THE EXERCISE OF TRUE Spiritual Devotion.  
Consisting of divers holy Meditations and Prayers; Serving for the inflaming of men's benumbed affections; the quickening and increase of saving grace; and the better ordering of the whole course of the life of a Christian, in a manner acceptable to God, profitable unto others, and comfortable unto his own soul.  
The first Part.  
AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Thomas man.. 1610.   

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL SIR EDWARD LEWKENOR, Knight, grace and happiness.  
SIR, I here offer unto you a small present; yet my first fruits in this kind, and therefore such as I hope will find some acceptance with you. That which moved me to the bringing of them to open light, was not any private or sinister respect, but mature and advised deliberation. First, I observed the great neglect of those two main duties, of meditation, and prayer; how far most were from the daily practice thereof, how much unacquainted therewith; than which notwithstanding, nothing should be more ordinary with Christians. I heard oft complaints of the scantness of writings of this nature, as much as of superfluity in others: yea, even our adversaries have not spared to fasten this as a reproach unto our profession and religion, though indeed they have least cause to complain of us (what colour soever they may seem to have) seeing the greatest part of their labours herein, is far from that holy exercise of true devotion, savouring in many things too much of superstition, and carnal affectation; and not that only, but also (as may easily appear to those that are of sound judgement, & right discerning) exceeding defective in the main points, and maimed in the principal parts, even in those which should be the very life of devotion. I considered also how necessary it was for men to have many helps and furtherances at hand, whereby they might be enured to the due and frequent performance of this duty, so requisite for the taking away of that dryness of heart, and that deadness of affection, which is oftentimes in the best, and for the remedying of that spiritual distemper, which not seldom doth prevail too much with them, who otherwise are well disposed, & desire to approve themselves unto the Lord in truth and sincerity; as also for the quickening of the fainting soul, and languishing spirits, which without the daily exercise of this and other holy duties are soon overtaken with a kind of chillness, and want of spiritual life and motion. Besides (that which more nearly concerned me) I remembered how God hath placed all men in the world for a time, not to be idle and unprofitable, but to be helpful and serviceable unto others whiles they live by what means they can; yea how straightly every one is bound to employ any talon that God hath betrusted him withal, during his life here upon earth, unto his glory, and to the benefit of others, lest when the day of accounts shall come, he be found blameworthy, and so deprived of the joy of his master, even the glory of that celestial Kingdom, the loss whereof can never be recompensed with the greatest abundance of the fading pleasures, and fruitless vanities of this alluring and deceitful world. I saw also how fast my days did slide away with a swift foot, and how the harbingers of death had oft summoned me to my last end, & given me warning to prepare for his coming; yea how my candle was much spent whiles I had given but little light unto others; 
Eccle. 9.10. Psalm. 115.17.18.  and thought upon that of the wiseman, that there is neither work, nor invention, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither I was going, and making haste every hour; and therefore considering oft and seriously with myself the shortness & uncertainty of my fading life (the line whereof God of his mercy and goodness hath drawn out longer, than I either did or could promise unto myself) I was desirous that this short course of mine, might not be without profit, but that according unto that poor talon which the Lord hath given unto me, I might in any sort be beneficial unto the least of the saints of God, and be a means of spiritual good unto any, though not in such manner as those whom God hath enabled for greater performances. This it was that prevailed with me, and at length moved me (being also moved thereunto by some, who having interest in me, made me more forward in this business) to publish that for the benefit of others which I had first undertaken for mine own private exercise; the exercise I mean of my mind in the duties of true spiritual devotion. The reasons why I have made choice of you among others, under whose name to communicate unto others these slender labours of mine, are these especially. First, that knowing you have been so well seasoned in your younger years by means of the religious and godly care of your worthy parents (who as while they lived, they were lights unto others, so now being dead, and at rest with the Lord, their example may well be a pattern and precedent unto those of that rank and order) I might hereby stir up your pure mind, in this your riper age, unto the daily exercise of those duties, which were so usual and ordinary with them, as doubtless they have left few behind them, who deserve the like praise herein. As the remembrance hereof may be a joy and comfort unto you; so the imitation of the same will be comfortable and exceeding profitable both unto yourself and others. Again, I was drawn hereunto in private respects; both in regard of that ancient friendship first begun, whiles we lived in the same College, under the same government; as also of that kindness which you have since showed me, and which being desirous to make acknowledgement of, I thought good to take this occasion. Accept therefore, I pray, this, as a testimony of the unfeigned love, & Christian affection, which I deservedly bear towards you in many respects. And if it please you at your vacant hours to bestow some time in the perusing of it, I hope you shall find that which maybe some ways profitable, which is the only thing I desire and aim at. The Lord increase his graces in you, and multiply his blessings upon you, and upon that whole family, that it may be, as it hath been, a light unto others in this dark and sinful age, wherein the examples of those that should go before others, in the practice of piety and godliness, are so rare and precious.  
Your Worships in all christian duty and affection, I. ALLISTON. Emman Coll. in Cambridge, August 30. 1610.   

The Preface.  
MEditation & prayer, these aught to be the daily exercise of every true Christian. Ne there can I see how he should deserve the name of a Christian, who d●th altogether neglect, either, or both of them. Both of them are necessary, as severally in themselves, so especially jointly together; although indeed the one neither may nor can be well severed or separated from the other, but that there will be a want found of the benefit which should be received thereby. Meditation is a preparative to prayer; Prayer the end of meditation. If thou wouldst pray effectually, thou must begin with meditation; if thou wouldst meditate profitably and fruitfully, thou must end with prayer. Use both these duty as thou shalt have occasion (as if thy heart be well ordered and rightly affected as it ought, thou canst seldom or never want it:) and withal, pray unto God for a blessing upon them; and doubt not but that thou shalt find much sweetness and comfort in them, and reap no small benefit by them.   

MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS.  
I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy ways: Psalm. 119.15.  
Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my God: Psalm. 143.10.  
If I regard wickedness in mine heart, the Lord will not hear me: Psal. 66.18.  
The Lord is near unto all that call upon him, even to all that call upon him in truth: Psal. 145.18.  

Enemies to devotion: first sinful lusts.  
HE that hath an aguish fit upon him, can taste nothing well, but all things, even the most sweet and wholesome meats are unsavoury to him; he can find no relish in them: So it is with the man whose soul is distempered through sin. He finds no sweetness, no savour in the things of God; yea his soul doth loath and abhor them though they be sweeter than Manna itself. O Lord keep me from this spiritual distemperature, which of all others is most dangerous; and grant that I may always delight in those things which are pleasing unto thee; yea that I may find much sweetness in them, even in meditation, prayer, and all other holy exercises, which thou hast prescribed in thy word, that so my soul may live for ever.   

2 Worldly Cares.  
THe cares of this world, and the desire of these earthly vanities, oh what snares they are to the soul and to the spirit of a man! How many are taken in them, and so brought into a kind of thraldom & bondage! What encumbrances are they unto them in the performance of good actions! How do they cool, yea quench the holy motions, the godly desires and purposes of the heart, and hinder it from divine and heavenly meditations, which otherwise it would relish far better, and find much more sweetness and delight therein, then now it doth! O my God, preserve thou me both now and always from the inordinate and immoderate cares of this evil world, and from the excessive and unlawful desire and affection of all vain and transitory things: Let me not be ensnared, and entangled with them, as others are; Let them not be any let or hindrance unto my soul, to withdraw it from the more serious meditation of spiritual and heavenly things; or in any sort to cool my affection towards them, or to cause me to take the less pleasure and delight in them, or to be the more unfit to be conversant about them: Let them not so oppress my mind, that I should find less liberty and freedom of spirit in good things, or become more unapt for the performance of any duty of thy worship and service, any holy or religious exercise which thou requirest of me; but grant I beseech thee, that seeing how deceitful this world is, how vain all things here below are, I may daily be more and more weaned from the love and desire of them; yea may have thy love so shed into my heart, that all my delight may be in thee, all my affections set upon thee, in such sort, that all carnal and earthly things which would withdraw me from thee, and from the love of spiritual and heavenly things, may be bitter and unpleasant unto me; and that I may serve thee with more cheerfulness, and alacrity all my days, to thy glory, and to the increase of my happiness in thy kingdom.   

3 Satan's suggestions.  
THat evil and envious spirit, the enemy of all mankind, never resteth, but seeketh uncessantly to cast ill motions, and suggestions into the hearts of men, and to draw away their minds from every good thing which they enterprise and take in hand: He useth all means to make them faint in the service of God, to cool their zeal, to quench their spiritual devotion, to hinder them in the performance of all good duties, and religious exercises, which might make for the increase of grace in them; and to cause them (if it be possible) to fall from that purpose of heart, and godly resolution which heretofore they have had to continue in the Lord, and to walk in the ways which he hath commanded: yea no sooner shall the good spirit inspire into them any good motions, any holy desires, but that wicked and envious one standing ready at hand, will labour presently to strangle them, so that they shall never come to any effect, but vanish away and leave the heart more heardened, and less capable of goodness and of any spiritual and heavenly grace, than ever it was before. Oh how closely, and how slily doth he insinuate himself into the minds of men, and deceive and delude them in this manner, when they think little he is so near them, or so busy in working them so great a mischief, even that which (if it be not carefully prevented in time) willbe their utter ruin in the end! O Lord, let me never give ear unto the deceitful enchantments, and to the enticing & dangerous charms of that subtle and wily serpent, who is always hissing about me; Let me not once listen unto him, nor yield unto any of his suggestions, but always resist him in the first motions unto every sin whereunto he shall tempt me. And whensoever that good spirit of thine shall speak inwardly and secretly unto my soul, and inspire any good thought, any holy affection or desire into my heart, let me hearken thereunto, as unto thy voice: Let me carefully use the means to foster and cherish such beginnings of grace as it shall please thee in mercy and goodness to infuse into me; that so I may not fall away from any good thing which thou hast wrought in me heretofore; nor find myself more unfit, or unto ward unto any duty, or spiritual exercise, wherein heretofore thou hast caused me to take much joy and great delight; but grant that I may daily increase in grace, and go forward cheerfully & constantly in the ways of piety and true holiness, and with full purpose of heart cleave fast unto thee, to the end of my days, never forsaking thee, nor being forsaken of thee, who art the God of my hope, my strength, & my salvation.   

WORKS OF CREAtion.  
ALl the works of God are excellent and glorious, if we stand to consider them, 
●b. 40.10.  from Behemoth, (whom the scripture mentioneth and setteth forth as one of the chiefest of them) to the Ostrich; from the great Whale in the midst of the seas, to the least fish that moveth in the waters; from the Eagle to the fly: from the Cedar of Libanus to the Hyssop that groweth upon the wall; from the stars of heaven, to the dust of the earth; and from the Angels of God, to the worms that creep upon the ground.  
Who is there that considereth of them aright, or is so affected with them as he ought? Lord let me always delight to be searching into them; and in them, as in a glass, see clearly thy wisdom, and mighty power; and learn to know thee, the Creator of all things both in heaven and in earth, and in all places: and knowing thee, to worship and serve thee, in spirit and truth, lest I be like unto the heathen, who when by the frame and workmanship of the world, and the creatures therein, (wherein thy marvelous wisdom is engraven) they knew thee to be God, and yet glorified thee not as God, became vile and abominable, and altogether inxecusable, forsaking thee their Creator, who art blessed for ever. Amen.   

Work of Redemption.  
OF all the works of God, that of the Redemption of mankind, is most wonderful and glorious, whether we consider the person of the Redeemer, the persons redeemed, or the means, and manner in and by which it was effected and brought to pass. It passeth all knowledge, all understanding. The Angels, 
●et. 1.12.  those heavenly creatures, do admire at it, and desire continually to have a more clear and perfect insight into it, as being so great and unsearchable a mystery, that no creature is able fully to comprehend the breadth, the length, and depth and height of it. Oh the marvelous blindness of men, for whom it was wrought, that they can see and discern so little of it! their great forgetfulness that they so seldom remember it! their extreme sottishness, that they scarce ever admire it in that holy manner that they ought; yea rather little regard it, and esteem very lightly of it! O merciful God, far be it from me to sin so great a sin against thy majesty, by prising so inestimable a benefit, so much under the worth and value of it, and by being so meanly affected with it as the most are: yea let me and all thy redeemed ones, always clearly behold, and faithfully remember this great and gracious work of thine towards us: let us highly esteem of it, rejoice continually and glory in it, and uncessantly praise and magnify thee for it for ever. What can be rendered unto thee O Lord for so great love, for those exceeding riches of thy grace towards us in Christ jesus? what can be rendered unto thee worthy of that infinite goodness of thine, sufficient for so unspeakable mercy and bounty? All that we can return unto thee for it, is honour, glory and thanksgiving. O let us never be found wanting in this, seeing we own unto thee much more, although there is nothing that thou more desirest of us: (and yet even this is thy gift also, yea thy especial grace) O do thou make me truly and unfeignedly thankful.   

Mercies of God.  
WE can never be sufficiently thankful unto the Lord, for the least of those blessings which he daily, and most freely vouchsafeth unto us; health, peace, liberty, maintenance and continual protection & preservation, etc. and yet who is there almost that is hearty and unfeignedly thankful for those great and wonderful mercies of his which concern our eternal happiness & salvation in the heavens, even that glorious estate, which of his free grace and bounty he hath promised unto us, and will in due time give us full possession of for ever. O the exceeding dullness of the hearts of men, that are no more moved with the consideration of these things! yea that esteem more of those ordinary kindnesses which are showed unto them by men, then of all those infinite and unspeakable blessings and benefits which are vouchsafed unto them by so gracious a God, so kind and loving a Father. O Lord, let me never be unmindful of the least of thy mercies and favours, which thou hast showed unto me from the beginning of my life unto this present; give me a thankful heart for them: especially lift up my heart and soul, unto a due and serious meditation of those great and inestimable mercies of thine, wherein thou hast in a special manner showed thyself so exceeding good and gracious unto me, in electing me unto life and salvation; in freeing and delivering me from that wretched estate, and that woeful misery, whereinto I was so deeply plunged by the sin of my first parents; in redeeming me therefrom, by so dear a price, even the death of thine own Son, my blessed Saviour; in adopting me into the number of thy children by faith in him; and in providing that glorious mansion for me in the heavens, there to live and reign with thee for ever. O give me a lively sense and feeling, of thy goodness, thy love and unspeakable mercies, so graciously vouchsafed unto me so vile and unworthy a creature: Inflame my heart with an unfeigned and most entire love of thy majesty; and let my mouth always praise thee; yea let me in heart, in soul, and with all the powers of the same praise thee continually, and yield that glory which is due unto thee both now, and evermore. Amen.   

The folly of the wicked to be wondered at.  
I Marvel much, when I read how the israelites being in the way to Canaan (a type of heaven for the goodness and pleasantness of it) desired so oft, and so earnestly to return again into Egypt (a figure of hell itself) where they had been so hardly entreated, yea so cruelly and unmercifully handled: But much more do I marvel, & can never sufficiently wonder at those, who when the Lord offers to bring them out of the house of that spiritual bondage, and not only to free them from the power of darkness, and the tyranny of sin and Satan, but also by the light of his word & spirit, to lead and conduct them safely into that heavenly Canaan, which floweth with the milk & honey of his rich and plentiful graces, even the inheritance of his chosen, the place where his honour dwelleth; desire rather notwithstanding, still to be under the hands of their cruel taskmasters, in the kilnes among the bricks, and in the iron furnace, and to endure the most servile, and the most woeful and wretched thraldom and slavery, that ever was or can be possibly, that so they may fill themselves with the Onions and Garlic of Egypt. Lord, let the counsel of the wicked be far from me: suffer not thy servant to delight in the ways of such a foolish generation, who know not thee, nor regard that which should be their happiness. But let me ever praise thee with joyfulness, that thou hast delivered my soul out of the hands of my cruel and deadly enemies, and brought me from the house of bondage, the kingdom of darkness and death itself, into the ways which lead unto thy heavenly and glorious kingdom. And although I am for a while, to wander in the wilderness of this world, and here to endure much hardness, and to pass thorough many difficulties and troubles, before I can enter into the land of promise, yet let me never faint or be discouraged; much less be so evil disposed, as to repine, or murmur at any time against thee, and desire to return to the sinful courses of the world, or linger after these earthly vanities, but go forward according unto thy direction, with faith, hope, and patience, looking continually for the performance of thy gracious promise, that so at length I may enter into thy rest, and live & reign with thee eternally.   

The hurt and danger which sin bringeth.  
WHat evil is there that sin bringeth not with it? It closeth the Lord's hand; it drieth up the fountain of his blessings and mercies; it keepeth all good things from us; it pulleth down all kinds of plagues, miseries, and judgements in this world; and in the end will not only bar the gates of heaven against those that live and die in it, without true and unfeigned repentance, but also setteth hel-gates wide open for them, & draw them right down into the depth of endless perdition and destruction, the house of darkness, and the place of the damned. O what folly is it to delight in sin, which is every way so hurtful and dangerous, not only depriving us of that which is good, but also bringing upon us the greatest evils! O Lord keep me from falling into any sin, let me ever abhor it and fly from it, as from my greatest enemy: so shall I be free from thy fearful judgements the wages & due desert of sin: yea so shall I be compassed with thy mercies, and crowned with thy blessings for ever.   

Death always to be expected and provided for.  
LOrd, thou hast graciously sent thy harbingers aforehand to forewarn me of thy coming. Let my main care be, to be always ready provided for thee, that so that day which is justly feared of the most; yea the remembrance whereof is bitter unto many, even those that take their pleasure in wickedness, may be most welcome and joyful unto me; the end of all my miseries, and the entrance into that glory & blessedness which thou hast promised, and which I expect and long for: I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee my Saviour; for that is best of all.   

Another of the same.  
AS the Lord will come in that last and general judgement when he is not looked for of many; so by particular judgement, even by unexpected death, he doth now often suddenly surprise many when they think little he is so near. It is not seldom, that we have such glasses set before our eyes wherein we may clearly see the truth hereof, although indeed few there be that delight to look thereinto; the view notwithstanding, and daily consideration whereof, were very profitable for them. Lord, let me ever be mindful of my frail & mortal estate and condition in this world: let me always be ready at thy call, ever prepared for thy coming in the day of my dissolution, which as I am persuaded is not far off, so it may be nearer than I think of. O let me live every day as if it were my last day; every hour and moment, as if it were the last hour and minute of this transitory and uncertain life of mine; that so whiles I live I may die daily; and when I die once, I may live for ever.   

God's glory carefully to be sought for in all things.  
ALl things were made for God's glory. For this end the Lord giveth being unto all creatures: for this we live, move, and receive all those blessings which we enjoy. And there is none of us, but shall be called unto an account, when the day of reckoning cometh, how we have referred all our actions unto this end; whether we have in all things, and above all things sought the glory of God, and the advancement thereof by all good means, even to the uttermost of our p●●●er and ability. Every hour that hath been spent otherwise, 〈◊〉 registered, and must be answered for in that day. Oh what a heavy account shall the most have then to make, who now make this the least part of their care, yea who altogether pervert the end for which they were created and sent into the world, being so far from glorifying God in all their actions, that they do nothing but dishonour him throughout the whole course of their lives; giving that unto Satan, which is the Lords due, and which he calleth for continually of them! where shall they appear when he shall require these things at their hands? Certain, I cannot but wonder that such can sleep in rest one hour, whose case is so fearful and miserable, especially since they know not, how soon, how suddenly they shall be called to their reckoning, if not at that general Audit, yet at their particular counts-day, the day of death. Lord, as thou hast made me for thy glory, so let my eye be always fixed upon the same; let me be careful always by all means to seek the furtherance and advancement of the same; yea do thou inflame my heart with a holy zeal thereof. Let the coals thereof be fiery, and the flame vehement, that so nothing may be able to quench it; not the deep waters, and raging streams of the greatest troubles and afflictions which can betide me; no, not the loss of life itself, and all things which I enjoy, or this world could afford me. Oh that thou wouldst kindle and increase this grace daily more and more in me, and cause it to break forth in all the actions of my life, that so glorifying thee here for a while, I may hereafter be glorified of thee for ever, even with that fullness of glory which thou wilt give unto thy Saints.   

No standing at a stay in Christianity.  
HE that thinketh that he hath attained to perfection, and therefore standeth at a stay, and striveth to go no further, may well suspect himself, and fear that either he is undermined with a dangerous temptation; or else that indeed be hath heretofore deceived himself and his own soul, thinking himself to be some thing, when he was nothing, and judging far otherwise of his estate, than he ought to have done. Lord, let me every day more and more see mine own weakness and unprofitableness, even how far I come short of that which thou requirest of me; that so forgetting that which is behind, I may endeavour myself unto that which is before, and strive daily to make further proceed, and to attain to a greater measure of grace and godliness, till I come unto that perfection which it hath pleased thee (from whose divine dispensation only it is) to allot unto me.   

The benefit which is received by the mutual prayers of the faithful.  
THe prayer of one righteous man is never without fruit, but availeth much if it be fervent, and proceed from a pure mind, and a believing heart: how much more the earnest supplications of the assemblies of the Saints and servants of God, even his faithful and beloved ones? no doubt they pierce the clouds, open heaven-gates, and enter into the presence of God himself, and so prevail with him, that they cause him, as to keep back his judgements, where they are feared, so to power down his blessings in abundance where they are desired. O Lord grant that I may be frequent, and earnest in prayer both public and private, for myself and for others, even for thy Saints, especially thy afflicted and distressed ones, either in body or in mind; and let it please thee, as to make me careful daily to pray, and power out my suits and supplications unto thee for others, so also in goodness to vouchsafe this grace and favour unto me, that I may enjoy the fruit and benefit of the prayers of thy servants, wheresoever or whensoever they shall be assembled in thy name, craving for thy blessing upon thy Church and chosen children: Hear O Lord from heaven, and be merciful unto all and every one of thine that calls upon thee in truth and faithfulness: let them taste of the sweetness of thy mercies; yea let their empty souls be satisfied and filled with thy grace and goodness, that so they may praise thee with joyfulness, and both with heart and mouth sing unto thy glory all their days.   

Blessings of God are not the less to be regarded because they are common.  
EVen that glorious creature the Sun, because it riseth every day upon us, is little thought of, or regarded of the most: The wondrous and admirable works of God, because they are ordinary and daily set before our eyes, how meanly are they accounted of? the greatest mercies and blessings of God because we hear of them, and enjoy them continually, how slightly are they passed over by many▪ of how few so highly prized and esteemed as they ought to be? Lord, let not thy works, thy mercies and favours, wherein thou hast showed thyself so exceeding gracious unto me above all deserts of mine; let not them seem the less in my eyes, because it pleaseth thee in great kindness to make them ordinary & usual unto me: let me not be the less mindful of them, the less thankful unto thee for them, because in the riches of thy love thou vouchsafest to make them common by the continual supply and increase of them: yea rather let me (as it is meet I should) be moved and drawn to be so much the more frequent in the daily and conscionable performance of those ordinary duties and services which thou requirest of me; and as thou enlargest thy hand in the continuance and increase of thy mercies towards me, so enlarge my heart, I humbly beseech thee, that I may daily more and more increase in true thankfulness unto thee, unto whom I own myself, and all things that I have: for in thee I have all things; without thee I can neither enjoy nor hope for any thing which is good, or to be desired.   

The Angel's watch over the godly.  
O How strongly are God's children continually guarded! Lo what multitudes of those heavenly soldiers do attend upon them daily, hourly, every moment; watch over them, yea compass them round about on every side, so that they can have no hurt, but live and end their days in peace, safety and happiness. O how blind are the eyes of men that they do not see and behold them; yea rather how weak is their faith, that will not believe this, because they cannot see them with the eyes of their bodies! Foolish and faithless people, who will be perswaed of no more, than they can see with the eye of flesh, and have an external view of, by their outward sense! why do they not as fond doubt whether they have souls within them? since they are spirits also which they never saw, neither can see. Lord open mine eyes that I may see that heavenly guard of thine, wherewith it hath pleased thee to compass me, even those celestial Angels and ministering spirits which are set continually to attend upon me, that so I may be comforted in my greatest fears, and encouraged with undaunted resolution to go forward with constancy in thy ways, notwithstanding the opposition of the enemies of thy grace and truth, knowing assuredly, that they that are with me, are more & mightier, than they that are against me.   

The danger of security.  
WIll that man be secure and careless of himself, that knoweth certainly that his enemy lieth continually in wait for him, seeking his utter ruin, even the spoiling of his estate, and the spilling of his blood? yea will he not (if there be any wisdom or prudence in him) be very watchful, very circumspect, and exceeding careful, to foresee and prevent all his dangerous attempts & enterprises, whereby he might have the least advantage at any time against him? Few there are, but are wise enough thus to procure the safety and security of their bodily life, and outward estate, in this world, and to safeguard it that no enemy or adversary may impair or hurt the same at any time: And shall any than be so foolish, so unwise, as not carefully by all means to provide for the life and welfare of his soul, yea to procure the safety both of soul and body, and not only his present but also his future estate in the heavens: and yet lo, such is the folly of the most; yea even of many of those, who otherwise are wise and prudent men, men of judgement and understanding. Satan (that subtle, that wily, and most malicious enemy) lieth continually in wait for us; he omits no opportunity, no occasion whereby he may get any advantage against us; he never leaves tempting, assaulting and assailing of us, but seeks continually by all means possible to undermine our estate, & to work our ruin and utter overthrow both of our souls and bodies for ever; & yet most men, how careless, how secure are they, as though they had no heart, no understanding? yea do they not even wilfully, and willingly give themselves to sleep in greatest security. when they are in greatest and most apparent and eminent danger, even then when the enemy is ready to make a spoil of them, and eternal destruction and confusion to seize upon them without all recovery, or hope of redemption? O merciful Lord, thou seest, how busy Satan is in tempting me; how many and how forcible means he useth to prevail against me. O let me not be so careless and secure (as others are) but do thou of thy especial grace give me wisdom from above, to foresee the dangers which may befall me; carefulness and diligence with watchfulness and advisedness to prevent them; and finally grace and strength not only to encounter and resist, but also to vanquish and overcome that cruel and malicious enemy and adversary, and in the end gloriously to triumph over him, by the power and might of thy Christ, in whom and through whom I am able to do all things.   

The folly of worldlings, and wickedmen.  
WE are ready to laugh at the folly of him that we see make more account of toys and trifles, then of things of greater worth and moment; that will be better pleased with a gay feather, then with a rich jewel, with a guarded and party coloured coat, then with a costly raiment and goodly attire. And yet behold such is the folly and simplicity, even of those who seem to be the wisest in the world, both in their own eyes & in the eyes of others, who never knew the wisdom which is from above, but that only which is earthly and sensual: with Hevah they prefer an Apple before Paradise: with Esau, a mess of pottage before the inheritance of that celestial Canaan, the land of promise which floweth with milk & honey: with the prodigal son, the husks of swine in a strange country, before the best fare in their father's house: in brief, the toys and trifles of this world, even the vain and sinful pleasures and delights, and the transitory profits and commodities thereof, before those hidden treasures, those inestimable riches of joy, glory, and everlasting happiness and felicity, provided for the Saints in the highest heavens, even the precious things of God, which can never be over prized, or set at too high a rate. Can there be any greater folly than this? Is not the simplicity of those that are thus strangely besotted, to be laughed at, by those that know what true wisdom is; yea rather to be pitied & even bewailed with tears, although they in the mean while see not their foolishness, but rejoice in it, accounting it wisdom, and themselves the only wise and prudent men? whereas if their eyes were open, that they might discern rightly of things (which now by reason of their blindness they cannot) they could not but see plainly and acknowledge freely (as the truth is) that of all men they are the most vain, the most unwise and extreme foolish. Lord, give me not over to the folly of mine own heart, but endue me with true spiritual wisdom and understanding, that so I may not with the men of this world (whose minds are darkened, and deprived of the light of grace and knowledge) choose death rather than life, shame rather than glory, hell rather than heaven, vanity and misery, rather than endless and unspeakable happiness, the service of sin and Satan, and the fruits and deceivable pleasures and profits of this world, rather than the service of thee the everliving and most glorious God, and the blessed hope, of the enjoyment and full possession of that rich inheritance of thy chosen, even those invaluable treasures of glory, bliss, and happiness; but that my judgement being cleared, and my heart sanctified, I may now and always make greatest account of those things which are most precious, and chief to be desired and sought after, of all those that will be the sons of true wisdom.   

The bondage and slavery of the wicked.  
WE would wonder at him that being laden with many irons, chained and fettered hand and foot, so that he were not able to move from the place where he lay, should notwithstanding persuade himself that he were a free man, and none more at liberty than he. This is the estate of the wicked: they are bound hand and foot, yea all the parts and powers of their souls have many heavy chains and irons lying upon them whereby they are even pressed down, and brought into great misery and bondage; and yet they poor wretches (such is their blindness) though plunged into the very depth of that woeful misery and hellish thraldom, yet neither see nor perceive the same, but think themselves as free as the best, and rejoice in their estate, when as they are the servants of corruption, the slaves of Satan, subject to the power of darkness. Lord, give me daily more and more to see that woeful misery, and fearful bondage and slavery, which Satan by sin bringeth upon the souls of men, yea both upon their souls and bodies. And grant, that seeing it, I may bewail it both in myself and others, and labour to be restored unto perfect liberty and freedom; being truly thankful unto thee, for this, that thou hast in part freed me already, making those bolts lighter, and those bonds loser: and earnestly desiring and expecting the time when that which is in part, shall be fully perfected, even the day of redemption; which I pray thee to hasten.   

The fond and preposterous course of the wicked in preferring the health of their bodies, before the salvation of their souls.  
IF any be in danger, but to lose a finger, he will presently with all diligence and carefulness seek unto the Physician, or Chirurgeon for to save one joint of it (if it may be possible:) But to lose their souls how small reckoning do most men make? what a preposterous course is this? Is the body of more worth than the soul? is the life and safety of this corruptible body, yea of one little member thereof to be more esteemed, more carefully provided for, than the eternal life and salvation of the soul, yea of soul and body? Is any so destitute of reason and understanding, as once to imagine this? And yet behold, such are the lives and practices of most men, that either they do, or at least would so persuade themselves; or else, how could they be so careful for the maintenance and preservation of their bodily health, and outward estate, and so careless, yea desperate, never regarding the present and future estate of their souls, but passing away their days most securely in the sinful pleasures and delights of this evil world, even bathing themselves therein, whiles in the mean time, they willingly, if not wilfully, deprive themselves of everlasting life and salvation, and hasten forward unto that endless perdition and destruction, which is prepared for them? Blessed be thy name O merciful Lord, that thou hast not given me over to the foolishness of the wicked, who shall perish for ever, but vouchsafest thy grace unto me, whereby thou hast made me more careful, to seek for the assurance of the good estate of my soul in this life, and the eternal salvation thereof in the heavens after this transitory life is ended, then for the procuring of the life, and safety of this mortal & corruptible body of mine, which shall be turned into dust and rottenness. Increase this grace in me, and in all thine, that so we may have full assurance that we are thine, and that when the earthly house of this our tabernacle is destroyed, we may live with thee in glory for ever, even in that heavenly kingdom, that celestial mansion, which thou hast provided and prepared for us, and for all thy Saints.   

The forwardness of the wicked in the way to hell, aught to provoke the godly to make the more speed in the way to heaven.  
IS it not strange to see the wicked run faster to hell, than the godly do to heaven? to make more speed & greater haste, in the ways which lead unto death and destruction, than the righteous in the ways which lead unto life and salvation? As we are to pity their rashness and headiness (yea rather their bold and desperate presumption) who whiles they walk in so slippery a way, rush forward, or rather are carried headlong with the violence of Satan, and their own corrupt and unsanctified nature, not considering what is before them, and whereunto they tend, until they fall into that deep gulf out of which there is no recovery; so we ought to be provoked by them, and stirred up by their example, to walk in the ways of godliness, and to run that race of Christianity, with more swiftness, cheerfulness, and alacrity, than hitherto we have done: yea to blush and to be ashamed of our former backwardness and untowardness in going forward, so slowly, and so heavily in the paths which will bring us to life & happiness, seeing the ungodly do make such haste and walk on so fast in those broad and pleasant, yet most dangerous and deceitful ways which lead directly to endless woe and misery, even the place of the damned, as though they were afraid they should not come thither soon enough. O Lord, if it be thy will, open their eyes, that whiles they have time, they may be wisehearted to turn out of that broad way, seeing that the issues thereof are death and confusion; and enlarge my heart, that I may with more liberty and alacrity hereafer run in all the ways of thy commandments; and in the end, having finished my course with joyfulness, receive that incorruptible crown of life, of glory, and happiness, which thou hast promised unto all those which continue faithful and constant in thy service, unto the end of their days.   

More care ought to be had of the soul then of the body.  
Many are exceeding careful that their bodies may be clothed in costly, yea in very curious manner, who are altogether careless what clothing or covering they have for their souls; nay though they be clothed with the filthy rags of sin and Satan, and quite stripped of all the graces of God's spirit, those precious ornaments, yet it never troubles their minds, it never grieves them, or goes to the heart of them, but they are well content therewith, and desire no better; yea they are not once ashamed, although their filthy nakedness lie open continually, and appear to the eyes of all that see and behold them, but rather rejoice and glory therein: we wonder at this, and not without cause; but would we know the reason thereof? Alas they are stark blind, they see not their own nakedness, their baseness, and extreme beggary: they see not how the glorious image of God (which standeth in righteousness and true holiness) is utterly defaced in them, and in stead thereof the image of Satan stamped in them, in such sort that they are become vile and abominable, exceedingly disfigured and deformed in all the powers and faculties of their souls, and most loathsome in the eyes of God, & his Saints. O Lord, give me to see my nakedness, my spiritual poverty, & beggarliness; & let me daily seek by all means to cast off the old rotten rags, of sinful and corrupted nature, and to be clothed throughout anew, with the graces of thy sanctifying spirit, with righteousness & holiness, even according unto thine own image, wherein thou didst at the first create man; that so thou mayst take pleasure and delight in me; and having vouchsafed unto me thy grace here, mayst receive me unto glory hereafter.   

The unfruitful hearing of the word of God very dangerous.  
IF good seed be oft cast into the ground, & it brings forth no fruit, but briers, thorns and thistles, it is a sign that it is either a naughty, or a barren soil, and therefore in vain to spend time, cost and labour in tilling and manuring it: If the word of God (that immortal seed) be often sown by the sincere preaching of the word, by the Lords own husbandmen, whom he employeth in that work; if it doth not bring forth much fruit in those that are the ordinary hearers thereof, but either no fruit, or else that cursed fruit of a corrupt life, and ungodly actions, it is a certain sign that they have bad hearts, and such as are barren of all grace; and they may justly fear that the Lord will cause his ministers to labour no more among than, but take both them, and his word from them, and bring such a heavy judgement, and fearful curse upon them, as shall cause them to mourn for their former unfruitfulness and unprofitableness, under so many and so great means, as in former times have been so graciously offered unto them. O Lord, suffer me never to receive thy holy word in vain, but let it take deep root in my heart, and bring forth much fruit in my life and conversation, even the plentiful increase of grace & godliness, to the glory of thy name, the good example of others, mine own comfort, and eternal salvation in Christ jesus.   

Different degrees of grace in the godly.  
THe Lord hath not measured out the same portion of gifts and graces of his spirit unto all alike; but hath given this grace unto one, that unto another; and the same grace in this manner unto one, in that unto the other; to some more, to some less; yea to divers, different portions, both for the graces themselves, as also the number, the kind, the qualities, measure and degrees thereof: and yet all are his gifts and graces, proceeding from one and the same spirit, which worketh in all & every one, as it pleaseth it. Lord, give me to see and discern aright, what grace thou hast vouchsafed unto me, and the measure of it; and as to be truly thankful unto thee for the same, and to glory in thee who art the author and giver of it, (as of every other good and perfect gift) so likewise to be careful to employ it unto the setting forth of thy glory, in the performance of those duties which thou requirest of me: that so when thou shalt call me to a reckoning for the use of that talon, which thou hast committed unto me, having been faithful in the improvement of the same, I may willingly appear before thee to give in my accounts, and be plentifully rewarded of thee, by entering into that joy and glory which thou hast promised and prepared for all thy faithful servants.   

Another of the same.  
THou O Lord art very liberal in disposing of the heavenly graces of thy spirit unto thy children, whom thou lovest, and in whom thou delightest. To some thou givest more, to some less, to all some: there is none of thine that hath not tasted of thy goodness herein, yea that hath not received the measure of grace, for which he can never be sufficiently thankful unto thee. O heavenvly father, increase thy grace in me; & grant that I may always, make precious account of the least measure, which it shall please thee in mercy to vouchsafe unto me, & refer it wholly to thy honour and glory. And sith whatsoever I am, I am in thee; whatsoever grace I have, I have it from the (whose gift only it is;) let me be content with that portion, which thou in thy wisdom and goodness allottest unto me; and knowing that for the present it is sufficient for me, neither envy those that have received more, lest I repine against thee; nor despise those that have less, lest it displease thee, and cause thee in justice to withdraw that grace from me, which in mercy thou hadst freely given unto me, and to bestow it upon those, who would make better use of it.   

Death always to be desired of the godly.  
IF any shall take away from me my torn and ragged-worne coat, and in stead thereof put upon me a new and a better, shall I think that I have any injury done unto me? have I any cause to complain as if I were wronged? If the Lord unclothe me by depriving me of this temporal, this sinful and corruptible life, and in stead of it cloth me with that which is eternal, incorruptible and most glorious, doth he hurt me? doth he any wrong or injury unto me? shall I complain? yea rather, Lord, let me desire always to remove out of this body, and to dwell with thee for ever. Let me desire earnestly to put off this corruption, to be dissolved & to be with Christ my Saviour in the heavens; for this is that only happiness and felicity which I expect and hope for. Lord, even when it pleaseth thee, let me see thy salvation, which thou hast promised.   

The imprisonment of the godly in this life.  
THe godly while they remain in this world, live, as it were, in perpetual imprisonment. They are laden with many chains and fetters, which lie heavy upon them, and cause them to sigh in themselves, and to long earnestly for the time of their deliverance & freedom. O blessed Lord, thou knowest what a burden unto my soul, this corruptible and sinful body of mine is, which I carry continually about with me; and how this earthly mansion keepeth down and oppresseth my mind, and maketh me heavy and untoward for the performance of that good which thou commandest, and wherein my heart desireth to approve itself unto thee; I am so fast in prison, & so much encumbered with manifold annoyances, which are, as it were, so many heavy irons pressing down my mind, and hindering me from walking before thee, with that freedom of spirit, and that cheerfulness and alacrity wherein thou delightest, that my soul mourneth secretly within me, and longeth to be freed from this misery and bondage, wherein I am now detained. O Lord, when wilt thou set me at liberty? Continually do I expect and wait for the redemption of this earthly and sinful body.   

The vanity of all earthly things.  
OH the vanity of the things of this world, riches, pleasures, honour & whatsoever else (to him that hath a carnal and fleshly eye) may seem most precious and glorious! how fruitless, how fading and transitory are they? was there ever any that found any true peace, any sound joy or contentment in any, or in all of them? What a vain thing than is it for any one to be carried with such an unsatiable desire after them; yea to place, if not his only, yet his chief happiness and felicity in them, as many do? O Lord, draw my heart daily more and more from the things of this world, whereunto the most are so fast glued: wean my soul both from the love, and desire of them; and let my delight be in thee, let me rejoice in thee continually; yea let my soul always long after thee, and in comparison of thee esteem of all these earthly things but as dross & mere vanity.   

A true discerning of the world's vanity, maketh men willing to leave it, and desirous of a better estate out of it.  
Many there be that complain of the vanity and deceitfulness of this world, and yet are loath to leave it, & to departed out of it. Such either had never a true sight of the vanity of all things here below, and of the wretchedness and misery whereunto men, even the best are subject in this life; or else they never indeed fully tasted of the blessedness and felicity of the life to come, even those endless joys, and unspeakable glory, which are prepared and reserved for the Saints, in the kingdom of God: or if they have in some sort tasted of this heavenly gift, yet without any certainty or assurance that it belonged unto them, and that their right and portion should be in it, and therefore could not be so sound affected with it, as thereby to be brought into a true dislike and contempt of this present evil world, which notwithstanding, at least, they wou●d seem to be out of love with. The man that seethe indeed, how vain, how deceitful and how miserable this world is; and hath withal received the first fruits of the spirit of God, and tasted of the sweetness & blessedness of the world to come; and also knoweth, that the assurance of the promise thereof is made and sealed unto him, and that by the truth itself, (even by him whose word shall stand, when heaven and earth shall pass away;) that man as he shall find cause enough to complain of this evil world wherein he liveth; so it cannot be, but that he should desire unfeignedly to be gone out of it, & to make change for a better; even that which his soul longeth after, and in the hope and expectation whereof he resteth continually, sighing in himself, and waiting earnestly for the fruition and full possession thereof, when as being unclothed of the burden of this flesh, & loosed out of the prison of this earth, he shall be clothed with glory and immortality, and live for ever in that celestial mansion, not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens. O Lord, when shall I be fully delivered from the bondage of corruption, unto which I am now daily subject? when shall I lay down this body of sin and death, which I now carry continually about with me? when shall I remove out of this earthly tabernacle? when shall I leave the wilderness of this wearisome world, and departing from hence be translated into that glorious kingdom of thine, which thou hast promised unto me? My soul longeth to dwell in thy courts, to see thy salvation, to enjoy thy blessed presence, and to live and rest with thee continually. For here, alas, I find no resting place; yea I see vanity, wretchedness and misery on every side, in every place. One sorrow succeed another: The snares of many afflictions, and temptations have taken hold of me; many deep waters have passed over me, and even almost overwhelmed me. I am assailed continually with many and those very dangerous and perilous enemies, who fight against my soul, and seek by all means the utter ruin and subversion thereof: yea there is scarce one day, but that I pass thorough many deaths (so many are the grievances whereunto thy children are continually subject, whiles they have their abode in this place, of vanity, of death, and misery.) How therefore should not that day be pleasant, and not bitter unto me? how should I not have a fervent desire to be dissolved, & so to remove from earth to heaven; since that as long as I live here in this world, I cannot be freed from all miseries, nor attain unto full and perfect blessedness, which is only to be expected in the world to come, where I know that I shall enjoy it, and have the fruition of it for ever in thy kingdom? All the days of my appointed time, will I wait until my changing shall come, even the time of refreshing, which I desire, and hope for; and which thou O Lord, (when it pleaseth thee) will't vouchsafe in mercy and goodness to grant unto me: Lord I have longed for thy salvation.   

Of whom death is most feared.  
HE that always fears death excessively, never made conscience to live well. He that is careful to live well, will never be overmuch afraid to die, though death in itself be of all things the most fearful and terrible; or if he do fear it, when it first looks upon him with a ghastly countenance, yet when the vizard, which it hath put upon it, be plucked away with the due and serious meditation of it, the fear and dread of it will vanish away presently. Lord, let it be my care and earnest endeavour, so to live, and to pass the time of my dwelling here, even these short and evil days which thou hast measured out unto me, that the remembrance of ensuing and approaching death, may never be bitter or grievous, but joyful and pleasant unto me.   

Satan's craft and guilefulness in deceiving men.  
THe Devil goes always masked up and down in the world in a disguised manner, and never, or seldom showeth himself in his own likeness, because than he knows well enough, every one (not without cause) would be afraid of him, fly from him, and have nothing to do with him (for who would not shun his deadly adversary, whom he saw nothing but plotting his own destruction and overthrow) but usually he comes like a false friend, with the pretence of a seeming good; he appears and offers himself unto men in the shape of pleasure, profit, honour, even those things which are pleasing unto their nature, & and whereby they may most easily be enticed, and drawn away after him. How many thousands hath he by these slights and policies of his deluded and deceived? how doth he hereby prevail against men, till he secretly work their irrecoverable ruin, and that many times before they be aware of any such matter, but feed securely & greedily upon those things which he proffereth unto them, not seeing the snare which is laid for them. O Lord let me always suspect and fear the deceitfulness of Satan, in the things which are most pleasing unto me, & which, with the show of pleasure, profit, & worldly commodities and advantage, do most allure me, and draw my heart after them, or cause me to set my affections inordinately upon them; that so in what counterfeit form soever, that deceiver shall seek cunningly to insinuate himself into me, I may discern his craft, & take heed by all means, that I be not at any time beguiled and deluded by him.   

Satan's several baits for sundry persons.  
THe Devil hath a bait for every age, for every place and person, and according to the occasions and opportunities, he fitteth them all, to their several natures, dispositions and inclinations. For the covetous, he hath a silver hook and a golden bait; the riches and commodities of this deceitful world: for the voluptuous, sinful pleasures and sensual delights: for the ambitious, honour and bewitching preferments: to such as are choleric, he ministers those things that may kindle their wrath and inflame their fury: for the melancholic, he lays the bait either of unprofitable solitariness, or of pining envy. And thus by one means or other he seeks continually to entice them to swallow his bait which he so guilefully proffereth unto them, that being once taken with it they can hardly escape the danger which he laboureth to bring them unto, except the Lord be the more merciful to pull the hook out of their nostrils, and to set them at liberty again. Blessed Lord, give me to see unto what sins I am, either by nature, or otherwise, most addicted; and whereby Satan seeketh chief to ensnare me, and to draw me unto perdition; and having grace to see them, let me also have wisdom and strength to shun and avoid them; that so I may not be deceived by Satan, nor perish with the multitude whom he hath taken in his snares, with those baits which he hath laid for them.   

The occasions of sin carefully to be avoided.  
HE that saith, that he is loath to offend God, through the commission of any sin, and doth not carefully avoid the occasions whereby he may fall into the same, is like to him that telleth us, that he is loath to be burnt, and yet dreads not the fire when he is near unto burning; yea rather will needs run into the flame, wihch is ready to scorch him; or that he is loath to be drowned, and yet goes so near the pits brink that it is almost impossible for him not to fall into it, and to perish in it. O Lord, let me not be so unwise as to deceive my self as many do, by taking too much liberty unto myself in those things, which though lawful in themselves, yet may be a means through the corruption of my nature, & the temptation of Satan, to draw me to sin against thee. But give me wisdom in all things to foresee and prevent the danger that may come upon me, for want of due providence and watchfulness; and make me ever as careful to avoid the occasions of sin, as sin and death itself: So shall it never have power or dominion over me; whereas otherwise it cannot be but that I should fall oft, and dangerously.   

Respect of persons.  
IT is a great fault, and yet ordinary, to respect men, more for the outward trappings of the body, then for the inward graces, and virtues of the mind. If one be of a goodly parsonage, or richly appareled and attired, he shall be regarded, and much set by, although his mind be never so deformed, destitute of all grace and goodness, even those inward endowments, which are the greatest excellencies. If another be more base or mean in these outward respects; howsoever he be inwardly decked and adorned, yet there is no reckoning, or very small account made of him. What is this but to prefer the body before the soul, that which is terrene, earthly and coruptible, before that which is spiritual, heavenly and immortal? Solomon the most glorious and renowned Prince that ever was, in regard of his outward glory, wherewith he was invested and arrayed, yet he was not like the lily of the field, or the withering and fading grass; whereas all things that are most flourishing on earth, no not those celestial creatures, the stars of heaven, nor the Sun and Moon themselves, (those excellent and glorious lights) are comparable to one soul, it being of a far more divine and excellent nature than they are. Good Lord give me to discern of things aright; let me always esteem more of those that are inwardly beautified with those virtues & graces of the mind, wherewith thou hast enriched them; and which are the things that are most precious in thy sight, and which thou dost much set by; then of such as wanting these, do most flourish in the world, and are most eminent for their external dignities and excellencies.   

God's special providence over his children.  
HE that takes care for the watering of his garden, the growing of his herbs and plants, and the feeding of his cattle, will he not much more be careful for the feeding and preserving of his own children, whom he loveth and regardeth far more than all those? Seeing therefore God our heavenly father watereth this great garden of the world; causeth trees, herbs, and plants of all kinds to grow and flourish therein; clothes the fields with so glorious array, that great Princes with their shining train are not like unto them; and seedeth and preserveth continually by his special providence, the beasts of the earth, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; will he not do much more, for his own children, who depend upon him, and whom he loveth so dearly, and most tenderly regardeth far above all these earthly things? Can it be, that he should not feed them, preserve them, and provide all things for them, which may be for their good estate in this world? O the faithlessness, and infidelity of man, who will not rest on God's providence, nor credit and believe those promises which he hath made unto them (if they be his.) O Lord God, most gracious, and heavenly father, grant that whiles I behold the birds of the air, the flowers of the field, and all things which thou hast created, I may not only see and acknowledge thy power that made them, but also thy providence in preserving, feeding, and appareling them; and that I may use them, as so many seals to confirm me in the truth of thy gracious promises, and in the certainty of that special providence of thine over me continually; even that thou wilt preserve me, cloth me, feed me, and help me in all my necessities, supplying all those things unto me, which thou in thy wisdom knowest to be most expedient and requisite for me. Herein I rest: this is that only which can make me in all things truly contented, and in nothing too careful; and without this my life would be irkesom and burdensome unto me, through that carking care, and those manifold distractions, which I see in others, even in those that are unfaithful, O Lord, and distrust thy providence.   

Contentedness in all estates.  
LOrd I know not what is good for me, or which I should desire rather; prosperity or adversity, health or sickness, plenty or penury. Thou only seest, thou only knowest, what is every way best for me. Deal therefore graciously with me, & do unto me that which is good in thine eyes, and which thou (who judgest and discernest of all things aright) seest to be best for me. And grant that I may rest contentedly and thankfully in those things, which thou according to thy good pleasure, shalt bring to pass, howsoever thou disposest of me.   

covetousness a dangerous disease.  
THe covetous man is like unto those that have the dropsy: for they that are fallen into that disease, do desire to drink continually; and yet the more they drink, the more dry, the more thirsty they are. So it is with the covetous, who through the distemper of their minds, have drawn that spiritual dropsy upon them, which is so much worse than the other, as the soul is better than the body. They have a perpetual, and inordinate lust after riches, and the profits and commodities of this world: and yet the more they have them, the more they feel and complain of the want of them; the more they increase, & the faster they come in, the more doth their desire of them increase, & the greater is their lust and longing after them. They are unsatiable, and like the two daughters of the horseleech, never think they have enough. This is an evil sickness, and yet common and ordinary amongst men; yea many are so far gone in it, that except they seek to prevent the danger of it in time, it will prove incurable, and so in the end become mortal & deadly unto them. O Lord, give me grace to covet after the better things, even those which are spiritual & heavenly; & let me never be carried away with an immoderate and inordinate desire of these things here below, which are earthly and transitory: but let me always be content with that portion which thou shalt give unto me. If it be much; let me bless thee for it, and be ready to distribute according to the necessities of others. If it be little; let me bless and praise thee also, knowing that it is sufficient; and withal, that thou hast provided better things for me, even that rich inheritance, and that enduring substance in the heavens, of which after this life, thou wilt give me (having already made me a grant thereof) the full fruition and possession for ever. And in the mean while, howsoever my estate is, or shall be hereafter in this world, give me a quiet and contented mind, which may always rest in thee, & wholly depend upon thee, who hast promised, that thou will not fail nor forsake me; nor deny any thing unto me, which thou (who knowest what is best for every one) seest to be good for me.   

All must suffer afflictions in this life.  
HE deceiveth himself, that looketh for a continual calm, whiles he liveth in this world. There was never man that attained unto this, never shall, in this life. Let him think that it is well with him, that is not always in a storm; that hath not always rough and heard weather, whereby that weak and small bark of his, is much tossed and troubled; but some times, though seldom, finds the benefit of a pleasant calm, whereby he may be refreshed, and the better enabled with strength and patience, both to expect and to undergo the future imminent troubles, which shall betide him. O Lord, I look not for my rest, whiles I sail in this troublesome sea; for thou hast said it, and I believe it, and all thy Saints and servants have seen the truth of it in their own experience; even that through many troubles, by many afflictions we must have passage, and entrance into thy kingdom, when it pleaseth thee O blessed Lord, either send me a calm after those storms which have gone over me; or else (which I rather desire) cause me speedily to arrive at that haven, which I hope and long for; and where I shall enjoy perfect and perpetual rest and peace, without any trouble or disquietness, yea without the scare of any of those perils and dangers, unto which I am now continually subject.   

The Ancre of the soul in afflictions.  
A Ship that is on the sea in stormy & tempestuous weather, if it hath not an ancre, which being cast forth, may hold and stay it, is carried up and down, and tossed to and fro, with much violence; and so at length either driven upon the sands, or dashed against the rocks: In like manner it is with all those, that in the troublesome sea of this dangerous world (where there are so many storms & tempests continually arising) want the ancre of their souls, even true faith in Christ, and an assured hope of the promises made by him; they are tossed to and fro continually, having no rest, no comfort, no confidence; they are carried away violently with the raging waters; and in the end, either fall upon some quick sands, which swallow them up, and cause them to sink into the bottom of that great deep; or else rush against some stony and craggy rock, which beateth them to pieces, & bringeth them to ruin. O my God, thou seest the great perils and dangers I am subject unto, and shall be as long as I live in this world, which is a sea of miseries, and manifold calamities. The winds blow, the deep wateres lift up their swelling waves, and the stormy tempests threaten me with shipwreck, to the ruin and destruction both of my soul & body: O therefore, let me never want that assured hope, which being as the ancre of my soul, both sure and steadfast, may enter into that which is within the vail, and clasp fast hold of those gracious promises which thou hast made unto me in thy Christ my blessed Saviour: so shall I not only be safe, and confident in the midst of those dangers, which are round about me; but also in the end, having escaped out of them all, arrive at that pleasant haven of true felicity, and endless bliss and happiness; unto which the desire and prayer of my heart is, that thou wouldst shortly bring me, that so I may rest with thee, and sing praises unto thee, in thy kingdom uncessantly, even for ever.   

Great danger in yielding to the least motion of any sin.  
IN every sin that any one yields unto, he lays himself open unto the Devil, & gives him power of him: how careful therefore should men be to avoid all sins; and not willingly to admit the least, sith thereby they give Satan, so great advantage against them. O Lord give me grace always to resist Satan, in the entrance of his suggestions, and temptations, even in the first motions unto evil, wherewith he shall at any time assail me, that so he may never be able to prevail against me, or to get the dominion over me.   

Grace to be increased daily by all means.  
GRace if it be not continually nourished and increased by all good means, which God hath appointed, it will quickly waste and decay exceedingly. How many have we seen that of strong have become weak & feeble? that having for a time flourished with many excellent graces, and been as green Olives, or fruitful plants in the house of God, have afterwards appeared as sear trees, and as withered branches, as though they had almost no juice or sap left in them, which might cause them to bud forth, and to become fruitful? O merciful God, as it pleaseth thee to give me thy grace in any measure, so grant that I maybe careful always, to use all means, whereby it may be preserved, and daily strengthened, and increased in me; that thus the longer I live in this world, the more fruitful I may be, abounding in every good work; my last days maybe my best days, & the inward man of my soul maybe renewed, the more that this outward man shall perish and decay: and having in my life time, caused thy grace to shine forth unto others, I may after this life, shine as a star, in the brightness of glory, in thy kingdom for evermore. Amen.   

Satan's guileful temptations.  
WHo knoweth the power, the craft, & malice, of Satan, the wily serpent, that roaring Lion? he walketh about the earth continually, and compasseth it to and fro, on every side looking for his prey; yea he seeketh by all means to insinuate himself into us by many suggestions, and divers kinds of temptations, and thereby to sting us unto death: he waits his time, watches the occasion fittest for his purpose, and whereby he may easiliest prevail; and as he is wary in choosing his time, and taking his occasion and opportunity, so is he as cunning in making choice of the means, observing the inclinations, the natures and several dispositions of men, both in regard of mind, & of body. Thus he deceived the perfectest that ever were on earth, even our first parents in Paradise, and that in the time of their innocency and integrity, before sin had made man so subject unto Satan, as now all are: thus also since the fall, he hath deceived and beguiled the wisest that ever was among men, as he did Solomon; the strongest, as he did Samson; the holiest, as he did David, etc. There is no place so holy, no excercise so good, which can quail his courage, or restrain the boldness of his attempts: yea even the best things will he seek to make serve for his purpose; out of the best duties and actions which we do, or can perform, he will take his advantage against us, and cause us to sin against God, when we desire & endeavour most to approve ourselves unto him. O Lord sith that evil one is always tempting, let me always, & in all things be vigilant and watchful: let my eyes be open, & my heart waking continually, lest that envious & malicious spirit, sow his tars, whiles I sleep in carelessness and security; yea sith that enemy of thy grace, and of the salvation of thy children, is so mighty, so subtle, and malicious, grant that I may not be secure at any time, but always keep a sure guard over my heart, and all the affections of the same: and because I am weak of myself, be thou faithful according unto thy promise, to assist me in all those temptations, wherewith Satan shall at any time assail me: so shall I praise the for ever, who art my strength & my salvation, even the God through whom I am able to do all things, & by whom all mine enemies are subdued unto me.   

Christians are to estrange themselves from this world, and to aspire unto heaven.  
WE are all of us here pilgrims and strangers: heaven is our country; God our father; Christ our elder brother; all the Saints and Angels our nearest kinsfolk, and our best friends, and lovingest companions, who expect & look continually for our coming into that heavenly city, that celestial mansion, the place where they & we are to rest & remain with our Saviour in the presence of that glorious God for ever, to be partakers of that felicity & blessedness which is unspeakable and glorious: Why then do we not wean ourselves from the world? why do we settle ourselves here, where our rest is not? yea why are we so loath to leave this dry and barren wilderness, where we live among strangers that know us not, yea amongst many wild and savage creatures, who seek to do us all the mischief they can? O Lord, raise up my thoughts, and the affections of my heart unto those things which are above, unto those things which concern my future estate in thy kingdom: let it be continually the earnest desire of my heart, to be with thee my God in the heavens, there to behold thy face in glory for ever, and to have the full fruition of that sweet and comfortable fellowship and communion of my Saviour, and of all the Saints & Angels, wherein consists true happiness and blessedness.   

Death always to be remembered.  
MAny live as if they should never die; they remember not the evil days that shall come upon them, and the years which shall approach, wherein they shall say, We have no pleasure in them. They consider not how their eyes shall wax dim, their ears deaf, their tongues speechless, yea how their spirits & all their senses shall fail them, and all those worldly helps (wherein now they rest and comfort themselves) utterly forsake them. O Lord, teach thou me to number my days, that I may apply my heart unto wisdom: Let me always be mindful of my end, & consider seriously of my frailty & mortality, that so when death cometh (which continually waiteth upon me) it may not find me unprepared, but that in the last hour, (the very remembrance whereof is bitter unto many) I may find sound comfort, and be translated out of this vale of tears, this place of mourning, where I am compassed about with sin and misery, into the kingdom of thy dear Son, and my blessed Saviour, and so be made partaker of that glorious and immortal inheritance, which thou reservest for us, even for all thy Saints, in the highest heavens, the place where thou dwellest in glory and majesty, and where we shall live and reign with thee eternally.   

What manner of life it becometh Christians to lead.  
THe heathen could say, that if men (as it is meet they should) would have this always in their minds, that they were made of God himself, in regard of the better part, which is the soul and spirit; that God was their father, he doubted not but they would lead a life beseeming their estate and condition; that they would do nothing, whereby they might show themselves to be base & degenerate, such as in whom there were no resemblance, of that divine and heavenly nature. Me thinks, many that are christian's (at least in name and profession) should blush when they read, when they hear this. They call God father, and think themselves much wronged, if any should tell them that they were not his children, and that not only by creation (as the heathen are) but also in a more special manner by grace and adoption through Christ: and yet behold, many of them are not ashamed of that vileness and baseness in their behaviour, their actions, lives and practices, which the pagans and heathen themselves were ashamed of, and have condemned as by their lives, so also by their writings, thereby setting a brand of just reproach and eternal infamy upon the foreheads of such feigned & counterfeit Christians, who are the stain of true religion and christianity; & such as though they think, that of right they may claim this title to themselves, to be the chosen people of God, those to whom he hath given the name & privilege of his own sons, yet in very deed are the children of the devil sevenfold more than the heathen themselves, who knew not God in Christ. O merciful Lord, grant I humbly beseech thee, that as I call thee father, and believe and acknowledge myself to be thine own adopted son through thy Christ, in whom thou hast freely loved and elected me from eternity; so also I may have grace from thee (for thy gift only it is) not to fashion myself like unto the wicked and ungodly, the men of this world; that I may not be like unto them in those vain courses, wherein they walk and delight themselves; but that I may always do those things which are beseeming my calling and profession; as acknowledging thee to be my father, and glorying in this, that I am thy son, so living and ordering myself as it becometh thy son; even shining forth in all holiness of life, and godly conversation, to the glory of thy name, the peace and comfort of mine own conscience, and to the good example of others, whom thou hast advanced unto the same profession, which is so glorious.   

God's patience in bearing with sinners.  
IT is a wonder, that the Sun, which is a witness of so many, and so enormous sins and wickednesses as are committed upon the earth, standeth so long in the heavens, and giveth light unto the world; that the heavens are not dissolved, and that the elements melt not; that the waters overflow not and overwhelm us: yea that Christ, that just and righteous judge of the whole world, cometh not in flaming fire, to burn up this earth with all the works therein, which are polluted & defiled with our sins. It is thy mercy O Lord, that we are not consumed. O be thou patiented towards us, who cease not to provoke thee daily. Let thy good spirit still strive with us, yea draw us unto thee, with the consideration of thy lenity, and the riches of thy bountifulness; that so thy long sufferance may be unto us salvation, even an effectual means, to win us unto the love, and obedience of thy majesty, and so in the end to bring us to eternal life and happiness in the heavens.   

The soul how it is to be fitted and prepared, for the entertainment of so glorious a guest, as the holy Ghost is.  
IF thou wert to entertain some honourable parsonage, how careful wouldst thou be to make such preparation and provision for him, that he might be received in that manner that were fit for his place and estate? how much more careful & solicitous then oughtest thou to be, to prepare the secret lodgings of thy heart and soul; to see that nothing be out of order in thy whole man; that no uncleanness, nor any thing which is any way polluted remain within thee, who art to receive and to entertain so honourable a guest, even the holy spirit of the most high God, and to become a temple for so great, and so glorious a presence, to dwell in for ever? O heavenly Father, purify my heart, with the sprinkling of the blood of that immaculate lamb Christ jesus the righteous; purge me daily more and more from all my corruptions, even those which are most secret, and open to the view of none, but of thy all-seeing majesty, whose eye pierceth through all things, and seethe and discerneth perfectly those things which are hid from the sight of men, and which we ourselves are ignorant of. Cleanse me both in soul, in body, and in spirit, from the filthiness of all sin and iniquity, and from the stain of all inbred corruption; and so sanctify me throughout with thy grace, that I may be a fit temple and mansion for thy holy spirit to rest in; yea that thou mayst delight to remain, to abide, and to dwell with me for ever; which is the only happiness and felicity which my soul desireth and longeth for, and which I know assuredly, thou who hast promised it, wilt not deny unto me.   

Grieving of the spirit of God.  
THou art unwilling to give just occasion whereby thy kind friend might be grieved, and so for thy unkind dealing with him, be moved to leave thee, and departed from thee in displeasure, having no delight, no desire to return any more unto thee, no scarcely though he be much sought unto, and entreated with great importunity. Why then dost thou daily and hourly deal so unkindly with thy best friend? why dost thou grieve the spirit of God, which is the only comforter, and without whom, thou canst never have any true peace, or contentment, in any estate or condition of life? Why dost thou continually offer him so just cause to turn away from thee, yea to remove far off, and to deny any more to visit thee, with that gracious and comfortable presence of his, though thou shouldest hereafter never so oft, and so earnestly seek and sue unto him? O my God, forgive me my sins whereby I have heretofore grieved that holy spirit of thine, by whom thou hast sealed me, and assured me of those gracious promises which thou hast made unto me in thy Christ. Forgive me those manifold sins and transgressions, whereby I have from time to time, most grievously displeased and provoked thy majesty, who hast continually showed thyself every way so good, and so kind unto me. Hid thy face from them, and let them never come into thy remembrance, to be a means to cause thee (as justly thou mayst) to departed, and to take thy spirit from me, lest I die, and perish. But notwithstanding my undeservedness, for thy promise sake, do thou still in mercy, vouchsafe freely to continue thy wont and accustomed love and kindness unto me. Give me not only the presence, but also the grace and comfort of thy spirit; yea let it always rest and remain with me, that so my spirit may live and praise thee. O Lord, this I know, that nothing but my sins, can hinder this goodness and blessing of thine from me: forget therefore, I pray thee, my sins past, cover my sins present, and keep me from falling into sin hereafter, and then I am assured, that thy blessed and gracious spirit shall dwell with me, and comfort me both now and ever, according unto thy promise.   

Spiritual desertions.  
THe Sun may be eclipsed for a while, by the interposition of the thick & dusky body of the Moon; but that being removed, it will quickly cause the bright beams thereof to shine forth again unto the world. The Lord may hide his face from me for a time, by reason of my sins, which only can make a separation and division between him and me, and cause him to withdraw the light of his gracious countenance from me; but sure I am, that he will never utterly forsake me: for his foundation is surely laid; his love and grace is unchangeable: He hath been once, nay often gracious unto me, and will continue so for ever. O my God, keep me from sinning against thee; so shall the light of thy countenance shine always upon me; so shall I feel the comfort of thy presence remaining with me, in life, in death, after death, even for ever.   

The truth and faithfulness of God, in performing his promises.  
THe Lord is merciful in promising, and true in performing whatsoever he hath promised unto his children. We have no other title to the least of God's blessings, but even this, his mercy and truth, to claim them by; and having that, we need no other. O Lord, although my sins are many and grievous, and might justly cause thee to withdraw all thy mercies and favours from me, and to deny any more to be gracious unto me: yet Lord, thy truth and faithfulness endure for ever. O think upon thy covenant, and according to thy mercy, do thou always remember me, and look upon me. Even for thy promise sake have mercy upon me; and notwithstanding my sins call for judgement, yet do thou continue still to be good and gracious unto me, in the supply of thy manifold blessings and mercies.   

The comfort of a good conscience, especially in death.  
A Good conscience is a continual feast, as in and throughout the whole life time, so especially in the hour, and in the very agony and pang of death. With what sweet & pleasant food of divine consolation, doth it then feed the soul, & refresh the mind, when all other comforts fail, and become as running streams dried up in the heat of summer? nothing then will afford the like comfort unto this. Wouldst thou see this, as it were in a glass, clearly represented unto thy view? Suppose that even now, thou sawest one lying at the point of death, upon the bed of his sorrows, ready to take his last farewell of the world, & to lay down his body in the dust, where he should have corruption to be his father, and the crawling worm his mother, and his sister; and the grave his house and dwelling place for a long season, whiles his soul being separated from his body should departed into a far country. Suppose, now at this instant, thou sawest one in this estate, (as thus most certain it shall be with thee, with me, with all of us) what, thinkest thou, would be the greatest comfort unto him? what is it, that would most refresh him and cheer him up? Fine fare, or sweet iuncats? Alas, he takes no pleasure in them; he cannot taste them though they be never so dainty; or if he could, yet should he take no delight, nor find any sweetness in them: for it is his soul that now hungers, and thirsts, and seeks for comfort, whiles his body is almost senseless: He desireth, he looketh for spiritual food wherewith his fainting soul, and languishing spirits may be fed and refreshed, and not for corporal; yea that is loathsome unto him. Sweet music, and delightsome melody? Alas, the daughters of singing are now abased; he is almost past hearing, and though he could hear it never so well, yet it would not be any refreshing unto him, he could not solace himself in it; yea rather it would seem harsh in his ears, and unpleasant unto his mind: it is another kind of music and melody which he longs to hear and hearken after, that therein he may find sound joy and true comfort in that his extremity. His pleasures, profits, or great revenues in this world? neither can these comfort him in that hour, they will not afford him any true joy, pleasure or delight; no though he might even swim and bathe himself in the abundance of them: yea rather they would be a trouble unto him, they would disquiet & distract his mind, both because he now seethe that he is presently to leave them for ever, & to give a final farewell unto them, never to have any use or benefit of them afterwards; as also, and that especially, because he knoweth that he is forthwith, to go to answer, and to give an account, both for the getting, using & employing of them, and to receive accordingly. His credit, fame and reputation amongst men? alas, although he were as famous, and renowned as Solomon was, when he was so admired, that nations came far and near to see & to hear him; this than would little avail him, it would yield him no pleasure, no delight; yea rather it will grieve him to think how that haply hath been an occasion heretofore to make him proud & vainglorious, and how that hereafter it will perish with the remembrance of him, and vanish as the smoke, so that all his glory shall lie buried in the dust, and his name be as if it had never been. Friends, kinsfolk and acquaintance? Neither can they afford him any true peace and sound comfort. Indeed in the time of his health, they might be a joy and refreshing unto him, even the very sight and presence of them peradventure would affect him with an inward and secret delight and contentment: but now they can bring little or no comfort unto him, no more than jobs friends did unto him in the depth of his misery, even sit by him and say nothing: yea rather they will be a means to renew his sorrow and to increase his grief, because he is so shortly to take his last farewell of them for so long a season, as also for that he sees them who are most dear unto him, nothing but mourning, weeping, sorrowing and lamenting for him on every side, which cannot but disquiet and trouble him very much, especially having his mind so much busied with the serious consideration of that long journey, which his soul, immediately after the dissolution and separation thereof from his body, is now presently to take into that unknown land. It is therefore neither the finest fare, or daintiest iuncats, the sweetest music and most delightsome melody, neither pleasures, profits, great revenues, honour, preferment, friends, kinsfolks, acquaintance, nor any worldly thing else whatsoever, though never so precious, never so glorious in the eyes of men, that can yield him any true peace, or sound comfort, when this hour is once come, wherein he must breath out his soul (which hath a long time been united unto his body in such a firm league, and with so strait a bond of special love and amity, that it is death now to departed or to be separated from it) and lay down his body in the dust, and make his grave in the dark, where he shall neither see any, nor be seen of any. What therefore (thinkest thou) is it, wherein he shall find comfort, when he shall stand in most need of it, having besides all the former occasions of grief and sorrow, sin and Satan assaulting, yea laying harder siege against him, than ever before; seeking by all means to daunt him, and to rob & deprive him of all true peace and comfort, yea if it be possible to bring him unto deep despair? What then would be most sweet and pleasant unto him? What would most refresh him, and cheer up his languishing spirit? In brief; if thou shouldest ask him, what was his comfort in this extremity, wherein he found most joy and delight: would he not answer thee, that his rejoicing was the testimony of his own conscience, even in this, that he had endeavoured himself, with Paul, to have always a clear conscience toward God, and men? in this that he had laboured with Henoch to walk with God all his life long: in this, that it was his chief care continually, to live uprightly, and sincerely before God, and blamelessly and innocently before men. Would he not tell thee, that this was the thing wherein he rejoiced, wherewith he was comforted? Surely without doubt he would. And no marvel: For this, this (the testimony I mean of a good conscience) would then be as a delightsome feast, & a most heavenly banquet unto him. It would be sweet music, and a pleasant melody within him. Never did he taste of such iuncats, as these would be to his hungry soul, and to his fainting spirits. It would be as it were Manna from heaven, and water of life, out of the Sanctuary of God, to refresh and to revive him when he were almost dead. Never did he hear any music that so much delighted him. Oh how would it cheer up his soul, and refresh his mind, causing him to break forth into that speech of the holy Prophet: Why art thou so cast down O my soul? why art thou so disquieted & so troubled within me? O put thy trust in God, even thy God; rejoice, yea again rejoice in him: for lo (as he hath promised) he will send forth his light and his truth, which shall lead thee & bring thee safely unto his holy mountain, and unto his dwelling place. Lo he will plenteously reward thee, receiving thee presently into his heavenly palace, and set thee upon a Throne, and crown thee with glory and immortality. Or to say with that ancient and religious Father: Go forth o my soul, what fearest thou? why art thou daunted or any ways dismayed? Go forth, what needest thou to fear? Commit thyself unto him; who as he is a faithful Creator, so is he also a liberal rewarder of all them that delight in well doing. Behold thou hast fought a good fight, thou hast finished thy course, thou hast endeavoured to keep faith and a good conscience, and to serve God in truth, uprightness and sincerity all thy days. So therefore those heavenly ministers, the Angels of God who have heretofore attended upon thee, are now ready waiting for thee, eue● to embrace thee wi●● their arms, and to c●r●ie thee with joy and triumph into that heavenly city, that celestial paradise, that new Jerusalem, where thou shalt enjoy the blessed presence of that glorious God, a●d the comfortable society and compa●●● o● all the Saints and Angels, who desire and expect thy coming, and with whom thou shalt live, and conuer●e in heavenly manner, being satisfied with fullness of joy, bl●sse and happiness for evermore. This is the comfort which a good conscience will give, as throughout the whole life, in the days of trial and affliction, so especially in the last hour, when all worldly comforts shall fly from us, and utterly forsake us: As Rahabs' thread was better unto her then all her goods and substance when the sword came, so will this be better unto us than all the world, when death comes & assails us, which we know not when, or how soon it will. O merciful God, I beseech thee, make me wise to consider of these things, that so I may find comfort both now, and hereafter, when I shall most want it, most desire it; and when as without it I cannot but be exceeding wretched and miserable. Grant me thy grace, to serve thee in righteousness and holiness all my days, yea to walk before thee in truth and sincerity with a perfect heart, and to do always that which is good in thy sight, and pleasing unto thy Majesty; that so (having my conversation in this world in simplicity, and godly pureness) I may have the testimony of my conscience to be my rejoicing, and, as it were, a continual feast unto me all my life long, in all troubles▪ miseries and afflictions whatsoever; yea and that when this short and transitory life shall draw to an end, and all worldly comforts become vain, and no ways available unto me, I may have the sweet comfort and solace hereof following and accompanying me unto death, and resting and remaining with me in death: that so when at length I shall send forth my last breath (calling to mind and recounting my sincerity in thy service, and resting upon thy gracious promise for the covering of my manifold defects and infirmities with thy sons righteousness) I may then even lift up my head with confidence and boldness, and taking my farewell of this wearisome world, depart hence with joy and rejoicing, knowing assuredly that I shall not die but live, being clothed with glory, and immortality for evermore. This is my life, my hope. They ●hat live not thus, they die whiles they live, and when they once die, they die for ever. Oh therefore that all would so live, that thus they might have peace and comfort whiles they live, and in the end die the death of the righteous, and be made partakers of their glory, which many wish for, few seek after, but fewest of all attain unto.   

Sin exceeding dangerous, though pleasant for a time.  
Sin is sweet and pleasant for the present; at least it seemeth so to the wicked, who never tasted of any sweeter delicates: But certain, howsoever they relish it for the present, yet doubtless they shall find, to their grief and sorrow, that in the end it will be as bitter as gall or wormwood, yea as death itself. O Lord, let me never delight in those deceivable pleasures of sin which last but for a season, & the end whereof is bitterness and destruction: let me never willingly take down, no nor so much as once taste of, those poisoned morsels which the wicked & ungodly swallow with so much greediness, as though they could never be satisfied or glutted with them: but let me be always careful to avoid all sin, as I would do the rankest poison, which being, though never so little, but once tasted of, present death must needs follow, except there be a special recovery, by that sole and sovereign medicine of Christ's righteousness, which is neither given, nor can be applied to any of those, who wilfully and desperately drink down any of that deadly poison, though they be oft forewarned of the danger of it.   

The usual event of Satan's practices against the Church of God.  
IT hath always been, and it is diligently to be observed, that by what plots and practices soever, Satan hath attempted the undermining of the Church of God, and the final subversion and overthrow of the same, they have turned in the end, if not to the ruin, yet to the weakening of his own kingdom, so that he received the greatest foil, where he thought he should have most prevailed. Especially we of this nation, have seen this more apparently in later years; and as it was the Lords doing, and wonderful in our eyes, so ought we never to forget it, but to be always mindful of it, yea to make report of it unto those that are a far off, and to rehearse it hereafter to those that are yet unborn, that so the goodness of the Lord, & the care which he hath over his Church, may be known and acknowledged, and due thanks, praise and glory be returned unto him by many, for the same, in all ensuing ages. O Lord remember thy wont mercies, and continue still good and gracious unto thy Church & chosen. O be thou favourable unto thy Zion, and build up the walls of jerusalem; make up the breaches, and repair the ruins and the desolate and decayed places thereof: disappoint Satan in all his mischievous counsel, and devilish policies & devices, whereby he seeketh the overthrow of it. Cast out all the cursed jebusites which disturb the peace, and are enemies unto the prosperity of it: keep it as thy little flock, which hath always been tender and dear unto thee: love it and delight in it, as in thine own spouse, which thou hast chosen unto thyself out of all the nations of the earth: bless and sanctify it with thy grace, & defend it always with thy mighty power. Compass it with a wall of fire round about, and fight thou from heaven against them that fight against it. Thus O Lord be thou gracious to thine own inheritance, thy chosen Zion. Let peace be within the walls, and plenteousness within the palaces thereof, that so thy Gospel may flourish, thy name be glorified, thy servants comforted, thy Saints repaired, the number of thy children on earth accomplished, these sinful days finished, and finally the glorious kingdom of thy Son fully established for ever in the heavens. Amen.   

Christian's ought to keep continual watch in regard of Satan's assaults.  
SEest thou not how careful those that are besieged & assaulted of their enemies, are to have their Sentinels, and to make their defence sure, and to fortify those places especially where the enemy giveth the fiercest onset, or where there is more danger that a breach should be made for his entrance. Behold thou art continually environed with many spiritual enemies, the powers of darkness, which have beset thee round about on every side: They have laid a strong siege against thee, and assault thee every hour, every moment, seeking by all means to make a breach into thy soul, and to bring both thy soul and body to perpetual ruin and desolation: and wilt thou then be secure? wilt thou be careless? nay, wilt thou foolishly set open the gates, consenting unto sin in the temptations thereof, that so Satan may enter in and make a spoil of thee? O Lord, though many be so foolish and unwise, yet suffer not me to be like unto them: but since so many, and so dangerous enemies, those spiritual wickednesses, do bend their forces and entrench themselves about me continually, grant that I may be wise to prevent the mischief which they intent to bring upon me: make me always watchful and careful to stand for my defence and safety against them: especially let me seek and endeavour by all means to fortify my soul against those sins, whereby Satan doth most assail me, and to get strength against those weaknesses, whereby he may soon have advantage of me, and bring me into danger: yea O Lord do thou watch over me, do thou strengthen me. heal all my infirmities, repair the ruins of my soul, make up the manifold breaches thereof. Compass me about with thy grace and favour, that so none of those spiritual enemies may ever have power over me, but that I may be defended from them in the time of this my warfare here on earth, and hereafter triumph gloriously over them in the heavens for evermore.   

Greater care is to be had of things to come, then of things present.  
O How careful are most for their bodies, how careless for their souls! For the things of this world what pains, what labour do they willingly undergo! for those of the world to come, how remiss, how exceeding negligent are they? Lord grant that I may be always most careful of that which is most necessary: that I may prefer heaven before earth, those things which are spiritual, before those that are corporal; things which are permanent and everlasting, before the lying and deceitful vanities of this world; endless and unspeakable glory and happiness, before vain and supposed felicity.   

God's all-seeing presence.  
THe eyes of the Lord are open upon all the ways of men, he seethe and observeth them; even those things which they do in greatest secrecy are most clear and manifest unto him: they are naked & discovered in his sight, and he taketh notice of all of them. O therefore how great is the boldness and audaciousness of such as dare presume willingly and wittingly to commit so grievous and so odious sins, whiles they are in so glorious a presence! who is so profane and so graceless that should not be ashamed of this? yea that should not be even astonished in himself, to consider that all his sins (whereof some one of them, if it should be made known unto the world, would make him blush and hang down his head for shame) lie open and uncovered before the face of almighty God, even the clear eyes of that infinite and glorious Majesty, who is so pure that he cannot abide any uncleanness, yea that he cannot once endure the sight of any thing, which is spotted and stained with the filth of sin. O Lord, let me always see thee present with me, viewing, marking, and observing the whole course and carriage of my life; not only how I compose myself outwardly before men, but how even the thoughts of my heart are framed within me; that thus I may not only be restrained from the commission of outward actual wickednesses, (which even the shame of the world causeth many that are altogether void and destitute of thy sanctifying grace to refrain themselves from) but also may fear to give entertainment to any motion unto the least sin, and strive after holiness and purity, that so I may be approved of thee, and find grace and favour in thy sight.   

A motive to patience under the cross.  
ALthough it be grievous unto us, yet it is good for us to be under the cross. It is no small benefit which we receive by afflictions, if we look unto the end and issue of them: for thereby we are humbled more than we were; made more earnest and fervent in prayer; readier to seek unto the Lord; to cleave faster unto him, and to depend solely and wholly upon him, making him our hope, our stay, and only refuge; yea thereby our faith, hope, patience, and all other graces of God's spirit are exercised and increased, and that inward man of ours daily more and more renewed, whiles we are outwardly oppressed and afflicted. In brief, thereby we are weaned from the world, and the vain and transitory things thereof, and made not only mindful, but also desirous of the day of death, and of the time of our dissolution; whenas being freed from all those miseries (wherewith we are and shall be compassed on every side, as long as we live in this wretched world, and carry this body of sin about with us) we shall enter into that resting place, where we shall want nothing which may make for our blessedness and felicity. Let nothing then be distasteful unto me, which thou seest to be good for me, O Lord: but let me ever be content (if it so pleaseth thee) to drink down willingly the bitterest cup of the most grievous affliction, which thou shalt offer unto me, seeing that in the end thereof I shall find much sweetness.   

None ever free from the temptations of Satan.  
THere is none that is not often assailed by the tempter, even the most holy and righteous men that live upon the earth: when one temptation is resisted and passed over, they are to expect another, and to prepare themselves for it: unlooked for blows are most dangerous. O Lord, I see how busy that enemy of mine is; how many ways he laboureth to undermine me, and that especially when I am least aware of him. O let me be always ready to meet him in the gate, before he enter too far upon me: let me not be secure and careless, but very watchful and vigilant; ever prepared to encounter with him, and to resist him, especially in the beginning of his assaults, wherein if I withstand him with faith, courage and resolution, I doubt not, but with thy grace, I shall in the end easily get the victory of him, and see him fly before me.   

Satan's temptations, sometimes more grievous and dangerous then at other times.  
SOme have more grievous temptations presently after their first calling and conversion unto God: some long after; some throughout their whole life have that evil one uncessantly casting many fiery darts at them, thereby (if it were possible) to wound them even unto death, almost every moment, or at least to make their lives wearisome & irksome unto them: These are not to faint, or to despair, whiles they are thus tempted, but to be the more careful to be always well appointed, and ready furnished, with the whole complete armour of God, whereby they may be able to defend themselves, from the rage and malice of that furious enemy and deadly adversary of theirs, who thirsteth after the blood of their souls, and desireth nothing more than their utter ruin and confusion. Since he is so fierce and eager upon them, they are to be thus armed continually; and withal to pray unto the Lord, and that oft and more earnestly, that he would shield and safeguard them, and give unto them a joyful issue out of all their temptations; and then no doubt at length they shall see the salvation of the Lord, in the overthrow of that malicious enemy, by whom heretofore they have been so greatly vexed, and so much endangered. O Lord thou art the God of my strength; I fly unto thee alone for succour and for aid in these great extremities, even in these grievous temptations & assaults, whereby Satan, my main adversary doth seek daily to oppress my soul: Do thou arm, and so strengthen me with thy grace, that through the power of thy might, I may prevail against him, and put him to the greatest foil, when he intendeth the greatest mischief, and thinketh to have the strongest hand over me, & the most advantage against me; so shall I sing praises unto thy name, both now and ever; and teach others to resort unto thee in their greatest dangers, and hardest conflicts, even then when the powers of hell, shall set themselves most against them.   

Satan more dangerous in lesser temptatious sometimes then in greater.  
MAny are free from the danger of greater temptations, who are often overcome of lesser, to the end that they might be truly humbled, and have no confidence in themselves, or their own strength; seeing of themselves (as they find by experience) they are so weak, that the least tentation is too strong for them, and therefore could not possibly, but faint presently under the greatest, and yield without any resistance, if they were not sustained and supported by the special assistance of that powerful God, against whom no enmity is able to resist; yea to whom the very gates of hell are subject, and able to do nothing without his permission and sufferance, who is absolute Lord of all things. O Lord, thou hast manifested thy power unto me, in delivering me from the danger of the most grievous assaults, wherewith Satan hath sought my overthrow, and whereby I feared that he would have soon prevailed against me; & thou hast given me sufficient proof of mine own weakness, in suffering me to be foiled, where there seemed to be least fear of any such danger. O let me always acknowledge mine own weakness, and impotency and extol thy grace and power; that so I may not repose any trust or confidence in myself, or in mine own strength for the resisting of the least enmity, the least assault that at any time is made against me; but may wholly at all times rest, and depend upon thee, who alone art able to do all things.   

Whom Satan tempteth most.  
SAthan is always most busy where he hath least to do: His assaults are strongest where he is most encountered; where he hath all things in possession he is quiet. Lord I am not ignorant of his continual enterprises, his great forces, his dangerous stratagems, his mischievous counsel, and devilish will. To whom shall I fly, but to thee for help, for secure, and for aid? Of myself I am weak, feeble, faint-hearted, never able to meet, much less to withstand and vanquish so strong an enemy, so great an adversary. I make thee, O Lord, my only refuge: thou art my strength; through the help of thy Christ, who hath triumphed gloriously over Satan and all spiritual enmities, I am able to do all things. Strengthen me, O my God, with thy might, through that glorious power of thine, whereunto hell itself is subject: strengthen me in the hour of tentation: Cover my head in the day of battle, put thy spirit into my heart, and that two-edged sword of thine into my hands; and above all things give me the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation; yea put upon me that whole complease armour of thine, that I may be able to resist in the evil day when the rage and fury of the enemy shall be greatest; and to overcome, yea even to tread down Satan under my feet, and so in the end, having finished all things, and kept the faith, through hope and patience at length receive that crown of righteousness, which thou hast promised, and which as I expect, so I know, thou the righteous God wilt give unto me, at that glorious appearance of my blessed Saviour; whose coming as I daily look for, so I desire thee to hasten. Come Lord jesus, come quickly. Amen.   

The wonderful works of God in heaven and earth.  
STand and consider: lift up thine eyes to heaven, and after that cast them down to the earth, and behold the works of God: shalt thou not have cause to admire at the wisdom thou shalt find in them, and to give glory to the Lord, the Creator & preserver of them? Look up and consider the light of the Sun, even that noble and swift giant, which is appointed of the Lord to run his race every day, and to be his messenger, to show forth to the world, the glory of his Maker: Consider the Moon, the number and order of the Stars; that fair and excellent curtain which the Lord hath drawn over us. Consider also the power and changes of the wind; the storehouse and treasuries of the rain, hail, snow, lightning, thunder; the multitude and huge heaps of the waters in that vast depth; that great Leviathan which taketh his pastime therein, with innumerable creatures else which live, and move there: Consider likewise the earth thou treadest upon; the natures and kinds of beasts, the fruits of the trees, the variety of flowers, the properties of stones, the virtue of herbs, of plants, and roots: In brief, the whole earth, the sea, the heavens, with all their rich and glorious furniture: Have they not written and engraven upon them in great and text letters, Praise and glory to the Lord? Yea do but look upon thyself, and into thyself, and shalt thou not find in thee, a little world, of strange & admirable works of God? Yea, O Lord, all things are full of thy wisdom, and of the glory of thy mighty power. O let me delight in the consideration of them, let my mind be raised up, by them, to the meditation of the excellency and great renown of thee, the Creator and maker of them; yea let my heart be drawn thereby, to a holy and reverent fear of thy glorious Majesty, and to an earnest desire and entire affection to sing praises continually unto thee. A shame it is for me to be dumb or silent, since all thy creatures are so loud, never ceasing to speak of thy praise, and to show forth thy glory in that excellent workmanship, which thine own hand hath framed in the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all places.   

A caveat for rash censurers of the weaknesses and infirmities of others.  
IT is a thing incident to the nature of men, to be very curious in prying into the faults of others, & very careless in searching into their own ways, or taking a view of those sins and corruptions which lie lurking in their own bosoms. Experience every where giveth too clear evidence of this. It is a vice which every one, that hath any care or conscience to order his life according to the prescript and determinate rule of God's word, must labour diligently to reform himself of. And sure, it were wisdom for men rather to be curious in things which concern themselves, than others; more ready to espy out their own faults, to censure their own actions, and to judge their own selves, than others. For whiles they sift others so narrowly, and pass sentence against them unadvisedly, they do oft times not only much trouble themselves in that, for which they shall have no thanks for their labour, nor benefit themselves any ways; but also err, and sin most grievously against God, and their neighbour, and most dangerously against their own souls, which they wound whiles they seek to wound others: whereas if they would be as careful to spend the same time in examining their own ways, in looking and prying into their own actions, and in censuring and judging themselves, without all partiality and sinister affection, they should do that which would be very pleasing unto God, and very fruitful and profitable unto themselves, and which they shall never have cause to repent themselves of. Good Lord, let me never delight, as many do, (even like the Spider, or such venomous creatures) to feed upon poison only; to be always looking into the weaknesses and infirmities of others; but let me ever be more clear eyed, and quick sighted, in espying out mine own sins, than the frailties of others, and more ready to sit as judge upon myself, then upon others; yea let me always be very charitably minded, in hoping, and interpreting the best of others, never passing sentence against them, no not in my secretest thoughts, till I see most clear evidence, whereby they are so manifestly convicted, that there can be no colour for their sin, nor just plea for their defence; and very severe & censorious in dealing with myself; both fearing and suspecting the worst even in my best actions; and judging and condemning myself in those things, wherein to others happily, I might seem rather to be justified and approved.   

The infirmities of others are to be borne with.  
IT is a rare virtue to bear with the weaknesses and infirmities of our brethren; and yet such as must be duly and carefully practised of us all, if we be Christians, not in name only, but in deed, and in truth. We have both the commandment & example of Christ, whereby we should be drawn unto this duty, so well beseeming all that are his. It is the will of God that we should bear one another's burden; and therefore if we will not by our practice make open profession, that we are such as are lawless, let us be careful to do it. And if any be more averse and backward hereunto (as indeed such is the nature of us all, that we can hardly keep ourselves strictly within the compass of this law) let him look into the equity thereof, and see how just and meet the thing is, which the Lord requireth of him herein. Consider thyself well: Thou wouldst have others to tolerate those things which, it may be, are intolerable in thee; and wilt not thou with patience, wisdom, and love, bear with the frailties and weaknesses of others, which may more easily be endured; especially if they be such as complain and groan under that burden, so that thou needest not lay more weight upon them, except thou mindest in the malice of thy wicked heart, to press them down, and cause them to sink under their load, whereas in meekness of spirit, and in a tender affection, and brotherly compassion, thou shouldest seek to raise them up, and to strengthen them. Thou art desirous that others should wink at thy faults which proceed from thy weakness, and with a favourable eye so look upon thy defects, which thou canst not cover, as that they should either not observe them, although they see them; or else, if they both see and observe them, not esteem the worse of thee for them, because that even in the best men, and those of greatest excellencies, there are many infirmities, which although they may (as in wisdom they ought) be hid from the view of others, yet cannot possibly be altogether healed as long as they remain in the flesh, and carry this body of sin about with them. Thou art desirous that others should deal thus lovingly and charitably with thee; yea thou takest it to be a great offence in them, and a great injury unto thyself, if they do otherwise, and wilt thou not (as the law of equity, according unto which all thy actions should be framed, doth straightly bind thee) meet out the same measure unto others, which thou thyself being in their case, in the same, or the like condition with them, lookest to receive from them; and if they deny it unto thee, complainest, as if they dealt hardly with thee: Oughtest thou not to be so affected unto others, as thou thinkest it meet that they should be affected unto thee? If thou be'st not, who can excuse thee? seeing that thine own conscience condemns thee, whiles thou dost that thyself, which thou dislikest, and condemnest in another; and neglectest that duty which thou requirest of others, and persuadest thyself that all without exception are bound unto. In brief, if thou canst not be thyself, every way as thou wouldst be, yea and usest all diligence, and careful endeavour that thou mightest be; oughtest thou not in wisdom to bear with others, who do not, yea possibly cannot in every thing frame themselves unto thy liking, nor be in every respect, as thou wouldst they should be? Who is there that will not say, that this is a thing both just and equal? O Lord, I know that none can attain unto absolute perfection in this world, but that all, even the best and dearest of thy children, who have the greatest measure of thy graces, are subject unto many infirmities, many weaknesses and imperfections even in the best of their endeavours, wherein they do most strive after perfection: In myself especially I do find many defects, many wants; I do not, neither can do, as I would do, but fail in many things, wherein notwithstanding I do desire, and endeavour to do that, which might be accepted of thee, and pleasing unto thee: I see much weakness in me, and many infirmities, which I do daily groan under, and desire thee in thy good time to heal me of, and to give me grace to make this use of them, even whiles I have mine eyes continually upon them, to be thereby the more humbled in myself, and the more equally, and charitably affected toward others, covering their offences, and bearing with their weaknesses, and being ready with the spirit of love and compassion to support them, where they seem to be most feeble; yea to have the same mind and affection towards them, that being in their estate, I would desire that they should have towards me, and to put my shoulders under their burden, and so rather to ease them with my patience and sufferance, then to overload them with my uncharitable dealing with them, even as I being oppressed in like manner, would be desirous that they should bear part of my burden, and not make it more grievous unto me, lest I fainted under it.   

The lives of the Saints of old, and men now a days, how different they are.  
O What difference is there between our lives, and the lives of the Saints, and holy men of God recorded in scriptures, and other writings, wherein their examples are commended unto us, as patterns, and precedents to follow in so many rare, and excellent virtues, as they have gone before us, and left the memory of them, behind them, as a light to shine unto us, who walk in the darkness of this world, in the midst of such a perverse, and crooked generation, among whom we should shine as they have done. Sure, when I lay our examples unto theirs, and compare our lives with theirs, me thinks, that many, even of those who are esteemed as the best Christians, deserve little more than the name of half Christians, or at least but of weak ones and novices in this holy profession: so far do they come short of that which we see to have been in them, and aught to be in ourselves. Oh where is the holy and religious conversation of Enoch? whose whole life was a continual walking in the presence of the glorious God, and a daily conversing, & familiar acquainting himself with him, in the careful and conscionable discharge of all those duties which he required of him. Where is the faith of Abraham, by which as he well deserved to be accounted the father of us all, that are true believers; so also he obtained this as a singular prerogative, and evidence of the extraordinary grace and favour of God towards him, to be called, and reputed in an especial manner the friend of God? Where is the meekness of Moses? where is the patience, and constancy of job in the midst of so many, and that so fiery trials, for which the Lord did so plentifully reward him, when there seemed almost to be no hope for him, and caused his example to be famous among all them, that should hear of him? Where is the holy zeal of David, whose eyes did not drop, but even gush forth, as it were, rivers of tears, and his heart even consume within him, whiles he saw the wicked transgress the Laws of God, whom he loved so dearly; and even with just Lot vexed his righteous soul from day to day, whiles he beheld the unlawful deeds, and wicked abominations whereby the Lord was provoked every day? Where is his uprightness and sincerity in the worship and service of God, for which the Lord graced him with this title, that he was a man after Gods own heart? Where is the delight that he took in the commandments of God; wherein he found such sweetness, that all things else were nothing so pleasing unto him, nor so much desired of him: Where is that holy devotion which proceeded from his pure mind, his sanctified heart, and his heavenly affections, in such sort, that night and day, continually upon all occasions, he breathed forth those sweet hymns, and most pleasant songs and ditties of laud and praise unto the Lord, for all his benefits, as to himself in particular, so to the whole Church, and all the Saints in general; provoking them likewise and all creatures to do the same, with the same affection? Where is the integrity and uprightness of josiah and Ezekiah? who walked before the Lord in truth, and with a perfect heart, doing that always which was good in his sight, without all guile & dissimulation? Where is that conscionable practice of a godly and of a Christian life that was in Paul, whose desire and endeavour was to have always a clear conscience towards God, and towards men, and to have his conversation in the world, in simplicity, and godly pureness? Or where is the heavenly mindedness of the same Apostle? who whiles he lived in the world, yet carried himself as one that was of another world, having his conversation in heaven, from thence expecting, and looking for continually the glorious appearance of our blessed Saviour, for the accomplishment of his redemption. Or where is there that earnest desire of the conversion, and salvation of others, which so manifestly showed forth itself in him; in that it was not only the prayer of his heart, but that which he aimed at in all his actions, and sought for by all means, and which that he might attain unto, he thought no labour, no travel painful, or grievous, no nor yet esteemed his life itself dear unto him; even that he might win many unto Christ, bringing them unto the knowledge and obedience of the truth, that so their souls might be saved in the day of judgement. Or where is the piety, and devotion of that religious gentle? who although he wanted the means which we now have in more plentiful manner, yet hath this commendation given unto him, that he was a man fearing God, himself, and careful to have his whole household, and all those that belonged unto him, acquainted with true religion and godliness; and withal, that he caused his prayers, and his alms to ascend continually into the presence of God, so that the Lord took pleasure and delight in him, and revealed himself more clearly and evidently unto him, by the ministery of his messenger which he sent unto him for that purpose. Or where is the forwardness of those noble Beroeans, in receiving the word with all readiness, and inquiring and searching into the Scriptures from day to day, that they might know & embrace the truth preached, and being well grounded and settled in it, continue steadfast and unmovable in the profession of it, notwithstanding the opposition of all false Teachers, and seducing adversaries? Or where is there one like, the first Martyr, S. Stephen, a man full of faith, and of the holy Ghost; and of that unfeigned love and charity, as to continue praying for his deadly enemies, unto the last breath? Or where be there any that have that entire and loving affection, unto all the brethren, even to all the Saints, which that beloved Disciple of Christ, and fatherly Apostle, S. john, breathes forth, as it were, throughout all his Epistles, and whereof no doubt he had received so great a measure, that he desired nothing more than that as he did, so others also might abound in the same grace, and thereby, upon good ground, be well assured, that they were borne of God, and translated from death to life? In brief, where are they, that with the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and other holy men, and faithful servants of God in former times, address themselves with all readiness, willingness, and cheerfulness, to serve the Lord both day and night, in watchings, in fasting and prayer, in divine and heavenly meditations, and in the daily exercise of all the duties of a holy and religious course; being content (if the will of God be so) to pass through that fiery trial, with patience, and perseverance; to be reviled, disgraced, hated, persecuted, made a gazing stock to the world, yea even as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things; and so to become even fools for Christ's sake, praying for those that both speak and do evil unto them, and blessing them that persecute them: yea and not this only, but also even hating their own lives, and giving up themselves unto death (the most bitter and cruel deaths that can possibly be devised by the most bloody tyrants that ever were or can be) rather then to be once drawn from the love, the faith, and obedience of Christ, and from the profession of that truth which they have received? Alas, how far do we come behind those Worthies that have gone before us, & whose example the Lord hath set up as a light amongst us, that we might see how to tread in their steps, and to imitate them in those graces, for which their memory shall be blessed for ever? how unlike are our lives unto theirs, if we lay them both together, & look upon them with an equal view? How few are those that shine in those excellent virtues, of zeal, devotion, faith, sincerity, piety, charity, brotherly love, patience, constancy, and perseverance? in all which they have been so eminent, that the very remembrance of them may shame this age wherein we live, and cause many to blush, who think that they have great wrong done to them, if they may not have the name for good Christians, and be so reputed and esteemed amongst men, how little soever they deserve it indeed. Nay, so degenerate are the most in these latter times, and their lives and manners so much swerving from the virtues, and religious courses, and practices of our forefathers, those whom God hath made examples for our imitation; that even he (according to the common rate) shall be accounted honest & religious enough, and one that hath made sufficient proceed in the school of Christianity; that is no open, notorious and heinous offender; not tainted with any gross and capital crime, theft, adultery, drunkenness, extortion, oppression; no common railer or slanderer of others; no malicious detractor, no troublesome contentious person, but one of a free and ingenuous disposition, of a civil carriage, and commendable behaviour; one that lives quietly and friendly among his neighbours, and is careful of outward observances, which either law, or some other sinister respect draweth him unto, and which a mere pagan & heathen might perform as well as he: though he be far from the truth of religion, neither fearing God, nor working righteousness, but altogether neglecting those main and especial duties both of the public, and private worship and service of God, which he requireth, and hath expressly commanded; as prayer, due and diligent reading, hearing, meditating and conferring of the word, and those things which might tend to spiritual edification; sanctifying of the Sabbath; instructing of his family; yea although in rearguard of zeal, he be of a colder temper, than the lukewarm Laodiceans ever were, even almost ashamed of that forwardness and fervency in the discharge of those duties, which the word of God doth prescribe unto him, and of that strictness and preciseness which the Scripture exacteth of him. This is the estate of our times; thus have most declined, and gone backward, in this last and worst age of the world, wherein we see that verified which the truth itself long ago foretold, and which now is most apparent to all that have any discerning, viz. that the love & zeal of many is grown cold; men generally are less fervent, and more defective in the duties of piety and godliness, than they have been heretofore, although the means were never more plentifully afforded unto any, than they are now, and through the grace and mercy of God, have been a long time. It is woeful, to see and consider, the great change and alteration, which now, if we have eyes, we cannot but see almost in every place, amongst all sorts and degrees of men: what a general defection, as it were, is there from the piety, devotion, innocency, simplicity, and godly pureness, the holy conversation, and religious practices, the zeal, integrity, sincerity, unfeigned love, and charity, and all those excellent virtues, and graces of the holy men of God that have been before us? O blessed Lord, as thou hast set the lives of many of thy Saints and servants, as an ensample before mine eyes, that I should be a follower of them, and walk as they have walked, according to the rule of thy word; so grant, I beseech thee, that I may be excited and provoked, whiles I look on them, to imitate them in their virtues, and to labour to frame my life according to that pattern, which thou in them hast prescribed unto me; and carefully to endeavour proceeding by one and the same rule, according unto which they have walked, to attain unto that perfection of divine and spiritual graces, which it pleased thee to vouchsafe unto them, even because they chose the way of wisdom, and delighted in the ways of thy commandments. Let the example of their zeal for thy glory, make me more zealous, and earnest in those things which are good, and whereby thou mayst be glorified: Let the example of their true and godly devotion make me more devout and religious: Their uprightness, sincerity, and godly simplicity, let them stir me up unto the same virtues: Their diligence, cheerfulness and alacrity in the works of thy worship and service, let them draw me unto the same duties: The example of their patience in so many, and so great afflictions and trials, let it be an especial motive and inducement, to make me the more patiented; the example of their meekness, to make me the more meek; of their humility, to make me the more humble; of their kindness, long sufferance, and brotherly love, and affection, to make me the more tender hearted, loving and charitable unto all men; of their contempt of the world, and the vanities thereof, to make me the less to regard them; of their holy and heavenly conversation to make me the more heavenly minded, the more heavenly affected, having my heart continually lifted up far above all these earthly and transitory things, to the serious consideration and meditation, of those most excellent and glorious things which are above, even those unsearchable, & unspeakable riches, and treasures, of that glory, and endless blessedness, and happiness which thou hast prepared for thy children in that celestial kingdom: that thus being careful to follow the example of thy chosen servants, whom thou hast set up as lights to shine unto me, for my better direction in the way of godliness, which leadeth unto life and salvation; I may hereafter enter into that joy, and be made partaker of the same glory, of which they have now the fruition in that heavenly mansion.   

Heavenly mindedness.  
THE eye of a Christian should be always in heaven: even when he is most busied in these earthly affairs, he is to have his mind lifted up unto those things which are above, and to be ever viewing, and beholding with the eye of his soul, that unspeakable glory, and those endless riches and treasures of everlasting felicity and blessedness, which to the eye of the body are invisible, and cannot be seen of any, but of those only which are spiritual. O blessed Lord, what is there on this earth, wherein my soul can find any pleasure, or unto which I should give the affections of my heart? On every side, I see nothing but misery, and vanity, continual occasion of grief and mourning. My treasure, my joy and happiness is in heaven, even in the place where thou dwellest in glory and majesty, and where thou hast prepared such things for me, as the heart of man is not able to conceive, or comprehend: O therefore let mine eye never be fixed upon any earthly object; but let me always be looking up unto thee, and to that heavenly mansion, where such glorious things are reserved for me.   

Especial favours of God towards us, often and more especially to be remembered of us.  
IT is a good thing, to be often meditating upon the goodness and loving kindness of the Lord towards us, in those special favours, and blessings, whereby he hath chief, and most evidently manifested his love unto us, and his fatherly care over us: yea the least of his mercies ought daily to be remembered of us, that so in all things we might stir up ourselves unto true thankfulness, which is a thing wherewith he is greatly delighted, and for which he extendeth his loving favour in a more plentiful increase of his blessings, and benefits. O merciful Lord, how great is thy goodness towards me! how exceeding gracious haste thou been always unto me! The mercies which thou hast freely vouchsafed unto me, are infinite, and innumerable, I am not able to recount them. O let me ever be thinking of them, and lifting up my heart continually with unfeigned praise and thanks unto thy Majesty for them; that so it may please thee, to cause the light of thy grace, and favour to shine still upon me, even unto the end of my days.   

How the conscience is disquieted and wounded.  
HE is a happy man, that doth always carefully avoid every thing, whatsoever it be, that may be either a stain, or a burden unto his conscience; he shall surely enjoy the benefit of a quiet, and of a peaceable mind, with much freedom and liberty of spirit; whereas on the other side, he that hath little or no care of this duty, that regardeth not how he defileth his conscience, or what load he layeth upon it, by doing those things, which are either altogether unlawful in themselves, or else unlawful unto him, because either he hath no warrant for the doing of them, or else faileth in the manner of the doing of them; he thereby brings a greater misery upon himself, then for the present he can think of, and for which, hereafter he shall meet with much untimely grief and sorrow, and taste of much bitterness in his soul and spirit. O Lord, let me be careful always, to use all means, whereby I may keep a clear and a pure conscience, doing that good with all diligence which thou hast commanded, and abstaining with all my strength, from that evil which thou hast forbidden, and from whatsoever I cannot have resolution out of thy word, for the lawfulness of it; that so I may have comfort both in life and in death.   

The dullness and sottishness of worldlings.  
O The dullness of the hearts of men, who mind only those things which are present, never regarding those which are to come! How sottish is the nature of man, that delighteth only to lie groveling on this earth, and to satisfy his carnal & his sensual appetite in the enjoying of these things which are but vain and corruptible; yea that neglecteth even heaven, and happiness itself, so that he may have his fill of them! O Lord, let me always be far otherwise affected then the men of this world are, who savour only of those things, which are carnal, and earthly: vain hope of a long life upon earth, as many do; When it is morning, let me think, that I shall not live unto the evening; and when the evening is come, let me not promise unto myself assurance of life until the next morning, sith there is no power thereof in my hands: But let me live so continually, as if death were to seize upon me presently; yea let me so live always, as if I were to die the same instant, even when death might seem to be furthest off from me; that thus having death always present before mine eyes, I may learn daily to die unto the world, esteeming the things thereof as nothing, though never so highly prized of the men of this world; and to aspire daily more and more, unto that spiritual and heavenly life in thy Christ: that so when bodily death shall close up these eyes of mine, I may not rest in darkness, and be as those that are cut off from their hope, and lost their comfort; but depart in peace into that light of glory, where I shall enjoy thy blessed presence, and behold thee face to face for evermore, to my unspeakable happiness and felicity.   

As is the life of a man, so is his death and final estate.  
AS is the life of man, so is his death; and as it is with him in death, so shall it be in the last and dreadful judgement. He that hath a care to live well, it cannot be, but that he should die well; and he that dies well, shall assuredly find the judgement day to be a marvelous refreshing unto him: On the other side, he that lives ill, how can he have any hope that he shall die well? and if he be miserable in his death, how much more in the day of judgement? Oh what a terror shall that day be unto him! who is able to conceive, what a sea of misery, and horror shall then suddenly overwhelm him, in most fearful manner? O my God, thou who art my strength, my hope, and my salvation, give me both an earnest desire, and a careful endeavour to direct all my ways, and to order the whole course of my life according unto the rule, & prescript of thy holy word; let it be my care, to have a good conscience in all things, and to live so, that my life being approved of thee, my death may be blessed, and my appearance before thee in the day of thy coming, with joy and comfort; when as the wicked shall not be able to stand in thy presence, but call to the mountains and to the rocks to fall upon them, and to hide them from the fierceness of thy wrath, which shall be as a consuming fire to devour all the ungodly of the earth.   

judgement day how terrible it will be to the wicked.  
THe angry countenance of a severe judge, how dreadful is it unto the malefactor that stands indited at the bar before him? what a terror doth it strike into him? how doth it astonish and amaze him, especially if he be not only guilty of the fact, to himself; but perceives that the judge hath certain knowledge, and clear evidence of the same, and of all the particular circumstances thereof: Oh then, what a horrible fear shall possess the hearts and minds of all sinful and ungodly wretches, when they shall stand before that just judge? when they shall be brought unto their answer, for all their unrighteous & wicked deeds which they have committed in the whole course of their lives? when that glorious God, that severe and mighty judge (the judge of the whole world) having a perfect register of all their actions, words and works, yea of the secretest thoughts and imaginations of their hearts; and having all things which ever they have done, as clear as the Sun, or as crystal before him, shall look upon them with a fiery eye, and with a frowning and ireful countenance, and show such signs of his wrathful indignation against them, as that the heaven shall shake, and the earth tremble, yea both heaven and earth fly away from his face, and move out of their places, for the greatness of his wrath, which shall be more dreadful, than the heart of man is now able to conceive? O then what an astonishment shall come upon them? how shall shame and confusion cover their faces? how shall fear, grief, and anguish even rend their hearts, and souls? Never was Belshazzar so perplexed, so amazed, and astonished at the sudden appearing of the hand writing over the wall, (the forerunner of his speedy destruction) as they shall then be: The changing of his countenance, the troublesome thoughts of his mind, the losing of his joints, and the smiting of his knees one against the other, was but a shadow of that unspeakable dread, horror, and fearful amazement, wherewith all ungodly persons shall be then stricken, and utterly confounded in themselves. Seeing, O Lord, that appearance of thine, in that day wherein thou hast appointed to judge the world, shall be so terrible unto all the wicked, that would not obey thee, nor hearken unto thy voice, to walk in the ways of thy commandments: O let the remembrance thereof make me always careful to refrain my foot from their paths, and to endeavour myself unto righteousness, that so when their fear cometh, I may have cause to rejoice, and be glad in thee; yea even to look up unto thee, with joyfulness, and to glory in thy salvation, who then wilt show thyself to be marvelous and exceeding glorious in all thy Saints, even all those that have believed in thy name, and waited for that blessed coming of thine, which as thou hast promised, so let it be thy pleasure to hasten.   

The excellency of a true Christian.  
O How great is the excellency of every true christian; even of every one that is such a one, not only in name, in title, or outward profession, but in deed and in truth! Surely, his honour is great, his estate is glorious; yea the grace and dignity which he hath received is such, as that the spirit of a man, is not able fully to discern, or to comprehend the same. Although by nature, he was the child of wrath, subject unto wretchedness, and all miseries as well as others, yet by grace he is become the son of God, even of the most high God, and so partaker of endless bliss, and happiness: He is borne again by the spirit of God, through the incorruptible and immortal seed of the word, and so made a new creature in Christ, more excellent and glorious than those celestial creatures, the sun, the moon, and all the stars of heaven. Being thus inwardly renewed in his whole nature, which before was so much corrupted, and decayed, he is in a mystical & wonderful manner, joined and united unto Christ, and made a member of his body. Being so engrafted into him, he receiveth spiritual life, grace, and strength from him, until he come unto a ripe and perfect age, even unto the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ, his head. He is made partaker of the divine nature, than which there can be no greater excellency; sith thereby he becometh like unto God, and hath the lively print of his image stamped in his soul, even in those graces of renewed knowledge, wisdom, righteousness and true holiness which shine therein. Being created in this manner, of God in Christ, and framed unto the similitude & likeness of his own image, he is beloved of God, as his chiefest treasure, and chosen substance on earth, more dear unto him, and more precious in his sight, than all these visible creatures; his heart's delight is set upon him. He blesseth him daily with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things. He hath given him right and interest unto all things, whether it be the world, or life, or death; whether things present, or things to come, even all things whatsoever. There is not any thing, but God causeth it to work for the best unto him, and turneth it unto his profit, and greatest good: yea such is his wisdom and goodness, that by a special dispensation of his divine providence, he causeth poison to become wholesome unto him; making the very sins which man committeth, to turn rather to his good, then to his hurt, in that by them being humbled in himself, he bringeth him to renounce himself, and to cleave faster and nearer unto him, depending wholly and only upon him, for the supply of all spiritual graces, and strength; and to be more careful, and watchful over all his ways, and more circumspect and heedful, in avoiding all sin, and the occasions thereof. He hath those glorious creatures, the Angels of God, as ministering spirits, continually serving him, as it were, and attending upon him; yea guarding him, and compassing him round on every side, though to the eye of flesh, they are invisible; and so, not only keeping and preserving him from all dangers which might befall him, but also being means from God, to convey much good unto him, as the experience of many faithful servants of God, giveth clear and evident proof: These, even these celestial creatures, are not only his familiars, and companions, continually accompanying him, but also his attendants, sent forth of God to watch over him, and to wait daily upon him. He hath furthermore acquainted him with his will, and revealed his secret counsel unto him, as far as is meet and convenient for him, even that secret purpose of his, which he had decreed in himself before all worlds; he hath made manifest unto him, and given him a clear sight of those hidden mysteries wherein is blessedness, and true happiness; he hath made known unto him, the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. He hath given him also his spirit, that blessed spirit of grace and comfort, to refresh, and to cheer him up in all his griefs and sorrows, and to lead him forth into green and pleasant pastures, so that he is fulfilled with that spiritual delight, and heavenly joy and solace, which is unspeakable, and glorious. He hath set up the sceptre of his kingdom in his heart, so that all his enemies shall fall down before him; even Satan the chiefest of his adversaries, who fighteth continually against him, and seeketh by all means to bring him into bondage and thraldom under him. What should I say more? Being united unto Christ his redeemer, and made bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, he is also joined, and nearly allied unto God the Father, and so being joint-heire with the Son, hath that crown of immortal glory belonging unto him, and shall at length, even when this short life is ended, live, and reign in that celestial kingdom, with God himself, and with all his holy Saints, and elect Angels for evermore: And in the meanwhile, even whiles he liveth here crawling as it were upon the earth, & having the place of his abode here below, where he is as one of no reputation in the world which knoweth him not; he hath his life, his conversation, and his chief abode in heaven, being always looking up unto that place of his glory which is above, where Christ jesus his saviour, sitteth at the right hand of his father; his eyes are ever lifted up unto heaven, and set upon those things which are within the vail, where his hope, yea his heart is; so that even whiles he liveth with his body on earth, in mind and in soul he is transported in a manner, into heaven itself, and seethe those things in spirit, which are unutterable, and which flesh and blood, or the senses of a natural man can never reach unto, never be able in any sort to comprehend. O Lord, who can express the honour which thou hast given unto thy Saints? who is able to declare the special grace, which thou in thy infinite goodness and mercy, hast vouchsafed to every one, whom it hath pleased thee, to give unto thy Christ, and in him to elect and chose unto life, and salvation, according to the good pleasure of thy will, before the world was? Oh with what glory and honour hast thou crowned them! how highly hast thou advanced them! being moved thereunto by nothing that was in them, but only of thy free love and mercy, that thereby thou mightest cause thy infinite grace and glory to shine forth unto the world, to the praise of thy name throughout all generations. O blessed God, whose mercy and kindness unto mankind is so infinite, and incomprehensible; seeing it hath pleased thee, in the exceeding greatness of thy love, and riches of thy grace towards me in Christ, to choose me unto life and glory, and to make me, even me so unworthy a creature, one of that small number, whom thou hast so highly honoured in this world, and wilt for ever glorify, even with that exceeding measure of glory in the world to come: O let my heart and my mouth never cease praising and magnifying thy great and glorious name; and howsoever I may seem vile and contemptible in the eyes of the world, which doth neither know thee, nor thine, but hath always hardly entreated those whom thou hast chief honoured, esteeming them as the scum and offscouring of the earth, the very abjects of men, yea men unworthy to live in the world; yet let me never pass any thing at all, how the blind world doth judge or esteem of me, or how it is affected towards me; but let me always rejoice in thee and glory in thy salvation, and rest continually in a comfortable hope and joyful expectation, of all that goodness of thine which thou hast treasured up in store for me in thy kingdom, and whereof thou hast given me the first fruits already, as a pledge, and assurance of that, which I shall have the full fruition of hereafter, for ever.   

An humble heart most pleasant unto God: a proud▪ most vile and abominable.  
AN humble and a lowly heart is a mansion wherein the Lord delighteth to dwell; he filleth and replenisheth it with the riches of the graces of his spirit: but as for the proud and high minded, they are an abomination unto him: His soul doth loathe them, and his spirit will never rest nor remain with them; they are no fit mansion for him; yea they are meet only, to be an habitation for Satan, that evil and unclean spirit, who being the father of the children of pride, can take no pleasure, where he findeth true humility, but seeketh for lodging in those especially, who are of a proud and haughty spirit: These are his darlings, in these is his chief delight; in them he hath a room always ready trimmed & prepared for him; even in the closerts of their hearts, where he dwelleth and reigneth continually, & from whence he will never departed, as long as he findeth so fit a mansion for him. The only way to cast him out of the heart, and soul of man, is to empty it altogether of pride, and to have it garnished with that excellent grace of humility and lowliness. O Lord, who art the fountain of all grace, give unto me, I earnestly desire thee, a contrite spirit, a meek, and an humble heart: Banish all pride and vanity of mind far from me, and make me lowly, yea base and vile in mine own eyes, that so that wicked spirit being utterly dispossessed, and finding no abiding place within me, I may be fit to entertain that good spirit of thine; thou mayst delight to dwell and remain with me, and to fill my empty soul, with those precious riches, and treasures of thy heavenly graces, which are the things which my heart desireth and longeth after: Oh do thou hear me, and satisfy me, as my trust is in thee, who I know assuredly wilt never fail me, nor withhold thy goodness from me, whiles I seek unto thee with a heart unfeigned.   

Confidence in any creature, a most vain thing.  
WHat a vain thing is it to put any trust or confidence in man, or in any creature? what is this but to rest upon a broken reed? How greatly do such deceive themselves? how oft do they fail in their desires, and miss that which they hoped for? O Lord God, who art glorious and wonderful in power and strength, nothing is or can be hard unto thee; thou only art my hope; all my trust & confidence is in thee. Whom have I in heaven, or in earth but thee? upon thee, thee only I rest and depend continually. O do thou never forsake me.   

Suspicion.  
THE best man is always le●st suspicious: But he that is given ever to mistrust and to suspect the worst of others, as it may be justly feared that he hath a very corrupt and unsound heart himself, so it may be undoubtedly affirmed, that he is very offensive and displeasing unto God, very unquiet in himself, and most uncharitable towards his neighbour, whom notwithstanding, he hurteth not so much thereby as himself. O Lord, increase the grace of true charity daily more and more in me: Let me always be looking into mine own heart, & considering the paths of mine own feet; let me fear mine own ways, and suspect the worst of myself in all my actions, being privy unto those secret corruptions which lie lurking within me; and both think and hope the best of others, because I know not what thy work is, or may be in them: yea let me always be ready, to judge, accuse, and condemn myself; and even in my thoughts to excuse, and acquit others, by making a favourable interpretation of all their doings, until such time as thou dost manifest, & give clear evidence, that they are such, as are not to be approved: Thus I shall please thee, and not sin against those, towards whom I ought always, to be charitably affected, and free from all ill suspicion and wicked surmises.   

Why the Lord suffereth oft times the infirmities of his children to be known to others.  
IT is a means oft times to make a man the more humble, to know that others are privy unto his wants, his weaknesses and infirmities, which he was desirous to keep secret; to perceive that the sores and blemishes of his soul lie open unto the view of others, which he could wish rather were covered and kept close. And for this end, the Lord many times in mercy and goodness, doth suffer the shame and nakedness of his children, to be discovered before the face of others, when as they would gladly have it hid from the eyes of all, and not seen of any; yea he doth suffer them to fall by many weaknesses and infirmities, even such as are no ways pleasing, but grievous, and irksome unto them; that so he may cause them to be the more humble and lowly, and not to lift up their hearts at any time above their brethren, but so to demean themselves, that it may appear that they esteem better of others, then of themselves; which is an excellent and a singular grace, & whereunto, all that are yet defective herein, should labour by all means to attain. O Lord, if it seem good unto thee at any time, to make others to see the weakness of thy servant; to cause my wants, imperfections, and infirmities to be known and discerned of others (as thou knowest how ready I am to fail, if thy grace doth not continually sustain me) let it not grieve me so much, that others behold that in me, which may cause me to be ashamed, as make me every day more careful to use all means to be healed, and cured of those diseases whereunto my soul is subject, and inclinable through sin; and to increase as in all other graces, so especially in true humility and meekness of spirit, without the which I can never please thee, nor have the light of thy countenance shining upon me.   

The heaven of the godly, and the hell of the wicked in this life.  
IF there be a heaven in this world, it is the true Christian only that enjoys it, in whose heart that blessed spirit doth dwell, comforting and refreshing him continually in an unspeakable manner. If there be any hell in this life, it is in the soul and conscience of the wicked and ungodly man, whom Satan that evil spirit hath possessed, and bereaved of that which should be the joy and comfort of his life; and not that only, but also even oppressed with many fears, and sorrows, and with much anguish and horrible amazement, arising from his hellish and guilty conscience. O blessed God, who hast given me, to see the great difference, which is between the estate of thy children, and of the wicked and ungodly, even in this world; how that the one is blessed and happy, the other wretched and miserable; grant that I may not at any time desire to have the same lot with the wicked, though it seem outwardly to far well with them, but let me always rest in thee, and rejoice in that portion which thou hast given unto me, knowing that on earth there can be no better inheritance, nor any estate more to be desired.   

The cares of this world what hindrances they are to the sincere and entire worship of God.  
HE that is ensnared, and entangled with the things of this world, or that is not free from all inordinate affections whatsoever, cannot have a perfect and an upright heart before God, nor freedom of spirit in his worship and service. The soul only that is emptied of the troublesome cares, and sinful desires wherewith most are surcharged; and the mind that is set at liberty from all earthly vanities, is fit to come before God, with truth, uprightness, and sincerity, and to offer such sacrifices with which he is well pleased, and wherein he most delighteth. O Lord, let not the excessive and inordinate desire of any earthly thing cleave unto me; empty my heart of the cares of this world; banish far from me the love of all those things, whereby I may any ways be hindered from the performance of those duties, which thou requirest of me; and grant that I may be careful to use all means, whereby my affections may be so rightly ordered, that I may serve thee with a good heart, in integrity and sincerity all my days.   

True zeal.  
THey that are truly zealous, are more zealous against themselves, than others. As they do not (when just occasion, and opportunity is offered) suffer the open sins of others to pass unreproved; so they are least partial towards themselves, but are readiest to check themselves, even for their inward, and most secret corruptions: As they have an eye unto the actions of others, & are careful to discountenance sin, by fastening a seasonable rebuke, and just censure upon it, wheresoever it doth apparently show and manifest itself; so especially they are always chief prying into their own actions, and having espied a fault, are most severe, & censorious in judging and rebuking themselves for it: They are grieved at the offences of others, but their own sins, they do most gall them; yea they can never be quiet, whiles they see the relics & remainders of them abiding in them, but even groan daily under the burden of them, and use all means to have their hearts purged and freed from them. Good Lord, increase true zeal daily more and more in me: let me not through childish fear, nor any other sinister respect, be too slack and remiss in showing my dislike of the sins which others do commit against thy Majesty, and yet let me not be so ready to censure others, as to reprove, and reform myself.   

A dangerous thing to affect the glory of the world.  
HE that loveth God, and seeks his glory, cannot be altogether carried away with the vain glory of this world, but will either despise it, or at least set very light by it. He that loveth the glory of this world, and doth not only affect it, but is also very eager in the pursuit of it, thirsting after the praise, and applause of men; it is a sign that there is little or no love of God, or of his glory in him. These are things that cannot stand together; the one of them doth exclude the other; the more the one of them doth increase, the more the other must needs decrease and be diminished. Is there any therefore, that with a greedy, and ambitious mind doth hunt after the praise of men, and the glory of this world; sure it cannot be, but that he should exceed in charity, who shall think him to be truly religious, or well affected towards God, or unfeignedly desirous of his glory. O Lord, let not my heart be set upon the glory which is from earth, and from men, but upon that which is from heaven, even that which cometh from thee alone: Let the glory of this world (though never so glittering in the eyes of men) seem unto me (as indeed it is in itself) but vain vanity, yea more vain than vanity itself; but let the glory of thy name be dear and precious unto me, above all those things which are most desired of them that know thee not: yea, O Lord, let it please thee to inflame this i'll and this cold heart of mine with a greater love and zeal thereof daily more and more; and to increase in me an earnest desire and endeavour to seek, and to set it forth, to the uttermost of my power, and by all means, and upon all occasions which thou shalt offer unto me. In this only, let me always be very ambitious.   

A singular privilege belonging unto all the children of God.  
THe Lord doth cause all things to work together for the best unto his children. It is good for every one of the godly, to labour to see and to find this by experience in himself, and in his own estate. The diligent observation hereof, cannot but make him both patiented, cheerful, and unfeignedly thankful in all miseries, and afflictions, either outward, or inward; whether it be sickness of body or distress of mind, or whatsoever else may befall him, throughout the whole course of his life, even to his last hour. O gracious father, whose exceeding love, and unspeakable goodness all thy children do daily taste of in so great, and abundant measure; give me, I humbly pray thee, not only to see, and acknowledge the same with all thankfulness, but also to have a lively sense and feeling thereof, at all times, in all things: Let me assuredly persuade myself, that thou dost love me, and hast loved me eternally in thy son, and in thy love towards me, dost, and wilt cause every thing, which betideth me in this world, to tend unto my greatest good; and let the assurance, together with the continual experience hereof, cause me to rest quietly, contentedly, and thankfully in all estates; howsoever it shall please thee to deal with me.   

justification by faith only.  
IS it not strange, that any should be so blind, so extremely deluded with a vain and fond conceit, of their own goodness and inherent holiness, as to think, or once to imagine that they may stand just before God through their own righteousness? that they should persuade themselves, that by the merit and worthiness of their own works they have right and interest unto life and salvation? yea that they should challenge, and make claim thereunto, as unto that which is due unto them as a just recompense and reward which they have well deserved, and which God himself cannot without injustice detain, and withhold from them; nay, that they should go so far as to affirm boldly, that they may do works of supererogation, more than God hath commanded, or could require at their hands, such as whereby they may merit great things not only for themselves, but for others also? Had they ever the spirit of Christ? or did they ever receive the anointing of that holy one, who teach, maintain, or believe this doctrine, so directly cross and contrary unto the Scriptures, so exceeding derogatory from the free grace and mercy of God, and from the merit of the death and passion of Christ jesus our only saviour and redeemer, by, and for whose satisfaction, obedience and righteousness alone, we receive the promise of the Gospel, through faith, without any deserts of our own. Alas, what is man, or what are the works of the best men, that they should present them unto God, and plead with him for the obtaining of so great a reward, for the righteousness and worthiness of their own deeds? Nay, certain it is, that if God should make inquiry into the best actions of the most holy and sanctified men that live upon the earth, or that ever were most pure, most perfect, and most spotless and blameless in this world (as great is the commendation wherewith God hath honoured many of his Saints) if he should mark and observe them, and enter into judgement with them for the same; there is none, no not one of them (as the best and holiest of them have freely acknowledged) that should be justified, yea that should not be condemned, and perish everlastingly, being never able to endure his presence; so pure and so holy is his Majesty, so just and so righteous are his judgements, that no flesh can abide the trial thereof. O Lord, most glorious and most righteous God, when I look up unto the throne of thy justice, and set myself before thy tribunal and judgement seat, I fear, & tremble, & am ready to fly from thy presence, as not able to stand before thee, nor to answer for one of a thousand of those things whereby I have most grievously offended thy most glorious Majesty, and for which thou mightest justly condemn me for ever, if thou shouldest once call me unto a strait account of the same, yea even of the lest of them, and deal with me therein, not according to thy great mercy, but according unto mine own deservings: When I look back unto my life past, & take a view of the whole course thereof, how sinful, how unfruitful & unprofitable it hath been, I am confounded in myself, and dare not lift up mine eyes to heaven for the multitude of my offences and transgressions, whereby I have continually displeased & provoked thee: When I consider my present estate, how many weaknesses, and infirmities I am subject unto, how sin cleaveth fast unto me, and environeth and compasseth me round about on every side: yea how defective my best endeavours, how corrupt and sinful my best actions, and services are, and have been: yea how much my whole life hath swerved from that perfect and exact rule of justice which thy law requireth, I am astonished, and strike with a great fear, knowing that the time will shortly come, when I must appear before the tribunal of thy justice, to answer for all my actions, even for all those things which I have done in the flesh, the works of my hands, the words of my mouth, and the most secret thoughts and imaginations of my heart, and to receive accordingly: What therefore is my hope? unto whom shall I fly? wherein is my trust? Surely, my hope, my trust, and my confidence is not in any merits or worthiness of mine own, but only in thy mercy O Lord, and in the all-sufficient merits of thy Christ, my Lord and blessed Saviour, who hath given himself to death for me, and powered forth his precious blood upon the cross, to make full satisfaction for me, and to reconcile me unto thy Majesty. Lo therefore, I do humbly prostrate myself, O Lord, before the throne of thy grace and mercy in Christ jesus. I do renounce myself, and utterly disclaim mine own righteousness, acknowledging it to be but as a stained and polluted cloth, and desire only to appear before thee in that righteousness of thy Son, and to be found in him, whom alone thou hast made unto me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Were it not that I had comfort in this, I should be of all creatures the most miserable; yea had I not trusted herein, I had long since perished, and been utterly confounded. Behold me therefore, O gracious God, and loving Father, behold me with the eye of thy mercy. Look upon me not as I am in myself, all stained and defiled with sin and iniquity, but in thy Son, even that just and holy one, who only is my righteousness, and my salvation; and in whom alone I do, and will trust both in life, and in death. Accept therefore of me graciously in him. Cloth and cover me with the pure and spotless garments of his righteousness, and holiness, that so the filthiness of my pollution may never appear in thy sight, who art of so pure eyes, that all sin is an abomination unto thee: let the merit of his obedience, of his death and passion, whereby he offered himself a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable, and of sweet smelling savour unto thee, for all thy chosen, and redeemed ones, be a full satisfaction for me, and for all my sins, though never so many and so grievous. Let me through faith in him, be made partaker of his purity, of his innocency, of his righteousness, of his holiness, and of his perfection; that so howsoever I am in myself unclean, sinful, unrighteous, unholy, and full of manifold infirmities and imperfections, yet in him, and through him, I may appear in thine eyes pure as he is pure, innocent as he is innocent, righteous as he is righteous, holy as he is holy, and perfect as he is perfect; and being accepted into thy grace and favour through him in this life, may have comfort and confidence in death, and in the day of judgement; and live with thee in glory in the life to come, together with Christ my Saviour & redeemer, and with thy blessed Spirit, and with all thy Saints and elect Angels, in that kingdom which thou hast prepared, and of which I rest in continual hope and expectation, desirous of the accomplishment of thy promise, which is endless blessedness, and felicity.   

A comfort for afflicted consciences.  
THere is none that receiveth a great measure of spiritual comfort, and divine consolation, whereby his spirits are cheered, and his soul refreshed and filled with inward joy and gladness; but he hath usually some grievous temptation, either going before, or following after it. Thus the Lord doth ordinarily deal with his children; there are none of his Saints, but have experience of it in themselves. The Lord doth not always cause the joyful light of his cheerful countenance to shine clearly upon them; he doth not always fill their hearts with that peace which passeth all understanding, or ravish their souls with that inward and spiritual joy, and comfort, which is unspeakable and glorious; neither doth he always absent himself, or hide the brightness of his face from them, but sometimes he doth graciously visit them, and causeth them to taste abundantly of the sweetness of his kindness, his mercy, and goodness, so that they are exceedingly refreshed, and feel such divine and heavenly comfort, and inward solace, as that they are not able outwardly to express it; and sometimes again as though he had forgotten them, he seemeth to hide and to absent himself from them, and suffereth them to be assailed with some grievous temptation, so that their day is turned into night, their light into darkness, their joy and gladness into sorrow and heaviness. And this the Lord doth, that he may cause them to acknowledge this to be his gift, even that inward & spiritual comfort wherewith their spirits do rejoice before him, and therefore to be thankful unto him, when they receive it, or have a more especial sense and feeling of it; as also to make them to depend wholly upon him, who is the life of their souls, and without whom there can be no true solace, no found joy; and withal to exercise their faith, their hope, and their love, the proof whereof is seen in those spiritual desertions. O Lord God, if it be thy will, let thy spirit of peace and comfort always rest upon me; let me taste continually of the sweetness of thy mercies, wherewith thou art wont to refresh the souls of thy servants, after that they have been wearied and oppressed with any grievous affliction or temptation: but if it seem good unto thee, for the trial of my faith, and for the exercise of the graces of thy spirit in me, to withhold at any time this blessing for a while from me, and to deprive me of the lively sense and feeling of spiritual and divine consolation, yet let me not faint, but rest in hope, and expect with patience the time of thy gracious and heavenly visitation, with which according unto thy promise thou wilt refresh and comfort me, giving unto me the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness, that so thy name may be glorified of me, in the thankful acknowledgement of thy goodness towards me.   

The Christians glorious conquest.  
THere is none that can attain unto so great a conquest in this world, as a true Christian: He through the grace, which he receiveth from Christ, who daily assisteth him, and is always present with him, sustaining him with his effectual power, is able to do more than all the greatest Monarches, or mightiest Potentates in the earth can possibly do of their own strength, yea though they gather all their forces together. For he doth not only conquer himself, and subdue his own lusts which rebel against the spirit of his mind, but also he overcometh this world, yea the prince thereof, even Satan himself, with all those spiritual wickednesses which reign in others, and have them continually in subjection under them. O Lord, without thee I am able to do nothing; with thy help, there is nothing but shall be easy unto me: Let it please thee continually to assist me with thy grace, and to strengthen me with thy mighty power, that so I may daily see all mine enemies more and more subdued unto me; and having gotten the victory and conquest of them in this life, may hereafter receive that crown of life, which thou hast promised unto all them that overcome; living and reigning with thee, and with all that heavenly and victorious host of thine, in glorious, and triumphant manner for evermore. Amen.   

The difficulty of conquering a man's self, and his own affections.  
A Man must strive along while, and that with great earnestness, and continual exercise and endeavour, before he can overcome himself, and having mastered his own will and wayward affections, give up himself wholly unto the obedience of God in all things, with humble submission both of body and soul: So great resistance and opposition shall he find within himself, by reason of his corrupt nature, even that treacherous enemy, which lieth lurking continually in his own bosom, haling and drawing him from that which is good, and hindering him in every godly purpose, and in every holy action and religious enterprise, in such sort, that except he even offer violence, as it were, unto himself, and to his sinful nature, and labour with a strong hand to subdue corruption within him, he cannot prevail. O Lord my strength, without thee I can do nothing, unto thee therefore do I stretch forth my hands. Thou knowest how weak and how frail I am; how unable of myself to resist that secret enemy which continually opposeth himself against me in every thing which is good: thou seest how hard a matter it is for me to bring every thought of my heart, every motion, desire and inclination of my will, and every action of my life, unto that subjection and obedience which thou requirest; how difficult to frame myself wholly unto thy will, and to submit myself unto thee in all things, according unto that rule and commandment which thou hast given unto me. O therefore let it please thee to strengthen me with thy grace, which alone is sufficient for me: let it please thee to help me in all my weaknesses, and to give unto me a greater measure of Christian fortitude, and of spiritual courage and resolution; & withal to give good success unto all my actions, enterprises and endeavours in the way of godliness, and salvation: yea O Lord, let it please thee to lead me forth in the constant and continual practice, and exercise of piety and true religion; and in the resistance of all enmity whatsoever, that so when the time of this spiritual warfare is ended, I may receive that incorruptible crown of life and glory, which thou hast promised unto them that overcome.   

The world's esteem of God's children.  
IF one comes into the presence of a king's son, or some great or noble parsonage, he no sooner seethe him, but he is moved with reverence, and showeth that according to the worthiness of his person, he doth regard and honour him. But as for the sons of God, who have God to their father, Christ their elder brother, all the Saints and Angels their companions, and fellow-bretherens; and the kingdom of heaven itself their inheritance for ever, where they are to live and reign as kings, in that glory which is unspeakable; how little are they regarded in the world? how meanly accounted of? What small honour is showed unto them, whom the king of heaven, doth and will honour so greatly? Nay are they not of all men, the most base and contemptible in the eyes of men? The nearer they are unto God, the more they are loved and honoured of him, are they not the more hated & despised of the world? Even holy David a man after Gods own heart, is but a worm, and not a man, in the account of men. jehoshua and his followers, monstrous persons. Paul, and the rest of the Apostles, as the filth and of scouring of all things, men unworthy to live upon the earth. In brief, all the saints, who are dear and precious in the eyes of God, even made signs and wonders amongst men. Cease to wonder at this: It is no new, no strange thing: The world knoweth, and hath always known his own, and maketh much of them; but those that are Gods, it neither knows, nor regardeth. And no marvel, since it knoweth not God himself, but hateth and despiseth him, even whiles, in a false and counterfeit manner, it professeth love unto him. Behold we (even all the faithful) are now the sons of God: such love, such honour hath our heavenly Father vouchsafed unto us: but yet our glory and dignity doth not appear; but when Christ our hope, our life and glory, shallbe revealed and made manifest, then shall we be changed into the glory of his image, we shallbe like unto him, and then shall the blind and contemptuous world both see and know him and us, to their own shame and confusion. Lord, let me never regard the railings of the wicked Shemeiss of this world, nor the mocks and scoffs of those profane Ishmaelites, who could never abide thy chosen people, the sons of the promise, for whom thou hast provided the inheritance: yea let me pass very little to be judged of man's judgement, even of those who are carried whither their own blind and corrupt reason, or fancy leadeth them: But let me always know and consider, that thou seest not as man seest, that thy thoughts are not as their thoughts, but that I am dear and precious in thy sight, and shall be glorious hereafter for ever, even with the same glory wherewith thy Christ my saviour is glorious: Let mine eyes always be fixed upon that blessed estate, wherein I shall continue for ever in the heavens; and let the hope thereof cause me to purge myself, that I may be pure, even as he is pure, unto whom then I shall be made conformable in righteousness, glory and happiness.   

Another.  
THe son and heir of a Noble man, or some great parsonage, whiles he liveth obscurely in a strange, and far country, being not known is not regarded, but lieth open to the contempt and abuse of the meanest and vilest persons, who if they knew his estate, would more highly esteem of him. Lord, let me not care, how vile or base soever I seem, whiles I live here in a strange place, unknown, unregarded; since thou hast assured me, that I shallbe so glorious at my return into mine own country, the habitation of thy saints, that heavenly paradise, that celestial jerusalem, the city of thee, the everliving God, the glory whereof is unspeakable.   

God and the world of a different judgement.  
GOd seethe not as man seethe. They are many times of great esteem amongst men, who are vile in God's sight, such as he hath rejected: And on the other side, they are highly in God's favour oftentimes, who are very meanly esteemed of among men; yea despised, and accounted as the refuse of men, and the offscouring of the world. Those which seem the least and most contemptible in the eye of men, are oft, the greatest and most honourable in the sight of God; and those which seem the very abjects of men (such as in whom nothing is to be desired) appear as glorious before him. O Lord seeing thou dost judge so differently from that which the world judgeth, having so precious an esteem of those whom that maketh no account of, and accounting those as vile, yea abominable, and to be abhorred of all, whom that doth chief magnify, and most esteem of; let me have this resolution always, to pass very little what corrupt men, or this blind world deemeth and judgeth of me; and let it be my special care to labour always by all means to be approved of thee, and to be assured that howsoever others shall seek to cast shame, reproach, and dishonour upon me, yet that I am good in thine eyes, and precious in thy sight; one whom thou dost justify, and wilt glorify.   

The willing and joyful bearing of the cross, a sign of a well grown Christian.  
HE that doth find sweetness in drinking of the bitter cup of afflictions, which God daily offereth unto him, it is a sign that he is a good proficient in the exercise of Christianity, and true religion: For to bear the cross patiently, willingly, and comfortably; to endure wrongs and injuries; to deny himself, and to die daily unto the world, yea to be crucified unto it, and to have it crucified unto him, is more than a carnal and natural man can possibly do, or he that hath not through a daily practice of humility, and true obedience learned wholly to subject himself unto God's will and pleasure. Good Lord, seeing it pleaseth thee to cause me to taste of the bitterness of many afflictions, grant that they may not seem grievous, but pleasant unto me; knowing that it is thy will thereby to humble me, and to make me more fit for the receiving of a greater measure of thy heavenly grace. Seeing thou hast appointed me daily to take up my cross and to follow my blessed Saviour, who in so many sufferings of his, hath gone before me, and left his example as a pattern and precedent behind him, unto which all that are his, should endeavour to frame themselves, that so they may be conformable unto him; I humbly beseech thee, that it would please thee, to give me patience, willingness and cheerfulness in undergoing whatsoever it shall seem good unto thee to lay upon me, being fully assured, that hereby I shall have entrance unto glory, even that glory into which thy Christ hath already entered, and made a way for me; and of which all these light and momentary afflictions are not worthy, nor in any sort comparable thereunto.   

The exceeding folly and vanity of the wicked.  
O The vain and preposterous courses of men! who doth not wonder that beholdeth, and considereth them? and how should they not blush, and be exceedingly ashamed of their folly and sottishness when they think of them? Let the flattering and deceitful world call them and allure them with the enticing promises of earthly and temporal things, pleasures, profits, honours, even those things which are fading and transitory; and they are ready to follow it presently, and to show themselves serviceable unto it with all willingness and readiness that may be; yea to undergo much labour and toil, and to endure great hardship, and to pass through many difficulties, in the earnestness of their desire to attain unto that, whereof notwithstanding they fail oft times, and come short of their hope, and expectation: Let God (whose word is truth, and who never faileth any in that which he promiseth unto them, nor deceiveth them that rest upon him, and give credit unto his word, but satisfieth them most abundantly, and returneth more unto them than they did either expect, or could desire) let God, even that gracious and bountiful God (with whom is the treasury of all good things) call them, and promise unto them the unspeakable riches of celestial and heavenly things, such as are most excellent and glorious, far passing the most desirable things of this world, and such as shall never fade, nor be any ways diminished, or once subject unto any change or alteration; yet they have no heart to come unto him, or to follow him, but are exceeding heavy and drowsy, yea very unapt and untoward unto that which were so greatly for their good; and in which alone consisteth true blessedness, and eternal felicity, and happiness. O Lord, let me never be so foolish as the men of this world are, in whom there is no understanding: let me be more careful to serve thee, than they are to serve the world, even that cursed Mammon which they make their god. Let me labour more for spiritual and heavenly things, such as shall remain and abide for ever, then for those things which are carnal and earthly, and such as are of no continuance, but shall quickly perish, and pass away as a shadow, and be quite forgotten, even as if they had never been. Yea let me always prefer that inestimable price of glory, that chief, that unchangeable, and everlasting good which thou hast promised and prepared for thy Saints in that celestial kingdom which I daily expect and hope for, before all the alluring and deceitful vanities, the seeming and supposed good, yea all the most precious and glorious things of this world whatsoever, wherewith those that are earthly-minded are so greatly enamoured, and wherein they place the height of their false and imaginary felicity and happiness.   

The spirit of God is the life of the soul.  
AS is the body without the soul, so is the soul without the spirit of God, which is the life thereof. If there be a separation of the soul of man, what is his body, but a dead, and a lifeless corpse or carcase, having no sense, or motion? It cannot once breath or stir itself, nor put forth any power for the performance of the least action: So is it with the soul of every one, in whom the spirit of God is wanting, or from whom it is departed: There is no life, no vigour, no power, or ability to do any thing which is good: yea sooner may a dead body move itself, and exercise the actions, and operations of a natural life, than the soul which is without the spirit of God, and so destitute of the life of grace, can show forth any certain signs and effects of a spiritual life. O Lord, I have found by experience what a deadness there is upon me, if thou at any time withdrawest thy spirit, and dost not cause it to work effectually upon my soul; without the continual presence, and assistance thereof, I am not able to do, no not to will, or desire in any sort that which is good, but am even as a breathless and lifeless creature, one in whom there is no life. O therefore let it please thee to power out thy spirit plentifully upon me; let me always find it not only present, but also powerfully working within me, & quickening me unto the willing and cheerful performance of all those things which thou requirest of me: yea let it please thee, (in whom only I live, and move, and without whom I am as one whose spirit is departed from him,) let it please thee, O Lord, to breath the life of grace daily more and more into me, and to inspire me continually with good motions, with holy and heavenly desires, that so I may delight in those things which are pleasing unto thee, and bring forth the fruits of the spirit abundantly, throughout the whole course of my life, to the praise of the glory of thy grace (from whence alone is all my sufficiency and ability) to the benefit of those among whom I either now do, or hereafter shall live; and to the endless comfort and salvation of mine own soul, through Christ my Lord and Saviour, who with thee, O father, and with thy holy spirit, be blessed and praised both now and evermore. Amen.   

The love of the world and worldly desires, banish all true love of God from the soul.  
HE that suffereth any wordly desires, or the inordinate affection of any earthly thing whatsoever to take place in his heart, cannot love God sincerely, entirely, and unfeignedly; yea the more the desire of his heart is enlarged unto the affecting of those things, the more is the love of God abated and diminished in him; as much as the one increaseth, so much the other of necessity must decrease. O Lord, who hast manifested thy love so richly towards me, fill my heart daily more and more with the love of thy majesty; let the same wholly possess me: For this end, suffer me not to be entangled at any time with the inordinate desire of any of these fading and fruitless vanities; but free me, I beseech thee, from the sinful and immoderate affecting thereof; yea purge my heart, and banish far from me the love of all those things, which might be a means in any sort to alienate my mind from thee, and grant that my soul may delight in thee, and that I may love thee with my whole heart, yea that the affection of my love may be set and fixed upon thee alone, who only art worthy to be loved above all things; and that if I love or affect any thing else, it may not be otherwise then in thee, and for thee, unto whom I am desirous to give my heart with all the affections thereof.   

The sinfulness of man's nature corrupted.  
O Lord, what a fountain of corruption do I see continually, springing up within me? and how much more doth there abound in me, which being hid from mine eyes is seen only of thee, who alone knowest the heart, and beholdest the inward and most hidden secrets thereof, which the eye of man cannot pierce into. Do thou vouchsafe to cleanse it daily more & more: power down plentifully that clean water of thy sanctifying grace, which may wash away that filthiness, even those stains and pollutions wherewith I am defiled, and which being loathsome in mine own eyes, cannot but be as an abomination before thee, who art so pure, that thou canst not see evil, nor behold wickedness. O let thy spirit purge and purify my soul from that inbred corruption and contagion thereof, which cleaveth so fast unto it; yea let it be as fire to dry up those polluted streams, which flow continually from that unclean fountain; that so I may be found of thee without spot, and blameless, in the day of that glorious appearance of thy son my blessed saviour and redeemer; in whom though I see him not, yet do I believe, and rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious.   

Blindness of mind, a great misery.  
IF any want the eyes of their bodies, they account it a great misery, and would use any means, be at any cost, to enjoy the comfort and benefit of their sight. And yet most want the eyes of their souls, and think it to be no misery; neither regard, nor seek once for that wherein the comfort of their lives consisteth, and whereby they should come to see the light of glory in the kingdom of heaven. O Lord, though others be wilfully blind, and so most miserable, whiles they see it not, yet open thou mine eyes ever more and more: Suffer not sin with the deceitfulness thereof to draw any film over them; but give me daily a clearer sight of mine own misery, and of thy unspeakable mercies towards me, who am unworthy of the least of them.   

Hardness of heart a fearful plague.  
THere can no worse plague happen unto any one, than a hard and obdurate heart; and yet alas, how few be there that complain of it, although they be far gone with it! How few, that seek to be thoroughly recovered of it, although they have present means continually offered unto them, for the cure of it! Oh they know not the danger of it; or if they do, and seek not carefully for the remedy, surely they are exceeding desperate of their estate. Good Lord, break thou this stony heart of mine, I humbly pray thee: Give me to see, and to grieve daily more and more for the hardness of it, and never to sleep in rest, till I feel it softened and mollified, yea till I be cured and altogether recovered of it. Howsoever it shall please thee outwardly to afflict me for my good, yet Lord keep me always, I beseech thee, from that inward, spiritual and most fearful judgement, which thou usest to send upon the reprobate, who being past all feeling, seal up unto themselves thereby the assurance of eternal perdition.   

Fear of God.  
I Have oft wondered to see, in what awe most stand of mortal men, who have power of their goods, life, or outward estate; how careful they are to please them, how afraid to offend them: and yet in the mean while, how regardless they are, and show themselves to be, of that great, that powerful and immortal God, whose name is terrible; yea, who is able presently to cast them both soul and body, into hell for ever, there to have their portion among the damned. Either men are Atheists, and think there is no God (for they that believe that there is a God, can not but know, that his power is infinite, and therefore must needs fear him more than any man, whose power is but finite, when it is greatest:) Or else they are marvelous desperate, who though they know and will acknowledge the power, and the fierceness of his wrath, yet fear not the punishment, and the horrible torments which he hath threatened against them. O Lord, let me not be either so blinded, or so hardhearted, as the wicked and ungodly are. Let me always fear before thee, and tremble at thy presence, standing continually in awe of so great, and glorious a majesty, which the Angels adore, and reverence. And let this fear of thee and thy righteous judgements, banish and drive out of my heart, the love of all sin, so that I may not once dare willingly to commit the same, though I might thereby gain the whole world. Yea Lord, do thou plant thy fear in my heart; let it possess my soul, and then it can not be, but that I should seek in all things to please thee more than men, and fear to offend thee in any thing, not fearing the fear of those that be thine enemies, and hate thee.   

Fear of God speaking in his word.  
MEn we see oft times are stricken and amazed at the sudden noise of a great thunderclap; they tremble and quake: yea this causeth many, with the Heathenish Emperor to seek for covert, and to hide and shroud themselves for fear. And yet behold, such is the corruption of man's nature; such is their stupidity, that although they hear daily a greater, & more dreadful noise, even the mighty and terrible voice of God which soundeth in his word, and whereby he threateneth them in most fearful manner, not only with temporal judgement, but also with eternal perdition and destruction, yet they are scarce once moved; they fear not; they do not quake and tremble, but soothe up themselves in the wickedness of their hearts, and bless themselves in their sinful and ungodly ways, thinking that all is well, and dreaming of nothing but of peace and safety, when their confusion is nearest, and sudden destruction and desolation ready presently to seize upon them. O let it be otherwise with me, & with all them that fear thy name O Lord; let me be touched, & rightly affected with the consideration of thy great and glorious majesty, when I behold thy wondrous and marvelous works, how thou casts forth thy lightnings unto the ends of the world, and thunderest from heaven with a mighty voice; at the noise whereof, even the bruit beasts, and dumb creatures, do quake and tremble for fear. Let these things cause me, to acknowledge the greatness of thy power, to stand in a holy and awful reverence of thy presence, and to give glory unto thy name, who art the mighty and glorious God of heaven and earth: but let me be much more moved, and inwardly affected, when I hear the voice of that mighty and powerful Word of thine, which goeth out of thy mouth, and which thou causest to sound in mine ears, by the ministery of men whom thou hast ordained; and in and by whom thou speakest both to the ears, and to the hearts of men. O let this word of thine, which in itself is mighty in operation, and whereby, through the working of thy spirit, thou dost marvelous things; let it strike and break in sunder this hard and stony heart of mine: let ●r cause me to tremble at the hearing of it, yea even to fall down before thee, and to adore thy majesty, to be afraid of thy displeasure, and to serve thee with an humble, and with a contrite heart all my days: Then according unto thy promise, thou wilt look mercifully upon me, thou wilt deal exceedingly graciously with me; yea though heaven be thy throne, and the earth thy footstool, yet thou wilt vouchsafe to dwell with me, by the comfortable presence of thy grace, and blessed spirit for evermore.   

Knowledge and conscience must go together.  
MAny labour for knowledge, few for conscience to practise those things which they know. Such knowledge is vain, and bringeth no profit to him that hath it. ●●e what if thou couldst repeat all the most pithy sentences of the wisest and gravest Philosophers, and the greatest Sages that ever were? it were nothing. Yea what if thou couldst say over the whole Bible without book, and with the superstitious jew, tell exactly how oft every letter were found in the same; and withal, wert able to expound the hardest and most difficult places therein that could be put unto thee, so that all that heard of thee did admire thee, as one very rare and eminent in thy kind? All this were nothing, it were in vain, and no ways available unto thee, if thou wert not as careful to have thy heart touched, thy mind sanctified, and thy life reform, as thy head stuffed and filled with variety and abundance of knowledge & learning; if thou didst not labour as much, if not more, for the practice of those things which thou knowest, then for the bare and naked speculation itself, without fruther profit. Give me grace, O Lord, as to use all good means to attain unto all kind of learning which is necessary and profitable for me, especially the knowledge of thy word, and those secret and hidden mysteries, which thou hast therein revealed; so much more, with all diligence, carefully, and conscionably to practise those things which I have learned; joining to my knowledge, virtue, faith, temperance, patience, godliness, and unfeigned love and charity unto all men, even mine enemies, and those that are most bitter towards me, yea most wickedly and maliciously set against me: that thus the knowledge, which by thy blessing I shall attain unto, may not be idle or unprofitable, but I may abound and increase in the fruits thereof, to the praise of thy name, the benefit of others among whom I shall live, mine own comfort in this life, and the furtherance of my salvation, in thy kingdom after this life, for ever.   

Another.  
IT is not without cause, that the Scriptures make the heart the seat of truth, sincerity and uprightness, and not the head, seeing the heart is the seat and subject of the affections; the brain of knowledge, understanding & judgement. A man may know and understand much, and yet be very ill affected; he may be of a large capacity, and of a very deep apprehension, even of the greatest mysteries of Christian religion, and yet be of an exceeding corrupt mind, and of a most unsound life. Knowledge is good, and to be desired, and sought for, and that with diligence; but yet good affection must be joined with it, and increased by it; or else it will not be profitable, but hurtful and dangerous, making the owner of it rather worse then better. It is a good thing to know much; but it is better, and more acceptable to God, to affect the good things we know, that we might practise them, and to dislike the evil we know, that we might shun and avoid them. God ever loved and delighted more in the truth and sincerity of the heart, then in the bare speculation, and fruitless apprehensions of the mind and understanding part. Let it be my desire, O Lord, my care and my earnest endeavour, rather to live well then to know much: let me labour for both, since both are necessary; yet always prefer this before the other, seeing that without this, is least profitable, and more dangerous (not of itself, but through the fault of him that useth it amiss) making the life more corrupt, and bringing with it the greater condemnation in the end.   

The worldly man's Idol.  
THat which every one most setteth his heart upon, that doth he make his God, yea rather his Idol. Thus the God of the covetous is riches, even that cursed Mammon: The God of the voluptuous, pleasure: of the ambitious, honour. O then how many vile and wicked Idolaters be there in the world? Surely, as many as do give themselves over to covetousness, ambition, and voluptuousness, even the excessive and inordinate desire of the vain and transitory things of this world. O Lord God, thou only art my God; whom have I in heaven but thee? or what is there that I should desire on earth, in comparison of thee? O let my heart be always fixed upon thee; let my soul love thee, delight in thee, & seek and long after thee, above all things; which is that inward and spiritual worship and service, which thou requirest of all those upon whom thy name is called, of all those that acknowledge thee, the Lord, to be their God.   

The miserable estate of a worldling.  
HE that doth once embrace this world, can hardly be loosed from it, and brought to follow Christ and to cleave unto true religion, in the truth and sincerity of the profession thereof; yea such is the bewitching nature of it, that it will daily more and more fasten upon him, and clasp round about him, so that he shall have no power to free himself again, except an extraordinary grace be ministered unto him of God. Of all men (of whom there may be any hope) a covetous worldling is in this regard most miserable, and his estate most dangerous; since that it is harder for him to be reclaimed, then for any other; for of all sins, (out of which there may be any recovery) that sin of avarice and covetousness is most irrecoverable. O blessed Lord, let not my heart be glued at any time unto the things of this world; Let not the immoderate care and desire thereof, take hold of me, let it not be rooted in me; but let me always enjoy such freedom by thy grace that I may willingly, readily and cheerfully perform those duties which thou requirest of me; yea that I may cleave fast unto thee, and run with liberty, the ways of thy commandments.   

The unpleasant and distracted life of a carnal and wicked man.  
WHat pleasure is there in the life of a carnal and wicked man, who is carried away with the vain and inordinate desires of his own heart? Before he hath obtained that which he lusts after, he is restless and unquiet; All that he had before doth him no good, because he wants that: when he enjoys it, he is grieved & displeased, yea vexed, because it doth not satisfy him, nor yield him that contentment, which he looked for in it. Afterwards, he is perplexed and troubled in mind, by reason of the guilt which he hath brought upon his conscience, through his sin; the sweetest fruit whereof in the end, is nothing but shame and sorrow, yea much bitterness. Thus he is continually disquieted, discontented, and distracted, whiles he followeth his unlawful desires, and yieldeth to his disordered and distempered affections; he hath no peace, no ease, no rest. Witness the proud person, the covetous, the voluptuous, the ambitious, the envious and malicious, and whosoever else he be, that letteth lose the rains to any unbridled passion, any inordinate affection. It is a mere slavery, to be a servant unto any such lusts; & the only means to obtain true liberty, heart's ease, peace and sound contentment, to resist them, and to get the mastery over them, and to be no ways bound to them. O merciful Lord, let me not be addicted to these things, which are base, earthly and sensual: let me never willingly yield unto any sinful desire of my corrupt nature; but give me grace always to bridle, yea to subdue, and to mortify those wicked affections, which otherwise would prevail against me; that so being overmastered, and even brought into subjection under me, through the working of thy gracious spirit in me, I may pass the whole time of my life hereafter, in rest, quietness and true peace and contentedness, and serve thee, with perfect liberty and freedom all my days.   

The life of the righteous as well to be sought after, as their death wished.  
I Marvel not that all men (even the most wicked and profane of the world) do, with cursed Balaam, desire and wish for the death of the righteous, seeing the end of it, is true and perfect blessedness, and the want of it, extreme woe and misery. But this seems very strange unto me, that they should not as well desire the life of the righteous: not only, because this is the means to come unto the other, that necessarily depending hereupon; but also since herein is true happiness to be found, and that which is to be desired of all men, and without which, man cannot but be miserable, and even a burden unto himself. For the righteous, the sincere and upright in life and conversation, they only lead a peaceable, a comfortable, and a joyful life. They rejoice not so much in the face, as in heart; not so much to the teeth outwardly, as in soul, and spirit inwardly: whereas the hypocrite, the false hearted, and all that love unrighteousness, never have any true mirth, any sound joy, but only a false & counterfeit image thereof, which when it is at the best, is but hollow, rotten, and unsound; yea when they sport themselves in their carnal and worldly delights most immoderately, and break forth into excessive laughter, yet than their joy is but the fit, as it were, of a frantic or mad man, they know not what they do; and at length, their sorrowful dumps, their troubled thoughts, and distracting cares, return again unto them unsent for, they break off their laughter with a sigh, and end their mirth with heaviness, anguish and great perplexednes: yea the Lord filleth their souls with much bitterness; so that many times to be eased of it, they could willingly be rid of their lives, in which they find so small comfort. Lord, let me be as careful to lead a good life, as to make a godly end: let me hate all unrighteousness, and forsake all the ways of the ungodly; and let me seek by all means to attain unto true holiness, and strive after sincerity and uprightness; that so the spirit of joy and gladness may rest continually upon me, and cause me always to rejoice unfeignedly in thee, with that inward spiritual joy and comfort, the sweetness whereof none knoweth but thine only, even those whom thou hast given to taste of it; and which being once given of thee (from whom alone it proceedeth) none is able to take it away again.   

The folly and danger of deferring Repentance.  
IT is exceeding folly in men to live carelessly and securely, all their life long, and to put off all, unto their dying hour, vainly supposing, that it will be enough for them, then to commend themselves unto God, and to desire him to take them to his mercy. Alas, such know not what they do; they know not the price of their souls: for surely if they did, they would never put them in adventure to the last hour: They consider not the danger of losing them for ever; for then certainly they would quickly be of an other mind; they would look about them; they would not set all upon such a ticklish point, nor put themselves unto that hazard, no not for the gain of the whole world; but they would presently cut off all delays (which in good things are always exceeding dangerous) and seek diligently by all means to lead their lives in that manner, and so to secure their estate, that in death they might have assurance that they should not die, but live, having their souls translated and carried (though not by fiery chariots, as Elias was, yet by the hands of those heavenly Angels, which continually wait and attend upon them) from earth to heaven, from this vale of misery, to that place of endless glory and happiness. O Lord keep me from that extreme folly and simplicity of the wicked, whom Satan hath so deceived and deluded, that they should be careless of that which most nearly concerns them, even their future and eternal estate after this life, which depends upon the course of their life lead in this world, which is short and momentary. Let it be my care and endeavour every day to seek by a holy conversation, to be assured of the certainty of my election, and of my blessed and happy estate after this life, even my future glorification in thy kingdom; that so I may be always prepared, and rest continually in a joyful hope and expectation of the accomplishment and fulfilling of thy gracious promise.   

free-will.  
IT is a vain thing to think that a man hath free-will unto that which is good: As well mayst thou persuade me, that a stone can move itself, or that a dead body can raise itself out of the grave. Except the Lord put to his hand, we can never move ourselves, no not to one good motion, one good thought or desire, much less give ourselves to the constant practice of that which is good. Except the Lord put new life into us, except he quicken us with his spirit, we are all but dead men, and shall lie in our graves until we be awaked unto judgement. O Lord (the fountain of grace and life) do thou quicken me, so shall I live; do thou lift me up, so shall I rise out of the grave of sin and death: Do thou draw me, so shall I come unto thee, yea so shall I even run with liberty in all the ways of thy commandments. Hear me, O Lord, and help me, for in thee do I trust, in whom only I live, move, and have my being, and without whom all my life is but death. Without thee I can do nothing: In thee, and by thee all things.   

What worship God especially requireth.  
MAny perform outward worship and service unto God; few that which is in●ard. Both are required, but the latter is chief necessary, without which, the former though commanded, is neither pleasing nor acceptable, yea vile and abominable unto him, that hath always loathed such dead carcases, such lifeless sacrifices. Lord, give me grace always to offer unto thee a whole  offering, to serve thee as in body, which thou hast made for that end, so especially in spirit and in truth; so shall I not be reproved, yea then thou wilt accept both of me, and of all my sacrifices, and be exceeding gracious and merciful unto me, above that I can expect or desire.   

Christians are willingly to resign themselves, and all that they enjoy, to Gods will.  
ALL those things which we enjoy in this world, are not our own, but Gods: he gave them to us to use, and at his pleasure he may call for them, and cause us to restore them to him again, since he alone hath absolute right and interest in them. Whiles we have them, we are to have a care to use them well, and not to neglect them, or to be regardless of them. We ought to use them, and yet not so to use them, as if they were our own, but lent unto us by another, of whom we have received them. When he taketh them from us, we are willingly to restore them, and readily without any murmuring or repining to part with them, sith they were but lent unto us for a time, for our convenient or necessary use, and are now called for again by the right owner of them; so that to be unwilling to return them at his command, is not, neither aught to be otherwise esteemed of us, then as the usurping or violent detaining of another man's goods against his will and pleasure; even theft and robbery against the highest. What meaneth it them, that many are so loath to restore the things, which God hath given them the use of for a while, and now requireth of them again? What means it, that many are so grieved to part with those things which the Lord hath lent them, until such time as he should call for them? Yea, why is it that many complain so grievously, as if they were greatly injured, or had very hard measure offered unto them, when the Lord taketh from them, their wives, their children, their friends, their goods, their lands, livings, or their life itself? Are they their own, and not Gods? Why then should they sin against him, by repining that they cannot keep them against his will? Hath he given unto them the use of them thus long, & doth he now call for them, and require them again of them? Why then should they not with all willingness, and thankfulness restore them, acknowledging themselves much indebted unto him for the fruition of them, and the benefit they have received by them hitherto. O Lord, thou hast freely and most graciously vouchsafed many blessings, and benefits unto me, even in the things of this world, the least whereof I am altogether unworthy of; thou hast given me life & health, friends, and a competency of these earthly things, which in wisdom thou sawest to be convenient for me; thou art the author and giver of them, as of all other things which are good. Whiles it pleaseth thee to continue them unto me for my use, give me grace to use them soberly in a sanctified manner, so as may be most for thy glory, and my comfort, both here and hereafter; when it shall please thee to take them away from me, and to deprive me either of any, or of all of them, grant that I may with a willing mind, and with a thankful heart, return them again unto thee, saying with that faithful and constant servant of thine, whom thou hast made a pattern and precedent unto me: Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither (even into the belly of the earth, which is the mother of us all): the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken it: blessed be the name of the Lord.   

Forgiving of others, how necessary for all men.  
HE can never truly, and freely forgive those that offend and injury him, that hath not first tasted of the infinite love and favour of God in Christ towards him, in the forgiveness of those manifold sins, and innumerable and most grievous offences whereby he hath displeased and provoked him. But he that hath a true apprehension, and a lively sense and feeling hereof in his own soul, he cannot but freely, even from his heart, forgive others, as God for Christ's sake forgave him. Either therefore manifest thy love unto thy brethren, in freely forgiving and forgetting the wrongs and injuries which they have done unto thee, or else freely acknowledge and confess (as indeed the truth is) that thou never as yet tastedst effectually of the love of God in Christ; that it was never shed into thy heart, and that thy sins are still unpardoned, that thou hast no assurance of the forgiveness of them; which if thou hast not, thou art a miserable and a wretched creature, one that canst have small joy or comfort of thy life. Choose therefore which of these seems best unto thee? either to continue in this misery, and to be branded, as it were, in the forehead, for an impenitent sinner, one upon whom God hath showed no mercy, but is still under the curse, even the most fearful curse that can be, in a most comfortless estate: Or else (which thou oughtest rather to desire, and to be careful of above all things) that thou hast obtained mercy, that thou art in the love and favour of God, and that all thy sins are freely and fully forgiven thee, because thou art loving and merciful in forgiving others, that have sinned against thee. O merciful God, cause me daily more & more daily to see the exceeding riches of thy grace, and to taste of that infinite and unspeakable love, and kindness of thine in Christ jesus so freely and so graciously pardoning and forgiving unto me all my sins, even that great debt which no creature was able to make satisfaction unto thy majesty for me, and those heinous offences for which thou mightst have justly condemned me. And let the lively sense and feeling of that incomprehensible love and mercy, which thou of thy infinite goodness hast freely vouchsafed unto me, cause me, following thy example, to put on the bowels of mercy, even those tender affections of love and compassion, that I may willingly and freely forgive all those that shall any ways offend me, even as thou for Christ's sake forgavest me. Hereby I shall have a sure evidence of thy love towards me, and an infallible sign and seal, to certify and assure me of the absolute remission and forgiveness of all my sins, which is blessedness itself, even the very gate which leadeth into heaven, unto that glory and salvation, which thy Saints hope for, and whereof having given them the first fruits here, thou wilt give them the full possession hereafter in thy kingdom for ever.   

A comfort for such, as are unjustly slandered of the wicked.  
A Good man that is unjustly slandered and reviled, or any ways wronged of the wicked, hath many things to stay his mind, to comfort him, and to cause him not to be moved, or disquieted, but rather to be glad and joyful. First, he is thereby made conformable unto Christ, upon whom the rebukes of many were laid, and who was more unjustly wronged and disgraced, and more shamefully used, than he either is or can be. Again, he suffers it of evil and wicked men, who always hate them most, who God loveth best; and hereby hath an argument of God's special love and favour to him. And he doth not only suffer it of those which are evil, but also for that which is good, even for his goodness & for righteousness sake, yea for Christ's sake, for God's sake, whom thereby they chief dishonour, and who will surely therefore take vengeance of them, but recompense him with a greater measure of glory. O Lord, though the wicked of this world study how they may vex and molest me, whiles they imagine lies, and speak all manner of evil in most malicious, disdainful, and despiteful manner against me; yea hate and persecute me without a cause, as they have done thy servants heretofore, nay thine own son, whom thou in love to mankind didst send out of thy bosom; yet let not me be discouraged at any time therewith, but rather looking unto the author and finisher of my faith, even Christ jesus, who endured such speaking against of sinners, let me suffer with patience the evil which they speak of me falsely, & having not only mine own conscience, but thee also (who art privy to all my actions, yea knowest all things, and wilt judge uprightly) a witness of my clearness and innocency in those things which they would cause to cleave unto me, let me despise their shame, and be most joyful when they seek most to oppress me, and to cast me down with overmuch sorrow, anguish and heaviness, knowing assuredly that the shame which they would cast upon me, shall turn to my greater glory.   

Compassion towards others in their griefs.  
WE should be affected with the miseries of others, as with our own; and have a sense and a feeling of those things which are grievous unto them, as much as if the same were our grief, as it is theirs; or the same burden lay upon us, that doth upon them. This is that which God hath commanded, and which all of us must frame ourselves unto, if we will not be guilty of sin, both against God, and our neighbour. But, alas, such is the weakness & feebleness of man's nature, that few or none are thus indifferently affected towards themselves, and others; yea, most do little regard the evil which presseth others, and lieth heavy upon them; whereas if the same, or a lesser be laid upon themselves, they are sore vexed and grieved; they complain much, and think that none can be compassionate enough towards them. Good Lord, I beseech thee, to heal me of this infirmity, and to free me from this corruption. Grant that I may have a sympathy and fellow-feeling of the sorrows and miseries of others, as if they were mine own; let me always have a tender compassion over them, and be affected unto them, in that manner, as I would desire, if I were in their estate, that they should be unto me. This is that which thy holy and righteous law bindeth me unto, and which therefore I desire to perform, that so I may please thee, and do good unto my neighbour, by helping him to bear the burden which oppresseth him.   

A comfortable life, how to be obtained.  
ALL men are desirous so to live, that they may have joy and comfort of their lives: but few attain hereunto. For either they know not the right way which leads unto it; or if they know it, yet they ●●haled and drawn aside, either with t●● violence of the temptat●ons of Satan, or the strength of their own corrupt and distempered affections, to the seeking of it elsewhere. They are in an error, and far out of the way, that think that either riches, health, pleasures, honour, or any earthly or worldly thing whatsoever will bring them true, constant joy. Nay, a man having all these, as much as his heart can wish or desire, may be in a miserable, and comfortless estate and condition, full of grief and anguish, yea even racked as it were continually with manifold vexations and distractions. The only way to live peaceably, and joyfully, is to lead a holy, and a religious life in all sincerity and uprightness This bringeth with it that sweet peace, and that inward solace and joy, which the world cannot give. O blessed Lord, the days of this my pilgrimage are few and evil; make them comfortable unto me, I humbly pray thee, by leading me forward in the ways of righteousness and true holiness: grant that I may always endeavour myself to have faith and a good conscience before thee, and before all men, and to walk continually in simplicity and godly pureness, without all guile & hypocrisy, that so my heart may rejoice in thee unfeignedly, yea even be filled with that joy, which is unspeakable, and glorious.   

How they are to live that are redeemed by Christ.  
IT is a shame for the Lords free man, to make himself a servant, a drudge, and a slave to the world, to sin and Satan. He that Christ hath redeemed, must live like one set at liberty, being always very careful and wary that he be not entangled nor overcome with any lust, with any corrupt and unlawful affection, lest thereby he bring himself into that bondage and servitude, than which there can be nothing more wretched and miserable. O Lord, since it hath pleased thee of thy infinite goodness and mercy to redeem me with so great a price, even with the precious blood of thy dear Son that immaculate Lamb, grant that being freed from that estate of corruption, unto which before I was in bondage, and having escaped from the filthiness of the world, wherewith I was formerly stained and polluted, I may be careful to renounce all those ungodly courses, even that vain conversation wherein I walked and delighted, before I knew thee and that saving grace of thine, which thou in the riches of thy mercies hast revealed, and manifested unto me; and that I may daily more and more labour and strive after spiritual liberty and freedom, living as thy servant, as thy redeemed one, and showing forth the virtues of thee my God and Saviour, who hast called me out of darkness, into that marvelous light of thine.   

God's love and favour to be sought for above all things, and his wrath feared.  
IF we be out of favour with men, of no esteem, no reckoning amongst them; If despised, and disgraced of the world, and made as such as are vile, and of no reputation: If we be but in danger to lose our goods, our riches, our lands, and living; or to have our outward estate by any means impaired and decayed, or in any sort diminished: If any of our dearest friends, and nearest kinsfolk, die and departed from us for a while; or if we ourselves be in any peril of death, lo, than we are very sad and heavy; we are exceeding pensive, and grieved out of measure, as though no greater evil could befall us. But if we be clean out of the love and favour of God (than which there can be no greater misery); if we be not regarded of him, but are vile in his sight, such as by reason of our sins he doth loath and abhor, more than we do the ugliest and the loathsomest creature in the world, and doth many ways testify the signs of his hatred, and the deep displeasure which he hath taken against us: If we be in continual danger to hazard the most desirable goods (which are better than all things, which this whole world can afford) even those precious things of God, wherein only true happiness and felicity consists. If we be in never so great and apparent danger and jeopardy, to lose the unspeakable riches of that glorious, and immortal inheritance, reserved for the Saints in that heavenly kingdom, that celestial Canaan, the Paradise of God; where there are such joys, such pleasure, such blessedness, as the heart of man is not able to conceive, or to comprehend. If our nearest and inmost friend, which resteth continually in our bosom, and in the secretest lodgings of our hearts, unto whom we profess the greatest love and friendship that may be; in brief, to whom we are joined and united, with so near and straight bands, that it is death for us at any time, to be severed, and separated for the least while, for one moment; even our own soul, if that be dead in us, whiles it seemeth to live; dead in trespasses and sins, whiles it liveth according to the flesh, delighting in those things which are unlawful; dead in regard of the life of grace, whiles it liveth the life of nature; yea continually in extreme danger to die eternally, even that second death, which of all evils is the most fearful, & most woeful, above that any man doth think, or can imagine, though he have presented unto his mind, the most dreadful things, and fullest of horror, that can possibly enter into the heart of man: yet behold (such is the sottishness of man's nature) though we know these things, yet we are not inwardly touched, nor moved with them, as we ought to be; though we read of them ourselves, though we hear of them oft by others; yea though the Lord from day to day, and from time to time, causeth them to sound in our ears, by the ministery and preaching of his word, in the mouths of his faithful servants, whom he sendeth, and by the inward and secret voice of his spirit, which suggesteth these things unto us, yet our hearts are not affected with the consideration of them; we have almost no sense, or feeling of these evils and miseries, we make no account of them, we are little, seldom, or never troubled with the meditation and remembrance of them. The fear and danger of them doth not strike our souls with grief and sorrow, nor make us so pensive and heavy, as the fear and dread of far lesser evils do. We grieve more at the loss of the favour and countenance of men, yea of carnal and worldly men, then of that glorious and immortal God, whose loving favour is better than life, and the want of it worse than death: we grieve more at the loss of the things of this world, which are vain, earthly, and transitory (and such as can never make the owner of them truly blessed and happy, though he had them in greater abundance, than his heart, albeit never so unsatiable, could desire) them of the things of the world to come, which are most excellent, heavenly, and enduring for ever, in the hope and expectation whereof there is joy, and comfort unspeakable and glorious, even whiles they are not seen, but believed; and in the full fruition and possession whereof, there is entire and absolute felicity and blessedness. We are grieved more at the death and departure of our friend, then at the death and destruction of our own soul; more troubled with the fear of the loss of this temporal life, which is always fading, and whereof we can have no certainty or assurance, one hour, no not one minute; then of that which is eternal, and shall never have an end, but continue for ever, in such glory, the enjoying whereof one moment, is better than all the glory, pleasures, and delights of this life, whereof any man is or can be made partaker in this world; yea though he live long, and see many days, and wants nothing of those things here below, which seem most precious and glorious in the eyes of men. What should I say more? We are more troubled with the fear and dread of our natural death, the death of our bodies (which if our lives were such as they ought to be, would be more desired then feared of us, being the entrance into that promised rest and happiness) then of the death of our spirits, yea of our souls and bodies, even that fearful & most dreadful death, which is the second death, when as the soul presently after the dissolution and separation of it from the body, in the end of this life; and both soul and body, even the whole man immediately after the day of judgement, having received their final doom, shall be delivered up unto eternal death and condemnation in hell, where they shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Surely many such there be in all places, who have so small sense and feeling of the greatest evils both present and imminent; that are more grieved and troubled for the approaching of some lesser evil, then of the greatest misery that can possibly befall a man; the very remembrance and consideration whereof, were enough to breed a horror and astonishment in the mind of the hardiest, the most obstinate, and impenitent sinner, if he should have a right apprehension of it. Oh the folly of such men! who seethe not how Satan hath blinded and besotted them, that they should be as those, who have no understanding, no discerning of things that differ so exceedingly? O blessed Lord, open their eyes, that they may have a sight of their greatest miseries; touch their hearts, that they may have a feeling of that which should be their greatest grief, and wherewith they should be most affected: And keep thy servants from falling at any time into that vain and foolish opinion, and imagination of theirs. Let us always fear thy displeasure, more than the angry countenance of any mortal man whatsoever; let us be more afraid to be despised and rejected of thee; or to be such as thou takest no pleasure, no delight in, then to be disgraced and contemned of the whole world, esteemed the filth and offscouring of all things, men unworthy to live upon the earth; let us choose rather to incur the danger of the loss of our goods, lands, substance, and to be content to have our outward estate in this world much impaired, yea altogether wasted, and brought even to nothing, rather than once willingly to hazard our everlasting estate in the world to come, by bringing ourselves into danger of the loss of those unsearchable riches, and treasures of life, glory, and endless felicity; even those far more excellent and glorious things, which thou hast promised and prepared for all thy Saints in that heavenly kingdom. Let us not fear the death of these mortal bodies of ours, which are but dust, and shall return to the earth of which they are framed; let not the remembrance thereof trouble us, or be any ways grievous and bitter unto us, nay rather let us rejoice in it, and long for it, and that with an earnest desire, seeing it shall be a passage unto us, from this life unto a better: but let us fear & avoid those things which might cause the death of our souls; yea let us so fear hell, death, and destruction, that we may be full assured we shall escape them, and when this life of ours is ended, be translated into that place, where thou dwellest in fullness of glory and majesty, and live and reign with thee in the heavens for evermore. Amen.   

The Lord's service the greatest freedom.  
TO be in the Lord's service is the greatest freedom, yea the greatest privilege, and most excellent prerogative that men can attain unto in this world. It is a very honourable, and glorious calling; no earthly dignity, office, or prehemencie whatsoever, to be compared unto it. The Angels of heaven those celestial creatures account it (as it is indeed) their crown, and their greatest glory; that wherein they find cause of continual joy and rejoicing: Why then should any man (a worm of the earth) esteem so meanly of it, (as many do) yea think it to be a burden which he is loath to take upon him; a bondage which it is grievous to him to undergo, yea a disgrace, and reproach which he is unwilling to sustain? Oh that vain man should be so degenerate and base minded, as to have so mean a● conceit of that which he ought so highly to prise; that he should suppose the service of the great king, and monarch of the whole world the most high God, (wherein the most excellent creatures do glory) to be base and contemptible; that he should think it a dishonour, and disparagement unto him, to profess himself to be a dutiful and obedient servant unto the Lord of heaven, the mighty possessor of all things, (to whom all knees are to bow, and whom all creatures must adore) when as he accounteth it an honour, and a grace unto him to be reputed an inferior servant unto his minister, and vicegerent upon earth; and no small privilege to be in any office under him: yea that he should be such a miscreant, as to despise that, which if he were not strangely blinded, and extremely besotted, he would think himself happy that he might have it once vouchsafed and granted unto him! O blessed Lord, how great is thy goodness and thy mercy towards me, in that it hath pleased thee to take me into thy service? how much am I bound unto thee for this favour which thou hast showed unto me, who by reason of my sins whereby I have from time to time dishonoured thee, am altogether unworthy to be called thy servant, or once to be reckoned amongst the least, and meanest of those unto whom thou hast vouchsafed this so great a privilege, so glorious a dignity, and prerogative. Oh that I were able to perform that service which is due unto thee, and which thou requirest of me; Thou art my Lord and my God, unto whom I own all duty all homage, and loyalty; thou only art worthy to be served, worshipped, and glorified of all creatures, both in heaven and in earth. I acknowledge, that all that I can possible do, is less than that which my duty, and thy love and goodness bindeth me unto, and which thou mayest well expect of me; It is the desire of my heart to be found every way obedient, and faithful unto thee, yea to serve thee with all my strength, with all my might, and that unto the end of my days: O Let it please thee (who art able to do all things) to make a gracious supply of that which thou seest to be wanting in me; and wherein through weakness, and infirmity, I am subject to fail most, to help and to assist me through the powerful working of thy blessed spirit, without which I am able to do nothing.   

The extreme folly of men in hazarding the eternal estate of their souls, for the enjoying of the vain pleasures of this world.  
O How vain, how momentary, and deceitful are all earthly pleasures and delights, even then when any enjoyeth all that his heart can wish, or desire, or whereunto his mind standeth most affected! They are all as smoke, or as a shadow; they vanish suddenly and come to nothing: and when they are gone, they are as if they had never been; even the remembrance of them doth perish, and pass away. And whiles that a man hath the use of them, yet doth he not find any true delight or contentment in them; yea it may well be doubted, whether he tasteth of more sour or sweet, more honey or gall, more pleasure and delight or grief and vexation, whiles he drinketh them down with a greedy appetite, and in an unsatiable manner. For thus the Lord usually puts much bitterness into their sweetest cup, and mingleth trouble, anguish and vexation with their chiefest delights, which they most inordinately desire, and seek after. And yet lo, such is the folly & sottishness of many (unto whom the Lord otherwise hath given understanding whereby to judge, and discern of things that differ) that like unreasonable men, nay like brutish creatures, that are destitute of all wisdom and knowledge, for the gaining of these fruitless and fading vanities, they stick not to lose their own souls, than which nothing should be more dear or precious unto them. O Lord, let me not be taken in the snare of the wicked at any time; let me not have a longing and inordinate desire after those things which please them, and with the love whereof they are drawn away from that wherein their happiness consisteth (if they had eyes to see it;) but grant, that seeing and considering daily more & more, the vanity, the uncertainty, & deceitfulness of these earthly pleasures, and worldly delights, wherein most are drowned, I may have a true contempt, and holy disdain of them, in comparison of those things which concern thy kingdom; and that being weaned from the immoderate love and sinful desire of them, I may delight myself in thee continually, yea solace myself in thee alone; that so I may be filled with true inward and spiritual joy, rejoicing always in thee, who only art the fountain of all heavenly comfort and contentment, and of all divine consolation.   

Denial of a man's self, how necessary.  
MAn is always to rest in the will of God, and to yield himself in all things to be ruled, and directed thereby: Thereunto must he frame his will, his desires, yea all the affections of his heart, and actions of his life; he must in every thing be swayed wholly, and only by that, or else he shall never perform acceptable obedience unto God, that wherein he is most delighted and best pleased. O Lord, give me grace always to deny myself, and mine own will, and to resign myself unto thy holy and heavenly will in all things. Let me will those things only which thou willest, and affect, desire, and enterprise nothing but that, which thou hast either commanded, or warranted the lawfulness of it, that so I may do it of faith and without sin. Behold Lord I am thy servant, desirous to approve myself unto thy majesty, and to please and obey thee in all things. Teach me daily both to know and to do thy will better than I have done heretofore; even with all readiness, willingness, and cheerfulness, as those celestial creatures do, which always attend upon thy presence, as ministering spirits, ready with all diligence and alacrity to execute whatsoever thou commandest. Frame my heart more and more unto the obedience of thy laws, and let me with all reverence, and humble submission both of soul and body, subject myself unto thee, following thee whithersoever thou shalt lead me, and being content to be ruled, directed, and governed according unto thy will and good pleasure in all things: yea O Lord, deal with me as thou pleasest, and as thou knowest may be most for thy honour and glory, and for my greatest good in this life, and the furtherance of my happiness and salvation in the life to come, through Christ my only Lord, and blessed Saviour. Amen.   

The Lord is the light and the guide of his.  
EXcept the Lord do enlighten the minds of men, they are as those that walk in darkness; yea even the best are ready continually to err, and to go astray, if he be not their guide, if he be not present to direct them, and to lead them forward, as it were, with his hand in the right way. Daily experience and observation maketh this so clear and evident, that none can either deny it, or doubt of it. O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself, neither is it in man to walk, and to direct his steps, but if thou leave him, he starteth aside, & wandereth like a straying sheep: O therefore be thou merciful unto me; let thy grace and thy truth always shine forth clearly unto me. Be thou my guide in all things, going before me, and directing me aright, so that I may never be plucked away with the error of those that fall from thee, and from thy truth. Give me knowledge, give me understanding, teach me to do thy will, and to walk in all the paths of thy precepts with a right foot, and with all sincerity of heart and affection; yea let thy good spirit be always present to assist me, and to lead me in the way wherein I should go; that so I may continue steadfastly and constantly in the knowledge and obedience of thy truth, and do those things which may be pleasing and acceptable in thy sight, and bring comfort unto my soul and conscience, both in life and in death.   

The Lord never forsaketh his in the day of affliction or temptation.  
IF the Lord at any time doth expose his children unto any kind of misery or affliction; if he suffer them to fall into divers and grievous temptations, he meaneth them no hurt therein, neither is he therefore to be thought an enemy, or to have lessened his care and loving affection towards them; but rather he doth all this for their good, yea for their great benefit, though they for the present cannot easily discern it, (not being so well acquainted with the Lords dealings, and proceed, with whom it is an ordinary, and no unusual thing, to prove, and exercise his, even his most beloved ones, sundry ways, and in divers manners:) His love is as great towards them, when he seemeth to be their enemy, as when he carrieth himself most friendly, and causeth his face to shine most comfortably upon them: in their greatest distress and affliction, as when they have plenty & abundance of peace and prosperity; yea rather (if there be any change in the immutable and unchangeable God) even then when for a while he seemeth to withdraw himself from them, and to leave them comfortless in the midst of their miseries, and greatest extremities, he is most tenderly affected, and hath a most gracious respect unto them, although it doth not so appear until he manifest it. O my soul, why then art thou so cast down? why art thou so disquieted within me? why dost thou not wait upon God? why dost thou not rest wholly on his good will and pleasure? Why dost thou not put thy whole trust and confidence in him, yea return continual thanks and praise unto him, whose mercy and goodness is exceeding great towards thee; who in every thing seeketh thy profit, and the furtherance of thy salvation and happiness; yea who is every way infinitely gracious unto thee, far above that which thou art able to think, or to conceive? O blessed Lord, let mine eyes and my heart be always lifted up unto thee, my God and loving Father, the Father of all mercies, and heavenly comforts; and suffer me not at any time to be so forgetful of thee, so distrustful of thy love and gracious favour towards me, as that I should faint in the day of affliction or temptation, when it shall seem good unto thee, to try and exercise me in that manner that it pleaseth thee; but grant that I may have as sure hope and confidence in thee, and be as thankful unto thee when sorrow and grief shall lodge with me, yea when a multitude of sorrows shall compass me about on every side, as when I shall be most filled and replenished with spiritual and divine comforts and consolations; knowing that thou art ever the same, always faithful in that thou hast promised, and infinite in thy grace and goodness towards thy children, most caring for them, when they seem to be least respected, and in a manner forsaken of thee.   

The love of the world and worldly things, is the cause of distraction, and much disquietness.  
THE inordinate love of any worldly thing, is the cause of much disquiet of heart, and great distraction and vexation of mind. How many do hereby pierce themselves through with many sorrows; how do they trouble their own souls, when otherwise they might be at rest? into what bondage do they bring themselves? yea even consume themselves in vain, with unprofitable cares and pensiveness? It is the wisdom of a Christian therefore, never to affect, or to covet after those things which are unlawful for him; never to desire or to long after any thing, which may hinder him in any sort, from inward peace and freedom of mind, or be a cause of anguish, grief and distraction unto him: but to wean his soul from the excessive, and disordered love and desire of them; considering that they are such things, as when he hath the full fruition and enjoyment of them, he shall find that they will not satisfy his desire and expectation; and that they will quickly vanish away, and perish with the use of them. O Lord withdraw my heart, I beseech thee, daily more and more from the love of the world, and the things thereof, seeing they are vain, transitory, and full of grief and vexation, not yielding that delight and contentment which they promise and make show of, but rather much anguish and unquietness of mind: Seeing they are a cause of such unlooked for bitterness, let me not so affect them as I have done; let them not seem so sweet and pleasant unto me, as they do unto others, who have not tasted of better things, and therefore find such relish in these; but grant that all the affections of my heart may be set upon thee alone, and that I may delight and rejoice continually in thee, who art the only fountain of all true joy, peace, and happiness; assuredly persuading myself, that having thee to be my God, I shall have the desires of my heart, yea more than ever I did or could expect or desire, freely granted unto me according unto thy promise, wherein I trust, and in which standeth my comfort.   

How Christians are to judge of their estate.  
A Christian is not to judge of his estate according unto his present sense and feeling. For the Lord many times is nearest unto them, when he seemeth to be furthest off from them; when they seem to be even lost in themselves, then is he readiest to be found of them, and to show them his salvation. O heavenly Father, give me with faith and patience continually to wait upon thee, and to hold fast that confidence, and the rejoicing of that steadfast and assured hope, wherewith thou hast heretofore upholden me. Let me never think myself to be altogether forsaken of thee, because thou sendest some grief and affliction upon me, or sufferest Satan to assault me with divers and sundry temptations; or else for a time withdrawest from me the joy of thy spirit, and the comfort of thy salvation; yea though thou seemest to absent thyself from me, and to deny that gracious presence of thine unto me, wherewith thou hast heretofore comforted and refreshed me exceedingly: but grant that I may cleave fast unto thee, even when I have least feeling of thy love and favour, and of the work of thy grace in me, and that I may always have sure trust in thy mercy, knowing that thou a●t wont to be near at hand unto thy children, when thou makest as though thou wert a far off, and wouldst not be found of them.   

The presence of God how blessed and comfortable a thing it is.  
OH how blessed a thing it is, always to enjoy the gracious and comfortable presence of God For when he is present, all things are pleasant and delightful, the heart rejoiceth, and the spirit of man is refreshed exceedingly; and when he doth absent himself or hide his face (though but for a season) than every thing becometh irksome, and full of weariness and loathsomeness; the soul can take no true pleasure nor delight in any thing, no more than the stomach being distempered, in meats, in which there is no sweetness, no relish. O my God, the God of my joy, the fountain of my peace and happiness, do not thou hide thy gracious countenance, nor departed far from me at any time, but let thy spirit always dwell within me, and comfort me. Let my soul taste of those sweet delicates of thine, even that hidden and that heavenly Manna, which how precious and delightsome it is, none knoweth but those only unto whom thou hast freely vouchsafed to give it: let thy face ever shine upon me, and manifest thy presence always, by causing me to feel the comfortable fruits and effects thereof within me. Oh when shall that blessed and wished for time come, when as I shall be satisfied with the fullness of thy presence, and drink abundantly out of the rivers of thy pleasures for evermore?   

The old man never dies in this life.  
EVery Christian as long as he liveth in this world, hath the old man living in him; he is in part, but not wholly crucified and slain; he hath received his deadly wound, and lieth a dying every day, but will not be quite dead, till the soul be separated by death, from this earthly, this sinful and this corruptible body. O Lord, subdue and mortify daily more and more, I humbly pray thee, the corruption of my nature; let me feel the power and strength thereof weakened, and decaying in me; put thy spirit into my heart, w●ich may strive continually against it, and suppress the force of it, so that although in some sort it live in me, yet it may not reign at any time, nor have dominion over me. And when it pleaseth thee, make an end of these wretched and miserable days, and deliver me from this body of sin, and of death which I carry continually about with me; that so being wholly freed from the bondage unto which I am now subject, and restored unto perfect liberty, I may serve thee with all cheerfulness and alacrity, as thy holy Angels and Saints in glory now do, and shall for evermore.   

A free mind how to be obtained.  
THere cannot be a free mind where the heart doth not continually rest upon God, and stay itself upon him only. He that doth this shall quickly find all sinful and immoderate fear, and the excessive and inordinate love of all earthly things much diminished and abated in him, yea flying quite away, and vanishing in such sort as if he had never been annoyed or encumbered with them. He that doth it not, it cannot be, but that he should live and spend his days in continual disquietness, yea in great misery, and vexation of mind and spirit, by reason of many distracting thoughts, superfluous cares, and vain desires, which will even pierce his soul with many sorrows, and oppress his mind with much grief, anguish, and perplexity. Ah Lord, thou knowest the secret thoughts and desires of my heart; thou seest what it is that my soul longeth after; how feign I would serve thee with that cheerfulness of mind, and that freedom of spirit, which is the sacrifice wherein thou art so much delighted; Have regard unto me, I humbly entreat thee: consider my request, which I power out unto thee from a heart unfeigned. Give me daily a greater measure of thy grace, whereby I may break thorough those snares which are laid for me, and wherewith I am ready continually to be entangled; and grant that I may resign myself wholly unto thee, and rest, yea set and fix my heart, & even roll myself upon thee; that so I may pass the rest of my pilgrimage heese on earth, peaceably, cheerfully and comfortably, as one that is set at liberty from all sinful and inordinate affections, & from the vain desires, and the needless and troublesome cares of this evil and wicked world. Amen.   

An effectual motive to true humility and lowliness of mind.  
OH how meanly ought every one to esteem of himself? How little ought he to be in his own eyes? seeing that in himself he is nothing; notable of himself, no not so much as once to think that which is good: If he were as wise as Solomon (so famous for his wisdom and understanding) yet if the Lord did not continually guide his heart, and direct his st●ppes, there would be much folly a●d vanity sound with him. If he were a● righteous as David (● man after Gods own heart) yet if the Lord did not always preserve him, and strengthen him through the assistance of his gracious spirit, he would fall most dangerously: yea, if he were as pure, and as holy as the Angels themselves, those heavenly spirits, yet if the Lord should not sustain him with his especial grace, and continue him in that estate, but withdraw his hand from him, he would quickly fall, as it were a star from heaven, and (all his glory being lost, and his light dimmed, yea quite extinguished) become like unto Satan, the prince of darkness; nothing but sinfulness and impurity. There is no wisdom, no righteousness, no holiness, no steadfastness but only in God, and of God, who is the fountain of all grace and goodness, and from whom the streams thereof are to be derived into the hearts of men, or else there will be nothing but barrenness and emptiness in them. God is all in all; the best without him are as nothing, having no power, no ability to do any thing which is good. What is it then that men should glory of in themselves? Or how should they not always have a very mean conceit and esteem of themselves, yea even annihilate themselves, and give the glory of all unto God, unto whom alone it is due? O blessed God, give me that meekness of spirit, and that true humbleness of mind, which as it is a thing rare and precious in itself, so of thee very much set by. Teach me, considering mine own weakness, of which I have daily experience, and my insufficiency of myself, and of my own strength to do, to will, or to think any thing which is good, to be lowly, vile, and abject in mine own eyes, yea to esteem my self as nothing without thee; and always acknowledging mine own feebleness, and manifold frailties and infirmities, to depend wholly and only upon thee; yea to cleave fast unto thee, and to ascribe the praise and glory of whatsoever good is wrought in me, or by me, unto thee alone, who art the God of my strength, the author and giver both of grace and glory, and the beginner, and finisher of every good thing, which is wrought in any of thy children.   

Another.  
THE more that any one doth empty himself of his own worth, and goodness, the more will the Lord fill and replenish him with the abundant riches of his divine and heavenly grace. The lower that he doth abase and cast down himself, the higher will the Lord advance him, and lift him up, even far above that which he did either desire or expect. Thus his gain will be exceeding great, in that wherein to others he may seem to suffer some loss, & much to prejudice himself. O Lord, grant, I beseech thee, that I may every day be more humbled with the sight of mine own unworthiness, of my spiritual poverty and beggarlines, that so it may please thee, to enrich me with the greater measure of thy grace; let me yet be more vile in mine own eyes, that so I may at length be exalted of thee, above that which I deserve, and be crowned with honour and glory in thy kingdom for evermore.   

Vainglory what a vanity and folly it is.  
Vainglory, as it is a common disease in the world, so the greatest vanity that can be; yea mere folly and madness itself. It argues evidently, that he that is carried away with it, is not only much distempered in his soul, but even out of his right mind, and destitute of true wisdom and understanding, seeing that it bereaves a man of true glory, unto which that is no ways comparable; and deprives him of divine and heavenly grace, the most precious jewel in this world, and most to be desired and sought for, far above all fading and earthly vanities: For whiles that any seeketh to please himself overmuch, in receiving honour of men, he cannot but displease God very highly, and want that honour, which is from above; whiles he covets and hunts after the praise and applause of this world, and desires to lift up himself in the pride and vanity of his heart above others, the Lord resisteth him and denieth his grace unto him, so that of all others he is herein (through the just judgement of God) most barren and fruitless, having perhaps the shadow and outward appearance of some moral virtues, but wanting that which is the life and soul of them. O Lord, how little cause have I to glory of any thing that is in me, except it be of my infirmities, my weaknesses, and manifold imperfections, unto which I feel myself continually subject? What is it for which I should esteem myself to be any thing, or to be once worthy to be accounted amongst the meanest of thy servants? For behold, I am but a frail and a sinful man, full of wretchedness and misery; nothing without thee; not able to do the least good but as I am strengthened and assisted by thee; ready to fail, and to sink right down, if I be not continually sustained and supported by thee. What shall I say? If I have any thing, it is only thy gift, and thy gracious blessing, for the which I can never be sufficiently thankful. far be it from me therefore, to be so misled with the vain conceit of wicked and ungodly men, that I should lift up myself above that which is meet, or glory in any thing of this world, lest it displease thee, and cause thee in justice to bring shame and dishonour upon me; but grant that I may rejoice and glory always, and only in thee; yea that I may extol and magnify thy name continually, who art worthy of all praise and glory, both now and evermore.   

The Christians Paradise in this life.  
THe children of God live continually in a paradise, even whiles they remain in this world, and seem to others to be wretched and miserable, subject unto manifold afflictions, and divers kinds of calamities: They taste daily of the fruit of the tree of life, and are refreshed with those inward spiritual joys, and heavenly delights, which are above all other joys, and in comparison whereof, all the pleasures and delights, which this deceitful and enticing world can afford them, are but mere vanity. They are certified of their salvation; they know themselves to be elected & redeemed by Christ their Saviour, and that none can take them out of his hands, who is so mighty and powerful in himself, and so gracious and loving unto them: yea by faith and hope they are ascended into heaven, and in spirit behold that mansion place provided for them, and that glory which he (who never deceived any that trusted in him) hath promised unto them; the remembrance and joyful expectation whereof, doth even ravish their souls, and cause them to glory in the Lord, and in the riches of his goodness and mercy so graciously & bountifully vouchsafed unto them, when they were most unworthy of it. O blessed Lord, open mine eyes, that I may see the excellency of that estate whereunto thou hast called me of thy free grace; take away that vail which Satan seeketh to spread before me, that so I might not see into that glory, which thou of thy endless love and unspeakable goodness hast made me partaker of, even in the midst of those weaknesses, those infirmities and afflictions wherewith I am compassed about on every side. Thou hast given me thy spirit to be my comforter in all my sorrows, yea my faithful guide to lead me along safely by the waters of divine and heavenly consolations, and to conduct me with much peace and joy thorough this vale of misery, unto that promised rest, that heavenly Canaan. Every day thou causest me to taste of thy goodness, yea fillest me with thy hid treasures, such as the world is not acquainted with: Even in the depth of misery, thou makest me to see, and to enjoy the blessedness and glory of thy Saints and chosen ones: And after that I have been for a while tossed in this sea, wilt cause me speedily to arrive at that haven where I would be; yea thou wilt stretch forth thy hand, and receive me into thine own presence, & cause me to behold thy face in that brightness of glory for evermore.   

How the life to come aught to be desired of every true Christian, in regard of the excellency and glory of it.  
THat heathenish pagan (as is reported of him) reading Plato's discourse of the soul's immortality & estate after this life, was so ravished therewith, that with the desire thereof, he cast himself into the sea, & ended his life. His act was sinful, and no ways to be imitated by any (for no man is to cut off the thread of his life, until the Lords appointed time) but yet his vehement desire and earnest affecting of that glory which he apprehended, & conceited in his mind, may teach even us that are Christians, to blush in ourselves, when we find our hearts so dull, and senseless, that the remembrance of that promised glory and happine, swill no more affect us, then ordinarily it doth the most. Oh it should wholly possess our souls, and ravish our minds, and cause us to labour by all means to get assurance upon good evidence, that we shall at length have our part and portion in it, being gathered togeher with all the Saints into that glorious kingdom, those heavenly mansions. O merciful God, how great is thy goodness? how unsearchable are the riches of thy grace, and favour towards thy Saints and choose ones, those whom in Christ jesus thou imbracedst before all worlds? Oh how blessed and glorious is that estate which thou reservest for them in the heavens, and which thou wilt give them possession of, as soon as these frail and sinful days of theirs are ended! Thou wilt cause them to shine as the stars, yea as the sun itself when it is in the greatest brightness. All kind of impurity and uncleanness being done away, thou wilt cloth them with the glorious robes of innocency, righteousness, and holiness; thou wilt adorn them with those precious jewels of all divine and heavenly graces, and cause thy name to be written in their foreheads; yea thou wilt set them upon thrones with thy Christ, with sceptres in their hands, and crowns on their heads, and give unto them for an everlasting inheritance, that celestial kingdom of endless bliss & happiness. Thou wilt every way show thyself marvelous towards them, above that we are able to think, or conceive in this frailty of ours, which is not able to comprehend the brightness of that heavenly light, which thou wilt cause to shine forth unto them in a wonderful and glorious manner, no more than our bodily eyes are able to behold the glittering beams of the Sun when it is in the full strength thereof. O blessed Lord, affect my heart with the due consideration of that marvelous glory of thine, even that happy and glorious condition, which in thy unspeakable mercy and kindness thou wilt raise me unto as soon as these wretched days of sin and misery are ended. And let the remembrance thereof, cause me continually to sigh and to long after it, and to rest ever in a joyful expectation of it, desiring either to be dissolved by death; or (which I rather desire) to see my Saviour coming in the clouds with glory and majesty, attended with thousands of Saints and Angels; that so I may have entrance into that heavenly paradise, and take full possession of that rich, undefiled, and never fading inheritance, enjoying the sweet fellowship and communion of all thy chosen and beloved ones; yea living continually in thy most blessed presence, and beholding that marvelous light wherein thou dwellest who inhabitest eternity.   

Who shall be citizens of that heavenly kingdom.  
THey that will be citizens of the kingdom of heaven, must first live as pilgrims and strangers here upon earth. They must pass by all these transitory and earthly things, using them (when they have occasion) as if they used them not. They must not set their hearts upon any thing which is here below, but aspire always unto those things which are above, desiring and longing with an earnest affection, to be at home, even at that heavenly mansion where the place of their perpetual rest and abode is, and where they shall continue for ever with that blessed company and society of those glorious and celestial creatures, which now continually desire and expect their coming, that so they may rejoice together in the fruition and accomplishment of the same felicity and happiness. O Lord, let my heart, I beseech thee, be more and more daily alienated and estranged from this world, and the things thereof, which are but mere vanity; and let me carry myself continually as a pilgrim and sojourner here on earth (as all thy Saints have been) not suffering my affections at any time to be fastened unto any of these fading and transitory things, but weaning them altogether from the same, resting always in a desire and joyful expectation of my return unto that blessed home of mine; that so when this wearisome and sinful course is ended, I may be received into thy celestial mansion, and live with thee in glory for ever.   
Soli Deo gloria.   

AN ALPHABETICAL Table of the chief points contained in the several Meditations.  

A  
Accounted of all our actions to be given to God. pag. 27  
Affections overmastered with much difficulty. pag. 263  
Afflictions, the necessity of them 94 the benefit thereof. 153. the Ancre of the soul in afflictions. 96. A comfort for the afflicted. pag. 370  
Ambitious man's Idol. pag. 309  
Angels watch over the godly. pag. 36   

B  
BLessings of God, not the less to be regarded because they are common. 34. especial blessings and favours especially to be remembered. pag. 201  
Blindness of mind a great misery. pag. 293   

C  
CAre ought rather to be had for the soul then for the body. 49. for things to come, then for things present. pag. 149  
Censurers, the danger of their sin. pag. 168  
Christians must never stand at a stay. 30. what manner of life it becomes them to lead. 110. 342. their imprisonment in this world. 66. their life a pilgrimage on earth. 106. God, their ●●ght and guide. 368. their glorious conquest. 261. 263. Their excellency. 216. their paradise in this life. 395. How they are esteemed of in the world. 267. 275. what reckoning they are in with God. 277. A singular privilege of theirs. 244. how they are to judge of their estate. pag. 377  
Comfort for afflicted consciences. pag. 257. 370  
Compassion towards others in their griefs. pag. 337  
Confidence in any creature a vain thing. pag. 230  
Conscience, the comfort of a good conscience especially in death. 125. how the conscience is disquieted. pag. 203  
Contentedness in all estates. pag. 90  
Covetousness a dangerous disease. 91. Idolatry. pag. 309  
Cross, se●●fflictions.   

D  
DEath always to be expected and provided for. 24. 25. 108. to be desired. 65 of whom it is most feared. pag. 76  
Denial of a man's self how necessary. pag. 365  
Desertions of the godly. pag. 122  
Devotion hindered, first by sinful lusts, 1. secondly, by worldly cares, 3. thirdly, by Satan's suggestions. pag. 6   

E  
EState of a Christian how to be judged of. pag. 377   

F  
FAith. pag. 246  
Fear of God. pag. 296. 299  
Forgiving of others how necessary. pag. 329  
Freedom of mind how to be obtained. pag. 384  
free-will. pag. 322   

G  
GOds glory carefully to be sought after in all things. 26. His truth and faithfulness. 123. His love and favour to be sought for above all things, and his wrath feared. 344. his especial providence over his children. 86. his all-seeing presence how it ought to affect us. 150. his presence how blessed and comfortable a thing it is. pag. 380  
Grace, different degrees thereof in the godly. 61. 63. the decay of it dangerous. pag. 100   

H  
Hardness of heart, what a fearful plague it is. pag. 295  
Haste of the wicked to hell, provokes the godly to make the more speed to heaven. pag. 53  
Heaven, who citizens thereof. pag. 404  
Heavenly-mindednes. pag. 199  
Holy Ghost, how the soul is to be fitted and prepared for the entertainment of so glorious a guest. 116. grieving thereof. pag. 118  
Humility, motives thereunto. pag. 227. 386. 390   

I  
Infirmity of others must be borne with. 172. Why the Lord suffereth oft times the infirmities of his children to be known to others. pag. 233  
judgement day how dreadful it will be to the wicked. pag. 211  
justification by faith only. pag. 246   

K  
KNowledge, conscience and practice must go together. pag. 303. 306   

L  
LIfe, the shortness and uncertainty of it. 206. As is the life of man, so is his death and final estate. 209. the life of the righteous as well to be sought after, as their death wished. pag. 315  
Life to come how it is to be desired, in regard of the excellency and glory of it. pag. 399  
A comfortable life how to be obtained. pag. 339  
Lives of the Saints of old, and men in these days how different. pag. 179  
Love of God by what means it decayeth in men. pag. 289  
Love of the world a cause of distraction and much disquietness. pag. 374   

M  
MEditation, of things holy and divine, by what means especially it is hindered and interrupted. pag. 1. 3. 6  
Mercies of God. pag. 15   

O  
OLd man never dies in this life. pag. 382   

P  
PAtience of God. pag. 114  
Patience in affliction. pag. 153 

A sign of a well grown Christian. pag. 279    
Prayers of the faithful what benefit they bring to others. pag. 31  
Providence. pag. 86   

R  
REdemption. pag. 12  
Repentance, the folly and danger of deferring it. pag. 319  
Reproaches, comfort therein. pag. 334  
Resigning of a man's self, and all that he enjoys, to Gods will. pag. 325  
Respect of persons for outward ornaments, and endowments, more than for the inward virtues and graces of the mind, how unbeseeming a thing it is. pag. 84   

S  
Satan's guileful temptations. 76. 79. 102. his policy and practices against the Church of God, what event they usually have. 143. None free from his temptations. 155. Whom he tempteth most. pag. 162  
Security, the danger of it. pag. 38  
Service of God, the greatest freedom. pag. 356  
Sin, how hurtful and dangerous it is. 22. 99 the occasions of it carefully to be avoided. pag. 82  
Sinfulness of man's nature corrupted. pag. 281  
Spirit of God the life of the soul. 286. See Holy Ghost.  
Suspicion. pag. 231   

T  
Temptation's. divers kinds of them in the godly. 157 more danger in lesser temptations sometimes then in greater. 165. See Satan.   

V  
Vainglory. 242. the folly and vanity thereof. pag. 392  
Vanity of all earthly things. pag. 63.   

W  
Watchfulness. pag. 146  
Wicked, their folly. 18 42. 49. 281. 361. their bondage and slavery. 47. what an unpleasant and distracted life they lead. 312. What difference there is between their estate, and the estate of the godly even in this life. pag. 236  
Word of God: the unfruitful hearing of it dangerous. 59 it ought to be heard with fear and trembling. pag. 299  
Worldlings their folly. 42. their dullness and sottishness. 205. 281. their miserable estate. pag. 310. 574.  
Worldly man's Idol. pag. 309  
Worship, what it is that God especially requireth. 323. hindrances thereunto. pag. 238   

Z  
Zeal. pag. 240   
FINIS.