou wert demanded What is the vilest creature upon earth Thy Conscience may answer Mine own self by reason of my great sins and that if on the other side thou wert asked What thou esteemest to be the mâ—st precious thing in the world thy heart might answer One drop of Christ's blood to wash away my sins And as thou tenderest the salvation of thy soul live not in any wilful filthiness For true faith and the purpose of sinning can never stand together 5. Approve thy self to be a true servant of Christ not only in thy general Calling as in the frequent use of the Word and Sacraments but also in thy particular in making conscience to eschew every known sin and to obey God in every one of his Commandments like Josias who turned to God with all his heart according to all the law of Moses and Zachary and Elizabeth who walked in all the Commandments of God without reproof But if at any time through frailty thou slippest into any sin lie not in it but speedily rise out of it by unfeigned repentance praying for pardoâ— till thy conscience be pacified thy hatred of sin encreased and thy purpose of amendment confirmed 6. Beware of affecting Popularity by adulation the end never proves good and though attained by due deserts yet manage it wisely lest it prove more dangerous than contempt For States desire but to keep down whom they contemn for their unworthiness but to cut off whom they envy for their greatness He therefore is truly prudent who considering the premises neither affecteth nor neglecteth popularity But in any wise take heed of harbouring a discontented mind for it may work thee more woe than thou art aware of It is a special mercy in the multitude of so many blessings as thou dost enjoy to have some crosses God gives thee many blessings lest through want being his child thou shouldst despair and he sends thee some crosses lest by too much prosperity playing the fool thou shouldst presume Many who have mounted to great dignities would have contented themselves with meaner had they known their great dangers affect therefore competency rather than eminency And in all thy will have ever an eye to God's will lest thy self-action turn to thine own destruction Happy the Man who in this short life is least known of the World so that he doth truly know God and himself whatsoever cross therefore thou hast to discontent thee remember that it is less than
fiat Justitia But whilst thou art pronouncing the sentence of judgment on another remember that thine own judgment hangs over thy head In all causes therefore judge aright for thou shalt be sure to find a righteous Judge before whom thou must shortly appear to be judged thy self at what time thou maist leave to thy friend this for thine Epitaph Nuper eram Judex jam judicis ante tribunal Subsistens paveo judicor ipse modo Many I know not upon what grounds seem to be much aggrieved with the Laws of the Land but wiser men may answer them with the Apostle Nos scimus bonam esse legem modo Judex eâ legitimè utatur We know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully And he shall be unto me a righteous Judge whose heart neither corruption of bribes fear of foes nor favour of friends can withdraw from the conscionable practice of these precepts And to that rare and venerable Judge I say with Jehoshaphat Be of courage and do justice and the Lord will be with the good 10. Lastly Make not an occupation of any recreation The longest use of pleasure is but short but the pains of pleasure abused are eternal Use therefore lawful recreation so far forth as it makes thee the fitter in body and mind to do more chearfully the service of God and the duties of thy calling Thy work is great thy time is but short And he who will recompence every man according to his works standeth at the door Think how much work is behind how slow thou hast wrought in the time which is past and what a reckoning thou should'st make if thy master should call thee this day to thine accounts Be therefore careful henceforth to make the most advantage of thy short time that remains as a man would of an old lease that were near expiring and when thou disposest to recreate thy self remember how small a time is allotted for thy life and that therefore much of that is not to be consumed in idleness sports plays and toyish vanities seeing the whole is but a short while though it be all spent in doing the best good that thou canst for Man was not created for sports plays and recreation but zealously to serve God in Religion and conscionably to serve his neighbour in his vocation and by both to ascertain himself of eternal salvation Esteem therefore the loss of time one of the greatest losses Redeem it carefully to spend it wisely that when that time cometh that thou mayest be no longer a Steward on earth thy master may welcome thee with an Euge bone serve and give thee a better in heaven where thou shalt joyfully enjoy thy Master's joy for evermore Meditations for the Evening At Evening when thou preparest thy self to take thy rest meditate on these few points 1. THat seeing thy days are numbred there is one more of thy number spent and thou art now the nearer to thy end by a day 2. Sit down a while before thou goest to bed and consider with thy self what memorable thing thou hast seen heard or read that day more than thou sawest heard'st or knewest before and make thy best use of them but especially call to mind what sin thou hast committed that day against God or Man and what good thou hast omitted and humble thy self for both If thou findest that thou hast done any goodness acknowledge it to be God's grace and give him the glory and count that day lost wherein thou hast not done some good 3. If by frailty or strong tentation thou shalt perceive that thou hast committed any grievous sin or fault presume not to sleep till thou hast upon thy knees made a particular reconciliation with God in Christ for the same both by confessing the fault and by fervent praying for the pardon of the same Thus making thy score even with Christ every night thou shalt have the less to account for when thou art to make thy final reckoning before his Majesty in the Judgment day 4. If thou hast fallen out with any in the day let not the Sun go down in thine anger that night If thy conscience tells thee that thou hast wronged him acknowledge thine offence and entreat him to forgive thee If he have wronged thee offer him reconciliation and if he will not be reconciled yet do thou from thy heart forgive him Mat. 5. 23. But in any case presume not to be thine own revenger For in so doing thou do'st God a double injury First in offering to take the Sword of Justice out of his hand as though he were not just having reserved the execution of vengeance to himself Secondly in usurping authority over his servant without referring the cause to his hearing and censure being his and thy Master Besides thou art too partial to be a Revenger For if thou be to execute revenge on thy self thou wilt do it too lightly if on thy enemy too heavily It belongeth therefore to God to revenge to thee to forgive And in testimony that thou hast freely forgiven him pray unto God for the forgiveness of his fault and the amendment of his life and the next time that occasion is offered and it lies in thy power do him good and rejoyce in doing it for he that doth good to his enemies shews himself the child of God and his reward is with God his Father 5. Use not sleep as a means to satiate the foggy litherness of thy flesh but as a medicine to refresh thy tired Senses and Members sufficient sleep quickneth the mind and reviveth the body but immoderate sleep dulleth the one and fatneth the other 6. Remember that many go to bed and never rise again till they be wakened aâ—d raised up by the fearful sound of the last trumpet But he that sleepeth and wakeneth with prayer sleepeth and wakeneth with Christ. If therefore thou desirest to sleep securely and safely yield up thy self into the hands of God whilst thou art waking and so go to bed with a reverence of God's Majesty and consideration of thine own misery which thou maist imprint in thy heart in some measure by these and the like meditations Read a Chapter in the same order as was prescribed in the morning and when thou hast done kneel down on both thy knees at thy bed-side or some other convenient place in thy Chamber and lifting up thy heart thine eyes and hands to thy heavenly Father in the name and mediation of his holy Son Jesus pray unto him if thou hast the gift of Prayer 1. Confessing thy sins especially those which thou hast committed that day 2. Craving most earnestly for Christ his sake pardon and forgiveness for them 3. Requesting the assistance of his Holy Spirit for amendment of life 4. In Giving thanks for benefits received especially for thy preservation that
day 5. Praying for rest and protection that night 6. Remembering the state of the Church the King and the Royal Posterity our Ministers and Magistrates and all our Brethren visited or persecuted 7. Lastly commending thy self and all thine to his gracious custody All which thou maist do in these or the like words A Prayer for the Evening O Most gracious God and loving Father who art about my bed and knowest my down-lying and mine up-rising and art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and sincerity I wretched sinner do beseech thee to look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy and not to behold me as I am in my self For then thou shalt see but an unclean and defiled creature conceived in sin and living in iniquity so that I am ashamed to lift up mine eyes to heaven knowing how grievously I have sinned against heaven and before thee For O Lord I have transgressed all thy Commandments and righteous Laws not only through negligence and infirmity but oftentimes through willful presumption contrary to my knowledge yea contrary to the motions of thy Holy spirit reclaiming me from them so that I have wounded my conscience and grieved thy Holy Spirit by whom thou hast sealed me to the day of redemption Thou hast consecrated my soul and body to be the temples of the Holy Ghost I wretched sinner have defiled both with all manner of pollution and uncleanness My eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanity mine ears in hearing impure and unchaste speeches my tongue in leasing and evil speaking my hands are so full of impurity that I am ashamed to lift them up unto thee and my feet have carried me after mine own ways my understanding and reasoning which are so quick in all earthly matters are only blind and stupid when I come to meditate or discourse of spiritual and heavenly things my memory which should be the treasury of all goodness is not so apt to remember any thing as those things which are vile and vain Yea Lord by woful experience I find that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of mine heart are only evil continually And these my sins are more in number than the hairs upon mine head and they have grown over me like a loathsom leprosie that from the Crown of my head to the sole of my feet there remains no part which they have not infected They make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more abominable must I then appear in thy sight And the custom of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sin and pulled upon me such dullness of sense and hardness of heart that thy judgments denounced against my sins by the faithful Preachers of thy Word do not terrifie me to return unto thee by unfeigned repentance for them And if thou Lord shouldest but deal with me according to thy justice and my desert I should utterly be confounded and condemned But seeing that of thine infinite mercy thou hast spared me so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the bitter death and bloody passion sake which Jesus Christ hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto me all my sins and offences and open unto me that ever streaming fountain of the blood of Christ which thou hast promised to open under the New Testament to the penitent of the house of David that all my sins and uncleanness may be so bathed in his blood buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they may never be more seen to shame me in this life or to condemn me before thy Judgment-seat in the World which is to come And for as much O Lord as thou know'st that it is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert and seeing that it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to bid me to be such O my God give me grace to do what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt and thou shalt find me willing to do thy blessed will And to this end give unto me thine Holy Spirit which thou hast promised to give to the world's end unto all thine Elect people And let the same thy holy Spirit purge my heart heal my corruption sanctifie my nature and consecrate my soul and body that they may become the temples of the Holy Ghost to serve thee in righteousness and holiness all the days of my life that when by the direction and assistance of thy holy Spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may chearfully leave this world and resign my soul into thy Fatherly hands in the assured confidence of enjoying everlasting life with thee in thine heavenly Kingdom which thou hast prepared for thine elect Saints who love the Lord Jesus and expect his appearing In the mean while O Father I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit work in me such a serious repentance as that I may with tears lament my sins past with grief of heart be humble for my sins present and with all mine endeavour resist the like filthy sins in time to come And let the same thy holy Spirit likewise keep me in the Vnity of thy Church lead me in the truth of thy Word and preserve me that I never swerve from the same to Popery nor any other errour or false worship And let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may daily defend thy truth and set forth thy praise Increase in me those good gifts which of thy mercy thou hast already bestowed upon me and give unto me a patient spirit a chast heart a contented mind pure affections wise behaviour and all other graces which thou feest to be necessary for me to govern my heart in thy fear and to guide all my life in thy favour that whether I live or die I may live and die unto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render unto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thanks for all those blessings and benefits which so graciously and plentuously thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for this life and for that which is to come namely for mine Election Creation Redemption Vocation Justification Sanctification and Preservation from my child-hood until this present day and hour and for the firm hope which thou hast given me of my Glorification Likewise for my health wealth food raiment and prosperity and more especially for that thou hast defended me this day now past from all perils and dangers both of body and soul furnishing me with all necessary good things that I stand in need of And as thou hast ordained the day for
man to travel in and the night for him to take his rest so I beseech thee sanctifie unto me this night's rest and sleep that I may enjoy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit That so this dull and wearied body of mine being refreshed with moderate sleep and rest I may be the better enabled to walk before thee doing all such good works as thou hast appointed when it shall please thee by thy divine Power to waken me the next morning And whilst I sleep do thou O Lord who art the keeper of Israel that neither slamberest nor sleepest watch over me in thy holy providence to protect me from all dangers so that neither the evil Angels of Satan nor any wicked enemy may have any power to do me any harm or evil And to this end give a charge unto thy holy Angels that they at thine appointment may pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safety as thou hast promised that they should do about them that fear thy name And knowing that thy name is a strong Tower of defence unto all those that trust therein I here recommend my self and all that do belong unto me unto thy holy protection and custody If it be thy blessed will to call for me in my sleep O Lord for Christ his sake have mercy upon me and receive my soul into thy heavenly kingdom And if it be thy blessed pleasure to add more days unto my Life O Lord add more amendment unto my days and wean my mind from the love of the world and worldly vanities and cause me more and more to settle my conversation on heaven and heavenly things And perfect daily in me that good work which thou hast begun to the glory of thy Name and the salvation of my sinful soul. O Lord I beseech thee likewise save and defend from all evil and danger thy whole Church our King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the religious Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue keep them all in the sincerity of thy Truth and prosper them in all grace and happiness Bless the Nobility Ministers and Magistrates of these Churches and Kingdoms each of them with those graces which are expedient for their place and calling And be thou O Lord a comfort and consolation to all thy people whom thou hast thought meet to visit with any kind of sickness cross or calamity Hasten O Father the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Make me ever mindful of my last end and of the reckoning that I am to make unto thee therein and in the mean while careful so to foâ—â—ow Christ in the regeneration during this life as that with Christ I may have a portion in the resurrection of the just when this mortal life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou O Father knowest to be requisite and necessary for me I humbly beg and crave at thy hands in the name and meditation of Jesus Christ thy Son and in that form of Prayer which he himself hath taught me to say unto thee Our Father which art in Heaven c. Another short Evening Prayer O Eternal God and heavenly Father if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy Gospel and the examples of Peter Mary Magdalen the Publican the Prodigal child and many other penitent sinners that thou art so full of Compassion and so ready to forgive the greatest sinners who are heaviest laden with sin at what time soever they return unto thee with penitent hearts lamenting their sins and imploring thy grace I should despair for mine own sins and be utterly discouraged from presuming to come into thy presence considering the hardness of my heart the unruliness of my affections and the uncleanness of my conversation by means whereof I have trangressed all thy laws and deserved thy curse which might cause my body to be smitten with some fearful disease my soul to languish with the death of sin my good name to be traduced with scandalous reproaches and make mine estate liable to all manner of crosses and casualties And I confess O Lord that thy mercy is the cause that I have not been long ago confounded But O my God as thy mercy only staied thy judgment from falling upon me hitherto so I humbly beseech thee in the bowels of the mercy of Jesus Christ in whom only thou art well pleased that thou wilt not deal with me according to my deserts but that thou wouldst freely and fully remit unto me all my sins and transgressions and that thou wouldst wash them clean from me with the vertue of that most precious blood which thy Son Jesus Christ hath shed for me For he alone is the Phâ—sician and his blood only is the medicine that ean heal my sickness And he is the true brazen Serpent that can cure that poison wherewith the fiery Serpent of my sins have stung and poisoned my sick and wounded soul. And give me I beseech thee thine holy Spirit which may assure me of mine adoption and that may confirm my faith encrease my repentance enlighten my understanding purifie my heart rectifie my will and affections and so sanctifie me â—hroughout that my whole body soul and spiâ—it may be kept unblameable until the glorious â—oming of my Lord Jesus Christ. And now O Lord I give thee most hearty thanks â—nd praise for that thou hast this day preserved me from all harms and perils notwithstanding all my sins and ill deserts And I beseech thee likewise defend me â—his night from the roaring Lyon which â—ight and day seeketh to devour me Watch â—hou O Lord over me this night to keep â—e from his temptations and tyranny and â—et thy mercy shield me from his unappeaâ—ble rage and malice And to this end I â—ommend my self into thy hands and proâ—ection beseeching thee O my Lord and God not to suffer Satan nor any of his eâ—il members to have power to do unto me â—ny hurt or violence this night And grant â—ood Lord that whether I sleep or wake â—ve or die I may sleep wake live and die â—nto thee and to the glory of thy name â—nd the salvation of my soul. Lord bless â—nd defend all thy chosen People every â—here Grant our King a long and happy â—eign over us Bless our gracious Queen Mary with their Princely Progeny the â—ady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and â—er Princely Issue together with all our â—agistrates and Ministers comfort them â—ho are in misery need or sickness good â—ord give me grace to be one of those â—ise Virgins which may have my heart â—repared like a Lamp furnished with the 〈◊〉 of faith and light of good works to meet the Lord Jesus the sweet Bridegroom of my soul
this second and sudden coming in glory Grant this good Father for Christ Jesus sake my only Saviour and Mediator in whose blessed Name and in whose own words I call upon thee as he hath taught me Our Father which art c. Afterwards say Thy Grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with me and dwell in my heart this night and evermore Amen Then rising up in a holy Reverence meditate as thou art putting off thy Clothes Things to be meditated upon as thou art putting off thy Clothes 1. THat the day is coming when thou must be as barely unstript of alâ— that thou hast in the World as thou arâ— now of thy Clothes thou hast therefore here but the use of all things as a Steward for a time and that upon accounts Whilst therefore thou art trusted with thiâ— Stewardship be wise and faithful 2. When thou seest thy Bed let it puâ— thee in mind of thy grave which is now the bed of Christ for Christ by laying hiâ— holy body to rest three days and three nights in the grave hath sanctified anâ— as it were warmed it for the bodies oâ— his Saints to rest and sleep in till thâ— morning of the Resurrection so that now unto the faithful death is but a sweet sleep and the grave is but Christ's bed where their bodies rest and sleep in peace until the joyful morning of the Resurrection-day shall dawn unto them Let therefore thy Bed-clothes represent unto thee the mould of the Earth that shall cover thee thy sheets thy winding sheet thy sleep thy death thy waking thy resurrection And being laid down in thy bed when thou perceivest sleep to approach say I will lay me down and sleep in peace for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Thus religiously opening every Morning thy heart and shutting it up again every Evening with the Word of God and Prayer as it were with a Lock and Key and so beginning the day with God's Worship continuing it in his fear and ending it in his favour thou shalt be sure to find the blessing of God upon all thy days labours and good endeavours and at night thou maist assure thy self thou shalt sleep safely and sweetly in the arms of thy heavenly Father's providence Thus far of the Piety which every Christian in private ought to practise every day Now followeth that which he being an Housholder must practise publickly with his Family Meditations for Houshold Piety 1. IF thou beest called to the government of a Family thou must not hold it sufficient to serve God and live uprightly in thine own person unless thou causest all under thy charge to do the same with thee For the performance of this duty God was so well pleased with Abraham that he would not hide from him his counsel For saith God I know him that he will command his sons and his houshold after him that they keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that he hath spoken unto him And Abraham had 318 Men servants which were thus born and catechized in his house With whose help he rescued also his Nephew Lot from the captivity of his Enemies And religiously valiant Joshua protesteth before all the people That if they all would fall away from the true Worship of God yet that he and his house would serve the Lord. And God himself gives a special charge to all Housholders that they do instruct their Family in his Word and train them up in his fear and service These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt whet them continually upon thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou tarriest in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up c. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him David according to this Law had so ordered his Family That no deceitful person should dwell in his house but such as would serve God and walk in his way and religious Esther had taught her Maids to serve God in fasting and prayer And the more to further thy family in the zeal of religion settle ever thy chiefest affection on those whom thou shalt perceive to be best addicted to true Religion This also will turn to thine own advantage in a double respect First God will the rather bless and prosper the labour and handy-work of such godly servants For Laban perceived that God blessed him for Jacob's sake And Potiphar saw that the Lord made all that Jeseph did to prosper in his hand yea when innocent Joseph was cast into prison his keeper saw that whatsoever he did the Lord made it to prosper and therefore the keeper committed all the charge of the Prisoners into Joseph's hand 2. The trulier a man doth serve God the faithfullier he will serve thee 2. If every Houshoulder were thus careful according to his duty to bring up his Children and Family in the service and fear of God in his own house then the house of God would be better filled and the Lord's Table more frequented every Sabbath day and the Pastor's publick preaching and labour would take more effect than it doth The streets of Towns and Cities would not abound with so many drunkards swearers whore-mongers and prophane scorners of true Piety and Religion Westminister-Hall would not be so full of contentions wrangling suits and unchristian debates and the prisons would not be every Sessions so full of Thieves Robbers Traitors and Murtherers But alas most Housholders make no other use of their Servants than they do of their Beasts Whilst they may have their Bodies to do their service they care not if their Souls serve the Devil Yet the common complaint is that faithful and good servants are scarce to be found True but the reason is because there are so many prophane and irreligious Masters for the example and instruction of a Godly and Religious Master will make a good and a faithful servant as may witness the examples of Abraham Joshua David Cornelius c. who had good servants because they were religious Masters such as were careful to make their servants God's servants It is the chief labour and care of most men to raise and to advance their house yet let them rise up early and lie down late and eat the bread of carefulness all will be but in vain for except the Lord build an house that is raise up a Family they labour in vain For God hath sealed this as an irrevocable decree That he will pour his wrath upon the Families that call not upon his name yea God will take the wicked and pluck him out of his tabernacle and root him out of the land c. Yea when his
iniquities are full he will make the land to spue out every Canaanite Religion then and the Service of God in a Family is the best building and surest entailing of House and Land to a Man and his Posterity for the righteous Man shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever As therefore thou desirest to have the blessing of God upon thy self and upon thy family either before or after thy own private devotions call every morning all thy family to some convenient room and first either read thy self unto them a Chapter in the Word of God or cause it to be read distinctly by some other If leisure serve thou maist admonish them of some remarkable notes and then kneeling down with them in reverent sort as is before described pray with them in this manner Morning Prayer for a Family O Lord our God and heavenly Father who art the only Creator and Governour of heaven and earth and all things therein contained we confess that we are unworthy to appear in thy sight and presence considering our manifold sins which we have committed against heaven and before thee and how that we have been born in sin and do daily break thy holy Laws and Commandments contrary to our knowledge and consciences albeit that we know that thou art our Creator who hast made us our Redeemer who hast bought us with the blood of thine only begotten Son and our Comforter who bestowest upon us all the good and holy graces which we enjoy in our souls and bodies And if thou should'st but deal with us as our wickedness and unthankfulness have deserved what other thing might we O Lord expect from thee but shame and confusion in this life and in the World to come wrath and everlasting condemnation Yet O Lord in the obedience of thy Commandment and in the confidence which we have in thy unspeakable and endless mercy in thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ we thy poor servants appealing from thy Throne of Justice where we are justly lost and condemned to thy Throne of grace where mercy reigneth to pardon abounding sin do from the bottom of our hearts most humbly beseech thee to remit and forgive unto us all our offences and misdeeds that by the virtue of the precious blood of Jesus Christ thine innocent Lamb which he so abundantly shed to take away the sins of the world all our sins both original and actual may be so cleansed and washed from us as that they may never be laid to our charge nor ever have power to rise up in judgment against us And we beseech thee good Fatherâ— for Christ his death and passions sake thaâ— thou wilt not suffer to fall upon us thaâ— fearful curse and vengeance which thy laâ—â— hath threatned and our sins have justly deserved And for as much O Lord as we arâ— taught by thy word that Idolaters Adulterrers covetous Men contentious Persons Drunkards Gluttons and such like inordinate livers shall not inherit the kingdom of God pour the grace of thy Holy Spirit into our hearts whereby we may be enlightned to see the filthiness of our sins to abhor them and may be more and more stirred up to live in newness of life and love of thy Majesty so that we may daily increase in the obedience of thy Word and in a conscionable care of keeping thy Commandments And now O Lord we render unto thee most hearty thanks for that thou hast elected created redeemed called justified and sanctified us in good measure in this life and given us an assured hope that thou wilt glorifie us in thy heavenly kingdom when this mortal life is ended Likewise we thank thee for our life health wealth liberty prosperity and peace especially O Lord for the continuance of thy holy Gospel among us and for sparing us so long and granting us so gracious a time of repentance Also we praise thee for all other thy mercies bestowed upon us more especially for preserving us this night past from all dangers that might have befaln our souls or bodies And seeing thou hast now brought us safe to the beginning of this day we beseech thee protect and direct us in the same Bless and defend us in our going out and coming in this day and evermore Shield us O Lord from the temptations of the Devil and grant us the custody of thy holy Angels to defend and direct us in all our ways And to this end we recommend our selves and all those that belong unto us and are abroad from us into thy hands and Almighty tuition Lord defend them from all evil prosper them in all graces and fill them with thy goodness Preserve us likewise this day from falling into any gross sin especially those whereunto our Natures are most prone Set a watch before the door of our lips that we offend not thy Majesty by any rash or false Oaths or by any lewd or lying Speeches give unto us patient Minds pure and chaste Hearts and all other graces of thy Spirit which thou knowest to be needful for us that we may the better be enabled to serve thee in holiness and righteousness And seeing that all Man's labour without thy blessing is in vain bless every one of us in our several places and callings direct thou the work of our hands upon us even prosper thou our handy-work for except thou guide us with thy grace our endeavours can have no good success And provide for us all things which thou O Father knowest to be needful for every one of us in our Souls and Bodies this day And grant that we may so pass through the pilgrimage of this short life that our hearts being not setled upon any transitory things which we meet with in the way our Souls may every day be more and more ravished with the love of our home and thine everlasting Kingdom Defend likewise O Lord thy universal Church and every particular Member thereof especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live Preserve and defend from all evils and dangers our gracious King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue Multiply their days in bliss and felicity and afterwards crown them with everlasting Joy and Glory Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with all graces needful for their places and govern thou them that they may govern us in peace and godliness and of thy mercy O Lord comfort all our brethren that are distressed sick or any way comfortless especially those who are afflicted either with an evil conscience because they have sinned against thy Word or for a good conscience because they will not sin against thy truth Make the first to know that not one drop of the blood of Christ was a drop of vengeance but all drops of grace powerful to procure pardon upon repentance for
and eyes unto the great Creator and Feeder of all Creatures and before Meat pray unto him thus Grace before Meat O Most gracious God and loving Father who feedest all creatures living which depend upon thy divine providence we beseech the sanctifie these creatures which thou hast ordained for us give them virtue to nourish our bodies in life and health and give us grace to receive them soberly and thankfully as from thy hands that so in the strength of these and other thy blessings we may walk in the uprightness of our hearts before thy face this day and all the days of our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Or thus MOst gracious God and merciful Father we beseech thee sanctifie these Creatures to our use make them healthful for our nourishment and us thankful for all thy blessings through Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Another Grace before Meat O Eternal God in whom we live move and have our being we beseech thee bless unto thy Servants these Creatures that in the strength of them we may live to the setting forth of thy praise and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen After every meal be careful of thy self and family as Job was for himself and his Children Job 1. 4. lest that in the chearfulness of eating and drinking some speech hath slipped out which might be either offensive to God or injurious to man and therefore with the like comely gâ—sture and reverence give thanks unto God and pâ—ay in this manner BLessed be thy holy Name O Lord our God for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast so plentifully at this time refreshed our bodies O Lord vouchsafe likewise to feed our souls with the spiritual food of thy holy Word and Spirit unto life everlasting Lord defend and save thy whole Church our gracious King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the royal progeny the Lady Elizabeth the Kings only Sister and her Princely issue Forgive us our sins and unthankfulness pass by our manifold infirmities make us all mindful of our last end and of the reckoning that we are to make to thee therein and in the mean while grant unto us health peace and truth in Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Or thus BLessed be thy Holy name O Lord for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast refreshed us at this time Lord forgive us all our sins and frailties save and defend thy whole Church our King and his Royal posterity and grant us health peace and truth in Christ our only Saviour Amen Or thus WE give thee thanks O heavenly Father for feeding our bodies so graciously with thy good creatures to this temporal life beseeching thee likewise to feed our souls with thy holy Word unto life everlasting Defend O Lord thine universal Church the King and his royal Posterity and grant us continuance of thy grace and mercy in Christ our only Saviour Amen The Practice of Piety at Evening At Evening when the due time of repairing to rest approacheth call together again all thy Family Read a Chapter in the same manner that was prescribed in the morning Then in holy imitation of our Lord and his Disciples sing a Psalm But in singing of Psalms either after Supper or at any other time observe these rules Rules to be observed in singing of Psalm 1. BEware of singing divine Psalms for an ordinary recreation as do men of impure Spirits who sing holy Psalms intermingled with prophane Ballads They are God's Word take them not in thy mouth in vain 2 Remember to sing David's Psalms with David's Spirit 3. Practise Saint Paul's rule I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the understanding also 4. As you sing uncover your heads and behave your selves in comely reverence as in the sight of God singing to God in God's own words but be sure that the matter make more melody in your hearts than the Musick in your ear for the singing with grace in our hearts is that which the Lord is delighted withal according to that old verse Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans psallit in aure Dei 'T is not the voice but vow Sound heart not sounding string True zeal not outward show That in God's ear doth ring 5. Thou maiest if thou thinkest good sing all the Psalms over in order for all are most divine and comfortable But if thou wilt chuse some special Psalms as more fit for some times and purposes and such as by the oft usage thy people may the easilier commit to memory Then sing In the Morning Psal. 3. 5. 16. 22. 144. In the Evening Psal. 4. 127. 141. For mercy after a sin committed Psal 51. 103. In sickness or heaviness Psal. 6. 13. 89. 90. 91. 137. 146. When thou art recovered Psal. 30. 32. On the Sabbath day Psal. 19. 92. 95. In time of joy Psal. 80. 98. 107. 136. 145. Before Sermon Psal. 1. 12. 147. the 1. and 5. Part of the 119. After Sermon any Psalm which concerneth the chief argument of the Sermon At the Communion Psal. 22. 23. 103. 111. 116. For spiritual solace Psal. 15. 19. 25. 46. 67. 112. 116. After wrong and disgrace received Psal. 42. 69. 70. 140. 144. After the Psalm all kneeling down in reverent manner as is before described let the Father of the Family or the chiefest in his absence pray thus Evening Prayer for a Family O Eternal God and most gracious Father we thine unworthy Servants here assembled do cast down our selves at the footstool of thy grace acknowledging that we have inherited our Fathers corruption and actually in thought word and deed transgressed all thy holy Commandments so that in us naturally there dwelleth nothing that is good for our hearts are full of secret pride anger impatience dissembling lying lust vanity prophanâ—ness distruâ—â— too much love of our selves and the World too little love of thee and thy Kingdom but empty and void of faith love patience and every spiritual grace If thou therefore shouldst but enter into judgment with us and search out our natural corruption and observe all the cursed fruits and effects that we have derived from thence Satan might justly challenge us for his own and we could noâ— expect any thing from thy Majesty but thy wrath and our condemnation which we have long ago deserved But good Father for Jesus Christ thy dear Son's sake in whom only thou art well pleased and for the merits of that bitter death and bloody passion which we believe that he hath suffered for us have mercy upon us pardon and forgive us all our sins and free us from the shame and confusion which are due unto us for them that they may never seize upon us to our confusion in this life nor to our condemnation in the world
which is to come And for as much as thou hast created us to serve thee as all other Creatures to serve us so we beseech thee inspire thy holy Spirit into our hearts that by his illumination and effectual working we may have the inward sight and feeling of our sins and natural corruptions and that we may not be blinded in them through custom as the Reprobates are but that we may more and more loath them and be heartily grieved for them endeavouring by the use of all good means to overcome and get out of them O let us feel the Power of Christ's Death killing sin in our mortal Bodies and the vertue of his Resurrection raising up our Souls to newness of life Convert our hearts subdue our affections regenerate our minds and purifie our nature and suffer us not to be drowned in the stream of those filthy vices and sinful pleasures of thâ—s time where with thousands are carried headlong to eternal destruction but daily frame us more and more to the likeness of thy Son Jesus Christ that in righteousness and true holiness we may so serve and glorifie thee that living in thy fear and dying in thy favour we may in thine appointed time attain to the blessed resurrection of the just unto eternal life In the mean while O Lord increase our faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel and our repentance from dead works the assurance of our hope in thy promises our fear of thy name the hatred of all our sins and our love unto thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in need of our help and comfort that so by the fruits of Piety and a righteous life we may be assured that thy Holy Spirit doth dwell in us and that we are thy Children by Grace and Adoption And grant us good Father the continuance of health peace maintenance and all other outward things so far forth as thy Divine Wisdom shall think meet and necessary for every one of us And here O Lord according to our bounden duty we confess that thou hast been exceeding merciful unto us all in things of this life but infinitely more merciful in the things of a better life and therefore we do here from our very souls render unto thee all humble and hearty thanks for all thy blessings and benefits bestowed upon our souls and bodies acknowledging thee to be that Father of lights from whom we have received all those good and perfect gifts and unto thee alone for them we ascribe to be due all glory honour and praise both now and evermore But more especially we praise thy divine Majesty for that thou hast defended us this day from all perils and dangersâ— so that none of those judgments which our sins have deserved have fall'n upon any one of us Good Lord forgive us the sins which this day we have committed against thy Divine Majesty and our brethren for Christ his sake be reconciled unto us for them And we beseech thee likewise of the same thine infinite goodness and mercy to defend and protect us and all that belong unto us this night from all dangers of fire robberry terrours of evil angels or any other fear or peril which for our sins might justly fall upon us And that we may be safe under the shadow of thy wings we here commend our Bodies and Souls and all that we have unto thine Almighty protection Lord bless and defend both us and them from all evil And whilst we sleep do thou O Father who never slumberest nor sleepest watch over thy Children and give a charge to thy Holy Angels to pitch their tents round about our House and Dwelling to gâ—ard us from all dangers that sleeping wiâ—h thee we may in the next morning be awakened by thee and so being reâ—reshed with moderate sleep we may be the fitter to set forth thy glory in the conscionable duties of our callings And we beseech thee O Lord to be merciful likewise to thy whole Church and to continue the tranquility of these Kingdoms wherein we live turning from us those plagues which the crying sins of this Nation do cry for Preserve our Religious King Charles Queen Mary the Noble and Hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the religious Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue all our Magistrates and Ministers all that fear thee and call upon thy Name all our Christian Brethren and Sisters that suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery especially those who any where do suffer persecution for the testimony of thy holy Gospel grant them patience to bear thy cross and deliverance when and which way it shall seem best to thy Divine Wisdom And Lord suffer us never to forget our last end and those reckonings which then we must render unto thee In health and prosperity mâ—ke us mindful of sickness and of the evil day that is behind that these things may not overtake us as a 〈◊〉 but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins be found prepared for the coming of Christ the sweet Bridegroom of our Souls And now O Lord most holy and just we coâ—fess that there is no cause why thou who art so much displeased with sin shouldest hear the prayer of sinners but for his sake only who suffered for sin and sinned not In the only mediation therefore of thine eternal Son Jesus our Lord and Saviour we humbly beg these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needful for us shutting up these our imperfect requests in that most holy Prayer which Christ himself hath taught us to say unto thee Our Father c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with us and remain with us this night and for evermore Amen Then saluting one another as becometh Christians who are the Vessels of grace and Temples of the holy Ghost let them in the fear of God depart every one to his rest using some of the former private Meditations for Evening Thus far of the Housholder's publick Practice of Piety with his Family every day Now followeth his Practice of Piety with the Church on the Sabbath-day Meditations of the true manner of practising Piety on the Sabbath-day ALmighty God will have himself worshipped not only in a private manner by private Persons and Families but also in a more publick sort of all the godly joyned together in a visible Church that by this means he may be known not only to be the God and Lord of every singular Person but also of the Creatures of the whole universal World Quest. But why do not we Christians under the New keep the Sabbath on the same seventh day whereon it was kept under the Old Testament I answer because that our Lord Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law
unto the Sabbath Christ at his Death rested in the Grave all the Jewish Sabbath day and by that rest fulfilled all those Ceremonial Accessaries Now as the ceasing of the Ceremonies annexed to the 1 5 and 6 Commandments and to Marriage did not abolish those Commandments and Marriage nor cause them to cease from being the perpetual Rules of God's worship and man's righteousness no more did the abrogating of the Ceremonies annexed to the Sabbath abolish the morality of the Commandment of the Sabbath so that though the Ceremonies be abolished by the access of the Substance and the Shadow over-shadowed by the Body which is Christ yet the holy rest which was commanded and kept before either the Jews were a people or those Ceremonies annexed to the Sabbath still continueth as God's perpetual Law whereby all the Posterity of Adam are bound to rest from their ordinary business that they may wholly spend every seventh day in the solemn Worship and only Service of GOD their Creator and Redeemer but in the substance of the fourth Commandment there is not found one word of any Ceremony The chief Objections against the Morality of the Sabbath are Three 1. That of Paul to the Galatians Ye observe days and months and times and years c. But there the Apostle condemns not the moral Sabbath which we call the Lord's day and which he himself ordained according to Christ's Commandment in the same Churches of Galatia and Corinth and kept himself in other Churches but he speaks of the Jewish days and times and years and the keeping of the Sabbath on the seventh day from the Creation which he termeth shadows of things to come abolished now by Christ the body and in the Law are called Sabbaths but distinguished from the moral Sabbaths 2. That of Paul to the Colossians Let no man therefore condemn you in meat or drink or in respect of an holy-day or of the new-moon or of the Sabbath-days But here the Apostle meaneth the Jewish ceremonial Sabbaths not the Christians Lord's day as before 3. That of the same Apostle to the Romans This man esteemeth one day above another day and another counteth every day alike c. But S. Paul makes no such account For the question there is not between Jews and Gentiles but between the stronger and weaker Christians The stronger esteemed one day above another as appears in that there was a day both commanded and received in the Church every where known and honoured by the name of the Lord's day And therefore Paul saith here that he that observeth this day observeth it unto the Lord. The observation whereof because of the change of the Jewish seventh day some weak Christians as many now adays thought not so necessary so that if men because the Jewish day is abrogated will not honour and keep holy the Lord's day but count it like other days it is an Argument saith the Apostle of their weakness whose infirmity must be born till they have time to be further instructed and perswaded Other objections are frivolous and not worth the answering The true manner of keeping holy the Lord's Day NOW the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things First In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life Secondly In consecrating that rest wholly to the Service of God and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life For the first 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are generally all civil works from the least to the greatest More particularly First from all the works of our Calling though it were reaping in the time of harvest Secondly from carrying burthens as Carriers do or riding abroad for profit or for pleasure God hath commanded that the beasts should rest on the Sabbath day because all occasions of travelling or labouring with them should be cut off from man God gives them that day a rest and he that without necessity deprives them of their rest on the Lord's day the groans of the poor tyr'd Beasts shall in the day of the Lord rise up in judgment against him Likewise such as spend the greatest part of this day in trimming painting and painpering of themselves like Jezabels doing the devil's work upon God's day Thirdly from keeping of Fairs or Markets which for the most part God punisheth with Pestilence Fire and strange Floods Fourthly from studying any Books of Science but the holy Scriptures and Divinity For our study must be to be ravished in spirit upon the Lord's day In a word thou must on that day cease in thy calling to do thy work that the Lord by his Calling may do his work in thee For whatsoever is gotten by common working on this day shall never be blessed of the Lord but it will prove like Achan's Gold which being got contrary to the Lord's Commandment brought the fire of God's curse upon all the rest which he had lawfully gotten And if Christ scourged them out as thieves who bought and sold in his Temple which was but a Ceremony shortly to be abrogated is it to be thought that he will ever suffer those to escape unpunished who contrary to his Commandment buy and sell on the Sabbath day which is his perpetual Law Christ calleth such sacrilegious Thieves and as well may they steal the Communion Cup from the Lord's Table as steal from God the chiefest part of the Lord's day to consume it in their own lusts Such shall one day find the judgments of God heavier than the opinions of Men. Fifthly from all recreations and sports which at other times are lawful for if lawful works be forbidden on this day much more lawful sports which do more steal away our affections from the contemplation of heavenly things than any bodily work or Labour Neither can there be unto a man that delighteth in the Lord any greater delight or recreation than the sanctifying of the Lord's day For can there be any greater joy for a person condemned than to come to his Prince his house to have his Pardon sealed for one that is deadly sick to come to a Physician that can cure him or for a prodigal child that fed on the husks of swine to be admitted to eat the bread of life at his father's table or for him who fears for sin the tidings of death to come to hear from God the assurance of eternal life If thou wilt allow thy self or thy servant recreation allow it in the six days which are thine not on the Lord's day which is neither thine nor theirs No bodily recreation therefore is to be used on this day but so far as it may help the soul to do more chearfully the service of God Sixthly from gross feeding liberal drinking of Wine or strong Drink which may make us either drowsie or unapt to serve God with our hearts and minds Seventhly From
thou hast and a supply of those which thou wantest But especially pray that thou maist have Grace to hear the word of God read and preached with profit and that thou maist receive the holy Sacrament with comfort if it be Communion day that God by his Holy Spirit would assist the Preacher to speak something that may kill thy sin and comfort thy soul which thou maist do in this or the like sort A morning Prayer for the Sabbath-day O Lord most high O God eternal all whose works are glorious and whose thoughts are very deep there can be no better thing than to praise thy Name and to declare thy loving kindness in the morning on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day For it is thy Will and Commandment that we should sanctiâ—ie this day in thy service and praise and in the thankful remembrance as of the creation of the world by the power of thy Word so of the redemption of Mankind by the death of thy Son Thine O Lord I confess is greatness and power and glory and victory and praise for all that is in heaven and earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou excellest as head over all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to give grace unto all Now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I a wretched sinner having so many ways provoked thy Majesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy favour and goodness passing by my prophaneness and infirmities hast vouchsafed to add this Sabbath again unto the number of my days And vouchsafe O heavenly Father for the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son whose glorious resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgive me all my sins and misdeeds Especially O Lord cleanse my soul from those filthy sins with the blood of thy most pure and undefiled Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world And let thy Holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine own Image to serve thee in newness of life and holiness of conversation And as of thy mercy thou hast brought me to the beginning of this blessed day so I do beseech thee make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinful Soul and thy Divine Majesty Give me grace to make it a day of Repentance unto thee that thy goodness may seal iâ— to be a day of pardon unto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this day is a Commandment which thine own finger hath written That on this day I might meditate on thy glorious works of our Creation and Redemption and learn how to know and to keep all the rest of thy holy Laws and Commandments And when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appear before thy Presence in thy House to offer unto thee our Morning Sacrifice of praise and Prayer and to hear what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speak unto thy servant Oh let not my sins stand as a Cloud to stop my Prayers from ascending unto thee or to keep back thy grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to think that three parts of the good seed falls upon bad ground O let not my heart be like the high-way which through hardness and want of true understanding receives not the seed till the evil one cometh and catcheth it away nor like to the stony ground which heareth with joy for a time but falleth away as soon as persecution ariseth for the Gospel's sake nor like the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and makes it altogether unfruitful but thâ—t like unto the good ground I may hear thy Word with an honest and good heart understand it and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Wisdom shall think meet for thy glory and mine everlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the door of utterance unto thy faithful servant whom thou hast sent unto us to open our Eyes that we may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that we may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ. And give me grace to submit my self unto his Ministery as well when he terriâ—ieth me with judgments as when he comforteth me with thy Mercies And that I may have him in singular love for his works sake because he watcheth for my soul as he that must give an account for the same unto his Master And give me grace to behave my self in the holy Congregation with comeliness and reverence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keep me from drowsiness and sleeping and from all wandring thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my Memory that it may be apt to receive and firm to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught unto us out of thy Word And that through the assistance of thy holy Spirit I may put the same Lessons in practice for my direction in Prosperity for my consolation in Misery for the amendment of my Life and the glory of thy Name And that this day which godless and prophane Persons spend in their own Lusts and Pleasures I as one of thy obedient Servants may make my chief delight to consecrate to thy glory and honour not doing mine own ways nor seeking mine own will nor speaking a vain word but that ceasing from the works of sin as well as from the works of mine ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feel in my heart the beginning of that eternal Sabbath which in unspeakable joy and glory I shall celebrate with Saints and Angels to thy praise and worship in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore All which I humbly crave at thy hands in the name and mediation of my Lord Jesus in that form of Prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. Having thus in private prepared thine own soul if thou hasâ— the charge of a Family call all thy Houshold together read a Chapter and pray as in the week-days but remember so to dispatch these private preparations and duties as that thou and thy family may be in the Church before the beginning of Prayers Else your private exercises are rather an hindranâ—e than a preparation And as thou and thy Houshold do go in all reverence towards the Church let every one meditate thus with himself Things to be meditated as thou goest to the Church 1. That thou art going to the Court of the Lord and to speak with the great God by prayer and to hear his Majesty speak unto
in the state of Corruption no man living can sanctifie a Sabbath in that spiritual manner that he should but that he commits many breaches thereof in his Thoughts Words and Deeds humbly crave pardon for thy defects and reconcile thy self unto God with this or the like Evening Sacrifice A Private Evening Prayer for the Lord's-day O Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbath suffer me who am but dust and ashes to speak unto thy most glorious Majâ—sty I know that thou art a consuming â—ire I acknowledge that I am but withered stubble My sins are in thy sight and Satan stands at my right-hand to accuse me for them I come not to excuse but to judg my self worthy of all those judgments which thy Justice might most justly inflict upon me a wretched Creature for my sins and transgressions The Number of them is so great the Nature of them is so grievous that they make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more loathsome in thy sight I confess they make me so far from being worthy to be called thy Son that I am altogether unworthy to have the Name of thy meanest Servant And if thou shouldest but recompence me according to my desert the Earth as weary of such a sinful burthen should open her mouth and swallow me up like one of Dathan's Family into the bettomless pit of Hell For if thou didst not spare the natural branches those Angels of glorious Excellency but hurldst them down from the heavenly Habitations into the pains of hellish darkness to be kept unto damnation when they sinned but once against thy Majesty and didst expel our first Parents out of Paradise when they did but transgress one of thy Laws alas what vengeance may I expect who have not offended in one sin only heaping daily un upon sin without any true repentance drinking iniquity as it were water ever pouring in but never pouring out any filthyness and have transgressed not one but all thy holy laws and commandments Yea this present day which thou hast straitly commanded me to keep holy to thy praise and worship I have not so religiously kept and observed nor prepared my soul in that holiness and chastity of heart as was fit to meeâ— thy blessed Majesty in the holy assembly of the Saints I have not attended to the preaching of thy Word nor to the administration of thy Sacraments with that humility reverence and devotion that I should For tho' I was present at those holy exercises in my body yet Lord I was overtaken with much drowsiness And when I was awake my mind was so distracted and carried away with vain and worldly thoughts that my â—oul seemed to be absent and oâ—â— of the Church I have not so duly as I should meditated with my self nor conferred with my Family upon those good instruâ—ctions which we have heard and received out of thy holy Word by the publick Ministry For default whereof Satan hath stoln the most part of those instructions out of my heart and I wretched creature have forgotten them as though they had never been heard And my family doth not thrive in knowledge and sanctification under my government as they should Though I know where many of my poor brethren live in want and necessity and some in pain and comfortless yet I have not remembred to relieve the one with my Alms nor the other with Consolations but I have feasted my self and satisfied mine own Lusts. I have spent the most part of the day in idle talk vain sports and exercises Yea Lord I have c. And for all these my sins my Conscience cries guilty thy Law condemns me and I am in thy hand to receive the sentence and curse that is due to the wilful breach of so holy a Commandment But what if I am by thy Law condemned Yet Lord thy Gospel assures me that thy mercy is above all thy works that thy grace transcends thy Law and thy goodness delighteth there to reign where sins do most abound In the multitude therefore of thy Mercies and for the Merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour I beseech thee O Lord who despiseth not the sighings of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent sinner to pardon and forgive me all those my sins and all the errors of this day and of my whole life and free my soul from that curse and Judgment which is due unto me for them Thou that didst justifie the contrite Publican for Four Words of confession and received'st the Prodigal Child when he had spent all the stock of thy grace into favour upon his repentance pardon my sins likewise O Lord and suffer me not to perish for my transgressions O spare me and receive me into thy favour again Wilâ— thou O Lord reject me who hast received all Publicans Harlots and Sinners that upon repentance sued to thee for grace Shall I alone be excluded from thy mercy Far be it from me to think so for thou art the same God of mercy unto me that thou wast unto them and thy compassions never fail Wherefore O Lord deal not with me after my merits but according to thy great mercy Execute â—ot thy severe Justice against me a sinner but exercise thy long-sufferance in forbearing thine own creature I have nothing to present unto thee for a satisfaction but only those Bloody Wounds bitter Death and Passion which thy blessed Son my only Saviour hath suffered for me Him in whom only thou art well pleased I offer unto thee for all my sins wherewith thou art displeased Him my Mediator the Request of whose Blood speaking better things than that of Abel thy mercy can never gain-say Illuminate my understanding and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit that it may bring to my remembrance all those good and profitable lessons which this day and at other times have been taught me out of thy holy Word that I may remember thy Commandments to keep them thy Judgments to avoid them aâ—d thy sweet Promises to rely upon them in time of misery and distress And now O Lord I resign my self to thy most holy Will O receive me into thy favour and so draw me by thy grace unto thy self that I may as well be thine by love and imitation as by calling and creation and give me grace so to keep holy thy Sabbaths in this life as that when this life is ended I may with all thy Saints and Angels celebrate an eternal Sabbath of joys and praise to the honour of thy most glorious Name in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore Amen And then calling thy Family together shut up the Sabbath with the Meditations and Prayers before prescribed for thy Family And the Lord will give thee 〈◊〉 Night a more sweet and quiet rest than ordinary and prosper thee the better in all the labours of the week following Thus far of the ordinary
A Publick Fast is when by the Authority of the Magistrate either the whole Church within his Dominion or some special Congregation whom it concerneth do assemble themselves together to perform the forementioned duties of Humiliation either for the removing of some publick calamity threatned or already inflicted upon them as the sword invasion famine pestilence or other fearful sickness or else for the obtaining of some publick blessing for the good of the Church as to crave the assistance of his holy Spirit in the election and ordination of fit and able Pastors c. or for the tryal of Truth and execution of Justice in matters of difficulty and great importance c. When any evil is to be removed the Pastors are to lay open unto the People by the evidence of God's Word the sins which were the special causes of that Calamity call upon them to repent and publish unto them the mercies of God in Christ upon their Repentance The People must hear the Voice of God's Messengers with hearty sorrow for their sins earnestly beg pardon in Christ and promise unfeigned amendment of their life When any blessing is to be obtained the Pastors must lay open to the People the necessity of that blessing and the goodness of God who giveth such graces for the good of Men. The people must devoutly pray unto God for bestowing of that grace and that he would bless his own means to his own glory and the good of his Church And when the holy Exercise is done let every Christian have a special care according to his ability to remember the poor And whosoever when just occasion is offered useth not this holy Exercise of Fasting he may justly suspect that his heart never yet felt the power of true Christianity So much of Fasting Now followeth the exercise of holy Feasting Of the Practice of Piety in Holy Feasting HOLY Feasting is a solemn Thanksgiving appointed by Authority to be rendred unto God on some special day for some extraordinary blessings or deliverances received Such among the Jews was the Feast of the Passover to remember to praise God for their deliverance out of Egypt's bondage or the Feast of Purim to give thanks for their deliverance from Haman's conspiracy Such amongst us are the fifth of August to praise God for delivering our Gracious King from the bloody conspiracy of the traiterous Gowries And the fifth of November to praise God for the deliverance of the King and the whole State from the Popish Gun-powder Treason Such Feasts are to be celebrated by a publick rehearsal of those special benefits by spiritual Psalms and Dances by mutual feasting and sending presents every man to his Neighbour and by giving gifts to the poor But forasmuch as the benefit of our Redemption was the greatest that Man needed from God or that God ever bestowed upon Man and that the Lord's-Supper is left by our Redeemer as the chiefest memorial of our Redemption every Christian should account this holy Supper his chiefest and joyfullest Feast in this World And seeing that as it ministreth to worthy partakers the greatest assurance which they have of their salvation so it pulleth temporal judgments on the Bodies and without repentance eternal damnation on the Souls of them who receive it unworthily Let us see how a Christian may best sit himself to be a due partaker of so holy a feast and to be a worthy Guest at so sacred a Supper Meditations concerning the due manner of practising Piety in receiving the Holy Supper of the Lord. THough no man living is of himself worthy to be a Guest at so holy a Banquet yet it pleaseth God of his grace to accept him for a worthy receiver who endeavoureth to receive that holy mystery with that competent measure of reverence that he hath prescribed in his Word He that would receive this holy Sacrament with due reverence must conscionably perform three sorts of duties First those which are to be done before he receiveth Secondly those that are to be done in the receiving Thirdly those that are to be done after that he hath received the Sacrament The first is called Preparation the second Meditation the third Action or Practice Of Preparation That a Christian ought necessarily to prepare himself before he presume to be a partaker of the holy Communion may evidently appear by five Reasons First Because it is God's Commandment For if he commanded under the pain of death that none uncircumcised should eat the Paschal Lamb nor any circumcised under four days preparation how much greater preparation doth he require of him that comes to receive the Sacrament of his Body and Blood which as it succeedeth so doth it exceed by many degrees the Sacrament of the Passover Secondly Because the Examples of Christ teacheth us so much for he washed his Disciples Fâ—et before he admitted them to eat of this Supper signifying how thou shouldest lay aside all unpureness of heart and uncleanness of life and be furnished with humility and charity before thou presumest to taste of this holy Supper Thirdly because it is the counsel of the Holy Ghost Let every man examine himself and so let him eat c. And if a man when he is to eat with an earthly Prince must consider diligently what is before him and put a Knife to his Throat rather than commit any Rudeness how much more oughtest thou to prepare thy soul that thou mayest behave thy self with all fear and reverence when thou art to feast at the holy Table of the Prince of Princes Fourthly Because it hath been ever the practice of all GOD's Saints to use holy preparation before they would meddle with divine Mysteries David would not go near to God's Altar till he had first washed his hands in innocency much less shouldest thou without due preparation approach to the Lord's Table Abimelech would not give nor David and his Men would not eat the Shew-bread but on condition that their Vessels were holy How much less should'st thou presume to eat the Lord's Bread or rather the Bread which is the Lord unless the Vessel of thy heart be first cleansed by repentance And if the Lord required Joshua as he had done Moses before to put off his shooes in reverence of his Holiness who was present in that place where he appeared with his sword in his hand for the destruction of his Enemies how much rather should'st thou put off all the affections of thine earthly conversation when thou comest near that place where CHRIST appeareth to the Eye of thy Faith with Wounds in his hands and side for the Redemption of his Friends And for this cause it is said That the Lamb's Wife hath made her self ready for the marriage Prepare therefore thy self if thou wilt in this life be betrothed unto Christ by Sacramental Grace or in Heaven married unto him by Eternal Glory Fifthly
heavenly Presence The Mystical Vnion chiefly here meant is wrought betwixt Christ and us by the Spirit of Christ apprehending us and by our faith stirred up by the same Spirit apprehending Christ again Both which St. Paul doth most lively express I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus How can he fall away that holdeth and is so firmly holden This Union he shall best understand in his mind who doth most feel it in his heart But of all other times this Union is best felt and most confirmed when we duly receive the Lord's-Supper For then we shall sensibly feel our hearts knit unto Christ and the desires of our souls drawn by Faith and the Holy Ghost as by the cords of love nearer and nearer to his holiness From this Communion with Christ there follow to the faithful many unspeakable benefits As first Christ took by imputation all their sins and guiltiness upon him to satisfie God's Justice for them and he freely gives by imputation unto us all his righteousness in this life and all his right unto eternal life when this is ended and counteth all the good or ill that is done unto us as done unto his own person Secondly There floweth from Christ's Nature into our Nature united to him the lively spirit and breath of grace which reneweth us to a spiritual life and so sanctifieth our minds wills and affections that we daily grow more and more conformable to the Image of Christ. Thirdly He bestoweth upon them all saving graces necessary to attain eternal life as the sense of God's love the assurance of our election with regeneration justification and grace to do good works till we come to live with him in his heavenly Kingdom This should teach all true Christians to keep themselves as the undefiled members of Christ's holy body and to beware of all uncleanness and filthiness knowing that they live in Christ or rather that Christ liveth in them From this Vnion with Christ sealed unto us by the Lord's-Supper St. Paul draweth arguments to withdraw the Corinthians from the pollution both of Idolatry 1 Cor. 10. 16. and Adultery 1 Cor. 16. 15 16. Lastly From the former Communion 'twixt Christ and Christians there flows another Communion 'twixt Christians among themselves Which is also lively represented by the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper in that the whole Church being many do all communicate of one Bread in that holy action We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one Bread that as the Bread which we eat in the Sacrament is but one tho' it be confected of many Grains so all the faithful tho' they be many yet are they but one mystical body under one head which is Christ. Our Saviour prayed five times in that Prayer which he made after his last Supper that his Disciples might be one to teach us at once how much this Vnity pleaseth him This Vnion betwixt the faithful is so ample that no distance of place can part it so strong that death cannot dissolve it so durable that time cannot wear it out so effectual that it breeds a fervent love betwixt those who never saw one anothers face And this conjunction of Souls is termed the Communion of Saints which Christ effecteth by six special means First by governing them all by one and the same holy Spirit Secondly by enduring them all with one and the same Faith Thirdly by shedding abroad his own love into all their hearts Fourthly by regenerating them all by one and the same Baptism Fifthly by nourishing them all with one and the same spiritual food Sixthly by being one quickning Head of that one body of his Church which he reconciled to God in the body of his flesh Hence it was that the multitude of believers in the Primitive Church were of one heart and of one soul in truth affection and compassion And this should teach Christians to love one another seeing they are all members of the same holy and mystical Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore they should have all a Christian sympathy and fellow feelling to rejoyce one in anothers joy to condole one in anothers grief to bear with one anothers infirmity and mutually to relieve one anothers wants Of the fourth end of the Lord's Supper 4. To feed the Souls of the faithful in the assured hope of life everlasting For this Sacrament is a sign and pledge unto as many as shall receive the same according to Christ's Institution that he will according to his promise by the vertue of his crucified body and blood as verily feed our souls to life eternal as our bodies are by Bread and Wine nourished to this temporal life And to this end Christ in the action of the Sacrament really giveth his very Body and Blood to every faithful Receiver Therefore the Sacrament is called the Communion of the body and blood of the Lord. And Communication is not of things absent but present neither were it the Lord's Supper if the Lord's Body and Blood were not there Christ is verily present in the Sacrament by a double Vnion whereof the first is spiritual 'twixt Christ and the worthy Receiver the second is Sacramental 'twixt the Body and Blood of Christ and the outward signs in the Sacrament The former is wrought by means that the same holy Spirit dwelling in Christ and in the Faithful incorporateth the Faithful as Members unto Christ their Head and so makes them one with Christ and partakers of all the Graces Holiness and eternal Glory which is in him as sure and as verily as they hear the words of the promise and are partakers of the outwards signs of the holy Sacrament Hence it is that the Will of Christ is a true Christians will and the Christians life is Christ who liveth in him Gal. 2. 20. If you look to the things that are united this Union is essential if to the truth of this Union it is real if to the manner how it is wrought it is spiritual It is not our Faith that makes the Body and Blood of Christ to be present but the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him and us Our Father doth but receive and apply unto our Souls those heavenly Graces which are offered in the Sacrament The other being the Sacramental Vnion is not a Physical or Local but a Spiritual conjunction of the earthly signs which are Bread and Wine with the heavenly Graces which are the Body and Blood of Christ in the act of receiving as if by a mutual relation they were but one and the same thing Hence it is that in the same instant of time that the worthy Receiver eateth with his mouth the Bread and Wine of the Lord he eateth also with the mouth of his Faith the very Body and Blood of Christ.
Not that Christ is brought down from Heaven to the Sacrament but that the holy Spirit by the Sacrament lifts up his mind unto Christ not by any local mutation but by a devout affection so that in the holy contemplation of Faith he is at that present with Christ and Christ with him And thus believing and meditating how Christ his Body was crucified and his precious blood shed for the remission of his sins and the reconciliation of his Soul unto God his Soul is hereby more effectually fed in the assurance of eternal Life than Bread and Wine can nourish his Body to this Temporal life There must be therefore of necessity in the Sacrament both the outward signs to be visibly seen with the eyes of the Body and the Body and Blood of Christ to be spiritually discerned with the Eye of Faith But the form how the Holy Ghost makes the Body of Christ being absent from us in place to be present with us by our union S. Paul terms a great mystery such as our understanding cannot worthily comprehend The Sacramental Bread and Wine therefore are not bare signifying signs but such as wherewith Christ doth indeed exhibite and give to every worthy Receiver not only his divine virtue and efficacy but also his very Body and Blood as verily as he gave to his Disciples the Holy Ghost by the sign of his sacred breath or health to the diseased by the Word of his mouth or touch of his hand or garment And the apprehension by faith is more forcible than the exquisitest comprehension of Sense or Reason To conclude this point this holy Sacrament is that blessed Bread which being eaten opened the eyes of the Emauites that they knew Christ. This is that Lordly Cup by which we are all made to drink into one Spirit This is that Rock flowing with honey that reviveth the fainting spirits of every true Jonathan that tasts it with the mouth of Faith This is that barley loaf which tumbling from above strikes down the tents of the Midianites of infernal darkness Elias's Angelical Cake and Water preserved him forty days in Horeb and Manna Angels food fed the Israelites forty years in the wilderness but this is that true Bread of life and heavenly Manna which if we shall duely eat will nourish our souls for ever unto life eternal How should then our Souls make unto Christ thâ—t request from a spiritual desire which the Capernaites did from a carnal motion Lord evermore give us this bread The fifth end of the Lords Supper 5. To be an assured pledge unto us of our Resurrection The Resurrection of a Christian is Twofold First the spiritual Resurrection of our Souls in this life from the death of sin called the first Resurrection because that by the Trumpet-voice of Christ in the preaching of the Gospel we are raised from the death of sin to the life of Grace Blessed and holy is he saith St. John who hath part in the first Resurrection for on such the second death hath no power The Lord's Supper is both a mean and a pledge unto us of this spiritual and first Resurrection He that eateth me even he shall live by me And then we are fit guests to sit at the table with Christ when like Lazarus we are raised from the death of sin to newness of life The truth of this first Resurrection will appear by the motion wherewith they are internally moved for if when thou art moved to the duties of Religion and practice of Piety thy heart answereth with Samuel Here I am speak Lord for thy servant heareth and with David O God my heart is ready And with Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Then surely thou art raised from the death of sin and hast thy part in the first Resurrection but if thou remainest ignorant of the true grounds of Religion and findest in thy self a kind of secret loathing of the exercises thereof and must be drawn as it were against thy will to do the works of Piety c. then surely thou hast but a name that thou livest but thou art dead as Christ told the Angel of the Church of Sardis and thy soul is but as salt to keep thy body from stinking 2. The corporal resurrection of our bodies at the last day which is called the second resurrection which freeth us from the first death He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eterraâ— life and I â—id raise him up at the last day For this Sacrament signifieth and fealeth unto us that Christ died and rose again for us and that his flesh quickeneth and nourisheth us unto eternal life and that therefore our bodies shall surely be raised to eternal life at the last day For seeing our head is risen all the members of the body shall likewise surely rise again For how can those bodies which being thâ— weapons of righteousness Rom. 16. 13. Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19 and members of Christ have been fed and nourished with the Body and Blood of the Lord of life but be raised up again at the last day And this is the cause that the bodies of the Saints being dead are so reverently buried and laid to sleep in the Lord. And their burial places are termed the beds and dormitories of the Saints The Reprobates shall arise at the last day but by the Almighty Power of Christ as he is Judge bringing them as malefactors out of the Gaol to receive their sentence and deserved execution but the Elect shall arise by virtue of Christ's Resurrection and of the Communion which they have with him as with their Head And his Resurrection is the cause and assurance of ours The Resurrection of Christ is a Christian 's particular faith the Resurrection of the dead is the Child of God's chiefest confidence Therefore Christians in the Primitive Church were wont to salute one another in the Morning with these Phrases The Lord is risen and the other would answer True the Lord is risen indeed The sixth end of the Lord's Supper 6. To seal unto us the assurance of everlasting Life Oh what more wished or loved than life Or what do all men naturally more either fear or abhor than death Yet is this first death nothing if it be compared with the second death neither is this Life any thing worth in comparison of the Life to come If therefore thou desirest to be assured of eternal life prepare thy self to be a worthy receiver of this blessed Sacrament For our Saviour assureth us That if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world He therefore who duly eateth of this holy Sacrament may truly say not only Credo vitam eternam I
believe life everlasting but also Edo vitam eternam I eat life everlasting And indeed this is the true Tree of life which God hath planted in the midst of the Paradise of the Church And whereof he hath promised to give every one that overcometh to eat And this Tree of life by infinite degrees excelleth the Tree of life that grew in the Paradise of Eden for that had his root in the Earth this from Heaven that gave buâ— life to the Body this to the Soul that did but preserve the life of the living this restoreth life to the dead The leaves of this tree heal the nations of believers and it yields every month a new manner of fruit which nourisheth them to life everlasting Oh blessed are they who often eat of this Sacrament at least once every month taste anew of this renewing fruit which Christ hath prepared for us at his Table to heal our infirmities and to confirm our belief of life everlasting Of the seventh end of the Lord's-Supper 7. To bind all Christians as it were by an oath of fidelity to serve the one only true God and to admit no other propitiatony sacrifice for sins but that one real sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered and by which he finishâ—d the sacrifices of the Law and effected eternal Redemption and Righteousness for all believers And so to remain for ever a publick mark of profession to distinguish Christians from all Sects and false Religions And seeing that in the Mâ—ss there is a strange Christ adored not he that was born of the Virgin Mary but one that is made of a Wafer Cake and that the offering up of this breaden god is thrust upon the Church as a Propitiatory Sâ—crifice for the quick and the dead all true Christians upon the danger of wilful perjury before the Lord Chief Justice of heaven and earth are to detest the Mass as the Idol of Indignation which is most derogatory to the all-sufficient world-saving merits of Christ's Death and Passion For by receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we all swear that all real Sacrifices are ended by our Lord's death and that his body and blood once crucified and shed is the perpetual food and nourishment of our Souls 2. How to consider thine own unworthiness A Man shall best perceive his own unworthiness by examining his life according to the Ten Commandments of Almighty God Search therefore what duties thou hast omitted and what vices thou hast committed contrary to every one of the Commandments remembring that without repentance and God's mercy in Christ the Curse of God containing all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in hell fire when this is ended is due to the breach of the least of God's Commandments And having taken a due survey both of thy sins and miseries retire to some secret place and there putting thy self in the sight of the Judge as a guilty malefactor standing at the Bar to receive his Sentence bowing thy knees to the earth smiting thy breast with thy fists and â—edewing thy cheeks with thy tears confess thy sins and humbly ask him mercy and forgiveness in these or the like words An humble confession of sins to be made unto God before the receiving of the holy Communion O God and heavenly Father when I consider the goodness which thou hast ever shewed unto me and the wickedness which I have committed against heaven and against thee I am ashamed of my self and confusion seems to cover my face as a veil for which of thy Commandments have I not transgressed O Lord I stand here guilty of the breach of all thy holy Laws For the love of my heart hath not so intirely cleaved unto thy * Majesty as to vain and earthly things I have not feared thy judgments to deterr me from sins nor trusted to thy promises to keep me from doubting of my temporal or from despairing of mine eternal state I have made the rule of thy divine worship to be what my mind thought fit not what thy Word prescribed finding my heart more prone to remember my blessed Saviour in a painted Picture of Man's device rather than to be behold him crucified in his Word and Sacraments after his own ordinance Where I should never use thy Name whereat all knees do bow but with religious reverence nor any part of thy worship without due preparation and zeal I have blasphemously abused thy holy Name to rash and customary oaths yea I have used oaths by thy sacred name as false covers of my filthy sins And I have been present at thy Service oft-times more for ceremony than conscience and to please Men more than to please thee my gracious God Where I should sanctifie thy Sabbath-day by being present at the publick exercises of the Church and by meditating privately on the word and works of God and by visiting the sick and relieving of my poor brethren alas I have thought those holy Exercises a burden because they hindred my vain sports yea I have spent many of thy Sabbaths in my own prophane Pleasures without being present at any part of thy divine worship Where I should have given all due reverence to my Natural Ecclesiastical and Politick Parents I have not shewed that measure of duty and affection to my Parents which their care and kindness hath deserved I have not had thy Ministers in such singular love for their works sake as I ought but I have taunted at their zeal and hated them because they reproved me justly And I have carried my self contemptuously against thy Mâ—gistrates and Ministers though I knew that it is 〈◊〉 ordinance that I should be obedient unto them Where I should be slâ—w to wrath and ready to forgive offences and not 〈◊〉 the Sun to go down upon my wrath but to 〈◊〉 good for evil loving my very enemies for thy sake I alas for one sorry word have burst out into open rage and harbouring thoughts of mischief in my heart I have preferred to feed on mine own malice rather than to eat of thy holy Supper Where I should keep my Mind from all filthy lusts and my Body from all uncleanness O Lord I have defiled both and made my Heart a Cage of all impure thoughts and my Mind a very stâ—e of the unclean Spirit Yea the remedy which thou Lord hast ordained for incontinency could not contain me within the bounds of Chastity for by doting on beauty whose grounds is but dust Satan hath bewitched my flesh to lust after strange flesh Where I should have lived in uprightness givâ—ng every Man his due being contented with mine own Estate and living consâ—ionably in my lawful Calling should be ready according to mine Ability to lend and give unto the Poor O Lord I have by oppression extortion bribes cavillation and other indirect dealings under
pretence of my Calling and Office robbed and purloined from my fellow Christians yea I have received and suffered Christ where I was trusted many a time in his poor members to stand hungry cold and naked at my Door and hungry cold and naked to go away succourless as he came and when the leanness of his checks pleaded pity the hardness of my heart would shew no compassion Where I should have made conscience to speak the truth in simplicity without any falsehood prudently imaging aright and charitably conâ—â—â—ing all things in the best part and should have defended the good name and credit of my Neighbour alas vile wretch that I am I have belyed and slandered my fellow-brother and as soon as I heard an ill report I made my tongue the Instrument of the Devil to blazon that abroad unto others before I knew the truth of it my self I was so far from speaking a good word in defence of his good name that it tickled my heart in secret to hear one that I envied to be taxed with such a blemish tho' I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in abundant measure I made jests of officious and advantage of pernicious lies herein shewing my self a right Certain rather than an upright Christian And lastly O Lord where I should have rested fully contented with that portion which thy Majesty thought mâ—â—râ—st to bestow upon me in this Pilgrimage and rejoyced in anothers good as in mine own alas my life hath been nothing else but a greedy lusting after this Neighbours house and that Neighbours land yea secretly wishing such a man dead that I might have his living or office covâ—â—iâ—g rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather than being thankful for that which thou hast given unto my self Thus I O Lord who am a carnal sinner and sold under sin have transgressed all thy holy and spiritual Commandments from the first to the last from the greatest unto the least and hear I stand guilty before thy Judgment-seat of all the breaches of all thy laws and therefore liable to thy curse and to all the miseries that Justice can pour forth upon so cursed a creature And whether shall I go for deliverance from this misery Angels blush at my Rebellion and will not help me Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot help themselves Shall I then despair with Cain or make away my self with Judas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to begin the endless torments of hell I will rather appeal to thy Throne of Grace where mercy reigns to pardon abounding sins and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with David for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Job put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drown me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Jonas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken up dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast me into the bowels of Hell as Jonas into the belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry unto thee O God the Father of heaven O Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternal God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner And seeing the goodness of thine own Nature first moved thee to send thine only begotten Son to die for my sins that by his Death I might be reconciled to thy Majesty O reject not now my penitent Soul who being displeased with her self for sin desireth to return to serve and please thee in newness of life and reach from Heaven thy helping hand to save me thy poor servant who am like Peter ready to sink in the Sea of my sins and misery Wash away the multitude of my sins with the merits of that Blood which I believe that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receive this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious Body and Blood O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seal unto my soul that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sins are so freely and fully remitted and forgiven that the curses and judgments which my sins have deserved may never have power either to confound me in this life or to condemn me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast died for my sins and risen again for my justification This I believe O Lord help mine unbelief Work in me likewise I beseech thee an unfeigned repentance that I may hearâ—ily bewail my former sins and loath them and serve thee henceforth in newness of life and greater measure of holy devotion And let my soul never forget the infinite love of so sweet a Saviour that hath laid down his life to redeem so vile a sinner And grant Lord that having received these seals and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maiest henceforth so dwell by the Spirit in me and I so live by faith in thee that I may carefully walk all the days of my liâ—e in godliness and piety towards thee and in Christian love and charity towards all my Neighbours that living in thy fear I may die in thy favour and after death he made partaker of eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen 3. Of the means whereby thou maiest become a worthy Receiver THese means are duties of Two sorts the former respecting God the latter our Neighbour Those which respect God are Three First sound Knowledge Secondly true Faith Thirdly unfeigned Repentance That which respecteth our Neighbour is but one sincere Charity 1. of sound Knowledge requisite in a worthy Communicant Sound Knowledge is a sanctified understanding of the first Principles of Religion As first Of the Trinity of Persons in the unity of the God-head Secondly Of the creation of Man and his Fall Thirdly Of the curse and misery due to sin Fourthly Of the Natures and Offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same unto us For as an house cannot be built unless the foundation he first laid so no more can Religion stand unless it be first grounded upon the certain knowledge of God's Word Secondly If we know not God's Will we can neither believe nor do the same For as worldly businesses cannot be done but by them who have skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in divine and spiritual matters And yet in temporal things a Man may do much by the light of nature but in religious misteries the more we rely upon natural reason the further we are from comprehending spiritual Truth Which discovers the fearful estate of those who receive without knowledge and the more
How might I in respect of mine own unworthiness cry out for fear at the sight of thy holy Sacrament as the Philistines did when they saw the Ark of God come into the Assembly Wo now unto me a sinner but that thy Angel doth comfort me as he did the woman Fear thou not for I know that thou seekest Jesus which was crucified It is thou indeed that my soul seeketh after And here thou offerest thy self unto me in thy blessed Sacrament If therefore Elizabeth thought her self so much honoured at thy presence in the Womb of thy blessed Mother that the babe sprang in her belly for joy how should my soul leap within me for joy now that thou comest by the holy Sacrament to dwell in my heart for ever Oh what an honour is this not that the Mother of my Lord but my Lord himself should come thus to visit me Indeed Lord I confess with the faithful Centurion that I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof and that if thou didst but speak the word only my soul should be saved yet seeing it hath pleased the riches of thy grace for the better strengthning of my weakness to seal thy mercy unto me by thy visible sign as well as by thy visible word in all thankful humility my soul speaks unto thee with the blessed Virgin Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy Word Knock thou Lord by thy Word and Sacraments at the door of my heart and I will like the Publican with both my fists knock at my breast as fast as I can that thou mayest enter in and if the door will not open fast enough break it open O Lord by thine Almighty Power and then enter in and dwell there for ever that I may have cause with Zaccheus to acknowledge that this day salvation is come into mine house And cast out of me whatsoever shall be offensive unto thee for I resign the whole Possession of my heart unto thy sacred Majesty intreating that I may not live henceforth but that thou mayst live in me speak 〈◊〉 me walk in me and so govern me by thy Spirit that nothing may be pleasing unto me but that which is acceptable unto thee That finishing my course in the life of grace I may afterwards live with thee for ever in the Kingdom of Glory Grant this O Lord Jesus for the merits of thy death and blood shedding Amen When the Minister bringeth towards thee the bread thus blessed and broken and offering it unto thee bids thee Take eat c. then meditate that Christ himself cometh unto thee and both offereth and giveth indeed unto thy faith his very Body and Blood with all the merits of his death and passion to feed thy Soul unto eternal life as surely as the Minister offereth and giveth the outward signs that feed thy Body unto this temporal life The Bread of the Lord is given by the Minister but the Bread which is the Lord is given by Christ himself When thou takest the Bread at the Ministers hand to eat it then rouze up thy Soul to apprehend Christ by faith and to apply his merits to heal thy miseries Embrace him as sweetly with thy faith in the Sacrament as ever Simeon hugged him with his arms in his swadling clouts As thou eatest the Bread imagine that thou seest Christ hanging upon tâ—â— Cross and by his unspeakable tormenâ—â— fully satisfying God's Justice for thy sins and strive to be as verily partaker of the spiritual grace as of the Elemental signs For the truth is not absent from the sign neither doth Christ deceive when he saith This is my Body but he giveth himself indeed to every Soul that spiritually receives him by Faith For as ours is the same Supper which Christ administâ—red so is the same Christ verily present at his own Supper not by any Papal Transubstantiation but by a Sacramental Participiation whereby he doth truly feed the faithful unto eternal life not by coming down out of Heaven unto thee but by lifting thee up from the Earth unto him According to that old saying Sursum corda lift up your hearts And where the carcase is thither will the Eagles resort Matth. 24. When thou seest the Wine brought unto thee apart from the Bread then remember that the Blood of Jesus Christ was as verily separated from his Body upon the Cross for the remission of thy sins And that this is the seal of the new Covenant which God hath made to forgive all the sins of all penitent sinners that believe in the merits of his blood shedding For the Wine is not a Sacrament of Christ's Blood contained in his Veins but as it was shed out of his Body upon the cross for the remission of the sins of all that believe in him As thou drinkest the Wine and pourest it out of the Cup into thy Stomach meditate and believe that by the merits of that Blood which Christ shed upon the Cross all thy sins are as verily forgiven as thou hast now drunk this Sacramental Wine and hast it in thy stomach And in the instant of drinking settle thy meditation upon Christ as he hanged upon the Cross as if like Mary and John thou didst see him nailed and his Blood running down his blessed side out of that gastly wound which the Spear made in his innocent heart wishing thy mouth closed to his side that thou mightest receive that precious Blood before it fell to the dusty Earth And yet the actual drinking of that real Blood with thy mouth would be nothing so effectual as this Sacramental drinking of that blood spiritually by Faith For one of the Souldiers might have drunk that and been still a reprobate but whosoever drinketh it spiritually by Faith in the Sacrament shall surely have the Remission of his sins and life everlasting As thou feelest the Sacramental Wine which thou hast drunk warming thy cold stomach so endeavour to feel the Holy Ghost cherishing thy Soul in the joyful assurance of the forgiveness of all thy sins by the merit of the blood of Christ. And to this end God giveth every faithful Soul together with the Sacramental Blood the Holy Ghost to drink We are all made to drink into one Spirit And so lift up thy mind from the contemplation of Christ as he was crucified upon the Cross to consider how he now sits in glory at the right hand of his Father making intercession for thee by presenting to his Father the unvaluable merits of his death which he once suffered for thee to appease his Justice for the sins which thou dost daily commit against him After thou hast eaten and drunk both the Bread and Wine labour that as those Sacramental Signs do turn to the nourishment of thy body and by the digestion of heat become one with thy substance so by the operation of Faith and the Holy
are always in my sight Oh what a wretched sinner am I void of all goodness by nature and full of evil by sinful custom Oh what a world of sin have I committed against thee whilst thy long-sufferance expected my conversion and thy blessings wooed me to repentance Yet O my God seeing it is thy property more to respect the goodness of thine own nature than the deserts of sinners I beseech thee O Father for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that all saving death which he hath voluntarily suffered for all which believe in him Have mercy upon me according to the multitude of thy mercies turn thy face away from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Cast me not out of thy presence neither reward me according to my deserts For if thou dost reject me who will receive me or who will succour me if thou dost forsake me But thou O Lord art the helper of the helpless and in thee the fatherless findeth mercy for though my sins be exceeding great yet thy mercy O Lord far exceedeth them all neither can I commit so many as thy grace can remit and pardon Wash therefore O Christ my sins with the vertue of thy precious Blood especially those sins which from a penitent heart I have confessed unto thee but chiefly O Lord for Christ his sake forgive me And seeing that of thy love thou didst lay down thy life for my ransom when I was thine enemy Oh save now the price of thine own Blood when it shall cost thee but a smile upon me or a gracious appearance in thy Father's sight in my behalf Reconcile me once again O merciful Mediator unto thy Father for though there be nothing in me that can please him yet I know that in thee and for thy sake he is well pleased with all whom thou acceptest and lovest And if it be thy blessed Will remove this sicknes from me and restore me to my former health again that I may live longer to set forth thy glory and to be a comfort to my friends which depend upon me and to procure to my self a more setled assurance of that heavenly inheritance which thou hast prepared for me And then Lord thou shalt see how religiously and wisely I shall redeem the time which heretofore I have so lewdly and prophanely spent And to the end that I may the sooner and the easier be delivered from this pain and sickness direct me O Lord I beseech thee by thy divine providence to such a Physician and helper as that by thy blessing upon the means I may recover my former health and welfare again And good Lord vouchsafe that as thou hast sent this sickness unto me so thou wouldst likewise be pleased to send thy holy Spirit into my heart whereby this present sickness may be sanctified unto me that I may use it as thy School wherein I may learn to know the greatness of my misery and the riches of thy mercy that I may be so humbled at the one that I despair not of the other and that I may so renounce all confidence of help in my self or in any other creature that I may only put the whole rest of my salvation in thy all sufficient merits And forasmuch as thou knowest Lord how weak a vessel I am full of frailty and imperfections and that by Nature I am angry and froward under every Cross and Affliction O Lord who art the giver of all good gifts arm me with patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure and of thy mercy lay no more upon me than I shall be able to endure and suffer Give me grace to behave my self in all patience love and meekness unto those that shall come and visit me that I may thankfully receive and willingly embrace all good counsels and consolations from them and that they may likewise see in me such a good example of Patience and hear from me such godly lessons of comfort as may be arguments of my Christian faith and profession and instructions unto them how to behave themselves when it shall please thee to visit them with the like affliction of sickness I know O Lord I have deserved to die and I desire not longer to live than to amend my wicked life and in some better measure to set forth thy glory Therefore O Father if it be thy blessed will restore me to health again and grant me a longer life But if thou hast according to thine eternal decree appointed by this sickness to call for me out of this transitory life I resign my self into thy hands and holy pleasure thy blessed will be done whether it be by life or by death Only I beseech thee of thy mercy forgive me all my sins and prepare my poor soul that by a true faith and unfeigned repentance she may be ready against the time that thou shalt call for her out of my sick and sinful body O heavenly Father who art the hearer of prayers hear thou in heaven this my prayer and in this extremity grant me these requests not for any worthiness that is in me but for the merits of thy beloved Son Jesus my only Saviour and Mediator for whose sake thou hast promised to hear us and to grant whatsoever we shall ask of thee in his Name In his Name therefore and in his own words I conclude this my imperfect Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed by thy Name c. Having thus reconciled thy self unto God in Christ 1. Let thy next care be to set thy House in order as Esay advised King Hezekias making thy last Will and Testament if it be not already made If it be made then peruse it confirm it and for avoiding all doubts and contention publish it before Wittnesses that if God call for thee out of this life it may stand in force and unalterable as thy last Will and Testament and so deliver it locked or sealed up in some Box to the keeping of a faithful Friend in the presence of honest Witnesses 2. But in making thy Testament take a Religious Divine's Advice how to bestow thy Benevolence and some honest Lawâ—er 's counsel to continue it according to Law Dispatch this before thy sickness doth â—â—crease and thy memory decay lest otherwise thy Testament prove a dotement and so be another man's fancy rather than thy Will 3. To prevent many inconveniences let me recommend to thy discretion two things 1. If God hath blessed thee with any competent state of wealth make thy Will in thy health-time It will neither put thee farther from thy goods nor hasten thee sooner to thy Death but it will be a greater ease to thy mind in freeing thee from a great trouble when thou shalt have most need of quiet for when thy House is set in order thou shalt be better enabled to set thy Soul in order and to dispose of thy
Journey towards God 2. If thou hast Children give to every one of them a Portion according to thy ability in thy life-time that thy life may seem an ease and not a yoak unto them yet so give as that thy Children may still be beholden unto thee and noâ— thou unto them But if thou keep all iâ— thy hands whilst thou livest they may thank Death and not thee for the portion that thou leavest them If thou hast nâ— Children and the Lord hath blest theâ— with a great portion of the goods of thiâ— World and if thou meanest to bestow them upon any charitable or pious uses put not over that good work to the trusâ— of others seeing thou seest how most oâ— other mens Executors prove almost Exeâ—cutioners And if Friends be so unfaithfuâ—â— in a man's life how much greater causâ— hast thou to distrust their fidelity afteâ— thy death Lamentable experience sheweth how many dead men's Wills have of laâ— either been quite concealed utterly overthrown or by cavils and quirks of Law frustrated or altered whereas by the Law of God the will of the dead should not be violated but all his godly intentions conscionably performed and fulfilled as in the sight of God who in the Day of the Resurrection will be just Judge both of the quick and dead And if any thing should hap in his Will to be ambiguous or doubtful it should be construed as it might come nearest to the Honour of God and the honest Intention of the Testator But let the vengeance due to such unchristian Deeds light on the Actors that do them not on the Kingdom wherein they are suffered to be done And let other rich Men be warned by such wretched examples not so to marry their Minds to their Money as that they will do no good with their Goods till Death divorceth them Considering therefore the shortness of thine own life and the uncertainty of others just dealing after thy death in these unjust days let me advise thee whom God hath blessed with ability and an intent to do good to become in thy life time thine own Administrator make thine own Hands thine Executors and thine own Eyes thy Over-seers cause thy Lanthorn to give her light before thee and not behind thee give God the Glory and thou shalt receive of him in due time the reward which of his grace and mercy he hath promised to thy good works 4. Having thus set thy House and Soul in order if the determined number of thy days be not expired God will either have mercy upon thee and say Spare him O killing Malady that he go not down into the pit for I have received a reconciliation Or else his Fatherly providence will direct thee to such a Physician and to such means as that by his blessing upon their endeavours thou shalt recover and be restored to thy former Health again But in any wise take heed that thou nor none for thee send unto Sorcerers Wizards Charmers or Inchanters for help for this were to leave the God of Israel and to go to Baal-zebub the God of Ekron for help as did wicked Ahaziah and to break thy Vow which thou hast made with the blessed Trinity in thy Baptism and be sure that God will never give a Blessing by those means which he hath accursed but if he permit Satan to cure thy Body fear lest it tend to the damnation of thy Soul Thou art tried beware 5. When thou hast sent for the Physician take heed that thou put not thy trust rather in the Physician than in the Lord as Asa did of whom it is said that he sought not to the Lord in his Disease but to the Physician which is a kind of Idolatry that will increase the Lord's anger and make the Physick received uneffectual Use therefore the Physician as God's Instrument and Physick as God's Means And seeing it is not lawful without Prayer to use ordinary food 1 Tim. 4. 4. much less extraordinary Physick whose good effect depends upon the blessing of God before thou takest thy Physick pray therefore heartily unto God to bless it unto thy use in these or the like words A Prayer before taking of Physick O Merciful Father who art the Lord of health and of sickness of life and of death who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the grave and raisest up again I come unto thee as to the only Physician who canst cure my Soul from sin and my Body from sickness I desire neither life nor death but refer my self to thy most holy Will For tho' we must needs die and being dead our lives are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gather'd up again yet hath thy gracious Providence whilst liâ—â— remaineth appointed means which thou wilt have thy Children to use and by the lawful use thereof to expect thy blessing upon thine own means to the curing of their sickness and restitution of their health Aâ—d now O Lord in this my necessity I have according to thine Ordinance seâ—t for thy Servant the Physician who hath prepared for me this Physick which I receive as means sent from thy fatherly hand I beseech thee therefore that as by thy blessing on a lâ—â—p of dry Figs thou didst heal Hezekiah's sore that he recovered and by seven times washing in the river of Jordan didst cleanse Naaman the Syrian of his Leprosie and didst restore the Man that was blind from his birth by anointing his Eyes with Clay and Spittle and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam and by touching the hand of Peter's Wife's Mother didst cure her of her Fever and didst restore the Woman that touched the hem of thy Garment from her bloody Issue So it would please thee of thine infinite goodness and mercy to sanctifie this Physick to my use and to give such a blessing unto it that it may if it be thy Will and Pleasure remove this my sickness and â—ain and restore me to health and strength again But if the number of those days which thou hast appointed for me to live in this Vale of misery be at an end and that thou hast sent this sickness as thy Messenger to call me out of this mortal life then Lord let thy blessed will be done for I submit my will to thy most holy Pleasure Only I beseech thee increase my faith and patience and let thy grace and mercy be never wanting unto me but in the midst of all extremities assist me with thy Holy Spirit that I may willingly and chearfully resign up my Soul the price of thine own Blood into thy most gracious hands and custody Grant this O Father for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory both now and evermore Amen Meditations for the sick WHilst thy sickness remaineth use often for thy comfort these
thou hadst made before the Judgment-seat of Christ by this time if thou hadst died of this Sickness Spend therefore the time that remains so as that thou mayst be able to make a more chearful account of thy life when it must be expired indeed 4. Put not far off the day of Death thou knowest not for all this how near it is at hand and being so fairly warned be wiser For if thou be taken unprovided the next time thy excuse will be less and thy Judgment greater 5. Remember that thou hast vowed amendment and newness of life Thou hast vowed a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he delighteth not in fools pay therefore that thou hast vowed The unclean Spirit is cast out O let him not re-enter with seven worse than himself Thou hast sighed out the groans of Contrition thou hast wept the tears of Repentâ—nce thou are washed in the Pool of Bâ—thesda streaming with five bloody Wounds not of a troubling angel but of the Angel of God's presence troubled with the wrath due to thy sins who descended into Hell to restore thee to saving health and Heaven Return not now with the Dog to thine own vomit nor like the washed Sow to wallow again in the mire of thy former sins and uncleanness lest being intangled and overcome again with the filthiness of sin which now thou hast escaped thy latter end prove worse than thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Saviour Christ give the same cautionary warning to healed Sinners First To the Man cured of his 38 years desease Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing fall upon thee Secondly to the woman taken in adultery Neither do I condemn thee Go thy way and sin no more Teaching us how dangerous a thing it is to relapse and fall again into the former excess of Riot Take heed therefore unto thy ways and pray for grace that thou mayest apply thy heart unto wisdom during that small number of days which yet remain behind And for thy present mercy and health received imitate the thankful Leper and return unto God this or the like Thanksgiving A Thanksgiving to be said of one that is recovered from sickness O Gracious and merciful Father who art the Lord of Health and Sickness of Life and of Death who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the Grave and raisest up again who art the only preserver of all those that trust in thee I thy poor and unworthy Servant having now by experience of my painful sickness felt the grievousness of misery due unto sin and the greatness of thy mercy in forgiving sinners and perceiving with what a fatherly compassion thou hast heard my Prayers and restored me to my health and strength again do here upon the bended knees of my heart return with the thankful Leper to acknowledge thee alone to be the God of my health and salvation and to give thee the praise and glory for my strength and deliverance out of that grievous Disease and Malady and for thus turning my mourning into mirth my sickness into health and my death into life My sins deserved punishment and thou hast corrected me but hast not given me over unto death I looked from the day to the night when thou would'st make an end of me I did chatter like a Crane or a Swallow I mourned as a Dove when the bitterness of sickness oppressed me I lifted up mine eyes unto thee O Lord and thou didst comfort me for thou didst cast all my sins behind thy back and didst deliver my soul from the pit of corruption and when I found no help in my self nor in any other creature saying I am deprived of the residue of my years I shall see man no more among the Inhabitants of the World then didst thou restore me to health again and gavest life unto me I found thee O Lord ready to save me And now Lord I confess that I can never yield unto thee such a measure of thanks as thou hast for this benefit deserved at my hands And seeing that I can never be able to repay thy goodness with acceptable works O that I could with Mary Magdalen testifie the love and thankfulness of my heart with abounding tears O what shall I be able to render unto thee O Lord for all these benefits which thou bestowedst upon my Soul Surely as in my Sickness when I had nothing else to give unto thee I offered Christ and his merits unto thee as a Ransom for my sins so being now restored by thy Grace unto my health and strength and having no better thing to give behold O Lord I do here offer up my self unto thee beseeching thee so to assist me with thy Holy Spirit that the remainder of my life may be wholly spent in setting forth thy praise and glory O Lord forgive me my former follies and unthankfulness that I was no more careful to love thee according to thy goodness nor to serve thee according to thy Will nor to obey thee according to thy Commandments nor to thank thee according to thy Benefits And seeing thou knowest that of my self I am not sufficient so much as to think a good thought much less to do that which is good and acceptable in thy sight assist me with thy grace and holy Spirit that I may in my prosperity as devoutly spend my health in thy service as I was earnest in my sickness to beg it at thy hands And suffer me never to forget either this thy mercy in restoring me to my health or those Vows and Promises which I have made unto thee in my sickness With my new health renew in me O Lord a right Spirit which may free me from the slavery of sin and establish my heart in the service of grace Work in me a greater detestation of all sins which were the causes of thy anger and my sickness and increase my Faith in Jesus Christ who is the Author of my health and salvation Let thy good Spirit lead me in the way that I should walk and teach me to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this world that others by my Example may think better of thy Truth And sith this time which I have yet to live is but a little respite and small remnant of days which cannot long continue Teach me O my God so to number my days that I may apply my heart to that spiritual wisdom which directeth to salvation And to this end make me more zealous than I have been in Religion more devout in Prayer more servent in Spirit more careful to hear and profit by the preaching of thy Gospel more helpful to my poor Brethren more watchful over my ways more faithful in my calling and every way more abundant in all good works Let me in the joyful time of prosperity fear the evil
day of affliction in the time of health think on sickness in the time of sickness make my self ready for death and when death approacheth prepare my self for Judgment Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulness unto thee for thy Grace and Mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottom of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the four Beasts and twentâ— four Elders and all the creatures in heaveâ— and on the earth acknowledge to be due untâ— thee O Father which sittest upon the Throneâ— and to the Lamb thy Son who sitteth at thâ— right hand and to the Holy Spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinity 〈◊〉 Persons in unity of substance all praisâ— honour glory and power from this timâ— forth and for evermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy Sickness be like to encrease unto Death then meditate on Three thingsâ— First how graciously God dealeth with theeâ— Secondly from what evils Death will freâ— thee Thirdly what good Death will brinâ— unto thee First Concerning God's favourable dealing with thee 1. Meditate That God useth this chastisement of thy Body but as a Medicine to cure thy Soul by drawing thee who arâ— sick in Sin to come by Repentance unto Christ thy Physician to have thy Soâ—â— healed 2. That the sorest Sickness or painfulleâ—â— Disease which thou canst endure is nâ—â—thing if it be compared to those dolours and pains which Jesus Christ thy Saviour hath suffered for thee when in a bloody sweat he endured the wrath of God the pains of hell and a cursed death which was due to thy sins Justly therefore may I use those words of Jeremy Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath Hath the Son of God endured so much for thy redemption and wilt not thou a sinful man endure a little sickness for his pleasure especially when it is for thy good 3. That when thy sickness and disease is at the extreamest yet it is less and easier than thy sins have deserved Let thine own Conscience judge whether thou hast not deserved worse than all that thou dost suffer Murmur not therefore but considering thy manifold and grievous sins thank God that thou art not plagued with far more grievous punishments Think how willingly the damned in Hell would endure the extreamest pains a thousand years on condition that they had but the hope to be saved and after so many years to be eased of their eternal torments And seeing that it is his mercy that thou art not rather consumed than corrected how canst thou but bear patiently his temporal correction seeing the end is to save thee from eternal damnation 4. That nothing cometh to pass in this case unto thee but such as ordinarily befell to others thy Brethren who being the beloved and undoubted servants of God when they lived on earth are now most blessed and glorious Saints with Christ in Heaven as Job David Lazarus c. They groaned for a time as thou dost under the like burthen but they are now delivered from all their miseries troubles and calamities And so likewise ere long if thou wilt patiently tarry the Lord's leisure thou shalt also be delivered from thy sickness and pain either by restitution to thy former health with Job or which is far better by being received to heavenly rest with Lazarus 5. Lastly that God hath not given thee over into the hand of thine Enemy to be punished and disgraced but being thy loving Father he correcteth thee with his own merciful hand When David had his wish to chuse his own chastisement he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of God than by any other means Let us fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man Who will not take any affliction in good part when it cometh from the hand of God from whom though no Affliction seemeth joyous for the present we know nothing cometh but what is good The confideration hereof made David to endure Shimei's cursed railing with greater patience and to correct himself another time for his impatiency I should not have opened my mouth because thou didst it and Job to reprove the unadvised speech of his Wife Thou speakest like a foolish Woman What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not receive evil And though the Cup of God's wrath due to our sins was such a horror to our Saviour's humane nature that he earnestly prayed that it might pass from him yet when he considered that it was reached unto him by the hand and will of his Father he willingly submitted himself to drink it to the very dregs thereof Nothing will more arm thee with Patience in thy sickness than to see that it cometh from the hand of thy heavenly Father who would never send it but that he sees it to be unto thee both needful and profitable The second sort of Meditations are to consider from what evils death will free thee IT freeth thee from a corruptible Body which was conceived in the weakness of flesh the heat of lust the stain of sin and born in the blood of filthiness a liviâ—g Prison of thy Soul a lively instrument of â—in a very sack of stinking dung the exâ—â—ements of whose Nostrils Ears Pores and â—ther passages duly considered will seem more loathsome than the uncleanest sink â—r vault Insomuch that whereas Trees and Plants bring forth Leaves Flowers Fruits â—nd sweet smells man's body brings forth â—â—turally nothing but Lice Worms Rottenâ—ss and filthy stinks His affections are alâ—ogether corrupted and the imaginations 〈◊〉 heart are only evil continually Hence 〈◊〉 is that the ungodly is not satisfied with prophaneness nor the voluptuous with pleasures nor the ambitious with perferments nor the curious with preciseness nor the malicious with revenge nor the leacherous with uncleanness nor the covetous with gain nor the drunkard with drinking New passions and fashions do daily grow new Fears and Afflictions do still arise here Wrath lies in wait there Vain-glory vexeth here pride lifts up there disgrace casts down and every one waiteth who shalâ— arise in the ruine of another Now a Maâ— is privily stung with Back-biters like fiery Serpents anon he is in danger to be openly devoured of his enemies like Daniel's Lionsâ— And a godly man where ere he liveth shall ever be vexed like Lot with Sodom's uncleanness 2. Death brings unto the godly an end of sinning and of all the miseries which arâ— due unto sin so that after Death there shaâ—â— be no more sorrow nor crying neither shalâ— there be any more pain for God shall wipe aâ— way all tears from their eyes Yea by death we are separated from
the company of wickâ—ed Men and God taketh away merciful 〈◊〉 righteous men from the evil to come So 〈◊〉 dealt with Josiah I will gather thee to thâ— Fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grâ—â— in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the 〈◊〉 which I will bring upon this place And Goâ— hides them for a while in the grave untill 〈◊〉 indignation pass over So that as Paradise 〈◊〉 the Heaven of the soul's joy so the Graâ—â— may be term'd the Heaven of the bodies 〈◊〉 3. Whereas this wicked Body lives in a world of wickedness so that the poor Soul cannot look out at the Eye and not be infected nor hear by the Ear and not be distracted nor smell at the Nostrils and not be tainted nor taste with the Tongue and not be allured nor touch by the Hand and not be defiled and every sense upon every temptation is ready to betray the Soul by death the Soul shall be delivered from this Thraldom and this corruptible body shall put on incorruption and this mortal immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. O blessed thrice blessed be that Death in the Lord which delivers us out of so evil a World and freeth us from such a body of bondage and corruption The third sort of Meditations are to consider what good Death will bring unto thee 1. DEATH bringeth the godly Man's Soul to enjoy an immediate Communion with the blessed Trinity in everlastâ—ng bliss and glory 2. It translates the Soul from the Miseâ—ies of this world the contagion of sin and â—â—ciety of Sinners to the City of the living â—ed the Celestial Jerusalem and the comâ—any of innumerable Angels and to the assemâ—ly and congregation of the first-born which 〈◊〉 written in Heaven and to God the Judge 〈◊〉 all and to the Souls of just Men made perâ—ect and to Jesus the Mediator of the new â—ovenant 3. Death putteth the Soul into the aactual and full possession of all the inheritance and happiness which Christ hath either promised unto thee in his Word or purchased for thee by his blood This is the good and happiness whereunto a blessed death will bring thee And what truly Religious Christian that is young would not wish himself old that his appointed time might the sooner approach to enter into this celestial Paradise where thou maist exchange thy Brass for Gold thy Vanity for Felicity thy Vileness for Honour thy Bondage for Freedom thy Lease for an Inheritance and thy mortal State for an immortal Life He that doth not daily desire this blessedness above all things of all others he is less worthy to enjoy it If Cato Vticensis and Cleombrotus two Heathen-men reading Plato's Book oâ— the Immortality of the Soul did voluntarily the one break his Neck the other run upon his Sword that they might thâ— sooner as they thought have enjoyed those joys what a shame is it for Christianâ— knowing those things in a more excellent measure and manner out of God's owâ— Book not to be willing to enter into these heavenly Joys especially when their Master calls for them thither If thereforâ— there be in thee any love of God or desirâ— of thine own happiness or salvation wheâ— the time of thy departing draweth nearâ— that time I say and manner of Death which God in his unchangeable Counsel hath appointed and determined beâ—fore thou wast born yield and surrender up willingly and chearfully thy Soul into the merciful hands of Jesus Christ thy Saviour And to this end when the time is come as the Angel in the â—ight of Manoah and his Wife ascended from the Altar up to heaven in the flame of the sacrifice so endeavour thou that thy spirit in the sight of thy friends may from the altar of a contrite heart ascend up to Heaven in the sweet perfume of this or the like spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer A Prayer for a sick Man when he is told that he is not a Man for this World but must prepare himself to go unto God O Heavenly Father who art the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh and hast made us these souls and hâ—st appointed us the time as to come into this World so having finished our course to go out of the same the number of my days which thou hast determined are now expired and I am come to the utmost bounds which thou hast appointed beyond which I cannot pass I know O Lord that if thou enterest into judgment no flesh can be justified in thy sight And I O Lord of all others should appear most impure and unjust for I have not fought that good â—ight for the defence of thy Faith and Religion with that zeal and constancy that I should but for fear of displeasing the World I have given way unto sins and errours and for desire to please my flesh I have broken all thy Commandments in thought word and deed so that my sins have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up and they are more in number than the hairs on my head If thou wilt straitly mark mine iniquities O Lord where shall I stand if thou weighest me in the balance I shall be found too light For I am void of all righteousness that might merit thy mercy and loaden with all iniquities that most justly deserve thy heaviest wrath Buâ— O my Lord and my God for Jesus Christ thy Son's sake in whom only thou art well pleased with all penitent and believing sinners take pity and compassion upon me who am the chief of sinners Blot out all my sins out of thy remembrance and wash away all my transgressions out of thy sight with the precious blood of thy Son which I believe that he as an undefiled Lamb hath shed for the cleansing of my sins In this faith I lived in this faith I die believing that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again for my justification And seeing that he hath endured that Death and born the burthen of that Judgment which was due unto my sins O Father for his Death and Passion 's sake now that I am coming to appear before thy Judgment-seat acquit and deliver me from that fearful Judgment which my sins have justly deserved And perform unto me that gracious and comfortable Promise which thou hast made in thy Gospel That whosoever believeth in thee hath everlasting life and shall not come into Judgment but shall pass from death unto life Strengthen O Christ my Faith that I may put the whole confidence of my salvation in the merits of thy obedience and Blood Encrease O holy Spirit my patience lay no more upon me than I am able to bear and enable me to bear so much as shall stand with thy blessed will and pleasure O blessed Trinity in Unity my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier vouchsafe that as my
outward man doth decay so my inward man may more and more by thy grace and consolation increase and gather strength O Saviour put my Soul in a readiness that like a wise Virgin having the Wedding Garment of thy Righteousness and holiness she may be ready to meet thee at thy comming with Oyl in her Lamp Marry her unto thy self that she may be one with thee in everlasting love and fellowship O Lord reprove Satan and chase him away Deliver my soul from the power of the Dog Save me from the Lyon's mouth I thank thee O Lord for all thy blessings both spiritual and temporal bestowed upon me especially for my Redemption by the death of my Saviour Christ. I thank thee that thou hast protected me with thy holy Angels from my youth up until now Lord I beseech thee give them a charge to attend upon me till thou callest for my soul and then to carry her as they did the soul of Lazarus into thy Heavenly Kingdom And as the time of my departure shall approach nearer unto me so grant O Lord that my Soul may draw nearer unto thee and that I may joy fully commend my Soul into thy hands as into the hands of a loving Father and merciful Redeemer and at that instant O Lord graciously receive my Spirit All which that I may do assist me I beseech thee with thy Grace and let thy holy spirit continue with me unto the end and in the end for Jesus Christ his sake thy Son my Lord and only Saviour In whose Name I give thee the glory and beg these things at thy hand in that Prayer which Christ himself hath â—aught me saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. Meditations against Despair or doubting of God's Mercy IT is found by continual experience that near the time of Death when the Children of God are weakest then Satan makes the greatest flourish of his strength and assails them with his strongest temptations For he knoweth that either he must now or never prevail for if their souls once go to Heaven he shall never vex nor trouble them any more And therefore he will now bestir himself as much as he can and labour to set before their eyes all the gross sins which ever they committed and the Judgments of God which are due unto them thereby to drive them if he can unto despair which is a grievouser sin than all the sins hat they committed or he can accuse them of If Satan therefore trouble thy Conscience more towards thy death than in thy life 1. Confess thy sins unto God not only in general but also in particular 2. Make satisfaction unto those Men whom thou hast wronged if thou beâ—st able And if thou dost injuriously or fraudulently detain or keep in thy possession any Lands or Goods that of right do belong to any Widow or Fatherless Child presume not as thou tenderest thy Soul's health to look Christ the righteous Judge in the face unless thou dost first make a restitution thereof to the right owners for the Law of God under the penalty of his curse requireth thee to restore whatsoever was given thee to keep or which was committed to thy trust or whatsoever by robbery or violent oppression thou tookest from thy neighbour with a fifth part for amends added to the principal And unless that like Zaccheus thou dost make restitâ—tion of such Goods and Lands according to God's Law thou canst never truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst never be saved But though by the temptation of the Devil thou hast done wrong and injury yet if thou dost truly repent and make restitution to thy power the Lord hath promised to be merciful unto thee to hear the Prayers of his faithful Ministers for thee to forgive thee thy trespass and sin and to receive thy Soul in the Merits of Christ's Blood as a Lamb without blemish 3. Ask God for Christ his sake pardon and forgiveness And then these troubles of mind are no Discouragements but rather Comforts Exercises not Punishments They are assurances unto thee that thou art in the right way for the way to Heaven is by the gates of Hell that is by suffering pains in the body and such doubtings in the mind that thy estate in this life being every way made bitter the joys of eternal life may relish unto thee better and more sweet If Satan tell thee that thou hast no Faith because thou hast no feeling Meditate 1. That the truest Faith hath oftentimes the least feeling and greatest doubts but so long as thou hatest such doubtings they shall not be laid unto thy charge for they belong to the flesh from which thou art divorced When thy flesh shall perish thy weak inward man which hates them and loves the Lord Jesus shall be saved 2. That it is a better Faith to believe without feeling than with feeling The least Faith so much as a grain of Mustard-seed so much as is in an Infant baptized is enough to save the Soul which loveth Christ and believeth in him 3. That the Child of God which desireth to feel the assurance of God's favour shall have his desire when God shall see it to be for his good For God hath promised to give them the Water of Life who thirst for it we have an example in Mr. Glover the holy Martyr who could have no comfortable feeling till he came to the sight of the Stake and then cryed out and clapped his hands for joy to his Friends saying O Austin he is come he is come meaning the feeling joy of Faith and the Holy Ghost Tarry therefore the Lord's leisure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart If Satan shall aggravate unto thee the greatness the multitude and hainousness of thy sins meditate 1. That upon true Repentance it is as easie with God to forgive the greatest sin as the least and he is as willing to forgive many as to pardon one And his mercy shineth more in pardoning great sinners than small offenders as appears in the Examples of Manasses Magdalen Peter Paul c. And where sin most aboundeth there doth his Grace rejoyce to abound much more 2. That God did never forsake any man till a man did first forsake God as appears in the examples of Cain Saul Achitophel Ahazia Judas c. 3. That God calleth all even those sinners who were heavy laden with sin and that he did never deny his mercy to any sinner that asked his mercy with a penitent heart This the history of the Gospel witnesseth There came unto Christ all sorts of sick sinners the blind lame halt Lepers such as were sick of Palsies Dropsies Bloody-fluxes such as were Lunatick and possessed with unclean Spirits and Devils Yet of all these not one that came and asked his mercy and help went
together and addest unto those the sins of Cain and Judas and puttest unto them all the sins of all the Reprobates in the World doubtless it would be a huge heap yet compare this huge heap with the infinite mercy of God and there will be no more comparison betwixt them than betwixt the least Mole-hill the greatest Mountain in a Country The cry of the grievous est sins that ever we read of could never reach up higher than unto Heaven as the cry of the sins of Sodom but the mercy of God saith David reacheth up higher than the Heavens and so overtoppeth all our sins And if his Mercy be greater than all his works it must needs be greater that all thy sins And so long as his mercy is greater than the sins of the whole world do thou but repent there is do doubt of pardon If â—â—tan shall object that thou hast many times vowed to repent and hast made a shew of repentance for the time and yet didst fall to the same sins again and again and that all thy repentance was but feigned and a mocking of God And that seeing thou hast so often broken thy vow therefore God hath withdrawn his mercy and hath changed his love c. mediâ—ate 1. That though this were true which indeed is hainous yet it is no sufficient cause why thou shouldst despair seeing that this is the common case of all the Children of God in this life who vow so oft to forbear some sin till perceiving their weakness nor able to perform it they vow that they will vow no more Their Vows shew the desires of their spiritual Man their breaking the weakness of their corrupt flesh And our oft slips into the same sins Christ foresaw when he taught us to pray daily Our Father forgive us our trespasses And why doth Christ enjoyn thee who art but a sinful man to forgive thy brother seven times in a day if he shall return seven times in a day and say it repenteth me But to assure thee that he being the God of mercy and goodness it self will forgive unto thee thy seventy times seven-fold sins a day which thou hast committed against him if thou return unto him by truâ— Repentance The Israelites were cured by looking though with weak eyes on the Brazen Serpent as oft as they were stung by the fiery Serpent in the Wilderness to assure thee that upon thy tears of repentance thou shalt be recovered by â—aith in Christ as often as thou are wounded to death by sin 2. That thy salvation is grounded not upon the constancy of thine obedience but upon the firmness of God's Covenant Though thou variest with God and the Covenant be broken on thy behalf yet it is firm on God's part and therefore all is safe enough if thou wilt return for there is no variableness with him neither shadow of change He hath locked up thy salvation and made it sure in his own unchangeable purpose and hath delivered to thy keeping the keys which are Faith and repentance and whilst thou hast them thou mayst perswade thy self that thy salvation is suâ—e and safe For whom God loveth he loveth to the end and never repenteth of bestowing his love on them who repent and believe Lastly If Satan shall perswade thee that thou hast been doubting a long time and that it 's best for thee now to despair seeing thy sins increase and thy judgment draweth near meditate 1. That no sin though never so great should be a cause to move any Christian to despair so long as God's mercy by so many millions of degrees is greater and that every penitent and believing Sinner hath the pardon of all his sins confirmed by the Word and Oath of God two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye His Word is that at what time soever a sinner whosoever doth repent of his sin whatsoever for both time and sins and sinners are indefinite from the bottom of his heart God will blot forth all his sins out of his remembrance that they shall be mentioned unto him no more If we will not take his word which God forbid we should doubt of he hath given us his Oath As I live I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live As if he had said will ye not believe my Word I swear by my life that I delight not to damn any sinner for his sins but rather to save him upon his conversion and repentance The meditation hereof moved Tertullian to exclaim O how happy are we when God sweareth that he wills not our damnation O what miserable wretches are we if we will not believe God when he sweareth this truth unto us Listen O drooping Spirit whose soul is assailed with ways of faithless despair how happy were it to see many like thee and Hezekiah who mourn like Doves for the sense of sin and chatter like Cranes and Swallows for the fear of God's anger rather than to behold many who die like Beasts without any feeling of their own estate or any fear of God's wrath or Tribunal Seat before which they are to appear Comfort thy self O languishing soul for if this earth hath any for whom Christ spilt his blood on the Cross thou assuredly art one Chear up therefore thy self in the all-sufficient atonement of the blood of the Lamb which speaketh better things than that of Abel And pray for those who never yet obtained the grace to have such a sense and detestation of sin Thou art one indeed for whom Christ died and from whom a wounded spirit judging rather according to his feeling than his faith hath wrung that doleful voice of Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And doubt not but ere long thou shalt as truly reign with him as now thou dost suffer with him for Yea and Amen hath spoken it No sin bars a man from salvation but only Incredulity and Impenitency nothing makes the sin against the Holy Ghost unpardonable but want of repentance Thy unfeigned desire to repent is as acceptable unto God as the perfectest repentance that thou couldest wish to pâ—râ—orm unto him Meditate upon these Evangelical comforts and thou shalt see that in the very agonâ— of death God will so assist thee with his spirit that when Satan looketh for the greatest victory he shall receive the foulest foil yea when thy eye-strings are broken that thou canst not see the light Jesus Christ will appear unto thee to comfort thy Soul and his Holy Angels will carry thee into his Heavenly Kingdom Then shall thy Friends behold thee like Manoah's Angel doing wonders indeed when they shall see a frail man in his greatest weakness by the mere assistance of God's Spirit overcoming the strength of sin the bitterness of death and all
cleansâ—th him from all his sins and either asswage his pain or else increase his patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure And good Lord lay no more upon him than thou shalt enable him to bear Heave him up unto thy self with those sighs aâ—d groans which cannot be expressed Make him now to feel what is the hope of his Calling and what is the exceeding greatness of thy Mercy and Power towards them that believe in thee And in his weakness O Lord shew thou thy strength Defend him against the suggestions and temptations of Satan who as he hath all his life time will now in his weakness especially seek to assail him and to devour him O save his Soul and reprove Satan and command thy holy Angels to be about him to aid him and to chase away all evil and malignant Spirits far from him Make him more and more to loath this world and to desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. And when that good hour and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life give him grace peacefully and joyfully to yield up his soul into thy merciful hands and do thou receive her into thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry her into thy kingdom Make his last hour his best hour his last words his best words and his last thoughts his best thoughts And when the sight of his eyes is gone and his tongue shall fail to do its office grant O Lord that his Soul may with Stephen behold Jesus Christ in Heaven ready to receive him and that thy Spirit within him may make request for him with sighs which cannot be expressed Teach us in him to read and see our own end and mortality and therefore to be careful to prepare our selves for our last ends and put our selves in a readiness against the time that thou shalt call for us in the like manner Thus Lord we recommend this our dear Brother or Sister thy sick servant unto thy eternal Grace and Mercy in that Prayer which Christ our Saviour hath taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with us all and especially with this thy sick servant to the end and in the end Amen Let them read often unto the sick some special Chapters of the holy Scripture as The three first Chapters of the Book of Job The 14. and 19. Chapters of Job The 34. Chapter of Deuteronomy The two last Chapters of Joshua The 17. Chapter of the first of Kings The 2 4 and 12. Chapters of the Second of Kings The 38 40 and 65. Chapters of Isaiah The History of the Passion of Christ. The 8. Chapter of the Romans The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The fourth of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians The fifth Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians The first and last Chapters of St. James The 11 and 12 to the Hebrews The first Epistle of Peter The three first and the three last Chapters of the Revelations or some of these And so exhorting the sick party to wait upon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a joyful meeting in the Kingdom of Heaven and a blessed Resurrection at the last day they may depart at their pleasure in the Peace of God Consolations against impatience in sickness IF in thy sickness by extremity of pain thou be driven to impatience meditate 1. That thy sins have deserved the pains of hell therefore thou maist with greater patience endure these fatherly Corrections 2. That these are the scourges of thy heavenly Father and the rod is in his hand If thou didst suffer with reverence being a child the correction of thy earthly Parents how much rather should'st thou now subject thy self being the Child of God to â—he chastisâ—ment of thy heavenly Father seeing it is for thine eternal good 3. That Christ suffered in his soul and body far grievo ser pains for thee therefore thou must more willingly suffer his blessed pleasure for thine own good Therefore saith Peter Christ suffered for you leaving you an example that ye should follow hiâ— steps And Let us saith S. Pauâ— run with joy the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross c. 4. That these afflictions which now you suffer are none other but such as are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world as witnesseth Peter Yea Job's afflictions were far more grievous There is not one of the Saints which now are at rest in heavenly joys but endured as much as you do before they went thither yea â—â—ny of them willingly suffered all the torments that Tyrants could inflict upon them that they might come to those heavenly 〈◊〉 whereunto you are now called And you have a promise that the God of aâ—l grace after that you have suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And that God of his fidelity will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 5. That God hath determined the time when thy affliction shall end as well as the time when it began 38 years were appointed the sick man at Beâ—hesda's Pool Twelve Years to the Woman with the bloody Issueâ— Three months to Moses Ten days tribulation to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna Three days plague to David Yea the number of the godly man's tears are registred in God's book and the quantity kept in his bottle The time of our trouble saith Christ is but a Modicum God's Anger lasts but a moment saith David A little season saith the Lord and therefore calls all the time of our pain but the hour of sorrow Daâ—id for the swiftness thereof compares our present trouble to a Book and Aâ—â—anasius to a Shower Compare the longest misery that Man endures in this 〈◊〉 to the eternity of heavenly joys and they will appear to be nothing And as the sight of a Son safe born makes the Mâ—ther forget all her former deadly pain so the sight of Christ in Heaven who was born for thee will make all these pangs of death to be quite forgotten as if they had never been like Stephen who as soon as he saw Christ forgat his own wounds with the horror of the grave and terror of the stones and sweetly yielded his soul into the hands of his Saviour Forget thine own pain think of Christ's wounds Be faithful unto the death and he will give thee the Crown of eternal life 6. That you are
now called to Repetitions in Christ's School to see how much Faith Patience and Godliness you have learned all this while and whether you can like Job receive at the hand of God some evil as well as you have hitherto received a great deal of good As therefore you have always prayed Thy will be done so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will 7. That all things shall work together for the best to them that love God Insomuch that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Assure your self that every pang is a prevention of the pains of hell every resâ—ite an earnest of Heavens rest and how many stripes do you esteem heaven worth As your life hath been a comfort to others so give your friends a Christian example to die and deceive the Devil as Job did It is but the â—â—oss of Christ sent before to crucifie the love of the World in thee that thou mâ—â—st go eternally to live with Christ who was crucified for thee As thou art therefore a true Christian take up like Simon of Cyrâ—nâ— with both thy arms his holy Cross carry it after him 〈◊〉 him thy pains will shortly pass thy joys shall never pass away Consolations against the fear of Death IF in the time of thy sickness thou findest thy self fearful to die meditate 1. That it argueth a dastardly mind to fear that which is nor For in the Church of Christ there is no death Isa. 25. 7 8. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ shall never die Job 11. 26. Let them fear death who live without Christ. Christians die not but when they please God they are like 〈◊〉 translated unto God Their pains are but Elijah's fiery chariot to carry them up to heaven or like Lazarâ—â—'s sores sending them to Abraham's Bosom In a word if thou be one of them that like Lazarus lovest Jesus thy sickness is not unto the death but for the glory of God who of his love changeth thy living death to an everlasting life And if mans heathen men as Socratâ—s Câ—â—tiuâ— Seneca c. died willingâ—â— when they might have lived in hâ—pe of the immortality of the soul wilt thou being traiâ—â—d so loâ—g in Châ—â—st's Schâ—ol and now câ—llâ—d to the Marriage Supper of the blessed Lâ—â—h Rev. 19 7. be one of those Guests thâ—â— refuse to go to that joyful banquet God forbid 2 Remember that thy abode here is but the second degree of thy life for after thou hadst first lived nine Months in thy Mothers Womb thou wast of necessity driven thence to live here in a second degree of life And when that number of months which God hath determined for this life are expired thou must likewise leave this and pass to a third degree in the other world which never ends Which to them that live and die in the Lord surpasseth as far this kind of life as this doth that which one lives in his Mothers Womb. To this last and excellentest degree of life through this door passed Christ himself and all his Saints that were before thee and so shall all the rest after them and thee Why shouldst thou fear that which is common to all God's Elect Why should that be uncouth to thee which was so welcom to all them Fear not death for as it is the Exodus of a bad so it is the Genesis of a better World the end of a temporal but the beginning of an eternal life 3. Consider that there are but three things that can make death so fearful unto thee 1. The loss thou hast thereby 2. The pain that is therein 3. The terrible effects which follow after All these are but false â—res and causeless fears For the first if thou leavest here uncertain goods which Thieves may rob thou shalt find in heaven a true Treasure that can never be taken away these were but lent thee as a Steward upon accounts those shall be given thee as thy reward for ever If thou leavesâ— a loâ—ing Wise thou shalt be married to Christ which is more lovely If thou leavest Children and Friends thou shalt there find all thy religious Ancestors and Children departed yea Christ and all his blessed Saints and Angels and as many of thy Children as be God's Children shall thither follow after thee Thou leavest an earthly pâ—ssession and a house of clay and thou shalt enjoy an heavenly inheritance and mansion of glory which is purchased prepared and reserved for thee What hast thou lost Nay is not death unto thee gain Go home go 〈◊〉 and we will follow after thee Secondly For the pain in death the fear of death more pains many than the very paâ—gs of death for many a Christian dies without any great pangs or pains â—itch the 〈◊〉 of thy Hope on the firm ground of the Woâ—d of God who hath promised in thy weakness to perfect his strength and not to suffer thee to be tempted above that thou art able to bear And Christ will shortly turn all thy temporal pains to his eternal joys Lastly As for the terrible effects which follow after death they belong not unto thee being a member of Christ for Christ by his death hath taken away the sting of death to the faithful so that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Christ hath protested that he that believeth in him hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but haâ—â— passed from death unto life Hereupon the holy Spirit from Heaven saith Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord and that from thenceforth they rest from their labours and their works do follow them In respect therefore of the faithful death is swallowed up in victory and his sting which is sin and the punishment thereof is taken away by Christ. Hence death is called in respect of our bodies a sleep and rest In respect of our Souls a going to our heavenly Father a departing in peace a removing from this body to go to the Lord a dissolving of soul and body to be with Christ. What shall I say Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints These pains are but thy throes and travail to bring forth eternal life And who would not pass through Hell to go to Paradise much more through death There is nothing after death that thou needest feaâ— not thy sinsâ— because Chrâ—st hath payed thy ransom not the Judge for hâ— is thy loving brother not the grave 〈◊〉 iâ— is the Lord's bed not he for thy Redeemâ—r keeps the keys not the Devil for God's holy Angels pitch their Tents about thee and will not leave thee till they bring thee to Heaven Thou wast never 〈◊〉 etâ—â—nal life glorifie therefore â—â—ist by a
blessed â—eath Say cheerfully Come Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 thy Servant cometh unto thee I am willing Lord help my weakness Seven sanctified Thoughts and mournful Sighs of a sick Man ready to die NOW forasmuch as God of his infinite mercy doth so temper ouâ— pain and sickness that we are not always oppressed with extremity but gives us in the midst of our extremities some â—espite to ease and refresh our selves thou mâ—st have an espâ—cial caâ—e considâ—ring how short a 〈◊〉 thou hast either for ever to lose or to obtain Heaven to make use of every breathing time which God doth afford thâ— and during that 〈…〉 time of ease 〈…〉 roweth with all his force to arrive at the wished Port and that the Traveller never resteth till he come to his Journeys end we fear to descry our Port and therefore would put back our Bark to be longer tossed in this continual tempest We weep to see our jorneys end and therefore desire our journey to be lengthened that we might be more tired with a foul and cumbersome way The Spiritual Sigh thereupon O Lord this life is but a troublesome pilgrimage few in days but full in evils and I am weary of it by reason of my sins Let me therefore O Lord intreat thy Majesty in this my bed of sickness as Elias did under the Juniper tree in his affliction It is now enough O Lord that I have lived so long in this vale of misery take my soul into thy merciful hands for I am no better than my Fathers The Second Thought THink with what a body of sin thou art loaden what great civil wars are contained in a little world the flesh fighting against the Spirit Passion against Reason Earth against Heaven and the World within thee bending it self for the World without thee and that but 〈◊〉 only means remains to end this conflictâ— death which in God's appointed time will separate thy spirit from thy flesh the pure and regenerate part of thy Soul from that part which is impure and unregenerated The spiritual Sigh upon the second Thought OWretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death O my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ thou hast redeemed me with thy precious blood And be cause thou hast delivered my soul from sin minâ— eyes from tears and my feet from falling I do here from the very bottom of my heart ascribe the whole praise and glory of my salvation to thy only grace and mercy saying with the holy Apostle Thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Third Thought THink how it behoves thee to be assured that thy soul is Christ's for death hath taken sufficient gages to assure himself of thy bodâ— in that all thy senses be all ready to die save only the sense of pain but sith the beginning of thy being began with pâ—in marvel the less it thy end conclude with dolours But if these temporal dolours which only afflict the body be so painful O Lord who can endure the devouring fire who can abide the everlasting burning The spiritual Sigh upon the third Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God who art the only Physician that caâ—st ease my body from pain and restore my soul to life eternal put thy 〈◊〉 Cross and Death betwixt my 〈◊〉 and thy Judgments and let the merits of thy obedience stand betwixt thy Father's justice and my disobedience and from these bodily pains receive my Soul iâ—to thine everlasting peace for I cry unto thee with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The Fourth Thought THink that the worst that Death can do is but to send thy Soul sooner than thy flesh would be willing to Christ and his heavenly Joys remember that that Christ is thy best hope â—he worst therefore of death is rather a help than a harm The spiritual Sigh upon the Fourth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of all them that put their trust in thee fâ—rsake â—or him that in misery flâ—â—â—h unto thy graceâ— fâ—â— succour and mercy Oh sound that sweet Voice in the ears of my Soul which thou spakest unto the penitent thief on the cross This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise For I O Lord do with the Apostle from my Soul speak unto thee I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. The Fifth Thought THiâ—k if thou fearest to die That in Mount Sâ—on there is no Death for â—e that believeth in Christ shall never die And if thou desirest to live without 〈◊〉 the life eternal whereunto this 〈…〉 their miseries live with Christ in joys and thither shall all the godly which survive be gathered out of their troubles to enjoy with him eternal rest The Spiritual Sigh on the Fifth Thought O Lord thou seest the malice of Satan who not contenting himself like a roaring Lion all the days and nights of our life to seek our destruction shews himself busiest when thy Children are weakest and nearest to their end O Lord reprove him and preserve my Soul He seeks to terrifie me with death which my sins have deserved but let thy Holy Spirit comâ—ort my Soul with the assurance of eternal life which thy Blood hath purchased Asswage my pain increase my patience and if it be thy blessed will end my troubles for my Soul beseecheth thee with old blessed Simeon Lord now let me thy servant depart in peace according to thy word The Sixth Thought THink with thy self what a blessing God hath bestowed upon thee above many millions in the world that whereas they are either Pagans who worship not the true God or Idolaters who worship the true God falsly thou hast lived in a true Christian Church and hast grace to die in the true Christian Faith and to be buried in the Sepulchre of God's Servants who all wait for the hope of Israel and raising of their Bodies in the resurrection of the Just. The spiritual Sigh upon the sixth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the life in whom whosoever believeth shall live tho' he were dead I believe that whosover liveth and believeth in thee shall never die I know that I shall rise again in the Resurrection of the last day for I am sure that thou my Redeemer livest And tho' that after my death worms destroy this body yet I shall see thee my Lord and my God in this flesh Grant therefore O Christ for thy bitter death and passions sake that at that day I may be one of them to whom thou wilt pronounce that joyful sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world The Seventh Thought THink with thy self how Christ endured for thee a cursed death and the wrath of God which was due unto thy sins and what
Israelites to convey them to Canaan's possession so death to the wicked is a sink to hell and condemnation but to the godly the gate to everlasting life and salvation And one day of a blessed death will make amends for all the sorrows of a bitter life When therefore thou perceivest thy soul departing from thy body pray with thy Tongue if thou canst else pray in thy heart and mind these words fixing the eyes of thy soul upon Jesus Christ thy Saviour A Prayer at the yielding up of the Ghost O Lamb of God which by thy blood hast taken away the sins of the world have mercy upon me a sinner Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen When the sick party is departing let the faithful that are present kneel down and commend his soul to God in these or the like words O Gracious God and merciful Father who art our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble lift up the light of thy favourable countenance at this Instant upon thy servant that now cometh to appear in thy presence wash away good Lord all his sins by the merits of Christ Jesus's blood that they may never be laid to his charge Increase his faith preserve and keep safe his soul from the danger of the Devil and his Wicked Angels Comfort him with thy Holy Spirit cause him now to feel that thou art his loving Father and that he is thy child by Adoption and Grace Save O Christ the price of thine own blood and suffer him not to be lost whom thou hast bought so dearly Receive his soul as thou didst the penitent thief into thy heavenly Paradise Let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither as they carried the soul of Laâ—arus and grant unto him a joyful resurrection at the last day O Father hear us for him and hear thine own Son our only Mediator that sits at thy right hand for him and us all even for the merits of that bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for us In confidence whereof we now recommend his soul into thy fatherly hands in that blessed Prayer which our Saviour hath taught us in all times of our troubles to say unto thee Our Father c. Thus far of the Practice of Piety in dying in the Lord. Now followeth the Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord. THE Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord is termed Martyrdom Martyrdom is the testimony which a Christian beareth to the Doctrine of the Gospel by enduring any kind of death to invite many and to confirm all to embrace the truth thereof To this kind of death Christ hath promised a Crown Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life Which promise the Church so firmly believed that they termed martyrdom it self a Crown And God to animate Christians to this excellent prize would by a prediction that Stephen the first Christian Martyr should have his name of a Crown Of Martyrdom there are Three kinds 1. Solâ voluntate in will only as John the Evangelist who being boiled in a Cauldron of Oil came out rather annointed than sod and died of old age at Ephesus 2. Solo opere in deed only as the Innocents of Bethlehem 3. Voluntate opere both in will and deed as in the Primitive Church Stephen Polycarpus Ignatius Laurentius Romanus Antiochianus and thousands And in our days Cranmer Latimer Hooper Ridley Farrar Bradford Philpot Sanders Glover Taylor and others innumerable whose fiery zeal to God's Truth brought them to the flames of Martyrdom to seal Christ's Faith It is not the cruelty of the death but the innocency and holiness of the cause that maketh a Martyr Neither is an erroneous Conscience a sufficient warrant to suffer Martyrdom because Science in God's Word must direct Conscience in man's heart For they who killed the Apostles in their erroneous Consciences thought they did God good service and Paul of zeal breathed out slaughters against the Lord's Saints Now whether the cause of our Seminary Priests and Jesuits be so holy true and innocent as that it may warrant their Conscience to suffer death and to hazard their eternal salvation thereon let Paul's Epistle written to the ancient Christian Romans but against our new Antichristian Romans be judge And it will plainly appear that the Doctrine which St. Paul taught to the ancient Church of Rome is ex diametro opposite in 26 fundamental points of true Religion to that which the new Church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth For St. Paul taught the Primitive Church of Rome 1. That our Election is of God's free Grace and not ex operibus praevisis Rom. 9. 11. Rom. 11. 5 6. 2. That we are justified before God by faith only without good works Rom. 3. 20 28. Rom. 4. 2 c. Rom. 1. 17. 3. That the good works of the regenerate are not of their own condignity meritorious nor such as can deserve Heaven Rom. 8. 18. Rom. 11. 6. Rom. 6. 23. 4. That these Books only are God's Oracles and Canonical Scripture which were committed to the custody and credit of the Jews Rom. 3. 2. Rom. 1. 2. Rom. 16. 26. such were never the Apocrypha 5. That the Holy Scriptures have God's authority Rom. 9. 17. Rom. 3. 4. Rom. 11. 32. conferred with Gal. 3. 22. Therefore above the authority of the Church 6. That all as well Laity as Clergy that will be saved must familiarly read or know the Holy Scripture Rom. 15. 4. Rom. 10. 1 2 8. Rom. 16. 26. 7. That all Images made of the true God are very Idols R. 1. 23. R. 2. 22. conferr'd 8. That to bow the knee religiously to an Image or to worship any Creature is meer Idolatry R. 11. 4. and a lying service R. 1. 25. 9. That we must not pray unto any but to God only in whom we believe Rom. 10. 13 14. Rom. 8. 15 27. therefore not to Saints and Angels 10. That Christ is our only intercessor in Heaven Rom. 8. 34 Rom. 5. 2 Rom. 16. 27. 11. That the only Sacrifice of Christians is nothing but the spiritual Sacrificing of their souls and bodies to serve God in holiness and righteousness R. 12. 1 R. 15. 16. therefore no real sacrificing of Christ in the Mass. 12. That the religious worship called dulia as well as latria belongeth to God alone Rom. 1. 9. Rom. 12. 11. R. 16. 18. conferr'd 13. That all Christians are to pray unto God in their own native language R. 14. 11. 14. That we have not of our selves in the state of corruption free will unto good Rom. 7. 18 c. Rom. 9. 16. 15. That Concupiscence in the regenerate is sin Rom. 7. 7 8 10. 16. That the Sacraments do not confer grace ex opere operato but sign and seal that â—t is conferred already unto us Rom. 4. 11 12. Rom. 2. 28 29. 17. That every
true believing Christian may in this life be assured of his salvation Rom. 8. 9 16 35 c. 18. That no man in this life since Adam's fall can perfectly fulfil the Commandments of God Rom. 7. 10 c. Rom. 3. 19 c. Rom. 11. 32. 19. That to place Religion in the difference of meats and days is superstition Rom. 14. 3. 5 6 17 23. 20. That the imputed righteousness of Christ is that only that makes us just before God Rom. 4. 9 17 23. 21. That Christ's flesh was made of the Seed of David by Incaâ—nation not of a Wafer Cake by Transubstantiation Rom. 1. 3. 22. That all true Christians are Saints and not those whom the Pope only doth Canonize Rom. 1. 7. Rom 8. 27. Rom. 15. 31. Rom. 16. 2. and 15. Rom. 15. 25. 23. That Ipse Christ the God of Peace and not Ipsa the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head Rom. 16. 20. 24. That every soul must of conscience be subject and pay Tribute to the higher powers that is the magistrates which bear the Sword Rom. 13. 1 2. c. and therefore the Pope and all Prelates must be subject to their Emperors Kings and Magistrates unless they will bring damnation upon their souls as Traitors that resist God and his Ordinance Rom. 13. 2. 25. That Paul not Peter was ordained by the grace of God to be the chief Apostle of the Gentiles and consequently of Rome the chief City of the Gentiles Rom. 15. 15 16 19 20 c. Rom 11. 14. Rom. 16. 4. 26. That the Church of Rome may err and fall away from the true Faith as well as the Church of Jerusalem or any other particular Church Rom. 11. 20 21 22. And seeing the new upstart Church of Rome teacheth in all these and in innumerable other points clean contrary to that which the Apostle taught the Primitive Romans let God and this Epistle judge betwixt them and us whether of us both stands in the true ancient Catholick Faith which the Apostle taught the old Romans And whether we have not done well to depart from them so far as they have departed from the Apostles Doctrine And whether it be not better to return to St. Paul's Truth than still to continue in Rome's Error And if this be true then let Jesuites and Seminary Priests take heed and fear lest it be not faith but faction not truth but treason not Religion but Rebellion beginning at Tiber and ending at Tyburn which is the cause of their deaths And being sent from a troublesome Apostatical See rather than from a peaceable Apostolical Seat because they cannot be suffered to perswade Subjects to break their Oaths and to withdraw their Allegiance from their Sovereign to raise Rebellion to move Invasion to stab and poison Queens to kill and murther Kings to blow up whole States with Gun powder they desperately cast away their own bodies to be hanged quartered and their souls saved if they belong to God I wish such honour to all his Saints that sends them And I have just cause to fear that the miracles of Lipsius's Two Ladies Blunstone's Boy Garnet's Straw and the Maid's fiery Apron will not suffice to clear that these men are not Murtherers of themselves rather than Martyrs of Christ. And with what conscience can any Papist count Garnet a Martyr when his own conscience forced him to conâ—ess that it was for Treason and not for Religion that he died But if the Priests of such a Gunpowder Gospel be Martyrs I marvel who are Murtherers if they be Saints who are Scythians who are Canibals if they be Catholicks But leaving these if they will be filthy to their filthiness still let us to whose fidelity the Lord hath committed his true faith as a precious depositum pray unto God that we 〈◊〉 lead a holy life answerable to our holy faith in piety to Christ and obedience to oâ—r King that if our Saviour shall ever count us worthy that honour to suffer Martyrdom for his Gospel's sake be it by open burning at the stake as in Q. Mary's days or by secret murthering as in the Inquisition-house or by outragious massacring as in the Parisians Mattens in being blown up with Gun-powder as was intended in the Parliament-House we may have grace to pray for the assistance of his holy Spirit so to strengthen our frailty and to defend his cause as that we may seal with our deaths the evangelical truth which we have professed in our lives That in the days of our lives we may be blessed by his word in the day of Death be blessed in the Lord and in the day of judgment be the blessed of his Father Even so grant Lord Jesus Amen A Divine Colloquy betwixt the Soul and her Saviour concerning the effectual merits of his dolorous Passion Soul LOrd wherefore didst thou wash thy Disciples feet Christ To teach thee how thou shouldest prepare thy self to come to my Supper S. Lord why would'st thou wash them thy self C. To teach thee humility if thou wilt be my Disciple S. Lord wherefore didst thou before thy death institute thy last Supper C. That thou mightest the better remember my death and be assured that all the merits thereof are thine S. Lord wherefore would'st thou go to such a place where Judas knew to find thee C. That thou mightest know that I went as willingly to suffer for thy sin as ever thou wentest to any place to commit a sin S. Lord wherefore would'st thou begin thy passion in a Garden C. Because that in a Garden thy sin took first beginning S. Lord wherefore did thy three select Disciples fall so fast asleep when thou beganst to fall into thy agony C. To shew that I alone wrought the work of thy Redemption S. Lord why were there so many plots and snares laid for thee C. That I might make thee to escape all the snares of thy Ghostly Hunter S. Lord why would'st thou suffer Judas betraying thee to kiss thee C. That by enduring the words of dissembling Lips I might there begin to expiate sin where 〈◊〉 find brought it into the world S. Lord why would'st thee be sold for thiâ—ty pieces of Silver C. That I might free thee from perpetual bondage S. Lord why didst thou pray with such strâ—ng crying and tears C. That I might 〈◊〉 the fury of God's Justice which was so fiercely kindled against thee S. Lord why wast thou so afraid and cast â—nto such an Aâ—â—ny C. That 〈◊〉 the â—rath due to thy sins thou mightest be more secure in thy deâ—â—h and 〈◊〉 more comfort in thy crosse S. Lord wherâ—fâ—re 〈…〉 and so earnestly 〈…〉 〈◊〉 thee C. That 〈…〉 the horrour of that curseâ—◠〈…〉 being due to thy sin I was 〈…〉 and endure for thee S. Lord wherefore didst thou after 〈◊〉 wish submit thy will unto
fruit thou didst hang on the cursed tree I plaid the glutton and thou didst fast evil concupiscence drew me to eat the pleasaâ—â— apple and perfect charity led thee to drink of the bitter cup I assayed the sweetness of the fruit and thou didst taste the bitterness of the gall Foolish Eve smiled when I laughed but blessed Mary wept when thy heart bled died O my God here I see thy goodness and my badness thy justice and my injustice the impiety of my flesh and the piety of thy nature And now O blessed Lord thou hast endured all this for my sake what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits bestowed upon me a sinful soul Indeed Lord I acknowledge that I owe thee already for my creation more than I am able to pay for I am in that respect bound with all my powers and affections to love and adore thee If I owed my self unto thee for giving me my self in my creation what shall I now render to thee for giving thy self for me to so cruel a death to procure my Redemption Great was the benefit that thou wouldest create me of nothing but what tongue can express the greatness of this grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse than nothing Surely Lord if I cannot pay the thanks I owe thee and who can pay thee who bestowest thy graces without respect of merit or regard of measure it is the abundance of thy blessings that makes me such a bankrupt that I am so far unable to pay the principal that I cannot possibly pay so much as the interest of thy love But O my Lord thou knowest that since the loss of thine Image by the fall of my first unhappy Parents I cannot love thee with all my might and mind as I should therefore as thou didst first cast thy love upon me when I was a child of wrath and a lump of the lost and condemned world so now I beseech thee shed abroad thy love by thy Spirit through all my faculties and affections that though I can never pay thee in that measure of love which thou hast deserved yet I may endeavour to repay thee in such a manner as thou vouchsafest to accept in mercy that I may in truth of heart love my neighbour for thy sake and love thee above all for thine own sake Let nothing be pleasant unto me but that which is pleasing unto thee And sweet Saviour suffer me never to be lost or cast away whom thou hast bought so dearly with thine own most precious blood O Lord let me never forget thine infinite love and this unspeakable benefit of my Redemption without which it had been better for me never to have been than to have any being And seeing that thou hast vouchsafed me the assistance of thy holy Spirit suffer me O heavenly Father who art the Father of Spirits in the meditation of thy Son to speak a few words in the ears of my Lord. If thou O Father despisest me for mine iniquities as I have deserved yet be merciful unto me for the merits of thy Son who so much for me hath suffered What if thou seest nothing in me but misery which might move anger and passion Yet behold the merits of thy Son and thou shalt see enough to move thee to mercy and compassion Behold the mystery of his incarnation and remit the misery of my transgression And as oft as the wounds of thy Son appear in thy sight O let the woes of my sins be hid from thy presence As oft as the redness of his blood glisters in thine eyes O let the guiltiness of my sins be blotted out of thy Book The wantonness of my flesh provoked thee unto wrath O let the chastity of his flesh perswade thee to mercy that as my flesh seduced me to sin so his flesh may reduce me unto thy favour My disobedience hath deserved a great revenge but his obedience merits a greater weight of mercy for what can man deserve to suffer which God made man cannot merit to have forgiven When I consider the greatness of thy passion then do I see the trueness of that saying That Christ came into the world to save the chiefest sinners Dâ—rest thou O Cain say that thy sins are greater than may be forgiven Thou lâ—est like a murtherer the mercies of one Christ are able to forgive a world of Cains if they 'll believe repent The sins of all sinners are finite the mercies of God are infinite Therefore O Father for the death and passions sake which thy Son Jesu Christ hath suffer'd for me I have now remembred to thee pardon and forgive thou unto me all my sins deliver me from the curse vengeance which they have justly deserved through his merits make me O Lord a partaker of thy mercy It is thy mercy that I so earnestly knock for neither shall mine importunity cease to call and knock with the man that would borrow the loaves until thou arise and open unto me thy gates of grace And if thou wilt not bestow on me thy loaves yet O Lord deny me not the crums of thy mercy and those shall suffice thy hungry hand-mind And seeing thou reqâ—i est nothing for thy benefits but that I love thee in the truth of my inward heart whereof a new creature is the truest outward testimony and that it is as easie for thee to make me a new creature as to bid me to be such create in me O Christ a new heart and renew in me a right spirit and then thou shalt see how mortifying old Adam and his corrupt lust I will serve thee as thy new creature in a new life after a new way with a new tongue and new manners with new words and new works to the glory of thy Name and the winning other sinful souls unto thy Faith by my devout example Keep me for ever O my Saviour from the torments of hell and tyranny of the Devil And when I am to depart this life send thy holy Angels to carry me as they did the soul of Lazarus into thy Kingdom Receive me into that joyful Paradise which thou didst promise to thâ— penitent thief which at his last gasp upon the Cross so devoutly begg'd thy mercy and admission into thy Kingdom Grant this O Christ for thy own Name 's sake to whom as is most due I ascribe all glory and honour praise and dominion both now and for ever Amen FINIS * 1 Tim. 6. 15. Rev. 12. 13. †1 Sam. 20. 20. * 2 Chron. 34. 3. * Qui monet ut facias quod jam facis ipse moneâ— do Laudat hortatu comprobat acta suo 2 Cor. 8. 7. Matth. 15. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 4. * Exemplum accidit mulieris Domino teste quae Theatrum adiit inde cum daemonio â—â—diit Itaque in exorcismo cùm oneraretur immundus spiritus quod ausus est fidelem aggredi
constanter justissimè quidem inquit feci In meo eam inveni Tert. de spect lib. cap. 26. Therefore Tert. in cap. 6. calls the Stage Diaboli Ecclesiam Cathedram postilentiarum †Jam. 5. 9. Rev. 11. 20. Matth 25. 8. Prov. 6. 10. Jude ver 3. Eccles. 7. 1. Eccles. 4. 21. * Luk. 10. 20. Rev. 17. 8. Exod. 34. 29 30. 2 Cor. 3. 18. * Matth. 26. 13. †1 Tim. 4. 8. * Principibus ad salutem sola satìs vera est pietas absque illâ verò nihil est vel exercitus vel Imperatoâ—is fortitudo vel apparatus reliquus Zozom Eccles. Hist. lib. 9. c. 1. * The Honourable Sir Robert Cary Knight and the religiâ—â—â—s Lady Cary his Wife Mr. Thomas Murray Sir James Fullâ—rton †2 Chron. 24. 16 The gracious Archbishopâ— of Cant 〈◊〉 1 Chr. 28. 9. * Tum Deum amare libet cùm persuasum habemus ipsum esse optimum maximum ubique praesentem omnia in nobis efficientem eum in quo vivimus movemus sumus Bucer in Psal. 115. †Heb. 11. 6. Danda imprimis opera est ut Deum nôrimus quotquot foelices esse volumus Quid noscis si teipsum nescis a Psal. 14. 3. 3. b 1 Tim. 6. 16. c Deut. 14. 4. 35. 32. 39. 6. 4. Isa. 45. 5 6 7 8. 1 Cor. 8. 4. Eph. 4. 5 6. 1 Tim. 2. 5. d Joh. 4. 24. 2 Cor. 3. 17. e 1 Kin. 8. 17. Psal. 147. 5. f Deut. 32. 4. g Exod. 3. 14. h 1 Cor. 8. 6. Act. 17. 25. Rom. 11. 36. i Heb. 1. 3. k Joh. 1. 1. 5. 31 37. 14. 16. l Col. 2. 9. Joh. 14. 9. m Gen. 1. 26. 3. 22. 11. 7. Exod. 20. 2. Hos. 1. 4 7. Isa. 63. 9. 10. Zach. 3. 2. Hag 2. 5 6. 1 Joh. 5. 7. Mat. 3. 16 17. 28. 19. Joh. 14. 26. 2 Cor. 13. 13. n Singula sunt in singulis omnia in singulis singula in omnibus unum omnia Aug. lib. 6. de Trin. cap. ult * Gen. 1. 26. 3. 22. 11 7. Isa. 6. 8. †Personae Divinitatis distinguuntur personaliter sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Deus est in divise unus in Trinitate inconfuse trinus in unitate Justin. a Mat. 11. 27. Mat. 3. 17. b Isa. 63. 16. Eph 3. 14 15. c Prov. 30. 4. d Psal. 2. 7. e Heb. 1. 3. Phil. 2. 6. f Basil. sup 5. Johâ—n Sicut mens cogitando in seipsam reflectitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 internum gignit ita mens illa aeterna quae est Deus pater in seipsam intelligendo reflexa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aeternum modo ineffabili genuit Et sicut exterior 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interioris effigies quasi est ita aeternus ille 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aeterni Patris imago est majestatis character Heb. 1. 3. g Joh 1. 18. Iren. l. 4. c. 14. h Act. 10. 43. Heb. 1. 1. Luk. 24. 27. Joh. 5. 45. Act. 3. 22 23 24. i Isa. 63. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 14. k 1 Joh. 4 13. 2 Cor. 3. 17. l Joh. 20. 21 22. Gal. 4. 6. x 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. y 2 Cor. 3. 18. 1 Thes. 5. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 2. a Origo essentiae in divinis nâ—llâ— est origo personarum locum habet in Filio Spiritu sancto Pater enim est prior Filio non tempore sed ordineâ— Alst. b Mat 28. 19. 1 Joh. 5. 7. c Ideo dicitur Pater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Filius Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoad essentiâ—m absolutâ—m est quidepâ— Ã â—â—ipso 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed ratioâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive ess persoâ—alis per atâ—â—nam gâ—nerationem à Patre existit ideoque non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 6. â—8 27. John 5. 19. Mic. 5. 1. Joh. 1. 1. e Psal. 2. 7. Heb. 1. 5. Aliud est habere Essentiam divinam à seipso habere essentiam divinam à seipsa existentem remotâ enim relatione ad Patrem sola restat Essentia quae est à seipsa hinc Filius dicitur princiâ—atus non essentiatus Th. Sum pag. q. 33. f Joh. 15. 26. Joh. 16. 15. Therefore Rom. 8. 9. The Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Christ. g Spiritus S. â— Patâ—e à Filio procedit tanquam ab uno eodem principio in duabus tantùm personis subsistente non autem tanquam à duobus ac diversis Principiis a Hinc Dei men saepe in scripturis Patri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tribuitur Joh. 14 Rom. 8. 3. 1 Cor. 8. 6 1 Cor. 15. 24. b Mat. 11. 25 26 27. Joh. 5. 19 20 21 22 23. Joh. 11. 41 42 Joh. 12. 49. c 2 Cor. 5. 18 c. d Incarnatio verbi propriâ— non Patriâ—ec Spiritui sancto nisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compeâ—it Damas. 1. de oâ—tho sid c 13. Implevit carnem Christi Patâ—r Spiritus S. sed majâ—statâ—noâ— susceptione Aug. serm 3. de Temp. Joh. 3. 16. Rom. 8. 12. â—nd 5. 8 10. Hoc mirum foedus semper mens cogitâ—t uno hoc tu ne â—ubita foedere parta salus Melan. e Ut. qâ—i erat in divinitete Dei fiâ—â—s ficret in humanitate hominis filius neunomen filii ad alterum ansiret qui non esset aeterna nativitate filius Aug. d Congruebat filium assumere humanam naturam ut haec persona quaeest substantialis imago aeterni Patris restitueret imaginem Dei in nobis corruptam Athan. e Heb. 3. 17 18. Heb. 4. 15. Infirmitates merae privationis non pravae dispositionis f Humana natura est distinctum individuum à natura divina etsi non sit distincta Persona Keck Syst. Theol. lib. 3. p. 119. g Uniti Hypostaticè Deum homiem nihil est aliud quam naturam humanam non habere propriam existentiam sed assumptam esse à Verbo aeterno ad ipsam verbi subsistentiam Bellar. de incarnat â—ib 3. cap. 8. h Salvis distinctis manentibus proprietatibus natuâ—ae tam assumentis quam assumptae i Act. 20 28 k Act. 7. 31. Dr. Field of the Church book 3. c. 35. l Secundum esse naturale Christus non est ubique m Secundum esse persoâ—a le Christus est ubique In operibus ad extâ—â—◠〈◊〉 personae oâ—â—â—rantur simâ—d servato ordine personarum in operando a Rom. 11. 36. b As redemption Act. 20 28. and sanctification 1 Pet. 1 2. to the Father Creation 1 Jon. 3. and Sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 2. to the Son Creation Psal. 33. 6. and Redemption Eph. 4. 30. to the Holy Ghost Joyntly all to each 1 Cor. 6. 11. Opera Trinitatis ad extra indivisa ad intùs divisa Perioâ—ae nomen non est aliquid ab essentia abstractum ac separatum Faiâ—s Thes. disp 2. Persona est