wounded me before thee O shall my sins be stronger then thy grace and the errours of my life more powerfull then thy law The pious incense of a contrite spirit is a sacrifice thou dost not usally despise and O that I could exhale my selfe in showres and drop away my soul in teares that my iniquities could fly away in sighs and the guilt of my life be wip't off in religious streams Pitty my irregularities O Lord and forgive my crimes how long shall I groan under the bondage of sin and weary thee too with the burden of my corruptions Thou delight'st to pardon sin and shall mine remaine Thou desirest not the death of thy creatures and shall I be forsaken I cannot live without Thee nor enjoy the comfort of my very being till thou revive me 't is better I had not beene than that I should lose Thee and 't is better I should be no more for ever then not regain and find Thee Return O thou comfort of my soule and fill me with thy love Purge the stains and wash away the blemishes of my life by thine own blood renew quicken my spirit with the joyes of Thine Sanctifie my will with a pleasing obedience unto thine let the merits of my Saviour's righteousness beautifie my soule cloathing me with innocence and purity of heart here and everlasting immortality in thy kingdome hereafter A Prayer of Thanksgiving MY deare and glorious Maker what shall I render unto Thee for all thy mercies There hath not a moment of my life past by without being made happy to me by some token of thy love Thou didst purifie my birth by Baptism I was no sooner come into the world but thou didst seale me for Heaven taking away the guilt which no innocency but that of Jesus could conceal or pardon and abolishing those characters of sin and death which were so inseparably imprinted on my nature that no law but that of thy spirit could wipe away and having brought mee into the bosome of thine owne Spouse and plac't me amongst thy children hast fed me with continuall mercies and meanes of grace that I might see there hath been no defect in thy goodness but my acknowledgments nor in thy promises but my performances And indeed my God I cannot looke upon these obligations without horrour for my ingratitude nor remember these pretious testimonies of thy love without a religious confusion of soul for my great neglect and forgetfullnesse of thee Nor can I plead an excuse in the weakenesse of nature onely for those sins I have been too willing a comitter of And yet my God behold how thou hast loved me sending thy son to reconcile me to thy selfe that I might find access unto thy Throne and inherit the joyes of thy kingdom Behold how thou hast loved me in reprieving me from that wrath my sins have long ago deserved and as if thou didst not or wouldst not take notice of my crimes hast made me an object of thy care and an example of thy love abounding in perpetuall dispensations of mercy to my soul I will therfore sacrifice my selfe O Lord in prayses to thy name and in the memory of thy goodnesse keep an everlasting Jubilee in my soul thou hast shewn me the way unto thy Selfe and that in Thee onely are hid all the treasures of my happinesse I will be no longer then a servant to the world and bestow the nobler addresses of my soul on perishing and empty nothings and for a poor fugitive drop here below lose Thee the ocean of bliss and glory And that I may despise the flatteries of the world O Lord do thou inspire me with desires after Thee only and inable me to do something for thy sake who hast don somuch to make me happy that so my life may be a sacrifice of obedience ever pleasing in thy eyes The Index Meditations on Eccles 12. v. 1. Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy Youth Fol. 1. Gen. 12. v. 8. And the Lord God Planted a Garden East-ward in Eden 5 1 Kings 10. v. 18. Moreover the King made a great throne of Ivory and over-laid it with the best Gold 9. 1 Kings 19.9 And He came thither unto a Cave and lodged there 11 Job 11.10 In all this did not Job sin with his Lips 14 Canticles 2.1 I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the Valleys 17 Gen. 28.12 And he dreamed and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth c. 19 Prov. 18.14 But a wounded Spirit who can beare 23 Eccles 12.13 Feare God and keep his Commandements c. 27 Luke 10.25 And a certaine Lawyer stood up and Tempted him saying Master What shall I do c. 31 Matth. 15.28 And He said unto her O woman great is thy faith 35 Joh. 20.11 And she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher 39 John 11.35 Jesus wept 42 Joh. 12.2 But Lazarus was one of those that sate at the Table with Him 45 Joh. 13.23 Now there was Leaning on Jesus Bosome one of his Disciples whom Jesus loved 48 Matth. 16.26 For what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world and lose c. 51 Matth. 5. v. 8. Blessed are the Pure in heart for they shall see God 56 Matth. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt Thou canst make me cleane 60 Matth. 24.39 And knew not untill the flood came and took them all away 64 Luke 7.5 For He Loved our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue 67 Luke 9.57 Lord I will follow Thee wheresoever Thou goest 71 Matth. 9.38 Pray yee therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth more labourers into his Harvest 75 Matth. 2.10 And when they saw the Star they rejoyced with exceeding c. 78 Philip. 4.12 I know both how to abound and to suffer need 81 Luke 19.9 This day is Salvation come to this house 85 Matth. 13.43 Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun c. 89 Luke 18.11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed thus God I thank thee c. 93 Rom. c. 6. v. 21. For the end of those things is Death 96 Luke c. 15. v. 10. There is joy in the presence of the Angells of God over one sinner that repenteth 101 Matth. c. 6. v. 33. But seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his Righteousnesse and all these things shall be added unto you 104 A Prayer 111 A Penitentiall Prayer 114 A Prayer of Thanksgiving 119 FINIS
labours to refound back in dolefull and despairing Ecchoes How sadly doth it expostulate with heaven My dearest God what is become of that Lovely attribute thy Mercy are the treasures of it shut up from a poore sinner and wilt thou be a God of mercy to the whole world and wilt not to me O let me for ever dwell in dungeons deep beyond the reach and sight of man so I may but enjoy the brightnesse of thy face Let me live more poore and disconsolate then Job upon his Dunghill in a naked and forsaken deformity so I may but hide my spots and put on a Beauty in my soul which may invite thine eye again Who ever thou art that now riotts it in the world and dalliest with damnation didst thou but know the agonies of guilt the cruelties of a Murdering sin and the stings thy pleasures leave behind them how quickly wouldest thou sacrifice thy life to nobler services and employ thy time in sweeter thoughts Wert thou now to die how would the terrours of an evill Life affright thee when every sin would appear a Messenger of horrour and the flattering world prove but an infernall Comforter Shew me that Gyant-Conscience this would not at length Master that frozen soul these flashes would not melt and blast againe that Steel-backt sinner whom gentle loades will not at length numerously over-burden The world knowes not a misery like it the terrours of the Grave are trifles to it which could it but shroud the Guilty soul and in it's dark and solitary regions promise a freedome from future Misery how willingly will it buy its peace with death and beg its sharpest Dart for a speedier passage losse of friends or fortune Crosses to the very bone are but Scratches to these wounds give me a Catalogue of afflictions and there is none I think except this which is not tolerable But a wounded spirit who can bear How unsupportable O Lord is the burden of a Wounded Spirit how terrible are the Stings of Conscience and the apprehensions of thy wrath how miserable is he that securely wraps himselfe in Sinne and grows insensible of his guilt till the memory of his Crimes revive it and when death puts him in mind of the World to come hath nothing but the horrours of his Life before him Thou hast plac't an impartial Register in our bosomes which no flattery can bribe nor teares Silence from reminding us of thy Justice and yet how many are there whose Leviathan-consciences break the Silver Cords of thy Law like threds of Towe and are so farre from acknowledging their guilt that they are hardned in impenitence But teach me O Lord as I sinne so to sorrow dayly that so when I shall come and appeare before Thee I may find no other terrours no other sins my accusers then those which I have if not throughly crucified yet at least seriously repented of in my selfe before Eccles Chap. 12. v. 13. Feare God and Keepe his Commandements for this is the whole Duty of Man ANd yet how few are there that performe it which yet is not so much our duty as it ought to be our delight He that hath but once got the habit of adoring his Maker will quickly finde Religion but a pleasure and that Law which seemes so hard and unpleasing to the World will be but a recreation to his Soul But alas How little is there of Davids piety amongst us now when instead of delighting in Gods Law we deface it more are so far from meditating in it either day or night that we never think upon it at all 'T is the duty of the world now to sin confidently and an argument of much valour to banish this timorous religion of fearing either God or his Law The Preachers doctrine is now grown worse then a paradox mere Apocrypha 't is heresie to revive it To tell us of our duty is to scandalize the times that so officiously break the Law And no wonder there are so many Atheists there was never such a time to engender them as now Track Antiquity to its first rise and you cannot match this age again The world never multiplied so fast in sin abhominable Sects like Colonies new plant the earth prophaness is grown hereditary and sprouts out by propagation so that in time posterity may perhaps become Heathens Were God and his promise mutable a deluge would be but a sleight punishment We do not onely sin but glory in it more whilst some not content to be private and silent Atheists proclaim it loud and are mad to have the credit of being known so as if we could not be ingenious enough unless we denyed our Maker No wonder religion is out of tune when there is no harmony of a Church of that Christianity sounds low when common Morality is not heard And yet it is a lesson we cannot learn too well a tribute we cannot pay too much too often We owe our beeings to the bounty of his hand what homage then can we better pay then that which by glorifying of him purchaseth a Crown for our selves Tell me ye blind followers of the world what 's the glory ye pretend to Ye that laugh at heaven and make divinity a mantle for unrighteousnesse that with the Pharisee count formality your religion and make an outside-piety your duty Alass Heaven is not got by pious frauds guilded crimes or fortunate transgressions nor the divine Eye to be deluded with a painted zeal 'T is not a pretended sanctity that can cloathe us with immortality nor a fashionable devotion onely that will carry us to heaven How miserable is he whose god is the world and makes it his religion to neglect his Maker What didst Thou bestow our reason on us for O Lord but to harken unto the voice of thy Law that the Celestiall Oratory of thy Word might at least win us from an ignorant prophanesse Shall Heathens that had no other end no other reward for their piety than some temporary applause or the inward triumphs of their Spirits for doing well out-strip us in the beauties of a Morall life and we that have higher and purer hopes be scarce honest for thy sake Shall they that knew Thee not be more passionately Good than we that have found out Heaven and expect eternity to succeed Though it was not in the power of Man to find Thee till Thou didst reveal thy selfe in Christ yet now having so richly and fully shewn us the Treasures of thy Love shall we not strive to doe something for thy Glory Make us we beseech Thee to consider the advantages that are in thy Service the happinesse that attends obedience and that Crown which is the reward of Faith that so out affections being mortified unto these perishing objects here below may be enlivened onely with desires after those Eternall Excellencyes that are in Thee Luke Chap. X. v. 25. And a certaine Lawyer stood up and tempted him Saying Master what shall I doe
laboriously wicked and for a profitable iniquity think it no loss to be thrivingly damn'd Are there not nobler wayes of living then by losing our names and Souls at once Is infidelity a preservative against misery and must we build our supports on the ruines of our faith Piety makes no man poorer nor does religion robbe us of our enjoyments but makes them sweeter Our contentments are not lessened but enlarged and lengthned by adoring the Giver nor is he the further from but the neerer to a blessing that begins with Heaven and preferres his Saviour before the World Designes thus founded are not ever unfortunate and he that plots for his Soul as well as his body shall learne a policy will bafle the World and non-plus its wisest Generations when after all his losses he shall finde a reward richer then all the revenues of the Earth together And yet so insensible are we O Lord both of thy Glory and our own felicity that we can entertaine any thing with more pleasure then the thoughts of an eternity we can spend the allowance of our time in sin and sacrifice even all our yeares to vice but count a moment too long too much to be employed in thy service we can dwell and drown our selves in pleasures and think a few spare minutes a faire gift of time for our devotion The treasures of the world are a poore gaine for the Morgage of a Soul and the losse of thy favour even the richest enjoyments of this life are but wretched contentments without Thee Do thou therefore elevate our Souls and withdraw them from these beggerly elements to purer and more celestiall addresses let thy Kingdome be not our refuge onely but our choice and the perfect resolution of our souls to despise the flatteries of the world for that glory which nothing but our sins can deprive us of And as thou hast made us for thy self O Lord inable us to continue so that as we have received all that we have from thy bounty we may sacrifice all our desires to thy glory knowing that as nothing in this life can make us happy without thee so nothing can make him miserable that hath Thy Kingdome for his Inheritance A Prayer O Lord who inhabitest Eternity Thou art Exalted above all Principalities and powers Saints and Seraphims are ravished with thy Glory Angels and Archangels adore thy Greatnesse Holinesse and Honour waite upon Thy Throne the Scepter of thy Kingdome is an everlasting Scepter Thou lovest Righteousnesse and hatest iniquity and therefore they that come before Thee must worship Thee in Spirit and in Truth if they would be either heard or received of Thee Wee confess we are not worthy to appeare in Thy Presence that can present unto Thee no other offering than Sinfull and deformed Soules which deserve no longer to be accounted thine having lost that purity and likenesse which made them so We are not worthy to receive any more tenders of Mercy that have so often despised it nor to see what is the riches of thy Love that have so unworthily preferred the trifles of this Life before the treasures of thy Grace Thou mad'st it the end of our Creation that we should Glorifie Thee but we of all thy Creatures have least performed it That time which we should have employed in adorning and devoting our lives to thy Worship which is our most rationall and religious service have we Sacrificed to sinne and the pleasures of the World Thou art so infinitely Good that thou desirest but unfaigned Sorrow for sinne to excuse it and yet so miserable and deeply guilty are we that we cannot bring so much as humble and contrite Spirits to plead for our selves Thou didst so love the World that Thou sentest thy Son to dye for it But we have so lov'd the World that we have despised Heaven and our Saviour rejected the Holy One whom Thou hast sent and by our unworthy lives dishonoured that happy Name whereby we are called Thine and intitled to thy Kingdome But though our sinnes cry aloud for punishment yet the voyce of thine owne mercy and Our Saviours blood begs more powerfully for Pardon O Let His Sufferings be our reconciliation his punishment for sin our freedome from it let the bitternesse of thy wrath on Him be turn'd into the sweetnesse of thy love to us that his crosse may be our triumph and the merits of his passion the purchase of our peace and grant that having obtained mercy we may walk accordingly that being bought for heaven we may no more sell our selves to sin nor prefer a few moments of pleasure before an eternity of joy Make us to consider those Divine ties that bind us to serve Thee the infinit and abundant testimonies of thy love which invite our gratitude and that happinesse which is the reward of them that seek Thee O let not the motions of sinne be more powerfull in us than the obligations of thy grace nor the pleasures of this life of more value to us than the joyes that are to come But make us to walke cheerfully in that way which thou hast set before us that our temptations may but strengthen us more that neither the crosses nor yet the pleasures of this life may be able to deject or drowne our piety but that in whatsoever condition wee are we may be still found crowned and triumphing in faith O thou infinite Goodness teach us to a dore Thee with our whole heart and to conforme our lives unto thy law with a perfect constancy Make us to consider that exceeding weight of glory which thou hast promised to those that strive to conquer the world for thy sake O let those joyes which are so much above our thoughts be ever in them let our inability to comprehend the happinesse of thy kingdome heighten the piety of our Ambition after it more that the greater thy goodnesse is the greater may our desire after it be the greater thy love the greater our obedience and the lesser our deserts the greater our humility Make us to see the litle use but the great vanity of this world that so the pleasures of it may not steale away our hearts from the contemplation of a better but that our lives may be a perfect and perpetuall sacrifice of obedience ever pleasing in thy eyes O let thy service be ever most delightfull to us that we may labour to improove our selves before Thee by our inward and onely desires after thee that whatever defects attend our actions this may be inseparable in us even to feare thy name That so leading holy lives here we may lead happy and heavenly lives hereafter and being filled with Righteousnesse we may be filled with glory and possesse joyes unspeakable for evermore A Poenitentiall Prayer THe flesh evermore rebelleth against the spirit in me O my God and the infirmities of my nature are too strong for me of my self to conquer Behold how my frailties fight against my soul and have