thoughts and sighes The first thought SEeing euery man enters into this life in Teares passeth it in sweate and ends it in sorrow ah what is there in it that a man should desire to liue any longer to it oh what a folly is it that vvhen the Mariner roweth with all his force to arriue at the wished Port and that the Traueller neuer testeth till hee come to his iourneyes end wee feare to discrie our Port and therefore would put backe our Barke to be longer tossed in this continual Tempest we weepe to see our iourneyes end and therefore desire our iourney to be lengthened that vvee might be more tyred with a foule and cumbersome way The spirituall sigh thereupon O Lord this life is but a troublesome Pilgrimage few in dayes but full in euils and I am weary of it by reason of my sinnes Let me therefore O Lord entreate thy Maiestie in this my bed of sickenesse as Elias did vnder the Iuniper tree in his affliction It is now enough O Lord that I haue liued so long in this vale of miserie take my fâ—ule into thy mercifull hands for I am no better then my Fathers The second thought THinke with what a body of sinne thou art loaden vvhat great ciuill warres are contayned in a little world the flesh fighting against the spirit Passion against Reason Earth against Heauen and the world within thee â—anding it selfe for the world without thee and that but one onely meane remaines to end this conflict Death which in Gods appoynted time will seperate thy Spirit from thy flesh the pure and regenerate part of thy soule from that part which is impure and vnregenerated The spirituall sigh vpon the second thought O Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death O my sweete Sauiour Iesus Christ thou hast redeemed me with thy precious bloud And because thou hast deliuered my soule from sinne mine eyes from teares and my feete from falling I doe here from the very bottome of my heart ascribe the vvhole praise and glory of my Saluation to thy onely grace and mercy saying vvith the holy Apostle Thankes be vnto GOD which hath giuen mee the victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. The third thought THinke how it behooues thee to be assured that thy soule is Christs for death hath taken sufficient gages to assure himselfe of thy body in that all thy senses beginne already to dye saue onely the sense of paine but sith the beginning of thy being beganne with paine meruaile the lesse if thy end conclude with dolours But if these temporall dolours which onely afflict the body be so painefull O Lord who can endure the deuouring fire who can abide the euerlasting burning The spirituall sigh vpon the third thought O Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of the liuing GOD vvho art the onely Physitian that canst ease my body from paine and restore my Soule to life eternall put thy Passion Crosse and death betwixt my Soule and thy Iudgement and let the merits of thy Obedience stand betwixt thy Fathers Iustice and my disobedience and from these bodily paines receiue my soule into thine euerlasting peace for I cry vnto thee with Stephen Lord Iesu receiue my spirit The fourth thought THinke that the worst that death can doe is but to send thy soule sooner then thy flesh would be willing to Christ and his heauenly ioyes Remember that that worst is thy best hope The worst therefore of death is rather a helpe then a harme The spirituall sigh vpon the fourth thought O Lord Iesus Christ the Sauiour of all them that put their trust in thee forsake not him that in misery flieth vnto thy grace for succour and mercy Oh sound that sweet voyce in the eares of my soule which thou spokest vnto the penitent theefe on the Crosse this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise For I O Lord doe with the Apostle from my soule speake vnto thee I desire to be dissolued and to bee with Christ. The fifth thought THink if thou fearest to dye that in Mount Sion there is no death for he that beleeueth in Christ shall neuer die And if thou desirest to liue without doubt the life eternall whereunto this death is but a passage surpasseth all There doe all the faithfull departed hauing ended their miseries liue with Christ in ioyes and thither shall all the godly which suruiue be gathered out of their troubles to enioy with him eternall rest The spirituall sigh on the fift thought O Lord thou seest the malice of Satan who not contenting himselfe 〈…〉 all the daâ—es and nights of our life to seek our destruction shewes himselfe most bâ—siest when thy children are weakest and neerest to their end O Lord reprooue him and preseâ—ue my Soule Hee seekes to terrifie me with death which my sins haue deserued but let thy holy spirit comfort my soule with the assurance of eternall life which thy blood hath purchased Asswage my pain encrease my patience and if it be thy blessed will end my troubles for my soule beseecheth thee with olde blessed Simeon Lâ—rd now let me thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word The sixth thought THink with thy selfe what a blessing God hath bestowed vpon thee aboue many millions of the world that whereas they are either Pagans who worship not the true GOD or Idolaters who worship the true GOD falsely Thou hast liued in a true Christian Church and hast grace to dye in the true Christian faith and to be buried in the sepulchres of Gods seruants who all waite for the hope of Israel the raising of their bodies in the resurrection of the iust The spirituall sigh vpon the sixt thought O Lord Iesus Christ who art the resurrection and the life in whom whosoeuer beleeueth shall liue though hee were dead I beleeue that whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in thee shall neuer dye I know that I shall rise againe in the resurrection at the last day for I am sure that thou my Redeemer liuest And though that after my death wormes destroy this body yet I shall see thee my Lord and my God in this flesh Grant therefore O CHRIST for thy bitter death and passions sake that at that day I may bee one of them to whom thou wilt pronounce that ioyfull sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world The seauenth thought THinke with thy selfe how Christ endured for thee a cursed death and the wrath of God which was due vnto thy sinnes and what terrible paines and cruell torments the Apostles and Martyrs haue voluntarily suffered for the defence of Christs faith when they might haue liued by dissembling or denying him how much more willing shouldest thou be to depart in the faith of Christ hauing lesse paines to torment thee
Throne and all the many thousands of his Saints and Angels shining more bright then so many Sunnes in glory sitting about him and the body of Christ in glory and brightnesse surpassing them all The Reprobates being separated and remaining beneath vpon the earth for the right hand signifieth a blessed the left hand a cursed estate Christ will first pronounce the sentence of absolution and blisse vpon the Elect first because he will thereby increase the griefe of the reprobate that shall heare it secondly to shew himselfe more prone to Mercy then to Iudgement And thus from his Throne of Maiestie in the Ayre hee shall in the sight and hearing of all the world pronounce vnto his Elect. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world for c. Come yee Here is our blessed vnion with Christ and by him with the whole Trinitie Blessed Here is our absolution from all sinnes and our plenary endowment with all grace and happinesse Of my Father Here is the Author from whom by Christ proceeds our felicitie Inherit Here is our Adoption The Kingdome Behold our Birth-right and possession Prepared See Gods Fatherly care for his chosen From the Foundation of the world O the free eternall and vnchangeable Election of GOD How much are those soules bound to loue GOD who of his meere good-will and pleasure chose and loued them before they had done either good or euill For I was hungry c O the Goodnesse of Christ who takes notice of all the good-workes of his Children to reward them How great is his loue to poore Christians who takes euery worke of mercy done to them for his sake as if it had beene done to himselfe Come yee to me in whom yee haue beleeued before yee saw me and whom yee haue loued and sought for with so much deuotion and through so many tribulations Come now from labour to rest from disgrace to glory from the iawes of death to the ioyes of eternall Life For my sake yee haue beene raiâ—ed vpon reuiled and cursed But now it shall appeare to all those cursed Esaus that you are the true Iacobs that shall receiue your heauenly Fathers blessing and blessed shall you be Your fathers mothers and neerest kindred forsooke and cast you off for my Truths sake which you maintained but now my Father will be vnto you a Father and you shall be his Sonnes and Daughters for euer You were cast out of your lands and liuings and forsoke all for my sake and the Gospell But that it may appeare that you haue not lost your gaine but gained by your losse in stead of an earthly inheritance and possessions you shall possesse with mee the inheritance of my heauenly Kingdome where you shall be for loue sonnes for birth-right heires for dignitie Kings for holinesse Priests and you may be bold to enter into the possession thereof now because my Father prepared and kept it for you euer since the first foundation of the world was laid Immediately after this Sentence of absolution and benediction euery one receiueth his crowne which Christ the righteous Iudge puts vpon their heads as the reward which hee hath promised of his grace and mercy vnto the faith and good workes of all them that loued that his appearing Then euery one taking his Crowne from his Head shall lay it downe as it were at the Feete of Christ and prostrating themselues shall with one heart and voyce in an heauenly sort and consort say Praise and Honour and Glory and Power and Thankes be vnto thee O blessed Lambe who sittest vpon the Throne wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euery kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests to raigne with thee in thy Kingdome for euermore Amen Then shall they sit in their Thrones and order as Iudges of the Reprobates and euill Angels by approuing and giuing testimony to the righteous sentence and iudgement of Christ the supreame Iudge After the pronouncing of the Reprobates sentence and condemnation Christ vvill performe two solemne Actions 1 The presenting of all the Elect vnto his Father Behold O righteous Father these are they whom thou gauest mee I haue kept them and none of them is lost I gaue them thy Word and they beleeued it and the world hated them because they were not of the world euen as I was not of the world And now Father I will that those whom thou hast giuen mee be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me and that I may be in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me and that thou hast loued them as thou hast loued me 2 Christ shall deliuer vp the Kingdome to GOD euen the Father that is shall cease to execute his office of Mediatorship whereby as he is King Priest Prophet and supreame head of the Church hee suppressed his Enemies and ruled his faithfull people by his Spirit Word and Sacraments So that his Kingdome of grace ouer his Church in this world ceasing hee shall rule immediately as hee is GOD equall vvith the Father and the holy Ghost in his Kingdome of Glory for euermore not that the dignitie of his Manhood shall be any thing diminished but that the glory of his Godhead shall be more manifested so that as hee is God hee shall from thence forth in all fulnesse without all externall meanes rule all in all From this Tribunall seate Christ shall arise and vvith all his glorious Company of Elect Angels and Saints he shall goe vp triumphantly in order and array vnto the heauen of Heauens with such a heauenly noise and Musicke that now may that Song of Dauid be truely verified God is gone vp with a triumph the Lord with the sound of the Trumpets Sing praises to God sing praises sing prayses vnto our King sing praises for God is the King of all the Earth he is greatly to be exalted And that Marriage song of Iohn Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue honour to him for the Marriage of the Lambe is come and his Wife hath made her selfe ready Alleluiah for the Lord God omnipotent raigneth The third and last Degree of the blessed state of a regenerated man after death beginnes after the pronouncing of the Sentence and lasteth eternally without all end Meditations of the blessed estate of a regenerated Man in heauen after he hath receiued his sentence of Absolution before the Tribunall seate of Christ at the last day of Iudgement HEere my Meditation lazeleth and my Penne falleth out of my hand the one being not able to conceiue nor the other to describe that most excellent blisse and eternall weight of glory whereof all the
which a wise Merchant will purchase though it cost him all that hee hath Mat. 13. Alexander hearing the report of the great riches of the Eastern country diuided forth-with among his Captaines and Souldiers all his Kingdome of Macedonia Hephoestion asking him what hee meant in so doing Alexander answered that he preferred the riches of India whereof hee hoped shortly to be Master before all that his Father Philip left him in Macedonia And should not Christians then preferre the eternall riches of Heauen so greatly renowned vvhich they shall enioy ere long before the corruptible trash of the earth which last but for a season Abraham and Sarah left their owne Country and possessions to looke for a Citie whose builder and maker is God and therefore bought no land but onely a place of buriall Dauid preferreth one day in this place before a thousand else-where yea to be a doore-keeper in the house of God rather then to dwell in the richest tabernacles of wickednesse Elias earnestly besought the Lord to receiue his soule into his Kingdome and went willingly though in a fiery Chariot thither Paul hauing once seene heauen continually desired to be dissolued that hee might be with Christ. Peter hauing spyed but a glimpse of that eternall glory in the Mount wished that hee might dwell there all the dayes of his life saying Master it is good for vs to be here How much better doth Peter now thinke it to be in heauen it selfe Christ a little before his death prayeth his Father to receiue him into that excellent glory And the Apostle witnesseth that for the ioy which was set before him he endured the Crosse and despised the shame If a man did but once see those ioyes if it were possible hee would endure an hundred deaths to enioy that happinesse but one day S. Augustine saith that he would be content to endure the torments of hell to gaine this ioy rather then to lose it Ignatius Paules Scholler being threatned as hee vvas going to suffer vvith the crueltie of torments answered with great courage of Faith Fire Gallowes Beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body all the torments of the Diuell together let them come vpon me so I may enioy my Lord Iesus and his Kingdome The like constancie shewed Polycarpe who could not by any terrors of any kinde of death be moued to deny Christ in the least measure With the like resolution answered Basil his persecutors when they would terrifie him with death I will neuer said hee feare death which can doe no more then restore mee to him that made me If Ruth left her owne country and followed Naomi her Mother in Law to goe and dwell with her in the Land of Canaan which was but a type of heauen onely vpon the fame which she heard of the God of Israell though shee had no promise of any portion therein how shouldest thou follow thy holy mother the Church to go vnto Christ into the heauenly Canaan wherin God hath giuen thee an eternall inheritance assured by an holy Couenant made in the words of God signed with the bloud of his Sonne and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments This shall be thine eternall happinesse in the Kingdome of heauen where thy life shall be a communion with the blessed Trinitie thy ioy the presence of the Lambe thy exercise singing thy ditty Alleluiah thy consorts Saints and Angels where youth flourisheth that neuer waxeth olde Beautie lasteth that neuer fadeth loue aboundeth that neuer cooleth health continueth that neuer slaketh and life remaineth that neuer endeth Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himselfe without delay the fore-said knowledge of GOD and himselfe THou seest therefore O man how wretched and cursed thy state is by corruption of nature without Christ insomuch that whereas the Scriptures doe liken wicked men vnto Lyons Beares Buls Horses Dogges and such like sauage Creatures in their liues it is certaine that the condition of an vnregenerated man is in his death more vile then a Dogge or the filthiest Creature in the world for the Beast being made but for mans vse when hee dyeth endeth all his miseries with his death But man endued with a reasonable and an immortall Soule made after Gods Image to serue God when hee ends the miseries of this life must account for all his misdeedes and begin to endure those miseries that neuer shall know end No creature but man is liable to yeeld at his death an account for his life The bruite Creatures not hauing reason shall not be required to make any account for their deedes and good Angels though they haue reason yet shall they yeeld no account because they haue no sinne And as for euill Angels they are without all hope already condemned so that they neede not make any further accounts Man onely in his death must be Gods accountant for his life On the other side thou seest O Man how happy and blessed thy estate is being truely reconciled vnto GOD in Christ in that through the restauration of Gods Image and thy restitution into thy soueraigntie ouer other Creatures thou art in this life little inferiour to the Angels and shalt be in the life to come equall to the Angels yea in respect of thy Nature exalted by a personall vnion to the Sonne of God and by him to the glory of the Trinitie superiour to the Angels a Fellow-Brother with Angels in spirituall grace and euerlasting glory Thou hast seene how glorious and perfect GOD is and how that all thy chiefe blisse and happinesse consisteth in hauing an eternall communion with his Maiestie Now therefore O impenitent Sinner in the bowels of Christ Iesus I entreat thee nay I coniure thee as thou tenderest thy owne saluation seriously to consider with mee how false how vaine how vile are those things which still retaine and chaine thee in this wretched and cursed estate wherein thou liuest and doe hinder thee from the fauour of God and the hope of eternall life and happinesse Meditations on the hinderances which keepe backe a sinner from rhe practise of Pietie THose Hinderances are chiefely seauen I. An ignorant mistaking of the true meaning of certaine places of the holy Scripture and some other chiefe grounds of Christian Religion The Scriptures mistaken are these 1 Ezek. 33.14.16 At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne I will blot out all c. Hence the carnall Christian gathereth That he may repent when hee will It is true Whensoeuer a sinner doth repent GOD will forgiue but the text saith not that a sinner may repent whensoeuer he will but when GOD will giue him grace Many saith the Scripture when they would haue repented were reiected and could not repent though they sought it carefully with teares What comfort yeelds this Text to thee who hast not repented nor knowest whether thou shalt
in the Church euer since the Apostles time Ignatius Bishop of Antioch liuing in S. Iohns time saith Let euery one that loueth Christ keepe holy the Lords day renowned by his Resurrection which is the Queene of dayes in which death is ouercome and life is sprung vp in Christ. Iustine Martyr vvho liued not long after him sheweth how the Christians kept their Sabbath on the Lords day as we doe Origen who liued about 180. yeeres after Christ shewes the reason why the Sabbath is translated to the Lords day Augustine saith that the Lords day was declared vnto the Church by the Resurrection of the Lord vpon that day Et ex illo caepit habere festiuitatem suam and by Christ it was first ordained to be kept holy And in another place that the Apostles appointed the Lords day to be kept with all religious solemnitie because that vpon that day our Redeemer rose from the dead which also is therefore called the Lords day As therefore Dauid said of the Citie of God so may I say of the Lords day Glorious things are spoken of the day of the Lord for it vvas the birth-day of the vvorld the first day vvherein all Creatures beganne to haue being In it Light was drawne out of darknesse In it the Law vvas giuen on Mount Sinai In it the Lord rose from death to life In it the Saints came out of their graues assuring that on it Christians should rise to newnesse of life In it the Holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles And it is very probable that on the seauenth day when the 7. Trumpets haue blowne the cursed Iericho of this world shall fall and our true Iesus shall giue vs the promised possession of the heauenly Canaan He that would see the vniforme consent of Antiquity and practise of the Primitiue Church in this point let him reade Eusebius Ecclesisticall history Lib. 4. cap. 23. Tertullian lib. de Idololatria cap. 14. Chrysost. Serm. 5. de resurrectione Constiâ—â—â— Apost lib. 7. cap. 37. Cyrill in Iohan. lib. 12. cap. 58. Of this iudgement are all the sound new writers see Fox on the Apoc. 1.10 Bucer in Mat 12.11 Gualt in Malach. 3. hom 23. Fulke on the Rhemish Test. Apo. 1.10 Chem. Exam. Conc. Trid. par 4. de diebus festis Wolph Chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. Armin Thes. in 4. precept and innumerable others Learned Iunius shal speake for al. Quamobrâ—m cum dies dominicus c. Wherefore seeing the Lords day is both by the fact of Christ viz. his resurrection and of often appearing to his Disciples vpon that day by the example and institution of the Apostles and by the continuall practise of the Ancient Church and by the testimony of the Scripture obserued and substituted into the place of the Iewish Sabbath Inepté faciunt they doe foolishly who say that the obseruation of the Lords day is of Tradition and not from the Scripture that by this meanes they might establish the traditions of men And againe The cause of this change is the resurrection of Christ and the benefit of the restoring of the Church by Christ the remembrance of which benefit did succeede into the place of the memory of the creation Non humana traditione sed Christi ipsius obseruatione instituto not by the tradition of man but by the obseruation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on euery eight day after vnto his ascention into heauen did appeare vnto his Disciples and came into their assemblies 9 Because that the Lord himselfe expoundeth the end of the Sabath to bee a signe and document for euer betwixt him and his people that he is Iehouah by whom they are sanctified and therefore must only of theÌ„ be worshipped and vpon the paine of death chargeth his people for euer to keep this memoriall vnuiolated But this end is morall and perpetuall Therefore the Sabath is morall and perpetuall What God hath perpetually sanctified Let â—â— man euer presume to make common or prophane Vpon this ground it is that the Commandement termes this day the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And GOD himselfe cals it his holy day And vpon the same ground likewise the oldâ— Testament consecrated all their Sabaths and Holy daies to the worship and honour of God alone To dedicate therefore a Sabbath to the honour of any creature is grosse Idolatry For the first Table makes it a part of Gods worship to haue a Sabbath to his honour So doth Leuit. 23.3.37.38 c. and Ezek. 20.20 Neh. 9.14 the Sabbath is put for the whole worship of GOD. And our Sauiour teacheth that We must worship the Lord God onely Matth. 4. and therefore keep a Sabbath to the onely honour of GOD. The holy Ghost notes it as one of Ieroboams greatest sinnes That he ordained a feast from the deuise of his owne heart 1 King 12.33 And God threatneth to visit Israel for keeping the daies of Baalim That is of Lords as Papists doe of Saints Hos. 2.13 but saith that such forget him And so indeede none are lesse carefull in keeping the Lords Sabbath then they who are most superstitious obseruers of mens holy daies The Church of Rome therefore commits grosse Idolatry First in taking vpon her to ordayne Sabbaths which belongs onely vnto the Lord of the Sabbath to doe Secondly in dedicating those Holy-daies to the honour of Creatures which in effect is to make them sanctifying Gods Thirdly in tying to these daies Gods worship Praiers fasting and merit Fourthly in exacting on these daies of mens inuention a greater measure of solemnity and sanctification then vpon the Lords day which is Gods commandement which in effect is to preferre Antichrist before Christ. Our Church hath iustly abolished all superstitious and Idolatrous Feasts and onely retaines a few holy dayes to the honour of God alone and easing of seruants Deut 5.14 though long custome forceth to vse the olde names for ciuill distinction as Luke vsed the profane names of Castor and Pollux Act. 28.11 and Christians of Fortunatus 1 Cor. 16.17 Mercurius Rom. 16.14 and Iewes of Mardocheus day 2 Macab 15.37 10 Lastly the examples of Gods Iudgements on Sabbath-breakers may sufficiently seale vnto them whose hearts are not seared how wrathfully Almighty God is displeased with them who are wilfull profaners of the Lords day The Lord who is otherwise the GOD of mercy commanded Moses to stone to death the man who of a presumptuous minde would openly goe to gather sticks on the Sabbath day The fact was small True but his sinne was the greater that for so small an occasion would presume to breake so great a commandement Nichanor offering to fight against the Iewes on the Sabath day was slaine himselfe and 35000. of his men A husband man grinding Corne vpon the Lords day had his Meale burned to ashes Another carrying Corne on this
Sabbath vvhich wee call the Lords day and which he himselfe ordained according to Christs commandement in the same Churches of Galatia and Corinth kept himselfe in other Churches but he speakes of the Iewish daies and times and yeeres and the keeping of the Sabbath on the seauenth day from the Creation which he tearmeth shadowes of things to come abolished now by Christ the body and in the Law are called sabbaths but distinguished from the morall Sabbaths 2 That of Paul to the Colossians let no man therfore condemne you in meate or drinke or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath dayes But here the Apostle meaneth the Iewish ceremoniall Sabbaths not the Christian Lords day as before 3 That of the same Apostle to the Romanes This man esteemeth one day aboue another day and another counteth euery day alike c. But Saint Paul makes no such account For the question there is not betweene Iew Gentiles but betweene the stronger and weaker Christian The stronger esteemed one day aboue another as appeares in that there vvas a day both commanded and receiued in the Church euery where knowne and honoured by the name of the Lords day And therefore Paul saith here that hee that obserued this day obserued it vnto the Lord. The obseruation whereof because of the change of the Iewish seuenth day some weake Christians as many now a dayes thought not so necessary so that if men because the Iewish day is abrogated will not honour and keepe holy the Lords day but count it like other dayes it is an argument saith the Apostle of their weaknesse whose infirmitie must be borne till they haue time to be further instructed and perswaded Other obiections are friuolous and not worth the answering The true manner of keeping holy the Lords day NOW the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things First In resting from all seruile and common businesse pertaining to our naturall life Secondly In consecrating that rest wholy to the seruice of God and the vse of those holy meanes which belong to our spirituall life For the first 1 The seruile and common workes from which wee are to cease are generally all ciuill workes from the least to the greatest More particularly First from all the workes of our calling though it were reaping in the time of haruest Secondly from carrying burthens as Carryers doe or riding abroad for profit or for pleasure GOD hath commanded that the beasts should rest on the Sabbath day because all occasion of trauailing or labouring vvith them should be cut off from man GOD giues them that day a rest and he that without necessitie depriues them of their rest on the Lords day the groanes of the poore tyred beasts shall in the day of the Lord rise vp in Iudgement against him Likewise such as spend the greatest part of this day in trimming painting and pampering of themselues like Iezabels doing the Diuels worke vpon Gods day Thirdly from keeping of Fayres â—r Markets which for the most part God punisheth with pestilence fire and strange flouds Fourthly from studying any books or science but the holy Scriptures Diuinity For our studie must be to bee rauished in spirit vpon the Lords day In a word Thou must on that day cease in thy calling to doe thy worke that the Lord by his calling may doe his worke in thee For whatsoeuer is gotten by common working on this day shall neuer be blessed of the Lord but it will prooue like Achans golde which being got contrary to the Lords commandement brought the fire of Gods curse vpon all the rest which hee had lawfully gotten And if Christ scourged them out as theeues who bought and sold in his Temple which was but a ceremony shortly to be abrogated is it to bee thought that hee will euer suffer those to escape vnpunished who contrary to his commandement buy and sell on the Sabbath day which is his perpetuall law Christ calleth such sacrilegious Theeues and as well may they steale the Communion Câ—p from the Lords Table as steale from GOD the chiefest part of the Lords day to consume it in their owne lasts Such shall one day finde the Iudgements of God heauier then the opinions of men Fiftly from all recreations and sports which at other times are lawfull for if lawfull workes be forbidden on this day much more lawfull sports which do more steale away our affections from the contemplation of heauenly things then any bodily worke or labour Neither can there bee vnto a man that delighteth in the Lord any greater delâ—ght or recreation then the sanctifying of the Lords day For can there be any greater ioy for a person condemned then to come to his Prince his house to haue his pardon sealed For one that is deadly sicke to come to a Phisitian that can cure him Or for a Prodigall childe that fed on the huskes of Swine to bee admitted to eate the bread of life at his Fathers Table Or for him who feares for sinne the tydings of death to come to heare from God the assurance of eternall life If thou wilt allow thy selfe or thy seruant recreation allow it in the sixe daies which are thine not on the Lords day which is neither thine nor theirs No bodily receation therefore is to bee vsed on this day but so farre as it may helpe the soule to doe more cheerefully the seruice of the Lord. Sixtly from grosse feeding liberall drinking of wine or strong drinke which may make vs either drowsiâ— or vnapt to serue GOD with our hearts and mindes Seuenthly from all talking about wordly things which hindreth the sanctifying of the Sabbath more then working seeing one may worke alone but cannot talke but with others He that keepes the Sabbath onely by resting from his ordinary worke keepes it but as a beast But rest on this day is so farre commanded to Christians as it is an helpe to sanctification and labour so farre forbidden as it is an impediment to the outward and inward worship of GOD. If then those recreations which are lawfull at other times are on the Sabbath not allowed much more those that are altogether at all times vnlawfull Who without mourning can endure to see how in most places Christians keepe the Lords day as if they celebrated a feast rather to Bacchus then to the honour of the Lord Iesus the Sauiour and Redeemer of the world For hauing serued God but an houre in outward shew they spend the rest of the Lords day in sitting downe to eate and drinke and rising vp to play First balasting their bellies with eating and drinking and then feeding their lusts with playing and dancing Against which prophanation all holy Diuines both old and new haue in their times most bitterly inueighed Insomuch that August affirmeth that it was better to plough
to doe the duties of his calling This is specially to be obserued of Ministers and Iudges Sixtly A religious Fast which a man voluntarily vndertakes to make his body and soule the fitter to pray more feruently vnto GOD vpon some extraordinarie occasion And of this fast onely wee are to treate The Religious Fast is of two sorts eyther priuate or publike 1 Of a priuate Fast. THat vvee may rightly performe a priuate Fast foure things are to be obserued first the Author secondly the Time and Occasion thirdly the Manner fourthly the Ends of priuate Fasting 1 Of the Author The first that ordained Fasting was God himselfe in Paradise and it was the first Law that God made in commanding Adam to abstaine from eating the forbidden fruit GOD would not pronounce nor write his Law without Fasting and in his Law commands all his people to Fast. So doth our Sauiour Christ teach all his Disciples vnder the New Testament likewise By religious Fasting a man comes neerest the life of Angels and to do Gods will on earth as it is done in heauen Yea Nature seemeth to teach man this duty in giuing him a little mouth and a narrower throaete for Nature is content with a little Grace with lesse Neyther doth Nature and Grace agree in any one act better then in this exercise of religious Fasting for it strengtheneth the memory and cleareth the minde illuminateth the vnderstanding and bridleth the affections mortifieth the flesh and preserueth chastitie preuenteth sicknesse and continueth health it deliuereth from euils and procureth all kinde of blessings By breaking this Fast the Serpent ouer-threw the first Adam so that hee lost Paradise But by keeping a Fast the second Adam vanquished the Serpent and restored vs into Heauen Fasting was she who couered Noâ—h safe in the Arke whom Intemperance vncouered and left starke naked in the Vineyard By fasting Lot quenched the flame of Sodome whom drunkennesse scorched with the fire of Incest Religious Fasting and talking vvith GOD made Moses face to shine before men when Idolatrous eating and drinking caused the Israelites to appeare abhominable in the sight of GOD. It rapt Elias in an Angelicall Coach to Heauen when voluptuous Ahab was sent in a bloudy Chariot to Hell It made Herod beleeue that Iohn Baptist should liue after death by a blessed resurrection when after an intemperate life hee could promise nothing to himselfe but eternall death and destruction O diuine Ordinance of a diuine Author 2 Of the Time The holy Scripture appoints no time vnder the new Testament to fast but leaues it vnto Christians owne free choyse Rom. 14.3 1 Cor. 7.5 to fast as occasions shall be offered vnto them Mat. 9.15 As when a man becomes an humble and earnest suiter vnto God for the pardon of some grosse sinne committed or for the preuention of some sinne whereunto a man feeles himselfe by Sathan sollicited or to obtaine some speciall blessing which hee wants or to auert some Iudgement which a man feares or is already fallen vpon himselfe or others or lastly to subdue his flesh vnto his spirit that hee may more cheerefully poure forth his Soule vnto God by prayer Vpon these occasions a man may fast a day or longer as his occasion requires and the constiâ—uâ—ion of his body and other needfull affayres will permit 3 Of the manner of a priuate Fast. The true manner of performing a priuate Fast consists partly in outward partly in inward actions The outward Actions are to abstaine for the time that wee fast First from all worldly businesse and labour making our fasting day as it were a Sabbath day Leuit. 23.28 for worldly businesse will distract our mindes from holy deuotion Secondly from all manner of foode yea from bread and water so farre as health will permit 1 That so we may acknowledge our owne indignitie as being vnworthy both of life all the meanes for the maintenance thereof 2. That by afflicting the body the soule which followeth the constitution thereof may be the more humbled 3. That so wee may take a godly reuenge vpon our selues for abusing our libertie in the vse of Gods Creatures 4. That by the hunger of our bodies through want of these earthly things our Soules may learne to hunger more eagerly after spirituall and heauenly foode 5. To put vs in minde that as vvee abstaine from foode which is lawfull so wee should much more abstaine from Sinne which is altogether vnlawfull Thirdly from good and costly Apparell that as the abuse of these puffes vs vp with pride so the laying aside their lawfull vse may witnesse our humilitie And to this end in auncient times they vsed especially in publike Fasts to put on Sacke-cloath or other course apparell The equitie hereof stil remaineth especially in publike Fasts at what time to come into the Assembly vvith starched bands crisped haire braue apparell and decked with â—lowers or perfumes argueth a Soule that is neyther humbled before GOD nor euer knew the true vse of so holy an exercise Fourthly from the full measure of ordinary sleepe That thou maist that vvay also humble the body and that thy soule may watch and pray to be prepared for the comming of Christ. And if thou vvilt breake thy-sleepe earely and late for worldly gaine how much more shouldest thou doe it for the seruice of God And if Ahab in imitation of the godly did in his fast lie in Sacke-cloath to breake his sleepe by night what shall wee thinke of those vvho on a fasting day will yeeld themselues to sleepe in the open Church Fiftly and lastly from all outward pleasures of our senses So that as it was not the throate onely that sinned so must not the throate onely be punished and therefore vve must endeuour to make our eyes as at all times so especially on that day to fast from beholding vanities our eares from hearing mirth or Musicke but such as may moue to mourne our nostrils from pleasant smels our tongues from lying dissembling and slandering yea the vse of the Marriage bed must be omitted in a religious reuerence of the diuine Maiestie That so nothing may hinder our true humiliation but that all may be signes that vve are vnfainedly humbled Thus much of the outward manner 2 The inward manner of Fasting consists in two things 1. Repentance 2. Prayer Repentance hath two parts 1. Penitencie for sinnes past 2. Amendement of life in time to come This penitency consists in 3. things First an inward insight of sinne and sense of miserie Secondly a bewailing of thy vile estate Thirdlie an humble and particuler confession of all thy knowne sinnes 1 Of the inward insight of sinne and sense of miserie This sense and insight will be effected in thee First by considering thy sinnes especially thy grosse sinnes according to the circumstances of the time when place where
Wine therefore are not bare signifying Signes but such as vvherewith Christ doth indeede exhibite and giue to euery worthy Receiâ—er not onely his diuine vertue and efficacie but also his very Body and Bloud as verely as hee gaue to his Disciples the Holy Ghost by the signe of his sacred Breath or Health to the diseased by the word of his Mouth or touch of his hand or garment And the apprehension by faith is more forcible then the exquisitest comprehension of Sense or Reason To conclude this point this holy Sacrament is that Blessed Bread vvhich being eaten opened the Eyes of the Emauites that they knew Christ. This is that Lordly Cup by vvhich wee are all made to drinke into one Spirit This is that Rocke flowing with hony that reuiueth the fainting spirits of euery true Ionathan that tastes it vvith the mouth of Faith This is that Barly Loafe vvhich tumbling from aboue strikes downe the Tents of the Midianites of infernall darkenesse Elias Angelicall Cake and Water preserued him fortie dayes in Horeb and Manna Angels foode fed the Israelites forty yeeres in the Wildernesse but this is that True Bread of life and heauenly Manna which if vvee shall duely eate will nourish our Soules for euer vnto life eternall How should then our Soules make vnto Christ that request from a spirituall desire which the Capernaites did from a carnall motion Lord euermore giue vs this Bread The fift end of the Lords Supper 5 To be an assured pledge vnto vs of our Resurrection The Resurrection of a Christian is two-folde first the spirituall Resurrection of our Soules in this life from the death of Sinne called the first Resurrection because that by the Trumpet-voyce of Christ in the preaching of the Gospell we are raysed from the death of sinne to the life of grace Blessed and holy is he saith Saint Iohn who hath part in the first Resurrection for on such the second death hath no power The Lords Supper is both a meane and a pledge vnto vs of this spiâ—rituall and first Resurrection Hee that eateth mee euen hee shall liue by mee And then are we fit Guests to sit at the Table with Christ when like Lazarus wee are raysed from the death of sinne to newnesse of life The truth of this first resurrection vvill appeare by the motion vvherewith they are internally moued for if when thou art moued to the duties of Religion and practise of Pietie thy heart answereth vvith Samuell Here I am Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth And vvith Dauid O God my heart is ready And vvith Paul Lord what wilt thou haue mee to doe Then surely thou art raysed from the death of sinne and hast thy part in the first Resurrection but if thou remainest ignorant of the true grounds of Religion and findest in thy selfe a kinde of secret loathing of the exercises thereof and must be drawne as it were against thy will to doe the workes of Pietie c. then surely thou hast but a name that thou liuest but thou art dead as Christ tolde the Angell of the Church of Sardis and thy Soule is but as salt to keepe thy body from stincking Secondly the corporall Resurrection of our bodies at the last day which is called the second resurrection which freeth vs from the first death Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day For this Sacrament signifieth and sealeth vnto vs that Christ died and rose againe for vs and that his flesh quickneth and nourisheth vs vnto eternall life and that therefore our bodies shall surely be raised to eternall life at the last day For seeing our head is risen all the members of the body shall likewise surely rise againe For how can those bodies which being the weapons of Righteousnesse Rom. 16 13. Temples of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 and Members of Christ. haue bin fedde and nourished vvith the body and blood of the Lord of life but be raised vp againe at the last day And this is the cause that the bodies of the Saints being dead are so reuerently buried and laid to sleepe in the Lord. And their buriall places are termed the beddes and dormitories of the Saints The reprobates shall arise at the last day But by the Almighty power of Christ as he is Iudge bringing them as malefactors out of the goale to receiue their sentence and deserued execution but the Elect shall arise by vertue of Christs resurrectiâ—n and of the Communion which they haue with him as with their head And his resurrection is the cause and assurance of ours The Resurrection of Christ is a Christians particuler faith the Resurrection of the dead is the childe of Gods chiefest confidence Therefore Christians in the Primitiue Church were wont to salute one another in the morning with these phrases The Lord is risen and the other would answere True The Lord is risen indeede The sixt end of the Lords Supper 6 To seale vnto vs the assurance of euerlasting life Oh what more wished or loued then life Or what doe all men more either feare or abhorre then death Yet is this first death nothing if it be compared with the second death neither is this life any thing worth in comparison of the life to come If therefore thou desirest to be assured of eternall life prepare thy selfe to be a worthy receiuer of this blessed Sacrament For our Sauiour assureth vs That if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Hee therefore who duely eateth of this holy Sacrament may truely say not onely Credo vitam aeternam I beleeue the life euerlasting but also Edo vitam aeternam I eate life euerlasting And indeed this is the true tree of life which GOD hath planted in the middest of the Paradise of the Church And whereof hee hath promised to giue euery one that ouercommeth to eate And this tree of life by infinite degrees excelleth the tree of life that grew in the Paradise of Eden for that had his roote in the earth this from heauen that gaue but life to the body this to the soule that did but preserue the life of the liuing this restoreth life to the dead The leaues of this tree healeth the Nation of beleeuers and it yeelds euery moneth a new manner of fruit which nourisheth them to life euerlasting Oh blessed are they who often eate of this Sacrament at lest once euery moneth taste anew of this renewing fruit which Christ hath prepared for vs at his Table to heale our infirmities and to confirme our beleefe of life euerlasting The seauenth end of the Lords Supper 7 To binde all Christians as it were by an
enuied to be taxed with such a blemish though I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in aboundant measure I made â—ests of officious and aduantage of pernitious lyes herein shewing my selfe a right Cretian rather then an vpright Christian. And lastly O Lord where I should haue rested fully contented vvith that portion which thy Maiestie thought meetest to bestow vpon me in this Pilgrimage and reioyced in an others good as in mine owne Alas my life hath beene nothing else but a greedy lusting after this neighbours house and that neighbours land yea secretly vvishing such a man dead that I might haue his liuing or office coueting rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather then being thankefull for that which thou hast giuen vnto my selfe Thus I O Lord who am a carnall sinner and sold vnder sinne haue transgressed all thy holy and spiritual commandements from the first to the last from the greatest vnto the least and here I stand guiltie before thy Iudgement-seate of all the breaches of all thy lawes and therefore lyable to thy Curse and to all the miseries that Iustice can poure forth vpon so cursed a creature And whither shall I goe for deliuerance from this miserie Angels blush at my rebellion and will not helpe mee Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot helpe themselues Shall I then despaire vvith Caine or make away my selfe with Iudas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to beginne the endlesse torments of Hell I will rather appeale to thy Throane of Grace where Mercy raignes to pardon abounding sinnes and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with Dauid for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Iob put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drowne me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Ionas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken vp dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast mee into the bowels of Hell as Ionas into the Belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry vnto thee O God the Father of Heauen O Iesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternall God haue mercy vpon mee a miserable sinner And seeing the goodnesse of thine owne nature first moued thee to send thine onely begotten Son to dye for my sinnes that by his death I might be reconciled to thy Maiestie O reiect not now my penitent Soule who being displeased with her selfe for sinne desireth to returne to serue and please thee in newnesse of life and reach from Heauen thy helping hand to saue mee thy poore seruant who am like Peter ready to sincke in the Sea of my sinnes and miserie Wash away the multitude of my sinnes with the merits of that bloud which I beleeue that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receiue this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious body and bloud O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seale vnto my soule that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sinnes are so freely and fully remitted and forgiuen that the curses and Iudgements which my sins haue deserued may neuer haue power eyther to confound me in this life or to condemne me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast dyed for my sinnes and risen againe for my iustification This I beleeue O Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe Worke in mee likewise I beseech thee an vnfained Repentance that I may heartily bewaile my former sins and loath them and serue thee hence forth in newnesse of life and greater measure of holy deuotion And let my soule neuer forget the infinite loue of so sweete a Sauiour that hath laid downe his life to redeeme so vile a Sinner And grant Lord that hauing receiued these seales and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maist henceforth so dwell by thy Spirit in mee that I so liue by Faith in thee and that I may walke all the dayes of my life in godlinesse and pietie towards thee and in Christian loue and charitie towards all my neighbours that liuing in thy feare I may dye in thy fauour and after death be made partaker of eternall life through Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Sauiour Amen 3 Of the meanes whereby thou maist become a worthy Receiuer THese Meanes are dueties of two sorts the former respecting GOD the later our Neighbour Those vvhich respect GOD are three first sound knowledge secondly true faith thirdly vnfained repentance That which respecteth our neighbour is but one sincere Charitie 1 Of sound knowledge requisite in a worthy communicant Sound knowledge is a sanctified vnderstanding of the first Principles of Religion As first of the Trinity of Persons in the vnity of the Godhead Secondly of the Creation of Man and his fall Thirdly of the curse and misery due to sinne Fourthly of the natures and offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same vnto vs. For as an house cannot be built vnlesse the foundation bee first laid no more can Religion stand vnlesse it bee first grounded vpon the certaine knowledge of Gods word Secondly if wee know not Gods will we can neither beleeue nor doe the same For as wordly businesses cannot be done but by them who haue skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in diuine and spirituall matters And yet in temporall things a man may doe much by the light of nature But in religious mysteries the more we relye vpon naturall reason the further we are from comprehending spirituall truth Which discouers the feareful estate of those who receiue without knowledge and the more fearefull estate of those Pastors who minister vnto them without Catechising 2 Of sincere faith required to make a worthy communicant Sincere faith is not a bare knowledge of the Scriptures first grounds of Religion for that Diuels and Reprobates haue in an excellent measure and doe beleeue it and tremble But a true perswasion as of all those things whatsoeuer the Lord hath reuealed in his word so also a particular application vnto a mans owne soule of all the promises of mercy which God hath made in Christ to all beleeuing sinners And consequently that Christ and all his merits doe belong vnto him as well as to any other For first if wee haue not the righteousnesse of Faith the Sacrament seales nothing vnto vs and euery man in the Lords Supper receiueth so much as hee beleeueth Secondly because that without Faith we communicating on earth cannot apprehend Christ in heauen For as he dwelleth in vs by faith so by faith we must likewise eate him Thirdly because
come vnder my roofe and that if thou didst but speake the word onely my soule should be saued Yet seeing it hath pleased the riches of thy grace for the better strengthning of my weakenesse to seale thy mercy vnto mee by thy visible signe as well as by thy visible word In all thankefull humiliâ—y my soule speakes vnto thee with the blessed Virgin Behold the handmaide of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy word Knocke thou Lord by thy word and Sacraments at the doore of my heart and I will like the Publicane with both my fists knocke at my breast as fast as I can that thou maiest enter in and if the dore will not open fast enough breake it open O Lord by thine Almighty power and then enter in and dwell there for euer that I may haue cause with Zacheus to acknowledge that this day saluation is come into my house And cast out of me whatsoeuer shall be offensiue vnto thee for I resigne the whole possession of my heart vnto thy sacred Maiestie entreating that I may not liue henceforth but that thou maist liue in mee speake in me worke in me and so to gouerne me by thy spirit that nothing may be pleasing vnto me but that which is acceptable vnto thee That finishing my course in the life of grace I may afterwards liue with thee for euer in thy kingdome of glory Grant this O Lord Iesu for the merits of thy death and bloodshedding Amen When the Minister bringeth towards thee the bread thus blessed and broken and offering it vnto thee bids thee Take eate c. Then meditate that Christ himselfe commeth vnto thee both offreth and giueth indeed vnto thy faith his very body blood with al the merits of his death and passion to feed thy soule vnto eternal life as surely as the minister offereth giueth the outward signes that feeds thy body vnto this temporall life The bread of the Lord is giuen by the Minister but the bread which is the Lord is giuen by Christ himselfe When thou takest the bread at the Ministers hand to eate it then rouse vp thy soule to apprehend Christ by faith to apply his merits to heale thy miseries Embrace him as sweetly with thy faith in the Sacrament as euer Simeon hugde him with his armes in his swadling clouts When thou eatest the bread imagine that thou seest Christ hanging vpon the Crosse and by his vnspeakeable torments fully satisfying Gods iustice for thy sinnes and striue to be as verily pertaker of the spirituall grace as of the elementall signes For the truth is not absent from the signe neither doth Christ deceiue when he saith This is my body but he giueth himselfe indeede to euery soule that spiritually receiues him by faith For as ours is the same Supper which Christ administred so is the same Christ verily present at his owne Supper not by any Papall Transubstantiation but by a Sacramentall participation whereby he doth truly feede the faithfull vnto eternall life not by comming downe out of heauen vnto thee but by lifting thee vp from the earth vnto him According to that old saying Sursum corda Lift vp your hearts and where the carkase is thither will the Eagles resâ—â—t Mat. 24 When thou seest the wine brought vnto thee apart from the bread then remember that the bloud of Iesus Christ was as verily separated from his body vpon the Crosse for the remission of thy sinnes And that this is the seale of that new couenant which GOD hath made to forgiue all the sinnes of al penitent sinners that beleeue the merits of his bloodâ—heding For the wine is not a Sacrament of Christs blood contained in his â—eines but as it was shed out of his body vpon the Crosse for the remission of the sinnes of all that beleeue in him As thou drinkest the wine and pourest it out of the Cup into thy stomacke meditate and beleeue that by the merits of that bloud vvhich Christ shed vpon the Crosse all thy sinnes are as verely forgiuen as thou hast now drunke this Sacramentall Wine and hast it in thy stomach And in the instant of drinking settle thy meditation vpon Christ as he hanged vpon the Crosse as if like Mary and Iohn thou did see him nailed and his bloud running downe his blessed side out of that gastfull wound vvhich the Speare made in his innocent heart wishing thy mouth closed to his side that thou mightest receiue that precious bloud before it fell to the dustie earth And yet the actuall drinking of that reall bloud with thy mouth vvould be nothing so effectuall as this Sacramentall drinking of that bloud spiritually by Faith For one of the Souldiers might haue drunke that and beene still a reprobate but vvhosoeuer drinketh it spiritually by Faith in the Sacrament shall surely haue the Remission of his sinnes and Life euerlasting As thou feelest the Sacramentall Wine vvhich thou hast drunke warming thy cold stomach so endeuour to feele the Holy Ghost cherishing thy soule in the ioyfull assurance of the forgiuenesse of all thy sinnes by the merits of the bloud of Christ. And to this end God giueth euery faithfull soule together with the Sacramentall bloud the holy Ghost to drinke Wee are all made to drinke into one Spirit And so lift vp thy minde from the contemplation of Christ as hee vvas crucified vpon the Crosse to consider how hee now sits in glory at the right hand of his Father making intercession for thee by presenting to his Father the vnualuable meâ—its of his death which hee once suffered for thee to appease his Iustice for the sins which thou dost daily commit against him After thou hast eaten and drunke both the Bread and Wine labour that as those Sacramentall Signes do turne to the nourishment of thy body and by the digestion of heate become one with thy substance so by the operation of Faith and the Holy Ghost thou maist become one vvith Christ and Christ with thee and so maist feele thy Communion with Christ confirmed and encreased daily more and more That as it is vnpossible to separate the Bread and Wine digested into the bloud and substance of thy body so it may be more vnpossible to part Christ from thy Soule or thy Soule from Christ. Lastly as the Bread of the Sacrament though confected of many graines yet makes but one Bread so must thou remember that though all the faithfull are many yet are they all but one Mysticall Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore thou must loue euery Christian as thy selfe and a member of thy body Thus farre of the duties to be done at the receiuing of the holy Sacrament called Meditation 3 Of the duties which we are to performe after receiuing of the holy Communion called Action or Practise THe duetie vvhich vvee are to performe after the receiuing of the Lâ—rds Supper is called Action or
all euill malignant Spirits farre from him Make him more and more to loath this world and to desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. And when that good houre and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life giue him grace peaceably and ioyfully to yeeld vp his Soule into thy mercifull hands and doe thou receiue her into thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry her into thy Kingdome Make his last houre his best houre his last words his best words and his last thoughts his best thoughts And when the sight of his eyes are gone and his tongue shall faile to doe his office graunt O Lord that his Soule may with Stephen behold Iesus Christ in Heauen ready to receiue him and that thy Spirit within him may make requests for him with sighes which cannot be expressed Teach vs in him to reade and see our owne end and mortalitie and therefore to be carefull to prepare our selues for our last ends and put our selues in a readidinesse against the time that thou shalt call for vs in the like manner Thus Lord wee recommend this our deare Brother or Sister thy sicke Seruant vnto thy eternall grace and mercie in that Prayer vvhich Christ our Sauiour hath taught vnto vs. Our Father which art in Heauen c. Thy Grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with vs all and especially with this thy sicke seruant to the end and in the end Amen Let them reade often vnto the sicke some speciall Chapters of the holy Scriptures as The three first Chapters of the Booke of Iob. The 34. Chapter of Deutronomie The two last Chapters of Ioshua The 17. Chapter of the first of Kings The 2.4 and 13. Chapters of the second of Kings The 14. and 19. Chapters of Iob. The 38.40 and 65. Chapters of Isay. The Historie of the Passion of Christ. The 8. Chapter to the Romanes The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The 4. of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians The 5. Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians The first and last Chapters of S. Iames. The 11. and 12. to the Hebrewes The first Epistle of Peter The three first and the three last Chapters of the Reuelation or some of these And so exhorting the sicke partie to waite vpon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a ioyfull meeting in the Kingdome of Heauen and a blessed Resurrection at the last day they may depart at their pleasure in the peace of God Consolations against Impatiencie in sicknesse IF in thy sicknesse by extremitie of paine thou be driuen to Impatiencie meditate 1 That thy sinnes haue deserued the paines of Hell therefore thou maist vvith greater patience endure these fatherly corrections 2 That these are the scourges of thy Heauenly Father and the rod in his hand If thou diddest suffer with reuerence being a child the correction of thy earthly Parents how much rather shouldest thou now subiect thy selfe being the child of God to the chastisements of thy heauenly Father seeing it is for thine eternall good 3 That Christ suffered in his Soule and body farre grieuouser paines for thee therefore thou must more vvillingly suffer his blessed pleasure for thine owne good Therefore saith Peter Christ suffered for you leauing you an example that ye should follow his steps And Let vs saith Saint Paul runne with ioy the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse c. 4 That these afflictions which now you suffer are none other but such which are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world as witnesseth Peter Yea Iobs afflictions were farre more grieuous There is not one of the Saints vvhich now are at rest in heauenly ioyes but endured as much as you doe before they went thither yea many of them willingly suffered all the torments that Tyrants could inflict vpon them that they might come to those Heauenly ioyes whereunto you are now called And you haue a promise that the God of all grace after that you haue suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And that God of his fidelitie will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that yee may be able to beare it 5 That God hath determined the time when thy affliction shall end as vvell as the time when it beganne Thirty eight yeeres were appointed to the sicke man at Bethesda's Poole Twelue yeeres to the Woman with the bloudy Issue Three Moneths to Moses Tenne dayes tribulation to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna Three dayes plague to Dauid Yea the number of the godly mans teares are registred in Gods Booke and the quantitie kept in his bottle The time of our troubles saith Christ is but a modicum Gods Anger lasts but a Moment saith Dauid A little season saith the Lord and therefore cals all the time of our paine but the houre of sorrow Dauid for the swiftnesse thereof compares our present trouble to a Brooke And Athanasius to a Shower Compare the longest misery that man endures in this life to the eternitie of heauenly Ioyes and they vvill appeare to be nothing And as the sight of a Sonne safe borne makes the Mother forget all her former deadly paine so the sight of Christ in Heauen vvho was borne for thee will make all these pangs of death to be quite forgotten as if they had neuer been like Stephen who as soone as hee saw Christ forgat his owne woundes with the horrour of the Graue and terrour of the stones and sweetly yeelded his Soule into the hands of his Sauiour Forget thine owne paine thinke of Christs wounds Be faithfull vnto the death and hee will giue thee the Crowne of eternall life 6 That you are now called to Repetitions in Christs Schoole to see how much Faith Patience and godlinesse you haue learned all this while and whether you can like Iob receiue at the hand of God some euill as vvell as you haue hitherto receiued a great deale of good as therefore you haue alwayes prayed Thy Will be done so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will 7 That all things shall worke together for the best to them that loue God insomuch that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Assure your selfe that euery pang is a preuention of the paines of Hell euery respite an earnest of
heauens Rest and how many stripes doe you esteeme Heauen worth As your life hath beene a comfort to others so giue your Friends a Christian example to dye and deceiue the Diuell as Iob did It is but the Crosse of Christ sent before to crucifie the loue of this vvorld in thee that thou maist goe eternally to liue with Christ who was crucified for thee As thou art therefore a true Christian take vp like Simon of Cyrene with both thy armes his holy Crosse carry it after him vnto him thy paines will shortly passe thy ioyes shall neuer passe away Consolations against the feare of Death IF in the time of thy sickenesse thou findest thy selfe fearefull to dye meditate 1 That it argueth a dastardly minde to feare that which is not For in the church of Christ there is no Death Isay 25.7.8 And Whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in Christ shall neuer dye Iohn 11.26 Let them feare death vvho liue vvithout Christ Christians dye not but when they please GOD they are like Enoch translated vnto GOD Their paines are but Eliahs fiery Charriot to carry them vp to heauen or like Lazarus sores sending them to Abrahams bosome In a word if thou be one of them that like Lazarus louest Iesus thy sicknesse is not vnto thee death but for the glory of God who of his loue changeth thy liuing death to an euerlasting life And if many Heathen men as Socrates Curtius Seneca c. dyed willingly when they might haue liued in hope of the immortalitie of the Soule vvilt thou being trayned so long in Christs Schoole and now called to the Marriage Supper of the blessed Lambe Apoc. 10.7 be one of those Guests that refuse to goe to that Ioyfull Banquet God forbid 2 Remember that thy aboade here is but the second degree of thy life for after thou hadst first liued nine moneths in thy Mothers wombe thou wast of necessitie driuen thence to liue here in a second degree of life And when that number of moneths which GOD hath determined for this life are expired thou must likewise leaue this and and passe to a third degree in the other World vvhich neuer ends Which to them that liue and die in the Lord surpasseth as farre this kinde of life as this doth that which one liues in his mothers wombe To this last and excellentest degree of life through this doore passed Christ himselfe and all his Saints that were before thee and so shall all the rest after them and thee Why shouldest thou feare that vvhich is common to all Gods Elect Why should that be vncouth to thee vvhich was so welcome to all them Feare not death for it is the Exodus of a bad but the Genesis of a better World the end of a temporall but the beginning of an eternall life 3 Consider that there are but three things that can make death so fearefull vnto thee first the losse thou hast thereby secondly the paine that is therein Thirdly the terrible effects which followes after All these are but false fires and causlesse feares For the first if thou leauest here vncertaine goods which theeues may rob thou shalt finde in heauen a true treasure that can neuer be taken away these were but lent thee as a Steward vpon accounts those shall be giuen thee as thy reward for euer If thou leauest a louing Wife thou shalt be marryed to Christ which is more louely If thou leauest Children and Friends thou shalt there find all thy religiously Ancestors and children departed yea Christ and all his blessed Saints and Angels and as many of thy Children as be Gods children shal thither follow after thee Thou leauest an earthly possession a house of clay and thou shalt enioy an Heauenly inheritance and Mansion of Glory vvhich is purchased prepared and reserued for thee What hast thou lost Nay is not death vnto thee gaine goe home goe home and wee will follow after thee Secondly for the paine in Death the feare of Death more painâ—s many then the very pangs of death for many a Christian dyes without any great pang or paines Pitch the Anchor of thy hope on the firme grouâ—â— of the Word of God vvho hath promised in thy weaknesse to perfect his strength and not to suffer thee to be tempted aboue that thou art able to beare And Christ will shortly turne all thy tempâ—rall paines to his eternall ioyes Lastly as for the terrible effects which follow after death they belong not vnto thee being a Member of Christ for Christ by his death hath taken away the sting of death to the faithfull so that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus And Christ hath protested that he that beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life Hereupon the holy Spirit from Heauen saith Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord and that from thenceforth they rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them In respect therfore of the faithfull death is swallowed vp into victorie and his sting which is sinne and the punishment thereof is taken away by Christ. Hence death is called in respect of our bodies a sleepe and rest In respect of our soules a going to our heauenly Father a departing in peace a remouing from this body to goe to the Lord a dissolution of soule and body to be with Christ. What shall I say Precious in the sigâ—â—t of the Lord is the death of his Saints These paines are but thy throwes and trauell to bring foorth Eternall Life And who would not passe through Hell to goe to Paradise much more through death There is nothing after death that thou needest feare not thy sinnes because Christ hath paid thy ransome not the Iudge for hee is thy louing Brother not the Graue for it is the Lords Bed not Hell for thy Redeemer keeps the Keyes not the Diuell for Gods holy Angels pitch their Tents about thee and will not leaue thee till they bring thee to Heauen Thou wast neuer neerer Eternall life glorifie therefore Christ by a blessed death Say chearfully Come Lord Iesu for thy Seruant commeth vnto thee I am willing Lord helpe my weakenesse Seauen sanctified thoughts and mournefull sighes of a sicke man ready to die NOW for as much as God of his infinite mercy doth so temper our paine and sickenesse that we are not alwaies oppressed with extremitie but giues vs in the midst of our extremities some respite to ease and refresh our selues thou must haue an especiall care considering how short a time thou hast eyther for euer to lose or to obtaine Heauen to make vse of euery breathing-time which God doth afford thee and during that little time of ease to gather strength against the fits of greater anguish Therefore in these times of relaxation ease vse some of these short
that he had rather lose 1000. worlds then suffer priuate confession to be thrust out of the Church Our church hath euer most soundly maintained the truth of this doctrine but most iustly abolished the tyrannous and Antichristian abuse of Popish auricular confession vvhich they thrust vpon the Soules of Christians as an Expiatorie Sacrifice and a meritoâ—ious satisfaction for sinne racking their Consciences to confesse when they feele no distresse and to enumerate all their sinnes which is impossible that by this meanes they might diue into the secrets of all men which oft times hath proued pernitious not onely to priuate persons but also to publike states But the truth of Gods vvord is that no person hauing receiued Orders in the Church of Rome can truely absolue a sinner for the Keyes of absolution are two the one is the Key of Authoritie and that onely Christ hath the other is the Key of Ministerie and this hee giues to his Ministers who are therefore called the Ministers of Christ The Stewards of Gods Mysteries The Ambassadours of reconciliation Bishops Pastors Elders c. But Christ neuer ordayned in the New Testament any Order of sacrificing Priests neyther is the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth Sacerdos or sacrificing Priest giuen to any Officer of Christ in all the New Testament Neyther doe we reade in all the New Testament of any who confessed himselfe to a Priest but Iudas Neyther is there any reall Priest of the New Testament but onely Christ. Neyther is there any part of his Priesthood to be now accomplished on Earth but that which hee fulfilleth in Heauen by making intercession for vs. Seeing therefore Christ neuer ordayned any Order of sacrificing Priests and that Popish Priests scorne the name of Ministers of the Gospell to whom onely Christ committed his Keyes it necessarily followeth that no Popish Priest can truely eyther excommunicate or absolue any sinner or haue any lawfull right to meddle with Christs Keyes But the Antichristian abuse of this diuine Ordinance should not abolish the lawfull vse thereof twixt Christians and their Pastors in cases of distresse of Conscience for which it was chiefely ordayned And verily there is not any meanes more excellent to humble a proud heart nor to raise vp an humble spirit then this spirituall conference betwixt the Pastors and the People committed to their charge If any sinne therefore troubleth thy conscience confesse it to Gods Minister aske his counsell and if thou dost truely repent receiue his Absolution And then doubt not in foro Conscientiae but thy sinnes be as verily forgiuen on earth as if thou didst heare Christ himselfe in foro iudicij pronouncing them to be forgiuen in Heauen Qui vos audit me audit hee that heareth you heareth mee Try this and tell mee whether thou shalt not finde more ease in thy Conscience then can be expressed in words Did prophane men consider the dignitie of this diuine calling they would the more honour the Calling and reuerence Persons The sicke man hauing thus eased his Conscience and receiued his Absolution may doe well hauing a conuenient number of faithfull Christians ioyning with him to receiue the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper to encourage him in his Faith to discourage the Diuell in his assaults In this respect the Councell of Nice tearmeth this Sacrament Viaticum the soules prouision for her iourney And albeit the Lords Supper be an Ecclesiasticall action yet for as much as our Lord the first institutor celebrated it in a priuate house and that Saint Paul tearmeth the houses of Christians the Churches of Christ. And that Christ himselfe hath promised to be in the middest of the faithfull where but two or three are gathered together in his Name I see no reason but if Christians desire it vvhen they are not through sickenesse able to come to the church but that they should receiue and Pastors ought to administer vnto them the Sacraments at home Hee sheweth more simplicitie then knowledge who thinks that this sauours of a priuate Masse For a Masse is called priuate not because it is said in a priuate house but because as Bishop Iewel teacheth out of Aquinas the Priest receiueth the Sacrament himselfe alone without distribution made vnto others and then it is priuate although the vvhole Parish be present and looke vpon him There is as much difference betweene such a Communion and the Antichristian Idol of a priuate Masse as there is betwixt Heauen and Hell For at a Communion in a priuate family vpon such an extraordinary occasion Christ his institution is obserued Many faithfull brethren meet together and tarry one for anothâ—r Christ his death is remembred and shewed and the Minister together with the faithfull and the sicke party do communicate Master Caluin saith That he doth very willingly admit administring of the Communion to them that are sicke when the case and opportunity so requireth And in another place hee saith That hee hath many waighty reasons to compell him not to deny the Lords Supper vnto the sicke Yet I would wish all Christians to vse to receiue often in their health especially once euery moneth with the whole Church for then they shall not neede so much to assemble their friends vpon such an occasion nor so much to be troubled themselues for want of the Sacrament For as Master Perkins saith very well The fruit and efficacy of the Sacrament is not to be restrained to the time of receiuing but it extends it selfe to the whole time of mans life afterward the efficacy whereof did men throughly vnderstand they should not neede to be often exhorted to receiue it Pastores omnes hic exoratâ—s vellem vt in huius controuersiae statum penitius introspiciant nec fideles ex hac vita migrantes panem vitae petentes viatico suo fraudari sinaâ—t ne lugubris ista in â—ijs adimpleatur lamentatio Parvâ—li panem petunt non sit qui frangat eis As therefore when a wicked liuer dyeth he may say to death as Ahab said to Eliah Hast thou found me O mine enemy So on the other side when it is told a penitent sinner that death knocks at the doore and beginnes to looke him in the face he may say of death as Dauid said of Ahimaaz Let him come and welcome for he is a good man and commeth with good tidings he is the messenger of Christ and bringeth vnto me the ioyfull newes of eternall life And as the Redde Sea was a gulfe to drowne the Aegyptians to destruction but a passage to the Israelites to conuey them to Canaans possession so death to the wicked is a sincke to hell and condemnation but to the godly the gate to euerlasting life and saluation And one day of a blessed death will make an amends for all the sorrowes of a bitter
life When therefore thou perceiuest thy soule departing from thy body pray with thy tongue if thou canst else pray in thy heart and minde these words fixing the eyes of thy soule vpon Iesus Christ thy Sauiour A Prayer at the yeelding vp of the Ghost O Lambe of God which by thy blood hast taken away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon me a sinner Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Amen When the sicke party is departing Let the faithfull that are present kneele downe and commend his Soule to God in these or the like words O Gratious God and mercifull father who art our refuge and strength and a very present helpe in trouble lift vp the light of thy fauorable countenance at this instant vpon thy seruant that now commeth to appeare in thy presence Wash away good Lord all his sinnes by the merits of Christ Iesus blood that â—hoâ— may neuer bee laide to his charge Increase his faith preserue and keepe safe his soule from the danger of the Diuell and his wicked Angels Comfort him with thy holy spirit cause him now to feele that thou art his louing Father and that hee is thy childe by Adoption and Grace Saue O Christ the price of thine owne blood and suffer him not to be lost whom thou hast bought so dearely Receiue his Soule as thou didst the penitent theefe into thy heauenly Paradise Let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither as they carried the soule of Lazarus and grant vnto him a ioyfull resurrection at the last day O 〈◊〉 heare vs for him and heare thine owne Sonne our onely Mediator that sits at thy right hand for him and vs all euen for the merits of that bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for vs In confidence whereof we now recommend his soule into thy fatherly hands in that blessed prayer which our Sauiour hath taught vs in all times of our troubles to say vnto thee Our Father c. Thus farre of the Practise of Piety in dying in the Lord. Now followeth the Practise of Piety in dying for the Lord. THE Practise of Piety in dying for the Lord is termed Martyrdome Martyrdome is the testimony which a Christian beareth to the doctrine of the Gospell by enduring any kinde of death to inuite many and to confirme all to embrace the truth thereof To this kinde of death Christ hath promised a crowne Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life Which promise the Church so firmely beleeued that they termed Martyrdome it selfe a crowne and God to animate Christians to this excellent prize would by a prediction that Stephen the first Christian Martyr should haue his name of a crowne Of Martyrdome there are three kindes First Sola voluntate in will onely as Iohn the Euangelist who being boyled in a Cauldron of oyle came out rather annointed then sod and dyed of old age at Ephesus Secondly Solo opere in deede onely as the innocents of Bethleem Thirdly Voluntate opere both in will and deede as in the Primitiue Church Stephen Polycarpus Ignatius Laurentius Romanus Aâ—tiochianus and thousands And in our daies Cranmer Latimer Hoâ—per Ridley Farrar Bradford Philpot Sanders Glouer Tailor and others innumerable whose fierie zeale to Gods truth brought them to the flames of Martyrdome to seale Christs faith It is not the cruelty of the death but the innocency and holinesse of the cause that maketh a Martyr neither is an erronious conscience a sufficient warrant to suffer Martyrdome because Science in Gods word must direct conscience in mans heart for they who killed the Apostles in their erronious consciences thought they did God good seruice And Paul of zeale breathed out slaughters against the Lords Saints Now whether the cause of our Seminary Priests and Iesuits be so holy true and innocent as that it may warrant their conscience to suffer death to hazzard their eternall saluation thereon let Pauls Epistle written to the Ancient Christian Romans but against our new Antichristian Romanes bee iudge And it will plainely appeare that the doctrine which Saint Paul taught to the ancient Church of Rome is ex diametro opposite in â—6 fundamentall points of true Religion to that which the new Church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth For Saint Paul taught the Primitiue Church of Rome 1 That our election is of Gods free grace and not ex operibus praeuisit Rom. 9.11 Rom. 11.5.6 2 That we are iustified by faith only without good works Rom. 3.20.28 Rom. 4.2 c. Rom. 1.17 3 That the good works of the Regenerate are not of their owne condignity meritorious nor such as can deserue heauen Rom. 8.18 Rom. 11.6 Rom. 6.23 4 That those bookes onely are Gods Oracles and Canonicall Scripture which were committed to the custody and credit of the Iewes Rom. 3.2 Rom. 1.2 Rom. 16.16 such were neuer the Apocrypha 5 That the holy Scriptures haue Gods authority Rom. 9.17 Rom. 4.3 Rom. conferd Rom. 11.3.2 conferd with Gal. 3.22 Therefore aboue the authority of the Church 6 That all aswell Laity as Clergy that will be saued must familiarly read or know the holy scriptures Rom. 15.4 Rom. 10.1.2.8 Rom. 16.26 7 That all Images made of the true God are very Idols Rom. 1.23 and Rom. 2.22 conferd 8 That to bowe the knee religiously to an Image or to vvorship any Creature is meere Idolatry Rom. 11.4 and a lying seruicâ— Rom. 1.25 9 That we must not pray vnto any but to GOD onely in vvhom we beleeue Rom. 10.13.14 Rom. 8.15.27 therefore not to Saints and Angels 10 That Christ is our onely Intercessor in Heauen Rom. 8.34 Rom. 5.2 Rom. 16.27 11 That the onely Sacrifice of Christians is nothing but the spirituall sacrificing of their Soules and Bodies to serue GOD in holinesse and righteousnesse Rom. 12.1 Rom. 15.16 Therefore no reall sacrificing of Christ in the Masse 12 That the religious worship called dulia as well as lâ—tâ—iâ— belongeth to God alone Rom. 1.9 Rom. 12.11 Rom. 16.18 conferd 13 That all Christians are to pray vnto God in their owne natiue language Rom. 14.11 14 That wee haue not of our selues in the state of corruption freewill vnto good Rom. 7.18 c. Rom. 9.16 15 That Concupiscence in the Regenerate is sinne Rom. 7.7.8.10 16 That the Sacraments doe not conferre grace ex opere operato but signe and seale that it is conferred already vnto vs. Rom. 4.11.12 Rom. 2.28.29 17 That euery true beleeuing Christian may in this life be assured of his saluation Rom. 8.9.16.35 c. 18 That no man in this life since Adams Fall can perfectly fulfill the Commandements of God Rom. 7.10 c. Rom. 3.19 c. Rom. 11.32 19 That to place Religion in the difference of meates and dayes is superstition Rom. 14 3.5.6.17 23. 20 That the imputed righteousnesse of Christ is that onely that makes vs iust
TO THE HIGH AND mighty Prince CHARLES Prince of WALES CHRIST IESVS the PRINCE of Princes blesse your Highnesse with length of dayes and an increase of all Graces which may make you truely prosperous in this life and eternally happy in that which is to come Ionathan shot three Arrowes to driue Dauid further off from Sauls furie and this is the third Epistle which I haue written to draw your Highnesse neerer to Gods fauour by directing your heart to beginne like Iosiah in your youth to seeke after the GOD of DAVID and of IACOB your Father Not but that I know that your Highnesse doth this without mine admonition but because I would with the Apostle haue you to abound in euery Grace in faith and knowledge and in all diligence and in your loue to Gods Seruice and true Religion Neuer was there more neede of plaine and vnfained Admonitions for the Comicke in that saying seemes but to haue prophesied of our times Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit And no maruell seeing that wee are fallen into the dregges of Time which being the last must needes be the worst dayes And how can there be worse seeing Vanitie knowes not how to be vainer nor Wickednesse how to be more wicked And whereas heretofore those haue beene counted most holy who haue shewed themselues most zealous in their Religion they are now reputed most discreet who can make the least profession of their Faith And that these are the last daies appeares euidently because that Securitie of mens eternall state hath so ouerwhelmed as CHRIST fore-told it should all sorts that most who now liue are become louers of pleasures more then louers of God And of those who pretend to loue GOD. O GOD what sanctified hart can but bleede to beholde how seldome they come to prayers how irreuerently they heare Gods Word what strangers they are at the Lords Table what assiduous spectators they are at Stage-playes where being Christians they can sport themselues to heare the Vassals of the Diuell scoffing Religion and blasphemously abusing phrases of holy Scripture on their Stages as familiarly as they vse their Tabacco-pipes in their bibbing-houses So that he who would now adayes seeke in most Christians for the power shall scarse almost finde the very shew of godlinesse Neuer was there more sinning neuer lesse remorse for sinne Neuer was the Iudge neerer to come neuer was there so little preparation for his comming And if the Bride-groome should now come how many who thinke themselues wise enough and full of all knowledge would be found foolish Virgines without one droppe of the Oyle of sauing Faith in their lamps For the greatest wisedome of most men in this age consists in being wise first to deceiue others and in the end to deceiue themselues And if sometimes some good Booke haps into their hands or some good motion comes into their heads whereby they are put in minde to consider the vncertaintie of this life present or how weake assurance they haue of eternall life if this were ended and how they haue some secret sinnes for which they must needes repent here or be punished for them in Hell hereafter Securitie then forthwith whispers the Hypocrite in the Eare that though it be fit to thinke of these things yet It is not yet time and that hee is yet young enough though hee cannot but know that many millions as young as himselfe are already in hell for want of timely Repentance Presumption warrants him in the other Eare that hee may haue time hereafter at his leasure to repent and that howsoeuer others dye yet hee is farre enough from death and therefore may boldly take yet a longer time to enioy his sweete pleasures and to encrease his vvealth and greatnesse And hereupon like Salomons Sluggard he yeelds himselfe to a little more sleepe a little more slumber a little more folding of the hands to sleepe in his former sinnes till at last Despayre Securities ougly hand-maide comes in vnlooked for shewes him his Houre-glasse dolefully telling him that his time is past and that nothing now remaines but to dye and be damn'd Let not this seeme strange to any for too many haue found it too true more without more grace are like to be thus soothed to their end and in the end snared to their endlesse perdition In my desire therefore of the common saluation but especially of your Highnesse euerlasting Welfare I haue endeuoured to extract out of the Chaos of endlesse Controuersies the olde Practise of true PIETIE which flourished before these Controuersies were hatched which my poore labours in a short while comes now forth againe the third time vnder the gracious protection of your Highnesse fauour and by their entertainment seeme not to be altogether vnwelcome to the Church of Christ. If to be pious hath in all ages beene held true honour how much more honourable is it in so impious an age to be the true Patrone and Patterne of Pietie Pietie made Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias Zerubbabel Constantine Theodosidus Edward the 6. Queene Elizabeth Prince Henry and other religious Princes to be so honoured that their names since their deaths smels in the Church of GOD like a precious oyntment and their remembrance is sweet as Hony in all mouthes and as Musicke at a banquet of Wine when as the liues of others who haue beene godlesse and irreligious Princes doe rot and stinke in the memory of Gods people And what honour is it for great men to haue great titles on earth when God counts their Names vnworthy to be written in his Booke of life in heauen It is Pietie that enbalmes a Prince his good name and make his face to shine before men and glorifieth his Soule among Angels For as Moses face by often talking with GOD shined in the eyes of the People so by frequent praying which is our talking with God and hearing the Word which is Gods speaking vnto vs we shall be changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord to the Image of the Lord. And seeing this life is vncertaine to all especially to Princes What argument is more fit both for Princes and People to study then that which teacheth sinfull man to deny himselfe by mortifying his corruption that hee may enioy Christ the Author of his saluation To renounce these false and momentanie pleasures of the world that he may attaine to the true and eternall ioyes of Heauen to make them truely honourable before God in Piety who are now onely honourable before men in vanitie What charges soeuer wee spend in earthly vanities for the most part they eyther dye before vs or wee shortly die after them but what we spend like Mary in the Practise of Pietie shall remaine our true memoriall for euer For Pietie hath the promise of this life and of that which shall neuer
end But without Pietie there is no internal comfort to be found in Conscience nor externall peace to be looked for in the World nor any eternall happinesse to be hoped for in Heauen How can Pietie but promise to her selfe a zealous Patrone of your Highnesse being the sole Sonne and Heyre of so gracious and great a Monarch who is not onely the defender of the faith by Title but also a defender of the Faith in truth as the Christian World hath taken notice by his learned confuting of Bellarmines ouer-spreading Heresies and his suppressing in the blade of Vorstius Athean blasphemies And how easie it is for your Highnesse to equall if not to exceede all that went before you in Grace and greatnesse if you doe but set your heart to seeke and to serue God considering how religiously your Highnesse hath beene educated by godly and vertuous Gouernours and Tutors as also that you liue in such a time wherin Gods prouidence and the Kings religious care haue placed ouer this Church to the vnspeakeable comfort thereof another venerable Iehoiada that doth good in our Israel both towards God and towards his house of whom your Highnesse at all times in all doubts may learne the sinceritie of Religion for the Saluation of your inward Soule and the vvisest counsell for the direction of your outward state And let that Exhortation of Dauid to his Sonne Salomon be euer in your Princely minde And thou Salomon my Sonne know thou the GOD of thy Father and serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the LORD searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seeke him hee will be found of thee but if thou forsake him hee vvill cast thee off for euer To helpe you the better to seeke and to serue this GOD Almightie who must be your chiefe Protector in life and onely Comfort in death I here once againe on my bended knees offer my olde Mite new stampt into your Highnesse hands daily for your Highnesse offering vp vnto the most HIGH my humblest prayers that as you grow in age and stature so you may like your Master encrease in Wisedome and fauour with God and all good men This suite will I neuer cease In all other matters I will euer rest Your Highnesse humble Seruant during life to be commanded Lewes Bayly Ad CAROLVM Principem TOlle Malos extolle Pios cognosce Teipsum Sacra tene Paci consule disce pati To the deuout READER I Had not purposed to enlarge the last Edition saue that the importunitie of many deuoutly disposed preuailed with mee to adde some points and to amplifie others To satisfie whose godly requests I haue done my best indeuour and with all finished all that I entend in this argument If thou shalt hereby reape any more profit giue God the more praise and remember him in thy Prayers who hath vowed both his life and his labours to further thy saluation as his owne Farewell in the Lord Iesus The chiefe Contents of this BOOKE 1 A Plaine description of God in respect of his Essence Persons and Attributes so farre as euery Christian should competently endeuour to learne and know with sundry sweet obseruations and meditations therupon page 5 2 Meditations setting forth the miseries of a man in life and death that is not reconciled to God in Christ. page 75 3 Meditations of the blessed state both in life and death of a man that is reconciled to GOD in Christ wherein thou shalt finde not a few things worthy the reading and obseruation page 131 4 Meditations on 7. hinderances which keepe back a sinner from the Practise of Pietie necessary to be read of all but especially of carnall Gospellers in this age 222 5 How to begin the morning with piouâ— Mâ—ditations and prayers 300 6 How to reade the Bible with profit ease once ouer euery yeere 310 7 A Morning prayer 320 Another shorter Prayer for the Morning 343 Another briefe Morning Prayer 352 8 Meditations how to walk with God al the day 355 Especially how to guide thy thoughts ibid. Thy words 368 Thy Actions 379 9 Meditations for the Euening 397 10 An Euening Prayer 405 Another shorter euening Prayer 420 11 Things to be meditated vpon as thou art going to bed 426 12 Meditations for a godly Householder 430 13 A morning prayer for a Familie 438 14 Holy Meditations and Graces before and after dinner and supper 450 15 Rules to be obserued in singing of Psalmes 464 16 Euening Prayer for a Familie 468 17 A religious discourse of the Sabbath day wherein is proued that the Sabbath was altered from the seauenth to the first day of the weeke not by humane ordinance but by Christ himselfe his Apostles that the fourth Commandement is perpetuall and Morall vnder the new Testament as well as vnder the old And the true manner of sanctifying the Sabbath day is described out of the word of God 481 18 A Morning Prayer for the Sabbath day 581 19 An Euening Prayer for the Sabbath day 614 20 Meditations of the true manner of Fasting and giuing of Almes out of the word of God 625 21 The right manner of holy Feasting 661 22 Holy and deuout Meditations of the worthy reuerent receiuing of the Lords Supper 664 23 An humble Confession of sinnes before the holy Communion 748 24 A sweet Soliloquie to be said a little before the receiuing of the holy Sacrament 753 25 A Prayer to be said after the receiuing of the holy Sacrament 773 26 Meditations how to behaue thy selfe in the time of sicknesse 794 27 A Prayer when one beginnes to be sicke 797 28 Directions for making thy Will and setting thy house in order 809 29 A Prayer before taking of Physicke 818 30 Meditations for one that is recouered from sicknesse 842 And a thanksgiuing 847 31 Meditations for the sick taken from the ends of Gods chastisements 822 32 Meditations for one that is like to dye 856 33 A Prayer to be said of one that is like to die 872 34 Comfortable Meditations against despaire 879 35 Directions for those who come to visite the sicke 909 36 A Prayer to be said for the sicke 916 And choise scriptures to be read vnto him 924 37 Consolations against impatiencie in sicknes 926 38 Consolations against the feare of death 933 39 7. sanctified thoughts and so many spirituall sighes fit for a sicke man that is like to dye 942 40 Of the comfortable vse of true Absolution and receiuing of the Lords Supper to the faithfull and penitent before they depart this life if they may conueniently be had 956 41 The last speech of a godly man dying 976 42 Meditations of Martyrdome wherein is proued that those who dye for Popery cannot be Christs Martyrs 979 43 A diuine Colloquie twixt Christ and the Soule concerning the vertue and efficacie of his dolorous passion 995 44 The Soules Soliloquie vnto
proceeding from both God the Father and God the Sonne Hence it is that the Scriptures vse the name of God two manner of waies Either Essentially and then it signifieth the three Persons coniointly or Personally and then by a Synecdoche it signifieth but one of the three Persons in the God-head As the Father 1 Tim. 2.5 or the Sonne Act. 20.28 1 Tim. 3.16 or the holy Ghost Act. 5.4 2 Cor. 6.16 And because the diuine Essence common to all the three persons is but one wee call the same Vnity And because there bee three distinct Persons in this one indiuisible essence we call the same Trinity So that this Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity is a holy mystery rather to bee religiously adored by faith then curiously searched by reason further then God hath reuealed in his word Thus farre of the diuers manner of being in the Diuine Essence now of the Attributes thereof ATtributes are certaine descriptions of the Diuine Essence deliuered in the Scriptures according to the weakenesse of our capacitie to helpe vs the better to vnderstand the nature of Gods Essence and to discerne it from all other essences The Attributes of GOD are of two sorts eyther nominall or reall The nominall Attributes are of three sorts first those which signifie Gods Essence secondly the Persons in the Essence thirdly those which signifie his essentiall workes Of the first sort is the name Iehouah or rather Iehueh which signifieth eternall being of himselfe in vvhom being without all beginning and end all other beeings both beginne and end Isay 42.8 Psal. 83.18 GOD tels Moses Exod. 6.3 that he was not knowne to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by his name Iehouah Not but that they knew this to be the name of God for they vsed it in all their prayers but because they liued not to see God effecting indeede that which he promised them in graciously deliuering their Seede out of Aegypt and in giuing them the reall possession of Canaans Land and so to be not onely God Almightie by whom all things were made but also performing indeede to the Children that vvhich hee promised in his Word to the Fathers vvhich this name Iehouah especially signifieth And for this cause Moses cals GOD first Iehouah when the vniuersall Creation had his absolute beeing Gen. 2.4 and this admirable name is grauen on the Decalogues fore-head which vvas pronounced vpon the Israelites deliuerance to be the rule of righteousnesse after vvhich they should serue their Deliuerer in the promised Land This Name is so full of diuine mysteries that the Iewes holde it a sinne to pronounce it but if it be no sinne to write it why should it be vnlawfull to pronounce it This holy Name of GOD teacheth vs First what GOD is in himselfe namely An aeternall being of himselfe Secondly how he is vnto others because that from him all other creatures haue receiued their beeing Thirdly that we may confidently beleeue his promises for he is named Iehouah not onely in respect of beeing and causing all things to bee but especially in respect of his gratious promises vvhich without faile he will fulfill in his appointed time and so causeth that to be which was not before And so this name is a golden pledge vnto vs that because he hath promised hee will surely vpon our Repentance forgiue vs all our sinnes at the time of death receiue our Soules and in the Resurrection raise vp our Bodies in glory to Life euerlasting The second Name denoting Gods Essence is Eheieh but once read Exod. 3.14 of the same roote that Iehouah is and signifieth I am or I will be for when Moses asked God by what name hee should call him GOD then named himselfe Eheieh Ascher Eheieh I am that I am or I will be that I will be signifying that he is an eternall vnchangeable beeing For seeing euery creature is temporarie and mutable no creature can say Ero qui ero I will be that I will be This name in the New Testament is giuen to our Lord Christ when he is called Alpha and Omega The beginning and the ending which is which was which is to come The Almightie Apoc. 1.8 For all time past and to come is aye present before God And to this Name Christ himselfe alludeth Iohn 8.58 Before Abraham was I am This Name should teach vs likewise to haue alwayes present in our mindes our first Creation present corruption and future Glorification and not content our selues with I was good or I will be good but to be good presently that when euer God sends for vs hee may finde vs prepared for him The third Name is Iah which as it comes of the same roote so is it the contract of Iehouah and signifieth Lord because hee is the beginning and beeing of beeings It is a Name for the most part ascribed vnto GOD when some notable deliuerance or benefit comes to passe according to his former promise and therefore all creatures in heauen and earth are commanded to celebrate and praise GOD in this name Iah The fourth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord vsed often in the New Testament for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth I am Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the first essence of a thing or Authoritie When it is absolutely giuen to GOD it answereth to the Hebrew name Iehouah and so translated by the seauentie Interpreters for God is so a Lord that he is of himselfe Lord and Lord of all This Name should alwayes put vs in remembrance to obey his Commandements and to feare his iudgements and submit our selues to his blessed will and pleasure saying with Eli It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 The fift is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God 600. times vsed in the New Testament of profane Writers commonly It is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee runnes through and compasseth all things or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to burne and kindle for God is light and the Author both of Heate Light and Life in all creatures eyther immediately of himselfe or mediately by secondary causes The name is vsed either improperly or properly Improperly when it is giuen eyther figuratiuely to Magistrates or falsly to Idols But when it is properly and absolutely taken it signifieth the eternall Essence of GOD being aboue all things and through all things giuing life and light to all Creatures and preseruing and gouerning them in their wonderfull frame and order God seeth all in all places let vs therefore euery where take heede what wee doe in his sight Thus farre the names which signifieth Gods Essence The Name which signifieth the Persons in the Essence is chiefely one Elohim Elohim signifieth the mighty Iudges It is a name of
in the life which is to come Lastly this discouers how few there are who doe truely know God for no man knoweth God but hee that loueth him and how can a man choose but loue him being the soueraigne good if hee knew him Seeing the nature of God is to enamour men with the loue of her goodnesse and whosoeuer loueth any thing more then God is not worthy of God and such is euery one who setles the loue and rest of his heart vpon any thing besides God If therefore thou dost beleeue that God is Almighty why dost thou feare Diuels and enemies and not confidently trust in God and craue his helpe in all troubles dangers If thou beleeuest that God is infinite how darest thou prouoke him to anger If thou beleeuest that God is simple with what heart canst thou dissemble and play the hypocrite If thou beleeuest that God is the Soueraigne good why is not thy heart more setled vpon him then on all Worldly goods If thou dost indeede beleeue that God is a iust Iudge how darest thou liue so securely in sinne without repentance If thou dost truely beleeue that God is most wise why dost not thou referre the euents of crosses and disgraces vnto him vvho knoweth how to turne all things to the best vnto them that loue him If thou art perswaded that God is true why dost thou doubt of his promises And if thou beleeuest that God is beautie and Perfection it selfe why dost not thou make him alone the chiefe end of all thine affections and desires for if thou louest beautie hee is most faire If thou desirest riches hee is most wealthy if thou seekest Wisedome hee is most wise Whatsoeuer excellencie thou hast seene in any creature it is nothing but a sparkle of that which is in infinite perfection in GOD and when in Heauen wee shall haue an Immediate communion vvith God wee shall haue them all perfectly in him communicated vnto vs. Briefely in all goodnesse he is all in all Loue that one good God and thou shalt loue him in whom all the good of goodnesse consisteth He that would therfore attaine to the sauing knowledge of God must learne to know him by loue For God is loue and the knowledge of the loue of God passeth all knowledge For all knowledge besides to know how to loue God and to serue him onely is nothing vpon Salomons credit but vanitie of vanities and vexation of spirit Kindle therfore O my Lady nay rather O my Lord Charity the loue of thy selfe in my soule especially seeing it was thy good pleasure that being reconciled by the blood of Christ I should be brought by the knowledge of thy grace to the communion of thy Glory wherein onely consists my soueraigne good and happinesse for euer Thus by the light of his owne word we haue seene the backe parts of Iehoua Elohim the eternall Trinity whom to worship is true Piety whom to beleeue is sauing faith and veritie And vnto whom from all creatures in heauen and earth bee all praise dominion and Glory for euer Amen Thus farre of the knowlege of God Now of the knowlege of a Man selfe And first of the state of his miserie and corruption without renouation by CHRIST Meditations of the misery of a Man not reconciled to GOD in Christ. O Wretched man where shall I beginne to describe thine endlesse miserie who art condemned as sonne as conceiued and adiudged to eternall death before thou wast borne to a temporall life A beginning indeed I finde but no end of thy miseries for when Adam and Eue being created after Gods owne Image and placed in Paradise that they and their posterity might liue in a blessed state of life immortall hauing dominion of all earthly creatures and onely restrained from the fruit of one tree as a signe of their subiection to their Almightie Creator Though God forbad them this one small thing vnder the penalty of eternal death yet they beleeued the diuels word before the word of God making God as much as in them lay a lyer And so being vnthankefull for all the benefits which God bestowed on them they became male-contented with their present state as if God had dealt enuiously or nigardly with them and beleeued that the Diuel would make them pertakers of farre more glorious things then euer God had bestowed vpon them and in their pride they fell into high treason against the most high and disdayning to be Gods subiects they affected blasphemously to bee Gods themselues equals vnto God Hence till they repented losing Gods Image they became like vnto the Diuell and so all their posterity as a traiterous broode whilest they remaine impenitent like thee are subiect in this life to all cursed miseries and in the life to come to the euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuel and his Angels Lay then aside for a while thy doating vanities and take a view with me of thy dolefull miseries which daily suruayed I doubt not but that thou wilt conclude that it is far better neuer to haue natures being then not to be by grace a Practicioner of religious Pietie Consider therfore thy misery 1 In thy life 2 In thy death 3 After death In thy life 1 The miseries accompanying thy body 2 The miseries which deforme thy soule In thy death the miseries which shall oppresse thy body and soule After death the miseries which ouerwhelme both body and soule together in Hell And first let vs take a view of those miseries which accompanie thy body according to the foure ages of thy life 1 Infancy 2 Youth 3 Manhood 4 Olde age Meditations of the misery of Infancy WHat wast thou being an Infant but a bruit hauing the shape of a man was not thy body conceiued in the heate of lust the secret of shame and staine of originall sinne And thus wast thou cast naked vpon the earth all imbrued in the blood of filthinesse fithy indeed when the Sonne of God who disdained not to take on him mans nature and the infirmities thereof yet thought it vnbeseeming his Holines to be conceiued after the sinfull maner of mans conception So that thy mother was ashamed to let thee know the manner thereof What cause then hast thou to boast of thy birth which was a cursed paine to thy mother and to thy selfe the entrance into a troublesome life the greatnesse of which miseries because thou couldst not vtter in words thou didst expresse as well as thou couldest in weaping teares 2 Meditations of the miseries of youth WHat is Youth but an vntamted beast all whose actions are rash and rude not capable of good counsell when it is giuen and Ape-like delighting in nothing but in toies and bables Therefore thou no sooner beganst to haue a little strength and discretion but foorthwith thou wast kept vnder the rodde and feare of parents and masters as if thou hadst beene borne to
liue vnder the discipline of others rather then at the disposition of thine owne will No tired Horse was euer more willing to be rid of his burthen than thou wast to get out of the seruile state of this bondage A state not worth the description 3 Meditations of the miseries of Man-hood WHat is Mans-state but a Sea wherein as waues one trouble ariseth in the necke of another the latter worse then the former No sooner diddest thou enter into the affaires of this world but thou wast enwrapped about with a cloud of miseries Thy Flesh prouokes thee to lust the World allures thee to pleasures and the Diuell tempts thee to all kinde of sinnes feares of enemies affrights thee suites in Law doe vexe thee wrongs of ill neighbours do oppresse thee cares for Wife and Children doe consume thee and disquietnesse twixt open foes and false friends doe in a manner confound thee Sinne stings thee within Sathan layes snares before thee Conscience of sinnes past dogges behinde thee Now aduersitie on thy left hand frets thee anone prosperitie on thy right hand flatters thee ouer thy head Gods vengeance due to thy sinnes is ready to fall vpon thee and vnder thy feete Hell-mouth is ready to swallow thee vp And in this miserable estate whither wilt thou goe for rest and comfort the house is full of cares the field full of toyle the country of rudenesse the citie of factions the Court of enuy the Church of sects the Sea of pirates the Land of robbers Or in what state wilt thou liue seeing wealth is enuied and pouertie is contemned wit is distrusted and simplicitie is derided Superstition is mocked and Religion is suspected vice is aduanced and vertue is disgraced Oh with what a body of sinne art thou compassed about in a world of wickednesse What are thine Eyes but windowes to behold vanities What are thine Eares but floud-gates to let in the streame of iniquitie what are thy Senses but matches to giue fire to thy lusts what is thine Heart but the Anuill whereon Sathan hath forged the ougly shape of all lewde affections Art thou nobly descended thou must put thy selfe in peril of forraine wars to get the reputation of earthly Honour oft times hazard thy life in a desperate combate to auoid the aspersion of a Coward Art thou borne in meane estate Lord I what paines and druggerie must thou endure at home and abroad to get maintenance and all perhaps scarce sufficient to serue thy necessitie and when after much seruice and labour a man hath got something how litttle certaintie is there in that which is gotten seeing thou seest by daily experience that he who was rich yesterday is to day a begger hee that yesterday was in health to day is sicke he that yesterday was merry and laughed hath cause to day to mourne and weepe hee that yesterday vvas in fauour to day is in disgrace and he who yesterday was aliue to day is dead and thou knowest not how soone nor in what manner thou shalt die thy selfe And who can enumerate the losses crosses griefes disgraces sicknesses and calamities which are incident to sinfull man To speake nothing of the death of friends and children which oft times seemes to be vnto vs farre more bitter then present death it selfe 4 Meditations of the misery of old age WHat is old age but the receptacle of all maladies for if thy lot be to draw thy dayes to a long date in comes olde-bald-headed age stooping vnder dotage with his wrinckled face rotten teeth and stinking breath iesty with choler withered with drynesse dimmed vvith blindnesse absurded with deafenesse ouerwhelmed with sicknesse and bowed together with weaknesse hauing no vse of any sense but of the sense of paine which so racketh euery member of his body that it neuer easeth him of griefe till hee hath throwne him downe to his graue Thus farre of the miseries which accompanie the body Now of the miseries which accompany chiefly the soule in this life Meditations of the miserie of the soule in this life THe miserie of thy Soule will more euidently appeare if thou wilt but consider 1 The felicitie shee hath lost 2 The misery which shee hath pulled vpon her selfe by sinne 1 The Felicitie lost was first the fruition of the Image of God whereby the soule was like vnto GOD in knowledge enabling her perfectly to vnderstand the reuealed will of GOD. Secondly true Holinesse by which shee was free from all prophane errour Thirdly Righteousnes whereby she was able to incline all her naturall powers and to frame vprightly all her actions proceeding from those powers With the losse of this diuine Image shee lost the Loue of GOD and the blessed communion which she had with his Maiestie wherein consisted her life and happinesse If the losse of earthly riches vexe thee so much how should the losse of this diuine treasure perplexe thee much more 2 The Misery which shee pulled vpon her selfe consists in two things 1 Sinfulnesse 2 Cursednesse 1 Sinfulnesse is an vniuersall corruption both of her Nature and Actions for her Nature is infected with a pronenesse to euery sinne continually the Minde is stuffed with vanitie the Vnderstanding is darkened with ignorance the Will affecteth nothing but vile vaine things All her Actions are euill yea this deformitie is so violent that oftentimes in the regenerated soule the Appetite will not obey the gouernment of Reason and the Will wandreth after and yeelds consent to sinfull motions How great then is the violence of the Appetite and Will in the reprobate Soule which still remaines in her naturall corruption Hence it is that thy wretched Soule is so deformed with sinne defiled with lust polluted with filthinesse outraged with passions ouer-carryed with affections pining with Enuy ouercharged with gluttony surquedred with drunkennes boyling with reuenge transported with rage and the glorious Image of GOD transformed to the ougly shape of the Diuell so farre as it once repented the Lord that euer he made man From the former flowes the other part of the Soules misery called cursednesse wherof there are two degrees 1 In part 2 In the fulnesse thereof 1 Cursednesse in part is that which is inflicted vpon the Soule in life and death and is common to her with the body The Cursednesse of the soule in life is the wrath of God which lyeth vpon such a creature so farre as that all things not onely calamities but also very blessings and graces turne to ruine Terrour of Conscience driues him from from GOD and his seruice that he dares not come to his presence and ordinances but is giuen vp to the slauerie of Sathan and to his owne lusts and vile affections This is the Cursednesse of the Soule in life now followes the Cursednesse of the Soule and body in death Meditations of the misery of the body and soule in death AFter that the aged
man hath conflicted vvith long sicknesse and hauing endured the brunt of paine should now expect some ease in comes Death Natures slaughter-man Gods curse and Hels purueyor and lookes the olde man grimme and blacke in the face and neither pitying his age nor regarding his long-endured dolours will not be hyred to forbeare eyther for siluer or gold nay he will not take to spare his life skin for skin and all that the olde man hath but batters all the principall parts of his body and arrests him to appeare before the terrible Iudge And as thinking that the olde man will not dispatch to goe with him fast enough Lord how many darts of calamities doth he shoot through him stitches aches crampes feauers obstructions rhewmes flegme collicke stone wind c. Oh what a ghastly sight it is to see him then in his bed when Death hath giuen him his mortall wound what a cold sweat ouer-runnes all his body what a trembling possesseth all his members the head shooteth the face waxeth pale the nose blacke the neather law-bone hangeth down the eye-strings breake the tongue faltreth the breath shortneth and smelleth earthy the throate ratleth and at euery gaspe the heart-strings are ready to breake asunder Now the miserable Soule sensibly perceiueth her earthly body to beginne to dye for as towards the dissolution of the vniuersall frame of the great world the Sunne shall be turned into darknesse the Moone into bloud and the Stars shall fall from heauen the Ayre shall be full of stormes flashing Meteors the Erath shall tremble and the Sea shall roare and mens hearts shall faile for feare expecting the end of such sorrowfull beginnings So towards the dissolution of man which is the little world his Eyes which are as the Sunne and Moone lose their light and see nothing but bloud-guiltinesse of sinne the rest of the Senses as lesser Starres doe one after another faile and fall his Minde Reason and Memorie as heauenly powers of his Soule are shaken with fearefull stormes of despaire and first flashings of Hell-fire his earthly body beginnes to shake and tremble and the humours like an ouer-flowing Sea roare and rattle in his throate still expecting the wofull ends of these dreadfull beginnings Whilest he is thus summoned to appeare at the great Assizes of Gods Iudgement behold a Quarter-Sessions and Gaole-deliuery is held within himselfe where Reason sits as Iudge the Diuell puts in a Bill of inditement as large as that Booke of Zacharie wherein is alledged all thy euill deeds that euer thou hast committed and all the good deedes that euer thou hast omitted and all the curses and iudgements that are due to euery sinne Thine owne Conscience shall accuse thee and thy Memory shall giue bitter euidence and Death stands at the Barre ready as a cruell Executioner to dispatch thee If thou shalt thus condemne thy selfe how shalt thou escape the iust condemnation of God who knowes all thy misdeeds better then thy selfe Faine wouldest thou put out of thy minde the remembrance of thy wicked deeds that trouble thee but they flow faster into thy remembrance and they will not be put away but cry vnto thee Wee are thy workes and we will follow thee And whilest thy Soule is thus within out of peace and order thy children wife and friends trouble thee as fast to haue thee put thy goods in order some crying some crauing some pittying some cheering all like Flesh-flies helping to make thy sorrowes more sorrowfull Now the Diuels who are come from hell to fetch away thy soule beginne to appeare to her and wait as soone as she comes forth to take her and carry her away Stay she would within but that shee feeles the body beginne by degrees to dye and ready like a ruinous house to fall vpon her head Fearefull shee is to come forth because of those Hell-hounds which wait for her comming Oh shee that spent so many dayes and nights in vaine and idle pastimes would now giue the whole world if she had it for one howres delay that shee might haue space to repent and reconcile her selfe vnto GOD. But it cannot be because her Body which ioyned with her in the actions of sin is altogether now vnfit to ioyne with her in the exercise of repentance Repentance must be of the whole man Now she seeth that all her pleasures are gone as if they had neuer beene and that but onely torments remaine which neuer shall haue end of being Who can sufficiently expresse her remorse for her sinnes past her anguish for her present miserie and her terror for the torments to come In this extremitie shee lookes euery where for help and shee findes her selfe euery way helplesse Thus in her greatest miserie desirous to heare the least word of comfort shee directs this or the like speech vnto her Eyes O Eyes who in times past were so quicke-sighted can yee spie no comfort nor any way how I might escape this dreadfull danger But the Eye-strings are broken they cannot see the Candle that burneth before him nor discerne whether it be day or night The Soule finding no comfort in the Eyes speakes to the eares O earaes who were wont to recreate your selues with hearing new pleasant discourses and Musickes sweetest harmonie can you heare any newes or tydings of the least comfort for mee The Eares are eyther so deafe that they cannot heare at all or the sense of hearing is growne so weake that it cannot endure to heare his dearest friends to speake And why should those eares heare any tydings of ioy in Death who could neuer abide to heare the glad Tydings of the Gospell in his life The Eare can minister no comfort Then shee intimates her griefe vnto the Tongue O Tongue who wast wont to brag it out vvith the brauest where are now thy bigge and daring words now in my greatest need canst thou speake nothing in my defence Canst thou neyther daunâ— these Enemies with threatning wordes nor entreat them vvith faire speeches Alas the Tongue two dayes agoe lay speechlesse it cannot in his greatest extremitie either call for a little drincke or desire a friend to take away with his finger the flegme that is ready to choake him Finding here no hope of helpe shee speakes vnto the feete Where are yee O feet which sometime were so nimble in running can you carry me no where out of this dangerous place The feete are stone dead already If they be not stird they cannot stirre Then shee directs her speech vnto her hands O hands who haue beene so often approued for manhood in peace and warre and wherewith I haue so often defended my selfe and offended my foes neuer had I more need then now Death lookes mee grimme in the face and kils mee Hellish fiends waile about my bed to deuoure mee helpe now or I perish for euer Alas the hands are so weake and doe so tremble that they cannot reach to the mouth
affrighted with hydeous noyse of howling diuels and the gnashing teeth of damned Reprobates thy dainty Nose shall be cloyed with noysome stench of Sulphur thy delicate Taste shall be pained with intollerable hunger thy drunken Throate shall be parched vvith vnquenchable thirst thy Minde shall be tormented to thinke how for the loue of abortiue pleasures which perished ere they budded thou so foolishly lost Heauens ioyes and incurred hellish paines which last beyond eternitie thy Conscience shall euer sting thee like an Adder vvhen thou thinkest how often Christ by his Preachers offered the remission of sinnes and the Kingdome of Heauen freely vnto thee if thou wouldest but beleeue and repent and how easily thou mightest haue obtained mercy in those dayes how neere thou vvast many times to haue repented and yet diddest suffer the deuil and the world to keepe thee stil in impenitency and how the day of mercy is now past and wil neuer dawne againe How shall thy vnderstanding be racked to consider how for momentany riches thou hast lost the eternall treasure and changed heauens felicity for hels misery where euery part of thy body without intermission of paine shall be continually tormented alike In these hellish torments thou shalt be for euer depriued of the beatificall sight of GOD wherein consists the soueraigne good and life of the soule Thou shalt neuer see light nor the lest sight of ioy but lye in a perpetuall prison of vâ—ter darkenesse where shall be no order but horror no voice but of blasâ—hâ—mers howlers no noise but of torturers and tortured no societie but of the Deuill and his Angels who being tormented themselues shall haue no other ease but to wreake their furie in tormenting thee Where shall be punishment without pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischiefe without measure torment without ease where the worme dyeth not and the fire is neuer quâ—nched where the wrath of God shall sease vpon thy soule and body as the flame of fire doth on the lumpe of pitch or brimestone in which flame thou shalt euer be burning and neuer consumed euer dying and neuer dead euer rowing in the panges of death and neuer ridde of those panges nor knowing end of thy paines So that after thou hast endured them so many thousand yeeres as there are grasse on the Earth or sands on the Sea-shore thou art no nearer to haue an end of thy torments then thou vvast the first day that thou wast cast into them yea so farre are they from ending that they are euer but beginning But if after a thousand times so many thousand yeeres thy damned soule could but conceiue a hope that those her torments should haue an end this would be some comfort to thinke that at length an end vvill come But as oft as the Minde thinketh of this word Neuer it is as another Hell in the middest of Hell This thought shall force the damned to cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as if they should say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord not euer not euer torment vs thus but their Conscience shall answere them as an Eccho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euer euer Hence shall arise their dolefull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 woe and alas for euermore This is that second death the generall perfect fulnesse of all cursednesse and misery vvhich euery damned reprobate must suffer so long as GOD and his Saints shall enioy blisse and felicitie in heauen for euermore Thus farre of the miserie of man in his state of corruption vnlesse that he be renued by Grace in Christ. Now followes the knowledge of Mans selfe in respect of his state of regeneration by Christ. Meditations of the state of a Christian reconciled to GOD in Christ. NOw let vs see how happie a godly man is in his state of renouation being reconciled to GOD in Christ. The godly man whose corrupt nature is renued by grace in Christ and become a new creature is blessed in a three-fold respect First in his life Secondly in his death Thirdly after death 1 His blessednesse during this life is but in part and that consists in seuen things 1 Because he is conceiued of the spirit in the wombe of his mother the Church and is borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of GOD who in Christ is his father So that the Image of God his father is renewed in him euery day more and more 2 He hath for the merits of Christs sufferings all his sinnes originall and actuall with the guilt and punishment belonging to them freely and fully forgiuen vnto him And all the righteousnesse of Christ as freely and fully imputed vnto him and so God is reconciled vnto him and aprooueth him as righteous in his sight and account 3 Hee is freed from Satans bondage and is made a brother of Christ a fellow heire of his heauenly kingdome and a spirituall King and Priest to offer vp spirituall sacrifices to GOD by Iesus Christ. 4 God spareth him as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him And this sparing consists In 1 Not taking notice of euery fault but bearing with his infirmities Exod. 34.6.7 A louing father will not cast his childe out of dores in his sicknesse 2 Not making his punishment when hee is chastened as great as his deserts Psalm 103.10 3 Chastening him moderately when he seeth that he will not by any other meanes be reclaimed 2 Sam. 7.14.15 1 Cor. 11.32 4 Graciously accepting his endeauours notwithstanding the imperfection of his obedience and so preferring the willingnesse of the minde more then the worthinesse of the worke 2 Cor. 8.12 5 Turning the curses which he deserued to crosses and to fatherly corrections yea all things all calamities of this life death it selfe yea his very sinnes vnto his good 5 God giues him his holy spirit which 1 Sanctifieth him by degrees throughout so that he doth more and more die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse 2 Assures him of his adoption and that he is by grace the childe of God 3 Encourageth him to come with boldnesse and confidence into the presence of GOD 4 Moueth him without feare to say vnto him Abba Father 5 Powreth into his heart the gift of sanctified praier 6 Perswadeth him that both he and his praiers are accepted and heard of God for Christ his Mediators sake 7 Fils him with 1 Peace of conscience 2 Ioy in the holy Ghost in comparison wherof all earthly ioyes seeme vilâ— vaine vnto him 6 He hath a recouery of his soueraignty ouer the creatures which he lost by Adams fall from thence free liberty of vsing all things which God hath not restrained so that he may vse them with a good conscience For to all things in heauen and
earth he hath a sure title in this life and he shall haue the plenary and peaceable possession of them in the life to come Hence it is that all Reprobates are but vsurpers of all that they possesse and haue no place of their owne but Hell 7 He hath the assurance of Gods Fatherly care and protection day and night ouer him which care consisteth in three things 1 In prouiding all things necessary for his soule and body concerning this life and that which is to come so that he shal be sure euer either to haue enough or patience to be content with that he hath 2 In that God giues his holy Angels as his ministers a charge to attend vpon him alwaies for his good yea in danger to pitch their tents about him for his safty where euer hee be Yea Gods protection shall defend him as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night and his prouidence shall hedge him frō the power of the Deuill 3 In that the eyes of the Lord are vpon him and his eares continually open to see his state and to heare his complaint and in his good time to deliuer him out of all his troubles Thus farre of the blessed estate of the godly and Regenerated man in this life Now of his blessed estate in death 2 Meditations of the blessed estate of a regenerate man in his death WHen GOD sends death as his messenger for the regenerated man hee meetes him halfe the way to heauen for his conuersation and affection is there before him Death is neyther strange nor fearefull vnto him not strange because he dyed daily not fearefull because vvhilest hee liued hee vvas dead and his life vvas hid with Christ in God To dye vnto him therefore is nothing else in effect but to rest from his labour in this world to goe home to his fathers house vnto the citie of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the generall assembly and Church of the first borne to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament Whilest his Body is sicke his Minde is sound for God maketh all his bed in his sicknesse and strengtheneth him with faith and patience vpon his bed of sorrow and when hee begins to enter into the way of all the world hee giueth like Iacob Moses and Ioshua to his Children and friends godly exhortations and counsailes to serue the true GOD to worship him truely all the dayes of their life His blessed soule breatheth nothing but blessings and such speeches as sauours a sanctified spirit As his outward man decayeth so his inward man increaseth and vvaxeth stronger When the speech of his tongue faultreth the sighes of his heart speaketh louder vnto GOD when the sight of the Eyes faileth the Holy Ghost illuminates him inwardly vvith aboundance of spiritual light His soule feareth not but is bold to goe out of the body and to dwell with her Lord. Hee sigheth out with Paul cupio dissolui I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. And with Dauid As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God My Soule thristeth for God for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before God Hee prayeth vvith the Saints How long O Lord which art holy and true Come Lord Iesus come quickely And vvhen the appointed time of his dissolution is come knowing that hee goeth to his Father and Redeemer in the peace of a good Conscience and the assured perswasion of the forgiuenesse of all his sinnes in the bloud of the Lambe hee sings with blessed old Simeon his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace c. And surrenders vp his Soule as it were with his owne hands into the hands of his heauenly Father saying vvith Dauid Into thy hands O Father I commend my Soule for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth And saying with Stephen Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Hee no sooner yeelds vp his sacred Ghost but immediately the holy Angels who attended vpon him from his birth vnto his death carry and accompany his Soule into Heauen as they did the Soule of Lazarus into Abrahams bosome which is the Kingdome of Heauen whither onely good Angels and good workes doe accompany the Soule the one to deliuer their charge the other to receiue their reward The Body in conuenient time as the sanctified Temple of the holy Ghost the members of Christ nourished by his Body the price of the bloud of the Sonne of God is by his fellow-brethren reuerently laid to sleepe in his graue as in the bed of Christ in an assured hope to awake in the resurrection of the iust at the last day to be pertaker vvith the Soule of life and glory euerlasting And in this respect not onely the Soules but the very Bodies of the faithfull also are termed blessed Thus farre the blessednesse of the soule and body of the regenerated man in death Now let vs see the blessednesse of his soule and body after death 3 Meditations of the blessed estate of the regenerated man after death THis state hath three degrees 1 From the day of Death to the Resurrection 2 From the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the Sentence 3 After the Sentence which lasts eternally As soone as euer the regenerated man hath yeelded vp his Soule vnto Christ the holy Angels take her into their custodie and immediately carry her into Heauen and there presents her before Christ where shee is crowned with a Crowne of righteousnesse and glory not which she hath deserued by her good workes but vvhich God hath promised of his free goodnesse to all those vvho of loue haue in this life vnfainedly serued him and sought his glory Oh! what ioy vvill it be to thy Soule vvhich vvas vvont to see but miserie and sinners now to behold the face of the God of Glory yea to see Christ vvell comming thee as soone as thou art presented before him by the holy Angels vvith an Euge bone serue Well done and well-come good and faithfull seruant c. enter into thy masters ioy And vvhat ioy vvill this be to behold thousand thousands of Cherubims Seraphims Angels Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers All the holy Patriarkes Priests Prophets Apostles Martyrs Professors and all the Soules of thy Friends Parents Husbands Wiues Children and the rest of Gods Saints who departed before thee in the true Faith of Christ standing before Gods Throne in blisse and glory If the Queene of Sheba beholding the glory and attendance giuen to Salomon as it were rauished therwith brake out and said Happy are thy men happy are
of Moses depart this life as if thou knewest none but Christ and him crucified Presume not if thou wilt not perish Repent if thou wilt be saued The fift hinderance of Pietie 5 Euill company commonly termed Good fellowes but indeede the Diuels chiefe instruments to hinder a wretched sinner from repentance and pietie The first signe of Gods fauour to a sinner is to giue him grace to forsake euill companions such who wilfully continue in sin contemne the meanes of their calling gibing at the sincerity of profession in others and shaming Christian religion by their owne prophane liues These sit in the seate of the Scorners For as soone as God admits a sinner to be one of his people he bids him Come out of Babylon Euery lewde company is a Babylon Out of which let euery child of God either keepe himselfe or if hee be in thinke that hee heares his fathers voice sounding in his eare Come out of Babylon my childe As soone as Christ looked in mercy vpon Peter hee went out of the company that was in the high Priests Hall and wept bitterly for his offence Dauid vowing vpon recouery a new life said Away from me all you workers of iniquity c. As if it were vnpossible to become a new man till he he had shaken of all old ill companions The truest proofe of a mans religion is the quallity of his companions Profane companions are the chiefe enemies of Piety and quellers of holy motions Many a time is poore Christ offering to bee new borne in thee thrust into the stable when these lewde companions by their drinking playes and iests take vp all the best roomes in the Inne of thy heart Oh let not the company of earthly sinners hinder thee from the societie of heauenly Saints and Angels The sixt hinderance of Pietie 6. A conceited feare least the practise of Pietie should make a man especially a yong man to waxe too sad and pensiue whereas indeed none can better ioy nor haue more cause to reioyce then the pious and religious Christian. For as soone as they are iustified by faith they haue peace with God then which there can be no greater ioy Besides they haue already the Kingdâ—me of grace descended into their hearts as an assurance that in Gods good time they shall ascend into his Kingdome of glory This kingdome of grace consists in three things First Righteousnesse for hauing Christs righteousnesse to iustifie them before GOD they endeuour to liue righteously before Men Secondly Peace for the peace of conscience inseparably followeth a righteous conuersation Thirdly the ioy of the holy Ghost which ioy is onely felt in the Peace of a good Conscience and is so great that it passeth all vnderstanding no tongue can expresse it no heart can conceiue it but onely hee that feeles it This is that fulnesse of ioy which CHRIST promised his Disciples in the middest of their troubles a ioy that no man could take from them the feeling of this ioy Dauid vpon his repentance begged so earnestly at the hands of GOD Restore me to the ioy of thy saluation And if Angels in Heauen reioyce so much at the conuersion of a sinner the ioy of a sinner conuerted must needes be exceeding great in his owne heart It is worldly sorrow that snowes so timely vpon mens heads and fils the furrowes of their hearts with the sorrowes of death The godly sorrow of the godly vvhen GOD thinkes it meete to try them causeth in them Repentance not to be repented of for it doth but further their saluation And in all such tribulation they shall be sure to haue the Holy Ghost to be their Comforter who vvill make our consolations to abound through Christ as the suffrings of Christ shall abound in vs. But whilest a man liueth in impietie he hath no peace saith Isay his laughter is but madnesse saith Salomon his riches are but clay saith Abakkuk nay the Apostle esteemes them no better then dung in comparison of the pious mans treasure all his ioyes shall end in woes saith Christ. Let not therefore this false feare hinder thee from the practise of pietie Better it is to goe sickly with Lazarus to Heauen then full of mirth and pleasure with Diues to Hell Better is it to mourne for a time with men then to be tormented for euer with Diuels The seauenth hinderance of Pietie 7. And lastly The hope of long life for were it possible that a wicked liuer thought this yeere to be his last yeere this moueth his last moneth this weeke his last weeke but that hee would change and amend his wicked life no verely he would vse the best meanes to repent and to become a new man But as the rich man in the Gospell promised himselfe many yeeres to liue in ease mirth and fulnesse when hee had not one night to liue longer so many wicked Epicures falsely promise themselues the age of many yeeres when the thread of their life is already almost drawne out to an end So Ieremie ascribes the cause of the Iewes sinnes and calamities to this that she remembred not her last end The longest space twixt a mans comming by the wombe and going by the graue is but short for man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue Hee hath but a few dayes those full of nothing but troubles And except the practise of Pietie how much better is the state of the childe that yesterday vvas baptised and to day is buried then Methusalems who liued nine hundred sixtie nine yeeres and then dyed of the two happier the Babe because hee had lesse sinne and fewer sorrowes And what now remaines of both but a bare remembrance What trust should a man repose in long life seeing the whole life of man is nothing but a lingring death so that as the Apostle protests a man dyeth daily Hearke in thine eare O secure fellow thy life is but a puffe of breath in thy nostrels trust not to it thy Soule dwels in a house of clay that will fall ere it be long as may appeare by the dimnesse of thy eyes the deafenesse of thy eares the wrinckles in thy cheekes the rottennesse of thy teeth the weakenesse of thy sinewes the trembling of thy hands the Kalender in thy bones the shortnesse of thy sleepe and euery gray haire as so many Summoners bids thee prepare for thy long home Come let vs in the meane while vvalke to thy fathers Coffin breake open the lidde see here how that Corruption is thy Father and the Worme thy Mother and Sister seest thou how these are so must thou be ere long foole thou knowest not how soone Thy Houre-glasse runneth apace and in all places death in the meane while wayteth for thee The whole life of man saue what is spent in Gods seruice is
but a foolerie for a man liues forty yeeres before hee knowes himselfe to be a foole and by that time hee seeth his folly his life is finished Hearke Husbandman before thou seest many more crops of haruest thy selfe shalt be ripe and Death will cut thee downe with his Syckle Heark Trades-man ere many sixe moneths goes ouer thy last moneth will come on after which thou shalt trace away and trade no longer Hearke most graue Iudge within a few Tearmes the terme of thy life approcheth wherein thou shalt cease to iudge others and goe thy selfe to be iudged Hearke ô man of God that goest to the Pulpit preach this Sermon as if it were the last thou shouldest make to thy people Hearke Noble-man lay aside the high conceit of thy Honour Death ere it be long vvill lay thine Honour in the dust and make thee as base as the earth that thou treadest vnder thy feet Hearke thou that now readest this Booke assure thy selfe ere it be long there vvill be but two holes where now thy two eyes are placed and others shall reade the truth of this lesson vpon thy bare skull which now thou readest in this little Booke How soone I know not but this I am sure of that thy time is appointed thy moneths are determined thy dayes are numbred and thy very last houre is limited beyond which thou shalt not passe for then the first borne of Death mounted on his pale Horse shall alight at thy doore and notwithstanding all thy Wealth thy Honour and the teares of thy dearest friends will carry thee away bound hand and foote as his prisoner and keepe thy body vnder a loade of earth vntill that day come vvherein thou must be brought forth to receiue according to the things which thou hast done in that body whether it be good or euill Oh let not then the false hope of an vncertaine long life hinder thee from becomming a present Practizer of religious Pietie GOD offereth grace to day but who promiseth to morrow There are now in hell many young-men vvho had purposed to repent in their olde age but Death cut them off in their impenitencie ere euer they could attaine to the time they set for their repentance The longer a man runnes in a disease the harder it is to be cured for custome of sin breedes hardnesse of heart and the impediments vvhich hinder thee from repenting now will hinder thee more when thou art more aged A wise man being to goe a farre and foule iourney will not lay the heauiest burthen vpon the weakest horse And with what conscience canst thou lay the great load of repentance on thy feeble and tyred old age Whereas now in thy chiefest strength thou canst not lift it but art ready to stagger vnder it Is it wisdome for him that is to saile a long and dangerous voyage to lye playing and sleeping whilest the winde serueth and the Sea is calme the shippe sound the Pilote well the Marriners strong and then to set foorth when the windes are contrary the weather tempestuous the Sea raging the Ship rotten the Pilote sicke and the Sailers languishing Therefore O sinfull soule beginne now thy conuersion to God whilest life health strength and youth lasteth before those yeeres draw nigh wheÌ„ as thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them GOD euer required in his seruice the first borne and the first fruits and those to be offered vnto him without delay So iust d Abel offered vnto GOD his firstlings and fattest lambes and reason good that the best Lord should be first best serued All Gods seruants should therefore remember to serue their Creator in the daies of their youth and earely in the morning like Abraham to sacrifice vnto GOD the yong Isaak of their age Yee shall not see my face saith Ioseph to his brethren except you bring your yonger brother with you And how shalt thou looke in the face of Iesus if thou giuest thy younger yeeres to the Diuell and bringest him nothing but thy blinde lame and decrepit old age Offer it vnto thy Prince saith Malachy If he will not accept such a one to serue him how shall the Prince of Princes admit such a one to be his seruant If the King of Babel would haue young men well fauoured and such as had ability in them to stand in his palace shall the King of heauen haue none to stand in his Courts but the blinde and lame such as the soule of Dauid hated Thinkest thou when thou hast serued Satan with thy prime yeeres to satisfie God with thy dogge daies Take heede lest God turne thee ouer to thy olde master againe That as thou hast all the daies of thy life done his worke so hee may in the ende pay thee thy wages Is that a fit time to vndertake by the serious exercises of repentance which is the worke of workes to turne thy sinnefull Soule to GOD when thou art not able with all thy strength to turne thy weary bones on thy soft bed If thou findest it so hard a matter now thou shalt finde it farre harder then For thy sinne will waxe stronger thy strength will grow weaker thy conscience will clog thee paine will distracte thee the feare of death will amaze thee and the visitation of friends will so disturbe thee that if thou be not furnished aforehand with store of faith patience and consolation thou shalt not be able either to meditate thy selfe or to heare the words of comfort from others nor to pray alone nor to ioyne with others who pray for thee It may bee thou shalt be taken with a dumbe palsey or such a deadly senslessenesse that thou shalt neither remember God nor thinke vpon thine owne estate And doest thou not well deserue that God should forget to saue thee in thy death vvho art so vnmindefull now to serue him in thy life The feare of death will driue many at that time to cry Lord Lord but Christ protesteth that hee will not then know them for his Yea many shal then like Esau with teares seeke to repent and yet finde no place to repentance For man hath not free-wil to repent when he will but when God will giue him grace And if Mercy shewed her selfe so inexoâ—able that shee would not open her gates to so tender suiters as Virgins to so earnest suiters as knockers because they knocked too late How thinkest thou that shee will euer suffer thee to enter her gates being so impure a wretch that neuer thinketh to leaue sinne till sinne first leaueth thee and didst neuer yet knocke with thine owne fistes vpon the breasts of a penitent heart And iustly doth her Grace deny to open the gates of Heauen when thou knockest in thine aduersitie who in thy prosperitie wouldest not suffer Christ whilest he knocked to enter at in the dore of thy
heart Trust not eyther late Repentance or long life not late repentance because it is much to be feared least that the Repentance vvhich the feare of death enforceth dyes with a man dying And the Hypocrite vvho deceiued others in his life may deceiue himselfe in his death GOD accepteth none but free-will Offerings and the repentance that pleaseth him must be voluntarie and not of constraint Not long life for old age will fall vpon the necke of youth and as nothing is more sure then Death so nothing is more vncertaine then the time of dying Yea oft-times when ripenesse of sinne is hastned by outragiousnesse of sinning GOD sodainly cutteth off such vicious liuers eyther with the sword intemperatenes luxurie surfeit or some other fearefull manner of sicknes Maist thou not see that it is the euill Spirit that perswades thee to deferre thy Repentance till olde age when Experience tels thee that not one of a thousand that takes thy course doe euer attaine vnto it Let Gods holy Spirit moue thee not to giue thy selfe any longer to eate and drinke with the drunken least thy Master send Death for thee in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an houre that thou art not aware of and so sodainely cut thee off and appoint thee thy portion with the Hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth But if thou louest long life feare GOD and long for life euerlasting The longest life here when it is come to the period will appeare to haue beene but as a tale that is tolde a vanishing vapour a flitting shadow a seeming dreame a glorious flower growing and flourishing in the morning but in the euening cut downe and withered or like a weauers shittle which by winding here and there swiftly vnwindeth it selfe to an end It is but a moment saith Saint Paul O then the madnesse of man that for a moment of sinful pleasure wil hazard the losse of an eternall waight of glory These are the seuen chiefe hinderers of Pietie vvhich must be cast out like Mary Magdalens seauen Diuels before euer thou canst become a true practizer of Pietie or haue any sound hope to enioy either fauour from CHRIST by grace or fellowship with him in glory The Conclusion TO conclude all for as much as thou seest that without Christ thou art but a slaue of sinne Deaths vassall and wormes meate vvhose thoughts are vaine vvhose deedes are vile whose pleasures haue scarse beginnings whose miseries neuer knowes end vvhat wise man would incurre these hellish torments though hee might by liuing in sinne purchase to himselfe for a time the Empire of Augustus the riches of Croesus the pleasures of Salomon the policie of Achitophel the voluptuous fare and fine apparrell of Diues for what should it auaile a man as our Sauiour saith to winne the whole world for a time and then to lose his soule in Hell for euer And seeing that likewise thou seest how great is thy happinesse in Christ and how vaine are the hinderances that debarre thee from the same beware as the Apostle exhorteth of the deceitfulnesse of sinne For that sinne which seemes now to be so pleasing to thy corrupt nature vvill one day proue the bitterest enemie to thy distressed soule and in the meane while harden vnawares thine impenitent heart Sinne as a Serpent seemes beautifull to the eye but take heede of the sting behinde whose venemous effects if thou knewest thou wouldest as carefully flye from sinne as from a Serpent for 1 Sinne did neuer any man good and the more sinne a man hath committed the more odious hee hath made himselfe to GOD the more hatefull to all good men 2 Sinne brought vpon thee all the euils crosses losses disgraces sicknesse that euer befell thee Fooles saith Dauid by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted Ieremy in lamenting manner asketh the question Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull The holy Ghost answereth him Man suffereth for his sinne Hereupon the Prophet takes vp that doleful out-cry against sinne as the cause of all their miseries woe now vnto vs that euer we haue sinned 3 If thou dost not speedily repent thee of thy sins they wil bring vpon thee yet farre greater plagues losses crosses shame and Iudgements then euer hitherto befell thee Reade Leuit. 26.18 c. Deut. 28.15 c. 4 And lastly if thou wilt not cast off thy sinne GOD when the measure of thine iniquitie is full will cast thee off for thy sinne for as hee is iust so hee hath power to kill and cast into hell all hardened and impenitent sinners If therfore thou wilt auoide the cursed effects of sinne in this life and the eternall wrath due therto in the world to come and be assured that thou art not one of those who are giuen ouer to a reprobate sense Let then ô Sinner my counsell be acceptable vnto thee breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy towards the poore oh let there at length be an healing of thine error Nathan vsed but one Parable and Dauid was conuerted Ionas preached but once to Niniuie and the whole Citie repented CHRIST looked but once on Peter and hee went out and wept bitterly And now that thou art oft so louingly entreated not by a Prophet but by Christ the Lord of Prophets yea that GOD himselfe by his Ambassadours doth pray thee to be reconciled vnto him leaue off thine adulterie with Dauid repent of thy sinnes like a true Niniuite and whilest Christ looketh in mercy vpon thee leaue thy wicked companions and weepe bitterly for thine offences Content not thy selfe with that formall Religion which vnregenerated men haue framed to themselues in stead of sincere deuotion for in the multitude of opinions most men haue almost lost the practise of true religion Think not that thou art a Christian good enough because thou dost as the most and art not so bad as the worst No man is so wicked that hee is addicted to all kinde of vices for there is an Antipathie twixt some vices But remember that Christ saith except your righteousnesse shall exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies yee shall in no case enter into the kingdome of Heauen Consider with thy selfe how farre thou commest short of the Pharisies in fasting praying frequenting the Church and in giuing of Almes Thinke with thy selfe how many Pagant who neuer knew Baptisme yet in morall vertues and honestie of life doe goe farre beyond thee Where is then the life of Christ thy Master and how farre art thou from being a true Christian If thou dost willingly yeeld to liue in any one grosse sinne thou canst not haue a regenerated Soule though thou reformest thy selfe like Herod from many other vices A true Christian must haue respect to walke
let thy care be greater for heauenly then earthly things and be more grieued for a dishonour done to GOD then for an iniurie offered to thy selfe But if any priuate iniurie be offered vnto thee beare it as a Christian with Patience Neuer was an innocent man wronged but if patiently hee bare his crosse he ouercame in the end But thy good name in the meane while is wounded beare that also with Patience And hee that at the last day will giue thy Body a Resurrection will as sure in his good time grant a resurrection to thy good name If impatiently thou frettest and vexest at thy wrongs the hurt which thou doest thy selfe is more then that which thine Enemie can doe vnto thee Neither canst thou more reioyce him then to heare that it throughly vexeth thee But if thou canst shew Patience on earth GOD will shew himselfe iust from Heauen Pray for him for if thou be a good man thy selfe thou canst not but reioyce if thou shouldest see thy worst enemie to become a good man too But if hee still continueth in his malice and increaseth in his mischiefe giue thou thy selfe vnto Prayer committing thy selfe and commending thy cause vnto the Righteous Iudge of Heauen and Earth saying with Ieremy O Lord of hoasts that iudgest righteously and tryest the reynes and the heart vengeance is thine and vnto thee haue I opened my cause In the meane while waite with Dauid on the Lord Be of good courage and hee shall comfort thine heart 8 The more others commend thee for any excellent act be thou the more humble in thine owne thoughts Affect not the vaine praises of men the blessed Virgin was troubled when shee was truely praised of an Angell They shall be praised of Angels in Heauen who haue eschewed the praises of men on Earth Neyther needest thou praise thy selfe deale but vprightly others vvill doe that for thee Be not thou curious to know other mens doings but rather be carefull that no man knowes any ill dealings by thee 9 Esteeme no sinne little for the curse of GOD is due to the least and the least would haue damned thee had not the Sonne of God dyed for thee Bewaile therefore the miserie of thine owne state and as occasion is ministred mourne for the iniquitie of the time Pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse 10 Lastly thinke often of the shortnesse of thy life and certaintie of Death and wish rather a good life then a long For as one day of mans life is to be preferred before the longest age of a Stagge or Rauen so one day spent religiously is to be higher valued then a mans whole life that is consumed in profanenesse Cast ouer therefore once euery day the number of thy dayes by substracting those that are past as being vanished like yesternights dreame contracting them that are to come sith the one halfe must be slept out the rest made vncomfortable by the troubles of the world thine owne sicknesse and the death of friends counting onely the present day thine which spend as if thou wert to spend no more Secondly for thy Words 1 REmember that thou must answere for euery idle word that in multiloquie the wisest man shall ouer-shoote himselfe Auoid therefore all tedious and idle talke whereof seldome ariseth comfort many times repentance especially beware of rash answeres when the tongue out-runs the minde The word was thine whilest thou keptst it in it is anothers as soone as it is out O the shame when a man 's owne tongue shall be produced a witnesse to the confusion of his owne face Let then thy wordes be few but aduised fore-thinke whether that which thou art to speake be fit to be spoken affirme no more then what thou knowest to be true and be rather silent then speake to an ill or to no purpose 2 Let thy heart and tongue euer goe together in honestie and truth hate dissembling and lying in another detest it in thy selfe or GOD will detest thee for it for he hateth the lyar and his father the Diuell alike And if once thou be discouered to make no conscience of lying no man will beleeue thee when thou speakest a truth but if thou louest truth more credit will be giuen to thy word then to a liars oath Great is the possession which Sathan hath in those who are so accustomed to lying that they will lie though they get nothing by it themselues nor are not compelled vnto it by others Let not thine anger remaine when thou seest the cause remoued and euer distinguish twixt him that offendeth of infirmitie or against his will and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose let the one haue pittie the other iustice 3 Keepe thy speech as cleane from all obsenitie as thou vvouldest thy meate from poyson and let thy talke be gracious that hee that heares thee may grow better by thee and be euer more earnest vvhen thou speakest of Religion then when thou talkest of worldly matters If thou perceiuest that thou hast erred perseuere not in thine errour reioyce to finde the truth and magnifie it Study therefore three things especially to vnderstand well to say well and to doe well And when thou meetest with Gods Children be sure to make some holy aduantage by them learne of them all the good that thou canst and communicate vvith them all the good things that thou knowest The more good thou teachest others the more will God still minister vnto thee For as the gifts of men by much vsing doe perish and decrease so the gifts of God by much vsing doe the more grow and increase like the Widowes Pitcher of Oyle vvhich the more it poured to fill other vessels the more it vvas still replenished in it selfe 4 Beware that you beleeue not all that is told you that you tell not all that you heare for if you doe you shall not long enioy true friends nor euer want great troubles Therefore in accusations be first assured of the truth then censure And as thou tenderest the reputation of an honest heart neuer let malice in hatred make thee to reueale that which loue in friendship bound thee a long time to conceale But for feare of such afterclaps obserue two things First Though thou hast many acquaintance yet make not any thy familiar friend but he that truly feares God Such a one thou neuer needest to feare For though you should in some particulers fall out yet Christian loue the maine ground of your friendship will neuer fall away and the feare of God will neuer suffer him to doe thee any villainy Secondly doe nothing in the sight of a ciuill friend for which thou canst not be safe vnlesse it
sake Whilest thou holdest GOD thy friend thou needest not feare who is thine enemy for either God will make thine enemy to become thy friend or will bridle him that hee cannot hurt thee No man is ouerthrown by his enemy vnlesse that first his sinne haue preuailed ouer him and God hath left him to himselfe Hee that would therefore be safe from the feare of his enemies and liue still in the fauour of his God let him redeem the folly of the time past with serious Repentance looke to the time present with religious diligeÌ„ce and take heede to the time to come with carefull prouidence 5 Giue euery man the honour due to his place but honour a man more for his goodnesse then for his greatnes And of whomsoeuer thou hast receiued a benefit vnto him as GOD shall enable thee remember to be thankfull Acknowledge it louingly vnto men and pray for him heartily vnto God and count euery blessing receiued from God as a pledge of his eternall loue and a spur to a godly life 6 Be not proud for any externall vvorldly goods nor for any internall spirituall gifts Not for externall goods because that as they came lately so they will shortly be gone againe their losse therefore is the lesse to be grieued at Not for any internall gifts for as GOD gaue them so will hee likewise take them away If forgetting the giuer thou shalt abuse his gifts to puffe vp thine heart with a pride of thine owne worth and to contemne others for whose good Almightie God bestowed those gifts vpon thee Hast thou any one vertue that moues thee to be selfe-conceited thou hast twenty vices that may better vilifie thee in thine owne eies Be the same in the sight of God who beholds thy heart that thou seemest to be in the eyes of men that see thy face Content not thy selfe with an outward good name when thy Conscience shall inwardly tell thee it is vndeserued and therefore none of thine A deserued good name for any thing but for godlinesse lasts little and is lesse worth In all the holy Scriptures I neuer read of an Hypocrites repentance and no wonder for whereas after sinne conuersion is left as a meanes to cure all other sinners what meanâ—â— remaines to recouer him who hath conuerted conuersion it selfe into sinne Woe therefore vnto the Soule that is not yet stil seeme religious 7 Marke the fearefull ends of notorious euill men to abhorre their vvicked actions marke the life of the godly that thou maist imitate it and his blessed end that it may comfort thee Obey thy betters obserue the wise accompany the honest and loue the religious And seeing the corrupt nature of man is prone to hypocrisie beware that thou vse not the exercise of religion as matters of course and custome without care and conscience to grow more holy and deâ—out thereby Obserue therefore how by the continuall vse of Gods meanes thou feelest thy speciall corruptions weakened and thy sanctification more and more increased and make no more shew of holinesse outwardly to the world then thou hast in the sight of God inwardly in thine heart 8 Endeuour to rule those who liue vnder thine authoritie rather by loue then by feare for to rule by loue is easie and safe but tyranny is euer accompanied vvith care and terror Oppression will force the oppressed to take any aduantage to shake off the yoake that they are not able to beare neyther will Gods iustice suffer the sway that grounded on Tyrannie long to continue Remember that though by humane ordinance they serue thee yet by a more peculiar right they are Gods Seruants Yea now being Christians not as thy Seruants but aboue Seruants brethren beloued in the Lord. Rule therefore ouer Christians being a Christian in loue and mercy like Christ thy Master 9 Remember that of all actions none makes a Magistrate more like God whose vice-gerent hee is then in doing Iustice iustly for the due execution whereof First haue euer an open eare to the iust complaints of vniust dealings Secondly so lend one eare to the accuser as that thou keepe the other for the accused for hee that decreeth for eyther part before both be heard the decree may be iust but himselfe is vniust Thirdly in hearing both parts incline not to the right hand of affection or to the left of hatred as to beleeue arguments of perswasion for a friend before arguments concluding for a foe Fourthly denie not Iustice which is Regia mensura to the meanest Subiect but let the cause of the poore and needy come in equal ballance with the rich and mightie If thou perceiuest on the one side in a cause the high hils of cunning aduantages powerfull combination and violent prosecution and on the other side the low valleyes of pouertie simplicitie and desolation prepare thy way as GOD doth to iudgement by raising valleyes and taking downe hils equalling in equalitie that so thou maist lay the foundation of thy sentence vpon an â—euen ground In matters of right and wrong twixt party and party let thy conscience be carefull rather Ius dicere to pronounce the Law that is made secundum allegata probata rather then Ius dare to make a Law of thine owne vpon the authoritie of sic volo sic iubeo fearing that fearefull malediction Cursed be hee that remoueth his neighbours land-marke In tryals of life and death let Iudges like Elohim in Iustice remember mercy and so cast the seuere eye of Iustice vpon the fact as that they looke with the pittifull eye of Mercy vpon the Malefactor wresting the fauour of Law to the fauour of life where grace promiseth amendment but if Iustice requireth that one rather then vnitie must perish and that a rotten member must be cut off to saue the whole body from putrifiing fiat Iustitia But whilest thou art pronouncing the sentence of Iudgement on another remember that thine owne iudgement hangs ouer thine head In all causes therfore iudge aright for thou shalt be sure to finde a righteous Iudge before vvhom thou must shortly appeare to be iudged thy selfe at what time thou maist leaue to thy Friend this for thine Epitaph Nuper eram Iudex iam Iudicis ante Tribunal Subsistens paueo iudicor ipse modò Many I know not vpon what grounds seeme to be much agrieued vvith the Lawes of the Land but wiser men may answere them with the Apostle nos scimus bonam esse Legem modò Iudex ea legitimè vtatur Wee know that the Law is good if a man vse it lawfully And he shall be vnto me a righteous Iudge whose heart neyther corruption of bribes feare of foes nor fauour of friends can with-draw from the conscionable practise of these precepts And to that rare and venerable Iudge I say with Iehosaphat Be of courage and doe Iustice
presumption contrary to my knowledge yea contrary to the motions of thy holy spirit reclaiming me from them so that I haue wounded my conscience and grieued thy holy spirit by whom thou hast sealed mee to the day of redemption Thou hast consecrated my soule and body to be the temples of the holy Ghost I wretched sinner haue defiled both vvith all manner of pollution and vncleannesse My eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanitie mine eares in hearing impure and vnchaste speeches my tongue in leasing and euill speaking my hands are so ful of impuritie that I am ashamed to lift them vp vnto thee and my feet haue carried mee after mine owne wayes my vnderstanding and reasoning which are so quicke in all earthly matters are only blinde and stupide when I come to meditate or discourse of spirituall and heauenly things my memory which should be the treasurie of all goodnesse is not so apt to remember any thing as those things vvhich are vile and vaine Yea Lord by wofull experience I finde that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of mine heart are only euill continually And these my sinnes are more in number then the haires which grow vpon mine head and they haue growne ouer me like a loathsome leprie that from the crowne of my head to the sole of my feet there remaines no part vvhich they haue not infected They make mee seeme vile in mine owne eyes how much more abhominable must I then appeare in thy sight And the custome of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sinne pulled vpon me such dulnesse of sense and hardnesse of hart that thy iudgements denounced against my sinnes by the faithfull Preachers of thy Word doe not terrifie me to returne vnto thee by vnfained repentance for them And if thou Lord shouldst but deale with me according to thy iustice and my desert I should vtterly be confounded and condemned But seeing that of thine infinite mercie thou hast spared mee so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the bitter death and bloudy Passionâ— sake which Iesus Christ hath suffered for mee that thou wouldest pardon and forgiue vnto mee all my sinnes and offences and open vnto mee that euer-streaming fountaine of the bloud of Christ which thou hast promised to open vnder the New Testament to the penitent of the house of Dauid that all my sinnes and vncleannesse may be so bathed in his bloud buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they neuer be more seene to shame me in this life or to condemne mee before thy Iudgement-seate in the world which is to come And forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that it is not in man to turne his owne heart vnlesse thou doest first giue him grace to conuert And seeing that it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to bid mee to be such O my God giue mee grace to doe what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt and thou shalt finde me willing to doe thy blessed will And to this end giue vnto me thine holy spirit which thou hast promiseâ— to giue to the worlds end vnto all thine elect people And let the same thy holy spirit purge my heart heale my corruption sanctifie my nature and consecrate my soule and body that they may become the Temples of the holy Ghost to serue thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of my life That when by the direction assistance of thy holy spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may cheerefully leaue this world and resigne my Soule into thy Fatherly hands in the assured confidence of enioying euerlasting life with thee in thine Heauenly Kingdome which thou hast prepared for thine elect Saints who loue the Lord Iesus and expect his appearing In the meane while O Father I beseech thee let thy holy spirit worke in mee such a serious repentance as that I may with teares lament my sinnes past vvith griefe of heart be humbled for my sinnes present and vvith all mine endeuour resist the like filthy sinnes in time to come And let the same thy holy spirit likewise keepe mee in the vnitie of thy Church Leade mee in the truth of thy Word and preserue me that I neuer swarue from the same to Poperie nor any other error or false worship And let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may daily defend thy Truth and set forth thy Praise Increase in me those good gifts which of thy meâ—cy thou hast already bestowed vpon mee and giue vnto mee a patient spirit a chaste heart a contented minde pure affections wife behauiour and all other graces which thou seest to be necessary for me to gouerne my heart in thy feare and to guide all my life in thy fauour that whether I liue or dye I may liue and dye vnto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render vnto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thankes for all those blessings and benefits which so graciously plentifully thou hast bestowed vpon my soule and body for this life and for that which is to come namely for mine Election Creation Redemption Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Preseruation from my childe-hoode vntill this present day and houre and for the firme hope which thou hast giuen me of my Glorification Likewise for my health wealth food raiment and prosperitie and more especially for that thou hast defended mee this day now past from all perils and dangers both of body and soule furnishing mee with all necessary good things that I stand in neede of And as thou hast ordained the day for man to trauaile in and the night for him to take his rest so I beseech thee sanctifie vnto mee this nights rest and sleepe that I may enioy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit That so this dull and wearied body of mine being refreshed with moderate sleepe and rest I may be the better enabled to vvalke before thee doing all such good workes as thou hast appointed when it shall please thee by thy diuine power to waken mee the next morning And whilest I sleepe doe thou O Lord who art the keeper of Israel that neuer slumbrest nor sleepest watch ouer mee in thy holy prouidence to protect mee from all danger so that neyther the euill Angels of Sathan nor any wicked enemy may haue any power to doe me any harme or euill And to this end giue a charge vnto thy holy Angels that they at thine appointment may pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safetie as thou hast promised that they should doe about them that feare thy Name And knowing that
through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen After euery meale be carefull of thy selfe and Familie as Iob was for himselfe and his Children Iob 1.4 least that in the chearefulnesse of eating and drinking some speech hath slipped out which might be eyther offensiue to God or iniurious to Man And therefore with the like comely gesture and reuerence giue thankes vnto God and pray in this manner BLessed be thy holy name O Lord our GOD for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast so plentifully at this time refreshed our bodies O Lord vouchsafe likewise to feede our soules with the spirituall foodâ— of thy holy Word and spirit vnto life euerlasting Lord defend and saue thy vvhole Church our gracious King Queene our Noble Prince the Prince Palatine of Rhene and the Lady Elizabeth his Wife Forgiue vs our sinnes and vnthankefulnesse passe by our manifold infirmities make vs all mindfull of our last ends and of the reckoning that wee are to make to thee therein And in the meane while grant vnto vs health peace and truth in Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Or thus BLessed be thy holy name O Lord for these thy good benefits vvherewith thou hast refreshed vs at this time Lord forgiue vs all our sinnes and frailties saue defend thy whole Church our King Queene and royall posteritie and grant vs health peace and truth in Christ our onely Sauiour Amen Or thus WE giue thee thanks O heauenly Father for feeding our bodies so gratiously with thy good Creatures to this temporall life beseeching thee likewise to feede our soules with thy holy Word vnto life euerlasting Defend O Lord thine vniuersall Church the King Queene and their royall Posteritie and graunt vs continuance of thy grace and mercy in Christ our onely Sauiour Amen The Practise of Pietie at Euening At euening when the due time of repairing to rest approacheth call together againe all thy Family Reade a Chapter in the same manner that was prescribed in the morning Then in the holy imitation of our Lord and his Disciples sing a Psalme But in singing of Psalmes eyther after Supper or at any other time obserue these Rules Rules to be obserued in singing of Psalmes 1 BEware of singing diuine Psalmes for an ordinary recreation as doe men of impure spirits vvho sing holy Psalmes intermingled with prophane Ballads They are Gods word take them not in thy mouth in vaine 2 Remember to sing Dauids Psalmes with Dauids spirit 3 Practise Saint Pauls rule I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the vnderstanding also 4 As you sing vncouer your heads and behaue your selues in comely reuerence as in the sight of God singing to God in Gods owne words But be sure that the matter makes more melodie in your hearts then the Musicke in your eares for the singing with a grace in our hearts is that which the Lord is delighted withall according to that olde verse Non vox sed votum non musica chordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans psallit in aure Dei T' is not the voyce but vow Sound hart not sounding string True zeale not outward show That in Gods eare doth ring 5 Thou maist if thou thinke good sing all the Psalmes ouer in order for all are most diuine and comfortable But if thou vvilt chuse some speciall Psalmes as more fit for some times and purposes and such as by the oft vsage thy people may the easilier commit to memorie Then sing In the Morning Psal. 3.5.16.22.144 In the Euening Psal. 4.127.141 For mercy after a sinne committed 51.103 In sicknesse or heauinesse Psal. 6.13.88.90 91.137.146 When thou art recouered Psal. 30.32 On the Sabbath day Psal. 19.92.95 In time of ioy Psal. 80.98.107.136.145 Before Sermon Psal. 1.12.147 The 1. and 5. Part of the 119. After Sermon any Psalme which concerneth the chiefe argument of the Sermon At the Communion Psal. 22.23.103.111.113 For spirituall solace Psal. 15.19.25.46.67.112.116 After wrong and disgrace receiued Psal. 42.69.70.140.144 After the Psalme all kneeling downe in reuerend manner as is before described let the Father of the Familie or the chiefest in his absence pray thus Euening Prayer for a Familie O Eternall GOD and most graciour Father wee thine vnworthy Seruants here assembled doe cast downe our selues at the foote-stoole of thy grace acknowledgeing that wee haue inherited our Fathers corruption and actually in thought word and deed transgressed all thy holy commandements So that in vs naturally there dwelleth nothing that is good for our hearts are full of secret pride anger impatiency dissembling lying lust vanity prophanenesse distrust too much loue of our selues and the world too little loue of thee and thy Kingdome but empty and voide of faith loue patience and euery spirituall grace If thou therefore shouldest but enter into iudgement with vs and search out our naturall corruptions and obserue all the cursed fruits and effects that we haue deriued from thence Satan might iustly challenge vs for his owne and wee could not expect any thing from thy Maiestie but thy wrath and our condemnation which we haue long agoe deserued But good Father for Iesus Christ thy deare Sonnes sake in whom onely thou art well pleased and for the merits of that bitter death and bloody passion which wee beleeue that he hath suffered for vs haue mercy vpon vs pardon and forgiue vs all our sinnes and free vs from the shame and confusion which are due vnto vs for them that they may neuer seaze vpon vs to our confusion in this life nor to our condemnation in the world which is to come And forasmuch as thou hast created vs to serue thee as all other creatures to serue vs so wee beseech thee inspire thy holy Spirit into our hearts that by his illumination and effectuall working we may haue the inward sight and feeling of our sinnes and naturall corruptions and that wee may not be blinded in them through custome as the Reprobates are but that wee may more and more loath them and be heartily grieued for them endeauouring by the vse of al good meanes to ouercome and get out of them Oh let me feele the power of Christs death killing sinne in our mortall bodies and the vertue of his resurrection raising vp our soules to newnesse of life Conuert our hearts subdue our affections regenerate our mindes and purifie our nature and suffer vs not to be drowned in the streame of those filthy vices and sinfull pleasures of this time wherewith thousands are caried headlong to eternall destruction but dayly frame vs more and more to the likenesse of thy Sonne Iesus Christ that in righteousnesse and true holinesse wee may so serue and glorifie thee that liuing in thy feare and dying in thy fauour we may in thine appointed time attaine to the blessed resurrection of the iust vnto eternal life In the meane while O Lord increase our faith in the sweet
worke should carie the honour of the day Neither doth the honourable title of the Lords day diminish the glory of the Sabbath but rather being added augments the dignity thereof as the name Israel added vnto Iacob made the Patriarch the more renowned The reason taken from the example of Gods resting from the worke of the creation of the world continued in force till the Sonne of God ceased from the worke of the Redemption of the world and then the former gaue place to the latter 4 Because it was foretold in the olde Testament that the Sabath should be kept vnder the New Testament on the first day of the weeke For first in the 110. Psalme which is a Prophesie of Christ and his kingdome it is plainely foretold that there should be a solemne day of Assembling wherein all Christs people should willingly come together in the beauty of holinesse Insomuch that no raine of peace shall be vpon those Families that in that feast will not goe vp to Ierusalem the Church to worship the King the Lord of Hoasts Now on what day this holy feast and assembly should bee kept Dauid sheweth plainlie in Psal. 118. which was a prophesie of Christ as appeares Matth. 21.42 Act. 4.11 Ephes. 2.20 as also by the consent of all the Iewes as Ierome witnesseth For shewing how Christ by his ignominious death should be as a stone reiected of the builders or chiefe rulers of Iudea and yet by this glorious resurrection should become the chiefe stone of the corner hee wisheth the whole Church to keepe holy that day wherupon Christ should effect this wonderful worke saying This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it And seeing that vpon this day that which Peter saith of Christ appeareth to be true That God made him both Lord and and Christ. Acts 2.36 And therefore the whole Church vnder the New Testament must celebrate the day of Christs resurrection Rabbi Bachay also saw by the fall of Adam on the 6. day that on the same day Messias should finish the worke of mans redemption And alluding to the speech of Boaz to Ruth Sleepe vnto the morning that Messias should rest in his graue all their Sabbath day And he gathereth from that Speech Gen. 1. on the first day Let there be light that the Messias should rise on the First day of the weeke from death to life and cause the spirituall light of the Gospell to enlighten the world that lay in the shadow of darkenesse and death The Hebrew author of the Booke called Sedar Olam Rabba cap. 7. recordeth many memorable things which were done vpon the first day of the weeke as so many types that the chiefe worship of God should vnder the New Testament be celebrated vpon this day As That on this day the cloude of Gods Maiesty first sate vpon his people Aaron and his children first executed their Priesthood God first solemnly blessed his people The Princes of his people first offered publikely vnto God The first day wherein fire descended from heauen The first day of the world of the yeere of moneths of the weeke c. All shadowing that it should be first and chiefe holy-day of the New Testament Saint Austen prooueth by diuers places and reasons out of the holy Scripture that the Fathers and all the holy Prophets vnder the Old Testament did foresee and know that our Lords day was shadowed by their 8. day of Circumcision And that the Sabath should be changed from the 7. day to the 8. or first day of the weeke And Iunius out of Cyprian saith that Circumcision was commanded on the 8. day as a Sacrament of the 8. day when Christ should arise from the dead The Councell Foro Iuliense affirmes that Esay Prophesied of the keeping of the Sabath vpon the first day of the weeke If this mystery was so clearely seene by the Fathers vnder the shaddowes of the Old Testament sure the God of this world hath deepely blinded their mindes who cannot see the truth thereof vnder the shining light of the Gospell Therefore this change of the Sabath day vnder the New was nothing but a fulfilling of that which was prefigured and foreprophesied vnder the old Testament 5 According to their Lords minde and commandement and the derection of the holy Ghost which alway assisted them in their Ministeriall office the Apostles in all the Christian Churches which they planted ordained that the Christians should keepe the holy Sabath vpon that seauenth day which is the first day of the weeke Concerning the gathering for the Saints as I haue ordained in the Churches of Galatia so doe yee also Euery first day of the weeke c. When ye come together in the Church being the Lords day to eate the Lord Supper to remember and shew the Lords death till he come c. In which words note 1 That the Apostle ordained this day to bee kept holy therefore a diuine Institution 2 That the day is named the first day of the weeke therefore not the Iewish seauenth or any other 3 Euery first day of the weeke which sheweth a perpetuity 4 That it was ordained in the Churches of Galatia as well as of Corinth and hee setled one vniforme order in all the Churches of the Saints therefore it was vniuersall 5 That the exercises of this day were collections for the poore which appeares by Act. 2.42 and Iustine Martyrs testimony Apolog. 2. were gathered in the holy Assembly after Prayers Preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments therefore it was spirituall 6 That he will haue the collection though necessary remoued against his comming lest it should hinider his preaching but not their holy meeting on the Lords day for it vvas the time ordained for the publike worship of the Lord which argueth a necessity And in the same Epistle Saint Paul protesteth that he deliuered them none other ordinance or doctrine but what hee had receiued of the Lord. Insomuch that hee chargeth them that If any man thinke himselfe to bee a Prophet or spirituall let him acknowledge that the things that I write vnto you are the commandements of the Lord. But he wrote vnto them and ordained among them to keepe their Sabbath on the first day of the weeke therefore to keepe the Sabbath on that day is the very commandement of the Lord. And how can hee be eyther a true Prophet or haue any grace of Gods Spirit in his heart who seeing so clearely the Lords day to haue beene instituted and ordained by the Apostles vvill not acknowledge the keeping holy of the Lords day to be a Commandement of the Lord The Iewes confesse this change of the Sabbath to haue beene made by the Apostles Pet. Alphons in Dialog contr Iudaeos tit 12. they are therefore more blinde and sottish then the Iewes who prophanely denie it At Troas likewise
Saint Paul together with seauen of the chiefe Euangelists of the Church Sopater Aristarchus Secundus Gayus Timotheus Tichicus and Trophimus and all the Christians that were there kept the holy Sabbath on the first day of the weeke in praying preaching and receiuing the Lords Supper And as it is a thing to be noted that Luke saith not that the Disciples were sent for to heare Paul preach but the Disciples being come together to breake bread vpon the first day of the weeke that is to be partakers of the holy Communion at what time the Lords death vvas by the preaching of the word shewed 1 Cor. 11.26 Paul preached vnto them c. And that none kept these meetings but Christians who onely are called Disciples Act. 11.26 But at Philippi vvhere as yet there were no Disciples Paul is said to goe on their Sabbath day to the place where the Iewes and their Proselites were wont to pray and there preached vnto them Acts 16.12.13 so that it is as cleare as the Sun that it vvas the Christians vsuall manner to passe ouer the Iewish seauenth day and to keepe the Sabbath and their holy meetings on the first day of the vveeke And why doth S. Iohn call this the Lords day but because it was a day knowne to be generally kept holy to the honour of the Lord Iesus who rose from death to life vpon that day throughout all the Churches which the Apostles planted Which Saint Iohn calleth the Lords day the rather to stirre vp Christians to a thankefull remembrance of their Redemption by Christ his Resurrection from the dead And vvith the day the blessing of the Sabbath is likewise translated to the Lords day because that all the sanctification belonging to this new world is in CHRIST and from him conuayed to Christians And because there cannot come a greater authoritie then that of Christ and his Apostles nor the like cause as the new creation of the vvorld therefore the Sabbath can neuer be altered from this day to any other vvhilest this vvorld lasteth Adde hereunto how the Scripture noteth that in the first planting setling of the Church nothing was done but by the speciall order and direction of the Apostles 1 Cor. 11.34 1 Cor. 14.36.37 Tit. 1.5 Acts 15.6.24 and the Apostles did nothing but what they had vvarrant for from Christ 1 Cor. 11.23 To sanctifie then the Sabboth on the seauenth day is not a ceremoniall Law abrogated but the morall and perpetuall Law of God perfected So that the same perpetuall Commaundement which bound the Iewes to keepe the Sabbath on that seauenth day to celebrate the worlds creation bindes Christians to solemnize the Sabbath on this seauenth day in memoriall of the worlds Redemption for the fourth Commandement being a Morall Law requireth a seauenth day to be kept holy for euer And the Moralitie of this as of the rest of the Commandements is more religiously to be kept of vs vnder the Gospel then of the Iewes vnder the Law by how much we in Baptisme haue made a more speciall Couenant vvith God to keepe his Commandements and God hath couenanted vvith vs to free vs from the Curse and to assist vs vvith his spirit to keepe his Lawes And that this Commandement of the Sabbath as vvell as the other nine is Morall and perpetuall may plainely appeare by these reasons Tenne Reasons demonstrating the commandement of the Sabbath to be Morall 1 BEcause all the reasons of this Commandement are morall and perpetuall And God hath bound vs to the obedience of this Commandement with more forcible reasons then to any of the rest First because he did fore-see that irreligious men vvould eyther more carelesly neglect or more boldly breake this Commandement then any other Secondly because that in the practise of this Commandement the keeping of all the other consisteth vvhich makes GOD so often complaine that all his worship is neglected or ouer-throwne when the Sabbath is eyther neglected or transgressed It vvould make a man amazed saith Mr. Caluin to consider how eft and vvith what zeale protestation God requireth all that will be his people to sanctifie the seauenth day Yea how the God of mercy mercilesly punisheth the breach of this Commandement with cruell death as though it were the summe of his vvhole honour and seruice And it is certaine that hee who makes no conscience to breake the Sabbath will not to serue his turne make any conscience to breake any of the other Commandements so hee may doe it without discredit of his reputation or danger of mans law Therefore God placed this Commandement in the middest of the two Tables because the keeping of it is the best helpe to the keeping of all the rest The conscionable keeping of the Sabbath is the Mother of all Religion and good discipline in the Church Take away the Sabbath and let euery man serue God when hee listeth and vvhat vvill shortly become of Religion and that peace and order which God will haue to be kept in his Church The Sabbath day is Gods Market day for the weekes prouision wherein hee vvill haue vs to come vnto him and buy of him without siluer or money the Bread of Angels and Water of life the Wine of the Sacraments and Milke of the Word to feede our Soules tryed Gold to enrich our Faith precious eye-salue to heale our spirituall blindenesse and the white rayment of Christs righteousnesse to couer our filthy nakednesse Hee is not farre from true Pietie who makes conscience to keepe the Sabbath day but he who can dispense with his conscience to breake the Sabbath for his owne profit or pleasure his heart neuer yet felt what eyther the feare of God or true Religion meaneth For of this Commandement may that speech of S. Iames be verified he that faileth in one is guiltie of all Seeing therefore that GOD hath fenced this Commandement vvith so many morall reasons it is euident that the Commandement it selfe is morall 2 Because it vvas commanded of GOD to Adam in his Innocencie vvhilest holding his happinesse not by Faith in Christs Merits but by Obedience to Gods Law hee needed no Ceremonie shadowing the Redemption of Christ. A Sabbath therefore of a seauenth day cannot be simply a Ceremonie but an essentiall part of Gods worship enioyned vnto man vvhen there vvas but one condition of all men And if it was necessary for our first Parents to haue a Sabbath day to serue GOD in their perfection much more neede their Posteritie to keepe the Sabbath in the state of their corruption And seeing God himselfe kept this day holy how can that man be holy that doth wilfully prophane it 3 Because it is one of the commandements which God spake with his owne mouth and twice vvrote with his owne Fingers in Tables of stone to signifie their authoritie and perpetuitie All that God wrote were morall and perpetuall commandements and
of my life to behold thy beauty and to visit thy temple therefore will I offer in thy Tabernacle sacrifices of ioy I will sing and praise the Lord. Hearken vnto my voice O Lord when I cry haue mercy also vpon mee and heare mee Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord. And this is that preparation or looking to our feete whereto Salomon aduiseth vs before we enter into the House of GOD. The second sort of duties which are to be performed at the time of the holy Assembly WHen praiers begin lay aside thine own priuate Meditations and let thine heart ioine with the Minister and the whole Church as being one body of Christ and because that GOD is the God of order he will haue all things to bee done in the Church with one heart and accord and the exercises of the Church are common and publike It is therefore an ignorant pride for a man to thinke his owne priuate praiers more effectuall then the publike prayers of the whole Church Salomon therefore aduiseth a man not to bee rash to vtter a thing in the Church before GOD. Pray therefore when the Church prayeth sing when they sing and in the action of kneeling standing sitting and such indifferent ceremonies for the auoyding of scandall the continuance of charity and in testimony of thine obedience conforme thy selfe to the manner of the Church wherein thou liuest Whilest the Preacher is expounding and applying the word of the Lord looke vpon him for it is a great helpe to stirre vp thine attention and to keepe thee from wandring thoughts so the eyes of all that were in the Synagogues are said to be fastned on Christ whilest he preached and that all the people hanged vpon him when they heard him Remember that thou art there as one of Christs Disciples to learne the knowledge of saluation by the remission of sinnes through the tender mercy God Luk. 77. Be not therefore in the Schoole of Christ like an idle boy in a Grammar schoole that often heareth but neuer learneth his lesson and still goeth to Schoole but profiteth nothing Thou hatest it in a childe Christ detesteth it in thee To the end therefore that thou maiest the better profit by hearing marke 1 The coherence and explication of the Text. 2 The chiefe summe or scope of the holy Ghost in that Text. 3 The diuision or parts of the Text. 4 The doctrines and in euery doctrine the proofes the reasons and vses thereof A method of all others easiest for the people being accustomed thereto to helpe them to remember the Sermon and therefore much wished to be put in practise of all faithfull Pastors who desire to edifie their people in the knowledge of God and his true Religion If the Preachers method be too curious or confused then labour to remember 1 How many things hee taught which thou knewest not before and be thankefull 2 What sinnes hee reproued whereof thy conscience tels thee that thou art guilty and therefore must bee amended 3 What vertues he exhorteth vnto which are not so perfect in thee and therefore endeauour to practise them with more zeale and diligence But in hearing apply euery speech as spoken to thy selfe rather by GOD then by man and labour not so much to heare the words of the Preacher sounding in thine eare as to feele the operation of the spirit working in thy heart therefore it is said so often Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit speakes to the Church And did not our hearts burxe within vs whilest hee opened vnto vs the Scriptures And thus to heare the Word hath a blessing promised thereto It is the acceptablest sacrificing of our selues vnto God It is the surest note of Christs Saints The truest marke of Christs sheepe the apparantest signe of Gods elect the very blood as it were which vniteth vs to bee the spirituall kindred brethren and sisters of the Sonne of God This is the best Art of memory for a good hearer When the Sermon is ended 1 Beware thou depart not like the nine Leapers till that for thine instruction to sauing health thou hast returned thankes and praise to GOD by an after prayer and singing of a Psalme and when the blessing is pronounced stand vp to receiue thy part therein and heare it as if Christ himselfe whose Minister hee is did pronounce the same vnto thee for in this case it is true Hee that heareth you heareth mee and the Sabbath day is blessed because GOD hath appointed it to be the day wherin by the mouth of his Ministers hee will blesse his people which heare his word and glorifie his Name For though the Sabbath day in it selfe be no more blessed then the other sixe dayes yet because the Lord hath appointed it to holy vses aboue others it doth as farre excell the other dayes of the weeke as the consecrated bread which wee receiue at the Lord Table doth the common Bread which wee eate at our owne Table 2 If it be a Communion day draw neere to the Lords Table in the Wedding Garment of a faithfull and penitent heart to be partaker of so holy a banquet And vvhen Baptisme is to be administred stay and behold it with all reuerent attention that so thou maist First shew thy reuerence to Gods ordinance Secondly that thou maist the better consider thine owne ingraffing into the visible body of Christs Church and how thou performest the vowes of thy new Couenant Thirdly that thou maist repay thy debts in praying for the Infant which is to be baptized as other Christians did in the like case for thee that God would giue him the inward effects of Baptisme by his Bloud and Spirit Four'thly that thou maist assist the Church in praising God for graffing another member into his Mysticall Body Fiftly that thou maist proue whether the effects of Christs death killeth sinne in thee and whether thou be raised to newnesse of life by the vertue of his Resurrection and so to be humbled for wants and to be thankefull for his grace Sixtly to shew thy selfe to be a Free-man of Christs Corporation hauing a voyce or consent in the admission of others into that holy society 3 If there be any Collection for the poore freely without grudging bestow thine Almes as GOD hath blessed thee with abilitie And thus farre of the duties to be performed in the holy assembly Now of the third sort of duties after the holy Assembly AS thou returnest home or when thou art entered into thy house meditate a little vvhile vpon those things vvhich thou hast heard And as the cleane beasts which chew the cudde so must thou bring againe to thy remembrance that vvhich thou hast heard in the Church And then kneeling downe turne all to a
recompence mee according to my desert the earth as weary of such a sinfull burthen should open her mouth and swallow mee vp like one of Dathans family into the bottomlesse pit of hel For if thou didst not spare the naturall branches those Angels of glorious excellency but hurledst them downe from the heauenly habitations into the paines of hellish darkenesse to be kept vnto damnation when they sinned but once against thy Maiesty and didst expell our first Parents out of Paradice when they did but transgresse one of thy lawes Alas what vengeance may I expect who haue not offended in one sinne onely heaping dayly sinne vpon sinne without any true repentance drinking iniquity as it were water euer powring in but neuer powring out any filthynesse and haue trangressed not one but all thy holy lawes and commandements Yea this present day which thou hast straightly commanded mee to keep holy to thy praise and worship I haue not so religiously kept and obserued nor prepared my soule in that holynesse and chastitie of heart as was fit to meete thy blessed Maiesty in the holy assembly of thy Saints I haue not attended to the preaching of thy word nor to the administration of thy Sacraments with that humility reuerence and deuotion that I should For though I was present at those holy exercises in my body yet Lord I was ouertaken with much drowsinesse and when I was awake my minde was so distracted and carried away with vaine and wordly thoughts that my soule seemed to bee absent and out of the Church I haue not so duely as I should meditated with my selfe nor conferred with my Family vpon those good instructions which we haue heard and receiued out of thy holy word by the publike Ministry For default whereof Sathan hath stolne the most part of these instructions out of my heart and I wretched creature haue forgotten them as though they had neuer beene heard And my family doth not thriue in knowledge and sanctification vnder my gouernment as they should Though I know where many of my poore brethren liue in want and necessitie and some in paine and comfortlesse yet I haue not remembred to relieue the one with my almes nor the other with consolations but I haue feasted my selfe and satisfied mine owne lusts I haue spent the most part of the day in idle talke vaine sports and exercises Yea Lord I haue c. And for all these my sinnes my conscience cries guilty thy law condemnes me and I am in thy hand to receiue the sentence and curse that is due to the wilfull breach of so holy a commandement But what if I am by thy Law condemned yet Lord thy Gospell assures me that thy mercy is aboue all thy workes that thy grace transcendes thy Law and thy goodnesse delighteth there to raigne vvhere sinnes doe most abound in the multitude therefore of thy mercies and merits of Iesus Christ my Sauiour I beseech thee O Lord who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent sinner to pardon and forgiue me all those my sins and all the errours of this day and of my whole life and free my soule from that curse and iudgement which is due vnto mee for them Thou that didst iustifie the contrite Publican for foure words of confession and receiuedst the Prodigall childe when hee had spent all the stocke of thy grace into fauour vpon his repentance pardon my sinnes likewise O Lord and suffer me not to perish for my trangressions Oh spare me and receiue me into thy fauour againe Wilt thou O Lord reiect me who hast receiued all Publicans harlots and sinners that vpon repentance sued to thee for grace Shall I alone bee excluded from thy mercy Farre be it from me to thinke so For thou art the same GOD of mercy vnto mee that thou wast vnto them and thy compassions neuer faile Wherfore O Lord deale not with mee after my merits but according to thy great mercy Execute not thy seuere iustice against mee a sinner but exercise thy long sufferance in forbearing thine owne creature I haue nothing to present vnto thee for a satisfaction but onely the bloudy wounds and bitter death and passion which thy blessed Sonne my onely Sauiour hath suffered for mee Him in whom onely thou art well pleased I offer vnto thee for all my sinnes wherewith thou art displeased Hee is my Mediatour the request of whose bloud speaking better things then that of Abel thy mercy can neuer gaine-say Illuminate my vnderstanding and sanctifie my heart with thy holy spirit that may bring to my remembrance all those good and profitable lessons which this day and at other times haue beene taught me out of thy holy word that I may remember thy commandements to keepe them thy iudgements to auoyde them and thy sweet promises to relye vpon them in time of misery and distresse And now O Lord I resigne my selfe to thy most holy will Oh receiue mee into thy fauour and so draw me by thy grace vnto thy selfe that I may as well be thine by loue and imitation as by calling and creation And giue me grace so to keepe holy thy Sabbaths in this life as that when this life is ended I may with all thy Saints and Angels celebrate an eternall Sabbath of ioyes and praise to the honour of thy most glorious name in thy heauenly Kingdome for euermore Amen And then calling thy family together shut vp the Sabbath with the Meditations and Prayers before prescribed for thy Family And the Lord will giue thee that night a more sweet and quiet rest then ordinary and prosper thee the better in all the labours of the weeke following Thus farre of the ordinary practise of Piety both in priuate and publike Now followeth the extraordinary Practise of Piety whereby God is glorified in our liues THe extraordinary practise of Piety consists eyther in Fasting or in Feasting 1 Of the Practise of Pietie in Fasting There are diuers kindes of Fasting First a constrained Fast as vvhen men eyther haue not foode to eate as in the Famine of Samaria or hauing foode cannot eate it for heauinesse or sickenesse as it befell them who were in the Ship with Saint Paul This is rather Famine then Fasting Secondly A naturall Fast which wee vnder-take Physically for the health of our body Thirdly A ciuile Fast which the Magistrate enioyneth for the better maintenance of the Common-wealth that by vsing Fish as well as Flesh there may be greater plenty of both Fourthly A miraculous Fast as the fortie dayes fast of Moses and Elias the types and of Christ the substance This is rather to be admired then imitated Fiftly A daily Fast when a man is carefull to vse the creatures of GOD with such moderation that hee is not made heauier but more cheerefull to serue God and
for their want of due preparation And the man vvho came to the Marriage-feast without his wedding-garment or examining of himselfe vvas examined of another and thereupon bound hand and foote and cast into vtter darkenesse Mat. 22.12 And Saint Paul tels the Corinthians that for vvant of this preparation in examining and iudging themselues before they did eate the Lords Supper God had sent that fearefull sicknesse among them wherof some were then sicke others weeke and many falne asleepe that is taken away by temporall dâ—â—th Insomuch that the Apostle saith that euery vnworthy receiuer eaâ—es his owne Iudgement temporall if he repents eternall if he repents not and that in so hainous a measure as if he were guilty of the very body and blood of the Lord whereof this Sacrament is a holy signe and seale And Princes punish the indignity offered to their great seale in as deep a measure as that which is done to their owne Persons whom it representeth and how hainous the guiltinesse of Christs bloud is may appeare by the misery of the Iewes euer since they wished his bloud to be on them and their Children But then thou wilt say It were safer to abstaine from comming at all to the holy Communion Not so for God hath threatned to punish the wilful neglect of his sacraments with eternal damnation both of body and soule And it is the Commaundement of Christ Take eate doe this in remembrance of mee and he vvill haue his Commandement vnder the penaltie of his Curse obeyed And seeing that this Sacrament was the greatest token of Christs loue which hee left at his end to his friends whom he loued to the end Therefore the neglect and contempt of this Sacrament must argue the contempt and neglect of his loue and bloud-shedding then which no sinne in 〈◊〉 account can seeme more hainous Nothing hinders vvhy thou maist not come freely to the Lords Table but because thou hadst rather vvant the loue of God then leaue thy filthy sinnes Oh come but come a guest prepared for the Lords Table seeing they are blessed who are called to the Lambes Supper O come but come prepared because the efficacie of this Sacrament is receiued according to the proportion of the Faith of the Receiuer This preparation consists in the serious consideration of three things first of the Worthinesse of the Sacrament which is tearmed â—o discerne the Lords Body secondly of thine owne Vnworthinesse vvhich is to iudge thy selfe thirdly of the meanes whereby thou maist become a worthy Receiuer called communication of the Lords body 1 Of the worthinesse of the Sacrament THE worthinesse of this Sacrament is considered three vvayes first by the Maiestie of the Author ordaining secondly by the Preciousnesse of the Parts whereof it consisteth thirdly by the Excellencie of the Ends for which it vvas ordained 1 Of the Author of the Sacrament The Author was not any Saint or Angell but our Lord Iesus the eternall Sonne of God for it pertaineth to Christ onely vnder the New Testament to institute a Sacrament because hee onely can promise and performe the grace that it signifieth And we are charged to heare no voyce but his in the church How sacred should vvee esteeme the Ordinance that proceedeth from so diuine an Author 2 Of the parts of the Sacrament The parts of this blessed Sacrament are three first the Earthly signes signifying secondly the diuine Word sanctifying thirdly the heauenly graces signified First the earthly Signes are Bread and Wine in number two but one in vse Secondly the diuine Word is the word of Christs Institution pronounced with praiers and blessings by a lawfull Minister The Bread and Wine without the word are nothing but as they were before but when the Word commeth to those Elements then they are made a Sacrament and GOD is present with his owne ordinance and ready to performe whatsoeuer hee doth promise The diuine wordes of blessing doe not change or annihilate the substance of the bread and wine for if their substance did not remaine it could be no Sacrament but it changeth them in vse and in name For that which was before but common bread and wine to nourish mens Bodyes is after the blessing destinated to an holy vse for the feeding of the Soules of Christians and where before they were called but Bread and Wine they are now called by the name of those holy things which they signifie The body and bloud of Christ the better to draw our minds from those outward Elements to the heauenly graces vvhich by the sight of our bodies they represent to the spiritual eyes of our faith Neyther did CHRIST direct these wordes This is my Body this is my Bloud to the Bread and Wine but to his Disciples as appeares by the vvordes going before Take yee eate yee Neyther is the Bread his Body but in the same sense that the Cup is the New Testament viz. by a Sacramentall Metonymie And Marke notes plainely that the wordes This is my Bloud c. was not pronounced by our Sauiour till after that all his Disciples had drunken of the Cup. Mar. 14.23.24 And afterwards in respect of the naturall substance thereof hee cals that the fruit of the vine which in respect of the spirituall signification thereof he had before tearmed his Bloud verse 25. After the manner of tearming all Sacraments And Christ bids vs not to MAKE him but to doe this in remembrance of him and hee bids vs eate not simply his body but his body as it was then broken and his bloud shed which Saint Paul expounds to be but the Communion of Christs body and the communion of his bloud that is an effectuall pledge that vvee are partakers of Christ and of all the merits of his body and bloud And by the frequent vse of this Communion Paul will haue vs to make a shew of the Lords death till he come from heauen and till vve as Eagles shall be caught vp into the Ayre to meete him who is the blessed Carkeis and life of our soules Thirdly the spirituall graces are likewise two the Body of Christ as it was with the feeling of Gods anger due to vs crucified and his bloud as it was in the like sort shed for the remission of our sinnes They are also in number two but in vse one viz. whole Christ with all his benefits offered to all and giuen indeede to the faithfull These are the three internall parts of this blessed Sacrament the Signe the Word and the Grace The Signe without this Word or this Word without the Signe can doe nothing and both conioyned are vnprofitable without the Grace signified but all three concurring make an effectuall Sacrament to a worthy Receiuer Some receiue the outward signe without the spirituall grace as Iudas who as Austen saith receiued the bread of the Lord but not the Bread
which was the Lord. Some receiue the spirituall grace without the outward signe as the Saint-Theefe on the Crosse and innumerable of the faithfull who dying desire it but cannot receiue it through some externall impediments but the worthy Receiuers to their comfort receiue both in the Lords Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather then any other Elements to be the outward signes in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attaine vnto secondly to teach vs that as mans temporall life is chiefely nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our soules by his body and bloud sustained and quickned vnto eternall life Hee appointed Wine vvith the Bread to be the outward signe in this Sacrament to teach vs first that as the perfect nourishment of mans Body consists both of meate and drinke so Christ is vnto our soules not in part but in perfection both saluation and nourishment secondly that by seeing the Sacramentall Wine apart from the Bread wee should remember how all his precious bloud was spild out of his blessed body for the remission of our sinnes The outward Signes the Pastor giues in the Church and thou dost eate vvith the mouth of thy body the spirituall grace Christ reacheth from Heauen and thou must eate it with the mouth of thy Faith 3 Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or fruits for vvhich this blessed Sacrament vvas ordayned are seauen Of the first end of the Lords Supper 1 To keepe Christians in a continuall remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death vpon the crosse to reconcile vs vnto GOD. Doe this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as yee shall eat this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till hee come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the preaching of the word Iesus Christ was so euidently set forth before the eies of the Galathians as if he had beene crucified among them For the whole action representeth Christs death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctified wine the shedding of his holy bloud Christ was once in himselfe really offered but as oft as this Sacrament is celebrated so oft is hee spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lords Supper is called a propitiatorie sacrifice not preperly and really but figuratiuely because it is a memoriall of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered vpon the Crosse. And to distinguish it from that reall sacrifice the Fathers call it the vnbloudy Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this action offereth vnto God the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing for her redemption effected by the true and onely expiatory sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse. If the sight of Moabs King sacrificing on his walles his owne sonne to moue his gods to rescue his life 2 King 3.27 mooued the assayling Kings to such pitty that they ceast their assault and raised their siege how should the spirituall sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Crosse his onely begotten sonne to saue thy soule mooue thee to loue God thy Redeemer and to leaue sinne that could not in iustice be expiated by any meaner ransome Of the second end of the Lords Supper 2 To confirme our faith for God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seale vnto vs from heauen that according to the promise and new couenant which he hath made in Christ he will truely receiue into his grace and mercy all penitent beleeuers who duely receiue this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ hee will as verily forgiue them all their sinnes as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called the seale of the new Couenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts wee may therefore receiuing this Sacrament vndoubtedly say with Sampsons mother If the Lord would kill vs hee would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he haue shewed all these things nor would at this time haue told vs such things as these Of the 3. ende of the Lords Supper 3 To bee a pledge and symbole of the most neere effectuall communion which Christians haue with Christ. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectuall signe and pledge of our Communion with Christ. This vnion is called abiding in vs ioyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by diuers Similies First of the Vine and branches Secondly of the head and body Thirdly of the foundation and building Fourthly of one Loafe confected of many graines Fiftly of the matrimoniall vnion twixt man and wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is naturall betwixt our humane nature and Christs diuine nature in the person of the vvord The second is mysticall betwixt our persons absent from the Lord and the person of Christ God and Man into one mysticall body The third is celestiall betwixt our persons present with the Lord and the person of Christ in a body glorified these three coniunctions depend each vpon other For had not our nature beene first hypostatically vnited to the nature of GOD in the second person wee could neuer haue been vnited to Christ in a mysticall body And if wee be not in this life though absent vnited to Christ by a mysticall vnion wee shall neuer haue communion of glory with him in his heauenly presence The mysticall communion chiefly heere meant is wrought betwixt Christ and vs by the Spirit of Christ apprehending vs and by our faith stirred vp by the same spirit apprehending Christ againe Both which Saint Paul doth most liuely expresse I follow after If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus How can hee fall away that holdeth and is so firmely holden This vnion he shall best vnderstand in his minde who doth most feele it in his heart But of all other times this vnion is best felt and most confirmed when wee doe duely receiue the Lords Supper For then we shall sensibly feele our hearts knit vnto Christ and the desires of our soules drawn by faith and the holy Ghost as by the cordes of loue neerer and neerer to his holinesse From this Communion with Christ there followeth to the faithfull many vnspeakeable benefits As first Christ tooke by imputation al their sinnes and guiltinesse vpon him to satisfie Gods iustice for them and he freely giues by imputation vnto vs all his righteousnesse in this life and all his
oath of fidelity to serue the one onely true God and to admit no other propitiatory sacrifice for sinnes but that one reall sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered and by which he finished the sacrifice of the Law and effected eternall redemption and righteousnesse for all beleeuers And so to remaine for euer a publike marke of profession to distinguish Christians from all sects and false religions And seeing that in the Masse there is a strange Christ adored not hee that was borne of the Vigin Marie but one that is made of a wafer Cake and that the offering vp of this breaden-god is thrust vpon the Church as a propitiatorie sacrifice for the Quicke and the dead all true Christians vpon the danger of wilfull periury before the Lord chiefe-Iustice of heauen and earth are to detest the Masse as that Idoll of indignation which is most derogatory to the all-sufficient World-sauing-merits of Christs death and passion For by receiuing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we al sweare that all reall sacrifices are ended by our Lords death and that his body and bloud once crucified and shed is the perpetuall food and nourishment of our Soules 2. How to consider thine owne vnworthinesse A Man shall best perceiue his owne vnworthinesse by examining his life according to the tenne Commandements of Almighty GOD. Search therefore what duties thou hast omitted and what vices thou hast committed contrary to euery one of the Commandements remembring that without repentance and Gods mercy in Christ the Curse of God containing all the miseries of this life and euerlasting torments in Hel fire when this is ended is due to the breach of the least of Gods commandements And hauing taken a due surueigh both of thy sins miseries retire to some secret place and there putting thy selfe in the sight of the Iudge as a guilty malefactor standing at the Barre to receiue his sentence bowing thy knees to the earth smiting thy breast with thy fists and bedewing thy cheekes with thy teares confesse thy sins and humbly aske him mercie and forgiuenesse in these or the like wordes An humble Confession of sins to be made vnto God before the receiuing of the holy Communion O GOD and heauenly Father when I consider the goodnesse which thou hast euer shewed vnto me and the wickednesse which I haue committed against heauen and against thee I am ashamed of my selfe and confusion seemes to couer my face as a vaile for which of thy commandements haue I not transgressed Oh Lord I stand heere guilty of the breach of all thy holy Lawes For the loue of my heart hath not so entirely cleaued vnto thy Maiesty as to vaine and earthly things I haue not feared thy iudgements to deterre me from sinnes nor trusted to thy promises to keepe from doubting of my temporall or from despairing of mine eternall state I haue made the rule of thy diuine worship to be what my minde thought fit not what thy word prescribed finding my heart more proane to remember my blessed Sauiour in a painted picture of mans deuise rather then to behold him crucified in his Word and Sacraments after his owne ordinance Where I should neuer vse thy name whereat all knees doe bow but with religious reuerence nor any part of thy worship without due preparation and zeale I haue blasphemously abused thy holy name to rash and customary oathes yea I haue vsed oathes by thy sacred name as false couers of my filthy sinnes And I haue been present at thy seruice oft times more for ceremony then conscience and to please men more then to please thee my gracious GOD. Where I should sanctifie thy Sabath day by being present at the publike exercises of the Church and by meditating priuately on the word and workes of GOD and by visiting the sicke and relieuing of my poore brethren Alas I haue thought those holy Exercises a burden because they hindred my vaine sports yea I haue spent many of thy Sabbaths in my owne prophane pleasures without being present at any part of thy diuine worship Where I should haue giuen all due reuerence to my Naturall Ecclesiasticall and Politique Parents I haue not shewed that measure of duetie and affection to my Parents which their care and kindnesse hath deserued I haue not had thy Ministers in such singular loue for their workes sake as I ought but I haue taunted at their zeale and hated them because they reproued mee iustly And I haue carryed my selfe contemptuously against my Magistrates Ministers though I knew that it is thine ordinance that I should be obedient vnto them Where I should be slow to wrath and ready to forgiue offences and not suffered the Sunne to goe downe vpon my wrath but to doe good for euill louing my very enemies for thy sake I alas for one sory word haue burst out into open rage harbouring thoughts of mischiefe in my heart I haue preferred to feede on mine owne malice rather then to eate of thy holy Supper Where I should keepe my minde from all filthy lusts and my body from all vncleannesse O Lord I haue defiled both and made my heart a Cage of all impure thoughts and my minde a very Stie of the vncleane Spirit Yea the remedie which thou Lord hast ordained for continencie could not containe me vvithin the bounds of Chastitie for by doating on beautie whose ground is but dust Sathan hath bewitched my flesh to lust after strange flesh Where I should haue liued in vprightnesse giuing euery man his due being contented vvith mine owne estate and liuing conscionably in my lawfull calling should be ready according to mine abilitie to lend and giue vnto the poore ô Lord I haue by oppression extortion Bribes cauilation and other indirect dealings vnder pretence of my Calling and Office robbed and purloyned from my fellow Christians yea I haue deceiued and suffered Christ where I vvas trusted many a time in his poore members to stand hungry cold naked at my dore and hungry cold and naked to goe away succourlesse as hee came and when the leanenesse of his cheekes pleaded pitty the hardnes of my hart would shew no compassion Where I should haue made conscience to speake the truth in simplicitie vvithout any falshood prudently iudging aright and charitably construing all things in the best part and should haue defended the good name and credit of my neighbour alas vile wretch that I am I haue belyed and slaundered my fellow-Brother and as soone as I heard an ill report I made my tongue the instrument of the Diuell to blazon that abroad vnto others before I knew the truth of it my selfe I was so farre from speaking a good word in defence of his good name that it tickled my heart in secret to heare one that I
vvith Dauid Thou O Lord hast blessed my Soule and made it thy house and it shall be blessed for euer And seeing it pleased thee to blesse the house of Obed-edom and all his houshold whilest the Arke of the Lord remained in his house I doubt not but thou wilt much more blesse my Soule and Body and all that doe belong vnto mee now that it hath pleased thy Maiestie of thine owne good will to enter vnder my roofe and to dwell for euer in my poore Cottage Blesse me O Lord so that my sinnes may wholy be remitted by thy blood my conscience sanctified by thy spirit my minde enlightned by thy truth my heart guided by thy spirit and my will in all things subdued to thy blessed will and pleasure Blesse mee with all graces which I want and increase in me those good gifts which thou hast already bestowed vpon me And seeing that I hold thee not by the armes as Iacob wrestling without mee but inwardly dwelling by faith within me surely Lord I will neuer let thee goe except thou blesse me and giue mee a new name a new heart a new spirit strength by the power of God to preuaile ouer sinne and Sathan And I beseech thee O Lord desire not to depart from me as thou didst from Iacob because the day breaketh and thy grace beginneth to dawn and appeare But I from my soule humbly with the Emmauites entreat thee O sweet Iesu to abide with me because it drawneth towards night For the night of temptation the night of tribulatioÌ„ yea my last long night of death appeareth O blessed Sauiour stay with me therefore now and euer And if thy presence goe not home with mee carry mee not from hence Goe with me and liue with me and let neither death nor life seperatâ— mee from thee Driue me from my selfe draw me vnto thee Let me be sicke but sound in thee and in my weakenesse let thy strength appeare Let me seeme as dead that thou alone maiest be seene to liue in me so that all my membres may be but instruments to act thy motions Set me as a seale vpon thine heart and let thy zeale be setled vpon mine that I may bee out of loue with all that I may be onely in loue with thee And grant O Lord that as thou now vouchsafest me this fauour to sit at thy table to receiue this Sacrament in thy house of grace so I may hereafter through thy mercy be receiued to eate and drinke at thy table in thy kingdome of glory And for thy mercy I doe here with the 4. beasts and 24. Elders cast my selfe downe before thy throane of Grace acknowledging that it is thou that hast redeemed me with thy blood and that saluation commeth onely from thee And therefore vnto thee I doe yeeld all praise and glory and wisdome and thanks and honour and power and might and maiestie O my Lord and my God for euermore Amen Thirdly seeing Christ hath sacrificed himselfe for thee and all that thou canst giue is too little therefore thou must offer thy selfe to bee a liuing holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God by seruing him in righteousnesse and holinesse all thy daies Thus Tertullian witnesseth that in his time a Christian was knowne from an other man onely by the holinesse and vprightnesse of his life 2 Of the duties which we are to doe after the Communion ioyntly with the Congregation THe duties to be performed ioyntly with the Church are three First publike thankesgiuing both by praiers and singing of Psalmes thus Christ himselfe and his Apostles did Secondly Ioyning with the church in giuing euery man according to his ability toward the reliefe of the poore This was the manner of the Primitiue Churches to make a Collections and Loue-feasts after the Lords Supper for the reliefe of the poore Christians Thirdly When thankes and praise is ended then with all reuerence to stand vp and to receiue the blessing of God by the mouth of his Minister and to receiue it as if thou diddest heare God himselfe pronouncing it vnto thee from heauen For by their blessing God doth blesse his people Thus farre of the duties to be practised in the Church The duties which thou art to practise after that thou art departed home are three First to obserue diligently whether thou hast truely receiued CHRIST in the Sacrament Which thou maiest thus easily perceiue for seeing his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeede and that he is so full of grace that no man euer touched him by faith but he receiued vertue from him It cannot possibly be that if thou hast eaten his flesh or drunke his blood but thou shalt receiue grace and power to bee clensed from thy sinnes and filthynesse For if the Hemorise that did but touch his garment had her bloody issue that continued so long forthwith stanched How much more will the bloody issue of thy sinne be stanched if thou then hast truely eaten and drunke the very flesh and blood of Christ But if thy issue still runneth thou maist iustly suspect thou hast neuer yet truely touched Christ. Secondly Seeing thou hast now reconciled thy selfe to GOD and renewed thy Couenant and vowed newnesse and amendment of life Thou must therefore haue a special care that thou doest not yeeld to commit thy formâ—r sinnes any more knowing that the vncleane spirit if euer he can get into thy Soule againe after that it is swept and garnished hee will enter forcible possession with 7. other Diuels worse then himselfe So that the end of that man shall bee worse then his beginning Be yee not therefore like the Dogge that returnes to his vomiâ— or the washed sow that walloweth in the mire againe And returne not to thy malice like to the Adder who laying aside her poyson while shee drinkes takes it vp againe when shee hath done But when either the Diuel or thy flesh shall offer to tempt and mooue thee to relapse into thy former sinnes answere them as the Spouse doth in the Canticles I haue put off my coate of my former corruption how shall I put it on I haue washed my feete how shall I defile them againe Lastly if euer thou hast found either ioy or comfort in receiuing the holy Sacrament let it appeare by thy eager desire of receiuing it often againe For the body of Christ as iâ— was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes so doth it yeelde a sweeter sauour then all the oyntments of the world The fragrant smell whereof allureth all soules who haue once tasted the sweetnesse thereof euer after to desire oftner to taste thereof againe Because of the sauour of thy good oyntment therefore doe the Virgins loue thee O taste therefore and often see how good the Lord is saith Dauid This is the commandement of CHRIST himselfe Doe this in
of late either beene quite concealed vtterly ouerthrowne or by cauils and quirckes of Law frustrated or altered whereas by the Law of God the will of the dead should not be violated but all his godly intentions conscionably performed and fulfilled as in the sight of God Who in the day of the Resurrection will bee a iust Iudge both of the quicke and dead And if any thing should hap in his Will to be ambiguous or doubtfull it should be construed as it might come neerest to the honour of GOD and the honest intention of the Testator But let the vengeance due to such vnchristian deedes light on the Actors that doe them not on the kingdome wherein they are suffered to be done And let other Rich men bee warned by such wretched examples not to marry their mindes to their money as that they will doe no good with their goodes till death diuorceth them Considering therefore the shortnesse of thine owne life and the vncertainety of others iust dealings after thy death in these vniust daies Let me aduise thee whom GOD hath blessed with ability and an intent to doe good to become in thy life time thine owne Administrator make thine owne handes thine Executors and thine owne eies thy ouerseers cause thy lanthorne to giue her light before thee and not behinde thee giue God the glory and thou shalt receiue of him in due time the reward which of his grace mercy he hath promised to thy good workes 4 Hauing thus set thy house and soule in order if the determined number of thy daies be not expired God will either haue mercy vpon thee and say Spare him O killing malady that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Or els his Fatherly prouidence will direct thee to such a Physitian and to such meanes as that by his blessing vpon their endeauours thou shalt recouer and bee restored to thy former health againe But in any wise take heede that thou nor none for thee send vnto sorcerers wisards â—harmers or enchaunters for helpe for this were to leaue the God of Israel and to goe to Baalzebub the God of Ekron for helpe as did wicked Ahaziah and to breake thy vow which thou hast made with the blessed Trinity in thy Baptisme and bee sure that GOD will neuer giue a blessing by those meanes which he hath accursed But if hee permits Satan to cure thy body feare lest it tend to the damnation of thy soule thou art tried beware 5 When thou hast sent for the Physitian take heede that thou put not thy trust rather in the Physitian then in the Lord as Aza did of whom it is said that hee sought not the Lord in his disease but to the Physitians which is a kinde of Idolatrie that will increase the Lords anger and make the Physicke receiued vneffectuall Vse therefore the Physitian as Gods Instrument and Physicke as Gods meanes And seeing it is not lawfull without Prayer to vse ordinarie foode 1 Tim. 4.4 much lesse extraordinary Physicke whose good effect depends vpon the blessing of GOD. Before thou takest thy Physicke pray therefore heartily vnto GOD to blesse it vnto thy vse in these or the like vvords A Prayer before taking of Physicke O Mercifull Father who art the Lord of health and of sickenesse of life and of death who killest and makest aliue who bringest downe to the graue and raisest vp againe I come vnto thee as to the onely Physitian who canst cure my soule from sinne and my body from sicknesse I desire neither life nor death but referre my selfe to thy most holy will For though wee must needes dye and bring dead our liues are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe Yet hath thy gratious prouidence whilest life remaineth appointed meanes vvhich thou vvilt haue thy children to vse and by the lawfull vse thereof to expect thy blessing vpon thine owne meanes to the curing of their sicknesse and restitution of their health And now O Lord in this my necessitie I haue according to thine ordinance sent for thy seruant the Physitian vvho hath prepared for mee this Physicke which I receiue as meanes sent from thy fatherly hand I beseech thee therefore that as by thy blessing on a lumpe of dry figs thou didst heale Ezekias sore that he recouered and by seauen times washing in the Riuer of Iordane didst clense Naaman the Syrian of his Leprosie and diddest restore the man that was blinde from his birth by annoynting his eyes with clay and spittle and sending him to wash in the poole of Siloam and by touching the hand of Peters wiues mother didst cure her of her Feauer and didst restore the Woman that touched the hemme of thy Garment from her bloudy issue So it would please thee of thine infinite goodnesse and mercy to sanctifie this Physicke to my vse and to giue such a blessing vnto it that it may if it be thy will and pleasure remoue this my sickenesse and paine and restore mee to health and strength againe But if the number of those dayes vvhich thou hast appointed for me to liue in this vale of misery be at an end and that thou hast sent this sickenesse as thy Messenger to call for mee out of this mortall life then Lord let thy blessed will be done for I submit my will to thy most holy pleasure Onely I beseech thee encrease my Faith and patience and let thy graâ—e and mercy be neuer wanting vnto mee but in the midst of all extremities assist mee with thy holy Spirit that I may willingly and chearefully resigne vp my Soule the price of thine owne bloud into thy most gracious hands and custodie Grant this O Father for Iesus Christ his sake to whom vvith thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory both now and euermore Amen Meditations for the sicke WHilest thy sicknes remaineth vse often for thy comfort these few Meditations taken from the ends wherefore GOD sendeth afflictions to his children Those are tenne 1 That by afflictions God may not onely correct our sinnes past but also vvorke in vs a deeper loathing of our naturall corruption and so preuent vs from falling into many other sins which otherwise vvee would commit like a good Father vvho suffers his tender Babe to scorch his finger in a candle that hee may the rather learne to beware of falling into a greater fire So that the childe of God may say with Dauid It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy Statutes for before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy Word And indeede saith S. Paul wee are chastened of the Lord because wee should not be condemned with the World With one Crosse God maketh two cures the chastisement of sinnes past the preuention of
bee in distresse and misery whereby wee learne to haue a fellow-feeling of their calamities and to condole their estate as if wee suffered with them And for this cause CHRIST himselfe would suffer and bee tempted in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted that he might be a mercifull high Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities For none can so hartily bemone the misery of another as he who first suffered himselfe the same affliction Hereupon a sinner in miserie may boldly say vnto Christ Non ignare mali miseris succurrito Christe Our frailty sith O Christ thou didst perceiue Condole our state who still in frailties cleaue 8 God vseth our sicknesses and afflictions as meanes and examples both to manifest vnto others the faith and vertues which hee hath bestowed vpon vs as also to strengthen those who haue not receiued so great a measure of faith as wee For there can bee no greater encouragement to a weake Christian then to behold a true professour in the extreamest sickenesse of his body supported with greater patience and consolation in his soule And the comfortable and blessed departure of such a man will arme him against the feare of death and assure him that the hope of the godlie is a farre more pretious thing then that flesh and bloud can vnderstand or mortall eyes beholde in this vale of misery And were it not that wee did see many of those whom we know to be the vndoubted children of GOD to haue endured such affliction and calamities before vs. The greatnesse of the miseries and crosses which oft times wee endure would make vs doubt whether we be the children of GOD or no. And to this purpose Saint Iames saith GOD made Iob and the Prophets an example of suffering aduersity and of long patience 9 By afflictions GOD makes vs conformable to the Image of Christ his sonne who being the Captaine of our saluation was made perfect through sufferings And therefore he first bare the Crosse in shame before hee was crowned with glory and did first taste gall before he did eate the honey combe and was first derided king of the Iewes by the Souldiers in the High priests hal before he was saluted King of glory by the Angles in his Fathers Courte And the more liuely our heauenly Father shal perceiue the image of his naturall Son to appeare in vs the better he will loue vs and when wee haue for a time borne his likenesse in his sufferings and fought and ouercome we shall be crowned by Christ and with Christ sit in his throne and of Christ receiue the pretious white stone and morning starre that shal make vs shine like Christ for euer in his glory 10 Lastly that the godly may bee humbled in respect of their owne state and misery and God glorified by deliuering them out of their troubles and afflictions when we call vpon him for his helpe and succour For though that there is no man so pure but if the Lord will straightly marke iniquities hee shall finde in him iust cause to punish him for his sin Yet the Lord in mercy doth not alwaies in the affliction of his children respect their sinnes but sometimes layeth afflictions and crosses vpon them for his glories sake Thus our Sauiour Christ told his Disciples that the man was not borne blind for his owne or his Parents sinnes but that the worke of God should be shewed on him So hee told them likewise that Lazarus sickenesse was not vnto the death but for the glory of God O the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God which turneth those afflictions which are the shame and punishment due to our sinnes to bee the subiect of his honour and glory These are the blessed and profitable endes wherefore God sendeth sickenesse and afflictions vpon his children whereby it may plainely appeare that afflictions are not signes either of Gods hatred or of our reprobation but rather tokens and pledges of his fatherly loue vnto his children whom he loueth and therefore chasteneth them in this life where vpon repentance there remaines hope of pardon rather then to referre the punishment to that life where there is no hope of pardon nor ende of punishment For this cause the Christians in the Primitiue Church were wont to giue God great thankes for afflicting them in this life So the Apostles reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs name Act. 5.41 And the Christian Hebrewes suffered with ioy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in heauen a better and an induring substance Heb. 10.34 And in respect of these holy endes the Apostle saith That though no affliction for the present seemeth ioyous but grieuous yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them who are thereby exercised Pray therefore heartily that as God hath sent vnto thee this sickenesse so it would please him to come himselfe vnto thee with thy sickenesse by teaching thee to make those sanctifyed vses of it for which hee hath inflicted the same vpon thee Meditation for one that is recouered from sickenesse IF GOD hath of his mercy heard thy prayers and restored thee to thy health againe consider vvith thy selfe 1 That thou hast now receiued from GOD as it were another life Spend it therefore to the honour of God in newnesse of life Let thy sinne die with thy sickenesse but liue thou by grace to holinesse 2 Be not the more secure that thou art restored to health neither insult in thy selfe that thou hast escaped death but thinke rather that GOD seeing how vnprepared thou wast hath of his mercy heard thy prayer spared thee and giuen thee some little longer time of respite that thou maiest both amend thy life and put thy selfe in a better readinesse against the time that he shall call for thee without further delay out of this world For though thou hast escaped this It may be thou shalt not escape the next sickensse 3 Consider how fearefull a reckoning thou haddest made before the Iudgement seat of Christ by this time if thou haddest dyed of this sicknesse Spend therefore the time that remaines so as that thou maiest be able to make a more cheerefull account of thy life when it must be expired indeed 4 Put not farre off the day of death thou knowest not for all this how neere it is at hand and being so fairely warned be wiser for if thou be taken vnprouided the next time thy excuse will be lesse and thy iudgement greater 5 Remember that thou hast vowed amendment and newnesse of life Thou hast vowed a vow vnto God defer not to pay it for hee delighteth not in fooles pay therefore that thou hast vowed The vncleane spirit is cast out Oh let him not re-enter with seuen worse then himselfe Thou hast sighed out the groanes of contrition thou hast wept the teares of repentance thou art washed in
the poole of Bethesda streaming with fiue bloudy wounds not of a troubling Angell but of the Angell of Gods presence troubled with the wrath due to thy sinnes who descended into hell to restore thee to sauing health and heauen Returne not now with the Dogge to thine owne vomit nor like the washed sow to wallow againe in the mire of thy former sinnes and vncleannesse lest being intangled and ouercome againe with the filthinesse of sinne which now thou hast escaped thy latter ende prooue worse then thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Sauiour Christ giue the same cautionary warning to healed sinners First to the man cured of his 38 yeeres disease Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing fall vnto thee Secondly to the woman taken in adultery Neither doe I condemne thee Goe thy way and sinne no more Teaching vs how dangerous a thing it is to relapse and fall againe into the former excesse of riot Take heede therefore vnto thy wayes and pray for grace that thou maiest apply thy heart vnto wisdome during that small number of dayes which yet remaine behinde And for thy present mercy and health imitate the thankefull Leaper and returne vnto God this or the like thanksgiuing A thankesgiuing to be said of one that is recouered from sickenesse O Gracious and mercifull Father who art the Lord of health and sickenesse of life and of death who killest and makest aliue who bringest downe to the graue and raisest vp againe who art the onely preseruer of all those that trust in thee I thy poore and vnworthy seruant hauing now by experience of my painefull sicknesse felt the gieuousnesse of misery due vnto sinne and the greatnesse of thy mercy in forgiuing sinners and perceiuing with what a fatherly compassiion thou hast heard my prayers and restored me to my health and strength againe doe heere vpon the bended knees of my heart returne with the thankefull Leaper to acknowledge thee alone to bee the God of my health and saluation and to giue thee the praise and glory for my strength and deliuerance out of that grieuous disease and malady and for thus turning my mourning into mirth my sickenesse into health and my death into life My sinnes deserued punishments and thou hast corrected me but hast not giuen me ouer vnto death I looked from the day to the night when thou wouldest make an end of me I did chatter like a Crane or a Swallow I mourned as a Doue when the bitternesse of sickenesse oppressed me I lifted vp mine eies vnto thee O Lord and thou didst comfort me for thou didst cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe and didst deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption and when I found no helpe in my selfe nor in any other creature saying I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world then didst thou restore mee to health againe and gauest life vnto mee I found thee O Lord ready to saue me And now Lord I confesse that I can neuer yeelde vnto thee such a measure of thanks as thou hast for this benefit deserued at my hands And seeing that I can neuer bee able to repay thy goodnes with acceptable workâ— Oh that I could with Mary Magdalen testifie the â—oue and thankfulnes of my heart with abounding teares Oh what shall I be able to render vnto thee O Lord for al these benefits which thou hast bestowed vpon my soule Surely as in my sickenesse when I had nothing else to giue vnto thee I offered Christ and his merits vnto thee as a ransome for my sins so being now restored by thy grace vnto my health and strength and hauing no better thing to giue behold O Lord I doe heere offer vp my selfe vnto thee beseeching thee so to assist mee with thy holy spirit that the remainder of my life may wholly be spent in setting foorth thy praise and glory O Lord forgiue mee my former follies and vnthankefulnesse that I was not more careful to loue thee according to thy goodnesse nor to serue thee according to thy will nor to obey thee according to thy commandements nor to thanke thee according to thy benefits And seeing thou knowest that of my selfe I am not sufficient so much as to thinke a good thought much lesse to doe that which is good and acceptable in thy sight assist mee with thy grace and holy spirit that I may in my prosperity as deuoutely spend my health in thy seruice as I was eranest in my sickenesse to beg it at thy hands And suffer mee neuer to forget eyther this thy mercy in restoring mee to my health or those vowes and promises which I haue made vnto thee in my sickenesse With my new health renew in me O Lord a right spirit which may free mee from the slauery of sinne and establish my heart in the seruice of grace Worke in mee a greater detestation of all sinnes which were the causes of thy anger and my sicknesse and increase my faith in Jesus Christ who is the author of my health and saluation Let thy good spirit leade me in the way that I should walke and teach me to deny all vngodlines and worldly lusts to liue soberly righteously and godly in this world that others by my example may thinke better of thy truth And sith this time which I haue yet to liue is but a little respite and small remnant of daies which cannot long continue teach me O my God so to number my daies that I may apply my heart to that spiritual wisdome which directeth to saluation And to this end make me more zealous then I haue beene in religion more deuout in praier more feruent in spirit more carefull to heare and profit by the preaching of thy Gospell more helpefull to my poore brethren more watchfull ouer my waies more faithfull in my calling and euery way more aboundant in all good workes Let me in the ioyfull time of prosperity feare the euill day of affliction in the time of health thinke of sicknesse in the time of sickenesse make my selfe ready for death and when death approcheth prepare my selfe for iudgement Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulnesse vnto thee for thy grace and mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottome of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the foure beasts and twenty foure Elders and al the creatures in Heauen and on the Earth acknowledge to be due vnto thee O Father which sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe thy Sonne who sitteth at thy right hand and to the holy spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinitie of persons in vnity of substance all praise honour glory and power from this time forth and for euermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy sickenesse be like to encrease vnto death
temptation is ready to betray the soule By death the soule shall be deliuered from this thraldome and this corruptible body shall put on incorruption and this mortall immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 Oh blessed thrice blessed be that death in the Lord which deliuers vs out of so euill a world and freeth vs from such a body of bondage and corruption The 3. sort of Meditations to consider what good death will bring vnto thee 1 DEath bringeth the godly mans soule to enioy an immediate communion with the blessed Trinitie in euerlasting blisse and glorie 2 It translates his soule from the miseries of this world the contagion of sinne and society of sinners to the Citie of the liuing God the celestiall Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels And to the assembly and congregation of the first borne which are written in Heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the soules of iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediatour of the new Couenant 3 Death putteth the soule into the actuall and full possession of all the inheritance and happinesse which Christ hath either promised vnto thee in his word or purchased for thee by his bloud This is the good and happinesse whereunto a blessed death will bring thee And what truly religious Christian that is young would not wish himselfe olde that his appointed time might the sooner approach to enter into this celestiall Paradise where thou maiest exchange thy brasse for gold thy vanity for felicity thy vilenesse for honour thy bondage for freedome thy lease for an inheritance and thy mortall statâ— for an immortall life Hee that doth not daily desire this blessednesse aboue all things of all others he is lesse worthy to enioy it If Cato Vticensis and Cleombrotus two heathen men reading Platoes booke of the Immortality of the soule did voluntarily the one breake his necke the other runne vpon his sword that they might the sooner as they thought haue enioyed those ioyes What a shame is it for Christians knowing those things in a more excellent measure and manner out of Gods owne booke not to bee willing to enter into these heauenly ioyes especially when their Master cals for them thither If therefore there be in thee any loue of God or desire of thine owne happinesse or saluation when the time of thy departing draweth neere that time I say and manner of death which GOD in his vnchangeable counsell hath appointed and determined before thou wast borne yeeld and surrender vp willingly and cheerefully thy soule into the mercifull hand of Iesus Christ thy Sauiour And to this ende when thine end is come as the Angell in the sight of Manoah and his wife ascended from the Altar vp to heauen in the flame of the sacrifice so endeauour thou that thy Soule in the sight of thy friends may from the Altar of a contrite heart ascend vp to heauen in the sweete perfume of this or the like spirituall sacrifice of Praier A Prayer for a sicke man when he is tolde that he is not a man for this world but must prepare himselfe to goe vnto GOD. O Heauenly Father who art the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh and hast made vs these soules and hast appointed vs the time as to come into this world so hauing finished our course to goe out of the same The number of my daies vvhich thou hast determined are now expired and I am come to that vtmost bound which thou hast appointed beyond which I cannot passe I know O Lord that if thou entrest into iudgement no flesh can bee iustifyed in thy sight And I O Lord of all others should appeare most impure and vniust for I haue not fought that good fight for the defence of thy faith and religion with that zeal and constancy that I should but for feare of displeasing the world I haue giuen â—ay vnto sinnes and errours and for desire to please my flesh I haue broken all thy commandements in thought word and deede so that my sinnes haue taken such hold on me that I am not able to looke vp and they are moe in number then the haires of my head If thou wilt straightly marke mine iniquitiâ—s O Lord where shall I stand If thou waighest me in the ballance I shall be found too light For I am voide of all righteousnesse that might merit thy mercy and loaden with all iniquities that most iustly deserue thy heauiest wrath But O my Lord and my GOD for Iesus Christ thy Sonnes sake in whom only thou art wel pleased with all penitent and beleeuing sinners take pitty and compassion vpon mee who am the chiefe of sinners blot out all my sinnes out of thy remembrance and wash away all my transgressions out of thy sight with the pretious bloud of thy Sonne which I beleeue that he as an vndefiled Lambe hath shed for the clensing of my sinnes In this faith I liued in this faith I die beleeuing that Iesus Christ died for my sinnes and rose againe for my iustification And seeing that he hath endured that death and borne the burthen of that Iudgement which was due vnto my sinnes O Father for his death and passions sake now that I am comming to appeare before thy Iudgement seat acquite and deliuer me from that fearfull Iudgement which my sinnes haue iustly deserued And performe with me that gracious and comfortable promise which thou hast made in thy Gospell That whosoeuer beleeueth in thee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into Iudgement but shall passe from death vnto life Strengthen O CHRIST my faith that I may put the whole confidence of my saluation in the merits of thy obedience and blood Encrease O holy Spirit my patience lay no more vpon me then I am able to beare and enable mee to beare so much as shall stand with thy blessed will and pleasure O blessed Trinity in vnity my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier vouchsafe that as my outward man doth decay so my inward man may more more by thy grace and consolation encrease and gather strength O Sauiour put my soule in a readinesse that like a wise Virgin hauing the wedding Garment of thy righteousnesse and holinesse shee may be ready to meete thee at thy comming with oyle in her lampe Marrie her vnto thy selfe that shee may bee one with thee in euerlasting loue and fellowship O Lord reproue Sathan and chase him away Deliuer my soule from the power of the dogge Saue me from the Lions mouth I thanke thee O Lord for all thy blessings both spirituall and temporall bestowed vpon me especially for my Redemption by the death of my Sauiour Christ. I thanke thee that thou hast protected me with thy holy Angelâ— from my youth vp vntil now Lord I beseech thee giue them a charge to attend
vpon me till thou callest for my soule and then to carry her as they did the soule of Lazarus into thy heauenly kingdome And as the time of my departure shall approach neerer vnto me so grant O Lord that my soule may drawe neerer vnto thee And that I may ioyfully commend her into thy hands as into the hands of a louing Father and mercifull Redeemer and at that instant O Lord graciously receiue my spirit All which that I may doe assist me I beseech thee with thy grace and let thy holy spirit continue with me vnto the end and in the end for Iesus Christ his sake thy Sonne my Lord and onely Sauiour In whose name I giue thee thy glory and begge these things at thy hand in that prayer which he himselfe hath taught me Our Father c. Meditations against despaire or doubting of Gods mercy IT is found by continuall experience that neere the time of death when the children of GOD are weakest then Sathan makes the greatest flourish of his strength and assailes them with his strongest temptations For hee knoweth that either he must now or neuer preuaile for if their soules once get to heauen he shall neuer vâ—xe nor trouble them any more And therefore he will now bestirre himselfe as much as he can and labour to set before their eyes all the grosse sinnes which euer they committed and the iudgements of God which are due vnto them thereby to driue them if he can to despaire which is a grieuouser sinne then all the sinnes that they committed or hee can accuse them of If Sathan therefore trouble thy conscience more towards thy death then in thy life time 1 Confesse thy sins vnto GOD not onely in generall but also in particular 2 Make satisfaction vnto those men whom thou hast wronged if thou bee able And if thou doest iniuriously or fraudulently detaine or keepe in thy possession any lands or goods that of right doe belong vnto any Widow or Fatherlesse childe presume not as thou tenderest thy soules health to looke Christ the righteous Iudge in the face vnlesse thou doest first make a restitution thereof to the right owners For the Law of God vnder the penalty of his curse requireth thee to restore whatsoeuer was giuen thee to keepe or which was committed to thy trust or whatsoeuer by robbery or violent oppression thou tookest from thy neighbour with a fift part for amends added to the principall And vnlesse that like Zacheus thou doest make restitution of such goods and lands according to Gods law thou canst neuer truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst neuer bee saued But though by the temptation of the Diuell thou hast done wrong and iniury yet if thou doest truly repent and make restitution to thy power the Lord hath promised to bee mercifull vnto thee to heare the praiers of his faithfull ministers for thee to forgiue thee thy trespasse and sinne and to receiue thy soule in the merits of Christs blood as a Lambe without blemish 3 Aske GOD for Christ his sake pardon and forgiuenesse And then these troubles of minde are no discouragements but rather comforts exercises not punishments They are assurances vnto thee that thou art in the right way for the way to Heauen is by the gates of Hell that is by suffering paines in the body and such doubtings in the minde that thy estate in this life being euery way made bitter the ioyes of eternall life may relish vnto thee better and more sweet If Satan tell thee that thou hast no faith because thou hast no feeling meditate 1 That the truest faith hath oftentimes the least feeling and greatest doubts but so long as thou hatest such doubtings they shall not be laide vnto thy charge for they belong to the flesh from which thou art diuorced When thy flesh shall perish thy weake inward man which hates them and loues the Lord Iesus shall be saued 2 That it is a better faith to beleeue without feeling then with feeling The least faith so much as a graine of mustard seed so much as is in an infant baptized is inough to saue the soule which loueth CHRIST and beleeueth in him 3 That the child of God which desireth to feâ—le the assurance of Gods fauour shall haue his desire when God shall see it to bee for his good for God hath promised to giue them the water of life who thirst for it Wee haue an example in Master Glouer the holy Martyr who could haue no comfortable feeling till hee came to the sight of the stake and then cryed out and clapped his hands for ioy to his friend saying O Austen hee is come he is come meaning the feeling ioy of faith and the holy Ghost Tarry therefore the Lordâ— leasure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart If Sathan shall aggrauate vnto thee the greatnesse the multitude and hainousnesse of thy sinnes meditate 1 That vpon true repentance it is as easie with GOD to forgiue the greatest sinne as the least and he is as willing to forgiue many as to pardon one And his mercy shineth more in pardoning great sinners then small offenders as appeares in the examples of Manasses Magdalene Peter Paul c. And where sinne most abounded there doth his grace reioyce to abound much more 2 That GOD did neuer forsake any man till that a man did first forsake GOD as appeares in the examples of Caine Saul Achitophel Ahazia Iudas c. 3 That God calleth all euen those sinners who are heauy laden with sinne and that he did neuer deny his mercy to any sinner that asked his mercy with a penitent heart This the history of the Gospel witnesseth There came vnto Christ all sorts of sicke sinners the blinde lame halâ— leapers such as were sicke of palsies dropsies bloudy flixes such as were lunaticks and possessed with vncleane spirits and Diuels Yet of all those not one that came and asked his mercie and helpe went away without his errant If mercy hee asked mercy he found were his sinne neuer so great were his disease neuer so grieuous Nay he offered and gaue his mercy to many who neuer asked it being moued onely with the bowels of his owne compassion and the sight of their misery as to the woman of Samaria the widow of Naim and to the sicke-man that lay at the poole of Bethesda who had beene 38. yeeres sicke If he thus willingly gaue his mercy to them that did not aske it and was found of them as the Prophet saith that sought him not will he deny mercy vnto thee who doest so earnestly pray for it with teares and doest like the poore Publican so haâ—tily knocke for it with penitent fists vpon a brused and broken heart Especially when thou prayest to thy Father in the name and mediation of Christ for
there is no doubt of pardon If Sathan shall obiect that thou hast many times vowed to repent and hast made a shew of Repentance for the time and yet didst fall to the same sinnes againe and againe and that all thy Repentance was but fained and a mocking of God And that seeing thou hast so often broken thy vowes therfore God hath with-drawn his mercy and hath changed his loue c. meditate 1 That though this were true which indeede is haynous yet it is no sufficient cause vvhy thou shouldest despaire seeing that this is the common case of all the Children of God in this life vvho vow so oft to forbâ—are some sinnes till perceiuing their weakenesse not able to performe it then vow that they will vow no more Their vowes shew the desires of their spirituall man their breakings the weakenesse of their corrupt flesh And our oft slips to the same sinnes Christ fore-saw vvhen hee taught vs to pray daily O Father forgiue vs our trespasses And why doth Christ enioyne thee who art but sinfull man to forgiue thy brother seauen times in a day if hee shall returne seauen times in a day and say it repenteth mee But to assure thee that hee being the God of mercy and goodnesse it selfe will forgiue vnto thee thy seuenty times seuen folde sinnes a day which thou hast committed against him if thou returne vnto him by true repentance The Israelites were cured by looking though with weake eies on the brasen Serpent as oft as they were stung by the fiery Serpent in the wildernesse to assure thee that vpon thy teares of repentance thou shalt be recouered by faith in Christ as oft as thou art wounded to death by Sinne. 2 That thy saluation is grounded not vpon the constancy of thine obedience but vpon the firmenesse of Gods couenant Though thou variest with GOD and the couenant bee broken on thy behalfe yet it is firme on Gods part and therefore all is safe enough if thou wilt returne for there is no variablenesse with him neither shadow of change He hath locked vp thy saluation and made it sure in his owne vnchangeable purpose and hath deliuered to thy keeping the keyes which are Faith and Repentance and whilest thou hast them thou maiest perswade thy selfe that thy saluation is sure and safe For whom God loueth hee loueth to the end and neuer repenteth of bestowing his loue on them who repent and beleeue Lastly if Satan shall perswade thee that thou hast been doubting a long time and that it is best for thee now to despaire seeing thy sinnes encrease and thy iudgements draweth neere meditate 1 That no sinne though neuer so great should bee a cause to moue any Christian to despaire so long as Gods mercy by so many millions of degrees is greater and that euery penitent and beleeuing sinner hath the pardon of all his sinnes confirmed by the Word and Oath of GOD two immutable things wherein it is vnpossible that God should lye His Word is that at what time soeuer a sinner whosoeuer doth repent of his sin whatsoeuer for both time sinnes and sinners are indefinite from the bottome of his heart God will blot forth all his sinnes out of his remembraâ—ce that they shall be mentioned vnto him no more If we will not take his word which GOD forbid wee should doubt of he hath giuen vs his oath As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue as if he had said Will yee not beleeue my word I sweare by my life that I delight not to damne any sinner for his sinnes but rather to saue him vpon his conuersion and repentance The meditation hereof moued Tertullian to exclaime Oh how happy are wee when God sweareth that hee will not our damnation Oh what miserable wretches are wee if wee will not beleeue God when he sweareth this truth vnto vs Listen O drooping spirit whose soule is assailed with waues of faithlesse despaire how happy were it to see many like thee and Hezechias who mourne like doues for the sence of sinne and chatter like Cranes and Swallowes for the feare of Gods anger rather then to behold many who die like beasts without any feeling of their owne estate or any feare of Gods wrath or tribunall seate before which they are to appeare Comfort thy selfe O languishing soule for if this earth hath any for whom Christ spilt his bloud on the Crosse thou assuredly art one Cheere vp therfore thy selfe in the all-sufficient attonement of the bloud of the Lambe which speaketh better things then that of Abel And pray for those who neuer yet obtained the grace to haue such a sense with detestation of sinne Thou art one indeed for whom Christ dyed and from whom a wounded spirit iudging rather according to his feeling then his faith hath wrung that dolefull voice of Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And doubt not but ere long thou shalt as truely raigne with him as now thou doest suffer with him for Yea and Amen hath spoken it No sinne barres a man from saluation but onely incredulity and impenitencie nothing makes the sin against the holy Ghost vnpardonable but want of repentance Thy vnfained desire to repent is as acceptable vnto God as the perfectst repentance that thou couldest wish to performe vnto him Meditate on these Euangelicall comforts and thou shalt see that in the very agony of death GOD will so assist thee with his spirit that when Saâ—an looketh for the greatest victory he shall receiue the foulest foile yea when the eye-strings are broken that thou canst not see the light Iesus Christ will appeare vnto thee to comfort thy soule and his holy Angels will carry thee into his heauenly kingdome Then shall thy friends behold thee like Manoahs Angell doing wonders indeed when they shall see a fraile man in his greatest weakenesse by the meere assistance of Gods Spirit ouercomming the strength of sin the bitternesse of death and all the power of Satan and in the fire of Faith and perfume of Praier ascend vp with Angels victoriously into Heauen An admonition to them who come to visit the sicke THey who come to visit the sicke must haue a speciall care not to stand dumbe and staring in the sicke persons face to disquiet him nor yet to speake idly and to aske vnprofitable questions as most doe If they see therefore that the sicke party is like to die let them not dissemble but louingly and discreetly admonish him of his weakenesse and to prepare for eternall life One houre well spent when a mans life is almost out-spent may gaine a man the assurance of eternal life Sooth him not vvith the vaine hope of this life least thou betray his soule to eternall death Admonish him plainely of his estate and aske
before God Rom. 4.9.17.23 21 That Christs flesh was made of the Seede of Dauid by Incarnation not of a wafer-cake by Transubstantiation Rom. 1.3 22 That all true Christians are Saints and not those whom the Pope onely doth canonize Rom. 1.7 Rom. 8.27 Rom. 15.31 Rom. 16.2 and 15. Rom. 15.25 c. 23 That Ipse Christ the God of Peace and not Ipsâ— the Woman should bruise the Serpents head Rom. 16.20 24 That euery Soule must of conscience be subiect and pay Tribute to the Higher Powers that is the Magistrates which beare the sword Rom. 13 1.2 c. and therefore the Pope and all Prelates must be subiect to their Emperour Kings Magistrates vnlesse they will bring damnation vpon their Soules as Traitors that resist God and his Ordinance Rom. 13.2 25 That Paul not Peter vvas ordayned by the grace of God to be the chiefe Apostle of the Gentiles and consequently of Rome the chiefe Citie of the Gentiles Rom. 15.15.16.19.20 c. Rom. 11.13 Rom. 16.4 26 That the Church of Rome may erre and fall away from the true Faith as well as the Church of Ierusalem or any other particular Church Rom. 11.20.21.22 And seeing the new vpstart Church of Rome teacheth in all these and in innumerable other points cleane contrary to that which the Apostles taught the Primitiue Romanes let GOD and this Epistle iudge betwixt them and vs whether of vs both standâ— in the true auncient Catholike Faith which the Apostle taught the old Romanes And whether wee haue not done well to depart from them so farre as they haue departed from the Apostles doctrine and whether it be not better to returne to S. Pauls truth then still to continue in Romes error And if this be true then let Iesuites and Seminary Priests take heede and feare least it be not faith but faction not truth but treason not religion but rebellion beginning at Tyber and ending at Tyburne vvhich is the cause of their deaths And being sent from a troublesome Apostaticall See rather then from a peaceable Apostolicall Seate because they cannot be suffered to perswade Subiect to breake their Oathes and to with-draw their Alleageance from their Soueraigne to raise rebellion to moue inuasion to stab and poyson Queenes to kill and murther Kings to blow vp whole States with Gun-powder they desperately cast away their owne bodies to be hanged and quartered and their soules saued if they belong to GOD I wish such honour to all his Saints that sends them And I haue iust cause to feare that the miracles of Lypsius two Ladyes Bluntstones Boy Garnets Straw and the Maides fiery Apron will not suffice to cleare that these men are not murtherers of themselues rather then Martyrs of Christ. And with what Conscience can any Papist count Garnet a Martyr vvhen his owne Conscience forced him to confesse that it was for treason and not for Religion that hee dyed But if the Priests of such a Gun-powder Gospell be Martyrs I maruell who are Murtherers If they be Saints who are Scythians and who are Canibals if they be Catholikes But leauing these let vs to whose fidelitie the Lord hath committed his true faith as a precious depositâ—â— pray vnto GOD that vvee may leade a holy life answerable to our holy Faith in Pietie to Christ and obedience to our King that if our Sauiour shall euer count vs worthy that honour to suffer martyrdome for his Gospels sake be it by open burning at the Stake as in Queene Maries dayes or by secret murthering as in the Inquisition house or by outragious massacring as in the Parrisian Matâ—ens we may haue Grace to pray for the assistance of his holy Spirit so to strengthen our frailty and to defend his cause as that vvee may seale vvith our deaths the Euangelicall truth which wee haue professed in our liues That in the dayes of our liues we may be blessed by his Word In the day of death be blessed in the Lord and in the day of Iudgement be the blessed of his Father Euen so grant Lord IESVS Amen A diuine Colloquie betweene the Soule and her Sauiour concerning the effectuall merits of his dolorous passion Soule LORD wherefore didst thou wash thy Disciples feet Chr. To teach thee how thou shouldest prepare thy selfe to come to my Supper S. Lord why wouldest thou wash them thy selfe C. To teach thee Humilitie if thou wilt be my Disciple S. Lord wherefore didst thou before thy death institute thy last Supper C. That thou mightest the better remember my death and be assured that all the merits thereof are thine S. Lord wherfore wouldest thou goe tâ— such a place where Iudas knew to finde thee C. That thou mightest know that I went as willingly to suffer for thy sinne as euer thou went est to any place to commit a sinne S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou beginne thy Passion in a Garden C. Because that in a Garden thy sinne tooke first beginning S. Lord wherefore did thy three select Disciples fall so fast a sleepe when thou beganst to fall into thy agony C. To shew that I alone wrought the worke of thy Redemption S. Lord why were there so many plots and snares layed for thee C. That I might make thee to escape all the snares of thy ghostly hunter S. Lord why wouldest thou suffer Iudas betraying thee to kisse thee C. That by enduring the words of dissembling lips I might there begin to expiate sin where Satan first brought it into the world S. Lord why wouldest thou be sold for 30. peeces of siluer C. That I might free thee from perpetuall bondage S. Lord why didst thou pray with such strong crying and teares C. That I might quench the furie of Gods iustice which was so fiercely kindled against thee S. Lord why wast thou so afraid and cast into such an agony C. That suffering the wrath due to thy sinnes thou mightest be more secure in thy death and finde more comfort in thy crosses S. Lord wherefore didst thou pray so oft and so earnest that the Cup might passe from thee C. That thou mightest perceiue the horror of that curse and wrath which being due to thy sinnes I was then to drinke and endure for thee S. Lord wherefore didst thou after thy wish submit thy will to the will of thy father C. To teach thee what thou shouldest doe in all thy afflictions and how willingly thou shouldest yeeld to beare with patience that crosse which thou seest to come from the iust hand of thy heauenly Father S. Lord wherefore diddest thou sweat such drops of water and bloud C. That I might cleanse thee from thy staines and bloudy spots S. Lord why wouldest thou be taken when thou mightest haue escaped thine enemies C. That thy spirituall enemies should not take thee and cast thee into the
prison of vtter darkenesse S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be forsaken of all thy Disciples C. That I might reconcile thee vnto God of whom thou wast forsaken for thy sinnes S. Lord wherfore wouldest thou stand to be apprehended alone C. To shew thee that my loue of thy saluation was more then the loue of all my Disciples S. Lord wherefore was the young man caught by the Souldiers and onstript of his linnen who came out of his bed hearing the stir at thy apprehension and leading to the high Priest C. To shew their outrage in apprehending me and my power in preseruing out of their outragious hands all my Disciples who otherwise had been worse handled by them then was that young man S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be bound C. That I might lose the cordes of thine iniquities S. Lord why wast thou denied of Peter C. That I might confesse thee before my Father and thou mightest learne that there is no trust in man and that Saluation proceedes of my meere mercy S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou bring Peter to repentance by the crowing of a cocke C. That none should despise the meanes which God hath appointed for their conuersion though they seeme neuer so meane S. Lord wherefore diddest thou at the Cock-crowing turne and looke vpon Peter C. Because thou mightest know that without the helpe of my grace no meanes can turne a sinner vnto God when he is once falne from him S. Lord wherefore wast thou couered with a purple roabe C. That thou mightest perceiue that it was I that did away thy Scarlet sinnes S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be crowned with thornes C. That by wearing thorns the first fruits of the curse it might appeare that it is I which takes away the sinnes and curse of the world and crownes thee vvith the crowne of life and glory S. Lord why was a Reede put into thine hand C. That it might appeare that I came not to breake the brused Reede S. Lord wherefore wast thou mocked of the Iewes C. That thou mightest insult ouer Diuels who otherwise would haue mocked thee as the Philistims did Sampson S. Lord wherfore wouldest thou haue thy blessed face defiled with spittle C. That I might clense thy face from the shame of sinne S. Wherfore Lord were thine eyes hood-winkt with a vaile C. That thy spiritual blindnesse being remoued thou mightest behold the face of my Father in heauen S. Lord wherefore did they bâ—ffet thee with fists and beat thee with staues C. That thou mightest be freed from the stroakes and tearings of infernall fiends S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be reuiled C. That God might speake peace vnto thee by his word and spirit S. Lord wherefore was thy face disfigured with blowes and bloud C. That thy face might shine glorious as the Angels in heauen S. Lord wherefore wouldst thou be so cruelly scourged C. That thou mightest be freed from the sting of conscience and whips of euerlasting torments S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be arraigned at Pilats barre C. That thou mightest at the last day be acquited before my iudgement seat S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be falsly accused C. That thou shouldest not he iustly condemned S. Lord wherefore wast thou turned ouer to be condemned by a strâ—nge Iudge C. That thou being redeemed from the captiuity of a hellish Tyrant mightest bee restored to God whose owne thou arâ— by right S. Wherefore O Christ didst thou acknowledge that Pilate had power ouer thee from aboue C. That Antichrist vnder pretence of being my Vicar should not exalt himselfe aboue all Principalities and Powers S. Lord why wouldest thou suffer thy passion vnder Pontius Pilate being a Romane President to Caesar of Rome C. To shew that the Caesarian and â—ontifician policie of Rome should chiefely persecute my Church and crucifie me in my members S. But why O Lord wouldest thou be condemned C. That the law being condemned in me thou mightest not be condemned by it S. But why wast thou condemned seeing nothing could be proâ—ed against thee C. That thou mightest know that it was not for my fault but for thine that I suffered S. Lord wherefore wast thou led to suffer out of the City C. That I might bring thee to rest in the heauenly Citie S. Lord why did the Iewes compell Simon of Cyrene comming out of the field to carrie thy Crosse. C. To shew the weakâ—nesse whereunto the burthen of thy sinnes brought me and what must be euery Christans case which goeth out of the field of this world toward the heauenly Ierusalem S. Lord why wast thou vnstripped of thy garments C. That thou mightest see how I forsooke all to redeeme thee S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be lift vp vpon a Crosse C. That I might lift thee vp with me to heauen S. Lord wherefore diddest thou hang vpon a cursed tree C. That I might satisfie for the sin committed in eating the forbidden fruit of a tree S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou hang betweene two theeues C. That thou my deare soule mightest haue place in the midst of heauenly Angels S. Lord wherefore were thy hands and feete nayled to the Crosse C. To enlarge thy hands to doe the workes of righteousnesse and to set thy feete at libertie to walke in the wayes of peace S. Lord wherefore did they crucifie thee in Golgotha the place of dead mens souls C. To assure thee that my death is life vnto the dead S. Lord why did 〈◊〉 the Souldiers diuide thy seamelesse coate C. To shew that my church is one vvithout rent of Schisme S. Lord wherefore didst thou taste vinegar and gall C. That thou mightest eate the bread of Angels and drinke the water of life S. Lord why saidst thou vpon the Crosse It is finished C. That thou mightest know that by my death the Law was fulfilled and thy redemption effected S. Lord why didst thou cry out vpon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me C. Least thou being forsaken of God shouldest haue beene driuen to cry in the paines of hell Woe and alas for euermore S. Lord wherefore was there such a 〈◊〉 darknesse when thou didst suffer and cry out â—n the Crosse C. That thou mightest see an Image of those Hellish pâ—inâ—â— which I 〈…〉 deliuer thee from 〈◊〉 lesse paines of Hell and euerlasting chaines of darknesse S. Lord why wouldest thou haue thin◠〈…〉 bread C. That I might embrace thee more louingly my sweet soule S. Loâ—d how 〈◊〉 thâ— theefe that neuer wrought good before obtaine Paradise vpon so short repentance C. That thou maist see the power of my death to forgiue them that repent that no sinner needs despaire S. Lord why did not the other
Theefe which hanged as neere thee obtaine the like mercy C. Because I leaue whom I will to harden themselues in their lewdnesse to destruction that all should feare and none presume S. Lord wherefore didst thou cry with such a loud and strong voyce in yeelding vp the ghost C. That it might appeare that no man tooke my life from me but that I laid it downe of my selfe S. Lord wherefore didst thou commend thy Soule into thy Fathers hands C. To teach thee vvhat thou shouldest doe being to depart this life S. Lord wherefore did the vaile of the Temple rend in twaine at thy death C. To shew that the Leuiticall Law should be no longer a partition-wall betweene Iewes and Gentiles and that the way to Heauen is now open to all beleeuers S. Lord wherefore did the Earth quake and the Stones cleaue at thy death C. For horror to beare her Lord dying and to vpbraid the cruell hardnesse of sinners hearts S. Lord wherefore did not the Souldiers breake thy Legs as they did the Theeues who hanged at thy right and left hand C. That thou mightest know that they had not power to doe any more vnto mee then the Scripture had fore-tolde that they should doe and I should suffer to saue thee S. Lord wherefore was thy side opened with a Speare C. That thou mightest haue a way to come neerer my heart S. Lord wherefore ranne there out of thy pierced side bloud and water C. To assure thee that I was slaine in deede seeing my heart-bloud gushed out and the water which compassed my heart flowed forth after it which once spilt man must needes dye S. Lord wherefore ranne the bloud first by it selfe and the water afterwards by it selfe out of thy blessed wound C. To assure thee of two things first that by my Blood shedding Iustification and Sanctification were effected to saue thee secondly that my Spirit by the conscionable vse of the Water in Baptisme and bloud of the Eucharist will effect in thee righteousnesse and holinesse by which thou shalt glorifie mee S. Lord wherefore did the graues open at thy death C. To signifie that Death by my death had now receiued his deaths wound and was ouercome S. Lord wherefore wouldst thou be buried C. That thy sinnes might neuer rise vp in Iudgement against thee S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be buryed by two such honourable Senators as Nichodemus and Ioseph of Aâ—imathia C. That the truth of my death the cause of thy life might more euidently appeare vnto all S. Lord wherefore wast thou buryed in a new sepulchre wherein was neuer man laid before C. That it might appeare that I and not another arose that by mine owne power not by anothers vertue like him vvho reuiued at the touching of Elishaes bones S. Lord wherefore didst thou raise vp thy body againe C. That thou maist be assured that thy sins are discharged that thou art iustified S. Lord wherefore did so many bodies of thy Saints which slept arise at thy Resurrection C. To giue an assurance that all the Saints shall arise by the vertue of my Resurrection at the last day S. Lord what shall I render vnto thee for all these benefits C. Loue thy Creator and become a new creature The Soules Soliloquie rauished in contemplating the Passions of her Lord. WHat hadst thou done ô my sweete Sauiour and ayâ—-blessed Redeemer that thou wast thus betrayed of Iudas sold to the Iewes apprehended as a Malefactor and led bound as a Lambe to the slaughter What euill hadst thou committed that thou shouldest be thus openly arraigned accused falsly and vniustly condemned before Annas and Caiaphas the Iewish Priests at the Iudgement-Seate of Pilate the Romane President What was thine offence or to vvhom didst thou euer wrong that thou shouldest be thus pittifully scourged with whips crowned vvith thornes scoffed with flouts reuiled with words buffeted with fists and beaten with staues O Lord what didst thou deserue to haue thy blessed face spat vpon and couered as it were with shame to haue thy garments parted thy hands and feete nailed to the Crosse to be lifted vp vpon the cursed Tree to be crucified among Theeues and made to taste gall and vineger and in thy deadly extremitie to endure such a sea of Gods wrath that made thee to cry out as if thou hadst beene forsaken of God thy Father yea to haue thy innocent heart pierced with a cruell Speare and thy precious bloud to be spilt out before thy blessed Mothers eyes Sweet Sauiour how much vvast thou tormented to endure all this seeing I am so much amazed but to thinke vpon it I enquire for thine offence but I can finde none in thee No not so much as guile to haue beene found in thy Mouth Thine enemies are challenged and none of them dare rebuke thee of sinne thine accusers that are suborned agree not in their witnesse the Iudge that condemnes thee openly cleareth thine Innocencie his Wife sends him word that shee was warned in a dreame that thou wast a iust man and therefore should take heede of doing iniustice vnto thee The Centurion that executes thee confesseth thee of a truth to be both a iust man and the very Sonne of God The theefe that hanged with thee iustifieth thee that thou hast done nothing amisse What is the cause then O LORD of this thy cruell Ignominie Passion and Death I O Lord I am the cause of these thy sorrowes my sinnes wrought thy shame mine iniquities are the occasion of thy iniuries I haue committed the fault and thou art plagued for the offence I am guiltie and thou art arraigned I committed the sinne and thou sufferedst the death I haue done the crime and thou hangest on the Crosse. Oh the deepenesse of Gods loue Oh the the wonderfull disposition of heauenly grace Oh the vnmeasurable measure of diuine mercy The wicked transgresseth and the iust is punished the guilty is let scape and the innocent is arraigned the malefactor is acquitted and the harmelesse condemned what the euill man deserueth the good man suffereth the seruant doth the fault the Master endures the stroakes What shall I say Man sinneth and God dieth O Son of God! Who can sufficiently expresse thy loue or commend thy piety or extoll thy praise I was proud and thou art humbled I was disobedient and thou becammest obedient I did eat the forbidden fruit and thou didst hang on the cursed tree I played the glutton and thou diddest fast euill concupiscence drew me to eate the pleasant apple and perfect charity led thee to drinke of the bitter cup I assaied the sweetnesse of the fruit and thou diddest taste the bitternesse of the gall Foolish Eue smiled when I laughed but blessed Mary wept when thy heart bled and dyed O my God heere I see thy goodnesse and my