72+ JHelpe ,on conciled, and to tarry and wait for our repentance,andtobearewith our flubbornnes, thoughwehaueoften e- uenwithfcorne reieetedthykindnes. Whoaml then (Omolt gracious God)that Ifhouldbe fofliffetowards 'men, hauing found inthee towards mine owne foule, fuch an vnfppeake- ablereadineffetoforgiue? Whatbee all the iniuries that man candoe to mee, inrefpe&ofone. ofmy fmalleft finnesagainftthyMaiefty? Or, how can Icomevnto thee with a hope of mercy, tomine owne foule, when I find fuch animplacable difpofitionin me towardsmy.brother? , Oh then,Ibefeechthee,abatein me thefe (welling fpirits, repreffe thefe motions and inclinations tending to reuenge, fraymee from encroaching ,upon thyoffice, towhomonely ven_ geance dothbelong : glue me a calme, acourteous, andagentleheart. Let ,the fame mindebe inm,whichwasin Chrift, whowhen he was reuiled,re_ oiled not againe, butprayed for his Perfecutors,,and laid doivnehis life forhis enemies : fo teachmee Ipray thee, tobeware ofrendring euill for euill : make me rather tofeekehow to ,overcome euillwith goodneffe,know- 'ing and perfwading my felfe, that howfoeuerthe world may thinke it bafeneffeor fimplicityinmee, to bee thus ealie to forgiue, and patient to endure, yet itihall beea pledge tomy foule, that my finsare pardoned with thee,and that Iammade like totheI- mageofChrift. And amongotherthings, neuer let me forget,howodious allmy prayers anddeuotions, ofwhat kind foeuer, willbe in thy fight, fo long asmyhart is flail of vnreconciled thoughts a- gainfr myNeighbour: that fo euen inloue tomy felfe,and in defireofmy ownegood, I mayput onthe bowels ofmercy, chufingratherto bea lofer hcere amongmen, then to makemy prayerslothfome untothee. Locke (OLord) vpon the prayer ofmy lips, and fulfill, I befeech thee, the defire of my Soule both in this, and in ag otherneedfull things; cuen to Deuqion. forhis fake, who gane himfeife to be the .propitiation for one firm(s and to make peace betwixt and our fouls,Iefits Chrift thy Sonne, andmy Saviour,Amen. Againf1'7ride, and the affeElati,nof excefieandnonelticsin Ap- parrc/1. Nfinite,O Lord, are thebeguiling inticements of this excefsiue Age, andmany bethe bewitchings ofthefe -Wanton times: diners things are there very effeäuall and powerabletocor- -rupt; but hard it isto finde whom to follow, orin whole(cepsto tread,for cones betterfurtherance cnto godli_ neffe. Among other the faire-fpréa_ dingeuile oftheft finfull dayes, Oh intollerable isthe pride andvanityof all castes? How excefsiue and how toyiík are the habit and theapparrell ofthegreatefk part ? Who keepeth himfeife within the liftsofhisability, or withinthe limits of his calling? How are our men,asit weretransfor- mcdinto women, by their laciuious andeffeminate attire?and how be our women quite degenerate from their fexe, and from themodefly thereof; bytheir mannifh complements ? This thou feat, O Lord, and forbeareft, not becaufe thou art ílacke, bat be_ taufe thouartpatient. Doubtleffe, thy foule Mall intime beavenged onthis fin andthou wilt punifhit, euenas ofoldthou diditthe prideofSodom, and the haughtineffe ,and vanity ofIerufalem. Howmuch then themorewofull ismycafe, and the more abominablemy fi nde, who knowingthelothfomnesof thisfoule difeafe, doe yet ioynewith the times therein,andryninto the fameexceffe that othersdoe? O Lord, ' how aptamI tofafbion myfife to thecommon courfe? how eafily am -I ouer-caried with this humour ofnew-fangledneffe?How much haue I wafted vpon the fu- perfinous deckingof thin earthly La.. bernacle,by which the bowels ofma- ny ofthyposee diftreff.d.faintsmight haue
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=