illustrated title page (not in McKerrow) Come ye blessed etc. Go ye cursed, etc. THE SOULS Alarum-bell. WHEREIN THE sick Soul (through the horror of conscience) being awakened from security by the sight of sin, hath recourse to GOD by MEDITATION and PRAYER. By H. Thompson. Watch & pray, lest ye fall into temptation. Mat. 26. At London printed by Io. Beale, 1618. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir julius Caesar Knight, one of his majesties most Honourable Privy Counsel, Henry Thompson wisheth increase of grace, and all spiritual gifts by jesus Christ our Lord. THe chief and principal thing (Right Honourable) appertaining to every worthy parsonage (which thing it is good to see that your Honour doth well consider) is to walk in the Garden of humility, whereto the ●igh 〈◊〉 direct way is to pass by 〈◊〉 of Virtue, whose 〈◊〉 is anchored and linked to the fear and love of God. For as by the one 〈◊〉 covered the multitude of sins, so by the other is obtained blessedness, wisdom, and knowledge. David that noble King and Prophet, after he had long traveled and passed through the Gate of Virtue, entered the fair and pleasant Garden of Humility; and his walking and continuance therein so much pleased God, that he said of him by the mouth of his Prophet: I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy body. And now knowing (most Honourable Knight) the great love and affection which your Honour ever hath and doth bear to virtue and godliness, I was thereby moved the more boldly, after I had gathered together this small-handfull of flowers (named The Souls Alarum-Bel) to dedicate the same to your Honour, as the fruit of my labours, nothing doubting but that they shall be acceptable unto you, and shelter themselves under your favourable & sure protection. And I thought good to set forth a Treatise of this nature, the rather because meditation is the key that openeth to virtue and all godliness, for the increase of virtue and godly living, leading all them that follow it to tread in the right and true path, which our Saviur Christ hath prescribed unto us in his holy Gospel. I most humbly beseech your Honour to accept it as my good will towards you; a show of thankfulness, but no satisfaction for the great favours and kindnesses which my friends and I have received from your Honour. So craving your honourable patience & pardon herein, if any thing have escaped me for want of knowledge or learning, I shall (according to my bounden dutte) call daily with my most humble and hearty prayers to Almighty GOD, that he will finish that good which he hath begun in you; praying also for the prosperous preservation of your health and posterity long to live in honour, joy, and felicity in this World, and to send you in the World to come a joyful Resurrection. Amen. Your Honours to command in all duty and service, Henry Thompson. The Preface to the Reader. REligious Reader, amongst other there be two several causes which have instigated me to enterprise and publish this work of Meditation: partly because of mine own exercise and commodity, for the health of my soul in the World to come, and the good ordering of my body here in this present troublesome Pilgrimage; and partly for the utility and profit of my native Country, the advancement and benefit whereof every Man is bound both by nature and conscience to study by all means possible to the uttermost of his power, for the true leading of the soul into the right path of righteousness. And for that purpose every Man is bound to distribute according to the greatness or smallness of the Talon ministered and lent unto him, be it never so little, if it may any way profit; and see it do not remain in him as dead and frustrate, but rather that it be bestowed forth to increase and fructify But (gentle Reader) the manifold miseries and calamities of this our wretched life, which are incident to our frail flesh, being duly considered, do enforce us to seek out the right way of Meditation for the comfort of our weak and oppressed souls, over grown with the deluge of sin Now if we did rightly know the abundance of benefits which true Meditation, being poured forth to GOD in zeal of heart doth bring; we would be far more industrious to find it, and being once found, and surely lodged in the secret chamber of our hearts, we would be far more desirous to keep it: the thoughts of our hearts are as so many spectacles to demonstrate and make apparent unto us the benefit, necessity, force, and use of holy meditation, inciting us both to frequency and fervency therein: without which (besides many other benefits, which thereby we either obtain or lose) neither can Satan be resisted, nor our faith manifested, nor GOD daily honoured. There be many considerations likewise thereunto moving, a● the shortness of our life, (which is but a span) and the vanity thereof, the suddenness of Christ's coming in a moment, the strict and fearful account that must be ●●dered at the day of his appearance for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ungodly, uncharitable, and unchristian living and behaviour. And because holy Meditation is a mourning and desire of the Spirit to God for that which is lacking (even as the sick man sorroweth for his health) whereby being reconciled to God by faith, he may enjoy the thing he doth expect and crave, or hath need of: In what a desperate danger may we be thought to be in, if we shall show ourselves slack or careless in this so available a duty? Let us therefore meditate in all places, and at all times, calling to mind the largeness of God's gracious love, and his loving kindness in Christ jesus our Saviour, who biddeth us ask, and it shall be given, knock and it shall be opened: And whensoever thou art burdened or oppressed with thy sins, or any other misery, or calamity in the World, use godly and holy meditation, and be thou then fully assured, the Lord will offer himself to be reconciled to thee, if thou thyself be ready and faithful to call for the same at his hands. To the furthering whereof, and (as it were) the tracing a path thereto, consider that life itself is but the harbinger of death, and we live to die. GOD that numbered the hairs of our head, hath unmbered our years also, which we cannot pass, whether in middle age, or in old age, or in Infancy; when, and where, and how, we know not: for the issue of death is in the hands of God. Our end and final dissolution is therefore concealed from us, because we should be always meditating, and prepared for our end, and think every moment upon death, which is the end of all flesh. David teacheth us to look back into our lives by holy meditation, whereby we may learn to redeem the time by timely repentance, Psal. 90. As a Bird guideth her ●light with her train, so the life of man is best directed by a continual meditating recourse unto his end. Here (good Reader) is both the manner & the method, the form & the fashion how to meditate, and what to meditate, as time and necessity shall require, with a requisite regard and serious consideration, that our holy meditations may be the more gracious in the eyes of God, and successful in our desires and occasions, that God may bless both them and us with an happy Earnest in this World, of the eternity in the World to come; whether by his blessed will so prospering this intended means, that it may be able to bring us to the blessed Haven of rest and endless joy. The Lord of life and death (in whose hands is the breath of every living thing) so direct us, that we may learn to number our days, that we may run out the short race of our sinful Pilgrimage in godliness of holy meditation, with much patience, looking to Christ jesus the Author and finisher of our faith; that when we shall have finished these days of sin, we may be translated to a better life in the Kingdom of Glory, which GOD hath purchased to us in the bloodshedding of his beloved Son. To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be rendered all glory, majesty, power, and dominion, now & ever. Amen. Thine in the Lord, Henry Thompson. What the Soul loseth by mortal sin. THe grace of the Holy Ghost: The friendship and familiarity with God. All mortal virtues infused, and of God's Spirit. The inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven. The portion of God's children, and patronage of his Fatherly providence which he hath over the just. The peace and quietness of a good and clear conscience. What misery the Soul gaineth by mortal sin. COndemnation to eternal pain, to be quite canceled out of the Book of life. To become of the child of God the thrall of the Devil. To be changed from the Temple of the Holy Ghost, into a den of thieves, a nest of vipers, a ●inke of corruption. How a Soul is prepared to justification by degrees. Faith setteth before our eyes, God is a just judge, Angry with the bad: Merciful to the repentant. Of this Faith by the gift of God Spirit arises a fear by consideration of God's justice, and Our own sins. This fear is comforted by hope grounded in God's mercy, and The goodness of Christ. Of this hope ariseth love and charity unto Christ: For loving us without desert. Rredeeming us with so much love. Of this love follows sorrow for offending Christ, of whom we have been so mercifully Created, Redeemed, Sanctified, and called to his Faith. Of this sorrow ariseth a firm purpose to avoid all sin, which GOD above all ●things detesteth? The Devil above all things desireth: And above all things hurteth the soul. THE SOULS Alarum-Bell. CHAP. I. That GOD his beginning was without beginning, and is, and shall be ever without end. THere was evermore a Thing being, and that Thing that was ever before all other things, must needs be without be beginning; and must be the first Maker, and the first Cause of all things, which hath no maker, nor no cause out of whom as out of the very fountain, and will of all causes, every thing taketh his being. So that Thing which was first being, must needs be the Exo. 3. 14. cause and foundation of all things, and of all beings; and that First cause or Maker is among all people called joh. 8. 58. God. Then sith God is the first cause of every thing, job. 1. 2. 3. 4. and the first principal cause of the being of every thing, it requireth that there be in him such a being that it must be the most perfect, most substant all being, and the most sure being, that is, or can be, which shall never have end. For if it shall have an end, it is not the most perfect, most substantial, and most sure being; for it must be such a being, which excludeth every imperfection, that soonest tendeth to Not being. There is no time passed in which he was not; no time present in which he is not; nor no time to come, in which he shall not be. So that of necessity it followeth, that his being was ever without beginning, and is, and shall be ever without end; therefore conveniently God is called Omnipotent, as being of most power and might. Then sith God is the cause of all things, and Gen. 1. 1. every thing taketh his effect by God, and cometh of God, as of his first cause, Pro. 8. 22. (and every thing that taketh any effect hath need of the cause for without the cause the effect could never have john. 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. been.) Therefore it must follow that every thing hath need of God, and that God hath need of nothing. And likewise that thing that Act 〈◊〉 14. 24. hath no life, nor never had life, may not by his own Ephes. 1 11. power make a thing to have life. But we see in this world man & beast to have life; which life proceeded and came first from that Creator which is very life, & in whom first must needs be life. Then sith God is first Creator and causer of every thing which hath life: it followeth, that in him there was ever a life. And (as I have said before) because the being of God is the first being and cause of Gen. 1. 7. the being of every thing, & the most perfect, most substantial, and most sure being; and because that thing which hath being and life also, is more worthy than that thing which hath but being only; as the trees & herbs which have a quickness of life whereby they grow and increase, have a more noble and worthy being, than a dead stock or a dead stone, which grow not: and as the brute beast which hath a life sensitive, and power to move itself, and memory hath a more noble and worthy being, than the Tree, or herb which hath but quickening and growing, without power to move, or memory: and also as the being of man, which hath both life sensitive, power to move, memory and understanding, hath a more worthy being then the brute beast, which hath but life sensitive, power to move and memory, without understanding: so it must needs follow that understanding is the cause of the most worthy being. And sith that God hath the most noble and worthy being that can be, it must needs follow, that in God there must be knowledge and understanding; and that the same being of God must be with the same knowledge and understanding. And then if the being of God (as I have proved before) be without beginning and ending, eternal, infinite, without measure; and his being is, and hath been ever most perfect: and as he himself may be himself, so may he himself understand himself, so that his being cannot be severed from his knowledge and understanding, nor his knowledge and understanding severed from his being; it must follow that he understandeth all, & knoweth every thing that was, is, or shallbe; and every man's thought, and deed done, or to be done in the world, is present to his knowledge. For the eternal essence of God, which must excel all other beings, hath in itself such a nobility, that it comprehendeth all the whole plenty of life together, and knitteth time past, and time to come with the time present: and nothing is to God past or to come, but all things are to him present. For if any thing were to him newly known, than God had not all perfect knowledge in him as the beginning; and so there should be in God some mutability and change, and augmentation of knowledge: And because he had ever most perfect being and most perfect knowledge, and his knowledge cannot be separated from his being (as I have proved before) it must needs follow that God knew all things ever, and every thing was ever, is, and shall be to him present. CHAP. II. What the Soul is. THere is a threefold soul; that is to say, a soul Vegetative, Sensitive, and Intellective; a soul vegetative is that life that is in plants, Trees, grass, Herbs or fruits, which do Gen. 2. 9 grow. A soul sensitive is that life, which is in a brute beast; which occupieth, & useth the five senses, such as are the taste, the smelling, the hearing, the sight, and touching, but lacketh reason and understanding; as is a horse, a cow, a bird, a fish, and such like. But a soul intelective is aspiritual substance, created invisible, most like to the immortal God, having no other image or figure, but only of his creator; Gen. 1. ●7 Ephes. 4. 2. and hath a lively power and understanding to know good from evil, and right from wrong; & man is that Creature, to whom GOD hath given this soul Intellective Now because man hath growing, as plants and herbs have he is therefore called lively: and because he hath the use of the five senses as brute beasts have therefore he is called Sensible, and because he hath reason and understanding, therefore he is called Reasonable. A man than is nothing else but a lively sensible, and reasonable creature. For the body and the reasonable soul joined together, do make a man. Therefore there is no Creature of God in earth, that hath any knowledge and reason how to do honour to God, save only man; so that God will by his goodness and mercy reward man for Mat. 25. his good deeds, and by his justice punish him for his offences, and evil deeds. For the soul of man is immortal and shall never die. For no incorporeal substance created by God, shall ever have end. Which thus is proved; the soul must needs be made of somewhat, or else of nothing: but there can be nothing named, of the which it is made; or if it be made of any other mean thing, or things than must it be made of part of itself, which so gathered together maketh the whole soul, or else it is made of some matter with some form and fashion added thereto: but it is not made of parts gathered together, for the soul hath no parts, nor cannot be divided; neither is it made of any other matter; for every thing that is made of any matter and form, may be resolved unto the same matter, whereof it was first made, when the form or fashion is broken or destroyed, as an Image, an house, a cup, & such like. And therefore sith that the soul of man cannot be resolved to any such matter whereof it is made, because it is a simple substance of itself, ergo it is made of no matter. Then if it be neither made of part of itself, neither of any matter, it hath no mean cause of it creation and being; and as it must needs be immediately made Gen. 1. 26. of God, which is infinite, so consequently it followeth, that the soul of man must needs be infinite, incorruptible, and immortal, and doth live after it is separated from the body, either in joy, or pain. And as touching the being of the ●oule after it is separated from the body, it is not circumscribed in any place. For a natural place is the utter and extreme term or part, and hollow superficies of a body, containing another body within it: & a superficies is that, which hath but length and breadth, and no manner of thickness: for 〈◊〉 it have length breadth, and thickness than it is a body. So that every thing that I see, which is the object of my sight, and whereupon my sight doth rest, not considering the thickness, is called a superficies; & so the utter part of every bodily thing that I do see, is called the Superficies, because I do see the length & breadth thereof, but not the thickness. As by example; a Tun is called by common people the place of the wine, because it containeth the wine within it: and so that hollow superficies of the tun is the very natural place of the wine; and such a natural place doth contain within it always a corporal substance, and a bodily thing. Therefore the soul can never be contained in any natura●l place, because it is no corporal substance, but a spiritual which doth occupy no place, no more than the thought or mind doth, which occupieth no place. Also understand thou, that there be two kind of things which have being: the one is a real thing, and the other is a rational. A real thing is that, which is perceived by the Organs and Instruments of the five wits; as that thing which may be seen, heard, tasted, felt, or smelled. But rational things are those, which be not perceived by the five wits, but only be perceived by reason; and they be things incorporeal, as love, charity, meekness, abstinence, pride, malice, sloth, and such other. Furthermore of places, there be three diversities. One is a place Continentive, another is a place Limitative, and the third a place Operative. A place Continuentive is that, wherein real things, as bodies, images, and figures be contained; as the Tun wherein the wine is contained. A place Limitative is, where things incorporeal be limited to be; as the proper place limitative for love, is that thing which is loved; and that thing which is so loved is the place limited for that to be, and there the love is in his place limitative: which place limitative of love cannot be ever certain, but mutable: and because love may be at once in divers things, therefore love may be in divers places limitative at one time. A place operative is that place where the operation of the thing is; because we see that the marvelous operation of God is that marvelous swift moving of the heavenly Spheres and bodies above, which do appear to us; therefore we say that the place where God is, is heaven: so that Gen. 1. 8 where so ever the operation of God appeareth, there is the place operative, and there is God. And thus to conclude, God hath ordained a place of joy, & a place of pain, where every man's soul shall be rewarded according to his deserts. CHAP. III. Of the Body. A BODY hath length, breadth, & thickness; a man is nothing else but a lively body, sensible, & reasonable; which man hath five wits or senses, hearing, feeling, seeing, smelling, and tasting; and these senses are divided into Animal, and Rational. The Animal senses be diffused throughout all the members of man, such as be, seeing, hearing, smelling, etc. And all these are common to us, with brute beasts. The Rational faculties consist in reason, which doth make a man a Gen. 1. 28. 29. reasonable Creature, who by reason may rule unreasonable beasts, & all things being under his dominion. CHAP. FOUR Of earthly pleasures, and the vanity thereof. Of the comfort and commodity which man reaps, in and by knowing himself. Of the shortness, frailty, and miseries of man's life: With a remembrance of death, and meditation thereof. THE way to balance ourselves and our desires is, to know ourselves first, then to know God, and to fix our whole hope, confidence, and desire in him, who is the true fountain and well spring of all happiness and content; within the compass of whose mighty Protection we are no longer his, then while we walk within the bounds of his gracious directions. Miserable are those and most wretched, that wander and run astray out of the arms, and safeguard of his omnipotency. If the Lord should forget us, as we forget him; nay, if he should not remember us sinful Creatures a thousand times ere we remember him once, and keep us in, we should daily and hourly wander out of the right way, and perish therein. But his mercy and goodness is above all his works; and his great benefits are so generally extended, that the wicked have their portion therein, as well as the godly: his enemies, as well as his friends. If the Lord should revenge our injuries and ingratitude, which we commit in contemning his will and Commandments, and deal with us as we deal one with another: what would, or should become of us then? Nothing but woe, and mere confusion. O let us therefore learn from him which is the true pattern of all goodness and consolation, in some poor measure to be like unto our Lord and and Master Christ jesus, from whence we derive our name & are called Christians. Let us whose Image we carry stamped by the fingers of his own hands, let us be not only shadows but bodies moving after his steps that is our head; let us walk here on earth as good Christians, whereby we may show the wicked a pattern of good life, to imitate such humility and sobriety as our Lord jesus Christ the true and lively pattern of all goodness and piety hath walked before us: the print of whose blessed feet we daily look on with our eyes, and consider in our hearts with joy and comfort. If we will be his Disciples, we must take up his Cross and follow him, making it our glory, that are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hands: who nevertheless in simple sight grazing on the mountains, are either fleeced of the shearer, grown into we oll: or snatched up by the butcher, grown into flesh: and the water of affliction being wrung unto us out of a full cup, we be exposed to the shame of the world, and the winds still beat on our sails, and our lives bound up in vexation and sorrow, whilst the wicked like the bramble in confidence of their shadow, judg. 9 15. dare challenge to be Kings over the forest. And though they sail calmly as in the Haven: and their breasts are full of milk as JOBE job 21. 26. speaketh, and their bones of marrow; and though with DAVID in the 73, PSALM wherein the property of the wicked is lively set forth, (how they come not to misfortunes like other folk; neither are they plagued like other men; their eyes swell with fatness, and they do even what they list) yet let us take comfort to ourselves, & stay our souls on the anchor of his providence, as the same Prophet did; although in the consideration of his chastisement all the day long, & every morning, yet the prosperity of the wicked, he confessed & said: My feet had almost slipped, yea and I had said as they, until I went into the Sanctuary of God: then understood I the end of these men; namely, how thou settest them in slippery places, and castest them down, and destroyest them; how suddenly they come to a fearful end. So, when death shall make us both even with the Earth, here is our comfort: The grave shall be to us as a fold till our Shepherd come, and to them a shambles until the destroyer of their souls shall receive an endless commission to torment them. Therefore neither the pleasures of this life, nor health, wealth, or liberty, are at the best, but candied wormwood that delighteth the taste, but destroyeth the stomach; without a true and sanctified use therein, that makes those happy and blessed that have them: for with all the goodly branches of delectation & pleasure they cast (if their Tree answer not with fruit) the leaves will not protect it from the fire. Cursed is he that is blessed in this world, to be cursed in the world to come: Here we have the eloquence of the flesh to persuade us, the enticements of the devil to allure us, the company of the wicked to associate us: All these, to divert our course from the place whither we are going and the World with her enticements to train us furthest from what we seek and the pride of our life to persuade us for trifles to forego the interest we have in heaven, and our branched corruption every way ready to set us forward, being ambitious like Adam; who if he may be as God, there is Gen 3. 5. no command can restrain him: vainglorious like Esau, who if he may have a Gen. 33. 1. train of men at his heels, will soon digest the loss of his birthright: and so byusury if our bags may thereby be made fuller; the word of God shall n●t restrain us from it. If the sons of men shall take the devil at his word, which the Son of God did not, when the devil tempted him and showed him ●ll the Kingdoms of the Earth, and the glory thereof: All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me; and for the glory of the world which he shall show, and cannot give, shall fall down and worship him. If he show honours, preferment, pleasure, riches, saying, as this, I will give thee: though the minions and lovers of the world, that seek for their heaven upon earth, shall be ready to betray their souls, as judas betrayed Christ, with his (Hail Master,) shall be ready to embrace him, to serve him, to serve themselves; yet with the Son of God after his fasting, be thou so strong in thy strength, as he was in his weakness, to bid him departed, and say him, Nay. It is Matt. 16. 20. but a bitter recompense to buy the pleasures at so dear a rate, as at the price of the soul in everlasting confusion: for our life is short and fading, and but the length of a shanne; and if thou think it more, take the Counters into thy hands, and see what reckoning thou canst make of it. What is past, grieves thee with the remembrance thereof, because so much of thy time is spent; what is present, burdeneth thee with the weight thereof, because in sweat and soar study and travel, thou dost waste thy time: what is to come, troubleth thee with the uncertainty of it, lest the grave do swallow thee before thou see it. Yea, make thine account as thou oughtest, and thou shalt find it swifter than the weavers shuttle, job 7. 6: and speedier than a post on the wings of the wind, job 9 25. Then in consideration of this, and whatsoever hath been spoken to the unclothing of our nakedness, and humbling us before God, to the pulling off our robes of levity and lightness, and the preparing our bodies to the grave, and our souls to this ensuing exercise of holy meditation, to the daunting of all flesh. All must come, and the hour may be near, but it cannot be far off; and howsoever we forget it, it will be sure to remember us. Therefore let us know that here as Pilgrims and strangers we wander, having no abiding City; but we seek for one to come: But we must not seek to find it here. nor suffer the vain applause of the world, and the vainer conceit of ourselves to make us forget where we live; remembering that we are of ourselves but as trees turned upwards, having no sap from the Earth, but refreshed and moistened with the dew of Heaven. Let us so provide for our journey, that we miss not the City we seek for: Let us so run our race, that we obtain the victory and reward we run for; and therefore if thou expect in thy labour blessing, in thy peace continuance, in affliction comfort, in thy death triumph, in thy judgement joy; respect in thy life, sobriety in thy calling, honesty in thy pleasures, judgement in thy sorrows, in thy life religion. If God be not with thee to direct thee that thou stray not, to correct thee that thou presume not, to sustain thee that thou famish not, to pardon thee that thou despair not, to support thee that thou stumble not, to strengthen thee that thou fall not, and to sanctify thee that thou sin not, and to glorify thee that thou perish not. If the Lord throughout the whole course of thy life, and in thy death be not present and powerful to thee, thou faintest in the one, and failest in the other, and desperation environeth thee on every side: for where the Lord keepeth not, watcheth not, but turneth away his face, all the miseries in the World then will lay their siege. Therefore to him let us day and night send up our supplications and prayers unfeignedly without ceasing, like incense into the air; whereby that merciful and loving Saviour of mankind may continue his goodness towards us, and give us that what we want, to support us by his grace, to direct us by his Spirit, and so lead us thorough this exemplary World of sin and wickedness, with our eyes so looking forward fixed on him, that we let not temptations in at their windows; so captivating our desires unto the omnipotency of his majesties will that with Lot we may be righteous in a City, in a World of uncleanness; that so we may save our souls at the last, though we lose all the vain pleasures in the World beside. The loss of 〈◊〉 soul would more 〈◊〉 Satan, than 〈◊〉 sorroweth for the damnation of his own; but Christ our loving Saviour, he being ou● only and chief Precursor into Heaven, even unto his last breath, being not unmindful of his little flock, did as Abraham unto Isa ack●, as David unto Solomon, as Tobias unto his son, bequeathed unto his a few small hours before his glorification, his best and principal legacy being eternal life; confirming it unto them in his last and latest prayer made for his Apostles: This is life eternal, that we know thee to be the only very God without beginning or ending, and whom thou hast sent jesus Christ. That we know him, who he is, and Rom. 11. what he is. 1 Who he is, even the principal and singular essence, from whom, and by whom, all things were created, all things are preserved, all things shall be dissolved 2 What he is; great in wisdom, and therefore knoweth; powerful in strength, and therefore can; plentiful in love, and therefore will crown those which he knoweth; and know those everlastingly which he loveth; and love those most tenderly which know and acknowledge him. By his knowledge he will rule, by his strength defend, by his love embrace all that know and acknowledge him; that know him after a long and earnest seeking him, and acknowledge him by a most gracious and happy finding him: seeking him among their miseries, finding him in his mercies; seeking him in the crowd and press of their sins, finding him in the top of his Cross; seeking Him in finding ourselves, finding him in seeking ourselves. As we desire to know and find God, so we must endeavour by all means possible to know and seek out our s●lues, and make a true inquisition about ourselves, before we can attain and reach unto the right knowledge of him that made us. For God, being (as he is) without beginning and ending, and not subject to definition or Description, must be shadowed per posteriora, because he hath not priora; he being primum principium, the primary cause & principal ground of every principle, yea that principium principiorum, that illimited, wonderful, and unsearchable Alpha must be Apoc. 1. comprehended and known by his effects. It is mere dotage in Philosophy to search out causes of Principles: when they are Principles, they have not precedent causes; and therefore those things that borrow not their proof & demonstration from foreruning causes, their brightness and lustre must appear by their effects. Since than God in regard of his being, which is without ending, is incomprehensible and void of all demonstration, man's frailty must labour to know him by his effects and works. For the invisible wisdom of God is seen by the creation of the world; and if in any creature the perfect Art of God's omnipotency may be comprehended, it is in nothing more than in man, upon whom he hath set the stamp of his own image. Man therefore must know him & give him that due reverence of honour which pertains to the omnipotency of his Majesty; for in knowing GOD, man knows himself, as being his workmanship. Therefore we ought to love and know him as our Ma●er, Creator, & Redeemer. First know thyself with the eye of experience, & then know God with the eye of contemplation; first know thyself poor in misery. and then know God rich in mercy; first know thyself groaning, and back broken under the burden of sin; and then know God easing and refreshing thee thus laden: first know thyself Death's freehold & possession, and then know God the breaker and bruser of the Serpent's head: first know thyself to be the weak subject of all mortality, and then know God in the donation of his Spirit, the earnest-penny of man's immortality. Man must know that he is no long living creature, & that as soon as he is borne he is coupled with famine, with thirst, with heat, with cold, and many more infirmities. And for his death, he may be compared to snow, quickly come, and as quickly gone: or like to a rose, at morning fair, at evening withered. Therefore seeing we are so suddenly gone, here to day, to morrow vanished; man must first know from whence he is, and then let him blush for shame; secondly, where he is, & then lament with groans; thirdly, whither he will, and then tremble with fear At his naked nativity he laments with crying at his worldly entertainment, & trembles with fear for his doubtful end, what shall become of him. O let man blush for shame; he is flesh; and therefore far from God; let him lament with groans that he is in the world, for therefore is he wide of heaven; let him tremble with fear that he must die he being obvious to the jaws of hell. To be brief, man must know himself aright both within and without, behind & before, and on all sides, before his perverse and overthwart nature will know the right way to follow God in his steps. But on the contrary, man is prone to evil, and to the sweet and pleasing remembrance of that which is bad; on this side lack of patience in adversity, on that side too much pride and haughtiness in prosperity: nay what vice is it that man wants? on every side wounds, and nothing but wounds imprinted & stamped in his soul and frail flesh by the custom of sin: yet upon his repentance he shall find God above him powerful, beneath him plentiful, before him watchful, behind him wonderful; on this side bountiful, on that side careful, and on every side merciful; merciful in forgetting, merciful in forgiving our sins, and the only pathway to perfection. Heraclitus, a Heathen in superstition, a Philosopher in profession, on a time triumphing as it were with himself how he had spent the day, cried out with a loud voice, The honour of the well-spent day is this; I have sou●ht myself, which of all knowledge (next to God) is most necessary: for man in knowing himself, knows God. It is an hard thing to be tongue-tied in secrecy, to dispose the time rightly, or to suffer injuries patiently; it is an hard thing to tolerate adversity with quietness, and as hard a thing it is to be a good man.. The hardest lesson that a man can learn, is to know himself: what is the style of Mastership in Arts, if a man perfectly knows not himself? Knowledge puffeth up, but selfe-knowledge pu●leth down. Knowledge is so far wide of true knowledge, that in ignorance of God it crieth with Pharaoh, Exo. 5. But selfe-knowledge plunged in the depth of its own knowledge, aspireth to know the true knowledge of God. Exod. 18. jethro confesseth the Lord is greater than all Gods. Knowledge mounteth upon the wings of pride, boasteth with Lucifer; I will make the stars my footstool: But selfe-knowledge covered with the veil of humility, falleth down with job, and worshippeth knowledge. But selfe-knowledge is not hasty in pace, nor multiloquious in words; keeping time in going, and observing a mean in speaking, and at once breaks up the chest of his heart unto the Lord for his merciful favour herein. Aristotle by nature coveted knowledge and that itching desire of Eve as soon as she was out of the shell, testifieth no less: for the hope of much knowledge she lost herself in ignorance, swallowing as she thought the bait of knowledge, which turned in the end to the bane of ignorance. Yet if knowledge suffer a difference, and men bear more than an indifferent mind unto it, there is none more pleasing, none more profitable than this selfe-knowledge; pleasing in respect of God, profitable in respect of man. Gen. 28. It is the ladder of jacob that reacheth from earth to Heaven, that Geometrical square that squareth out Man at a spanlength; and then measureth Psal. 39 God the Alpha and Omega, which filleth Heaven and Earth: that Arithmetical Calendar of Man's age, that first declareth his time to be three●●ore years and ten; and then with Moses ascendeth the Mount to take a survey of God's eternity. The dee●er Man wadeth into the s●lfe-knowledge the nearer he shall arrive to God himself It shall be more than Thomas his Credo, to conceive God inwardly, joh. 20. then to thrust thy finger into his side; it shall be more than the Centurion's Mat. 27. testimony to acknowledge him in thy heart, then before the multitude to confess him with the lips; it shall be more than Simeons' Nunc Dimittis, to take hold of him in a troubled spirit, then to embrace his infancy in the flesh; it shall be more than Philip's sufficit, to view john 14. him in thyself, then to behold him in the heavens. Look not on the superficies and outside of thyself, saith the Poet; but rather let thy conscience be thy looking-glass, whereby thou mayest dress and attire thyself fit for heaven; that will tell thee how to get the wedding rob by innocency of life; that will teach thee how to put it on by a lively faith; that will tell thee what his progenitors have been; that will teach thee what thy state is now; that will tell the histories of Adam; that will tell the lessons of thyself; that will tell thee that Adam brought sin into the world; that will tell thee therefore how thou mayst study the law of God: we must study it because it is a school master to bring us unto Christ: and there like a true Naturalist, shalt thou find the causes of thy sin hanging upon record; and there like a true Historian, read what others have done before thee, & how thou mayest study the Law by reading it with a gloss of the Gospel, is because the Gospel is a true interpretation of salvation: briefly, that will tell thee how thou wast borne under infestuous Planets; this will teach thee how thou must be borne again under that Prince of Planets the Sun of righteousness, job. 3. Defend thy self from that which will not teach thee law, and learn true & perfect knowledge of God, whereby thou mayest betake thyself wholly unto him, that he may betake himself wholly unto thee; and that thou mayest strive to be bathed in the remission of sins, rather than to be drenched in the sea of desperation. Man and his ways are sinful, therefore let us call upon God, & still pray unto him being our Saviour and merciful Redeemer: it is no shame to be sorrowful, or to cry to God for the forgiveness of our sins: it is no reproach to beg God's mercies; or hurt to us to pray his Majesty to be merciful in the remission and forgiveness of our sins: it is no discredit to confess our faults unto God, and to tell him we are miserable & wretched sinners. This is the means to quench the extremity of thirsty sin and to obtain a refreshing cup, with a beaten breast, and broken heart to cry unto God, to be a merciful father unto us, and to give us remission of all our sins. If lamentable pictures & woeful tales carry their force with them to enforce tears from the hearers and beholders eyes; then cannot we but turn prodigal in tears, when we behold this lively counterfeit of sorrow, where every colour hath a speaking grief, every grief a mourning tongue to extort and wring tears from the beholder's eyes. jacob did Gen. 37. never rend his garment in so many pieces for the loss of joseph, as the true penitent sinner doth his soul for the burden of his sins, laying them upon the ra●ke of repentance & stretching them from earth to heaven, from himself too God. Agar being turned out of her ma●ters Gen. 21. house, made her eyes ●●e plaintiffs of true contrition to her solitary wand'ring: but the penitent in ●eart being turned out of ●is master's favour, makes ●is hand his heart, his eyes ●is tongue, and all labour to ●essen the grief of his dis●ase, with a true sorrowful remorse: his hands like the ●ellowes blow the fire of contrition to his heart; his heart like a limbeck distilleth the sovereign water of repentance into his eyes, who (like full cisterns) not being able to look upward, return their streams back unto the heart; that being overcharged, drives the flood of his affection to his tongue; his tongue like Aaron's censer, conveys the sweet perfume of his precious distillation into the presence of God himself. And as the Angels celebrated the birth of Christ with a joyful hymn, so he welcomes his second birth with a sad lamentation; much like to Peter when he denied his Master. Mat. 26. Sick men cannot away with any melancholy; saul's frenzy could not endure David's 1 Sam. 18. Harp; salomon's thousand songs cannot mitigate the smart of the sinner's disease that runs altogether upon the heartstring, not the Harpe-string, the spaces, falls, and rises of a melancholy ditty; the first note being raised high to him that is above all; the second with a temperate stop moved to a mean; the third with a heavy touch fitted to the base. Heavy, O heavy is the note of man, and therefore it calls for moderation of God: O heavy, too heavy is the note of sin, and therefore it craves the voice of mercy. We may justly observe in the penitent sinner, first his invocation to God: secondly, his humble petitions: thirdly, his condition in his meditation, by virtue whereof he attaineth to know himself to be the greatest offender, and God his only Saviour and Redeemer. David being in the depth of meditation, his Psal. 39 heart was hot, the fire of his zeal was kindled, and he spoke: Lord teach me to number my days: in the same precinct and straights of meditations is the penitent sinner; his arms like the Phoenix wings, hath set his heart on fire; by that his zeal is inflamed, by his zeal his tongue is enlarged and calls to God for his mercies; he speaks as David in his meditation, with judgement & discretion; he speaks in his meditation what he wants; his prayer directing to obtain his wants at the hands of his merciful Saviour. Lastly, he speaks, & speaks authorized, with a proviso and respect to whom he speaks. What is it he speaks? The first regard is the reverence of the person to whom he speaks, God. His second consists of a twofold property; one drawn from himself, being a miserable sinner: the other from a necessity that GOD would be merciful to our misspent life. The third is couched not so much in quantity of words, as in quality of affection his prayer is short, but very sweet in regard of zeal. His last regard aims at the time; for sin like Noah's flood every day getting strength, was almost Gen. 7. 17. come to the top of Ararat, and had almost overspread the whole earth; so it was high time to stay the swelling rage and fury of it; and therefore he strives to bring it back to a low ebb, and with a smooth calm of an humble petition, speaks in a serious meditation to God to forgive him his sins, and to be merciful unto him: but helpless man cannot help, but only God, in whom and with whom is all comfort. I will not run unto the wise man with Pharaoh; I call not upon any Idols with the Priests of Baal; but with Exod 7. sorrowful Sara in the gall of bitterness, with wrinkled Tob. 3. faced job smitten on the cheeks with a reproach, I job. 16. begin my confession unto the Lord. I pray not for the strength of body with Samson, with Elisha for my enemy's judg. 16. blindness, with worldly Balaam for earthly treasures; but with the faithful 2 Pet. 2. Cananitish woman once & Math. 15. again rejected, I beg for crumbs of thy mercy, that thou wilt be a Saviour for my sins; even I the son of sorrow present myself unto thee, and as the Leper Math. 8. entreated for his own cleansing even so I pray that God will show his mercy & compassion upon me, being wea●ed a long time from the Teattes of thy love, and nourished with the corrupt milk of sin. It is even I that have refused thy heavenly Manna, and delighted myself with the leaven of Egypt; now at the length struck with the whip of repentance, retire, and for the ●asing of my grief, presume to solicit thee in this manner: (O Lord) be merciful unto me and forgive me the great and heinous crimes which I have committed against thy omnipotent Majesty. I am not of Simon Peter's mind, that said, Lord go Lu. 5. 8. from me, for I am a sinful man; but rather. Lord come to me because I am a wret ●hed and sinful man. Neither do I cry out with the possessed, jesus thou Son of God what have I to do Mat. 8. with thee; but rather, jesus thou Son of God, I have to do with thee: Oh let me have some interest in thy love, which like a veil covereth the multitude of sins, and uniteth the peece-rent heart of the sorrow-beaten sinner. It is not with me as it was with Cain, to say, my Gen. 4. sin is greater than can be pardoned; neither am I as yet clasped in that desperation and distrust, as to equalize and compare thy mercy to my sins: I know thy piety to exceed man's impiety, and thy mercy to be greater than man's misery Sins as they cannot choke thy love, so they cannot stand in any degree of comparison with the infinitene● of thy mercy: for how much thy greatness overspreads man's weakness, so much the goodness of thy goodness exceeds the evil of his evil; and therefore it were first high treason to thy omnipotency and power to say; My sins are greater than thou canst pardon, when thy mercy is (like thyself) great without all quantity, good without all quality. Secondly, it were a wrong unpardonable to thy will, a trespass dangerous to thy truth, an injury too desperate in despairing of thy promises, to say; Thou wilt not do what thou canst, when with thee to do, is as easy as to will, and to will is ready every hour. It is worse than the stain of hypocrisy to say, I am no sinner: for none can challenge to himself that privilege: Sin was my Mother which brought me into the World, and sin is the daughter of my affection in the World; the World is become a loathsome Cage of unclean Birds, a troubled Sea divided into many puddles, a dangerous desert, nursing and nusling up strange and venomous creatures; where covetousness like a burning Serpent breathes out the fire of unhallowed desires; where lust like the Scorpion envenometh the soul, and provokes it to black attempts; where pride lies close at the heart like a snail lurking in the bushes: where, nay, where else should sin be, when the World is termed the den and covert of all evil? Here every sin great and little (though every little sin be too great) ranges and keeps his Court. The trim fashion of the World is out of fashion, because it is sick of every fashion; it being composed the wonderful check and countermand of all Art, is now become a miserable Chaos, the ruinous and disordered heap of all disorder; it is the Stage and Theatre of hypocrisy, fair and beautiful without, but full of foul sin within; like strait growing reeds, satisfying the eyes with a green and pleasing sight, but within nothing more vain, nothing more light, nothing more empty; like unto nabuchadnezar's Idol, glittering with a golden Dan. 3. 1. head, yet standing upon feet of clay; by striving to excel in beauty, it hath washed away all beauty, and there is no sure hold for the soul's anchor in so slippery a station. The effects prove it so: for it is become Murders slaughter-house, Thefts refuge, Whoredoms and Oppressions safety, and for all sins a sinful Sanctuary. Who can swallow Circe's Cup, and not be transformed? Who can taste deadly poison, and escape infection? Who can live in Sodom, and not be wicked? Who can breath in the World, and be no sinner? The Infant-blush at mine nativity was it not the tell-tale of my original sin, how I had tasted of that sour fruit which all my ancestors from the first to the last had eaten? And from the time of my nativity, how I have since hewn off my age by sin, filling and fulfilling (as Christ saith) the measure of my fathers. My sinne-prest conscience secretly doth tell me, there is no way to hide and smother what I am: for if disguised Adam in his figge-leaved coat, close and secure (as he thought) among the bushes could not shelter him from God's presence, how can I promise to myself security? Well may the blindfolde World, being as deeply covered in sin as I, either for weakness not see, or for the thick skin of his own sin still be dazel-eyed, and not behold the heaps and drifts of iniquity: but God which hath intelligence of my secret thoughts, hath an ear to hear my private words, an eye to see my light and dark actions. God, which is the scrutator of our hearts and reins, enters the privy chamber of our hearts, and is an eye-witness of our sin, before it be hatched: He knew all things before they were begun, therefore he must needs know them when they are done. He saw thee and David intending adultery, before thou and David committed adultery. If then no running away will serve turn, no place close enough to smother sin, when every thing is naked and open to his view; into what an hard obduration is man cast? how is his face made stiff with oily colours of shameless impudency, that will fear the presence of the creature, and no way standin awe or reverence of the all-presence of the Creator? There may be a secret room where no man comes, a secret stage to act sin, where no man sees; but is it possible to keep God out; is it possible to blind his eyes? O poor runaways that we are, we hide not ourselves from God, but rather hide God from us. What though the eyes of thy understanding being darkened, thou canst not see him; yet hath he made thee a casement to thy conscience, and beholds thee within and without in the cogitation, in the action. Wherefore if running from God be but a step to greater sin, then will I run from sin to God, till I recover strength in his merciful eyes. As there is no security to hide sin, so there is no remedy to excuse it, or to post it off, saying, The woman which thou ga●est me, did cause me to sin, as Adam; Gen. 3. or as Eve to clear herself, saying, The Serpent beguiled me; this is rather an increase then a decrease of sin: the offence was heavier in examination, than it had been before in commission; for here the blind leads the blind, and the further they go, the greater is their danger. First they sin, and then they fly: Secondly they are taken, but they deny: thirdly, it being proved, they stand out in their own defence, and dispute the case. Adam excusing himself by the Woman, the Woman laying the fault on the Serpent, both of them privily taxing God for placing such and such with them in Paradise: But alas, this is but a naked shift, and to no purpose to bandy words with God, neither did he call them for any such discourse; but God as it were lamenting the first fruits of his labour should utterly perish, therefore questioned with our first Parents, that the fire of their confession might burn down the wall which the rancour of sin had builded between them and God. As then hopeful Israel found means to supplant the usurping Canaanites, by electing juda their guide and Captain; judg. 1. so many put to flight that great daring Canaanite that musters up whole legions of temptations against us: when as juda (which interpreted, signifies confession) doth not only conduct and guide our forces, but also blunts the edge of our enemy's sword, returning his intended poison to his own confusion. The confession of our sin (saith Augustine) bars up the mouth of Hell, which stands gaping to devour thee, and opens the gates of Heaven that willingly would receive thee: Therefore let us lance the festered soar with the knife of true confession, let us complaint to him that is the great Shepherd of souls; as he is a Physician he will cure thee, as he is a Shep●eard he will number thee with his flock: sinnes-saluing plaster is to reveal our wickedness. Well may we confess our offences, but hide them we cannot; by such our confession the Devil is prevented of his severe accusation, which ancient malice would commence against us. To anatomize & exenterate sin, to pour it forth upon the Altar of repentance before God, will not only take away the occasion of plea from the accuser, but also reconcile us to the whole favour of that High Commission. Believing Nini●i● wrapped and confounded in sorrow, was soon turned out of her mourning gown of sackcloth and ashes, and was girded about with a fair sindon of God's eternal savour: but harde-hearted Sodom swelling in the pride of her strength, is stripped of all her beautiful attire, and nakedly left in the base ashes of ●er own destruction Therefore I will confess with David against myself my wickedness Psal. 32. unto the Lord. It is ●ot an usurpation to turn ●udge, to call an Assize, to examine mine own soul, to produce my thoughts as accusers of my conscience, as 〈◊〉 thousand witnesses to anerre and confound the gilt ●f sin: but these shall pre●ent that latter and fearful examination, how we have spent our time, how we have employed our wealth, how we have ruled our appetites, how we have mortified our desires, how we have used and bestowed all good gifts and graces of the holy Spirit. Nay, we shall never have cause to fear that doleful distaste which Abraham cast in Dives teeth: Son remember Lu. 16. how thou in thy life time receivedst pleasure, disporting thy time in wanton dalliance, solacing thyself in pleasing pastimes, brave in apparel, glittering in gold, high in honour, delicate in fare, defending pride to be but a point of gentry, gluttony a part of good fellowship, wantonness a trick of youth: because thou hast enclosed and taken in all pleasures to thyself upon earth, thou shalt now take up thy ●ents, and reap a plentiful harvest in Hell. Meet with ●he day of judgement (saith Augustine) before it come: ●ooke about before hand, prepare thyself to enter an action against thyself: for ●o presumption will serve. ●e that seethe his house run 〈◊〉 ruin, and will not at the ●●rst or second breach seek 〈◊〉 reparations, strives to ●ake rubbish of a good ●●ilding: And he that travels in a leaking ship, and ●ill not in the beginning ●oke to empty it, sails for ●ught but to drown himself. To morrow, to morrow, 〈◊〉 the voice of presumption: 〈◊〉 who can tell whether he 〈◊〉 live till to morrow. God (saith Augustine) hath sealed a pardon to him that truly reputes; but none to him that defers, and says, he will repent: And he that is not fit for his conversion to day, will be less ready to morrow; for on the morrow he will be the same man again, and sing the same song again, languishing still in delay, trifling out the time, till God in whose hands only are the moments of times, shut and bar him out from all time, and leave him to pains without time, for so abusing the precious date of time. To morrow, to morrow, is an uncertain time; though the times be certain in themselves, ye● are they most uncertain unto man; as he knew not hi● beginning, so he is ignorant of his ending; much like to little birds, who on their ●earch look about to fly this way or that way, yet before they take their flight, they are prevented by the shaft. Death is a common ●tate-searcher both of old and young, striking as well David's young son before he was seven days old, as 2 Sam. 22. that ancient of days Methusalem, that lived nine hundred sixty nine years. Lest the Kingdom of Satan should be established in us by frequency of sinning, therefore let us break off delay, putting no trust in old age: but (as Saint Paul saith) Heb. 3. ●uen in this very instant, while it is named to day, let us repentantly cry to God, and call to him to forgive us our lewd and misspent time, and let us give our sins leave to die before us; it is good riddance of a painful pardon: for it is little better than desperation, to give free liberty to thy youthful will, to range abroad, upon confidence of repentance in thy last and least part of thy life. For alas what can helpless old age help, when all the strength of the body, all the faculties of the mind, all the parts and passions are not only daunted, and out-dared with sickness, but also worn out with a multitude of years; as age-spent David is not able to retain heat of himself, but Abishai the Shunamite must cherish him. An old man is half deaths man, destitute of all good means to conversion; unfit to fast, unable to pray, unapt to watch, or to any other exercise. What voice is there more lamentable the● that of Milo, when seeing the young Champions striving each with other to obtain the Conquest, he cried out with tears, looking on his withered arms, My blood is dead, my veins wrinkled, my sinews shrunk to nothing. The counsel of the Wiseman may be a present Memorandum to every man: Let us remember Eccles. 12. our Creator in the days of our youth, while the evil days come not: That is, in our prosperity of strength, in our hopeful youth, in the vigour and lustiness of our years, before forgetful old age overtake us. Let us betake ourselves to him that took us out of the dust, and created us after his own likeness; otherwise it were an everlasting blemish of ingratitude, and a most infamous stamp of injustice, to hope for the receipt of eternal glory, to receive at one instance an Angel's inheritance, to enjoy for nothing a place with Christ, and not to tender the best of thyself to God his Father. If it were pollution to the Altar to offer the lame and sick, with what face then canst thou present that little short and maimed piece of service which limping old age will afford? He which is the Child of many years, is no doubt the Father of many sins: for life the longer it is, the more sinful it is. If in the oblation of offerings and peace offerings the young Lambs without Levit. 1. blemish were elected for the sacrifice: if the chief fat of the Ram made the Exod. 29. sweetest savour unto the Lord: then stands it against the rule of decency and good manners, to serve in Levit. 3. God's mess with the bare, lean, and rotten bones of sins, that have lain rotting in the pit of corruption as many s●●re years, as did Lazarus days in the grave. If no man were admitted to stand before Nabuchadnezzar but children that were Dan. 1. 4. most beautiful; how dare any man shuffle himself into God's presence, disjointed, crooked, old aged, & slothful? There is no reason in the World that the World should reap that Harvest which God hath bought with the sweat of his blood; no Law for to give him the lees of wine, that hath taken pains to plant the Vineyard, and to tread the Press; no equity to leave him the gleaning, to whom the whole sheaf belongeth; no justice to divide the heart which he hath made one, and to give the sick and feeble part unto him, and the strong and lusty unto the Devil. Unless you bring your youngest brother, saith joseph, Gen. 14. you shall never see my face again: So unless we bring young Benjamin that is, the first fruits of our youth, and tender them to our everlasting High Priest, we shall never partake his joyful presence, never enjoy his comfortable grace, never be comforted with his divine happiness. As young Samuel and young Obadiah being 1 Sam. 2 2 Reg. 18. (as it were) in their children colours, ministered unto the Lord; even so I in the spring and prime of my youth, no way relying upon aged repentance, will confess my sins wholly unto God, and at the bar of his bounty I will sue out a pardon. If in David's repentance the fire of his devotion did ascend and move the Heavens to scabbard up the wrathful Sword in the sheath of his omnipotent mercy: doubt not, but with the same flame to kindle the like sacrifice; and with as strong a voice as had Eliah, when he brought food from Reg. 1. 17 Heaven, to move the same God to compassion. My voice shall be as able to quench the fire of God's wrath, as was the voice of the three Children that overcame the hot burning Furnace: My voice shall be as able to procure life, as was the voice of Ezechias, that 2 Reg. 20 overcame death. As jonas out of the belly of the Whale, so I out of the hell jonas 2. 3 of sin: As blind Bartimeus for his want of sight, so I in Mar. 20. the sight of my wants will cry to God for his merciful aid and help. As young Tobias was not destitute of Tobi. 5. a guide to conduct him to Rages, so am not I left ignorant of the way to Heaven. Abraham in his journey to Gen. 12. Canaan took a Map of the upper Canaan, and left it registered to all posterities. We like so many abraham's, must leave our Country behind our backs, must departed and bid adieu to the flesh, & the world, and to ourselves: from pride descending to low humility, leaving anger to shake hands with patience giving our lust the farewell to welcome chastity, excluding envy to entertain charity, renouncing cruelty for the exchange of clemency. We must relinquish and forsake our own kindred, that is, the old custom and acquaintance we have had with sin, shaking the unclean spirit out of doors, and being washed, never to return to our old vomit; and being made whole, we will sin no more. We must turn from the sinister and left hand of this World, from the Prince of darkness our Father, to the right hand of righteousness, to the King of Kings our heavenly Father; which dwelleth in the Land of virtue, not in the Land of vice; in the Land of peace, not in the Land of pain; in the Land of joy, not in the Land of sorrow: and be partakers of that desired benediction wherewith Isaac in the type and figure of Christ blessed his son jacob. Behold the sweet smell of my Son, that Gen. 27. savours not of the Onions and Garlic of Egypt, but the sweet smell of my Son that hath been daintily fed with the choice Milk and Honey of Canaan. No flight is more commendable then to fly out of the midst of Babylon, to hasten out of Egypt, where miseries have no period, and to travel to the promised Land, where is rest without remove, mercy without measure, love without limit, goodness in all kind of greatness; where every soul may (like the Dove in Noah's Ark) rest without fear, enjoy plenty without want, take repast without contempt. But the frailty of our flesh is so prone to fall into the slippery vanities of this World, which do so dazzle the eyes and dull the senses, that we can neither see, nor yet remember to tread in the true path of righteousness. The vanity which reigns in us is so great, that it draws all our godly desires clean from us by the pleasingness thereof; and it doth so possess our weak and frail flesh, whereby it draws such toys and fantasies into our wavering minds, that it makes us clean to forget to labour and travel to find out the expected promised ●and, wherein remains all rest and pleasure. O vain. vain that we are! that will be so negligent and careless to labour and travel for a benefit so commodious for the soul of man, for the health whereof, neither tongue can express, nor heart think the comforts it brings. But man's life is always so subject to fall into the laps of these two vices, Pride and Vanity; which after they have once taken hold, cleave so fast to the bone, and fasten therein such a deep root of continuance, as it will be hardly removed; but do so nuzzle us in the sweet desire thereof, as that they make us live without fear, either to remember, or yet regard the commandments of God, which will bring us to salvation in keeping them. On the other side, for want of following them, we run ourselves to utter ruin and destruction, and withal reap unto us such a heavy curse from his divine and omnipotent Majesty, as the weight thereof will press us down into the bottomless pit of hell, and there to remain in darkness with everlasting torment, which never will have end. The misery that is incident to frail man through the vain and fading pleasures of the World, is not to be numbered, by reason of our sloth and idleness in not serving him, that serves us in all our wants and extremities. These things duly considered and pondered in our minds, would enforce us to leave the devil and his evil ways, and to follow God and his ways, which are all right and good. O let us call ourselves unto an account with respective remembrance, what a seducing way is this to them that forget themselves that they are Pilgrims and travelers, and stand too much upon those things which are occurrant in their journey, with a long delay. The night will ●ome, nay, it will come quickly, when no man can walk. These men shall not come into that heavenly jerusalem, but shall be a prey for the wild Beasts which walk in the night, and for the infernal Wolves. For which cause our Saviour Christ crieth in his Gospel; Walk ye while ye have the light, lest the darkness come john 12. upon you. It is evidently seen that nothing so much blindeth the eyes of man as the deceits of the world, and the vanity of things present. O let us call to God, that he out of the riches of his mercy would inspire into our hearts the due and diligent consideration of the uncertainty, shortness, frailty and other grievous calamities of man's life. All human pride, and the whole glory & abundance of the world, (having man's life for a stay and foundation) can certainly no longer endure then the same life abideth; so that riches, dignities, honours, offices, and such like, which men here in earth have a great regard of, they do many times forsake a man, he being yet; and do never continue longer with them then to the grave. This is a vain, slippery, delightful pleasure: for then when the foundation faileth, the whole building must needs fall. job saith, these clay Tabernacles job. 4. do daily fail. David compareth our life to the fat of Lambs, which wasteth away Psal. 69. in the roasting; and to a new coat which soon waxeth old, and is eaten with Moths: and further, compareth man to grass, and to the flower of the field, which to day flourisheth, and to morrow is cut down, and withered. job compares man to the burning of a Candle, which in the end annoyeth, job. 18. and then every man crieth, Put it out. What thing else is man's life but a bubble, up with the water, and down with the wind? what is then to be thought of human pomp and glory, which is more transitory and frail than life itself? O that man would know himself whereby he may know God. job further saith; Man that is borne of a woman is of a short continuance, and full of miseries; he shooteth forth as a flower, and is cut down, he vanisheth also as a shadow, and continueth not. This consideration might open our blindness to see into ourselves, and to know ourselves, and then know God in this description of human calamities, to the end we might want no knowledge thereof. It seemeth jobs purpose was to begin with the very matter itself of which man was made, that he might express the baseness of the matter, of which this most proud creature was made. He was created and made of the Earth, but not of the best of the earth, but of the slime of the earth, (as the Scripture testifieth) being the most filthy and abject part of the Earth; among all bodies the most vile element, and among all the Elements the basest. Among all the parts of the Earth, none is more filthy and abject than the slime of the Earth, whereof man was made; of that matter, than the which there is nothing more vile and base. And whereas he saith that he was borne of a woman, he hath in few words comprehended many miseries of human condition: Our very fashioning and original is so impure and unclean, that it is not for chaste ears to hear, but to be passed over in silence, as a thing most filthy and horrible to be told. Man's conception is so foul, that our most merciful and loving Lord taking upon him all our sorrows and calamities for our redemption, would in no wise bear this, although he vouchsafed to take upon him our human nature, and to suffer many reproaches of his enemies; as to be mocked, blasphemed, spit upon, bound, whipped, and in the end most shamefully crucified: yet he thought it unseeming his Majesty to be conceived in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, after the same sinful manner that other men be. After man is once conceived, doth he not endure great calamities in his mother's womb, as it were in a filthy and unclean prison, where every moment he is in peril of his life? And at the last he is borne naked, weak, ignorant destitute of all help and counsel, not able to go, to speak, or to help himself; all that he can do is to cry, and that is to set forth his miseries: for he is borne to labour, a banished man from his Country, the enemy of God, in possibility to live but a few days; and the same few days full of misery, devoid of all quietness and rest. O let us know ourselves, and then know God. The very beginning, from whence man hath his first original, is sin; the vanity whereof makes him think himself borne to an inbred pride, which pride mingleth and confoundeth all things, overturneth, troubleth, and subdueth Kingdoms. There is another calamity incident to man's body; the building is scarcely finished, but it is ready to totter and fall, and sure it is ere long to fall. Man is scarce entered into the world, but he is admonished to remember his departure: The days of Man (saith David) are threescore years Psal. 90. and ten, and though some be so strong that they come to fourscore, yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow. The sum of our years, whereunto all do not attain, is threescore years and ten; ●he strongest bodies sometimes continue till fourscore: from which years if we deduct those years which infancy and childhood spendeth, (for all that ●ime we live not like men, ●either are governed with ●eason and counsel, but are ●arried with a certain violent motion li●e unto brute ●easts, which are devoid of ●eason and understanding:) 〈◊〉 also we take away that ●ime which passeth away ●hen we sleep, (for slee●ing we live not the life of ●easts when they wake, ●●ch less of men, and that ●●me will rather seem a li●ing death than a lively life:) If we deduct all the time of childhood and sleep, that which remaineth will scarcely amount to forty years; and of these forty years we● have not one moment o● time in our power, that we can assuredly say, that we shall not die therein: for whether we eat, drink, or sleep, whether we be in labour or in rest, we are in danger of perils. It is not without cause our Saviour Christ crieth in his Gospel, Watch, because yet know 〈◊〉 the day, nor the hour: which Mar. ●3. is as much as if he had more plainly said, Because ye know not that day, watch every day; and because ye know not the month and the year, watch therefore every month and year. 〈◊〉 thou shouldest be invited to 〈◊〉 Feast, and being set at the Table, seeing before thee many and sundry meats of ●ll sorts, a friend secretly ●omes & admonisheth thee, ●hat among so many dainty ●ishes there is one poisoned; what in this cause wouldst thou do? which of them ●arest thou touch or taste 〈◊〉? wouldst not thou suspect them all? I think, though ●ou wert extremely hun●y, thou wouldst refrain ●om all for fear of that one ●here the poison is. It is ●ade manifest unto thee already, that in one of thy for●e years, thy death lieth ●idden from thee, and thou ●rt utterly ignorant which ●at year shall be; how then ●n it be but that thou must suspect and fear them all: O let us first know ourselves, and then know God, whereby we shall know to understand the shortness of our life. O what a great profit and commodity should our distressed saint-sicke souls than receive by the meditations thereof? the comfort and joy whereof is not to be declared, such is the unmeasurableness thereof, which God poureth upon his chosen. As the Peacock (a glorious Fowl in his own show) when he beholds that comely fan and circle which he maketh of the pride of his beautiful feathers, rejoiceth, jetteth, and beholdeth every part thereof; but when he chanceth once to look on his feet, in the very heat of his pride, perceiving them to be black, foul, and ill-favoured, by and by with a great misliking veileth his top gallant, as though it had never been, and withal seemeth to show sorrow: so in like manner many here in this World know by experience, that when they see themselves abound in riches and honours, than they glory in the height thereof, and are so deeply conceited of themselves, as that they praise the pride of their fortune and admire themselves; then pride enforceth their high ambitious thoughts to make plots, and appoint much for themselves to perform in many years to come. This year, say they, will we bear this office, and the next year that; so afterward we expect to rule in greater authority; then we study to build a gay Palace of pride, near unto our authority, whereto we adjoin gardens of pleasures. And thus they make a very large reckoning aforehand, who if they did but once behold their feet how slippery they stand, if they did but think upon the shortness of their life, so transitory and inconstant: how soon would they let fall their proud feathers, forsake their arrogancy, and change their purposes therein their lives, and their manners? For man is scarce conceived when as he is condemned to death; and when he cometh out of the womb, he cometh out of prison, not to be free, but to undergo the Cross: And we do tend and hasten (as it were) to death, some at one mile's end, and some at two, and some at three, and other some when they have gone further; And thus it cometh to pass that some are taken out of this life sooner, and some tarry longer. First let us know ourselves, that we may then know God the better. Since then the case standeth thus, who can sufficiently wonder at our madness? for we are going as it were to the gibbet, and yet we dance, we laugh and rejoice in the way, as if we were secure from all manner of evil. In so doing we run ourselves into a very gross error, because we know not the shortness of our life: O therefore let us know ourselves, and then know God. There be two wonderful and monstrous things: one is, that Man being scarcely borne, dieth, when as notwithstanding he hath a form and show of immortality. Other things how long they retain their form, so long they remain; a house falleth not all the time that his form and fashion lasteth: the bruit Beast dieth not, except first he forego his life, which is his form: but man hath a form which is immortal, namely, a mind endued with reason, and yet he liveth a very short time. Therefore let us know ourselves, and then know God. There is another thing to be seen far more monstrous in this creature, that whereas he is endued with reason and counsel, and knoweth that this life is like unto a shadow, to a dream, to a tale that is told, to a watch in the night, to smoke, to chaff which the wind scattereth, to a water bubble, and such like fading things; and life to come shall never have end: He yet nevertheless setteth his whole mind most carefully upon this present life, which is to day, and to morrow is not; but of the life which is everlasting, he doth not so much as think. If this be not a monster, I know not what may be called monstrous. Thus having seen the shortness and mutability of Man's life, let us now also see the misery thereof. Man (saith holy job) being borne of a woman, is of a job 14. short continuance, and full of miseries; every word hath an emphasis: He is full of misery, even from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head; not only the body but the mind also, so long as it is captivated in the prison of the body: thus no place is left empty and free from miseries. Therefore let us know ourselves, that in knowing ourselves, we may know God. Man's miseries are many and great, there is no member, no sense, no one faculty in man so long as he is here upon Earth, which suffereth not his hell: nay, all the Elements, all living creatures, all the Devils, yea, the Angels, and God himself bend themselves against Man for sin To begin with the sense of feeling, with how many kinds of severs, impostumes, uleers, sores, and other diseases is it afflicted? The Volumes of Physicians are full of diseases, and remedies for the same; and yet for all this, there are daily new diseases and new remedies found out for them: and among the remedies themselves, it were to be wished, that there were one to be found that were more vehement to vex the sick, than the disease itself. Long fasting and extreme hunger, is a better medicine than the cutting of veins, the incision of wounds & sores, the cutting of members, the searing of flesh and sinews. The pulling out of teeth are remedies for griefs and diseases: but yet such that many had rather choose to die then to use remedies. Furthermore immoderate heat, exceeding cold, one while too much drought, another while excess of moisture, doth offend and hurt the very sense of ●eeling. As for the sense of tasting, it is most of all troubled with hunger and thirst; and many times medicines and meats that are bitter, sharp, salt, and unsavoury, do distemper it. As for the sense of smelling, it is compelled to endure and suffer many times all manner of stinks, all vapours and fogs, and things of bad sent. As touching the sense of hearing, what ill tidings, how many cursed speakings and injuries doth it hear, which like sharp swords pierce the heart? As for the sense of seeing, how many things doth it behold which it would not? and how many things doth it not see which it desireth? As for the thought how many horrible & fearful things doth it imagine and feign? As for the understanding, what an innumerable sort of errors is it subject unto? It seemeth to be like unto a little child, to whom a tedious and very hard knot to be dissolved is delivered, and contendeth what he can to undo it and when the knot beginneth in one part to be opened, he showeth it and rejoiceth, and seethe not that the knot in the other part is more fast shut: so in like manner God hath made this generality of all things, and hath set the same before man's mind to be considered, and saith; Seek and search out the reasons and the causes of all these things if thou canst: when as indeed the truth of the thing is more secret and profound, then man's understanding being placed in the prison of the body can reach unto. This is the cause that the Philosophers & worldly-wise-men have fallen into so many and sundry sects, & dissensions about things even of least moment; and and they do so contend among themselves, until falsehood having put on the habit and vizard of truth, deceiveth them all. Hereunto accordeth the saying of the Preacher, Chap. 3. God hath set the World in their heart, or God hath given them the world to dispute of: yet cannot man find out the work that God hath wrought from the beginning even to the end. Be not curious therefore (saith Syrach, Chap: 3. Vers. 24) in superfluous things: for many things are showed unto thee above the capacity of men; and yet we see that the most ignorant do many times soon offend herein, rushing into those matters whereof they have no knowledge, and nothing belongeth unto them. They will build Tabernacles with Peter, and lay platforms for the Church, whereof they have no skill. But a greater misery as yet holdeth our active and practising understanding; for how many means, how many reasons and ways doth it devise to climb up higher, and to grow in the opinion and estimation of men? For which cause the Prophet David in his psalms saith; That our whole life is like a Cobweb: for as the Spider is occupied all his life time in weaving of cobwebs, and draweth out of his own bowels those threads wherewith he knitteth his nets to catch flies; and often times it cometh to pass, that when the Spider suspecteth no ill, a Servant that goeth about to make clean the house, sweepeth down the cobweb and the Spider, and throweth them together into the fire: Even so the greatest part of Men consume their whole time, spend all their wit and strength, and labour most painfully to have their nets in a readiness, with which they may catch the flies of honours and riches, and when they glory in the multitude of flies which they have taken, and promise unto themselves rest in time to come: behold Death, God's handmaid is present with the broom of divers sicknesses and griefs, and sweepeth these men away to hell fire, they being fast asleep in the chair of security; and so they work (together with the Workemaster) in a moment of time to perish. Neither is the man of meanest capacity and least understanding free from miseries: Who can number the suspicions, the hatreds, the jealousies, the envies, the cares, the desires, the vain hopes, the griefs and anguishes of man's mind? If he do evil, he feareth the judges, banishment, whipping, reproaches, and torments. If he do well, he feareth evil tongues. Who is able to express with what insatiable desires all men are inflamed? In so much that no man living is contented with his estate: but we are all like unto sick men, which tumble and toss first from one side of the bed, and then to the other, and yet never find rest. After this let us behold and consider all ages, how weak is infancy, how ignorant is childhood? how light and inconstant is adolescency? how rash and confident be young men? how grievous and irksome is old age? What is a young boy but as a brute beast, having the form and shape of a man? What is a flourishing younker but as an untamed horse? What is an old man but the receptacle of all maladies and sicknesses? And in all these ages, with how great a heap of miseries & necessities are we overwhelmed? We must daily eat, drink, and sleep; we are daily compelled to serve many other necessities; and which is much more miserable and unhappy, we must of necessity purchase unto ourselves these occupations with infinite labours and sweatings. Now who is not astonished, if he consider how all the creatures which compass us round about do bend their whole force and fight against mankind, as if the things which have been already repeated, were not sufficient to fill the bosom of man's heart with miseries? That same most clear brightness which we call the Sun, which is as a certain general Father to all living things, doth sometimes so scorch with his beams, that all things are parched and burnt up with the heat thereof; at another time he taketh his course so far from us, that all things die with cold. The Earth also which is the Mother of us all how many men doth she swallow up with her downfalls, gulfs and quake? And what do the Seas? How many do they devour? Verily they have so many rocks, so many slats and sands, so many Syrteses, so many Charybdis, and so many perilous places; that it is a most hard thing of all other to escape the danger of shipwreck; and they which are most safe in the ship, have but the thickness of a plank between them and death. What shall we say of our air? Is it not many times corrupted? and doth it not engender and gather clouds, thick mists, pestilences, and sicknesses? As for the brute beasts they yield no reverence to Man their Prince: and not only the Lions, Bears, Tigers, Dragons, and other greater wild Beasts, but the very flies also, gnats, fleas, and other of the most small sort of living Creatures, do wonderfully and very vehemently trouble, vex, afflict, and disquiet man.. It were to be wished, that we had no worse enemies than the brute beasts, and that we had no cause to stand in fear of men themselves. But these also are full of frauds, deceits, injuries, evil practices; then the which what can be more intolerable? And what meaneth so much armour, pikes, bows, bills, swords, and guns, with divers other instruments of Man's malice? Do not these destroy and consume more men, then do sicknesses and diseases? Histories report that by one only julius Caesar, which is said to have been a most courteous and gentle Emperor, there were slain in several battles eleven hundred thousand men: if a man of mildness and meek spirit did this, what shall we look for at the hands of most cruel Men? Neither Lands, nor Seas, nor desert places, nor private houses, nor open streets, are safe from ambushments, conspiracies, hatreds, emulations, thieves, and pirates. Are there not vexations innumerable, persecutions infinite, spoiling of fields, sacking of Cities, preying upon men's goods, firing of houses, imprisonments, captivities, galley slaveries, renegations of Christianity, by torments enforced, beside death itself, which men daily suffer at the hands of men? And yet this is that civil and sociable Creature which is called human, borne without claws and horns in token of peace & love, which he ought to embrace. Moreover, not only enemies, but also friends, and the maintainers of peace and justice, are fierce and cruel against men. O Man the very storehouse of calamity, and yet thou canst not be humbled, but art proud still! Neither have we only those foresaid corporal enemies which we may see and shun, but (which is more perilous) we have also ghostly enemies which see us, and we not them: for the devils which are most crafty, cruel, and most mighty 〈◊〉 number and strength, do practise nothing, think upon nothing else then how they may tempt, deceive, hurt, and cast men down headlong into hell fire. The holy and blessed Angels also do many times fight against sinful men: for who burned Sod●me and 〈◊〉 with the inhabitants thereof with fire and brimstone? the Angels. Who slew the fourscore and five thousand men in the Host of Senacharib? The Angels. Who afflicted the Egyptians with those plagues mentioned in Exod? The Angels. Who assisted joshua against the Canaanites and jebusites? God's Angels. Not only the Angels, but God himself also sometimes showeth himself, towards man as towards an enemy● which causeth holy job to say; Why dost thou hide away thy face, and takest me for thine enemy: What meaneth this O Lord God? Thou also which was w●nt to be my Father and Keeper, hast now bidden a battle against me. And beside all these things, there is yet a civil and internal war which man hath with in his own bowels continually: for what man is he which feeleth not the strive and contentions of his affections, will, sense, and reason? in so much that man himself doth afflict himself, and understandeth it not; and is a greater enemy to himself, than any other man can be. For who doth greater harm to thee, than thou dost to thyself? Who more than thyself letteth thee, and turneth thee away from thy felicity? Who then seethe not how truly it is said; Man that is borne of a Woman is of short continuance, and full of miseries? Who seethe not that Man is set in the very centre of the sphere, that miseries may fall upon him from every part; or as the white in a but, that the arrows, and darts of all miseries may be directed unto him. But let us see what followeth: He shooteth forth like a flower, and is cut down: whereby he teacheth that man's life is frail and transitory. A flower verily is a comely and beautiful thing, and yet for all that, it is nothing, because there is nothing found more fading and vanishing: even so man during the time of his childhood and flourishing youth, seemeth to be of a wonderful comeliness, but his beauty is of small price, because it is more brittle than the glass, seeing that 〈◊〉 carrieth always the cause of death in his veins and bowels. Man's fading away is such, and so sudden oftentimes, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be no reason given of his death: for many have gone to bed well in the evening, that in the morning are found dead; and many very suddenly have drouped down in the high ways & streets, as they have walked about their affairs. And this is no wonder, if we consider the substance of man's body, which being a building compact of green clay, is easily overthrown with a small puff of wind. How cometh it to pass that Clocks are so easily stopped from their course? Is it not because they are made by art and skill with so many wheels, that if one be stayed all the rest be letted? If this befall Clocks that have wheels of iron and steel, how much more easily may it come to pass in the human Clock of life? the wheels and engines whereof are not of iron, but of clay. Therefore let us not wonder at the frailty of man's body, but at the foolishness of man's mind, which upon so frail a foundation is wont to erect and build such lofty Towers. Yet there is another misery, which is signified to us by the comparison of a flower, namely, the deceitfulness of man's life, which indeed is the greatest misery: for as feigned virtue is double iniquity, so counterfeit felicity is a twofold misery and calamity. If this present life would show itself to be such as it is indeed, the misery thereof should not greatly hurt us: but it doth now greatly damnify us, because it is false and deceitful; and being foul it maketh a very fair and glorious show; being ever mutable, it will seem to be stable and constant; being most short, it beareth us in hand that it is continual; that so men being deceived, may believe that they shall have time to fulfil all their lusts, and yet time and space enough to repent them. Holy job concludeth this sentence thus: He vanisheth also as a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. To make this more plain, behold & consider the ages of man, and thou shalt evidently perceive the alterations of human life. Childhood is weak as well in mind as body: flourishing youth is weak in mind, but strong in body; ripe and manly age both in mind and body; old age strong in mind, but weak in body: crooked old age is in this twice a child, weak both in mind and body; therefore he flieth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. Moreover there is another thing to be considered in man: He is now wise, now foolish; now merry, now sad; now in health, now sick; now strong, now weak; now rich, now poor; now he loveth, anon he hateth; now he hopeth, by and by he feareth; one while he laughs, another while he weeps; now he will anon ●e will not. To conclude, the Moon nor any other thing that is mutable showeth not so many changes to ●s, as do the daily & almost sudden alterations of men; yet for all this they live as men in a frenzy, which know not their miseries. Although they know they must not ●epose their hope and assurance in the present things of this life; yet do they not remove the thoughts of their mind, their counsels, their works and endeavours unto the happiness of the life to come; and if it were possible, they would make the place of their 〈◊〉 and banishment their Country and inheritance: but in vain do they desire this; for death cometh and playeth the last Pageant, shutting up and finishing the life of all calamities. But the error of man (for the most part through his frailty, being endued with only vanity itself,) is such that it makes him forget the end of his life, which he ought to have always before his ey●● and his pride and ambition with his carefulness for the body, in following the vain lusts thereof, is such, that it makes him forget what he is, and his end. If he would but duly consider what he shall be after a few days, his manner of living would be peradventure more humble and temperate: for who would have a high look & a proud stomach, if he would but with the eyes of his mind behold what manner of one shortly after he shall be, when he is laid in his grave? Who would then worship his belly for a god, or yet build his gay Towers upon the sand, when he truly weigheth and balanceth himself, that the same must in a shor● time be wormes-meate? Who will be so in love with the pride of this World, (being the chiefest downfall of man's joy and felicity in the World to come,) or yet with money, that he would run after it like a mad man, by Sea and Land (as it were) through fire and water? If man did but understand himself aright, and that he must leave all his worldly delights behind him, saving only his winding-sheet: if this were carefully thought upon and diligently considered, all our errors would soon be corrected. God telleth us of this vanity in many places of his word, to the end we might the more earnestly seek a better course and more happy life. The Prophet desireth of God that he may learn to number his days, that he may apply his heart unto wisdom: for unless we think upon death, we cannot apply and fashion ourselves to a godly life. Yea, we find daily in ourselves by experience, that the forgetfulness of death makes us apply our hearts to all kind of vanity. The holy men of old time were wont in such wise to keep an account of their days, that above all things they might apply their hearts to wisdom. Of all Arithmetical rules, this is the hardest; To number our days. Men can number their herds and droves of Cattle, they can reckon the revenues of their manours and Farms; they can with a little pains number and tell their Coin, and yet they are persuaded that their days are infinite and innumerable: and therefore do never begin to number them. One saith upon the view of another; Surely yonder man looketh by his countenance as if he would not live long; or yonder woman is old, her days cannot be many. Thus we can number other men's days and years, and utterly forget our own. It is therefore true wisdom to number our own days, and like skilful Geometricians to measure all our actions, all our studies, all our thoughts, all our desires, and all our counsels, by the departure of others out of this life, as the end whereto we must all come; and so direct the course of our life which God hath given us, that at the last we may come to the Haven of rest. We cannot, nor ought not to doubt but that the devil, a most cruel enemy of mankind, laboureth all that he can to take away from us the wholesome remembrance of our death, which by a most evident demonstration setteth before our eyes the brevity of our life the misery of our flesh, the deceits of the world, the vanity of things present, and whereunto all human beauty, and the universal glory of the World shall come at the last. How then is it possible that we should at any time forget death, a thing which by no manner of means we can shun and avoid? If a light suspicion of some loss either of our goods, or of honour, doth prevail so greatly with us, that many times it taketh from us our sleep▪ what might the meditation of most assured d●●th 〈◊〉, which to flesh and blood is more terrible than all other terrors beside? Therefore as they which in open games of activity, as of shooting, wrestling, and such like, do long before the day come, think upon the same, and do exercise their hand and bow, spending and consuming many arrows at the mark, that in the day of trial for the best game they may shoot nearest the mark: and as Fencers which are to play their prizes of trial, do daily try their strength, and exercise themselves, bending the whole course of their minds how they may best foil their enemies, that when the day cometh they may have honour and triumph: even so ought w●e to do, for whom a greater reward without all comparison is set, if we die well; and if otherwise it come to pass, we shall be punished with unspeakable shame and reproach, to the downfall and unrecoverable ruin of our souls. As they who are to run a horse race; do often lead the Horses up and down the running place, that they may see and be acquainted with all the stones, uneven places, and other impediments in the same; that when the day cometh they may finish the race without stay or stop; even so we, who (whether we will or no) must measure and pass the race of death, shall do very well, if now in our mind and memory we frame this race, and do diligently consider all those things which are in the same; especially seeing the way is most obscure, full of sundry impediments, and so perilous, that there are very few which finish the same happily: they who slip and stumble in it, shall never more find any hope of salvation. Therefore that we may begin where this most bloody battle hath his original, we ought diligently to consider the same; namely, that then death doth especially come, when men do least think of it. Hereupon the Apostle Paul saith; The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night; and in the Apocalyps, Behold I come as a thief. Now thieves have this property, that they break open houses to steal, when men are most fast asleep, and when they least suspect any such thing. Hereupon the Prophet Amos ●ath these words: In that ●ay will I cause the Sun to 〈◊〉 down at noon, and I will ●arken the Earth in the clear ●ay. That is to say, when men think it to be the high ●●one of their age, when ●hey think that they have ●et many years to live, when their mind is occupied ●bout their gain, about ●heir affairs, about their honour's, buildings, marriages, and pleasures; when they say ●nto their soul; Soul, thou ●ast much goods laid up in store for thee for many years; ●ate, drink rest, and be mercy: than it shall suddenly be said to them, Behold death is at the door. Thou fool, this night shall thy life be taken away from thee, and whose are then those things which thou hast gotten? Then death unlooked for frustrateth all our counsels, cutting off the webs of our devices, and with one stroke he casteth down, and layeth flat on the ground all those Towers which are builded in the air. What a wound doth the heart of the sinner which loveth this present life receive, when the Physician saith unto him, Thou must from henceforth think no more of lif●, but of death. First of all, those things which he loved in time past, offer themselves unto him, from the which he shall be pulled away, and separated by death whether he will or no. The body shall die but once, but the heart shall die so often as the things be in number which he loved. Then in very deed shall the most clear light be turned into darkness, because those things which were aforetime occasions of great joy, shall be now horrible vexations and torments. It is a most sweet and pleasant thing to them which live, to see their loving and faithful friends, to remember their honours, to think upon the pleasures past and to come: but all these things in the time of death shall be as swords, as torments, and most bitte● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be a hard matter to be passed away from those things which do not so nearly touch man, how bitter I pray you will the separation be of soul & body, two such kind loving familiars, who have always lived sweetly together even from the mother's womb? surely they cannot be separated without great grief. If the Ox do commonly low and mourn, when his yoke-fellow which was wont to draw with him is taken away: how will every one of us mourn, when the soul shall be separated from the body? Then will they with tears repeat their sins again and again, and cry out: O death, bitter death, dost thou 〈◊〉 separate us? And when the cogitation of so sharp▪ a separation is deeply settled in our minds, than grief followeth grief, and sorrow cometh upon sorrow: for than it cometh presently to mind, what a miserable condition the body and soul shall be in after the separation. When a man beginneth to recount with himself, that his body after a few hours shall be buried in a grave, or dark tomb; he cannot cease from wondering at so abject and miserable a condition. What, the body that now liveth, which seethe heareth, speaketh, shall ●it be made after one hour, in a moment, blind, deaf, dumb, without spirit, without life? It shall have then in stead of a large Palace, a base Sepulchre, in stead of a soft bed, the hard ground; for delights, rottenness; for sweet smells, stinks; and in stead of servants and familiar friends, worms. And thus this cogitation of the grave will very sore trouble and terrify a man in these extremities; yet notwithstanding every man feareth much more when he beginneth to consider what condition remaineth for the soul. When Man beholdeth that eternity, and that new Region unknown to all men living, which he then alone naked is to enter; and when he understandeth that there is to be found in the same both everlasting glory, and perpetual pain and misery, and knoweth not of which he shall take his part; it cannot be told with how great fear, with what carefulness; and with what exceeding sorrow he shall be tormented, when he perceiveth plainly that after two hours, he shall be either in eternal joys, or in everlasting pains. Is not this a cross very heavy, surpassing all other crosses; this uncertainty of a blessed, or cursed estate, which after a small time the sinner expecteth? the remembrance of his sins and fear of the just judgement of God, without hope of remission, or faith in Christ, is a hell to the mind, not to be expressed. For by how much the Kingdom which he desireth is of largeness, and by how much the fiery furnace which he feareth is terrible, by so much the greater shall this perturbation be; considering also that Angels shall come to carry the faithful up into Heaven, and infernal spirits to carry the wicked and infidels into hell. But there is yet a far greater perturbation than this; namely, that he shall call to mind the account which he is to make to God, of all his words, deeds and thoughts; for of itself 〈◊〉 is a horrible thing to think upon the day of judgement, the which horror will wonderfully and extremely vex & disquiet the Devils themselves: for as, so long as we live, they set forth unto us the mercy of God, and do also commend the same, and do strive all that they can to keep us from meditating of his justice & judgements; even so now on the contrary, they extenuate and make his mercy insufficient, and do set before our eyes the greatness, and severity of the Lords justice. Then will the sinner begin to tremble, and fall into desperation, and will begin to reason thus with himself: If God for the sins of others spared not his only Son, will he spare me which am guilty of so many sins? If this be done in the green tree, what shall befall that which is sear and dry? If the Prophets, if the Apostles, if the Martyrs, after they lived godly so many years, entered not into the Kingdom of Heaven without tribulations; what other place can be left for me but that of hell fire, which know no good that I have done? If the Scripture be true, which saith; He will render to every man according to his works: what should I which have done so many horrible and great wickednesses look for, but eternal torments? If that of the Apostle be true (as in deed it is) when he saith; That which a man soweth, that shall he reap: what shall he reap but eternal death, which hath made so cursed a so wing? I● no polluted thing shall enter into the Kingdom of God, how shall I which am altogether filthy and unclean, have hope to make so happy and blessed an entrance? Then all his sins which he committed with so greater desire and facility when he lived, shall violently invade the sinful man, like an host of enemies; then the fear of punishment will open the eyes, which sleeping security in sin before had shut: then ambition, pride, thefts, murders, adulteries, fornications, gluttonies, drunkenness lying, perjury, idle words, unclean thoughts, negligent slackness, and all that naughty is will come to remembrance O how heavy and grievous will they then seem to be, which now seem so light, and are done with so much sweetness and pleasure? How greatly will they then torment the mind of the sinner? Who is able to express that last agony, wherein the soul fighteth with sore and painful sickness, with the temptations of devils, with fear of the judgement to come; and all this at one instant. Then cometh that last perturbation, the failing of all the senses, as the forerunner of death approaching, which vehemently terrifieth. At what time the breast swelleth, the speech groweth hoarse, faint, and hollow; the eyes sink, the nose beginneth to be sharp, the countenance waxeth pale, the feet die, and the arteries send forth a cold sweat. These things which do thus appear outwardly, are grievous and full of horror; but they are without all comparison more grievous & horrible, which are felt inwardly: for as Saint 〈◊〉 writeth of blessed 〈◊〉, saying; Though he had many years served God, yet did he fear at the time of his departure: What shall they do who many years have served the Devil and their execrable wickednesses, and who have provoked God unto wrath: whither shall they go, whose help shall they crave, what counsel shall they take? If they look upward, they shall see the drawn sword of God's justice; if downward, they shall see a gulf gaping, and hell fire there; if the time past, they shall see all things vanished away like a shadow; if the time to come, they shall behold the eternity of Worlds, which shall last without end. Who can be able to resist and abide the assault of the devils, who will be than busiest in their desire to bestir them with all their might and main? What shall then sinful men do which are left in this estate? Return they cannot, and longer to abide in this state will not be permitted them. If we did but understand and know what manner of battle this is, and what manner of burden is then to be borne by man in this hour, we would then verily be other manner of persons then heretofore we have been. All these things Faith teacheth, Nature proclaimeth, Experience testifieth, and it is evident to every one of us, that we shall come unto that state, wherein we will desire with all our heart, that we had bridled ourselves from all our wickedness, that we 〈◊〉 exercised all the works of virtue, that we had lived 〈◊〉 all holiness; and not spent our time in vanity. Let us not imitate foolish men, who look upon present things only; let us wisely provide for things to come, and so by the grace of God we shall bring to pass by our godly meditation, and prayers: that the same hour which to others is the beginning of sorrows to us shall be the beginning of joy and felicity. Thus far is showed what may befall a man at the point of death until the moment of his departure: Now let us see, how the body is bestowed after the separation of the soul from it. After the dissolution the body lieth upon the ground, not a human body; but a dead carcase, without life, without sense, without strength, and so fearful to look upon, that the sight thereof may hardly be endured: to be short, it is little better as touching the substance, than the body of a horse or a dog which lieth dead in the fields, and all that pass by stop their noses, and make hast away, that they be not annoyed with the sight and ●linke thereof. Such is Man's body now become, though it were the body of a monarch, Emperor or King. Where is now that majesty, that excellency, that authority which it had aforetime? when men trembled to behold it, and might not come in presence thereof without all reverence and obeisance? Where are all those things become? were they a dream or a shadow? After all those things the funeral is prepared, which is all they have of all their riches and possessions; and this also they should not have, if in their life time they did not appoint it for their dignity and honour. The Prophet David saith truly, Be not thou afraid though one be made rich, or if the glory of his house be increased; for he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth neither shall his pomp follow him. A pit is digged seven or eight foot long, and that must serve even Alexander the Great, whom the World could not contain. In this pit the dead carcase must dwell alone continually; whereto as soon as it is come, the worms do welcome it, and the bones of other dead men are constrained to give place. In this house of perpetual oblivion and silence, the carcase being wound in a sheet, and bound hands and feet is shut up, though it need not to have so great labour bestowed upon it; for it would not run away out of that prison, though the hands and feet were lose. If we do but consider a little of the Tombs and sepulchres of Princes and Noble men, whose glory and majesty we have seen when they lived here on earth; and do behold the horrible forms and shapes which they now have, shall we not erie out as men amazed: Is this that glory, is this that highness and excellency? where now are the degrees of their waiting servants? where are their ornaments and jewels? where is their pomp, their delicacy and niceness? all these things are vanished away with the smoke, and there is now nothing left but dust, horror and stink. Now leaving the Body in the grave, let us consider how the soul entereth into the new World. As soon as the soul of the sinner is dissolved from the flesh, it beginneth to pass through a Region unknown, where there are new Inhabitants, and a new manner of living. What then shall the miserable and sinful pilgrim do, when he shall see himself alone in such an unknown Region, being full of fear and horror? how and by what means shall he defend himself from those most fierce thieves and horrible monsters, which in those vast Deserts do assail passengers? this verily is a fearful journey; and yet the judgement is much more fearful, which in that place is exercised. Who is able to express the uprightness of the judge, the severity of the judgement, the diligence of inquisition, and the multitude of witnesses in this judgement? tears will not prevail, prayers will not be heard, promises will not be admitted, repentance will be too late; riches, honourable Titles, Sceptres & Diadems, these will profit much less: The inquisition will be so curious and diligent, that not one light thought, nor one idle word not repent of in the World past, shall be forgotten. For truth itself hath said, that of every idle word which men have spoken, they shall give an account in the day of judgement: how many which do now ●in with great delight, ye●, even with greediness of heart, will be then astonished, ashamed, and silent? Then shall the days of thy mirth be ended, and thou shalt be overwhelmed with everlasting darkness; and instead of thy pleasures thou shalt have everlasting torments. When jeremy had remembered all the calamities and sins of the jews, at the last he imputed all to this: She remembered not her end. So if we may judge why natural men care for nothing but their pomp, why great men care for nothing but their golden gain, why voluptuous Epicures care for nothing but their pleasure, why the pastor careth not for his flock, nor the people for their pastor, we may say with jeremy, They remember not their end. When Solomon had spoken of all the vanities of men, at last he opposeth this against all; Remember thou shalt come to judgement: As if he should have said; Men would never speak as they speak, think as they think, nor do as they do, if they were persuaded that their thoughts, words, and deeds, should come to judgement. What if we had died in the ●aies of our ignorance like judas that hanged himself, before he could see the passion, resurrection, or ascension of CHRIST JESUS? We are therefore to number our days and our sins too: But alas how many days have we spent, and yet never thought why a●y day was given us? but as the old year went, and new came, so we thought that a new would follow that, and that another will follow this; and God knoweth how soon we may be deceived: for so they thought that are now in their graves. This is not to number our days, but to provoke God to shorten our days. Which of us have not lived twenty years, yea, and some thirty, or forty, and happily some many more? and yet we have never applied our hearts aright unto wisdom. O if we had learned but every year one virtue since we were borne, we might by this time have been like Saints among men; whereas if God at this present time should call us to judgement, it would appear, that we had applied our hearts, our minds, our hands, our feet, our tongues, yea, and our whole bodies, to riches and pleasures, to lying & deceiving, to swearing and forswearing, and to all kind of sin and wickedness: but to true virtue and wisdom we have not applied our hearts. God of his mercy give us grace to see our former sins, truly to repent us of them, and to amend our lives hereafter, that we may live with him for ever. If Man could persuade himself that this were his last day, (as it may be, if God so please) he would not deserve his repentance until to morrow. If he could think that this is his last meat that ever he shall eat, he would not surfeit. If he could believe that the words which he doth speak to day, should be the last words that ever he shall speak; he would not offend with his tongue in lying, swearing, and blaspheming If he could be persuaded that this were the last lesson, the last admonition, that ever GOD would afford him, to call him to repentance; he would both hear and read it with more diligence than ever he had done before. Let us remember ourselves while it is to day, lest we repent ourselves when it is too late. Who can assure himself of life till to morrow? or what if we should live three, four or five years, or what if twenty years? Who would not live here like a Christian twenty years, to live in Heaven with CHRIST eternally? We can be content to serve seven years apprenticeship with great labour and roil, to be instructed in some trade, that we may live more easily the rest of our days; and we must labour notwithstanding afterwards: and can we not be content to labour in the things of God a little while, that we may rest from our labours ever after? CHRIST saith to his Disciples when he found them sleeping; Can not you watch 〈◊〉 bower? And can we not pray, can we not first, can we not suffer a little while▪ He which is 〈◊〉 can 〈◊〉 little further, one step more to save his life; and therefore GOD would not have Men know when they shall die; because they should make ready at all times, having no more certainty of one hour then another. Seeing therefore the case standeth thus, let us look to ourselves, and let us take counsel of him which is an Advocate, before he will be a judge: for no man knoweth so well what is necessary for us against that day, as he that shall be the judge of our cause. He therefore crieth thus unto us: Walk while ye have the light, lest the darkness come upon you; take heed, watch, and pray; for ye know not when the time is: be ye like men waiting the coming of their Lord. They who thus watch and wait, are sure to make a most joyful departure from this life, and to be received into the Lord's joy. Of which happy dissolution the Scriptures thus record: I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure or dissolution is at hand: I have fought a good fight, and have finished my course: I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me the Crown of righteousness. 〈◊〉 Tim. 4 6. 7. 8. As the Hart brayeth for the Rivers of waters, so panteth my Soul after thee O God: my Soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God, when shall I come to appear before the presence of God? Psal. 42. 1. The righteous shall live for ever, their reward also is with the Lord, and the 〈◊〉 High doth 〈◊〉 for them; therefore shall they receive a gracious Kingdom and beautiful Crown at the Lords hand for with his right hand shall he cover them and with his arm shall ●ee defe●● them: Wis. 5. 26. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name. Psal. 142. 7. I desire to 〈◊〉 and to be with Christ, which is best of all. Phil. 1. 13. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed, we have a building given of God; that is, a house not made with hands, but eternal in the Heaven. 2 Cor. 5. 1. jesus the son of Syrach, giveth us a very profitable admonition to 〈◊〉 unto God from sin and wickedness so speedily as possibly we can, in these words, Chap. 5. Because thy sin is forgiven, ●ee not without fear to heap sin upon sin; and say not, the mercy of God is great, he will forgive my manifold sins: for mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation cometh down upon sinners. Make no ●arrying to turn unto the Lord, and put not off from day to day: for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord break forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed. Solomon giveth us most excellent counsel, saying; Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil lays come not, nor the years approach wherein thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Hereunto agreeth the saying of Saint Augustine, that is, Repent while thou ar● in health: so doing we are without danger, because we have repent, at what time we might have sinned. These divine testimonies might satisfy a Christian man, that their hope is vain and full of peril, which defer their conversion and repentance, albeit but for one hour: yet it shall be showed by other reasons, that it may more plainly appear, how needful a thing it is for man with all speed to repent. There be divers causes why a man cannot without great labour and great difficulty forsake sin, and follow righteousness. The first cause is a custom in sinning, the which, being now made as it were another nature, can very hardly be overcome. For as Mithridates used to eat poison so long that nature in the end could very well brook and digest it: and the people called Cimmerij, are so well acquainted with darkness, wherein they live continually, that they cannot well endure the light: even so men that live continually in sin and wickedness are so in use therewith, as all things contrary unto their custom greatly offend them; by which custom (as Augustine affirmeth) dishonest and filthy things seem unto them honest and pure. And as Houses, and Lands, and other things by long continuance of time bring to him that holdeth them a Plea of Prescription, and being so prescribed, cannot be recovered without a great privilege had from the Prince; even so sins and vices, when they have a long time by custom prescribed unto themselves the soul of the sinner, men strive in vain, except GOD the most mighty King, by a singular privilege of his Grace, do turn a stony heart into a fleshy heart: for if sin become (as it were) the wife of our youth, we shall hardly leave it. O how easy (saith Saint Augustine) is the entrance into sin, but the coming out very hard! Therefore let us kill sin in the beginning, then shall we not sin in concupiscence, much less in practising of sin, and delighting in sin. The other cause is the malice and watchfulness of the Devil, by which he holdeth 2 Tim. 2. 26. fast his servants & captives: for he which committeth sin is the servant of sin, and is held in captivity with the snares of the Devil, (as the Apostle teacheth) even at his will. The devil is that strong Luc. 11. 21 armed man, which with great care & diligence standeth upon his guard; whereupon Saint Augustine faith; He is not so strong by his own strength, as by our own negligence; although his power be very great, yet he taketh not so much by force, as by his subtle suggestions for which cause he did not ask leave of our Saviour Christ, that he might cast him down from the pinnacle of the Temple, but Mat. 4. sought rather to persuade Christ to cast himself down headlong. The Serpent in like manner sought not by force to cram Eve, but alured her to take it herself, Gen. 3. that she might as it were with her own knife cut her own throat. The Devil will not break open the door upon us, but he must find it open & empty, swept and garnished; and then he Mat. 12. will enter: and that he may thus make ourselves the instruments of our own misery and woe, he ceaseth not to tempt us neither day nor night. Saint Gregory saith; he may win us at the leastwise by his tediousness. When he hath thus brought us to his lure, than his care is to hold us still in his bondage; and for fear that we should make conscience of sin, and so turn to the Lord by repentance he putteth a fair vizard over the ugly face of sin, and so disguizeth her, that the proud person which exceedeth in apparel, saith, that his, or her pride is cleanliness and decency; the whoremonger and fornicator taketh his filthy life to be but the course of youth; the drunkard and riotous person persuadeth himself that his excess is but good fellowship; the covetous person believeth that his covetousness is good husbandry; the idle person which spendeth his whole time in Dice, Cards, and such like pastimes, neglecting his vocation in the true serving of God, flattereth himself, that his time thus wickedly spent, is honest recreation; whereas if the Devil had not blinded them, so as they might see sin in her colours, she would seem such a deformed monster, as they would loathe her for ever. Her eyes are full of adultery, her ears are very large and great, open to hear all devices and vain delights; her tongue swollen with lying and deceit, her throat is an open sepulchre, and a swallowing gulf; her lips are envenomed with the poison of Asps her hands are large to receive bribes, her belly hath a timpany of surfeiting and gluttony; her back is laden with idleness, and yet her feet are swift to shed blood. With her heart she thinketh upon nothing, but how to betray the innocent, and oppress the widow, and the fatherless; yea, from the very top of the head unto the sole of the foot, she is full of botches and sores, and hath no whole part. What man will be coupled with this monster; which is the monster of all monsters, who hath no other dowry and portion of her father the Devil, but hell fire? Let him then that hath been enchanted with her adulterous eyes, divorce himself betimes from her company without delay: for it is very perilous to stay long; her handmaid security will peradventure flatter us, and say, it is too soon to departed with this sweet unsavoury companion, and so to crave further company. This is the weakness of frail flesh, which fancy feeds the vain thoughts, who say, all shall be well: but it is the devils voice, and if we continue therein, and withstand not our unbridled thoughts, which the frail flesh doth yield unto, but still hearken to the devils voice, he will serve us as he served Adam and Eve; and will lay open our nakedness and shame, to the confusion of body and soul, if we suddenly do not repent and amend us of our ungodly courses. Delayed repentance is the cause of the absence of the Holy Ghost from us: for as the spirit of the Lord dwelling in our hearts maketh the way of virtue easy and sweet, in so much that the Prophet David saith; I have as great Psal. 119. delight in the way of thy Commandments as in all manner of riches: and I have ruane the way of thy Commandments, when thou hast set my heart at liberty: Even so contrariwise, the absence of the Holy Ghost maketh the same way hard and unpleasant. And as the light of the Sun cheereth up men's spirits to go to their labours; even so the Sun of righteousness shining in our hearts with the bright beams of his grace, maketh us to have a delight in the way of his Commandments. The first outward means of Saint Paul's conversion was the great light which he saw from Heaven; then he was cast down to the ground and humbled; he heareth a voice, and acknowledgeth it to be God's voice: and then ariseth up and saith; What shall I do? It is the celestial illumination that worketh our Acts 9 6. & 26. 12. conversion unto God, and frameth our hearts to his obedience. And therefore the Lord saith by the mouth of the Prophet Osea thus to sinful men; W●e unto them, when I shall departed away from them; Ose. 6. 12. and by the Prophet jeremy: Understand and know what a grievous thing it is, that the Lord thy God hath forsaken thee. The Apple is not so eaten of worms, nor the garment so eaten with moths, as the powers of the soul are corrupted with sin and wickedness; the understanding is darkened, the judgement dulled, and the will depraved: whereof it cometh, that now to live a holy and godly life, is a very hard and painful matter. Who seethe not then in what peril and error they are, who putting off their repentance and conversion from day to day, do think that the same which is now hard unto them, they shall find afterwards more easy, when all the causes of difficulty and hardness are increased; when they have increased the causes of their labour and difficulty, by adding sins unto sins; and when an evil custom hath taken more deep root, shall not the Devil then more fortify his Castle, which is thy soul? shall not GOD which is thy light departed further off from thee? shall not the powers of thy soul then having received many wounds, be made more weak and insufficient to goodness? Beside this, thou must greatly hazard the loss of heavenly treasures by a long delay. GOD hath thought upon us and loved us from everlasting, and hath prepared for us an eternal reward: with what face then canst thou hold from God a little momentany service; whereas thou owest unto God all that thou art able to do for ever? GOD hath given unto us the life of his only begotten Son, the which is of greater price than the life of all men: and by what right and prerogative darest thou deny unto him the flower of thy youth, and to spend the same in other things, then in the service of God, and to offer unto him the dregs and rottenness of old age? Only consider what the Prophet Malachi saith; If he Mal. 1. 8. offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? If he offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy Prince, will he be content with thee, or accept thy person, saith the Lord of Hosts? But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock Vers. 14. a Male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: Ourselves, and all that whole we have, is not sufficient to serve the Lord. Let our youth be dedicated to his service, as well as our age: let us serve him, not only in sickness, but also in health: let us turn unto him not only when we are in affliction and under the cross, but also in prosperity: for forced holiness is of no account. Pharaos' repentance, Festus trembling, and judas sorrow, availed them nothing Saint Augustine (in his second Book of true, and false repentance which affliction wringeth from men) saith; Will you put the matter out of doubt? Repent then whilst you are young and in health; otherwise whether a man do safely departed out of this life, none are sure. The ●ame Author saith thus; Wilt thou repent thee when thou canst ●inne no longer? Thy sins than have forsaken thee, and not thou thy sins. Sin is common to all times and ages of man's life, yea, to frail and vain youth, more than to old age. Which caused King David to say; Remember not O Lord the sins of my youth. There is then at no time want of matter in us for repentance; and yea our sins are much more than our sacrifices. Sin is common to all, but timely and speedy repentanc to few. Let the exhortation of our Saviour move us, which he so oftentimes repeateth: Watch, watch, because ye know not the Mat. 24. day, nor the houred If it be demanded of you, who assure yourselves that after a few years be past, you will repent; Christ made thee no promise, I will not say of years, and months, but of the morrow which is but one day. Nay, who can assure himself one hour? What greater folly or rashness than can there be devised, then for a worm of the Earth to determine any thing certain concerning the times and seasons, which the Father hath set in his own power? Thou canst not be ignorant, how many this vain confidence hath deceived, even to this day: But man will say; The Lord is full of compassion & mercy, Object. he hath made large promises to those that trust in him; he sent his Son into the World for us; and therefore he will not suffer us to perish. O how we deceive Answ. ourselves: Truth it is, the promises of GOD are greater than frail Man can or doth consider, and his promises appertain not to us, if we can make no better use of them. Let us think upon that Proverb of Solomon: Hast thou found Honey? eat not too much. Hast thou the sweet and most comfortable promises of God in the Gospel? let us use them to our comfort, and presume not thereby to live securely in sin. jacob must change his garments Gen. 27. before he can obtain a blessing, and Hester must deck Hest. 2. herself when she cometh into the presence of the King: that is to say; We must put off the garment of sin by speedy repentance, and we must be clothed with virtue and godliness: otherwise our meditation and prayers return empty, to our overthrow both of Body and Soul. CHAP. V Of the force, the use, and necessity of Prayer, and the benefit which riseth thereof. O LORD, the consideration hereof duly considered in the heart of a true Christian, and touched with the least finger of thy Grace, can and will heal all our infirmities, if we will but suddenly recount our misspent and lewd lives, and withdraw ourselves into our retired closet or chamber, where we may not only unburden our perverse, vile, and festered conscience, but find ease for our sickeweake souls, by calling hearty to mind the sweet promises of our good God, who never suffers the true believing Petitioner to go away unrewarded; his mercy is so great to them that faithfully serve him, by keeping his Commandments. And again, the largeness of his great and unspeakable love, the extension of his favour, the inheritance laid up, the Kingdom prepared, a peace and rest everlasting, (without distraction, tumult, or vexation to annoy his chosen; the eager pursuit of our unbridled vain affections, and self-love to this world,) are to be meditated upon by every good Christian. This World and self-love to this World, is but a Sea of vanities, which will prove a bitter sea-flowing with all kind of miseries; and if we pull not down the sails of our lascivious life, we are in danger to lose the expected promises of our Saviour Christ, which he hath promised to all his true believing servants. Lord we beseech thee infuse into our hearts such abundance of thy grace, that we may be withdrawn from all vice, that tendeth to the displeasure of thy omnipotent Majesty; and so being withdrawn, in a most humble and prostrate humility, we may give thee that true sacrifice which thou hast prescribed and commanded us; that the good thoughts of thy spirit may draw thy mercy so towards us, as that our petitions may ascend up to the Throne of thy divine Majesty; like the smoke of Incense into the air. Grant we lay (as it were) our mouths to the ears of that Heavenly Wisdom that knoweth our wants, better than we can understand them ourselves, yea, even before we can utter them; and that we go to him that calls: Come unto me all you that travel, and are heavy laden, Mat. 11. and I will refresh you. O comfortable saying; to him then let us go, nay fly, that are wearied under the burden of a diseased conscience: for he is that true refreshing 〈◊〉 which cureth the inwardsore of a distressed and 〈…〉, if we do faithfully ask it at his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincerity & pureness of our hearts. Why should we not then ●lie unto this good Lord, who is the Father of all mercy, and God of all comfort? Let us run to him that is so willing not only to hear us at our call, but far more willingly to receive & embrace our godly petitions and desires. He is that sweet comfortable 〈◊〉 and true 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 race, by which all the benefits and gifts in that 〈◊〉 Treasurehouse● are continued and reserved for Christ's chosen. O let us then use Prayer, which is the key that doth open where no Man shuts, and shuts where no man 〈◊〉; that enters where no man hath passage, and returns where no man can hinder. The prayer of the faithful is the life of that soul which is sore wrapped and perplexed with the noisome puddle of a sestered and sinful conscience where by the heart is so oppres●● with grief, that neither wine nor strong drink by the rules of Solomon can comfort. O then what shal● we do but cry to thee 〈◊〉 GOD, with heart and hand listed up to 〈◊〉 saying; 〈◊〉 that thou wouldst hide 〈◊〉 in thy Grace, and keep 〈◊〉 secret until thy wrath 〈◊〉 past. Therefore if any 〈◊〉 afflicted, let him pray; and 〈◊〉 us not presume in the height of our prosperity, lest we suddenly see a change; but let us put our whole confidence in the Lord our God, and pray unto him, and to none other. Neither let us presume upon ourselves, or any earthly means beside: for there was never contemplation, exercise, or any kind of study in the World, so acceptable to the Majesty of GOD, so gracious in his sight, so linked and true a friend to him, as heavenly meditation; It awaketh in the night season, it rests not in the day, it forsaketh us not by Land or by Sea, in health, in sickness; in prosperity or adversity, in weal or woe: it is such a sure and tried friend in all extremities, such an inseparable companion in man's greatest distress, as no tongue is able to express the contentation it yields unto the oppressed. Therefore let us love it, and lodge it in the bosom of our weak consciences, and embrace it in sincerity of heart: for it is our last and best friend, always soliciting our Father in Heaven; whose name is so worthy to be called upon so mighty for deliverance, so p●●ssant for protection, so gainful for success so compendicus to abridge unnecessary labours, as the name of LEHOVAH our most merciful & loving Father? There was never Sanctuary so free for transgressors, in the strongest privilege never such safety; never holes in the Rock so open for the Fowls of the field, the arm of my Mother never so open to her child, as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God's merciful compassion to all true and faithful believers. Therefore with speed let us all 〈◊〉 faithfully unto this good GOD in all our wants and extremities, & there shroa●● ourselves under his protection. There was never Creature living under the Sun, that 〈◊〉 not affliction in his days; neither 〈◊〉 there ever any to whom affliction was not grievous and irkesome● yet never was there affliction so great, but it hath been under the correction of a loving Lord, whose hand hath been able to master it. Every affliction as it comes in several kinds for our several sins and transgressions: so our meditations must be several, and framed and fitted thereunto, and powered forth both with wisdom and zeal, that they seem not harsh and undigested to those sacred ears, that can both sift and try the one and the other. The delicacy and tenderness both of our meditations and prayers must be so devoutly and wisely composed, and the favour of his countenance so carefully sought for, as may appear by the example of him that knew in his soul that a faint and dissembling Petition would return empty into the bosom of him that sent it up. Cursed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that doth the jer. 48. 10 work of the Lord negligently, (saith the Prophet; 〈◊〉 But (saith David,) A broken and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord will not despise. David never sent up his petitions, but with the deepest affection and zeal of heart, with the most sincere integrity and meditated zeal that might be: for every night washed he his bed, and watered his Couch with tears, which argued his singular contrition and ferventness in his Petitions. And therefore after his godly example, let us with a sincere & true desire of contrite hearts, pray to that good GOD, that he will so inspire his heavenly grace into our sinful hearts, that when we make our Petitions, we may have the force of two tongues in our 〈◊〉; whereby we may the better speed, and avoid the malediction, which otherwise we may receive in stead of 〈◊〉 blessing. We may learn precepts and draw many excellent examples from the lives of the Heathen Philosophers and Writers as also we may learn a zeal in our Petitions, even of those wooden Priests, 1 Kings 18: of whom it is written; That they called upon the name of Baal from morning to noon; and when they had no answer, they cried aloud, nay, cut themselves with knives, till the blood flowed; so they prayed not only in tears, but in blood. And then shall not we being the Children of light be as servant and zealous in our Petitions to GOD? The agony & zeal of the Sun of righteousness was such that in the days of his flesh he offered up Prayers and supplications with strong cries and tears to him that was able to help him. O Lord inspite, thy heavenly grace so 〈◊〉 our hearts, that we may learn to address ourselves, that in all temptations, necessities, and afflictions, we may in the true zeal of our heart pray so de●outely unto thy omnipotent Majesty, that our Petitions may have a gracious acceptance in thy sight. And as God's word further declares unto us, not only that he kneeled, (at the naming of whose name all knees must bow both in Heaven and Earth, and under the Earth;) but that he fell upon the ground, the footstool of his own Majesty, and lay upon that face that never Angel beheld without reverence: and when he had prayed once, he prayed again more earnestly, as his word records: He once prayed & departed; & a second time, & yet a third prayed and departed, evermore using the same petitions, his prayer ascending by degrees, like incense & presume. And not only his lips went, but his agony & contention within was so great, that an Angel was sent from Heaven to comfort him; and out of the trouble of his soul the sweat like drops of blood trickled down to the ground. Let us not therefore at any time offer up any unworthy sacrifice: but let us remember in our Prayers this glorious example of this our worthy and blessed Saviour for our imitation, that they may be blessed in their speed, and we in their success; and not to utter them carelessly, as if our spirits and tongues were strangers ignorant of either's purpose, the lips babying without the heart, but no compunction within; honouring God with our mouths, but our spirits of true devotion being far from him; our hearts not bleeding with the drops of true sincerity, which would be heard and pitied. Our Altar without fire, our Petitions without heat, and all that we do without zeal. If we mean that our Petitions should be heard and accepted at the hands of GOD, we must frame our supplications with an ardent & true affectionated zeal, directed to God alone: for it is neither to be done to Angels, nor Saints, as Mediators or friends, one or other, greater or lesser in Heaven or Earth; but only to be offered to the Majesty of God, whose ears be open to all them that seek to him in Faith; for without true Faith all our Petitions are nought, and turn to our utter confusion. We must not only pray with zeal and desire, but with fitness of congruity, and application for his blessings in our necessities. The Prophet Hosea maketh it plain and saith; The Lord at all times will take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, so we render up to him 〈◊〉 calves of our lips. Nay, what is it that he will not do for them that put their whole rest upon his omnipotent Majesty in all tribulations and anguish of mind? If we make our humble supplications unto him, he will stay his furious hand, and fill his hand full of mercy; he will withdraw his rod of correction, and send his rod of comfort; he will sheath up his devouring sword in the hand of his destroying Angel, who on every side strikes down to the grave, emptying houses and streets to fill up Church yards. And upon our true repentance, he will surcease to send his deue●ring Angel, and send his Angel of mercy and grace, which is a preservative and the most sovereign restorative under heaven, to make sound again our diseased conscience, which hath been long overgrown with ●inne, which 〈◊〉 both h●rt and wound; 〈◊〉 now we acknowledge with a sorrow from our hearts, that our sins have procured it at the hand of God. In consideration of the great mercies that GOD doth daily & hourly heap upon us, we must address our Petitions to the LORD in another key, and form of supplication; meekly kneeling before the LORD our Maker, lowly prostrate at the footstool of GOD'S mercy, that his judgements may be diverted, and turned away from us. Thus did that great pattern of wisdom Solomon, whose footsteps are worthy our imitation; beseeching the LORD of Lords; that when we shall make our prayers according to our necessities either in body or in mind that he would vouchsafe then to hear us, and reach forth his merciful hand unto our complaints. But these our Petitions cannot ascend, unless faith & devotion bear them up, nor can they speed unless they issue from a heart that vows unfeigned repentance, and that calls to mind our sins & transgressions that have procured those judgements; that we may truly repent, and so wash them from us, whereby God may hear us, and show his merciful compassion. But this repentance is more bitter than can be imagined: for every sorrow is not repentance, for the● should worldlings repent. Some think every confession to be repentance, than had Pharaoh and Saul repent: some think that every weeping is 〈◊〉 repentance, than had Esau repent: some take every little humiliation to be repentance, than had 〈◊〉 repent: some think that every good word and promise is repentance; if that were so, then should sick men repent: some think, to ●rie GOD mercy is repentance, then should every ●oole repent. But true repentance in ●●de, and such as is here ●ent, i● more than hanging ●owne of the head like a bulrush, or towering out a ●●are, to so● out a sigh, to ●eare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 cloth, or with a verbal sound of the lips, without the privity and consent o● the heart within, to cri● Lord have mercy on me, an● so rest. But it must be the scourging and lancing of the very soul with true contrition, a downright shower 〈◊〉 tears from a broken penitent bleeding heart, fille● with exceeding bitterness of sorrow and anguish fo● some committed. Let no man think it to● early to go, or too early 〈◊〉 begin to go to this goo● School, not of sharpness but of sweetness; not 〈◊〉 pain, but of pleasure. L●● us go to it in our youth● and let Solomon be our T●tor; whereby we shall 〈◊〉 ●aught to remember our Creator in the days of our ●outh. Let it be often remembered, that no man think it ●o late, lest he omit and ●ose that which he might otherwise have gained. What time soever the sin●er shall truly repent him ●●om the very bottom of 〈◊〉 heart of his loud and misspent life, the Lord will forgive and forget, and his ●●nnes shall vanish from his ●●ght and presence, even as 〈◊〉 d●aw before the Sun. I say again, he that right●● reputes himself of his wickedness and vain life; 〈◊〉 is not the misery of this wretched life, nor terror of conscience, nor malice of ●oes, (let them be Men or devils 〈◊〉 be a whole legion to one,) that shall never hinder the ascension and blessing of his godly prayer; and it shal● never hi●der the forgiveness of 〈◊〉 sin. Never was the shadow more faithful to the bodi● than a blessed forgiveness to faithful repentance, a●● the good success whi●● hath been to a faithful a●● zealous prayer, conceiu●● in the breast, and lodged 〈◊〉 the heart, and powerful uttered by the voice of 〈◊〉 tongue and spirit. But this great expect●● success which we look 〈◊〉 to receive by our Petitions at the hands of GOD, mu●● be form in a more zealo●● fashion then our comm●● ●se is; which use may be compared to an hypocrites custom, wanting these necessary adjuncts, these vnde●ayed, undelayed assistants, ●hat bless the company wherein they come, and 〈◊〉 the suit wherein they 〈◊〉 Solicitors and Plaintiffs, ●ho beat not the air with ●ounds that arise from the ●ollow and emptiness of ●hem, like Brooks that roar ●nd make a noise, but show ●●eir empty bottoms that ●ontaine nothing but gravel ●nd filthiness within; like 〈◊〉 our desolate and only fashionable prayers both at ●ome and abroad, in cham●●r and Church: these are hypocrites who pour ●orth 〈◊〉 form of words▪ rather in 〈◊〉 fashion of custom, then for any great zeal; neither honouring God, nor yet furthering the Petitions we make for our expected desires. These things duly considered, we must needs think in our minds we remain in a very wretched and desperate case; our affections are so weak, that the least occasion or blast of vanity, withdraws us from all godly desires, whereby we run both soul and body into utter destruction. Very little is the care which remaineth in us, to give this good GOD our only Saviour that sends to all things, his due; so our turns be served and that we have received at the Lords hands our desire, there is all our frail● flesh looketh for, till extremities come, and then we make a new show of repentance, with a sorrow for our negligence in the true serving and honouring of his Omnipotent Majesty; which we rather do of a custom then of zeal: as the Parrot of 〈◊〉, we recite the Creed, flattering God with our tongues, but dissembling with him in our hearts; which is only for want of Faith, by whose absence our minds are fraught with toys and fancies, which bear away the due reverence we own unto God. For when we have prayed to GOD that he will give ear unto our requests, and receive our petitions, they are sonegligently done, that we had need pray again, to desire him that he will out of his bountiful love and great mercy cast his eye of pity and not of anger upon the great offence which was committed in the idleness of our prayers and supplications made by us unto his divine Majesty, and that he will forgive us our sins committed in our, prayers; because we think then leas● of him at the time we make our prayer unto him; never remembering the Majesty of his person to, whom we● speak, nor the Excellency of the work we take in hand; never rousing up the spirit of a sorrowful repentant heart for our former offences committed: but if we chance then to stir up ou● devotion to prayer, we leave them halt and lame, body without soul, or soul without devotion, sound of lips without the heart; one part of ourselves without the other, or the whole without a whole, clamour without intention. But David practised true repentance, which may not be repent of; and such were the pangs and prickings of jobs heart unto GOD: My groan (saith he) come forth before I eat, and my roar are powered forth. Not only groaning nor crying, but also roar, with a continual inundation, as one wave dasheth forth another. Now when the soul is thus prepared to speak, the ears of the Lord are ever open to hear the true penitent sinners cry. These are wonderful passions. The hungry Lion in the desert oppressed with extremity of suffering want, never roared so much for his prey, nor the Hart braying after the water brooks, as the goodness of the Lord in the soul of the faithful. He is the mighty LORD of Heaven and Earth, whose name be blessed and hallowed for ever, in Earth as it is in Heaven; and blessed are all those that are in love with his goodness, and tra●● nearest unto his steps. And to give us a further example in his own cause; when his soul was hedged in and environed round about with vexation even unto death, when anguish & sorrow encompassed him round about; as also then in his greatest agony, when he cried with a great voice, (not for particular persons, as before he wept, but undergoing the burden and punishment of all the sins and sinners in the World,) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me: and crying again with a great voice, gave up the ghost. Therefore the blessed Apostles mentioning the days of his humanity, and the exercise of his godly and sacred life, and fruit of his lips, and the passions of his spirit, thought it not enough to give notice to the World that he prayed to his Father; that he prayed with tears which trickled down his blessed cheeks, and watered the ground; nor of a cry alone weakly sent out, but of a vehement and strong cry, which (if Heaven were brass) were able to pierce through it, and find way into the Sanctuary, into the ears of the Almighty. Such a prayer as it ascends lightly up, borne upon the wings of Faith; so it eue● comes laden heavily down with a blessing on the head of him that first gave it flight. This Lantern of our direction and composition of humility and goodness, this glorious and never enough admired LORD of life, who priest & oppressed with the weight & burden thereof, groaned under the affliction of our sins in a most perfect form of exact obedience, with his bleeding tears for us, showed us the right form of faithful supplications for ourselves. Let us then be importunate and fervent in our prayers, that our Petitions may wrestle with GOD, and overcome him. For if our prayers be powered forth in the ferventness of zeal without wavering, then let us make no doubt, but he will graciously receive them into his arms of mercy. Way h●e thus grieved for us, and shall not we grieve for ourselves? groaned he under the weight of our sin, (being himself without sin) only in compassion and pity towards us? why then do not we continually groan and grieve? It is so far from us, that in no way we give his heavenly Majesty his due, except in committing fin, and drinking it down the throat with greediness, and a desiring thirsting appetite, even as Behe●●th drinketh down Jordan without sense, sorrow, or grief for the same. The true consideration hereof will enforce and procure in us a more perfect desire to follow the true prescription that our Saviour hath prescribed for us in his holy Gospel; which commandeth us by express words to be importunate and fervent in our prayers, that our Petitions may ascend up to GOD our Lord and only Saviour and there to be received into his bosom, to pre●rent a further and greater danger before the dreadful Majesty of the omnipotent LORD of Heaven and Earth; who with the breath of his nostrils is able to destroy our bodies and souls, & change the World and the beauty thereof into a Chaos and ●eape of confusion; turn the Sun into darkness, and the Moon into blood, and alter the property and being of all the Creatures in the World at the twinkling of an eye. Considering what we are that speak, that offer up the calves of our lips, and the fruits of our repentance; poor, naked, impotent, unworthy wretches; we should be importunate, and with a ferventness of zeal, pour out our supplications unto GOD, that he will mercifully hear us, and gently receive our supplications, and according to his wont goodness satisfy our faithful requests poured forth unto him in the name of CHRIST JESUS our Lord and only helper in all distress. But our wretchedness and mortality, our nakedness in good works towards him, is such, that if there were any spark of true faith in us, it would make us ashamed, as it did our first Parents, when they bid themselves from the presence of their God. The view of our sins is exceedingly sinful, the number, the weight, the danger thereof hang about our necks like millstones, that we are notable, nor worthy to cast up our eyes to heaven: for our sins are so exceedingly miserable, that the Prophet of GOD being astonished to see either man or the Son of man so kindly visited, biddeth us be fervent in our Petitions to God. And we must expect an happy success of our supplications, unless we will call in question or doubt of the promises of God, which are more stable than the pillars of the Earth, or the basis of the surest foundation: except we will cast our grain into the earth, and expect no harvest; plant Vines, and not drink the Wine thereof. If we mean to receive that at GOD'S hand we do expect to have, than we must prepare ourselves in another form to pour out our unworthy plaints and petitions; and think that GOD either heareth not, or regardeth not at all, (the weakness of our faith is such;) but he is willing to grant as far as is expedient for our good. If our dark understanding would give us leave duly to consider, there is another motive for fervency to be used unto that great GOD, who will not be mocked with the idleness of ou● thoughts and lips i● be pitifulness of his favourable countenance, which is so great to man, as if we do but carefully ask it in zeal and humility of heart, he is then so ready to hearken to our requests, that presently he opens his hand of bounty, and poureth on us his benefits plenteously. All these respects and considerations thereto tending do cry unto us in most pitiful and lamentable manner, to make out hard and stony hearts to melt, and cry unto his Omnipotent and Divine Majesty, whereby we may grow to be more fervent in our Petitions. We must not think that the noise of our lips, as the ringing of basins, mere sounds and voices, that awake and fly up whilst the inward man doth slumber and keep down, procures audience at the hands of God. The strongest and most effectual speech in the secret ears of GOD, proceedeth not from bare words, but from intention of heart. He that heareth without ears, can interpret our prayers without our tongues; he that made both the one and the other, knows the language of both alike. He that saw Nathaniel under the Figtree before he was called, saw and sanctified john Baptist in his Mother's womb before he came forth; and read the heart of Zachcus before his conversion: seethe and blesseth our godly prayers fervently conceived, and sown in the root of our consciences, before they bring forth any fruit. But if they be only verbal and vocal sounds without wring any drop of contrition from the conscience, blood from the spirit, they may beat the air with empty sounds, but into the ears of the Almighty shall they not enter; but their want of devotion shall be answered by him, as the prayers of those Idolaters, Ezechiel 8. Though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Therefore let us not herein behave ourselves unworthily, nor presume to speak to the Majesty of GOD, but with such a due respect and reverence to his Omnipotence, that in speaking we know to whom we do it. Let us stir up both our tongues & spirits, that they may join hand in hand, the sooner to prevail with God. And further if we do think that our often powered out petitions and plaints to God do not prevail according as our frail flesh would have it, yet we must not be discouraged or wax Luc. 18. 1. faint thereby, but go on still in our suit grounded upon Faith, and so importune his Majesty evermore and more; solicit his long suffering patiented ears with our faithful clamours, so shall we at last obtain all that we godly desire. Peradventure not in the same manner that our frail flesh desires, yet in that which the LORD out of his great mercies seethe most convenient for the help of the Soul, and for the comfort of the Body. It were good for us to carry jobs mind, saying; Though GOD kill me, yet will I trust in him. Though GOD denieth us a while, yet let us not despair in him: for without his help there is no good to be had, or to be expected either for the relief of body or soul. It is said Heaven & Earth shall pass, but not one tittle of his word shall fall to the ground. Therefore when we have powered forth our suit, and made our petition known, then let us begin anew, repeat it, recite it, ingeminate it, and dwell upon it; be not beaten away by any distrust or temptation from thy hold. Learn adherence to thy suit, from the Mariner's constancy, which is, we beseech thee O LORD, we beseech thee. And if we set our he arts truly on work, they will soon find out this theme. When the affection is fastened, the tongue is easy, and willing to dwell thereupon. For example, David when he heard of the death of his ●onne Absalon, he said; O Absalon, O my son Absalon, o Absalon my son, my son; where his affection seems only to dwell upon the name and memory of his Son, and his tongue to have forgotten to pronounce any other speech, save only Absalon. It manifesteth likewise what love our SAVIOUR ●are towards that holy City, in that he ingeminated ●nd repeated his sorrows ●uer and over, saying; O Ie●usalem, jerusalem: if I forget jerusalem, let my right hand ●orget ●e● c●●ning. Our affections must be in one with him a●d his bles●ed name, more than Son ●r City, or any worldly de●ight, that it m●● be● ever meditating in our hearts, ●nd walking in our tongues, ●aying; My God and my Lord. And the more we are held off, the nee●e● let us press. Let us attend his leisure & merciful pleasure with patience, without distrust, without weariness. The longer Abraham talked with GOD the more h● preua●ted; he brought him from the whole number to fifty, from fifty to ten, before he gave him over. Mar● the manner of his importunity. Behold, I have begun t● speak unto my Lord, and ● am but dust and ashes. L● not my Lord be angry. And will speak again once word I have beguine, and again will speak●. And let not ●● Lord be angry. So f●rre w● GOD from anger, that he● gave him both a patien●●are, and a gracious answer in hi● most importunate request; If ●●● befound there, I will not destroy ●●. Let us consider and behold what is the force of craier poured forth in sincerity from the tongue of a righteous and zealous man. It is so powerful in the ●ares of his Divine Majesty, that if in the who●e City, ● City so exceedingly sinful, ●hat the cry thereof ascended up into Heaven, even in●o the ears of the Holy of holiest, whose wrath and re●olution was of their overthrow, ●●d his determinate decree passed thercupon: If, I ●ay, there had b●●ne but ten righteous persons to have stood up betwixt his wrath and their sins, for their sakes it had not been destroyed. It pleaseth the eared of his Heavenly Maiesti● right well to be long in treated; whose blessed condition and nature is never 〈◊〉 truly leveled at, as when 〈◊〉 persuade ourselves, th●● our importunity therein c●● never be burdensome to h●● Highness'. Many times h●th his majesty unto us ●●nfull and ●●serable wretches in gemin●ted, recited, and repeated ●●uer the riches of his merci●● As in these and the like places: The Lord is merciful gracious, 〈◊〉 to anger, ab●●dant in goodness and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 for the sands, for giving i●●iq●i●●● 〈◊〉 and or a●sgressions. What did he mean there by, but that twice and 〈◊〉 ●imes together we should ●●geminate, recite, and repeat over again our requests and petitions, and cry or his mercy? and than if he ●eeme deaf for a while, and ●ake as though he heard ●ot, yet at last the zeal of ●ur importunity w●ll procure his Omnipotent Majesty to gra●t audience. If our words and praisers will not prevail, then ●et us join thereto our ●eares; that GOD may say to ●s, as he said to Ezekiah; I ●aue seen thy tears. They ●re so powerful messengers, ●hiefly if they be done in the ●●nceriti● and singleness of ●eart. No sooner can the thought appear craving his merciful aid, but the eye of his compassion and goodness ●s upon them. Then who is it that wil● not worship and serve thi●●ouing Master, being so ready at our call to receive ou● Petitions into his hands o● mercy? D●●id saith, that God ha● heard the voice of his weeping Tears and sorrow for ou● sins, do cause the ears o● GOD to open unto our god● lie requests. Therefore let v● glorify this good GOD with our bodies in true humility, and serve him in spirit, and lift up our souls with David, and our hands with Moses; our eyes with Peter, ●●d our voices with D●b●r●. Thus seeking, we shall find; thus knocking, it shallbe o●ened unto us. ●et us give our Petitious but the ●●ght voi●e to ask with, & guestionlesse there is no doubt, but GOD will hear ●s in his mercy to our immeasurable comfort and ●oy. It must not be the dumb ●nd silent which must give ●n eye to seek with; it must ●ot be the blind and careless which gives an hand to knock with; it must not ●eare to molest and disquiet ●ot only the doors, but all ●he Treasures and jewels in ●he Kingdom of Heaven, ●hich will be opened unto ●hose his chosen: And whither our blessed SAVIOUR ●oth h●●●elf i●nuite us; Come ●nto ●ee all 〈◊〉 that labour ●nd are laden. O this is a love without example, where the King himself not only common de●h, but desire● our appearance. Who then shall keeps us back where he common death? Open ye gate● of righteousness and be ye opened ye everlasting doors. O what a blessed and comfortable saying is this unto sinful man by so great ● Lord and King! Who the● shall oppose themselves against us? What need we to have a Mediator, an Intercessor or friend, when be himself hath given his voice, and freely calls us to himself alone? Though the frankness and bounty of his love hath yielded accerse unto hi● heavenly Majesty, this great 〈◊〉 four good GOD unto ●●, must not embolden us with ● less respect or reverence in showing our duty in the true serving of him: which love of his doth deserve more in a far greater degree, than our vain and ●raile flesh can yield unto ●is Omnipotency and State, that fit● in glory at the right ●and of his Father. And whereas we are poor ●ormes creeping upon the footstool of this Earth, ●ray we that his Majesty will be so gracious as to ●ouchsafe we should spea●●●nto him as it were face to ●●ce, to pour out our petitions with our own voices ●●to his most blessed and sa●●ed ear●●. All know by 〈◊〉 experience, that the Kings of th● earth keep themselves wit● in a strict watch and wa● regard; and their persons a●●●ull of Majesty and terro● and not spoken unto, b●● with difficulty and friendship: besides the infinite distraction of suits and businesses, more than the cares 〈◊〉 any mortal man can receiu● drive them of necessity 〈◊〉 the deputation of subordinate Ministers. But in GOD who ride● upon the Cherubins, a●● maketh his enemy's 〈◊〉 foot stool, there is neither dange of his person, nor defect in his hearing. For h● that ●lanted the ear, do● he not hear? He that stands and knocketh at 〈◊〉 〈…〉 for ●●●rance, when we knock at ●is, will he not grant entrance? In earthly Courts among which we live, we may have many impediments; ●ew will hardly favour us, but many may hinder us before we can deliver our message. But at these Heavenly Gates at which we must always call, the LORD alone ●s Porter. For when the friend knocked in the Parable of Luke ●t midnight, the heaviest 〈◊〉 deadest hour of the night; ●e who was nearest the gate ●irst awaked, if he slept at all, and first answered. How willing is he to grant, that is so willing to ●e disquieted? Now glad to hear our knock, that hat● placed his bed so near th●● gate? Hue truly may we say that he was not one●● nacre the gate, but th●●ord himself and the ver● gate? who when his Children were fast asleep, th● cares of Angels and Saint shut up, he first, and at th● ve●y first call, n●y, only he among the rest made answer unto it. The LORD is alwaie●●eerer unto us than we ar● unto him, Psal. 10. He ●●●reth the desire of the poor. H● first prepareth the heart, an● setteth it on work to pray and when he hath so don● he bendeth his care unto ●● giving unto us both th● cause and the effect, bo● the blessing, and means ● ●e blessings. The true stand ●ost effectual messenger we ●aue to send our Petitionary, is Prayer, poured forth ● the zeal and singleness four hearts. If we send up merits, the ●arres in Heaven will dis●aine it, that we who dwell ●t the footstool of GOD, are presume so far, when ●e purest Creatures in Hea●en are impure in his fight. If we send up fear and di●rust, the length of the way ●ill tyre them out, and with ●he weight sink to the ●round, before they come ●alfe way up to the Throne of salvation. If we send up blasphenies and curses, all the Creautes in Heaven and Earth ●ill set themselves against us; the Sun and the Moo● will rain down blood, th● fire hot burning coals, th● air thunderbolts upon ou● heads. But Prayer is a Messenger freed from all these imperfections, whom neither the irksomeness of the way or tediousness of the passage can hinder from h● purpose; quick of speed● faithful of trust, able ●● mount above the Eagles ●● the Sky, into the Heaven 〈◊〉 Heavens, as a Chariot of fi●● leading us aloft into the presence of GOD, to seek h●● assistance and grace. The least finger of hi● right hand is of more puissance than the whole ar●● of flesh or army of spirit● yea, than the whole liue● hole substances of Angels, Men, of silver, gold silk, purple, and all other Crea●●res. So that Prayer shall walk ●●rough life & death without controllement. If it find Angel●, Princip●●ties, Powers, things present ●nd things to come, or any ●ther Creature in the World ●opping her passage, and rebuking her forwardness, ●●e shall clear her way notwithstanding, and climb ●●to the presence of her GOD, and in his ears deli●er her message. Be we in sickness? To ●im the true Physician that ●nowes both the cause and ●he cure, she comes for ●ealth. Be we in imprisonment? There she solicits a relea●● from him the Lord of liberty. Be we oppressed with poverty, or want? The Earth the LORDS, and all th●● dwell therein: to him she comes; for the blessing 〈◊〉 the Lord maketh rich. Are we afflicted abo●● measure, beyond the streng●● of man, in so much that we doubt whether we live 〈◊〉 no, receiving the sentence 〈◊〉 d●ath within ourselves, s● that in our opinion we com●prehend no delivery, no evasion, but lie open to the direct accomplishment there of: Yet in this exigent an● extremity, we come to Go● by these means of Prayer being almost beyond hope without expectation; and b● his gracious and merciful pleasure we are delivered. Therefore let us here in r●●●ue comfort: his Majestic ●ut of his great clem●nrie ●ath and doth deliver us daiie, not only from the death of our bodies, when worms ●nd rottenness have made ●heir last and long prey vp●on them; but from the ●eath of our minds, when the spirit is buried under ●orrowes, and no Greature ●ound in Heaven or Earth to give it comfort. Be our minds, be our afflictions never so many and great, though in our weak imagination we can imagine ●o delivery, no release, when all earthly comforts forsake ●s yet let not us forsake thi●●efuge; let us not despair in his merciful help, ●o more than I●●● did, who being in the bottom of the Sea, and within a prison in that bottom, in such an affliction, so great, so strange, as greater nor stranger could not be to human reason, or more without hope; yet said Io●●● 2. 2. I cried in ●in● affliction unto the Lord, and he herdsmen; 〈◊〉 of the be●ty of h●●● cr●ed I, and thou he●r d●st my voice. Therefore in our adversity and wants, how great & grievous soever they oppress our weakness, yet let us neither distrust, or despair of his merciful help; but let us pray still in hope, in all the anguish of mind, ●●d let our prayers be with such a confidence and zeal of love to GOD, as the fervency thereof may ascend up to his Throne, and there rest in his pitiful eye, and arms of mercy. In our prosperity, be it never so flourishing, let us pray, nay, pray continually. In our health and prosperity, let us pray to continue it. In our sickness and adversity, let us pray to release us. For if we consider our estates rightly, we shall perceive many reasons to the exercise of Prayer, daily to seek his savour and the long continuance thereof, without whose mighty protection and care over us, we are ready to fall into a thousand dangers of undoing both the body and soul, and to perish continually. And therefore let us well consider, and take heed both in time and season, with words sutahle in our Petitions to our purpose and intention, in giving thanks for his great benefits daily poured upon us; with intrestie in our Petitions for necessities to be implored by us in the time of sickness, in the time of our health, in the time of our adversity, in the time of our prosperity. Let us come before him, suiting our words in the habit of our occasions with such a fitness and decency, that they fall not harshly, & from the purpose ascend into the ears of the Almighty LORD, the true pattern of all wisdom and goodness; who hath given us the first and best form there of himself; who hath both taught us to pray, and taught us how to pray, and who will both hear our petitions, and grant our requests contained therein, as far as seems expedient to his unsearchable wisdom, that knows our wants before he hears our complaints, our necessities better than we ourselves. And because meditation is so excellent a thing so ready, so swift, so powerful, so unseparated from us, that it cleaves unto us when all other means fail and forsake us; therefore we should the more earnestly embrace it more zealously employ it, more dearly esteem it. It finds us out comfort in our greatest extremities and miseries, our ways being hedged up as with thorns, that we cannot stir to deliver ourselves therehence. When we are over flown with the deluge of sin, as with a flood, & judgements environ us on every side: this is the D●ue that brings unto our Souls the Olive branch of comfort. But alas, we kill the life thereof through the coldness of our devotion, and carelessness of our delivery, and unfit preparation thereunto, and find not the sweetness and success that else we might expect, and obtain at the hands of GOD thereby. Let these things be oftentimes our meditation and study, that so despising the vain things of this transitory life, and passing our steps in the pathway to felicity, we may at the last obtain the reward which our Saviour CHRIST hath promised; Come ye blessed of my Father. Even so let us resolve with ourselves, that for as much as we have begun our Pilgrimage in the Spirit, never to end it in the Flesh; and that if all the World would fall away from GOD, and his Word; yet we and ours will serve the LORD. So shall we be sure in the end of this our Pilgrimage, which we have passed with fear, to enter into that spiritual Canaan, which CHRIST our jehovah hath promised us which LORD for thy mercy sake grant us. Amen. illustrated title page (not in McKerrow) Come ye blessed etc. Go ye cursed, etc. THE SOULS Alarum-bell. The Second Part. Containing divers godly PRAYERS, most fit to comfort the wounded consciences of all such penitent sinners, who hope for salvation through the merits of Christ jesus. By H. Thompson. At London printed by Io. Beale. 1618. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, and my very good Lord, WILLIAM Lord Eurye, Baron of Ma●lton, He●ry Thompson wisheth all honour, grace, and spiritual gifts by jesus Christ our Lord. BEing willing (Right Honourable, and my very good Lord) in the sight of all the World to leave some public testimony of my humble d●●ty, and v●f●ined good will towards your Honour, I thought I could no better way perform it, then by dedicating these poor labours of mine, to be shrouded and harboured under your Honour's favourable protection; beseeching your Honour to accept this my humble and bounden duty. And as I dedicate it to your Honour, so I humbly crave that it may be defended: for GOD hath set you in authority to maintain his Word, and love his Religion, which he hath prescribed in his holy Gospel. He hath honoured you, that you should honour him; and hath set you up, that you should maintain him, and wholly trust in him, and li●e to him, as a s●ay that can never fail, neither in this World, nor t● the World to come. All other things shall fail (for all flesh is grass, and the glory of man is as the flower of the field) but GOD is everlasting, his Word is everlasting, and they that are begotten to him by the immortal seed of his Word, shall live for ever: and this life beginneth, and groweth, and increaseth in the true knowledge of GOD, to the increasing of our faith, and ●●●king in us as the seal of our adoption that true sanctification, that maketh us to live unto GOD by righteousness, purely to worship hi●●ccording to his Word, an● with brotherly love devoir of all hypocrisy, from a pur● heart to ●oue our Neighbour's This (Honourable Lord) i● true Religion, whereunto ●● GOD in great mercy hat● called you, so g●● cheerfully forward. Beware of thi● vain World, and of tha●●●ine trust that wiched m●● are w●●t to put in it; lean●●●t upon it, but stop you● ears against the e●e●anting and fawning whispering of the hollowness thereof and the dissolute Professors for there can be ●● greater trespass against the L●●● thereto ●●●● upon Assyria, to rest in the strength of Egypt, to go down into Eth●opia: Cursed is that Man that putteth his trust in Man, and maketh flesh his ●●●e; he shall be like the Heath that groweth in the Wilderness: But con 〈◊〉, He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall embrace him on every side, he shall never be confounded, he shall be ●s Mount 〈◊〉, and shall never be remo●ed, for the Lord is his secret place, & is with him, therefore who can ●● against him? What is a ●●ns ●owe, what are his legs, what is the swiftness of Horses, 〈◊〉 the strength of an Hoa●● or the favour of all th● Princes of the World i● comparison of God, i● whom is only the assurance of that everlasting inheritance? It is the Go● of jacob that must be ou● defence, our strong Tower and Rock; the Chari● and Horsemen of Israe● the testimony of his presence and favour, th●● only can make us glad Wherefore again, and again, I most humbly beseech your Honour, bewa●● of vain trust and confident in Men, and in things th●● are less worth than M●● ●nd as GOD hath in mercy bestowed upon your Honour ●reat wisdom, so pray that ●ou may have a discerning spirit, that the deceivable ●lory of this World make you ●ot forget your greatest duty, ●hat so you may shine in his ●●erlasting Kingdom. True Religion (Honourable Lord) is effected by ●at divine and eternal wisdom, whereby the contem●atiue virtue of man is lif●d up to the happy knowledge of the Majesty of God, all other the greatest ver●●e; and wherein resteth the chiefest contentment in this 〈◊〉. For if there be a Pare●e in this life, it is seated in one of these two, either in Religious Meditations, or i● holy studies and godly speculation: because whatsoeu●● is not in one of these two, 〈◊〉 full of grief, vexation, bitterness, fearfulness, ca●● and sorrow. But as Christi●● mo●esty (Right Honourably hath moved me to give to ecurie thing his due, in not ce●sing from setting forth a● thing in the praise of th● which of right deserveth 〈◊〉 be commended: so Christi●● justice and equity would 〈◊〉 suffer me to let that pa●● without some commendation, whereunto I am not ab● sufficiently to give any. B● considering that slightly commend a thing, were the next way to dispraise it, except withal it were shr●w●ded under the Patronage of ●ome worthy Person; and ●hinking it unmeet to let ●hat go like an Orphan without a father at home: I have presumed to commit it unto our Honour's protection: not bare Laurel, which of it alfe for the greenness (when ●ther be withered) may seem 〈◊〉 be accepted, but the same ●ecked and adorned with ●ost heavenly Meditations. 〈◊〉 that (as I think) if your ●onour were presented with material Laurel, wherein ●esides natural greenness) ●ere but this necessary use, that it could defend you i● your Garden from the heat● of the Sun, you would accept, if not of the gift, yet o● the good will of the giver. So relying myself still upon your Honour's wont accustomed favour and clemency, I doubt not but yo● will afford me a favourable and friendly acceptation hereof. For herein is not th●● greenness which consisting 〈◊〉 natural qualities must the● whither, when all things ha●● their ending according t●● their nature: but the flourishing green promises of th● co●enant of God, which (〈◊〉 God himself) last always immutable and unchangeable. Here are not the beautiful leaves of a material tree, which delight only the outward sight, but a most familiar view and pattern of God himself in Christ, even to the delight of the soul, and inward comfort of the spirit, which take pleasure only in Heavenly things. To conclude, here you are not shrouded from the heat of the Sun, but shall find most cool shade from the parching heat of sin: from which, (as in duty I am bound) I will pray, that God in this life shield and defend you, and in the life to come grant you everlasting rest. Thus presuming on your honours wont favours and courtesies showed unto me, and craving pardon for this my bold enterprise, I humbly take my leave. Your Honours to be commanded in all duty and service, HENRY THOMPSON. An Admonition to the zealous Reader concerning the most godly exercise of PRAYER. MAny are the godly and zealous Treatises which are already extant, tending to the encouragement of those that hunger and thirst for the true service of the living God: yet (gentle Reader) I crave thy Christian patience friendly to accept this small travel of mine, and these my simple Admonitions. For among all our godly and devout Meditations (good Christian Reader) there can be none better, more acceptable to GOD, more commodious and necessary to Man, or more fit for us to the attaining of a good and happy life, then at all times to occupic ourselves in the continual remembrance and meditation of the life and death of our Lord jesus Christ; the which thing is plainly showed and declared, not only by the example and doctrine of divers holy and learned Men, but also by experience itself. And if thou wouldst fly from sin and shun vice, then consider with thyself what great things the only Son of God both did and suffered, to the end thou mightest delivered from sin. If thou desire to beautify thy soul with love, humility, gentleness, patience, obedience, charity, and other virtues; then cast thine eye on the perfect and lively pattern of all virtue, which is thy LORD CHRIST himself. If thou be desirous to contemn the world and all worldly vanities, and nothing to care for the same: then weigh with thyself earnestly what kind of life CHRIST our Lord led, when he was living here. How full of troubles, how full of labour and sorrow, and how bitter a death he sustained for Man's salvation. Finally, if thou wouldst st●re up and inflame thy mind with the love of GOD, and give him thanks, what can in such a case be more effectual, then still to call upon GOD, and to remember Christ his life and passion, and how many ●nd great benefits we have received thereby ' Whereupon the Apostle said for good cause: Remember you him, who suffered at the hands of sinners; that Man should not quail not be dismayed in heart: and Saint Peter saith; That CHRIST suffered, that Man should be also comforted with the remembrance thereof. But to the intent that th●● (●ood Christian Reader) mayest use these Meditations to thy great profit, thou must observe this order; that at such time as thou mindest to pray, thou presently read ●uer all these chief points that are to be thought upon: then pause in contemplation upon that wherein thou tookest most pleasure in thy Meditation, directing thy thoughts to some virtuous actions. Seriously consider with thyself how diligently Christ exercised himself in virtue, who gave us an example earnestly to follow his steps; then determine with thyself to imitate that virtue which thy Prayer tre●teth of, and to increase daily in the same labour. Also in the day time call to mind that which thou didst purpose with thyself, and omit no occasion whereby thou mayest put that virtuous exercise of Prayer in practice in thyself. The chief point we have to consider of, is, to pray devoutly to our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ; whereby we may live and lead our life in his fear, and walk in his ●oly Commandments. Gentle Reader, I would not have thee think this my simple admonition to be superfluous, but rather a thing tending to win the weaker sort to more willingness for the practice of this divine exercise of Prayer; a thing not new, yet needful: a thing old and ancient, long ago practised of the poorest, exercised of the most excellent and godly on the Earth, the Prophets, the patriarchs, the Apostles; yea, and of Christ himself the pattern of piety, who ga●e the first platform of perfect Prayer, most plain, pure, precious, and profound in these words: Our Father which art in Heaven, etc. To the substance whereof although there can be nothing added, nor from thence any thing can be taken away without manifest impiety; yet are we not so strictly tied to the words thereof only, but that we may according to our several occasions which are infinite, dilate upon the same to our comfort, and without offence to the Majesty of GOD, if it be done in true zeal, without which eu●n the most effectual prayer is sin. I cannot but confess that great is the frailty remaining in me, which in my travail in this practice hath greatly hindered me; and many are the vanities of my mind, which in my chiefest desire have miscarried me: yet such hath been the favour of my he●●●●ly Father, that he hath hither to assisted me, and (to my comfort) hath performed that which of my own proper power, wisdom and will, I could not perform. And these Prayers which are in this little Volume, thou shalt fi●de not a little comfortable by the faithful exercising thereof, to every estate, degree, or calling. I presume not to teach, but desire to be taught; and expect no praise, but even in heart yield all the praise to him that was, and is the guide and stay of all those that truly seek to serve him: which I beseech him to grant us faithfully at all times, not in the outward word with the lips only, and with a show alone; but with the inward affection of the heart, with the longing desire of the soul, and the ardent consent of all the powers thereof: so shall our Prayers please him, and even the groans four hearts, which p●●sse in silence, shall present our caus● before the Tribunal seat of our good God, who is always near at hand and ready to perform what is most necessary for our estates in this life, which in respect is but a span l●ng: yea, could we live a thousand years, it wore but as one day. We may not too much regard the over-dainty maintenance of our corporal estates; we may not over-curiously seek the means to become admirable in respect of our authority, our riches, our friend's, and ourcasuall pleasures; wherewith alas our weak natures, our frail conceits, our carnal desires are often begniled, and cur poor souls often endangered. Wherefore it behoveth us carefully first before all things to seek the Kingdom of GOD, the way, the means, a●d the guide thereunto; which is not to be sought elsewhere: for it is not in the outward view, and therefore to be sought from above, and to b●● inwardly received and comprebended by faith. It is the Kingdom of the mysteries of God, it is the keeping of his Commandments, and due obedience unto his will. The way thereunto is grace, the gift of God which he giveth to them that faithful i● ask it; the means to help us thereunto is Christ the Sonn● of God, who sitting at the right and of God the Father, obtaineth and sendeth us that grace which guideth us and giveth all things both spiritual ●nd worldly, that he seethe needful for us. And yet notwithstanding the singular benefit of the Mediation of Christ unto his Father for us, we are not discharged of this necessary exercise of Prayer, but so much the more enjoined to the executing thereof, continually, instantly, faithfully, and zealously for the graces of God; without the which all our Prayers, all our speeches, be they many or few, be they loud, or silent, be they of what kind or show soever, avail nothing. But we must first found all ●●r desires and prayers upon an undoubted faith; we must pour them from the very bottom of our hear●s, and continue them in a godly patience, and all in the name of Christ jesus: in whose name, and for whose sake all things necessary are promised to be given to those that ask according to the will of God. Wherein we must note that we are not per●itt●● rashly to desire any thing according to the desire of fleshly imagination, ●ee it in o● conceits never so me●t and necessary (for the wisdom of th● flesh is foolishness before God but we must first duly confide● what direction the Word ●● GOD giveth us in that b● half, and there in all h●● mility repair to the fo●● ●ains, from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●hich we pray for must come. So I rest, Thine in Christian good will, Henry Thompson. THE SOULS Alarm Bell. Wherein the sick Soul (through the horror of con conscience) being awikened from security by the sight of his sin, hath recourse to God by Prayer. The Second Part. Watch and pray, lest ye fall into temptation. MATTH. 26. The way how to commend ourselves to God in the Morning at our uprising. IF thou wouldst commend thyself in the morning aright, thou must have respect of certain things which follow. Awake thy so●●●, exalt thyself on high, be blin● no more, but use thy force an● might; let folly sink, let painted pleasures die, sh●n darkness, and seek the blessed light▪ For Earth yields toil, care, discord, pain, and grief: but Hea●en gives rest, peace, comfort, and relief. Therefore so soon as thou risest, arm thyself in faith t● pray; and when thou hast s● done, think not upon fri●olo● toys or vain p●a●tafies, b●● lift up thy heart to God. A●● when thou kneelest on th● ground, and sayest thy prayers● (for so we ought to pray) th●● give thanks to God that th●● hast so safely passed that night, that thou hadst not died in sin, as many a o●e hath do●e; b●● art preserved till this day. An● thou must purpose with thy self to do ●othing that day which may displease God, but meditate in thy mind some godly meditations, desiring his assistance for the furtherance of the true serving his omnipotent Majesty. ● A Prayer before we settle ourselves to our Devotions. O Most gracious Lord, give me leave to present myself before thy divine Majesty, and to pour out my unworthy prayers in the sight of thy most mighty and glorious presence. Behold me O Lord, not in my merits, but in the multitude of thy mercies. I now com● to make manifest my necessities, and to utter my griefs unto thee. I come as a poor● and needy wretch unto ● God of infinite glory: I com● as a worm of the Earth unto my Sovereign Make● and Creator. I come as ● guilty & heinous offende●● I am not worthy to lift v● mine eyes to Heaven, mu●● less to open my mouth in thy glorious presence, o● presume to talk with ● Lord and King of so great ● Majesty, being myself bu● slime and ashes: but o Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, thou promisest that who asketh shall receive ● who knocketh shall be le● in; who seeketh shall finder Thou invitest the greatest ●inners, and refusest not to yield thy assistance to any ●hat will use it; grant me ●herefore grace now to pray ●nto thee, as my duty and ●hy desert requireth: grant ●e a pureintention, a fer●ent devotion, and an attentive mind, that it be not car●ed away with impertinent ●oughts, nor any other di●raction, but with humble ●eart, firm hope, and peract charity, I may effectual●e pray unto thee, and ask ●f thee that which thou see●t most for thy glory and ●y good: gra●t Lord I beseech thee that thou wilt ●elpe me to pray worthily, ●at thou mayest mercifully ●rant my Petitions; keep ●y thoughts from wandering, restrain my imaginations, and preserve my senses from being distracted● defend O Lord my weak● heart from ghostly assault'st and so fix my mind upon thee, that I be not carrie● away from consideration o● thy presence; grant me distinctly to pronounce my words, attentively to apply my thoughts, and to be wholly ravished and possessed with zeal and true devotion: O Lord grant me to ask forgiveness with ● deep contrition and ful● purpose of amendment ● grant me to crave thy benefits with hearty thankfulness for those which I have received. Grant me to pray for myself, with a perfect resignation unto thy will, and ●or all others with true charity and sincere affection. Afford O Lord such com●ort to my soul as thou ●eest fit ●or me, and by the assistance of thy spirit inspire ●hy good motions into me ●hat I may feel them forcibly, accept them thankefulie, and fulfil them effectually. Finally, I humbly beseech thee of thy mercy and goodness that I may praise ●hee with a true repentant ●eart, to appease the fury of ●hy anger against me, whereby I may come to enjoy ●ith thy Majesty eternal glory without end, Amen. A Morning Prayer. O Most gracious LORD and Omnipotent Father, thou which made●● Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that is therein, together with thy dearly beloved Son JESUS CHRIST, and with thy holy Spirit; thou hast brought us to the beginning of this day thorough thy goodness: now we beseech thee that this day we fall into no sin, bu● that we may accomplish thy holy will, by directing ou● words, framing our thoughts and disposing our doing accordingly. Help us, an● further us O Lord in all ou● Prayers, that whatsoever w● do, may always take beginning from thee; and being so begun, we may proceed in true serving of thee who art the Fountain 〈◊〉 light, and most peerless spring of Wisdom. LORD vouchsafe that the beams of thy wonderful glory may beat against my dark and small understanding, and drive from me two kind of mists, to wit, sin and ignorance, wherein I was borne. Thou O Lord that makest the tongues of little Infants to be eloquent, teach me to rule my tongue, and let thy grace and blessing be pou●ed on my lips. Give me sharpness of understanding thy heavenly word, and ability to retain it; a facility to serve a good kind of interpretation, a good place to utter my words, and that they may tend to thy glory: and guide my entrance to the matters I speak of; direct my proceeding in the same, and make perfect my conclusion. Come Holy Ghost, fill my heart with thy faith, and kindle in me the fire of thy love; do thus good Lord, who didst bring the Gentiles to the unity of thy saith by all kinds of divers and strange languages; send out Lord thy holy Spirit, and all things shall be created, and thou shalt make fresh the face of the Earth: and thou that hast taught the Hearts of thy faithful by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, give me the same spirit, right understanding, and always to rejoice in thee; make me forsake Satan, and cleave to thee o Christ, who art the way, truth, and life. show me thy ways o Lord, and teach me thy paths; direct my steps according to thy word, that no unrighteousness reign over me. Ma●e my going perfect in thy ways, that my steps be not moved: Lord why heart the Father of grace an● mercy descend me from my enemies, and receive me at the hour of my death. Good Lord grant I may departed in a good hour out of this World, and that I may arise from the death of sin, and walk in newness of life; that when I shall rise again at the latter day, when our life shall be seen manisestly of all men, I also may be openly, but favourably seen of thy glory, who liue●● and reiguest one GOD World without end. Amen. Another Prayer for the Morning. O Lord God and my heavenly Father, I do here present myself with my morning sacrifice unto thy Omnipotent Majesty, craving thy merciful aid for the strengthening of my weak faith, at this present, that thereby I may be made the more apt and able to serve thy heavenly Majesty, in all holiness and true sincerity of heart. And now that the time allotted for my feeble senses, is expired, and that the spring of the morning approacheth, I offer up my bounden duty of praise and thanksgiving to thy ever blessed and glorious Majesty, upon whom all the hours and moments of life depend, for adding yet more space unto my days, for granting me a larger time of repentance, for the obtaining of thy grace, and exercise of virtue, and amendment of my sinful life, O eternal and everliving God, who art the guardian to all true believers; make me evermore to magnify and extol thy mercies, and in true token of this my thankfulness (having nothing more near unto me then myself) I here offer and present myself body and soul, unto thy heavenly will and pleasure, beseeching thee to dispose of me as of thine own, to direct the remainder of my life to thy Honour and service, to enlighten my mind more and more to the knowledge of thee and myself; to inflame my heart with true charity, to preserve my senses in thy holy fear, that by my will I may neither hear, see, nor touch any thing that is unclean or offensive unto thee. And if in taking of my natural rest, either thorough the suggestion of the enemy, or the rebellion of mine own flesh, I have had any disordered motions, or unchaste representations in my slcepe, now I am perfectly awake, and by thy mercy returned unto the use of my reason, I do utterly disclaim the same, denying all consent of my will and affections thereunto. And now my gracious Lord God, for this day being present, I may by thy heavenly assistance, resolve with myself, so to live in this World, that I may both avoid all sin, and the occasion thereof, and to leave my accustomed vices, and those especially to which I am most prone to fall unto; and that I may refer●e all my actions and endeavours to the praise and honour of thy holy name; so to bestow my time, that this day may not be lost or pass over my head without some good work tending to the true worshipping of thy holy name: which laudable determinations and purpose of the amendment of my lewd and lose life, may accordingly take effect, and give thy blessing gracious Lord to them all: O merciful God I beseech thee according to thy great mercy, that thou w●lt b●ot out all mine offences, for I am a wretched and a miserable sinner; therefore I do hearty desire in all humility to adore and worship thee, and to render unto thee immortal praise and thanksgiving for all thy blessings, and especially for that unspeakable goodness wherein thou didst send down thy only begotten Son into this vale of misery for the work of our redemption; whereby we are cherished and nourished, wherewith we are cleansed and sanctified, and our souls made partakers of all heavenly grace, and spiritual blessings; for which I yield unto thee all possible thanks that a poor sinful creature, being but a handful of dust, can yield unto thy divine Majesty, being of no value without thy mercy. Also thou hast vouchsafed first to wash me with the laver of Baptism, to the remission of that original corruption contracted in my first Parents, and afterwards thou hast brought me to the exercises & acts of a right faith, not ceasing daily to increase the same in me by the light of thy grace, and doctrine of thy holy Word. O Lord I humbly thank thee also, that from my Cradle thou hast nourished, clothed, and cherished me, supplying all things necessary for the relief and maintenance of this my feeble body, for which evermore I will magnify thy holy name, that in great mercy th●u hast hither to spared me; albeit from my youth I have wanton rioted in manifold excesses; patiently expecting till by thy grace I might be awaked from the sleep of sin, and reclaimed from my vanities and wicked courses; hadst thou dealt with me according to my deserts, my soul long ere this had been oppressed with innumerable sins, and had been plunged in perdition, yea, the yawning gulf of hell had swallowed me quick. Lord in respect of all thy mercies, graces, and blessings, which thou hast poured upon me, I desire that my heart may be more and more enlarged to render unto thee a more ample tribute of praise and thanksgiving. And now for those things whereof I stand in need, and feign would obtain at thy hands; fi●st, only Lord God never leave me unto myself, but let the bit of thy chaste fear be ever in my jaws, to curb and to keep me within the compass of thy Law, that I may dread nothing in the world, as in the least sort to offend and displease thee: for which cause let thy holy love so temper all trials and temptations which happen unto me, that I may profit and not lose by them; thou (my Creator) knowest how frail I am of myself, and how my strength is nothing. Moreover (blessed Lord) ● beseech thee that thou wouldst keep far from me thy servant all pride and haughtiness of mind, all self-love, and vain glory, all obstinacy and disobedience, all craft and hurtful dissimulation: cast down and tread under my feet the spirit ●● gluttony and lechery; the spirit of sloth and heaviness, the spirit of malice and envy, the spirit of hatred and disdain; that I may never despise or contemn any of thy Creatures, nor prefer myself before others; but ever little in my own sight, to think the best of my brethren, and to deem and judge the worst of myself. I●●est me (Holy Father) with the wedding garment of thy beloved son, ●he supernatural virtue of ●ll things, that I may love ●hee my Lord God with all my heart, with all my soul, ●nd with all my strength; ●hat neither life, nor death, prosperity, nor adversity, ●or any thing else may fe●arate me from thy love. Grant that all inordinate affection to the transitory ●hings of this World, may ●ailie decay and die in me, ●hat thou alone mayest be ●astefull, pleasant, and savoury unto my soul. O my most gracious God, ●iue unto thy servant an ●umble, contrite, and obedient heart, an understanding always occupied in honest, virtuous cogitations, a will tractable, and ever prone t● the better; affections stayed calm, & moderate; a watch full custody of my senses● that by those windows n● sin may enter into my soul● a perfect government of m● tongue, that no corrupt o● unseemly language ma● proceed from my lips, th● I may never slander, back● bite, or speak ill of m● Neighbour; that I may n● busy myself in the faul● and imperfections of other but rather attend to the ● mending of my own leu● life: and finally, so long a● am detained in this priso● of my body, and exiled fro● my heavenly Country, l● this be my portion, and t●● comfort of my banishment that free from all secul● ●ares, and carking solicitude of this present life, wholly devoted to thy service, I may attend only to thee, ● may rejoice only in thee, ● may cleave unto thee, I may rest my soul in thee; ●nd sitting in silence, I may give way and entertainment ●o the heavenly doctrine, to ●he good motions and in●pirations of thy holy Spirit. In these sweet exercises ●et me pass the solitary ●oures of my tedious pilgrimage, with patience expe●●ing the shutting up of my ●aies, and an happy end of ●his my miserable life. And ●rant o thou lover of mankind, my Lord and my God, ●hat when this my earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved, being found free from all pollution of sin as after Baptism, I may be reckoned in the number of thos● blessed souls, who through the merits and passion o● thy dear Son, are held● worthy to reign with thee● and to enjoy the glorio●● presence of the blessed Trinity, Father, So●ne, and Holy Chost; to whom of al● Creatures i● Heaven an● Earth, be rendered praise and thanksgiving Worl● without e●d, Amen. Another Morning Prayer. O Blessed Lord, tho● hast established thy Throne in Heaven, and tho● governest all things by thir● imperial power. I will magnify thee O God and praise thy name World without ●nd; I will give thee thanks always, and make thy name glorious for evermore Lord confirm in me that which ●hou hast wrought, and finish the work thou hast begu●●e in me, to the glory of thy name, and the saving of ●●y soul at the dreadful day of thy v●sitation: for thy mercies' sake (O Father of goodness and mercy) let the depth of thy bounty dry up the depth of my sins, and give me grace to effect thy will, and then command me what thou plea●est. Lord give me patience, constancy, and perseverance ●n my calling and duty of ●ife, according to thy will ●nd direction; and then let my course of life be in what thou wilt appoint. Good Father be thou my guide and ●ule of l●●e, and then all my actions shall be squared● and fitted by the aim of thy word to my great comfort. Lord let not the world with her smile beguile me, nor with ●er ●rownes affright me: Arm me with sanctity, strength, and wisdom, that Satan deceive me not; let not my own conscience betray me to his malice, let me every day increase my strength in thee, to the welfare of my soul. And (good Lord) give me grace patiently and thankfully to take all thou shalt lay upon me: good Father, deliver me this day from sin, and all other mischief that may befall me through my frailty, and keep me as the apple of thy eye; Lord hide me under the shadow of thy wings from the ungodly, and them that go about to trouble me. Mine enemy's compaste me ●ound about, Lord be thou my guard and defence; let not mine enemies have the ●oper hand of me. O Lord cleanse me from my secret off●aces, and let my morning tears, and the sorrowful sighing of my heart, ●ome before thy presence, ●nd always be acceptable in ●hy sight. And I beseech thee (good Father) to cast upon me ●he eye of thy great clemency, that through the effects of thy spirit I may obtain life everlasting, Amen. A short Prayer for the Morning. O Lord God in the multitude of thy mercies I do here present myself unto thee, beseeching thee to hear me, and to address my heart truly and zealously to call upon thee. O Heavenly Father, who like a diligent watchman dost always attend thy faithful people, whether they awake or sleep, and mightily defendest them, not only from Satan that old enemy of Mankind, but also from all other adversaries, so that by thy godly power they be preserved harmless. I most hearty thank thee, that it hath pleased thy fatherly goodness to take care of ●●ee thine unprofitable ser●uant this night past, that thou hast both safely kept me from all my enemies, and also given me sweet sleep, to the great comfort of my ●ody I most entirely beseech ●hee (O most merciful Father) to show the like kindness towards me this day, in preserving my body and ●oule, that as my enemies may have no power over me, so I likewise may nei●her think, breath, speak, ●r do any thing, that may ●e displeasant to thy Father●●e goodness, dangerous to ●y self, or hurtful to my neighbour; but that all mine enterprises may be agreeable to thy most blessed will, ●hich is always good and godly, doing that which may advance thy glory, answer to my vocation, an● profit my neighbour, who●● I ought to love as myself ● that whensoever thou callest me from this vale of misery, I may be found th● Child not of darkness, bu● of light; and so for eue●raigne with thee in glory which art the true and everlasting light: to whom, with thy dearly beloved Son JESUS CHRIST our only Saviour, and the Holy Ghost that most sweet comforter, be all honour and glory, Amen. A Meditation to be used before thou go●st to bed. AT night before thou goest to bed, examine well thy conscience. It is good that every man do not only weekly, but every day and hour examine himself ●● drive from his soul all negligence and sloth, and enrich his mind with godliness. Whereupon the Poet writeth very well. Let not thy sluggish sleep close up thy waking eye, Until with judgement deep thy daily deeds thou try. It is meet then to examine our consciences of the grievous offences which we have committed against GOD, and to call to remembrance, how we have offended his omnipotent Majesty from the time we did rise, unto this present, by thought, consent, deed●, slackness, or omitting that which tendeth to the true service and ●onour of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, by offending of our Neighbour, b● passing our time idly in praying after a ●●olde sort with small devotion, and in neglecting of our duty by such slothfulness, that we thereby fall into erroneous sins, which turn● very injurious to our souls. Therefore let us with true sorrow and grief, and with a remorse of conscience duly consider the great offence we commit against so merciful a GOD; then preparing ourselves to prayer, let us give God his d●● in serving him in holiness and righteousness, with most humble thanks for his great ●●rci●s and benefits, which he so liberally bestowed upon us ●●nie ways; as in making us reasonable Creatures, after his o●ne similitude and likeness, ●nd by his infinite love in shed●ing his most precious blood, ●●l●●ring v● thereby from the ●●tt●●●lesse pit of hell. M●r●●●●r he h●th pr●mised, and is always ready to give ●● everlasting life if we i● faith truly seek it ●t his merciful ●●nds, ●●d walk● in his La●es, and follow his Commandments. Let us consider ●is gre●t love, th●t ●● bathe 〈◊〉 v● in the Holy Ghost, when we were ignorant; a●d in laying his shining love upon us, with the light of faith, which h●th preserved us from a gr●●t●● danger. For example, through pri●● his Majesty dro●e out of Hea●en th●se which were sometimes glorious shining Angels, being disobedient to his Law; and chased Adam out of Paradise for hi● disobedience, in not obeying his heavenly will. Further his justice hath cast many a o●e into the deep ●●ngeon of bell, there to be tormented with perpetual pain & punishment for their slothful negligence in serving of him. How much then are we bound unto the Lord, in giving us so many example's, whereby we might serve him aright, as true Christians ought to do●? but his mercy is infinite, full of patience and long suffering. If we will at any time seek and call to him for grace, ●ow gently doth he lay his r●dd● of correction upon us, whereby we may acknowledge our offences in turning to him in the sincerity of our hearts, minding never more to offend him? whereas otherwise it might please ●im to destroy us suddenly: O what a g●●tle and loving Father is this, that hath more care of us than we ha●e of our sel●es? How often hath he spa●ed us when we have fallen into sin? whereas if his l●●●●ad not been gr●at to us, he might easily ●a●● th●●●ne us down into perpetual destruction, without giving us ti●● of repentance. Therefore let us call to mind how dangerous a thing it is to offend so merciful a Father: let us call to mind●, why we should put our souls into so great a danger, considering we see that he strikes many ti●es suddenly, without gi●ing any repentance ●● all. If ●●●●●●●● but diligently consider t●● danger w●●rest in by our idle and cold serving of GOD, questionless we should betake ourselves to a better serving of him. Say we should die, and leave this life this present night, what judgement should we look or expect, or to what place should we be brought, where should we give and make account for every idle word we speak, for whatsoever we think or do? Of what a hard and fearful thing is this unto us, if we would but duly consider, what we lose in not serving God truly. Let us give over this lazy serving of God, and leave the idle vanities of the World which lulls us asleep in the lap of destruction. It is fit that we earnestly enforce our thoughts still to be calling to GOD for mercy and remission of our sins, promising from the bottom of our hearts to be more careful and to use greater diligence for the amendment of our wicked lives. And if it please his divine Majesty to take our lives away this night, desire him according to his infinite mercy, to deal mercifully with us, not according to our deservings, which are merely nought, but according to his righteousness, which is all good: but if it please his omnipotency to prolong our days any further here in this world, pray that he will so infuse into our heart: the oil of his grace, that we may magnify him in a better fashion, than we have usually done heretofore; and pray that he will give us grace ●o live discreetly, uprightly, and godlily in this life, and in the World to come, to give us life everlasting. Amen. A Prayer for the Evening. O Most worthy redeemer and Saviour of Mankind, I avile and a wretched sinn●●, in hope of pardon and forgiveness of my great offences, do here humbly prostrate myself before thy sacred fleet, this night, confessing unto thee, and accusing myself of all my faults and heinous transgressions, wherewith unto this hour I have so offended thee my Lord and Maker; and that I have not trembled to commit those execrable sins, for which if thy mercies were not great towards me, I should remain as a lost sheep: I must needs confess my most great ingratitude, which I have committed unto this hour against thee my only Lord and Redeemer, so unthankful to thee for all thy love, graces, and benefits bestowed upon me; and that thou hast so patiently spared me so long a time persisting in evil, and continuing my wicked and ungracious courses, that in mercy thou hast tolerated so great contempt of thy divine will and Commandments; yea, so exceeding and great hath been thy love, that in stead of casting me into hell fire, thou hast kept me under the shadow of thy wings, (as for these my offences I had justly deserved) thou contrariwise hast spared me for amendemnt of life, for which cause how often hast thou knocked at the door of my heart by thy heavenly inspirations? how often hast thou prevented ●ee with blessings, alured me with comforts, drawn me with favours, yea, forced me many times by crosses and afflictions to seek unto thee? and yet neither hath my flinty heart been mollified therewith, nor my will reclaimed. A wonder it is, that now at last, coming to find the foulness of my error, my very heart doth not burst with extremity of contrition. Hath Hell itself sufficient torment to punish such wickedness, and to take vengeance of such exceeding ingratitude? unworthy I am to be called thy Creature, or whom the earth should bear, much less afford nourishment and things necessary for preservation of my health; nay, doubtless, had not thy mercy withheld them, both Heaven and Earth, the Elements and all Creatures had long ere this taken vengeance of me for such horrible contempt and abuses. O how many thousands in the World by thy righteous judgements are already condemned to the never ending torments of hell fire, who never came near the measure of any mortal transgressions! Yea, who in comparison of me a sinful caitiff, might rather be Saints in Heaven, than damned souls adjudged as they be, unto eternal perdition. But now O merciful Father, and God of pity and compassion, in unfeigned sorrow and remorse of conscience for all my misdeeds, I throw myself down at thy feet this night, humbly beseeching thee to be reconciled unto me, to pardon all my offences, both new and old; to look upon me a miserable and a wretched sinner, with the eye of mercy, as thou didst the penitent Publican, the ●●nner Magdalen, and the Apostle that thrice denied thee. Be pleased to admit me again into thy grace and favour; Lord I pray thee work that speedily in me, for which cause thou hast so long spared me. Woe is me, that I should leave so loving and so kind a Father, who hath not ceased to procure my good; that I have refused to bestow upon him my heart, who would have made an habitation for his own abode therein, which by keeping from him myself, have defiled it with much filth and corruption. Yea, made it a vessel of impiety, a stew of unclean thoughts and cogitations: in a word, I confess myself to be the most vicious Creature upon the Earth. Yet the rather will I throw myself into the Sea of thy mercy: for as my sins be numberless, so be thy mercies endless. But most loving Father, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; Lord heal the wounds of my soul, for unto thee do I open the sore. Remember thyself, sweet Lord, of that comfortable speech pronounced by the mouth of one of thy Prophets. Thou hast committed folli● with many Lovers, yet turn● thee again unto me, and I will receive thee. Much confidence have I Lord in this thy sweet and comfortable saying, & with all my heart do I return unto thee, and to none else. I am that prodigal child, I am that unfaithful servant, who have separated myself from the Father of lights, from whom all goodness doth flow. I have forsaken the fountain of lluing waters, and have digged unto myself Ci●●●rnes which will hold no water, contenting myself with such barren comforts, as the Creatures did afford me; such momentany & sading pleasures, as to the great detriment of my soul I h●ue ●ried to be lighter than cha●●e, and more vain than vanity itself. But what is past gracious God, let it be canceled and forgotten; and for the time to come let there be an eternal league of friendship and amity betwixt us. Namely, that thou wilt be my merciful Father, and that again I may be thy obedient child; Lord thou soest I do not ask of thee riches, honours, or long life, but only this, even this thing alone, which with all possible importunity I urge, and never will cease to crave, that from this present hour to my lives end, I may never more offend thy divine Majesty, nor defile my conscience with any mortal ofsence. O Lord grant ● poor sinner this his humble suit, for Christ jesus his sake, my alone Saviour and Redeemer. Come holy Spirit, the sweetest comforter of Mankind, (I beseech thee) take the possession of my soul, purge and cleanse me of all sin, & sanctify me throughout; wash what is corrupted, water what is dried, heal what is wounded bow what is stiffened, warm what is cooled, call home what is strayed; make me truly humble and resigned, ●hat thou mayest be pleased ●o stay and abide with thy servant. O most blessed light, and glorious lamp, illuminate my mind with the heavenly beams of thy wisdom. O Paradise of pleasures, ● Fountain of purest delights, my God, give me thy ●elfe. In flame my soul with ●hy celestial love, teach me. govern me, direct and pro●ect me through the whole ●ourse of my life. Establish my mind against ●ll elusions and inordinate fear; grant me a right faith & an assured hope, a sincere and perfect charity, and that I may prefer thy blessed will, & pleasure, before a●● things in Heaven and Earth. And now (sweet jesus) upon the knees of my heart I humbly crave pardon o● these and all other my trespasses, known, and unknown; yea, so inspire my heart with thy spirit, that seriously I may resolve of amendment of life for the time to come. That I may carefully reform myself of those usual errors, into which this day past, and so often as heretofore I have been accustomed to fall, that I may renewal my good purposes and intentions, and accordingly put them in practice: that so finally after this my short life spent in thy service, I may at length close up my days in peace, and happily end in thee, who art blessed for ever. Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest ever one God World without end, Amen. A Prayer for Night. O My most Sovereign Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, Lamp of light & truth, I miserable wretch most humbly beseech thee to withdraw, and keep my mind from wandering thoughts & distractions this night; Lord hear the groaning of those, who under then of sin and infirmity cry unto thee; Lord lose ●he bonds and shackles of iniquity, wherewith I have bound myself, and out of the dark prison of wickedness, whereinto I have run and captivated myself, deliver my sinful soul. O Lord: As thou art my skilful Physician, and best knowest my diseases, take me to thy cure O Son of God, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier; let thy unspeakable love remain in my soul for ever, that I may enjoy thee, and joy in thy countenance. Thou that leddest the Israelites thy servants through the red Sea, and deliveredst them from the bondage of Phar●ah and his cruel Ministers, discharge me of the grievous weight of my sins, wherewith my soul is so heavily laden. Thou that desendedst Daniel in the Lion's den, descend me this night and evermore. Thou that pardonedst David's unspeakable sins, be merciful unto me, thou Son of God and Saviour of the World, in whom 〈◊〉 lie is my salvation; by whom I may become an Angel in Heaven, and without whose mercy am a devil in hell. Good God, look graciously upon me, wash me O Lord, whose iniquities are as red as blood, and I shall appear before thy almighty Throne as white as snow. Lord deliver me now this night, and in the hour of my death, from all the malicious temptations of the old Serpent my enemy; adopt me here thy son below, that I may become thy servant above, and live with thee and reign with thee in those joys which are ever during; who with the Father and the Holy Ghost ever livest & reignest World without end. Ame●. O Lord look down from Heaven upon me miserable wr●tch, that lie here prostrate at thy feet, craving mercy of: thy Omnipotent Majesty, for those sins which I have committed this day against thee, I humbly beseech thee O Christ, which a●● my only Saviour and Redee●●er, to extend thy accustomed goodness to me this night, that I may be defended from the danger of the enemy, and all evil which may befall me this night: good Lord take me into thy protection of safeguard, that I may take safe and quiet rest this night, to the end I may be the better enabled the next day to serve thee in all godliness & holiness of living, whereby I may have thy blessings powered down plentifully upon me, to the relief of me and mine; and that after this painful life ended, I may dwell with thee in life everlasting. Amen. A Prayer to GOD for grace, and to d●sp●se the vanity of the World. O Gracious and Omnipotent Father, have mer●ie on me, and forgive me the great offences which I have done in the sight o● thee. Grant me grace for the love of thee to despise sinne● and all worldly vanities help me to overcome all temptations to sin, and the malice o● my ghostly enemies, and to spend my time in virtue, and labour acceptable to thee. Repress the motions of my sinful flesh, that mine heart may be enamoured of virtue, to live to thine honour, and to the comfort of my soul. O Father strengthen me in soul and body, to execute the works of godliness, to the glory of thy blessed name, and profit of my Christian brethren, whereby I may come to thy everlasting joy and felicity. Grant me a firm purpose most (merciful Lord) to amend my life, and to make recompense for those years which I have misspent to thy displeasure in evil thoughts, delectations, consentings, words, works, and evil customs, whereby I have deserved damnation. Lord make mine heart obedient to thy will, comfort me, and gi●e me grace to have my most joy and pleasure in thee; give me heavenly meditations, ghostly sweetness, and zeal of thy glory. Ravish my soul with a burning desire to the heavenly joy, where I shall everlastingly dwell with thee. ●rant me (sweet Saviour) contempt of all damnable pleasure of sin and misery; grant me a true remembrance of my salvation, with a fear of damnation; and 〈◊〉 remembrance of thy goodness, thy gifts & great ●i●dnesse showed to me from my creation until this present hour. O Lord reduce into my mind my sins and disobedience, whereby I have offended thee; Lord grant me a right spirit and perfect contrition to obtain thy grace, and from filthy sin to purge me. O God make me constant and stable i● faith, hope, and charity, with continuance in virtue; direct my will that it may not offend thee, but grant me perfect patience in all tr●bulations and adversity. Preserve me from pride, ●re, enure, covetousness, and from all offences contrary to thy law; suffer no false delight of this deceivable life, by fleshly temptation and fraud of the ●●end, to blind me at the hour of my death. I beseech thee (O Lord) grant me such a light of thy ghostly wisdom, that I may do those things which are most acceptable to thee, & grant me grace to do hurt to nobody, but to help those with good counsel which have offended thee; and make me to proceed in virtue, until such time as I shall see thy Omnipotent Majesty; and let me not turn to those sins which I have sorrowed for, and accused myself of. The horrible sentence of endless death, the terrible judgement of damnation, thy wrath, ire, and indignation, (merciful Lord) let them never fall upon me, thy mercy and thy merits ever be between them and me. Lord grant me grace inwardly to fear and dread thee, and to eschew those things whereby I might offend thee; give me a contrite heart for that I have offended thee: good Father remove my sinful dispositions which dull mine heart, and like lead do suppress me. Let me not forget the riches of thy goodness, of thy patience, of thy long sufferance, and benignity: let the threatening of pain and torment which shall fall upon sinners, the loss of thy love, and of thy heavenly inheritance, ever make me fear to offend thee. Suffer me not (dear Father) to live and die in sin, but soon call me to repentance, when I have displeased thee, and grant me grace truly to love thee; and when I offend thee, smite me not with thy wrathful indignation I beseech thee, but let it be thy gentle rod of correction. Let the remembrance of thy kindness and patience conquer the malicious & wretched desire in me, draw me Lord to thee by thy holy spirit, and do with me according to thy mercy, and not after my unthankfulness: withdraw t●y sword of vengeance (O Lord) for thy great mercy sake, and grant me to be the child of salvation, whereby I may have glorification, clear fight, and fruition of the Deity, and be ever present to see the glorious Trinity. O sweet Saviour Lord jesus Christ, grant me grace for to remember perfectly the danger of death, and the great account which I must then give to thee. Lord dispose so of me then, that my soul may be acceptable in thy sight: turn net thy loving face then from me, but be a merciful King & meek judge at that dreadful hour of my visitation, that I may not have the ●igour of thy righteousness, which is; Goe●e cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels; but to hear that comfortable salvation which thou dost give to thy chosen. Come ye blessed of my Father, and enjoy the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World. Let this hope of thy mercies comfort my sick weak soul, that I never fall into desperation of thy endless mercy. For the merits of thy Son Christ jesus I beseech thee grant me these petitions which I have asked of thee; have mercy on me awretched sinner. And I beseech thee bring me to thine everlasting glory, there to rest in bliss World without end. A Prayer to GOD to defend us from evil company, and our tongues from uttering ●ll words. O Lord jesus, grant me grace to ●lie evil company, and when I come among them, for thy glorious passion I beseech thee to preserve me, that no occasion of sin overcome me; and send me comfort from thy omnipotent Majesty, to withstand all illusions of the flesh, whereby thy blessed name may be dishonoured. Keep my mouth (good Lord) from slanders, ill speaking, lying, false witnessebeating, cursing, swearing, uncharitable chiding, dissolute laughing, and words of vanity. Make me (blessed Lord) with dread to remember, that thou presently hearest me, and that the least of my words shall judge me. Suffer not my heart to be light of credit, in hearing that which is detraction, obloquy, rancour and ire. Repress all inordinate affections of carnality; and where I have by evil fellowship offended thy Majesty, I beseech thee for the help of thy mercies in so offending thee; let thy power protect me, thy wisdom direct me, thy fatherly pity correct me; and send me a gracious life and a blessed ending; and with thy goodness preserve me from everlasting damnation and terror of mine enemy. In my temptations I beseech thee Lord to help me, and to keep my soul from consent to sin. For the tender love thou bearest to mankind, repel the power of my adversaries, which intent the damnation of me. Possess my soul (O Saviour) with all humble sub●ection to thy law, and make me pure in spirit, meek in speaking, patiented in suffering, to hunger after righteousness, and to be merciful to all them that be in misery. Make me peaceable in conversation, clean in heart unto godly meditation, and joyful to suffer persecution for thee. Let all my powers and desires be ruled according to thy will; let all my petitions be ordered by thy wisdom, to the everlasting profit of my soul. Lord keep my soul and my body, whereby I may be patiented in suffering injuries & rebukes; let me lead that life which thou knowest to be most to thine honour and my eternal felicity. Fill mine heart with contrition, and mine eyes with tears, that I never be forsaken of thee. Awake my dull soul from the sleep of sin, and send me help (Lord) from Heaven, to overcome the old serpent with all his crafts. Deliver me from the enemy of darkness, and his great cruelty; let thy obedience recompense for mine obstinacy, thy abstinence for my superfluity, thy meekness and thy patience for my pride, ireful heart & enmity. Thy charity for my malice, thy devotion for my dullness, thy loving heart for mine unkindness, thy holy death for my wretched life. Lord grant me grace in the time of prayer to fix my mind on thee, and at that time to remember the perils of body and soul which I have escaped; and the benefits that I have received thorough thy great mercy. And I thank thee most Heavenly Father) for all the Creatures which thou hast made to help man, and that thou hast made man after thine own Image in glory to honour thee. The motions of my running mind, the desire of mine unstable heart in time of prayer, stop and stay, Lord I beseech thee; and repress the power of my ghostly enemy, which then doth withdraw my mind from thee and thy true service to many vain imaginations. Lord I beseech thee to take me into thy power, and with thy goodness glad me; Lord let my mind be so occupied in goodness, that my prayers may be acceptable to thee. Hear now sweet Saviour the voice of a sinner, who would feign love thee, and with the heart as greatly please thee, as ever he hath offended thee. I beseech thee save my enemies from thy wrath, and forgive them that have offended thee, like as I would be forgiven in those things whereby I have offended thee. Give me grace to order my life (O Lord) and the works of my body & soul with resolved intent never to offend thee, whereby I may receive the reward of thy infinite joy and eternal felicity. O Lord jesus Christ grant me whatsoever thy divine wisdom knoweth most expedient for me, and that this miserable life is not worthy to obtain. Grant at the hour of my death I never fall from thee, when as I shall be accused for my heinous offences and sins committed against thy omnipotent Majesty. I beseech thee break my froward heart, and make it obedient unto thee. Lord keep me from sudden death, and preserve me so by thine almighty hand, and grant me sweet Father to have a contempt of this World, that I may with a joyful heart come into thy blessed presence. Let the remembrance of thy death make me joyful, whereby I may endure temptations & tribulations; and make me so to love thee, that I may come to inherit that joyful, immortal, and glorious life, most excellent bliss▪ and endless felicity, which is ordained in thy heavenly Kingdom, and for thy servants prepared. Lord grant me these supplications which I have made to thee at this present; grant me here in this Pilgrimage a gracious life, and ● blessed ending, free from debt and deadly sin; and after my death bring me to everlasting life, there to have an endless bliss and felicity. Amen. A Prayer to GOD for hi● great goodness unto man.. O My Sovereign Lord jesus, the very true Son of Almighty God, that suffered'st death for my sake, I beseech thee Lord have mercy on me that am a wretched sinner, but yet thy creature. For thy tender passion keep me from all perils bodily and ghostly, and especially from all things that may turn to thy displeasure. And with all my heart I thank thee (most merciful Lord) for the great mercies which thou hast showed me in the great dangers which I have been in, as well in soul as in body; and that thy grace and endless mercy hath always kept and saved me since the hour of my birth unto this day. Lord I beseech thee let thy mercy be continued towards me, and for my great offences; unkindness, wretched and sinful life, Lord, ● humbly ask pardon for the same at thy Almighty hands. And I thank thee (mo●● gracious Lord) for thy gre●● benefits and graces which thou hast so largely bestowed on me, before many other Creatures, who have bette● deserved then I. Lord I do here meekeli● prostrate myself in heart a● it becometh thy servant promising never to offend thee more; tendering all honour and praise to thy holi● name, who livest & reign one God World without end. Amen. A Prayer to GOD to deli●er us from our ghostly Enemies. MOst dear Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, I beseech thee of thy benign goodness and mercy, to protect, save, keep, and defend me against the assaults of my ghostly enemies: for I have no other trust, hope, nor succour, but thee alone. Grant me therefore most gracious Father to dread & love thee above all things in this present life; and after this life ended, to enjoy the Kingdom prepared for all true believers. Further I beseech thee that thou wilt vouchsafe out of thy great mercy and clemency to show thy bountiful goodness upon me, an● to forgive me all my sins and grant that I may persevere everlastingly in al● goodness and serve thee aright, that after this life ● may reign with thee in everlasting glory, Worl● without end. Amen. A Prayer to GOD daily to be said. O My most blessed Lord the well spring of pity and Fountain of endless mercy; I humbly beseech thee to give me grace so to spend this my transitory life in virtuous and godly exercises, that when the day of my death shall come, though I feel pain in my body, yet I may feel comfort in my soul, and with a faithful hope of thy mercy embrace thy messenger so contentedly, that I may willingly thorough thy grace and strength departed out of this vale of mis●ri●, in love towards thee, and charity towards the World; that I may hasten me to that glorious Country, wherein thou hast purchased me an inheritance for ever, with thy most precious blood O my sweet Saviour and Lord jesus Christ, I beseech thee while thou dost suffer me to live in this World, be so gracious a Father, as to give unto me a contrite and clean heart, quiet and patiented; a body chaste, humble, and obedient to follow thy will, and always ready to do thee service. To thee O God be al● praise, which hast ●ermitte● me to accomplish thi● work; grant (O ●ord● i● may be to thee acceptable, to my soul healthful, and to others profitable, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer to be used at all times. O Heavenly Lord and Omnipotent Father, the pattern of all goodness, and follower of all virtues, most stout overthrower of all wickedness and sharpest rooter up of vices, mercifully behold my frailty and proneness to evil. Help me with thy super●al power, that I may learn ●o despise all earthly pleasures, and the vanities there●●; and love all celestial and heavenly things. Make me resist all sin which stands between thy majesty and my weak spi●●t) ready to overthrow me ●● thy mercies were not assistant to my poor soul. Make me to withstand all temptation's, firmly to embrace virtue, to eschew all worldly honours, and carnal delights, and to bewail ●●ine offences committed in ●y sight. I beseech thee restrain my ●●bridled desires with thy ●●uing hand, whereby I may ●●staine from a lewd and ●ose life; and accustom my self with goodness to th● end; that by thy benefit an● gift of grace, by the true worshipping and serving of th● Omnipotent Majesty, I ma● possess the Crown of everlasting life in thy kingdom prepared for thine ●le● World without end. Amen. A Prayer to be daily said unto our Lord jesus Christ. O Maker of Heaven an● Earth, King of King's Lord of Lords, which of nothing didst make me t● thine Image and likeness and didst redeem me wit● thine own blood, when I sinner was not worthy t● name, to call, or with he● to think upon thee. Humbly I desire & meek●ie pray thee that thou gentry wilt behold me thy sinful and wre●ched servant: O have mercy on me thou which ●adst mercy on the woman of Canaan, upon Mary Magdalen, upon the publican, & upon the thief ●anging on the Cross. Unto thee I confess Lord ●y sins, which if I would, cannot hide from thee. Have mercy Lord on me, or I am a wretched sinner, ●hich have sore offended ●ee in pride, covetousnsse, gluttony, lechery, vainglory, hatred, envy, adultery, ●●est, lying, backbiting, ●orting, dissolute and wan●●n laughing, idle words, ●aring, tasting, sleeping, ●orking, and many more ways I frail man and most wretched sinner have offended thee. Therefore I most humbly pray and beseech thy gentleness, who for my health and salvation descendedst from Heaven, and didst hold up David that he should not fall into sin. Have mercy upon me (O Christ) who didst forgive Peter, that did forsake thee. Thou art my Creator, my Helper and Maker, my Redeemer, my Governor, my Father, my Lord, my God, my King: thou art my help, my trust, my strength, my defence, my redemption, my life, my health, and my resurrection; thou art my steadfastness, my refuge, and succour, my light, and my help. I most humbly and hearty desire & pray thee, help ●nd defend me. Make me ●●rong & comfort me, make me steadfast, make me soberly merry, give me the light of thy spirit, and visit me; revive me again who am dead, for I am thy making and thy work. O Lord despise me not; I am thy servant, thy bondman, although evil, unworthy, and a sinner. But whatsoever I am, whether I be good or bad, I am ever thine. Therefore to whom shall I fly, except I fly unto thee? If thou cast me off, who shall or will receive me? If thou despise me, and turn thy face from me▪ who shall look upon me, and recognize and acknowledge me? Although I be unworthy to come to thee, although I be vile and unclean, thou canst make me clean. If I be dead, thou canst revive mee, for thy mercy is much morethen mine iniquity; thou canst forgive me more than I can offend. Therefore (O Lord) do not consider, nor have respect to the number of my sins; but according to the greatness of thy mercy look on me a most wretched sinner. Lord say unto my soul, I am thy health, who saidst I will not the death of any sinner, but rather that he live and be converted. Turn me O Lord to thee, and be not angry with me. I pray thee most meek Father for thy great mercy, bring me unto that bliss that never ●hall c●●sse: so be it. A●en. A Prayer for the r●miss●● of sins. O Lord God, if we wretched sinners had, not ●y thy tender mercies and loving promises in Holy Scripture the comfort of our weak consciences and sorrowful hearts, we see no other remedy (so great and ●infinite are our sins) but that we must needs despair. But for as much as whatsoever things are written are written for our learning, that through patience and the comfort of Scriptures we may have hope; though our sins be never so many, never so abominable, yet they do not so much make us sad, as thy loving kindness and ●ender mercie● make us glad. Our sins (we confess) are innumerable, but thy mercies are also infinite; tho● art that most gentle Lord, which wilt not the death of a sinner, but rather that he turn and live. Thou for repentance sake wilt not see the sin●es of men; thou confessest that thou camest into this World to save sinners, to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance, and to seek that which was lost. Thou callest unto thee all those that are diseased and loaden with the heavy burden of sin, and promise●t that thou wilt case them; yea by thy Prophet thou sayest; If we will wash, and make clean our sel●●s; put away our evil thoughts out of thy sight, cease from doing evil and violence, learn to do right apply ourselves to equity, deliver the oppressed, help the fatherless to his right, and hear the widows complaint; though our sins were as ●ed as scarlet, ●et shall they be made whi●●● then snow; and though they were like purple, yet they shall be made like white 〈◊〉 Yea, thou sayest moreover, that for thine own sake, even for thy mercy & names sake thou wilt be good unto us, favour vs● and so cast away all our sins behind thy back tha● thou wilt ne●er remember them more. O Lord, thou art the God which cannot lie; thou art the soul's truth, thou art faithful in thy words, and holy in all thy works. For according to these thy loving promises hast thou ever dealt with the children of men, whensoever they repent and turned unto thee; when they forsook their sinful living, and called upon thy holy name, thou forgavest all their s●ns and healedst all their infirmities; thou also savedst their life from destruction, and crownedst them with mercy and loving kindness. For thou (O Lord God) a●●full of compassion and mercy, long suffering, and of great goodness; thou wi●● not always be chiding, neither wilt thou keep thine anger for ever, neither wilt thou deal with us after our sins, nor yet reward us according to our wickedness. For look how high the Heaven is in comparison of the Earth, so great is thy mercy towards them that fear thee. Look how wide the East is from the West, so far●e dost thou set our sins from us; yea, like as a Father pitieth his own children, even so art thou merciful unto them that fear thee. For thou knowest whereof we be made, thou remember'st that we are but dust, that a man in his time is but gras●e, and flourisheth as a flower of the field, and as soon as the wind goeth over it is gone, and the place thereof knoweth it no more: but thy merciful goodness (O Lord) endureth for ever, and ever upon them that fear thee. Of these thy loving kindnesses and tender mercies, who hath not tasted, if he sought it with all his heart? Thou didst forgive David both his whoredom and manslaughter, when he repent and confessed his sin. How oft didst thou call back the plagues of thy vengeance, when the Children of Israel lamented their sins and turned unto thee? How merciful didst thou show thyself to the Nonsuits, when they repent & humbled themselves in thy sight? How lovingly spakest thou to that sinful Woman in the Gospel, and forgavest her all her sins, because she repent and believed? Peter thy Disciple, although most cowardly denying thee, after that he had bitterly wept and lamented his sins, thou didst behold with thy merciful eye, and favourably receive him again into the number of thy holy Apostles. One of them that died with thee, being a thief, after he had called unto thee for grace thou didst place in Paradise, and make him partaker of thine eternal felicity. Many other notable examples of thy great mercies find we in Holy Scripture, which will not suffer us to despair of thy clemency and goodness, be our sins and wickedness never so ma●y; but they rather encourage ●s boldly to come unto the Throne of thy Grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in ●ime of need. O most gentle Saviour, thou art that most loving Shepherd, who didst diligently seek the wandering sheep, lovingly laid it upon thy shoulders, and tenderly brought it home again; seek us who have so long run astray, lay us upon thy merciful shoulders, and bring us home again unto the company of thy faithful. Thou art that merciful Sama●●tane, who beholding the miserable estate of the wounded man, with thy pitiful eye, camest unto him, madest clean his wounds, pouredst in wine and oileboundest them up, settest him upon his beast, and carried him into the Inn, and never leftest him, till he was perfectly whole. O most loving Saviour, vouchsafe with thy merciful eye to look upon my wretched estate, which without thy help must needs perish; my wounds are deadly, and not able to be healed of any, ●ither in Heaven or in Earth, but of thee alone, wh● art the true Physician, and hea●est those that are contrite in heart; my whole head is sick, and the ●eart is very h●a●ie, from the sole of the foot unto the crown of the head there is no whole part in all our body, but all are wounds, botches, sores, and stripes, which can never be healed, bound up, mollified, nor eased with any ointment, except thou puttest to thy helping hand. Let it therefore please thee of thy great goodness to cleanse my wounds, to pour in the wine and oil of spiritual gladness, to bind them up, and never to leave me till thou hast made me perfectly whole, and brought me into thy Heavenly Kingdom. heal thou me O Lord, and I shall be healed; save thou me, and I shall be saved. Thou art that most tender Father, who receivedst home again with embracing arms that lost Son, which had wasted all his goods with riotous living: so soon as he returned unto thee, and did repent him of his disorder, confessed his sin, and humbled himself in thy fight, thou hadst compassion on him; thou didst fall on his neck, and kissed him; thou didst command thy servants to bring forth that best garment, and put it on thy Son, and to put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet; thou gavest commandment to fetch the fat Calf to kill, saying; Let us eat and be merry, for this my Son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and now is found. Show this thy favour, O most gentle Father to me thy Child, who have ungodly bestowed those good and gracious gifts, which thou both lovingly and liberally gavest unto me. This my prodigal and licentious living sore grieveth me, and I am heartily sorry that I have so grievously offended thy Fatherly goodness; notwithstanding according to thy old wont goodness, I most humbly beseech thee for thy name sake to have mercy on me, to forgive me my sins, and to receive me again into thy savour; take away fro● me all my old beggarly rags of sin, and put on me that new garment of innocency, that precious ring of faith, wherewith I am maned unto thee, and those most godly shoes of that evangelical peace, that I may walk from henceforth in the ways of thy holy Commandments, and do that which is pleasant in thy sight. Give me grace unfeignedly to repent, and to amend my life, that the Angels in Heaven may rejoice at my conversion; and so wash me from my sins more and more, that at the last I may be clean, and appear beau●●full in my Heavenly Father's sight, thorough thee my only Saviour, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost ●iuest and reignest one true and everlasting GOD world without end. Amen. A general Prayer for all kind of sins. AH Lord, the most puissant GOD, we in Baptism giving over ourselves unto thee, and unto thy holy Religion, protesting openly in the face of thy holy Congregation to forsake Satha● with all his pomps an● works, to renounce th● World and all the vainpleasures thereof, to mortify th● flesh and all the lusts of it and from henceforth to di● unto sin, & live unto righteousness, and to lead ● new life. Ah Lord this our cou●nant and bargain made unto thee we keep not, b●● too much wretchedly we break, in transgressing thy holy Commandments. In stead of performing our service due unto thee, we serve Satan; leaving the fulfilling of thy Commandments, we obey our own will. The World and the flesh, so rage and reign in us, that we can scarcely breath forth any godliness. By mouth we profess thee, but with our deeds we deny thee; we promise to work in thy Vineyard, but we loiter and work not. In name we are Christians, but in deed we are Sa●hans bondmen, the World's slaves, and most vile servants ●nd drudges to the flesh. Oh Lord, too too wretched is our state, and except ●hou shortly helpest, we are like utterly to perish; the raging slouds of all kind of sin have so prevailed, and almost overwhelmed us. O most gentle Saviour, we ●aue a will (such as it is) to do good; but we find no power, nor strength in our souls to perform it. That good thing which we would, we do not, but the evil do we, which we would not do. For we know that in us, that is, in our flesh dwelleth no good thing: And no marvel, for we are by nature the Children of wrath; we are begotten, conceived, and borne in sin, our senses, wits and devices, are evil even from our young age upward. Our heart is unclean, wicked, froward, lewd, and unsearchable; we are not able to think a good thought of ourselves; we a●e unprofitable servants, by o●rites, fleshly, and all that nought is; yea w●e are the very bondslave of sin: for every one that committeth sin, is the servant of sin. O most sweet Saviour help us for the glory of thy name. Thou camest down from the right hand of thy Father into this vale of misery to save that which was lost: save me therefore (good Lord) which wander abroad like a sheep destitute of a shepherd: suffer not thy blessed body to be broken, and thy precious blood to be shed for us in vain. Thou by thy death valiantly conqueredst him that had power of death: deliver me therefore from his raging tyranny, and make me thy faithful and obedient servant. Suffer me not to love the World, neither the things that are in the World; seeing that all that is in the World, (as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life) is not of thee (O Father) but of the World: and the World vanisheth away and the lusts thereof; but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for ever. Suffer me not to be overcome with the boiling concupiscence of the Flesh; which ever lusteth against the Spirit, and is not obedient to the Law of God, ●e●ther can be: but give th●● grace to kill and crucify the ●lesh, with the appetites and ●usts thereof, that I may live ●nd walk in the spirit, and become a new Creature: let not sin reign in my mortal body, that I should thereunto o●ey in the lusts of it; neither ●●●●er thou me to give my members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but ●o give my members as instruments of righteousness unto ●●ee. And as heretofore I gave ●y self unto uncleanness, and ●o iniquity: So let me now ●●om henceforth give myself ●●to holiness, that ● may be rectified. Kill in me the deeds of ●e flesh, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred variance, wrath, strife, sedition, sects, envying, murder, drunkenness gluttony, and such like; an● plant in me the fruits of th● Spirit, as love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, and temp●rance. As concerning the co●uersation in times past, giue● grace to put off the old m●● which is corrupt through t●● deceivable lusts; and to be venued in the spirit of my mind● and to put on the new ma● which after the image of Go● is shapen in righteousness, an● true holiness. Suffer me not to lie, bu●● speak truth unto my Neighbour; For as much as we ●● members one of another. Su●●●● me not to be angry, that I 〈◊〉 let not the Sun go down upon my wrath, neither let 〈◊〉 give place unto the backbiter. Grant that he which afore hath ●●ollen, may from henceforth steal no more, but rather la●or with his hands some good ●hings, that he may have to give unto him that needs. Let ●o filthy communication proceed out of my mouth, but that which is good to edify withal, when need is, that it may ●●ue favour with the Hearers. Let all bitterness, fierceness, ●nd wrath, roaring, and cursed speaking, be put away from ●●e, & all maliciousness. Make ●●ee courteous to all men, and merciful, forgiving, even as God for thy sake forgave me. As for fornication and all unleannesse, or covetousness, let ●● not b●e once named among ●s, as it becometh Saints; ●either filthy things, neither foolish talking, neither jesting which are not comely, but rather giving of thanks. Put upon me tender mercy, kindness humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing my Neighbour; but abou● all these things put upon m● love, which is the bond of perfection, & grant that the peac● of God may evermore rule ●● my heart, and that I may b● thankful for all thy benefits● Finally, whatsoever thing are true, whatsoever things a●● honest, whatsoever things a●iust, whatsoever things 〈◊〉 pure, whatsoever things p●●tain to love, whatsoever things are of honest report; if there b● any virtuous thing, if there ●● any laudable thing, grant th●● I may have them in my mind and practise them in my conversation and living; that whatsoever I breath, think, speak, ●or do, all things may be done ●nto the honour, glory, and praise of thy name, who livest and reignest with God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost, true, living, and everlasting GOD, World without end. A●en. A Prayer for Faith. We are taught by thy holy Apostle (O most loving Saviour) that whatsoever is not of Faith, is sin; and that it is impossible to please thee without faith; and therefore they that come unto thee, must believe that thou art God, yea, and s●ch a God, as is both able, and also will abundantly reward all them that with true faith seek thee. For thy eyes (O Lord) look upon Faith, and thou dost appear and show thyself unto them that have faith in thee; yea, through faith thou (being the King of glory) art married to the souls of thy faithful, & makest them partakers of thy divine nature, through the wonderful working of thy blessed Spirit. Through Faith, so many as believe are justified, made the so●nes and heirs of God, and have everlasting life. By Faith we obtain of God all good things, even whatsoever we do ask in thy name. Seeing that Faith is so precious a jewel in thy sight, that without it nothing is acceptable unto thy divine Majesty; and I of m●ne own nature cannot have this most singular gift, except thou givest it unto me from above, and dost breath it into my heart by thy holy. Spirit; (for of myself I am blind, ignorant, foolish, and by no means can perceive the things which pertain to the Spirit of God:) I most humbly beseech thee to take away from me all infidelity and unfaithfulness, which I received of old Adam; and to plant in me true faith & undoubted belief, that I may be thoroughly persuaded that thou art the Son of the living God, very God, and very Ma●, our alone sweet smelling▪ sacrifice, our alone Mediator. Advocate, and Intercessor; ou● alone wisdom, righteousn●●●●, sanctification, and redemptible by whom alone, and for whose sake only thy Heavenly Father is well pleased with me, whereby my sins are remitted, grace, and everlasting life is given me. O Lord God suffer me not to lean to mine own wisdom, nor to believe as blind flesh fancieth, nor to seek salvation where superstition dreameth; but let my faith only be grounded on thy Word: And give me grace truly to believe in thee with all my heart, to put my trust in thee, to look for all good things of thee, to call upon thy blessed name in adversity, and with a joyful voice and more merry heart, to praise and magnify it in prosperity. Suffer me not to doubt neither of God my Heavenly Father, ●or of God his Son, nor of God the Holy Ghost, but earnestly to believe that they being distinct persons, are notwithstanding one very God, beside whom there is no God neither in Heaven nor in earth. Grant also that I may assuredly believe whatsoever is contained in the Holy Scriptures, and by no means suffer myself to be plucked from the verity thereof, but manfully and steadfastly abide in the same even▪ unto the death; rage World, ●oare Devil. And this Faith (O sweet Iesu●) increase thou in me more and more, that at the last through thy goodness I may be made perfect & strong in thy holy Religion, and show myself both before the● and the World truly faithful, by bringing forth plenty of all good works, unto the glori● and honour of thy name, which with God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest true God World with out end. Amen. A Prayer unto GOD that we● may live in his fear, and that he will turn his plagues from us. O Heavenly Father & most merciful Lord, deal not thou with us after our sins, neither reward us after our iniquities. Indeed thou in thy holy Law dost thereaten to punish with plagues & noisome diseases, such as neglect and set at nought thy will & word, and live licentiously according to their own lusts and appetites, to send upon them great plagues, with many other innumerable and unknown infirmities, as just punishments for their iniquities. Yet O Father of mercy, and Lord of all comfort, I beseech thee inspire into my heart such a regiment of fear to offend thy divine Majesty, that thereby I may turn unfeignedly unto thee, and serve thee truly, learning to live according to thy law, loving one another as Christ's true children in deed, and not spoiling or devouring one another. For he that loveth not his brother, though he live, yet he abideth in death; and he that hateth his Brother is a manslayer, and killeth him in his heart: but love shall cover ● multitude of sins, and so also God shall be glorified, and shall pour his benefits plentifully upon us as long as the World endureth. Lord God, thou hast created & made of thine infinite goodness and unspeakable mercy, for Man's comfort, thy blessed Sunshine, to be a perpetual bright Lamp and Candle, to be an engenderer, nourisher, & comforter of all living things in this inferior World. This great work and Fatherly providence of God, aught to cause us to praise and magnify him always, and to make us remember his manifold benefits, that hath so lovingly created all things for man's sake. O Lord as thy mer●ies abound towards us, so grant that we may be as plentiful i● virtuous living and conversation, and that we do not thorough our wicked lives and evil behaviour pull upon our selves thy wrath and displeafure, in a busing thy good Creatures, and in hoarding up the treasure of this World from our needful and poor brethren; and so purchase that curse which the wisdom of God v●tereth by the mouth of Solomon, where he saith: Who so hoardeth up his goods shall be cursed among the people; but blessing shall light upon his head that is liberal to the poor. Bring it forth therefore ye covetous, that ye may be partakers of the blessing which is prepared for the righteous. And as our Saviour Christ saith; They that are whole, need not the Physician, but they that are sick. You therefore that are sick and have need, seek the help of that good Physician in time; for there is better remedy to be had in the beginning, then after a long delay and tarrying for the preservation of our sick souls. Lord make us earnestly and diligently to seek help of the Heavenly Physician, which is the pertect curer both of body and soul; and make us to apply those heavenly medicines, the Precepts of thy most holy Word, to the great and almost incurable diseases of our infected souls; in seeking whereof we be all too remiss and slack. But yet spare us good Lord, spare thy people, and correct us not in thine anger, but in thy mer●y think upon us; for thou art the God of mercy, long suffering, slow to continue displeasure, and ready to forgive. But alas how shouldest thou cease to punish, & shouldest show mercy, when we cease not to sin and offend, but continue still in our wickedness without repentance? What sufficient excuse can we make or what reasonable let can we lay that thou oughtest not to punish us? Whereas there was never more godly preaching, never more exhortation to repentance; seldom the like crying out against sin, never more dissuading from covetousness and usury; there be daily admonitions to forsake swearing, continual calling from all wickedness; beside the number of godly learned Books made and set forth: and yet cannot all these move us once to repent, or to desist and forsake our wont wicked ways and filthy affections. Defend me Lord by thy right hand, and give a gracious ca●e to my request; for all man's stays are but vain. Lord cond●●t me in thy ways, 〈◊〉 I may give thanks to ●●ee for thy mercy and goodness, who ne●er leavest them destitute that put their assured trust in thee; who livest and reignest one God, World without end Amen. A Prayer for Servants, with their duty. O Christ my Lord and Saviour, who being the Son of the living GOD, ●●, GOD himself from everlasting, didst not disdain at the will of thine Heavenly Father to make thy self of no reputation, to become Man, to take upon thee the shape of a Servant, and to obey thy Father's Commandment to the death, yea, even of the Cross, for our salvation, refusing no service, no travel, no labour, no pain, that might make unto the comfort of mankind. We most humbly beseech thee to give all thy servants grace to practise thy humility and obedience, that as thou most willingly didst serve and obey thy Heavenly Father's good pleasure, so they in like manner may with most hearty affection serve and obey their bodily Masters in all things that are agreeing with thy blessed Word; not with eye-service as Men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God that whatsocuer they do, they may do it hearty even as to the Lord, and not unto Men. For as much as they are sure that they shall receive the reward of thy Heavenly Inheritance of thee O Lord Christ, while truly and faithfully they serve their bodily Masters: Grant that so many as are under theyoake, may count their Masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his Doctrine be not evil spoken of; and that they may obey them with all fear, not only if they be good and courteous; but also though they be sroward; and please them in all things, not answering them again, not picking ought from them, but show good faithfulness, that in all things they may bring credit to the doctrine of thee our GOD and Saviour; to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, praise, and glory, for ever and ever. Ameu. servants ought to account their Masters worthy of all honour, I T●●. 6. 1: and to be subject unto them with all fear; not only to the good and courteous, but also to the froward: 1 Pet. 2. 18: and to please them in all things, not answering again, and to be no filchers nor deceivers of them in any thing, but show all good faithfulness: Tit. 2. 9 10: in singleness of their hearts as unto Christ; not with service to the eye as Men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of GOD from their hearts, with good will serving the Lord, and not Men. Ephe. 6. 5. 6. 7. A Prayer for Children, and their duty. AS thou O merciful Father hast given commandment unto all Fathers and Mothers to bring up their Children in thy fear, nurture, and doctrine: so likewise thy good pleasure is that children should honour, and reverence their Parents diligently, give care unto their virtuous instructions, and faithfully obey them. As thou hast promised health, honour, glory, and riches, long life, and all that good is, unto them that honour, reverence, and humbly obey their Fathers & Mothers: so hast thou threatened unto disobedient Children ignominy, evil same contempt, shame, dishonour poverty sickness, short life, and such other plagues. Yea, in thy holy Law thou dost not only pronounce them accursed that dishonour their Fathers and Mothers, but thou also commandest that if any Child be stubborn and disobedient, and will not hear, but rather despise the commandment of his Father and Mother, the same should be stoned to death without mercy; so greatly dost thou abhor disobedience and rebellion against all persons, but especially against Parents. I therefore hearty wishing that the plagues of thy fierce wrath (for thou O Lord art a consurning fire) may be far from them, most humbly beseech thee to engrave in the hearts of all Children, of whatsoever age, kind, estate, or degree they be, true honour, hearty reverence, and unfeigned obedience towards their Parents'. Give them grace (good Lord) that as they profess thy Son Christ in name, so they may truly represent his manners in their life and conversation, which willingly was obedient to his Mother Mary and her Husband joseph; giving example unto all children of the like subjection and obedience towards their Parents. Engraft in them such a love towards their Fathers and Mothers, that they may both reverence them with outward honour, and also to their power help them, secure them, provide for them, comfort and cherish them in their need, even as their Pa●ents comforted and nourished them in their Infancy and tender age. But above all things give them grace truly to honour thee, which art the Heavenly Father, yea, our Father and Redeemer, which hast made us, and daily cherishest us, even as a Father or Mother doth cherish their most dear and natural Children. So shall it come to pass that they faithfully honouring thee, shall also in order hearty honour, and unfeignedly obey their carnal Parents in thy fear, unto the glory of thy most holy & blessed name, which is most worthy to be honoured World without end. Amen. Children their d●ty is to acknowledge their Parents next unto God their Heavenly Father, to be the Authors of their life and being; and also to acknowledge and rightly to cousider of their charges, cares, troubles, and pains in bringing them up, and to love the●● for all that they have done for them; and in token of love and thankfulness to maintain, relieve, and comfort them, when need is, as joseph Gen. 47. 11: & to be as faithful servants unto them. Mal. 3. 17. To work and take pains for them, as R●th did, though she was but a daughter in Law, Ruth cha. 2. Their duty is to fear and reverence their Parents in their hearts, according to God's Commandment. L●●it. 19 3. and also to reverence them in their outward behaviour, by standing bareheaded before them, & putting off their hats, with an humble and lowly countenance when their Parents speak unto them, or they unto their Parents; and bowing their bodies when they pass by, or come towards us, ●s Solomon did to his Mother, I Kings 2. 19: or receiving any thing of their Parents, as joseph did, Gen. 48. 12: and by giving them the upper hand, as Solomon did to his Mother, though ●he was a King. 1 Kings 2. 19 Their duty is to obey their Parents according to the Word of God. Col. 3. 10. Especially in marriage, as Isa●c did, Gen. ●4: and jacob, Gen. 28: and not ●o grieve them by marrying ●gainst their will, as Esau did, Gen. 26. 34: who was a reprobate, & hated of God Rom. 9 13 A Prayer against Whoredom. O Lord God and Omnipotent Father, the searche● and trier of the thoughts an● reins of all Creatures; O ho● greatly dost thou abhom● whoredom, fornication, and all uncleanness! O Lord, th● drowning of the world with water, the destruction of Sodom● & Gomorrah with fire & brimstone from Heaven, and other like plagues mentioned in holy Scriptures, do evidently declare and show. Thy Commandment is, that we should commit none Adultery. And in the Commonweals of the Israelites, thou commandedst that there should be neither whoremonger nor whore if any such were found, that they should be stoned to death. Although the lips of an harlot are to the foolish a dropping honeycomb, and her neck softer than oil; yet at the last she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a sword; her feet go down unto death, and her steps haste them to hell: and he that accompanieth himself with an whore, shall go down unto hell, but he that goeth away from her shall be saved: yea, he that maintaineth an whore, shall come unto beggary in this World, and after this life shall have his part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. O Lord thou hast called us not unto uncleanness, but unto holiness and pureness of life; thou hast made us one body, and one spirit with thee: how unseemly then is it to take the members of Christ, & to make them the members of an Harlot? We therefore most humbly beseech thee to make in us clean hearts, and to renew right spirits within us, and to turn away all voluptuousness fro● us. Take from us the lusts of the body, let not the desites of uncleaunes take hold upon us; give us not over into an unshamefast and obstinate mind: let not fornication, adultery, or any kind of uncleanness, be once named among us; let not filthy communication proceed out of our mouths, but that which is good to edify withal when need is, that it may have favour with the hearers. And as for as much as neither whoremongers wedlock-breakers, abusers of themselueswith mankind, shall inherit the Kingdom o● God. Grant Lord we heartily pray thee, that such as be unmarried may keep themselves pure and undefiled, a●ter the example of that godly young man Ios●●h, and bring with them into honourable wedlock both their bodies and their minds chaste and honest. Grant also that the married men may beware, and keep themselves from all whoredom, and use the company of no woman besides their wives. Again, grant that all married women may practise the manners of that virtuous woman Susa●●a; and neither for flattering, nor menacing words at any time consent to uncleanness; but so keep the body vndesiled, that it may be honourable, that God may bless them, and their godly travels, and make them joyful Mothers of many Children. Finally, grant O most merciful Father, that we may so avoid all uncleanness, that we being pure both in body and soul, may attain to see thy glorious face in thy Heavenly Kingdom, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer for a Woman with Child. THou O Lord art wonderful in all thy works, and whatsoever thy good pleasure is, that dost thou easily bring to pass; neither is there any thing impossible with thee, that thou wilt perform; and albeit this thine Almighty power showeth itself abundantly in all thy works, yet in the conceiving, forming, and bringing forth of man, it shineth most evidently. At the beginning O Heavenly Father, when thou madest Man and Woman, thou commandedst them to increase, multiply, and replenish the Earth. If through the subtle enticements of Satan they had not transgressed thy Commandments by eating the fonrbidden fruit, the Woman whom thou hast appointed the Organ, Instrument, and vessel to couceive, nourish, and bring forth Man through thy wonderful workmanship, had without any labour pain, or travel, brought forth her fruit: but that which thy goodness made easy, sin and disobedience hath made hard, painful, dangerous; and if thy help were not, impossible to be brought to pass; so that now all Women bring forth their Children in great sorrow, pains, and troubles. Notwithstanding thou showest thyself unto thy Creatures a Father of mercy, and God of all consolation; for that which through their own imperfection and feebleness they are not able of themselves to bring to pass, thou through thy unspeakable power makest easy in them, and bringest to a fortunate end. We therefore being fully persuaded of thy bent and ready goodness, of thy present help, of thy sweet comfort in all miseries and necessities; knowing also by the testimony of thy Word, how great & intolerable the pains of Women are that travel of child, if through thy tender mercies they be not mitigated and eased: most h●mbly pray thee for jesus Christ his sake thy Son our Lord, that thy loving kindness may make that easy and tolerable, which sin hath made hard and painful. Ease (O LORD) the pains which thou most righteously hast put upon all Women, for the sin and disobedience of our Grandmother Eve, in whom all we have sinned; and give unto all such as have conceived and be with child, strength to bring forth that Child, which thou wonderfully hast wrought in them; be present with them in their trouble, help them, and deliver them. Let thy power be showed no less in the safe bringing forth, then in the wonderful fashioning of the Child; that that which thou hast begun in them, may come unto good success. Make them glad and joyful Mothers, that they through thy goodness being safely delivered, and restored to their old strengths, may live and praise thy blessed name forever. Amen. A Thanksgiving unto GOD for their deliverance. O LORD GOD, among other thy great benefits, (yea, and those innumerable) which thou daily bestowest upon us thy needy and poor Creatures; this is not the least (O most merciful Father) that thou of thy tender goodness dost vouchsafe for the conservation of mankind, to preserve the Women that are with child, and to give them safe deliverance of their burden; by this means making them glad and joyful Mothers. For these thy benefits and good will towards us, we so hearty thank thee, as heart can think; beseeching thee to work such thankfulness in the hearts of all Mothers, that they being not unmindful of this high benefit of their safe deliverance wrought only by the Saviour of all mankind, may show themselves thankful unto thee for this thy goodness, and never forget that thy present help, and most sweet comfort, which thou mercifully showest upon them in their great travails, labours, and pains, when they fled unto thy holy name for succour, as unto a strong bulwark and holy de●ence. Continue thy favour towards them (O Lord) by making them joyful Mothers of many children; and endue them with long life, that they may see their children's Children. And the Children that thou gavest unto them make thou as in age, so likewise in wisdom, and in the abundance of thy holy Spirit to increase, that they may have favour both with thee, and with all good men; unto the glory of thy most blessed name, one GOD World without end. Amen. A Prayer for a sick man.. O Almighty GOD, and all full of mercy which art the only Father of help, and true Physician of our bodies & souls: in thy hands are life and death; thou bringest to the grave, and pullest back again. We came into this World upon a condition to forsake it whensoever thou wouldst call us; and now the Summoners are come, thy fetters hold me, and none can loose me, but he which bond me. I am sick in body with pain, and in soul for fear of condemnation. LORD thou hast stricken me, but in judgement show mercy: I deserved to die so soon as I came to life, but thou hast preserved me till now; and shall this mercy be in vain, as though we were preserved for nothing? Who can praise thee in the Grave? I have done thee no service since I was borne; but my goodness is to come; and shall I die before I begin to live? But (good Lord) thou knowest what is best of all, and if thou convert me, I shall be converted in an hour: and as thou acceptedst the will of David, as well as the act of Solomon; so thou wilt accept my desire to serve thee, as well as if I did live to glorify thee. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is frail; and as I did live sinfully, whensoever thy Spirit was from me, so I shall die unwillingly, unless thy Spirit prepare me. Therefore dear Father give me that mind which a sick man should have, and increase my patience in my pain, and call unto ●y remembrance all that which I have heard, or read, or felt, or meditated; so strengthen me in this hour of my travail, that I which never taught any good while I lived, may now teach others to die, & to bear their sickness patiently. Apply unto me all the mercies of thy beloved Son, as if he had died for me alone: be not from me when the enemy comes, but when the Tempter is bustest, let thy Spirit be busiest too; and if it please thee to lose me out of this prison, and when I shall leave my earth to earth, let thy Angel carry up my soul as they did Lazar●●, and place me in one of those mansions, which thy Son is gone to prepare for me. This is my Mediator which hath reconciled me and thee when thou didst abhor me for my sinne●: and thou didst send him from Heaven to us, to show that thou art bound to hear him for us. Therefore in him I come unto thee, in him I call upon thee, (O my Redeemer) my Preserver, and my Saviour; to thee be all praise, with thy Father, and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever Amen. A Prayer to be said before the receiving of the holy Communion. THy love towards us O most gentle Father, is so great and unmcasurable; that it can by no means be expressed by mouth, nor sufficiently conceived in heart; and this thy love is without any deserts on our behalse: freely and willingly O Heavenly Father, thou hast sent down thy only Son Christ jesus, from the glorious seat of thy divined Majesty, to take our flesh upon him, and to become perfect man, of the substance of a pure and undefiled Virgiu Mary, through the operation of the Holy Gh●st. O thou that art this our Mediator, thou taughtest the will of thy Heavenly Father, confirming the same with wonderful mercies, unto the great comfort of many which then lived, and unto the perfect establishment of our faith, which live at this present; a●ter thou hadst traveled in this World certain years, the time afore appointed from everlasting, of thy Heavenly Father, drawing nigh, that thou mightest give thyself an oblation and sweet smelling sacrifice to God the Father for the sins of the whole World, even so many as repent, believe, and amend; willing that so noble and worthy a benefit of our redemption should not be forgotten, nor fall out of remembrance, who art the sole Author of our salvation, and the only comfort of weak consciences: when thou hadst eaten the Paschall Lamb with thy Disciples, according to the appointment of the Law, thou tookest bread into thy hand, gavest thanks to thy Heavenly Father brakest it, and gavest it to thy Disciples, saying; Take ye, ●ate ye, this is my body, which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me. Because the singular and inestimable benefit of our redemption, brought to pass by the one and only oblation of thy blessed body broken on the Altar of the Cross, should not be forgotten. Thou brakest the bread in the sight of the Disciples, and gavest unto them, commanding them to eat it in the remembrance of the breaking of thy body, which then was betrayed by the traitorous Disciple judas that son of perdition, and the day following was unfeignedly broken on the Cross for our ransom, deliverance, and salvation; here ●liddest thou appoint the breaking of the bread among the faithful gathered together for that purpose: a worthy & blessed memorial of thy body broken. And because the breaking of thy body should be the better remembered, thou didst ennoble the bread with the name of thy body, when notwithstanding it was only the figure, sign, token, and memorial of thy holy body. In like manner, when supper was done, thou tookest the cup in thy hands, gavest thanks to thy Heavenly Father and deliveredst it unto thy Disciples, saying, Drink ye all of this, for this is my blood of the ●ew Testament, Conenant, or Bargain, which shall be shed for many for the remission of sins; this do so often as you drink it, in the remembrance of me. As by the breaking of thy bl●ssed body our ransom is perfectly paid, so by the shedding of thy blood are all our sins, even unto the uttermost, washed away. Therefore as by the breaking of the bread, thou wouldst the breaking of thy body, and the benefits gotten by it, to be remembered among the faithful; so to that end, that the shedding of thy blood and the merits thereof should not be forgotten: Thou gavest them the Cup of Wine to drink, commanding them that so oft as they, or any of the faithful gathered together for that purpose to drink of the Cup, they should remember thy death, and the shedding of thy precious blood: as thy holy Apostle saith; As oft as ye shall eat this Bread and drink of this Cup, ye ●hall show the Lords death till he come. And as thou didst ennoble the Bread with the name of thy body, being but the figure of thy body, because the breaking of thy body should the better be remembered: So likewise here dost thou garnish, and nobly set forth the wine, naming it thy blood; when notwithstanding it only representeth and preacheth unto us the shedding of thy blood, because it should be the more deeply graven, and the better retained in our minds. O most merciful Redeemer & gentle Saviour, we are come together at this present to celebrate the memorial of thy blessed and glorious passion, and to eat and drink this Bread and wine in the remembrance of thy blessed Body breaking, and thy precious Blood shedding. Most humbly and from the very heart beseeching thee to give us grace worthily to eat this Bread, and drink of this Cup, lest by the unworthy receiving of them, we be guilty of thy body and blood, and so eat and drink out own damnation; and that we may come the more worthily unto this thy Table. Grant that we may earnestly be at defiance with all sins, and so inwardly be ashamed, that we at any time have grievously offended thy divine Majesty, by attempting any thing that is not agreeable to thy good pleasure, that from hence forth we may not only loath, detest, and abhor whatsoever is displeasant unto thee, but also embrace and lay hand on that which is good, and acceptable in thy sight Forgive us all our sins, and give us grace even with our whole heart to love all men, yea, our very enemies, and not only to forgive all such as have offended us, but also to be ready at all times to do for them whatsoever good or pleasure we be able. And that we may be the more welcome unto thee, and be found meet and worthy guests to sit at this Table, and to eat of these thy blessed gifts; and that our souls may be well comforted, nourished, fed, and made merry, by the worthy receiving of them; cloth us, we pray thee, with that wedding garment, even true and lively saith, wherewith our hearts are purified, wherewith we are married unto thee, and made one flesh and one blood with thee, wherewith also we are justified, and counted righteous in thy sight. And grant that through the same faith we earnestly set the eyes of our mind on these thy most sweet and loving promises: My Body shall be broken for you, my Blood shall be shed for you, for remission of sins. And all this, not for our ●ood deeds and merits, which ●● this behalf are none, but for ●he worthiness of thy blessed ●assion, for the dignity of thy precious blood, and for the on●e and alone sacrifice of thy ●olie body. For that (O Lord) is the salve that he●●eth our souls; that is the medicine that comforteth our weak and troubled consciences; that is the living bread, whereof whosoever eateth, shall never hunger, but live for ever. That is the jewel of joy tha● maketh our sorrowful hearts merry; that is, the mighty Bulwark, the strong defence, the sure Fortress that preserveth and keepeth harmless against Satan, sin, death, Hell, desperation, and all the infernal Powers: to come to the Table, to beo present at the Supper, to hear and see what is there done, yea, and to receive the holy mysteries of the body an● blood there set forth unto us, profiteth us nothing at all, if w● faithfully believe not. That thy Body was broken and thy blood shed for our sins, and that by the one oblation thereof done once for all, our sins are forgiven us, our Heavenly Father is reconciled unto us; his wrath stirred up thorough sin against us, is pacified, quietness of conscience, everlasting life is given us; but it rather turneth unto our damnation, because we eat of this bread, and drink of this cup unworthily, and shall with that hypocrite which presumed to come unto the marriage not having the wedding garment, be bound hand ●nd foot, and cast into utter darkness, where shall be wee●ing and gnashing of teeth. Therefore we humbly beseech thee to give us grace (according to thy Apostles council) diligently to prove, try, and examine ourselves, whether such repentance, such faith, such love, such disposition towards all godliness be sound in us or not, as thou dost require in them, which will come worthily and with fruit unto thy Table. And for as much as it is thy gift to repent hearty, to believe truly, to love unfeignedly, to be disposed earnestly to embrace true godliness, and to go forward in the same from virtue to virtue unto the end▪ Grant I most entirely pray thee I may so repent, that the fruits thereof may be found in me; so believe, that I may acknowledge thee my only Saviour: so love thee, that all mine affections may be set on thee alone, and so embrace true godliness, that our whole life may be a clear mirror of all virtue and goodness: so shall we through thy mercy be found worthy guests of this thy Table and receive these holy mysteries to the salvation of our souls. Yea, so shall we be well assured of the remission and forgiveness of all our sins: By the breaking of thy blessed body, and the shedding of thy precious blood, our consciences shall be quiet, our hearts shall be filled with all true and spiritual joy, we shall triumph over Satan, sin, death hell, and desperation; we shall be partakers of all the fruits and merits of thy blessed passion, be made one body with thee, & fellow-heirs in everlasting glory. O Lord God, let it so come to pass, for the honour of thy name. Amen. A Thanksgiving after the receiving of the Communion. We thank thee (O Heavenly Father) for the blessed passion and glorious death of thy dearly beloved Son our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, by whose holy wounds we faithfully believe, and are assuredly persuaded, that thy wrath is not only pacified towards us, bu● that thou also are now become our most merciful Father, and hast freely forgiven us all our sins. Restore unto us thy heavenly grace, and make us sons and heirs of thine eternal glory. And because we should not doubt of thy fatherly goodness rewards us, 〈◊〉 in the de●th of thy 〈◊〉, the same Son Christ 〈◊〉 Lord hath l●●t unto us not only his holy Word, but also a blessed memorial of his death and passion set forth 〈◊〉 the holy b●●ad and wine which wet this present have received, both for a remembrance of the breaking of his blessed body, and the s●edding of his mo●● pr●●in●● blood; 〈◊〉 also for the quietness of our ●●onscience, and ●●● the 〈◊〉 of the remissi●● of our ●●●nes through faith●●●●● We 〈◊〉 thee (O Heathenly Father) that we be never unmindful of this thy exceeding great kindness, not unthankful for thy manifold blessings & unspeakable mercies declared unto us in the glorious death of thy well-beloved Son: but so work thou in us through thy holy Spirit, that we may be made worthy members of that body, whereof thy Son and our Saviour Christ jesus is the head. And that we may so faithfully believe in thee, and so fervently love one another, always living in thy fear, and in the obedience of thy holy law and blessed will, that we being fruitful in all godly and Christian works, may train our lives according to thy good pleasure in this transitory World, and after this frail and short life, obtain the true and immortal life, where thou with thy dearly beloved S●nne our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost that most sweet Comforter, livest and reignest one true God, in all honour & glory World without end. Amen. A Prayer to be said at the receiving of the mystery of Christ's B●die in the Communion. O Heavenly and blessed Father, ●●render unto thee most hearty thanks for all thy benefits which thou hast showed unto me a most wretched sinner, but especially for that most sweet smelling sacrifice, which thy only begotten Son offered unto thee on the Altar of the Cross, by giving his most pure and undefiled body unto the death for the redemption of Mankind; in remembrance whereof, according to thy well-beloved sons ordinance, I now receive this holy bread, most entirely beseeching thee, that I may both be partaker of the merits of thy dear Sons Body-breaking, and also lead a life worthy so great a benefit, to the glory o● thy name. Amen. A Prayer to be said at the receiving of the mystery of Christ's blood in the holy Communion. O Blessed and merciful Father, thy love towards me sinful Creature is so exceeding great and unspeakable, that I cannot but give unto thee most humble thanks; namely for the shedding of the most precious blood of thy dear Son jesus Christ, by the virtue whereof thy wrath stored up against me wretched sinner is pacified, my ransom is paid, the Law is fulfilled mine enemies are overcome & put to flight. In remembrance of this so noble a victory, and of so great a benefit, I am come unto this Table O merciful Father to drink of this Cup, desiring thee, that as my outward man is comforted by the drinking of this wine, so likewise my inward man may be comforted and made strong by true faith in the precious blood of thy most dear Son. O Lord and my Heavenly Father, give me thy holy Spirit which may so rule & govern my heart, that I never be unthankful nor forgetful of this thine exceeding great kindness; but so train my life according to thy blessed will, that whatsoever I do, speak, or think, may be unto the glory of thy most blessed name, and the health of my soul, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Morning salutation to GOD for wisdom, for grace, and forgiveness of sins. MY Soul (O Lord) hath desired thee in the night season, and I have also waited for thee in spirit and mind all the morning, beseeching thee that thy presence, which I sore have longed for, may expel from me all my sin. Lord water the secrets of my heart with thy manifold graces, and mightily en●●●●e the same with thy love. And now (my most sweet Lord jesus Christ) I rise and come early to thee in the morning, and pray thee from the bottom of my heart that thou wilt hearken unto my prayers and godly requests, which I do most humbly in heart offer unto thee: for thou art the wisdom, the eternal brightness, and very figure of the substance of the Father, who hast created all things of nothing. And because thou wouldst bring again Man to the pleasure of Paradise, thou camest down from Heaven into this vale of misery, and by thy holy conversation thou hast showed and trod him the path thereunto: and for ransom of all Mankind thou wouldst be offered to thy Father as a most immaculate Lamb. Open by thy Holy Spirit my stony and hard heart, that with the eyes of a perfect belief ● may always behold thee, who art King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Give m● wisdom truly to consider of thy ●eath and passion, that thereby I may profit in thee only, who art as a Book of charity for me. Grant me that I be utterly destitute of all vanities, that now I be not he whom heretofore I have been: but do thou always abide in me, that so linked unto thee, I never s●verue or decline from thee. Send down (good Lord) thy wisdom from the seat of thy Majesty, that she may labour and be with me, that I may know what is acceptable in thy sight; that my heart and senses may be enlightened, whereby I may understand how to be a true follower of thy Precepts. O my Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, who art most sweet unto me, most blissful wisdom, the Word of the Father, the beginning and ending of all Creatures, cast thine eyes of mercy upon me I pray thee, for I am but flesh & ashes; and I fully persuade myself that it lieth not so much in me, either to will any thing, or to run, but all power cometh from thee, whose mercy assisteth us all. Lord consider, I pray thee, my weak and frail flesh, and what of myself I am not able to perform, by reason of my sinful flesh, I beseech thee to help and assist me, and graciously to continue such good will as thou hast showed me. O my merciful Lord forsake me not, o my Refuge depart not from me, o my deliverer make haste to secure me in thy mercies, and mortify me to the World. Save me from all deceits of mine enemies, that neither life nor death, nor no hap or chance sever me from thee, but that my love continue both now & ever, and be nothing diminished by death itself. Lord give me that wisdom that attendeth on thee, and put me not away from amongst thy children; for I am thy servant and son of thy handmaid: send down thy wisdom from thy heavenly seat, that she may be with me, and labour with me, for I am thy servant. Therefore (O Lord) replenish me with the gifts of wisdom and understanding, for thou art my succour and only helper in all distress. I beseech thee for thy mercy's sake to pardon those s●nnes which I a most vile wretched sinner have committed: keep me from all evil acts, and from all dangers; direct my path to a good end, whilst I am tossed in the waves of this life, and grant I may come to the possession of eternal glory. I have loved wisdom more than health or any beauty. Lord come and teach me the way how to attain to thy wisdom. Hear my prayer (O God) and let my cri● come unto thee. O LORD who by thy wisdom which is eternal (as thou thyself who hast created Man, who before was not; and when he was lost, through thy love didst most mercifully redeem him again): grant I beseech thee through the inspiration of thy wisdom, that I may love thee with all my soul; and let me know the way wherein I may walk, for I have life up my heart unto thee. Deliver me from mine enemies O Lord, ●●flie to thee for succour, teach 〈◊〉 to do thy will, for thou art my God. Wisdom passeth wickedness; and spreadeth from coast to coast, who doth strongly & sweetly place all things in order. Let the brightness of thy eternal wisdom illuminate mine heart, that it be not dimmed with the darkness o● this World, but that I may come to that Country where is perpetual light. Lord let thy Holy Spirit bring me to that right light, that leadeth to tread the path of righteousness. Lord bring my sonle out of all misery, and in thy mercy destroy all mine enemies, and them that trouble my soul; for I am thy servant, and will surely rejoice in thy name and patiently look for thee. O Lord, thou art my help and refuge, my heart doth rejoice in thee, and I doeput my trust in thy holy name. Give ear to me (O merciful God) and infuse the brightness of thy wisdom into my mind, that I may receive thee, and have fruition of thee, and see the light of thy wisdom; that I may know thee truly, and faithfully love thee. Thou (O Lord) hast sent redemption to thy people; thou hast commanded thy Testament not to be violated, but kept for ever; thy name is holy and terrible, and aught still to be feared and served in all reverence: for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; understanding is good to all such as do exercise it in his fear. All wisdom cometh from thee, O Lord, who art the brightness of everlasting light, the glass of eternal Majesty, who art clear without any spot. O Orient brightness of the eternal Light, and Sun of justice, come and lighten me that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Cast me not away from thy face, and take not from me thy holy Spirit; restore me to the gladness of thy salvation, strengthen me with thy Spirit, and lighten mine cles that I never sleep in death, lest mine enemy at any time say I have prevailed against him. They that persecute me will rejoice if I be moved, but I trust in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation, I will sing unto thee (O Lord) who hast given me good things, and I will sing to the name of the Highest, who teacheth sobriety, righteousness, and virtue, than the which nothing is more commodious in the life of man.. O glorious King, who art always praised among thy chosen, and yet no man can speak so worthily of thee as thy Majesty requireth: Thou Lord who art among us, and whose holy name is called upon by us, forsake us not, but at the extreme day of judgement vouchsafe to place me among thy chosen servants; mercifully look upon my frailty, and favourably give me a taste of thy celestial wisdom; that when I have tasted of the marvelous sweetness thereof, I may despise all worldly vanity, and continually with a burning desire cleave unto thee, who art the chiefest goodness that may be, who livest and reignest one GOD, World without end. Amen. A Prayer for the King. O Almighty GOD, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, which by thy divine ordinance hast appointed temporal Rulers to govern thy People according to equity and justice, and to live among them as a loving Father among natural Children, to the advancement of the good, and punishment of the evil. We most humbly beseech thee favourably to behold JAMES thy servant our most gracious King and Governor, and so breath into his heart through thy holy Spirit that wisdom that is ever about the Throne of thy Majesty, whereby he may be provoked, moved, and stirred to love, fear, and serve thee, to seek thy glory, to banish idolatry, superstition, and hypocrisy out of this Realm, and unfeignedly to advance thy holy and pure Religion among us his Subjects, to the example of other foreign Nations. O Lord defend him from his enemies, send him a long and prosperous life among us; and give him grace not only in his own person godlily and justly to rule, but also to appoint such Magistrates under him, as may be like affected both towards thy holy Word, and toward the Commonwealth; that we his Subjects living vnd●● his Dominion in all god●●nesse, peace, and wealth, may pass the time of this our short Pilgrimage in thy fear and service, to the glory of thy blessed name, which alone is worthy of all honour for ever and ever Amen. A devout Prayer to our LORD. O Good & gracious Lord, most merciful and blessed Father, O sweet Saviour ●esus Christ, I wretched sinner that am vile earth and ashes, do yield thee most humble & hearty thanks, for that it hath pleased thee of thy marvelous humility, patience, and love towards man kind, to descend from the high Throne of Heaven, to be incarnate by the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Marie, and here to suffer trouble & pain for our sakes. I do beseech thee for thy bitter death and passion deliver me from all evil, and from the everlasting pains of hell; and vouchsafe through thy great mercy and goodness to lead me whither thou didst lead the Thief crucified with thee. And I beseech thee thorough thy clemency to vouchsafe unto me (O Lord God, King of Heaven and Earth) the joys prepared for thy chosen, and so direct, sanctify, and govern my heart, my thoughts, my words and deeds in thy sacred Law, by keeping thy Commandments, that here & ever through thy help (O Saviour of the World) I may be safe and free, and by thy bitter death & passion may be brought to the glory of the resurrection, & so remain in everlasting life. Amen. A Prayer in temptation▪ O Merc●full Lord, and Saviour jesus Christ, the only refuge of a desolate and afflicted soul: O God thou that hast made me and redeemed me, in whom ●ll things are possible unto me, and without whom I am able to do nothing thou seest who I am that here prostrate my prayers, and pour out my heart unto thee; what I would have, and what is fittest for me thou knowest. My soul is buried 〈…〉 and blood, and would be ●●●ne dissolved and come unto thee. I am urged against my will and violently drawn to think that which from my-heart I detest, and to have in mind the poison and bane of my soul. O Lord thou knowest me, for thy hands have framed me, and with flesh and skin thou hast clothed me; and lo this flesh which thou hast given me, draweth me to my ruin, and fighteth against the spirit: if thou helpest not I am overcome, if thou forsakest me, I must needs faint; why dost thou set me contrary unto thee, and makest me grievous and a burden unto myself? Didst thou create me to cast me away? Didst thou redeem me to damn me for ever? It had been good for me never to have been borne, if I were borne to perish. O my most merciful Father, where is thy old and wont mercies? where is thy gracious sweetness and love towards me become? how long shall mine enemy rejoice over me, and humble my life upon earth, and place me in darkness like the dead of the World? What am I Lord that thou settest me to fight alone against so mighty, subtle, and cruel enemies, that never cease to bid me a perpetual battle? O Lord why dost thou show thy might against a leaf, that is tossed with every wind, and persecutest a dry stubble? wilt thou therefore cast away the work of thy hands? wilt thou banish me from thy face, and take thy holy Spirit clean from me? Alas O my good Lord, whither shall I go from thy face? or whither shall fly from thy Spirit? or shall I fly from the incensed, but to the appeased? whither from thee as just, but unto thee as merciful? Do with me Lord that which is good in thine eyes, for thou wilt do all things in righteous judgement; one●y Lord I desire to remember I am but flesh & blood, sraile of myself, and impotent to resist; show thyself a Saviour unto me, and either take away mine enemies, or grant me grace that without wound or fault, by thee and with thee I may overcome them, sweet Lord, Amen. FINIS. A Table to find out the principal Prayers contained in this Book. THe way how to commend ourselves to GOD in the 〈◊〉 a● our uprising. Page 285. A Prayer before we settle ourselves to our Devotions. p 287. A Morning Prayer p. 291. Another Prayer for the Morning. p. 296. Another Morning Prayer. p. 308. A short Prayer for the Morning p. 312. A Meditation to be used before thou goest to bed. p. 314. A Prayer for the Evening. p 322. A Prayer for the Night. p. 333 A Prayer to GOD for grace, and to despise the vanity of the World p. 338. A Prayer to GOD to defend us from evil company, and to keep ou● tongues from uttering ill words. p. 346. A Prayer to GOD for b● great goodness unto Man p. 354. A Prayer to GOD to deliver us from our ghostly enemies. p. 357. A Prayer to GOD daily to be said. p 358. A Prayer to be used at all times. p. 360 A Prayer to be daily said unto our Lord jesus Christ. p. 362. A prayer for the remission of sins. p. 367. A general pr●yer for all kind of sin. p. 380. A 〈◊〉 Faith. p. 3●●. A prayer unto GOD, that we may live in his 〈◊〉, and that he will turn his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 394. A 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 with their duty 400. A 〈◊〉 for children & their duty. p. 404. A prayer against who●●dome. p. 410. A prayer for a Woman with child. p. 414. A Thanksgiving unto God 〈…〉 deliverance. p. 41●. A prayer for a si●ke Man p. 421. A prayer to be said before the receiving of the holy Communion. p. ●24. A thanksgiving after the receiving of ● holy Communion p. ●38. A prayer to 〈◊〉 said● at the receiving of the mystery of Christ's Body in the Communion. p 441. A prayer to be said at the receiving of the mystery of Christ's blood in the holy Communion p. 442. A morning salutation to GOD for wisdom, for grace, and forgiveness of sins p. ●44. A prayer for the King. p. 454. A 〈◊〉 prayer to our Lord. p. 〈◊〉 A prayer in 〈◊〉 p. ●59. FINIS.