The Last Battle of the Soul, Religious tract 1 · Part 3 · Section
A Prayer for the sicke Man.
O LORD, of MercieMercy, whose bowels are turned within thee, when thou beholdest the griefe of the godlie; Bee heere present for the reliefe of this thy poore distressed Seruant: His eyes are stedfastlie fixed vponupon Thee, as Psal. 123. 2the eyes of the hand maide are fixed vponupon the hands of her Mistresse.
Behold, LORD, and heare his amazed broken heart, braying after Psal. 42. 1thee as an Hart panting after the Riuers of waters: Pitie this sillie Soule which is like the drye ground gaping for droppes of Raine.
Oh, LORD, his strength is d…yed vp like a Pot shard, his tongue cleaueth vntounto his jawes, and thou hast brought him into the dust of death: Let the sweetest comfortes of thy bleeding bowels bee powred into his broken heart: Make the joyfull Light of thy countenance breake foorth vponupon his drooping and cloudie Conscience: O strengthen his sillie Soule in this heauie houre: Pacifie the pangs of his remorse, that hee may laye holde vponupon the merits and mercies of thy Sonne IESVS.
Come gracious GOD, with thy strength for his succour: Sathan a most bitter enemie, hath besieged his Soule with most fearefull temptations. There is no mischiefe which could bee deuised, but hee hath m… stered it and set it in battell arraye against him: While hee had health and youth, this enemie was the chiefe entiser of him vntounto sinne, by bearing him in hand, that it was an easie thing after many sinfull pleasures, enjoyed to returne vntounto God, whose fauour and kindnesse might bee procured by and by without anie labour.
But now, Father, while he seeth his day declining & the Sun of his life neare its setting, of an Entiser hee is become an Accuser, striuing by all meanes to cause him make shipwrack vponupon the bankes of despare: Night and day hee vexeth and teareth his Soule by whispering into his eare most impudent lyes against thy Trueth, viz. That hee is so miserable, that thou art not able to be mercifull vntounto him: He suggesteth most craftily that it is in vaine for him to sue to thee for thy grace, that there is none hope of merciemercy left for such a sinner, that there is none accesse vntounto the Throne of Grace, for the prayers ofHeb. 4. 16. such a miserable wretch; and that it is no purpose for him to pray.
But what? LORD, thou who art Trueth it selfe, wilt thou suffer this father of lyes to trouble still thy Seruant?Ioh. 8. 44 Wilt thou heareanie longer thine infinite merciemercy thus reproached and reuiled, as though thou were not able to pa…don the faultes of thine owne poore creature? What is that to say but that God shall cease to be that God whose merciemercy is aboue all his workes?
O LORD, most mercifull, can the sinfull scarlet rednesse, and the Crimsin colour of mans corruptions bee …o dyed that it cannot bee washen away with the Blood of thy Lambe? O seale vp the sense of thy louelove in his heart, make thy Spirit to whisper in his eare, that merciemercy is with thee, that thou may bee both feared and loued.
Shall anie thing. LORD, withhold the heart broken sinner fromHeb. 4. 16. the Throne of Grace? Is not this the voyce of thy Spirit, Come vntounto Matth. 11. 28.mee all ye that are wearied and ladened with sinned? Is not thy promise written in thy Booke, that thou wilt ease them?
O most louing Father, euen in despite of Sathan, and his most despitfull suggestions, make his Soule bolde and confident, that it may aduenture it selfe to the mercifull Throne of thy Grace: Cleare and cleanse his eyes from the Spirituall goare of sin, that with Simeon he mayLuk. 2. 30. 31 see thy Saluation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people.
O deare IESVS, deliuer his Darling from the power of the Dogge: Incline thine eares and heare the grieuous groanes of this poore prisoner: Make him a prisoner of hope: Turne thee now about and refresh his wearied heart with a blinke of thy merciemercy: Shew him the light of thy Countenance, and hee shall bee saued: Enlarge his heart, that thy Graces finding a spacious roome; may plentifully harbour in his soule.
Alas, LORD, what shall we say? if thou shalt say to him, I hauehave no delight in thee: Behold, heere hee is, doe to him as shall seeme good in thine owne eyes.
Thou hast not forgotten, neither can thou forgette, but that thy delight is in merciemercy: Where sinne doeth abound, shall not there thy Grace abound much more? Thou, LORD, hast often bathed this sillie Soule in most bitter brimie teares: Thou hast hid thy selfe from it, and it hath beene troubled: Now amid the vexations of so many temptations, blinke vponupon him with a reconcealed face.
O GOD of Battels, in this Bartell of the Soule send downe thy strength for to guarde him against the assaultes of Satan, who pursueth him so eagerly with most sharpe and fearefull af…aultes, like a Dogge hunting after a sillie straggling sheepe. Though for a space thou suffer him to bee buffeted with a messenger of Sathan, yet let him know that thy Grace shall bee sufficient for him: Let2 …. 12. 7. thy right hand hold him vp, and let thy gentlenesse make him great: Renew his heart with the power of thy Spirit, & reinuest him with the image of thine holinesse, which once hee lost in Adam: Cast his Spirit againe in thine owne mou…d.
At last, LORD, put Sathan to silence, let thine owne Spirit speake vntounto this Sicke in his inward partes: Say vntounto his Soule, I am thy Saluation: Make thy good Spirit of comfort to whisper in his eare, that thou a…t well pleased, and that thou hast receiued a ransome: Such wordes of merciemercy will bee a blessed Balme…, wherby thou shalt heale this sorrow beaten Soule, stung with a checke and smart for his sinnes.
Though. LORD, hee hath but some poore beginnings of Grace in a time wee confesse when thy graces in him should hauehave beene ripe; for that glorie which is now shortly to bee reuealed vntounto him; yet notwithstanding, let it please thee of thy meere merciemercy to pittie and … don: Remember thy mercies of old which were neuer wont to break the bruised reede, nor to quench the smoaking Isa. 42. 3.flaxe: If thy great merciemercy be not his strength and stay, he must needs bee ouercome: For whom hath hee Psal. 73. 25in Heauen but thee? Or who is on earth whom hee can desire besides thee?
O Thou, whom his Soule loueth, tell him where thou makest thy flock to rest at Noone in the greatest heateCant. 1. 7 of affliction: Seeing he seeketh after thee onelie, let him bee refreshed with thy comforts; for why should he turne aside by the flockes of thy companions?
Consider well wee pray thee, LORD, how bene he hath vexed and d squieted with many fearfull temptations: now at last come with thine helping hand, come and abate the force and furie of all his enemies, whether within or without, subdue their raging and reigning power, that when the houre of his departing shall come, hee may with Simeon depart in peace: Stand, LORD, fast by him, forsake him not in this perelous time: Let thy Spirit guide and leade him in the Land of righteousnesse: Let thy grace be vntounto him a Sunne by day & a Moone by night: Take all impedimentes out of the way, bridle & so curbe all his vnrulie affections, that they may fold vnderunder thine obedience: Suppresse all his carcing & heart deuiding cares, whyp out of his heart all treacherous temptations: Embalme his hearte with the sweetnesse of thy new fresh graces: Settle in his Soule, that godlie sorrow which cause Repentance neuer to bee repented of.
This sillie Soule, LORD, hath beene fearefullie tossed to and froe with the waues of thy wrath: Let it please thee to command a calme: Settle thou his heart, and stablish it with thy free Spirit.Psal. 51. 12
Mercifull GOD, thou knoweth how Sathan hath sought to sift and Luk. 22. 31.to winnow him; but of thy merciemercy thou shalt neuer suffer his Faith to faile: Build vponupon the Rocke which cannot bee shaken: Through thy fauour giuegive him peace in belieuing, and joye in the holy Ghost, that by the grace and power of thy Spirit hee may finish his course with comfort.
Let in now be made manifest that his life hath beene hid with Christ in God: Thou who hast numbered hisCol. 3. 3. haires, obserue his griefe & his groans, pittie the crouding of thy Turtle-Doue: Tak thou to heart the anguish of his Spirit.
Behold, LORD, how hee renounceth himselfe, desparing of his owne worth: GiueGive him grace to flee to thy promises, that as in the fearefull and perelous path of this val…y of death, he looketh for nothing but hell torments and paine for his owne sake, so he may assuredlie look for heauens glorie, euen pleasures for Psal. 16. 11euermore, and that for thy promise sake, for thy Names sake for thy Christs sake in whom thy Soule is best pleased: Mak the bones which thou hast brused to rejoyce: Leaue him neuer to himselfe, LORD, till thou hast made thy graces now blooming in his heart, to become type for thy glorie.
LORD, blesse thy beloued Church which is hated of the world, Shee is now pricked with persecutions as a Lillie among the thornes: Let thisCant. 2. 2 comfort Her in all Her distresses that thou shalt neuer forsake Her: But that thorow many tribulations thou shall bring Her vntounto Glorie: Lord, pitie & pardon the vnthankful Church of this Land: Bind Her vntounto Thee by the vnion of Faith, and fasten euerie one of our heartes to another by the bond of louelove; left at last by our misdemeanour, thou bee forced to roote vsus out of thy good Land as a fruitlesse Nation.
GOD bee gracious to our dread SOVERAIGNE the Kings Majestie, gard His Royall Person from the rage of His enemies. Infatuate their plots: Mak giddy their braines, discouer their enterprises: mak Him the Man of thy right Hand: Anoint His Head with the blessed drops of the Oyle of thy Grace & gladnesse: Make Him an humble Homager to IESVS, who hath written on His thigh the King of kings: LORD giuegive Him Grace according to His PlacePsal. 45 10
Say vntounto His Queene, Hearken, O Daughter, & cōsider & incline thy eare: Mak her to forget her own people, & Fathers House: In stead of Her old acquaintance, giuegive her Children, whom thou mayest make Princes on the Earth: Aboue all thinges we intreate Thee to discharge vponupon Her Soule the beames and brightnesse of sauing Knowledge.
Blesse all the Nobilitie of this Land: Make them truelie NobleAct. …711. like the men of Berea, who were couragious for the Trueth.
Make euerie one of vsus faithfull in our place & calling: keep our Soules euer waking & waiting for thycomming: Preserue vsus from slumber of Conscience, & deadnesse of heart, that liuing according to thy law, we may be in this wicked world godlie professours, like burning & shining Lampes for to shew light vntounto others.
We all heere, O gracious Father, relying vponupon thy promised readines to helpe thy little Ones, and to listen to their cryes, hauehave powred out our Soules in thy presence, wee intreate The from the sinceritie of our inward partes, that of thy Fatherlie indulgence, it would please Thee to vouchsaf a fauourable audiēce both to these and to all other our most humble and godlie desires, and that for IESVS thy deare Sonnes sake. To whom with Thee and the Spirit of Grace bee all glorie and honour, world without end. AMEN.
Cause read vntounto you this Night, Psalme 38. Psal. 39. Psal 40 Psal. 41. Psal. 42. Psal. 130. Isa. 38. Isa. 53. Iohn 16.
Let the end of euerie day remember you of the ende of your life: Thogh euerie day of ourage shouldIoshu. 10▪ 12 be as long as that day of Ioshuah, whē at his word the Sunne stood still in Gibeon, yet it would be night at last.
The Lord teach vsus to number our Psal. 90. 12dayes, that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome, and to well doing.
The grace of Iesus and the peace of his Spirit rest with you, and comfort you in all the groanes of your griefe: The Lord turne your smoking flax into a burning fire of zeale: The God of all merciemercy and compassion refresh your weake and wounded heart with the softest o…le of his sauing grace: Nothing Sir is vnpossible to your God, who of a brui. sed Reede can make a pillar of Brasse, which the prince of the powers of darknesse shall not be able to shake: I intreat the Lord to giuegive you such Grace that may leade you vntounto the face and presence of your GOD: Bee more and more earnest with your GOD, that hee would inspire your heart with Life, Spirite, and motion, that thereby yee may bee made fitte for that blessed associatiō with Sainctes and Angels, far from the crossing checkes of Conscience.