REFORM'D DEVOTIONS IN MEDITATIONS HYMNS AND PETITIONS FOR Every DAY in the Week AND Every HOLIDAY in the Year Divided into Two PARTS The Second Edition Ex Aedibus Lambeth May 7. 1686. Imprimatur Jo. Battely LONDON Printed by J. A. for Joseph Watts at the Angel in St. Pauls Church-yard 1687. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LADY ANN BOSCAWEN MADAM WHen the best Things of the World are presented to the Great this is a piece of Justice done both to those Honourable Persons and to the things that are presented for thus much is undoubtedly due to the deserts of both And when such exalted persons are pleased to receive those things and approve by using them this becomes an advantage to both They have the service of what is most useful in its kind and their using it recommends it to others For the inferiour ranks of Mankind commonly derive their Estimates of things from the Opinions and Practices of those that are above them It is because I account this Book very Excellent in its kind and worthy to be recommended as such to the World which makes me presume Madam to dedicate it to so high a Person as your Honour I hope if you please to acquaint your self with it that I shall have the honour to be approv'd in my Judgment of it and It may have the great advantage to be recommended by you I know that your accomplisht Mind is disposed to approve of what is ingenious and devout Here presents it self to your Honour Divine Truth in a decent and fashionable Attire it were not fit for any one to make you a Visit in a careless Undresse The Beauty here is not conceal'd and disguised by too much external Ornament nor expos'd to Contempt by too little This Book you may be pleas'd to observe is fitted to possess mens Minds with that pure and peaceable Wisdom which is from above to excite Devotion in the coldest and most careless Hearts and to possess with a love of Devotion our too nice and witty Age since here it appears so rational and ingenious even in its highest flights Madam I must readily acknowledge the Hand that makes you this Present is too mean and unworthy but since you have not thought me too mean to receive Obligations from you I must not believe my self thereby excus'd from bringing all such Testimonies of Respect and Gratitude as I am able Yet I most humbly crave your Pardon for this Presumption as what it were still greater presumption to expect without seeking it And doing thus it were a very guilty despair on the other hand if I should not hope to obtain it from a goodness such as yours Your Honour cannot want any Noble Quality in an answerable degree who derive your high Birth from two Illustrious Families and are furnisht in them with so many excellent Presidents While I present this Book to you I present also my Prayers to Almighty God to the giver of every good and perfect Gift that by his Blessing it may become to your Honour a very profitable Entertainment That it may nourish in you those good Advances of Piety and Vertue which adorn your Youth That it may help to maintain still that prudent constancy which has shown it self able to conquer the violent current of present Wickedness while such a number of unthinking Sinners are carryed along with the fatal stream I pray that the God who has blest you with Beauty and Wealth and Honour the three greatest Gifts of this World may still continue favourable â—ou in the Dispensations of 〈◊〉 Providence and after a â—…g and happy Life may reâ—â—â—ve you to Heaven Thus 〈◊〉 Prayers shew what I am â—…dy in any other possible way express that I am MADAM Your Honours Most Humble most Obedient And devoted Servant T. D. THE PREFACE SOme Account of the Following Book I am bound to give in point of Justice both to it and my self and something may be said tending to promote the Vsefulness of it Which things will be the matter of this Preface and in such matter it will not be impertinent to detain the Reader for a little while It was a Book of Devotions dispos'd into the Form and Method of the Roman Breviary and though the matter of it was not the same with that yet therein were the Truths of Christian Religion frequently mixed as in the Belief of that Church with those erroneous Doctrines which in latter Ages have been added to Christianity What I thought to be such by the direction of Holy Scripture and the Articles of our Church which are drawn from thence according to the usual Interpretation made of it by the most pure and primitive Ages of Christianity that I have taken away and connected the Sence with what those Rules suggested to be truth Therefore has this Book the Title of Reform'd Devotions And I dare say if Holy Scripture may be the Rule to judge by in these matters as it must be in all such matters the Book is now more truly corrected and amended than it was in any of the former Editions though it pretends to have been four times printed and twice with that Advantage In the fourth and last Edition which is dated Roan 1685. it is said to be corrected and augmented and there is added to it in that a whole Office for the Virgin Mary which being very different from the former Book and much inferiour to it in all Respects and more corrupted I have wholly left it out and having made use of that part of the former Book which provided for all the Saints Dayes I should have wanted a good Reason for so regarding one particular Saint if I had used that part of the Book distinct And there being enough of the other to serve my Method I did not trouble my self to pick out the best Sentences of that to mix with the rest This I did out of one Office in the other Book because in the present Method I had no occasion for it distinct and because the greatest part of that Office related to the Souls suppos'd to be in Purgatory I am justified in the reforming of this Book and purging out those fore-mention'd Doctrines by the Authority of our Nation which did for the sake of them a few years ago condemn the Book to a publick burning And because there was a great deal of it very good Sence and that compos'd in a very devout strain and an ingenious style and mixt with several curious Hymns I thought it was worthy of a Reformation and as well too good to be thrown away whole as too bad to be used whole Which I doubt not all ingenious and devout Readers will acknowledge upon perusing what is here presented when I shall have said that the most of it is but what I found in that Book Yet I subscribe to the Wisdom and Justice of that Condemnation which it underwent as it was for the better it was in some respects since many offensive
Praises to the God of our Salvation He is our full and all-sufficient Redeemer he has perfectly finisht what he graciously undertook for all our Trespasses he has made satisfaction for all our forfeitures he has paid the ransome We by our Disobedience were banisht from Paradise and he has received us into his own Kingdom He has set up a Kingdom of Grace on Earth to prepare us for his Kingdom of Glory We wandred up and down in the wilderness of Errour and he has guided us into the wayes of Truth We were by nature Children of wrath and he has mediated our Peace with his offended Father We were become the Slaves of sin and he has bought our Freedom with his own Blood We were in bondage to the dominion of Satan and he has overcome and confin'd his Power We were in danger of sinking into Hell and he has sav'd us from that bottomless Pit The gates of Heaven were shut against us and he went up himself and opened them to all Believers dissolving for ever the terrours of Death and rendring it now but a passage into Life O dearest Lord who mad'st us first of nothing and restor'dst us again when we had undone our selves Who wouldst at any rate redeem us from Misery at any rate procure our Felicity How came we wretches to be so consider'd How came we Sinners to obtain such Favour that from thy Throne of Glory where Seraphims ador'd thee thou should'st descend on our Earth where Slaves would affront thee That thou should'st lead a Life of poverty and labour and in perfect Innocence dye a Death of shame and sorrow That thou should'st do all this for such contemptible worms as we without the least concern or benefit to thy self only to raise us up from our humble dust and set us to shine amongst thy glorious Angels O infinite Goodness the bounteous Authour of all our hopes What shall we say to thy excessive Charity O gracious Lord and mighty deliverer from all our fears What shall we render for thy unspeakable Mercies We cannot chuse but search over all we have but we can find nothing to return but what thou hast given us We will therefore use the gifts thou hast bestowed on us according to thy direction and give the Praise to Thee of what we do well All the Glory of our Salvation we will ascribe to thee and to thee alone as the great cause who hast begun alone as and wilt at length finish it By thee we will alwayes say we do good and not lean to our own understandings by thee we will expect our Reward and never rely upon our own Merits Hymn 35. SWeet Jesu why why dost thou love Such worthless things as we Why is thy Heart still towards us Who seldom think on thee Thy Bounty gives us all we have And we thy Gifts abuse Thy bounty gives us ev'n thy self And we thy self refuse My Soul and why why do we love Such worthless things as these These that withdraw us from our Lord And his pure Eyes displease Break off and be no more a Child To run and sweat and cry While all this stir this huge concern Is only for a Fly Some silly Fly that 's hard to catch And nothing when 't is caught Such are the toyes thou striv'st for here Not worth a serious thought Break off and raise thy manly Eye Up to those Joyes above Behold all those thy Lord prepares To wooe and crown thy Love. Alas Dear Lord I cannot love Unless thou draw my Heart Thou who thus kindly mak'st me know O make me do my part Still do thou love me O my Lord That I may still love Thee Still make me love thee O my God! That thou may'st still love me Thus may my God and my poor Soul Still one another love Till I depart from this low World To ' enjoy my God above To thee Great God to thee alone One Coeternal three All Pow'r and Praise all Joy and Bliss Now and for ever be Amen MEDITATION II. PRoceed my Soul to celebrate the Praises of thy Lord go on with fresh attention to remember the Mercies of thy God whose Wisdom has contriv'd to save Mankind by so compendious a method as may be exprest in one short word He saw the only cause of all our ruin was our Love misplac'd on this present World He saw the only remedy of all our Misery was to fix our Love on the World to come This therefore was his great intent and in this concentred all his Merits to possess us with Love the end of Faith and greatest of divine graces to change the byass of our wrong-set hearts by establishing among us new motives of Charity such as might strongly incline our Affections and efficaciously draw us to Love our true Good such as might gain by degrees upon all Mankind and render Salvation easie and universal For this he came down from his Fathers Bosom to teach us the rules of Eternal Life that we might firmly believe those Sacred Truths which God himself with his own mouth has told us For this he Converst so long on our Earth to encourage and provoke us by his own example that we might confidently embrace those unquestionable Virtues which God himself in his own Person had practised For this he endur'd so sharp and many Afflictions and became at last obedient to the Death that we might patiently suffer whatever should befall us when God himself was so treated by his Creatures For this he so often Preacht of the Joyes of Heaven and set them before us in so clear a light that seeing so rich a Prize hang at the end of our Race we might run and strive with our utmost force to obtain it For this he ordain'd all the means of Grace and left us the Sacraments of his Body and Blood that he might breed and nourish in us the Life of Charity and ravish our Hearts with the sweetness of his Presence For this he establisht a perpetual Church and sent the Holy Ghost to Inspire and govern it that it might be maintain'd through all Ages in Truth and Sanctity and plant the same heavenly Seed over all the World For this he assum'd those strange endearing Names of Friend and Brother and Spouse to us Wretches doing far more for us O wondrous Love than all those Names import than all our hearts can wish Blessed O Glorious Jesu be the Wisdom of thy Mercy that has found so sweet and short a way to save us Thou art O Lord the cause of all our Love and Love the cause of all our Happiness By Love we fulfil all thy Commands and in keeping thy Commands there is great reward By Love we are reconcil'd from Enemies to Friends by Holy Love we are translated from Death to Life by Love we are deliver'd from the fear of Hell by Love we are the regenerated Heirs of Heaven by Love we are dispos'd for that blissful Vision by Love we are
things were contained in it and they often with great Artifice insinuated in very disguising terms the more it did deserve that fate Some passages there were in it capable of two Interpretations which joyn'd with false Doctrines must be interpreted to an ill meaning but joyn'd with Truths must be understood to mean well And some of those do still remain here because I was loth to throw out any thing needlesly and especially if there was Wit and Elegancy in the Composure that so this Book might be in some respects better and in others at least no worse than the former There were in it Lessons to every Office which I have left out because they consisted of but some Sentences of the truly Canonical Scripture joyn'd without distinction with other Sentences and that Translation which those Scriptures were in is different from that Authentick among us Besides I did not alwaies think them exactly suited to the places they held and I think the absence of them may be reckon'd well enough supply'd by the pertinent Sentences of holy Scripture which I have through the whole Book frequently mixed with the matter of it especially since those that will read Lessons in their private Devotions have the Holy Scriptures in their hands translated into the vulgar Tongue The Hymns that were in the former Book are all retain'd and one is added to fill up the present Method But they are many of them alter'd some to be corrected some to be supplyed with a few Syllables or a Stanza here and there to fit them to the Tunes of our singing Psalms as many of them were before and now they all are The Petitions here are gather'd partly out of those parts of the former Book which in that were called Psalms in this Meditations and partly from other places The Devotions for every Day in the Week are not so appropriated to those Dayes of the Week they are design'd for but that they may be used on any other day as indeed I know no reason for such appropriation They are thus placed to dispose them in some Method that they might not lye together like a confus'd disorderly heap Onely those for the Lord's Day are most proper for that Those set to Thursday because all the Subject of them is the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper are very fit to be used on any Day when we receive that holy Sacrament To this that some of the Devotions are said to be design'd for the Holy-dayes I say Those that will be pleas'd but to look beyond the Title will be as well satisfied with the matter of that as of any other part of the Book I did not contrive the Book so distinguisht but found it so and thought that Method might render it the more useful to those who shall be willing to use it in a Method Some among us are willing to observe such Dayes according to the Appointment of our Church and they may profitably on them make use of what is here allotted to those Dayes for their sakes Others perhaps are not fully satisfied in their minds to do this and they may with good Profit if they please read that part of the Book on any other Dayes And why then should the latter sort be displeased if the former are gratified and I according to the excellent Rule and Practice of St. Paul do become all things to all men for their good To my Charity he that regards a Day regards it to the Lord and he that regards not a Day to the Lord he doth not regard it I suppose the different Practice may proceed in both from pious minds but such as are possess'd in this matter with some difference of Opinions and I will not judge or set at nought any of my Brethren And as I am not willing to put the worst Interpretation that can be upon the Practices of any so I desire all would deal thus with me and where any thing in the Book may be interpreted to a good meaning that they would do so This Practice I am sure is contain'd under that general and indispensable Rule of doing to others as we would they should do unto us I have assisted the one sort the more willingly because it will be no prejudice to the other unless they please to reject what is not in it self the less useful meerly for bearing such a Title as this and for being in such a method as may render it the more useful to some of their Brethren I desire of the World but this piece of Justice also which I shall certainly obtain from all that are not ill-natur'd in the case that every one do commend what they may like in the book for then I am sure it will be universally commended and then it will be the more generally and the more profitably used which is the end I aim'd at in seeking to approve it to many In Reforming a book from such principles as are purg'd out of this it is well known I am not without several Presidents And what has been done of this kind before having found good acceptance both formerly and more lately I was thereby the more encourag'd in this undertaking I will not disparage what others have done but I think there may be observed some defects in their work which I have avoided The Book that I have chosen to correct does equal at least if not exceed any other that has been thus used Indeed I have not seen that writing of any Authour of the same Communion which in my Judgement was comparable to this excellent piece The matter of the book I presume is not at all less fit to assist and excite true and wise Devotion than it was before For there is no need of errors to promote any exercise of true Religion And there being so much of excellent and useful matter still left what is separated may the better be spar'd And the leaving out those principles renders the book more generally useful since now it is become so to those of our Church while they will meet with nothing in it but what they can assent to And it may still if they please be useful to those of the other Communion since the peculiar principles which they have receiv'd are onely left out and the remaining matter is what all sober Christians may agree in Indeed I intended not to infect it with controversie and not to gratifie but rather divert the contentious humour of the age I would not engage the World more in controversie which perhaps is already too much engag'd in it but had rather possess mens minds with an affectionate powerful sense of those important Truths which Christians do generally assent to and which are of absolute necessity to be known and lov'd and obey'd for which purpose this book is perhaps as well fitted now as any that can be met with Vnless any one will except that incomparable book the Exposition of our Church Catechism lately composed for the use
of the Diocess of Bath and Wells I can readily assent to him that shall preferr that to this In this following book I am sure no impartial and judicious Reader cannot think that the devout and serious expressions do want their Foundation in Reason by being separated from the Principles that are purg'd out Many such Expressions may be found in the writings of the devout and elegant Fathers which could not be drawn from such Principles because they are of a later invention Besides the Holy Scripture and the fundamental Truths drawn from thence and contain'd in the four first Creeds are Foundation enough for such things It were a mistake therefore to imagine that we must needs be beholden to any peculiar or distinct principles not held by the truly ancient and Apostolick Church for such a production as this I think it may appear by the following book that those principles are not necessary as a Foundation nor any wayes advantageous to the superstructure For the sake of those who shall be willing to use this Book in a certain Order and Method in their private Devotions where a good Method constantly observ'd is of great advantage I shall suggest a few things for Direction in the Use of it I suppose the ordinary Course of most Persons in this private Exercise is onely to read perhaps the Holy Scripture or some good Book and to Pray But I think those that do only so leave out one of the most profitable parts of the Exercise which at least those Persons that have or might have leisure should never omit that is Meditation To revolve and over and over consider and reflect upon some divine Truths that they may make impression on their minds and raise in them suitable Affections This tends to make the temper of the mind and the course of a Mans life conformable to those Truths which is the end every man should aim at in his private Devotions None may account themselves the more religious and good for spending much time in them unless they have this influence and effect upon their hearts and lives unless they practise the more of Religion in their Conversations Now in the performance of this part of private Devotion it were doubtless best if every one could raise suitable and affecting thoughts to be Meditated upon from the Scriptures he has read which is according to the Advice of a late very prudent Author who has written A Method and Order for private Devotion But I fear there are but few that can practise this way with any great advantage to themselves at least till they have long practised it and taken a great deal of pains to accustome themselves to it and so can perform it with ease and pleasure the difficulty therefore and little advantage at first do I doubt keep many from a resolute tryal of it Instead therefore of that way of Meditating and for such as cannot use it I think these Meditations fit to be used Then after that a person has Read his Chapters in the order which he has proposed to himself he may do well to read over the Meditations here provided for the day But this he must do so as that it may be properly a Meditating on these things not a cursory reading of them He should proceed very deliberately often looking back and reviewing a Sentence that is past to see if it did not affect him before whether it may not do this upon the review and to try if he may not find somewhat more of importance in it than he apprehended at the first reading After Meditation is done then he is to proceed to Prayer wherein he may have assistance from the Petitions here added they are not a compleat Prayer of themselves nor were design'd to be so but only to suggest some Requests fit to be put into our Prayers suitable to the foregoing Meditations Therefore there are not in them any such Petitions or Acknowledgments as are proper for the Morning or the Evening nor any Petitions for the King the Church or our Friends which should never be omitted in our Prayers Now they that use a Form which has those other parts may take in these where they think fit having consider'd and resolv'd it before they begin or else they may say these by themselves They that do not use a Form in private may add these to their Prayer by their Memory or by having the Book before them And if any person has been seriously affected by the Meditations he will be mightily dispos'd to make such Requests as these that follow them As for the Hymns it will be fittest if any person will sing them either to begin his Exercise or end it with them according as he finds himself inclin'd To help those that may not readily find out the Tunes which these may be sung to I think fit here to suggest this those that will goe to the more common tunes are Hymn 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 11 13 14 15 18 20 21 28 31 39. Those that will goe to the Tune of the Hundredth Psalm are Hymn 7 12 16 17 23 24 25 27 33 36 38 40. Those that will goe to the Tune of the Hundred thirteenth Psalm are Hymn 10 26 29 30 35 37. Those that will goe to the Tune of the twenty fifth Psalm are Hymn 19 22 32 34. If the time will allow a man and devout affection inclines him to it he may use at once Both Parts of the Devotions for the Morning or Evening of the day but by no means should any man constrain himself to this and therefore they were thus divided For according to the very prudent Advice that an excellent Guide in these matters gave to a Friend We should observe what we can do with ease and pleasantness of spirit and when we find our selves to be free and forward then we may be the longer and the more enlarg'd in our Devotions but when we are heavy and streightned then it is not fit to tire our Spirits and drag them along with us whither they have no strength to accompany us nor disposition to comply with our desires And the whole Book being thus divided some may find it of use to them to use sometimes one part and sometimes another as being most affected with such variety I shall not need to direct particularly on what dayes those parts of the Book design'd for the Holy-dayes should be used for that will be sufficiently suggested by the publick Liturgy of our Church to those that are acquainted with it where also they will be directed to very apposite and fit portions of Scripture to be read upon such Occasions And now I dare say that the following Book is not onely better in the matter of it than it was before but it is also better fitted in its method to assist our private Devotion With hearty Prayers to Almighty God for its good success I send it forth into the World May it abundantly promote
Tribes of the Earth be blessed in him Hast thou not said thy self O glorious Jesu If I be lifted up I will draw all men after me Hast thou not given thy Disciples express Commission to go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature When wilt thou again O infinite Charity choose out burning and shining Lights and send them forth over all the World and send them not alone lest they faint by the way or miscarry in the end If thou wilt go with them thy self and guide them by thy Grace and crown their Labours with thy powerful Blessing Oh then what mighty works would be done by them Then shall the humble Vallies be rais'd up and the stubborn Mountains be brought low So shall the crooked paths be made direct and the rough wayes smooth and plain So shall the Glory of God be every where reveal'd and all Flesh shall joyfully see it together the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the bright face of Jesus Christ Happy the times when this shall come to pass happy the eyes that shall see these times Come glorious days wherein that Sun shall shine which enlightens all at once both the Hemisphears PETITIONS REmember O God the Father God of everlasting Truth thy dear Engagements to the Son Remember O God the Son who art the Author and Finisher of our Faith thy gracious Promises to the World. Come holy Jesu in a plentiful effusion of thy Spirit upon us and make that glorious day of Gospel light which we greatly desire and thy Promises give us leave to expect Come and in the largest sence maintain thy Title and be effectively the Saviour of the universal World. Visit O Lord thine own House first and throughly redress what thou findest amiss Make our Lives holy as thou hast made our Faith and let all that name thy Name depart from Iniquity O thou who art the Author of Peace and lover of Concord who did'st so often repeat the Command that thy Disciples should love one another Inspire we beseech thee thy whole Church with a Spirit of Truth Unity and Concord Bring thou into the way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived Convince us all that the wrath and fury of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God and hasten the time when there shall be no hurting nor destroying in all thy holy Mountain Kindle O Lord in the hearts of Kings and the great Ones of the World an heroick Spirit to advance thy Glory Inflame the hearts of Prelates and the Priests of thy Church with a generous Zeal for the Conversion of Souls Convince them all it is the End and Duty of their places to endeavour the improving of Mankind in vertue and Religion and direct them to the use of such just and gentle means as are suitable to the End and agreeable to thy Word Send forth thy saving light O Lord into the dark corners of the World and bring them from the power of Satan into the Kingdom of God. Remember thy great Love which thou hast shown and the Mercies which seem yet promised to the Jews Let every people bow their Knees to thy great Name Oh blessed Jesu and all Tongues confess thy Greatness Make all to receive thy Truth in the love of it and mix it with Faith that it may become an engrafted Word able to save their Souls These things we crave for the honour of our Advocate and onely Mediator Jesus the Christ Amen Hymn 30. JEsu whose Grace directs thy Priests To keep alive by solemn Feasts The memory of thy great Love O may we here so pass thy days That they at last our Souls may raise To that long Feast with thee above To that long day of sacred Rest Whereon our happy Souls shall feast On thy celestial Joyes and thee Our Bodies too thy Love shall raise Thy self to see and sing thy praise In a blest Immortality Jesu behold three Kings from far Led to thy Cradle by a Star Bring gifts to thee their greater King O guide us by thy Light that we May find thy lov'd Face and to thee Our selves may for thy Tribute bring O thou the pure and spotless Lamb Who to the Temple humbly came Appointed legal Rites to pay Make our proud Heart and stubborn Will Thine and thy Churche's Law fulfill Whate're relucting Natures say Jesu who on the fatal Wood Pourd'st forth thy life's last drop of Blood For us nail'd to a shamefull Cross O! may we bless thy Love and be Ready dear Lord to bear for thee All present grief or pain or loss Dear Lord who by thine own Love slain By thine own Powe'r took'st Life again And from the Sepulcher did'st rise O may thy Death our Spir'its revive And at our Death a new Life give A lasting Life that never dies Jesu who to thy Heaven again Returnd'st in Triumph there to reign Of Men and Angels mighty King O may our parting Souls take flight Up to that Land of Joy and Light And there with Angels ever sing All Glory to the Sacred Three One undivided Deity All honour blessing power and praise O may thy blessed Name shine bright Crown'd with those Beams of beauteous light It s own eternal glorious Rays Amen FOR THE FEASTS OF THE HOLY GHOST For the Morning MEDITATION I. LOrd we are forced to admire the sweet and natural conduct with which thy Providence governs the Children of men Leading them on from one degree to another 'till thou hast brought them up to their highest perfection Thou puttest them to learn in the School of Virtue and disposest their Capacities into several forms In the first Ages when the World was young thou gavest them for their guide the Book of Nature there thy divine Assistance helpt them to read some few plain Lessons of their Duty to thee They saw this admirable frame of Creatures and as far as these could argue they could conclude Sure there is a God the cause of all things certainly there is a Providence that disposes of all things He must be very powerful that made so vast a World and exceeding wise that contriv'd such excellent works He must be goodness it self that did all this for us and we ingrateful Wretches if we will do nothing for him Thus far some few could say and very few could do with those slender Assistances which they then enjoy'd Afterward thou gavest thy People a written Rule which train'd them up in a set form of Discipline which grew and spread into a publick Religion and which was uniformly profest by a whole Nation They had some weak conceit of the Kingdom of Heaven and some imperfect means to bring them thither But for those high supernatural Mysteries that so gloriously exalt the Christian Faith they all alas were blind or in the dark and dangerously exposed to the effects of their own Ignorance wanting those clear Instructious to know their end and those powerful Motives to love