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.

If thou art terrified in conscience with the gilt of thy sinnes, and fearefully tempted to despaire, support thy selfe with these helps

• 1 Most earnest prayer
  • of thy self
  • of others for thee.
• 2 Bitter teares in aboundance for thy particular sinnes.
• 3 Restitution.
• 4 Reconciliation.
• 5 Almes deedes.
• 6 The comfort of thy Pastor.
• 7 The absolution of the Church.
• 8 Meditation vp∣on these heads especially,
  • 1 The infinitnesse of God's mercie.
  • 2 The price & value of Christ's bloud.
  • 3 The efficacy of his intercession.
  • 4 The vertue of the Sacraments.
  • 5 The vniuersalitie and certaintie of Gods promises to the penitent.
  • 6 Exampls of mer∣cy shewed to most grieuous sinners.

THE TEXTS.

ANd being in an Agonie,* 1.1 he prayed more earnestly, Luke 22. 44.

Pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all per∣seuerance, Eph. 6. 18.

Be feruent in spirit, seruing the Lord, Rom. 12. 11.

Reioycing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, ver. 12.

Pray one for another,* 1.2 that yee may be healed: the effectuall ser∣uent prayer of a righteous man auaileth much, I am. 5. 16.

What prayer,* 1.3 or what suppli∣cation shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when euery one shall know his owne griefe, and his owne sore, and shall spread forth his hands vnto thee, 2. Cron. 6. 29.

Then heare thou from heauen

thy dwelling place, and forgiue, ver. 30.

Then Dauids heart smote him after he had numbred the people; and Dauid sayd vnto the Lord, I haue sinned greatly in this I haue done; and now, I beseech thee, ô Lord, take away the iniquitie of thy seruant, for I haue done very foolishly, 2. Sam. 2••. 10.

I make my bed to swimme,* 1.4 I wa∣ter my couch with my teares. Psal. 6. 6.

And hee went out, and wept bitterly, Mat. 26. 75.

He shall restore that which hee tooke violently away,* 1.5 or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was deli∣uered to him to keepe, or the lost thing which he found, Leu. 6. 4.

Or all that about which hee hath sworne falsly; hee shall re∣store it in the principall, and shall adde a fift part more thereto, v. 5.

If I haue taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I re∣store

him foure fold, Luke 19. 8.

Goe thy way,* 1.6 bee reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift, Mat. 5. 24.

Agree with thine aduersarie quickly, while thou art in the way with him, ver. 25.

Forgiue,* 1.7 and ye shall be forgi∣uen, Luke 6. 37.

If ye forgiue not men their tres∣passes, neither will my heauenly Father forgiue you, Mat. 6. 15.

If thy brother trespasse against thee seauen times a day, and sea∣uen times a day, doe returne vnto thee saying; I repent, thou shalt forgiue him, Luke 17. 4.

Be yee kinde one to another, tender hearted, forgiuing one ano∣ther, euen as God for Christ's sake hath forgiuen you, Eph. 4. 32.

And his Lord was wroth, and deliuered him to the tormentors til he should pay all that was due vnto him, Mat. 18. 34.

So likewise shall my heauenly Father doe also vnto you,* 1.8 if yee

from your heart forgiue not e∣uery man his brother their tres∣passes, v. 35.

O King, let my counsell be ac∣ceptable vnto thee, and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore, Dan. 4. 27.

Many sins are forgiuen her, for she loued much, Luk. 7. 47.

Giue almes of such things as ye haue,* 1.9 and behold all things are cleane vnto you, Luk. 11. 41.

Sell that ye haue, giue almes, prouide your selues baggs that waxe not old, and a treasure in the heauens which faileth not, Luk. 12. 33.

Lay not vp for your selues treasures on earth, where rust and moths doe corrupt, and where theeues breake through and steale, Mat. 6. 19.

But lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen, where nei∣ther moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where theeues doe not

breake through, nor steale, v. 20.

And I say vnto you, make vnto your selues friends of the Mam∣mon of vnrighteousnesse, that when yee faile they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations, Luke 16. 9.

While ye haue time, doe good vnto all men, but especially to them of the houshould of faith, Gal. 6. 10.

Charge the rich in this world, 1 Tim. 6. 17.

That they doe good, that they be rich in good workes, ready to di∣stribute, willing to communicate, v. 18:

Laying vp for themselues a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternall life, v. 19.

To do good,* 1.10 and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifice God is well pleased, Heb. 13. 16.

His soule draweth nigh to the graue, and his life to the destroy∣er, Iob. 33. 22.

If there bee a messenger with him, or an interpreter one of a thousand to shew vnto him his vprightnesse, ver. 23.

Then he is gracious vnto him, and saith; Deliuer him from go∣ing downe to the pit. I haue found a ransome, ver. 24.

He will pray vnto God, and he will be fauourable vnto him, hee shall see his face with ioy, v. 26.

Is any man sicke among you, let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray ouer him, I am. 5. 14.

And the prayer of the Faithfull shall saue the sicke, &c, and if hee haue committed sinnes, they shal be forgiuen him, ver, 15.

Verily I say vuto you, whatso∣euer ye shal bind in earth shall be bound in heauen, and whatsoe∣uer yee shall loose on earth, shall bee loosed ia Heauen, Matth. 18. 18.

And when hee had sayd thus, he breathed on them, and sayd

vnto thē, Receiue the holy Ghost, Ioh. 20. 22.

Whosoeuers sins ye remit, they are remitted, vnto them; and who∣soeuers sinnes ye retaine, they are retained verse 23.

Thy mercy is great aboue the heauens,* 1.11 and thy truth reacheth to the clouds, Psal. 108. 4.

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy, Psal. 145. 8.

The Lord is good vnto all, and his tender mercy is ouer all his workes, Psal. 145. 9.

Thou Lord art good, and ready to forgiue, and plenteous in mercy to all them that call vpon thee, Psal. 86. 5,

Thou O Lord art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suf∣fering, plenteous in mercy and truth, ver. 15.

O giue thanks vnto the Lord for he is good, and his mercy en∣dureth for euer, Psalm. 136. 1. 116. 1. 107. 1. 118. 1.

In whom we haue redemption through his blood, according to the riches of his grace, Eph. 1. 6.

By his owne blood hee entered once into the holy place, hauing obtained eternall redemption for vs, Heb. 9. 12.

The precious blood of Christ, as of a Lambe without blemish, 1 Pet. 1. 19.

This is the Cup of the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you, Luke 22. 10.

The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood, Act 20. 28.

Much more, being now iustifi∣ed by his blood, we shall bee saued from wrath through him, Rom. 5. 9.

Ye are made nigh by the blood of Christ, Eph. 2. 13.

For he is our peace, v. 14.

If the blood of bulls and of goates, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the vncleane, sanctifieth to the purifying of

the flesh, Heb. 9. 13.

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eter∣nall Spirit offered himselfe to God without spot, purge our con∣sciences from dead workes? verse 14.

The blood of Iesus Christ his Son clenseth vs from al sinne, 1 Ioh. 1. 7.

If any man sin, wee haue an Aduecate with the Father, Iesus Christ the righteous, 1 Iohn. 2. 1.

And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours onely, but also for the sins of the whole world, v. 3.

These haue washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lambe, Reu. 7. 14.

Thou hast redeemed vs by thy blood to God, Reu. 5. 9.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keepe them from the euill, Ioh. 17. 15.

Sanctifie them through thy

truth; thy Word is truth, v. 17.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them which shall belieue on me through the word, v. 20.

I haue prayed for thee that thy faith may not faile, Luke 22. 32.

In that day ye shall aske in my name, and I say not vnto you that I will pray the Father for you, Ioh. 16. 26.

For the Father himselfe loueth you, because ye haue loued me, v. 27.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that dyed, yea rather that is risen againe, who is euen at the right hand of God, who al∣so maketh intercession for vs, Rom. 8. 34.

Hee is able to saue them euer∣more that come vnto God by him, seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them, Heb. 7. 25.

IOHN did baptize in the wil∣dernesse,* 1.12 and preach the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins, Mar. 1. 4.

According to his mercy hee saued vs by the lauer of regenerati∣on, and renewing of the holy Ghost, Tit. 3. 5.

The like figure whereunto euen baptisme, doth now saue vs by the resurrection of Iesus Christ, 1 Pet. 3. 21.

Repent and bee baptized euery one of you, in the name of the Lord Iesus, for the remission of sins, Act. 2. 38.

This is the Blood of the New Testament,* 1.13 which is shed for ma∣ny, for the remission of sins, Mat. 26. 28.

Seeke the Lord while hee may be found, call ye vpon him while he is neere, Isa. 55. 6.

Let the wicked for sake his way, and the vnrighteous man his thoughts, and let him returne to the Lord, and he will haue mer∣cy vpon him, and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon, v. 7.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my waies your

waies, saith the Lord, v 8.

As I liue, saith the Lord God, I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turne from his way and liue, Ezekiel 18. 22.

Turne you, turne you from your euill waies, for why will yee dye ô yee house of Israel? Ezek. 33. 11.

I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turne your selues, and liue, Ezek. 18. 32.

They shall know me from the least to the greatest, saith the Lord, and I will forgiue their ini∣quity, and remember their sin no more, Ier. 31. 34.

Thou shalt finde the Lord, if thou seeke him with al thy heart, and with all thy soule, Deut. 4. 29.

For the Lord thy God is a mercifull God, he will not forsake thee, nor destroy thee, v. 31.

If my people shall humble

themselues, and pray, and seeke my face, and turne from their wicked waies, then I will heare from heauen, and will forgiue their sinne, 2 Chro. 7. 14.

If thou returne to the Almigh∣ty, thou shalt be built vp, Iob 22. 23.

I haue blotted out, as a thick clowde, thy transgressions and as a clowde thy sins: returne vnto me, for I haue redeemed thee, Isa. 44. 22.

Cease to doe euill; learne to doe well, Isa. 1. 17.

Come now, let vs reason to∣gether, saith the Lord: though your sins be as skarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall bee as wooll, Isa. 1. 18.

Goe, proclaime these words to the North, and say, Returne thou back-sliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall vpon you, for I am mercifull, saith the Lord, and

will not keepe anger for euer, Ier. 3, 12.

Onely acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast trans∣gressed the Lord thy God, verse 13.

Come, let vs returne to the Lord, for he hath torne, and hee will heale vs; he hath smitten, and he will binde vs vp, Hosea 6. 1.

I will heale their back-slidings, I will loue them freely, Hosea 14. 4.

Seeke the Lord, and yee shall liue, Amos 5. 6.

Turne yee vnto mee, saith the Lord of Hosts, and I will turne vnto you, Zac. 1. 3.

Come vnto me all ye that are heauy laden, and I will ease you, Mat. 11. 28.

Likewise I say vnto you, There is ioy in the presence of the An∣gels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth, Luke 15. 10.

The Son of Man came to saue that which was lost, Luke 19. 10.

I came not to call the righte∣ous, but sinners to repentance, Luk. 5. 32.

That repentance, and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his name among all Nations, Luke 24. 47.

Repent ye therefore, and bee conuerted, that your sinnes may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, Acts 3. 19.

The Lord is not slacke as some men account slacknesse, but is long suffering to vs-ward, not wil∣ling that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 9.

If wee confesse our sins, hee is faithfull and iust, to forgiue vs our sinnes, and cleanse vs from all vn∣righteousnesse, 1 Ioh. 1. 9.

Manasses built altars for al the Host of heauen,* 1.14 2 Chron. 33. 5.

And he caused his children to passe by the fire in the valley of Hinnon; also he vsed Witch-craft,

and dealt with familiar Spirits, &c. v. 67.

But when hee was in his affli∣ction, hee besought the Lord his God and humbled himself great∣ly before the Lord of his Fathers, v. 12.

And prayed vnto him, and he was intreated of him, and he heard his supplication, v. 13.

He denied before them al,* 1.15 say∣ing, I know not what thou say∣est, Mat. 26. 70.

And againe he denyed him, v. 72.

Then he began to curse, and to sweare, saying, I know not the man, v. 74.

And the Lord turned, and looked vpon PETER, and PE∣TER remembred the words of the Lord, Luk. 22. 61.

And PETER went out and wept bitterly, v. 62.

And behold a woman in the City which was a sinner,* 1.16 brought an al abaster box of ointment, &c. Luk. 7 37.

Her sinnes which are many, are forgiuen her, for she loued much, v. 47.

A woman which had bin hea∣led of euill Spirits and infirmities, Mary Magdalene, out of whom went seauen diuels, Luk. 8. 2.

The younger tooke his iour∣ney into a farre countrey,* 1.17 and wasted his substance with rio∣tous liuing, Luk. 15. 13.

When he came to himselfe, he said, &c. v. 18.

I will arise, and goe to my Fa∣ther, and say, Father, I haue sin∣ned against heauen, and against thee, &c. v. 20.

And he arose, & went to his Fa∣ther; but when he was yet a great way off, his Father sawe him, and had compassion, & came, & fell on his neck,* 1.18 and kissed him, v. 20.

And he said to Iesus, Lord re∣member me when thou commest into thy kingdome, Luk. 23. 41.

And Iesus said vnto him, Ve∣tily I say vnto thee; This day

shalt thou be with me in Paradise, v. 43.

Him ye haue taken,* 1.19 and by wicked hands haue crucified and slaine, Act. 2. 23.

Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Iesus whom yee haue crucified both Lord and Christ, v. 36.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in heart, and said to Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall wee doe? verse 37.

Then Peter said, Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins, v. 38.

Then they that gladly receiued the Word were baptized; and the same day were added vnto them about three thousand soules, verse 41.

This is a faithfull saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Iesus came into the

world to saue sinners, of whom I am chiefe, 1 Tim. 1. 15.

Howbeit for this cause I ob∣tained mercy, that in mee Iesus Christ might first shew forth all long suffering, for a patterne to them which should hereafter belieue on him to eternall life, v. 16.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pray in∣stantly and feruently.
• * 1.2

  Desire o∣thers to pray. ••
• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 open thy sins and griefe in particular.
• * 1.4

  Weepe a∣bundantly.
• * 1.5

  Restore.
• * 1.6

  Reconcile.
• * 1.7

  Forgiue freely.
• * 1.8

  from the heart.
• * 1.9

  Giue as thou art able libe∣rally.
• * 1.10

  Seeke to thy Pastor, and desire comfort frō him, and the Church absolution.
• * 1.11

  Medit at vpon, & by faith, apply to thy selfe Gods infi∣nite mercy.
• * 1.12

  The vertue of the Sa∣craments.
• * 1.13

  The vni∣uersality of promises to penitent sinners.
• * 1.14

  The exam∣ple of Gods mercy in pardoning heinous and grieueus sinners.
• * 1.15

  Peter.
• * 1.16

  Mary Magdalen.
• * 1.17

  The prodi∣gall.
• * 1.18

  The theefe on the Crosse.
• * 1.19

  The Iewes that cruci∣fied, or con∣sented to the cruci∣fying of IESVS.