Part. I. ble, to fhew how earneftly we defire them, and how much we need them, adding only fome new Petitions in reference to our Prefervation: The Method of this Portion of the Office is fuch as affectionate Devotion ufeth to inspire men with, being defigned to exprefs our ardency, rather than comply with the rules of Art,and yet every thing is very coherent, and proper enough for the place in which it ftands, only because the Parts are not fimilar, as they were in the other two, we fhall not reduce these Supplications to any one General Table, but contenting our felves with what is laid down in the firft Table of the whole Litany concerning the Analyfis, thall give the particular divifion of each Part, as we come to them, and now go on to the Dif courfes.

S.II. Dr Father,&c] Pious Antiquity had fo mean an opinion of their own Compofures, and fo high an efteem of the Lords Prayer, that no Office was thought compleat without it,and therefore it could not be omitted in the Litany: Nor could it be better placed than here to fupply whatever defects may be in the preceding Parts, and to introduce and fanctifie all that follows in this Part, which is but a larger Paraphrafe of the two laft Petitions of this Divine Form. We need not add any thing concerning the Lords Prayer in particular here, only let it be obferved, that many devout Christians find, that they do never recite this bleffed Form with greater fervency than in this place, when their Hearts have been warmed with thofe moft affetionate and moving Petitions of the former parts of Litany; and we ought to ftrive to do the like, that we may experience the Truth of this Obfervation,and supply the defects of our more carelefs faying it before; and then it will effectually recommend all the reft of our detires.

S.III.

S.III. Load Deal not with us after our sing.]Answ. Neither reward us after our Iniquities.

When we are about to complain of our Miferies,and to beg deliverance from them, our Confcience will prefently ftop our mouths, and intimate unto us, that our Sins do justly deferve these fufferings; fo that we can hardly expect to be delivered, fince we fuffer fo justly: But that this may not difcourage us in the entrance, we are put in mind, that God usually exacteth less of us than our Iniquities deferve, Job xi.6. And Davids Character of Gods dealing in this cafe is, He hath not dealt with us after our Sins, neither rewarded us according to our wickedness,Pfal.ciii.10. Which being fo plainly affirmed in Holy Scripture is here turned into Supplication, and what is there fpoken in vindication of Gods goodness, is here craved of his Mercy. He hath affured us, that it is the Method of his Providence towards his ownChildren (even when he doth not wholly fpare them) to correct them gently, in proportion to his own compaffions, not their Crimes, and therefore the first thing we fupplicate, is that he will deal fo with us; yet we beg this with all due humility, for the Petition is fo ordered, that it contains a Confeffion in it: That we have bins and Iniquities we freely acknowledg, and feem to declare that we do not think it uhreasonable or unjust for us to fuffer. Only we know, we are not able to endure fo much as our Sins deferve, for if the Lord (hould beftrict to mark Iniquity, who could abide it? Pfal.cxxx. 3. We defire therefore, that we may not fuffer fo grievoufly,as we have merited; we pray to be excufed à tanto, if not à toto; and this we know God hath granted to others, he may, and we hope he will alfo grant it unto us: In Human Laws the Punishment is ufually as great as the Crime, and if it be not greater,the Law is O 2

not

(a) Pro menfurd Peccati erit plaga um modus. Lex. Vifigoth.

lib.12.

Ita ap. Hor. Sat.3. adfit Regula peccatis quæ pœnas irrogat æquas;

Nec feutica dignum felére

horribili Angello. (b) Panam fi tutò poterit donat, fi minus temperat. Sen. de Clem.l. I.c I. (c) Alia eft conditio Magiftratuum,quorum corruptæ viden ur effe fententia fi fint legibus mitiores, alia Divorum Frincipum potestas, quos decet a erimoniam feverijuris infle&ere. Symmach. ap.Grot.

not to be accounted fevere or cruel (a): Yet even in Human Judicatories, Clemency fometimes hath place to remit or moderate the Sentence (b): The inferior Magiftrates indeed ought to punish according to Law, but the King or Supreme power hath always priviledg to mitigate, or repeal the punishments allotted by Law (c): How much more then ought we to believe it is the Prerogative of the King of Kings to allay the severity of his own threatnings; fince as Lactantius well obferves, when he made his Laws, he did not deprive himself of the liberty to remit. Lact. de ir.Dei c.19. And St. Paul teacheth us, that if he acquit us, none can condemn us, Rom.viii. 33.34. We know, that if he please he may justly abate the rigour of our Punishment, and therefore we befeech him not to take the dreadful, though juft, Vengeance which is due unto us. And we may confider further, that the Litany fuppofeth us in a state of Trouble, but this Petition teacheth us to look unto the heinoufness of our Sins, and then we shall be convinced, we have deferved much more than yet we feel, for we do here confefs, that the Lord hath not as yet corrected so much, as our Iniquities do juftly merit, and this will teach us alfo to be patient under our Calamities,and thankful that they are no more.Nature is querulous, and every man is apt to think his own burden very heavy in it self, and more intolerable than his Neighbours, but if we regard our evil-deferv

ings, we fhall fee great reason to be contented: We Lay our afflictions are many, oh but our Sins are infinitely more; yet every Crime deferves one ftripe: We complain our miseries laft long, and yet it may be we have not yet ceafed from Sin; and how can we expect our Judg fhould give over punishing, when we continue to offend? We cry out of the heaviness of our burden, but we must remember the heaviness of our Sins, for what do we deserve,who have broken fuch holy Laws of so good and great a God? Alafs, if he should punish us as oft, and as long, and as grievously as our Sins require, not one Moment of our Lives would be free from intolerable Mifery. Let us confider but only what others have fuffered for in: One offence caft Adam out of Paradife, and Angels out of Heaven,and Jefus himfelf was like to fink under the weight of our Sins, when he was dealt with according to our Sins, and rewarded after our Iniquities,and therefore how fhould we trem-1 ble to think of having the like fall upon us. We have finned with every faculty of our Soul, and every member of our bodies, we have broken almost all Gods Laws, and perfifted long in this difobedience; yea perhaps our purposes to do evil, have been infinite and endlefs, exceeding both our Power and our time: So that we have deferved to fuffer univerfally and perpetually, by all kinds of Mifery in this World, and by the Torments of a fad Eternity. And now what are all our prefent fufferings in comparison of these amazing Miseries: Our afflictions, which we complain of, are felicity and mercy in refpect of the fe Evils. A Prifon indeed is terrible, but it is very welcome to him that is reprieved from a bloody Execution; fo verily, if we call to mind, what God might juftly lay upon us, and what we deserve, we fhall blefs him that he deals no worfe with us, and only pray, that we may not be punished fo heavily, nor

fo often, so many ways, nor fo long time as bears proportion with cur Crimes. If God fhould deal with us after our Sins, and reward us according to our Iniquities, alafs, thefe temporal grievances, which we labour under,are but the beginnings of Sorrow, for then he should caft us into Hell-fire to be tormented for ever and ever: Who therefore would not pray with the devout Father, Lord give us any Earthly affliction, fo we may efcape the pains of Hell, cut us and burn us, lance and Scarrie us here, fo we may be spared hereafter. All the troubles ot this World are short and eafy, they are to be efteemed,as proceeding from Mercy,and not as equalling our Offences, fo that we do here fubmit to any moderate Worldly mifery,if fo be the Lord will but please to fave us thereby from the vengeance of Eternity. This is the Sum of this most pious ejaculation, even that our temporal afflictions may be mitigated,and Eternal pains wholly averted, and neither the one nor the other executed upon us according to the measure of our Sins; We do in this one short Verfe,confefs our Sins,and the grievous Punishment which they deferve, we fet forth our own inability to endure it,and fly to the Divine Clemency to allay it: We clear his Juftice in what he hath laid upon us, we blefs his Goodness, that they are no worse, and we importune his Mercy not to proceed to the utmost extremity In a Word, we do in this one Sentence glorifie God, and learn our felves Patience, and procure mercy to abate our miferies, and what could be chofen fitter,or placed better to usher in these following Supplications, in which we will now proceed.