THE ANATOMY of a distressed Soul: Wherein, The faults of the elect, are discerned from the sins of the wicked, spiritual defections cured, confused consciences resolved, all means of presumption and desperation removed, the sickness, dullness, and deadness of the spirit relieved, crosses and temptations inward, and afflictions outward remedied, for the benefit of all that groan under the burden of sin, and feeling of God's anger, thirsting for the sense of reconciliation in the blood of the Lamb. ROME 8. 38. 39 I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love, etc. LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes, for Daniel Speed; and are to be sold at his Shop under S. Mildred's Church in the Poultry. 1619. TO THE RIGHT Honourable, Sir Robert Nanton, Knight, one of his majesties principal Secretaries, and of his Royal Privy Council, grace and peace in jesus Christ. GOd leaves his own children oft to themselves, to drive them from the weak hold of their own strength, to rely on Psa. 30. 6. 7 himself▪ yet doth he heal their backslidings, and loves Cant. 3. 4 them freely, notwithstanding their revolting and treacherous dealing against him. There is Satan Hos. 14▪ 4 also sifting them, and fleshly lusts warring against their souls. Hos. 5. 2. 7 They may fall in their faith, by doubtting of God's favour, Luk. 22. 13 and assurance of their salvation, err in some 1. Pet. 2. 11 main points of religion, yea dwell in Psal. 22. & 51. & 77 that ignorance for a season, and maintain the same. They may fall also in their life, in some gross sins, Act. 1. 6 yea sleep in them until they be roused Cal. 2 up, and then fall into them again: and so 2. Sam. 11 commit rebellion against God, and yet remain in the state of grace. For they are 1. Tim. 4. 3 not senseless, nor do continue in their falls, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, without resistance, fear, or grief▪ nor becomes in the end a very Psal. 19 beast, as doth the hypocrite, who falls as the Dromedary that Psal. 44. cannot rise again, but their corruption and temptation overruling Psa. 49. 12 them, doth Psa. 7. 3 misled them, & coming to themselves, condemns themselves for it, and clears the Eph. 2. 3. 7 Lord, justifies him in his judgements, and magnifies the riches of his mercy, job. 42. 6 who never forsakes his children, but will with the tentation also make a way to escape, that they may Rom. 3. 5 be able to bear it. Of the which both inward and outward temptations and afflictions, 1. Cor. 10 for keeping of the conscience tender, and sensible of the least sin, & Heb. 13. 18 wilful fechting again the light thereof: of the checks, fears, distractions, anguishes, horrible terrors, and swoonings, with remedies to the same, according to the measure of the Lords grace bestowed upon me. I have written here (I say) which I most humbly dedicate, to be sheltered under the protection of your worships favour. And I beseech the God of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of glory, to establish your heart in his holy fear, rectify your judgement, sanctify your conscience, and give unto you the spirit of wisdom, and revelation, in the knowledge of him: Eph. 1. 17 18. 19 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward, who believe according to the working of his mighty power▪ To whose everlasting blessing I leave you: and rests, Yours Worships in all Christian duties, Barthol. Robertson. To the Christian Reader. SInce it hath pleased God of his mercy to give so good a passage unto my former travails, I have made bold in confidence of thy favour, to let this also see the light: I have been moved thereunto by sundry of my friends, and truly I detest and abhor idleness with all my heart, yet a brother who was in great confusion of conscience, to whom I resorted daily, looking if God would put his mind at greater liberty, from the thraldom & pangs of conscience, his case (I say) spurred me to undertake this task: In the method I have not been curious, for the answer is paralleled to the interrogation so proportionably, as I could: to the which, I have added prayers for every day of the week, to season thy reading, which strike most upon the the cord of thy conscience: and because the two extremities, presumption, and despair, do most of all mislead men, I have seasonably subjoined a short meditation of the infinite mercy and justice of God, that to the perfecting of thy salvation, thou mayest sail with an even and plain course, swaying neither to the left nor right hand, and I beseech God, the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, to sanctify these to thy use, and thee to his glory. Amen. Thine, B. R. The Anatomy of a distressed conscience: Containing the discovery of spiritual assaults with the particular remedies thereof, in Dialoguewise betwixt the Lord and the Soul. Lord. WHy art thou angry; & thy countenance cast down, if thou Gen. 4. 6 7 dost well, shalt thou not be accepted, and if thou dost jam. 5. 9 evil sin lieth at the door, and the judge standeth before the door. Soul. I have been like a Horse or like a Mule (alas) which Psa. 32 9 understandeth not, and am made like unto beasts that perish. I have wallowed in my own vomit, in the vanity of my mind have I ever jer. 38. 26 walked, having my cogitations darkened, being a stranger from the life of God▪ through the ignorance that Eph. 4. 17 is in me, because of the hardness of my heart: yet sometime Tit. 1. 16 I do profess, I did know God, but by my works I deny him, and am jer. 28. 12 abnominable and disobedient, and unto every good work a reprobate: I have walked after my own imaginations, and after the stubborness of my wicked heart, I have despised the Ro. 2. 4. 5 riches of thy bountifulnsse and patience and long suffering, not knowing that thy bountifulness leadeth me to repentance, but after my hardness of heart that cannot repent, have heaped up unto myself wrath against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the just judgement of God, thus have I lived in pleasure on the earth and in wantonness, and have nourished jam. 5. 5 my heart as in a day of slaughter, and what shall now become of me. Lord. Thou hast cause poor soul to bemoan thyself, job 11. 20 for the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and their refuge shall perish, and their hope shall be sorrow of mind, his own counsel shall cast job 18. 7 him down, his rejoicing is but short and the joy of an hypocrite is but a moment, job 20. 5 for the wickeds light shall be taken away, they are snared in the work of their own hands, thus I will try the righteous, but the wicked job 38. 15 and him that loveth iniquity, doth my soul hate, Psa. 9 16 for I the righteous Lord love righteousness, and my countenance beholdeth the just man, many sorrows Ps. 11. 5. 7 shall come to the wicked, but thou (wretched soul) call unto me and I will answer, Psa. 32. 10 and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not, I will instruct thee and teach thee jer. 33 3 in the way that thou shalt go, and I will guide thee with my eye. Soul. Can the black Moor change his skin, or the Leopard his spots, then may I also do good that is accustomed jer. 13. 23 to do evil, I did say alas it was not yet time that the Lords house should Hag. 1. 2 be builded in me, but did put far away the evil day, and approached to the seat of iniquity, as the smoke jam. 6. 3 vanisheth so drivest thou sinners away, as wax melteth Psa. 68 2 before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God, how should I then lift up my horn on high, or speak with a stifnecke, for thou art judge, and in thy hand is a cup and the wine is red, it is full of fury mixed, and thou pourest out of the same, Psa. 15. 8 surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drink the dregs thereof: thus the way of the wicked is as the darkness, they know not wherein they Pro. 4. 19 shall fall, their own iniquities shall take the wicked themselves, and they shall be holden with the cords Pro. 5. 22 of their own sin, woe be unto the ungodly therefore, which have forsaken the law of the most high, for Eccl. 4. 1 8. 9 10 though they increase yet shall they perish, if they be borne, they shall be borne to cursing, and if they die the curse shall be their portion; so shall they go from the curse to destruction, for the soul that sinneth it shall die the death. Lord. I will not give the soul Ezek. 18 of my turtle dove unto the beast, what is thy sin written Psa. 14 19 with a pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond, and so graven upon the table of thy heart, wilt jer. 17. 1 thou not give thy mind to turn unto me thy God, is the spirit of fornication in Hos. 5. 4 the middle of thee, and wilt thou not know me thy jer. 13. 27 Lord? wilt thou not poor soul be made clean? when shall it once be? I will answer Zach. 13. thee with good words and comfortable words, arise my love, my fair one and come thy way, for behold the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the noise of the turtle is heard in our land; arise my love my fair Can. 2. 10 11. 12 one and come away, withdraw not thy heart from me, let me be thy hope in the day of adversity, I create jer. 18. 5 the fruit of thy lips to be peace as well to him that is far off, as to him that is near. As I live I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live, turn thee jer. 33. 11 turn from thy evil ways, why wilt thou die (silly soul) I am patient towards thee, and would that all men should be saved and 2. Pet 3. 9 none perish, but would all men should come to repentance, and to the knowledge of the truth, yea and more abundantly to show the stableness of my counsel, I have thus bound myself by an oath, that by two immutable things, wherein it is impossible that I should lie, thou mightest have a strong consolation▪ who hast fled for refuge to lay Heb. 6. 17 18. hold upon the hope set before the. Soul. I am empty, & void, and waste, & the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and sorrow is in my loins, and my face gathers Na. 2. 10 blackness, for that which is crooked can none make strait, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered, Eccl. 1. 15 woe unto me miserable soul, for I have rewarded evil unto myself. It is the vengeance of the Lord, thou wilt take vengeance Esay 3. 9 upon me, as I have done, thou wilt do unto me, jer. 50. 15 thou art a consuming fire & a jealous God, can my heart Deut. 4. 24 endure, or can my hands be strong in the day that thou shalt have ro do with me, thy tempest goeth forth in thy wrath, and a violent jer. 23. 19 20 whirlwind shall fall down upon the head of the wicked, thy anger shall not reaurne until thou hast exeted and until thou hast performed the thought of thy heart, in the latter days I will understand it plainly, I am but as foam upon the water, I have ploughed wickedness and reaped iniquity, Hos▪ 10. 7 15. and eaten the fruits of lies, I have trusted in mine own ways, in serving sin and living according to the flesh, and must die for I cannot joh. 8. 34 please thee. Rom. 8 13 Lord. Blessed is he whose wickedness Psa. 32. 1. 2 is forgiven, and whose sin is covered: Blessed is the man unto whom I impute no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile, If any man say he 1. john. 18 hath no sin, he deceiveth himself and there is no truth in him, If thou acknowledge thy sins, I am just and faithful to forgive thee thy sins, and cleanse thee from all unrighteousness, Gen. 3 If thou say thou hast no sin, thou makest me a liar, thou mayest see Adam's Gen. 9 fall and feel it in thee, Noah's drunkenness, Lot's incest, Gen. 12 Abraham's double denial Gen. 20 of his wife, Rebecca her Gen. 27 lie and deceit, Jacob's lie, Simeon Gen. 34 Gen. 37 and Leuie's murder, Exod. 2 Rachel's theft, the whole patriarchs bloody devise against Num. 20 their brother, Moses slaughter, Moses & Aaron's 2. Sam. 11 murmuring, David's murder and adultery, Salomon's 1. Kin. 11 idolatry, and finally, Matthew a publican, all the Mat. 20 Apostles ambitious, Magdalen a notorious sinner, Luk. 19 Zacheus an oppressor & extortioner, the Thief on the Cross a notorious malefactor, Peter a denier, Thomas joh. 18 Act. 9 a doubter, Paul a persecuter of Christ. But to this purpose appeared the Son of God, that he might loose the works of the devil: joh. 3. 8 for surely there is none just in the earth that doth good and sinneth not, for who can say, I have made my heart clear, I am clean from my sin, all like sheep Eccl. 7. 22 have gone astray, every one hath turned to his own way, yet I have laid upon my Son the iniquity of you all: For the transgression Pro. 29 of my people was he plagued, though he had done no wickedness, neither was any deceit in his Esa. 53. 7. 8. 9 mouth, he was counted with the trespassers, and he bore the sin of many and prayed for the transgressors: there is none good but I, when thou hast done all is Mark. 10 commanded thee, yet art thou an unprofitable servant, thou hast but done Luk. 17. xo that which was thy duty to do: now then there is no difference betwixt thee and others, for all have sinned, and are deprived of the glory Rom. 3. 23 24 of God: and are justified freely by grace, through the redemption, that is, in Christ jesus my Son, whom I have set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness by the forgiveness of thy sins, that are passed through the patience of God; hast thou laid up these things in thy poor soul. Soul. The heaven (alas) doth declare my wickedness & the earth doth rise up against job. 20. 27 me, great is thy goodness which thou hast Psa. 31. 19 laid up for them that fear thee, and done to them that trust in thee; but sinners are Esa. 33. 12 13. afraid, a fear doth come upon hypocrites, who can dwell with the devouring fire? Who shall dwell with everlasting burningsses? we conceive chaff, and bring forth stubble, our breath as fire shall devour us, and we shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut up Eecl. 8. 8 shall they be burnt in the fire, for wickedness shall Wis. 5. 17 20. not deliver the possessor thereof; thou armest thy creatures to be revenged of thy enemies, and the world shall fight with thee against the unjust, which have kindled a fire in thy wrath jer. 37. 4 which shall burn for ever, thou art wise in heart O Lord, & mighty in strength, job. 9 4 who hath been fierce against thee and prospered? who shall stand in thy sight Psa. 76. 7 when thou art angry? alas, my filthiness shall be discovered, and my shame shall be seen. Lord. I will go and return to my place till thou acknowledge thy offences, and seek Hos. 5. 15 my face in thy affliction, if thou wilt seek me early, fear not, thou shalt not be ashamed, neither shalt thou be confounded, for thy maker is thy husband, the Esa. 54. Lord of hosts is his name, and thy Redeemer the holy 5 one of Israel: the God of the whole earth am I called, 6 for I have called thee being as a woman forsaken and 7 grieved in spirit, and a wife 8 of youth when thou wast refused, saith thy God, for 9 a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great 10 mercies will I gather thee: In a little wrath, I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer: For this is as the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee, for the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy upon thee, this is the heritage of ver. 17. my servants, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord, now then incline thine ears and come unto me, hear & thy soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with thee, even the sure mercies of David, behold I have given him for a witness to the people, and for a leader and commander to them, therefore go thou out with Esa. 55. 3 joy, and be lead forth with 12 peace, the mountains and hills shall break forth before 13 thee in singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands, it shall be to me for a name, and for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Soul. I confess thy salvation shall be for ever, and thy righteousness shall not be Esa. 51. 6 abolished, though I said in my haste, I am cast out of thy sight, yet thou heardest Psa. 31. 22 the noise of my prayer when I cried unto thee, and am fully assured that thou which hast promised, art also Rom. 4. 21 able to do it. Lord. Thou dost well (beloved soul) to acknowledge thy sin, to deal with them as thou hast done, and as a judge doth with malefactors, to apprehend, reign, and condemn them, for he that hideth his sins shall not prosper, but he that Pro. 28. 13 confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy, for as thou hast declamed against thy sins, so have the Saints before thee, for they acknowledged their Psa. 32. 5 sin unto me, neither did Psa. 51 hide their iniquity: for they thought they would confess against themselves their sins unto me, and I forgave the punishment of their sins, and so also my Neh. 9 33 34. servant said unto me, surely thou art just in all that is come upon us, for thou hast dealt truly, but we have dealt wickedly. So did another protest against himself Dan. 9 5. and his people, we sinned and have committed iniquity, & have done wickedly, yea have rebelled & have departed from thy precepts and from thy judgements: Uncover thou thy sin and I will cover it, declare thou it and I will hear thee, in the world confession is confusion, but with me it is far otherwise, for if thou acknowledge thy sins, I am faithful and just to forgive thee all thy fins, and to cleanse thee from all unrighteousness, and truly dear soul, it is of my grace begun in thee, that thou breakest out in confession of them, willingly opening them and stripping them naked before my Majesty, for he that is penitent before me and my Angels (with whom there is greater joy in heaven Luk. 15 for one that repenteth, then for ninety and nine that need not repentance) I will not stick to confess before the face of men: It is not of nature, for Adam whilst Gen. 3 I pushed his conscience, covered himself with fig leaves, I send a noise and voice, he betook him to the thick wood, and last I urged him with questions, yet he shifted off his sin to Eva, and this confession that the sight of misery and fear of punishment have taken out of thee, is a heavenly preparative to a greater measure of my grace to be wrought in thee. Soul. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge it, but if a man sin 2. Sa. 2. 25 against thee O Lord, who will plead for him? yea he must be swallowed up with 2. Cor. 2. 7 heaviness: If we say we have a covenant with death or with hell & are at agreement, though a scourge run over and pass through, it shall not come at us; for we have made falsehood our refuge, and under vanity are we hid: O but how innumerable have been punished for their trespasses, even here in this world: Adam cast out of paradise, Exod. 32 the world destroyed by water, Sodom and Gomorrah by fire, Pharaoh by the Sea, Amaleck rooted out, 3 thousand killed for the worship of the golden Calf, Nadab Num. 10 and Abihu burnt with fire, Myriam stricken with leprosy, for incredulity three hundred thousand beside Num. 12 young ones and servants that came out of Egypt (except joshuah and Caleb) fell in the wilderness, Corath Num. 16 & Dathan swallowed quick into the earth, Moses and Num. 20 Aaron excluded the Land Num. 25. for murmuring, the Princes of the people hanged, Achan stoned, the tribe of jud. 19 20 Beniamim overthrown for the Levites wife, Eli for not 1. Sam. 15 correcting his children, Saul for sacrificing, and after him 2. Kin. 11 all his house punished. What shall I say of those that died of the pestilence in David's days, the disobedient 2. Sam. 24 1. Kin. 13 Prophet rend by the Lion, the forty children by the bores, for mocking Elizeus, 1. King. 2 of Geetze, or Hosiah the King, willing to burn incense, 2. Chro. 26 with many more, as Ananias and Saphyra, Elimas the sorcerer, judas and Theudas and some of them for very mean sins to the judgement of men, yea and the Galileans, whose sacrifice Pilate mixed with their blood, and the builders of the Tower of Shiloh which fell upon them, which were not the greatest sinners, and unless I repent I shall also be punished; Save me O Lord, and take the glory thereof to thyself, for, for not giving it thee, Herod Act. 12 was consumed of worms, thus thou dost lay the wickeds way upon their own Ezek. 11. 21 heads. Lord. The cause of all terrors and troubles in thy mind, are thy sins: I see and thou knowest it, for they do infect thy mind and conscience with their guilt, from which guiltiness proceedeth a fearful expectation of these punishments thou hast spoken of, to the which thou perceivest thou art justly liable, neither canst thou be freed from this guiltiness and fearful pangs, until thou (thy sins being done away) be reconciled to me: for then, and not before, shalt thou have peace of conscience, boldness and confidence, when thou art assured that I love thee, and thou me, and so canst rest on my promises and providence, for there is no fear in love, but perfect joh. 4. 8 love casteth out fear, for fear hath painfulness, and he that feareth is not perfect in love: the wicked fly when none pursueth, Pro. 28. 1 but the righteous are bold as a Lion, and thouh thou shouldest walk through Psa. 32. 4 the valley of the shadow of death, thou wouldst fear no evil, because I am with thee, and with my rod and staff comfort thee: So being justified, and assured once of my love, thou mayst be fully persuaded, that nothing is able to separate Rom. 8. 39 thee from my love, which is in Christ jesus; where innocency is, there is security, Rome 5. 1 for where justification and assurance of remission of sins is, there is peace with me, with the creatures, and joy in the holy Ghost. Use the means for obtaining of faith, as hearing, receipt of the Sacraments, prayer, meditation, conference; if thou be not wanting to thyself, I will not be wanting unto thee, and next approve thy faith by repentance, for I have bound myself by promise, that all that turn from their sins, shall in my Son be reconciled unto me: for I crave▪ no more, but that thou believe only, and bring forth fruits of a new life; for this is thy part in the covenant with me, for sins repent of, are forgiven in my estimate, as though they had never been committed, & because thou by these means art received unto the protection of my providence; thou mayst be undoubtedly assured, that all things whatsoever (yea in thy judgement, the worst also) shall make together for thy good, Be strong and of a good courage, it is I that am with thee, who can be against thee? Soul. Is not thy word even like a fire O Lord? doth not my heart burn within me, while thou talkest with me, jer. 23. 29 & openest to me the Scriptures, and manifesteth the word, which is like a hammer Luk. 24 32 that breaketh the stone, thou only canst quicken the dead in sin, and call Rom. 4. 17 those things which be not, as though they were, but (alas) how slow am I to believe, Luk. 24. 25 and how hard is my heart. Lord. The occasion of thy evil may be outward, but the cause is inward, else never should Satan, flesh, or the world prevail, my Son was assaulted, but Satan found nothing in him, neither was there guile in his lips, Satan doth offer, thou dost yield to temptations, if thou canst be adversary to thy corruption, Satan shall be but as a Chirurgeon, which lanceth thy impostumation to preserve life, howsoever he purposeth to have wounded to thy heart: joseph by grace restrained his corruption, concerning Putifars wife, David's eyes opened the vail to his corrupted heart, so sin in him with Bethsheba grew to age, in what measure thou withstandeth thy corruption, in that measure thou art regenerate, and assured to prevail against strongest temptations, thou mayst easily espy thy corruption best, by thy afflictions or by affections, for such is a man as he is in tentation; the heart of man carrieth commonly all the other senses, for by it they are moderated and ruled, and therefore thou shouldest diligently keep it: again, it mars or makes all thy actions, for if it be pure, thy affections are pure, yea though some defects be mixed therewith, whatsoever cometh from a sound and sincere heart, in my eyes is accepted, and in my Christ accounded righteousness unto thee: if for sins sake thou leave sin, though the lees thereof remain in thee, though thou do not all the good thou lovest, but in love desireth to do it, though thou leave not all the sins thou hatest, but in hatred of them I accept the good thou dost, the evil thou desirest to leave Gen. 6 shall not be imputed: thus strive to have thy heart Mic. 2 right within thee, with a purpose to approve thyself Ier 17. 9 to me, labouring to kill sin, though the whole body Pro. 4 15 16 of sin be not slain in thee. There is a wickedness in thy heart cannot easily be espied, the subtlety thereof is unsearchable, which should bring thee out of love with thyself, & watch diligently over it, it is like a mill ever grinding, thou must circumcise it, and make it to bleed to empty it, for there is so much superfluous matter in it. Soul. Wash me thoroughly Psa. 51. 3. 5 from my iniquity, & cleanse me from my sin O Lord, behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me, create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me, I feel alas in my corrupt heart such a world of sins, and in every one of them a fault against thee my God, a guilt binding my conscience to the punishment of of eternal death, and a stain or blot imprinted in me, as the fruit thereof, which is my inclination, evil disposition, proveness and aptness of heart to offend, which causeth me delight and live in sin, which lying in sin (and woe is me therefore) is a greater cause of damnation than the sin itself. Lord. Thou must beware of thy thoughts, which are the feet and wings, the soul walks & flies by, yea the wagon and boat it is carried and failed in; for an evil thought if it long tarry in the mind, it will hardly be restrained before it come to the outward act, and such monsters of the mind should make thee afraid, & suspect thy falling in the action of sin, by the affection of it; thou must therefore search thy heart, which is a bottomless pit of corruption, and it is a special grace to gauge it to the deep, for he that maketh conscience of his thoughts, will make conscience of his deeds; for if thy heart be found in my my statutes, thou shalt not be ashamed; Keep thee Ps. 119. 80 from thoughts injected, as was judas, his, cast in his heart by Satan, and of joh. 13 thoughts arising out of it, beware of staying in them, by taking pleasure in these imaginations, and delight in the sent of them; for consent of will, with me is a full action, judas thought but to do evil, and it is said, that thou dost, do quickly; after cometh devise to bring to pass the act that followeth, whence ariseth a benumbed conscience, after diverse actions, than defence or excuse, then boasting of it, and this is the wickeds chair, and steps to hell: then be ashamed to think that thou art ashamed to speak, for I see Pro. 14 thy heart and thoughts, & know what thou art, strive against them, and if they yet remain, have indignation of them, fear and cry to me that thou art troubled with them, and I will ease thee; for justly do I challenge thy heart, who gave my sons heart to be 2. Kin. 20 18 pierced for thee: thus thou must obey against thine inclination, and natural reason, jer. 42. 6 For what is faith but a contrariety to reason? and hope to experience? and lay not down thine own conclusions: I am well pleased with thy intents which prepare thy heart to seek me, the seeds of all sins are in every man's heart, which would appear if I suppressed them not, the tongue is a world of wickedness, what is the heart then, out of whose abundance the mouth speaketh? Soul. I know that in me, that is, in this flesh, there dwelleth no goodness; but every good and perfect gift is from above, from thee the father of lights, open my eyes I beseech thee, that I may see the marvelous things in thy law, I cannot leave (alas) my sin, I have used it so often and so long, it is so pliable to my nature, that I would rather lose my life, having long accustomed it, than now cease from it, and yet I am now and then tormented with the memory of it; my conscience is a snare to me, yea an assize, a bench, a judge, a jailor, yea a hangman itself to me, and whither shall I fly poor wretch? Lord. It is good to learn thy inward corruptions by thy outward senses, thy sense leads thee to sin, because thy heart leadeth thy sense, & thy corruption hath stolen away thy heart; for outward senses bewray thy inward affections, & therefore Christ will never be sweet, until thou see, yea and feel in experience, thy natural corruption, for none can hunger for righteousness except he feel himself empty and wanting thereof, and where there is an exceeding hunger, there must be an exceeding feeling, as a feeble and small hunger had the like feeling: comfort then thyself, in that thou feelest the impureness of thy heart, and want of uprightness and deadness to all goodness, for the feeling of their wants is quickness and living, and this quickness and life is by my spirit in thee, and where my spirit is, there is life everliving, which is regeneration or life everlasting; & the more thou dost feel the one, the more deeply dost thou weigh the feeling of thy confused estate, by which thou findest comfort in sorrow, & great light in darkness: and in this, that thou both sighest and groanest for the hardness of thy heart, it is a testimony that thy heart is not altogether hardened, for if thou feelest this in thyself, that thou desirest to love me, and to be better, being wearied and toiled with sin; & comfort thyself, for it is in earnest of regeneration, for difference betwixt a motion to evil, and consent to it; for the body of sin, wicked motions, and affecons, shall never be out of thee while thou live, thou must not only strive to press out the breath of sin, and close up the eyes of it at the death of it, but to follow it to the grave, and cover Revel. 3. 15 12 22 it that it never rise, for this is to overcome and receive the crown, not that the life of sin can be here destroyed, but may well be weakened, as the mangled part of a Serpent cut in pieces, have not that power to hurt as when it was whole so corruption hath not fierceness to prevail against thee, howsoever the relics thereof remain but like a mighty Prince, which is become a poor prisoner. Soul. I by reason of my old custom in sin, do often yield to temptations, I do not abound more and more in wisdom and goodness, but rather persevere in sin and rebellion, Lord thou knowest, and I fear (unless thy mercy be the greater) the sentence of my conscience which is thy register, and my remembrancer, the wicked may be secure, but never in safety, Lord. Custom is worse a hundred Ger. 42. 14 15 fold then nature, and doth greatly prevail with my dearest children: joseph a good man, being among profane men, had some smell of their words and lied: The Sodomites by their unjust conversation, vexed Lots righteous soul, yet he could have found in his heart to live still amongst them, therefore there is nothing more fit, then to avoid all occasions of sin, and & to procure honest things both in the sight of God & man, and then in all actions to avoid evil, thou must learn to keep that which is good, and abstain from all appearance of evil, be sure it be good thou dost, but if it have but a show of evil avoid it, and if it be an ill favoured thing to see to, fly it. If thou hear threatenings and tremble, hear promises and believe, pray in wants, be thankful for mercies, and with reverence receive Sacraments, they keep thee from falling, and recover thee when thou art fallen, it goeth well with thee; to prosper and thrive in sin, is a sign of my wrath, as the child that Heb. 12. 6 the father hateth is given over to be ruled by his own pleasure, but I chastise my children whom I love, that 1. Cor. 11 32 they should not be condemned with the world: again, thou wilt never leave sin, until thou know sin to be sin, and be truly sorrowful for it: press to resist the first motions of sin, for one breedeth many, & it is hard to get out of the claws of the devil, thou canst without great danger touch the young thorn, dally with the young boar, and carry a young Serpent, but if these be old thou knowest the danger, cut the thorn in the root, mussle the boar, bruise the head of the Serpent, yea destroy it in the very egg before it be hatched; by the fall of others in sin, thou mayst be taught to stand, and rise if thou be fallen, and as concerning the accusation of thy conscience thou speakest of, thou shalt never labour to leave sin so long as thou art quiet in mind, until thou be stricken with fear, or cast down with judgements, then if thou look to my highest majesty offended by sin, the benefits which bound thee to do my will, how near thy sins pierce me, the purpose and end thou tendest to in sin, the time and place of transgression, & last if thou see the loathsomeness and deformity of sin: for that a stinching carrion is more tolerable to the sent, than a sinful soul unto me, if thou narrowly consider how huge and detestable thy sins will seem, for by them thou art made like unto the devil himself, I have imprinted naturally in all a condemnation of sin, that even committing it, thou shouldest condemn it in thyself, and be ashamed of it before others, woe unto them that are deprived of this natural remorse, & to them that account that virtue, which I condemn for a crime, though it seem little to thee in committing sin, it was very great in my Son in suffering for it, if sins were not so usual, they would seem more palpeable and prodigious, and therefore the senses which are oceasions of sin, aught to be well ordered, to make a covenant with thy eyes, with thy mouth and ears, that thy heart walk not after them, that thy step turn not out of the way, and any blot job. 31. 1. 7 cleave to thy hands, he that seeth his corruptions truly will be afraid of the least show of evil, the oftener sin is, to have the more grief, Ps 42. 11. 9 is a note of my children, search then the bottom of thy thoughts, feel thy grief where it lieth, find out the cause, seek for remedy, lest it prove incurable, if thou take it not in time, it will fester more and more, and infect all. Soul. O how truly is my body called a body of death, thou shouldest take up and have to thy glory all my cogitations, but idle thoughts, imaginations and discourses come in my ninde, to the which alas I yield my affection, and do not strike at my conscience in the jam. 1. 13 first motion, while reason is on my side, and wound it before it receive a perfect shape, O that I might cherish and entertain good motions and change them into prayer, not to smother them by other roving 2. Pet. 3 cogitations, making them either die presently, or quickly fall away, and thus Pro. 14. 9 (alas) I make a mock of sin, yea I make a God of Rom. 2. 4. 5 sin, and serve it in thy steed, neglecting thy bountifulness, which leadeth me to repentance, if thou shouldest Lord suffer my conscience check me, and Satan burden me, with the least sin, it would be so heavy and grievous, that a thousand worlds could not abide it, how could I then endure the greatest? Adam for eating of an apple was thrown out of Paradise, Moses for speaking of an angry word died in the wilderness, and was not suffered to go into Canaan, Ezekiah did but show his treasures, and for that he & all were carried to Babel, josiah did war against thine and his enemies, yet because he asked not counsel of thee was slain in battle: these (for what sins are less) hast thou punished in thy dear children, O what shall become of me in my great sins, if the just shall scarcely be saved, where shall the wicked appear? if this shall be done unto the green tree, what shall be done to the dry? the least offence cometh not alone, but brings a legion of transgressions with it, yea the least made thy Son smart and accursed, and to say, my God, my God, etc. and O that no sin could escape me without true & godly sorrow, for the less I favour sin, the nearer I am to▪ thy favour, small means do provoke me to it, but great means cannot revoke me from it, the spirit is quickly quenched, the tender conscience is soon bruised, old sins do retire, Pro. 15. 15 new sins easily assault, and do deprive me of the company of a good conscience. Lord. Thou must (dear soul) beware of all sin generally, and must look narrowly unto some special sins, whereunto thy nature is most inclinable and subject: for one dead sly will corrupt a whole box of ointment. Oftentimes meditate of thy secret sins, which are hidden as it were in the dark corners of thy heart, which I can reveal when I will, in making my creatures bring unto light, thy friends to open them, thy own mouth to testify them, thy dreams to make them known, in sickness to rave on them, or in frenzy to vomit them out, the sharp torment of conscience make thee confess one privy sin unrepented, for if the Israelites made the jud. 17 Beniaminites, fewer in number, and maintaining an evil cause twice to prevail. It is not light that is heavier than all the world, I esteem Mat. 51 one jot of my law, more than heaven and earth, secret corruptions be light, as Balthasar was in daniel's interpretation, Dan. 5. 27 which is the loss not of an earthly kingdom such as his was, but of the kingdom of heaven; the maladies of the soul are contrary to those of the body, for these the greater they be, the more we seel them, the other the less, while thy sin is as a more, and may be as it were blown out, make thee free of it; when it shall be a beam, it shall scarce be haled out with horses, it should be thy early and morning work to cast out sins, Psa. 101. 8 tarry not while thy sin be great, but pray with feeling of wants and sorrow for sin, else sin will deceive thee, and deceiving thee will harm thee, make fat thy heart thou shalt not perceive it, & blind thy mind thou shalt not see it, for when wickedness is at the ripest, than destruction is nearest at hand, wherefore while sin is yet in the sprout, and having but a little course, is unable to make any great breach, keep it under and stay it, is is hard to get unto the way of goodness, harder to continue in it, but hardest of all when thou art out of the way to come in again, when sin breaketh out without controlment, and beareth the sway with delight, to the breaking of the peace with the conscience, it is very dangerous, thou oughtest of ten to say, direct my steps in thy word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me, keep me from Ps 119. 133 presumptuous sins, let them not reign over me, tarry not I say until the dead Psa. 19 13 blow cometh, but resist the first strokes of sin, for than thou mayest be easily hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, to day if thou hear my voice, Heb. 3 harden not thy heart; the violence of sin is so impetuous that thou mayest soon slip, but hardly rise: blessed therefore is the man Psa. 95. 8 that feareth always, but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into evil; without sin thou shalt not be, but pray it may be forgiven, neither void of temptations (for of all temptations not to be tempted is the greatest) but that thou be not overcome of them. Soul. I perceive (sweet Lord) there is difference betwixt slumbering and dead sleeping, between slips and falls, betwixt infirmities and running headlong to ungodliness, betwixt error with grief and desire to be freed from it, and ignorance wherein the wicked lie still gladly, and have no care to be rid of it: I will with my whole mind leave my sins from hence forth, & suspect the corruptions and motions of my heart. Lord. It is not sufficient (poor soul) for thee to learn thy sin, for thou mayest fall into it again, and into worse if it be possible, but thou must weep & mourn until thou come to some grief, and such as is answerable to the measure of thy sins, as it is said, cleanse your jam. 4. 8. 9 hands you sinners, and pufie your hearts you double minded, be afflicted and mourn and weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy into heaviness: grievous sins must be repent of with great grief, a sore disease must be cured with sharp medicines, for men must mourn for their sins as one mourneth for his only son, and and be sorrowful for them, as one is sorrowful for the death of his first born, there must be in them a great mourning, as the mourning of Hadradimmon, in the valley of Megiddan, for the death of the good King josiah, even so must thou mourn, because thou hast pierced my Son through with thy sins, and wounded him with thy bypassed abominations, and thus thou must rend thy heart; for a sa man that looks upon the Sun, if he turn his face away, remaineth turned until he turn himself again, so he that turneth himself away by sin, maketh himself a sinner, and so remaineth until he turn himself again by hearty repentance, and therefore thou must diligently examine thy sins, not only in acknowledging of them, but also in sense and feeling of them, for that will make thee, not to change one sin for another, but forsake all; not as Herod, who was contented to relinquish some, Mar. 10. 24 but not to separate from his incestuous whore; and the young man would rather depart from me (albeit that I loved him) then from his riches. So did Ananias and Act. 5 Saphyra, it must then be a total not partial forsaking, for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all; for the keeping of sin in part is the losing jam. 2. 10. of grace in whole, ye must not forsake sin for a moment, or short time, but for ever, and not return with the dog to the vomit, and with the sow to the wallowing in the mire, least having escaped the filthiness of this world, thou be yet again entangled in the same▪ for sins not truly repent of, are means to fall unto them again, thou must not harbour secret sins in thy heart and breast, but rather desire to be religious then to seem to be; for be assured there is nothing so secret but shall be revealed, whether it be good or bad, thou must not then begin in the spirit and end in the flesh, and not only art thou thus to deal with thy gross sins, but also with the inward corruption of thy nature, and the fruits thereof, which although thou canst not altogether blot out, yet beat it down, and keep it short, for while the tree remaineth in the earth, there will always spring forth some buds; rest never from emptying this fountain, from which these mud springs are derived. Soul. By reason of my inward corruption (good God) I am empoisoned, for I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind, & bringing Rom. 7. 23 me unto captivity, the law of sin which is in my members; oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death: for if Satan (who never ceaseth) should do nothing to me, yet this would pull and draw me from thee, unless it be suppressed, oh that bondage of sin to be at the commandment of every vile wretched lust! oh the master, the service and reward of sinful persons, Satan that God of this world, and Prince that ruleth in the children of disobedience, Ephe. 2. 2 he putteth his vassals to carry heavier burdens, and to toil themselves in base works than the cruel taskmasters of Egypt imposed on the poor Israelites, impenitent sinners are entrhalled to every brutish lust, they must defile their bodies, corrupt their souls & consciences, and pollute all their works and ways, when and in what manner soever the devil will have them, run up and down like dregs to follow every vain delight, never peaceable by day, nor quiet by night, evermore labouring to work Pro. 4. 16 out their own overthrow, possessed with a spiritual frenzy, and led by the suggestion of Satan, and then the wages of sin it death, to endure endless torments in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death: now Lord free me from this slavery of sin, that being translated from glory 2. Cor. 3. 18 to glory, and having thy image renewed in me daily 1. joh. 3. 3 more and more, I may purify myself even as thou art pure: oh that I might be fenced & armed against all enticements, it is a blessed thing to work no iniquity; what should it profit a man to win the whole Luk. 9 21 world and lose his own soul, it is better to suffer affliction with thy people, then to enjoy the pleasures Heb. 11. 25 of sin for a season; it is a joy to live a holy life, even the life of thee the Lord God, the life of Christ, the life of Angels, to be zealous of good works, to feel spiritual joys in the inward man, to look for a crown of glory after I have died the death of the righteous. Lord. And so it is true, therefore I say, search thy corruptions, whether thou grow in grace, or art consumed in some, I give grace in measure, sometime more, and Rom. 6. 2 some time less; but they that live in ignorance and sin, are dead for they sit Luk. 1 in darkness and in the shadow of death, for the life of sin is the death of the man, when they sin with pleasure and delight: the best flesh is most tender, and where it is most corrupt, there it is most hard, and where the flesh is nearest to healing, there it will more speedily and more freshly bleed, the more near thou art to me, the more fearful thou wilt be, the more precious thy conscience is, the more tender it is, for it is a quickening grace of my spirit when thou feelest peace in conscience, Rom. 5. 5 and joy in the holy spirit, when thou hast access unto me, and rejoicest under the hope of my glory, for blessed is that people which can rejoice in me, they shall walk in the peace of my countenance; unto this peace of mind Psa. 89. 13 sincerity must be linked, for blessed is the man to whom I impute no iniquity, Psa. 32 and in whose heart there is no guile, yea blessed are Psa. 119. 1 those that are upright in the way; thou must make known thy faith by fruits, and feeling by sweet effects; for love is careful to please me, and fearful to displease, and blessed is that man that feareth me and walketh in my ways; this fear will breed a care of obedience of the word, and therefore blessed is he that heareth the word of God, and keepeth that thy heart may stand in awe of me: Ps. 119. 161 let me be thy fear and dread, where my fear is Es. 8. 12 wanting, there is no tentation nor sin so great, but thou wilt fall in it, but remember I behold all thy ways, and tell all thy steps, job 31 he that feareth not me shall fear the least of my creacreatures, live in fear, and fear in love, for tasting how gracious I am in all my Saints fear, lest thou lose so good a Lord, this fear will make thee search thy own corruption, the godly fear before affliction cometh, and then it ceaseth, but the wicked fear not until it come, and then they fear too much, for piety trembleth in prosperity, and triumpheth in adversity, I am always God, and am to be feared of thee, for thou art a creature, and also sinful, an iron rod can easily break an earthen pot: if the commandment only, keep thee in obedience, thou hast not received my spirit, for my fear causeth obedience, and the law was not given to the just, but to the unjust, and therefore learn to say with thy heart, I am a man that fear God, thou canst not rejoice in me always, faith is often faint, love and little joy is dead, feeling is fallen asleep, yet if thou continue in my fear, thou wilt be zealous of thyself, lest thou displease me, & mourn until these graces shine in thee again, the godly, fear sin more than exernal crosses; they that fear least, when my judgements are threatened, do fear most when they are executed, a good conscience breedeth true boldness, sin breedeth a spirit of fear in the wicked, of evils to come, the godly say, my flesh trembleth Ps. 119. 120 for fear of thee, I am afraid of thy judgements, for where fear is not there is security, security breedeth hardness of Pro. 28. 14 heart, hardness of heart bringeth God's wrath. Soul. We must have fear to prepare us to grace, & love to continue us in that grace; this fear (not that servile and excessive) bringeth us unto thee, helpeth our prayers, causeth us wait & continue on our duties, I must Heb. 11. 7 not be without fear, neither trust in myself; for Hab. 3. 16 when my assistance is weakest, sin and Satan is strongest; neither yet must I have a cowardly fear. & fainting of heart to yield to temptations, but have a moderate, and not a scrupulous fear; alawies being strong in thee, the Lord, my strength; the joy of the Saints may be temporally interrupted, but not finally & eternaly absent, they have a just and royal right in thy Son Christ; and must maintain it against all the stains and falls that they fear of the adversary, thus Satan would wear to a dullness the edge of our prayers, and draw to tedidiousnesse the fruit of our faith, and therefore they Pro. 3. 5. 6 trust in the Lord with all their heart, and lean not unto their own wisdom, in all their ways acknowledge Ro. 12. 16 him, and he doth direct their ways, they are not wise in their own eyes, but fear thee and depart from evil, so health shall be unto their navel, and marrow unto their bones, they rejoice in his holy name, the hearts of them that feel thee, O Lord, rejoiceth, they seek the Lord Ps. 105. 3. 4 and his strength, they seek his face continually, for surely their heart shall rejoice Psa. 33. 21 in him, because they have trusted in his holy name: they I say, do serve Psa. 2. 11 the Lord in fear, and reloyce in trembling, oh thy loving kindness O Lord, Psa. 33. 6 is better than life, truly life is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright Ps. 9711 in heart, but (alas good Lord) I do ever feel within me such proclivity and bentnesse to sin, it is as thou saidst of my corruption, whose remnants will follow me to the grave: I am overmastered & overruled at all times by my actual impieties against thee, and my neighbours, offensive and scandalous to all, without any Christian consideration, or holy remorse. Lord. The cause thereof, besides those I have spoken, are, first, because thou findest not after thy sin a present controlment of sin, thou thinkest thou hast not offended: I oft suffer the spirit of slumber to overtake transgressors, that I may by my spirit more perfectly waken my Saints: then do the wicked take courage and transgress, and do wickedly, but I will Hab. 1 11 search them with light, and visit them that are frozen in their dregs, and say in Zeph. 1. 12 their hearts, they Lord will neither do good nor evil; so because the wicked are not taken in their sin, they stretch out their hand to job. 21. 9 more wickedness, their houses are safe from fear, neither is my rod upon them, they say unto me depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways; but they shall jer. 12. 2. 3 be as stubble before the wind, and as chaff which the storm carrieth suddenly away: I shall lay up his iniquity for his children, doth the way of the wicked prosper? yet are they prepared for the day of slaughter, and the world counteth the proud blessed, Mal. 3. 15 and they that tempt me, are delivered, but I have a book of remembrance, of them that fear me, and the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord Psa. 31. 17 upholdeth the just man. The second cause is, because thou resteth in my universal promises, which although they be true and comfortable, yet they can minister no true consolation to thee, except thou make a particular application of them to thyself; by the word thou seest thy sins pardonable, yet it is another thing to have sins remissible, and another to assure thyself that they are already remitted, for than thou wouldst search thyself more narrowly, and purge thy self from inward sin, as from outward, and be wholly transformed unto a new holy & righteous life, therefore the love of righteousness departeth from thee, and thou retirest to thy old sins again, which will breed much sorrow of heart, to remember thy former sins, to see the greatness of them, to apply my judgements to them, and to provoke thyself to sorrow for them. The third cause, is thy slackness, in not espying thy mother, special and predominant sin in thee, by marking the most checks of thy conscience, and the reproaches of thy enemies, whereof thou mayest easily be shortly conqueror, if thou labour for the contrary virtue, for a man of understanding knoweth when Eccl. 21. 7 he slippeth, yea all the days of the afflicted are evil; but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast, yea and a scorner loveth not one that reproveth Pro. 15. 15 him, neither will he go unto the wise: then learn to acknowledge thy special, secret, and several sins, for the greatest hypocrite will generally complain of sin, but being dealt with in particular points, and application of them to their conscience, they are not able to distinguish one sin from another: for thus indistinct knowledge cannot avail in any terrestrial matter, much less in the business of the soul. Soul. And I poor wretch in any perplexity of mind, cannot separate the blind and confused cause thereof, from the distinct & known, neither can eschew confusion of mind, by bringing my soul to some certain object, and matter of my troubled heart, good God whence cometh this, and how shall it be amended in me. Lord. The righteous heart Pro. 14 10 knoweth the bitterness of his soul, and the stranger shall not meddle with thy joy, for a sound heart is the life of the flesh, and by Pro. 15. 3 the sorrow of the heart the mind is heavy, give not over they mind to heaviness, and vex not thyself in thy own counsel, leave Eccl. 30. 21 off from sin, & order thy hands aright: a stubborn heart shall far evil at the last, and he that loveth danger shall perish therein. Eccl. 3. 27 Now this disordered discerning of sin, cometh of ignorance of my law, and self-love, whereby thou art ashamed to manifest sin, and rip it up to the quick, seek to a faithful & sound friend, or Pastor, to whom thou mayest offer thy heart to be searched deeply by the law, be continually with a godly man, whom thou knowest to keep the commandments of the Lord, whose mind is according Eccl. 37. 12 to thy mind, and will sorrow with thee, if thou shalt miscarry, and let the counsel of thy own heart stand, for there is no man more faithful unto thee than it, for a man's mind is wont sometimes to tell him more than seven watchmen, which set above in an high Tower, and above all thus pray to the most high, that he would direct thy way in truth. Soul. What shall I do, if my grief arise of any certain or known sin. Lord. Then understand, if thou hast done that sin already, or else not yet committed it, but whereunto thou art tempted, for old sins are represented oft to sinners, as not truly repent of, that they may the more mislike them, & that their particular sins may bring them to their gross, greater, and general sins, that there may be a sense of both, lest their grief should pass away without any fruit, and reason thus with thyself, if I be so angry for this or that sin (whereof thou art troubled, thy bowels swell, thy heart turneth within thee, and thou full of heaviness) how vexed may thou be; the wickeds Lam. 1. 20 bones are full of the sins of his youth, and it shall lie down with him job. 20. 11 11. 12 in the dust, though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue, though he spare it, and forsake it not but keep it still within his mouth, yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him; I would therefore have thee know (poor soul) that I 2. Pet. 3. 9 would have no man to perish, but all men to come to repentance. Soul. How shall I then eschew sin, and how shall I be acquitted from that sin which hath passed me? Lord. I have oft admonished thee of thy corruption, to make account to suppress it, labour to espy thy secret sins, with truth, and not in show; so hard a matter it is to search thy heart to the bottom, for there is not a more wicked head Eccl. 25. 13 then the head of the Serpent, and give any plague but the plague of the heart, and therefore in respect of sins past, sins present, privy pride, hidden wants, secret corruptions, ever accuse thyself of some lurking hyprosie: for the godly tremble at the least motion of sin, and say, I will run the way of the Ps. 119. 23 commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart, bind not two sins together, for in one sin thou shalt not be unpunished, and because Eccl. 7. 8 thy sin is forgiven, be not without fear, or heap sin upon sin, & say not the mercy of God is great, he will forgive my Eccl. 5. 5. 6 manifold sins, for mercy and wrath cometh from him, and his indignation cometh down upon sinners: the two fountains and grounds of sins, are the inward motions of the heart, and the outward occasions of the senses, especially the eyes, for whensoever a man heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, the evil one cometh and catcheth Mar. 13. 19 away that which was sown in his hear; neither must thou draw near to me with thy mouth, and thy heart far off from me, and the things which proceed out of thy mouth, come Mat. 15. 8 from thy heart, and they defile the man, keep thy heart therefore to lay up Luk. 1. 66 good and precious things therein, as in a storehouse, Pro. 4. 23 keep it I say diligently, for thereout cometh life again, virtue & vice dwell Pro. 2. 8 very near together, learn to be holily scrupelous, fearful, and suspicious, for preventing of sin to come, the heart of the wise shall know the time and judgement, thirdly keep thyself Eccl. 8. 5 from foolish venturing upon the occasions which are the borders of sin, when thou mayest behold many of my children better fenced Mat. 26 with grace than thou art, to have been snared: for the foolish will believe every Gen. 3. 6 thing, but the prudent will consider his steps: let thy heart be therefore in Pro. 14 15 fear of God continually, set no wicked thing before thy eyes, hate the work of them that fall away, let it Pro. 33. 17 not cleave unto thee. Soul. Alas good and merciful father, I do ever find in me so many allurements & enticements to sin, which often I would eschew but cannot, which offer themselves to me at every minute, neither can I retire myself from them, albeit I do sometime protest against them, and abhor them, either before, or soon after the sin is committed, with a very perfect hatred and loathsomeness. Lord. Thou must seriously observe, first of the company to discern good from evil, for good company hate Ephe. 5. 11 the unfruitful works of darkness, and in their eyes an evil person is contemned, but honoureth them that fear the Lord: with Psa. 15. 4 sound judgement labour to holiness and sincerity of life, in all things have a sight of thy corruptions, & mourn for them, do good to the household of faith, Gal. 6. 10 which continue in one spirit, and in one mind, fight together through the Phil. 1. 27 faith of the gospel, longeth for the appearance of jesus Christ, but these are evil, 2. Pet. 2. 1 that deny the Lord that bought them, & bring Ephe. 5. 6 upon themselves swift damnation, by whom the wayof truth is evil spoken of, 2. Tim. 3 and are of a profane life, and hate to be reproved, but rather grow worse and worse, which persecute the Saints of God, and make joh. 16. 1 choice of the pleasures of sin for a season, who are afraid of death, and set Luk. 12. 10 up their heaven and rest in this life, which put far away Am. 6. 3 the evil day, and approach to the sight of iniquity, to these thou must fay with David, away from me ye wicked, for I will Psa. 101. 6 keep the commandments of my God, my eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me, and therefore thou must (beloved soul) be rather weary of them, because they run the broad way, following first examples: secondly, multitudes: thirdly, time: fourthly, custom: five, opinion. Soul. I hate vain inventions, but thy law do I love, thou art my refuge & my shield, and I trust in thy word, teach me (good Lord) these things particularly, that I may engraft them in my heart. Lord. Follow the godly, but so Heb. 10 far as they follow me, their guide in the word, and jesus Christ the author and finisher of their faith, which Heb. 13. 7 through faith and patience have inherited the promises: for it is a sign thou art in the wrong way, if thou do nothing but that Pro. 21. 2 the greatest part of the world do, for how evil soever the way be, and wheresoever it lieth, every man's way is right in his own eyes, and will defend, or excuse whatsoever they do. But I the searcher of the hearts, do say, your ways Ease. 55. 8 are not my ways, nor your thoughts my thoughts, because they are wrong ways: let every man turn from 1. Pet. 2. 11 his own ways, their thoughts are the devils soldiers, which war against the soul, they follow their Captain, and thou followest them, thou may easily know whither thou goest; the heart of man is to me as clay to the Potter, clay I say to me, but wax to the devil; for it will have much tempering and great ado to bring it to me, but very pliable to any work that Satan shall put it to: for albeit thou shalt see never any evil example, nor be tempted by multitude, neither outwardly assaulted at all, yet thine own heart will teach thee wickedness abundantly, what availeth it thee to forsake companies, and retain thine old heart still. For it is I that can restrain the issue of thy corruptions, Eccl. 13 conform therefore thy will to mine, he that toucheth pitch will be defiled by it, he is blessed that doth not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful, for the wicked are strangers from the womb, they go Psa. 1. 1 astray assoon as they be borne; they are put out of Ps. 58. 3 the book of life, blessed is he whom I choose; and cause come to me; but salvation Psa. 69. 28 is far from the wicked, because they seek not my Statutes, hate them therefore, that give themselves Psa. 65. 4 to do wilful vanities; for they shall be consumed Ps. 119 155 like the fat of lambs, even with the smoke shall they consume away: Thou must not then imitate them, but hate them with a perfect hatred, that hate me; Psa. 31. 6 and be companion to all such as fear me. There is no path, wherein there is Psa. 37. 20 not a snake, either to sting or empoison, thou canst see thyself sooner infected, they spy how thou art infected: it is my mercy to be good with the communion of Saints, so it is my just judgement to pour vengeance on the company of the ungodly, have no fellowship with them in their sin, neither draw in their jer. 15. 19 yoke with them, take forth the precious from the toil, let them return to thee, but return not thou unto them, rouse up thy heart, and rejoice in the fellowship which is above, for because of uncleanness, inordinate affection, and evil Col. 1. 6 concupiscence, my wrath cometh on the children of disobedience. Soul. Now do I begin to feel the heavy burden of sin more and more, with the which I am truly grieved, but I have not duly (alas) repented me of them, I resolve to suppress them Psa. 17. 3 with all my endeavour, but I fear my secret corruptions will break forth, so abundant is that root of bitterness in me, remember not against me my former iniquities, but make haste, and let thy tender mercies prevent me, for I Psa. 79. 8 am in great misery, help me O God of my salvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver me, and be merciful to my sins, for thy name's sake; I will acknowledge my sin unto Psa. 32. 5 thee, neither will I hide mine iniquity, for I thought I would confess against myself, my wickedness unto the Lord, and thou forgave the punishment of my sin: O that I might take heed unto myself, & keep my soul diligently, Deut. 4. 9 and thy servant from evil, that the peace of thee O Lord, that passeth all understanding, may preserve my heart and mind in Phi. 4. 7 Christ jesus, and now O Lord, who can vndestand his faults, keep me, thy servant, also from presumptuous Psa. 19 12 sins, let them not reign over me, so shall I be upright, & made clean from much wickedness. Lord. First of all beware (beloved soul) of Satan's flieghts, and condemning thee by presumption, say not the mercy of God is great, he will forgive my manifold sin, for mercy and wrath come from me, and my indignation cometh down upon sinners, an obstinate heart shall Eccl. 3 29 be laden with sorrows, and the wicked man shall heap sin upon sin, make thou no tarrying to turn unto the Lord, and put not off from day to day, for suddenly shall the wrath of them Lord break forth, & in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and thou shalt perish in the time of vengeance, bind not two sins together, for in one thou shalt not be unpunished, Psa. 143. 2 neither justify thyself before the Lord, for he knoweth thy heart, thou Eccl. 7. 8 must not learn of Satan's temptations, to be bold upon sin, neither use pretences job. 9 2 for it, as to say I am not an Angel, that my nature is corrupt etc. The preacher is but a man as an other etc. and on the other part, beware of desperation, in mocking the over-fearefull and superstitious; for Satan will make of a Fly an Elephant, but sail with an even course, and labour for measure, to be sought in the word of God, which will teach not to decline, neither to the right Mat. 11. 19 nor left hand, but to keep the narrow way, for wisdom will be iustifled of her children. Soul. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies, and thy loving kindness, for they have been for ever, remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellions, but according to thy kindness Psa. 25. 6. 7 remember thou me, for thy goodness sake, O Lord, gracious and righteous art thou, therefore thou wilt teach sinners in Psa. 71. 17 the way, O God, thou hast taught me even from my youth until now, & therefore will I declare thy wondrous works, make me 2. Tim. 2 fly from the lusts of youth, & follow after righteousness, faith, love, & peace, with them that call on thee with job. 13. 26 pure hearts, neither write thou bitter things against me, & make me possess the iniquities of my youth. Lord. There are sins in youth, middle, and old age, negligence, in making conscience of sins done long ago, maketh falling in great terror of mind; when violent remembrance of 1. Cor. 11 them surchargeth the mind, therefore betimes learn to accuse them, that Satan henceforth have no place to do it; for if thou judge thyself, thou shalt not be judged: humble thyself 1. Pet. 5. 6 therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt thee in due time, cast down thyself before the Lord, and he will lift the up: I will surely gather him that humbleth, and I will gather him that is cast Mich. 4. 6 out, and him that I have afflicted. Soul. Willingly desire I Lord, to make that fruit of my Eph. 5. 16 falls, but (alas) when I look back to my misspent time, which is unrecoverable, and which I cannot redeem, then great fear and torment assaults me, and pinches so hard, that I am at my wit's end. Lord. Comfort thyself (poor soul) for in my best children, there is, first youthful looseness, and unstaidness of affections, the way to lewdness, so David, O God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my faults Psa. 69. 5 are not hid from thee, seest thou not what young men did in Sampsons' days in their feasting, and how he revealeth to the woman, judg. 14. 9 which he had concealed from father and mother, and Boas commendation of Ruth, that she had not followed young men: whether Eccls 11. 10 they were poor or rich, for childhood and youth are vanity: and secondly there is in them weakness, the way to strong vanities, and so David, as for me saith he, my Psa. 73. 2. feet were almost gone, my steps had well-near slipped. Thus Abraham made his his wife say, she was his sister; so the godly have spent the time passed of their 2. Pet. 43 life, in the lusts of the Gentiles, walking in lasciousnesse, lusts, revel, etc. And thirdly, even my Saints have walked in wantonness, in the door to open wickedness, as gluttony, drunkenness, and abominable idolatries, which though they break not forth at all times, yet make them less careful to glorify me, for Gen. 20. 6 I keep them that they shall not sin against me, and do not suffer them to end their designments: other men's harms may teach the blessed wisdom; labour not only to leave sin, which one may do for profit, fear, praise, or wearisomeness, but also to repent of it for conscience sake. Soul. The grievousness of my sins filleth me with fear of judgement, and this fear (I hope) will cause the power of sin abate in me, thou Lord can give me victory over sin, and make it as loathsome unto me, as ever it hath been pleasant; to rejoice in the Lord, to use the means of my salvation diligently, and to seal up the pardon of my sins in my heart, O God when shall it be? If thou wouldst have destroyed me for my bypassed sins, thou wouldst never have given me unfeigned hatred of them: I consider thy mercy that striveth with me, to bring me to repentance, and thy justice, that will confound such as resist: thy mercy hath given me the means which thou hast denied to others; thou afflictest me lightly, but confoundest others; thou gavest mercy, when thou mightest justly have punished, wherein thou dost as it were hire me from sins: and shall I provoke thee, and add rebellion to sin, O my God, I know there is a secret curse upon every sinner, which will consume him, if he do not repent; it hath gone out of thy mouth, thy word cannot change, because thou art unchangeable. Lord. I have told thee, that youth the flower of thy age is of great consideration, all this have I done, saith the Luk. 16 young man in the gospel, the prodigal maketh his four stations, he hath his portion, his father's over-fight, evil company, but youth worse than all: for youth hath a bundle of folly bound close in his heart, which best men have had, neither could flee: for as a young man sets his way, he will not depart from it when he is old, unless by my spirit he is restrained; him that God will have, his robe must be a branch of the Almond, that is the tree that first blossoms, the first fruits was Abel's sacrifice, so much acceptable to me. Soul. O God, I am like the possessed, that was found after sitting in a good mind, that sweet wind hath come to me, that happened to Elisha, I have felt that gentle calm, after the stormy tempest of my heart; now may I hear the golden trumpets sounding that joyful retreat, blessed are the meek in spirit, Lord teach me thy commandments, & I will run them, I shall have increase of strength, until I come to the mount of God: while I was in my element of sin, I felt not the weight of it, as nothing is heavy in his own element: but now I by thy grace will lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset me, & run with patience to the race that is set before me: Heb. 11. 1 I find myself within the fathom of thy mercy, and compass of things recoverable: the first work of thy spirit at his coming, is to convince the world of sin, that is, to make men know, that without thy son Christ there is nothing but sin, and then to rebuke the world of righteousness, to make man see that Christ died not for his own (for the prince of this world found nothing in him) but for our sins, that so we may see him in the law, with the wages thereof, and the sum in the gospel discharged: but good Lord, how shall I be assured that I am not under the curse, but under grace? for yet I find such hardness in my heart, unquietness and troubles in my spirit, my sins rebounded Psa. 51. 3 upon me with terrible fights, and fearful visions which ever amazeth my unsettled and wavering mind Lord. The examination of thy sins, is that which first thou must begin with, and partly, those thou hast committed before thy calling, and partly, those that were done after thy calling; for these sins of knowledge, of all bite sorest, for sin is most sinful, when thou art intelligenced with my grace in the truth, sin after knowledge, works either hardness of heart, or a troubled spirit, and therefore understand that commonly, men before knowledge take the trouble of mind very heavily, and standing as if never any one had it before but they, and after knowledge, Satan is ready to accuse them of sin against the holy Ghost, as if every sin of knowledge was a sin of presumption: but learn thou that when tentation ariseth, to try whether thou hast done that sin, or such like already; for these temptations, are either corrections for some job 20. 11 sins past, or punishment for sin present, or as warning of sins to come: as thou may be tempted to adultery, and not do it, yet it cometh to thee again, because thou repentest not for this same, or the like in thy youth committed: again, when man will not be admonished by public or private mean, there falleth tentation to sin, differing from that wherein thou dost, and presently my justice punishing one sin with another, as the not repenting covetous, to fall into adultery, theft, or blood: and last there may tentation come upon, that neither he before, nor presently, doth like of, to advertise, he may fall, therein hereafter: jer. 13. 11 and to signify that man's standing is not of himself, & none standeth but by my grace: Foe as the girdle cleaveth unto the loins of man, so have I tied my children to me. Soul. Beside these inward trovarising in my heart, which afflicteth me most, the fruit of my corruption: I am pinched with sundry & diverse outward afflictions, which aggravates and augments my sorrow, Lord thou knowest them well, I cannot find the cause of them, for I live as honest and quiet as any, and injurious (to my knowledge) to no man in my calling. Lord. Under any cross, endeavour to have a clean conscience, to comfort thee with, that there is no spiritual cause of these afflictions in thee, but that thy sufferings, are either for the trial of thy faith, being assured that thou hast a good conscience in all Heb. 13. 18 things, blessed art thou that sufferest for righteousness sake: then fear not the wickeds fear, neither be troubled but count it exceeding 1. Pet. 3. 14 joy, when thou fall into diverse temptations, that the trial of thy faith bringeth forth patience, & let patience have her perfect work, that thou may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing, that thou may say, O Lord, thou knowest, remember me, and visit me, revenge me of my jer. 15. 15 persecutors, take me not away in the continuance of thine anger, for thy sake I have suffered rebuke, to such belongs the kingdom of heaven: for it is better Mat. 5. 10 if it be the will of God, that thou suffer for well doing, then for ill doing. Thou 1. Pet. 3. 17 mayest know and discern hereof, by the sickness of thy heart, arising of the guiltiness of sin, which maketh thee suspect all thy ways: for the wicked man job 15. 20. is continually as one that traveleth with child, and the number of years is hid from the tyrant, a sound of fear is in his ears, and in his prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him; for thus the wicked may say, the thing that I feared is come upon me, and the thing that I was afraid of is come unto me, I have no peace, neither had I quietness, neithr had I rest, job. 3. 25 yet trouble is come; thus the sinners fear cometh like sudden desolation, and their destruction like a whirlwind, for ease slayeth the foolish, and the prosperity of fools destroyeth them, impatient they are in adversity, and proud in prosperity; yet that they have is as a bird in captivity, which being let loose will return to her own liberty again: the righteous are escaped out of trouble, and the wicked shall job. 11. 18 come in his steed: yea the godly account that the afflictions of this present time, are not worthy of the Rom. 8. 18 glory which shall be showed, when as the wicked man dieth, his hopes perisheth, all afflictions end job. 11. 1 in death, and can pursue the Saints no further, but I will bring an everlasting reproach jer. 23. 40 upon the wicked, and a perpetual shame which shall never be forgotten; for sin not being cured in this world, endeth not in death; for what was in hope recurable, finite, measurable here, becometh in hell incurable, infinite, unmeasurable; which makes the godly say, how excellent is thy mercy O God, therefore the children of men trust under the shadow of thy Psa. 36. 7. 8 wings, they shall be satisfied with the fullness of thy house, and thou shalt give them drink out of the river of thy pleasures, for with thee it is the well of life, and in my sight shall they see light, and yet nevertheless, for their manisolde good, and because I love them, I chastise them: but the wicked are not in trouble as other men are, neither are they plagued as other men, and when they are raised up, I will despise their image; but the godly are always with me, I will hold them by my right hand, I will guide them by Psa. 73. 20 my counsel, and and afterwards receive them to glory. Soul. Now I clearly perceive Lord, my misery, from that corrupt fountain in me, O what a blessed estate have I fallen from, what a woeful and miserable condition hath the transgression of Adam brought upon me, a general infection and corruption, of all the powers and faculties of my soul and body, my soul (alas) spiritually 〈◊〉, my mind through ignorance vain in all the discourses and imaginations thereof, the understanding blind, not savouring the things of God, my conscience wounded, and never sound peaceable, my memory fit to reckon evil, and forget good, my will altogether gaine-standing either to choose or do good, and my affection led by it, my conversation loathsome to God and man, my thoughts both infinite and insatiable to evil, my members weapons of unrighteousness, my best actions the greatest abominations that mind can think, or tongue express. All the mischances of that hereditary pollution and actual transgression which I am so propense and naturally willing unto, as is the foul to fly, or the stone to go downward, thou art I know a just and righteous God, who will not justify sinners. Lord. Be of good comfort, sin is transgression of the law, I have decreed a remedy from all eternity, promised immediately after the fall, and exhibited in the fullness of time, my Son jesus Gal. 4. 4 Christ to perform a full redemption for thee, and all the elect; which he performed in obedience to me the Father, in coming to redeem and take thy nature upon him, made obedient to the law in fulfilling it perfectly, which thou hadst broken, and in Esa. 53 undergoing the punishment due unto thee, in obedience I say, in humility at his nativity Ro. 5 19 and whole life, suffering all the miseries that sin had drawn upon thee, in his body, hunger, cold, poverty, etc. in soul ignorance, Mat. 11. 13 temptation, faintness, and then his death, the pains we had deserved, but specially in his soul, grief for the sins of the world, when he pleadeth himself before my judgement seat as guilty, for thee, who had need of his Luk. 22. 44 own creatures, the Angels to comfort him, withdrawing of the Deity for the present, my curse upon him for sin, the power of Satan prevailing for a Gal. 3. 10 time, the horror of being overwhelmed with my heavy Mat. 27. 46 wrath for thee, his detaining under the power & Heb. 5. 7 sorrows of death, these, and much more done in his humane nature, accompanied Rom. 6. 6 with the merit and efficacy of the divine nature, made them meritorious for thy salvation, believe in him, and thou shalt pass from death to life. Soul. O well is me, that the curse of the law is derived from me unto Christ, that my nature being crusifyed with him, corruption in it may be abolished, not to serve sin hereafter, that hand writing of my sin is canceled, and shall not come to remembrance before thee, the spots of my soul purged by his blood, by the which, the eternal Heb. 14. 15 testimony of grace is ratified unto me, now sin, and Heb. 9 death, and the devil, that hath the rule of death, is destroyed: thou hast dear Ro. 6. 20 jesus not only not been holden by the sorrows of death, but also hath obtained a glorious conquest by thy resurrection, over all thy enemies, Satan, power of hell and sin, in taking 1. Co. 15. 5 away his sting and guiltiness, thereof, the rage and fury of the same in weakening Ro. 7. 24 the force, and eating out the corruption thereof, death itself also, and the Ro. 6. 21 dominion thereof by the same means are subdued, Ro. 5. 14 and in the place of these there is recovered unto us 2. Cor. 5 the favour of our GOD whose children we are become in jesus Christ, who Col. 1. 20 giveth faith, peace of conscience, and joy in the holy 1. joh. 3. 1 Ghost, unto them whereby they become fruitful to all Ro. 5. 1 good works, and in the end ceasing from all sin, by him do attain eternal glory in the heavens, Lord. Yea and in heaven thou shalt be delivered from all sorrow, have perfect knowledge Ro. 7. 17 with me, perfect righteousness and holiness never to be changed, fullness of joy, immediate fruition Psa. 16 of, and conjunction with me, perfect love, triumph 1. Cor. 13. over all enemies, where I shall be all in all, crowning 1. Cor. 15 thee and all the elect with eternal happiness & bliss 1. Pet. 1. 4 for evermore, Soul. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil 2. Tim. 4 18 work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen. A HEAVENLY, AND comfortable Mould of Prayers: Full of feeling, tending to the calming of the conscience, for sin; and all other incidents in this wretched life, for the benefit of all estates, and degrees of people, whether by Land or Sea. IAM. 3. If any man be afflicted let him pray. LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes: for Daniel Speed, and are to be sold at his Shop under S. Mildred's Church in the Poultry. 1618. A Prayer for Monday at Morning. The household being assembled, the Master thereof, or he that shall be made the mouth to Godward, shall with all holy behaviour say, Come let us worship, & fall Psa. 95. 6 down, & kneel before the Lord our Maker. The household being assembled, shall pray as followeth. O LORD our God, true, just and merciful, Psa. 19 12 who can understand his faults? we come confessing and mourning in the sense of Psa. 38. 9 them, pouring out our whole desire before thee with plenty of tears, and bitter lamentations, and our sighing is not hid from thee; for we were borne in iniquity Psa. 51. 5 and in sin have our mothers conceived us: how corrupt are our faults? our thoughts vain? our words idle? & actions profane? O what good have we omitted? and what evil have we committed? how foolish and ignorant are we? Psa. 73. 22 yea beasts before thee; and while we know thy will, we prepared not ourselves, Luk. 12. 47 neither did according unto unto it: O Lord how many sins and punishments have we been heretofore subject too? how grievous and heavy are they we presently groan under? Oh keep us dear Father from presumtpuous sins, let them Psa 19 13 not reign over us: we and our fathers behaved ourselves proudly, and hardened our necks, but thou, O God of mercies, gracious and full of compassion, Neh. 9 16 of long suffering, and of great mercy, yet forsookest them not: our Kings, Princes and people have sinned against thee, yet compassion and forgiveness is in thee, O Lord our God, albeit we have rebelled against Dan. 9 8 9 thee: and now our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, therefore abhor we ourselves, and Esd. 9 10 acknowledge us worthy to be cut off for ever: we job. 17 6 yield ourselves to thy chastisement, for our iniquities are gone over our heads, Psa. 38. 4 and as a weighty burden they are too heavy: for us, we are pricked in our hearts therefore, and what shall we do? O Lord our God, most dear Father, our only refuge is to fly unto thee in Christ, hungering and thirsting after the least drop of mercy, which we do prefer before all earthly comforts in the world; entreating thee boldly and constantly in faith, to grant it, waiting diligently and patiently, until thou answer us, and raise some measure of sense and feeling thereof in our hearts and senses, we call thy mercies of old to memory, how often grace hath been showed us from thee our God, when thou didst lighten our eyes, and give us a reviving from our sins; wherefore most holy father, we beg most earnestly thou wouldst give us now also strength in Christ to forsake sin in time to come, for in heart we thoroughly purpose never to commit the like sins again, but through thy grace to be changed by the renewing of our minds; to be fearful of all occasions of sin, and wisely Rom. 12. 2 hereafter to decline from sin, and to bend all our strength specially against our beloved sins, O we heavily complain of our weakness, dullness, deadness, and inability to any Christian virtue, yet will we by thy power be strengthened to love, out of a pure heart, of a good conscience, 1. Tim. 1. 5 and of faith unfeigned, and constantly endeavoure to be found in thy Phil. 3. 9 Son jesus Christ, and to feel the power of his death and resurrection, in subduing of all our sins and wickedness, that the life Christ our Saviour may appear in our mortal bodies, Gal. 2. 19 and that not we, but Christ may live wholly in us, that we may live by faith in thy Son, who hath loved us, and given himself for us: for his sake, grant O dear Father, that we may practisc these Christian virtues, to the which we find ourselves most adverse and contrary, that by thy grace we may obtain such victory and conquest over our most grievous temptations and perturbations, and violence of sin, as that we never fall into them again, and that albeit we find in ourselves proneness, and aptness to fall into some of these transgressions yet work in us a godly resolution, & holy strife against them, groaning and panting under the loathsome burden of vicious corruptions, for this cause O heavenly Father, inspire in us humble and submissive minds, to the power of thy word, that we may out of it have our hereditary pollution discovered, and our corruptions more and more purged thereby, ever sighing for the day of our dissolution, and looking for the day of our Lord jesus Christ, to our immortality, to whom with the Father and holy Ghost, we render glory, praise, and dominion now and evermore. On Monday Evening Prayer. O Lord God, dear Father in jesus Christ, repentance is thy proper & peculiar gift, which thou givest to all them that ask jam. 1. 5. 6 it of thee in faith, for as by nature we have it not, and therefore do renounce ourselves, seeing every good gift is from above, from thee the father of lights, so the time of repentance is in this life, and here while we may it must be obtained with all speedy diligence, for (alas) the longer we delay and defer, the harder it is to be got, and more doubtful it doth prove to be had: the fittest time O Lord, is immediately after the sin is committed, and while it is called to day, lest we be hardened through Heb. 3. 12 the deceitfulness of sin: our time here is as a thought, it is cut off, and Psa. 90. 9 quickly do we fly away, wherefore dear father, we confess the greatness of our sins committed by us this day, how infinite in number, how dangerous & and deadly to our souls, how offensive to them that are without, and to them also that are in jesus Christ; we acknowledge them, thou art faithful and just joh. 1. 9 to forgive us them, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, we submit ourselves O Lord our God, willingly to thy rebukes & chastisements, which justly jam. 4. 9 10 thou mayest lay upon us, for the taming and subduing of our sins, we sorrow and weep for them, our laughter is turned into mourning, and our joy into heaviness, we cast down job 33. 26. ourselves before thee O God, that thou mayest lift us up, and open our ears by our corrections: that our uncircumsied hearts may be Leu. 26. 41 humbled, and we willingly be are the punishments of our iniquity, O when we contemplate the incomprehensible, infinite, and glorious Majesty of thee our God, Gen. 39 9 whom we have so heavily offended, in doing so many, so great, and heinous wickedness, in sinning against thee, against thee only have Psa. 51. 4 we sinned, and done evil in thy sight; O the vileness and abjectness of man, that durst thus commit such wickedness against thee, O God, how fearful by reason of our manifold iniquities, is our condition under Satan, for of whomsoever Rom. 6. 6 a man is overcome, even to the same he is in bondage, besides the dangers we joh. 8. 34 have incurred by our sins, even all the plagues and 2. Pet. 2. 19 curses temporal & eternal, that are written in thy Deut. 29 book: wherefore O most heavenly Father we most heartily entreat thee, to remember the riches of thy mercy, in providing so excellent a remedy against sin, as the precious blood of thy only and dearly beloved Son: as of a lamb 1. Pet. 1. 8 undefiled, and without spot, when nothing else in the world was available thereto, whose sacrifice is daily and hourly effectual unto us, timously preventing sin, carefully furthering, and diligently sanctifying our conversation from impiety, his blood cleanseth us from all sin, he is the head of his 1. joh. 1. 7 Church, and savour of his body, leading us by the guidance of his spirit to Eph. 5. 23 perfection, O how excellent is the estate of them that are in thy Son? how many benefits and privileges have they? he died for our sins, and rose again for our righteousness, he ascended on high, and led captivity captive, and if we Eph. 4. 8 now sin (as we cannot else do, and woe is us therefore) we have an advocate with thee O Father, even jesus Christ the righteous: O how unthankfully offend we against the blood 1. joh. 1. 8 of this thine anointed, in not walking worthy of the Eph. 4. 1 same, but treading under foot thy Son, and counting Heb. 10. 29 the blood of the covenant (so much as in us lieth) as an unholy thing, Eph. 4. 30 wherewith we were sanctified, do spite and grieve the spirit of grace, dulling, yea oftentimes quenching thy spirit in us: thus living in sin, we dishonour thee, but marvelous, yea wondrous is thy patience, it is thy mercies that we are not 1. Thes. 5 consumed, because thy compassions fail not; and therefore when we consider dear Ro. 1. 4 father, how small the number of those is, which shall be saved, and that many Lam. 3. 12 shall strive to enter in, but shall not be able; and do meditate upon thy judgements, Luk. 13. 23 from time to time & still continually inflicted upon the world for sin, and that if the righteous scarcely shallbe saved, where 1. Pet. 4. 8 shall the ungodly and sinners appear? whither shall we sly from thee? O we have recourse unto thy mercy, O forgive us therefore all our sins and offences, for his sake who was crucified Act. 2. 36 and did hang on the tree for us, O give us thy grace, that we may grow more and more therein, that we think often of our end, and of the fearful day of judgement, that sin may have little rest in us, but that we may rest in thee, this night, and evermore, through jesus Christ thy Son our Lod, to whom, with thee, and the holy Ghost, we give all glory, praise, and thanksgiving, now and evermore, Amen. A Prayer for Tuseday at Morning. O Lord God, eternal and everlasting Father, with hevay grief, & loathsome detestation of our sins, we confess them all unto thee, O searcher Rom. 7. 15 of the heart and rains, there is not any creature, Heb 4. 13 which is nor manifest you thy sight, but all things are naked and open to thy eyes, we acknowled them (although our knowledge herein be too short) and do yield our unsearchable Psa. 32. 5 hearts unto thee, O God, blaming that corrupt fountain of our hearts against ourselves, unto thee, who art ready and able to forgive. Dan 9 7 O Lord unto us appertaineth open shame, but righteousness belongeth unto thee, we are not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, we detest our ways, and cover our faces, yea groan under the body of sin, and desire to be rid of it, and more carefully Ro. 7. 11 hereafter to please thee, we have felt thy punishments, and displeasure, often before for sin, and therefore now we cannot cease crying out against our corruptions, and rebellions, O Lord we cannot mourn enough at our privy motions and provocations to sin, we bear the traitor in our bosom, which giveth way unto the temptation, which we cannot jam. 1. 14 of ourselves subdue and captivate, and O Lord, we have no certainty of our life, if to day, yea even this hour thou wilt call us, neither yet the assurance of the renewing and return of thy mercy, which oft we have refused, disdained and contemned: Oh that we soon, yea now, heartily repent, and earnestly convert, Pro. 1. 24 the surer would be our acceptance, and the more comfortable our after conversation, but O thou Son of David have mercy upon us, O thou pitiful Samaritain, take us up, not half, but altogether dead in sins & trespasses; make us live the life of grace, that we may Phil. 3. 20 have our conversation in heaven, from whence we look for thee the Saviour, that we may walk worthy of the Lord, and please Col. 1. 11 him in all things, being fruitful in all good works, and increasing in the knowledge of our God, in dying to sin, and living to righteousness, that we may find favour, grace, peace, and contentment both with God and man, casting away every thing that presseth Heb. 12. 1 down, and renouncing our especial sins, which hang so fast upon us, for this cause O Lord, make us surrender our hearts unto thee, and let our eyes delight in thy ways, for if Pro. 23. 26 there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that we have, and not according to that we have not, keep our souls therefore, that they be not covered with the spirit of slumber, and sleeping in sin, but that we may stand up Esa. 29. 10 from the dead, and thou wilt give us light: take from stupidity, and senselessness, spiritual blindness, and hardness of heart, that Eph. 5. 14 we may walk circumspectly, redeeming the time which we have lost, and always be watchful over ourselves, that we may avoid presumption, by meditation of thy justice, and despair, by quickness and liveliness out of thy word; for apprehending thy comfortable promises, make us hide them in our hearts, that we may not sin against Ps. 119. 12 thee, keep us that we may do all things as in thy presence, and never yield to the inward rebellions and deceitfulness of the heart, but wrestle by thy grace against the backwardness thereof, that we may daily offer it up as a sacrifice of obedience unto thy Majesty, regarding and accounting all things but loss and judging them to be dung, that we may win thy love and favour, and so live in the time of our peregrination here, that we may continually fear ourselves, & have a holy jealousy of all our best actions, that when the chief shepherd shall appear, we may receive 1. Pet. 5. 4 an incorruptible crown of glory, which is promised them that grow in grace, & in the knowledge of our 2. Pet. 3. 14 Lord & Saviour jesur Christ, to him be glory, both now and for evermore, Amen. A Prayer for Tuseday at Evening. O Most loving and merciful Father, if the beauty and flower of all our best actions, which is prayer, be so sinfully stained with our natural corruption, (alas) how odious and abominable are the rest of our sinful works? thou findest no steadfastness even job. 4 18 in thy servants, and layest folly upon thy Angels: how much more on them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust: thou hast no need that joh. 2. 25 any should testify of us, for thou knowest what is in man, thou lightenest things that are hid in darkness, & makest the counsel of their 1. Co. 4. 5 hearts manifest; our hearts are deceitful and wicked above all things, who can jer. 17 9 know it? and if our hearts condemn us, thou art greater than our hearts, and knowest all things: O what boldness might we have 1. joh. 3. 20 towards thee, if our hearts condemned us not, O what Rom. 7 treachery is in this our flesh, O the continual readiness that is in Satan, that goeth 1. Pet. 5. 8 about like a roaring Lion, seeking to devour us; and thou O Lord lookest down from heaven, and beholdest all the children of men, from the habitation of thy dwelling place thou beholdest us all that dwell in the earth: thou fashionest the hearts Psa. 33. 13 of every one, and understandest our works: O Lord above all things, give us an earnest striving against our corruptions, a tenderness of conscience in all our actions, a lowliness and humility in all our carriage, making conscience of the least sins, keeping ourselves from the occasions, and all appearances thereof; and 1. Thes. 5 because O Lord, thou hast not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation, by the means of our Lord jesus Christ, which died for us, that whether we wake, or sleep we should live together with him: grant we beseech thee, that we may entertain 2. Tim. 1. 6 & stir up thy gifts which is in us, and the good motions thereof, let not thy spirit lie a sleep in us, keep us from terrors in conscience, from loathing, coldness, and deadness in Christian duties, and exercises, discontentment and blindness of mind, aptness to fall into those sins again, which we either abhor, or by thy spirit have heretofore conquered, that we may rouse up thy spirit, and labour more and more to be quickened in the inward man, ever making war against some chief lust of the heart, to get the mastery over it, that by experimental conquest of our own, we may learn in time to conquer all the rest, and because our heart lieth open to all temptations, grant we beseech thee O dear Father, that casting down the imaginations, 2. Co. 10. 5 and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of thee our God, and bringing in captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, that we may follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness, 1. Tim. 5. 11 that fight the good fight of faith, we may lay hold Psa. 27. 1 on eternal life, and now O Lord, thou art in this darkness, of night our salvation Psa. 17. 15 and light, we will behold thy face in righteousness, and when we awake, we shall be satisfied with thy image, wherefore our heart is glad, and our tongue rejoiceth, and our flesh also Psa. 16 9 doth rest in hope, and now the Lord deliver us from every evil work this night, and ever, & preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom, 2. Tim. 4 through jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, to whom be praise for ever and ever, Amen. A Prayer for Wednesday at Morning. WE confess O Lord God, most merciful Father, that in us, Ro. 7. 18 that is in this our flesh, there is no goodness, in such bondage are we unto sin, that while we are about any good (as very seldom alas we are) evil is present with us, and we are led captive thereto, yet Lord by thy grace, we strive against Ro. 7. 25 that slavery in very great weakness, and we thank our God througe jesus Christ our Lord, that we in our mind, in some small measure do serve thy law, but in our flesh the law of sin; for it is thou O God, which workest in us both the will and the deed, even of thy own Phil. 2. 13 good pleasure: we have had our conversation in times past (so miserable was our case) in the lusts of our own flesh, in fulfilling of the flesh, and of the mind; and we are by nature the children of wrath, walking Ep. 2. 3 4. 5 after the course of this world, and after the Prince that reigneth in the air, even the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; but thou O God, who art rich in mercy, through thy great love whereby thou lovedst us, even when we were dead by sins, hah quickened us together in Christ thy dear Son our Lord: grant good God unto us a rectified judgement, proceeding from an enlightened and sanctified understanding, wrought by a lively faith through Eph. 4 13 thy word, that we may meet together unto a perfect man, and to the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ, vouchsafe gracious Father, according to the riches of thy glory, that we may be strengthened by thy spirit, and comforted in all the faculties of our souls, that we may know and prove the love of thy beloved Son jesus Christ, that we may be filled with Eph. 3. 16 all the fullness of thee our God: give unto us a sanctified conscience, keeping it sensible of the least evil, desiring to live honestly, with a continull cheerfulness of well doing, and holy Heb. 13. 18 ordering and disposing of our affections, that we may set them on things that are above, and not on things which are under the earth: for crucifying of the flesh, and native corruption thereof, and in building more & Eph. 4. 25 more forward the new man, that we may wake a most gracious conquest over our most unruly thoughts, in fitting and conforming our Ro. 12. 13 outward actions, to thy most holy, acceptable, and perfect will, and serve thee Deut. 27. the Lord our God with joyfulness, & with a good heart, for all thy blessings bestowed upon us both spiritual and temporal, that as we have received jesus Christ our Lord, so we may walk rooted and built in him, and stab lisht in the faith, abounding therein Col. 2. 6. 6 with thanksgiving, to prevent security: and give thy grace always O dear Father, that we may join with this our faith virtue, 2. Pet. 1. 5 & with virtue knowledge, and with knowledge temperance, 6 and with temperance patience, and with patience 7 godliness, and with godliness brotherly kindness, 11 and with brotherly kindness love, that we be 14 not idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord jesus Christ; that as this same very day we begin here with thee, directing our prayers as incense before thee, so by these means an entry may be ministered unto us abundantly, unto the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ: that when we shall lay down these our tabernacles, we may receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls; now the very God of peace sanctify us throughout, and we beseech God, that our whole spirit, soul, and body, may be kept blameless both this day, and unto the coming of our Lord jesus Christ, to whom with thee and the holy Spirit, three persons in one Godhead, we ascribe all honour, majesty, dominion, & power, for ever and ever, Amen. A Prayer for Wednesday Evening. LOrd God, heavenly Father, we are come Psa. 95. 6 here to worship, and fall down, and kneel before thee our Maker, do here acknowledge with quaking and trembling souls, our wickedness to be very great, and all the imaginations of the thoughts 1. joh. 3. 4 of our hearts are not only evil continually, but also we do commit sin in transgressing thy holy law, yea the least sin breaketh the whole law, and maketh jam. 2. 12 us guilty of the wages thereof, which is eternal death, & endless condemnation: O how filthy and loath some is sin in the greatest pleasure, and most joyful actions job. 14. 4 thereof; by birth, we are altogether tainted, defiled, and polluted with corruption, and uncleanness, & who can bring a clean thing out of filthiness, we Eph. 4. 29 are prone, and desperately set to commit sin with greediness, we rejoice in doing evil (alas) we delight and repose our chief contentment therein, although Pro. 2. 14 all the day long, thou O dear Lord, stretchest forth thy hand unto us, disobedient Esa. 65. 2 and gainsaying people, who hate to be reform and plucked out of sin, yea our best actions are but beautiful sins, we are all unclean things, and all our righteousness is as filthy clouts, and we all do fade Esa. 64. 6 as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have carried us away: and we know good Lord, that he that committeth sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sinned 1. joh. 3. 8 from the beginning, but for this purpose appeared thy Son, O God, that he might lose the works of the Devil, who was to that effect decreed from all eternity, promised immediately after our fall in Adam, but when the fullness of time was come, thou O most merciful father, sent Gal 4. 4. 5 forth thy Son made of a woman, and made under the law, that he might redeem us that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of thy sons, who for us hath obtained a glorious and meritorious conquest (his humane nature being accompanied with the efficacy of that his divine) over the Ro. 5. 14 curse, dominion and rigour of the law, chaining up Satan, and destroying for ever the power of hell, sin, Gal. 3. 10 death, and condemnation: O Lord our God, what can we render unto thee for so 1. Co. 15 great graces and benefits, we will take the cup of thanksgiving, and call upon Ro. 7. 24 thy name, O Lord for thy mercy's sake, grant us a full assurance of our acceptation into thy favour through jesus Christ, a constant desire of the promised happiness, that we may hunger and thirst after righteousness; a cheerful expectation, Mat. 5. 6 and waiting for all these joys & spiritual blessings thou hast blessed us with in heavenly places, that we Eph. 1. 2 may willingly resign ourselves unto thy holy obedience, embracing those means which thou hast offered Psa. 37. 3. 9 for our salvation, that we may trust in the, and do good, commit our way unto thee, and cast ourselves upon thee when all means shall fail, and rest Pro. 14. 32 in thee, yea, even hope in death, reverently depend upon the truth of thy promises, although we cannot see them as yet accomplished, Psa. 99 4 albeit they seem against all sense and reason, & that this following night we may not only meditate of the true life of God, & day of resurrection, and our arising to judgement to render account for the works done in our flesh, whether they be good or bad, but also may rest in the sweet Phil. 1. 23 bosom of thy portection, desiring at all times to be loosed, and to be with Christ; ever thinking the time of our departure to be at hand, and therefore to fight a good fight, to finish our course, and keep the faith, that henceforth there may be laid up for us the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the rightevos 2. Tim. 6. 7 judge shall give us at that day, and not unto us only, but to all them also that love his appearing: which shall be clothed in white array, and whose names are written in the book of life, purchased by the blood of our Lord jesus Christ, who treadeth for us the vine press alone, to whom with thee and the holy Spirit our comforter, be all praise, power, honour and glory, Amen. A Prayer for Thursday Morning. O Eternal God, and everlasting Father, we from the bottom of our hearts do thank thee for thy blessings spiritual and temporal, common & particular, that thou hast predestinated us before the world begun, elected us to be in thy Christ adopted sons, called us by thy spirit to this light of thy Gospel, and given us assurance in faith, of thy unchangeable favour, renewing in some measure this corrupt nature, and framing thy image in true righteousness, and holiness in our inward man, not making us not only capable of grace, in the soul of wisdom, and spiritual knowledge; but also making some conformity in us to thy will, in life and conversation, these blessings we have received of thee freely, beside thy continual providence, and oversight over us this night bypassed and all the days of our life, Lord enlighten our minds that we may know all things in thee, and nothing any otherwise then as it cometh from thee, and as it hath relation to thee: for thou art all things in all, & all things do exist in thee, & therefore every thing may be known in thee, & thou most merciful father known yea seen and felt in every thing, even in the least and basest creature: grant therefore, that we do never rest in any thing till we come to thee, and now behold we approach to renew that soundness, wherewith we laid down, that no root of bitterness break out at the first of this day, and to provide for holy and settled courses in our callings all the day after, and so begin anew to live the daily life of grace, that thy kindness and mercy may follow us all the days of our life, and Psa. 23▪ 6 now have we laid ourselves down in peace, which was thy gift, & do awake with the comfort there of, thy mercies are renewed every Lam. 3. 33 morning, if we should count them, they are more than the sand, when we awake we are still with thee, good Lord assist us that we may Ps. 139. 18 daily weaken the old man in us, with the vicious lusts and sinful concupiscences thereof, give us comfortable experience of this our corruption, that we may be the more and more humbled in ourselves, ever hungering and thirsting for that righteousness which is in Christ jesus, our Lord and Saviour, wean us from the love of this world, and distrustful cares for temporal things, confirm our faith steadfastly in the providence of thee our God, for outward benefits; give us confidence and boldness, even to sue to thy presence, that we may find our life and powers quickened in holy duties, especially in prayer, zeal of thy glory, humility, patience, fear, & love, that having lively experience of the power of Christ reigning in our mortal bodies we may have strength to persevere unto the end: for this cause quicken our desires and purposes, for well-doing, that we may be humbled for our outward failings and sins, and inward unreasonable lusts, labouring more and more to discern the deceitfulness of the heart, and unsearchablenes thereof, that we may be ever inflamed to redress the same: grant O heavenly Father, that in our calling this day, above all we may desire to glorify thee, aim only at thy love, that we may be stirred up cheerfully to prosecute heavenly things, and ever renew our estate in Christ, by constant repentance, that believing thy promises, and applying them to ourselves, we may follow hard after the accomplishment of them, by our obedience to thy commandments, root out of us incredulity, and covetousness; that setting bonds to these earthly desires, by true contentation, we may have our eyes fixed continually upon heavenly; purge out of us hypocrisy & spiritual pride, keep us from the reigning sins of this our time, that we may follow constantly after the mark, for the high price of our calling in jesus Psa. 86. 11 Christ, knit our hearts unto thee, that we may fear thy name, give us a hatred of all evil, and love of righteousness, prevent in us presumption, that we may Gen. 17. 1 work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, that henceforth we do not live to ourselves, but to him that died for us, and rose again, and therefore resigning ourselves, bodies, and souls, into thy hands O God, waiting for thy blessings upon us, in all humility and lowliness, not Hab. 3 sacrificing to ourselves, but giving all glory to thee our Gen. 32. 10 God, for we are not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and all the truth which thou hast showed Hos. 13. 9 unto us thy servants, upon thee is our fruit found, who is like unto thee that taketh away iniquities, and pas-by Mich. 7. 18 the transgression of thy heritage, thou retainest not thy wrath for ever, because mercy pleaseth thee, thou wilt turn again, and have compassion upon us, thou wilt subdue our iniquities, and cast all our sins in the bottom of the Sea, & that only for the merits of thy dearly beloved Son jesus Christ, on whom thou hast laid the chastisements Psa. 52. of our peace, and dost give thyself in him, who is thy love, and in whom thou art well pleased; to whom, with thee, and the holy Spirit, Zeph. 3. 17 one very God immortal, invisible, infinite, and merciful, we render praise and glory both now and for ever. Amen. A Prayer for Thursday Evening. O Eternal God, and everliving Father, we here abase ourselves before thee, in regard of our vileness, and also of the unworthiness 1. Cor. 10. of the service we do perform, for we have not subdued every imagination in us, that exalteth itself against thee, neither cut off the power joh. 6 and cords of sin, our zeal is full of ignorance and self-love, our religion replenished with hypocrisy, our profession with vainglory, our well-doing accompanied with weariesomnes, our faith with carnalness, and our afflictions with impatiency, how sluggish & remiss are we in our callings? how have we been withdrawn in our untamable lusts, we have not brought our thoughts in captivity to thy obedience, we receive thy blessings with unthankful hearts, never returning unto thee praise; how have we wasted and neglected this so gracious a time of visitation, wherein we might have builded up ourselves in thee, and practised good unto others: how carelessly have we kept our hearts, giving occasion to Satan Tit. 2. 13 thereby against us; how much licence have we yielded to the tyranny of the flesh, in not living soberly, and righteously, and godly, in this present world: how weakly and feebly have we wrestled against Eph. 4. 19 our corruptions, and which is most miserable, custom hath made us so senseless & past feeling, that we cannot be moved to believe that thy anger is so great, or our iniquities so heinous, or condition so wretched, as truly it is: and therefore we are not afraid of thy Majesty, who is a consuming Heb. 12. 29 fire, we do not tremble at thy justice, who will reward every man according to his works, for Rom. 2. 6 tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every man that doth evil, neither do we weigh and regard thy plentiful mercies, in knowing that thy bountifulness leadeth us to repentance, wherefore we humbly beseech thee, to create a clean heart in us, and to Psa. 51. 10 renew a right spirit within us; that we may more sensibly apprehend, how wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked we are; and now good God, according to the measure of that spiritual feeling, we have obtained of thee, we most entirely entreat thee, for jesus Christ thy sons sake, to forgive all our sins whatsoever, whensoever, and wheresoever committed against thee, for by faith in his obedience are we made righteous, who is the end of the Ro. 5. 19 law for righteousness unto every one that believeth, Lord we believe, help our unbelief: he suffered for us such miseries as sin had Rom. 10. 4 drawn upon us, that he might sanctify them unto us, both in the humility of his nativity, his whole life, and his ignominious and cursed death: O what grief Heb. 4. 17 was it to him that he came to his own and his own received him not, but was betrayed by them, and placed before thy judgement seat, O dear Father, as one guilty for us: let our Luk. 22 old man O dear Father, be crucified with thy Son, that the body of sin may be destroyed, that henceforth we do not serve sin any more; abolish for his Rom. 6. 6 sake that hand-writing that was against us, that our sins may never come to remembrance before thee, who by his death hath ratified Heb. 9 the eternal testament of his grace unto us, for he was delivered to death for us, and is risen again for our justification; for thine own anointed sake O Lord, let the joyful light of thy favour and countenance shine upon us, and be reconciled unto us, grant Ro. 4. 25 us true faith in thy Son, that being justified thereby before thee, we may have peace of conscience with thee and our neighbours thereby, that we rejoice with joy unspeakable, and glory in the 1. Pet. 1. 18 holy Ghost, and become fruitful in all good works, and so by thee (our God) be made meet to be partakers of thee inheritance of the Saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us to the kingdom of thy dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, now the same jesus Christ our Lord, and our God, even the father which loved us, & hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort our hearts this night and evermore: and establish us in every word and good work, in whose name we call upon thee as he hath taught us, saying: Our Father etc. A Prayer for Friday Morning. NOt trusting in our own worthiness, for there is none, but in thy great mercies do we present ourselves before thee this morning, O Lord, in great weakness, to show our thankfulness for thy unspeakable goodness, so plentifully bestowed upon us, most undeservedly: for job. 25. 6 what are we but worms, and what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him, wonderfully hast thou made him in his mother's womb, he is the Psal. 8. 4 image and glory of thee O God, thou mightest have equalled him him with the ugliest and basest creatures, it hath pleased thee to 1. Cor. 11. 7 spread forth the shadow of the wings of thy protection over us this night, we meditate in the dead of sleep to have our souls taken away in thy anger for the offences committed the day before, and all the days of our life, and suddenly to have been arrainged at thy tribunal seat, yet thou wilt not the death▪ of a sinner, but rather that he convert and turn unto thee, and now thou hast spared us unto this day, grant O gracious Father, that we may ever meditate of the true life of thee our God, of the day of the resurrection of these our bodies, when corruption shall put on incorruption, and of our rising to that solemn and dreadful judgement: O Lord as thou hast banished this night's dardnesse away (wherein we had a sweet repose and sound rest) that compassed us: so grant we humbly beseech thee, that inward light in mind by the rising unto us of that Sun of righteousness, thy Son, the Lord jesus Christ, that we may mourn for the ignorance and blindness that yet resteth in us, Ro. 1●. 12 13. 14 and others also; the night is past, and the day is at hand, vouchsafe we may cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light: that we may walk honestly as in the day, not in gluttory, or drunkenness, nor in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but that we may put on the Lord jesus Christ: praising his mercy and patience, that yet we live to praise him, and are continued in life to make our election more sure: such is the constancy of thy love towards us, O Lord God, Father everlasting, for whom thou lovest to the joh. 13. 1 end, day unto day uttereth the same, and night unto night teacheth knowledge: thou hast O Lord sealed us to theday of redemption, and hast given Psa. 19 2 us earnest of the spirit of promise in our hearts, by the which spirit also, we Eph. 4. 3 behold as in a mirror thy glory, O Lord, with open 2 Co. 1. 22 face, and are changed unto the same image from glory Eph. 1 13 to glory, O when shall we fully enjoy the same in that 2. Cor. 3. 18 life to come? when shall we cease from all sin, & have perfect knowledge of thee, perfect righteousness, and holiness, never to be changed, fullness of joy, immediate fruition and conjunction with thee our God, when thou shalt be Psa. 16 all in all, and triumph over all thine and our enemies; in that inheritance immortal and undefiled, and that 1. Cor. 15 fadeth not, reserved in heaven for us: O Lord give us the grace, that we may keep ourselves in a holy 1. Pet. 1. 4 temper, and peace of mind, by a constant course in all occurrents; and so prepare ourselves unto that crown of glory, looking steadfastly unto jesus the author and finisher of our faith, to breed constant affiance Heb. 12. 2 thereof; for this cause O Lord, let the glorious light of thy great Majesty never depart from the inward eyes of our souls, that we may be seriously affected with the sense of our wants, benefits purchased by thy Son our Saviour, and perpetually assisted by thy spirit; to consider the great and manifold blessings which we have received from thee, to provoke us to thankfulness, without which, all our prayers are uneffectual, grant good Lord, we may seriously bewail our neglect of prayer, and condemn ourselves for our lip-labour, and customary devotions, our wearisomensse in well-doing, and our contentment with small & little feelings, and finally we may rest upon the continual mediation of our blessed advocate jesus Christ, who continually maketh intercession for us, and is now both praying for us, and ready to present our prayers to the throne of grace, and to cover all the infirmities and failings of them, with the mantle of his everlasting mercies, innocency, and holiness; to him therefore with the Father, and the holy Ghost, we render all glory, praise, dominion, & thanksgiving, now and evermore. Amen. A Prayer for Friday Evening. O Lord God, dear Father in jesus Christ, thy beloved Son our only Saviour, we thee from our very hearts, for the least of all thy blessings (which are infinitely greater than we can deserve) as well as for the greatest, and do as readily praise thee for thy mercies received, as we were earnest to sue for the obtaining of them: and now we offer unyo thee sacrifice Psa. 116 17 of praise, for the preservation of us in our callings, which are thy ordinances Heb. 13. 18 imposed on every Christian: Lord forgive us for straining our conscience in the least evil this day, give us thy merciful assistance, 1. Co. 7. 21 that we may cleave to, & rejoice in the good testimony thereof; that in simplicity and godly pureness, with singleness and contentment, by thy grace we have had our conversation in the world; convincing the hollowness and hypocrisy of the same, which is the moth of well-doing: keehe us good Lord, from uncertainty and dullness in good things, preserve us from corruption in judgement, and Apostasy in life. Enable us to hold to the end, and so obtain the crown: for this cause O Lord give us an inclination and resolution of the heart to all goodness, that we may justify and beautify 2. Pet. 1. 10 thereby our profession, giving diligence to make our calling and election sure, that in doing these things we may never fall, and so be delivered from many inward pangs, and outward troubles: dear Father, grant we may may ever have righteousness in most precious account, prosecuting it with all zeal and courage, and rest with delight and contentation in it, and practise the same, not only as our knowledge informeth, but even desire beyond our knowledge perfection therein; Lord make us renounce Nature, and hold on thy Son jesus Christ by a lively faith, and bring forth the fruits of true righteousness in him; give us good God a holy and settled purpose to serve thee, a plain and sound dealing in our callings, daily repentance and covenanting with thee, for recovery of our decay, make our hearts daily to be informed out of thy word, that we may work continually as in thy presence, with a full and strong persuasion of thy love, and plentiful 2. Co. 1 10 experience of the same; and prefer it above all things whatsoever, & more Psa. 4. 6 and more be assured of our acceptation into thy favour, that no trouble, or dismay overwhelm us with the weight thereof; but if it shall be thy good pleasure we be assaulted on every side, yet we be not in distress, if in poverty, yet not overcome with poverty, if persecuted, yet not forsaken; if cast down, yet perish not; that every where we may bear about in our body 2 Cor. 4 8 the dying of our Lord jesus Christ, that the life of Christ may also be made manifest in us: vouchsafe unto us O Lord, the shield of true faith, whereby we may beat back all the fiery darts of the Devil, as carnal confidence, presumption, security, infidelity, distrust, and incredulity: give us a constant desire of the promised happiness, purging and preparing ourselves to it, perfect thy work, in mortifying our sins, preserve thy graces in us, with increase of new obedience; sustain our hearts against the deferring of thy promises, & in contrary temptations, make us have refuge unto thee; to hold fast the hope which is set before us, which we have as an anchor of our souls, both sure and steadfast: Heb. 6. 9 confirm therefore our faith against infidelity, and discontentment; our hope jam. 1. 18 against despair, our truth against error; with the which, of thine own will thou didst beget us, that we should be as the first fruits of thy creatures: confound Satan's kingdom, the worlds deceitfulness, and our heart's doubtfulness; enlighten our understanding with this saving knowledge of thee O God, confirm & 'stablish our judgements therein, quiet our conscinces, sub due our wills and affections to thee, and grant us thy merciful concurrence, that we may finish our course with joy: now Lord we make our prayers to thee this night in Psa. 69. 13 an acceptable time, even in the multitude of thy mercies, O God hear us, in the truth of thy salvation we will therefore lie us down, and also sleep in peace, for Psa. 4 8 thou Lord only, maketh us dwell in safety: to God the Father our Creator, to God the Son our Redeemer, to the holy Ghost our sanctifier & comforter, we ascribe all honour, power, and glory now and evermore, Amen. A Prayer for Saturday Morning. PRaised be thou O Ood, which hast not put back Psa. 67. 20 our prayers, nor thy mercy's form us, our life (alas) is subject to many fearful breaches, and distractions, with many false shadows, & appearances of good; for not only do we not shine Mat. 5. 16 as lights before others, but also in respect of our evil example, we are stumblingblocks to them, we do little alas, or rather nothing to edification, but to offence; 1. Cor. 14 Lord, we heartily mourn for all our sins, whereunto we have yielded ourselves this night, and all our life time before, and do this morning renew our repentance and vows unto thee, more effectually than before; intending our callings more carefully and conscionably than we have done, labouring both to avoid the outward act of sin, & to have our hearts purged from the evil thoughts thereof: that we give no way to our corruptions, but be masters of them, and so be free from the rage and slavery of the same, which is the greatest happiness in this world: for if we say we have fellowship with thee and walk 1. joh. 1. 6 in darkness, we lie, and do not truly; wherefore O Lord, grant that we may possess contrite and broken hearts for all our sins, with remembrance of thee in our greatest security, awake and rouse us up from the dead sleep of sin, make us desire evermore carefully to serve thee, looking for and hasting unto the coming of that great day of thee our God; by which the heaaens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with 2. Pet. 3. 12 heat: O sweet Father, make us diligent now, that we may be found then in thy beloved Son jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, in peace, without spot, and blameless, having by thee increase of his grace in us, experience of his reigning in our mortal bodies, by whom we shall have strength and assurance to persevere and continue to the end: for this purpose dear father, daily quicken our estate in Christ thy Son, by constant and serious repentance, that from thee our holy purpose being renewed, we likewise also receive strength to practise accordingly, make us overcome the world by thy power, which hindereth our growth in grace, pressing us down, even with our own weight: Enlarge our hearts, consciences, wills, and affections, that all the members of our bodies may be enlived; restrain and bridle our corruptions, that we may daily weaken them, heartily loathe them, and groan under them, keep us from despair, and ourwarde reproach, let not the time, multitude, and example of sin, draw us away which do commit sin most greedily, and hide it most dangerously, let our hearts still cleave unto thee, and to thy word; that by it daily sent out of ourselves, we may obtain new strength in thy Son jesus Christ, to go forward in well-doing, that discerning our inability thereto, we may interest ourselves in his precious merits, that growing in grace, we may be perfected in glory; for the increase of glory, shall answer to the increase of grace: Lord thou knowest, we shall have this day, as we have had heretofore, more temptations and oppositions of the world, humble us, and make us patient, that we may by thy spirit prevailing in us, be even joyful in all our crosses, adversities, and troubles whatsoever; charitable in judging others, zealous over ourselves, holy and upright in our duties and callings, that we may more and more fear thee, O great and glorious God, more and more humbled in thy greatest mercy, more and more thankful for the least of thy blessings, whereunto we have obtained a right only in Christ jesus, who accepted of us above the worth of our obedience, grant us we may be cast down by serious meditation of thy majesty, power, and goodness, as also of our own unworthiness; O how many are thy deliverances from evil, preservations, and goodness, acceptances of unperfect service, renewing and increasing of spiritual and temporal blessings, preventions of wickedness, which we acknowledge to be thy great mercies in us, confessing therewith our Psa. 67. 6 manifold wants, desiring humbly, faithfully, continually, and constantly, supplement Ps. 62. 11 of them, receiving in the mean time every present blessing, as steps and pledges in our right to heaven; power, and mercy belongeth Psa. 111. 9 to thee, O Lord, holy and fearful is thy name, how gracious and merciful art thou? slow to anger, and of great kindness, Psa. 145 9 thou art good to all, and thy mercies are over all thy works: teach us to do thy will this day; for thou art our God, let thy good Psa. 143. 10 spirit lead us unto the land of righteousness, to thee therefore, with the Frther, and the holy Spirit, be glory, praise, & honour, world without end. Amen. A Prayer for Saturday Evening. LOrd there is risen unto Ps. 118. 27 us, and we have apprehended light in darkness, we have waited the Psa. 112. 4 accomplishment of thy promises, in thy light we shall see light, and now heavenly Father, we renew this Psa. 64. 10 night the memory of the bypassed days blessings, bestowed upon us most unprofitable Luk. 17. 10 servants, begging, yea more and more recounting that we have received, beseeching thee to give us grace, that we do not dote or rest upon temporary things, but rather forget them in regard of the the things of the life to come: Lord grant us true wisdom, to think not so much what thou canst give us, but what is fit for us to receive; neither so much on what we want, as what we have above many of thy most dear children, neither yet what we have, but how we have used it, and yet not so much what we have, as what we may have if we do believe, be thankful and obedient unto thee: how dear therefore Ps. 139. 17 are thy thoughts unto us O Lord? how great is the sum of them? if we should count them, they are more than the sand, when we awake, we are still with the; for when we called, than thou heardest us, and hast increased strength in our souls; thou art our God, hear O lord the noise of our prayers, O Psa. 138. 3 Lord God, the strength of our salvation, thou art our hope, and our portion in Ps. 140. 6. 7 the land of the living, let us hear therefore thy loving Psa. 142. 5 kindness in the morning, for in thee is our trust: show us the way that we should Psa. 143. 8 walk in, for we lift up our souls unto thee, deliver us O Lord, from all danger of body and soul, this night and evermore: for we hide us with thee, and blessed is he that hath thee the God Psa. 146. 5 of jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who is near unto all that call upon, yea unto all that Psa. 145. 18 call upon him in truth; thou wilt fulfil the desire of them that fear thee, thou wilt also hear their cry, and thou wilt save them; thou preservest all them that love thee, all flesh shall bless thy holy name for ever and ever: what a prerogative is this thou grantest unto us, O heavenly Father, to attain unto by thanksgiving, in that thou O God art the receiver, and we the givers unto thee: and how much better it is to give then to receive and how small a tributerequirest thou for all thy benefits; teach us remember Psa. 116. 12 what we have received & heard, to hold it fast and repent, lest thou come on us as a thief in the night, and Phil. 4▪ 24 it may be this same night, for we do not know what hour thou wilt come, but Lord faithful art thou, which hast called us to the fellowship of jesus Christ our Lord, who will also do it, for thy gifts are without repentance: yea, and we have thy Christ interceding for us at this time, that our 1. Cor. 19 faith fail not; and thy holy Spirit whereby we do call Abba dear Father, doth abide Luk. 22. 25 with us, and shall continue unto the world's end: dear father, whom thou once lovest thou lovest to joh. 16. 14 the end, and we are married unno thee in holiness and righteousness, because it is thy pleasure and will, we are united unto thy Son our head, and given to him joh. 13 of thee, and therefore we are sure none shall take us Hos. 2 out of his hands, grant us therefore everlasting Father Col. 2 according to the riches of thy glory, that we may be joh. 17▪ 17 strengthened by thy spirit in the inward man, that thy Eph. 3. 10 Son Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, and we being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all thy▪ Saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth & height, and to know the love of thy dear Son jesus Christ, which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all fullness of thee our God, unto thee therefore that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that ask or think, according to thy power which worketh in us, be praise in the Church of jesus Christ throughout all generations, for ever Amen. A Prayer for Sunday Morning. O Lord our God, we this day return unto Hos. 14. 4 thee, who have fallen by our own iniquity, now again do we take hold of Cant. 3. 4 thee, & will not leave thee: we feel in this our recovery, the undoubted grace of thee our God, in the experience of these sensible Luk. 11. 22 combats within us, of the flesh and the spirit, which are constant testimonies, & sure sealings, of our begun regeneration: now are we merciful Father ashamed of our faults, and do here this day promise to be more fearful of ourselves, and not so venturous upon the occasions which are the borders of sin, which have also lessened thy grace oftentimes Mat. 26. 75 in us; but O Lord our God, hide thy face from our sins, and put away all our iniquiries, cast us not away from thy presence, & take not thy holy spirit from us, restore us to the joy of Psa. 51. 9 thy salvation, and 'stablish us with thy free spirit, whom we have (alas) so often grieved, especially on the solemn day of thy Sabbath, we have polluted and profaned Eph▪ 4 the same, making up thereby our transgression of the whole law, we Esa. 56. 2 have hypocritically professed, without any benefit heard thy word, so that justly thou mayest deny us the good occasion of this days rest, for the which we have deserved to be henceforth secluded from so seasonable opportunity and visitation, thou hast offered unto us, that by hearing we should hear and not understand, and by seeing we should see and not perceive, yea Mat. 13 14 our hearts do wax fat, and our ears dull of hearing, lest we should understand with our hearts, and return that thou mayst heal us, give us therefore thy grace to rightly esteem of this so great a mercy, and strengthen us this day to sanctify and appropriate it to the right end, to a special manner of hearing thee according to thy law, that we shake off all impediments whatsoever, which Esa. 56. 4 may with hold from the public and private duties of unfeigned godliness, in keeping our hands from doing evil, and choosing the thing that pleaseth thee, & taking hold of thy covenant, that thou mayst make us joyful in the house of prayer, and accept of our sacrifices of prayer & thankfulness, upon that thy holy altar, even jesus Christ our Saviour, that we may turn away our feet from doing Esa. 58. 13 our will on thy holy day, & call thy Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to thee, O Lord; honouring thee, not doing our own wills, nor speaking a vain Esa. 66. 23 word: and albeit we shall be assaulted O heavenly father, with many lets and encumbrances, to perform this obedience, yet give us thy holy spirit, that we may prefer it to whatsoever motions sin, Satan, the flesh, or the world shall suggest to the contrary, ever directing our mind to the contemplation of that everlasting Sabbath, when from month to month, and Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before jer. 17. 21 thee: give us therefore O heavenly Father, thy grace to sequester ourselves from all kind of servile actions, and outward employments, with all froward affections and lusts, that we may study to enter into that rest with thy people, and cease from our own works, as thou O Lord didst unto thine: blessed God, strike Heb 4 10 in our hearts in time of prayer, a reverent esteemation of thy glorious Majesty, a feeling of our defects, and give constant faith in thy sweet promises, faithful remembrance of thy received blessings, loving and charitable affections towards our neighbours, and grant unto us merciful Father, while we hear, a wide and open heart to receive, and holy ludgement to discern, lowliness in mind, feeling in the inward man, and stability in the memory, and evermore in thy service bestow on us an humble soul, an hungering and thirsting heart, that the blood of the Lord jesus Christ which through the Heb. 9 14. eternal spirit offered himself without spot to thee our God, may purge our consciences from dead works to serve thee the Lord: vouchsafe on us an unfeigned love to thy word, that we may lay it up and hide it in our souls, and ever sanctify our thoughts, that our whole meditations may be thereon, and practise the same in life and conversation, that all men seeing our good works may glorify thee our heavenly Father, to thee therefore, with the Son, and the holy Ghost, we render all glory, praise and dominion, both now & for evermore, Amen. A Prayer for Sunday Evening. GLory, praise, and honour, be unto thee most merciful and heavenly Father, who hast appointed this special day and ministry of thy word, for our instruction: O Lord, grant we may feel our knowledge increased, our faith strengthened, our souls, minds, and consciences, abundantly thereby refreshed, good God thou hast promised that if any lack wisdom thou wilt give it him, yea & all other things in and with thy Christ; we beseech thee therefore make thy holy word a power of life unto life unto us, yea a power of salvation unto us that believe in part, yea Lord we believe, we pray thee help our unbelief: for we are fraught with blindness and error, our affections froward, perverse, and disordered, and reprobate to any good work by nature, make us good Lord new creatures, that as new borne babes we may desire the sincere milk of thy word that we may grow thereby: anoint our eyes with the eyesalve of thy holy spirit, Lord join to thy word that penetrative virtue to pierce and find out our so pregnant corruptions: for it is lively and mighty in operation, and sharper than any twoedged sword, and entereth through, even unto the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints and marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts Heb. 4 12 and intents of the heart, which we beseech thee by thy word to discover, rip up and ransack to the bottom, give us a lowly heart to make a lowly use of reprehensions out of thy word, and apply them earnestly to ourselves, that the righteous may smite us, which is a benefit, and reprove us which is as precious oil that shall not break our heads, that by Psa. 141. 5 them we may be reclaimed from our froward & backward wills: and because good Lord our remembrance of good things is very short and faileable, and doth reserve very few good things against the hour of temptation, & day of death: make us good Lord careful ever to hear, meditate, pray, and confer, giving always thanks with a pliable obedience to thy laws, that in spiritual discretion, and heavenly wisdom, we may consummate our peregrination here, and work out our salvation with fear & trembling: by thy grace establish our hearts in thy truth, that we be not carried about with every light wind of doctrine, but that we may lay hold on the good, labouring daily to be led on to perfection: and most gracious Father, make us not only to see and feel our own defects, but give us a heart to lament them, Lord freely and finally pardon them, for jesus Christ thy dear Son sake, moisten and water our hard & dry hearts, with the dew of thy heavenvly blessings, shower them down upon us, for lightning of our minds, settling of our judgements, comforting of our souls, and reformation of our mis-behaviours, grant we may yield a full assent to the truth of thy word, not measuring it after the crooked rule of our misleading affections, that we be not of those which make a show of religion but deny the power thereof, and we beseech thee for thy tender mercy's sake, this night to subdue the flesh, which lusteth against the spirit, confound Satan, adversary to our salvation, and keep us against the example of the world, which is set in evil; that we may never be weary to begin where we left off in well-doing, neither yet break off where thou requirest continuance of obedience, but go from faith to faith, like the way of the righteous, which as the light shineth Pro. 4. 18 more and more unto perfect day, so shall we glorify thy name and our own souls be strengtheded, the weak ones by our example be confirmed and Phil. 5. 14 edified, the unruly admonished, the feeble-minded comforted, and be patient toward all men, and shall dissolve from hence in thy favour, whilst now we live in thy fear, having in our mouths a new song of thanksgiving occasioned by thy new blessings day by day, & heavenly grace's be-bestowed upon us in jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour, to whom with thee and the holy spirit, be praise, and glory, for evermore Amen. A MEDITATION of the Mercy and justice of God: Against declining either to the left or right hand, in presumption or despair that we may lead an even course in Christianity. LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes, for Daniel Speed; and are to be sold at his Shop under S. Mildred's Church in the Poultry. 1618. To the Right Worshipful, Sir William Alexander, Knight, Secretary, and one of his majesties most honerable privy Council in Scotland. MEn to make themselves as it were eternal, they write their names on their houses; Absalon reared a pillar, is not this (said one) Niniveh which I builded for my glory, & Ninus to immortalise his father Belus, made for him an Idol, in whose dominions while Terrah Abraham's father did dwell, he became with the rest an Idolater, these would have their fame & time ending together, but they have shot short, of the seven wonders of the world, nothing but naked names remain: all these are mutilate inventions, to the jew departed, his brother or nearest kinsman must raise seed to continue his name in Israel, but children being the Lord's gift, could not be had when & as they would: books, with time that eats all, doth often smother, may successively by concatenation of ages in the Press as a new Phoenix revive, but all these to perpetuity are set apart as faulty. For as they all, monuments, children and books, are of this below, so shall with the same although never so old be dissolved, the godly man only and his name doth ever endure, who hath it, and himself also written in heaven, and registered in the book of life, for all consuming oblusion hath no place, your virtues and graces make you live longer than any of these post-running records: but your goodness for ever, with the Ancient of days, to whom I heartily pray that after your period shall be faithfully finished here, you may be partaker of glory: thus I rest ever your Worships, In all Christian duty to be commanded, Barthol. Robinson. A. Meditation of the infinite Mercy, and justice of God, against declining either to the left or right hand, in presumption, or despair that we may lead an even course in Christianity. TWO is certain, Cain Gen. 4. 13 his offence in his speech in extenuating the Lords mercy, was greater than that trespass done by his hand, in shedding his brother's innocent blood, for he might have obtained pardon for the same if he had been capable of it, for although man's heart be deceitful above all things, and that all jer. 17. 9 the imaginations of his thoughts be evil continually, and desperately wicked, so that none can know it, so deep it is: yet infinitely more deep, yea insearchable Eph. 3. 8 are the riches of the mercies of Christ, for what proportion is there betwixt a spark of fire, and the great vast gulf of the Ocean to quench it, he will Mic. 7. 18 turn again saith the Prophet, he will have compassion upon thee, he will subdue thy iniquity, & cast all thy fins into the depth of the Sea, for he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he belighteth in mercy, yea there is no Sea so large but the Lord hath set a bound that it may not pass over, but as the heaven Ps. 104. 9 is high above the earth, so great is his mercy towards them that fear him, as far us the East is from Psa. 103. 11 the West, so far hath he remover our transgressions from us: this then so ample a depth of his mercy, easily doth swallow up the shallow profundity of sin, how deep soever it be; for with the Lord is mercy, and with him is great redemption, behold, he doth not abhor Psa. 103. 7 the confessing thief, the weeping sinner, the humble Cananite, the lately taken adulteress, the wrongful customer, the contrite Publican, neither yet his disciple that denied him, nor that bloody persecutor of the disciples, yea not them that crucified him but prayed for them: how great then is thy goodness O Lord Psa. 31. 19 which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee? and done to them that trust Psa. 33. 5 in thee, even before the sons of men; for the earth is full of the goodness of the Psa. 34. 8 Lord, taste then & see how gracious the Lord is, his loving kindness is better Psa. 63. 3 than life, his mercy is above all his works, as oil swimmeth above water: wherefore the Lord takes this 1. Co. 1. 3 style in commendation specially to himself, that he will be called the Father of mercy and God of consolation, for it doth lie as▪ it were in his bosom, and is unto him as his daughter, even the bowels of compassion, he accounteth his riches 2. Sa. 12. 3 not to consist in kingdoms, heavens, or Angels, all which, although he possess, yet he can create better if it were his pleasure; but he is rich in mercy, for Eph. 2. 4 there is nothing better, nothing greater, for his mercy is not only above all his works, but also it rejoiceth against judgement, and gloriously triumpheth over it: The mercy seat which was a type of Christ, jam. 2. 13 in whom God is well pleased, was without the Ark but the testimony of the Tables of the law were within, the same▪ mercy compass and shutting up justice within it: Indeed the Cherubins with a fiery Exo. 25. 17 sword debarred Adam from access to the garden again, but in this mercy-seat the Cherubins stretch out their wings on high, and covers the mercy-seat with their wings, so Christ stretcheth out his hands all the day long unto us, gathering us Ro. 10. 21 as the hen doth her chickens, yea and the law itself which is a proclamation Mat. 23. 37 of God's justice, in the second commandment doth visit iniquity, unto the third and fourth generation, but extendeth mercy Exod. 20. unto the thousand of them that love him, herein therefore doth mercy glory, and as is were boast itself, for where mercy is mentioned, there is no speech made of justice, but when judgement is denounced, there is every place left for mercy which is promised to the penitent, so the Lord is gracious and full of compassino, what can he deny us that hath given his own Son for us, and he that hath given his life for us, cannot refuse to give us his mercy, so mayest thou say, unto thee O my strength will I sing, for God is my Psa. 69. 17 defence, and the God of my mercies, for thou Lord hast not failed them that seek thee, for as thy Majesty is, Psa. 9 10 so is thy mercy, yea and to the sinful he doth say, Eccl. 2. 18 thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse, thou Can. 4. 9 hast ravished my heart, turn away thine eyes from Can. 6. 4 me for thou hast overcome me; yes truly, that true and living Samson for the love he did bear to thee was crucified of the jews, as that other Samson was put to death by the Philistims. And what can more lively portrait out his mercy, then when he saith, I am pressed under, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves, yea Lord great is thy pity in delaying and prolongging thy wrath, thy mercy and moderation in inflicting it, great is thy goodness in removing thy anger and judgements procured thereby. David after he had slept as long as women usually 2. Mac. 7. go with child, or there about, when he had travailed with iniquity, and had conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood, for 2 Sa. 24. 8 when lust was conceived, it brought forth sin, and sin when it was finished brought jam. 1. 15 forth death: yet the Lord (such is ever his clemency) desired him to make choice of punishment, although David had provoked him to wrath, against the law of arms, wherein the weapons should be in the election of him that is offended, and not in his that provokes; O that we were wise and understood this, Deu. 32. 29 that we would consider our later end, and so, albeit we grieve his spirit often and diverse times, yet so manifold are his tender mercies, Eph. 4. 30 that as about the time of forty years God suffered the Israelites manners in the Act. 13. 18 wilderness, so hath he even to this day sparred us, what could he have done any more to his vineyard that he hath not done to it: Esa. 5. 4 let us now at the last search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord, let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto our God in the heovens, whom we have Lam. 3. 41 pressed with our sins as with a talon of lead, for Zach. 5. 7 he is not slack concerning his promise, (as some men count slackness) but is patient toward us, and would have no man to perish, but 2. Pet. 3. 9 would all men to come to repentance. The wicked still say, because he delays his coming, either by continuation of present punishment, or prorogation of their life, where is the promise of his coming, for since the Fathers 2. Pet. 3. 4 died, all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation, and Psal. 73. 11 doth God know it, say they, Is there knowledge in the job. 22. 13 most high? can he judge through the dark clouds? the clouds hide him that he cannot see, and he walketh in the circle of heaven, and so do they think in their heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth away his face, and will never see: Psa. 10. 11 the vision that is seen is for many days to come, and doth prophecy of the times jer. 12. 27 that are far off: but woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as with cartropes, which say, let them make speed, let them hasten his work, that we may see, and let the counsel of the holy one draw near, and Es. 5. 18. 19 come that we may know it. And when the servant doth say in his heart, my master doth defer his coming, and shall begin to smite the servants, and maidens, and to eat and drink, and be drunken, the master of that servant will come in a day when he thinketh not, and at an hour that he is not aware Luk. 12. 45 of, and will cut him off, & give him his portion with unbelievers. Therefore beloved sin not because grace hath abounded, for the grace of God which bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared, teaching us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live soberly & Tit. 2. 11 righteously, and godly in this present world: despise not therefore the riches of his bountifulness, and patience, and long sufferance, knowing that the bountifulness of God leadeth thee to repentance, lest thou after thy hardness, and heart that cannot repent, heap up to thyself wrath against Rom. 24. 5 the day of wrath: and truly his long suffering is salvation, and repentance the way to bring us thereto, that we may find 2 Pet. 3. 15 mercy with the Lord at that day: thus the heart of the penitent is like wax, it is molten in the midst of their bowels, but the wickeds Psa. 22. 14 is as strong as a stone, and as hard as the neither millstone: thus they sow Eze. 13. 18 pillows under their armholes, and make veils upon the head of every one that standeth up to win souls, lying in sin, and presumptuously reposing upon vain persuasion of the mercy of God, which they ever abuse, truly his mercy Cant. 1. 16 is that green-bed wherein his true members do lie, howsoever the wicked make his mercy cloaks of shame, for as the Apostle saith, they have these liberty 2. Cor. 4. 2 for a cloak of maliciousness, saying as the jews jer. 7. 4 did, this is the temple of the Lord, rrusting in lying words that cannot profit, but be thou not deceived, God is not mocked; let no man deceive thee with vain Gal. 6. 7 words, for, for these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of misbelief, Eph. 5. 6 who rest in their own peace and security, when as he that walketh uprightly, walketh only boldly and in the fear of the Lord, is an assured strength: wherefore well Eccl. 5. 4. 5 doth the wiseman advise us, say not God's mercy is great, he will be pacified 6 for the multitude of my sins, for mercy and wrath come from him, and his indignation 7 resteth upon sinners, make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day, for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and perish in the day of vengeance: and again say not, I have sinned and what harm hath happened unto me? for the Lord is long-suffering, he will in nowise let thee go: and concerning propitiation be not without fear to add sin to sin. Is not the mercy of God great? and nothing can be greater, & larger, as is said, Esa. 6 the Archangels and Angels in heaven, Prophets, Apopostles, Martyrs, and Confessors on earth, and all Psa. 136 things that live, or yet are created, commend the same, & in one Psalm, every verse (even twenty six times) endeth with this, for his mercy endureth for ever. O but beware hereof, this is Satan's old subtlety, whereby he maketh man bold on sin, as he did Eva, you shall not die at all said he, he covereth and hideth the Lord's justice from men's eyes, and removeth the evil day a far off; thus he lieth in wait secretly, even as a Lion in his den, he lieth in wait to spoil the poor, when he draweth him into his net, therefore heap of poor do fall by his might, but he Psa. 10 9 greatly enlargeth the Lord's bountifulness, and patience; for as it is true the Lord is merciful, so is this true that he visiteth the iniquity of the fathers to the third and fourth generation, & therefore thou must consider that which David did sing, I will sing mercy and judgement Psa. 109. 1 saith he, unto thee O Lord will I sing. And herein is God and his ministers, distinguished from Satan and his; for God ever conjoineth mercy and justice together, but Satan haps continually on one of them only, as he saith, peace, jer. 6. 14 peace, when there is no peace, thus these monsters draw out their breast, and give suck to their young Lam. 4. 3 ones, thus the wicked is made to boast of his own hearts desire, he blesseth himself and contemneth the Lord; the deceiving Psa. 10. 3 teachers words, are softer than butter, yet is there war in the heart of him they are spoken to, their words I say are more gentle than oil, yet are they Psa. 55. 21 swords, but if thou wilt be cured, beloved, there must be put into thy sores both wine and oil, that thou mayest suffer the wholesome and sound doctrine, and not resemble those, whose itching ears turn away from hearing the truth, on whom 2. Tim. 4. 3 while they dream on peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh as sorrow upon a woman with 1. Thes. 5. 3 child, and they shall not escape any wise. Whenas a child hath a bird tied by the foot, tosseth it to and fro until he kill it; so these false teachers, & men seducing themselves, while they abuse the Lords tender mercies, as if they were bound to all their youthful sins, and ancient follies, want only & insolently bragging of them, and grieving the holy spirit of Israel: they turn his mercies (I say) thus disdained by them, unto the bitterness of his wrath, fools and children they may be called concerning understanding, 1. Co. r 14 albeit they be of a ripe age. And like as an old man being to pass over a narrow and small bridge, putteth on his spectacles, in which the bridge appeareth a great deal bigger than of itself it is, where he falleth to the hazard of his life in the ditch, so they that wander from this mortality to immortality by the mercies of God, not rightly esteeming the same, but walks in the broad way that leadeth to destruction, they may I say, cry out, great is his mercy, which yet is not so great that it will favour them which delay from time to time to turn to the Saviour of mankind, which have made a covenant with death, and with hell are at agreement, though a scourge run over, and pass through, it shall Esa. 28. 15 not come say they, at us, for we have made falsehood our refuge, and under vanity are we hid, but what followeth hereon?- hay falling from the bridge of their vain hope, and Satan that deceived them, shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, then shall they Reu. 2. 10 with great grief say to the mountains and rocks, fall upon us, and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne, and Reu 6. 16 from the wrath of the lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come, and who can stand? yes truly, they will wish any thing fall rather upon them, then that they should fall into that lake. O but can a Lamb wax angry, yea the more patient and slow the Lord is to punish sin, the more ireful Esa. 65. 3 he is when in spite he is provoked to his face, which the very Saints of God have wisely foreseen; O Lord rebuke me not in Psa. 6. 9 thine anger, saith he, neither chastise me in thy wrath: and the Prophet, jer. 10. 14 Lord correct me but with judgement not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing, and no marvel, for even the Angels in that vision had the face of a man Ezek. 1. 10 and of a lion, even as they were taught of the Lord: he had the face of a lamb to take away the sins of the world, yea and the face of a lion to punish the sins of the world, for this is the day of grace and acceptable time, wherein mercy is offered to the penitent, which being neglected and contemned, in his day, the day I say of the Lord, he will utter cruelty, wherefore the Prophet saith, woe Am. 5. 18 be unto them that desire the day of the Lord, what have you to do with the day of the Lord? it is darkness, and not light: but the godly contrarily desire the time to be at hand, and therefore do earnestly crave the appearance of the Lord jesus, Ren 22. 10 saying, even so come Lord jesus, come and tarry not: which the wicked do tauntingly and scornfully utter, but as Samson was judg. 16. 30 revenged on the Philistims who jested at him, so behold here is a stronger one than Samson, for now by mercy he is a man, that is sometime to be a lion, and the man is that lamb that taketh away the sins of the repentant: but then the lion shall be to the wilful and stubborn sinner, a boar to tear them in pieces. And thus God suffereth with long patience, the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction, and to declare the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy, which Rom. 11 he had prepared unto mercy: Cast not away therefore beloved, thy confidence which hath great recompense of reward, for thou hast need of patience, that after thou hast done the will of God, thou mayest receive Heb. 10. 35 the crown, and be not one of them which withdraw themselves to perdition, but be of faith to the salvation of thy soul, if thou cast thyself down humbly at his feet, water thy couch in thy earnest repentance with tears, if thou shalt with all thy soul ask mercy and forgiveness, God cannot deny himself, he is faithful, and will forgive, even for his own sons blood, as of a lamb without ipot and blemish, & let all them 1. Pet. 1. 19 which are redeemed, thus refuse all things in regard thereof, and cast down their crowns before his feet, confessing them to have been, and now are Reu. 4. 10 most unprofitable servants, and he will put away their transgressions as a cloud and like a mist: O turn us unto thee O Lord, for thou Esa. 44, 20 art our Saviour, waken us that we may strengthen the Revel. 3, 2 things which remain that are ready to die, before our wickedness be full, and time of recovery past, so shalt Gen. 15. 16 thou redeem our life from the grave, and crown us Psa. 103. 4 with mercy and compassions, and thereafter bestow 2. Tim. 4. 8 on us the crown of righteousness laid up for us, which the Lord the righteous 1. Pet. 5. 4 judge shall give us at that day, & not to us only, but unto all them also that love his appearance; we shall even receive I say that Tit. 3. 5 incorruptible crown of glory at the appearance of of our chief shepherd, not Rom. 11. 6 for the works of righteousness which we have done (for our best are but glistering Gal. 5. 16 sins) but for his own bountifulness, (and love of his mere mercy, favour, and grace, to us which walk in the spirit, and do not fulfil Gal. 6, 8 the lusts of the flesh: for he that soweth in the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting: let us then be renewed in Eph. 4. 23 the spirit of our mind, and put on the new man, which Gal. 6. 14 after God is created in righteousness and holiness, have the world crucified to us, Gal. 2, 20 and us to the world, yea & that we may live unto God, be crucified with Christ, and may in all soundness of mind say, I live yet, not I now but Christ liveth in me, and in that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who hath loved me, and given himself for me: O that once (to conclude) we might think all things but loss for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ jesus our Lord, and judge Phil. 3. 8 them but dung, that we may win Christ, setting always our affections on things that are above, and not on things which are on the earth, that being dead to sin, our life may be hid with God in Christ, Col. 3. 2. 3 that when he that is our life shall appear, we may also appear with him in glory, to whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, we render all glory, praise, majesty, and dominion, both now and evermore, Amen. A Heavenly & Christian caveat, whensoever, or wheresoever the Devil by suggestions, the flesh by the corruption thereof, or the world by wicked example, would allure or entice thee to sin, then seriously bethink thee, and guard thee with these few Articles. 1 WEigh diligently the eternity both of life which is a reward of well-doing, as also of death & pain, for yielding to the contrary, which both are such as the eye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, neither yet can enter into the heart of man, and shall rather by sense be felt. then by judgement be understood. 2 Remember the nobility, worth, and dignity, of the nature of man, how gracious it is in the sight of God, while it standeth in grace; how abject & vile it is subject under sin. 3 Consider the value of the rest, tranquillity, and peace of a good mind, both with God, thyself, and thy neighbour, for while thou sinnest God is against thee, to punish thee; in doing well Satan is against thee, to assault thee. 4 Make every day a recital of the Lords blessings upon thee, in thy predestination and election, before thou wast created, his gifts before thou camest to knowledge, and his preservation of thee until now, from deserved plagues of of pestilence, sword, famine, fire, and water, in place whereof, he prolongeth thy life, giveth thee food, raiment, and health of body, giveth his presence in his word and Sacraments for thy soul, his spirit to thy effectual calling to grace, benefits public and private, general and particular, which are so infinitely and undeservedly poured on thee, while thou refusest thy loyalty to thy sovereign, revolts, & confederates with his greatest enemies. 5 Meditate the pains of Christ in his whole life, what he was before his incarnation, and what he became after, look unto his cross, passion, and bitter death, and for whom he did undergo the same, and how we reward him with despighfull unthankfulness, distrusting his goodness altogether, or else too much presumptuously re-lying thereon, in continuation of our sins, and postponing of repentance. 6 Consider, that without hearty and zealous remorse, never any shall attain to life everlasting, & that it is not a gift may be had at all times, yea it is often refused, because the precious time of visitation was neglected, than it is seldom true & lively when it is to late, that very often impenitency is tied to sin, with the wages thereof. 7. That death is a faithful doorkeeper, which will not suffer thee to have more with thee out of this world of the goods thereof, but so much as thou bringest in with thee, which is nakedness, crying, and grief: the goods of faith, hope, repentance, and charity, shall only accompany and follow the conscience after death, which shall never be severed from the soul, either in well or evil doing, but supplies in wickedness all the offices of a Court, cities, arrests, presents, judgeth, beareth witness, condemneth or justifieth, executeth & tormenteth eternally, for it is that worm that dieth not. 8 Death as our shadow attendeth us in every place, which as it is most certain, so the day and hour is most uncertain to us, for who knoweth the time, hour, or place thereof. 9 Look that the longest liver hath been gathered to his fathers, and hath gone the way of all flesh, our life being but a sleep, or shadow of longer or shorter continuance. 10 Pause upon the inesteemable good we lose by sinning, hardly recoveraable: the infinite and unspeakable evil we incur thereby, how short pleasure is requited with unmeasurable torment. 11 Remember the companions which ever attend upon sin, God's high displeasure, the loss of the right which we have to his creatures, the grieving of his spirit, & the banishing of his good Angels from us, confusion, storm and torture of mind, a fearful expectation of God's insupportable wrath, the sparks whereof do begin but to be kindled here, beside the loathsomeness, wearisomeness, and anxiety we have in the sweetest fits of sin. 12 Consider the patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and all the godly, how wisely they have daunted and bridled their vicious wills and affections, and courageously overthrown the strong hold of sin within them, for the crown of glory that was set before them, died in God's favour, and lived all their time in his fear, left testimony and commendation behind them, to the end of the world, of their strong and invincible faith, but the memory of the wicked doth rot, and his posterity is plagued. FINIS.