Now these meditations must be concluded and intermixed, with confessions and supplications. The poor sinner must gather up his thoughts into petitions and requests, and refusing to be hindered by any fears, doubts, or objections, must take to himself boldness to fall down before the ⟨p. 110⟩throne of grace, and following the counsel of the Holy Ghost, must take to himself words, and say, receive me graciously, and take away all iniquity. Address thy self unto the God of heaven in the name of Christ his Son, and say, Lord behold here the worst of sinners, appearing before thee, casting himself as low as hell, desirous to be as full of shame and sorrow as is possible, and therefore troubled, because he cannot be more grieved & more abased. I am Lord ⟨p. 111⟩indeed a vile and grievous sinner, and these and these evils have I done, but ô for the merits sake of Jesus Christ alone, thy deer and only begotten Son, accept me, forgive, and according to the multitude of thy mercies, wash me throughly from all my sins. Remember O Lord the thing that thou hast promised and sealed up to all that seek thee, even blot out all mine offences out of thy remembrance, and for my sins and iniquities, O ⟨p. 112⟩Lord remember them no more. Be not weary of making these requests, though thou seem to thy self to receive none answer to them, but fly constantly, and run boldly to the throne of grace, to attain mercy to help in time of need. If thy soul be vexed with new fears, confirm thou it with new prayers, and resolve, if thou must be damned to be damned praying, and if thou must needs perish, to perish with a prayer in thy mouth, then thou canst ⟨p. 113⟩not be damned, then thou canst not perish. Call upon God in the day of thy trouble, make thy prayers to him in the floods of great waters, and sure they shall not come near thee, for he will fulfil his promise, and will grant thee all that thou beggest in the name of his Sonne. Thus have you two helps to comfort, prayer and meditation.
NOw these meditations must be concluded and intermixed, with confessions and supplications. The poore sinner must gather up his thoughts into petitions and requests, and refusing to be hindered by any feares, doubts, or objections, must take to himselfe boldnesse to fall downe before the ⟨p. 110⟩throne of grace, and following the counsell of the Holy Ghost, must take to himselfe words, and say, receive me gratiously, and take away all iniquity. Addresse thy selfe unto the God of heaven in the name of Christ his Sonne, and say, Lord behold here the worst of sinners, appearing before thee, casting himselfe as low as hell, desirons to bee as full of shame and sorrow as is possible, and therefore troubled, because he cannot be more grieved & more abased. I am Lord ⟨p. 111⟩indeed a vile and grievous sinner, and these and these evills have I done, but ô for the merits sake of Jesus Christ alone, thy deere and onely begotten Sonne, accept me, forgive, and according to the multitude of thy mercies, wash mee throughly from all my sinnes. Remember O Lord the thing that thou hast promised and sealed up to al that seeke thee, even blot out all mine offences out of thy remembrance, and for my sinnes and iniquities, O ⟨p. 112⟩Lord remember them no more. Be not wearie of making these requests, though thou seeme to thy selfe to receive none answer to them, but fly constantly, and runne boldly to the throne of grace, to attaine mercy to helpe in time of need. If thy soule be vexed with new feares, confirme thou it with new prayers, and resolve, if thou must be damned to be damned praying, and if thou must needs perish, to perish with a prayer in thy mouth, then thou canst ⟨p. 113⟩not bee damned, then thou canst not perish. Call upon God in the day of thy trouble, make thy prayers to him in the flouds of great waters, and sure they shall not come neere thee, for he will fullfill his promise, and will grant thee all that thou beggest in the name of his Sonne. Thus have you two helpes to comfort, prayer and meditation.
