Ancilla pietatis: or, The hand-maid to priuate deuotion presenting a manuell to furnish her with necessary principles of faith. Forcible motiues to a holy life. Vsefull formes of hymnes and prayers. ... By Daniel Featly, D. in Diuinity.

THE TEXTS.

VVEe haue had Fathers of our flesh which corrected vs,* 1.1 and wee gaue them reuerence, shall wee not much rather be in subiection to the Father of Spirits, and liue? Heb. 12. 9.

Who hath euer resisted his wil? Rom. 9. 19.

He is able to subdue all things to himselfe, Phil. 3. 21.

Hee draweth the mighty with his power; he riseth vp, and no man is sure of life, Iob 24. 21.

Will hee pleade against mee with his great power? Iob 23. 6.

God is greater then man, Iob 33. 12.

Why doest thou striue against him? for hee giueth not account of any of his matters. v. 13.

Thy will be done,* 1.2 &c. Mat. 6. 10.

Father, if it be possible let this

cup passe from me, Mat 26. 39.

Yet not as I will, but as thou wilt, v. 16.

I held my peace, because it was thy doing, Psal. 39. 10.

Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts, &c. 1 Pet. 3. 11.

Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their soules to him in well doing, as vnto a faithfull creator, 1 Pet. 3. 19.

Wee haue receiued good at the hands of God,* 1.3 and shall wee not receiue euill? Iob 2. 10.

Affliction commeth not forth of the dust, neither doth trauaile come forth of the ground, Iob 5. 6.

I will make thee sicke in smi∣ting thee, because of thy sinne, Micha 6. 13.

Man suffereth for his sinne,* 1.4 Lam. 3. 39.

Wee know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God,* 1.5 Rom. 8. 28.

The heate beate vpon the head of IONAS that he fainted,* 1.6 and wished in himselfe to dye, and said, It is better for me to die then to liue, Ionah 4. 8.

And ELIAH requested that he might die: It is enough Lord, take away my life; I am no bet∣ter then my Fathers, 1 Kings 19. 4.

We that are in this Taberna∣cle doe groane being burdened, 2 Cor. 5. 4.

That I should not bee exalted aboue measure,* 1.7 there was giuen me a Thorne in the flesh, 2 Cor. 12.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in ne∣cessities, in persecutions, in di∣stresses; for when I am weake, then am I strong, v. 10

Though our outward man de∣cay,* 1.8 our inward man is renewed, &c. 2 Cor. 4. 16.

My wounds stinke, and are corrupt through my foo∣lishnesse,

Psal. 38. 5. vid. Psal. 38. 4.

Let vs search,* 1.9 and trie our waies, and turne againe to the Lord, Lam. 3. 40.

I truly am set in the Plague; and my heauinesse is euer in my sight, Psal. 38. 17.

I will confesse my wickednesse, and be sorrie for my sinne, verse 18.

The people turneth not to him that smiteth them, Isa 9. 13. see Ezra 9. 13.

The thing that I so greatly feared is fallen vpon me, Iob 3. 25.

We haue transgressed, and re∣belled, and thou hast not pardo∣ned, Lam. 3. 42.

Though he slay me,* 1.10 yet will I trust in him, Iob 13. 15.

He shall also be my saluation, for an hypocrite shall not stand be∣fore him, v. 16.

And though all this be come vpon vs, yet doe we not forget thee,

nor behaue our selues frowardly in thy couenant, Psal. 44. 18.

Our heart is not turned backe; neither our steps gon out of the way, v. 19.

No not when thou hast smitten vs into the place of dragons, and couered vs with the shadow of death, v. 20.

We are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world,* 1.11 1 Cor. 11. 32.

I will bee vnto Ephraim as a Lyon,* 1.12 and as a roaring Lyon to the house of Iudah; I will teare, and goe away, Hosea 5. 14.

I will goe and returne to my place, till they acknowledge their offences, and seeke my face: In their affliction they will seeke me early, v. 15.

Hee would haue filled his bel∣lie with the huskes that the swine did eate and no man gaue vnto him, Luke 15. 16.

And when he came to himself he said, How many hired ser∣uants

in my Father's house haue meate enough, and I perish with hunger? v. 17.

I will arise and goe to my Fa∣ther, &c. v. 18.

When in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel,* 1.13 and sought him, hee was found of them, 2 Chron. 15. 4.

In wrath, or, in the middest of iudgement thou remembrest mercy, Abak. 3. 2.

Ikill,* 1.14 and make aliue; I wound, and I heale, Deut. 32. 39.

The Lord bringeth downe to the graue, and bringeth vp, 1 Sam. 2. 6.

This man was borne blinde, that the worke of God might bee shewed in him, Ioh. 9. 8.

This sicknesse is not vnto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might bee glorified thereby, Ioh. 11. 4.

For wee had the Sentence of death in our selues, that wee should not trust in our selues, but

in God that raiseth the dead, 2. Cor. 1. 9, 10.

Who hath deliuered vs from so great a death, and doth deli∣uer: in whom wee trust that he will yet deliuer vs, ver. 11.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sicknesse is God's vi∣sitation: who is the Father of our Spirits, and cannot be resisted.
• * 1.2

  Must be o∣beyed.
• * 1.3

  From whō we receiue good.
• * 1.4

  It is a scourge for our sins.
• * 1.5

  It is sent for our good
• * 1.6

  To weane vs from the world.
• * 1.7

  To tame the flesh, and strengthe∣ning the Spirit.
• * 1.8

  To make vs loath sin.
• * 1.9

  To bring vs to acknow∣ledgement of our sins in speciall.
• * 1.10

  To proue sincerity of our faith and loue.
• * 1.11

  To keepe vs from euer∣lasting tor∣ments.
• * 1.12

  To make vs seeke more earnestly to God.
• * 1.13

  Who will be found of vs.
• * 1.14

  And shew his glory in our reco∣uery.