perfectly to serve thee the God of our Fathers although we be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary O Lord we beseech thee let thy loving kindnesse and thy mercie to poor miserable sinners in Jesus direct our hearts as the hearts of thy elected servants to pray unto thy sacred Majestie in spirit and truth and we humbly beseech thee let thy ears hearken to our praiers and the praiers of all thy servants who desire to fear thy Name Two things we most humbly beg of thee O our mercy denie us not them before we die Remove farre from us vanity and lies Give us neither poverty nor riches feed us with food convenient for us least we be full and denie thee and say Who is the Lord or least we be poor and steale and take the Name of our God in vaine so we will praise thee O Lord in the power of thy might saying Thou wast angry with us because of our mighty sinnes provoking thee but thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest us Thou art our preserver and our refuge we will trust and will not feare for thou Lord God art our strength and long and our salvation O our good and blessed Lord and King in the power of thy mercie we will extoll thee and will blesse thy Name for ever and ever Praise ye the Lord O our soules we will praise the Lord during our lives as long as we have any being we will sing unto our God O our God blessed is the man unto whom thou imputest not iniquity O teach us thy statutes Teach us to pray unto thee in a time when thou maist be found Thou art our secret place thou preservest us from trouble thou compassest us about with joyfull deliverance because thy mercie endures for ever O instruct us and teach us the way that we should goe and guide us with thine eye least we be like the horse and mule which have no understanding O our loving God give us grace to trust in thee that thy mercie may compasse us and that we may rejoice in thy salvation and give thee praise with all the faculties both of our souls and bodies continually O cause us to trust truly in thee for so we shall not perish Give us grace and strength O Lord by the power of thy saving spirit in Jesu truly to humble our selves for the afflictions and sinnes of our enemies so in thy mercie shall our praiers return into our own bosomes but doe thou save and comfort them O Lord for thy goodnesse and let it be thy will O God that our tongue utter thy righteousnesse and thy praise every day We desire to doe thy will O our God yea thy Law is within our hearts deale with thy servants according to thy mercies and teach us thy statutes we are thy servants grant us therefore understanding that we may know thy testimonies we love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold therefore we esteem all thy precepts most just and hate all false waies Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my soul keep them The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giveth understanding to the simple Look upon us O Lord and be mercifull unto us as thou usest to doe unto them that love thy Name Direct our steps in thy Word and let none iniquity have dominion over us shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servants and teach us thy statutes Righteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgments Trouble and anguish are come upon us yet are thy Commandements our delight The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting O grant us understanding and we shall live Hear our voice O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse O quicken us according to thy judgments Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken us according to thy free mercy and thy goodnesse Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israell know us not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy Name is for ever O give us thy saving spirit of life in Jesus from Heaven for we can receive nothing except it be given us from Heaven O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies and hardned our hearts from thy feare returne for thy servants sake and for our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake doe thou write our Names in the book of life with thy servants Let our complaints come before thee O Lord and give us understanding according to thy word Let our supplications come before thee O Lord and deliver us according to thy promise Our lipps shall speak thy praise O God when thou hast taught us thy statutes Our tongues shall treat of thy word for all thy Commandements are righteous Let thy hand help us for we have chosen thy precepts We have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is our delight Let our souls live and they shall praise thee and thy judgments shall help us We have gone astray like lost sheep seek thy servants for we doe not forget thy Commandements Our sinnes O Lord our sinnes they have taken hold of us that we cannot look up they are more in number then the hairs of our heads therefore our hearts have failed us Let it please thee O Lord to deliver us make haste O God to help us Our souls thirst for God even for the living God when shall we come and appear before the presence of God O God thou art our guide for ever have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away our offences Wash us throughly from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes for we know our iniquities and our sinnes are ever before us Against thee against thee onely have we sinned and done evill in thy sight that thou mayest be just when thou speakest and pure when thou judgest behold we were born in iniquity and in sinne have our mothers conceived us Thou O Lord lovest truth in the heart therefore give us wisdome in our inward affections Purge us with hysop and we shall be clean wash us and we shall be whiter then snow make us to hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy face O Lord from our sinnes and put away all our iniquities Create in us clean hearts O Lord and renew right spirits within us O cast us not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from us Open thou our lips O Lord and our mouthes shall shew forth thy praise Deliver us from bloud O God of our salvation and from the secret trapps of our deadly enemy Have mercy upon us O God have mercy upon us for our soul trusteth in thee and in the shadow of thy wings will we trust till the afflictions of our sinning against thee be overpast We will call upon the most high God even to the God that performeth his promise towards us We will
I thinke it meete as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance Seeing I know that the time is at hand that I must lay down this my tabernacle I will endevour therefore that ye allso may be able to haue remembrance of these things after my departure Pet. 2.1.13.14.15 The lord will perfect that which concerneth me Psal 138.8 THE COUNSELL AND ADMONITION OF HENRY MASSINGBERD Esq TO HIS CHILDREN PSAL. 111. 10. PROV 9.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome a good understanding have all they that doe thereafter PROV 4.7 Wisdome is a speciall thing therefore get wisdome and above all thy gettings get understanding TIT. 1.15 To the pure all things are pure but to the corrupt all things are corrupted There may be both good and evill produced from all earthly things for that Every pot hath two handles Char. of Wisd LONDON Printed by A.M. Anno Domini 1656. I haue not sate with vaine persons neither will I goe in with dissemblers Psal 26 4. Wee ought to aske and knocke and seeke and pray His constant guidance in his perfect way How vile a shape doth beare this bone When th'perewigg of flesh is gone Learne from this dryed bone and parched skull The body 's foule blest soules are beauty full THE Counsell and Admonition OF Henry Massingberd Esq TO HIS Children SCRIPTURES ROM 15.14 I Trust you will admonish one another in the fear of God 1 Thes 5.12 13. Love them that admonish you and be at peace among your selves 2 Thes 3.15 Count him not an enemy that offends but admonish him Jer. 42.19 Know certainly that I have admonished you this day Exod. 18.19 Hearken now unto my voice I will give thee counsell and God shall be with thee Job 21.16 The counsell of the wicked is far from me Psal 1.1 2. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornfull but his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night Psal 16.7 I will blesse the Lord who hath given me counsell And 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsell and then receive me to glory Prov. 8.9 They are all plain to him that understandeth and right to them that finde knowledge Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hands O God Job 10.20 Are not my dayes few Job 14.1 Man is of few dayes Eccles 1.4 One generation goeth and another cometh Gen. 27. â— I know not the day of my death Eccl. 3.2 There is a time to be born and a time to die Eph. 6.1 Children obey your parents Phil. 4.17 I desire fruit that may a bound to your accompt Joh. 14.3 That where I am ye may be also 2 Sam. 122.3 I shall go to him he shall not return to me Eph. 4.5 6. One Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Math. 6.10 Thy kingdome come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Job 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait untill my change come Joh. 9.4 I must work the work of him that sent me to day the night cometh when no man can work Amos 4.12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israel Eccl. 11.3 Where the tree falleth there it lies Matth. 25.3 They that were foolish took their lampes and no oyl with them Heb. 3.7 8. Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Mark 13.37 What I say unto you I say unto all Watch. Prov. 4.1 Hear ye children the instruction of a father and attend to know understanding Isa 38.19 The father to the children shall make known thy truth Prov. 22.6 Train up a childe in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to doe justice Psal 133. Prov. 1.7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisedom and instruction And ver 8. My sonne hear thou the instruction of thy father and despise not the law of thy mother Joh. 15.17 These things I command you that you love one another And 13.34 A new commandement I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another 1 Joh. 4.24 He that loveth God loveth his brother also 1 Pet. 1.22 See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently Acts 7.27 Ye are brethren why doe ye wrong one another Job 1.21 The Lord gave the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. 1 Tim. 6.17 Trust not in uncertain riches Eccl. 5.13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Sunne namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Matth. 6.20 Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven Rev. 8.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world nor the things of this world Phil. 3.15 As many as be perfect be thus minded James 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherles and the widow with some relief in their afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from this world Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures Matth. 22.19 You erre not knowing the Scriptures Psal 127.5 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it Heb. 11.6 He that comes to God must beleeve that he is and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seck him Eccl 2.26 For God giveth to men that is good in his sight wisdome knowledge joy Psal 30.1 I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up And 68.4 Sing unto God sing praises to his Name extoll him that rideth upon the heavens Psal 39 5. Man at his best estate is altogether vanity 1 Sam. 2.7 The Lord bringeth low and lifteth up Psal 18.2 The Lord is my rock and my fortresse my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust Ver. 30. As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tried he is a buckler to all those that trust in him Luk. 2.14 Glory to God on high on earth peace Joh. 14.23 But the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and truth Psal 34.18 The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saveth those that be of a contrite spirit And 51.17 A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Mal. 3.3 Offer to God the sacrifice of righteousnesse Psal 116.17 I will offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord. Job 4.7 Who ever perished being innocent And
belief or Church to be perfect and infallible neither will I condemn a contrary humble serious and solemn belief to be wholly wicked and abominable but most humbly conceive that the best profession religion devotion and belief to be the most humble and carefull fearing of almighty God and working of righteousnesse which whosoever obediently endeavoureth shall be accepted in the mercy of the Almighty for although none of our works in a strict sense can be called the works of righteousnesse yet in some sort they may be reputed righteous though mixed with much sinne and imperfection as water muddy and mixt with earth is understood and reputed water Ephes 6. I dare not say my own belief is best Nor dare condemn as reprobate the rest All righteous wayes unto one gate doe leade Salvation free thus holy Wriâ— doth reade Who feareth God and worketh truth shall have A free acceptance from his gracious love Ephes 6 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 verses O Lord my God in th' power of thy love I le put on thy whole Armour of defence That in thy strength I may stand firme above the fierce assaults of Hells concupiscence For this I know I doe not enterprize against an enemy made of flesh and blood But against Powers Principalities and worldly Governours Princes of worldly good in darknesse spirituall wickednesse in the high-places fill'd with all excesse For that cause I will take a Cap a pee the whole approved Armour of my God That thence I may resist i' the evill day and having finisht stand against hells rod Lord I will stand with my loynes girt about with Verity in true obedience And I will have upon me paramount that righteous Brest-plate faithfull penitence and I will shooe my feet with preparation of Gospels peace assurance of Salvation And above all I 'le take the Shield of Faith which is sufficient for to quench the ire And to extinguish all those fiery darts whereby the wicked me to slay desire and I will take the Helmet of Salvation the Sword o' th Spirit Gods word from the Creation And I will alwaies with all manner prayers and supplications in truth in the spirit And I will watch against all false gain-sayers with perseverance till I life inherit from thee O Father who without degrees for every Childe hast a fit Legacy and all of us from thy most gracious care though single folke inheritours we are A Military Christian MY onely Lord of hoasts Lord Generall Unto my Captaine his all-conquering Sonne Hath given all power by whom I have a call To be his Souldier by Commission I have his promise that no Armes I l'e want But surely conquer if but valiant Then though I be most naked poor and weake I l'e from his magazine throughly be compleate Thou holy Spirit distributer of graces Fit me a Souldier for the highest places Give me my Helmet my Saviours first descent Give me my Beaver fixt in Virgins wombe Give me my Pendents which to John joy sent Give me my Gorget Salutation Give me that blessed birth my back and breast Give me my guard of reignes that manger rest Give me my Tasses those sweet swadling cloathes Give me my Curaces my Bethleem peace Give me my Knees and Ankle armes and those Give me my Spurros of speed in Egypts ease Give me my Gauntlet call'd a Nazaret Give me that Jordane Sword and I 'me compleate Yet being self-convicted vile and vaine I a blinde beggar humbly beg againe Mount me on Faiths true courage stately steed And give a trâ—â—le to my strugling wayes Give me the reignes of Graces at my need Give me a Saddle mounting me on baies Give me my Breast-plate and my Crooper strong And girt me to thy Saints in Union And give me Pistols that with fire and sword I may be ready to advance thy Word Thou being arm'd and being thus imploy'd Whilest any Judas dare himselfe discover Against my Captaine I 'le be overjoy'd Him to extinguish root and branch together My peace shall be my warre for to destroy The enemies of my God my King my joy Who before long shall all together meete In chainer appointed underneath his feete And then wee 'le march under our Captaines aide In glorious triumph Colours all displaide The vanity of Temporall things in respect of Eternall Desire to live no longer in this thy pilgrimage then thou canst doe Almighty God true faithfull and filiall service and let his testimonies be thy delight and counsellours Ps 119.24 We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Let the wicked forsake his wayes Acts 14.22 and the unrighteous his own imaginations and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive Isa 55.7 8 9 10 11. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are my waies your waies saith the Lord For as the Heavens are higher then the earth so are my waies higher then your waies and my thoughts above your thoughts Surely as the raine comes down and the snow from Heaven and returneth not thither empty but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it therefore ye shall goe forth with joy and be led forth with peace Amen Temporall things are most vaine saving as they tend to the good of our Eternitie O My soul what 's thy body thy earthly house thy prison and what 's that slimie life that brittle fading shade that fashioneth thee a man Are not thy daies as a spanne and the end certaine the Goale set and every minute shortens thy appointed race Is not the will of the Eternall all things both in Heaven and earth and can his predestinated order change Serve the Lord thy God in his waies and pathes that he hath set thee for thy pilgrimage To what purpose is thy springing youth so strictly fettered with thy lettered chaines and what doth knowledge profit if grief be losse To what purpose are those endlesse toyles which sea and land makes way for to obtain the earth To what purpose doth the greedy wretch with broken sleep to fill his empty grave And to what purpose are the hidden mines and deepest pits sought for the secret Pearles And to what purpose is thy lawlesse sword that subdivides the earth unto thy babes And to what purpose are all elements call'd to circulize thy triple angler heart yet vacuums are found And to what purpose dost thou build thy house upon such sandy mountaines as the Earth those mouldring Tombes they hide but frothy mindes the soules contentments of the sacred Saints Seek for thy self a better resting place and be thou married to a meeter mate Long thou and
natures say That youth the aged should obey And doe them reverence But now fond youth condemns the wise And fools do wisdomes Laws despise By force and negligence The strongest hand doth call it right To cut down all with force might Their rage and will subdueth And if they call the evill good The truth must so be understood Or else their rage reneweth Eve What Husband then it seems the world Is topsie turvey tost and hurld And worst hath best subdued Adam Yes Wife it is decaid and old Truth and devotion 's very cold And soon will be renued Eve Renued or made new my Deare How shall I understand thee here Shall thee and I' gaine meete Shall we in ancient Paradice And in our blessed innocence Each other kindely greete Shall all the sinnes of us and ours Which truth and justice thus devours Be pardoned and forgiven Adam In part but how to tell none can It 's not the act of mortall man But the free gift of Heaven A Prayer O Eternall ever-living and all-sufficient Lord God who art the God of the spirits of all flesh to whom the grave is open from whom there is no covering for destruction I am thy poor wretched and unworthy servant and by reason of my sinne lesse then the least of all thy mercies unworthy so much as to think upon thee or to take thy blessed Name within my corrupted lips much more unworthy am I to have liberty to call upon thy sacred Majesty and to ask those things that I stand in need of with this gracious assurance that thou wilt give me those things that are best for me though I ask them not of thee and though I ask them so unworthily that thou maist justly refuse to give me them because I ask them of thee so unworthily so that I may with humble boldnesse pray Lord give me what is onely best for me though I ask it not and give me not what is evill for me though I ask it but thou art from everlasting to everlasting holy and just and good and thy mercies are above all thy works wherefore I come unto thee not in my own merits but in the merits of thy onely Sonne my onely Saviour Jesus Christ the righteous in whom I believe Lord help my unbelief humbly desiring thy sacred Majesty for his sake and for thy own goodnesse sake towards the works of thine own hands to pardon and passe by all my sinnes actuall and originall to blot them out of thy book of remembrance and to set them so behinde thy back that thou maist never call me to account for them either in this world to my shame or in the world to come to my utter condemnation Give me grace and strength to return unto thee O my God as the prodigall sonne to his father acknowledging my self unworthy to be called thy sonne or servant and give me I humbly pray wisdome which is about thy throne for all wisdome is from thy gracious gift that so I may rightly understand earthly things from heavenly things time from eternity and graciously give me the will and deed to lay up my treasure in Heaven and not on earth And I most humbly crave of thy sacred goodnesse the unresistible power of thy holy Spirit that thereby I may be built up and made perfect to every good work to the true and perfect serving of thee my good God and to the working righteousnesse as thy elected Saints by the powerfull and unresistible guidance of the holy Spirit doe and ought to doe both for and in their time and their eternity And O my good God because many are the controversies and disputes concerning thee thy word thy truth amongst poor mortality to the great destruction fear and trouble of thy poor willing and desiring servants Let thy sacred Spirit O my God speak the truth of thy will and of my duty to my conscience and then give me grace and strength to follow my conscience in the sacred way of thy holy Spirit that so I may keep a good conscience towards thee my God and towards men And I humbly pray that thy gracious Spirit may also reveale unto my soule what righteousnesse and what unrighteousnesse is what is truth and what is error what is the perfect duty of thy servant in all the passage of his pilgrimage under the Sunne and what is not the duty of thy servant to doe that so I may not onely perform unto thy sacred Majesty my present duty in thy blessed service but that I may doe it knowingly willingly and wittingly and that I may not only avoid all the appearances of evill but that I may doe it also knowingly willingly and wittingly as becomes the most faithfull and perfect servant of my Creator O give unto thy servant a discerning spirit inable him perfectly O my God to know good from evill and then give him grace and strength to doe the good and avoid the evill as becomes thy most blessed servants And give unto me thy servant O my good God a true principle of due obedient love in all my devotions and undertakings whatsoever towards thee my good God And for thy mercies sake teach me thy statutes and hide not thy precepts from me lead me in the way that I should goe and hold me in the living path of thy most joyfull servants Search my heart O God and try my wayes for there are wayes of iniquity in me and lead me in the way everlasting Let me have here in this life O my good God that and that only which may most perfect and fit me in soule and body for thy eternall and most sacred service Let the daily presidents of mortality O my good God move me to true repentance give me to know O my eternall Creator that I am no better then my parents but as they are returned with their bodies to the grave and their souls to thee the God that gave them so it must be with me Give me to know O Eternity that here is no abiding place here is no continuing dwelling give me grace and strength our good God to seek and finde one to come eternall in the Heavens Give thy servant O my gracious God true love to thee my God for thy own sake to my neighbour for thy Commandement sake and all for obedience sake unto thy blessed Majesty Give me to see O thou my only Good the blessed marks of thy sweet corrections both upon my body and soule in this life those glorious impressions by which thou sealest to thy self thy beloved children in whom thy soul delighteth O my most gracious God although I be most unworthy to be by thy good grace accounted such a childe such delight so beloved yet for thy own goodnesse sake let thy blessed seale of thy fatherly impression be upon me even what thou wilt for I assuredly know thou wilt with my most needfull saving Crosse give thy servant most needfull and saving strength to bear it
severall Mothers yet let your love and unity be one in faith and truth and the One eternall God will undoubtedly give you the incomprehensible blessing both of temporall and eternall peace and will strongly fortifie you against any dejection at the deprivement of any temporall blessings whilest you truly consider the uncertainty of them the difficulty in well using of them and the danger if abused and that nothing is worthy our serious thoughts but what accompanies us to our eternall habitation and goeth with us to that admirable perfect and happy estate we shall most certainly arrive unto if we wean our selves from these worldly impediments that here deface and clogge our souls and only endeavour and esteem that good which tends to the good of our eternity The inward endowments of the minde are by far more excellent than the outward adornments of the body therefore let the bottome and foundation of all thy endeavours be laid in pure and undefiled religion truly grounded upon the sacred Scriptures rightly understood Sint cast a deliciae meae scripturae tuae nec faller in eis O Deus meus nec fallam ex eis August Confess For except the Lord build the house the workmen labour but in vain We must all acknowledge and beleeve a most sacred heavenly Deity for whosoever come to almighty God aright fitting for his mercifull and saving acceptance must first know and beleeve that he is and that he is the rewarder of them that serve him True religion consisteth in the knowledge of God and of our selves for it is a relative action between both the office thereof is to extoll God to the utmost of our power and to beat down man as utterly lost and then to furnish him with means to rise again to make him feel his misery and his weaknesse to the end he may put his whole confidence in God alone Religion should knit and unite us to the author and principall cause of our good and re-unite us to our first cause and root where if we continue firm we are thereby preserved in our perfection and contray if we separate we instantly faint and languish True Religion doth make us give all honour to almighty God and receive all benefit to our selves Glory be to God on high and peace with men on earth Almighty God must be served with our hearts and spirits it is the service answerable to his nature he is a spirit then worship him in purity of spirit this he requireth and it pleaseth him the Father desireth such worshippers the most acceptable sacrifice unto his sacred Majesty is a pure free and humble heart this he will not despise A pure heart is a sacrifice to God an innocent soul an innocent life A holy man is a true sacrifice to God his body is his Temple his soul is his a Image his affections are his b offrings his solemne sacrifice is to imitate serve and implore him God is rich and therefore giveth unto us poor and therefore aske Although all true worship be from the inward spirit yet neverthelesse we must not contemn or disdain outward and publick service which must be an assistant to the inward truth by observing ceremonies orders and customs with moderation without vanity ambition hypocrisie or covetousnes as they may and doe tend to the advancement of true devotion in us alwaies remembring that God will be served in spirit and what is performed by us otherwise is rather for our selves then for God for humane respects and formall observances then divine verity which rather belongs to manners and customs then the thing it self Our vowes and prayers to almighty God should be alwaies with this submission Thy will be done O Lord and not mine Tua voluntas Domine mea sit mea voluntas tuam semper sequatur optimè ci concordet saith a pious and ancient Father Take great heed of asking any thing against the determination of his revealed will his will is that we ought to fit our selves to receive We must think speak and deal with almighty God as if all the world did behold us and live and converse with the world as if God did behold us We must take great care not upon any slight occasion or cursorily to use the most sacred Name of God but with premeditation obediently and reverently to speak and use it his Name is holy and all honour is for ever due unto it The divine providence being well learned by us doth administer sufficient upholding comfort in all the chances and changes of this life We are most thankfully to acknowledge and submit to this providence which disposeth all things to the best to them that truly and obediently acknowledge it without which a Sparrow falls not and with whom our hairs are numbred this is the staff of life the blessed stay of comfort on which we safely rest in all the passages of our pilgrimage this inward spirit works quite contrary to the outward man it makes us truly say Thy will be done O God and not mine and not only say so but heartily and thankfully rejoyce that so it is knowing that it is best and only good for us this clears thy soul of grief and trouble and fills thy heart with joy and gladnes knowing that is done which is only good for thee and that thy will is not done for had it been against divine providence it would have produced thy utter ruine and destruction therefore for ever blesse that most gracious providence that hath avoided it Be diligent to finde out the good of necessity it is a sweet herbe but growes not in every garden it is an especiall branch of true wisdome and teacheth to take every thing by the right end the righteous and the wicked the wise and the foolish the true contented and discontented doe all the same things but not after the same manner not with the same apprehension understanding and judgment neither intending or conducing to the same end and purpose and therefore the operation in them is not the same but quite contrary Nothing in this world is perfect therefore there is both good and evill a right and a wrong use of them the first tending to true joy and comfort the latter to sorrow and discontent Correction upon search discovereth sinne and moveth to repentance and prevention Not to rejoyce after serious thoughts at the chastisements of Gods providence is a very evill signe of a wicked heart we must be truly sorrowfull for sinne which is the only cause of correction not for the correction for the cause of the disease not for the cure Before I was corrected I went astray but now have I learned thy word O blessed and sweet correction that leads and holds us in the way to eternall happinesse if correction bring thee not comfort with resolution by the gracious assistance of almighty God and joy in amendment search narrowly thy wayes for it is greatly to be feared they lead thee to eternall death
or indeed the least sorrow Matth. 27.27 Then the souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the Common-hall and gathered about him the whole band Ver. 28. And they stripped him and put upon him a scarlet robe Ver. 29. And platted a Crown of thorns and put it upon his head and a reed in his right-hand and bowed the knees before him and mocked him saying God save the King of the Jews Ver. 30. And spit upon him and took a reed and smote him on the head Ver. 31. Thus when they had mocked him they took the robe from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him Ver. 33. And when they were come unto the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens sculls Ver. 34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink Ver. 35. And when they had crucified him they parted his garments and did cast lots that it might be fullfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Psal 22.18 They divided my garments amongst them and upon my vesture did cast lots Ver. 36. And they sate and watched him there Ver. 37. They set up also over his head his cause written This is Jesus the King of the Jews Ver. 38. And there were two thieves crucified with him one on the right hand and the other on the left Ver. 39. And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads and Ver. 40. Saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes save thy self if thou be the Sonne of God come down from the crosse Ver. 41. Likewise also the High-Prists mocking him with the Scribes and Pharisees and Elders said Ver. 42. He saved others but he cannot save himself if he be the King of Israell let him now come down from the crosse and we will beleeve him Ver. 43. He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Sonne of God Ver. 44. That same also the thieves that were crucified with him cast in his teeth Ver. 45. Now from the sixth hour was there darkness over all the land untill the ninth hour Ver. 46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Ely Ely lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Ver. 47. And some of them that stood there when they heard it said This man calleth Elias Ver. 48. And straight way one of them ranne and took a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink Ver. 49. Others said Let be let us see if Elias will come and save him Ver. 50. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice again and yeelded up the ghost Now then let us be glad and rejoyce to goe to him our Saviour our joy our peace what way soever he is pleased to call us through the most bitter torments of minde or body by weaknesses sicknesses and imperfections and let us be most assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Tim. 2.3 Let us therefore suffer afflictions as good souldiers of Jesus Christ For it is a true saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also raign with him if we deny him he also will deny us Yea 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions Here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren which are in the world As many as our Saviour loveth he rebuketh and chasteneth Be zealous therefore in the truth and amend and rejoice alwayes that the will of God in Christ Jesus thy Saviour is therein done which is the best for thee Amen X. A fift Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going from sorrow to joy Isa 17.1 The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come 2 King 22.19 20. But because thy heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy self before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants of the same to wit that it should be destroyed and accursed and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me I have also heard it saith the Lord behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evill which I will bring upon this place this was the great love of God to King Josiah See 2 Chron. 34.28 Luk. 16.22 Lazarus by a blessed dissolution is eased of all his pains sores diseases fears and troubles is called for out of the prison of the body and presently by the happy messenger of death is made fit and carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome where all the elect are in joyes incomprehensible freed from sinne and sorrow forever Amen XI A sixth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our being gathered to our nearest alliance our kindred and our parents 2 King 22.19 20. Josiah was gathered to his fathers in great abundant mercy as I mentioned before See the most sweet and gracious call of the eternall mercy to Moses Deut 32.48 49 50. which I lately mentioned And the Lord spake to Moses the self same day saying Goe up into the mountain of Abarim unto the mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan which I give to the children of Israell for a possession and die in the mount which thou goest up unto and thou shalt be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered to his people Gen. 25.8 The Abraham yeelded up the spirit and died in a good age an old man and of great years and was gathered to his people Numb 20.26 Almighty God commanded Moses to take Aaron and Eleazer his sonne and to bring them up into the mount Hor and to cause Aaron to put off his garments and to put them upon Eleazer his sonne saying Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there Numb 30.1 2. Almighty God doth bid Moses avenge the children of Israel of the Mideanites and in token of acceptance and reward faith afterwards thou shalt be gathered to thy people Gen. 15.17 And Ishmaell yeelded up the spirit and died and was gathered to his people Chap. 35. ver 29. And Isaak gave up the ghost and died and
though there were neither Hell of his justice nor Heaven of his mercy 2. True love will choose rather to serve our good God in Hell for ever if it could more fully and better do him perfect service in those flames then to be for ever in the highest joyes of Heaven these not to serve him as fully and as truly 3. To desire the eternall and whole conversion of thy soul and body for ever into the everlasting service of thy good Creatour in true love and to finde therein thy true peace is true love Love truly converted into the will of God is Heaven and those that are so converted may be said to be in Heaven upon earth for neither love nor Heaven can here be perfect but although they be still in their earthly tabernacles they have heavenly peace both of minde and conscience which cannot be quite taken from them although here must be no perfection whereby the whole will of almighty God without which either by appointment or permission nothing comes to passe is the true joy and content of their mindes wills and souls The love of our good Father is shown to us in his Sonne Jesus who as it were took satisfaction for our sinnes in his sufferings that his justice being satisfied in the sufferings death and passion of our Saviour Jesus we might have onely the mercy of our good Father to appear before which in his eternall love to us is sufficient for our Salvation when the justice of our good God could no other wayes be satisfied but by our damnation The great and unexpressible love prevailed with the sacred Deity for us when our Saviour Jesus could have been rescued from his sufferings for us with more then twelve legions of Angels and when he could have had as great honour if not greater in our condemnation then in our salvation Let our souls and bodies then with all their faculties be converted into the true love of our Saviour Jesus for ever For His 1. Coming down from his Fathers right-hand from his being God with his Father for ever 2. Poverty that thou mightest be rich 3. Not having whereon to lay his head 4. Wandrings and fastings and prayers for thee 5. Being betrayed 6. Being apprehended as a malefactor 7. Being fasly accused 8. Scarlet robe of derision 9. Crowne of Thornes 10. Being condemned 11. Nayling to the Crosse 12. Cruell thirst 13. Sweating bloud 14. Side stricken with a spear 15. Bleeding water and bloud at that wound 16. Sufferings from his cradle to his grave 17. Bitter passion causing him to cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 18. Lying in the grave 19. Resurrection 20. Now sitting at the right-hand of his Father and in him our Father in Heaven there asking the forgivenesse of all our sinnes of his Father who never denies him any thing Wherefore let us stand at the foot of the Crosse of this our Saviour weeping for sorrow that our sinnes caused his sufferings but for joy that through his infinite love shewed therein we are freed from sinne death and hell and have a place prepared in the power of his might where we shall see and partake of his blessed glory as his elected servants for ever Amen Thou needest not to fear death for thy Saviour hath destroyed the sting of death that is the Devill Read Heb. 2.14 15 16 17 18 verses there 's comfort enough in any condition the words are these Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him which had the power of death that is the Devill And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it became him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and a faithfull High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted See an admirable expression of the infinite love of God which may preserve us from despair and may give us true joy from our humble desires to serve him though we cannot desire much more perfectly serve him as we ought Isa 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people will your God say speak comfortably to Jerusalem and say unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquities are pardoned From hence is sweet and solid comfort in all conditions An humble Prayer O Lord remember thy mercies draw me unto the Sonne of thy love Psal 139.23 24. and lead me in the way of thy precepts Try me O God and know my heart prove me and know my thoughts and consider if there be any way of wickednesse in me and lead me in the way for ever 5.8 Lead me O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of my enemies 27.11 make thy way plain before my face Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a right path because of my enemies by enemies understand inward and outward of the soul and of the body but especially those inward enemies which are the ruin and destruction of both 31.3 For thou art my rock and my fortresse therefore for thy Name sake 43.3 direct and guide me Send thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy mountains and unto thy tabernacles 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit lead me unto the land of righteousnesse Draw me O God and I will runne after thee Cant. 1.4 Psal 28.3 Job 7.16 Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity I shall not live alwaies O spare me then for my daies are but vanity I rejoice O Lord my God in thy love because thou art mercifull and wilt spare me as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him for thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou art my good Father O my Creatour thou wilt not punish me nor impute to me my Originall sinnes which descended upon me from the wicked rebellion of my first parents even as my body is from them but the soul that sinneth and doth not look towards thee nor desire thy gracious gift of true repentance it shall die Yet art thou O my good Father wholly and only good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou wilt not punish the presumptuous sinnes and vanities of my youth for thou art good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou delightest not in the death of a sinner O God but wouldst that all should be converted from their evill waies and live Thou art my All-sufficient God of mercy whose will is all things both in Heaven and earth I trust in Jesus thy only Sonne my Saviour
eternity To incorruptible felicity And though our call doth nature oft prevent Yet when shee 's let alone she fairly deales And though she fixt to warmed life be sent To fit our death yet see how oft she steales To us her warnings as with dimmed sight And theumy eyes instead of bright and cleare To make us see our death for want of light And let us know there 's no long being here Again she warnes by some decay in Teeth Or by a haire that turnes to Lilly white Or by some shaking Palsie which all seeth Or feeble knees or paines by day or night Or hands benum'd or hearing almost lost Or smelling gone which should refresh the braine Or relishing in taste whose choicest gust Is to prepare her guests to entertaine Of all her warnings the true meaning is To let us know shee 'le shortly lead us home And leave us in our woe or in our blisse As we to her have good or evill done As earthly pilgrims while she did sojourne And form her self according to our will With us in houses underneath the Sunne Obediently performing good or ill Then cheer my soul and doe not fear to live Nor will to die but take unto thy guard Securest diligence which doth alwayes give Assurance of hope and due reward In power of the merit of our Jesus And love of God shew'd in his onely Sonne By which dear love he never failes to ease us When earthly joyes and earthly friends are gone Then are we freed to all Eternity From sinne and death and hell and surely then Into true love we shall converted be Unto our God which Heaven is Amen The Offring I Will offer to my onely Good an humble and a contrite heart and my joyfull submission unto his dispose and pleasure for ever I will offer unto his most blessed Majesty his own most gracious love to the works of his own hands I will also offer the blessed conception birth life passion and merit of his sacred Sonne my Saviour Jesus in whom I beleeve O my Eternall Good helpe my unbeliefe and for thy mercy sake give and rightly perfect in me true and saving knowledge and assurance in the infinite mercy of thee my onely Good shewed by thy gracious reconcilement unto me in and through Jesus Christ I will most humbly offer a most willing heart humbly begging of my Eternall Good the blessed guidance of his sacred Spirit to conform and leade my weake and timorous belief aright and to satisfie settle and confirm it in his truth I will also offer unto his gracious goodnesse my most humble and joyfull submissive obedience unto the direction and commands of his most gracious Spirit which I humbly crave may be so powerfull and strong in me that the influence and advantage which the world flesh and devill have against me by reason of my sinne and corruption may not in the least sort be able to move or draw me from yeelding and giving all willing and joyfull submission and obedience thereto but that I may perfectly as I am wholly the creature of my Creator be converted into his perfect will and service and therein rest in perfect joy and peace for ever and this for his onely mercy and goodnesse sake Amen Therefore thus Faine would I have a Royall Sacrifice Worth the presentment to my sacred Good Faine would I finde the Pearle of precious price That by my Saviour so was understood I trust it was with which I 'le here commence An humble soul fram'd of obedience For sure all earthly things are much too vaine Too much corrupted by the fall of man Too much rebellion doth this earth sustaine Too much oppression underneath the Sunne Too little worth they are my Good did make And give me these what need he then retake So is the will and deed to work aright His onely gift but in another sense For outward gifts are unto all alike But holy will and deed arise from hence From God's free love on souls by sacred Spirit As new-born babes prepared to inherit Wherefore my Sacrifice is onely this An humble heart a broken contrite soule Cause me to know it is my onely blisse My onely happinesse without controle To doe thy will make me fit instrument I 'me thine and not my own I 'me full content Belief I do believe that Almighty God is and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seeke him I do believe he hath incomprehensible mercy and justice towards all the works of his own hands I do believe that they shall come from all quarters of the world and sit down at his Eternall Table and receive of his infinite bounty I do believe that Almighty God is perfect goodnesse and mercy and justice it self and whoever feareth him and worketh righteousnesse shall be accepted of him I do believe he is the Creator and disposer of all things and this after a manner wholly incomprehensible to mortality I do believe his own beeing and proceeding is onely from himself and is to mortality likewise incomprehensible I do also believe the Apostles Creed concerning the sacred Trinity the Confession of Athanasius and the Confirmation thereof by the Reformed Church of England whereof the providence of my good Creator hath made me a member but in these I must espcially say Good Lord help my unbelief and guide and hold me by thy good and unresistible power in thy blessed service for ever Amen I do believe that with almighty God all things are possible and that his gracious mercy is above all his works And therefore Jesus Christ may be and I believe but Lord help and direct aright my unbelief that he is his onely begotten Sonne and yet conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell and the third day rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven and siâ—teth there on the right hand of God the Father almighty from whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead I do believe there is a selected number of Saints in this world which may be comprehended by the holy Catholick Church and that they shall have an eternall communion and fellowship together after this life and that they shall have all their sinnes freely forgiven them and also shall rise together in eternall life at the generall resurrection of which number I believe and trust my self with ot ers more to be for which free and incomprehensible grace I desire with all Saints to give everlasting praise and thanks and to doe everlasting most perfect service unto my good Creator forever Amen I doe also believe in the Holy Ghost and that this sacred Spirit is proceeding from the sacred Deity of the Father and the Sonne which being sent to command and take possession of our souls for the use as it were of the sacred God head we are thereby made fit workers and labourers