cups and sing Scoff laugh deride your Preachers now Care not for Christ your King You worldlings call upon your gods See what your Gold can do Ye proud ambitious of the earth Judg whether Gospel's true Fear not you humble holy Saints This is your Marriage-day Your night is past your tears dri'd up Your sorrows fled away This day you heard of and believ'd At it your hearts did melt This wrath now come you beg'd to ' scape Whilest on the earth you dwelt Third Part. Lord I astonisht stand to think What brightness will thy face That day put on when thou thy self To mortals wilt uncase How will the bleeding mangled Christ On earth that seem'd so poor Outshine the Sun and put it out For it shall shine no more Then to the wicked he shall say See him whom you have pierce't It 's I whom you did scorn to fear And bid me do my worst You sin'd yet would not bow your knee Though I you pardon could You would go on and have your way Though th' danger you were told I must not rule you you had got A better Lord than I I cri'd I call'd but you were deaf Why sinners will you die How long did I your leisure wait With hope you might repent Ah sinners now it is too late My patience is quite spent You hope 't to find a Lamb your Judg And of my love to share You shall me find a Lion now That can in pieces tare Go cursed cursed from my sight I 'le never see you more I would have wip't off all your debts Now you shall pay the score Ye Angels that attend my will Bind them in chains about Now cast them in the dreadful gulf They never shall come out Loaded with sins now get you hence Sink deep sink deep in flames Torments seize on your trembling joints I ever be free from pains Blow blow thou wrathful breath of God That kindlest Tophets fires Ye worms of conscience catch your hold Bite hard and never tire You poys'nous curled snakes arise Out of the sulphur'd Lake Torment them ever with your smells Their lives yet never take Bear witness sinners I your Judg Am free from cruelty I would have sav'd you from this death You rather chose to die Now you would leave your loved sins Have me at any rate Leave pride and drink and gold and life Ah! now it is too late Lord hear a trembling sinner cry While I on earth do dwell I thee will love and fear and serve Free me but from this Hell Oh! when I die grant me this wish That I thy face but see Gold honour pleasures here on earth I will forsake for thee HYMN VIII WHat if my Chests were cram'd with Gold My Chariots stood at Gate What if a thousand servants did Upon my pleasure wait What if my House a Palace were Its walls with Rubies shone My Chambers costly Tissue wore In-laid with Diamond-stone What if my Bed were cloath'd with Gold Befring'd with Pearls most bright What if some clouds of ruffled Silks Were Curtains for my light What if I drank the sp'rits of Pearl Eat of all sowls beasts fishes What if each day these were serv'd up In massie golden dishes What if I had espoused one So wise so good so fair That both in soul and shape she might With Angels well compare What if my numerous off-spring were Of Wits deeply profound Their outward carriage state did bear Yet all with meekness crown'd What if for one whole thousand years Our youth a spring-tide had What if that while no pains we knew That ever made us sad Yet ah my soul this thread of life At length would fret away A dark and sullen cloudy night Would rise upon our day This long-liv'd candle at the last Would to her socket burn Her flame would struggle for a life And then to smoke would turn My soul chuse rather to live well How long it matters not He that lives ill while he hath liv'd Hath done he knows not what Thou maist live well without this wealth Be good without this state Please but thy God and thou wilt think Thy death will come too late HYMN IX 53 Chap. of Isaiah Translated WHO hath believed our report Who hath the Lords arm seen When he his Son sends to the world By blood it to redeem He must spring up before his face As a most tender plant Out of dry ground he must shoot up Yet seem all form to want When one his visage shall behold He nothing there shall see Of that alluring beauty which May well desired be Men him despise and shall reject Add sorrows to his grief Of him asham'd they hide themselves So give him no relief Yet certainly he only was The man our griefs that bore But we thought he was smitt'n of God So paid but his own score For our transgressions he had wounds And for our sins was bruised By his chastisements we had peace For our health stripes he chused All we like sheep have gone astray And turn'd from God each one But God all our iniquities Hath laid on him alone He was afflicted and opprest Yet moved not his tongue Lay like a lamb when to be kill'd By butchers laid along From darksome prison he was took Who shall declare his birth For th' peoples sins he smitten was And cut off from the earth With wicked men he found a death Among the rich a tomb Because for ill nor done nor said He had receiv'd his doom Yet did it please the Lord to bruise And put him for to bleed Therefore he shall prolong his days And after see his seed Therefore the pleasure of the Lord Shall prosper in his hand The travel of his soul shall see His children at command By his knowledg my righteous Son Shall many justifie For he by suffering shall bear All their iniquity Therefore I him a portion With the great will divide Because to death his soul he pour'd His Kingdom shall be wide HYMN X. A Consolatory against the fears of Death THOU tyrant Death look not so stern Think not me to affright The giddy tumult thou maist awe With thy unconquer'd might I wear di'd in a Saviours blood A scarlet robe about Strike where thou wilt thy Serpents sting This robe shall fetch it out Were I to die but like a beast I think my heart would break But now I know my soul survives To fear it were but weak Were it not baseness for to think Of Saints souls though the least That after death they did enjoy No more than a poor beast If then I shall as joyful be And happier every way Than I am here why should I fear To bid that world good day But Oh! the fainting-fits and pains That I must needs go through Why what of that they 'r quickly o're Then what needs such ado They are not past some fourteen days Diseases come to height Be patient but for that small time Bid sorrows then
although Men's wanton fancies would not have it so But by God's Post attempt to set their own As if that were too weak to stand alone 'T was not Event but Duty which his Eye Fixt as the measure to be guided by His Courage in this warfare was so great Nothing could ever force him to retreat But still he kept his ground as who should say If I lose that I also lose the day Therefore let Enemies do what they can My fear of God hath drown'd the fear of Man Thus did he sow in tears till now at last To him this low'ring stormy season 's past And his full sheaves of Glory make amends For light afflictions with what far transcends He liv'd belov'd and dy'd bewail'd and such Wh ' enjoy'd him most enjoy'd him not too much His Body's Earthen-vessel henceforth must Be laid up silent in its native dust Until that matter when the Trump shall sound Start with another form out of the ground He walks in his uprightness but the sense Of this his sleep should make our Diligence That when with Christ the Judg among the train Of Saints and Angels he shall come again Then in that General Assembly we May sing these Sion-songs eternally S. O. Not worthy to unloose The Latchet of his Shooes To the Reader on the Picture and Book HERE you may see some Lines of Wadsworth's face More of his thinking pow'r sublim'd by Grace His Sacramental thoughts in Prose are sweet His Sermons lively Fancies walk on feet His Letters great affections shew'd when young Yet all fall short of Wadsworth's Pulpit-Tongue A Pathetical Meditation on the Passion of Christ to be read by Communicants before their reception of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper Quest WHat is the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper Ans It consists of two visible signs Bread and Wine which by the Lords appointment was to represent to the receiver his bloody death that so his Disciples may keep it fresh in their memories Q. But is it only to remember that there was a Christ and that he was crucified and no more Ans Experience tells us that such a bare remembrance as that doth little move upon the heart and upon the affections and so will do little or no good It is not the remembrance of any mans death that doth of it self affect me but as I consider him as a father or as a husband or as a friend with many other expressions of his love to me when living this will exceedingly work upon the heart so as to cause sorrow and grief and the like Quest What is it then that I must call to mind when I think upon a bleeding and dying Christ so as to affect my heart Answ The cruel and bloody nature of his Death here you may consider the whole story of his Arraignment his being betrayed by his own Apostle his being spit upon and crowned with thorns his being mocked and jeered by putting a reed into his hand instead of a scepter afterwards his bearing of a Cross and his being nailed to it in his hands and feet after that his being pierced through with a spear this Mat. 27. will fully acquaint you with Secondly the causes of his Death it was no natural disease neither was it for any evil done of his own but for us He bore our iniquities upon the cross Thirdly the effects of his death which was to obtain power of his Father to conquer the Devil and pull us out of his hands to break our hearts and to conquer us to himself to pardon our sins and to give unto us eternal life with himself in glory and this upon our faith and sincere repentance Now from all these things are your Meditations to be raised before you come to the Sacrament and when you are receiving of it An Example of Meditation I have here set you down as followeth Away these wanton wandering worldly thoughts you are clogs to my soul Away all trifling worldly business I cannot now attend your call my heart hath now something else to do Adieu my Friends farewell my Husband Wife and Child I must go see my bleeding Lord that 's dearer to me than you all Come now my soul thou art alone thou knowest the way make hast and speed look yonder see how the people flock cross but this vale and climb but up this Mount thou wilt soon arrive at bloody Golgotha where thou shalt see thy bleeding and dying Saviour to sigh and linger out a dying life on the Cross in love for thee This this might Oh my soul have been thy day and thou might'st have been the prisoner this I say might have been the day in which thou might'st have drunk the bitter cup of the fierce anger of God But look yonder there he goes that must drink up the dregs and all for thee Look again there he goes that must lay down his life that thou maist be reprieved But come my soul draw up a little nearer thou canst not see him well at so great a distance stand here and thou wilt see him passing look there he goes with a train of Virgins following But see how cruelly these barbarous Jews do use him they make him bear his Cross himself and press his wearied fainting limbs above his strength see how they laugh and scoff and wag their heads as if he were their May-game Methinks my heart boils up with rage to see these cruelties revenged Oh! how could the blessed God forbear to see his blessed Son thus wronged Why did he not send twelve Legions of Angels for his rescue Why doth he not send down fire from Heaven upon the heads of these his Sons enemies and so consume them But stay my foelish heart thou knowest not what spirit thou art of this debt was owing and it must be paid God requires so much and it must be given or thou canst not be saved Thy Lord did know this well enough for this he came from Heaven and committed himself to the rage of men he knew he must endure all these revilings and doth it grieve thy soul to see him thus abased Stay but a while and thou shalt see him more look up my soul come tell me what thou seest Oh I cannot sorrow tyes my tougue I cannot speak I see and hear those things that I want a power to utter I see a troop of Virgins following him their weeping eyes their blubbering lips their sighs and throbbings speak them mourners I see my Lord looks towards them and kindly chides their loving sorrow Why weep ye Oh ye Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me My Lord what need was there for that question Should not they weep when thou must bleed Would not their eyes have been flints if that then they should not drop tears for thee when as thou wert about to pour out thy life and blood for them Ah! could they chuse or do less then weep to see thine innocent self among a herd of Tygers what should
good night What must be suffer'd why is' t fear'd I can't my life defend Fear or not fear it 's all a case My life must have an end Death comes why let it why should I Plead priviledg from what My God hath pointed out for all It must be then my lot He lent me to my self a while My lent-out life recalls What is his own he may demand He wrongs me not at all Why should I tremble at the grave Alas it is not Hell Why should not I thank God and die That it 's not worse it 's well Art thou new-born then thou hast felt The pains of death to lust They 'r greater than those thou wilt feel Which brings thee to the dust To leave a sin to wicked men Doth far more torment bring Than shame than beggery or death Or any other thing Think how the wicked go to hell How careless do they die Shalt thou less fear it than they do Though thou must fore on high Think that thy grave were but thy bed That God thee there did keep That when that dying thou wert but A falling fast asleep Think what a quiet undisturb'd Repose thou there shalt take That God when thou hast slept enough Himself will thee awake Think that thy Lord and Saviour In this cold bed did lie Wilt thou not with him lay thy self What love him and deny Think that a thousand thousand Saints Have hither crept for rest Have long'd and hop'd to be dissolv'd All counting it the best Think what 's this world that thou must leave It is not Paradise A hell of torment sin shame grief A cinque of filthy vice Where lust and pride do sit and reign Grace goodness subjects are If thou art good thou maist go pack That 's all the world doth care How often their ungodly lives Have vext thy soul but think Their selling Heaven for a lust For dross a cup of drink It 's true thou maist them contradict But what get'st thou by that They curse thee wish thee in some pit Where thou maist lye and rot Thou say'st there 's good as well as bad That thou must leave behind If good men make thee will to stay Above thou'lt better find The best on earth are bitter-sweet Weaknesses have their stings They can thee hurt and will sometimes Till God to Heaven them brings Thou say'st if God the shepherd smite The sheep will scatter'd be If they were safe it matters not What did become of thee Thou fool God will them bless or curse If curse thou must not live But if for them he blessings hath Better than thee he 'l give I come then Oh ye Heavenly host Of Angels take me up I 've broke my fast with grace on earth With you above I 'le sup I come my Father and my God! Now to thy self me take Through my Lords wounds I hope for love Oh love me for his sake HYMN XI Comfortable at the death of a dear friend DRY up thy eyes and let thy looks Again seem fair and clear Let not those briny staining streams Thy blubber'd cheeks besmear Who knows not man was made to die Can tears blur the decree Or spunge it out those Heavenly rowls What God wills that must be Was he not made of dust that 's dead Can dust for ever last What wonder is it then to see That dust on dust is cast Hath not the wisest God all things Made subject unto change Why should he thee or thine except Is not thy folly strange Why his departure thus bemoan'd He paid but nature's score He me not leaves I follow him He 's only rid before It 's God commanded him away 'T was he that gave him thee Is it not reason more than thou the Giver pleased be Thou say'st no sorrows like to mine None e're lost such a friend How many thousands say the like Complaints will ne'r have end Nay think how far others in grief Have cause thee to exceed Thou ' st lost a friend but they a child Thou weep'st but they do bleed Is thine a child their is a wife Or else some dead husband But if this last be thine own case Think his is worse that 's damn'd Look round and view that num'rous heap Of houses that do stand Tell me the house that hath not mourn'd By strokes giv'n by deaths hand Go round about the Royal Tombs Number the Queens and Kings How oft have Palaces worn Black By wounds made by Deaths stings Or think how many mourners thou hast cheered up before Let the same reasons on thee move That thy heart grieve no more Or think of him as ne'r been born Or born not known to thee He might have di'd a thousand times 'T would ne'r have troubled thee But did thy life and livelihood On him alone depend For shame do not forget thy God Who meat to Ravens sends But ah alas he lov'd me more Than all the world beside Ah! take thou care in saying so Thy God he be'nt be-li'd But Oh the friend of my bosom He cannot be forgot But fool didst think he could not die What did thy mind besot Play not the child my grown-up soul Many spectators gaze At thy-high spirit under grief Soul-weakness will amaze Think thy employment calls aloud To lay aside complaints Think that thy Friends thy Country Church Cry to thee as in wants Or else look up unto thy God In whom contentment lyes His heating brightness will dry up All tears from out thine eyes If all the reasons I have us'd Will nothing move thy heart Then take thy course I only wish Thy cure be wrought by smart HYMN XII Of Thanksgiving for the restoration of Health ' THE God of Heav'n is but one To him alone I pray To him in straits I made my vows Which now in health I 'le pay My God is light life help hearts ease Physician Nurse and Friend Himself was the best Physick I Could take to make me mend For sin me weakness did confine Within my Chamber-walls In prison as with Iron-bolts My limbs were sore with gauls My bones were all as out of joint My sinews lax and loose Each member was so feebly hung As if 't had lost its use All elements did seem to strive To raise my misery They would have surely me orewhelm'd But that my God was by My trembling skin my chattering teeth The shiverings of my bones My shoulders shrugging up with cold Thus sadly made their moans As if all hail and snow and rain Their coldnesses had lent To some night-stormy blustring winds My body to torment I was like weary pilgrim that All night in forest lies While rain and snow and chilling winds Do pinch him till he dies But my good God! those nipping blasts Screen'd off me with his palm He sweetly rockt me fast asleep So they did me no harm The freezing air now thaw'd I thought Me safe but was deceiv'd For straight a watry vapour rose As much my body griev'd Each
of his Father but March 25. 1672 he follow'd his Mother Upon the loss of him then his only child whom he greatly affected his mournful but religious Father set a fair copy to others of much Christian patience and submission to thei will of God He had staid three years a Widower from the death of his second and then Decemb 14. 1670 took to his third Wife with the good liking of her Parents Anna sole Daughter to Colonel Henry Markham one of an ancient Family and a Gentleman of his Majesties Privy Chamber By whom he had first Anna then Hester afterwards Thomas and lastly Nathaniel all these four he left alive but this last Son when he was about a year and an half old departed this life to go and rest with his Father gone about a twelve-month before LIV. It seems this famous servant of Christ was in Decemb. 1672 well nigh four years before his death by some illness at Theobalds admonisht of his frailty and being come to London as to preach his usual course so also to advise with a Physician for his health upon those symptoms were then upon him during which time in his house at Pickle-Herring he was suddenly surpriz'd with a kind of fainting fit that occasion'd some failure of spirits and sweatings which did a little startle him Hereupon by and by he call'd for a Candle went up stairs and retir'd himself into a private room not permitting either his Wife or Sister then to accompany him but addrest himself to God alone as one summon'd by him it might be shortly to appear before him Then after a while return'd to his dear Wife c. upon his coming down they observ'd an admirable raisedness of spirit in him who then greatly blessed God for a cold sweat and a trembling pulse which had occasion'd him to look more narrowly within where finding all well to his great comfort he behav'd himself as one that was not afraid then of an arrest to Judgment We find him indeed in his Memorials upon a former sickness from March 6th till the 16th recording I was cast into a fit of sickness God brought me into a wilderness but spake kindly to me He afflicted me but for a moment About a week after he adds I was exceeding well much melted having an eye open'd to see God in prayer by faith as if I spoke to any of my familiars This humble confidence of going to God as his Father was rais'd as he elsewhere where notes from discoveries of mortification and purity in heart And besides this he lays it down afterwards That Nothing speaks Adoption fuller than the discoveries of Gods love either to the answering thy prayers with reference to mortification and strength in grace or comfort Joh. 15.15 And adds The readiest way to come to spiritual disveries of the Mystery of the Gospel-promise is to do the commands of God Joh. 7.17 He was a sincere doer of Gods will and such God heareth LV. When in perfect health he would be thoughtful of changes and therefore would often pray that God would prepare him and his for sickness death and parting About half a year before his last sickness when he had exceeding sharp pain he said He would not have been without it to have been without those joys he felt by it Being resolv'd to leave his more expensive habitation at Theobalds to live in Southwark nearer to his old charge It seems the Family and Friends talking somewhat cheerfully of their removal his Eldest Daughter Anna then a Child betwixt four and five years old said unexpectedly What if my Father should go to London and die He was so apprehensive of a dying hour that he said after His Girl whom he had a great love for was a true Prophetess 'T was about three weeks and odd days before he died that he came to his house at Pickle Herring Stairs having preacht the first of those two last Sermons published on the eighth of October and the last on the 15th 1676. The next day following he was chearful in the morning but then afterwards that day his pains came upon him he possessed his own soul in more than ordinary patience And was not willing to confult a Doctor till the 24th after a week of extream pain night and day then with great importunity he was prevail'd with to send for one in great reputation for skill and practise Who conceiv'd at the first visit that it was the Stone not questioning at all but that he would do well notwithstanding This was on the Tuesday Octob. 24th That night after he slept well whereupon with a thankful heart to God he told some of his friends how he had been carried through Saying I am like a man who had gone over a precipice and looking back trembled to see the danger he had past through For saith he when I was in pain God supported me and now I stand amaz'd how I got through it He indeed did use often to say when he had seen others in great pain he was afraid of dying i. e. of the antecedent pains he might pass through but he was not afraid of being dead He knew full well that Death which was the dissolution of his soul and body would only open the passage to his soul to be for ever with the Lord. LVI On Wednesday 25th he rose pretty cheerful and spent some time in reading but after dinner his pains return'd again when he began to complain of sin saying Ah! vile sinner God is carrying me back again into the Wilderness to afflict me expressing some sorrow of heart but without any murmurring Then he bid his Wife to read the 88 Psalm by that time she had done Justice Reading and some other friends came to visit and condole with him Afterwards about seven of the Clock that night came in his second Wifes Brother Mr. W. Gibb's going for Bristol the next morning and his dear Wife Mrs. Sarah Gibbs who greatly respected and dearly loved this choice Servant of the Lord she indeed was a gracious Woman of a most sweet temper a choice one of his dear flock who since went to rest with him her faithful Pastor in glory Jan. 27. 1679 These were discoursing about his taking a Countrey-house nearer to London than Theobalds To which he replyed with much composure of spirit Yea God will provide me a Countrey meaning an Heavenly one Then his former Wifes Son Thomas Sharp 〈◊〉 about to go to Sea and come into the room He told him It was not likely they two should meet again here Whereupon he gave him with tears a most Pathetical Exhortation to mind his souls spiritual and eternal welfare and to serve God holily righteously and soberly in this present world which shew'd his great and conscientious solicitude for the real happiness of this young man committed to his charge The night after his great pains did again return with much acuteness And LVII On Thursday morning 26th he had sharp pains
sentence thou canst not send me into worser than flames or punish me longer than everlastingly Christ answers Oh how my bowels turn this sinner knows not what is in my heart he thinks I am his enemy Sinner shake off thy fears and wipe thine eyes thou shalt not die The Sinner speaks again Oh thou glorious God or Angel or I know not what to call thee do not delude or deride a poor Caitiff wretch in the midst of misery Why wilt thou raise me to such a pinacle of hope to cast me down and make my fall the greater My Judg hath passed the sentence I must die and who can reverse the doom Ah! I must go see my prison-door wide open the smoke and flashes come to meet my despairing soul half way Christ speaks And now my heart begins to break my love can keep no longer in how causelesly doth this wretch torment his heart he knows not who I am I must reveal my self Sinner I love thee I say thou shalt not die Come feel my heart and pulses how they beat and tell how strong my love within doth act them Dost thou not see I have left my Throne and am come down to the Bar where thou standest condemned But why dost thou weep Come let me wipe thine eyes and bind up thy bleeding and despairing heart I tell thee thou shalt not die If Heaven will have blood it shall have mine so it will but spare thine Sinner if thou knewest who I am thou wouldst not doubt one tittle I tell thee I am his Son his only Son that but now condemned thee I know he is just and justice must be fatisfied But do not thou fear if one of us must die it shall be I I will pour out my blood a sacrifice for sin and appease his wrath and make you friends again Ye innumerable company of Angels yet servants at my Fathers will why do ye rejoice to see my prisoner sent to Hell this cursed soul over whom in glory you do now triumph I do resolve to die for and to buy her to my self a Spouse and to make her blessed with your selves and give her a Princess's place on a Throne that is by my self Sinner speaks Is this a dream or am I waking the goodness greatness glory of this sudden unexpected blessed change tempts me to doubt whether it be true or whether it be some unruly fancy that doth delude this wretched heart of mine What! for the Son of God to debase himself so low as to take my nature and so my cause and become the prisoner What! and though he knows he shall be cast Will he hear the sentence and quietly bear bolts and shackles and chains which should have fettered me Yet more than this Doth he know it is impossible to get a reprieve from his Father and Judg and that he must most assuredly drink the bitterest dregs of Death more bitter than Devils or damned souls in Hell as yet ever tasted of For it is impossible the Cup should pass And can he will he dare he venture But stay I must be a Spouse to be exalted from this Dunghil to be a Princess to the Son and Heir of Glory Hold hold here 's enough it is a Dream an idle fancy of a distempered brain I shall never find a heart to believe one syllable But yet methinks if it be a dream 't is a Golden one Is it possible that such a damned wretch as I could harbour such silken gilded thoughts of such love grace mercy and tenderness of the Son of God Oh my heart if they were not true how came they into my mind or how came they to stay or could they if but meer fictions make such a change in my heart Could they so victoriously conquer all my fear silence all my doubts allay the heats of a scorched and be helled Conscience But why a dream poor wretched heart Didst thou not see him step off his Throne Was it a time to dream or sleep in when thou wert before the Judgment-seat while God was frowning and the Devils dragging thee to and fro to get thee away to Hell Oh then just then he stept down drew near and took thee by the hand and spoke these reviving words to thee Doubt this and doubt thy judgment But why a dream I am not now in Hells torments whither I was just now sentenced My heart is now at ease and quiet surely something must be the reason why the Devil that but now had hold of me hath left me Where is the Conscience that but now was burning in me But Oh cannot the presence of the Lord put me out of doubt Do not his words that were so kind his tender dealing with me doth not his stooping to me taking me by the arm and the gentle lifts that he gives to my drooping soul speak him present Oh! do not my head eyes arms heart breast and the ease of every joint and limb about me witness the same A way my unbelieving heart what a stir is here to make thee believe a thing so evident Doubt my mind and freely doubt I'â—e give thee leave when thou hast any occasion or reason for it But why should I doubt that which is past all doubt May I not believe my senses I both saw and heard him speak the words or shall I misdoubt his faithfulness I know he is the Son of God he cannot lye But is it true yet my God I pray thee be not angry with my scrupulous heart thou seest in tears I make the doubt let it be an argument to me of sincerity I do not ask that question as one that would be fain perswaded it's true Canst thou think my Lord that I would not be reconciled and cheerfully accept of Grace when thou so freely offerest it Oh but Lord speak these words to my heart which thou hast already spoke to my ear and thou wilt melt it into love and thankfulness and I shall never doubt it more Object But yet but what can Heaven love so much Answ Thou silly worm how idly dost thou question must Heaven and so its love be bound up to so narrow and contracted thoughts as thine are What can God love no more than thou canst Love is a perfection and God is infinitely perfect so must be infinitely and incomprehensively loving Thou fool go found the Sea and tell me its greatest depths give me the height of yonder Stars this possibly thou maist do for the Seas are not so deep but they have a bottom nor the Stars so high but they may by art be known But Oh the heights and depths and breadths and lengths of the love of our Redeemer He is God and his breasts are so full of love that they flow and overflow with love they have no bottom Do but try my soul cast thy self into this bottomless lovely Ocean into this endless Bosom and when thou hast been sinking millions of millions of years tell me whither
sins because they are against a most easie gracious merciful Law God will more punish for sins against the Gospel than for those sins that are against the Law of nature Sodom sinned against the Law written upon her heart but the Jews they sinned against the Gospel and therefore were the greatest sinners Let Christ be judg I tell you saith Christ it shall be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the great day than it shall be for you More tolerable why for if they had had the means that you have had they would have repented They had sinned but they had not the means of repentance or at least not such means as you have had for you have had not only the means of the Law to convert yon Oh Jews but you have had the means of the Gospel The means of the Gospel doth as it were lift a people up unto Heaven it bringeth them as near to Heaven as means can bring them and thus was Bethsaida and Corazin lifted up with What with the means of the grace of the Gospel they had the preaching of Christ among them but they did despise these means and continue in their infidelity and therefore were thrown down to Hell as Christ threatned them And saith the Apostle to the Hebrews I am shewing of you that sins against the Gospel are the greatest sins If a trangression against the Law of Moses deserveth death and was punished by death of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy that do neglect so great salvation That is the Gospel-salvation gospel-Gospel-sins are the greatest sins when God punisheth he punisheth for both And now I have spoken to the four parts Application Let me make a short Application and I shall conclude Doth it thus appear that God is the author of all the punishments that are upon a City are you convinced of it my Brethren are you satisfied by what I have said That there is no punishment that befalls any person any family any City but it is of Gods appointing and of Gods executing that is he provideth and seeth to the execution of it Is this true Then you have in the First place a clear and a full information of the author of the burning of your City Who did burn London why what was the burning of London an evil ay and a great one too Was it so Be it then known to all you Londoners saith the Lord you that are the Citizens thereof be it known to you I did burn this City and I do this day own it God doth own it this day God hath burnt it I know you may be ready to be complaining of instruments and surely if there were any they were wicked instruments for as I told you before in several instances God may make use of wicked instruments to do his work to inflict his punishments God made use of lying Prophets to deceive Ahab for to bring Ahabs death about and God made use of Judas his Treason to bring the punishment of the iniquity of us all upon the back of Jesus Christ But my Brethren whoever were the instruments God is the principal efficient Pray will you remember and carry it home with you God did it How did God do it God did decree it it came doubtless according to the determinate counsel of God For as the world was not drowned without an antecedent decree nor Sodom burned without an antecedent decree nor Jerusalem the first and second time destroyed without an antecedent decree so doubtless this City of London did not come to ashes without the decree of God it was before determined in the counsel of God and as God did decree it so God in his Providence took order for all the means that were employed to the burning thereof God had a hand in giving leave to all the lesser wheels to work It was God that by six week or two months hot weather did purposely dry the Houses of London to make them fuel fit for the fire Would you have believed it the weather was the Lords the Lord caused it When it was fired that men wanted wisdom or courage or success to put it out God took away their wisdom God took away their courage God stood by and as it were said Hands off I intend to execute my wrath upon London touch it not let it go on Magistrates do nothing or if you do let it be to no purpose Again God provided a wind that when the fire began at one end God ordered the wind to blow it on to the other end The wind came out of the hollow of Gods hand it was no casual thing no accidental thing my Brethren it was according to the predeterminate Counsel of God That is the first thing if God be the cause of all the evil of punishment then of the burning of London God hath done it who ever was the instrument God was the principal cause Secondly if God burnt London then in the second place let us this day learn to be silent under the hand of God let us not question nor quarrel with his Providence let us not say to the Almighty why hast thou done so Let us not have a thought rise up against him as to charge him foolishly let us be silent nay let us not too eagerly in our passion run out and vent our selves against any that were instruments for that is to do like the Dog that snarls and gnaws the staff and run after the stone and gnaweth the stone but never regards the hand that threw the stone nor the hand that strikes with the staff you vent your anger and wrath against the instruments alas the instruments they were but rods in the hand of Almighty God they were but the stone and the staff alas they were in the hand of God he could have frustrated them if he would but he had so ordered it in his Providence to give men leave to execute their malice upon London let us lay our hanâ—â— upon our mouths and not murmur against the Lord let us acknowledg that since it is the evil of punishment it was a just one for never did City deserve to be burnt as London did Never No say you What do you think of Sodom do you think that we are as bad as they I tell you worse you are worse you are as much worse than Sodom as Bethsaida was worse than Sodom Why wherein was Bethsaida worse because Bethsaida did sin under Gospel-light and so did London Never had a people more of the Gospel than you have had never Ministers more gifted than you have had never a Ministry more drawn out in their affections after your Conversion than you have had and yet London have blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts and would not be converted So that you deserved it more than Sodom and it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of Judgment than for you Humble your selves therefore under his mighty hand Why how shall we
the times to be drunk and commit adultery sobriety is laughed at a scornful defiance is bid to the Law of God and Ministers have now much ado to perswade men that these things are sins It is for London's impudence in sin that God burnt London Secondly they are not only the bare sins of London but God is angry with them for these sins under the preaching of the Gospel Alas if you were drunk you might be drunk and God never have burnt the City if you swore and forswore and had been some of the Americans that had no Law nor Prophets nor Christ nor Apostles nor Ministers you might have sworn and cursed and God would have stood still and let you alone and only took a course with you at death burned you then in Hell But since God hath taken England for his people and London for his people and sent Christ to be preached and sent Ministers and gifted them and bid them cry and cry aloud believe it God will not take your sins as he takes the sins of others No Sabbath-breaking is a greater sin in London than it is in the Northern parts of this Kingdom Why you have more means you have the Gospel in a greater light And you Parents in London and Masters for you to neglect your Families God taketh it worse at your hands than he doth at those in the Country Why you should know better God hath given you more means to know the preciousness of servants and childrens souls therefore you should look more carefully after them Your sins are committed against Gospel-light and therefore more dangerous therefore God punishes you Thirdly sins after vows of reformation did London never promise God solemnly to reform if you have forgotten it God hath not London hath been under a promise to reform How to reform to entertain Christ and the Gospel and to improve it better to promote his Ordinances and to reform their Families every one in their places If you have broken your Vows and thrown them behind your backs God is still alive to punish for it Ay your sins are greater too than others Why because they are against more mercies temporal mercies in some respects than the Countries about In the time of the Civil War when all the Country almost was laid wast London was not touched there were Cities besieged Cities burnt Cities and Towns laid waste and desolate people beggered and undone every where London did thrive all the while God had a great reckoning with London London a people of so much means so many mercies so many deliverances so much of the Gospel and yet London a drunken London a covetous London an adulterous London Believe it God hath now at length reckoned with you and hath begun to pay off your old and long score and I fear he hath not yet done with you Christ hath been neglected the Spirit grieved Ministers rejected hated persecuted Sabbaths prophaned London full of pride covetousness lying swearing luxury drunkenness and all these under the Gospel and all these committed with a brazen face impudently for these things God is angry with you for these things God sent the Pestilence for these things sake God brought the fire If this be true here is another Inference followeth Have our sins burnt our City and brought so many thousands by the Pestilence to the grave Oh that we could be ashamed of our sins confess them with shame be humbled for our sins learn to hate our sins beg of God for grace to conquer our sins Oh that there might be a separation between sin and us that the great separation between God and us may be prevented Is God angry with London it is for sin Oh be rid of your sins let us all this day search our hearts and try our reins and see what iniquity is in us what personal sins what Family-sins what City-sins what Church sins let us see how far we contributed to the burning of London and Oh that we might by repentance and reformation crucifie those sins that burnt London this would be a good work and without this work in vain do you fast this day God told Israel when they came fasting and mourning before him there in the Prophet Isaiah That they should cease to do evil and learn to do well and then come and fast and pray and then faith he Let us reason together if you will cease to do evil and learn to do well Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool So I say in the name of the Lord to you this day you are about praying to God that he would be at peâ—ce with London let all of us cease to do evil what evils those evils that I have named have any of us been guilty of London's pride the Lord help every one of us to resolve for to crucifie that sin and to resolve we will not have a hand any more in burning London Which of you would not part with pride to save so great a City let your ornaments be sober as become men and women professing Godliness Those that have been guilty of drunkenness let them be drunk no more take up that resolution those that have been guilty of injustice in their callings let them resolve they will never more sin to get an estate and that they will rather live and die beggars Believe it that is not the way to die beggars if you come to resolve upon it For God can bless you in his way more than you can gain by walking in your own sinful ways Resolve to lye no more cozen no more swear no more are there any unclean let them be unclean no more Have you broken the Lords-day and prophaned that do so no more Resolve every one of you in your places that for the future you and your Families will endeavour to spend the whole Lords-day in serving God and looking after the Salvation of your Souls Again take up a resolution to give Christ a greater acceptation a better acceptation stand with your hearts wide open to the offers of Salvation do not neglect and slight Salvation when God offers it When you despise his Son you despise God himself They that receive me saith Christ receive him that sent me So those that reject Christ reject God the Father When you come hither and Christ is offered and you will not entertain him you reject God you will not entertain God See that the Gospel may come in its efficacy and power upon your souls God is angry with every Citizen that hath not after all the offers of Salvation accepted of it Every impenitent unconverted sinner because of his impenitency and unconvertedness he had a hand in the firing the City Let us I say repent of our sins let us forsake those sins whereby we have provoked the Lord against us But you will say How if we should we shall leave thousands and ten
love-flames Those Oh those are names make melodie VIII But see what is' t there stands A tablet all of Gold Spread with a cloth of threads as fine as light Oh its pity 't should be foul'd What dainty Fare is that How richly is 't persum'd Oh it smells and it looks as drest of fires of love Meat that 's eat yet ne're consum'd May I taste may I taste yea welcome welcome Thy Lord did it prepare That thou mightest have a share Now he hath got thee above He will feast thee with love Thou must now forget all grief and care IX Here 's honey-combs indeed Sweets that will ne're annoy I scarcely could think that Heav'n it self could yield Such delights that could not cloy This wine I have but sipt It will make a sick soul well One drop it would fetch a soul to life again That with grief were sunk to Hell Will this life always last yea for ever for ever Of want there can't be fear When God will make the cheer And that provision must last That with eating can't waste Such is all the food that we have here X. What lulling murmur's this That thus salutes mine ear It 's pleasant muttering accents almost made Me quite forget my chear These are the silver streams Of joys sprung from the Throne Of which each drop's more beautiful than pearl And more rich than th' Onyx stone Transparent it is as the Chrystal the Chrystal Of taste and smell more sweet Than th' ointment on his feet Here souls and angels leap in And together all swim Who along her banks like arrows fleet XI These dainty curling streams About her shores that twine Is sweetly shaded with a tree of life Yielding juice more rich than th'vine It 's roots spreads in th' clouds As old as th' night and day Twelve sorts of fruits twelve times each several year It doth yield yet don't decay The Pomegranate or the grape a' nt so pleasant so pleasant Compar'd to th' worst of these Never fruit did half so please Besides who tasts but one bit Is made immortal by it For its juice is clean from dregs or lees XII Here always it is spring A long continued May Our Sun standing still makes Summer ever last And an everlasting day For my heart I cannot sleep No though I were to die Those ravishing Sun-beams keep me broad-awake Yea and will eternally It 's God and the Lamb that thus glissen thus glissen Whose faces blush with light If I wink it straight were night Whilest with these beams I 'm then blest I 'le never think upon rest But conclude that waking's always best MORTALITY I. FRom the womb From the womb Do I pass to my tomb For my passage is quick in the cast of an eye I here that am living you 'l straight see me die This warm breathing dust to a clod of cold clay In a trice will be turn'd then molder away Hark you but a while you 'l soon hear the bell Toul out my Funeral-knel My thread is e'en spun My glass almost run That on earth I here cannot long dwell II. Ev'ry breath ev'ry breath Is a step to my death My flesh is consuming each thought that I think Each minute that passeth to my grave I do sink The hungry worms my neighbours will be And my guests too that shortly will feed upon me I was born of corruption a cruel step-mother That brought me but forth to smother No sooner in th' world But out I am hurld So I 'm shufled from th' one to th' other III. What is death what is death But a stop of th'breath Some small puff of wind that will blow a flame out Or the turn of a door for a soul to step out It 's no more than the wreck of a Ship that hath crost A Sea that 's tempestuous where no passenger's lost The planks of my body may be tomb'd in a wave But my God will my spirit save It 's but to step in At most to unpin My rags that are fit for a grave IV. What 's a groan What 's a groan That our friends thus bemoan When they by our beds side sit to close up our eyes It 's no more than a crack from the Heaven that flies Our souls then like lightning are breaking their way From the clods of our bodies and why should they stay It 's a pang of corruption our mother that brings Forth souls that she breeds to be Kings For no sooner I 'm dead But a Crown 's on my head And Hosannah in Heaven I sing V. Not a day Not a day That doth pass but I pray That my work were dispatcht that I might hence but go Though the first Inn I lodg at is the grave I do know Those chambers of darkness my soul do'nt affright It is but mine Inn I dare lodg there one night In my Coffin I 'le creep as into my bed And my winding-sheet I 'le not dread There soundly I 'le sleep Till the morning doth peep From the dust then I 'le raise up my head Self-Estimation MOunt up my soul and stroke into a calm The surges of proud passions with a Psalm Stretcht out on either side tower up thy head O'retop the waves stear on let reason lead Be 't as thy Polar-star while thou art tost Lest 'mong perplexing billows thou be lost Look how the first fiercely comes rowling on Which reason calls Self-Estimation A sporting-wave turns visage now bold now shie How fond as if in love with thy Egoifie She fawns and with her circling arms Embraceth that which quickly feels her charms See how she soars aloft and on her wing Mounts self yet all this while but flattering When at the height her sleiked face turns glass Which represents self's vertues in a mass Thrice double to their proper magnitude Take heed don't look my soul it doth delude Think what 's but a wave will quickly sink And mounts so weak in vallies sooner shrink Waves quickly fall they cannot stand so fast Their weight will press their fainting knees at last Thus with her higher gusts of flattery She turns thy brain then turns thine enemy Strange metamorphis'd passion glass just now Fit for reflection of an amorous brow Now in a cup she 's turn'd bow'd fit for th'lip Presents thee with a Nectar bids thee sip Sip not my soul waters that brackish are Are much too strong for weaker heads to bear Their duller spirits they will soon convey And chill thy brains to ice for as they say Salt will freez hard though in a thawing day CONTEMPT A Dialogue betwixt Flesh and Spirit Flesh WHat all to small Nothing seems big enough To entertain thee yet doth th'housholdstuff Of this vaste Microcosm prove now too small To dress and trim thy swoln-big heart withal Sp. Her gusts to great contraction cannot bound That which infinite can scarce surround Contentment she must have which cannot be Found cloister'd in the cells of poverty F. Won't