A Help Unto Devotion, Prayer 31
31. Another of like nature, fit for one whom God hath enriched vvith outvvard things.
IT hath pleaſed thee (O Lord) out of the freedome of thy bountie, to deale more largely with mee then with many of thy ſeruants, and to furniſh me with ſtore of thoſe outward bleſſings, which others (eueryevery way as good by nature as my ſelfe) doe not enioy. My heart is fraughted with much corruption: and though riches be in themſelues a bleſſing, yet without thy eſpeciall grace, they will bee vntounto me an occaſion of many euils. Apt I ſhall be to lift vp my heart, to pride my ſelfe in my own conceipt, to truſt vntounto my welth, to deſpiſe others, to grow in louelove with this preſent world, to become cold and remiſſe in the beſt ſeruices, to conclude that I am highly in thy fauour, becauſe thou haſt enriched me. Theſe be the diſeaſes, which through the poiſon of our nature, do riſe by theſe outward hauings, neither can I ſay that my heart is cleane from theſe corruptions. Purge them out of mée (I beſeech thee) by the fierie power of thy ſpirit: GiueGive me pouertie of ſpirit and humbleneſſe of minde, amid this outward fulneſſe with which thou haſt endued me. Make mee to remember that the more I hauehave, the greater ſhall bee mine account, and the harder for me to be ſaued: that by that meanes, my wealth may be ſo far from puffing mee vp with ſecure preſumtion, that it may moue me ye rather euen wt fear and trembling to work out my ſaluation. Cauſe me to think often vponupon the wordes of my Sauiour, that riches are deceitful, and of a thorny nature, choking the good ſéed of ye word and making it to become vnfruitfull: that ſo I may learne carefully to handle them and to vſe them with great héedineſſe and circumſpection, leſt I ſhould by them gal & wound my conſcience, or bee pearced through with many ſorrowes. It is ſaid (O Lord) that theſe high places of the world are ſlipperie places, in which it is hard to go with a right foote, & to kéepe ſtrait and euen ſteps; Oh, ſtir me vp to ſo much the more care to ponder my paths and to take diligent héed vntounto my waies; ſuffer me not to iuſtify my ſelf to mine own ſoule, or to make my ſelf beléeue that I am as I ought to be, becauſe waters of a full cuppe are wrung vntounto mee: but teach me ſeriouſly to cōſider, that as many of thy beloued ſeruants do feele the ſmart of pouerty, ſo euen the moſt wicked and thoſe which do rebelliouſly trangreſſe, hauehave a large portion in this life, liuing, waxing olde and growing in wealth, their goods oftentimes excéeding the very deſires of their hearts. Grant therefore that I may labour for ſome better & more certain aſſurāce of thy grace, not grounding my hope vponupon my wealth: but reioycing in this, if the due conſideration of the daunger and vanitie of abundance may worke by thy bleſſing, to the abaſing and humbling of my heart. Oh let not mine eyes be dazled, nor my hart bewitched, with the glory and ſwéetneſſe of theſe worldly treaſures, which may bée taken frō me, or I from them euen in the twinkling of an eye: drawe my affections to the louelove of that durable riches, and to that fruite of heauenly wiſedome, which is better then gold, and the reuenues whereof do ſurpaſſe the ſiluer, that my chiefe care may bee to hauehave a ſoule enriched and furniſhed with thy grace, fulfilled with the knowledge of thy will, in all wiſedome and ſpirituall vnderſtanding. And becauſe (O Lord) in hauing much, I am but a ſteward vnderunder thee, and a diſpoſer of thy gifts, enlarge my bowels towardes others, make me rich & fruitfull in good workes, being a father to the poore, and cauſing ye hart of the widow to reioyce, warming the loynes of the naked with the fleece of my ſhéep, not eating my morſels alone, but dealing my bread to the hungrie, and neuer hiding my ſelf from mine owne fleſh. For why ſhould I make gold my hope? or wherefore ſhould I ſtriue to lade my ſelfe wt this thicke clay, ſtill plotting to ſet my neaſt on high, when al that I hauehave or can hauehave is in a moment turned into vanitie? Quicken mee vppe therefore to good duties, that the hearts of thy Saints may bee comforted by mee, and that in the place where I liue, I may by my forwardneſſe draw on and prouoke others to all the offices of neceſſarie beneuolence. Let the bowels of the néedie bee my treaſurie, and let it bee my deſire & care there to lay vp in ſtore a good foundation for my ſelf againſt the time to come, not truſting to be crowned for the worth of my liberalitie (for what can that be to a Weight of glory?) but aſſuring my ſelf ye the mercy ſhewed by me vntounto others, is a beam of ye louelove which ſhines frō thee vponupon my ſoule. Thus (O Lord) ſhall I by thy goodneſſe hauehave the true vſe of thy bleſſings, together with a daily encreaſe of much matter of thankeſgiuing for thy great goodnes to mee ſo vile and vnworthie; and all for Chriſt, and in his moſt glorious and holie name: to whom with thee and thy ſpirit, one true euerlaſting and only wiſe God, bee all praiſe, and power, might, maieſtie and dominion now and euermore, Amen.