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<DATE>2014-05-29</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed text and corrected markup.</ITEM>
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<STC T="S">21056.4</STC>
<STC T="C">S119988</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">[ocm]24423743</BIBNO>
<VID>20669</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="1">
<HEAD><GAP DESC="foreign">.</HEAD>
<L>THe Night once come, which <HI>Lampe</HI> implyes,</L>
<L>Doe not pre&s;ume to clo&s;e thine eyes,</L>
<L>Till thou do&s;t on Con&s;cience looke,</L>
<L>Who here pre&s;ents thee with a Booke:</L>
<L>Read, in thy Clo&s;et &s;earch thy &s;in,</L>
<L>Con&s;cience &s;tands to &s;hut thee in:</L>
<L>Where, whil&s;t thou do&s;t thy God implore,</L>
<L>She her owne &s;elfe &s;hall keepe the doore.</L>
<L>What &s;he here &s;peaks is Heathen Greeke</L>
<L>To old-Law-men, but tho&s;e who &s;eeke</L>
<L>God as they ought, by Go&s;pell, &s;hall</L>
<L>Finde it her new Originall.</L>
<L>Adde onely this Con&s;truction to it,</L>
<L>Doe it <HI>Exactly,</HI> or never doe it.</L>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<P><FIGURE>
<P><HI>TRIA<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> CONSCIENCE</HI> In a Quotidian Exerci&s;e.</P>
<P>by T. R.</P>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for I. Ben&s;on. 1639.</P>
</FIGURE></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P>Triall of Con&s;cience.</P>
<P>IN A <HI>Quotidian Exerci&s;e.</HI></P>
<Q><P>Who &s;hall &s;et &s;courges over my thoughts? or the Di&s;cipline of wi&s;e|dome over my Heart? <BIBL><HI>Ecclus. 22.</HI></BIBL></P>
<P>Lord, thou knowe&s;t my downe-&s;it|ting, and my upri&s;ing, thou under|&s;tande&s;t my thoughts long before: Thou art about my path and my bed, and &s;pie&s;t out all my wayes. <BIBL><HI>P&s;a. 139</HI></BIBL></P></Q>
<P>Written by THO. RILEY.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed by <HI>J. Okes,</HI> for <HI>John Ben&s;on,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop in St. <HI>Dun&s;tans</HI> Church-yard. 1639.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="3" MS="y">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>To the Right Honourable Lady, the Counte&s;&s;e of <HI>D.</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Mo&s;t pious Lady:</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THat's all the Title I &s;hall bee bold with at this time; your <HI>Religion</HI> in my eyes being a more
<PB REF="4"> glorious attribute than your <HI>Court|ly Honours:</HI> I am glad your <HI>Re|que&s;t</HI> (though I wi&s;h it bad beene a <HI>Command</HI>) hath prevented my &s;lackne&s;&s;e, and turn'd my <HI>Pre|&s;ent</HI> into a <HI>Debt,</HI> and my <HI>Gift</HI> into
<PB REF="4"> a <HI>Duty:</HI> GOD knows with what joy I read your faire <HI>Letter,</HI> when I perceiv'd Your holy de&s;ire to bee in&s;tructed by Writing con|cerning the dayly Tryall of Con&s;ci|ence, which be|fore wee pa&s;t over
<PB REF="5"> in a &s;hort Di&s;|cour&s;e, which is but conceite and thought made au|dible by Words; whereas the du|ring Character is both thought and word made vi|&s;ible and perma|nent. I would to God (&s;o much I
<PB REF="5"> tender my Soules good) that I were alwaies thus im|ployed, upon con|dition I could bee alwaies thus hap|pily prevented in the unforc'd de|&s;ires of a Devoute Soule. So little cau&s;e your honour had to complement
<PB REF="6"> a feare of trouble in my task, which is above merit re|warded in the ve|ry imployment, e|&s;pecially &s;ince your Goodne&s;&s;e hath conde&s;cended to reque&s;t, where your Greatne&s;&s;e might command. Hee that in this
<PB REF="6"> would not &s;erve you, would forfeit the Title of Ser|vant to his God; who put it into your &s;oule, to put Your Con&s;cience into a <HI>Quotidi|an Triall:</HI> a great my&s;terie in Di|vinity, every heart does not
<PB REF="7"> conceive it, every eye cannot &s;ee it; or both the&s;e be|ing yeelded, every hand cannot skill to put that in acti|on, which the heart has in &s;pe|culation. Concer|ning which in|comparable helpe to all <HI>Devotion,</HI>
<PB REF="7"> I could relate un|to you what admi|rable and Divine Elogies it has beene Crowned within the circle of all Ages, ever &s;ince the Patri|arch walk't out in|to the Fields to meditate, even to this colder time
<PB REF="8"> of, at the be&s;t luke|warme Religion; by what, and how many glorious Lu|minaries of the Church, nay, the very Sophies and Philo&s;ophers it hath been &s;et upon a hill con&s;picuous to all the World, had the World not
<PB REF="8"> lo&s;t her old Eye-&s;ight: But the rare Opinion your Honour profe&s;&s;es to have enter|tain'd of it at my fir&s;t Di&s;cour&s;e, &s;aves all this La|bour, and I &s;hall hereafter ranke your admiration of it among&s;t the
<PB REF="9"> choy&s;e&s;t Argu|ments, both of its u&s;e &amp; glory: both being exceeding ample; the u&s;e be|cau&s;e of its nece&s;|&s;ity to Man; the glory by rea&s;on of our familiaritie with God: <HI>A|braham</HI> beeing from hence e&s;pe|cially
<PB REF="9"> &s;til'd <HI>Gods Friend.</HI> We &s;ee, that &s;peaking af|ter the manner of men, time has de|riv'd unto us a Proverbe, viz. <HI>that even recko|nings make long Friends.</HI> GOD has caught the World, or would
<PB REF="10"> doe in her owne Dialect: For this <HI>EXAMINATION</HI> being derived from a Latin word that &s;ignifies the Tongue of the Scales, is nothing el&s;e but a ju&s;t and even <HI>Triall</HI> of the <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> (by that weight which
<PB REF="10"> Law exacts, and that Allowance which Go&s;pel per|mits) every Day in the Sight of GOD, that all Accounts of the Soule may be even before the Image of <HI>Death,</HI> that is, <HI>Sleepe</HI> &s;ieze on us in a figure:
<PB REF="11"> So that let GOD plea&s;e, to call when hee plea|&s;es, no Minuite &s;hall finde us in &s;ecurity, all our Accompts are made, and writ in the blood of a Mediator, all is even, be|cau&s;e hee has
<PB REF="11"> paide all, and thus GOD and wee are Friends for all our ine|quality: Thus with <HI>Enoch</HI> wee walke with GOD here, till it plea&s;e him to tran&s;late us to a better place. This is the <HI>Tryall</HI> in gene|rall,
<PB REF="12"> and a hap|py Soule it is where&s;oever this gracious Gue&s;t &s;hall make abode: Wherfore to make &s;ome little, but con&s;tant prepara|tion, Ile onely doe as much for the Stranger, as the <HI>Shunanite</HI> did
<PB REF="12"> for the waifaring Prophet, provide a Table, a Stoole, and a Candle&s;tick, the one for his re|pa&s;t, the other for his repo&s;e, the la&s;t for his late and early Secti|ons and Devoti|ons, that is, by way of Introdu|ction
<PB REF="13" MS="y"> &s;et downe three generall Re|qui&s;ites nece&s;&s;ary to bee ob&s;erved of all tho&s;e who in|tend to reape a ble&s;&s;ing by this ex|erci&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="13">
<HEAD>Triall of Con&s;cience.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The fir&s;t Section.</HEAD>
<P>_THe fir&s;t is, that this <HI>Tryall</HI> bee not undertaken with any reluctancy, as a burthen or ta&s;ke of compell'd piety, but
<PB REF="14" MS="y"> with alacrity rather, and as a great gift and priviledge from Al|mighty God towards an exercis'd &s;oule, that whereas mo&s;t in the World runne on, not con&s;idering what debts and tre&s;pa&s;&s;es they owe for unto their God, who takes a Note-booke of every dayes tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, til the &s;umme amounts above the power of payment; yet we have beene made &s;o happy, as to have this duty
<PB REF="14"> reveal'd for its excel|lent u&s;e, there's one ble&s;&s;ing, and to have both an earne&s;t of &s;ome, and a promi&s;e of more power, upon our Prayers, to performe what's reveal'd, there's another. Wherefore re&s;olve, by Gods a&s;&s;i|&s;tance, to goe on con|&s;tantly and chearefully, or el&s;e better not begin at all.</P>
<P>This is the fir&s;t, the &s;econd follows it, e|ven in its owne nature: namely this.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<PB REF="15">
<HEAD>The &s;econd Section.</HEAD>
<P>THe &s;econd is, that this Holy Exer|ci&s;e being thus begun, we beware that we ga|ther all day for our ac|compt at night, refer|ring every ble&s;&s;ing re|ceived, and every &s;in, &s;o much as in an ob&s;er|ved thought commit|ted, to its proper place again&s;t evening, that the accompts may
<PB REF="15"> be the more full, expe|diate, and ea&s;ie: As for example, as &s;oone as I finde I have done, or &s;poke, or thought any thing ami&s;&s;e, though among&s;t a Million of multitudes, let me bee &s;ure to &s;peake inward|ly to my Soule in this, or the like wing'd eja|culation: Well, this word, or this thought, &s;ince (O Lord) it has plea&s;ed thee to di&s;cover it unto me, &s;hal, I hope, co&s;t mee many a bitter &s;igh at my night-ac|compts,
<PB REF="16"> before I dare to clo&s;e my eyes: A very thought will doe it, even at any worke of our Calling; though I confe&s;&s;e more or le&s;&s;e &s;hould bee &s;et a|part, according as God has ble&s;t us with opportunity, that De|votion neither turne &s;loath, as the &s;uper|&s;titious Cloi&s;ter hath made it, nor a Cere|mony of our &s;ecurity, as the <HI>Libertine</HI> would have it, nor Tyranny, as the fearefull weake
<PB REF="16"> Chri&s;tian makes it: for in true Devotion all workes of our cal|ling and family-affaires may be diligently ob|&s;erved, and yet our acts of Piety neverthe|le&s;&s;e neglected; nay, the more ob&s;erved: with our moderate care God &s;anctifies the workes of our rela|tive e&s;tate, wherein God has put us, as an extraordinary preven|tion of temptations, and as the great amu|nition in this and all
<PB REF="17"> other &s;pirituall imploi|ments: becau&s;e that be&s;ides the Prayer of workes, as the Wi&s;e man &s;ayes, <HI>Prov.</HI> 14.10. <HI>The Soule knowes its owne bitterne&s;&s;e, and a &s;tranger &s;hall not meddle with her joy:</HI> That is, a good &s;oule, as it feeles many things for her &s;innes, and yet complaines not unto the World, but unto God, who is able to comfort, by &s;ighes and groanes which cannot be ut|ter'd;
<PB REF="17"> even then per|chance, when the a&s;|pect lookes cheereful|ly upon all &s;ociety; &s;o in her joyes con|ceiv'd quietly for mer|cy receiv'd, &s;hee can &s;end up thankes to God, when the world thinkes &s;hee is about a more inferiour im|ployment, and &s;o as the heart workes in &s;ecret, God &s;ees in &s;ecret, and will, though not upon our merit, yet upon his owne free promi&s;e, reward us openly: this
<PB REF="18"> is intimated in that of <HI>Job: Job</HI> 4. So I received a thing &s;ecret|ly, and as &s;ome Tran&s;|lations reade it, My Eare received the Veines of his Whi&s;per: And this is the &s;econd preparatory.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The third Section.</HEAD>
<P>THe third makes all compleate, and is nothing but a con|&s;tant and &s;etled cour&s;e
<PB REF="18"> of Temperance &amp; Mo|deration: take away this, and we ruine all religious cour&s;es for ever, becau&s;e the life of all pious actions is con&s;tancy and per&s;e|verance in practice, which are acts of &s;etled and undi&s;turb'd rea|&s;on: how then &s;hall a|ny religious duty bee perform'd, when in|temperance has &s;tolne away both our rea&s;on &amp; memory, &s;o that ei|ther wee quite omit it, &amp; &s;o lye downe in our
<PB REF="19"> beddes (in <HI>Davids</HI> phra&s;e) like Sheepe and Bea&s;ts in Hell, or el&s;e huddle it over &s;o perfunctorily, that the action makes not &s;o much for our good, as the manner of it doubles our condem|nation. Men may thinke what they plea&s;e, but God is not mocked, neither has he, &s;ayes <HI>Solomon,</HI> any plea&s;ure in fooles: Nor is the intempe|rance I here exclude onely in fare, as meats
<PB REF="19"> and drinks, but equal|ly of cu&s;tomary pa&s;&s;i|ons, not regulated by enlightned Rea&s;on, as exce&s;&s;ive mirth, im|moderate &s;orrow, fondly over-flowing and toyi&s;h love, unrea|&s;onable au&s;terity, and moro&s;e behaviour, though the be&s;t and mo&s;t divine cour&s;es of Devotion may con|&s;i&s;t with the ca&s;uall unfortunate acts of the&s;e affections, yet with their cu&s;tomes and habits they can|not;
<PB REF="20"> to this I adde the intemperance of the Tongue, e&s;pecially in joculary and &s;light di&s;cour&s;e, where many a vaine word flies out unregarded. Now if I mu&s;t give accompt for every idle word at the day of Judgement, as Truth it &s;elfe &s;ayes wee &s;hall, unle&s;&s;e I make the accompt e|ven here in the day of Indulgence, how is it po&s;&s;ible, that if I make light of the&s;e words, but either I mu&s;t be
<PB REF="20"> forc'd to omit the ac|compt, by rea&s;on of the infinite number, which is de&s;perate, or el&s;e teare and wound my Con&s;cience every day by a mo&s;t tedious and &s;ufferable exami|nation of this one par|ticular? which by con|&s;equence through the infirmity of the fle&s;h, policy of the Devill, without &s;peciall mer|cy and ayde of God, may bring an univer|&s;all loathing and hate upon the whole duty,
<PB REF="21"> which would be a mi|&s;ery in the end above all expre&s;&s;ions mi&s;e|rable: No marvaile then that St. <HI>James</HI> concludes &s;o roundly in his fir&s;t Chapter, <HI>If any man &s;eemes to bee devout or religious a|mong&s;t you, and yet bridle not his Tongue, all that mans devotion and religion is vaine.</HI> And this with helpe of your devout Com|ment may &s;uffice for the preparatory to this great duty: I will now,
<PB REF="21"> God willing, in all plainne&s;&s;e &s;hew you the duty it &s;elfe.</P>
<P><HI>Examination,</HI> or dayly <HI>tryall</HI> of the <HI>Con|&s;cie~ce,</HI> that's the name, and in effect is but ca|&s;ting up accounts with God, and providing that the bookes of our Con&s;ciences here a|gree with that regi&s;ter that God dayly takes above: a taske ea&s;ie e|nough to that &s;oule on whom God hath be|&s;towed a true faith in a Saviour, for his Trea|&s;ure
<PB REF="22"> expends all, no co&s;t at all to us, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> gives the Coyne, the hand of Faith, onely numbers it, and deli|vers it to whom it is due. This is the ordi|nary cour&s;e of living in a continuall peace, though compa&s;t with all outward cro&s;&s;es and mi&s;eries in the World; for to a good heart, &s;o long as it can ne&s;tle in the bo&s;ome of eter|nity, and like that be|loved Di&s;ciple, leane upon the brea&s;t of her
<PB REF="22"> Ma&s;ter Je&s;us, all is well, though it fall out to be the very night of trea|&s;on and pa&s;&s;ion: at which time truely this duty is thought by &s;ome Divines to have beene manife&s;ted in a mo&s;t exact and extra|ordinary Example: You know when our Lord was &s;et at meate, that &s;ad night in which he was betrayed, and told his Di&s;ciples that notwith&s;tanding all his divine acts of Love, giving his fle&s;h for
<PB REF="23"> their foode, and blood for their drinke, yet one of his owne Di&s;|ciples &s;hould betray him: every one, even <HI>I&s;cariot,</HI> but in Hypo|cri&s;ie, beganne fir&s;t to aske his owne Con&s;ci|ence, and then Chri&s;t, who knew more of them than their owne &s;oules, <HI>Lord is it I? Matth.</HI> 26. As if every one, except <HI>Judas,</HI> had &s;aid in order; Lord, I know, that although I know nothing by my &s;elfe, yet am I not
<PB REF="23"> thereby ju&s;tified, and therefore having exa|mined my Con&s;cience concerning this thy prophe&s;ie, that one of us &s;hall betray thee, al|beit I finde all cleare and free from the lea&s;t intention of &s;o foule a Trea&s;on, yet &s;ince thou only know&s;t what may enter into mans ba&s;e heart, if thou keep not out all our temptati|ons; I be&s;eech thee &s;pare me not, if I be the man, name mee, &s;hew me, as a mo&s;t hi|deous
<PB REF="24"> Mon&s;ter of in|gratitude; &s;uch a &s;inne de&s;erves a &s;hame above the age and &s;ufferance of mortality: there|fore, deare Ma&s;ter, &s;ince my Con&s;cience cannot tell mee of my &s;inne, thou art grea|ter than my Con&s;ci|ence, and knowe&s;t all things: oh tell mee whether I am that &s;infull wretch or no.</P>
<P>I would to God e|very Lords Supper had beene thus eaten, and all Con&s;ciences
<PB REF="24"> examin'd beyond their owne knowledge, by an appeale unto <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> concerning their very &s;ecret and unknowne &s;innes, before they eate of that Bread, and drinke of that Cuppe: but we go further, and pre&s;cribe this cour&s;e, after all Suppers, be|cau&s;e all may be our la&s;t, before wee dare take any re&s;t, more or le&s;&s;e, as health and o|ther importances &s;hall unfeignedly permit; and to &s;ay concerning
<PB REF="25"> all thoughts, words, and actions: Ah Lord, thou ha&s;t prophe&s;ied in thy Word, that there are &s;ome a|mong&s;t us wicked men, though never &s;o much ble&s;t by thee, who having left thee the Creator, have &s;et their hearts upon the Creature, profit, plea|&s;ures, honours, hu|mours, bellies, Lord is it I? Others, that in the &s;uper&s;titious vanities of their minde have &s;et up Idols to wor|&s;hip
<PB REF="25">
'em, and who &s;erve thee after their owne wills, not thy Rules, who relye on Angels and Saints, and their owne arme for helpe: Lord is it I? Come thou &s;aye&s;t there are who take thy name in vaine, by horrid oaths, bla&s;phemies, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;tings upon &s;acred Writ, mi&s;takes of Mi|ni&s;ters, infirmities of the Prophets, in their <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">unction of Preaching and Reading the holy Word: Lord is it I?
<PB REF="26"> Others, who neglect their workes of calling upon Dayes of wor|king, and yet prophane the dayes of re&s;t by working unlawful things; by idlene&s;&s;e, by lawle&s;&s;e and unpermit|ted Recreations, by not frequenting the publicke place of holy wor&s;hip on the Lords Day, and other holy times appointed; by &s;lighting of Common Prayer, unreverent and carele&s;&s;e behaviour unconformable Ge|&s;tures
<PB REF="26"> in the time of Divine Service, by ha|ving itching eares at Sermons, and cen&s;u|ring all, more than practi&s;ing any: by neglect of the Lords Work upon the Lords Day; &s;ome by Judai|zing nicety; &s;ome by Heathen prophane&s;&s;e; &s;ome there be that are guilty of all the&s;e things, Lord is it I? If it be, Lord &s;peake to my &s;oule in the Revelation of thy Love, that it my re|turne
<PB REF="27"> an An&s;wer in the confe&s;&s;ion of her owne unworthine&s;&s;e, that I may repent ever before I &s;inne, becau&s;e I know all &s;innes of all degrees would bee mine without thy gracious prevention.</P>
<P>And thus, as I have &s;hewed you in the fir&s;t Table of the Deca|logue, &s;o you ought to proceede in the &s;econd, and examine all tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions of unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and fal&s;hood again&s;t our
<PB REF="27"> Brother, of exce&s;&s;e and lu&s;t, di&s;temperance a|gain&s;t our owne per|&s;ons, immediately ta|king this Caveat, That you alwayes reduce the fir&s;t motion of a|ny &s;inne you have co~mitted, to that Com|mandement which for|bids the la&s;t act: as if thou ha&s;t falne into that vile &s;inne of un|advi&s;ed wrath: Nay, if but inward rank or &amp; malice of the heart, a&s;ke pardon as for Murther: if but a
<PB REF="28"> la&s;civious glance has pa&s;t the whole day; a&s;ke mercy as for A|dultery; for God can never bee enough glo|rified, nor man too a|ba&s;ed before God: All inward and clo&s;e murmurings again&s;t any &s;uperiour, or the Dictates of lawfull Authority, all proud &s;peaking and boa&s;ting of our owne worth, mu&s;t bee refer'd to the breaches of the fir&s;t Commandement, and &s;o of the re&s;t: and then
<PB REF="28" MS="y"> after all the&s;e Lords is it I, thy Con&s;cience doubtle&s;&s;e will often an&s;wer, as Chri&s;t did to <HI>I&s;cariot, Thou ha&s;t &s;aid it,</HI> confe&s;&s;e and a|mend. Now for the better performance of this rare exerci&s;e, I'le &s;et downe the&s;e few Conditions.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="section">
<PB REF="29">
<HEAD>The fir&s;t Section.</HEAD>
<P>FIr&s;t, it mu&s;t be done ENTIRELY, to|tally, not by peece-meales; &s;ome peculiar minuits mu&s;t bee &s;et apart, wherein this worke may bee entire|ly attended on, and becau&s;e many living under the authority of ill-hour'd Ma&s;ters, can|not be ma&s;ters of their owne time, 'tis &s;afe&s;t
<PB REF="29"> to &s;et that time apart, which immediately precedes our time of re&s;t, and then make our bodies by this holy and Divine &s;er|vice, a true Temple unto the God of <HI>I&s;|rael:</HI> And this once begunne, <HI>Davids</HI> vow mu&s;t bee every day e|very mans re&s;olution: <HI>I will not &s;uffer my eyes to &s;leepe, nor eye|lids to &s;lumber; no, not the Temples of my head to take any re&s;t, untill I finde a place for the
<PB REF="30"> Temple of the Lord, an habitation for the migh|ty God of Jacob:</HI> The heart may and mu&s;t trea&s;ure up again&s;t night all the day long true and impartiall notes: but this mu&s;t be the entire time for the generall accompts, and conferring Gods bookes and our owne together, &s;o wee &s;hall quickly by Gods helpe, &s;ee every thing that is ami&s;&s;e in us, and what wee finde extraordina|ry evill, learne to have
<PB REF="30"> an extraordinary &s;or|row for it, and an ex|traordinary care over it; that although it chance not to be quite remov'd, yet every day may be &s;en&s;ible, or at lea&s;t be hopefull of &s;ome abatement.</P>
<P>This is the fir&s;t, that it be done entire|ly, without interrupti|on, at &s;ome peculiar de&s;tin'd &s;ea&s;on.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<PB REF="31">
<HEAD>The &s;econd Section.</HEAD>
<P>THE &s;econd re|quires, that be&s;ides this, it al&s;o bee perfor|med <HI>accurately, exact|ly;</HI> not &s;lightly, nor carele&s;&s;ely, but as that Royall Prophet us'd to doe it: Behold, O Lord, how I labour in my Prayer, and am vexed; vexed, becau&s;e after all my care and diligence, I finde &s;uch
<PB REF="31"> imperfections even in my Prayers: And in the 77. <HI>P&s;alme, ver&s;e</HI> 6. At night I commune and di&s;cour&s;e with my owne heart, and exa|mine or &s;earch out my Spirit, or (as the word will beare it) and &s;weep my Spirit: No wet finger worke, no &s;light bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, no perfun|ctory imployment, no Exerci&s;e by the By: but attention, privacy, meditation, deepe &s;tu|dy, recollection, exa|mination, clean&s;ing (as
<PB REF="32"> with a Broome) all, &s;o much as filth and Du&s;t in every angle of the heart, though it be never &s;o tedious, and the &s;tir'd du&s;t flie up in our very eyes and no|&s;trils: and yet there are &s;ome wayes of allaying this du&s;t &s;o farre, as it &s;hall not flye &s;o high as to hurt that eye that di&s;covers it; as wee &s;ee in our daily experi|ence, a little water &s;prinkled will &s;o unite &s;o many of the little bodies together, that
<PB REF="32"> at length they grow &s;o heavy, that they can|not a&s;cend at all, but are &s;wept out with pollutions of a grea|ter &s;ize: if wee &s;weepe &s;oftly, <HI>commune with your hearts, and bee quiet, P&s;al.</HI> 4. 'Tis ju&s;t &s;o with the Soule in this ca&s;e: the Devill, like his jugling va&s;&s;als, would faine bee rai&s;ing of mi&s;ts, even from that which wee are &s;weeping out; but wee mu&s;t know that all he rai&s;es is on purpo&s;e to
<PB REF="33"> over-perplexe us at the &s;ight of our owne pollutions: and there|fore keepe but this du&s;t from flying up|wards, and all is well: a little blood or wa|ter out of our Saviours &s;ide will doe it, and keepe all &s;o low, that nothing &s;hall ri&s;e up, either to &s;hame or trouble us: This being a &s;peciall Caveat a|bout this &s;econd Con|ditio~, that we take not &s;o &s;everely an exact ac|count, that it &s;hould
<PB REF="33"> tend to dejection, or threaten a de&s;perati|on: No, before ever wee looke upon the &s;inne that pollutes us, as we are Chri&s;tians, let us bee provided of &s;ome of the immacu|late Lambes blood, that has clean&s;ed us from the Tyranny and condemning power of all &s;inne: &s;o that if wee di&s;cover mo&s;t high &amp; hainous offences in our Soules, let the &s;ight bee cau&s;e not of a &s;ullen acedy, and lazy
<PB REF="34"> di&s;con&s;olation, but of a quicke and lively re|mor&s;e, rather a while Contemplating the greatne&s;&s;e and glory of that mercy which has promis'd to pardo~ &s;o great a &s;inne, and &s;o great a number upon a true Repentance; not that man may dare to pre&s;ume, but that man &s;hould not dare to de&s;paire, and that all &s;innes &s;hould pro|duce a pious humilia|tion, but never any impious Dejection,
<PB REF="34"> there being no &s;inne in all the World more dangerous to man, nor more derogatory from the glory of a God Sa|viour, than De&s;perati|on for any &s;inne what|&s;oever. The Devill often nicknames un|godly &s;orrow, and de|&s;perate thoughts by the faire Title of Mor|tification and Humi|lity: but both gro&s;&s;e|ly fal&s;e, becau&s;e Mortification alwaies workes by Faith: Humility &s;ubmits in
<PB REF="35"> hope and love, but De&s;peration has lo&s;t all Faith and Hope: and &s;urely unreligious Melancholy is direct|ly oppo&s;ite to Love, and Hope and Faith altogether: And there|fore I adde a third Condition of a high and my&s;terious con&s;e|quence.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="section">
<PB REF="35">
<HEAD>The third Section.</HEAD>
<P>THe third is, that all bee done affe|ctionately, feelingly, with a lively &s;ence both of godly joy for mercies receiv'd, and godly &s;orrow for &s;ins detected; that all our feares may bee of Love, and all our Loves &s;ea&s;on'd with Filiall Reverence, all our joyes, joyes of &s;a|cred
<PB REF="36"> teares, and all our &s;ighes and &s;orrowings i&s;&s;ues of joy: like good natur'd and pious chil|dren, who having falne into any offence again&s;t indulgent Pa|rents, are &s;ad and &s;ure of pardon together; nay, the certainty of the one, increa&s;es the dolour of the other, becau&s;e to good &s;oules offence is greater tor|ment than puni&s;h|ment: &s;o lovely is mercy to a penitent, and yet &s;o foule is &s;inne
<PB REF="36"> to a religiou&s;ly &s;ad delinquent, becau&s;e the abu&s;e of Clemency in a Judge, aggra|vates the Lawes tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion above the act of the Peccant: wher|fore take this as a my|&s;tery in this rare Art of dayly <HI>Tryall:</HI> It may and will doubt|le&s;&s;e fall out, that up|on often practice of this duty, the nature of our dayes may differ; and that upon &s;ome Accompts wee may, as wee &s;hall alwayes,
<PB REF="37" MS="y"> both more or le&s;&s;e, finde more mercies be|&s;towed than &s;innes committed, &s;o power|full may grace by the gift of God bee: o|ther times the &s;innes may appeare farre a|bove po&s;itive particu|lar mercies, for that of pre&s;ervation is conti|nuall: if the fir&s;t fall out, as our owne &s;oules can onely te&s;tifie, then joy tryumphes; if the la&s;t, then &s;orrow has got the Day. Where|fore have a care never
<PB REF="37" MS="y"> to performe one with|out the other; if joy for mercies beginne, let Religious &s;orrow for the very imperfe|ctions of thy good actions conclude the Meditation, for feare joy alone grow either proud or wanton, or daring: If &s;orrow for a multitude of fal|lings, before the Medi|tation cea&s;e, rai&s;e thy &s;oule up with contem|plation of that joy which ought to be in a
<PB REF="38"> &s;inner, though never &s;o &s;infull, becau&s;e of a Sa|viour, for feare griefe grow de&s;perate, and di&s;honour the infinite mercy of thy JESUS, and de&s;troy thy peace here, and thy whole per&s;on hereafter. Let this bee retain'd as a My&s;tery, when thou entere&s;t into thy pri|vacies: but this is onely in particular, now for the generall, &s;ince Chri&s;t has made Mercy exalt it &s;elfe a|gain&s;t
<PB REF="38" MS="y"> Ju&s;tice, joy mu&s;t be heire, and at la&s;t have a double porti|on: Every thing here, though it mu&s;t bee done &s;trictly and ex|actly, yet alwayes cheerefully: <HI>David</HI> in the 77. <HI>P&s;alme</HI> calls this Exerci&s;e his Song, as if it had beene his chiefe Recreation, and indeede &s;o it is: And although the De|vill may awhile trouble us, and our fle&s;h loath it, yet at length
<PB REF="39" MS="y"> length it will appeare to a well practis'd &s;oule, a very &s;acred pa&s;time, and conti|nuall Jubilee, and e|very day &s;hall bee as that awfull time at which they receive the Sacrament, a &s;erious Holy-day: for the truth is, &s;o long as Faith is &s;trong in the Brea&s;t of any Chri&s;ti|an, the very &s;ight of our &s;innes, the mo&s;t ougly things in the World have a kinde
<PB REF="39"> of comfort: If as Na|ture had be&s;towed two eyes upon us, one to be ca&s;t upon a Saviour to love him, as the o|ther upon the &s;inne to loath it: and as great a comfort it will be to &s;ee every day &s;o many of our &s;innes by this Triall apprehended, and condemned; and &s;laine by Mortificati|on; as it was for the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> before they &s;lept to &s;ee all their blacke <HI>Aegyptian</HI> e|nemies
<PB REF="40" MS="y"> lye dead upon the &s;hore: however, if for Tryall &s;ake it plea&s;e God to permit a &s;pirituall de&s;ertion to lye upon us, let us be quiet, &s;till waiting for the gift of God in patience: for who are wee that God &s;hould be&s;tow &s;o great a ble&s;|&s;ing and &s;pirituall joy upon us? And above all things, in &s;uch a cau&s;e deferre not &s;pirituall coun&s;ell one minuite: God works powerfully
<PB REF="40" MS="y"> and miraculou&s;ly in the accepted wayes of his owne Ordinance: and I would to God every one would know this: the very ignorance of it being &s;o great and undi&s;|cern'd a &s;inne: in &s;uch ca&s;es, the 103. <HI>P&s;alme</HI> is of admirable u&s;e, and &s;o is the 51: In one word, mercies mu&s;t be &s;o rejoyc'd in, that they double our indu&s;try in plea&s;ing their Author; Sinnes mu&s;t bee &s;o la|mented
<PB REF="41"> in Faith, that the griefe &s;hall double both our experience of mercy, and caution of future tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, which cannot bee, un|le&s;&s;e wee loath our &s;innes at heighth in oppo&s;ition to Gods purity, and cry out with <HI>Job:</HI> Since my eye has &s;eene thee, I repented and abhorre my &s;elfe, and repent in A&s;hes: that is, Works of mortification, hard|ne&s;&s;e, want of deli|cacy,
<PB REF="41" MS="y"> &s;lender and cour&s;e fare, watchful|ne&s;&s;e for a while, and the like, and in all con|&s;tancy: that's the fourth condition: all the act in generall mu&s;t bee done con|&s;tantly, no omi&s;&s;ion. Tho&s;e who &s;erve God, God loves them to the end; and they who continue to love God, &s;erve him to the end: If &s;even times fall, &s;e|ven times ri&s;e againe: nay, if &s;eventy &s;even
<PB REF="42"> times, &s;eventy thou|&s;and times, as often repent, and be &s;ure to continue thy Tryall, and care over all thy actions, remembring the Barre at which thou art to arraigne thy &s;elfe, before Night &s;hall give thee re&s;t; a little day of Judge|ment: &s;o doubtle&s;&s;e by the implored mer|cy of God, our con|tinuall &s;urveying of Gods mercies, and our owne &s;innes con&s;tant|ly
<PB REF="42"> every day, cannot chu&s;e but rai&s;e in us mo&s;t admirable love towards the one, and mo&s;t ju&s;t hatred of the other, that wee &s;hall arrive to an ex|cellent temper of the &s;oule, which wee &s;hall manife&s;t in Devotion to our God, in love to every man in Tem|perance and Cha&s;tity, and Sobriety to our owne &s;oules and bo|dies. What an inut|terable ble&s;&s;ing is it,
<PB REF="43" MS="y"> that Heaven &s;hould be thus on earth, and that every day wee &s;hould have &s;o free acce&s;&s;e, and familiar inter|cour&s;e with the King of Heaven and Earth? Burne, and not con|&s;ume, like <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his Chappell in the Bu&s;h: for otherwi&s;e our God is a con&s;uming fire.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="section">
<PB REF="43">
<HEAD>The fift Section.</HEAD>
<P>THe la&s;t Condi|tion follows, with|out which, Con&s;tan|cy may chance not to doe &s;o much as &s;hee ought; and this is <HI>Ap|titude,</HI> all mu&s;t bee done fitly, conveni|ently, proportionably, or we lo&s;e a great part of the ble&s;&s;ing: The meaning is this: No man we know, but as
<PB REF="44"> all have all, has &s;ome peculiar reigning im|perfection, the Dar|ling vice, and the tye of all the re&s;t: &s;ome have it in thoughts, &amp; mu&s;ings of vaine-glory, and Ca&s;tles in the Aire. Others in their words, oft &s;wea|ring, je&s;ting &s;landers, filthy di&s;cour&s;e, &amp;c. O|thers in gro&s;&s;e Actions of &s;everall &s;orts: Now what&s;oever it be, if thy hearts impartiall expe|rience &s;hall (after Pray|er
<PB REF="44"> to God how to finde it, &s;ince the Devill &s;o &s;trives to conceale it) once finde by cu&s;tome and &s;elfe-love what &amp; which it is; then mu&s;t the heart at time of <HI>Tryall</HI> take a double &s;urvey of all her parti|culars, lay a double weight of &s;orrowes Mortification upon all her Extravagances, &s;et a double watch over all her by-pathes, avoyding every occa|&s;ion that has hereto|fore
<PB REF="45"> but tended unto any of her acts; and the more noted occa|&s;ions, it were not a|mi&s;&s;e to take a peculi|ar Catalogue of them, by &s;ome Characters onely knowne unto our &s;elves, that wee may meete with all her baites, &amp; a&s;&s;ure our &s;elves, di&s;&s;olve this knot, and you loo&s;en every &s;inne in the bo|dy. Bo&s;ome &s;innes are the very life of all the re&s;t, take them a|way,
<PB REF="45"> and it is ea&s;ie to remove the other, with this great pro|mi&s;e, that this being but one exerci&s;e of a thou&s;and, though true|ly, I thinke the be&s;t, wee lay no vertue or efficacy upon the ex|erci&s;e, but all upon the co-operating Grace, and ble&s;&s;ing of God. And thus I have &s;hew'd you briefly and plainely how the Triall mu&s;t bee done: I mu&s;t now &s;hew you what
<PB REF="46"> mu&s;t be done, and the &s;everall parts of this <HI>Exerci&s;e,</HI> and all too with the &s;ame brevity.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The fir&s;t Section.</HEAD>
<P>FIr&s;t then, though particular order may be free, I &s;hould pre&s;cribe that the whole cour&s;e and or|der of the Devotion from the beginning to the end might compleatly bee agree|d
<PB REF="46"> upon before ever the knee were bended: after this, having &s;et our &s;elves not in the lazy po&s;ture of one knee, and a columnary elbow, but to &s;uch a po&s;ition, that might with its owne reve|rence &s;trike the Ma|&s;ter with a thought of what he is about, a Publican pro&s;tration, a humble eye, a &s;adly &s;erious A&s;pect, a beaten brea&s;t, deepe but quiet groanes,
<PB REF="47" MS="y"> &s;till and lowly voice; all this even Nature would dictate to a Heathen. After this let the Prayer begin with a gratefull re|hear&s;all of Gods mer|cies, under which name reckon his Judgments al&s;o, which his wi&s;edome and love has cha&s;ti&s;ed thee by, or try'd thy love to him by laying them on tho&s;e who have re|lations of love unto thee, as the &s;oule has
<PB REF="47" MS="y"> trea&s;ur'd the &s;tore up from time to time in particular for tho&s;e of that day, even to that liberty of prayer: and becau&s;e none may bee omitted, let Je|&s;us bee mentioned one for all; for from eternall Election to eternall glory all is Je&s;us; &s;o de&s;iring God for his &s;ake to make us really thankfull for them to him, and his bounty to continue the~ to us, according to his
<PB REF="48"> owne will. The fir&s;t part, which I call the <HI>Euchari&s;t,</HI> or giving of thankes, is di&s;charged &s;ufficiently.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The &s;econd Section.</HEAD>
<P>THe &s;econd part, let it be Confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes in generall, from the fir&s;t to the la&s;t of this day where|in we have liv'd, for herein is Gods mercy wonderfully magni|fi'd,
<PB REF="48"> and our owne vile|ne&s;&s;e mightily aggra|vated, that notwith|&s;tanding all Gods fa|vours, yet we have un|graciou&s;ly rebel'd, and yet notwith&s;tanding all our rebellions, God has not left off to bee gracious: in that wee &s;ee him affoord us time and power to pray for pardon: &s;o af|ter particular enume|ration, with dolour of heart, after the manner afore pre&s;cribed, let
<PB REF="49"> us with a Catholicke Confe&s;&s;ion of knowne and unknowne, not without particular Contrition, for our noted &s;ins of omi&s;&s;ion, as well as for our reig|ning and bo&s;ome e|normities committed, de&s;ire God to take his owne way in cha&s;ti|zing of us heere, that we may be &s;aved here|after; and &s;o for Chri&s;t Je&s;us his &s;ake to &s;end the Comforter into our hearts both
<PB REF="49" MS="y"> with peace and power; peace of Con&s;cience, as touching what wee have done, and power never to doe the &s;ame againe, upon the al|lurements or threates of the whole world.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The &s;econd Section.</HEAD>
<P>THis &s;econd part thus concluded, the third may fitly be entred by tran&s;iti|on,
<PB REF="50" MS="y"> of magnifying the mercy of God, in per|mitting us by the in|terce&s;&s;ion of Ie&s;us to pray for one another, and promi&s;ing to heare our Supplications powr'd out entirely for our Brethren; nay, to ble&s;&s;e us for doing that; for which God gives us both will and power to doe it: Oh the depth of &s;uch a mercy!</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="section">
<PB REF="50">
<HEAD>The third Section.</HEAD>
<P>THis third part then I'le call <HI>Inter|ce&s;&s;ion,</HI> which mu&s;t containe a briefe, but pa&s;&s;ionate de&s;ire unto Almighty God: fir&s;t, to glorifie his owne name, in the wayes of his owne Will upon all fle&s;h, though never &s;o unplea&s;ant to car|nall Rea&s;on. Second|ly,
<PB REF="51"> to have mercy up|on all men, and to multiply meanes of effectuall conver&s;ion to all ungodly men, whether within, or without the pale of the Church. Third|ly, and in e&s;peciall manner, to ble&s;&s;e the univer&s;all Church, to heare the groanes of the Saints, and to come quickly, and to prepare every heart for his Comming: meane-while (which
<PB REF="51"> is the fourth part) to ble&s;&s;e, among&s;t other Chri&s;tian Kingdomes, that wherein wee en|joy freedome of Religion, and there|in to pray for the Lords Annoynted, the Queene, the blood Royall: likewi&s;e for all per&s;ons, of all &s;orts, in all places, that all may receive their mea|&s;ure of Grace, and &s;erve God according|ly in their &s;everall Callings: and in par|ticular
<PB REF="52"> to de&s;ire God to be&s;tow a double portion upon all our friends, and all tho&s;e who have relation un|to us in the bond of blood, affinity, or acquaintance. Fift|ly, to labour for a ble&s;&s;ing upon our e|nemies, and &s;o the more earne&s;tly to &s;o|licite God, the more aver&s;e wee finde per|chance our Hearts from our Tongues; and yet beware not to
<PB REF="52" MS="y"> leave, but even with teares to a&s;ke, till we finde &s;ome flame of Charity in our &s;oules, a&s;king forgivne&s;&s;e that wee finde &s;o little; for without this, all the Exerci&s;e is no|thing: for this part is the very touch-&s;tone of all true prayers, the very tryall of the Try|all: many a thou&s;and will pray exceeding well till they come to this, which they either omit, or performe it
<PB REF="53" MS="y"> perfunctorily and de|ceitfully, with re&s;erva|tions and di&s;tinctions, and &s;o all their pray|ers turne into &s;inne, and their owne cur&s;e: a thing, I am affraid, which is a Canker in mo&s;t Mens and Wo|mens Devotions, who otherwi&s;e carry a great e&s;teeme and fame of Piety: for &s;eeing we are to con|clude with the Lords Prayer, wherein wee pray God (the phra&s;e
<PB REF="53"> doubtle&s;&s;e was put &s;o by the Spirit on pur|po&s;e) to forgive us our Tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, as wee forgive them that tre&s;pa&s;&s;e again&s;t us; if then wee retaine the lea&s;t ill will, the lea&s;t &s;welling of heart, the lea&s;t motions of re|venge, or di&s;daine, or neglect: it is our owne prayer, that God would doe the like by us; oh the horrour and &s;tupidity of &s;uch Devotion, cur&s;e, and
<PB REF="54" MS="y"> damme our &s;elves, for the lea&s;t wrath of God re&s;erved, excludes from Heaven, as well as his whole di&s;plea|&s;ure. I would to God all would lay this to heart; for a&s;&s;ure our &s;elves, the Prophet &s;peakes true, <HI>The Lord is not mocked.</HI> Sixtly, becau&s;e &s;innes of combination and &s;ociety are the grea|te&s;t &s;innes, as wherein, like the Devill, wee turne Tempters, and
<PB REF="54"> as much as lies in us, &s;trive to damme o|thers al&s;o: For this cau&s;e I would have a peculiar remembrance of tho&s;e, whom at any time wee have cau&s;ed to &s;inne either by Temptation or Scan|dall; and a de&s;iring of God that he would ble&s;&s;e us with &s;acred opportunities, where|by wee might confe&s;&s;e our &s;innes to one ano|ther, lea&s;t the heart of one &s;hould be hard|ned,
<PB REF="55"> becau&s;e it per|ceives not the heart of the other &s;oftned, e|&s;pecially when the tempted and &s;educed per&s;on has an opini|on of the Tempters Piety or Knowledge, there the Tempter commits a double &s;inne, if hee imparts not at fir&s;t opportuni|ty, his remor&s;e and repentance which God has be&s;towed upon him: and although &s;ome may pretend
<PB REF="55"> equality of tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ion becau&s;e of ones con&s;ent to the others allurement, or in two alike, willing to a fact: yet take this as a Rule, that one alwayes is in Gods e&s;teeme unequal, and in Nature it can|not bee, but that either temptation, or at lea&s;t mention, mu&s;t &s;et one tran&s;gre&s;&s;our formo&s;t; nay, in the penitence both are bound, who have &s;inned by &s;ocie|ty, to e&s;teeme them|&s;elves
<PB REF="56"> each as fir&s;t in the breach of Gods Law, at lea&s;t co-equals: This is a My&s;tery. Seventhly, there mu&s;t be &s;upplication made for all afflicted peo|ple, whether in minde, or body, or e&s;tate: e&s;pecially for tho&s;e who &s;uffer for the Te&s;timony of a good Con&s;cience, as like|wi&s;e for tho&s;e who groane under a bad one: which would bee the nece&s;&s;ary doome
<PB REF="56"> of every man living, did not God in mercy interpo&s;e the woun|ded body of a ju&s;t Mediator betwixt our &s;innes and us. La&s;tly, though God permits Charity a higher place, yet Humility accepts of this for our owne per&s;ons, wherein according to that power of utte|rance, which God &s;hall be&s;tow upon the &s;oule, wee are to im|plore mo&s;t earne&s;tly,
<PB REF="57" MS="y"> but briefly, fir&s;t that God would glorifie him&s;elfe in us, whether by life or death, and onely &s;o farre grant our former Petiti|ons, as they &s;hall &s;tand in conformity to his &s;acred will and plea|&s;ure: but withall, that &s;ince Ie&s;us has &s;uffe|red the ju&s;t for the unju&s;t, God would be plea&s;ed to glorifie him&s;elfe in mercy, and for our Saviours &s;ake, to grant us a
<PB REF="57"> lively Faith, by ver|tue of which wee may &s;incerely la|ment our &s;innes, by who&s;e power wee may indeed be thank|full for his mer|cies, mo&s;t unfeigned|ly carefull to grow in piety and &s;aving knowledge: and that all this might happily bee effected, pray unto God unce&s;&s;antly for his grace and protection this Night, or this Day, and a
<PB REF="58"> dayly competency of his earthly ble&s;&s;ings, &s;o farre forth, that wee may attend upon Gods Worke with|out Di&s;traction, &s;till referring all to Divine plea&s;ure, and be&s;ee|ching God, that what|&s;oever in the&s;e our &s;infull prayers, through unworthine&s;&s;e we have not dar'd, or igno|rance beene able to a&s;ke, or through any imperfection or &s;inne have either mi&s;tak't
<PB REF="58" MS="y"> or omitted, his mer|cy would bee plea&s;ed to grant tho&s;e things, to pardon that un|worthine&s;&s;e, and &s;inne, and ignorance, and make up that imper|fection, for his &s;ake who is his wi&s;edome, our merit, and righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and the per|fection of all things, Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the righ|teous, to whom, with the father, &amp; holy Spi|rit, three Per&s;ons, one God, be all glory and
<PB REF="59"> power for ever. So de&s;iring God that wee may have leave to &s;hut up our &s;infull prayers, with that perfect forme which our Sa|viour taught us: Let us conclude all with the Lords prayer, and &s;o compo&s;e our &s;elves to re&s;t, having com|mitted all to Chri&s;t, as unto a faithfull Re|deemer; Morning mu&s;t doe as much for the night, as the night did for the day.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="conclusion">
<PB REF="59">
<P>THus the pre&s;cription of the whole duty being fini&s;ht, Ile &s;uppo&s;e Your Honour, Ma|dam, in the faire Hopes of tho&s;e Prayers, which I promi&s;e to &s;end
<PB REF="60"> to Heaven eve|ry Day for Your &s;ucce&s;&s;e, a happy Proficient in this Rare Exerci&s;e; and heereupon I dare prophe&s;ie of two temptati|ons that will &s;ieze uppon you: for Sathan being
<PB REF="60"> as it were thus rejected, and day|ly exorcis'd by the&s;e Acts of Devotions, and therefore mad to &s;ee a Soule out of his reach, tempts backe a|gaine at Di|&s;tance, with all
<PB REF="61"> his force and po|licy: Two ex|treames are his fatall baits. Fir&s;t, (which lightly is the mo&s;t impi|ous) he'le per|&s;wade to a kinde of horrour in the Exerci&s;e, and con&s;equent|ly
<PB REF="61"> a loathing of it; &s;o that per|chance a double feare may &s;eize upon you; one if You omit it, &s;ug|ge&s;ting that You have lost Your former Love; a|nother, if you per|forme, &s;ugge&s;ting
<PB REF="62"> that the &s;inners prayers are vain, and that you &s;u|per&s;titiou&s;ly wor|&s;hip God in a way that hee has not required: but now ob&s;erve it, and you &s;hall find both fal&s;e: for fir&s;t, I have &s;hewed
<PB REF="62"> that this Exerci&s;e mu&s;t be enterd up|on as a priviledge, not an injunction, becau&s;e it is nei|ther our power nor merit that we can performe &s;o rare a worke, but the indulgence of God our Father.
<PB REF="63" MS="y"> Secondly, that our &s;innes ap|peare &s;o plaine to God; &s;o much the better, &s;o long as Man pre&s;umes not, the Mer|cies of God are the more mag|nified: Nor is there any feare of
<PB REF="63"> Super&s;tition, &s;ince God has comman|ded the Duty and the manner both: both which God hath done partly by explicite com|mand, partly by implicite in all tho&s;e places where hee commands us
<PB REF="64"> to walke circum|&s;pectly, to trye our wayes, to call to remem|brance our mi&s;|deeds and his mercies, to &s;earch our &s;pirits, to Examine our hearts: This is the very duty Con&s;o|nant
<PB REF="64"> to the Text, and the manner not repugnant; &s;o that praier to God for cheerefulne&s;&s;e in his &s;ervice, and humility, will lay the Devill by Gods a&s;&s;i&s;tance, as &s;oone as it is rais'd. Wherefore
<PB REF="65"> the next time bee appeares, it &s;hall be in quite con|trary &s;hape, and &s;o &s;et a worke his e cond extreame, which tends as much to Pre&s;ump|tion, as the other to De&s;peration: The Sugge&s;tions
<PB REF="65" MS="y"> are the&s;e, that You are excee|ding happy in the <HI>Practice,</HI> that GOD is Your Debtor for this &s;upererogation, &amp; that all Men are Your inferiours, becau&s;e &s;carce one &s;o holy as Your
<PB REF="66" MS="y"> &s;elfe, that this Exerci&s;e hath &s;ome inherent rare quality, and the like: but all this al&s;o is quick|ly an&s;wered, if you remember that it is the gift and power of GOD, not your owne,
<PB REF="66" MS="y"> that ever you per|form'd, or &s;o much as thought upon &s;o &s;acred an Ex|erci&s;e, and yet that the Exer|ci&s;e is not to bee Idoliz'd, be|cau&s;e of it &s;elfe it works nothing, merits nothing,
<PB REF="67" MS="y"> thing, moves no|thing; onely as GOD ble&s;&s;es his owne In&s;trument, which any Exer|ci&s;e may doe as well as this, if God plea&s;e; onely this is a Duty drawne in con|formity to his
<PB REF="67" MS="y"> revealed Will, which makes God ble&s;&s;e it the bet|ter; not for the exerci&s;es &s;ake, but for <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> &s;ake, in who&s;e Name wee pray; To which it is not di&s;|&s;onant, and yet con&s;onant to the
<PB REF="68" MS="y"> fate of man; &s;o then &s;elfe-denial, or one thought of origi|nall impurity, da|&s;hes this Cocka|trice in the Egge. This I thought good to forewarne your &s;oule of, be|cau&s;e I would fore-arme it: I &s;hal
<PB REF="68" MS="y"> pray to God, that any of my Labours may advantage Your Honour in Your cour&s;e of Religion; and &s;o re&s;t, with a pious ambition of being &s;till thus imploy'd.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Honours in all due ob&s;ervance. <HI>T. R.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="imprimatur">
<PB REF="69">
<P><HI>Imprimatur</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Sa. Baker:</SIGNED> <DATELINE>Ex aedibus <HI>Londin.</HI> <DATE>Octob. <HI>4. 1638.</HI> modo intra tres Men&s;es proxim&egrave; &s;e|quentes.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<PB REF="69">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
