The fourth part of the true watch containing prayers and teares for the churches. Or A helpe to hold up the hearts and hands of the poorest servants of God, untill our Lord Iesus Christ shall have rescued his glorie, kingdome, and people in all the world, and fully prepared the way to his most glorious appearing.

The first particular Meditation of this second generall point, con∣cerning the calamities & dan∣gers of our bretheren in all places, and those threatened towards our selves; and the chiefe meanes of deliverie and preservation from them.

FIrst wee are to lay to heart;* 1.1 how many of our Bre∣theren, the deare children of our heavenly Father (for whom our Lord and Saviour hath taught us thus to cry, as for our selves, Our Father) are now in grievous calamities of all sortes; that many others of them are in extreame perill, to bee forthwith utterly de∣stroyed, and devoured by the rage and power of Sathan, and of his bloudy instruments. That we also our selves, with all the rest of the Churches and

sincere Christians in all the world, are in extreame danger every moment of time (as any of the designes of the Iesuits, or other mercilesse enemyes take place) if our heauenly Fa∣ther doe not still protect and preserve us. And therefore as very many of our brethren a∣broad are in continuall feeling of their miseries, and of our heavenly Fathers most heavy displeasure against them for all their undutifulnesse, crying at his feet, for his Fatherly pitty, love, compassion to deliver and saue them; so we ought likewise to doe for them, even so many of us as are alreadie as∣sured, or ever will assure our owne soules, that wee are his naturall children, and hereby* 1.2 doe desire to declare our na∣turall and childlike loue and feare, in seeking to appease his displeasure, that hee may spare his people.

And much more are wee to* 1.3 seeke to prevent or mitigate, the same heavy displeasure kindled against our selves, and hereby to stay the •…•…age of Sa∣than & Antichrist, all of us be∣ing hated and devoted alike to destruction, by the malice of the Serpent and his cruell instruments; & all of us having provoked our heavenly Father alike (yea we more then any o∣ther) to leave us into their hands, to be so tried by them, untill we be truely humbled, in feeling our disobediences, and be sensible of our provocations of him by our want of com∣miseration towards them, and of not taking warning by their example; That thus wee may lift up our cryes to heaven, that hee in the tender bowels of his compassion, may both succour and rescue them, and also save us from the li•…•…e miseryes, which seeme ready to rush up∣on

us for all our sinnes and pro∣vocations. Wee are withall to labour to bring our hearts to a right consideration, that our heavenly Father hath in* 1.4 the riches of his mercy ordai∣ned Rulers & Governours and all in lawfull and holy autho∣ritie, especially Kings and Queenes to bee in his place, as nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to his poore children, to deliver and pull them out of the iawes of the dragon; to carry them in their armes, and in their bosomes from the fury and violence of the Serpent, and to preserve and protect them that they may profess his name in peace and safetie; and that therefore Sathan must needs maligne them above all other, even for this especially. And likewise that hee hath or∣dained the prayers of his peo∣ple and children to obtayne this at his hand, so to incline

the hearts of all Kings and* 1.5 Princes and all in authority to pitty them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Our Father which art, &c. 1. To lay to heart the ca∣lamities aud perils of all the churches and people of God at this instant.
• * 1.2

  2. Pet. 1. 4.
• * 1.3

  2 To seeke to prevent or mitigate the displeasure of our heavenly father.
• * 1.4

  To consider how God hath ordai∣ned Kings & Queenes for nurses to his church. Esay. 49 23.
• * 1.5

  And the prai∣ers of his people so to incline their hearts. 2 Tim. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4.