DIVINE MEDITATIONS AND CONTEMPLATIONS upon severall heads of Divinity By G. R. Compiled for his owne private use and published for the common good PSAL. 1.1,2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell c. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night LONDON Printed by R. C. for Sam. Enderby and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Starre in Popes-head-Alley 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARLE OF WARWICK c. Right Honourable IF having neither merit or other relation to usher the admittance I seeme to intrude this present of so meane condition whence â—…ver it came upon your Lordships favourable construction and acceptance the report of those many excellencies in you imploy'd for the honour of your Prince and good of your Country so eminently obvious to the eye and admiration of the vertuous hath imboldned mee to the attempt and must serve for excuse instead of a larger apologie I have not the will or skill to flatter my thoughts aime at no base ends in this presumption and were I not certaine your Honour were as much a lover of goodnesse as an enjoyer of greatnesse and no lesse humble than honourable and would be rather a gratious interpreter than strict censurer my penne should not have been so ambitious or dared to rest under so noble patronage nor so inconsiderate to have exposed my owne and others weaknesse to publique view And yet the honesty of the subject whiles it directs the mind to the consideration of spirituall and necessary concernments for the soules welfare and a Christians profit may thus farre presume as not unworthy the perusall of the religious of what degree soever at times convenient to bespeake protection for the matter and pardon for the author be hee what hee is and his expressions otherwise never so meane or deservings answerable Please it therefore your Lordship to beare with this challenge which I have not used in the way of my owne right nor to forestall your Lordships judgement to which I humbly submit in both but to intimate that by how much the present is the more considerable for any worth or value to be found in it by so much the more it belongs and is fit to such worthy patronage to be presented But herein your Honour must accept the will for the deed from him whose desires in the height of their ambition soare no higher in that respect than to become effectuall Orators for your Honors prosperity temporall and eternall and that he may be worthy Of Your Lordships command in any service G. R. Meditation 1. Of prosperity and adversity IN prosperity it may seeme we love God in adversity we feare God for prosperity doth cause us to praise God and adversity to pray unto him and yet in the end it doth then appeare wee neither love nor feare God A strange matter indeed that God should not be beloved of us then when he sheweth himselfe a friend or not feared when as a Judge he calleth us to account and therefore not to be beleeved without good proofe He that doth truely love God loves him for himselfe and hee that doth truely feare God feares him for himselfe and finding in him alwayes the same cause of feare and love doth never cease to feare or love love is his possession feare his Security what hee hath once gain'd by love by feare hee is willing to keepe and he doth as much feare not to lose as love still to enjoy May hee then bee said to love God in prosperity which in adversity doth not love him or to feare God in adversity which in prosperity doth not so If then wee cannot endure the change of a prosperous estate but are so much disquieted that we take no comfort in the favour of God this is a sure token we loved not God in prosperity though then we praysed him for a little of this love abiding in us though at first it should not be able to free us from feeling and passion yet at last would it so calme and settle us that not having the gifts wee would much more rejoyce in the giver for whose sake onely all things are worth the having Likewise if good successe and better credit doe but inable us to do wrong without looking to the will of God which awardeth right this is a sure token we feared not God in adversity for a little of this feare would stay us backe from such attempts though there were none in the world to control us If not God what loved wee then in prosperity what feared we in adversity Wee loved the gift not the giver wee feared the punishment not the Judge that is we neither loved with feare nor feared with love Oh unworthy love which doth more respect the gift than the givers good will Oh vaine feare which observes the mighty but not the Almighty If Gods gifts bee better welcome to us than himselfe little is the love we beare to God if wee feare Gods punishment more than the losse of his favour such feare is not religious But will we give a true testimony of our love and feare towards God Let us doe that in adversity which even hypocrites do in prosperity let us I say praise God and be content Againe let us doe that in prosperity which even hypocrites do in adversity Let us I say pray heartily unto God and commend our selves and all our doings unto him In a word let us love him in adversity and feare him in prosperity to this purpose looke we in prosperity on the threats of Gods law beleeving that none of them shall fall to the ground In adversity on the promises of God firmely trusting to receive comfort and deliverance from him though as yet wee have no feeling thereof Shall we not feare such a God in our greatnesse who hath ever vengeance ready and that without respect of persons Shall wee not love such a God in our weaknesse who is so faithfull and kinde that he will never neglect them in their greatest distresse which put their trust in him Adde this to make us feare in prosperity that God doth but make us his Stewards hee may when he will and hee will when wee thinke least on it call us to reckoning the more we take the more will be required and negligence shall finde a streighter judgement than ignorance And wee shall love God the better in adversity if wee consider that evils are justly layd upon us because of our sinnes and yet from Gods mercy that chastising us as children we may repent and be saved and that it is sarre better that hee should take our estate from us than that our estate should take us from him Meditation 2. Of Love Faith is the assurance of Gods love to a Christian which faith breedeth in him a love answerable to his apprehension though not comparable to the object and it is a borrowed fire a
I am bound to bee thankfull unto him in which I am to take comfort this is my duty to follow his calling to be obedient to his government herein standeth my eternall happinesse or bee it that I doe not beleeve or love God or live in his feare yet is not this in my power to amend or have I any just cause of excuse examine not Gods decrees by thine owne reason or those lawes of justice which wee are bound to observe feare his Majesty humble thy selfe before his presence seeke his mercy receive not grace in vaine there is no way to heaven but a holy life and hee that purposeth thou shouldest besaved doth call thee to faith and repentance If thou avoid the meanes to attaine unto either thou â—…est thy selfe out and art an â—…my to thine owne Soule if thâ—… come unto God he will not reject thee wherefore aske for grace that thou maist come without which thou shalt never come and it is necessary for thee to know this lest thou shouldest trust to nature and not seeke grace or despaire when thou seest thou canst not attaine unto it by thine owne strength Aske not how he is mercifull which saveth a few and condemneth many how he is just which by his will so bringeth it about that wee are all in the cause of damnation but beleeve it aske not why God doth not change the wills of wicked men with whom and in whom hee doth not cease to worke but reverence his decree whose judgments are just though unknowne But thou art much troubled and vexed to heare this doctrine and so are many others this trouble this vexation if thou belong to God shall turne to thy good for it shall so humble and cast thee downe that thou shalt wholly depend on God and give him his glory but if thou belong not to him thou shalt complaine and murmure more and more and be nothing the better nothing the neare for God will not cease to be God though wee beleeve not nor good though we be wicked But who will care to beleeve to amend his life to strive against sinne if it be not in us if without us God have disposed of us surely none of himselfe can or will they only doe whom God doth vouchsafe to enable The word of God which is his revealed and conditionall will is unto some the savor of life unto life and unto others the savor of death unto death to none the savor of life but to those that beleeve to none the savor of death but to those that beleeve not he will have all men to be saved if they will them selves and hee forsakes none but they that forsake him these things are for us to marke and observe yet to beleeve or not to beleeve to will salvation or to will it not doe depend upon a higher will whose law is unknowne to us wee must live by that which is revealed and adore that which is hidden from us so shall wee neither neglect our duty nor deprive God of his glory and majesty Meditation 5. Of Patience THere is none which can bee merry none rich none well friended none in authority none have ever good successe more safely then a Christian for in all these he useth a good conscience yet because such a streame of prosperity is dangerous to mans frailty hee is not to looke for his heaven here but elsewhere because he is now in triall not in triumph a pilgrim and not at home that many troubles must bee suffered either to purge him of vice or for his better exercise of vertue and both to Gods glory I see nothing more necessary for him then Patience a vertue which doth harden him to follow Christ willingly and quickly in bearing the Crosse and if wee consider our Saviours life wee may observe that he used no one vertue more then Patience not only in his Passion but in the whole course of his life which as it were nothing but a Passion throughout so was it but an exercise of his continuall patience wee must suffer many things of our adversaries which will oppose themselves to our vocation it is not in our power to put them by and take them quietly wee cannot without patience Yea which is worst of all God will seeme sometimes to be against us and taking from us inward consolation will leave us to sorrow and sadnesse of spirit as if we were forsaken these things befell unto our Lord who used Patience as the best remedy teaching us not only to beare his Crosse but how to beare it also till it shall please God to returne againe unto us with comfort Wee must have patience to beare great tentations as well as small and to beare them as long as it pleaseth God whether great or small great troubles will need great Patience and small troubles enduring long no small Patience Now the Christian is to be exercised grievously continually because God meanes to make him partaker of a great victory a great reward Faith is necessary for our entrance into the Church hope to nourish faith and love is the fruit of faith and briefe of all the Commandements see here the summe of divinity But without Patience wee cannot abide in the Church for being once offended wee shall lose them except we have Patience Why is it said Woe bee to him that hath lost patience belike it is the last losse If a Master of a Ship lose his Anchor or Maine-mast or a Saile those are great losses yet to be repaired but if it be said once he hath lost his Ship wee know hee hath lost all and perhaps himselfe too so if wee lose a time of Prayer or the exercise of reading and meditation an occasion of doing good if wee stagger in faith these are heavy losses indeed yet particular and recoverable but if it be said wee have lost Patience what meanes it but that wee have lost all and our selves too Wherefore well is it said Woe be unto him that hath lost Patience Patience is as it were the second concoction of all vertues and drawes from them whatsoever is for the strength and nourishment of a Christian life if this be weake in working our strength is small From faith Patience drawes confidence from Hope perseverance from Love cheerfulnesse They which are Saints in Heaven are said to have Palmes in their hands a resemblance of Patience by which they are victorious Patience is a remedy in those causes which nothing else can remedy Shew thy faith to the persecutor he will not suffer thee to enjoy it except thou wilt lose liberty goods friends and life what will become now of thy faith except thou have Patience shew thy charity to thine enemy hee will despise it hee will wrong thee still more and more what then will become of thy charity if thou have not Patience let it bee knowne that thou art an upright man the Devill will tempt thee outwardly and inwardly and what will become
and they shall receive right which would not doe right Princes and Popes which none did dare to call in question shall be here both examined and censured and the more mighty men have beene to do wrong the more mightily shall they be confounded Lastly the sentence is very short Come yee blessed Goe yee cursed but of the greatest weight and strength that ever was for this doth not passe on one man or a family or a Nation onely but on all mankind at one time neither is it touching goods and lands or credit or limme or life of the body but it doth concerne bodies and soules too for salvation or damnation and that not for a day or yeare to continue but for ever without any repealing And are these things so what manner of persons ought wee to be then in holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hasting to the comming of the day of God for these things must so come to passe not to feare or trouble Gods children but to take revenge on his enemies As when some mighty Prince commeth towards a Castle of his besieged by the enemy and bringeth a great army with him to raise the siege this putteth them in no feare which are within but is to them a great comfort and therefore they looke over the walls and rejoyce at it with shouts and cryes but they which are without are perplexed with feare for the hurt which is neare unto them know yee not that to the worlds end the Church is besieged by the devill the world and the flesh then God will come to raise this siege and bring all his enemies under his feete and his comming is not to put them in feare which are within his Church but which assault it and therefore Christ said to his owne Lift up your beads for your salvation draweth nigh and in another place he saith Behold I come shortly and my reward is with mâ—e to give every man according to his worke Blessed are they that do his Commandements that their right may be in the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City for without shall be dogges and enchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth or maketh lies Meditation 45. Hell A Thought of Hell is sad not so sad as to feele the paine and they shall certainly feele it which thinke not oft on it and that sadly too make thy choyce if thou like mine goe forward with mee it is a punishment which shuts us out from the presence of God that is a losse of all good it is a paine of griefe in all parts of man according as their dispostion is to take griefe easlesse that 's the extremity comfortlesse it findes no pity endlesse it hath no remedy it is called the second death a worme of the conscience a bottomlesse pit utter darknesse fire unquenchable a river of brimstone which is kindled by the breath of the Lord of Hoastes there is no order but confusion weeping and gnashing of teeth Wilt know where it is how spatious the rage of the tormentors the fury of the torments the dispaire of the tormented God keepe thee and mee from this experience But is God so infinitely angry will hee so unmercifully forsake so hardly handle these which might have knowne and loved him had hee so listed and can never do him hurt though they would Dispute not vaine clay thou art in the Potters hand to deale with thee as hee pleaseth his judgements are too high for thee beleeve his word obey thy calling follow him which descended into hell to fetch thy condemnation thence and thou shalt find God mercifull to thy soule yea nothing but mercy and in this cause I put thee over for a conclusion of all to the meditation of Heaven Meditation 46. Heaven and the heavenly inheritance THis is not meate for all mouthes art thou truly humbled for thy sinnes persecuted for the truth oppressed in thy right dost thou hate the world and art thou prepared for death then art thou a Gomer fit to keepe this Manna without corrupting but thou must beleeve else shalt thou not understand for most true is that which the Apostle saith We walke by faith and not by sight the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall and as Saint John saith Now are wee the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what wee shall be and wee know that when hee shall appeare wee shall be like him for we shall see him as he is If a King can do so much what trow you will the King of Kings do for that man which hee meanes to honor he hath already given his Son for thee and by him forgiven thy sinnes he hath given unto thee the priviledg of thy calling the honour of thy profession the liberty of thy conscience the helpes of his Sacraments the use of his Word the communion of Saints the counsell of the wise the familiarity of the good the beginnings of regeneration the proceedings of faith hope and love the fruits of patience peace joy and conscionable dealing last of all that great prerogative the intercession of Christ in all thy prayers if he have done so much for thee in this pilgrimage what will hee do for thee in thy country if thou have had such benefits in the wildernesse what art thou to hope for in Canaan The eye hath not seene the heart of man is not able to conceive how then can the tongue utter them but beleeve thou in thy soule which loves God the things which he hath provided for them that love him this world was made without any provision what a world will that be which God doth provide so long before hand and hee tels thee hee hath provided it that thou mightst know thou canst not be deceived before we have it we have the earnest of it and when wee have it nothing can take it from us so that there is presently an immunity from evill and a security never to returne to evill and there is also plenty and community we enjoy all good yea God himselfe the well of goodnesse therefore wee live still but what wee were is a shadow to what we are yea the best we were is almost nothing to that we are wee were in grace wee are in glory wee live still but more in God than in our selves we rejoyce as much for others as for our selves we are not onely reformed in bodies and soules but also transformed into a divine nature as the Angels free from necessities as Christ highly favoured in Christ as God eternalnally blessed such is the heavenly inheritance of the Saints which although it be common to many yet every one of the family hath his proper right in it and though it be divided yet is not the propriety of any the lesse or the communion the weaker for every one is fully content with his part and doth rejoyce as much in
betweene Faith and profession but if his Workes bee good and godly thou maist boldly presume that the Sunne of righteousnesse is risen on him and hath with his beames of Religion enlightned him wherefore James saith Pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their adversities and to keep himselfe unspotted of the world marke how he judgeth of Religion not by Faith but obedience and yet there is no Religion pure but by Faith because Faith is also to be tried by obedience in the sight of men as obedience by Faith before God And Christ useth the same direction Hereby shall all men know you are my Disciples if yee love one another and love as yee know containeth all duties of the Law and hence is Christs answer in the Gospell to such as shall say at the day of judgment Have not wee taught and preached and done great Workes in thy name Depart from me I know you not all yee workers of iniquity Christ looked not on their profession but practice There is a knowledge of the truth and that wee have from Faith beleeving in the Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and there is an experience of the truth when the vertue of these things beleeved doth worke in our lives as when by the power of Christs Death wee die unto sinne and by the power of his Resurrection wee arise unto newnesse of life and by the power of his Ascension are heavenly minded When wee are come to knowledge wee passe on to trust and confidence by applying to our selves the promises of the Gospell so when wee are come to this trust wee must passe on to experience and triall in our lives by imitating those things in our selves which Christ hath done for us this is that which Saint Paul saith wee all behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirit of God God sheweth his face open to us in the Gospell wee behold it by Faith wee are changed into the same by speciall trust and confidence that the things there promised belong unto us as remission of sinnes the righteousnesse of Christ freedome from death and the gift of eternall life and wee passe from glory to glory by the experience spoken of when the vertue of the things wee beleeve doth worke in our lives and make us holy as he is holy and wee have both righteousnesse inherent and imputed and for this cause Paul speaking of the same matter to the Philippians doth not count himselfe perfect or to have as yet attained the full end of his calling for though he had begun in the first degree to beleeve and gone forward to the second for application yet had he much to doe in the last as long as it should please God to lend him life But you will say what doth the vertue of Christs Passion Resurrection and Ascension belong to us As the sap of the stock belongs to the graft so wee being grafted into Christ by a lively Faith that vertue of his whereby hee overcame death rose againe and ascended must needs grow up in us to bring forth like fruits and to signify this union he in other places is called the head and the faithfull members of the same body a vine and the faithfull branches of the vine and how this union is made betweene Christ and the faithfull the Sacrament of Christs blessed body and bloud doth not only represent but that it is done also as often as the faithfull doe rightly receive the same it doth testify and therefore there is not bare bread or a signe only but the body and bloud of Christ really yet not grosly as the Papists imagine but after a heavenly manner to the Soule to Faith neither is it necessary for this union and the benefit thereof that it should be locall so as Christs body must enter into ours but when Faith doth embrace Christ crucified for us that the Spirit whose power is not tied to distance of places make the faithfull man partaker of those gifts and graces of his redemption which can be no otherwise derived unto him but from the humane nature of Christ which suffered and as hee is a member of Christ Meditation 11. Of Merit THere is a great question betweene the Papists and us what workes please God best either such as are done to Merit or of duty they say workes done of duty have lesse zeale but belike they separate duty from love wee say workes done to Merit savor more of pride and cannot please God of themselves because they want duty and if wee should joine with them in an issue about zeale it might bee proved that their zeale for the glory of God is not so great which worke to Merit as the others Saint Paul as appeareth in his Epistle to the Philippians wrought not to Merit but of duty and love he which worketh to Merit must remember what is past and examine all his workes from the beginning to the end whether they be worhty that reward which he meanes to challenge but Saint Paul working of duty forgot what was past as though he had done nothing and his mind was only on that which he might be able to do farther as long as God would give him life according to that of our Saviour When yee have done all that you can say you are unprofitable servants as if he should say thinke so meanly of what you have done that you count it your duty to doe much more as long as you live even as much as you can and yet shall you be unprofitable servants both in respect of the grace used and not turned to the best advantage and in respect of the glory to bee received for which you can give no worthy recompence saving that it is the fathers will for my sake to give it to you what he hath promised he will in justice performe Belike Christ when he spake so much of duty meant to take zeale from workes nothing at all but to adde the more love and willingnesse which is the cause of zeale to the base and slavish mind a benefit past is of no force whereas the free and gentle heart is disposed towards a good turne received but because both they and wee agree thus farre that good workes are necessary let us rather busy our selves about doing well then disputing wittily God grant that I may remember I am a Christian if this bind me not to doe good nothing will if I doe unfeignedly what I can God will bee mercifull where I faile and Christ will rather want merits then I shall want reward Meditation 12. Pastorall cure THey which know what belongs to a flock are not ignorant of the care of a Shepheard or the necessities of Sheep neither is it an unworthy consideration for out of Shepheards have been taken Kings and Kings in time
they which are of one affection doe square in opinion the knot of love is broken which truth doth commend and it seemes that truth is the author of confusion what then indeed is to be wished that our opinions be ruled with truth and our affections tempered with love and this will bring the diversities of men to a world of university wherein though there be differing parts both for stuffe and use yet they shall all tend to the good of one another and so of the whole chiefly insomuch if that come in question once every particular will lose some part of his interest rather then the whole shall labour and this shall be done more strongly by the guide of reason then by the instinct of nature where for the same cause sometimes heavy things climb upwards and light stoop downe contrary to both their proper rights And were it this then must wee all needs be of one opinion of one affection that is Christians both in name and in truth for this is the thing which our Christian profession doth chaime of us and a thing rather indeed to be wished then hoped for and I think God hath of purpose placed us to live amongst such which if they doe agree with us in affection they shall disagree from us in opinion so barring us of this unity either for the exercise of our vertue or that wee should bee out of love with the world and long for the other to come where wee shall perfectly enjoy it Howsoever in the meane space they which will nourish in themselves any hope of comming to such happinesse promised must maintaine this band of unity in the communion of Saints and that is not only to love the truth but also in truth Oh my soule labour for truth and suffer many things for Peace prefer the truth before all things but use the truth to winne thy brother thou knowest how much truth doth belong to thee as a man reason searcheth truth more as a Christian faith receives truth give thankes to God if thou meet with such as can teach thee and bee as ready to teach others this will bee a stay from wandring opinions which have no end but if thou meet with such as love the truth with thee and affect thee in the truth give God thankes for such a heavenly blessing and let not thy oile bee wanting to keep such a lamp burning Brethren indeed are they which are of the same profession and affection Christ is the head of their society it will never want life the spring of their affection it will never want love and what soever spirituall comfort thou hast in this life remember the greater part is behind and therefore lift up thy selfe for that day when thou shalt bee present with the Lord. Meditation 27. Of Love TO love the truth is the more worthy Love and yet to love in truth more urged and required because that as in the first there is more excellence in respect of the object so in the second more evidence in respect of the subject and though by the order of teaching wee learne first to love the truth and then to love in truth yet according to the order of nature wee can never profit much in the first till wee have well practised the other for love is stirred up by sight and he that loveth not his brother whom he dayly sees how can he love God whom he never saw So God loveth us first after wee love him but this love cannot reach to that heighth except by certaine degrees we climb up thither beginning the love of God in the love of our brother Is not he worthy of my love whom God hath made partaker of his and if I forme my selfe to love all men as brethren shall I not love God the more which loves all those whom I do love As we know so wee love but God would have us to know and acknowledge himselfe first in our brother and to cast our eyes upon him as his Image and therefore if this may not move us to a due consideration of love for the Image sake neither will wee love him for his owne sake who is yet more unknowne unto us In love it is a speciall point to observe the disposition of the beloved for this makes Love acceptable now God is specially pleased when the duties which in Love wee owe unto him are for his sake done unto our brother and therefore when wee resigne up our hearts to serve God which is the chiefest of our Love wee must expresse it in striving to do good one unto another in Love and he that is thus affected cannot bee carelesse of his brother or comfortlesse unto him Love like fire it can neither bee idle when it hath matter to work on nor lye hid water will not quench it cover it you cannot but the flame will break forth The true lover of God doth embrace him in his heart his mind ever thinkes on him and his will desires him But this is raked up and hidden in the inner man how breaks it forth by respecting and affecting all men for Gods sake to his power above his power bearing their necessities for bearing their wrongs feeling with them in joy or grief taking part of their harmes and imparting his owpe advantages unto them God hath made all his creatures that in them wee might know his power reverence his greatnesse admire his wisedome and be thankfull unto him for his bounty but the only use which wee can make one of another is this that by mutuall love for Gods sake wee love God not as in his worke onely which may bee said of the rest but as in his likenesse which no work else can yeeld us Dost thou then love the Olive because of his fatnesse or the Vine because of his strength or the Figge-tree because of his sweetnesse dost thou love the Sunne because he is King of the day or the Moone because shee is Queene of the night dost thou love the Fire because of his heat or the Water because of its moisture dost thou love the Aire because it doth refresh or the Earth because it doth cherish thee yet hast thou a greater cause then any of these to love thy brother for the likenesse of God which is in him love all the Creatures for in them God hath left the print of his footsteps but love thy brother more then all for in him God hath printed his owne face and fashion Thou wilt say that coine shall bee currant with mee which beares my Princes Image and shall not thy brothers love be currant with thee who beares the Image of thy God It seemes when God made man he resolved on a likenesse to himselfe rather then any other patterne that man should love his God better and be the better beloved of another man who is no other then a brother unto him that is another such Oh my soule thou knowest well thy own backwardnesse in this duty
anguish for Christs sake Saint Paul is a notable example unto us of this kind and if thus wee dye dayly as Christians wee shall never be afraid to dye as men wee shall be ever ready for death and so farre from shrinking backe that wee shall boldly meet it it shall be no losse but gaine unto us no end of life but the beginning of a better while wee fly death we runne into sinne headlong yet is there no death so bad Oh that wee could once truely learne to dye that we might live for ever Many are dead which thinke themselves alive Many to avoid a temporall death do lose those things without which life is nothing worth the parting of the soule from the body is no death but the parting of God from the soule if the body without breath be but a carcasse what is a Christian without grace but a painted tombe Our first birth is the death of that life which the infant drawes from his mother and the body is borne into the world for sense and growth by our second birth which is the death of the body the soule is borne into the kingdome of heaven to live a new life from the body for there it understands without phantasie or common sense it seeth without eyes heareth without eares maketh it selfe understood without speech And as the birth of the body into the world is a better life than that which the Infant had in his mothers wombe so must the birth of the soule into heaven be a better life than that of the body by how much the faculties of the soule are more excellent than the bodily senses In our mothers wombe we lived as plants in the world wee lived as men in heaven wee shall live as the Angels neither are soule and body parted so as they shall never meet againe for the body no doubt doth naturally long for the soule and the soule beareth a love to the body Therefore by a holy ordinance of the Lord they abide one anothers absence for a while that they may come together againe as man and wife with the greater comfort the body is gone downe into the grave to leave there his shame of mortality of weakenesse of corruption necessity without all which after the resurrection it shall returne to the soule and the soule trimmed and tricked up in glory like a fresh spouse shall receive the body into the same glory and both shall be received into God and dwell with him for ever Death then is called so onely as it doth appoare unto us and others which live here but in very deed and by the benefit of Christ the state of the dead is the very true life everlasting neither is the birth of the child a greater hope of life in the world than is this of the soule in the death of the body of the life both of body and soule to be glorisied in the kingdome of heaven Many think on death to be more vicious as Epicures Let us eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye some will not thinke at all on death and they live neither the longer nor the better but are sure to die much the worse When wee thinke on death which are Christians it should make us live very justly and soberly because wee looke for a Kingdome after death where none enter but the righteous Oh my soule and body if wee must needs part how soone wee know not let us do it willingly to overcome necessity resistance is vaine obedience is profitable let us provide for that which else will prevent us let us make use of death as some do of money which else lyes dead let us die in the Lord to the Lord this is the best advantage Meditation 44. Last Judgement VVEe cannot avoide either judgment or death when sicknesse summous us to the one doth not our conscience to the other and in this life God hath his tryalls judgements executions so that men of times are forced to cry out Justus es Domine just a sunt judicia tua but because the wicked observe them not and God doth desire to appeare unto men rather as a mercifull father than a severe Judge therefore the Majesty the Authority the severity of his judgment is hid unto us so farre that wee are bound to beleeve that he will come to judge a thing which else we would never dream of Though then we see no examples of this judgement as yet neither can conceive the form therof yet do wee beleeve it and that there is a certaine time appointed for it they that looke not for it with joy shall abide it with sorrow that is that last and finall judgement wherein all causes shall be opened all persons censured all workes rewarded what hath hitherto beene suspended shall now be sentenced and never more altered Marke the preparation unto it the heavens shall passe away with noyse the elements shall melt with fervent heat the sea shall be dried up and the earth shall be burnt with all her workes then a summoning trumpet shall sound and awake up all those that sleepe in the silence of death and they together with the living shall be caught up then shall the Judge appeare visibly above in flaming fire compassed about with infinite thousands of Angels ready to do his will A strange judgement towards no doubt whether we respect the Judge or the parties which are to make their appearance or the sentence it selfe the wisdome of the Judge is such that hee cannot be deceived hee knoweth all causes without information things past are to him present and things to come hee made mans heart and findeth out every corner and turning thereof hee heares our words before wee speake them and knowes our thoughts before wee act them we do not will without his power though without his allowance nor worke without his privity though without his consent nay he knowes our purposes before wee are fully resolved and our thoughts before wee conceive them and our workes without producing any witnesse his justice is such that he cannot pervert judgment for favour or bribes his will is the rule of all righteousnesse and therefore hee can favour no cause but that which is right and if hee could be unrighteous what bribe might winne him which wanteth nothing his power is such that all must abide his decree here lyes no appeale no prohibition can be granted againstit no pardon obtained his jealousie shall take on harnesse and hee shall arme the creature to be avenged of his enemies hee shall put on righteousnesse for a breast-plate and take unfained judgement instead of an helmet equity shall be his shield and his fierce wrath as a sharpe sword and his troop are the whole compasse of the world Now what are the parties which are to appeare and abide tryall Adam and his posterity from the first man to the last that shall be borne here shall they be judged which have beene heretofore Judges