Hcicëvn ,1Olfeditation or`Prater'wee1fay for aPooreman. TRuth it is, OLord, thattomy 1 mutinous and repining nature, want isofall things molt diftaftefull, and pouerty isa burden euen intone- table. Sometimes I am ready to tali thy iuftiee inqueftion, whomeafureft out fo largeand ouer-Sowinga porti- 'onunto lome,andyet arefo firaitand fparing towards mee. Sometimes-1 doe almol}condemnReligion to bee meerely vanitie, the lonerswhereof lieopen to fogreatextremity. Other- whiles, my owne heart chargethme withhypocrifie, telling mee that no man euer perilhedbeing an innocent; and that ifI did fo. team thee as I' Should, thoucouldeftnotthus forfake me. And mi.chadoe haue I tomailer myowne affeâions, and to reftraine my felfe fromputting forth my hand towtckedneffe,and from takingfome firangecourfefor myownefupply. Thus,O Lord,Ìamftraitned,thus I ammen haunted with wholetroupes ofvnquietthoughts : all whichby the continuance and enlargementof my owne fearcity, andby thevecompaf- fionatenefle which I finde among the menof this iron age, are rather mul- tiplied andencreafid in me, then any, way flakedor diminiflied. But eternally birthed bee thygreat Name,whichhaft openedthe gates of thy mercy ,and giuen hope ofhearing andofhelpe,to the bafel}andpooref} amongft men. Thouacceptefi not the perlons, no not of Princes, thoure- gardeft not the rich boner then the poore. Behold therefore (Olouing Father in IelLs Chrift ) to thee doe I try, to thy tnercy feat doe l firetch out my feeble bands. I hauelearned, OLord,that;miferycomes not forth of the'deft; neither Both affliâion fpring outoftheearth: the pillars of the world arethine, thou ópeneft or Ihutteft thy handat thine owne plea- fure. Thy wifdoruealfo is infinite, and thy indgmentsare vnfearchable: who töVeuotíor±, 74.3 Shall pleafe withthee, to aske thee d reafon ofthywaies ? Let it he enough forme that it is thy pleafure thus to debafeme, Am I nöt in thy hand as clay in thePotters? If thoudoe glue me a largerportton,it is thyhematíe: ifthou'do abridge me,whathadeI to complaine, or what challenge can I maketothatwhichthoukeepeí}from me ? Teachme(I befeechthee) notto lookefo muchvpon this,what others haue, as toconfider well,howlittle I for mypart doedeferuetohaue. IfI doebutbreathe vponthe face oftheearth, ifI had no houfe 'Anew open aire, no garments but rags,no foodbutthe bread andthe water of aflliâion,orthe crums that fall from force rich mans table,it wereinfinitely more then my belt defers. A finfull andvnthankfull wretch, asI haue al- waiesbeen, what can Ifayisdue vnto mee but perpetuall fhame ? WhenT iudgerightly ofall things, fofarream I frombeingable to faythatthouhaft wronged me,ordealt tooftraitlywith me, thatI mutt rather!Er vpmyfelfe to magnifie thy mercy,whichhaft not laidvponme thevtmoftofthywrath, burhaft giuen mea time&anoppor- tunitie to repent: Let thefethings,I pray thée,thefoueraignty ofthy ppow- er,the depthofthywifdom,the route. nes ofmine owne defett,the kindüel% which(notwithftáding force outward hardfhip) thouhaft vouchfafedtomy foule,moderate my violentafeftions, curbe my raging and difcontented thoughts, bringmy ranging pafsions into order, that I may alwaies fay, Zr isthe Lord, It him doewhat fermerhorris good. 7'hi.ismyforram,audl willdeareit. Openmineeieswithall, that Imay fee thypower,who canft railthe nee- dyfrom theduft,and liftthepooreout of the dung, andmake him families likea flockeofIheep; whocant} com- mandeuen the very Rauens to bring breadand fleshvnto thyferuants, the heauens to drop downe food, and the rocke of Stone toyeeld ftreames ofwaters,to refrelh thofewhom thou art pleafed to proúíde for. Shall I thinke thy power to beabated, or is thy
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