The law of sinne in my members is repugnant unto the law of mâ— minde which is renewed But givâ— unto me the Spirit of thy grace that I may captivate the law of sinne and not be captivated by the old flesh The flesh within me lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The spirit indeed is ready but the flesh is weak Grant therefore unto my spirit the riches of thy strength and vertue that it may overcome the evil concupiscences of the rebellious flesh That whorish Dalilah with her allurements doth daily set upon me But strengthen thou me by thy Spirit in the inward maâ— that at length she overcome me not O how grievous and hard a thing is it for a man to fight against himself that is against his flesh How difficult and hard a matter is it for one to overcome a domestick enemie Unlesse in this combate thou dost arm me with thy heavenly strength there is great fear that I shall be constrained to yeeld unto this enemie by reason of her secret and hidden treacheries Presse burn â—aunce mortifie the old man that I may escape his fawning deceit and seducement Grant unto me that I may daily die in my self that by the allurements of the flesh I be not separated from the life that is in Christ. Kindle in my heart the fire of the Spirit that I may sacrifice unto thee the beloved sonne of all my evil lusts and mine own will Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God Let them therefore die in me that I be not excluded from the kingdome of heaven They that live according to the flesh shall die But they which by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh shall live They that are Christs do crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Therefore strike thorow and crucifie my flesh O Christ thou that wast upon the altar of the crosse pierced thorow and crucified for me Amen PRAYER II. He prayes for the conservation and increase of faith THou hast lighted in my heart thou living and eternall God the light of saving faith which I humbly beseech thee of thy goodnesse and clemencie to keep and increase I often feel weaknesse of faith I often waver and am tossed with storms of doubts and fears Therefore I humbly call upon thee with thy blessed Apostles that thou wouldest vouchsafe to increase it My heart propounds unto thee a good word Thou wilt not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax I carrie my treasure in a vessel of clay The torch of faith I bear about me in a brittle vessel What else remains there but that with serious prayers and sighs I commend it unto thy custodie and daily pray unto thee for increase of the same In the darknesse of this life and present world make me partaker of the heavenly light of faith Thy word is light and life Grant unto me of thy mercie that by true faith I may stick unto thy word and be made by thee a sonne of light and life Against all the tentations of Satan against all oblocutions of the world yea against the cogitations of mine own heart let the comfort of thy word prevail in me One word of Scripture is of more worth then heaven and earth in that it is more firm then heaven and earth Effect in me by thy holy Spirit that I may firmly beleeve thy word and yeeld my reason and my senses to the obedience of faith Thy promises are of thy meer free grace neither do they depend upon the condition of my worth and merits I may therefore with most assured faith relie upon them and with my whole heart trust in thy goodnesse By faith Christ dwells and lives in my heart Conserve therefore in me the free gift of faith that my heart may be and alwayes remain the habitacle of Christ. Faith is the seed of all good works and the foundation of holy life Conserve therefore most bountifull Lord and confirm this in me that my spirituall harvest and dwelling suffer no losse Strengthen my faith that it may overcome the world and the prince of the world Increase the light thereof that it may daily cast forth more clear beams outwardly Conserve it in the midst of the darknesse of death that it may cast a light before me to true life Rule me by thy holy Spirit that I lose not this faith by consenting unto the lusts of the flesh and taking pleasure in sinne against my conscience But confirm in me that good work which thou hast begun that by perseverance of my faith I may obtain the inheritance of eternall life Amen PRAYER III. He prayes for the conservation and increasâ— of hope ALmighty eternall and mercifull God I beseech thee by the most sacred wounds of thy Sonne to uphold in me the prop of saving hope Sometimes my heart doth wave lik a ship in the midst of the sea But grant thou unto me the safe and firm anchor of immoveable hope Still the waves of tentations and doubts Thou that art the God of hope and all consolation As certain and immoveable as the truth of thy promise is so certain may the firmnesse of holy hope be in me I rest upon thy promises And thou wilt not leave me destitute of aid My confidence is in thy bountie And thou wilt not leave me destitute of comfort I know on whom I have beleeved and I am sure that he is able to keep that which is committed unto him by me against that day I am most certainly perswaded that thou which hast begun a good work in me wilt also finish it untill the day of Jesus Christ. There are three things that lift me up when I am prostrate that uphold me when I am falling that direct me when I am wavering to wit thy love in my adoption the truth of thy promise and thy power in performance This is the threefold cord that thou lettest down unto me into this prison out of my heavenly countrey that thou mayst lift me up and draw me unto thee unto the sight of thy glory This hope is the anchor of my salvation This is the way that leadeth unto paradise The meditation of thy command makes me hope The meditation of thy goodnesse suffers me not to despair of thy mercie the meditation of mine own frailtie suffers me not to hope and trust in my self or mine own power and merit By how much the lesse my hope is fastened on these frail and fluxible sands of present goods and humane aid By so much the more solidly and certainly it is stablished upon the firm and immoveable rock of thy promise and celestiall things Unite my heart unto thee that I may altogether withdraw my self from the woâ—ld and cleave unto thee with all my heart Unto thee I flee as unto the throne of grace and altar of mercie and ark of the covenant
ours and dwells in us And where Christ is there is the grace of God And where the grace of God is there is the inheritance of eternall life By faith Abel offered unto God a greater sacrifice then Cain So by faith we offer unto God spirituall sacrifices that is the fruit of our lips By faith Enoch was translated So faith takes us from the society of men and makes us have our conversation in heaven yea whiles we are here upon earth Christ even now dwels in us we have already eternall life in us but it is hid By faith Noah prepared the ark So we by faith do enter into the Church in which our souls are preserved when all other perish in the vast sea of this world By faith Abraham left the idolatrous land So by faith we go out of this world leaving our parents brethren and kinsfolks and cleave unto Christ who calleth us by his word By faith Abraham went into a strange countrey in expectation of the promised land So we by faith do look for the celestiall Jerusalem which God hath prepared in the heavens We are strangers and pilgrims in this world and travel by faith unto a celestiall countrey By faith Sarah conceived her sonne Isaac in her old age So we being spiritually dead have received by faith strength to conceive Christ spiritually For as Christ was once conceived in the sanctified wombe of the virgin Mary So in the faithfull soul which hath kept it self pure from the contagion of the world he is every day spiritually born By faith Abraham offered up Isaac So also we by faith do spiritually mortifie and sacrifice our own will which is the beloved sonne of our soul For he which will follow Christ must denie himself that is renounce his own will his own honour and the love of himself By faith Isaac blessed Jacob So we by faith are made partakers of all divine benedictions For in the â—eed of Abraham that is in Christ all nations shall be blessed By faith Joseph prophesied of the Israelites going out of Egypt and gave commandment concerning his bones So we by faith expect an egresse out of â—he spirituall Egypt of this world â—nd a blessed resurrection of the boâ—ie By faith Moses was preserved â—or three moneths So faith hideth us from the tyrannie of Satan untill at length we be brought into Godâ— royall palace and be adopted spirituall kings By faith Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to live in the glorie of Egypt So faith begets in us the contempt of glorie honour riches and the pleasures of this world and excites in us the desire of the kingdome of heaven By faith we choose rather the ignominie of Christ then the treasures of this world By faith Moses left Egypt and feared not the kings anger So faith doth animate and confirm us that we are not terrified by the threats of the tyrants of this world but rather obey the call of God with a couragious and constant minde By faith Israel celebrated the Passeover So also we by faith do celebrate a Passeover Chrisâ— was sacrificed for our Paschal lambe whose flesh is meat indeed anâ— whose bloud is drink indeed Bâ— faith the Israelites passed througâ— the red sea So we by faith do passâ— through the sea of this world Bâ— faith the walls of Jericho fell So wâ— by faith destroy all the munitions of Satan By faith Rahab was saved So in the universall destruction of this world by faith we shall be saved from destruction By faith the Fathers overcame kingdomes stopt the mouthes of lions and quenched the force of fire So we by faith destroy the kingdome of Satan escape the treacheries and rage of the infernall lion and are delivered from the scorching of hell fire But faith is not a naked opinion and profession but a true and lively apprehension of Christ propounded to us in the gospel a full perswasion of the grace of God the confident rest of our soul and peace which relies onely upon the merit of Christ. This faith is begotten of the seed of Gods word For faith and the Spirit are one and the word is the coach by which the holy Spirit is brought unto us The fruit doth follow the nature of the seed Faith is a divine fruit Therefore the seed must be divine and that is The word As in the creation light was made by the word of God for God said Let there be light and there was light So the light of faith ariseth from the light of the word of God In thy light shall we see light saith the Psalmist Seeing faith doth joyn us unto Christ seeing it makes us one with him therefore it is the mother of all vertues in us Where there is faith there is Christ where Christ is there is an holy life to wit true humility true gentlenesse true love Christ and the holy Spirit are not severed where the holy Spirit is there is true holinesse Therefore where there is not an holy life there is not the sanctifying Spirit And where there is not the Spirit neither is there Christ where there is not Christ neither is there faith Whatsoever branch doth not suck its life and nourishment from the vine is not to be judged a part of the vine So neither are we yet joyned to Christ by faith unlesse we suck our life and nourishment from him Faith is a kinde of spirituall light For our hearts are enlightned by faith Therefore it spreads abroad the rayes of good works But where the rayes of spirituall life are not there is not yet the true light of faith Bad works are the works of darknes But faith is light And what communion is there between light and darknesse Bad works are the seed of Satan But faith is the seed of Christ And what communion is there between Christ and Satan By faith our hearts are purified But how can there be any inward purity in the heart when the words are impure and the outward works appear impure Faith is the victorie which overcometh the world And how can there be true faith there where the flesh overcometh the Spirit and leadeth it as it were captive By faith we have Christ and in Christ eternall life But no impenitent sinner that persevereth in his sinnes can be partaker of eternall life How then can he be partaker of Christ How can he be partaker of faith Kindle in us O Christ the light of true faith that by faith we may obtain eternall salvation Meditat. XIII Of the spirituall wedlock of Christ and the Soul Christ is by marriage knit to thee If thou to him by sanctitie I Will betroth thee unto me for ever saith Christ unto the faithfull soul Christ therefore would be present at the marriage which was celebrated in Cana
he hath already punished in his Sonne The truth of the Lord endureth for ever As I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn from his wickednesse and live Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you saith our Saviour Shall we make God a liar and labour by the weight of our sinnes to bear down his mercy To make God a liar and to denie his mercy is a greater sinne then all the sinnes of the whole world and therefore Judas sinned more in despairing then the Jews in crucifying Christ. But rather where sinne hath abounded there also grace hath abounded much more and overweigheth our sinnes by infinite degrees For sinnes are but the sinnes of men but grace is the grace of God Sinnes are temporall but the grace of our Lord is from eternitie to eternitie Satisfaction hath been made for our sinnes and the grace of God is repaired by the death of Christ and is established for ever unto which I betake my self as a devout suppliant Meditat. XI Of the satisfaction made for our sinnes The death of Christ is life to thee If thou a Christian truly be COme unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you they are the words of our Saviour It is true indeed Lord Jesus I am burdened overmuch and I sigh under the weight of my sinne But I make haste unto thee the fountain of living water Come unto me Lord Jesus that so I may come unto thee I come unto thee Lord because thou first camest unto me I come unto thee Lord Jesus and with anxietie I desire thee for I finde no goodnesse in my self But if I found any goodnesse in my self I should not with such anxietie desire thee True Lord Jesus I labour and am heavy laden neither can I compare my self with any of the saints or penitent sinners unlesse it be with the thief upon the crosse Lord have mercy upon me thou which hadst mercy on the thief upon the crosse I have lived wickedly I have lived iâ— sinne but I desire to die the death of the holy and righteous But holinesse and righteousnes are farre from my heart Therefore to thy holinesse and righteousnesse do I flie Let thy soul Lord Jesus succour me let it succour me seeing that thou layedst it down for a price of redemption for many Let thy most sacred body which was afflicted with rods spittings buffetings and thorns and fastened to the crosse for me let that succour me Let thy sacred and holy bloud O Jesus let that bloud succour me which ran out of thy side at thy death and passion which cleanseth us from all our sinnes Let thy most holy divinitie succour me thy divinitie which upheld thy humanitie at thy passion which also resting and not shewing it self the great mysterie of our redemption was finished which added infinite strength and weight unto thy passion Insomuch that God by his own bloud hath purchased unto himself me miserable man Let thy wounds succour me in which all my cure consisteth Let thy most holy passion succour me Let thy merit succour me as being my last refuge and a remedie against my sinnes For in that thou sufferedst thou sufferedst for me Therefore in that thou meritedst thou meritedst for me and for mine unworthinesse Therefore God commendeth his love towards us and proveth it by a testimonie surpassing the understanding of all men yea of the angels themselves in that Christ died for us when as yet we were sinners and the enemies of God Who can choose but admire this Who can choose but be astonished at it The Sonne of God intreated by no man yea hated of all men in great mercy intreated for us who were sinners and his enemies Neither intreated he onely but also satisfied Gods justice for us by his most poore nativitie by his most holy life by his most bitter passion by his most cruel death O Lord Jesus Thou that intreatedst for me sufferedst for me and diedst for me before I could desire thy merit and passion or move thee by my prayers to pay the ransome for me how canst thou cast me away from thy face How canst thou denie unto me the fruit of thy most holy passion when as now out of the deeps I cry unto thee and beg the fruit of thy merit with tears and sighs I was an enemie by nature when thou diedst for me but I am made by grace thy friend thy brother and thy sonne Thou heardst an enemie before he prayed unto thee and how canst thou despise thy friend which comes unto thee with prayers and tears Thou wilt not cast out him that cometh unto thee because thy word is truth Thou hast spoken unto us in spirit and truth and we have received from thee the words oâ— eternall life Attend and raise up thy self O my soul Before we were sinners by nature but now we are just by grace Before we were enemies but now we are friends and kinsfolks Before our help was in the death of Christ but now it is in Christ his life Before we were dead in sinnes but now we are quickned in Christ Oh the exceeding love of God wherewith he loved us Oh the superabundant riches of his grace whereby he hath in heaven provided a place for us Oh the tender mercie of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us But if the death of Christ hath brought unto us righteousnesse and life what shall his life do If our Saviour dying paid the price unto his Father what shall he do now being alive and interceding for us For Christ liveth and dwells in our heart if the remembrance of his most holy merit live and flourish in it Draw me Lord Jesus that I may possesse in the truth of the thing that which here I expect by the firmnesse of hope Let thy servant I pray thee be with thee and let him behold the glorie which the Father hath given to thee and let him inhabit the mansion which thou hast prepared in thy Fathers house Blessed are they that dwell in thy house O Lord They shall praise thee for ever and ever Meditat. XII Of the nature and properties of true faith Faith is not faith or if it be Faith is but dead wants charity O Thou beloved soul consider the power of faith and give thanks unto God who is the onely giver thereof It is faith alone that doth in such manner ingraft us into Christ that as vine-branches do draw their sap from the vine so we also from him do draw life righteousnesse and salvation Adam fell from the grace of God and lost the divine image by his incredulitie But we are again received to grace and the image of God begins to be renewed in us by faith By faith Christ becomes
were all made for her use How insufficient the creatures are to satiate and fulfill our desires it appeareth at death when all creatures forsake us It is wonderfull that we should so firmly stick unto the creatures when as they stick unto us so weakly and unconstantly Adam when he turned away from the consolation of God and sought delight in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was driven out of Paradise Our soul if it turn away from God unto the creatures is deprived of celestiall comfort and is quite driven away from the tree of life But what remains unto them that neglect this feast The world passeth away and so do all they that cleave unto it The creatures passe away and all they that put their trust in them Our heavenly Father sweareth that they which preferre oxen fields wives that is any earthly things whatsoever before the sweetnesse of the heavenly feast shall never taste of his supper After supper there is no further provision of meat made and if we neglect Christ there is no other remedy left for us Those contemners shall be punished with eternall famine and live in eternall darknesse They which would not heare Christ thus inviting them Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden shall heare him at length denouncing Go ye cursed into everlasting fire The Sodomites were consumed with fire because being called to this feast by the preaching of Lot they would not come The fire of Gods wrath which lasteth for ever shall consume them who being called by the gospel have despised this feast At the coming of the bridegroom the virgins that had no oyl in their lamps staying too long were shut out So they whose hearts in this world are not filled with the oyl of the holy Spirit shall not be admitted by Christ to the participation of joy but they shall have the gate of indulgence the gate of mercy the gate of consolation the gate of hope the gate of grace the gate of good works shut against them Christ hath yet an inward kinde of calling and happy is he that heares it Christ often knocks â—t the gate of our hearts by holy desires devout sighs and pious cogitations and happy is he that openeth unto him As soon as thou feelest in thy heart any holy desire of heavenly grace assure thy self that Christ knocks at thy heart Let him in lest he passe by and afterwards shut the gate of his mercy against thee As soon as thou feelest in thy heart any spark of godly meditations perswade thy self that it was kindled by the heat of divine love that is of the holy Spirit cherish and nourish it that it may grow to be a fire of love Take heed that thou quench not the Spirit and hinder the work of the Lord. He that destroyeth the temple of the Lord shall feel his severe judgement Our heart is the temple of the Lord And he destroyeth it whosoever refuseth to give place to the holy Spirit inwardly calling by the word In the old Testament the prophets could heare the Lord speaking inwardly In the new Testament all the true godly do feel those inward motions of the holy Spirit drawing them Blessed are they which heare and follow Meditat. XVII Of the fruits of Baptisme If thou polluted art with sin The fountain's open enter in REmember thou faithfull soul the grace of God conferred upon thee in the saving laver of baptisme Baptisme is the laver of regeneration Therefore he that is dipt in the laver of baptisme is no longer altogether carnall as before But because he is born of God by water and the Spirit therefore he is also the sonne of God and because a sonne therefore an heir also of eternall happinesse As the eternall Father at the baptisme of Christ uttered this voice This is my beloved Sonne So all those that beleeve and are baptized he adopteth to be his sonnes As at the baptisme of Christ the holy Ghost appeared in the shape of a dove So also is he present at our baptisme and gives force unto it yea he is conferred by baptisme upon the beleevers and effects in them new motions that they become wise as serpâ—nts and innocent as doves As it was at the creation so is it also at our regeneration At the first creation of things the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the waters and gave a vitall force unto them So also in the water of baptisme the holy Ghost is present and makes it a saving means of our regeneration Christ himself our Saviour would be baptized that he might leave a testimonie that by baptisme we are made his members Oftentimes medicines are applyed to the head to heal some other parts of the bodie Christ is our spirituall head He received the medicine of baptisme for to heal his mysticall bodie God in the old Testament made a covenant with his people by circumcision So by baptisme in the new Testament we are received into the covenant of God Baptisme succeeded in the place of circumcision He therefore that is in the covenant of God need not be afraid of the devils accusation In baptisme we put on Christ And from hence it is that the Saints are said to have made their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe Christs perfect righteousnesse is that beautifull robe whosoever therefore hath put on this robe let him not fear the stains of sinne There was a pool in Jerusalem about the sheep-market into which at a certain time the angel of the Lord descended and troubled it and he that first descended into it after the troubling of the water was cured of what disease soever The water of baptisme is that pool which healeth us of every disease of sinne when the holy Spirit descends into it and troubles it with the bloud of Christ who was made a sacrifice for us In like manner in time past the sacrifices were washed in that pool at Jerusalem As at the baptisme of Christ the heavens were opened So also at our baptisme the gate of heaven is opened unto us At the baptisme of Christ all the holy and sacred Trinitie was present And so likewise at our baptisme And so by the word of promise which is annexed unto the element of water faith receiveth the grace of the Father adopting the merit of the Sonne cleansing and the efficacie of the holy Ghost regenerating Pharaoh and all his host was drowned in the red sea The Israelites passed through safe and sound So in baptisme all the host of vices is drowned and the faithfull safely attain to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Therefore also is baptisme that sea of glasse which John saw Through it as through a kinde of glasse the brightnesse of the sunne of righteousnesse enters into our mindes And that sea was before the throne
of the Lambe The church is the throne of the Lambe in which onely the grace of holy baptisme is to be had The prophet Ezekiel saw waters going out of the temple which did quicken and heal all In the spirituall temple of God that is in the church the saving waters of baptisme do yet spring forth into the profunditie whereof our sinnes are thrown Whosoever come unto it shall be healed and live Baptisme is the spirituall floud in which all flesh of sinne is drowned The impure crow goes forth like the Devil But the dove like the holy Ghost flies and brings the olive-branch that is peace and tranquilitie unto our mindes Remember therefore thou faithfull soul the greatnesse of the grace of God conferred upon thee in baptisme and render due thanks unto him The more plentifull grace is conferred upon us in baptisme the more diligent must we be in the custodie of the gifts conferred We are buried with Christ by baptisme Therefore as Christ was raised up from the dead unto the glory of his Father So let us walk in newnesse of life We are made whole let us sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto us We have put on the most precious robe of Christs righteousnesse Therefore let us not defile it with the stains of sinne Our old man is crucified and dead in baptisme Let the new man therefore live in us We are regenerated and renewed in the spirit of our mindes by baptisme Therefore let not the flesh domineer over the spirit Old things are past Behold aâ— things are become new Let not therefore the oldnesse of the flesh prevail against the newnesse of the spirit We are made the sonnes of God by spirituall regeneration Let us therefore live as it becometh the sonnes of such a Father We are made the temple of the holy Ghost Let us therefore prepare a thankfull seat for such a guest We are received into Gods covenant Let us take heed therefore that we do not serve under the devil and so fall from the covenant of grace Effect in us all these things O blessed Trinity in Unitie Thou that hast given us such grace in baptisme give us also the grace to persevere in it Meditat. XVIII Of the saving participation of the body and bloud of Christ. He that doth eat and drink by faith Christs flesh and bloud salvation hath HE that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud shall live for ever saith Christ. Exceeding great was the bountie and goodnesse of our Saviour in that he did not onely assume our flesh and exalt it to the throne of celestiall glory but also feedeth us with his bodie and bloud unto eternall life Oh the saving delicates of the soul Oh the heavenly and angelicall food to be desired Although the angels did desire to look into this mysterie yet he did not assume the nature of the angels but the seed of Abraham Our Saviour is nearer unto us then unto the angels for we have knowledge of his love by this in that he hath given us of his own Spirit neither of his Spirit onely but of his bodie and bloud For so saith Truth it self of the bread and wine in the Eucharist This is my bodie This is my bloud How can the Lord forget those whom he hath redeemed with his bodie and bloud and whom he hath nourished with his bodie and bloud He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the bloud of Christ remaineth in Christ and Christ in him I do not much marvel therefore that the haires of our head are numbred that our names are registred in heaven that we are described in the hands of the Lord and that we are carried in his bosome seeing that we are fed with the bodie and bloud of Christ. Without doubt great is the dignitie of our souls seeing that they are fed with a price of redemption of such value Great also is the dignitie of our bodies which being redeemed and fed by the bodie of Christ become the habitacles and temples of the holy Ghost and the dwelling places of the whole and most holy Trinitie It cannot be that they should remain in the grave being fed with the bodie and bloud of our Lord. This is meat indeed We eat it But we change it not into the nature of our bodie but are changed into it We are the members of Christ and are animated by his Spirit and fed with his body and bloud This is the bread which came down from heaven and giveth life unto the world He that eateth thereof shall never hunger This is the bread of grace and mercy Of this whosoever eateth he shall taste and see how sweet the Lord is and receive of his fulnesse grace for grace This is the bread of life not onely the living bread but the quickning bread Whosoever eateth thereof he shall live for ever This is the bread which came down from heaven neither is it onely heavenly but it makes those that eat thereof heavenly They which eat it savingly in the spirit shall become heavenly because they shall not die but shall be raised again at the last day They shall be raised again but not to judgement because he that eateth of this bread cometh not into judgement nor into condemnation because there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but they shall be raised to life and salvation For he that eateth the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinketh his bloud hath life in himself and shall live through Christ. His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drink indeed Let us be filled therefore with the meat not of our works but of the Lord. Let us be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse not of our house but of the Lord. This is the true fountain of life He that shall drink of this water shall never thirst but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternall life All ye that thirst come unto these waters and ye that have no silver make haste buy without money Let them that thirst come and come thou my soul that art vexed with the raging heat of sinne But if thou beest destitute of the silver of thy merits make haste the rather If thou hast no merits of thine own make haste the more ardently to the merits of Christ Make haste therefore and buy without silver Here is the chamber of Christ and the soul from which let not thy sinnes deterre thee and into which let not thy merits enter For what can be our merits They lay out their silver and not for bread they labour and not for fulnesse Our labours do not satiate neither is the grace of God bought with the silver of our merits Therefore heare O my soul and eat that which is good and thou shalt be delighted with fatnesse These words are spirit and
life and the words of eternall life The cup of benediction is the communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread which we break is the participation of the Lords bodie We cleave unto the Lord Therefore we are one Spirit with him We are united unto him not onely by the communion of nature but also by the participation of his bodie and bloud I do not therefore say with the Jews How can this man give us his flesh to eat But rather crie out How doth the Lord distribute unto us his flesh to eat and his bloud to drink I do not prie into his power but do admire his benevolence I do not examine his majestie but I reverence his goodnesse His presence I beleeve the manner of his presence I know not I am certainly assured that it is most neare and inward We are members of his body flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones He dwelleth in us and we in him My soul desireth to dive by cogitation into this most profound abysse but cannot finde with what words to set forth and declare that goodnesse and therefore is altogether amazed at the sight of the greatnesse of the grace of the Lord and the glory of the blessed Meditat. XIX Of the mysterie of the Lords Supper Be wise Do not to farre enquire 'To that thou rather shouldst admire IN the Lords holy Supper there is set before us a mysterie to be trembled at and to be adored of us by all means There is the treasure and treasurie of divine grace We know that there was a tree of life planted by God whose fruit might have conserved our first parents and their posteritie by the fertilitie and felicitie thereof There was also placed in paradise a tree of the knowledge of good and evil But even that which was appointed by God for their salvation and life and for an exercise of their obedience became unto them an occasion of death and condemnation whilest they poore wretches obeyed the devils allurements and their own desires Here also is prepared a tree of life that sweet wood whose leaves are for medicine and whose fruit for meat The sweetnesse thereof doth take away the bitternesse of all evils yea of death it self Unto the Israelites was given Manna that they might be fed with heavenly food Here is that true Manna which came down from heaven to give life unto the world This is the heavenly bread and the angelicall meat of which whosoever eateth shall never hunger The Israelites had the ark of the covenant and the mercy-seat where they might heare the Lord speak face to face Here is the true ark of the covenant that is the most sacred bodie of Christ wherein the treasures of all science knowledge and wisdome are laid up Here is the true mercy-seat in the bloud of Christ which makes us to be beloved in the beloved neither doth he speak unto us onely by his inward consolation but also dwelleth in us neither doth he feed us onely with heavenly Manna but with himself Here is the gate of heaven indeed here is the angels ladder For can heaven be greater then he that is in heaven Can heaven be more nearly united unto God then the flesh and humane nature which he hath assumed Heaven indeed is the throne of God But in the humane nature assumed by Christ resteth the holy Spirit God is in heaven But in Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the divinitie Certainly this is a great and infallible pledge of our salvation He had no greater thing to give unto us For what is greater then himself What is so closely united unto him as his humane nature which is assumed into the fellowship of the most blessed Trinitie and made the treasurie of all heavenly goods What is so nearly conjoyned unto him as flesh and bloud And yet with these most heavenly nourishments doth he refresh us miserable worms and make us partakers of his nature And shall not he then make us partakers of his grace Who ever hated his own flesh How can the Lord then despise us whom he feedeth with his own flesh and bloud How can he forget those unto whom he hath given the pledge of his own bodie How can Satan be able to overcome us seeing that we are fed with heavenly food that we faint not in battel We are deare unto Christ because he bought us at so deare a price We are deare unto Christ because he feeds us with such deare and precious things We are deare unto Christ because we are his flesh and members This is the onely Panacea of all spirituall diseases this is the medicine of immortalitie For what sinne is there so great that the sacred flesh of God cannot expiate What sinne is so great that the quickning flesh of Christ cannot heal What sinne so mortall that is not taken away by the death of the Sonne of God What fierie darts of the devil can be so deadly that they cannot be quenched in this fountain of divine grace What so great stain of the conscience that this bloud cannot purge The Lord was present to the Israelites in a cloud and in fire But here is no cloud but the sunne of righteousnesse the present light of our souls Here is not felt the fire of Gods fury but the heat of his love neither doth he depart from us but makes his mansion with us Our first parents were brought into paradise that most sweet and fragrant garden the type of eternall beatitude that being put in minde of Gods bountie they might perform due obedience unto their Creatour Behold Here is more then paradise in this place For the creature is filled with the flesh of the Creatour The penitent conscience is cleansed by the bloud of the Sonne of God By the body of Christ are nourished the members of Christ the head The faithfull soul is fed with divine and heavenly dainties The sacred flesh of God which the angels adore in the unitie of person which the archangels reverence at which the Powers do tremble and which the Vertues admire is our spirituall food Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad but much more the faithfull soul upon whom such and so great benefits are bestowed Meditat. XX. Of serious preparation before we come to the Lords Supper A wedding garment put thou on Or keep from this communion HEre is no common cheere nor the feast of some ordinarie king but here is the holy mysterie of the body and bloud of Christ to be handled of us Therefore a due preparation is required lest we finde death in stead of life and receive condemnation in stead of mercy How did that most holy Patriarch so famous for the strength of his faith how did he fear and tremble when the Sonne of God appeared unto him in the
the night unlesse thou dost first arm thy self by prayer What fruit canst thou expect of thy labours unlesse thou dost first worship him without whose blessing all labour is unprofitable If therefore thou wantest spirituall or temporall blessings ask and receive If thou desirest Christ seek him by prayer and thou shalt finde If thou desirest that the gate of divine grace eternall salvation should be opened unto thee Knock and it shall be opened unto thee If in the desert of this world the thirst of tentations and the penurie of spirituall goods afflict thee Come unto the spirituall rock which is Christ come with devotion and strike it with the rod of prayer thou shalt feel the streams of divine grace cool the thirst of thy penurie Wouldest thou offer an acceptable sacrifice unto God Offer thy prayers so shall God smell a sweet odour and his wrath shall cease Wouldest thou every day converse with God Love prayer which is the spirituall conference between God and the devout soul. Wouldest thou taste how sweet the Lord is Invite the Lord to the house of thy heart by prayer Prayer pleaseth God if it be made in a due manner Whosoever therefore desireth to be heard let him pray with wisdome with fervencie with humilitie with faith with perseverance with confidence Let him pray with wisdome that is for such things as tend to the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbour God is omnipotent Therefore do not thou in thy prayers tie him to means God is most wise Therefore do not thou in thy prayers prescribe him an order Let not thy prayers break forth rashly but let them follow the conduct of faith Now faith hath respect unto the word Therefore such things as God hath promised in his word absolutely pray for absolutely and such things as he hath promised with a condition as temporall things pray for with a condition and such things as he hath in no wise promised in no wise pray for God oftentimes gives in his wrath that which in his mercy he doth denie Therefore follow Christ who resigned his will wholly unto God Pray with fervencie For how canst thou desire that God should heare thee when thou hearest not thy self Wouldest thou have God mindfull of thee when thou art not mindfull of thy self When thou wilt pray go into thy closet and shut thy doore Thy heart is the closet thou must enter into it If thou wilt pray as thou oughtest thou must shut the doore that the cogitations of worldly businesse may not trouble thee Thy words come not unto Gods eares without the affection of the heart The minde must be so inflamed with the heat of cogitation that it may farre surpasse what the tongue expresseth And this is to worship in spirit and in truth as the Lord requireth Christ prayed in the mount and lifted up his eyes unto heaven So we must turn away our mindes from all the creatures and turn them unto God Thou doest injurie unto God if thou prayest unto him to attend unto thee when thou dost not attend unto thy self We may pray without ceasing if we pray in the spirit that is if our mindes do alwayes by holy desires watch unto God There is not alwayes need of clamour because God heareth even the sighs of our hearts seeing that he dwelleth in the hearts of the godly There is not alwayes need of words because he is present even with the thoughts Oftentimes one sigh moved by the holy Ghost and offered to God in the spirit is more acceptable to God then long repetitions of prayers where the tongue prayeth and the heart is plainly dâ—mbe Let him pray with humilitie and place no confidence in his own merit but in the grace of God onely If our prayers relie upon our own worth they are condemned yea though the heart for very devotion should sweat drops of bloud No man pleaseth God but in Christ Therefore no man prayeth aright but through Christ and in Christ. The sacrifices did not please God which were not offered on the onely altar of the tabernacle So prayer pleaseth not God unlesse it be offered upon the onely altar which is Christ. God promised to heare the Israelites prayers if they prayed with their faces turned toward Jerusalem So we in our prayers must convert our selves unto Christ who is the temple of the divinitie Christ at his passion being about to pray cast himself to the ground Behold how that most holy soul humbled it self before the divine majestie Let him pray with faith let him offer himself to want all joy and to suffer all punishment The sooner one prayeth the more profitably the oftner the better the more fervently the more acceptably with God Let him pray with perseverance For if God delay his benefits he commends them and doth not deny them The longer things are desired the sweeter they are being obtained Let him pray with confidence that is ask with faith without doubting O most mercifull God who hast commanded us to pray give us grace to pray aright Meditat. XXVI Of the holy angels appointed by God to be our keepers The angels of the Lord protect All those that are the Lords elect COnsider thou devout soul how great the goodnesse of the Lord is who hath made his angels thy keepers Our heavenly Father sends his own Sonne to redeem us The Sonne of God is made flesh to save us The holy Ghost is sent to sanctifie us The angels are sent to protect us So then all the court of heaven doth as it were serve us convey their benâ—fits unto us I do not wonder now that all the inferiour creatures were made for man seeing that the angels themselves creatures farre more excellent do not deny their ministerie unto us What wonder is it that the heaven ministers light unto us by day that we may labour and darknesse by night that we may rest seeing that those that dwell in heaven do minister unto us What wonder is it that the aire affordeth us vitall breath and all kindes of fowls to our service seeing that the celestiall spirits watch over us for our safety What wonder is it that the water affordeth us drink purgeth away our filth watereth things that are dried and brings forth sundry kindes of fishes when as the angels themselves are present with us and do refresh us when we are weary with the heat of calamities and tentations What wonder that the earth beareth us and nourisheth us with bread and wine and furnisheth our tables with all kindes of fruits and living creatures when as he hath given his angels charge to keep us in all our wayes and to bear us up in their hands that we dash not our foot against a stone The angels were solicitous concerning Christ. For an angel foretells his conception An angel declares
think upon three things present the brevitie of this present life the difficultie of being saved and the paâ—citie of them that shall be saved Alwayes think upon three things to come Death then which nothing is more horrible judgement then which nothing is more terrible the pains of hell then which nothing is more intolerable Let thy evening prayers amend the sinnes of the day past Let the last day of the week amend the faults of the dayes past In the evening think how many are plunged that day into hell and give thanks unto God for granting thee time to repent There are three things above thee which never let slip out of thy memorie The eye that sees all the eare that heares all and the book wherein all things are written God hath communicated himself wholly unto thee Communicate thou thy self wholly unto thy neighbour That is the best life which is busied in the service of others Shew obedience and reverence to thy superiour give counsel and aid to thy equall defend and instruct thy inferiour Let thy bodie be subject to thy minde and thy minde to God Bewail thy evils past and esteem not the goods that are present and desire with all thy heart the goods which are future Remember thy sinne to grieve for it Remember death that thou mayst cease from sinne Remember Gods justice that thou mayst be kept in fear Remember Gods mercie that thou mayst not despair As much as thou canst withdraw thy self from the world and addict thy self wholly unto the service of the Lord. Alwayes in delights think that thy chastitie is in danger in riches think that thy humilitie is in danger in many businesses think that thy godlinesse is in danger Study to please none but Christ Fear to displease none but Christ. Alwayes pray thou unto God to command what he will and to give what he commands Pray unto him to cover what is past and to govern what is to come As thou desirest to seem so also thou must be For God judgeth not according to the shew but according to the truth In thy words take heed of much babling because for every idle word thou must give an account in the day of judgement Thy works be they what they will do not passe away but are cast as certain seeds of eternitie If thou sowest in the flesh of the flesh thou shalt reap corruption If thou sowest in the spirit of the spirit thou shalt reap life everlasting The honours of the world shall not follow thee after death neither shall thy heaps of riches follow thee neither shall thy pleasures follow thee neither shall the vanities of the world follow thee But after all thy works shall follow thee As therefore thou desirest to be at the day of judgement to day appeare to be such in the sight of God Do not esteem those things that thou hast but rather esteem those that thou wantest Be not proud for what is given thee but be humbled rather for that which is denied thee Learn to live whiles thou mayst live In this life is eternall life either obtained or lost After death there is no time to work but the time of recompense begins In the life to come working is not expected but the reward of working Let holy meditation bring forth in thee knowledge and knowledge compunction and compunction devotion and let devotion make prayer The silence of the mouth is a great good for the peace of the heart The more thou art separated from the world the more acceptable thou art unto God Whatsoever thou desirest to have ask of God whatsoever thou hast give unto God He that is not thankfull for that which is given already is unworthy to receive more Gods graces cease to descend when our thanks cease to ascend Whatsoever happeneth unto thee make use of it for good When thou art in prosperity think that thou hast then an occasion to blesse and praise God When thou art in adversitie think that thou art then put in minde of thy repentance and conversion Shew the strength of thy power in helping the strength of thy wisdome in instructing and the strength of thy riches in doing good Let not adversitie cast thee down neither let prosperitie lift thee up Let all thy life be directed unto Christ as unto the mark Follow him in the way that thou mayst overtake him in thy countrey In all things have a speciall care of profound humilitie and ardent charitie Let charitie lift up thy heart unto God that thou mayest cleave unto him And let humilitie keep thy heart down that thou beest not proud Judge God to be a Father for his clemencie a Lord for his discipline a Father for his power and gentlenesse a Lord for his severitie and justice Love him as a Father piously fear him as a Lord necessarily Love him because he willeth mercy fear him because he willeth not sinne Fear the Lord and trust in him acknowledge thy misery and proclaim his mercy O God thou that hast given us to will give us also grace to perfect Meditat. XXIX Of the shaking off securitie To live it is not but to die To live in all securitie COnsider thou devout soul what an hard matter it is to be saved and thou shalt easily shake off all securitie At no time and in no place is there securitie Neither in heaven nor in paradise and then much lesse in the world An angel fell in the presence of the divinitie and Adam fell in the place of pleasure Adam was created after the image of God and yet notwithstanding he was deceived by the treacheries of the devil Solomon was the wisest of men and yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. Judas was in the school of our Saviour and did every day heare the saving word of that chief Doctour and yet was not he safe from the snares of Satan He was plunged headlong into the pit of covetousnesse and so into the pit of eternall punishment David was a man after Gods own heart and he was unto the Lord as a most deare sonne and yet by murder and adulterie he became the sonne of death Where then is there securitie in this life Relie with an assured confidence of heart upon the promises of God and thou shalt be safe from the invasions of the devil There is no securitie in this life but that which is infallibly promised to those that beleeve and walk in the way of the Lord But when we come unto future happâ—nesse then at length we shall have full securitie In this life fear and religion are coupled together neither must one be without the other Be not secure in adversitie but whatsoever adversitie happâ—neth unto thee in this life think that it iâ— the reward of thy sinnes God often punisheth secret offences by open corrections Think upon the grievous stains of
grant unto me of his goodnesse that I may beleeve his word and promises I will use the help and support of prayer to strengthen my faith and I will not suffer the Lord to depart out of the chamber of my heart untill I have obtained salvation By the power of the Lord I shall be able to be preserved unto salvation The power of the Lord doth lift me up and comfort me but mine own infirmitie doth cast me down and make me sorrowfull But the power of the Lord shall be perfected in my weaknesse He shall strengthen me from whom cometh all the strength of my faith The grace of God doth lift me up but mine unworthinesse doth cast me down But if there were any worthinesse in me then it were no grace but a reward If of works then certainly not of grace For grace is not any way grace unlesse it be every way gratis Therefore have I no respect unto my works That which is amisse he will amend that which is wanting he will make up that which he will not impute against me shall be as if it were not Therefore is my salvation onely from God and therefore sure Meditat. XLIII That we must think daily upon our death Think every day to be thy last And when night comes thy life is past O Faithfull soul look foâ— death every houre Because it waits for thee every houre In the morning when thou risest O man think that it is thy last day And in the evening when thou goest to bed think that it is thy last night upon earth Whatsoever thou doest whatsoever thou goest about look about thee and consider with thy self first whether thou wouldest do such things or no if thou shouldest die that houre and so go to Gods judgement What! Dost thou think that death doth not approch because thou thinkest not of it or dost thou think that it draweth nearer because thou thinkest upon it whether thou thinkest upon it or no whether thou speakest of it or no it hangs alwayes over thy head Life was lent unto thee not given as a free-hold Upon this condition thou didst enter in that thou shouldest go out Naked thou camest and naked thou must go This life is a pilgrimage when thou hast travelled a good while then thou must return home again Thou art but a farmer and tenant in this world and not a perpetuall lord Every houre think with thy self whither thou hastenest every moment In this we are deceived in that we think we die then when we breathe out our last Every day every houre every moment we die Whatsoever is added unto our life is taken from it and as it increaseth it also decreaseth we fall not into death suddenly but walk into it step after step This life of ours is a way and every day we must ridde some of it Life and death seem to be most distant but they are as neare as neare can be For one passeth away and the other cometh on As it is with those that travel by sea they oftentimes come to the haven and yet they neither feel nor so much as think whither they are carried So likewise it is with us whatsoever we do whether we eat drink or sleep we draw nearer alwayes to our death Many have passed away their life even in the time whiles they were seeking after things belonging to the sustentation of this life No man entertains death joyfully unlesse he hath long before prepared himself for it In this life die daily unto thy self that so in death thou mayst live unto God Before thou diest let thy sinnes die in thee In thy life time let the old Adam die in thee So at thy death Christ shall live in thee In thy life time let the outward man daily decay that at thy death the inward man may be renewed in thee Death translateth thee from time to eternitie for as the tree falls so it lies How carefully then ought we to think upon the houre of death Time passeth away but the infinite space of eternitie remains behinde In time therefore make thy self ready for eternitie What we shall be for ever whether blessed or miserable it shall be decreed at the houre of death In that one moment is eternall felicitie either enjoyed or lost Wherefore O faithfull soul how solicitous and carefull oughtest thou to be in preparing thy self for that houre Thou wilt easily contemn all worldly things if thou considerest with thy self that thou must die Consider that thine eyes shall be darkened in death and thou wilt easily turn away thine eyes from beholding vanitie Consider that thy eares shall wax deaf at thy death and it shall be easie for thee to stop thy eares against impious and filthy speeches Consider that thy tongue shall be tied at thy death and thou wilt have more regard unto thy words Set before thine eyes the cold sweat and anxietie of those that are ready to die and thou wilt easily contemn all worldly delights Look upon the nakednesse of them that depart out of this world and povertie in this life will not seem grievous unto thee Consider the trembling of the whole bodie at the point of death and thou wilt easily contemn the splendour of the world Consider the mourning of the soul being compelled to go out of the house of the bodie and thou wilt easily beware of the guilt of all sinne Consider the corruption that followeth after death and thou wilt easily bring down thy proud flesh Consider how naked thou art left at thy death being forsaken of all the creatures and thou wilt easily turn away thy love from them and turn it towards the Creatour Consider how narrowly death looks to thee that thou carrie away nothing with thee at thy death and thou wilt easily contemn all the riches of the world He that in this life dieth daily through his sinnes doth passe from death temporall unto the punishments of death eternall No man is translated unto everlasting life but he that begins here to live in Christ. That in death therefore thou mayest live be ingrafted into Christ by faith Let death be alwayes in thy thoughts because it is to be expected alwayes We carry death alwayes about us because we alwayes carry sinne about us and the wages of sinne is death But if thou wouldest escape the bitternesse of death keep the word of Christ. Faith doth conjoyn and unite us unto Christ Therefore they which are in Christ die not For Christ is their life He that is joyned unto God by faith is one spirit with him And therefore the faithfull man dieth not for ever because God is his life The people of Israel passed through the Red sea unto the promised land but Pharaoh and his host were drowned So the death of the godly is unto them the beginning of true life and the gate of paradise but the death of the wicked is not
unto the angels and even unto himself also Oh most blessed citie Oh heavenly Jerusalem Oh the holy seat of the most holy Trinitie when shall it be that I shall enter into thy temple The Lambe is the heavenly Jerusalem to wit the Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world was slain for them from the beginning of the world When shall the time come that I may in that temple worship my God that is God in God when will that sunne rise upon me which enlightneth that holy city I am yet a banished man from my countrey but there is laid up for me an ample inheritance To those that beleeve power is given to be made the sonnes of God And if we be sonnes we are then heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Christ. Lift up thy self O my soul and long to come to thine inheritance The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and my exceeding great reward What could the most ample mercie and bountie of God bestow upon us more than this He bestows life He bestows his Sonne He bestows himself And if he had any thing else greater in heaven or in earth he would bestow even that also upon us In God we live Gods temple we are God we possesse here indeed in the spirit and in a mysterie but there in truth There shall our hope become fruition and there shall we not onely remain but dwell for ever Meditat. XLVIII Of the most comfortable fellowship of the angels in heaven If thou beest here a childe of grace 'Mongst angels thou shalt have a place AT the resurrection of the dead they shall neither marrie nor be given in marriage but shall be like unto the angels of God in heaven Who can worthily set forth with praises this honour of the blessed Into whose heart hath this glorie of the blessed ever entred The elect being renewed by a glorious resurrection shall enjoy the saving vision of God without all fear of death and without any spot of corruption I have seen the Lord face to face and my life is preserved saith the holy Patriarch But if the sight of God for a moment could bring so great joy What joy will it bring to see him for ever If the sight of God appearing in the shape of man brought salvation and life unto the soul Certainly the seeing of him face to face shall bring life and everlasting felicitie What then can be added to this felicitie What can the elect desire beside the fruition of the sight of God And yet notwithstanding they shall enjoy the most sweet and blessed fellowship of the angels Neither shall they onely enjoy their fellowship but they shall be also like unto them for the nimblenesse brightnesse and immortalitie of their bodies We shall be clothed with the same garment that they are we shall stand before the throne of the Lambe clothed with long white robes and sing unto the Lord an everlasting song we shall shine in the same crown of vertues we shall rejoyce in the same priviledge of immortalitie We have seen the angel of the Lord and we shall surely die crieth out Manoah But we shall see thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand angels and yet we shall live for ever And if we shall be like unto angels surely we shall have no cause to fear lest we be separated from them by the unlikenesse of our sinnes We shall put off the ragged coat of our sinfull nature and our nakednesse shall be covered with the garment of salvation and we shall be clothed with the white robe of righteousnesse No man there receiveth hurt no man is angry no man envious there is no slandring no concupiscence there is no ambition after honour and power We shall not be laden with the burden of our sins neither shall we be constrained to weep and wash away the spots of our sinnes with penitent teares neither shall we have cause to fear the deadly wounds of our soul For the Lion of the tribe of Judah hath overcome and through his vertue have we all overcome Again if we shall be like unto the angels we shall have no desire after meat or drink God shall be our meat with whose pleasures we shall be satisfied God shall be our meat which onely doth refresh us and is never deficient The blessed shall neither hunger nor thirst any more the sunne and the heat shall not scorch them because their mercifull Father shall feed them and shall leade them unto the living fountains of waters Out of their bellies shall flow rivers of living waters There shall be a feast prepared of marrow and fatnesse and wine clarified We shall feast and be merry and sing joyfully for the joy of heart Lord Jesus these things shall be fulfilled in spirit in truth Of the fruit of the vine shall we drink in thy Fathers kingdome but yet in spirit and in truth For the words which thou spakest unto us are spirit and life and thou declarest the joy of the world to come by the language of this world Again if we shall be like unto the angels we shall be free from the fear of death For death shall be swallowed up in victory and shall be trod down for ever and God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of his people Therefore there shall be joy without sorrow which containeth everlasting joy health without sicknesse life without death light without darknesse love which shall never wax cold joy which shall never decrease No sighing shall be heard there no grief felt no sorrowfull thing seen but there shall be joy for ever There shall be great and certain securitie secure quietnesse quiet pleasure pleasant happinesse happy eternity eternall blessednesse the blessed Trinitie the Unitie of the Trinitie the Deitie of the Unitie and the blessed sight of the Deitie Lift up thy self O my soul and weigh with thy self the honour conferred upon us by Christ We shall be made fellows with the companies of Angels and Archangels with thrones and dominions with principalities and powers Neither shall we onely be fellows with them but we shall be like unto them We shall there know the angel that was appointed by God to be our keeper in our life time neither shall we stand in need of his ministerie but we shall be delighted with his sweet companie We shall not desire his protection but we shall rejoyce for his good fellowship and we shall behold his brightnesse with eyes enlightned Again if we shall be like unto the angels our frail weak and mortall bodies shall be changed and they shall be made spirituall nimble and immortall They shall be light because they shall be neare unto God who dwelleth in light that no mortall man can approach unto and is covered with light as with a garment They shall
mud of my offences hath in a wonderfull and miserable manner defiled me The first age of man is amongst all the rest the fittest for the service of God But I have spent a good part thereof in the service of the devil The memory of many sinnes which the unbridled loosenesse of my youth hath committed is set in my sight and yet there are many more which I cannot call to memory Who knows how oft he offendeth cleanse thy servant from secret faults For these offences of my youth I offer unto thee holy Father the most holy obedience and perfect innocency of thy Sonne who was obedient to thee unto death even the death of the crosse When he was but a childe of twelve yeares old he performed holy obedience unto thee and began to execute thy will with great alacritie This obedience I offer unto thee just Judge for a price and satisfaction for the manifold disobedience of my youth Amen PRAYER III. He reckons up our daily falls and slips HOly God and just Judge There is no man innocent in thy sight no man free from the spot of sinne And I am bereaved of that glory which I should bring with me to judgement I am stripped of that garment of innocencie with which I ought to appear arayed before thee Seven times yea and oftener every houre I fall seventie times seven times I sinne every day The spirit indeed is sometimes ready but the flesh is alwayes weak The inward man flourisheth and is strong but the outward man languisheth and is weak For I do not the good that I would but the evil that I would not How often do vain wicked and impious cogitations arise in my heart How often do vain unprofitable and hurtfull words break forth How often do perverse wicked and ungodly actions pollute me All my righteousnesse is as the cloth of a menstruous woman Therefore I dare not plead for my righteousnesse before thee But I humbly prostrate my self before thy most just tribunal and out of the deeps do I cry unto thee Lord if thou shalt decree to impute sinne who shâ—ll abide it If thou wilt enter into judgement who shall stand If thou wilt call me to appear according to the severitie of thy justice how shall I come before thee If thou wilt exact a strict account of my life I shall not be able to answer thee one for a thousand Therefore my mouth is stopt and I acknowledge before thee that I have deserved eternall torments and withall I confesse with tears that thou mayst justly cast me into prison for ever Therefore for these daily sinnes of my life I offer unto thee holy Father the most precious bloud of thy Sonne which was poured forth on the altar of the crosse which washeth me from all my sinnes My sinnes which lead me captive are many in number and most powerfull But the ransome of thy Sonne is much more precious and of more efficacy Let that most perfect plenarie and holy price payed by Christ obtain for me remission of sinnes Amen PRAYER IIII. He examines our life according to the rule of the first table of the commandments HOly God and just Judge Thou gavest unto us thy Law in mount Sinai and thou wouldst have it to be the rule of all our actions words and thoughts That whatsoever is not squared by it should in thy judgement be accounted sinne As often as I look upon that most clear glasse I perceive mine own filthinesse and tremble every part of me I ought to love thee O my God above all things But how often do I love the world and forget the love of thee I am bound to fear thee O my God above all things But how often do I consent to sinne and let thy fear slip out of my memorie Thou requirest that I should trust in thee O my God above all things But how often in adversitie doth my soul waver and anxiously and carefully doubt of thy fatherly goodnesse I am bound to obey thee O my God with all my heart But how often doth my refractary flesh resist the resolution of obedience and lead me captive into the prison of sinne My cogitations ought to be holy my desires pure and holy But how often is the quiet state of my minde troubled with vain and impious cogitations I ought to call upon thee O God with all my heart But how often doth my minde wander in prayer and doth anxiously doubt whether her prayers be heard or no! How often am I remisse in prayer and demisse in conceiving confidence How often doth my tongue pray and yet I do not worship thee in spirit and in truth How profound oblivion of thy benefits doth seize upon me Thou dost daily poure thy benefits upon me in a loving manner and yet I do not daily return unto thee thanksgiving How cold is my meditation of thy immense and infinite gifts bestowed upon me What slender devotion is there for the most part in my heart I use thy gifts and yet I do not praise thee who art the giver I stick in the rivers and come not to the fountain Thy word is the word of spirit and life But I through sinne and corruption have destroyed the work of thy holy Spirit within me The sparks of a good resolution often inkindled I as often extinguish and yet I do not sue to thee for increase of thy gifts For these and all other my sinnes and defaults I offer unto thee O my God the most pure and perfect obedience of thy Sonne who loved thee in the dayes of his incarnation most perfectly with his whole heart and cleaved unto thee most firmly with all his soul in whose deeds words and thoughts there was found no blot of sinne nor spot of the least offence That which I want by faith I draw from his fulnesse Therefore for this thy wel-beloved Sonnes sake have mercy Lord upon thy servant Amen PRAYER V. He considereth our life according to the rule of the second table of the commandments HOly God and just Judge It is thy eternall and immutable will that I should honour with due respect my parents and the magistrates But how often do I think too meanly of their authoritie How often do I in heart refuse to obey then How often do I traduce their infirmities O how often do I omit by serious prayers to further their safetie I often cherish anger conceived agâ—iâ—st them whereas I ought with patience to submit my self unto them Thy sacred will requires that I should do good to my neighbour in all things to my power But how often doth it irk me to do him good How doth it go against my stomack to forgive him How often am I solicited by my flesh to anger hatred envy and brawling How often doth the fire of my angry heart burn within me although contentious words be not heard without Thy holy will
and my glory for ever Amen PRAYER VI. He prayes for the gift and increase of patience ALmighty eternall and mercifull God with humble sighs I implore thy grace that thou wilt grant unto me true and sincere patience My flesh coveteth after things pleasing unto it that is soft and carnall and refuseth patiently to endure things contrary I beseech thee powerfully to represse in me this desire of the flesh and underprop my weaknesse with the power of patience O Christ Jesu thou doctour of patience and obedience furnish me within with thy holy Spirit that I may learn of thee to renounce mine own will and patiently to bear the crosse that is laid upon me Thou enduredst for me things more grievous then thou layest upon me and I have deserved more grievous punishments then thou inflictest Thou didst bear the crown of thorns and the burden of the crosse thou didst sweat bloud thou didst tread the wine-presse for me Why therefore should I refuse with patience to endure such small sufferings and afflictions Why should I be loth to be made conformable unto thy sorrowfull image in this life Thou didst drink of the brook of passions in the way Why then should I deny to drink a small draught out of the cup of the crosse I have by my sinnes deserved eternall punishments And why should not I suffer a little in this world a fatherly correction Those that thou from eternitie before the foundations of the world were laid didst foreknow thou hast decreed that they should be made conformable unto the image of thy Sonne in the time of this life Therefore if I should not endure patiently this conformitie by the crosse I should despise thy holy and eternall counsel concerning my salvation which farre be from me thy unworthy servant It is for triall and not for deniall that thou dost so exercise me with sundry calamities As much of the crosse and tribulation as thou layest upon me so much light and consolation dost thou conferre upon me neither is my chastisement increased so much as my reward is The sufferings of this life are not worthy of that heavenly consolation which thou sendest in this life and that heavenly glory which thou promisest in the life to come I know that thou art with me in trouble Why therefore should I not rejoyce rather for the presence of thy grace then be sorrowfull for the burden of the crosse that is laid upon me Lead me which way thou wilt thou best Master and Teacher through thorns and bushes I will follow thee onely do thou draw me and make me able to follow thee I submit my head to be crowned with thorns being fully perswaded that thou wilt hereafter crown me with an everlasting crown of glory Amen PRAYER VII He prayes for the gift and increase of gentlenesse and meeknesse O Most gracious Lord that dost so lovingly and kindly invite us to repentance and with such long patience dost wait for our conversion give unto me the riches of long-suffering and meeknesse The fire of anger doth flame in my heart as often as I receive the least detriment from my neighbour Therefore I humbly pray thee that by thy Spirit thou wouldest mortifie this sinfull affection of my flesh What hard words and harder blows and most hard punishments did thy beloved Sonne endure for me Who when he was reproched reproched not again but referred all to him that judgeth all things most righteously What pride is this therefore and stubbornnesse in me that I miserable and mortall dust of the earth and ashes cannot endure a rough word and overcome with meeknesse of heart the offence given me by my neighbour Learn of me O learn of me for I am meek and humble in heart thou cryest out O Christ. Receive me receive me with sighs I humbly intreat thee into that practick school of thy Spirit that I may learn there true meeknesse With what grievous and divers sinnes do I offend thee most gracious Father whose daily pardon I stand in need of Why therefore do I being a man harbour anger against man and presume to ask pardon of thee who art Lord of heaven and earth Were it not absurd for me to take no pitie upon man that is like unto my self and to ask of thee Lord remission of my sinnes Vnlesse I shall remit unto my neighbour his offences neither can I hope for remission of my sinnes Therefore most gracious Lord that art of much mercie and long-suffering give unto me the spirit of patience and meeknes that I do not presently conceive anger when my neighbour offendeth me but that I may shun it as the enemie of my soul or if it steal upon me unawares that I may presently lay it aside Let not the sunne go down upon my wrath lest it depart as a witnesse against me Let not sleep seize upon me whilst I am angry lest he deliver me in my anger to death his sister If I desire to take revenge of mine enemie why do not I set my self against mine anger which is my greatest and most hurtfull enemie seeing that it kills the â—oul and makes me subject to eternall death Set a watch before my mouth and give me prudence to govern the actions of my life that I offend not my neighbour either in word or deed Grant that I may be unto my neighbour by the fragrant smell of my vertues a sweet senting rose and not by offences and detractions a pricking thorn Grant good Jesu that I may insist in the footsteps of thy meeknesse and with a sincere heart love my neighbour Amen PRAYER VIII He prayes for the gift and increase of chastitie HOly God thou which art a lover of modestie and chastitie and a severe hater of filthinesse and lust for Christ his sake the most chaste Bridegroom of my soul I intreat thee to work and increase in me true chastitie inward and outward of the soul and of the body of the spirit and of the flesh and contrariwise to extinguish the fire of evil concupiscence that is in my heart Let the holy fear of thee wound my flesh that it rush not headlong into the fire of lust Let the celestiall love carrie my soul up unto thee that it cleave not through inordinate love unto the unsavourie things of the world Showre down a upon me the streams of thy heavenly grace that the flames of concupiscence may thereby be extinguished as fiery darts are in the water My soul was created after thy image and repaired again by Christ I should offer great injurie unto thee therefore my Creatour and Redeemer and unto my self also if I should be-black the beautifull face of my soul with the smoke and stains of dishonest love Christ dwelleth in my heart The holy Ghost dwelleth in my heart Let him therefore replenish me with the power of his grace and the larges of his spirituall gifts that I may
Whosoever therefore is a true and a living member of the Christian Church let him daily Pray For the conservation of the word For pastours and people For magistrates and subjects and For the Oeconomicall and houshold estate For these are those three Hierarchies and hoâ—y magistracies 〈◊〉 by God for the safetie and preservation of this life and foâ— the propagation and increase of the heavenâ—y kingdome Let him pray also For his kinâ—folk and his benefactours to whom he must acknowledge himself to be bound in some speciall bond of duty Let him pray For his enemies and persecutours and seriously desiâ—e their conversion and salvation Let him pray likewise For all those that are afflicted and in miserie and shew hâ—â—â—elf to be moved with a feâ—low-feeling of their calamities PRAYER I. He prayes for the conservation and continuance of the word and for the propagatiâ—â— and increase of the Church ALmightie eternall and mercifull God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that by thy holy Spirit dost gather thy Church out of mankinde and in it dost keep the heavenly doctrine committed unto it In humilitie I adore and worship thee and pray unto thee that thou wouldest be pleased to continue unto us the saving doctrine of thy word inviolable and every day propagate and inlarge the bounds of thy Church Thou hast of thine infinite mercie lighted unto us that were in the darknesse of this world the light of thy word Suffer not therefore the clouds of humane traditions to extinguish it or to obscure it Thou hast given unto us thy word for the wholesome meat of our souls Suffer it not therefore by the delusion of the devil and the corruption of men to be turned into poyson Mortifie in us the sinfull lusts of the flesh that thirsteth after earthly things that so we may taste the spirituall delicates of thy word which is that heavenly Manna No man can feel the sweetnesse thereof but he that will taste and no man can taste whose palate is corrupted with abundance of worldly delights Thy word is the word of spirit and life of light and grace Take away therefore the carnall affections and the corrupt senses of our hearts that it may shine to us within and be a light to lead us unto the light of everlasting life From the light of thy word let there arise in our hearts the light of saving faith that in thy light we may see light in the light of thy word the light of thy Sonne As in the old time that heavenly Manna descended in the wildernesse with a wholesome dew So likewise by the hearing of thy word let our hearts be filled with the fire of the Spirit that our cold and lukewarm flesh may be excited and may be tempered against the boilings of sinfull lusts Let the seed of thy word take deep root in our hearts that by the dew of thy holy Spirit watering it it may bring forth wholesome fruit and plentifull increase like standing-corn Protect O Lord the vineyard of thy Church in which thy word is as seed scattered and fruit is gathered unto everlasting life Set an hedge of angelicall guard round about it that the wilde boars and the foxes break it not down the wilde boars by violent persecutions and the foxes by fraudulent delusions Erect up in it an high tower of thy fatherly providence that by thy custodie it may be free from all devastation But if thou shalt at any time think good to presse the grapes of this vineyard in the presse of the crosse and of calamities let them be ripened first by the heat of thy grace that they may yeeld the most delicious fruits of faith and patience Whatsoever is put into the root of the vine is converted in the grapes into the most sweet liquour of wine Grant I beseech thee that whatsoever shall happen unto us in this life whether scoffings persecutions praises or whatsoever else our souls may turn it into the wine of faith hope and charitie and into the fruit of patience and humilitie Out of this militant Church translate us at length into the Church triumphant And let this tabernacle of clay be changed into that most beautifull and everlasting temple of the heavenly Jerusalem Amen PRAYER II. He supplicates for pastours and their hearers O Jesu Christ Sonne of the living God our alone Mediatour and Redeemer who being exalted at the right hand of the Father dost send pastours and teachers of thy word by whose ministerie thou dost gather together unto thee thy Church amongst us I humbly intreat thee the onely true God together with the Father and the holy Spirit to govern these thy ministers in the way of truth and to turn the hearts of their hearers unto the true obedience of the faith There is no state or condition of men that is more subject to the hatred and treacheries of Satan then the ministers of thy word Defend them therefore by the buckler of thy grace and furnish them with the strength of patience that Satan by his sleights may not supplant them Give I beseech thee unto thy ministers that knowledge that is necessarie for them and a pious vigilancie in all their actions that they may first learn of thee before they presume to teach others Govern and illuminate their hearts by thy Spirit that being in the place of God thâ—â— preach nothing else but the oracles 〈◊〉 God Let them feed the flock that is committed unto them which thou hast bought and redeemed with the precious bloud Let them feed the flock out of true and sincere love and not for covetousnesse and ambition Let them feed them with their minde with their mouth and with their works Let them feed them with the sermon of the minde with the exhortation of the word and with their own example that they may be followers of his steps to whom the cure of the Lords flock was three severall times commended Stirre them up that they may watch â—ver the souls that are committed â—nto them as being to give a strict â—ccount for them in the day of judgement Whatsoever they exhort by â—he word of their holy preaching let them studiously labour to demonstrate the same in their actions lest that being lazie themselves and loth to work they labour in vain to stirre up others Unto what good works â—oever they stirre up others let them shine by the same first themselves being set on fire by the holy Spirit Before the words of exhortation be heard let them first proclaim by their works whatsoever they shall speak with their tongues Thrust forth faithfull labourers into thy harvest that they may gather together many handfulls of saints Open likewise the hearts of the hearers that they may receive the seed with holy obedience Give unto them thy grace that with a pure heart they may keep thy holy word committed unto them and bring forth plentifull fruit with patience