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O our Father,
OH, dul heart, vn∣towarde Soule, why art thou so lumpish and so heavie? trust in God thy delive∣rer: cast out, yea breath strong∣lie out, what God his spirit hath conceived in thee, ô my heart.
Sweete Father, when thou by thy powerful word had created all Creatures for Man his vse, then thou created Man and Wo∣man to vse them. Man thou didst make of the earth, woman thou took from Mans side, by draw∣ing from thence a Rib, whereof
thou builded Her, that she vnto him might be an Helper. And so (having put thy Image in them) thou placed them in Eden, yea, in the garden of Eden, the beau∣tie of the whol earth, vnto them thou gaue two Commaunde∣ments: the first, That they should dresse the garden: the second, That they should not eate of the tree entit∣led, The Tree of Knowledge of good and euill, and so they should liue, whereof thou gaue them an o∣ther Tree, sacramentally called, The tree of Life: but if they diso∣beyed, then in the Daye of such disobedience, They should die. But thy commandemēts were soone broken: for Satan (adversary to thy glory & Mans wel-fare) did even in the same daye possesse the Dragon (the subtillest beast of the fielde) and speaking with the Beasts mouth, Woman negle∣cted
her Calling, and with an idle eare stood harkening vnto the Serpentes voice, by whose subteltie, she was soone drawne to break the other commande∣ment; and then by Her was man also caryed into Transgression. Sinne so seazing on their Bodies substance, the body became Cor∣ruptible, and Corruption effe∣cted the period of death. Sinne seazing (not on the Substance, but) on the Faculties or powers of the Soule, thereby it came to passe, that their souls were Pow∣erfull in the waies of perpetuall death, but vnable to all Good.
Sweete Father, as their Crea∣tion was the Creation of the Matter whereof all Mankinde is come; so, this fearfull Fall was not onely to them Two, but to Me and all Mankinde: conside∣ring wee were then enclosed in `
their loynes. A fountain of gall, can send forth no sweet waters: nor could wee bee borne Holy, that were conceived in Sin. As is the Roote, even such are the branches, nay, our Actuall sinnes do testifie, that that Original sin was convayed vnto vs in our Nature: by reason wherof, I and All Mankinde haue beene justly vnder thy Curse. Oh that wee should fall from thee our Crea∣tor, from thee our Father, that of base earth did make vs glorious creatures stamping in our souls thy Image, whereof justly wee were deprived: carrying vpon vs (in steade thereof) the Blacke vnholy Image of Satan.
But thou Our sweete Father, didst thou vtterly leaue Man∣kind to be damned with Satan? Oh, no. Thou soughtest vp our fore-parents (Adam & Heuah)
and Catechized them: freely, promising vnto them, that of womans Seed one should come, by whome the seed of man and woman shuld overcome Satan. When the fulnesse of time was expired, thou accordingly didst send thy Sonne made of a vvoman, who in our Nature triumphed over Sinne, Death, Hell, Sathan, and so finaly sitteth at the right hand of Majestie, making con∣tinuall intercession for all such of Man-kinde, as do come vnto thee (oh Father) by him: in and by whome, Salvation onely is come vnto Iewe and Gentile.
Thus, when of a Father, we had justly made thee our Foe, it plea∣sed thee, sweete Father, to ap∣point a Mediator betwixt thee and vs, that so by him, thou and wee might bee reconciled and made one. Oh Mercie of mer∣cies,
oh thou fountaine of mer∣cie, howe are wee bounde vnto thee our Father, our Father by Creation, our Father by Redemp∣tion: in Mercie, twise a Father: but wee in Obedience, not once worthy the name of Children. But so it hath pleased thee, to call out a companie of Man∣kinde (and amongst them Me, most vnwoorthie) to whome it hath pleased thee to Seale thy Loue vnto their hearts by thy Spirit, thy sanctifying Spirit.
This testimony of thy Spirit vnto our Spirits, causeth vs to open our mouthes boldly vnto thee, as children to a father, not doubting but thou wilt giue to vs whatsoever is good and ne∣cessarie for body and soule.
Earthly Fathers (though wic∣ked) will commonly giue good thinges vnto their Children,
howe much more thou,