hatred c. Or by an Analogia as when he is named a Lion a rocke a tower a Buckler c. Whose signification euery commentary will expresse Of all these Attributes wee must hold these generall Rules 1 NO Attributes can sufficiently expresse the Essence of GOD because it is infinite and ineffable Whatsoeuer therefore is spoken of God is not God but serueth rather to helpe our weake vnderstanding to conceiue in our reason and to vtter in our speech the Maiestie of his Diuine Nature so farre as hee hath vouchsafed to reueale himselfe vnto vs in his Word 2 All the Attributes of God belong to euery of the three Persons as well as to the Essence it selfe with the limitation of a Personall proprietie as the Mercy of the Father is Mercy begetting the Mercy of the Sonne is Mercy begotten the Mercy of the Holy Ghost is Mercy proceeding and so of the rest 3 The Essentiall Attributes of God differ not from his Essence Because they are so in the Essence that they are the very Essence it selfe In God therefore there is nothing which is not eyther his Essence or a Person 4 The Essentiall Attributes of GOD differ not Essentially nor really one from another because whatsoeuer is in God is one most simple Essence and one admits no diuision but onely in our reason and vnderstanding which being not able to know earthly things by one simple Act without the help of many distinct acts must of necessitie haue the helpe of many distinct Acts to know the incomprehensible GOD. Therefore to speake properly there are not in God many Attributes but one onely which is nothing else but the Diuine Essence it selfe by vvhat Attribute soeuer you call it But in respect of our reason they are said to be so many different Attributes for our Vnderstanding conceiues by the name of Mercy a thing differing from that which is called Iustice. The Essentiall Attributes of God are not therefore really inseparable 5 The Essentiall Attributes of GOD are not parts or qualities of the diuine Essence nor Accidents in the Essence as in a Subiect but the very whole and entire Essence of God So that euery such Attribute is not aliud aliud another and another thing but one and the same thing There are therefore no Quantities in God by which hee may be said to be so much and so much nor Qualities by which he may be said to be such and such but whatsoeuer God is hee is such and the same by his Essence By his Essence hee is wise and therefore Wisedome it selfe by his Essence hee is God and therefore Goodnesse it selfe by his Essence hee is mercifull and therefore Mercy it selfe by his Essence hee is iust and therefore Iustice it selfe c. In a word GOD is great without Quantitie good true and iust without Qualitie mercifull without passion an Act without motion euery-where present without site without time the first and the last the Lord of all Creatures from whom all receiue themselues and all the good they haue yet neyther needeth nor receiueth hee any encrease of goodnes or happinesse from any other This is the plaine description of God so farre as hee hath reuealed himselfe to vs in his Word This Doctrine of all others euery true Practitioner of Pietie must competently know and necessarily beleeue for foure speciall vses 1 That wee may discerne our true and onely God from all false Gods and Idols for this description of God is properly knowne onely to his Church in whom he hath thus graciously manifested himselfe 2 To possesse our hearts with a greater awe of his Maiestie whilest we admire him for his simplenesse and infinitenesse adore him for his vnmeasurablenesse vnchangeablenesse and eternitie seeke wisedome from his vnderstanding and knowledge submit our selues to his blessed will and pleasure loue him for his loue mercy goodnesse and patience trust to his Word because of his truth feare him for his power Iustice and anger reuerence him for his holinesse and praise him for his blessednesse and to depend all our life on him who is the onely author of our life beeing and all the good things which wee haue 3 To stirre vs vp to imitate the Diuine Spirit in his holy Attributes and to beare in some measure the Image of his Wisedome Loue Goodnes Iustice Mercy Truth Patience Zeale and Anger against sinne that we may be wise louing iust mercifull true patient and zealous as our God is 4 Lastly that wee may in our Prayers and Meditations conceiue aright of his diuine Maiestie and not according to those grosse and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in mens braines as when they conceiue GOD to be like an old man sitting in a chaire and the blessed Trinitie to be like that tripartitae Idoll which Papists haue painted in their Church-windowes When therefore thou art to pray vnto God let thine heart speake vnto him as to that eternall infinite almightie holy wise iust mercifull Spirit and most perfect indiuisible Essence of three ssuerall Persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost who being present in all places ruleth Heauen and Earth vnderstandeth all mens harts knoweth all mens miseries and is onely able to bestow on vs all graces which we want and to deliuer all penitent sinners who with faithfull harts seeke for Christs sake his help out of all their afflictions and troubles whatsoeuer The ignorance of this true knowledge of GOD makes many to make an Idoll of the true God and is the onely cause why so many doe professe all other parts of Gods worship and religion with so much irreuerence and hypocrisie whereas if they did truely know GOD they durst not but come to his holy Seruice and comming serue him with feare and reuerence for so farre doth a man feare God as he knoweth him and then doth a man truely know God when hee ioynes practise to speculation And that is First when a man doth so acknowledge and celebrate Gods Maiestie as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word Secondly when from the true and liuely sense of Gods Attributes there is bred in a mans heart a loue awe and confidence in God for saith God himselfe If I be a Father where is my honour If I be a Lord where is my feare O taste and see that the Lord â—s good saith Dauid Hee that hath not by experience tasted his goodnes knowes not how good hee is Hee saith Iohn that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him So farre therefore as wee imitate God in his Goodnesse Loue Iustice Mercy Patience and other Attributes so farre doe vvee know him Thirdly when with inward groanes and the serious desires of our hearts wee long to attaine to the perfect and plenarie knowledge of his Maiestie
haue grace to repent heereafter 2 Math. 11.26 Come vnto mee all you that labour and are heauy laden and I wil giue you rest Hence the lewdest man collects that he may come vnto Christ when he list But he must know That no man euer comes to Christ but hee who as Peter saith Hauing knowne the way of righteousnesse hath escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ. To come vnto Christ is to repent and beleeue And this no man can doe except his heauenly father draweth him by his grace 3 Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus True But they are such who walke not after the flesh as thou dost but after the spirit which thou diddest neuer yet resolue to doe 4 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners c. True But such sinners vvho like Paul are conuerted from their wicked life not like thee who still continuest in thy lewdnesse For that Grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men teacheth vs that denying vngodlinesse and wordly lusts we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world 5 Prou. 23.26 A iust man falleth seauen times in a day and riseth c. In a day is not in the Text Which meanes not falling into sinne but falling into trouble which his malicious enemie plots against the iust and from which GOD deliuers him And though it meant falling in and rising out of sinne what is this to thee whose falles all men may see euery day but neither God nor man can at any time see thy rising againe by repentance 6 Isay 64.6 All our righteousnes are as filthy rags Hence the carnall Christian gathers That seeing the best workes of the best Saints are no better then his are good enough and therefore hee needes not much grieue that his deuotions are so imperfect But Isay meanes not in this place the righteous workâ— of the Regenerate as feruent praiers in the name of God charitable almes from the bowels of mercy suffring in the Gâ—spels defence the spoile of goods and spilling of blood and such workes which Paul calles the fruit of the spirit But the Prophet making an humble confession in the name of the Iewish Church when she had fallen from GOD to Idolatry acknowledgeth that whilest they were by their filthy sinnes separated from GOD as leapers are by their infected sores and polluted cloathes from men their chiefest righteousnesse could not be but abhominable in his sight And though our best works compared with Christs righteousnesse are no better then vncleane ragges yet in Gods acceptation for Christs sake they are called white rayment yea pure fine linnen and shining farre vnlike thy Leopards spots and filthy garments 7 Iam. 3.2 In many things we sinne all True But Gods children sinnes not in all things as thou doest without either bridling their lusts or mortifying their corruptions And though the reliques of sinne remaines in the dearest children of God that they had neede dayly to cry Our Father which art in heauen forgiue vs our trespasses Yet in the New Testament none are properly called Sinners but the vnregenerate But the Regenerate in respect of their zealous endeuour to serue God in vnfained holinesse are euery where called Saints Insomuch that Saint Iohn saith that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not That is liueth not in wilfull filthinesse suffring sinne to raigne in him as thou doest Deceiue not thy selfe with the name of a Christian vvhosoeuer liueth in any custommary grosse sinne he liueth not in the state of Grace Let therefore saith Paul euery one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The Regenerate sinne but of frailty they repent and God doth pardon therefore they sinne not to death The Reprobate sinne maliciously wilfully and delight therin so that by their good will sinne shall leaue them before they will leaue it They will not repent and God will not pardon Therefore their sinnes are mortall saith Saint Iohn Or rather immortall as saith S. Paul Rom. 2.5 It is no excuse therefore to say wee are all sinners True Christians thou seest are all Saints 8 Luk. 23 43. The Thiefe conuerted at the last gaspe was receiued to Paradice What then If I may haue but time to say when I am dying Lord haue mercy vpon me I shall likewise be saued But what if thou shalt not And yet many in that day shalâ— say Lord Lord and the Lord will not knowe them The Thiefe was saued for he repented but his fellow had no grace to repent and was damned Beware therefore lest trusting to late Repentance at thy last end on earth thou be not driuen to repent too late without ende in Hell 9 1 Ioh. 1. The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne And 1 Ioh. 2.1 If any man siâ—ne we haâ—e an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous c. O comfortable But heere what Saint Iohn saith in the same place My little children these things write I vnto you that yee sinne not If therefore thou leauest thy sinne these comforts are thine else they belong not to thee 10 Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded Grace did abound much more O sweet But heare what Paul addeth What shall wee say then shall we continue in sinne that Grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sinne liue any longer therein Rom. 6.1.2 This place teacheth vs not to presume but that we should not despaire None therefore of these promises promiseth any grace to any but to the penitent heart The grounds of Religion mistaken are 1 From the doctrine of Iustification by faith onely a carnal Christian gathereth That good workes are not necessary he commends others that do good works but he perswads himself that he shall be saued by his faith without doing any such matters But he shold know that though good works are not necessary to Iustification yet they are necessary to saluation for We are Gods workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath predestinated that wee should walke in them Whosoeuer therfore in yeres of discretion bringeth not forth good works after he is called he cannot besaued neither was he euer predestinated to life eternal Therefore the Scripturs saith that Christ wil reward euery maÌ„ according to his works Christ respects in the Angels of the 7. Churches nothing but their works And at the last day he will giue the heauenly Inheritance onely to them who haue done good workes in feeding the hungry cloathing the naked c. At that day Righteousnesse shall weare the Crowne No righteousnesse no Crowne No good workes according to a mans talent no reward from God vnlesse it be vengeance To be rich in good workes is the surest foundation of our assurance to
in the truth of his heart in all the Commandements of GOD alike for saith Saint Iames he that shall offend in one point of the Law wilfully it guiltie of all And Peter bids vs lay aside not some but all malice guile and hypocrisies c. One sin is enough to damne a mans Soule without Repentance dreame not to goe to heauen by any neerer or easier vvay then Christ hath trained vnto vs in his Word The way to Heauen is not easie or common but straite and narrow yea so narrow that Christ protesteth that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of Heauen and that those who enter are but few and that those few cannot get in but by striuing and that some of those vvho striue to enter in shall not be able This all Gods Saints whilest they here liued knew well when with so often fastings so earnest prayers so frequent hearing the word and receiuing the sacraments and with such abundance of tâ—ares they deuoutly begged at the hands of GOD for Christs sake to be receiued into his Kingdome If thou wilt not beleeue this truth I assure thee that the Diuell which perswades thee now that it is easie to attaine Heauen will tell thee hereafter that it is the hardest businesse in the world If therefore thou art desirous to purchase sound assurance of saluation to thy Soule and to goe the right and safe way to Heauen get forth-with like a wise Virgin the Oyle of Pietie in the Lampe of thy Conuersation that thou maist be in a continuall readinesse to meete the Bride-groome vvhether hee commeth by Death or by Iudgement Which that thou maist the better doe let this be thy daily practise How a priuate man must beginne the morning with Pietie AS soone as euer thou awakest in the morning keepe the doore of thy heart fast shut that no earthly thought may enter before that GOD be come in first and let him before all others haue the first place therein So all euill thoughts either will not dare to come in or shall the easier be kept out and the heart vvill more sauour of Pietie and godlinesse all the day after But if thy heart be not at thy first waking filled with some meditations of GOD and his Word and dressed like the Lampe in the Tabernacle euery morning and euening with the oyle Oliue of Gods word and perfumed with the sweet incense of praier Satan vvill attempt to fill it with vvorldly cares or fleshly desires so that it vvill grow vnfit for the seruice of God all the day after sending foorth nothing but the stench of corrupt and lying vvordes and of rash and blasphemous oathes Beginne therefore euery daies worke with Gods word and prayer And offer vp vnto God vpon the Alter of a contrite heart the groanes of thy spirit and the calues of thy lippes as thy morning sacrifice and the first fruits of the day and as soone as thou awakest say vnto him thus A short Soliloquie when one first wakes in the Morning MY soule waiteth on thee O Lord more then the morning-watch watcheth for the morning O God therefore be mercifull vnto mee and blesse me and cause thy face to shine vpon me fill me with thy mercy this morning so shal I reioice and be glad all my daies Meditations for the Morning Then Meditate 1 HOw Almighty GOD can in the resurrection as easily raise vp thy body out of the graue from the sleepe of death as hee hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed out of the sleepe of nature At the dawning of which resurrectiâ—n day Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints and euery one of the bodies of the thousands of his Saints being fashioned like vnto his glorious body shal shine as bright as the Sunne All the Angels shining likewise in their glory the body of Christ surpassing them all in splendor and glory and the God-head excelling it If the rising of one Sunne make the morning skie so glorious what a bright shining and glorious morning will that be when so many thousand thousands of bodies farre brighter then the Sunne shall appeare accompany Christ as his glorious traine comming to keepe his generall Session of righteousnesse and to iudge the wicked Angels and all vngodly men And let not any transitory profit pleasure or vaine-glory of this day cause thee to lose thy part and portion of the eternall blisse and glory of thaâ— day which is properly tearmed the resurrection of the iust Beasts haue bodilie eies to see the ordinary light of the day but endeauour thou with the eies of faith to foresee the glorious light of this day 2 That thou knowest not how neere the euill spirit which night and day like a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking to deuoure thee was vnto thee whilest thou sleptst and wast not able to helpe thy selfe and that thou knowest not what mischiefe he would haue done to thee had not God hedged thee and thine with his euer-waking prouidence and guarded thee with his holy and blessed Angels 3 If thou hearest the Cocke crow remember Peter to imitate him and call to minde that Cocke-crowing sound of the last Trumpet which shall waken thee from the dead And consider in what case thou art if it sounded now and become such as thou wouldest wish to be then Lest at that day thou wilt wish that thou hadst neuer seene this yea curse the day of thy naturall birth for want of being new borne by spirituall grace When the Cocke crowes the Thiefe despaires of his hope and giues ouer his nights enterprize So the Diuell ceaseth to tempt or attempt any further when he heares the deuoute Soule wakening her selfe with morning prayer 4 Remember that Almighty God is about thy bed and seeth thy downe lying and thy vprising vnderstandeth thy thoughts and is acquainted with all thy wayes Remember likewise that his holy Angels who guarded and watched ouer thee all night doe also behold how thou vvakest and risest Doe all things therefore as in the awefull presence of GOD and in the sight of his holy Angels 5 As thou art putting on thine apparell remember that they were first giuen as couerings of shame being the filthy effect of sinne and that they are made but of the offals and excrements of dead beasts Therefore whether thou respect the stuffe or the first institution thou hast so little cause to be proude of them that thou hast great cause to be humbled at the sight and wearing of them seeing the richest apparels are but fine couers of the foulest shame Meditate rather that as thine apparell serues to couer thy shame and to fence thy bodie from cold so thou shouldest be as carefull to couer thy soule with that wedding garment which is the righteousnesse of Christ and because apprehended by our
as one of thy children of light to walke in all holy obedience before thy face this day and that I may endeauour to keepe faith and a cleere conscience towards thee and towards all men in all my thoughts words and dealings And so good Lord blesse 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 owne soule and conscience in that day when I shall make my finall accounts vnto thee for them O my God keepe thy seruant that I doe no euill vnto any man this day and let it be thy blessed will not to suffer the Diuell nor his wicked Angels nor any of his euill members or my malicious enemies to haue any power to doe mee hurt or violence But let the eye of thy holy prouidence watch ouer me for good and not for euill and command thy holy Angels to pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safetie in my going out and comming in as thou hast promised they should doe about them that feare thy name for into thy hands O Father I doe heere commend my soule and body my actions and all that euer I haue to bee guided defended and protected by thee being assured that whatsoeuer thou takest into thy custody cannot perish nor suffer any hurt or harme And if I at any time this day shall through frailtie forget thee yet Lord I beseech thee doe thou in mercy remember me And I pray not vnto thee O Father for my selfe alone but I beseech thee also be merciful vnto thy whole Church and chosen people wheresoeuer they liue vpon the face of the earth Defend them from the rage and tyranny of the Diuel the world and Antichrist Giue thy Gospell a free and a ioyfull passage through the world for the conuersion of those who belong to thine election and kingdome Blesse the Churches and kingdomes wherein wee liue with the continuance of peace iustice and true Religion Defend the Kings Maiesty from all his enemies and grant him a long life in health and all happinesse to raigne ouer vs. Blesse the Queene Prince Charles the Prince Palatine of Rhene and the Gratious Lady Elizabeth his Wife Increase in them all heroycall gifts and spirituall graces which may make them fit for those places for which thou hast ordained them Direct all the Nobilitie Bishops Ministers and Magistrats of this Church common-wealth to gouerne the commons in true Religion iustice obedience and tranquillity Be mercifull vnto all the Brethren which feare thee and call vpon thy name And comfort as many among them as are sicke and comfortlesse in body or in minde especially be fauourable to all such as suffer any trouble or persecution for the testimonie of thy truth and holy Gospell And giue them a gracious deliuerance out of al their troubles which way it shall seeme best to thy wisdome for the glory of thy Name the further enlarging of the truth and the more ample encrease of their owne comfort and consolation Hasten thy comming O blessed Sauiour and end these sinnefull daies and giue me grace that like a wise Virgin I may be prepared with oyle in my Lampe to meete thee the sweet Bride-groome of my Soule at thy comming whether it be by the day of death or of iudgement And then Lord Iesus come when thou wilt euen Lord Iesus come quickelie These and all other graces which thou knowest needefull and necessary for me this day and euermore I humbly beg and craue at thy hands O father giuing thee thy glory in that forme of Praier which Christ himselfe hath taught me to say vnto thee Our Father which art in heauen Hallowed be thy name c. Meditations IF when thou art about to pray Satan shall suggest that thy praiers are too long and that therefore it were better either to omit praiers or else to cut them shorter meditate that praier is thy spirituall sacrifice wherewith God is wel pleased And therefore it is so displeasing to the Diuel and so irkesome to thy flesh Bend therefore thy Affections will they nill they to so holy an exercise assuring thy selfe that it doth by so much the more please God by how much the more it is vnpleasing to thy flesh 2 Forget not how the holy Ghost puts it downe as a speciall note of reprobates They call not vpon the Lord They call not vpon God And when Eliphaz supposed that Iob had cast off the feare of God and that God had cast Iob out of his fauour hee chargeth him that hee restrained prayer before God making that a sure note of the one and a sufficient cause of the other On the other side that GOD hath promised that whosoeuer shall call on his Name shall be saued It is certaine that hee who maketh no conscience of the dutie 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 goe together But he that can from a penitent heart morning and euening pray vnto GOD it is sure that he hath his measure of grace in this world and he shall haue his portion of glory in the life which is to come 3 Remember that as loathing of meate and painefulnesse of speaking are two Symptomes of a sicke body so irkesomnesse of praying when thou talkest with GOD and carelesnesse in hearing when GOD by his Word speakes vnto thee are two sure signes of a sicke soule 4 Call to minde the zealous deuotion of the Christians in the Primitiue Church who spent many vvhole nights and vigils in watching and praying for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes and that they might be found readie at the comming of Christ. And how that Dauid vvas not content to pray at morning at euening and at noone but hee would also rise vp at mid-night to pray vnto GOD. And if CHRIST did chide his Disciples because they would not watch vvith him one houre in praying vvhat chiding dost thou deserue who thinkest it too long to continue in Prayer but one quarter of an houre If thou hast spent diuers houres in seeing a vaine Maske or a Play yea whole dayes and nights in carding and dicing to please thy flesh be ashamed to thinke a Prayer of a quarter of an houre long to be too long an exercise for the seruice of GOD. 5 Consider that if the Papists in their blinde superstition doe in an vnknowne and therefore vnedifying Tongue fit onely for the children of mysticall Babylon mutter ouer vpon their Beades euery morning and euening so many scores of Aue-Maries Pater-nosters and Idolatrous Prayers how shall they in their superstitious deuotion rise vp in Iudgement against thee professing thy selfe to be a true Worshipper of Christ If
that thou thinkest these Prayers to be too long a taske being shorter for quantitie then theirs but farre more profitable for qualitie tending onely to Gods glory and thy good and so compiled of Scripture phrase as that thou maist speake to God as well in his owne hâ—ly words as in thine owne natiue language Be ashamed that Papists in their superstitious worshipping of Creatures should shew themselues more deuout then thou in the sincere worshipping of the true and onely God And indeede a prayer in priuate deuotion should be one continued speech rather then many broken fragments 6 Lastly when such thoughts come into thy head eyther to keepe thee from prayer or to distract thee in praying remember that those are the Fowles which the euill one sends to deuoure the good Seede and the carkeises of thy spirituall Sacrifices but endeuour with Abraham to driue them away Yet notwithstanding if thou perceiuest at some times that thy spirits are dull and thy minde not apt for Prayer and holy deuotion striue not too much for that time but humbling thy selfe at the sense of thine infirmity and dulnesse knowing that God accepteth the willing minde though it be oppressed with the heauinesse of the flesh endeauour the next time to recompense this dulnesse by redoubling thy zeale and for the time present commend thy Soule to God in this or the like short Prayer Another shorter Morning Prayer O MOST gracious GOD and mercifull Father I thine vnworthy Seruant do here acknowledge that as I haue beene borne in sinne so I haue liued in iniquitie and broken euery one of thy Commandements in thought word and deede following the desires of mine owne will and lusts of my flesh not caring to be gouerned by thy holy Word and Spirit and therefore I haue iustly deserued all shame and miserie in this life and euerlasting condâ—mnation in Hell-fire if thou shouldest but deale with mee according to thy Iustice and my desert Wherefore O Heauenly Father I beseech thee for thy Sonne Iesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that bitter death and bloudy Passion which I beleeue that he hath suffered for mee that thou wouldest pardon and forgiue vnto me all my sins and deliuer me from the shame and vengeance vvhich is due vnto mee for them And send thy holy Spirit into my heart which may assure mee that thou art my Father and that I am thy childe and that thou louest mee with an vnchangeable loue and let the same thy good Spirit leade mee in thy truth and crucifie in me more and more all worldly and carnall lusts that my sinnes may more and more dye in mee and that I may serue thee in vnfained righteousnesse and holinesse this day and all the dayes of my life that when this mortall life is ended I may through thy mercy in Christ be made a partaker of euerlasting glory in thy heauenly Kingdome And here O Lord from the bottome of my hart I thanke thee for al thy blessings which thou hast bestowed vpon my soule and body for electing mee in thy loue redeeming mee by thy Sonne sanctifying mee by thy Spirit and preseruing me from my youth vp vntill this present day and houre by thy most gracious prouidence I thanke thee more specially for that thou hast defended mee 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 keepe me this day from all euill that may hurt me and from falling to any grosse sinne that should offend thee Set thy feare before mine eyes and let thy Spirit so rule my heart that all that I shall thinke doe or speake this day may tend to thy glory the good of others and the peace of mine owne Conscience And to this end I commend my selfe and all my wayes and actions together with all that do belong vnto me vnto thy gratious direction and protection praying thee to keepe both them and mee from all euill and to giue a blessing to all our honest labours and endeuours Defend thy whole Church from the tyranny of the World and of Antichrist Preserue our gracious King from all conspiracies and treasons grant him a long and prosperous raigne ouer vs. Blesse the Queene Prince Charles the Prince Palatine of Rhene and the vertuous Lady Elizabeth endue them vvith thy grace and defend them from all euill Blesse all our Ministers and Magistrates with those graces and gifts which thou knowest necessary for their places Be fauourable to all that feare thee and tremble at thy Iudgements comfort all those that are sicke and comfâ—rtlesse Lordâ— keepe mee in a continuall readinesse by Faith and Repentance for my last end that whether I liue or dye I may be found thine owne to thine eternall glory and mine euerlasting saluation through Iesus Christ my onely Sauiour In whose blessed Name I beg these mercies at thy hands and giue vnto thee thy praise and glory in that Prayer which hee hath sanctified with his owne lips saying Our Father which art in heauen c. Further Meditations to stir vs vp to praier in the Morning THinke not any businesse or haste though neuer so great a sufficient excuse to omit Praier in the Morning but meditate 1 That the greater thy businesse is by so much the more neede thou hast to pray for Gods good-speed and blessing thereon seeing it is certaine that nothing can prosper without his blessing 2 That many a man when hee thought himselfe surest hath beene soonest crossed so maiest thou 3 That many a man hath gone out of his dore and neuer come in againe Many a man who arose well and liuelie in the morning hath beene seene a dead man ere night So may it befall thee And if thou bee so carefull before thou goest abroad to drinke to fence thy body from ill ayres how much more carefull shouldest thou be to pray to perserue thy soule from euill temptations 4 That the time spent in prayer neuer hindereth but furthereth and prospereth a mans iourney and businesse 5 That in going abroad into the world thou goest into a forrest full of vnknown dangers where thou shalt meet many bryars to teare thy good name many snares to trap thy life and many hunters to deuoure thy soule It is a field of pleasant grasse but ful of poysonous serpents Aduenture not therefore to go nakâ—â— among these briars till thou hast prayed Christ to clothe thee with his righteousnesse nor to passe through these snares and ambushments till thou hast praied for Gods prouidence to be thy guide nor to walke barefoote through this snakie field till hauing thy feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace thou hast praied to haue still the brasen Serpent in the eye of thy faith that so if thou commest not home holier thou maiest be sure not to returne worser then when thou wentest out of dores Therefore though
and the Lord will be with the good 10 Lastly make not an occupation of any recreation The longest vse of pleasure is but short but the paines of pleasure abused are eternall Vse therefore lawfull recreation so farre forth as it makes thee the fitter in body and minde to doe more chearefully the seruice of God and the duties of thy calling Thy worke is great thy time is but short And hee who will recompence euery man according to his workes standeth at the doore Thinke how much worke is behinde how slow thou hast vvrought in the time which is past and what a reckoning thou shouldest make if thy Master should call thee this day to thine accounts Be therefore carefull hence-forth to make the most aduantage of thy short time that remaines as a man vvould of an olde Lease that were neere expiring and when thou disposest to recreate thy selfe remember how small a time is allotted for thy life and that therefore much of that is not to be consumed in idlenesse sports playes 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 a man was not created for sports playes and recreation but zealously to serue GOD in Religion and conscionably to serue his neighbour in his vocation and by both to acertaine himselfe of eternall saluation Esteeme therefore the losse of time one of the greatest losses Redeeme it carefully to spend it wisely that when that time commeth that thou maiest be no longer a steward on earth thy Master may welcome thee with an Euge bone serue and giue thee a better in Heauen where thou shalt ioyfully enioy thy Masters ioyes for euermore Meditations for the Euening At Euening when thou preparest thy selfe to take thy rest meditate on these few points 1 THat seeing thy daies are numbred there is one more of thy number spent and thou art now the neerer to thy ende by a day 2 Sit downe a while before thou goest to bed and consider with thy selfe what memorable thing thou hast seene heard or read that day more then thou sawest heardest or knewest before and make thy best vse of them but especially call to minde what sinne thou hast committed that day against GOD or Man and what good thou hast omitted and humble thy selfe for both If thou findest that thou hast done any goodnesse acknowledge it to be Gods grace and giue him the glory and count that day lost wherein thou hast not done some good 3 If by frailty or strong temptation thou shalt perceiue that thou hast committed any grieuous sinne or fault presume not to sleepe till thou haue vpon thy knees made a perticular reconciliation with God in Christ for the same both by confessing the fault and by feruent praying for the pardon of the same Thus making thy score euen with Christ euery night thou shalt haue the lesse to account for when thou art to make thy finall reckoning before his Maiesty in the Iudgement day 4 If thou haue fallen out with any in the day let not the Sunne goe downe on thine anger that night If thy conscience tels thee that thou hast wronged him acknowledge thine offence and entreate him to forgiue thee If hee haue wronged thee offer him reconciliation and if hee will not be reconciled yet do thou from thy heart forgiue him Matth. 5.23 But in any case presume not to be thine owne reuenger For in so doing thou doest God a double iniury First in offering to take his sword of Iustice out of his hand as though he were not iust hauing reserued the execution of vengeance to himselfe Secondly in vsurping authority ouer his seruant without referring the cause to his hearing and censure being his and thy Master Besides thou art too partiall to be a Reuenger For if thou be to execute reuenge on thy selfe thou wilt doe it too lightly if on thy enemy too heauily It belongeth therefore to God to reuenge to thee to forgiue And in testimony that thou hast freely forgiuen him pray vnto God for the forgiuenesse of his fault and the amendment of his life and the next time that occasion is offered and it lyes in thy power doe him good and reioyce in doing it for hee that doth good to his enemies shewes himselfe the childe of GOD and his reward is with GOD his Father 5 Vse not sleepe as a meanes to satiate the foggy lithernesse of thy flesh but as a medicine to refresh thy tyred senses and members Sufficient sleepe quickeneth the minde and reuiueth the body but immoderate sleepe dulleth the one and fatneth the other 6 Remember that many goe to bed and neuer rise againe till they be wakened and raised vp by the fearefull sound of the last trumpet But he that sleepeth and wakeneth with praier sleepeth and wakeneth with Christ. If therefore thou desirest to sleepe securely and safely yeeld vp thy selfe into the hands of God whilest thou art waking and so goe to bed with a reuerence of Gods maiesty and consideration of thine owne misery which thou maiest imprint in thy heart in some measure by these meanes and the like meditations Read a Chapter in the same order as was prescribed in the morning and when thou hast done kneele downe on both thy knees at thy bed side or some other conuenient place in thy Chamber and lifting vp thy heart thine eyes and hands to thy heauenly Father in the name and mediation of his holy Sonne IESVS pray vnto him if thou haue the gift of praier 1 Confessing thy sinnes especially those which thou hast committed that day 2 Caruing most earnestly for Christ his sake pardon and forgiuenesse for them 3 Requesting the assistance of his holy spirit for amendment of life 4 In giuing thankes for benefits receiued especially for thy preseruation that day 5 Praying for rest and protection that night 6 Remembring the state of the Church the King and the Royall Posterity our Ministers and Magistrates and all our brethren visited or persecuted 7 Lastly commending thy selfe and all thine to his gracious custody All which thou maiest do in these or the like words A praier for the Euening O Most gracious God and louing Father who art about my bed and knowest my down lying and mine vprising and art neere vnto all that call vpon thee in truth and sincerity I wetched sinner doe beseech thee to looke vpon me with the eies of thy mercy and not to behold mee as I am in my selfe For then thou shalt see but an vncleane and defiled creature conceiued in sinne and liuing in iniquity so that I am ashamed to lift vp mine eies to heauen knowing how grieuously I haue sinned against heauen and before thee For O Lord I haue transgressed al thy commandements and righteous lawes not onely through negligence and infirmity but oftentimes through wilfull
promises of the Gospell and our repentance from dead workes the assurance of our hope in thy promises our feare of thy name the hatred of all our sinnes and our loue vnto thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in neede of our helpe and comfort That so by the fruits of piety and a righteous life we may bee assured that thy holy spirit doth dwell in vs and that wee are thy children by grace and adoption And grant vs good Father the continuance of health peace maintenance and all other outward things so farre forth as thy diuine wisdome shall thinke meet and necessary for euery one of vs. And heere O Lord according to our bounden dutie we confesse that thou hast beene exceeding mercifull vnto vs all in things of this life but infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life and therefore wee doe heere from our very soules render vnto thee all humble and hearty thankes for all thy blessings and benefits bestowed vpon our soules bodies acknowledging thee to be that Father of lights from whom we haue receiued all these good and perfect gifts and vnto thee alone for them wee ascribe to be due all glory honour and praise both now and euermore But more especially wee praise thy diuine maiesty for that thou hast defended vs this day from all perils and dangers so that none of those iudgements which our sinnes haue deserued haue fallen vpon any one of vs. Good Lord forgiue vs the sinnes which this day wee haue committed against thy diuine Maiesty and our Brethren and for Christ his sake be reconciled vnto vs for them And wee beseech thee likewise of the same thine infinite goodnesse and mercy to defend and protect vs and all that belong vnto vs this night from all danger of fire robbery terrours of euill Angels or any other feare or perill which for our sinnes might iustly fall vpon vs. And that wee may be safe vnder the shadow of thy wings we heere commend our bodies and soules and all that wee haue vnto thine Almighty protection Lord blesse and defend both vs and them from all euill And whilest wee sleepe doe thou O Father who neuer slumbrest nor sleepest watch ouer thy children and giue a charge to thy holy Angels to pitch their tents round about our house and dwelling to guard vs from all dangers That sleeping with thee wee may in the next morning be wakned by thee and so being refreshed with moderate sleepe we may be the fitter to set foorth thy glory in the conscionable duties of our callings And we beseech thee O Lord to bee mercifull likewise to thy whole Church and to continue the tranquillity of these Kingdomes wherin we liue turning from vs those plagues which the crying sinnes of this Nation doe cry for Preserue our religious King Iames from all dangers and conspiracies blesse and prosper the Queene our hopefull Prince Charles The Princely Palsgraue of Rhene and the gracious Princesse Elizabeth his deare wife all our Magistrates and Ministers all that feare thee and call vpon thy name all our Christian brethren and sisters that suffer sickenesse or any other affliction or misery especially those who any where doe suffer persecution for the testimony of the holy Gospell grant them patience to beare thy crosse and deliuerance when and which way it shall seeme best to thy diuine wisdome And Lord suffer vs neuer to forget our last endes and those reckonings which then we must render vnto thee In health and prosperity make vs mindefull of sickenesse and of the euill day that is behinde that these things may not ouertake vs as a snare but that we may in good measure likewise Virgins be found prepared for the comming of Christ the sweet bridegroome of our soules And now O Lord most holy and iust we confesse that there is no cause why thou who art so much displeased with sinne shouldest heare the praier of sinners but for his sake onely who suffered for sinne and sinned not In the onely mediation therefore of thine eternall Sonne Iesus our Lord and Sauiour wee humbly begge these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needfull for vs shutting vp those our imperfect requests in that most holy praier vvhich Christ himselfe hath taught vs to say vnto thee Our Father c. Thy grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with vs and remaine with vs this night and for euermore Amen Then saluting one another as becommeth Christians who are the vessels of Grace and temples of the holy Ghost Let them in the feare of God depart euery one to his rest vsing some of the former priuate meditations for Euening Thus farre of the Householders publike practise of Piety with his Family euery day Now followeth his practise of Piety with the Church on the Saboth day Meditations of the true manner of practising Pietie on the Sabbath day ALmighty God will haue himselfe worshipped not onely in a priuate manner by priuate persons and Families but also in a more publike sort of all the godly ioyned together in a visible Church that by this meanes he may be knowne not onely to be God and Lord of euery singular person but also of the Creatures of the whole vniuersall world Quest. But why doe not we Christians vnder the new keepe the Sabbath on the same seauenth day vvhereon it was kept vnder the Old Testament I answere because that our Lord Iesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law it selfe commands vs to heare did alter it from that seauenth day to this first day of the vveeke whereon wee keepe the Sabbath For the holy Euangelist notes that our Lord came into the middest of the holy assembly on the two first dayes of the two weekes immediately following his Resurrection and then blessed the Church breathed on the Apostles the holy Ghost and gaue them the ministeriall Keyes and power of binding and remitting sinnes And so it is most probable he did in a solemne manner euery first day of the weeke during the fortie dayes hee continued on earth betweene his Resurrection and Ascention for the fiftieth day after being the first of the weeke the Apostles were assembled during which time hee gaue Commandements vnto the Apostles and spake vnto them those things which appertaine to the Kingdome of God that is instructed them how they should throughout the Churches vvhich were to be conuerted change the Sabbath to the Lords day the bodily sacrifices of beasts to the spirituall sacrifices of praise prayer and contrite hearts the Leuiticall Priesthood of the Law to the Christian Ministry of the Gospell the Iewish Temples and Sinagogues to Churches and Oratories the olde Sacraments of Circumcision and Passeouer to Baptisme and the Lords Supper c. as may appeare by the like phrase Acts 19.8 and Acts 28.23
and thou raignest ouer all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to giue grace vnto all Now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I a wretched sinner hauing so many vvayes prouoked thy Maiesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy fauour and goodnes passing by my prophanenesse and infirmities hast vouchsafed to adde this Sabbath againe vnto the number of my dayes And vouchsafe O heauenly Father for the merits of Iesus Christ thy Sonne whose glorious Resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgiue mee all my sins and misdeeds Especially O Lord clense my soule from those filthy sinnes with the bloud of thy most pure and vndefiled Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world And let thy holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine owne Image to serue thee in newnesse of life and holinesse of conuersation And as of thy mercy thou hast brought me to the beginning of this blessed day so I beseech thee make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinfull soule and thy Diuine Maiestie Giue mee grace to make it a day of Repentance vnto thee that thy goodnesse may seale it to be a day of pardon vnto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this day is a Commandement which thine owne finger hath vvritten That on this day I might meditate on thy glorious workes of our Creation and Redemption and learne how to know and to keepe all the rest of thy holy Lawes and Commandements And when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appeare before thy presence in thy house to offer vnto thee our morning sacrifice of praise and Prayer and to heare what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speake vnto thy Seruant Oh let not my sinnes stand as a Cloud to stoppe my Prayers from ascending vnto thee or to keepe backe thy Grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to thinke that three parts of the good Seede falles vpon bad ground O let not my heart be like the High-way which through hardnesse and want of true vnderstanding receiues not the Seede till the euill one commeth and catcheth it away nor like to the stony ground which hearing with ioy for a time falleth away as soone as persecution ariseth for thy Gospels sake nor like to the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and makes it altogether vnfruitfull but that like vnto the good ground I may heare thy Word with an honest and good heart vnderstand it and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Wisedome shall thinke meete for thy glory and mine euerlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the doore of vtterance vnto thy faithfull Seruant whom thou hast sent vnto vs to open our eyes that wee may turne from darkenesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God that wee may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith in Christ. And giue me grace to submit my selfe vnto his Ministerie as well when hee terrifieth mee with iudgements as when hee comforteth mee with thy Mercies And that I may haue him in singular loue for his workes sake because hee watcheth for my soule as he that must giue an account for the same vnto his Master And giue mee grace to behaue my selfe in the holy Congregation with comelinesse and reuerence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keepe mee from drowsinesse and sleeping and from all vvandering thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my Memorie that it may be apt to receiue and firme to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught vnto vs out of thy Word And that through the assistance of thy holy spirit I may put the same lessons in practise 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 godlesse and prophane persons spend in there owne lusts and pleasures I as one of thy obedient seruants may make my chiefe delight to consecrate it to thy glory and honour not doing mine owne waies nor seeking mine owne will nor speaking a vaine word but that ceasing from the workes of sinne as well as from the workes of mine ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feele in my heart the beginning of that eternall Sabbath which in vnspeakeable ioy and glory I shall celebrate with thy Saints and Angels to thy praise and worshippe in thy heauenly kingdome for euermore All which I humbly craue at thy hands in the name and mediation of my Lord Iesus in that forme of prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heauen c. Hauing thus in priuate prepared thine owne soule if thou hast the charge of a Family call all thy houshold together reade a Chapter and pray as in the weeke dayes but remember so to dispatch these priuate preparations and duties as that thou and thy family may be in the Church before the beginning of praiers Else your priuate exercises are rather an hinderance then a preparation And as thou and thy houshold doe goe in all reuerence towards the Church let euery one meditate thus with himselfe Things to be Meditated as thou goest to the Church 1 THat thou art going to the Court of the Lord and to speake with the great GOD by Praier and to heare his Maiesty speake vnto thee by his Word and to receiue his blessing on thy soule and thy honest labour in the sixe daies last past 2 Say with thy selfe by the way As the Heart braieth for the Riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When shall I come and appeare before the presence of God For a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand other where I had rather be a doore-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse Therefore I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I worship toward thine holy Temple 3 As thou entrest into the Church say How fearefull is this place this is 〈◊〉 other but the house of GOD this is the gate of Heauen Surely the Lord is in this place God is in this people indeed and prostrating with thy face downeward being come to thy place say O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thy house the place where thy honor dwelleth One thing therefore haue I desired of thee that I will require euen that I may dwell in thy house al the daies
manner how and person with whom it was committed Secondly the Maiesty of God against whom it was done and the rather because thou didest such things against him since he became a Father vnto thee and bestowed so many sweet blessings in bountifull manner vpon thee Thirdly in considering the curses which GOD hath threatned for thy sinne how grieuously GOD hath plagued others for the same faults and how that no meaâ—es in heauen or earth could deliuer thee from being eternally damned for them had not the Sonne of God so louingly dyed for thee Lastly that if GOD loues thee hee must chasten thee ere it be long with some grieuous affliction vnlesse thou doest preuent him by speedy and vnfained repentance Let these and the like considerations so pricke thy heart with sorrow that melting for remorse within thee it may be dissolued into a fountaine of teares trickling downe thy mournfull cheekes This mourning is the beginning of true fasting and therefore oft times put for fasting the first and principall part for the whole action 2 Of the bewailing of thine owne estate Bewailing or lamentation is the powring out of the inward mourning of the heart by the outward moanes of the voice and teares of the eyes With such filial earnestnesse and importunity in prayer as our heauenly father well pleased Nay when it is the fruits of his spirit and the effects of our faith hee cannot be displeased with it For if hee heard the moanes which extremity wrung from Ismael and Hagar and heareth the cry of the young Rauens and roaring of Lyons how much rather will hee heare the mournefull lamentation which his owne children make vnto him in their miserie 3 Of the humble confession of sinnes In this action thou must deale plainely with God and acknowledge all thine offences not onely in generall but also in particuler this hath been the manner of all Gods children in their fasts First because that without Confession thou hast no promise of mercy or forgiuenesse of sinnes Secondly that so thou maiest acknowledge GOD to be iust and thy selfe vnrighteous Thirdly that by the numbring of thy sinnes thy heart may be the more humbled and pulled downe Fourthly that it may appeare that thou art truely penitent for till GOD hath giuen thee grace to repent thou wilt be more ashamed to confesse thy fault then to commit thy sinne The plainer thou dealest in this respect with God the more gracious will GOD deale with thee for if thou doâ—st acknowledge thy sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue thee thy sinnes and the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne will cleanse thee from all thy sinnes To helpe thee the better to performe these 3. parts of penitency thou maist diligently reade such Chapters and portions of the holy Scriptures as doe chiefly concerne thy particuler sinnes that thou maiest see Gods curse and iudgements on others for the like sinnes and bee the more humbled thy selfe Thus farre of the first part of Repentance which is Penitencie The other Part which is Amendement of life consists First in deuoute Prayer Secondly in deuoute Actions The deuout Prayer which we make in time of fasting is either Deprecation of euill or crauing needefull good things Deprecation of euil is when thou beseechest GOD for Christ thy mediator sake to pardon vnto thee those sins which thou hast confessed and to turne from thee those Iudgements which are due vnto thee for thy sinnes And as Benhadad because hee heard That the King of Israel was mercyful prostrated himselfe vnto him with a Rope about his necke so because thou knowest that the King of heauen is mercifull cast downe thy selfe in his presence in all true signes of humiliation especially seeing he calleth vpon thee to come vnto him in thy troubles and doubtlesse thou shall finde him mercifull The Crauing of needefull good things is First a feruent and faithfull begging of God to seale by his spirit in thy heart the assurance of the forgiuenesse of all thy sins Secondly to renewe thy heart by the holy Ghost so that sinne may daily decay and righteousnesse more and more increase in thee Lastly in desiring a supply of faith patience chastity and all other graces which thou waâ—â—est and an increase of those which God of his mercy hath bestowed vpon thee already Thus farre of Prayer in fasting The deuoute Actions in fasting are two First Auoiding euill Secondly doing good 1 Of auoiding euill This Abstinence from euill is that which is chiefly signified by thy abstinence from foode c. and is the cheife ende of fasting as the Niniuites very well knew A day of fast and not fasting from sinne the Lord abhorreth It is not the vacuity of the stomacke but the puritie of the heart that GOD respecteth If therefore thou wouldest haue God to turne from thee the euill of affliction thou must first turne away from thy selfe the euill of transgression And vvithout this fasting from euil thy fast sauours more noysome to God then thy breath doth to man This made God so often to reiect the fast of the Iewes And as thou must endeauour to auoide all sinne so especially that sinne wherewith thou hast prouoked God either to shake his rod at thee or already to lay his chastening hand vpon thee And doe this with a resolution by the assistance of Gods grace neuer to commit those sins againe For vvhat shall it profit a man by abstinence to humble his body if his minde swels with pride Or to forbeare wine and strong drinke and to be drunke with wrath and malice Or to let no flesh goe into thy belly when lies slanders and ribauldrie vvhich are vvorse then any meate comes out at thy mouth To abstaine from meate and to doe mischiefe is the Diuels fast vvho doth euill and is euer hungry 2 Of doing good workes The good workes vvhich as a Christian thou must doe euery day but especially on thy fasting day are either the workes of Piety to GOD or the works of Charity tovvards thy brethren First the workes of Pietie to GOD are the Practise of all the former duties in the sincerity of a good Conscience and in the sight of GOD. Secondly the workeâ— of Charity towards our brethren are forgiuing wrongs remitting debts to the poore that are not vvell able to pay but especially in giuing Almes to the poore that vvant reliefe and sustenance Else wee shall vnder pretence of godlinesse practise miserablenesse like those who will pinch their owne bellies to defraud their labouring Seruants of their due allowance As therefore Christ ioyned Fasting Prayer and Almes together in precept so must thou ioyne them together with Cornelius in practise And therefore be sure to giue at the least so much to the poore on thy Fasting day as thou vvouldest haue spent in thine owne diet if thou haddest
the poole of Bethesda streaming with fiue bloudy wounds not of a troubling Angell but of the Angell of Gods presence troubled with the wrath due to thy sinnes who descended into hell to restore thee to sauing health and heauen Returne not now with the Dogge to thine owne vomit nor like the washed sow to wallow againe in the mire of thy former sinnes and vncleannesse lest being intangled and ouercome againe with the filthinesse of sinne which now thou hast escaped thy latter ende prooue worse then thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Sauiour Christ giue the same cautionary warning to healed sinners First to the man cured of his 38 yeeres disease Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing fall vnto thee Secondly to the woman taken in adultery Neither doe I condemne thee Goe thy way and sinne no more Teaching vs how dangerous a thing it is to relapse and fall againe into the former excesse of riot Take heede therefore vnto thy wayes and pray for grace that thou maiest apply thy heart vnto wisdome during that small number of dayes which yet remaine behinde And for thy present mercy and health imitate the thankefull Leaper and returne vnto God this or the like thanksgiuing A thankesgiuing to be said of one that is recouered from sickenesse O Gracious and mercifull Father who art the Lord of health and sickenesse of life and of death who killest and makest aliue who bringest downe to the graue and raisest vp againe who art the onely preseruer of all those that trust in thee I thy poore and vnworthy seruant hauing now by experience of my painefull sicknesse felt the gieuousnesse of misery due vnto sinne and the greatnesse of thy mercy in forgiuing sinners and perceiuing with what a fatherly compassiion thou hast heard my prayers and restored me to my health and strength againe doe heere vpon the bended knees of my heart returne with the thankefull Leaper to acknowledge thee alone to bee the God of my health and saluation and to giue thee the praise and glory for my strength and deliuerance out of that grieuous disease and malady and for thus turning my mourning into mirth my sickenesse into health and my death into life My sinnes deserued punishments and thou hast corrected me but hast not giuen me ouer vnto death I looked from the day to the night when thou wouldest make an end of me I did chatter like a Crane or a Swallow I mourned as a Doue when the bitternesse of sickenesse oppressed me I lifted vp mine eies vnto thee O Lord and thou didst comfort me for thou didst cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe and didst deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption and when I found no helpe in my selfe nor in any other creature saying I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world then didst thou restore mee to health againe and gauest life vnto mee I found thee O Lord ready to saue me And now Lord I confesse that I can neuer yeelde vnto thee such a measure of thanks as thou hast for this benefit deserued at my hands And seeing that I can neuer bee able to repay thy goodnes with acceptable workâ— Oh that I could with Mary Magdalen testifie the â—oue and thankfulnes of my heart with abounding teares Oh what shall I be able to render vnto thee O Lord for al these benefits which thou hast bestowed vpon my soule Surely as in my sickenesse when I had nothing else to giue vnto thee I offered Christ and his merits vnto thee as a ransome for my sins so being now restored by thy grace vnto my health and strength and hauing no better thing to giue behold O Lord I doe heere offer vp my selfe vnto thee beseeching thee so to assist mee with thy holy spirit that the remainder of my life may wholly be spent in setting foorth thy praise and glory O Lord forgiue mee my former follies and vnthankefulnesse that I was not more careful to loue thee according to thy goodnesse nor to serue thee according to thy will nor to obey thee according to thy commandements nor to thanke thee according to thy benefits And seeing thou knowest that of my selfe I am not sufficient so much as to thinke a good thought much lesse to doe that which is good and acceptable in thy sight assist mee with thy grace and holy spirit that I may in my prosperity as deuoutely spend my health in thy seruice as I was eranest in my sickenesse to beg it at thy hands And suffer mee neuer to forget eyther this thy mercy in restoring mee to my health or those vowes and promises which I haue made vnto thee in my sickenesse With my new health renew in me O Lord a right spirit which may free mee from the slauery of sinne and establish my heart in the seruice of grace Worke in mee a greater detestation of all sinnes which were the causes of thy anger and my sicknesse and increase my faith in Jesus Christ who is the author of my health and saluation Let thy good spirit leade me in the way that I should walke and teach me to deny all vngodlines and worldly lusts to liue soberly righteously and godly in this world that others by my example may thinke better of thy truth And sith this time which I haue yet to liue is but a little respite and small remnant of daies which cannot long continue teach me O my God so to number my daies that I may apply my heart to that spiritual wisdome which directeth to saluation And to this end make me more zealous then I haue beene in religion more deuout in praier more feruent in spirit more carefull to heare and profit by the preaching of thy Gospell more helpefull to my poore brethren more watchfull ouer my waies more faithfull in my calling and euery way more aboundant in all good workes Let me in the ioyfull time of prosperity feare the euill day of affliction in the time of health thinke of sicknesse in the time of sickenesse make my selfe ready for death and when death approcheth prepare my selfe for iudgement Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulnesse vnto thee for thy grace and mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottome of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the foure beasts and twenty foure Elders and al the creatures in Heauen and on the Earth acknowledge to be due vnto thee O Father which sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe thy Sonne who sitteth at thy right hand and to the holy spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinitie of persons in vnity of substance all praise honour glory and power from this time forth and for euermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy sickenesse be like to encrease vnto death
temptation is ready to betray the soule By death the soule shall be deliuered from this thraldome and this corruptible body shall put on incorruption and this mortall immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 Oh blessed thrice blessed be that death in the Lord which deliuers vs out of so euill a world and freeth vs from such a body of bondage and corruption The 3. sort of Meditations to consider what good death will bring vnto thee 1 DEath bringeth the godly mans soule to enioy an immediate communion with the blessed Trinitie in euerlasting blisse and glorie 2 It translates his soule from the miseries of this world the contagion of sinne and society of sinners to the Citie of the liuing God the celestiall Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels And to the assembly and congregation of the first borne which are written in Heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the soules of iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediatour of the new Couenant 3 Death putteth the soule into the actuall and full possession of all the inheritance and happinesse which Christ hath either promised vnto thee in his word or purchased for thee by his bloud This is the good and happinesse whereunto a blessed death will bring thee And what truly religious Christian that is young would not wish himselfe olde that his appointed time might the sooner approach to enter into this celestiall Paradise where thou maiest exchange thy brasse for gold thy vanity for felicity thy vilenesse for honour thy bondage for freedome thy lease for an inheritance and thy mortall statâ— for an immortall life Hee that doth not daily desire this blessednesse aboue all things of all others he is lesse worthy to enioy it If Cato Vticensis and Cleombrotus two heathen men reading Platoes booke of the Immortality of the soule did voluntarily the one breake his necke the other runne vpon his sword that they might the sooner as they thought haue enioyed those ioyes What a shame is it for Christians knowing those things in a more excellent measure and manner out of Gods owne booke not to bee willing to enter into these heauenly ioyes especially when their Master cals for them thither If therefore there be in thee any loue of God or desire of thine owne happinesse or saluation when the time of thy departing draweth neere that time I say and manner of death which GOD in his vnchangeable counsell hath appointed and determined before thou wast borne yeeld and surrender vp willingly and cheerefully thy soule into the mercifull hand of Iesus Christ thy Sauiour And to this ende when thine end is come as the Angell in the sight of Manoah and his wife ascended from the Altar vp to heauen in the flame of the sacrifice so endeauour thou that thy Soule in the sight of thy friends may from the Altar of a contrite heart ascend vp to heauen in the sweete perfume of this or the like spirituall sacrifice of Praier A Prayer for a sicke man when he is tolde that he is not a man for this world but must prepare himselfe to goe vnto GOD. O Heauenly Father who art the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh and hast made vs these soules and hast appointed vs the time as to come into this world so hauing finished our course to goe out of the same The number of my daies vvhich thou hast determined are now expired and I am come to that vtmost bound which thou hast appointed beyond which I cannot passe I know O Lord that if thou entrest into iudgement no flesh can bee iustifyed in thy sight And I O Lord of all others should appeare most impure and vniust for I haue not fought that good fight for the defence of thy faith and religion with that zeal and constancy that I should but for feare of displeasing the world I haue giuen â—ay vnto sinnes and errours and for desire to please my flesh I haue broken all thy commandements in thought word and deede so that my sinnes haue taken such hold on me that I am not able to looke vp and they are moe in number then the haires of my head If thou wilt straightly marke mine iniquitiâ—s O Lord where shall I stand If thou waighest me in the ballance I shall be found too light For I am voide of all righteousnesse that might merit thy mercy and loaden with all iniquities that most iustly deserue thy heauiest wrath But O my Lord and my GOD for Iesus Christ thy Sonnes sake in whom only thou art wel pleased with all penitent and beleeuing sinners take pitty and compassion vpon mee who am the chiefe of sinners blot out all my sinnes out of thy remembrance and wash away all my transgressions out of thy sight with the pretious bloud of thy Sonne which I beleeue that he as an vndefiled Lambe hath shed for the clensing of my sinnes In this faith I liued in this faith I die beleeuing that Iesus Christ died for my sinnes and rose againe for my iustification And seeing that he hath endured that death and borne the burthen of that Iudgement which was due vnto my sinnes O Father for his death and passions sake now that I am comming to appeare before thy Iudgement seat acquite and deliuer me from that fearfull Iudgement which my sinnes haue iustly deserued And performe with me that gracious and comfortable promise which thou hast made in thy Gospell That whosoeuer beleeueth in thee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into Iudgement but shall passe from death vnto life Strengthen O CHRIST my faith that I may put the whole confidence of my saluation in the merits of thy obedience and blood Encrease O holy Spirit my patience lay no more vpon me then I am able to beare and enable mee to beare so much as shall stand with thy blessed will and pleasure O blessed Trinity in vnity my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier vouchsafe that as my outward man doth decay so my inward man may more more by thy grace and consolation encrease and gather strength O Sauiour put my soule in a readinesse that like a wise Virgin hauing the wedding Garment of thy righteousnesse and holinesse shee may be ready to meete thee at thy comming with oyle in her lampe Marrie her vnto thy selfe that shee may bee one with thee in euerlasting loue and fellowship O Lord reproue Sathan and chase him away Deliuer my soule from the power of the dogge Saue me from the Lions mouth I thanke thee O Lord for all thy blessings both spirituall and temporall bestowed vpon me especially for my Redemption by the death of my Sauiour Christ. I thanke thee that thou hast protected me with thy holy Angelâ— from my youth vp vntil now Lord I beseech thee giue them a charge to attend
all euill malignant Spirits farre 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 houre and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life giue him grace peaceably and ioyfully to yeeld vp his Soule into thy mercifull hands and doe thou receiue her into thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry her into thy Kingdome Make his last houre his best houre his last words his best words and his last thoughts his best thoughts And when the sight of his eyes are gone and his tongue shall faile to doe his office graunt O Lord that his Soule may with Stephen behold Iesus Christ in Heauen ready to receiue him and that thy Spirit within him may make requests for him with sighes which cannot be expressed Teach vs in him to reade and see our owne end and mortalitie and therefore to be carefull to prepare our selues for our last ends and put our selues in a readidinesse against the time that thou shalt call for vs in the like manner Thus Lord wee recommend this our deare Brother or Sister thy sicke Seruant vnto thy eternall grace and mercie in that Prayer vvhich Christ our Sauiour hath taught vnto vs. Our Father which art in Heauen c. Thy Grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with vs all and especially with this thy sicke seruant to the end and in the end Amen Let them reade often vnto the sicke some speciall Chapters of the holy Scriptures as The three first Chapters of the Booke of Iob. The 34. Chapter of Deutronomie The two last Chapters of Ioshua The 17. Chapter of the first of Kings The 2.4 and 13. Chapters of the second of Kings The 14. and 19. Chapters of Iob. The 38.40 and 65. Chapters of Isay. The Historie of the Passion of Christ. The 8. Chapter to the Romanes The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The 4. of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians The 5. Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians The first and last Chapters of S. Iames. The 11. and 12. to the Hebrewes The first Epistle of Peter The three first and the three last Chapters of the Reuelation or some of these And so exhorting the sicke partie to waite vpon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a ioyfull meeting in the Kingdome of Heauen and a blessed Resurrection at the last day they may depart at their pleasure in the peace of God Consolations against Impatiencie in sicknesse IF in thy sicknesse by extremitie of paine thou be driuen to Impatiencie meditate 1 That thy sinnes haue deserued the paines of Hell therefore thou maist vvith greater patience endure these fatherly corrections 2 That these are the scourges of thy Heauenly Father and the rod in his hand If thou diddest suffer with reuerence being a child the correction of thy earthly Parents how much rather shouldest thou now subiect thy selfe being the child of God to the chastisements of thy heauenly Father seeing it is for thine eternall good 3 That Christ suffered in his Soule and body farre grieuouser paines for thee therefore thou must more vvillingly suffer his blessed pleasure for thine owne good Therefore saith Peter Christ suffered for you leauing you an example that ye should follow his steps And Let vs saith Saint Paul runne with ioy the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse c. 4 That these afflictions which now you suffer are none other but such which are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world as witnesseth Peter Yea Iobs afflictions were farre more grieuous There is not one of the Saints vvhich now are at rest in heauenly ioyes but endured as much as you doe before they went thither yea many of them willingly suffered all the torments that Tyrants could inflict vpon them that they might come to those Heauenly ioyes whereunto you are now called And you haue a promise that the God of all grace after that you haue suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And that God of his fidelitie will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that yee may be able to beare it 5 That God hath determined the time when thy affliction shall end as vvell as the time when it beganne Thirty eight yeeres were appointed to the sicke man at Bethesda's Poole Twelue yeeres to the Woman with the bloudy Issue Three Moneths to Moses Tenne dayes tribulation to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna Three dayes plague to Dauid Yea the number of the godly mans teares are registred in Gods Booke and the quantitie kept in his bottle The time of our troubles saith Christ is but a modicum Gods Anger lasts but a Moment saith Dauid A little season saith the Lord and therefore cals all the time of our paine but the houre of sorrow Dauid for the swiftnesse thereof compares our present trouble to a Brooke And Athanasius to a Shower Compare the longest misery that man endures in this life to the eternitie of heauenly Ioyes and they vvill appeare to be nothing And as the sight of a Sonne safe borne makes the Mother forget all her former deadly paine so the sight of Christ in Heauen vvho was borne for thee will make all these pangs of death to be quite forgotten as if they had neuer been like Stephen who as soone as hee saw Christ forgat his owne woundes with the horrour of the Graue and terrour of the stones and sweetly yeelded his Soule into the hands of his Sauiour Forget thine owne paine thinke of Christs wounds Be faithfull vnto the death and hee will giue thee the Crowne of eternall life 6 That you are now called to Repetitions in Christs Schoole to see how much Faith Patience and godlinesse you haue learned all this while and whether you can like Iob receiue at the hand of God some euill as vvell as you haue hitherto receiued a great deale of good as therefore you haue alwayes prayed Thy Will be done so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will 7 That all things shall worke together for the best to them that loue God insomuch that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Assure your selfe that euery pang is a preuention of the paines of Hell euery respite an earnest of
life When therefore thou perceiuest thy soule departing from thy body pray with thy tongue if thou canst else pray in thy heart and minde these words fixing the eyes of thy soule vpon Iesus Christ thy Sauiour A Prayer at the yeelding vp of the Ghost O Lambe of God which by thy blood hast taken away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon me a sinner Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Amen When the sicke party is departing Let the faithfull that are present kneele downe and commend his Soule to God in these or the like words O Gratious God and mercifull father who art our refuge and strength and a very present helpe in trouble lift vp the light of thy fauorable countenance at this instant vpon thy seruant that now commeth to appeare in thy presence Wash away good Lord all his sinnes by the merits of Christ Iesus blood that â—hoâ— may neuer bee laide to his charge Increase his faith preserue and keepe safe his soule from the danger of the Diuell and his wicked Angels Comfort him with thy holy spirit cause him now to feele that thou art his louing Father and that hee is thy childe by Adoption and Grace Saue O Christ the price of thine owne blood and suffer him not to be lost whom thou hast bought so dearely Receiue his Soule as thou didst the penitent theefe into thy heauenly Paradise Let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither as they carried the soule of Lazarus and grant vnto him a ioyfull resurrection at the last day O 〈◊〉 heare vs for him and heare thine owne Sonne our onely Mediator that sits at thy right hand for him and vs all euen for the merits of that bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for vs In confidence whereof we now recommend his soule into thy fatherly hands in that blessed prayer which our Sauiour hath taught vs in all times of our troubles to say vnto thee Our Father c. Thus farre of the Practise of Piety in dying in the Lord. Now followeth the Practise of Piety in dying for the Lord. THE Practise of Piety in dying for the Lord is termed Martyrdome Martyrdome is the testimony which a Christian beareth to the doctrine of the Gospell by enduring any kinde of death to inuite many and to confirme all to embrace the truth thereof To this kinde of death Christ hath promised a crowne Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life Which promise the Church so firmely beleeued that they termed Martyrdome it selfe a crowne and God to animate Christians to this excellent prize would by a prediction that Stephen the first Christian Martyr should haue his name of a crowne Of Martyrdome there are three kindes First Sola voluntate in will onely as Iohn the Euangelist who being boyled in a Cauldron of oyle came out rather annointed then sod and dyed of old age at Ephesus Secondly Solo opere in deede onely as the innocents of Bethleem Thirdly Voluntate opere both in will and deede as in the Primitiue Church Stephen Polycarpus Ignatius Laurentius Romanus Aâ—tiochianus and thousands And in our daies Cranmer Latimer Hoâ—per Ridley Farrar Bradford Philpot Sanders Glouer Tailor and others innumerable whose fierie zeale to Gods truth brought them to the flames of Martyrdome to seale Christs faith It is not the cruelty of the death but the innocency and holinesse of the cause that maketh a Martyr neither is an erronious conscience a sufficient warrant to suffer Martyrdome because Science in Gods word must direct conscience in mans heart for they who killed the Apostles in their erronious consciences thought they did God good seruice And Paul of zeale breathed out slaughters against the Lords Saints Now whether the cause of our Seminary Priests and Iesuits be so holy true and innocent as that it may warrant their conscience to suffer death to hazzard their eternall saluation thereon let Pauls Epistle written to the Ancient Christian Romans but against our new Antichristian Romanes bee iudge And it will plainely appeare that the doctrine which Saint Paul taught to the ancient Church of Rome is ex diametro opposite in â—6 fundamentall points of true Religion to that which the new Church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth For Saint Paul taught the Primitiue Church of Rome 1 That our election is of Gods free grace and not ex operibus praeuisit Rom. 9.11 Rom. 11.5.6 2 That we are iustified 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 owne condignity meritorious nor such as can deserue heauen Rom. 8.18 Rom. 11.6 Rom. 6.23 4 That those bookes onely are Gods Oracles and Canonicall Scripture which were committed to the custody and credit of the Iewes Rom. 3.2 Rom. 1.2 Rom. 16.16 such were neuer the Apocrypha 5 That the holy Scriptures haue Gods authority Rom. 9.17 Rom. 4.3 Rom. conferd Rom. 11.3.2 conferd with Gal. 3.22 Therefore aboue the authority of the Church 6 That all aswell Laity as Clergy that will be saued must familiarly read or know the holy scriptures Rom. 15.4 Rom. 10.1.2.8 Rom. 16.26 7 That all Images made of the true God are very Idols Rom. 1.23 and Rom. 2.22 conferd 8 That to bowe the knee religiously to an Image or to vvorship any Creature is meere Idolatry Rom. 11.4 and a lying seruicâ— Rom. 1.25 9 That we must not pray vnto any but to GOD onely in vvhom we beleeue Rom. 10.13.14 Rom. 8.15.27 therefore not to Saints and Angels 10 That Christ is our onely Intercessor in Heauen Rom. 8.34 Rom. 5.2 Rom. 16.27 11 That the onely Sacrifice of Christians is nothing but the spirituall sacrificing of their Soules and Bodies to serue GOD in holinesse and righteousnesse Rom. 12.1 Rom. 15.16 Therefore no reall sacrificing of Christ in the Masse 12 That the religious worship called dulia as well as lâ—tâ—iâ— belongeth to God alone Rom. 1.9 Rom. 12.11 Rom. 16.18 conferd 13 That all Christians are to pray vnto God in their owne natiue language Rom. 14.11 14 That wee haue not of our selues in the state of corruption freewill vnto good Rom. 7.18 c. Rom. 9.16 15 That Concupiscence in the Regenerate is sinne Rom. 7.7.8.10 16 That the Sacraments doe not conferre grace ex opere operato but signe and seale that it is conferred already vnto vs. Rom. 4.11.12 Rom. 2.28.29 17 That euery true beleeuing Christian may in this life be assured of his saluation Rom. 8.9.16.35 c. 18 That no man in this life since Adams Fall can perfectly fulfill the Commandements of God Rom. 7.10 c. Rom. 3.19 c. Rom. 11.32 19 That to place Religion in the difference of meates and dayes is superstition Rom. 14 3.5.6.17 23. 20 That the imputed righteousnesse of Christ is that onely that makes vs iust