The diamond of deuotion cut and squared into sixe seuerall points: namelie, 1 The footpath to felicitie. 1 2 A guide to godlines. 81 3 The schoole of skill. 181 4 A swarme of bees. 209 5 A plant of pleasure. 245 6 A groue of graces. 283 Full of manie fruitfull lessons, auaileable to the leading of a godlie and reformed life: by Abraham Fleming.

sinne, by the assistance of Gods spirit. 6 For the due examination of our thoughts, and an vpright hart. 7 For conuersation fit and agreeable to our calling. 8 For constancie in our pro∣fession, against all temptations and impediments.

1 O Mercifull and hea∣uenlie Father, we thy seruants do humblie prostrate our selues before thy diuine Maiestie, ac∣knowledging here in thy sight our hainous offences committed a∣gainst thine omnipotencie, séeing and beholding thy heauie wrath a∣gainst them. We féele our selues la∣den (O Lord our God) with a huge companie of horrible sinnes, whereof euen the verie least (be∣ing but conceiued in thought) is sufficient in iudgement, to throwe vs downe to the euerlasting bur∣ning lake.

2 Our owne consciences, O Lord, do beare witnes against vs.

of our manifold transgressions of thy blessed lawe, of our securitie and senslesse blindnes, running headlong to destruction, commit∣ting sinne after sinne, although not notorious to the world, yet hor∣rible before thine eies. The thoughts of our hearts rise vp in iudgement against vs: the vanitie of our talke before thy Maiestie condemneth vs: the wickednes of our déedes from thy sight reiecteth vs: all our wicked thoughts, words, and déedes, with the in∣ward corruption of our nature, do altogether, as it were a whole lumpe and loade of sinne, lie heauie vpon vs, and with their intolle∣rable weight, do euen presse vs downe to Hell.

3 We do dailie grone vnder the burthen of them, inwardlie lamen∣ting our owne follie, so gréedilie running into them. In heauen, earth, or hell, we sée none able to susteine the weight of them, but e∣uen thy dearelie beloued sonne

Iesus Christ, who in mercie inti∣nite, and compassion endlesse, hath susteined and ouercome that end∣lesse punishment due vnto them: in him therefore, in him most merci∣full Father, and through him, we come to thée, being fullie assured according to thy promise, that thou wilt accept and take that full re∣compense, which he thy deare son hath made for vs, as a iust ran∣some for all the sinnes of all those, who with a true faith take hold on him. In him therefore we sée thine anger towards vs appeased, thy wrath satisfied, and our debts paied.

4 Increase in vs (good Lord) we beséech thée, this liuelie and féeling faith: for we féele it often∣times in vs verie weake, and trou∣bled with manie doubts: increase it in vs (O Lord) that we maie through thy holie spirit be assured, that the punishment of our sinnes is fullie in thy sonne discharged. Make vs, O Lord our God, to

feele this ••ame in our soules and consciences, that Iesus Christ is ours, and all that he hath done, that we are graffed into his bodie, and made one with him, and therefore fellow heires with him of eucria∣sting life. Let vs not onelie haue these words in our mouthes (good Lord:) but through thy holie spi∣rit, let vs feéle the comfort of them in our hearts fullie sealed and set∣led in vs, that we feéling our selues inwardlie before thy iudgement seate discharged, and our conscien∣ces towards theé released, may be swallowed vp with an vnfeined loue toward thy heauenlie Maie∣stie, and towards our brethren for thy sake.

5 Make sinne to die in vs dailie more and more, that we may hate, detest, and vtterlie abhorre all sinne and wickednes in all men, but especiallie in our selues: that we may stronglie (through thy ho∣lie spirit) set our selues in open warre and defiance against all sin

and wickednes, that we please not our selues in our sinnes, but streightlie examining sinne by the iust rule of thy holie lawes, we may vtterlie from the bottome of our hearts, condemne euen the least sinne in our selues, hauing our whole ioie, comfort, and conso∣lation vpon those things which be agreéable to thy blessed will.

6 Giue vs grace alwaies to be afraide to do anie thing contrarie to thy good pleasure: and from the bottome of our hearts, to examine and trie our thoughts, before thy presence, that they be vpright and vnfeined, not hypocriticall in out∣ward shew onlie, and appearance, but that euen all corners of our hearts being opened and disclosed before theé, we may euen as though it were openlie before the face of the whole world, bring them in shewe, knowing that a double hart is detestable in thy sight.

7 O Lord, direct and guide our feéte, that we may walke alwaies

as before thine eies, not onelie be∣fore the eies of man, being more carefull to walke circumspectlie, in this respect, that we haue theé to be a viewer of our doings, a thousand fold more than the eies of man, that thus we may walke as becom∣meth thy children, not onlie in out∣ward shew, but also in sinceritie of hart, abhorring euen the least sinne in our selues, striuing, resisting, and fighting against sinne, not de∣lighting our selues in sinne, nor nourishing the same in our breast, but earnestlie embracing, and stu∣diouslie seéking after those things which be pleasant in thine eies.

8 O good Lord, make vs con∣stant, and firme harted, that neither the feare of man, nor losse of goods, life, lands, possessions, or friendes, drawe vs awaie from theé, to do a∣nie the least thing contrarie to thy will and pleasure: neither the fa∣uour or friendship of man, nor yet the flattering enticements of this world, nor the vaine promotions of

the same, do moue vs anie whit from the true and endles ioie, de∣light, & pleasure, which we ought to haue in those things which be a∣greéable to thy will, and the con∣stant performance of the same, but that alwaies to the end of our life we may continue in thy pathes, growing and increasing from faith to faith, from strength to strength, till at the length we shall come to thy euerlasting rest,

Amen. T. C.