Christmas we fhould most especially pray to be delivered by his Incarnation,&c. on New-years day by his CirTumcifion, at the Epiphany by his Baptism, in Lent by his Fafting and Temptation, on Good Fryday by his Igontes and Pallton,on Easter-Even by his Death and Burial, on Easter-day by his Refurrection, on Holy Thursday by his alcention, upon Whitsunday by the coming of the Holy Ghost: He that minifters should make a pause upon that Act which concerns the Feftival, the folemnity whereof, will affift the people at that time more peculiarly and more ardently by that Mercy to beg of our good Lord to deliver us.

S.XI. J all time of our Tribulation,in all time of our Wealth, in the hour of Death,and in the Day of Judgment: Good Lord deliver us.]

We are always either under, or near, fome Evil, and therefore it is never unseasonable to fay Good Lord deli

but there may seem to be fometimes, wherein we have more especial need of the Divine relief. The oldLitanies did therefore particularly fix upon the hour of Death and the day of Judgment, as the times wherein we should moft of all need the mercy of God to deliver us; yet left it might be thought those were the only times, we have now added two words to comprehend the time of our life alfo, viz. In the time of our Eribulation, and in the time of our Wealth or Profperity, and indeed our whole life is a mixture of Tribulation and Profperity,all our time is divided between these two, and every man hath his fhare of both: None fo happy but they have fome Mifery, nor any fo mifcrable, but they have fome happiness at fometimes, fo that when we pray to be delivered in our Tribulation and our eaith, it is as much as if we fhould fay, In all Eftates and Conditions of our Life, Good Lord,

But

(m) "0 xp ή χείρω Un are ποιεῖ ἄνθρωπον

But if we take them apart, I. We defire to be delivered in all time of our Tribulation, for this is the greateft part of our Lives, and the cafe of molt men, and our Saviour hath told us, in the world we shall have Tribulation, John xvi.33. to him therefore, who hath overcome the world, we pray, that he will fuccour us in our diftrefs: We had reckoned up many particular Evils before, and now, that no kind of affliction might be omitted, this general word is inferted to include them all, in all kinds of Suffer ing, we pray to be delivered; and here we may note, that we do not pray to be delivered from all time of Tribulation, we dare not ask that we may never have any Troubles, that were an unlawful Petition, contrary to the will of God,and a foolifh request also, because we are not any worse for troubles, but often better (m), yea we should be worfe, if we never had any at all, nothing is really Evil, but that which would make us Evil men, Affliction doth not fo, Eodev.Marc.Anton.. wherefore we mult not pray to be ad feip. 1.2. delivered from it, but in it, that is, that we may not fink under it, but be fupported while it remains, and set free after a while, that we may be like Mofes buth, in the fire of Tribulation, but not confumed, that we may come out of it purified as Gold in the fire: In time of Tribulation we are ufually tempted to murmuring, impatience, fadnefs and defpair, and we need more than ordinary athiftance, both to bear us up, and to take them off in due time; and therefore we pray before hand: Now before the evil day comes, in our Profperity we are mindful of Adverfity,and prepare for it, by pre-cngaging the best of friends against that time of need to deliver us,faying Good Lord,&c.

πῶς τότο βίον Ts av TOTO Gioy

αν

ἀνθρώπο χείρω που

(n) 'Ev Ti maçã TMs ЯμÑ 'deTupias. Grec.Verfio. D. Duport. Wealth Put for Profperity and welfare. Job xxi. 13. Pfal. Ixix. 23. 1 Cor x.24.&c.fo in the word Commonwealth.

II. In all time of our Wealth,that is(in the Old Dialect, and Original fignification of the Word (n) of our welfare and prosperity: Now some may think it ftrange, if not needlefs, to pray to be delivered in the time of our Happiness, and (as we call it) our beft fortune; but fuch do not confider the Serpents, that lurk under these verdant Leaves,the Rocks that lye hid under a smooth Sea. The Italians were wont to say, Lord delivor us from our friends, and we will beware of our Enemies: Profperity comes with so many smiles and flatteries, that it makes us forget all the harm we may receive by it, and our danger is the greater, because we are fearless and unguarded, open to all its ftrokes,and expofed to it's Temptations. Plenty and Abundance are exceeding apt to make us forget our God, who did beftow them on us, they make our Spirits vain, and our affections loose, they fill our minds with pride and infolence, luxury and profaneness, oppreffion and cruelty, floth and negligence, ignorance,yea and Atheism it felf(): Yea they add fuel to the flame of e-ПT☺-- Baétovvery luft, and wealth in the hands of an evil man, is a Sword in the hands of a Madman (p). Profperity is often the ruin of thofe, who if they had been poor and afflicted, might probably have been vertuous and fate; Adam finned in Paradife, Noah offended in his abundance, David tranfgreffed, when he was at

(0) Adeo ex rerun profperitate luxurid,

è luxuriâ ut vitia

omnia,ita impietas adverfus Deum nafcitur. La&t.Inft.l.2.

τα παραλαβών τυ

pass Antiph. apud Clem. Alex.

Str..

(p) Prov. vet. Με παιδί τα μάτ xapar i.e. un UTer. Plut.

ap.Stob.

Peace,

Peace, Solomon apoftatized in his profperity, the Perfian delicacies foftned and ruined the Grecian Conqueror, whom no Arms could overcome, the Calabrian delights weakened and fubdued the rugged Hannibal, and his invincible Souldiers: And few have fo ftrong a Virtue, as not to be debauched by a great fortune (q): So that when we fee fo many, whofe vertue and reputation, yea whofe Lives and immortal Souls, have been the price of their Profperity; it may juftly make us fear even when we think we are in the beft Estate, and will caufe us to pray moft heartily in the time of our wealth, that the Good Lord would, &c.

(9) Rare fœlicitatis eft à fœlicitate non vinci.Aug.Verb. Dom.fer.13.

III. Ju the hour of death. This follows in the order of things, and therefore in the method of our Prayers. Let ourLives be either afflicted or profperous they muft end in Death at laft, this therefore as it must happen to all, fo all the Chriftian Offices do unanimously beg a happy Death, with variety of Phrafe but to the fame fenfe (q), viz. That God may deliver and fuccour us at our last bour, that we may continue till then in Faith and Patience, and that our passage may be peaceable without shame or torment; which may ferve for a Paraphrase

(q) In hora mortis fuccurre nobis. Miff. Sar.

Χρισιανά τέλη της (ans nuwv, avaux, ἀνεπαίσχωτα, είν sling.Lit.S.Chry

foft.

Ut in Christiana finceraque fide ad finem ufque fine doloreperfeveremus. Lit-S, Jacob.

on this Petition: And would to God we had the hour of our Death, as often in our minds,as we have it in our Mouths, or as we hear it founded in our Ears from this excellent Litany; for none live fo well as they who remember they muft dye, and none dye well, as they who expected it long before: Sure it is,

when

when this dismal hour doth come (as it will 'ere long) we shall then have extraordinary need of Gods help, for then when we are weak,Sathan is moft bufy,to flatter us into fecurity, or fright us into defpair, then our Conscience is apt to accufe us, our Sins to amaze us, and many, terrors to feife upon us, fo that we pray, that at that hour, the horror of Death may not dismay us, the Temptations of Sathan prevail upon us, nor our own hearts too fadly accufe us, that the pains of Death may not hold us fo long, nor torture us fo violently, as to drive us into impatience or dejection of Spirit, but that God may strengthen us, and his Holy Angels ftand by us to enable us fo to bear the ftroke, that we may dye with a willing mind a quiet Confcience and a calm and ferene Soul, full of glorious Expectations: And although we be yet lufty and ftrong it is not too early to begin with this Prayer, for we know hot how near our Death may be, and how-far-of-foever the time is, we had need prepare while we have ability, for who knows but our Senfes and our Reafon may be taken from us, fo that we cannot pray then, yea it is ufual, when the agontes of Death approach, to have the mind ftupified, the Soul bufy and ftrugling to quit it felf from it's ruinous habitation, and the whole man fo disordered, that there is neither opportunity nor difpofition for Prayer, when we have moft need, fo that the best way is to put up a Petition now, for deliverance then; for that is the laft Part of our Course, the last Enemy to be conquered, the last pain, and the laft fcene of forrow (if we belong to God) if we run this well, fight couragiously,and fuffer quietly, we shall never know what labour and oppofition, grief and pain means any more for ever: To be delivered from this hour is impoffible, and not to be wifhed, but to be delivered in it, and carried through it into a glorious E

ternity,