Page 97
Rom. 12. 1.
MY Lord! I cannot plead ignorance, for I must con∣fesse I have often read it, and knew that I was to offer up my self a living sacrifice to thy Majesty, and to give my selfe wholly to thy disposing, and not to have any sequestred thoughts from thee, dedicated to mine own ends, in either my actions, words or thoughts: but my dear Father, I now plainly see the necessity of entring ••nto thy Courts, to hear thee, most gracious Prince speake to us by thy Embassadors; And I, nor any other ought to say; what should I go thither, to hear a man tell me, but what I knew before? But my Lord, thy Ordi∣nances are powerful, and thou workest more effectually on our hearts for the most part, by the preaching of thy word from them, then by our own reading and stu∣dy, and now I begin to suspect, I have not offered up my ••elfe so exactly to thee, as I should; for me thought, ••e besought me from thee, to offer up my self a living sacrifice, wholly and acceptably to thee, My Lord! I have heretofore long since given my selfe to thee by piece meals; but I fear, reserving something from thee, and if offering my selfe wholly to thee, be but a reaso∣••oble serving of thee, sure when I reserved any thing from thee, that service was contemptible: But graci∣ous Father, pardon all that heretofore I have done a∣misse in thy service, for now I doe give up my selfe wholly to thee; But how shall I dare to say my self, I dare not appeare by my selfe in thy presence, yet with, and in my self I may; Thou hast taught me out of thy royall story, to know that thou hast given me that Princely Son of thine, I cannot chuse but accept so rich a present; then seeing he is mine, and I am his, I am confident to present my selfe to thee, with and in