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make him to alter his purpose; yet prays and endeavours, as if he would force God to save him

for ever.

22. He prays and labours for that which he is confident God means to give; and the more assured he is, the more earnest he prays for that he knows he shall never obtain, and yet gives not over. He prays and labours for that which he knows he shall be no less happy without; he prays with all his heart not to be led into temptation, yet rejoiceth when he is fallen into it; he believes his prayers are heard, even when they are denied ; and gives thanks for that, which he prays against.

23. He hath within him both flesh and spirit, yet he is not a double-minded man; he is often led captive by the law of sin, yet it never gets dominion over him; he cannot sin, yet can do nothing without sin: he doth nothing against his will, yet maintains he doth what he would not. He wavers and doubteth, yet obtains.

24. He is often tossed and shaken, yet is as mount Sion; he is a serpent and a dove; a lamb and a lion; a reed and a cedar. He is sometimes so troubled that he thinks nothing to be true in religion; yet if he did think so, he could not at all be troubled. He thinks sometimes that God hath no

mercy for him, yet resolves to die in the pursuit of it. He believes like Abraham against hope, and

though he cannot answer God's logic, yet with the woman of Canaan, he hopes to prevail with the rhetoric of importunity.

25. He wrestles and yet prevails; and though yielding himself unworthy of the least blessing he enjoys, yet Jacob like, he will not let him go without a new blessing. He sometimes thinks himself to have no grace at all, and yet how poor and af flicted soever he be besides, he would not change conditions with the most prosperous man under heaven, that is a manifest worldling.

26. He thinks sometimes that the ordinances of God do him no good, yet he would rather part with his life than be deprived of them.

27. He was born dead; yet so that it had been murder for any to have taken his life away. After

he began to live, he was ever dying.

28. And though he hath an eternal life begun in him, yet he makes account he hath a death to pass through.

29. He counts self-murther a heinous sin, yet is ever busied in crucifying the flesh, and in putting to death his earthly members: not doubting, but there will come a time of glory, where he shall be esteemed precious in the sight of the great God of heaven and earth, appearing with boldness at his throne, and asking any thing he needs; being endued with humility, by acknowledging his great

crimes and offences, and that he deserveth nothing but severe punishment.

30. He believes his soul and body shall be as full of glory, as them that have more; and no more full, than theirs that have less.

31. He lives invisible to those that see him, and those that know him best do but guess at him; yet those many times judge more truly of him than he doth of himself.

32. The world will sometimes account him a saint, when God accounteth him a hypocrite; and afterwards when the world branded him for an hypocrite, then God owned him for a saint.

33. His death makes not an end of him. His soul which was put into his body, is not to be perfected without his body; yet his soul is more happy, when it is separated from his body, than when it was joined unto it: and his body though torn in pieces, burnt to ashes, ground to powder, turned to rottenness, shall be no loser.

34. His advocate, his surety shall be his judge; his mortal part shall become immortal; and what was sown in corruption and defilement shall be raised in incorruption and glory; and a finite creature shall possess an infinite happiness. Glory be to God.

PRAYER

MADE AND USED BY THE LORD CHAN-
CELLOR BACON.

O ETERNAL God, and most merciful Father in Jesus Christ: Let the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts be now and ever gracious in thy sight, and acceptable unto thee, O Lord, our God, our strength, and our redeemer.

O eternal God, and most merciful Father in Jesus Christ; in whom thou hast made a covenant of grace and mercy with all those that come unto thee in him, in his name and mediation, we humbly prostrate ourselves before the throne of thy mercies' seat, acknowledging that by the breach of all thy holy laws and commandments, we are become wild olive-branches, strangers to thy covenant of grace; we have defaced in ourselves thy sacred image imprinted in us by creation; we have sinned against heaven and before thee, and are no more worthy to be called thy children. O admit us into the place even of hired servants. Lord thou hast formed us in our mothers wombs, thy providence hath hitherto watched over us, and preserved us unto this period of time: stay not the

course of thy mercies and loving-kindness towards us: have mercy upon us, O Lord, for thy dear Son Christ Jesus sake, who is the way, the truth, and the life. In him, O Lord, we appeal from thy justice to thy mercy, beseeching thee in his name, and for his sake only, thou wilt be graciously pleased freely to pardon, and forgive us all our sins and disobedience, whether in thought, word, or deed, committed against thy divine Majesty; and in his precious blood-shedding, death, and perfect obedience, free us from the guilt, the stain, the punishment and dominion of all our sins, and clothe us with his perfect righteousness. There is mercy with thee, O Lord, that thou mayest be feared; yea, thy mercies swallow up the greatness of our sins: speak peace to our souls and consciences, make us happy in the free remission of all our sins, and be reconciled to thy poor servants in Jesus Christ, in whom thou art well pleased: suffer not the works of thine own hands to perish, thou art not delighted in the death of sinners, but in their conversion. Turn our hearts, and we shall be turned; convert us, and we shall be converted; illuminate the eyes of our minds and understanding with the bright beams of thy Holy Spirit, that we may daily grow in the saving knowledge of the heavenly mystery of our redemption, wrought by our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; sanctify

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