that offereth Salvation to our Souls be a means to bring our Souls to Salvation Let the Word be transforming that we may be assimulated into Christ's likeness Cause our Affections to receive a Touch from the Word that they may be stirr'd up kindled and inflamed thereby That thy Message unto us may engage us to become a willing People in the day of thy Power Cause the Word to be quick and powerful quicker than a two-edged Sword so quick as to quicken us to every good duty and so powerful to subdue the Old Man of Sin Make it of such force as to make a Division between us and our best beloved Sins That the Sword of the Spirit may cut us off from the Wild Olive of Nature That we may not onely be acquainted with the Grace of Truth but the Truth of Grace Cause the Dew to fall with the Manna That the Dews of Hermon may fall upon the Hill of Sion That we may bring forth Fruits as the Vines of Engedi Cause thy Doctrine to drop as the Rain to distil as the Dew as the small Rain upon the tender Herb and as the Dew upon the Grass Drive the Birds from the Sacrifice When we draw nigh unto thee in Duty draw nigh unto us in Mercy Let not them that wait upon thee be ashamed Open the Doors of our Hearts that the King of Glory may enter Put a holy Fear into our Hearts that we may attend upon thee with Reverence That we may not receive it as the word of a sinful mortal Man but as indeed and in truth it is the Word of an Immortal God Cause the Word to be as a Bank to hinder the Inundation of our Sins Order our steps in thy Word that Iniquity may not have Dominion over us Make the Word to be as a Flaming Sword to keep us from the forbiden Fruit That it may be as a Curb to keep us from the stray of Offence That we may observe to do what the Lord commandeth us not turning to the right hand nor the left That it may be as a Rudder to steer us in our right Course Ingrave thy Counsels on the Frontispiece of our Hearts and cause them to be evermore in an applicative practice That we may grow by the sincere Milk of the Word That as the Bee gathers the Flowers and carrieth them home to the Hive and worketh them into Honey and liveth upon it in times of need so help us that we may gather the precious Truths out of thy holy Word and carry them home unto the Hive of our Hearts and work them into Grace and live upon it in a time of Trial. Lay hold on our Hearts by thy Omnipotent Grace Cause the Influences of thy Grace irresistibly to ingage us to do thy will That the manifestation of thy Grace may be as Showers to parched Grass that our drooping Souls that hang their Wings may revive and leap for joy That the Efflux of Life and power from God may beget in us true and lively Faith That Love may be enticed out of our selves to God Cause Heavenly Ordinances to leave Fruitful Influences That we may not onely enjoy the Gospel of Peace but the Peace of the Gospel We desire to sun our selves in the Light of thy Countenance Cause the Word like the Sun Beams not onely to enlighten us but heat and inliven us Let it be Honey in the Mouth Melody in the Ear and a Jubile in the Heart We see thy Foot-steps in the Creatures but we wait to see thy Face in the Ordinances Ordinances are the Pool of Bethesda that onely heal when the Spirit moveth the Waters The Gospel is the Pen but the Holy Ghost is the Guider of it Suffer not the Tree of Life to be too far from the Tree of Knowledg Cause Divine Truths to be manifested in the Purity of our Hearts and Lives That every Gale of Divinity may drive us nearer to the Haven of Felicity That we may not be all for Speculation but Sensation to taste how good the Lord is Open the Passage between our Heads and our Hearts Convey some warm sprinklings of thy Benediction into our inward parts Suffer not any of us to be like Gideon's dry Fleece Let not the Thirsty Souls that wait for thee as the Rain return like the Troops of Tema with their Heads covered For Vnregenerate Men. IN mercy remember the rebellious Children that take counsel but not of thee and cover but not with the covering of thy Spirit that they may add Sin unto Sin Whose Hearts are harden'd from thy Fear Sin at the first was the cause of Ignorance now Ignorance is the cause of Sin In the greatness of their Folly they go astray Who never peep'd out of the Bondage of Sensual Lust They rebel against the Light they know not the ways thereof neither will they come into these Paths Who walk after the vanity of their Minds having their Understanding darken'd being alienated from the Life of God thro the Ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their Hearts who being past feeling have given themselves over to work all Uncleanness with greediness Their god is their Belly their glory is their shame who mind Earthy things There is a Bridle in their Jaws which causeth them to err Lord pity them for they cannot pity themselves In provoking thee they provoke their own damnation Thou Being of Beings have mercy upon them Interrupt the Process of their Extravagances As they tread the paths of Death let them see the drawn Sword of thy Displeasure As they journey on in their Sins cause a Light to shine from Heaven Amaze them with the apprehensions of their woful and wretched Estate Suffer them not to breath quietly until they find the Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness Set home unto their Consciences the weight and danger of their Sins That Conscience may be as a Scorpion in the Bosom Send the Fiery Serpents to sting and wound them that they may look after the Brazen Serpent A wake them out of their Mortal Lethargy Bring them out of the Womb of Natural Blindness that they may be born again altho they be Old Thou who at first caus'd Light to shine out of Darkness say Let there be Light and there shall be Light That the Day-spring from on high may visit them that sit in Darkness in the shadow of Death Cause the Day to dawn and the Day Star to arise in their Hearts Turn the Shadow of Death into the Morning Let the Spirit of Conviction come upon them and a wake them as a Man that is a waked out of his Sleep Our corrupt Nature is the most inexpugnable Fort in the World Cause the Dead to hear thy Voice and live Of those Stones raise up Children to Abraham Mollifie their hard Hearts that are not penetrable when the Arrows of Conviction are shot against them Cause Hell to enter into them that they may not enter
who worship Idols How lamentable it is to go into a Church when the Minister is at Prayer and the People about him scarce one of them shewing any Respect Reverence Affection or Devotion their eyes wandering from one part of the Congregation to another the Men adjusting of their Hair or Peruque and the other Sex their Ornaments some whispering others in intolerable Postures yet will observe their times to give their Responds and speak to God when they do not think of him These are they that God complaineth of That draw near unto him with their lipps when their hearts are far from him I plead not for outward Postures and Gestures yet I am sure if the heart be rightly affected it commandeth the Body When the Mind is fill'd with what concerneth us in the performance of this Duty we are far from notifying other Trifles How many there are that think they have performed their Duty of Prayer when they have rabbl'd over a many words altho they have no more sense or knowledg of what they say then Parrots have I have read of one Bolus an Actor upon a Stage in the Representation of Grief he feign'd a Weeping but at the very time he remembred the death of his onely Daughter then he weep'd in earnest I wish that our ordinary Actors when they say daily We have left undone those things that we ought to have done and done those things which we ought not to have done and that there is no health in us c. The words are good and above exception as indeed in my Judgment is all the Liturgy of the Church of England I wish that they that daily use it did but feel the weight of the words and that their Understandings did go along with their Tongues and remember what they speak is true they would be sorrowful indeed When we say We have left undone those things that we ought to have done We say in effect we have not paid that Fear Adoration Reverence Honour Praise Love Obedience c. that is due from us to God nor that Love Pity Charity and Mercy that is due to our Neighbours And when we say That we have done those things that we ought not to have done that is we have made unto our selves other Gods that we have imagined Security in transitory things prophaned the Name of God and his Saboths that our lives have been disorderly in Disobedience Cruelty Incontinency Rapine Perfidiousness and Coveteousness and when we say There is no health in us We own that our Brain is the Forge of Wickedness our Eyes full of Adultery our Tongues unruly Evils full of deadly Poison our Throats open Sepulchres our Hearts deceitful above measure and desperately wicked yea all our Members the Instruments of Iniquity Now if our Consiciences were but as ready as active as Nathan was to David and tell us yea convince every one of us that thou art the Man that hath contracted all this guilt and art so wretched and God darting in some beams of Divine light as he commonly doth when we wait upon him in sincerity this would make us turn our formalities into realities I must say I have had many times a warm heart full of Devotion in reading the Common Prayer by fetching and binding my Understanding to the sense of the words I own their Zeal and Piety that were the Compilers of it but think it 's impossible to perswade me that they ever intended to blind and oblige Gifted Men so to it as not to exercise their Indowments Neither do I find that the Governours of our Church pretend to it It was a sweet Admonition of St. Paul to the Corinthians Neither to give offence to the Jew nor to the Gentile nor to the Church of God God knoweth my endeavors are for Love Peace and Unity I have been very careful in my Studies not to write any thing that could give just offence If any thing in this Epistle seem to be too severe and that there are too many grating Reflections so far as I know my own heart the Arrows I have shot I sent them with a good will not for ruin but remedy Why shall I not meet with a Candid Interpretation But if otherwise I determine to be purely passive and receive all the Scorn Contempt or what else can come with an indeclinable acquiescence in the Will of God that will e'r long discover the secrets of all hearts In the interim I doubt not but these my labours and endeavours will be a Guide and Assistance to many that are hungering and thirsting after Righteousness that are inquiring Where Christ feedeth and where his Flocks rest at Noon day That wait for Wisdom as they that watch for the Morning But let no one speak to God by mine or any other Directions except the heart speak the words and the words the heart And that you may so do I 'll but open one Text of Scripture and conclude this It is in Joshua 15. 16. And Caleb said He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher and taketh it to him will I give Achsach my Daughter to Wife This Kirjath-sepher was a City in Canaan that held out after that the Israelites had got possession of the Land Caleb seeing it to be very desirable and most necessary for them propoundeth his Daughter Achsach which was very beautiful and worthy as a Reward to any one that should take Kirjath-sepher What chiefly concerneth me to open to you is What this Kirjath-sepher and Achsach and how to apply them in a Spiritual Sense Kirjath-sepher signifieth the Strong-hold of the Letter and Achsach the Rending of the Vail so whosoever smiteth and taketh the Strong-hold of the Letter of the Scriptures or any other Divine Truths shall have the Rending of the Vail That is Whosoever shall find out the spiritual Meaning of the things written in Scripture or else-where that are Divine shall have the Vail rent that is between us and the things that are spiritually discerned and we shall see into the beauty of Holiness Reader Consider the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Whoever depends upon the External Performances of Outward Ordinances or the Historical Knowledge of Christ for their Salvation will surely meet with such disappointment that death instead of life will be their portion Therefore whatever thou dost gain Kirjath-sepher there lieth all the Treasure then Achsach will surely be thine that Vail which covereth thy Face whilst thou art a Stranger to the Life of Grace shall be rent and thou wilt see that which will make thee cry out Psal 84. 1 2 10. How aimable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. One day in thy Courts is better then a Thousand else where c. And the Vail that covereth thy Face shall not only be rent but the Vail that covereth thy Heart thou wilt not only see of the Divine Excellencies that are in God and a Pisgah's Prospect
we rise in Thankful Praises It s great Condescension in thee to be content to be prais'd or beloved by such miserable Creatures of uncircumcised hearts and lips Eternity it self is little enough to praise thee Blessed be the Majesty of Heaven for our Creation and that we are Men and not Beasts Blessed be God for our Immortal Souls that are capable of Communion with thy own self for ever and ever Let our never-ceasing Praises wait upon thee for our Redemption the great Work which the Angels desire to look into Everlastingly praised be our God for the light of his Glory that shineth in the Face of Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of his Grace Our Praises wait upon thee for Free Grace that unlimited Treasury of the highest Love and Bounty Thy precious Love is from Eternity to Eternity That hath prevented the Lion from coming out of the Thicket and hath kept the Destroyer out of sight That hath stopp'd the Mouths of the Lyons of thy Judgments so as they have not torn in pieces when there was none to deliver us Our Praises wait upon our God for Free Grace that Blessed Root out of which springeth all the pleasant and precious Mysteries of the Gospel The most Beautiful Womb out of which Christ Jesus with all his Heavenly Treasures the unspeakable Priviledges Prerogatives Graces and Comforts that are to be had in him and by him do come forth The Blessed Cause that is sufficient to produce the Blessed Effects of the Salvation of our Souls thro Jesus Christ our Lord. The Blessed Fountain that continually sends forth Streams of Comfort to refresh the dejected disconsolate weary and heavy loaden ones The Bow thou hast set in the Clouds of Spiritual Sorrow to assure the Contrite Ones that thy Wrath shall not over-flow them Were it not for thy Grace what should we do when our Sins testifie against us but call for the Mountains to fall upon us and the Hills to cover us from the Presence of the Lord. Thy Grace hath kept many Thousands from following Judas into Despair When we know not what to do then we turn our Eyes towards thee and find there is yet hope for Israel It was Free Grace that our great Lord Christ lived and died to declare We adore the great Minister of Grace Jesus Christ our Lord the Ark that saveth us from perishing in the Floods of our Iniquities Who was given for us who was conceived and born for us who lived and died for us who rose again for us and who ever liveth and maketh Intercession for us Who trod the Wine-Press alone The Son of God became the Son of Man that the Sons of Men might become the Sons of God Who was made like unto all that all might be made like unto him Who sought us in sharp ways and bought us with a dear price Who came from Heaven to Earth that we may go from Earth to Heaven The Brightness of the Fathers Glory and the Express Image of Person paid the Price of our Redemption to discharge us Rebels who were in our Filthiness in our Blood Our Jesus leap'd into a Sea of Wrath to save us from perishing He waded thro a Sea of Sufferings to procure a Pardon for our Transgressions Who made himself Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him He suffer'd our Cross that we might wear his Crown He died our Death that we might live his Life Who endured our Hell that we might enjoy his Heaven He bore our Griefs and carry'd our Sorrows He was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities The Chastisementâ— of our Peace was upon him and by his Stripes we may be healed We all like Sheep have gone astray but on him was laid the Iniquities of us all Adored be Christ Jesus who hath done what we ought to have done and suffered what we ought to have suffered This is the solid Basis of our Comfort The Lord of Life is the Way to escape Eternal Death Altho we have turn'd our Backs on Grace and with the Israelites loath'd the Manna and hath so little regarded what the Lord Christ hath done and suffer'd for us and that Blessed Treasure that he at so dear a rate bought for us and hath been daily offer'd unto us yet he pleadeth for us stoppeth Judgment and stayeth Divine Vengeance Altho the Earth was thought too good for him he thinketh not Heaven too good for us Our Praises wait upon the Majesty of Heaven for the continuance of the Gospel the Wisdom of God ordained before the World unto our Glory the Power of God unto Salvation unto every one that believe That mighty Efflux and Emanation of Life and Spirit freely issuing from an Omnipotent Source of Grace and Love That true God-like Vital Influence whereby Divinity derives it self into the Souls of Men inlivening and transforming them into its own likeness and strongly imprinting upon them a Copy of its own Beauty and Goodness Blessed be God that thy Precepts are yet our Heritage in the House of our Pilgrimage The Light without which the whole World would be but a dark Chaos Our Praises wait upon our God because we are within the sound of his Trumpets Because the Sun of the Gospel shineth upon the Lot of our Inheritance Our Praises wait upon thee because the Holy Spirit is still ready to bear witness to our Spirits the Truth of thy Holy Word which transcribeth thy Heart and Mind unto us Thy Judgments thou hast laid before us and the Way of Truth whereby we may be kept from the Paths of the Destroyer Our Praises wait upon thee our God for all the faithful Dispencers of thy Word and Sacraments It s great favour that thou hast not removed them into Corners and that their Tongues do not cleave to the roofs of their Mouths Jonah was sent from Samaria to Nineveh doubtless we have turn'd as deaf an Ear as ever did Samaria It s unspeakable Mercy that thou hast not commanded the Clouds that they rain no more rain upon us That thou hast not pronounced against us They that are filthy let them be filthy still and they that are unrighteous let them be unrighteous still Our Praises wait upon our God for all the great and precious Promises ratified by the Oath of God the Father sealed by the Blood of God the Son testified by God the Holy Ghost and deliver'd by the hand of Mercy Those Breathings of Divine Love The Breasts of the Gospel out of which we draw forth so much Consolation Those firm Foundations to build upon Great and precious Promises To the Chief of Sinners To them that have been prodigalizing all their days and spent all upon Lust To them that have all the day been standing idle in the Market-place even until the Eleventh hour Altho we have run so much upon the score that if thou shouldst arrest us all the Angels of Heaven could not
Mature Determinations deep Notions holy and pious Counsels for the Teaching and Carrying on of thy Flock That we may be as precious Jewels to inrich the World Communicate unto us the Sublime Mysteries of Divine Revelation That our Lips may drop the Words of Life And that our Tongues may be as a Tree of Life whose leaves are Medicinable Give unto us the Light of Divine Knowledge in the Purity of Divine Truth Inrich us in all Knowledg in all Utterance and in all Workman ship Inlighten our Eyes that we may see quite through the Depths of Divinity Reveal unto us by thy Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God Give us leave to plow with thy Heifer and we shall find out the Riddls Great is the Mystrey of Godliness Who is sufficient for these things Attract our Minds by thy Spirit that our Flight may be high and we shall sing more sweetly Suffer not the Sun to go down over the Prophets let it not be dark over their Heads Fill us with the Spirit of God in Wisdom in Understanding in Knowledg and in Workmanship that we may undeceive many Make us Pastors according to thy own Heart that we may feed thy People with Wisdom and Understanding Furnish us with all the Requisites that should belong to Gospel Ministers So qualifie us with Ability and Integrity that Envy her self may be forced to confess that we are Workmen that need not be ashamed Suffer us not to be as Clouds without Rain like empty Clouds that deceive thirsty Souls Bless our Labours to great Meassures To whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed Who hath believed our Report Shall the Trumpet beblown and the People not affraid Shall the Lyons roar and the Beasts of the Forrest not tremble Cloath us with a great deal of Mind that we may distil many wholsom Notions and rectified Apprehensions into the Minds of Men. That we may bring Truth which is so far absent home into Mens Bosomes That we may use both the Harp and the Arrows that our Speech be sweet and piercing That we may feast the hungry Ears with Delicious Dainties Give unto us the Tongue of the Learned that we may speak a Word in due season The Grace of God and the mighty Spirit of Jesus work in us that we may be inabled to instruct the Weak to confute the Obstinate to reclaim the Erroneous to confirm the Faithful and to comfort the Dejected and Disconsolate Make us happy Instruments of much Glory unto thy Name and of much good unto thy People Suffer not the Fruits of our Understanding to fail Give a Blessing to our Endeavours Paul may plant and Apollo may water but thou onely givest the Increase Except the Lord build the House they labour but in vain that build it except the Lord keep the City the Watchman watcheth but in vain Cause our Words which we speak from thee to be as Goads and Nails fasten'd by the Masters of the Assembly Suffer not our Knowledg to be without Zeal nor our Zeal with out Knowledg Make us not onely Voices crying but Lights shining That we may not onely be Trees of Knowledg but Trees of Life in the Paradise of our God Give unto us to know the Misteries of of the Kingdom of God Teach us to find much of the Treasure hid in the Field Make us useful and successful That we may gather many under the Triumphing Wings of Jesus Inable us to unmask and unvail Heavenly Truths that each eye may see their Beauty That we may set such a lustrre upon the Pearl of Price and so present Divinity in her graceful Jewels that every one may be inamour'd with her That we may lead Affection by the hand and with a sweet facility slide some Divine Truths into the Hearts of our Hearers Grant that in all things we may approve our selves as Ministers of God That our Lights may so shine before Men that they may see our Good Works and glorifie thee our Father which art in Heaven Suffer us not to be Strangers to that Holiness We press upon others Make us feed by Doctrine and feed by Example Suffer not the Salt to lose its Savour Suffer not the Curse to come upon us like Priest like People Suffer us not to pull down with one hand what we build with another lest the Sons of Levi cause the Offering of the Lord to be had in abomination Dead Files causeth the Ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking Savour so doth a little Folly he that is in reputation for Wisdom and Honour therefore stay our steps in thy Paths that our feet slide not That the Purity of Divine Truths may be unfolded in our hearts and lives We have our Treasure in Earthen Vessels purifie and cleanse them lest thy Word have a tincture of our Uncleanness That we may not sound the Lords Trumpet with a Stinking Breath Cloath us with Righteousness the Garments of Praise and the Saints shall shout for joy Grant that we may Credit the Gospel with Examplary Conversation That our Lives as well as Doctrine may continually teach Lessons of Faith Knowledg Temperance Patience Brotherly Kindness and Charity That there may be seen whatsoever things are true lovely pure vertuous or praise worthy That every one of us may be as a Torch on a Hill to inlighten all about us Make us as Wise as Serpents but as Innocent as Doves They who are call'd to the Work give them Grace to work in their Callings that we may be true Servants and Friends of God That we may lay up and lay out O Lord help us that we may live above the Dependance and Gratuities of this vain World That our Aim may be higher than the Eating of a Piece of Bread That we may be free from the Blood of all Men give us Grace to warn all Men and to teach every Man in all Wisdom that we may present our Flocks acceptable before Christ Whilst our Tongues run at the service of the Altar God forbid that our Eyes should squint at the Fat of the Sacrifice Grant that we may not seek our selves but thee Let our Endeavours be rather for the profit than the pleasure of the People Strengthen us to live above Discouragements yea above Incouragements That we may chiefly mind our Duty and depend upon thee as our onely but our sure Reward Give us a strong and clear sense of what we speak Let nothing come out of our Mouths but what is to good purpose Suffer not the Stars of the Church to shed black and malignant Influences Suffer not our Trumpets to give an uncertain Sound then who shall prepare themselves for the Battle Make us all of one right mind that we may speak the same thing that there may be no Divisions among us that we may be perfectly joyn'd together in the same Mind and Judgment That we may all always be in Conjunction with Truth That we may
all prove such Predominant Lights that the People cannot but chuse us for Direction That we may be as Tutular Angels to our Flocks And that we may make all good to Heavens Eye that we shew to the World For a Blessing upon the WORD preached O Lord cause thy Word to run and be glorified Ingrave thy Counsels in our Hearts The fruitfulness of the Seed dependeth upon the Sun and the Rain Let us not onely have the presence of Ordinances but thy presence in the Ordinances Let us feel the inward Sweetness and Deliciousness that truly are in Divine Truths Confirm the Words of thy Servants and perform the Counsel of thy Messengers Shall our Lipps drop Honey and they taste no Sweetness Cause the Entrance of thy Word to give Light and Understanding to the Simple that thy Statutes may be our Songs in the House of our Pilgrimage That the efflux of Life and Power from God may beget in us a true and lively Faith The Law of the Lord being perfect cause it to convert the Soul the Testimonies of the Lord being sure that they may make Wise the Simple that the Testimonies of the Lord being right may rejoyce the Heart and the Commandments of the Lord being pure may inlighten the Eyes Imprint thy Word in Living Characters upon the Vital Powers of our Souls Cause the blind to see out of Obscurity and out of Darkness Our Sins are fast rooted in us the Branches are wide and large lay the Axe close to the Root of the Tree Let thy Call not onely reach our Ears but our Hearts That our Ears may not onely be tickl'd but our Hearts touch'd That thy VVord may not onely dwell with us but in us That we may not onely learn what to do but do what we learn That we may not onely talk like Christians but walk like Christians A good Profession and a good Conversation these two who God hath joyned together let no Man put assunder That we may be Companions of all them that fear thee and keep thy Commandments That we may not onely be Verbalists but Realists That our Heads may not onely be full of Notions but our Hearts full of Graces That Christ Jesus may not onely be the Subject of our Tongues but the Object of our Hearts That we may make it our Business yea our Meat and Drink to do the Will of our Lord. Cause the Word to prevail among us that we may meet with something that may meet with us That the Word of Christ may dwell in us in all Wisdom that his Testimonies may be our Delight and our Councellors that it may be unto us the Power of God unto Salvation Suffer not the Word to return void but that it may accomplish that which thou pleasest Quicken our Apprehensions strengthen our Memories let us not be like a Man beholding his Natural Face in a Glass and goeth away forgeting what manner of Man he was but grant that the Secret of the Lord may be with us that we may know his Covenant When the Watchmen sound the Lords Trumpet that we may take alarm with stout resolutions to follow the Lords Banner That the Words of thy Lips may keep us from the Paths of the Destroyer That the Gospel may not onely come unto us in Word but in Power in much Assurance and in the Holy Ghost Suffer not the Word to be intomb'd but inshrin'd in us That the Leaven may be hid within us until the whole be leavened that all the powers of our Souls may relish of it That we may be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy House and that we may drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasure Cause thy Word to be an Engine to effect our Repentance Cause it to be as a Fire to consume our Lusts and as a Hammer to break our hard Hearts upon the Cushion of thy Mercy Bore our Ears that we may hear when thou speakest in Mercy otherwise thou wilt force us to hear when thou speakest in Wrath. That we may bow to thy Septer of Mercy lest thou break us in pieces with the Rod of thy Wrath. Grant that our Eyes may be inlightned by tasting of the Honey of the Gospel Open our Eyes that we may see the Worth and Excellency of the Pearls that are cast before us that we may gather them to inrich us that we may be known by the Bridegroom at his coming by the Gold that we have bought and the White Rayment we have put on Cause the Word of Reconcilation to make such a Conjunction betwixt Christ and our Souls that they may never be separated Grant that we may hear in thy House of Instruction lest thou bring us to thy House of Correction That we may hear thy Word lest we bear the Rod. That we may turn at thy Reproof that thou may'st pour thy Spirit upon us and make known thy Words unto us lest thou hedg up our Way with Thorns and make a Wall that we cannot find our Paths Thou art the Lord that must teach us to profit that must lead us the way that we should go for thy Commandments are a Lamp and thy Law a Light and Reprooss of Instruction are the Way of Life Grant that the same Spirit that wrote the Word may teach us to understand it That through thy Precepts we may get Understanding and by Understanding hate every false Way Open our Eyes that we may see the wondrous Things that are in thy Law That we may follow the Star until we find Jesus the Christ to worship him When the Scriptures are opened to our Understandings then open our Understandings to the Scriptures That we may discern what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Quicken us with thy Precepts that we may never forget them That they may make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus That the light in the Golden Candle-sticks may so illuminate us that we may walk in thy paths without stumbling Cause thy Word to take Root downward that it may bear Fruit upward that we may have respect unto all thy Commandments Make the VVord to be as a Remora to stay our Carnal Desires which are Voyaging in the Ocean of VVorldy and Sinful Pleasures Make us not onely constant but conscionable Hearers That thy VVord may be in us that Incorruptible Seed that liveth and abideth for ever When we meet for the better make us better for the Meeting They that serve the Lord let them be accepted with favour that their Prayers may reach unto the Clouds Let the Eye of the Lord be upon them that fear him and that hope in his mercy Let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord. That they may be satisfied with the goodness of thy House even with the goodness of thy Holy Temple Dart in some Beams of Irresistible Light into our Minds That the Word may be a savour of Life unto Life and not of Death unto Death Cause that Word