God: 'Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving hindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O LORD, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.' XIX. Thus has the humility and godly fear of these great and excellent men', recorded' in the 1 Psal. li. to ver. 17. according to the Hebrew. 2 Fearfulness. 9 So great and such kind of men. * Witnessed of, or celebrated. Scriptures, through obedience, made not only us, but also the generations before us, better; even as many as have received his holy oracles' with fear and truth. Having therefore so many, and such great and glorious examples, let us return to that peace, which was the mark that from the beginning was set before us': let us look up to the Father and Creator of the whole world; and let us hold fast to his glorious and exceeding gifts and benefits of peace. Let us consider and behold with the eyes of our understanding his longsuffering will; and think how gentle and patient he is towards his whole creation. XX. The heavens, moving by his appointment, are subject to him in peace. Day and night accomplish the courses that he has allotted unto them, not disturbing one another. The sun and moon, and all the several companies and constellations of the stars, run the courses that he has appointed to them in concord, without departing in the least from them. The fruitful earth yields its food plentifully in due season, both to man and beast, and to all animals that are upon it, according to his will; not disputing, uor altering any thing of what was ordered by him. So also the unfathomable and unsearchable floods of the deep are kept in by his command: 'and the conflux of the vast sea, being brought together by his order into its several collections, passes not the bounds that he has set to it; but as he appointed" it, so it remains. For he said, Hitherto 1 In. 10 2 Deeds, or works. Let us return to the mark of peace given to us from the beginning. 4 See him with our understanding. 5 Soul. 6 Choruses. 7 Bounds. 9 Vid. edit. Colomes. p. 53. 10 Hollow, or depth. 11 Commanded, so it does. The shalt thou come, and thy floods shall be broken within thee. The ocean, unpassable to mankind, and the worlds that are beyond it, are governed by the same commands of their great Master. Spring and summer, autumn and winter, give place peaceably to each other. The several quarters' of the winds fulfil their work, in their seasons, without offending one another. everflowing fountains, made both for pleasure and health, never fail to reach out their breasts, to support the life of men. Even the smallest creatures live together in peace and concord with each other. All these has the great Creator and Lord of all commanded to observe peace and concord; being good to all, but especially to us who flee to his mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom be glory and majesty for ever and ever. Amen. 4 5 XXI. Take heed, Beloved, that his many blessings be not to us to condemnation-except we shall walk worthy of him, doing with one consent what is good and pleasing in his sight. The Spirit of the LORD is a candle, searching out the inward parts of the belly". Let us, therefore, consider how near he is to us; and how that none of our thoughts, or reasonings which we frame within ourselves, are hid' from him. It is therefore just that we should not forsake our rank, by doing contrary to his will. Let us choose to offend a few foolish and inconsiderate men, lifted up, and glorying in their own pride, rather than God. Let us reverence our Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us; let us honour those 1 Stations. 4 All of us. 2 Service. 5 With concord. 3 Mix together. 6 Prov. xx. 27. 7 That nothing is hid to him of our thoughts, or reasonings. 8 In the pride of their own speech, or reason. N who are set over us; let us respect the aged that are amongst us; and let us instruct the younger men in the discipline and fear of the LORD. Our wives let us direct' to do that which is good. Let them shew forth a lovely habit of purity in all their conversation, with a sincere affection of meekness; let the government of their tongues be made manifest by their silence; let their charity be without respect of persons, alike towards all such as religiously fear God. Let their children bes bred up in the instruction of Christ; and, especially, let them learn how great a power humility has with God; how much a pure and holy charity avails with him; how excellent and great his fear is; and how it will save all such as turn to him with holiness in a pure mind. For he is the searcher of the thoughts and counsels of the heart; whose breath is in us, and when he pleases, he can take it from us. XXII. But all these things' must be confirmed by the faith which is in Christ: for so he himself bespeaks us by the Holy Ghost. Come, ye children, and hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there that desireth life, and loveth to see good days? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and ensue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. But the face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cried, and the LORD heard him, and delivered him out of all his 1 Correct, or amend. 4 Let them manifest. 7 The faith confirms. 2 Will, or counsel. 3 Moderation. 6 Saving. troubles. Many are the troubles of the wicked; but they that trust in the LORD, mercy shall encompass them about. 19 XXIII. Our all-merciful and beneficent Father hath bowels of compassion towards them that fear him; and kindly and lovingly bestows his graces upon all such as come to him with a simple mind. Wherefore let us not waver 10, neither let us have any doubt in our hearts of his excellent and glorious gifts. Let" that be far from us which is written, Miserable are the double-minded, and those who are doubtful in their hearts, who say, These things have we heard, and our fathers have told us these things. But behold, we are grown old, and none of them has happened unto us. O ye fools! consider the trees; take the vine for an example: first it sheds its leaves, then it buds; after that it spreads its leaves, then it flowers; then come the sour grapes, and after them follows the ripe fruit. Ye see how in a little time the fruit of the trees comes to maturity. Of a truth, yet a little while, and his will shall suddenly be accomplished. The Holy Scripture itself bearing witness, That he shall quickly come and not tarry, and that the LORD shall suddenly come to his temple, even the Holy One' whom ye look for. 13 XXIV. Let us consider, Beloved, how the LORD does continually shew us, that there shall be a future resurrection; of which he has made our Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits, raising him from the dead. Let us contemplate 16, Beloved, 9 Scourges. 11 Let the writing be far from us. Hab. ii. 3. 10 Be double-minded." Mal. iii. I. 16 See. |