744 e1Helpe veto thymercy lefte then it wasworttobe? Hafte thounotmade a promifeneuer to forfakeme ?Am I notalwaieswith thee, anddoeft thou not holdmée by myright hand? ShallI imagine thee tobe likethe bird whomthou haftde_ priuedofwifdome,andtowhom thou haft ggxiuen nopart ofvnderftanding, whoiheweth himfelfe cruell vnto his yong ones, as theywerenot his,oras ifhe had=nailedinvaine? No,Iam affured, that thougha woman lhould forget her childe,andforbeare tohaue compaftiononthe fonof herwombe, yetthoucant}not forget thefe whom thou loueftinthySonne. Thou knoweft mywants, thouart able to fupply mywants, thyloue will not fuller thee toleauemedeftitute,in that whichthywifdomeknowestobe conuenient for me.Encreafemyfaith, that I may depend more upon thee, make me diligentin theplaceand cal- lingin whichthou haftfee mee, frame myminde andmy defires to that rate whichthou haftallotted me,keepeme from vniuft and vnlawfull courfes, fromenu ying the abundancewhicho- thersdoeenioy : poffefteme with this perfwafron,thatthis my prefentElate is thefittedformee, and that when it Than begood formetohauemore,thy hand lhallinftantly bee enlarged to- wardme: Stir me vpto feek thyking- dome, and to labour for the meate which endurethvntolife eternal!. En- rich my foulewith fpirituall blefsings in heauenly things:perfwade mycon- fcienceofthy loue inChrift Iefus,that thefeeling thereofmay make althings fweetvino mee. Caufe mee both to truft and to wait for thy faluation, andinall thingsto ftriee togiuethee thydeferued glory, and all thisinand forthy Sonnes fake,myonly Media- torand Redeemer,emen, e/Inotherof like nature, fitforme whom godhathenriched with out- ward things, IT hathpleafed thee(O LORD) out,ofrhe freedome of thy bountie, to deale more largelywith mee then Deuotion. with manyof thy feruants,andto fur_ nifh meewith lloreof thefe outward blefsings, which others (euery way as good bynature asmy Oft ) doenot emoÿ. My heart is fraughted with much corruption and though riches be in themfelues a blefsing,yetwithout thy efpeciall grace,theywill bee vntome an occafionof manyevils. Apt Ilhall bee tolift vp-my heart, topride my felfeinmyowne conceit, totruft vnto my wealth, todefpife others,togrow in loue with thisprefent world, tobe_ come cold andremiffe in the bellfer- uiices. Toconclude, Iam highlyin thy fauour,becaufe thouhaft enriched;ne. Theft.be the difeafes,whichthrough the poifonof our nature , doe"rifeby thefe outward hauings, neither canI fay, that my heart istitan from thefe corruptions. Purge themoutof mee, I befeechthee, by the fierypower of thySpirit. Giueme pouertyoffpirit, and humbleneffe ofminde, amid this outwardfulnes, withwhich thou haft enduedmee. Makeme toremember, that the moreI haue, the greater íhall bemine account, and the harder for me to be faced: thatby. that meaner, mywealthmaybe fo far frompuffing me vpwith fecure prefumption, that itmay moueme the ratherevenwith feare andtrembling toworke outmy Salvation. Caufe me to thinke often vponthe words ofmySauiour, that riches are deceitful,andofathorny nan:re,cho.. kingthe good feed ofthe word, and makingit to become vnfnuitfuil; that fo I may learne carefully to handle them,and tovfe them with great bee- dineffe & circumfpeftion, left Ifbould by them gall and wound my confcí- ence,or be pierced thorowwithmany forrowes. Itisfaid (O Lord) that thefthigh placesoftheworld areflipery places, in which it ishard to got with aright foot,and tokecp ftraitandeuenReps; Oh,Ytirre me vp to fomuch themore caretoponder mypaths, and torake diligent heede vetomywaies: L fer menotroiufliuemÿ Lifeta myrswpä fault,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=