The mysterie of mankind, made into a manual, or The Protestants portuize reduced into explication application, inuocation, tending to illumination, sanctification, deuotion, being the summe of seuen sermons, preached at S. Michaels in Cornehill, London. By William Loe, Doctor of Diuinity, chaplaine to his sacred Maiesty, and pastor elect, and allowed by authority of superiours of the English Church at Hamborough in Saxonie.

GOD MANIFE∣sted in the Flesh.

Explication.

GOD is the height of this Mysterie,* 1.1 God in the flesh, is the depth of this Mysterie, God manifested in the flesh, is the length and breadth of this Mysterie. Of God it is reuea∣led that hee is one in nature, and three in persons, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, that is a Trinitie in Vnitie, & an Vnitie in Trinitie. Euen as in the nūber of three are one number, and yet three vnities, in a triangle are three angles, yet one figure, in the Sunne are body, brightnesse, and heate, yet one Sunne, in the fire, light, flame, and heate, yet the fire cannot bee

diuided, in the soule our me∣morie, vnderstanding and will, and yet one soule; all these shewing, that three may bee one, and one three. So likewise in God, are three persons, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost; and yet one God, who is blessed for euer∣more: For vnlesse I vnder∣stand (when I heare the name of God) that it is meant of the holy and vndeuided Trinity, wherby I am sau••d, mine vn∣derstanding shall content me nothing.

The supereminency of which Mysticall Beeing of God passeth mans vtterance,* 1.2 and therefore wee can better thinke, then speake of God. Let vs not then be ouer curi∣ous to search out this myste∣rie: For God is ex••ellent,* 1.3 and wee know him not, (sayeth E∣lihu in Iob) Our thoughts com∣prehend him not,* 1.4 sayeth Iere∣mie,

And his wayes are past fin∣ding out (saith Saint Paul) These secrets belong vnto the Lord our God,* 1.5 and the reuealed things thereof belong vnto vs,* 1.6 and to our children for euer. Let vs then here content our selues with a touch rather then with a taste of this secret of the es∣sence and will of God: For God the Father in himselfe is the Fountaine of the Dei••ie, which no curiositie can finde out:* 1.7 Perfection of himself, which no man can comprehend: God of himselfe, whom all a∣dore, and Life of himselfe, in whom we all liue. God the Sonne in himselfe is the very engrauen forme of his Father, in whom the whole Godhead dwelleth bodily. And God the holy Ghost, is in himselfe the fulnesse of them both by procession. God (I say) whose power is all puissance, whose sense is all knowledge, whose

essence is the principal good; whose worke is euery good, whose scites beneath al things without substractiō, aboue all things without elation, within all things yet not included. without all things yet not ex∣cluded: aboue al things as pre∣sident, beneath all thinges as sustinent, within all things as cōplement, without all things as comprehēdent. The first mouer yet notmoued in local scite, yet not circūscribed, or∣dering al times, yet not chan∣ged, in Essence infinite, incō∣prehensible in Maiestie, in goodnes soueraigne, in wise∣dom wonderfull, in counsels terrible, in iudgmēt righteous in cogitations secret, in works holy, in mercy rich, in pro∣mise true, alwayes the same, e∣ternal, immortal, vnchangea∣ble, not to bee expressed by speech, not conceyued by thought, of whom al the An∣gels

of Heauen doe stand in feare, whom all dominations and thrones doe adore, at whose presence all powers do shake.

God, I say, being thus of himselfe, is also reuealed to∣wards vs to bee of power in∣comprehensible, creating all things by his owne power, or∣dering all things by his owne will, directing all things to his owne ends of his owne good pleasure: of wisedome vn∣searchable, by which hee spreade the heauens,* 1.8 diuided the waters, & setled the earth; for in wisdome hath he made them all: of mercy vnspeak∣able, by creating vs of no∣thing, and by redeeming vs when wee were worse then nothing: And of iuslice vn∣controuleable, leauing no good vnrecompensed, no e∣uill vnpunished.

This then indeede is a sur∣passing

incomprehensible mistery, that thus God should bee manifested in our weake flesh, that God and Man should be in one person. And that of the same God, the ho∣ly Scripture should say, in re∣spect of this his manifestation in the flesh:* 1.9 The child increa∣sed in wisedome and knowledge, and in fauour with God and man: And Emanuel, God with vs, should say of himself, The Father is greater then I: And of the same God in re∣spect of his Dietie,* 1.10 he h••mself sayth;* 1.11 Before Abraham was borne, I am, and that hee was the first begotten of euery Crea∣ture. And further in respect of the vnion of both natures in the person of the Sonne of God (the sacred word sayth) That God redeemed his Church with his bloud,* 1.12 That the Iewes crucified the Lord of glorie▪* 1.13 and that he gaue his life for vs:* 1.14 So

that the Catholike conclusion of all, is this, That Christ Iesus Emanuel consisting of two distinct Natures in the person of the Sonne of God, without confusion was incarnate, and became our Mediator, accor∣ding to both Natures, that the same hand that wrought the institutiō of the world, should also worke the restitution of the same: For it was impossi∣ble that the World should be saued without the Incarnati∣on of the Sonne of God: For God in Christ reconciled the world vnto himselfe: And by taking vnto himself our flesh by Incarnation, made it his owne flesh, that so of his own (albeit from vs) hee might haue what to offer to God for vs.

And without this our flesh hee could not suffer, for the manhood is the proper subiect of passion, compassion

and feeling pitty, which cau∣seth the regiment of Christes Kingdome to bee most ami∣able, exercising dominion o∣uer all men, with a true, na∣turall and sensible touch of mercy▪

The second person there∣fore of the glorious Trinitie; was sent to performe this great worke: not the Father, who being of none, could not be sent: Not the holy Ghost, who albeit he proceed, yet he is not the first that procee∣deth: And forasmuch as a double Mission was requisite, the first person that procee∣deth, was fittest for the first Mission, and the second for the second, who also more fitte, to make vs the sonnes of God by grace, then hee that was the sonne of God by nature: And who more fit to repaire the images decayed in vs, then he that was the engrauē form

of his Fathers person. And this was done that man with more assurance, and without danger of euer erring, might come neare vnto the presence of sacred truth it selfe, and set∣tle therein by this manifesta∣tion of the Sonne of God. And God became man, that he whom man was to follow, might shew himselfe vnto man, and bee seene of him. Besides it was done, that the humane nature might be ad∣uanced to such an high digni∣tie and excellencie, that no man should any more so much forget himselfe, as to defile the same with sinfull impurities. Lastly, it was done that man might bee deliuered from the slauery and bondage of sinne, whereinto hee was plunged; For man was puni∣shed as Iustice vrged: That was p••rformed which God had threatned, as Truth re∣quired

The offender was pittied as Mercy entreated, & God and Man reconciled, as Peace desired. Thus Mercie and Truth met together, Righte∣ousnesse and Peace kissed each other.

The manner of this is the astonishment of Heauen, and Earth; but our holy faith makes it more true then plain vnto vs; yet some resemblan∣ces may in some part expresse this vnion vnto vs.

The vnion of soule and body maketh one man a fla∣ming and fiery sword, makes one sword one man may haue two accidentall formes, Phi∣sicke and Law, and a branch engraffed, and a tree is one tree: so Christ is one, and yet hath two different Natures, & in them performeth the di∣stinct actions pe••tayning to eyther of them. Condemned then be all hereticall cauils of

Arr••us Macedonius, Apollo∣narius, Panlus Samofatemus, Sabellius, Photinus, Aetius, to∣gether with the whole swarm of Dimiarr••ans, and the like damned heretiques, who ey∣ther impeach the truth of Christs Incarnation, and Na∣tiuity, or the vnion of his na∣tures in one person, or his line of Dauid,* 1.15 according to the flesh, that is, according to the weake flesh,* 1.16 but not cor∣rupted flesh: For the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among vs. There is the whole Na∣ture of man. And Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him,* 1.17 that was able to saue him from death, and was heard in that he feared. There is the true affection of our nature: So then,* 1.18 He that confesseth that Iesus is come in the flesh is of God, and he that confesseth it not is of the Diuell. There is the

triall of our faith. For this ma∣nifestation of God in the flesh is to vnbeleeuers as the cloud that stood betwixt the Israe∣lites and the Egyptians at the red sea, which to the Israelites was a bright shining cloud, but to the Egyptians a dark, dangerous, and portentous Commet.

And is not this then a Great Mysterie? That God, who is without beginning and end, should haue a beginning with vs by birth, and an end by death. That God who nei∣ther changeth nor altereth, should encrease in stature: That God who is without commixture or defect, should eate and bee an hungry. That God who could be no more then he was, should take vpō him the shape of a seruant, & be that he was not, that could haue no more then hee had, should bee lesse then he was,

and could know no more thē he knew, and yet would feele our infirmities, and taste our miseries. What tongue, what pen can expresse this myste∣rie? that God should bee vni∣ted vnto man, not onely in loue & grace, but in one per∣son: for we must obserue that the humane nature of Christ is not a distinct person by it selfe, as Peter, Iohn, and such like, but to our vnspeakeable comfort is so vnited to the diuine nature that did assume it, as they both make but one person: so that all that is in it, is truly said to be Gods, and al that was don by it, to be done by God, as Christs bloud was Gods bloud, Christs death was Gods death, as hath been sayd. And the God of glorie may as well be sayd to suffer death, as to rayse the dead frō their graues, and the sonne of man as well to haue made, as

to haue redeemed the world.

Who would euer haue thought that so great a woūd as mans sinneful defect from God, should euer haue beene thus healed? or that God, and a wretched sinner should bee thus reconciled, or that heauē and earth should bee thus in∣corporated, or that the veritie of God,* 1.19 and the compleate substance of man should bee vnited in one Christ,* 1.20 who is truly God,* 1.21 perfectly man, God and man indiuisibly, and both in that one distinctly.

But yet behold this Great Mysterie of Godlinesse, as it is not to be ascēded vnto in the exaltation therof▪ for it is God; and as it is vnutterable in the humiliation; for it is God in the flesh: so it is vndoubted & infalible in the demonstratiue manifestation thereof; for no∣thing is more euident to the faith of christian beleeue••s. It

being not onely prophesied, shadowed and portrayed out vnto vs in the old Testament vnder diuers types, and sun∣dry formes, but also substan∣tially, and really performed, fi••ished, and consummated in the new testament. Mark but the diuine paralels of this ma∣nifestation in some few parti∣culars,* 1.22 and note whether they doe not touch each other, and point out to euery beleeuing soule, the whole frame and for me thereof from the cir∣cumference to the Center: Pharaoh kileth the Hebrewe children,* 1.23 Herod the true Pha∣roah killeth the children of Bethelem. Both stirred vp by Sathan to murther the Mes∣sias (if they could) and to fal∣sifie the promise of this mani∣festation, purposed before of God from euerlasting.* 1.24 Salo∣mon at twelue yeeres decideth the question between the 2.

women for the liuing childe: Christ the true Solomon at 12.* 1.25 yeares is found admidst the Doctors, posing and questio∣ning them, doubtlesse of the Iewish Synagogue then dead and of the true Christian Church, the liuing child. Mo∣ses fasted fortie dayes at the giuing of the Law; Christ fasted forty dayes at the com∣mencement of the Gospell▪ Twelue Patriarches the fa∣thers of the Law; Twelue A∣postles the Patriarches of the Gospel. Ten commandemēts giuen on mount Sinay.* 1.26 Ten petitiōs on moūt Horeb.* 1.27 Iudah the Patriarch selleth Ioseph, Iu∣das the Apostle & traytor sel∣leth for thirtie peeces the true Ioseph, Iesus Christ. Christ is taken in a garden by the Brooke Cedron: Man sin••ed in the Garden of Eden. Ioseph the inno∣cent is imprisoned: Pilate im∣••••••••

prisoneth the innocent Lord Iesus. At noone Christ suffe∣red, at noone man sinned. The first Adam by transgres∣sion shuts vp heauen, the se∣cond Adam by his passion o∣peneth heauen to all belee∣uers. Ioseph the Patriarch bu∣rieth Iacoh: Ioseph of Arima∣thea burieth the true Israel. Daniel is sealed vp in the Ly∣ons denne▪ the true Daniell Christ is layde in his sepul∣cher, and the Magistrates seale the stone: yea the very cir∣cumstances of this manifesta∣tion are most exactly set downe.

The time limited, to wit, When the scepter shall depart from Iuda;* 1.28 the place designed, At Bethlem in Iudaea. The mi∣raculous manner published. A virgine shall conceiue a sonne.* 1.29 His presentation in the Tem∣ple verified,* 1.30 The Lord whom ye seeke shall suddenly come into his* 1.31

Temple. His price valued. A goodly price was I prized at of them, saith the Lord. The trea∣son against him foretold. That his owne familiar friend in whō he trusted,* 1.32 and did eate his bread should list vp his heele against him. In a word, all things (e∣uen to the very vineger and gal in his last suffrings) were at sundry times, & in manifold maner long before certainly prophesied of, as they were ma∣nifestly in their determinate times of God¦performed. So that this manifestation was the accomplishment of vision and prophesie, the body of type, and shadow, the ende of Law, and Priesthood, the per∣fection of Sacrifice and Sa∣crament, and the vnion of mankind with God in Christ and thereby life euerlasting.

Is God then thus abased in•• our flesh?* 1.33 Oh the great boun∣tie

of Gods fauor vnto vs. Oh then let vs submit our selues vnto God. For the Lord will haue an eye to none but to such as are of a broken, and contrite heart, and trembleth at his word. But if wee bee meeke and lowly in heart, We shall finde rest vnto our soules.* 1.34 Yea our chife seruice consists in this, To humble our selues to walke with our God.* 1.35 Remem∣bring the excellent dignity of our sanctified nature, beeing now vnited to our God, and pertaking of his holy nature, by filiation according to the Euangelicall precept,* 1.36 Be mer∣cifull as your heauenly father is mercifull. See God is become our father by sanctificatiō. For if wee being wretches can giue good gifts vnto our children, how much more shall our heauenly father giue graces and blessings to them that all vpon him. By adoption, For to as many as re∣ceiue

him, he hath giuen power to become the sons of God.* 1.37 Let not the vnbeleeuing Iewes demād how this vnion should be? or how God could bee manife∣sted in our flesh? But let them tell how the dead rod of A∣ron could beare blossomes? how a virgin should conceiue and beare a son? how a bush could burne & not consume? how Gedeons fleece could be wet at one time in the floore, & all the floore about it dry, and another time dry and all the ground about it wet, & in answer of these, this vnion wil be euē vnto thē manifest: ••or all these things they v••∣doubtedly beleeue. Let not the damnable Atheist dis∣cusse this mysterie asking reasons how, and which way? but let him tell me, this one thing, how the Sun beames pierce through the glasse, and yet the glasse remains whole?

And if he cannot tell this, let him adore and reuerence in sacred silence, & not explore in curiositi•• this secret My∣sterie.

And let all Infidels and miscreants know, that both heauen, and earth, and hell, doe all witnes against them, and doe manifest this myste∣rie which is God in the flesh In* 1.38 earth, besides the trembling thereof at Christs passion, the rage of the Sea qualified by a word of his mouth, the crosse that had the ordinances, and hand writing that was against vs fastened vnto it, and the life and the death of the Lord Iesus so famoused through∣out the Christian world, which was as wonders in hea∣uen and earth, filling both with the sweet odours there∣of, the very heathen Empe∣rour Augustus the then Mo∣narch of the world, when this

manifestation was in the ful∣nesse of time accomplished' made a decree in the Senate of Rome, not to be saluted by the name of Lord, as if he had been taught by some diuine inspiration (for the holy ghost ofttimes hath spoken by the mouth of his enemies, as in Balaam, Caiphas, and others) that now there was manife∣sted in the earth one, that was indeede the Lord of Lords.

In heauen also appeares at the time of this manifestation,* 1.39 as Albertus Magnus citeth out of A••bumaser the great Astro∣loger, in the first aspect of the sign of Virgo, a faire and chast virgin, hauing two eares of corne in her hand, and a childe in her arms, which child some natiōs do call Iesus, not as if he that made the starres were any way subiect to the motion of the starres, but that he which stretcheth out the heauens as a scrole of parchment,

where he wrote the booke of na∣ture,* 1.40 might not want witnesse out of the booke of nature of that which was contained before in the booke of Eternitie,* 1.41 which was his secret decree: That a virgin should bring forth a child, and so he should be described to vs to be a naturall man, albeit not borne after a naturall manner. Thus heauen and earth wit∣nesse apparantly this myste∣rie. Yea the very diuels of hell beleeue this and tremble; con∣fessing in the Gospell, Iesus I know, and Paule I know, but who are ye? at what time some counterfeyt exorcists tooke vpon them to call ouer the possessed the name of the Lord Iesus.

And the Oracle of Del∣phos beeing the diuels mouth did at the time of this mani∣festation take their last fare∣well in these words, Me••puer Hebraeus diuos Deus

ipse gubernans cedere sede iubet, tristemque ridere sub∣orcum, Aris regno dehin•• ta∣citus aboedito nostris. And in steede of the darkenesse of this kingdome, Sathan which had almost ouer spred the whole world, this glo∣rious Sunne-shine of Gods manifestation with vs, ap∣peared, which was so effectu∣all, that euen as in the spring time when the Sunne re∣turneth all things beginnes, to waxe greene, the earth brings foorth, the trees are cloathed with leaues, and the whole surface of the earth is renued: so at the manifestation of Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse, the whole frame, and fabrique of the world was spiritually al∣tered.

For then arose out of the former Hellish darke∣nesse, quires of holy ones,

men, women, virgins, mar∣tyrs, confessors, Preachers, ho¦ly people, whole nations, countries, and tongs declare the wonderfull mercies of the* 1.42 Lord in the reuelatiō of Iesus Christ: Who is the Rose of the field, and the Lillie of the vallies. Moses of old posed the whole world with this question. En∣quire of the dayes of olde which were before thee and frō the day that God created man vpon the earth, yea euen from the height aboue to the depth beneath,* 1.43 if e∣uer the like thing were knowne. That a people should heare the voyce of the Lord speaking out of the middest of the fire. But now we may pose Moses, & say, O Moses, then God spake by an Angell out of the mid∣dest of the fire, but now (O man of God) was euer the like as this heard, That God himself in the nature of man should sit a∣midst his disciples and teach the.

This is that the spirit of God so magnifieth. That at sundry times, and in diuers manner God spake heretofore in his Prophets,* 1.44 but in these last dayes by his only Sonne, And if the word deliuered by an Angell was stedfast,* 1.45 what shall become of them that refuse and neglect the Sonne of God now speaking vnto them?

O most ingratefull, and brutish are the sonnes of men, who seeke not to vnderstand this mysterie so anciently pro∣phesied of, so fully perfor∣med, and so manifestly de∣clared. Me thinkes I heare all other creatures of heauen and earth say. Oh that God had vouchsafed vs such a blessing, such a tie, such a fauour, for then had wee had beene most happy. The quires of An∣gels say, Oh that God had ordayned to vs so vnspeakea∣ble a fauour, as to haue beene vnited to our nature. But

Christ tooke not vpon him the nature of Angels, but tooke vpon him the nature of children, that being tempted himselfe, and suf∣fering,* 1.46 hee might succour them that suffer, and are temp∣ted. Who would not then in consideration hereof giue himselfe a whole burnt offe∣ring vnto his God, and con∣secrate his whole life (if the terme thereof were euen from the first Adam, vnto the ende of the world) as a votiue ser∣uice vnto the glory of this God. Oh vncircumcised hearts and eares of those who neither care to heare, nor to vnderstand this▪ blessed my∣sterie. For if they would dili∣gently seeke, they should find that God would manifest himselfe vnto them euen in their indiuiduall flesh, by the sanctifying power of his ho∣ly Spirit,* 1.47 and by pertaking of his diuine nature,* 1.48* 1.49 whereby

they should see with open face (as in a mirrour) the glo∣ry of the Lord, and be chan∣ged into the same image from glory to glory,* 1.50 euen as the spi∣rit of the Lord. In no wise shold they be as those wretch∣es in whose flesh Sathan, and not God is manifested, who are indeed incarnate diuels (as the prouerb is) whom Sathan hath so sifted to the bran, and winnowed to the chaffe, that no remainder of any godli∣nesse, or goodnesse is leaft in them, in whom Sathan is To∣tus in toto, & totus in qualibet parte (as Aquinas saith) of the soule.

Their imagination euill, their minde ill, their meaning ill, their will obstinate, their vnderstanding darkned, their eares itching after vanities, their eyes adulterous, which cannot choose but sinne, their mouth blasphemous, their

an open graue of fulsome slanders, their hands rough, and cruell, their feete swift to shed bloud, their whole bo∣dy a cage of vncleane birdes, their life and conuersation a stye of stinking swines flesh, an Acheldema of oppression, a Caluarie of dead spoyles, & their ende a puddle of loath∣some impieties.

But those that secke God, doe vnderstand this myste∣rie, and shew forth this mani∣festation in themselues, ha∣uing lift vp their heads as gates, & their minds as dores, and the king of glory is come in vnto them,* 1.51 and is manife∣sted in them by their faith in Christ by their good workes among men,* 1.52 by all the fruites of his gra••ious spirit, and by their ioyfull departure hence being assured of a farre better rest, and happinesse in their maisters kingdome.

The custome of the Aethi∣opian Church, which liue vn∣der Prester Iohn, is to obserue the feast of the Epiphany as their chiefe and principall fe∣stiuitie, at which time God shewed himselfe both to Iew and Gentile in this manifesta∣tion by a starre. Thereby ac∣knowledging, and that most truly, that this blessing, is the beginning and fountaine of all other blessing in Christia∣nitie whatsoeuer, and ought most sollemnly to bee obser∣ued, and most diligently to be considered, especially of vs that were Gentiles.

Goe foorth therefore yee daughters of Sion (euen all re∣ligious and denoute soules) and behould King Solomon (your Christ) with the crowne where∣with his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals,* 1.53 and in the day of the gladnesse of his heart.

Go foorth (I say) from out the fashions and fancies of this world, both with rea∣dinesse and resolution, as men do to meete their new king. If you be malefactors, he will pardon you vpon re∣pentant reconciliatiō throgh Christ Iesus, and will receiue you to fauour. If you bee al∣ready his seruants and citi∣zens of the citie of God, goe foorth to meete him with your presents of good workes and holinesse, as your homa∣ges of fealtie. If you be friends and allyance, as are all deuout Soules, doe that often which hee hath bidde you doe, in remembrance of him, that is, offer the sacrifice of thanke∣fulnesse, receiue the cup of sal∣uation, & call vpon the name of the Lord, that so you may shew the Lords death all your life long, vntill his comming againe. So shall your eyes

b•• opened, that you shall not onely vnderstand this Great mysterie of Gods manifestation in the flesh, but also see it Iusti∣fied in the Spirit.

Oh blessed Emanuell encrease our faith.

O Eternall and most mightie Iehouah Elohim,* 1.54 whose seate is in heauen, whose footestoole is in earth, whose chariots are the clouds, whose might is in the great waters, whose power is euery where, whose displayed glory is in heauen, where angels are they at∣tendants, and where all the bles∣sed dominations and thrones doe thee dayly homage, where the in∣numerable company of elected Saints, doe vncessantly prayse thee, where thine habitation is light, that none can ap∣proach vnto, thy cloathing Maiestie, and honor, thy wisdome incomprehensible, thy mercy vn∣speakeable,

and thy iudgements past finding out, Looke downe looke downe most mercifull Fa∣ther in Christ from thine holy place, the seate of mercie, vpon me a most miserable & distres∣sed wretch. O hearken thou to my prayers which I sinfull soule powre out from an vnfained heart. Open vnto my soule this great mysterie of thy ma∣nifestation in our flesh, that I may know, and comprehend with all Saints, the height, length, breadte, and depth of the vn∣searchable riches of thy grace in Christ Iesus our Lord. For thou diddest so loue the world that thou gauest thine onely begotten Sonne, that who so beleeueth in him should not perish, but haue euerlasting life.

This diuine loue of thine is in∣comprehensible, this gift inesti∣mable, this deliuerance vnutte∣rable, and this felicitie incompa∣rable. My heart burneth with

in me, and the sparkes of deuotiō arise from the center of my soule, in musing on this so holy••, and so happy a mysterie which I doe a∣dore in the retirednesse of my spirit continually, and the fire of thy zeale, O Lord, encreaseth in my heart••, and the flames thereof bursts forth, and I crie to thee O King of heauen, and of earth, that thy goodnesse would vouchsafe me a blessing among thine holy ones, in whose flesh thou art manifested by the power of thy spirit of sanctification, and other graces of thy goodnesse. For, O my God, I haue percei∣ued sinne and Sathan a long time to haue ruled and raigned in my flesh, In my heart, by a∣uersenes from thee, in my vnder∣standing, by misled iudgments, in my wit by wayward purposes, & froward desires, in my fancie by foolish imaginations & designes, and my thoghts by rebellious af∣fections, in mine eyes by adulte∣rous

wanderings, in mine eares by itching after vanities, in my forhead, as in the whores brow, by impudent outfacings, in my mouth by blasphemous swearings and curses, and in my whole masse of nature by lewde and loose con∣ditions.

Now therefore I come vnto thee, O Sauiour of mankind, the Phisition of soule and body, and lie groueling in mine owne dust before thy footestoole, humbly praying thy goodnesse for thy Christ his sake, that thou woul∣dest vouchsafe to manifest thy selfe by thine almighty power in my flesh, in my wretched flesh, in my rebellious, and rotten flesh, in mine haughty naughty and hellish flesh.

That it may by thy thy power become a vessell of holinesse, of puritie, of grace, and of glory.

To this blessed ende mortifie in me, O Lord, the deedes of the flesh, adulterie, fornication, vn∣cleanesse

laciuiousnesse, Idola∣trie, witchcraft, hatred, variance emulation, wrath, strife, sedi∣tion, heresies, enuyings, murders, drunkennesse, reuellings and suc••h like, and in stead thereof mani∣fest in me, O God, thy selfe by bestowing vpon me a principall portion of thy Spirit, in loue, ioy, peace, long suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith, meckenesse, tem∣perance, and what else thy holy wisedome knowes fit for me in my vocation and ranke.

Restraine sinne that it may not raigne in my mortall body, and Sathan that hee may not rage ouer me,

Set vp thy selfe, O God, aboue the heauens, and thy glory a∣boue all the earth.

That thy beloued in whom thou art manifested by thy gra••ious spirit of sanctifica∣tion, may euer praise and magnifie thy Great name amiddest the Congregati∣gations.

And I the vnworthyest of all thy creatures, shall euer bee telling of thy goodnesse to∣wards me, for redeeming me with thy bloud, for sanctifying mee by thy grace, for vniting thy selfe mystically vnto mee thine hum∣bled Votarie, and for sauing mee from those many, and manifold euills of the flesh, whereinto thou∣sands are faine also, had not thy gratious assistance, O Lord, vpheld my weake and feeble flesh.

••N Lord, there hath no sinne beene committed since Adams fall vnto this day, by any the sonnes and daughters of men, but I had done the like, if thy sweete fauour in Iesus Christ had not preuented mee, O Lord, then let mee liue in thee, let mee wholly resigne my selfe vnto thee that neither sinne, nor Sathan, nor shame, nor confusion may come neere my dwelling: but that thou mayest dwell in mee

here by thine owne spirite of ho∣linesse, that hereafter I may ob∣tain the happinesse of thy glorious kingdome through Iesus Christ mine onely Lord and Sauiour, Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2 The first day of the weeke.
• * 1.2

  August. l. 7. cap. 4. de Trin.
• * 1.3

  Iob. 6. 26.
• * 1.4

  Ier 32. 19.
• * 1.5

  Ro. 11. 33.
• * 1.6

  Deut. 29. 29.
• * 1.7

  Dyonys. Areopag. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Epiph. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Origén, Iust Mart 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.8

  Psal. 103.
• * 1.9

  Luk 2.
• * 1.10

  Ioh. 14.
• * 1.11

  Ioh. 8.
• * 1.12

  Act. 2.
• * 1.13

  1. Cor. 2.
• * 1.14

  1. Ioh. 3.
• * 1.15

  Rom. 1.
• * 1.16

  Ioh. 1. 14.
• * 1.17

  Heb. 5. 7:
• * 1.18

  1 Iohn 4. 2.
• * 1.19

  Ita celebe∣rima illa concilia Nicenum contra Arrianum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Constant. cont. Apol. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.20

  Ephel. cont Nestor. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.21

  Calcedon. contra Eutichen. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.22

  Hoc myste∣rium in ve∣teri Testa∣mento fuit velatum. in nouo Reue∣latum.
• * 1.23

  Exod. 1. Mat. 2.
• * 1.24

  1 Reg. 3.
• * 1.25

  Luc. 2.
• * 1.26

  Exo. 20.
• * 1.27

  Mat. 4.
• * 1.28

  Gen. 49.
• * 1.29

  Mich. 5. 2.
• * 1.30

  Esa. 7. 14.
• * 1.31

  Zac. 11. 13.
• * 1.32

  Psal. 41. 9.
• * 1.33

  Application.
• * 1.34

  Mat. 11.
• * 1.35

  Mic 6.
• * 1.36

  Mat. 5.
• * 1.37

  Ioh. 1.
• * 1.38

  In earth.
• * 1.39

  In heauen.
• * 1.40

  Apollo Collopho∣nius quae∣renti (Quis aut quid de∣u••) respon∣dit.
• * 1.41

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. L••ctan. de de fals. vill. cap. 7.
• * 1.42

  Can. 2.
• * 1.43

  Deut. 4.
• * 1.44

  Heb, 1.
• * 1.45

  Heb. 4.
• * 1.46

  Heb. ••.
• * 1.47

  Apoc. 3.
• * 1.48

  Io••. 14. 2.
• * 1.49

  Pet. 1.
• * 1.50

  2. Cor. 3.
• * 1.51

  Psal. 24.
• * 1.52

  Mat. 5.
• * 1.53

  Cant. 3.
• * 1.54

  Inuocation.