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 eng Prayer-books. Meditations. Devotional literature. eebo Meditations and motives for prayer upon the seven dayes of the weeke / written and enlarged by Sr. Richard Baker ... Baker, Richard, Sir, 1568-1645. 1642 179 26211 6 0 0 0 0 0 2.29 B The rate of 2.29 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2014-02 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2014-04 Sampled and proofread 2014-04 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2015-03 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

7 small images depicting the creation of the world, surrounding the book title. The first six are labeled "1 day" through "6 day", and all 7 contain the tetragrammaton יהוה

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER Vpon the Seaven dayes of the Weeke . Enlarged By Sr Richard Baker Knight .

G : fe :

LONDON Printed for Richard Royston and Francis Eglesfeild 1642

MEDITATIONS AND MOTIVES FOR PRAYER UPON THE SEVEN DAYES OF THE WEEKE .

Written and Enlarged By S• RICHARD BAKER Knight .

LONDON , Printed for R. Royston , and Francis Eaglesfield , and are to be sold at the Angell in Ivie lane , and at the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1642.

TO MY MVCH HONOVRED THE vertuous Lady BAKER , wife of Sir JOHN BAKER of Sissingherst in Kent Baronet . Madam ,

THere are many causes that move mee to present this Treatise to Your Ladiship , You are the wife of that Noble Gentleman , who is the ornament of our Family : You are the daughter of that worthy Knight , to whom , while he lived , I was exceedingly beholding : but more than both these , You are a Lady of so great Devotion , that the world takes notice of it in a high degree ; A rare thing in Ladies of this age , who are commonly noted for no defect more , than for excesse of vanitie . This specially makes mee conceive that a treatise of this nature will not bee unpleasing to you : for though you have many godly bookes for the exercise of your pious meditations ; yet of this argument , perhaps not any ; or if you have , yet varietie oftentimes makes a greater appetite ; and change of labour is a kinde of refreshing . The booke came once abroad into the world before ; but was then so little , that it was not fit to goe to service ; It is now growne so great , that it is able to doe a good dayes worke , or rather , if your Ladiship please to entertaine it , will do you service every day of the weeke ; and will helpe to set you forward in his service , who is the Ancient of dayes ; and will at last turne all dayes into one day that never shall have night . And seeing it is the imploying of the short dayes here , that must make that long day happie ; it is no lesse wisedome than vertue in your Ladiship , that you so piously imploy them to that end : and it will be no small service in him , that shall adde but the least graine of furtherance to your doing it . Whatsoever it is , I intreat your Ladiship to accept it , as comming from him , who is no lesse in true affection , than in profession ,

Your humble Servant RICHARD BAKER .

the resurrection of Jesus Sunday Gen : 2 :

V : 2. On the seaventh day , God ended his worke which hee had made ; and hee rested on the seaventh day from all his worke which hee had made .

V : 3. And God blossed the seaventh day & sanctified 〈…〉 cause that in it hee had rested from all his work●

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON THE SVNDAY .

TIme as a Tyrant , useth us as it list ; and we as in bondage use time as we can : but we cannot use it whole & entire ; but as we are faine to breake it into pieces : and where the great parts of Time are proper for great actions ; and the smaller for trifles : we so crosly use the matter , that the greater parts of it , as Moneths , and Yeares , and Ages wee imploy in trifles ; and onely the small pieces , as Dayes , and Houres , and Moments are the times wee allow for matters of moment : and it were well if wee would but allow them whole and entire ; but in using them we breake them in pieces too : for in our great worke which is the service of God ; the worke for which wee came into the world : who is there that spends a whole houre , much lesse a whole day , and breakes it not into many shivers of worldly thoughts ? And say , wee breake time into Weekes : yet can we afford a whole weeke to the service of God ? Alas no! we must breake the weeke againe into seaven dayes , and then perhaps of those seaven we will professe at least to allow God one , but the other sixe we looke to keepe for our selves : and indeed it is the great goodnesse and bounty of God , that sixe dayes of the weeke hee allowes us to doe our owne worke ; and reserves but the seaventh to doe him service ; and should we not be very unthankfull ? yea indeed most unreasonable , to grudge at this division ? O my soule be thou so farre from grudging at it , as be content , besides Gods one day , to afford him part of thy owne sixe : of which , if thou have not perhaps commandement , yet thou hast example : for so did David , as he saith himselfe , Evening , and Morning , and at Noone , I will praise thee : and this upon a weeke day , no doubt ; how much more then may wee well thinke upon the Sabbath day ? Certainly so much more , as there is more reason : for though every particular day of the weeke have Motives for serving of God proper to it selfe and not common to any other ; yet the Sabbath hath more than all of them put together : for first the Sabbath we now keepe , was in the revolution of time the first day that ever God made : and of which it hath beene properly said , This is the day that God hath made : as if hee challenged the making of no day but this : and though he made it for our use , yet more for his owne Glory ; and have wee not speciall reason then to glorifie God this day ? It is the worke for which the day was made , it is the worke for which our selves were made , and therefore to do both the day and our selves right ; what can we doe , what should wee doe this day , but glorifie God ? This day God made light ; for without light it had not beene a day : and if God have begun his Dayes with the worke of light ; shall I begin my dayes with the workes of darknesse ? No my soule , but let this be thy prayer this day , that God will so guide thee by the light of his holy Spirit , that thou mayst this day neither walke in the counsell of the ungodly , nor stand in the way of sinners , nor sit in the seat of scorners : but that all thy delight may be in the Law of the Lord , & that in his Law thou maist exercise thy selfe both Day and Night : but this day ( O my soule ) especially ; for this is a day of Rest , in which thou must do no manner of worke : No workes , but of necessity to thy selfe , or of mercy to thy neighbour , or of piety to God ; for these are workes that breake not thy Rest , but bring the rest ; workes that thou mightest doe , though thou wert an Angell ; or rather workes thou must doe to come to be as Angels .

But shall nothing then be allowed this day for Recreation of the Body ? nothing for refreshing the spirits after sixe dayes labour ? Yes my soule , this is included in the workes of necessity for our selves , at least it is as the quailes sent to the Israelites in the Wildernesse : no fault in using them , if no abuse in using them . O then , vouchsafe O God , so to blesse me with grace this day that though I spend it not all in only devotion , yet I may spend it all onely devoutly ; that whether I eate or drinke , or whatsoever I do else , either for necessity or recreation , it may all be done to the glory of thy holy Name . If God had intended no other resting upon this day , but only resting from sinne ; if not as well recreation of the Body , as devotion of the mind ; he would never have injoyned the Sabbath to beasts , which are not capable of devotion ; but as Gods resting was a cessation from his worke of creation : so Mans resting must be a cessation from his workes of labour ; and so the end of the Sabbath will be mans ease and recreation : which made Christ say , The Sabbath was made for man : but the celebration of that end must be his holinesse and devotion ; which made God say , Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath day ; and then wee may inferre , as farre as the end of the Sabbath is mans ease and recreation ; so farre Prayer is the Allelujah for it : and as farre as the celebration of that end is holinesse and devotion , so farre Prayer is the Hosanna for it : and thus Prayer so necessary for keeping the Lords day , that without Prayer indeed it cannot be truly kept .

This day which was at first made a day of labour , is now made a day of rest : But alas ! O Lord , what good is it to have rest in my Body , if I have not rest also as well in my soule ? and what rest can I have in my soule , if thou keep me not from falling this day into sinne ? for where sinne is , there will never be be but unquietnesse of conscience : and where the conscience is unquiet , what rest can the soule have ? O therefore suffer mee not O God , to fall this day into any sinne ; but so uphold mee by the grace of thy holy Spirit , that as thou hast made this day a day of rest to my body : so thou mayest make it also a day of rest to my soule ; that neither any vani●ies of the world may allure mee : nor any temptations of Satan may disturbe mee , but that I may enjoy the like calme of quietnesse in al my spirits , as Christ made upon the waters , when hee rebuked the windes .

But seeing this day was once a day of labour : how comes it now to be a day of rest ? Indeed upon most just occasion . It was a day of labour whilst we were under the Law ; but now that wee are under the Gospell , it is a day of rest . If the Law could have brought us to rest , the old Sabbath had continued still : but seeing there could be no perfect rest , but by the Gospell , it was therefore necessary the old Sabbath should be abolished , but that there must be a Sabbath still , for so much of the Law continues still , that one day of the seaven must still be kept holy to the Lord . The first Sabbath was a resting from Gods worke of Creation , but this Sabbath is a resting from Christs worke of Redemption : for though upon the Crosse he pronounced Consummatum est ; as though his worke had then beene finished : yet that was spoken but in regard of his work upon earth : the full consummatum est , was not untill this day that hee rose againe from the dead : for if he had onely dyed , and had not risen againe ; though perhaps we had been Redeemed , yet wee had not beene justified ; for , as he died for our sinnes ; so he rose againe for our Justification . O then my soule , if this day were the finishing of thy Redemption , by Christs rising from the dead , do thou also arise this day from dead workes to newnesse of life , that so thou maist be capable of Christs Redemption , partaker of Christs Resurrection ; and then thou shalt find that true rest in his justification , which neither troubles of the world , nor temptations of Satan shall ever be able to disquiet . This Sabbath under the Law was the last day of the weeke : because it was given then as a reward for our labours : but under the Gospell it is the first day of the weeke ; because it is given now as an Encouragement to our labours . Or is it perhaps that this which was at first a day labour , is now made a Sabbath , and a day of rest : because being the first day that God made , it is thereby Primogenitus dierum , the first-borne of all dayes : and so by right of Primogeniture , ought to have the greatest blessing amongst all dayes : and what is the greatest blessing to a day , but to be a Sabbath ? it had not indeed possession of the benefit of Primogeniture till Christ vouchsafed to rise this day from the dead ; and to make it , as it were his second birth-day ; but then in honour thereof , He who is Primogenitus omnium Creaturarum , the firstborne of all Creatures : brought this Primogenitum omnium Dierum , this first-borne of all Dayes in possession of its Primogeniture : and so of a day of labour , it is become a Sabbath , and a day of rest . Indeed this day had many great things done in it , as it were pleading for it before it could recover its right of Primogeniture , to be a Sabbath : For first , upon this day Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary : enough of it self to have made a Sabbath , and yet for all that the old Sabbath stood firme still . Then upon this day Christ was baptized in Jordan , when a voyce was heard from heaven , This is my beloved Sonne , in whom I am well pleased . And this also enough to have made a Sabbath ; and yet for all that the old Sabbath stood firme still . Then upon this day Christ did his first miracle of turning water into wine , at a Marrriage in Cana ; and this also enough to have made a Sabbath : and yet for all that the old Sabbath stood firme still ; But when upon this day , Christ rose againe from the dead , and that there rose with him , many Saints that slept ; and appeared in the holy City ; then the old Sabbath could hold the place no longer , but yeelded up all right of a Sabbath to this day ; which from that time hath had a new Name given it , to be called as Saint John calls it , The Lords Day . O then my soule , if this day , by so many rights be become our Sabbath , shall we be so ungratefull , as not to do it the right of a Sabbath ? If it be now the Lords day , shall wee take it from him , and make it the worlds day ? shall the Jewes keepe the Sabbath of the Law with so strict observance , by which they expect but a temporall rest ; and shall not I keepe the Sabbath of the Gospell with a stricter observance , by which I expect an eternall rest ? Doth the memory of my creation deserve a great Sabbath ? and doth not the memory of my Redemption deserve as great a Sabbath ? Alas ! What had my Creation beene , if I had not beene Redeemed ? I know I was created , to the end I should serve God : but I was Redeemed to the end I should be able to serve him : and is not that as worthy of a Sabbath which makes me able to serve him , as that which requires mee to serve him , and makes mee not able ? but though I cannot say , I was not created able , yet I may truly say : I am Redeemed to be more able : for as without Christ , we can do nothing : so through him we can do all things . O my soule ! if it be justly said , Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth , may it not be as justly said , Remember thy Redeemer in the youth of thy dayes ? and what is this first day of the weeke , but as it were the youth of the weeke ? and so of thy dayes : for as the dayes of the weeke goe on , so thy age goes on : and if thou remember not in this youth of thy dayes , when thy memory is fresh , how wilt thou remember him in the dayes of thy age , when the memory naturally growes forgetfull ? O my soule , if thou keepe not this day holy , if thou keepe not thy selfe holy this day , in which God requires holines of thee , and to doe his workes , what hope is there of thy holinesse in other dayes , in which a liberty is left thee to doe thine owne workes ? God expects holinesse at our hands , in all dayes ; for he saith , Be ye holy as I am holy : which is to be holy continually : yet he appoints us no day to be holy in by name , but onely this , that wee may know it to be a holinesse , in which he takes more pleasure , than in any other : All other duties of piety we may performe in any day , but this piety in none but this day ; for it is , I may say , a piety personall to the day ; that if wee performe it not in this , we cannot in any other : wee must tarry till the day come about againe : and who can be sure to live till the next Sabbath ? and is it not a grievous thing to commit a fault , which we are not sure we shall ever live to amend ? I say not , that to be holy on other dayes , is opus supererogationis , more than wee need to be : but this I may truly say , that not to be holy this day , is opus extremae derogationis ; infinitely lesse than wee ought to do : for wee derogate extremely from that devotion to God , which humane imbecillity , as weake as it is , is able to performe . The holinesse of this day , to that of other dayes , ought to be as Cumulus ad granum , a whole sheafe of corne to a single eare : holinesse in all dayes , but in this day all holinesse . The Israelites , to make the walls Jericho fall downe , went once about it every day , but the eighth day sixe times about it . O my soule , the Sabbath wee now keepe , is that eighth day : that if wee will have the walls of our sinfull Jericho to fall down , we must goe sixe times as much about it , as in any other day . Remember the poore man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day : and what is it to gather stickes , but to spend the Sabbath in vanities and trifles ? yet that man for his gathering stickes was censured by Gods owne mouth to be put to death . For it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God : and though in every sin we commit , we may justly be said to fall into his hands : yet most properly in this , seeing this is a day which hee hath chosen to himselfe ; and in which above all other dayes he lookes to be glorified . O therefore , vouchsafe ( O God ) so to sanctifie this day to mee , and mee unto this day , that I may neither fell timber this day ; ( which is to busie my selfe about great worldly matters ) nor yet gather stickes this day , ( which is to spend it in trifles ) but that wholly abandoning all worldly businesse , I may dedicate it to thee onely , and onely to thy service . Indeed to keep a day holy , is to keepe it so wholly , without any mixture at all of worldly affaires ; for as a little leaven sowreth the whole lumpe : so any prophanenesse corrupts the purity of a true holinesse . As therefore Tradesmen keepe their shops open all the weeke long , but shut them up upon the Sabbath day , and suffer not any customers to repaire unto them : so upon the Sabbath day , we must shut up the shops of our hearts , and not suffer any worldly or prophane cares to have accesse , but reserve them wholly to God , and to his service . For ( O my soule ) when we be once in the careere of a worldly course , and have runne already sixe stages , if then wee make not a stop by keeping a Sabbath ; we shall runne our selves out of breath , and there will be no returning for the Spirit of Grace . Shall our eares stand listning all the weeke long , to the idle talke of vaine men , and shall they not listen this day to that which God himselfe shall say unto us by the mouth of his Prophets ? shall our tongues be imployed so long together , in making bargaines for our worldly benefits , and shall they not be imployed this day in performing the bargaine wee have made with God for our soules benefit ? shall our feet goe so many wearisome journeyes , and never be weary , to the Courts of Princes : and shall they not this day go a Sabbaths day journey , to the Temple of God ? shall the Church doores which stood shut before , stand open now , to let us in ? shall the bells which stood silent before , send forth now voyces , and call us to come , and shall wee not be moved by so great invitations to so holy a worke ? Do not the very clothes we put on this day , seeme to put us in mind before whom wee are to present our selves ; and shall wee not present our selves before him , when wee have made us ready to do it ? O blessed God , cloath mee with thy grace , and with the merits of thy Sonne Christ Jesus ; for these onely are the cloathes that can make mee worthy to present my selfe before thee : let thy holy Word and Spirit be ringing in my heart ; for these only are the bels , whose sound can be effectuall to call mee to thee .

It is observed in the course of Nature , that sixe dayes wee may live without eating any thing ; but to fast seven dayes together , is commonly mortall : and so it is in the course of the Spirit : sixe dayes wee may follow our worldly vocations ; and all that time wee may be justly said to fast from feeding the spirit , and yet no perishing to the soule ; but if we continue fasting the seventh day , if this day wee keepe not a Sabbath , both to rest our bodies , and to feast our soules , wee shall be in great hazard of a spirituall death ; at least exceedingly enfeeble our spirituall life : and indeed having kept the soule fasting so long , there is great reason this day to make it a feast : and as the use is in feasts to sit long ; so in making this feast for the soule , all the day long may be little enough . But O gracious God , as I cannot keepe this feast to thy Glory without thy Grace : so I cannot have thy Grace without thy gift ; and therefore vouchsafe O God , of thy free Mercy , so to furnish mee with the Graces of thy holy Spirit , that whilst I nourish my body , I may cherish my soule , and not onely continue my spirituall life , but may encrease in spirituall strength ; the better to serve thee all the dayes of my life .

The Heathen dedicated this day to the Sunne ; wherein , though they erred in the matter , yet they erred not in the name : for it must indeed be dedicated to the Sunne , but to the Sunne of Righteousnesse . Not to the visible Sunne , which is but a mortall creature , as we our selves are : but to the Sunne that is immortall , and invisible . O therefore my soule , do thou amend this errour of the Heathen , and dedicate this day to the Sunne , but to the Sunne , in whose light thou shalt see light : to the Sunne that lighteth every one that commeth into the world : to the Sunne that hath placed his Tabernacle in the visible Sunne ; and which shining upon thee , will dispell all clouds of feare , all mists of perturbation , and will bring thee the peace of a quiet conscience , the rest of a perfect Sabbath .

But shall we so dedicate this day to the Sonne , that we shall dedicate no day to the Father ? Shall we so remember our Redeemer , that wee shall forget our Creator ? No my soule : but this day may fitly serve for both : for a memoriall of our creation , in honour of the Father , as it is a seventh day : and for a memoriall of our Redemption , in honour of the Sonne , as it is this seventh day .

It was in this day , in the revolution of time that Christ rose againe from the dead , and by his Resurrection wrought our Justification , & a power besides for us also in our time to rise againe : and is not this a benefit worthy of a Sabbath ? worthy of a day of purpose to meditate upon it ? O then my soule , let this be thy prayer this day : that as Christ this day rose from death : so thou this day mayst rise to newnesse of life : that when thy day shall come to rise from the dead , and to come before the great Judge of the quicke , and the dead , thou mayst then also rise in the Judgement ; and be one of those to whom it shall bee said , Come yee Blessed of my Father , inherit the Kingdome prepared for you .

It was upon this day in the Revolution of time , that the holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles in fiery tongues , enabling them with all good Graces of the Spirit : and is not this a benefit worthy of a Sabbath ? worthy of a day apart , to meditate upon it ? O then my soule , let this be thy prayer this day , that Christ would send downe his holy Spirit upon thee , to fill thee with a fiery zeale of devotion , and to work in thee a true sanctification , that when thy day of triall shall come , the day of separating the sheep from the goates , thou mayst be found worthy to stand in the congregation of the Righteous , and mayst find the benefit of this Prayer , for which wee are beholding to this day ; and but for this day , could never have made ; By thy glorious Resurrection : and by the comming of the holy Ghost : good Lord deliver us .

But what is this rest of the Sabbath , so much spoken off , to be such a blessing to us ? Is it onely to be idle , to sit still , and do nothing ? Can doing nothing Glorifie God ? No my soule , the true rest of the Sabbath is a perpetuall motion : we must be still going , but not our owne wayes ; wee must be still speaking , but not our owne words : as Christ himselfe did for our Example : Hee went not his owne way when hee said to his Father , Not as I will , but as thou wilt : He spake not his owne words , when he continued in Prayer to his Father , sometimes whole nights together , returning , as it were a Sabbaths night labour , for a Sabbaths dayes rest ; which we also should doe , though it be more than we can doe : more than we can do indeed of our selves ; but not more than wee can do by his assistance , through whom wee can do all things .

But is not this that which Christ reprehended in the Pharisees ? may we not as well offend in making too long Prayers , as in making too short ? No my soule , that which he reprehended in the Pharisees , was not multa precatio , but multa locutio , not much praying , but much babling ; for if the words wee use in praying be but Nascentia in labris , it is but babling ; but if they be Nascentia in corde , it is then praying ; if wee draw neere to God with our lips , and our hearts be farre from him , this is but babling : but if the heart ascend up to God , together with the voyce , this is true Praying . O then vouchsafe O God , to assist mee with thy grace in Praying ; that my tongue , and my heart may make but one suppliant : that whilst my tongue speakes nothing but what my heart endites , my heart may endite nothing but what thy holy Spirit dictates : that so without any wandring cogitations of the flesh , without any sinfull suggestions of the world or Satan , my prayers may ascend up to thee , with the sweet savour of a Sabbaths sacrifice , and be acceptable unto thee .

There is a difference may be observed betweene Prayers of this day , and prayers that are proper for other dayes ; for those are properly Hosanna's , Petitions to God for blessings to be obtained , but the prayers of this day are properly Hallelujahs ; thanksgiving to God for a blessing already had : for this day God gives us a temporary rest , which is but a Type of the eternall rest , he will give us hereafter . O then grant mee O God , so to use the rest of this Sabbath , that I may come to the rest of the eternall Sabbath ; grant mee so to sing an Hallelujah for the rest thou givest now to my body , that I may sing at last the Hallelujah of Angels for the rest thou wilt give to my body and soule : a rest that shall never rest from singing and saying ; Holy , Holy , Holy Lord God of Sabbath : Heaven and Earth are full of the Majestie of thy Glory .

A Prayer for Sunday .

O Most Gracious God , that hast assisted mee to goe through with my dayes of labour : and hast brought mee now to a day of rest : O grant unto mee , that as in the sixe dayes of labour , I have done all that I have to doe for my selfe ; so in this day , I may do all that I have to doe for thee , which is indeed most of all , to doe for my selfe ; and give mee grace O God , that I make it not a day of worldly rest , in sloath and idlenesse , but a day of hallowed rest , in spirituall exercises : and that I may so praise thee in it , for my rest , as that the praising thee may be my chiefest rest : seeing I cannot expect , nor ought to desire any greater rest , than such as thy Angels have in heaven : whose rest is never to rest from praising and magnifying thy most glorious Name . O great God , make my rest this day to be in hearing thy Word , but more in doing it : to be in fearing thee for thy justice , but more in loving thee for thy mercy : to be in giving mee so long a time of Repentance , but more in giving mee repentance : to be in doing good to all , but specially to those of the houshold of faith : and lastly , O God , make mee so to rest this day , which is a portion of time , that I may come to the rest of that day , when time shall be no more , but shall be swallowed up in eternity , as our labours shall be in rest ; seeing thou wilt then be , Omnia in omnibus , All in all ; to whom be all honour , and glory , both now and for ever .

Amen .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON THE MVNDAY .

dark clouds with a bright sunburst above, containing the tetragrammaton יהוה Monday . Gen : 1.

V. 3. And God said , let there be light , and there was light .

4 And God saw the light , that it was good , and God divided the light from the darknesse .

5 And God called the light , Day , and the darknesse he Called Night , and the Evening and the morning were the first day .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON MVNDAY .

This is now the first of those dayes , of which God said , Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and do all that thou hast to doe : so it is a day of labour , and not to be spent , in nihil agendo , in doing nothing : and it is a day for doing all we have to doe : and therefore not to be spent in aliud agendo ; but specially not in male agendo , in doing of evill : for certainly doing of evill is no part at all of all we have to doe : and to do this , to be doing , and not doe amisse , to be going , and not go astray , this O my soule , is a hard taske ; and this is the taske wee are now enjoyned . And if the taske be hard for performance , have wee not the more need to looke about us for assistance ? O therefore , thou great God to whom nothing is impossible ; to whom even impossible things are easie ; vouchsafe to assist me in this worke I am about , that entring into it by thine ordinance , I may be conducted in it by thy governance : and that I may cheerfully goe on in the course of my vocation , without either anxietie or diversion .

The labour of this day makes the labour of the dayes that follow , to be none at all , at least so easie , that it hath given occasion of the saying , Dimidium facti , qui bene coepit , habet : A worke well begun is halfe done : if then this dayes labour make a good beginning , and a good beginning make so great a progresse , how can we thinke , but that the labour of this day will be well bestowed ? It is said , Aurora amica Musis , that the morning is a friend to the Muses ; and what is this first day , but as it were , the morning of the weeke ? and therefore , if wee labour not this day , we make a division betweene the Muses , and their friend ; and then we cannot looke to have the Muses our friend ; we cannot indeed looke to have God our friend , if we begin not our labour with alacrity and cheerfulnesse . Not to labour this day , is to make the day it selfe to labour : and seeing sufficient for the day , is the labour thereof ; should we not do ill to adde more labour to it ? and then we adde more labour to the day , when wee labour in the day : For , qui non est hodie , cras minus aptus erit : He that is idle to day , will be more to morrow , and so more and more till it come at last to the most : that as at first we had no will to labour ; so at last wee shall have no ability to labour : and then of necessity , as now of choyce , wee shall be servants to idlenesse , the greatest labour of all .

Seeing then the beginning of every worke , is for the most part , the hardest part : and no good beginning can be made , if God be not the principall actor in it : For if the Lord build not the City , the builders labour but in vaine . Therefore , O thou that art the Alpha and Omega ; the beginner and finisher of all good things ; vouchsafe to be present at this beginning of my worke , in this beginning of the dayes of my worke : that being in thee , and to thee intended and begunne , it may by thee , and through thee , be finished , and have a happy issue .

But what are the workes wee are to do this day ? Are they not workes for necessities , and workes for ornament ? for so bountifull a Lord is God unto us , that he allowes us to do workes , as well for ornament as necessity . When Adam made him cloathes of fig-leaves to cover his nakednesse ; this was a worke of necessity : but when Hester attired her selfe in her rich apparell ; this was a worke of ornament , and both these workes allowed of God . But when we labour for necessities , wee must not labour for superfluities ; when we worke for ornament , wee must not worke for vanitie ; and this is a hard moderation to be observed , and whereof perhaps vaine man is of himselfe scarce capable . Here therefore is Gods assistance specially to be sought , and how to be sought , but onely by Prayer ? for though Prayer be not the very worke wee have to doe this day , yet prayer must be the preface to the worke , or it will never be well done . For ( O my soule ) if wee begin not our worke with Hosanna , wee shall never finish with Hallelujah ; if wee begin it not with Prayer , wee shall hardly ever end it with Thanksgiving . O therefore thou great Moderator of all things , vouchsafe so to moderate mee in supplying necessities , that I may content my selfe without seeking superfluities : so moderate mee in supplying of ornaments , that I may content my selfe without seeking after vanities .

Now that wee have had a whole day of rest , wee may well be contented to have sixe dayes of labour ; for one of rest for sixe of labour is no uncomfortable proportion . And indeed the rest wee have had , hath beene but to make us the fitter to labour ; for labour is the thing wee are borne to in this world . Alas ! the rest we have now , is but a labouring to rest ; Laborare ut non laboremus ; our rest will never be perfect till it come to be eternall ; and will never be eternall till we come to be with him who inhabiteth eternity ; and till then , O my soule , thou must be contented to labour : and to do it , not onely with patience , seeing it must be done , but with cheerfulnesse , seeing there will be a reward for it being done : for as God loveth a cheerfull giver , so hee loveth a cheerfull labourer ; and where patience perhaps may be out of constraint , cheerfulnesse cannot but be out of obedience ; and who knowes not , that obedience is better , and to God more acceptable than any Sacrifice ?

When we heare it said , Sixe daies thou shalt labour , wee may do well to meditate upon the cause , why it was said ; for if we had not sinned , it had never beene said : If there had beene no sinne , there should have beene no labour ; but now labour is injoyned us as a penance for our sins : and this penance we must do , or else incurre a greater punishment : but though the day be dedicate to labour , yet the labour of the day we may dedicate to God : so of the penance , wee shall make a sacrifice , and then labour will no longer be laborious to us , being so imployed . But if we thinke of the sixe dayes of labour , to make so many Sabbaths of rest ; and so to shift off labour altogether : as God knowes too many do , spending all their time in idlenesse ; or which is worse , in vanity : alas ! we shall do it but in our owne wrong : for when wee looke to enter into our true rest ; and that there shall be no more labour for us to take , we shall have the like answer made to us , as Abraham made to Dives , Sonne , thou hast received thy goods in thy life time , thou hast taken thine ease in dayes that were ordained for labour ; and thou canst not have all Sabbath , both then and now , both there and here : and seeing thou hast made a Sabbath to thy self which God never made , thou hast forfeited the Sabbath which he had provided ; and which is worse , where thy penance before had beene but weeping for thy sinnes , it will be now weeping for thy torment , and gnashing of teeth .

The Heathen dedicated this day to the Moone ; committing therein , besides the impietie , a most grosse absurditie ; for what can be more absurd , than to dedicate a day of labour to the Moone , whose Empire is but onely in the night , when all labour is done ? But thou , O my soule , follow not this folly of the heathen , but content thy selfe with Gods dedication of the day , and dedicate it to labour : but then labour not for things that are under the Moone , which are as variable , and as subject to change as the Moone it selfe is : but labour for things that are above the Sunne ; that thou mayst be out of danger of this saying , What remaines to a man of all his labour ; that he labours under the Sun ?

It was upon this day in the revolution of time , that God made heaven , the glorious mansion of blessed spirits , and will there not be a place there for thee also , O my soule , if thou place thy labours as God hath ordained them ? But canst thou looke for rest in heaven , untill thou hast laboured first on earth ? and is not this a good motive to make thee labour to come to heaven : to thinke that heaven was this day prepared for thy comming to it ? Can any labour be grievous that is taken to so glorious an intent ? No my soule , but as God this day hath made Heaven ready for us : so let us this day make our selves ready for heaven ; For alas , else wee doe not answer God , in the intent of his workes , and were it not a grievous thing , that when God doth all hee can to make us happy , we should do all wee can to make our selves miserable ? and we shall do so indeed , if we crosse God in his ordinance , and labour not these sixe dayes , as he appoints us : of which this now is but the first : and O my soule , if thou shouldst faint now at thy first setting out ; now that thou art fresh , and hast had a whole day of rest , what hope is there thou shouldst be able , to hold out the other dayes of labour that are remaining ? Thinke not therefore of the labour of the day , but thinke of the recompence of the labour , and this thought will certainly keep thee in heart . We are all of us very ready to labour for earth , of which wee have enough already ; and shall hereafter have too much , but we are very unready to labour for heaven : of which wee have as yet nothing , and can never have enough : And can there be a greater folly than this , to labour for that , wee shall have without labour : and not to labour for that which without labour wee shall never have ? O therefore my soule , leave labouring for earth : and let thy labour be for heaven , and though thou shalt not have another Sabbath presently , yet thou shalt presently have another time of rest ; thou shalt have a whole night , which will plentifully serve to refresh thy wearied limbes , though after never so hard labour : and indeed the harder thy labour is in the day , the sweeter thy rest will be in the night : and hath not God then dealt most graciously with us , who injoynes us indeed to labour sixe dayes , but it is to make our rest the sweeter in the nights ? O then my soule , be thankfull to him for both : both for thy labour in the day , and for thy rest in the night , and pray unto him , that as they be both of them for thy comfort , so they may be both of them to his Glory ; Pray unto him that he will first give thee a will to labour , for where the mind is willing , all labour is easie : and then that hee will give thee an ability to labour : for though the spirit be willing , yet the flesh is weake : and lastly , that he will give a blessing to thy labours ; that being not vaine , they may not be in vaine , but have a happy and successefull issue : for without his blessing all labour is but lost that is taken , all courses but frustrate that are undertaken .

And yet ( O my soule ) thou hast not done , this is not yet all thou hast to doe : for is it enough to labour , and do workes , and to have patience ? No my soule , for all this the Church of Ephesus did , to which the Angell acknowledged , I know thy labour , and thy workes , and thy patience ; and how for my Names sake thou hast laboured , and hast not fainted ; and yet hee had somewhat against her , because shee had left her first love . Take heed therefore O my soule , that this be not thy case , for there is no trusting to labour , nor to workes : the first love is all , and what is this first love , but to love God first , and before all ? to labour , not for our selves , but for him , to worke , not for our owne profit , but for his Glory , to labour , not only for his Names sake , which that Church did ; but onely for his Names sake , which that Church did not ; and no fitter time to shew this first love , than this first day ; which O my soule , if thou shalt do this day , thou shalt make a good dayes worke ; and there shall be given thee to eate of the tree of life , which is in the midst of the Paradise of God . O therefore most gracious God , make mee so to shew my first love , by continuing my labour this first day , in workes of piety : that after this , and the rest that follow , I may rest from my labours , and my workes may follow mee , that I may follow the Lambe wheresoever he goeth .

A Prayer to be said upon Munday .

O Most gracious God , how much are we bound to thy Divine Majestie for this great respect thou shewest to us ; that when thou didst rest thy selfe , thou wouldst have us also to rest , & the dayes which thou spendedst in Creating , thou wouldst have us to spend in labouring : ( which is our kind of creating ) that so in our course of life , as farre as mortality is capable , wee might be like unto thee ; but alas , O Lord , what labour can there be , where there is no strength ? and what strength can we have , if we have not health ? O therefore vouchsafe O God , to bestow upon mee the comfortable blessing of bodily health ; not that onely which comes from thy immediate hand , but that also which comes by a temperate and sober course of living : which if it bring not the body , at least it keepes it in a due proportion . It was eating at first that brought infirmities upon our bodies : and it is the intemperance of eating and drinking that brings infirmities still upon our bodies : O therefore most gracious God , be pleased to give me the Spirit of Temperance , and Moderation in my meat and drinke , that to my originall corruption , I may not adde actuall ; but may , as it were , deliver back the Apple , which our first Parents did eate , to all our undoing : for whilst intemperately wee use thy creatures ; and eate and drinke without moderation ; what do wee but joyne with our first Parents in their Transgression ? and therefore justly partake of their infirmities . O therefore vouchsafe , O God , to give mee temperance as a meanes of health : and health as a meanes to enable mee to labour : that so I may performe thine ordinance , by labouring in my calling : and not be forced to spend my time in idlenesse , which is worse than any labour . It is true indeed , none labour so much , as they that be in sicknesse , and cannot labour : but this is not the labour which thou appointest us . It is rather a punishment for not labouring as thou appointest us . O therefore let it not bee unpleasing to thee , O God , that I pray to thee for this health of my body ; seeing upon thee onely it depends : and therefore though thou sentest thy Sonne Christ Jesus to be chiefly a Physitian to heale our soules : yet the most visible testimonies hee gave were of beeing a Physitian , to heale our bodies : for hee made the Blind to see , and the Lame to goe : and cured diseases , which neither Time , nor Art , nor course of Diet could ever cure . And indeed , as the Soule is the life of the Body , so Health is the Soule of Life : withwhich wee are but dead while wee live : and not able so much as to make use of the Poole of Bethefda . O therefore most Glorious Lord God , now that I am entring upon my dayes of labour ; vouchsafe to continue my health and strength unto mee : let no disorder in meat or drinke distemper mee ; that I may goe thorough with my labours , and not faint under them : and then I shall make it ( and O grant that I may make it ) a part of my labour to praise thee for thy loving kindnesse ; and to give thankes to thee for this inestimable favour . For alas , O Lord , what part is there in my whole body , that is not subject to a thousand infirmities , to a world of Diseases : And O Gracious God , how much am I then bound to thee ; that where many others lye groaning under the torture of paines : lye languishing under the but then of infirmities : thou givest unto mee the sweete comfort of health , and ease in all my parts ; that if I labour not now , according to thy holy Ordinance , thou mayst justly take from mee this great benefit of health which thou hast given mee : and leave mee in the tortures which many others feele . But farre be it from mee I should bee so ungratefull : As therefore I pray thee , O God , to give mee health for a foundation to labour : so I give thee all Land and Praise for a foundation of Thanksgiving : and with all Saints and holy Angels I Blesse and Magnifie thy Glorious , most Glorious Name for ever , and ever .

Amen .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON TVESDAY .

a sunburst containing the tetragrammaton יהוה shining down upon the water Tuesday Gen : 1

V. 6. And God said , let there be a firmament in the midst of the Waters , and let it divide the Waters from the Waters .

7 And God made the Firmament , and divided the Waters , which were under the firmament from the Waters which were above the firmament and it was so , 8 And God called the firmament heaven ; and the Evening and the morning were the second day .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON TVESDAY .

THis O my soule , is thy second day of labour : the first perhaps thou hast well imployed in the course of thy vocation : but is it enough to passe one day well , if thou hold not on thy course in the rest that follow ? Is it enough to have made a good beginning , if thou now give over , before thou come at the ending ? Remember how it is said : He that continueth to the end , he onely shall be saved . But what speake I to thee of continuance : being so weake and feeble a creature as thou art ? soone weary ( God knowes ) of doing any thing : and of nothing sooner than of welldoing : but soonest of all , if there be labour required to the doing it : for then humane imbecillity seemes to claime a priviledge , to give over at any time . And there will be no help for this , but only by prayer : & prayer to him who is Antiquus dierum , the ancient of daies : in whom there is no change , nor shadow of change . O therefore , thou Great and Gracious God , as thou hast begun this good worke in mee , to labour one day already , in the course of my vocation : so give mee a constant resolution to persevere , and to hold out my labour this day also ; that the fruit of my labours may come to some maturitie : and that adding one dayes labour to another , I may beare a part in that song of thy Saints , Day by day wee magnifie thee ; and wee praise thy Name , ever world without end . Alas my soule , if thou shouldst not continue thy labour this day also , thou wouldst lose the benefit of all thy former dayes labour , for God will take thee as he finds thee : he accepts thee not for what thou hast done , but for what thou doest : and if thou hast done well , and dost not continue , it had beene as good thou hadst never begunne . The day before thou didst but plough the ground , this is the day wherein to sow it : and canst thou have any benefit of thy Ploughing : if thou give over , and do not sow it ? If God had given over his workes of creation at the second day ; though there had indeed beene an Heaven and an Earth : yet the heavens had beene without Starres ; and the earth without man or beast : and so my soule it would be with thee , if thou shouldest now give over , and not continue thy labour . What good is it to have a foundation laid , if there be no walls reared ? and this O my soule , is the day for rearing the walls . What benefit of a worke , of which there is no use ? and what use can be of it , if onely begunne , and then given over ? Did not Moses strike the Rocke twice , before there came any water forth : and canst thou looke to have water come forth with striking it but once ? Had Lot beene ere the better for comming safe out of Sodome , if he had not beene constant on his way till he came to Zoar ? Was Lots wife ere the better for escaping the fire of Sodome when having escaped that fire , she burned with longing to be looking back : and was thereby made an example of folly , and inconstancie to all posterity ? & so my soule it would be with thee , if having passed thy first daies station , thou shouldst looke backe , before thou come at thy Zoar , which is the end of thy labour . What though thou hast done one dayes better worke , than our first Parent Adam , who continued not in innocencie the first day hee was made ? Is it enough to do better than hee that did so ill ? so ill , that it hath tainted the whole world with illnesse to this day : and even thee also , O my soule , as well as others : that if thou now give over , and continue not thy labour , thou mayst truly say , it is long of him . But if thou have taken hurt by his fault , at least take warning by his example ; and if thou find thy selfe to faint , and not able to hold out two dayes together , then have recourse to Prayer , for prayer will adde new vigour to thy spirits , and not suffer a good beginning to breake off in the middle . I therefore once againe make my prayer unto thee , most Gracious God , that thou wilt continue thy favour to mee this day : that I may continue my labour this day : and that no inticements of the world , no suggestions of Satan may divert mee from the good course I have begunne : but that as I goe from day to day , so I may grow from strength to strength , untill I come to the fulnesse of a perfect man in Christ Jesus .

It is sayd , Hee that provides not for his familie is worse than an infidell : and hee is like to provide but ill for his family , who having laboured one day , should the very next day turne loyterer , and give over his labour . And it is not perhaps for nothing , that when God saith , Sixe dayes thou shalt labour , and do all that thou hast to doe ; it seemes spoken in such a manner , that it may bee doubted whether hee require it of us as a commandement ; or onely but allow it to us as a libertie : but in which sense soever it be spoken , wee shall certainly not doe , as wee ought to doe , if wee continue not to labour the whole sixe dayes together ; for if it be spoken as requiring it ; then in not labouring we shall breake a kind of commandement ; and if it be spoken , as onely allowing it , then in not labouring wee shall seeme to slight the bounty of God , as refusing to make use of that portion of time , which hee affords us . O therefore vouchsafe O God , to indue mee with a spirit of constancie , that I may hold out the sixe dayes of labour , with a settled resolution , and specially , that I may adde this second dayes labour to the former , lest if that day should goe without a fellow , it may haply be in danger of the Woe pronounced by Salomon , Woe to one that is alone .

It seemes that God makes it a journey for us of sixe dayes , to goe from one Sabbath to another : and a journey cannot be performed without labour : if therefore we let any of the sixe dayes passe without labour , wee shall never come kindly to the next Sabbath : either something will be forgotten that should have beene remembred ; or something left undone that should have beene done : or something or other will be wanting , that should make the Sabbath be welcome to us when it comes . O therefore take from mee O God , the spirit of idlenesse , and the spirit of slumber , that I be not like a ship that is calmed , and cannot stirre , but that by the gale of thy free Spirit , I may be able to use both saile and oares , to attaine the blessed part of that Sabbath , which will amply make amends for more than the sixe dayes labour put upon us .

It is observed in the workes of Gods Creation , that of his worke which hee made the second day , it is not said , that he saw it was good , as though there were something in the second day that made his workes not appeare so good , as in the other dayes : Was it perhaps , that of his worke of the second day , God said not , Hee saw it was good , because the second is the number of Division , which is never good , and least of all with God , who is unitie it selfe ? Or was it , that of the workes hee made , the second day , hee said not , hee saw they were good , because perhaps that day hee made the Angels , of whom some were not good ; not that hee made them not good , but that hee saw they would not continue good : and perhaps did not continue good that very day in which they were made , to give God time to say , they were good : how ever it were , seeing of his worke of the second day , God said not , Hee saw it was good ; it behoves us to be the more watchfull over our workes of this second day , that God may neither see in them the evill of Apostasie , as in the Angels : nor the evill of division , as in the number ; to hinder him from saying , they are good ; but that hee may see in them a constancie in our honest labours , and a perseverance in our holy endeavours ; the onely things that can move God to say , hee sees them to be good : and when hee sees them to be good , to know them to be his owne works in us . For alas , if hee should looke upon our workes as they are in themselves , and as they are wrought by us , hee would see nothing in them , but even the Apostasie of the Angels , and the evill of Division , at least nothing of which hee could justly say , he sees it to be good ; but as it is wrought in us by his holy Spirit .

Was it not upon this day in the revolution of time , that God made the tree of Good and Evill ; the baite with which our first Parents were caught ? and is it not a bait as like to catch us as it did them , if we take not the better heed ? and is it not then a good motive , to make us take the better heed to our waies this day : to remember that this day , was laid the first bait that drew our first Parents , and in them us into sin ? a bait indeed , by God , but for our triall : but made by Satan a bait of temptation . O mercifull God , so divert mine eyes this day from seeing of vanity , that I may spend this day in the course of my vocation ; and not be drawne by any bait to transgresse thy commandements .

It was upon this day in the revolution of time that God made the Earth to bring forth fruit ; herbes and trees according to their kinde ; and shall the earth this day bring forth fruit for the use of man , and shall I bring forth no fruit this day for the service of God ? Am not I made of a better mold than the earth ; at least of the the best mold of the earth ? and shall the worse mold bring forth fruit ; and the better none , or none that shall attaine to ripenesse and maturitie ? for what maturity can there be in one dayes labour , when there are sixe dayes labour required to do it ? O therefore , thou great God , who being thy selfe most perfect , indeed perfection it selfe , givest all thy creatures a perfection in their kind : vouchsafe so to shine upon mee with the beams of thy grace , that they may bring forth in mee the fruites of good living , and fruites that may grow up to perfect ripenesse ; which is then done , when they be wholly addressed to the Glory of thy Name : for though the day it selfe I dedicate to labour , yet the labour of the day I dedicate to thee ; to whom be all Honour and Glory forever , and ever . Amen .

A Prayer for Tuesday .

O Most Gracious God , although bodily health be a blessing , as from thee , yet as to us it will prove no blessing at all , if wee imploy it not in labour , and use it as wee ought . For if wee spend our time of health in idlenesse , or in sedentary pleasures , it is so farre from being a blessing , that it will rather be a curse : and make us but the more unworthy servants , for making no better use of so good a talent . O therefore be pleased , most gracious God , as thou hast given mee health , to make mee able ; so to give mee grace , to make mee willing to labour in my vocation ; that I turne not thy blessing into a curse ; and be the worse for a gift , which is given to make mee better . For alas , O Lord , if thou incline not my will to labour , I shall never of my selfe but be longing after ease , so faint are my spirits to all goodnesse , if they be not strengthened by thy Spirit . O therefore take from mee O God , the spirit of slumber , and idlenesse ; the spirit of lazinesse and sloath : that I may not thinke it a paine to labour , but a Pleasure : for till we thinke it a pleasure and take a delight in it , wee shall never goe about it kindly ; never labour but with a kind of reluctance . And yet why should labour be unpleasing to us , seeing labour is a thing that was injoyned us in Paradise , and therefore abates nothing of our true happinesse ? and if our first Parents had followed it well , they had never perhaps fallen into the hands of Satan . For our idlenesse is Satans opportunitie ; when we are doing nothing , then is hee most busie ; and when hee finds us neglect to labour , in the workes which thou hast appointed us , hee then thinkes us fit for entertaining the workes which he appointeth us . O therefore vouchsafe O God , not to suffer mee through idlenesse to draw on temptations ; but that by labouring in my vocation , I may give Satan no apportunitie of assaulting mee ; no meanes of prevailing upon mee . Besides , O God , there is a mercifull respect also in thy injoyning us to labour ; seeing no ease is so gratefull , as that which labour precedeth ; or rather indeed , where there is no labour , there can be no rest . And seeing O God , as thou hast beene pleased thy selfe to take sixe dayes for making thy great workes of Heaven and Earth : so thou hast given mee also sixe dayes , to do that great worke , which must in them be performed ; or never after . Vouchsafe , O Lord , to make mee so to labour in the course of my calling , that I may this day do something towards the perfecting of my great worke , lest otherwise the Sabbath overtake mee before it be perfected , and then I be excluded from entring into rest , for want of having laboured .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON WEDNESDAY .

a sunburst containing the tetragrammaton יהוה shining down upon a coastal landscape Wednesday Gen : 1

V. 9 And God said let the Waters under the Heauen be gathered together unto one place , and let the dry Land appeare and it was so .

10 And God called the dry land , Earth ; and the gathering together of the Waters called he Seas ; And God saw that it was good .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON WEDNESDAY .

THis O my soule , is the third of thy dayes of labour ; and if thou have well spent the two former , in the course of thy vocation , are they not an encouragement to thee , to continue thy labour this day also ? For dost thou not find thy selfe as fresh now , as at the first ? or rather so much fresher , as exercise is able to make more able ? Indeed to labour in well doing never wearies a willing mind ; but rather addes new vigour to it , as seeming to prompt it to continue by its owne example . But O my soule , as there be many encouragements for thee to continue thy labour , so there is a powerfull Orator stands ready to disswade thee from it : the Orator that perswaded our first Parent Eve , that darknesse was light : and therefore will not sticke to perswade thee , that idlenesse is labour : and though he be laying his battery against thee continually and every day ; yet this third day , I have great cause to doubt his violence more than before ; First , because this was the method hee held in tempting of Christ , to keepe his strongest temptation for the third ; for then he shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world , and the glory of them , and made him a promise of them , but onely to fall downe and worship him ; that this day most properly we may make this Prayer , By thy fasting and temptation , good Lord deliver us : And is he not like to hold the same course with mee ? For doth hee not offer mee all the ease and pleasures of the world , if I will but this third day give over , and forbeare to labour ? and doth he not fortifie his tempting of mee , as hee did of Christ , with a text of Scripture , There is nothing better to a man under the Sunne , than to eate , and drinke , and be merrie ; And by this Text seekes to withdraw mee from labour ? But , O my soule , it is happy for thee , that as Christ had his Text , so thou hast thine in readinesse to answer him : Sixe dayes thou shalt labour , and do all that thou hast to do : And I may the rather feare , he will use more violence in assaulting mee this day , then in the former , because this is the third day , and makes up the number of three : a number that Satan cannot abide of any ; whether it be that three being the first perfect number , is therefore the most hatefull to him , as being an enemy to all perfection : or whether it be , that it puts him in mind of the blessed Trinity , a mystery hee cannot thinke of with any patience : and puts him perhaps into as great a passion , as when hee said to Christ , Art thou come to torment us before the time ? And now O my soule , if this third day be so hatefull to Satan ; if the number of three , be so formidable to him , thou mayst do well to take advantage of his feare , and to make this thy prayer this day ; O Holy , Blessed , and Glorious Trinitie , three Persons , and one God , vouchsafe to defend mee this third day , from all the assaults of Satan , that neither his batteries may enforce mee , nor his flatteries may entice mee to to give over labouring in the course of my vocation , but that according to thy holy Ordinance , I may labour this day , and do all that I have to doe , in spight of all his stratagems and devises . For , O my soule , if thy former dayes labour have beene easie to thee ; why shouldst thou now offer to give them over ? and if they have beene hard and difficult ; yet consider thou art going to a Sabbath ; follow the example of Christ , who for the joy that was set before him , endured the Crosse , and set light by the labours of a painfull and afflicted life . But O blessed Saviour , it is not enough to have thy example , if wee have not also thy assistance . O therefore vouchsafe to assist mee with grace , and endue me with a spirit of perseverance : one drop of thy patience infused into mee , will like the drop of honey to Jonathan , be of force sufficient to refresh my spirits , and to put new vigour into my soule .

Although all the sixe dayes be dayes of labour ; yet this third day especially , and more than any other , and therefore this day hath alwayes beene designed to sackcloth , and ashes : and if , O my soule , thou endure not to labour this day , which is the easiest part of thy penance : how wilt thou endure to put on sackcloth and ashes this day , which is so much a harder part ? and yet as hard a part as it is , it must bee done : and O mercifull God , make mee so to doe penance this day , in sackcloth and ashes ; in the Sackcloth of patience , and in the ashes of contrition , that I may never come to doe penance in the fire that is unquenchable , and leaves no ashes ; Alas , no place for contrition .

There are indeed three things that are commonly reputed to be the parts of perfect holinesse ; thoughts , and words , and actions ; and he that continues to labour in Gods service this third day , may well be thought to have attained these three degrees : but if hee stand idle this third day , and do not labour , he will be found guiltie , at least in one of them , and then his service will never be accepted . O therefore vouchsafe O God , so to sanctifie all the thoughts of my Heart , and all the words of my mouth , and all the actions of my life , that I may be admitted this third day , a labourer in thy vineyard ; and this , O my soule , will be as great a happinesse , as when Saint Paul was rapt up into the third Heaven .

It was upon this day , in the revolution of time , that God made the Starres , the Sunne , and the Moone : but alas , O Lord , what availes it mee that thou hast set starres of light in the heavens , if thou set not as well also starres of grace in my heart ? they may give light to my bodily eyes ; but onely these to the eyes of my soule : and seeing I live by my soule , and not by my body , be pleased O God , as thou didst upon this day , furnish heaven with starres of light , so this day to furnish my soule with starres of grace , and with stars of all magnitudes : with some of patience , with some of feare , with some of devotion , but above all , with the two great starres of faith and perseverance : that I may persevere and continue my labour to serve thee this third day ; not doubting but this day ended , will call up another : and so continue calling , till they bring mee at last to that true Sabbath , where there shall be no more starres of different magnitude , but all shall be onely one great starre of love and charity .

A single cord is of no great strength , and a double cord , of not much greater , but a threefold cord is not easily broken : O therefore my soule , continue thy labour this third day also : that so thou mayst make thee a threefold cord of devotion , of pietie , and perseverance : and then neither the world , nor Satan shall be able to breake it . If I should say Holy , to God , once and twice , and not the third time also ; I should come short in the Angels song ; and how then could I looke for an Angels reward ? O therefore my soule , continue to say Holy this third day also ; which is to exercise thy selfe in holy endeavours , that so thou mayst beare a part in the Angels song ; or rather mayst act that which the Angels doe but sing : and not be frustrate of thy expectation . Did God make the Sunne to give us light this day , with a meaning wee should stand idle this day ? Alas , idlenesse needs no light : and therfore , see . God made us light this day , we may be sure hee lookes wee should labour this day , and not stand idle . O therefore my soule , do not frustrate Gods ordinance ; make not the Sunne to stand idle , by thy standing idle , but while it is called to day , imploy thy selfe in honest labour ; that the Sunne may see thee make use of its light ; and that God may see thee make use of his creatures , to the purpose for which hee made them ; lest otherwise they may justly be taken from thee , as not worthy to have them , that dost not use them , or not use them as they ought . If God have given us the comfortable gift of light this day , shall wee not in gratefulnesse give him thankes this day ? and the best kind of thankes for the benefits of his creatures , is to make benefit of his creatures ; and then we make benefit of light , when we do the workes of light , and stand not idle : But know my soule withall , that all labour is but idlenesse , if it be not joyned with prayer , and with thanksgiving .

It was upon this day in the revolution of time , that the wretched Judas made a bargaine with the wicked Jewes for selling of Christ ; and ought not the remembrance of this be a good motive to us to stand upon our watch , that we commit no sinne this day , lest wee be taken to joyne with Judas in selling of Christ ? Indeed in every sinne we commit , if we sell not Christ to the Jewes , at least we sell our soules to Satan .

If it be examined in true construction , this third day may well be counted the first day ; for what day could there be before there was a Sunne ? and there was no Sunne till this third day ; if then O my soule thou hast laboured heretofore , before , it was day ; wilt thou not labour now when the Sunne is up , and it is broad day light ? But then as thou labourest in thy worldly vocation : so be not idle in thy spirituall calling : no my soule , but so labour in both thy callings , that thou mayst be found worthy to be chosen for thy labour ; for it is a fearfull thing , to be of their number , of whom it is said , Many are called , but few are chosen .

A Prayer for Wednesday .

O Heavenly Lord God , I depend upon thy goodnesse for the like favour , as thou shewedst to thy servant Abraham : for I come a suiter to thee for another Sodome ; at least for one as sinfull as ever Sodome was : and therefore have need to have as many petitions granted mee , as Abraham had : for although thou hast beene pleased , O God , to heare my Petition for health , to make mee able : and for grace to make mee willing to labour in my vocation : yet if thou shouldst stay there , and grant mee no more , I should make but little benefit , of either health or labour : for seeing thine ordinance is , that I should labour sixe dayes , and do in them all that I have to doe ; although I should labour never so much , yet if I should not doe all that I have to doe , I should not performe thine ordinance ; and not performing it , bee never the better for all my labour . O therefore be pleased O God , to direct my labour to other true end , and to guide mee in the way I am to walke , as thou didst guide the Israelites in the wildernesse : for , alas , O Lord , I have a greater wildernesse to passe , than ever the Israelites passed ; a wildernesse of troubles and temptations , a wildernesse of ignorance and errours : that if thou guide mee not , as thou didst them , with a pillar of a cloud by day ; with the Gospell of thy sonne Christ Jesus ; and with a pillar of fire by night ; with the grace of thy most holy Spirit : I shall never be able to find the way to Canaan , but shall wander perpetually , and die miserably in the wildernesse : for although thine ordinance , to doe in sixe dayes all that I have to doe , be folded up in that unum necessarium , that one necessary thing , which Christ told Martha : and being but one , may be thought soone done : yet when that one thing is opened , and comes to be put in execution ; I find it to containe such a world of duties , that I am confounded with the number ; duties towards thee my God ; duties towards my neighbour ; duties towards my selfe ; and if any of these duties be omitted , how can I say , I have performed thine ordinance , and done all that I have to doe ? And what account then shall I be able to make of it , at my sixe dayes end ? And if I cannot make my account to thee : in what account can I hope to be with thee ? When I consider my duty towards thee : that I should love thee with all my soule , with all my mind , with all my strength : can I say , I have done so , and not kept a a part of my soule to love the world ? When I thinke of my duties to my neighbour ; that I should love him as my self ; can I say , I have done so , and not suffered him to want , when I have my selfe abounded ? when I remember the duties to my selfe ; that I should preferre the care of my soule before my body ; can I say , I have done so : and not rather preferred the care of my body before my soule ? O therefore , most gracious God , be pleased to supply all these defects ; vouchsafe to rectifie all my labours ; and make mee so to love thee , that I may love nothing besides thee , nothing but what conduceth to the glory of thy Name : Make mee to love my neighbour as my selfe ; and to doe unto others , as I would others should do unto mee : make mee so to have a care of my soule , that no pleasures of the world , no delights of the flesh may withdraw mee from it : as knowing , that the world perisheth : the flesh will shortly returne to dust : onely my soule is my selfe , and will continue with mee . And when thou hast thus directed my labours , and made mee to do all that I have to do , I shall then acknowledge ; thou hast done more for mee , than thou didst for Abraham : and therefore shall be ready to do more for thee , than Abraham did : sacrifice not onely my Isaac , all my delights , but my whole selfe , all my desires , all I am , and all I hope to be unto thee .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON THVRSDAY .

a sunburst containing the tetragrammaton יהוה set over a landscape half in day and half in night. Both the moon and sun are depicted in the sky. Thursday . Gen : 1

V14 And God said let there be lights in the firmament of the Heaven , to diuide the day from the night and let them be for signes and for Seasons , and for dayas and yeares , 15. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven etc.

16 And God made two great Lights , the greater light to rule the day , and the besser light to rule the night , he made the starks also .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON THVRSDAY .

THis , O my soule , is the fourth of thy sixe daies of labour : and so one halfe of thy labour is now past , and perhaps the hardest halfe : for the former dayes were spent , in labouring I may say , up hill ; labour encreased upon thee before , but will now every day abate , that very speedily now thou wilt come within sight of thy races end : and therefore no time now to faint . No my soule , but goe cheerfully on ; for alacrity lightens labours ; and then only is a worke hard to bee wrought , when the mind must be wrought as well as the worke .

But alas , my soule , why do I call upon thee to be willing ; as though it were in thy owne power , to will what thou wouldest ? Thy will I know is free , but thou hast not power to use that freedome , without the assistance of a higher power . O therefore thou great God , who onely hast power over the freedome of my will , vouchsafe by the operation of thy Spirit , so to incline my heart that my will may be conformable to thy will : and that no reluctancie of the flesh may obicem ponere , to divert my soule . If my soule were free , and alone by it selfe , it would perhaps have power over the freedome of my will : but being in this prison of my body , it is drawne oftentimes to be willing against its will : that I know not which to call its will , whether that which of it selfe it would , and doth not ; or that which of it selfe it doth , and would not . But thou O God , be pleased to reconcile this difference : make my will and my actions to agree in one : and both of them to concurre with thy pleasure , that I may have nothing in mee of my owne , but all of thine ; not my owne will , but thy will ; not my owne wayes , but thy wayes ; not my owne thoughts , but thy thoughts ; that thy Image , which hath beene long defaced in mee , may now at length be renued : that all things may be done away , and new come in their place , till there come to be a new Heaven , and new Earth , wherein dwelleth righteousnesse ; for then , and not till then , will my soule have a freedome of will , and a power over it .

Christ bids us knock , and it shall be opened unto us , but he tels us not how often wee must knocke before it shall be opened to us : if therefore wee have knocked three dayes already , and it be not yet opened to us ; yet let us not give over knocking : it may be this fourth day is the time it will be opened to us . To give over our labour now , were to make frustrate all the former dayes labours . For it is an undoubted truth , if ever piety be rewarded , it is long of perseverance . Indeed this fourth dayes labour hath a speciall influence of vertue in it ; it makes , I may say , a quadrature of pietie ; in which every side is a front : and is thereby the complement of all the former dayes labours : and without which their labours are abortives , and unperfect births . What was Sampson the better for three times withstanding the enticements of Delilah , when the fourth time hee yeelded , and discovered where his strength lay ? No more shall wee be the better for three dayes holding on our honest courses , if now this fourth day wee give over , and turne our strength into weaknesse , by turning our labour into idlenesse .

But what is all this to keepe my soule from fainting , in this fourth dayes labour ? it is not words will do it , it must be something that is reall : see then my soule , I have that to offer thee , which is truly reall ; the Body and Blood of Christ ; of wh●ch , upon this very day , in the revolution of time , hee instituted his blessed Sacrament : for though to my body it be bread and wine , yet to my soule , it is his body and his blood : and can there be a fitter day to meditate upon this mystery , than the day upon which it was first ordained ? And will not this food be a sufficient cordiall to keepe thee from fainting in this fourth dayes labour ? Yes , my soule , though thou wert dead , yet would this revive thee , and put new life into thee . But then remember , hee that will not labour must not eate : if therefore thou continue not thy labour this day , as hee hath appointed , thou must not looke to eate this food , which upon this day hee appointed to be eaten : for this is a food that must bee eaten worthily ; and none worthy to eate it that doth not labour . O therefore my soule , that thou mayst not faint , be sure to eare it , and that thou maist eate it , be sure to labour and by this meanes , all differences will indifferently be composed ; thou my soule , shalt be preserved , and Gods holy Name shall also be glorified .

But if this be not a sufficient cordiall to keepe thee from fainting : then adde another to it ; the cordiall of Christs Ascension : for upon this very day , in the revolution of time , did Christ ascend up into heaven ; and ascended in that very body , which hee had given thee before to eate ; and if by eating it thou makest thy selfe one body with him ; shalt not thou also in thy body ascend up thither , where hee himselfe is ? But though thou canst not stand gazing this day to see him ascend , as the Apostles did , yet thou mayst this day meditate upon the benefit of his ascending ; and this cannot choose but be a perfect cordiall to keepe thee from fainting : and indeed this is the day , in which most properly wee may say , By thy pretious Body and Blood , and by thy glorious Ascension , good Lord deliver us .

O therefore , most gracious God , enable mee so to labour this day ; that I may be worthy to eate thy body : and make mee so to eate it , that I may bee incorporate into it ; and may thereby be made capable of the benefit of thy Ascension . But till I have the benefit of ascending up in body : make mee at least to ascend up in soule ; that as thou by ascending hast taken possession for both ; so my soule , by ascending , may take possession for my body : that as they are joyned together here in these sixe dayes of labour : so they may be joyned there in the rest hereafter of an eternall Sabbath .

It was upon this day , in the revolution of time , that God made the fishes of the Sea , and fowles of the aire : the first living creatures that ever hee made : and if God have laboured this day , to make creatures to do us service , shall not wee continue our labour this day to do him service ? And it is not onely that this day made his first living creatures ; but that hee hath made them such , that they had no part in provoking God to bring the great deluge upon the earth : and art not thou jealous of this , O my soule , that fishes should be more pleasing to God than thy selfe , and such as thou art ? O then , not onely continue thy labour this day , but let thy labours be such , they may not provoke God to bring any new destruction upon the world , but that when the wicked shall perish in their sinnes , by the angry hand of God , yet thy workes , like fishes , may escape the furie of his wrath , and may swimme securely in the Ocean of his mercy . And now my soule , thou mayst justly conclude , O great and gracious God , as thou hast safely brought mee to the beginning of this day , so vouchsafe to to bring mee safely to the ending ; and let the meditations of my heart this day , be first of the great mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ : and then of the great benefit of his Acension into heaven : and lastly of the wonderfull creatures , thou didst this day make in the sea ; the small fishes , in number innumerable ; the great whales , in magnitude incredible ; and all for the use of man , and to be under his Dominion ; that our labour this day may be chiefly to prayse thee for thy goodnesse , and for the wonderfull workes which thou hast done for the children of men .

A Prayer for Thursday .

O Most gracious and glorious God , give mee leave to be the importunate Abraham still ; I come to thee with new Petitions : for when thou hast done one thing for mee , thou must vouchsafe to do another , and then another , and more and more still , till it come to be said , Thou hast wrought all our workes in us . For alas , of our selves we are able to do nothing : Although therefore thou hast vouchsafed to heare my petition for health , and my petition to make mee labour , and my petition to direct my labours ; yet all these will do mee but little good , if thou please not withall to blesse my labours : they may bee sufficient , but onely thy blessing effectuall to perfect thy worke in mee . Thou gavest Caine health , and a will to labour ; and didst direct him what hee should doe : but because thou didst not blesse his labours , and that which hee did , they were all unprofitable to him , and did him no good . O therefore most gracious God , be pleased to give a blessing to my labours , and to all that I have to doe : for alas , how many are there that breake their sleepe to rise up early , and eate the bread of carefulnesse , and yet prosper not , and all because thou openest not thy hand , and fillest them with thy blessing ? For it is not in him that willeth , nor in him that runneth , but 〈…〉 O God , that blessest their labours . Neither is learning to the studious , nor victory to the strong , nor prosperity to the Thrifty , but all must come from the hand onely of thy blessing . O therefore be pleased O God to give a blessing to my labours , and to all that I goe about : to my prayers , and to all I pray for according to thy will : and then in what estate soever thou please to place mee , I am sure to be safe . Thy blessing kept Jonas as safe in the Whales belly , as if hee had lien all the while in a castle . Thy blessing made the dead wombe of Sarah bring forth a Sonne , when nature and reason were both against it . Thy blessing made the little flocke of Jacob to grow greater then the great flocke of his father in law Laban . Thy Blessing made Daniel to looke fairer and fatter with his pulse and water , than other did , with the dainty faire of Nebuchadnezzar ; for thy blessing hath an influence in it ; which makes any estate happy , how farre from happinesse soever the estate it selfe be . Bee pleased therefore , O God , if thou send mee poverty , to give mee withall contentment : for where poverty and contentment goe together ; there thy blessing of contentment makes povertie it selfe a blessing . If thou send mee sicknesse , then give mee withall patience : for where sicknesse and patience are together , there thy blessing of patience makes sicknesse it selfe a blessing . If thou send mee temptations , then give mee withall faith ; for thy blessing of faith makes temptations themselves blessings : that as it is truly said , in regard of us ; All things worke together for the best to them that feare God : So in regard of thee O God , it may as truly be said , All things worke together for the best to them whom thou blessest . O therefore be pleased , O God to blesse me and all my labours ; O blesse mee , that I may blesse thee ; thou mee with grace , I thee with praise : and that all that is within mee may blesse and praise thy glorious Name .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON FRIDAY

a sunburst containing the tetragrammaton יהוה shines over a variety of birds and water animals Fryday . Gen. 1.

V20 And God said , Let the Waters bring forth abundantly the moving Creature that hath life , and fowl that may flye above the earth in the open formament of heauen .

21 And God Created great Whales , and every living Creature that moveth , which the Waters brought fort abundantly after their kinde , and every win : ged fowl after his kinds : and God saw that it was good .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON FRIDAY .

THis is now our fifth day of labour , and after this but one day of labour more , and then our Sabbath . And as a workeman hath his heart well lightned , when the greatest part of his worke is done , and only some small part remains : and as a mariner rejoyceth , when after long tossing with stormes and tempests , he comes to discry the land , and specially his desired haven : so is it this day with us : we may justly now rejoyce , seeing after foure dayes of incessant labour , wee come this day ( I may say ) within sight of our Sabbath , which is the haven of our rest : and by this reckoning , we should now be singing of Hallelujahs , and songs of joy . But O my soule , our case is farre otherwise , for all the labours of the dayes past are nothing , compared to the labour of this day : and as for the Sabbath that is talked of , what Sabbath can I looke to have , when the Lord of the Sabbath , was this day himselfe so cruelly handled ! I have had a most grievous nigt of it , to see him in whom was all my hope , brought now himselfe almost to despaire ; and yet I shall have a more grievous day of it , to see the Lord of my life , be put himselfe to a cruell death : and now my soule , what can my labour doe ? All I could have done , had beene but to oppose his adversaries : & perhaps to have strucken off one of their eares : and this would have done no good : for hee would presently have healed it againe . Yet I might have followed him to see the end , as Peter did : but so perhaps I might have denied him , as Peter did : yet I should hope O Lord , thou wouldest afford mee the like grace as thou didst to Peter ; to make mee presently goe out and weepe bitterly . But alas , this weeping would be for my selfe ; and I have now cause to weep for another : one infinitely more deere unto mee , than I am my selfe ; and of such worth , that it were better the whole world should perish , than one haire of his head should be diminished . And can I remember it then with out weeping ; that this man of more worth than the world was this day held of no worth in the world ; alas , was rejected ; alas , was despised , and was made a publike spectacle to the world , of infinite woe and infamie : and have I not cause then to turne the labour of this day into lamenting ? but where to find lamentations to serve my turne this day I know not : alas , the lamentations of Jeremy are farre too short to expresse my sorrow : to have my head be made a fountaine of teares , that I might weep day and night , beares no proportion with the greatnesse of my griefe ; O yee rockes , why doe you not cleave asunder to see this day ? and the rockes indeed did cleave asunder at it : and vaile of the Temple rent in twaine , from the top to the bottome . O yee heavens , why are ye not astonished at this sight ? and the heavens indeed were astonished at it : for the Sunne was darkened from the sixth houre to the ninth : and why was the Sunne darkned , but because the Sunne of Righteousnesse was eclipsed ? Why was the vaile of the Temple rent , but because his body was rent , that was indeed the true Temple , in which all holinesse was dwelling bodily ? And is not this a case , that deserves lamenting ? O my soule , if I should lament this day , as the case of the day deserves to be lamented ; it might justly be said to be a day of labour indeed .

But seeing thou canst never lament enough , let thy labour now be turned into thanking ; for why did Christ suffer all these indignities ? why was hee punished , that was no delinquent ? was it by the errour of the Judge , upon the suggestion of false witnesses ? No , God knowes , it was his owne voluntary act ; for he knew , we could not be healed but by his stripes : he knew we could not be saved , but by his death : and such was his compassion and pity towards us , that for our sakes , hee tooke a burthen upon him , which no shoulders but his were able to beare . He paid a debt for us , which wee were never able to have paid our selves : he bore a penalty for us , which we were never able to have borne our selves : hee performed a justice for us which wee were never able to have performed our selves : And who were wee , that for us hee should take such burthens upon him ? For good men perhaps , one may be gotten to die , but we , alas , were all grievous sinners . For friends perhaps one may be drawne to suffer much ; but wee , God knowes , were all his enemies : and doth not such kindnesse then deserve thankes at our hands , in the highest degree ? O my soule , if I should labour to thanke him this day , as his love shewed me this day deseives to be thanked ; it might justly be said to be a day of labour indeed .

But seeing with all thy labour , thou art never able to thanke him enough ; let thy labour now be turned into magnifying ; for having done these great things for mee , how can I speake of him in a lower style than to say , Thou art the King of glory O Christ , thou art the everlasting Sonne of the Father : when thou tookest upon thee to deliver man , thou didst not abhorre the Virgins wombe : when thou hadst overcome the sharpnesse of death , thou diddest open the Kingdome of heaven to all beleevers ; and therefore day by day wee magnifie thee ; and wee worship thy Name , ever world without end .

But seeing with all my labour I can never magnifie him , as hee deserves : my labour now shall be turned into praying ; that , O gracious God , thou wilt be pleased , to make mee truly sensible of these inestimable favours , sensible from what I am redeemed , and sensible by whom I am redeemed , and sensible to what I am redeemed : for I am redeemed , not onely from the worst captivitie , but from that which is worse than captivitie , from the thraldome of Satan , and from everlasting death : and I am redeemed by him , who incurred thy displeasure , to procure my reconcilement : by him who exinanivit seipsum , emptied himselfe , that of his fulnesse we might all receive : and I am redeemed to the end I might serve thee without feare , without servile feare indeed , but yet in feare & holinesse all the dayes of my life . And now my soule put all these labours together ; lamenting , and thanking , & magnifying , & praying , and all of them to be done this day , & then say , if this day may not justly be said to be a day of labour ? a day indeed of so great labour , that if my sabbath come not the sooner , I shall never be able to hold out from fainting . But O mercifull God , when my own strength failes , be thou pleased to assist mee with the strength of thy grace , that I may lament his suffering with a hearty contrition , that I may thanke him for his sufferings , with an humble acknowledgement , that I may magnifie his sufferings , with songs of extolling , and that I may pray for them all , with a true devotion : and beeing thus assisted , I shall come to my Sabbath time enough ; and before any fit of fainting take hold upon mee . For O my soule , though these indeed be great labours , yet wee may well be contented to take them this day , seeing wee are beholding to this day for a Prayer , which but for this day wee could never have made : By thy Crosse and Passion , by thy pretious Death and Buriall , Good Lord deliver us .

And yet these are not all the labours of the day neither ; for it was upon this day , in the revolution of time , that God made the beasts of the earth , and last of all made man ; whether it were he made him last , as his perfectest worke : for this hath hitherto beene Gods manner , to proceed from the lesse to the more perfect ; and therefore of his second dayes worke , it is not said , Hee saw it was good : because his worke of the second day was not perfected till the third day ; and in Gods language , nothing is good that is not perfect : or whether it were that hee would not make man till hee had first made all things else , that hee might have no pretence of wanting any thing in excuse of his sinne : or whether it were , that he reserved man for his last worke , before he rested himselfe : that being made so lately , he might have entred into his rest at the shortest distance : and is there not in all these considerations , very just occasion to move us this day to labour ? O my soule , if our first parent . Adam had laboured but this one day ; Alas , but a small part of this one day in serving of God ; how happy had hee beene ? how happy had wee all beene ? for if once hee had gotten a Sabbath over his head ; if hee had but once entred into Gods rest : hee had then beene safe for ever , against all temptations of the world , and Satan . For this ( wee may conceive ) had beene the like confirmation to him in grace , as was to the holy Angels at the fall of Lucifer . This Satan knew well , and therefore made hast to get betweene him and home ; and taking advantage of his idlenesse , before hee knew what labour meant , hee quickly brought him to his fall . And is there not in this againe another consideration , to make us consecrate this day to labour ? For why did Adam fall , but because he did not labour ? if he had not stood gazing upon the forbidden fruit , if he had notspent his time idly , in parlee with the Serpent , hee might have stood still in his estate of uprightnesse , & never perhaps have bin put to other labour , than walking with God .

And now my soule , let these considerations bee layd together , that this was the day in which man was made ; this the day in which man fell ; this the day in which man was redeemed ; and then say , if these three make not a strong cord to draw us ( if any thing will draw us ) this day to labour ? Wee use to celebrate our birth-day with some extraordinary solemnity : and shall we use no solemnity upon this day , which is the generall birthday of all mankind ? We use when wee are fallen , to labour to rise againe ; and shall wee not labour to rise this day , in which wee tooke our fall ? Is it not fit , when wee are redeemed , to do some act to shew that wee are freed ? and in all these considerations , what so fit as prayer ? the greatest solemnity wee can use to celebrate our birth day . The fittest labour wee can take , to helpe us to rise ; the best act wee can do to expresse our libertie . O then my soule , labour this day : but let thy labour be with Prayer ; that this day thou mayst do workes of pietie worthy of thy creation ; workes of humilitie in remembrance of thy fall ; and workes of charity in acknowledgement of thy redemption . And if any man thinke , that prayer is but an easie labour , and not enough for this day ; let him remember Christs praying in the garden , which was so laborious to him , that it brought him into a sweat of very blood . O then vouchsafe O God , to endue mee with a spirit of fervent prayer , that may draw all blood of prophanenesse out of my veins ; that all the meditations of my heart , and all my actions this day may wholly be directed by thee , & wholly be directed to thee , to thee O God , who only canst make my labours light unto mee ; and only canst endite my prayers for mee : only my soule remember , that this is the day , semper acerbus , semper honoratus : to which we are beholding for a prayer , which but for this day wee could never have said , By thy agony and bitter Passion , by thy pretious death and buriall , good Lord deliver us .

Jacob told Pharaoh , that few and evill were the dayes of his Pilgrimage : and tooke no notice of any good day he had ever had ; and how then come we to have a good day , amongst our much worse and fewer than his were ? and if wee have not a good day , why do wee call it good Friday ? can that be a good day , which tooke our onely good away ? can that day be good , which deprived us of him that was onely good ? May wee not rather call it one of Jacobs evill dayes ; or , one of Jacobs accursed dayes , than to call it a good day ? No my soule , just cause to call it a good day , that was the cause of all good dayes to us ; though not to him : or therefore to him also , because to us : but justest cause to call it Good Friday , which was the cause of our good Sunday ; for if it had not beene for this Friday , the next Sunday could have bin no Sabbath ; for if he had not dyed now , he could not have risen then ; seeing he was not to rise , till the third day after his death : and if hee had not risen then , it had not beene then a Sabbath : seeing it was his rising onely that made it a Sabbath . If therefore our Sabbath be good , then is this Friday good , which prepared it to be a Sabbath . And by this appeares a reason of the different reckoning of the day of Christs death , and the day of his birth : for the death of Christ is remembred to us by the day of the weeke , and nor of the Moneth ; but the birth of Christ , is remembred to us , by the day of the Moneth , and not of the Weeke , and this because the day of his death reserres to the Sabbath ; and that beeing Sunday , this of necessity must be Friday : what day of the Moneth soever : but the day of his birth hath no day of the weeke to regulate it of necessitie , and therefore it is left to the Moneth at large , moveable as concerning the weeke , fixt onely as concerning the moneth .

A Prayer for Friday .

O Gracious God , thou hast beene pleased to heare foure of my Petitions : and I hope to grant them : wherein though I receive great comfort ; yet I am not satisfied ; for if either I should leave petitioning , or thou granting , I should perhaps make no benefit of thy former grants : for alas , my condition is such , that as long as my sixe dayes of labour last , I must of necessity be a petitioner still ; for if I should leave petitioning , I should shew to thinke I had enough of thee already ; and O gracious God , who can ever have enough of thee ? it is true indeed , thou fillest all things : and what can any thing have more than to be full ? but yet thou fillest things , but according to their capacitie : and alas , my capacitie is so small , that if thou enlarge it not , I shall rather be in danger to exclude thee all , than in possibility to hold day part of thee . O therefore bee pleased O God , to ●ald●rge my capacitie : and give mee perseverance in the labours of my calling , that I may not give over till my worke be finished : and may then bring with mee my account compleat , without which it will never be accepted . O how many have dashed themselves against this rocke ? have gone on , fairely for a time : and then given over , as weary of their labours ? The Israelites went cheerfully on for a time : but as soone as Pharaoh pursued them , they fell a murmuring at Moses , and were ready to returne to their old captivitie . Judas went on fairely for a while : but as soone as thirty pieces were offered him , he gave over his service , and sold his Master . O therefore give mee grace O God , to shunne this rocke . Let neither the pursuit of Pharaoh : nor the thirty pieces of the Jewes : let neither the world nor Satan withdraw mee from persevering in the labours of my calling , in the workes of thy service : for what reward can I looke for , but according to my workes ? and indeed , what reason to expect reward if I continue not the time till rewards come to be bestowed ? O therefore vouchsafe O God , to assist mee in my labours , that this day also may have its part of worke , when I make my account : and O my soule , let the example shewed thee this day encourage thee to persevere : and to continue in the labours of thy calling ; and in the workes of Godlinesse ; for if Christ would have given over his worke , which this day he finished for our redemption , hee might have saved himselfe a labour , which but for our sakes hee needed not have taken : but so constant was hee in his resolution , so resolute in his worke , that he gave not over labouring , till hee gave over living , and till hee had finished the worke he came about . Consider , O my soule , that the labours of Piety in this life , are as a Rowing against the streame : if thou give over never so little , the streame will carry thee farther backe , than much labour afterward will be able to recover : and therefore that thy labours may be the lesse , let them be continuall : for without continuance thou wilt never be able to arrive at thy haven before thy sixe dayes end ; and thou must not looke for any longer time to be allowed thee afterward ; but as excluded from the haven , be left to the furie of stormes and tempests : O therefore most gracious God , be pleased to give mee the spirit of perseverance , that I may continue my labours ; at least , the spirit of repentance for not continuing them : for alas the best part of our labouring is repentance for not labouring : which because the Angels are glad to see , I hope thou wilt be pleased to accept , and O be pleased to accept it O God : for if thou accept not my repentance ; I can have little hope of thy accepting my perseverance ; indeed no hope at all of thy accepting mine , but in him , and through him onely , who persevered labouring , till his last gasp ; and then left the fruits of his labours for mee amongst others , to enjoy ; which O grant mee to enjoy for thy glorious Names sake .

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON SATVRDAY .

a sunburst containing the tetragrammaton יהוה shines over a group of peole and animals. Two of the people have speech bubbles; both are saying יהוה Satterday , Gen : 1.

V : 24. And God said , Let the Earth bring forth the living Creature after his Kinde cattell and creeping thing , and beast of the Earth after his kinde ; and it was so ,

26. And God said : Let us make man in our image , after our likenesse : and let them haue Dominion ouer the fish of the Sea , and over the fowl of the ayr , and ouer the Cattell , and ouer all the earth , and ouer euery creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth ,

MOTIVES FOR PRAYER VPON SATVRDAY .

THis , O my soule , is my last day of labour ; and if I can hold out now , but this one day more , I shall then be free from all danger of fainting for ever hereafter . Alas , if I should faile now in extremo actu , in the last stage of my labour , it would utterly make frustrate all my former dayes labours . For though there be a prize set for them that runne , yet not till they come to the end of the race : and till we can say with Saint Paul , I have fought a good fight , I have finished my course ; we have no right to say with him , There is a crowne of righteousnesse laid up for mee , which the righteous Judge will give mee at the last day . Be not therefore too confident my soule , for how many have gone cheerfully on , a great part of the race , and yet have given over before they came to the end ? Did not Saul do so , a man chosen by God himselfe , to be a King of Israel ? Did not Judas do so , a man chosen by Christ himselfe to be an Apostle ? and who am I , that I should presume of my selfe not to faile ; when Arietes gregis , such great ones as these have failed ? No my soule , I presume not , but yet I have a confidence ; and not a confidence neither , but with feare ; a confidence of persisting , but yet with feare of not persisting ; for as God saith ; I will never leave thee nor forsake thee ; which makes mee confident : so Saint Peter saith , Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling ; which makes mee fearfull . But seeing it is not in him that willeth , nor in him that runneth , but in thee onely , O God , that shewest mercy : O therefore thou great God , in whose hand is the strength of the hils , and thy dayes never faile ; vouchsafe to assist mee so with thy grace , that my strength may not faile mee in going up this hill of my last dayes labour ; but that my sixe dayes of labour being ended with patience ; I may enter into thy rest with joy , there to rest with thee , and with all blessed Saints for ever .

But although the labour of this day , as beeing the last , must needs be the least ; yet it may be thought greatest : as the last mile of a journey seemes commonly the longest : whether it be that the body , wearied with the former labour , is lesse able to endure the present : or whether it be that the minds anticipating , makes any delay to appeare tedious ; that it seemes the greatest labour of this day , is rightly to estimate the labour of the day : and to hold the skales even betweene fancie and judgement : at least to take care that fancie overweigh not judgement , but that knowing this labour to be the last , and to be concluded with a Sabbath , wee may the more cheerfully goe on , and continue it at least with patience .

But this day was once a day of rest : and how comes it now to be a day of labour ? it was indeed a day of rest under the Law , but now under the Gospell , it is a day of labour . As long as the Father kept all power in his owne hands ; so long it was a day of rest ; but now that hee hath given power to the Sonne to say : All power is given mee in heaven , and in earth : Now it is become a day of labour , for the Sonne must have his Sabbath too : and as the Father , a Sabbath for his worke of creation : so the Sonne , a Sabbath for his worke of redemption : and seeing there cannot be two Sabbaths within the compasse of seaven daies , therefore the old was to be abolished that the new might take place ; and being no longer a Sabbath , a day of rest , it followes of necessitie to be a day of labour .

And a day of labour indeed , it is justly become : for after that the Jewes had this day sate watching the Sepulchre where Christ lay buried : a heavie worke for a Sabbath dayes rest : and that this day the Disciples of Christ had sate mourning for his departure ; a sad solemnizing of a Sabbath dayes feast ; and that this day Christ himselfe was descended into hell ; a dolefull place for a Sabbath dayes triumph ; was it fit for this day to continue its being a Sabbath any longer : when so many sad and mournfull workes were of all hands done in it ? Certainly we may justly thinke that this day was then the very funerall of the old Sabbath : and that it then gave place for a new to succeed , which is the Sabbath we now celebrate : and thus , as this day which was before a working day , is now become a Sabbath : so that day which was before a Sabbath , is now become a day of labour .

And what then is the labour wee have to doe this day ? What my soule , but the same which the two Maries did , when Christ lay buried in his grave : to provide spices and sweete odours to embalme his body : for is it enough to fit weeping and mourning for the dead ; a thing which doth them no good : and not rather to doe something which may be for the ornament at least , if not for their comfort ? And what then are the Spices we should prepare ? O my soule , the true spices to embalme Christs body , are mortification , and repentance , faith , and charitie , and humilitie , and hee that comes with these spices , and seekes to embalme Christs body in the grave , shal heare an Angell say unto him : He is risen , he is not here : and well may say , hee is not there indeed , for he is risen already in their hearts that thus seeke : him : & though they know him not , & take him perhaps but for a gardner , as Mary did , yet is he the very true Christ & such a gardner , that wil plant in our hearts the sweet flowers of peace and joy ; & then the spices we bring to embalme Christ dead , shall serve to embalme our selves alive : for being now alive in Christ , by the vertue of his resurrection , wee shall be made partakers of his Ascension , which is the last step of all our labours : when for our embalming him with spices , wee shall be embalmed by him with immortalitie ; and have the fruition of an eternall Sabbath . But seeing , O blessed Saviour , I cannot have these spices for embalming of thee , unlesse thou first make them to be growing in mee ; O vouchsafe so to garden and dresse my barren heart , with seedes of grace , that it may bring forth in mee the fruits of patience , of charity , and of a lively faith : to the embalming not onely of my body , but of my soule : & not only in this life , but in the life that is to come .

But though this day be no longer a Sabbath day ; yet it is a preparation of the Sabbath still , and retaines something of its former qualitie ; and if preparatives be of good use in the Physicke of our bodies : they are certainly of no lesse use in the Physicke of our soules : and wee shall never indeed come kindly to our Sabbath , if wee make not preparation for it the day before . And we may know how necessary a preparation is to us for the Sabbath , if wee consider how necessary it was for the Lord of the Sabbath , for therefore came John Baptist to be a preparative for Christ , his doctrine was onely Praeparate : Repent and amend your lives , for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand : but though John Baptist could preach repentance , yet John Baptist could not give repentance ; this was a worke for the Lord of the Sabbath himselfe . O therfore most blessed Saviour vouchsafe to do that for mee which John Baptist could not doe ; give mee true repentance , and love , and charity towards all men , that when I come and looke for my Sabbath , I may not be like the foolish Virgins , who came without oyle in their lamps : and being unprepared , were shut out of doores : but that I may heare thee say , Euge bone serve , Well done good servant , thoucomest prepared , and therefore enter into my rest .

But seeing there can be no entring into this rest , no comming to this Sabbath ; but after these sixe dayes of labour ; which is after all the daies of our life , it may not unfitly be here inquired , what should make us to be loath to die ; which is nothing but a parting of the soule from the body ? O my soule , and must not this be needs a heavie parting ? yes , God knowes most heavie indeed , but though wee all find it to be so ; yet who can tell the reason , why it is so ? Is it that the soule hath certaine faculties , which she cannot use but by bodily organs : and these organs , she will want , if parted from the body ; and therefore is not willing to leave the body ? Or is it , that while the soule is in the body , she can pretend the frailtie of the body in excuse of her sinne : and this pretence shee will be to seeke of , if parted from the body ; and therefore is unwilling to leave the body ? Or is it that the body is Domicilium animae , the house and dwelling of the soule : and if shee be put out of this house , she knowes not where to have another ; and therefore is not willing to leave the body ? Or is it that the soule is so wedded to the body , that though it be to goe to her Sabbath ; yet she is not willing to goe and leave the body behind her ? Indeed how unkind soever the body be to the soule , yet the soule is to the body a most constant friend , and never leaves it , if she be not thrust out of doores by force . Or is it that naturally we feare nothing so much as violence : and it must be a great violence to separate them , whom God hath joyned together : & must needs be grievous to us , that are Gods creatures , to be seised on by death , that is none of his creatures ? Or is it that death is the executing of that sentence of God upon us for our sin , Morte morieris , Thou shalt die the death , and because wee know not how farre that sentence extendeth , wee are therefore afraid of comming to it ? Or is it that nothing is so fearfull as to fall into the hands of an enemy : and of all enemies the most terrible is death : which is therfore called The King of Terrors , and how then can we chuse but be afraid to die ? Or is it perhaps , that because the soule cannot remember it had any being before it came into the body , it doubts whether it shall have any beeing , if it goe out of the body ; and therefore to preserve her being , desires to stay in the body still ? Or is it , that while the soule and body are united , they can be a help and comfort to one another ; but once divided , the soule is sure to be subject to that wo of Salomon ; Vae soli : Woe to one that is alone : and therefore is not willing to be without the body ? Or is it , that while the soule is in the body , it is in state of capacitie to repent : and so long is not questioned about eating the forbidden fruit ; but so soone as it it parted from the body , it is presently carried to the barre of triall : and because shee is fearfull to make her account , shee is therefore afraid to be parted from the body ? Or is it that none would be willing to change a certaine estate , for a state uncertaine ; and because wee know what it is to live ; but know not what it is to be dead , we are therefore loath to change life for death ? Or is it that while we live , we have the company of reasonable creatures ; but once dead , no company but of wormes : and because such company is loathsome to us , wee cannot chuse but be loath to die ? Or is it , that the pleasures of the body , are all our joy : and because these pleasures are by death taken from us , it makes us to be most unwilling to die ? Or is it perhaps , that it is not so much the soule that fears death , as the whole living creature ; and because every thing desires to continue its being : and this our being is by death dissolved , wee cannot therefore chuse but be loath to to die ? Or is it , lastly , that the soule by contagion of this earthy body , is so besotted upon the earth , and earthly things , that nothing is so grievous to it , as to leave them ; and leave them it must , if parted from the body ; and therefore is not willing to leave the body ? but alas what poore reasons are these , or if there be any better than these , to make us be loath to die ; which is in effect , to make us be loath to goe to our Sabbath ? For seeing we cannot goe to our Sabbath with soule and body both together : why should wee thinke much to goe to it with them asunder ? Is it not worth rejoycing , to have the soule goe to God , though the body stay behind ? must not their parting be as their meeting was ? and was not the body made of earth , and made at first without a soule , and then God breathed a soule into it ? and is it not just , that the soule should returne to God that gave it : and the body returne to the earth , of which it was made ? It was the priviledge of only Christs body , to enter into his glory , without seeing corruption : it is sufficient for us , that though our bodies see corruption , yet that corruption shall put on incorruption : and then wee shall enter intire , both with body and soule , into our Sabbath . Although therefore there may be reasons to a naturall man of some colour , to make him be loath to die ; yet to a man that knowes the mysteries of Christian Religion , and specially to a man regenerate , and that lookes with the eye of faith , they are easily discerned to be palpable errours , at least of ignorance , at best of of infirmity . Wherefore O my soule , be not dazled , nor deluded with these colours , but count it a happinesse to goe to thy Sabbath at any time : and the sooner the better : for then thou shalt have no more dayes of labour : and be not afraid of parting from the body : for once parted , thou my soule , shalt presently have a Sabbath of joy ; and thy body shall have a Sabbath of rest , and that rest to continue , till it heare the voyce ; Arise thou that sleepe , and God shall give thee light , and then that rest shall be turned into joy too : for as God at first brought the soule to the body , so hee will bring at last the body to the soule , when they shall meete againe with the greater joy ; and shall be free from all feare of ever being parted from one another any more ; but as they have passed these sixe dayes of labour together , so the seaventh day they shall enjoy their Sabbath together , and shall no more need to remember , to keepe holy the Sabbath day ; seeing there shall be then no other dayes to hazzard the forgetting it : but as with God , so with us , a thousand yeares , or rather indeed eternity , shall be but as one day , only ( my soule ) be carefull to come prepared to make thy account , and then thou mayst be sure of a quietus est : be carefull to worke well these sixe dayes of labour , and then thou canst not doubt of having a Sabbath ; yet not for thy workes sake , nor for thy labours sake ; but for his mercies sake , that is the Lord God of Sabbath ; and for his merits sake , that is Lord of the Sabbath .

But O my soule , is it enough , that wee bee not loath to die any day ? Is there not rather cause wee should be glad to die every day ? seeing each day hath peculiar motives to winne us to it ? For if wee die upon the Munday , wee may be glad , because this being the first of our sixe dayes of labour , by dying now , wee escape the labours of all the dayes following : If we die upon the Tuesday , wee may be glad , because dying now wee give over working before the heat of the day ; this being yet but as the morning of the weeke . If wee die upon the Wednesday , wee may be glad , because to die now , is but as the taking of a baite in the middest of a journey : all our life being as a travelling betweene two Sabbaths . If we dye upon the Thursday , we may be glad , because we may take our Viaticum with us , the body and blood of Christ , which was this day given , and is only able to refresh us after our labours : if we die upon the Friday , we may be glad , because we shall die upon the same day that Christ died , and so imitate him in the time of his death , though we cannot in the innocencie . If we die upon the Saturday , wee may be glad , because having now finished our sixe dayes of labour , wee are ready for entring into our rest , and have our workes to follow us : if we die upon the Sunday , wee may be most glad of all , because to die now , is but to shift our Sabbath ; to put off an old , and put on a new ; to leave a temporary Sabbath here on earth , for a Sabbath which is eternall in the heavens . But though these or any like reasons may be thought but idle thoughts , and no better than dreams : yet one sound reason wee are sure there is , to make us glad to die any day ; and it is the same which Saint Paul discovered in himselfe , when hee said , Cupio dissolvi , I desire to be dissolved : and why to be dissolved ? indeed for a very good reason , & esse cum Christo , that hee might be with Christ : for though Christ have made us a promise to be with us alwayes to the end of the world , yet it serves not our turne , that hee be with us , if wee be not with him ; and be with him as Saint Paul desired to be , wee cannot , unlesse wee goe the same way , as hee went , the way of death ; and then if death be the way to bring us to Christ ; and but by death we cannot be with him : have we not just cause to alter our salutation of death , from saying , O mors quam amara , O death how bitter thou art ! to saying , O mors quam jucunda , O death how pleasing thou art ! and entertaine it with acclamations of joy , as a most welcome guest , at least as a harbinger to a most comfortable host : with whom wee shall sit at his Table , in his Fathers Kingdome : and where there shall be no more distinction of dayes ; but all shall bee one entire day ; and that day a Sabbath ; and that Sabbath , though it have a morning , yet shall have no evening : because time shall be no more : but as death shall then bee swallowed up of victory , so time shall then be swallowed up of eternitie .

A Prayer for Saturday .

O Most gracious God , I am now come by thy mercifull assistance , to the last of my sixe dayes of labour , the day in which thou saidst to Moses , Get thee up into mount Nebo , and die there : and this mount of death I am now going up . O therefore be pleased O God , so to assist mee in my going , that I faint not by the way ; for seeing my other dayes labours , though done upon even ground , have beene so painfull to mee : how much more will this be , which must be done up hill ? And yet , O my soule , be not discouraged : for though the going up this hill be painfull , yet once come up , there will be a refreshing : seing it affords a prospect into Canaan ; as it is justly said ; The day of death is better than the day of birth : seeing this day brings us to the first sight of this wretched world : but that day brings us to the first sight of the blessed Canaan . O therefore make mee sensible , and apprehensive of the comfortablenesse of death ; which though to the wicked it be a descending , and a going downe into the pit : yet to thy servants , it is an ascending and rising up hill ; as it was with thy servant Aaron , who at thy appointment went up the mount Hor , and there died : and as it was with thy servant Moses , who at thy bidding went up the Mount Nebo , and there dyed : and as it was with thy deare Sonne our Saviour Christ , who when hee tooke his leave of the world , went up into a mountaine in Galilee , and from thence ascended into heaven . For there is no ascending up to heaven , from this valley of worldly cares : it must bee from the mount of faith , from whence onely it can be reached . And O my soule , trust not to health ; as though because thou art now in health and strong , thou wert therefore ere the farther off from going up this hill of death : for the eye of Moses was not dimme , nor his naturall strength abated : and yet when God did but say unto him , Get thee up to mount Nebo and die there he presently went up , and there died . For man liveth not by bread onely , but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God . O therefore most gracious God , seeing I know not , what time thou wilt appoint mee to go up this mount of death : O therefore be pleased to make mee ready to goe up at all times : and to live in a continuall preparation : that so at last , I may die with Canaan in my eye , which alas , this valley of the world affords mee not to see . Indeed the labour of this day is to set on a roofe , upon all my other labours : and if this roofe be not well set on , all the building of my former labours will be soone demolished : O therefore thou that art the great builder of the world , thou that art the corner-stone , vouchsafe to assist mee in the setting on of this roofe , that it may be a fence to my other buildings : and that whatsoever the premises of my life have beene , I may at last make a good conclusion , and seeing where the tree falleth , there it lyeth : O let not this tree of my life fall in the valley of the world , where there is no Canaan to be seene ; but let it fall O God in the mount of faith , from whence with my Saviour I may ascend up to heaven ; to whom with thee O Father and thy holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever .

Amen .
FINIS .