So Elihu saith That he was careful to do Thus he speaks to Job and his three Friends Behold I waited for your Words I gave ear to your Reasons whilst you searched out what to say c. Job 32.11 Indeed that is the way to get Wisdom to hear much and speak little He that hears much shall learn much he that talks much shall learn little If you desire to speak much Seneca saith you should do it by a Soliloquy Minimum cum aliis loqui plurimum vobiscum Speak little to others most to your selves It is the same the Apostle teacheth us We should be swift to hear slow to speak James 1.19 Yea we should be twice as swift to hear as to speak because Nature hath given us but one Organ to speak with two to hear with SECT XXXV A Meditation on the Miseries of this Life IT is good for a Christian every Day to Meditate seriously on the Miseries of this Life And here 1. Consider of the shortness of it Job saith Man's days are determined the number of his Months are with God and that he hath appointed his Bounds that he cannot pass Job 14.5 The days of our Years are threescore and ten And if by reason of Strength they be fourscore Years yet is their strength Labour and Sorrow for it is soon cut off and we flie away And hereof you cannot well reckon the time of your Infancy for any part of your Life for in that Age there is nothing either learnt or done that may well beseem the Dignity of a Man And as touching the time that is spent in Sleep I see not how that can well be called the time of Life seeing the principal part of our Life is to have the use of our Senses and Reason which then are as it were suspended in us and dead Therefore a Philosopher said that in the half of Man's Life there is no difference between the happy Man and unhappy for as much as during the time of Sleep all Men are equal because they then be as if they were dead For this cause a certain Poet termeth Sleep the Cousin-germane of Death And another called it the Brother of Death yea Death's Elder Brother For there is a near resemblance between the one and the other Multitudes of People do sleep the third part of the Day and Night which is eight whole Hours and some more whence it followeth that a third part of our Lives is consumed in sleep and so consequently that during that time we do not live That Philosopher had good reason to do as he did who being demanded what he thought of the Life of Man turn'd himself about before them that made the Demand and suddenly departed out of their sight giving them thereby to understand that our Life is very short and but as it were a turn-about And in a very short time after a Man's Death the very remembrance of him perisheth Some of the Ancients call Man's Life a Dream yea the dream of a Shadow But compare this small remnant of Life we live here with the Life to come and how little will it appear What is this Momentany Life compared with Life Everlasting but as it were a drop of Water compared with the whole Ocean If a thousand Years in the sight of God be no more but as it were Yesterday which is now past and gone what shall the Life of seventy or eighty Years seem to be but only a very nothing compared to Eternity Christian Reader Think then with thy self every Day what greater Folly and Madness can be imagined than that Men and Women for the enjoying of this short dream of such vain Delights and Pleasures should plunge themselves into everlasting Torments and what sottishness hath possessed Men that they should take so much Labour and Pains to provide so many things for so short a Life and not to make any provision at all for their Souls which shall live for ever II. Meditate also of the uncertainty of your Life As our Life is very short so it is also uncertain Eccles 9.12 Man knoweth not his time As the Fishes that are taken in an evil Net and as the Birds that are caught in the Snare so are the Sons of Men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them How often are Men surprized with sudden Changes as Birds in a Snare and Fishes in a Net Watch ye therefore and be always in readiness because ye know not the Hour when the Son of Man cometh because ye know not the Year be therefore always in readiness every Year And because ye know not the Month watch every Month and because ye know not the Hour watch every Hour I will give you a Comparison brought to my Hand by a Devout Man Suppose there were set before thee upon a Table thirty or 40 several Dishes of Meat and thou wert told by a special Friend that there was Poyson in one of them thou wouldest scarce adventure to eat of any one of them although thou wert much an hungred for fear peradventure lest thou shouldst light upon the Dish that was Poysoned Now perhaps thou mayst think that thou shalt live thirty or forty Years Well then If it be certain that in one of these Years thou shalt die and thou knowest not in which of them why art thou not then afraid in every one of them and dost not every Year yea every Day make preparation for Death Why do Souldiers keep a continual Watch in the Castle that standeth in the Frontiers upon an Enemies Country Is it for any other cause but only for that they know not when the Enemies will come to Assault it Surely for none other Oh then seeing you know not at what hour Death will assault you you had always need to be Watchful thy Soul is of greater value than all the Castles and Kingdoms of the World and thou hast greater Enemies that do endeavour Day and Night continually to assault it and thou art altogether ignorant of the Day and Hour of thine Assault and the whole matter of the Salvation or Damnation of thy Soul consisteth in this Point whether thou be taken provided or unprovided in that dreadful Hour III. Consider the frailty and brittleness of Man's Life no Glass is so subject to knocks and breaking as the Life of Man Some lose their Life by the vehement heat of the Sun the Eyes of some are able to bereave others of their Life Some die by drinking a draught of cold Drink in a Sweat or by Surfeiting at a Supper Some die of excessive Pleasure or Grief Some seem to go well to Bed and there are found dead in the Morning We may not wonder how soon Men end their Lives as how they endure so long the Workmanship of their Bodies being so tender and the Matter and Stuff whereof they be compounded so frail and weak God bids the Prophet cry All flesh is Grass and all the glory thereof
thee out of the Grave in the morning of the Resurrection from the sleep and bed of death as he hath awakened thee in thy Bed and raised thee up in health and safety this Morning When the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trump of God the sound of this Trumpet shall be heard over all parts of the World and with this Trumpet shall he summon all Nations to come to the general Judgement This is that fearful Voice whereof Saint Hierom speaketh saying Whether I eat or drink or whatsoever I do I seem always to hear that Voice sounding in mine Ears Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment Oh! Who shall appeal from this Summons Who shall be able to avoid this Judgment Whose Heart shall not quake and tremble at the sound of this terrible Voice This Voice shall take from death all her Spoils and cause her to restore again all that she hath taken from the World The Sea shall give up the Dead which are in it and Death and Hell deliver up the Dead which are in them Rev. 20.13 Think with thy self O Christian when thou art rising out of thy Bed what a wonderful sight that shall be to see the Sea and the Earth bring forth in all parts such variety of Bodies and to behold so many huge Armies rising out of their Beds of death and darkness and so many sorts of diversities of Nations and People gathered and assembled together To see the most mighty Princes and most puissant Potentates of the Earth raised out of their Tombs and appearing with another manner of habit and behaviour and with other kind of thoughts much differing from those that they had in this Life Think then with thy self that all the Children of Adam shall meet together every one to give up an account of his own Life and to be judged according to his Works yet shall there be a great difference between the Just and the Unjust at the day of Resurrection Some shall rise to everlasting Life and Glory and some to Shame and everlasting Contempt Dan. 12.2 Consider what a joyful meeting there will be of the Souls and Bodies of the Just at the general Resurrection With what joy shall the Soul then embrace the Body And as it were say thus unto it O my Body and faithful Companion that hast holden me in obtaining this glorious Crown that hast so often Fasted Watched and Prayed that hast suffered with me the necessities of Poverty the cross of Afflictions the reproaches and contradictions of reviling Tongues How often hast thou stript thy self of thine own Raiment to cloth the Naked How often hast thou denied thy self renounced thine own right and title being unwilling to break Peace and be at Variance with thy Neighbour Wherefore it is meet that thou shouldst now be partaker with me of this my Glory as thou hast been my companion in all my Labours and Sufferings Think also with thy self of the grievous and woful meeting of the Souls and Bodies of the Wicked at the day of their Resurrection The Soul of such an one shall then say to his vile Body O cursed Body the cause of my woe and misery Now I take thee no more for my Companion but mine Enemy Now art thou no more my Helper but my Persecutor O cursed Taste how dearly now do I pay for thy delicates and delights O stinking Flesh how have I by yielding to thy Lusts and Pleasures plunged my self into these endless Torments Is this the Body that scarce must touch the Ground that would not endure the Wind to blow upon it that Body which I spent so much time in Dressing and Adorning it Is this the Flesh which I so often glutted and pampered Were these the delights of this Body for which I cast away my self Was it for this stinking Dung-hill that I have lost for ever the Kingdom of Heaven O ye infernal Furies rise up now against me and tear me in pieces Cursed be the day of my unfortunate Birth seeing for a few short Pleasures I must suffer everlasting Torments These and other more desperate words thou mayst think Christian Reader shall the miserable Soul speak unto that Body which she loved so exceedingly in this Transitory Life I will set down the words of a Devout Man in this kind Tell me O miserable Soul why dost thou now so much abhor that thing which heretofore thou lovedst so well Is not this Flesh thy dearly beloved Is not this thy Belly which thou madest thy God Is not this the Face which thou didst keep so charily from Wind and Sun Is not this the Visage which thou didst paint with so many Artificial Colours Are not these the Arms and Fingers which glistered with Rings of Gold Bracelets and Diamonds Is not this the Body for whose sake search was made both by Sea and Land to furnish a Table for it with all dilicate and dainty Dishes To have a soft and stately Bed to procure curious and sumptuous Garments Who hath now so changed thine Affections who hath now made thy Body to appear so horrible and deformed which before seemed so amiable and beautiful Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power Rev. 20.6 SECT IX When thou art sluggish and loth to rise out of thy Bed in the Morning THink then with thy self O Christian that thou hearest the Voice of Christ calling to thee as sometimes to his Spoufe Cant. 2.10 Rise up my Love my fair One and come away Consider what Saint Paul saith to the Romans Rom. 13.11 It is high time to awake out of sleep Awake unto Righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15.34 It is not enough that ye affect Righteousness and to have the Heart bent toward it in some sort but you must awake to it as Mens Spirits are fresh and renewed and made more quick and active when they awake out of sleep awaken and quicken your Souls to Righteousness and Holiness as if you were to begin the work again that so your Spirits may be fresh and your Hearts active and lively in the Service of God See how David stirreth up himself Awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early Awake Psaltery and Harp Doth David speak to these dead Instruments Doth he not rather speak to his own Affections that they might be awakned and quickned to make Melody to the Lord in his Heart whilst he played with his Hand upon the Psaltery and Harp He knew the Harp though never so well tuned and managed would make but dull and flat Musick in the Ears of the Living God if the Heart were not tuned and the Affections stirred up and quickned Raise up thy Heart to God and the love of the World will little prevail with it the more able shalt thou be to discern the excellency of Heavenly Things This is a special Help against Temptation
than the Fire more hardned than the Stone more cruel to himself than the wild Beasts more spiteful and venemous against others than the Cockatrice He hath neither feared God nor regarded Man He hath not been contented alone himself to be injurious to God but would have many others to be partakers with him in sinful Practices Now what shall be said of his other abominable Practices Such hath his Pride been that he refused to be in subjection unto God he would not submit his Neck under the sweet yoke of his Obedience but would rather live as he listed and fulfil his own Will in every point rebelling against the Lord vexing his holy Spirit How exceedingly was he enraged if God did not grant him all his desires or if he sent any Crosses or Troubles for his Trial and Exercise He loved to be applauded in all his doings whether good or bad And now consider O my Soul whether all Creatures may not justly cry out against thee and say Come let us destroy this wicked Wretch from off the face of the Earth that hath done so much wrong to our Creator May not the Earth say Why do I bear such a cumbersome Wretch May not the Water say Why do I not drown him May not the Fire say Why do I not burn and consume him May not Hell say Why do I not swallow him up and torment him Alas miserable Wretch that I am What shall I do Whither shall I go seeing all Creatures are in Arms against me Where shall I hide my Head Who will receive me who have offended all Creatures The great God I have despised the Angels I have grieved the Saints I have dishonoured Men I have offended and scandalized and all Creatures have I most wickedly abused Whither then shall Iflie for shelter for as much as I have made all things to become mine Enemies I look round about me and can see nothing that will take my part yea even mine own Conscience barketh against me and all my Bowels do accuse me and rent me in pieces Wherefore weep continually O my Soul lament thy wretchedness like a poor miserable Creature never cease weeping so long as thou livest in this Vale of misery be still in expectation when thy merciful Saviour will vouchsafe to turn the Eyes of his Compassion towards thee and with all possible humility and shame cast thy self down at his Feet and cry out Oh! where can I find Punishment enough to be avenged on my self and Tears enough to wash away mine offences O Lord I am that great Enemy of thine which hath committed most wicked and abominable Offences before thy Face I acknowledg my self guilty before thee I beseech thee O Lord to cast the Mantle of thy Mercy over me thy poor wretched miserable Creature and let the greatness of thy Goodness overcome and cover my wickedness Let the most sweet loving Father rejoyce at the coming home again of his Prodigal Son Let the good Shepherd rejoyce at the recovery of his lost Sheep Oh! how happy and joyful shall that Day be when thou shalt cast thine Arms about my Neck and give me the sweet embraces and kisses of Peace I will now take Arms against my self therefore and be more cruel and rigorous against my self than any other I will loath and despise my self and from henceforth the face of Sin shall be more hideous to me than Hell and I shall desire to be despised and punished of all Creatures for as much as I have despised the Creator of them all I am contented that all Dishonours Reproaches and Punishments do run upon me on every side so that by them I may be brought to my most Sweet and Merciful Lord. And as for all Honour Pleasure and Worldly Delights they shall be quite banished away from me in so much as the very Names of them shall be heard no more in my House I will seek nothing else but the Honour of my Lord God and the Contempt and Confusion of my self Hitherto or almost to this effect are the words of that Devout and Ancient Father SECT XXI Of Family-Worship HEre I shall commend unto you the advice of a Reverend Divine of ours Let Family-Worship be performed constantly and seasonably twice a Day at that Hour which is freest from Interruptions not delaying it without just cause But whensoever it is performed be sure it be Reverently Seriously and Spiritually done If greater Duty hinder not begin with a brief Invocation of God's Name and craving of his Help and Blessing through Christ and then reade some part of the holy Scripture in order and either help the Hearers to understand and apply it Or if you are unable for that then read some profitable Book to them for such ends and earnestly pour out your Souls in Prayer c. Pretend not necessity against any Duty for it is but unwillingness or negligence that makes Men remiss in Family-Worship The lively and constant performance of Family-Duties is a principal means to keep up the power and interest of Godliness in the World all which decayeth when these grow dead slight and formal Those Families wherein this Service of God is performed are as it were little Churches yea even a kind of Paradise upon Earth And for this purpose Philem. 1 2. St. Paul writing to Philemon Greeteth the Church that is in his House And in like manner he sendeth Salutations to the Church of Corinth from Aquila to Priscilla and the Church that was in their House 1 Cor. 16.19 On the other side where Family-Worship is not used but either for the most part or altogether neglected those Families may be termed no better than Companies of prophane and graceless Atheists who as they deny God in their Hearts so they are described by this Note That they do not call upon the Name of the Lord Psal 14.4 And the Prophet prayeth thus unto God Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not upon thy Name Jer. 10.25 Many Parents take care only to enrich their Children to make them great and honourable in the World to leave them large Portions and Estates to provide rich Matches for them but take no care to bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord Nay many Parents are afraid their Children should prove Religious Some Parents cannot abide their Children whom they see to look a little towards Sion Such Parents as one saith are the Devil's Children But every Parent ought to say of his Natural Children as St. John doth of his Spiritual Children Epist 3.4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my Children walk in the Truth SECT XXII A Calling and Business of what Importance IT becometh every one to be truly Diligent and well employed in some lawful Calling God himself both Father and Son are said to Work John 5.17 and will admit of no Loiterers or Idle Persons He that will have his Penny