when they shall be fuller of â—lory and rest than ever they â—ere of troubles and miseries We are here set in a warfare Act. 3.19 asâ—aulted with fightings without and errors within 2 Cor. 7.5 Exoothen machai esoothen phoboi we are compast â—ith an unruly body of flesh we â—re laden with corporal maladies â—ains infirmities pestered with â—piritual faintings qualms and â—eak fits that if we had not betâ—er comfort brought us for the fuâ—ure to free us from these cumâ—ersom anxities a servant of God â—ere of all men most miserable but â—weet Death looses our Chains â—nd sets us free Upon this ground â—id the Holy Father build that â—ghing prayer of â—is to God Domine solve hanc tunicam ita mihi gravem ponderosam da mihi leviorem Nazianz. O Lord saith he â—elp me off loose â—nd unbuckle this â—eavy Coat meaning the flesh full of infirmitie which lies with such a pondeâ—â— pressing weight upon my shouldâ— and give me a lighter and easier gâ—ment meaning the garment eternal life so pleasant so easâ— and free from all troubles whiâ— death brings us and clothes withal If there were 〈◊〉 such Sugar at the bottom the Christians Cup and the bâ— Wine kept to the end of the Feaâ— he had the worst fate of all meâ— but he may with a patience digâ— these earthly troubles because tâ— Lambs Supper shall make amenâ— for the worlds sharp Dinner Psal 27.15 I hâ— utterly fainted saith David 〈◊〉 that I believed verily to see the goâ— ness of the Lord in the Land of thâ—â—ving That is meant of this liâ— much more may thoughts of etâ—nal life keep us from fainting Tâ— hope of death is the hope of 〈◊〉 life it is necessary we die that 〈◊〉 sorrows may die Use 2 Must the very Righteous dâ— let it lead us to consider of aâ— conclude that universal deluge Gen. 2.17 â—riginal corruption wherein all â—ankind lies drowned It is too â—rue that being made of dust sin ends us to returâ— to dust again Who will defend nature to be imâ—aculate and unwounded â—eaths Weapons could not enter â—lesh had not our original impuâ—ity weakned us and strengâ—hâ—ned â—im Man first brought sin into â—he world sin brought death Rom. 5.12 Let one be so bold as to defend naâ—ure to be untainted unless he â—an bring this Argument to â—rove it Here is one free from â—eath Ergo free from that sin We are born Heirs and Coheirs annexed with Adam of sin â—nd death Pray we and strive we against Original lust yea repent we of this sin as that which put death in office and reached the dart into his hand Use 2 This might stir us up that seeing all men even the Righteous must die that we should labour to die Righteous The Righteous mans eye is all on God in his life and Gods eye as at other times so especially is set on him at his death to fetch him to a blessed Mansion We must die but oh that that last Act were made the Axle-tree Deut. 32.29 on which all the actions of our life might turn about by continually thinking on our later end A paper newly written is kept from blotting if dust or sand be cast upon it The remembrance that we are but dust and ashes often and daily cast upon our hearts and meditations would keep us in an holy watchful course that our lives should not be stained with so many blots of impiety and neglect of Gods worship Death indeed shall come to all but our lives are that which makes death bitter or sweeâ— unto us For he shall come to the wicked and rigtheous in a different manner 1. To the wicked and unrighteous he shall come as a man of War to a man where sin lives as long as he lives where Sataâ— sways the Scepter of his Monarchy in his Soul living impenitently in fleshly lusts deaths message is astonishing to such a one Such a sinful wretch looking approaching death in the face his Conscience cries a loud 1 Kin. 21.20 1 King 14.6 Hast thou found me O mine enemy as Ahab to Elias To whom death answers with no better answer than Ahijahs to Jeroboams wife I am sent to thee with heavy tidings a hard message I have brought thee thy wages of sin which is death And then doth the desperate sinner tremble and quake Rom. 6.23 remembring how bad a life has made way for death and death to torment then too late his sins affright him and he cries out but one day longer to repent as did that man in his death O spare me Chrysaorius in morte clamabat Inducias usque mane Gregor Hom. 12. in Evang. and give me but respite and truce till the morning that I die not in my sins and for my sins O where are those many hours neglected in vanity 2. But to the Godly and Righteous Soul his appearance and face is glorious and amiable he speaks a comfortable language to him I cannot hurt thee thy Saviour has taken thy weapons from me 1 Cor. 15.55 his death was my death was my death for his Children I come but to be thy Bridge that thou mayest pass over me into eternal life So great a difference is there 'twixt the Godly and the wicked Christian get thy debts paid in Christ and thy Bond cancelled in his blood get into the croud and touch but the hem of his Garment by faith to draw vertue holiness and his righteous-making merits then shall there be no terrour in deaths Vizard that will sweeten the bitterness of the Grave unto thee and finding that thou art righteous and accepted in Christ thou mayest challenge him O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory O! by repentance keep thy Soul from dying and the death of the body wilâ— be a blessed prelude to immortality And so much for a general viewâ— of the necessity of death to the very righteous Doct. The Souls of the Saints at their death are gathered to the Lord and by the Lord into blessedness This Conclusion has inclusively in it two parts 1. That in this life there is a mixture of good and bad 2. That in death God gathers the Souls of the righteous into aâ— happy unmixt society by themselves Eccl. 3.20 Do not all go to one place saith Solomon yes for bodies in death the Grave is the common receptacle of good and bad a Murderer and a Martyr may be laid in one Grave together but for Souls they change Countries The Sanctum Sanctorum is for those Souls which have been Kings and Priests to God the Righteous are gathered into Heaven but the wickeâ— they shall be gathered into another place they shall be turned into Hell into the Company of all them that forget God Psa 9.17 This Phrase of being gathered together in death may be an allusion to the custom of the Jews who in death are said to be gathered to their
tell us of taking good heed to these two things which are the complex of the whole counsel of God Acts 20. 27. Repentance towards God and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ Or lastly take his unum magnum his one great point of exercise To have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men. Act. 24.16 Gen. 5.12 All comes to this one to imitate Enochs holy Peripateticks to walk with God continually Many things of beauty and novelty are lookt after in this World outwardly glorious and rich things are applauded men and great persons dote upon rarity and splendors of this World and think those men are in a kind of Heaven though they be very fairly forward in a way to Hell Plato in Tâ—aeâ— Thus the glorious Tent and Tabernacle of the great Persian Kings were called Ouranoi the Heavens you have learnt better to know Christ in the Soul and the Soul in Christ to be Heaven upon Earth He that believeth hath everlasting life What a glorious vanity was that of Kings of Cusco and Mexico one of them having a glorious Garden where all the Trees Fruits Lord St. Aug. Herbs Plants Flowers according to order and greatness they have in a Garden were curiously framed in Gold and in his Cabinet all the living Creatures were known in Earth or Sea curiously fashioned and cast in Gold A princely Heathenish vanity would make his life no better then a St. Augustine calls this life A shadow in Moonshine which is little more then shadow of a shadow I know you more study to have all the fair flowers of Heaven Faith Patience Humility Meekness Love of Christ Thankfulness c. cast in a sanctified model by Gods Spirit kept in your heart and life exceeding massy gold Carlo Boccomeo Bp. of Millain Canonised for a Saint said well A Bishop should have no Garden but the holy Scriptures Go you on still to make Prayer your Garden and Flowers and by holy glorifying of God as St. Chrysostome directs Give up your five spiritual senses to wait on God continually For the Soul has spiritual seeing smelling tasting touching hearing which in their way applyed to God and his manifestations you shall not only please God but give him Musick and be his Decachorda Cithara St. Chry. in op Imperfecto in cap. 22. S. Matth. Hom. 24. his ten stringed Harp to praise him No farther will I detain you but pray for you that you may have support of Gods Spirit in your great infirmities tryals and gravid years to answer them from Heaven with grace sufficient for you and very efficient in you that when your strength of flesh and heart fails you God may come in with fresh store and assure you of Holy Asaphs viaticum that he will be the strength of your heart your portion for ever He the Guide Faher of his Israel lead you till per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a right Christian comfortable death he bring you ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to an immortal life which all good Mortals wait for by Jesus Christ the blessed Purchaser and unfailing Preparer of it So prays your observant servant in the Lord. T. C. THE EPISTLE To the READER FAith and assurance the Christians Ourania is better worthy Wooing and fighting for then the Grecians Helena the one is but the subject of a worm-eaten beauty the other carries with it a decor and beauty that no old age no not Eternity it self can wrinkle or furrow with uncomeliness holy Souls find it hard in the getting and meet with 〈◊〉 task that makes them imploâ— all their shoulders and sinews foâ— the keeping of it The Labours of the Saints to fight with the Monsters that Satan sets on work against them 2 Cor. 2.11 Revel 2.24 the scruples doubts fears distempers temptations hellish methods noemata and depths of the Serpent do put a name of softness and facility upon all Hercules his labours Phil. 1.6 Phil. 4.13 sore tryals with Beasts and Men yet this is their comfort their help is more for Christ having begun his Grace will stand by them and work for them till all his Heavenly business be perfected and though the Serpent may rend the Skin and wound the flesh of the Heel yet Gods Servants shall end in capite in the Head both bruising the Head of the Serpent and being sure to have the benefit as members of Jesus Christ their Head of whom they hold The first of these Texts was addressed and dressed for the wounded Heel of a gracious Saint that was struck sick by the Serpent of which sore drinking up the moysture of her Spirits she was dangerously deeply and distressfully sick lying in the valley of the shadow of death 3 Quarters of a Year day and night combating with God about Ecclipses of his Face desertions manifestations of wrath apprehensions of hell which squeezed out frequent confessions and complaints of an estate worse then Cains an owning of the Sin against the Holy Ghost a challenging reprobation as its due portion And besides the sense of an angerful God there was continual combating with the spiteful Spiriâ— of Hell every day ready tâ— write its own Epitaph with the blackest letters of damnation and a lost Soul All these accompanied with solitude and secrecie with two three days together fasting praying and weeping till the eyes were turned into buckets and few spiritual comforters and legati pacis to be met withal save one spirit of Grace that had bound up the Soul in this Resolution Though God will not be my God yet I will die praying and seeking after him and a poor messenger of God who having but a little Oyl in his cruse by dayly dropping of it into the wound it both increased and healed with the dropping It pleased God at length to make the winter and sad weaâ—her of this storm-beaten â—â—â—l to be over end so as the flowers appeared singing of birds was come and the voice of the Turtle was heard a cheerful Soul began sweetly to sing in its Cage of Clay The sorrows were deep the comforts rose very high and as once wormwood waters were drunk in the Cellar of bitterness and the banner over the Soul seemed in â—reat letters to have it The Lord hath forsaken me Cant. 2. Isa 49.14 Now â—t is led into the Wine Cellar of of Gods promises the sweetest comforts are broached and drunk and the Lords banner of love is spread over Here Heaven out of Heaven and some of the masters joy descended down before the Soul ascended up to it After the Vesseâ— had been seasoned some months with this unknown and admirable new Wine of living comforts Largissimum quoddam caeli gremium Bernard in Cantic Ita mihi visus sim tanquam unus ex illis beatis esse O Si duresset Idem in cantic Ser. 23. the Lord by a Chariot of sickness and that a violent one
the face of Religion and cry there there Psal 35.25 Job 4.6 so would we have it Is not this the fruits of your fear confidence uprightness of your ways and your hope This is the fruits of Religion and profession it spoils all our mirth see how it makes them melancholly and pensive they are all alike unsociable and uncomfortable who will enter that path which leads to such sadness Beseech God to let thy case be no impediment to his Glory by hindring and deferring those that are without from coming in lest they dislike Religion for thy sake God has sometimes said he would do good to his Children Deut. 32.26 27. that their enemies might not have cause to lift up their Horns Call on him to do it for his own Childrens sake that are within the Church Psal 69.6 Let not them that wait on thee be ashamed for my sake O God of Hosts let not them that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel As if he said There are many weak in the the faith O Lord who trust in thâ—e and if thou fail me they will be scandalized their weakness will make them stagger and start back when they see thy Promises fail towards me how shall they trust in those Promises for themselves which they see have failed others Nay Lord rather deliver me that the weak thereby may be the more strengthened thou shalt get glory by bringing many both to praise thee and trust in thee more confidently for my sake or for thy promises gracious performance towards me Psal 66.16 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy Word yea the righteous shall then resort unto my company I will call them and tell them what great things thou hast done for my Soul Further in thus delivering me much praise and glory shall come to thy name thanksgiving shall be sent to thee by many in my behalf who will shout for joy and say Psal 35.27 Praised be the Lord who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant Use 3 If the comforts of the Soul be bought so dear as they will cost us the very fainting and almost failing of our Spirits let him be lesson'd who hath his Soul repleaâ— with peace and quietness in his God â—eatus es si cor tuum triplii timore repleveris ut tiâ—eas quidem pro accepta ratia amplius pro amissa nge plus pro recuperata â—rnard supra Cantic Serm. 4. to lock the Promises within his heart to cherish and keep burning that good fire lest witâ— many strong blasts of prayers he cannot get it kindled afresh when once it is somewhat quenched and dying out For this purpose it behoves those who are yet in the Sun-shine of peace and lightsomness of heart to rejoyce in God and his mercies to labour as much to keep it as ever they laboured to get it 1. To beware of sin that they fall not into any wickedness for that will devastate the Conscience and spoil its peace 2. They should cherish and make much of Gods Spirit and the joyous motions it stirs up in them Guests stay with us according to their welcome bad enteâ—tainment and neglect of them gives us their backs instead of their faces Ephes 4. Grieve not the Spirit of God 3. Keep we our hearts exercised in good things prayer hearing reading meditation those put forth our Talents we have to come in with more increase Take we heed if such good means be not used we may come to see our Candle burn dim and with perplexed hearts and sorrowing spirâ—ts as Joseph and Mary we may come to seek our Comforter and be long without him till our spirits be ready to fail in seeking because our care and diligence failed in keeping Use 4 Lastly though all the Saints of God have cryed ther spirits fail yet this may make for their exceeding comfort none of their spirits did ever yet so utterly fail but they have had their resurrection to some lively hopes who seemed hopeless We have our spiritual dejections and spirituaâ— resurrections Where is â—haâ— man and who is that Saint anâ— Servant of God that perished in waiting upon God and expecting his help Our comfort may be long in coming but at length it shall come and not deceive us either the tongue shall cry it after long waiting Mr. Gloâ—â—r Mattyr in Foâ—es Acts and â—onum He is come he iâ— come or the heart shall feel it or finde it it may be without but certainly beyond expressions It may be that the noon afternoon evening night may all hold him in the bonds of vexation but undoubtedly joy comes in the morning If it cannot be found in the beginning no nor in a long time in the proceedings yet Mark the perfect man Ps 37.37 and behold the upright for the end of that man shall be peace There are who have been brought from those desperate conclusions made in the strength of temptations Geoffry of Peronne in vita St. Bern. lib. 4. c. 3. I shall never be mermerry again so long as I live to tell the same party being strongly fill'd with new quickning hopes If I told thee before I should never in my life be joyful 2 Tim. 2. now I assure thee I shall never any more be sorrowful Though we should be so low as we were hopeless yet God must continue faithful he cannot deny himself 1 Cor. 10.13 he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it Doctr. The next request is that God would not hide his face and the reason because in the light of his countenance is life in the hiding of it is very death From Davids request that God would not hide his face see this Position That God hath his times of hiding and shewing his face to his Children and all for their good both by declared favour and seeming displeasure God leads on his Children unto blessedness All the months of the year are not alike some make the earth horrid with frosts and mists and large expences out of the Lords Treasury of Hail and Sow as in Job Job 38.22 the Lord calls â—t others make the fiel◠〈…〉 with abundance of flower 〈◊〉 fruits the Sun with his reviâ—ing heat putting life into bird bud and beast Shall we thanâ— God for May and not for March The dispensing of fair and foul seasons are both acts of Divine Providence for the good of man and beast Epiphan He that is God of the Summer is as good a God of thâ— Winter in spite of the blaspheming Manichees procuring our good in the one as well as in the other Thus is it with Man the abridgement of Gods Creation and with the holy man the object of his more special love The Sun shines not always alike on
to advancement When we look upon a man rowing in a Boat we see him look one way and row another way he looks from home but his boat goes homeward Whatsoever the Lords dealings be cast not away thy confidence O distressed heart though he seem to be a going from thee he is coming to thee Thou thinkest the Lord in anger turns away his face from thee yet the Boat of thy Soul for alâ— this is rowed homeward and Heaâ— venward These afflictions of thy spirit faintings of heart strong groans after sense of his love are infallible Sea-marks in thy way to the Haven of life and comfort only keep thy self in the Boat leap not out with diffidence though great waves leap in trust the Lord with the rowing commit thy ways unto him Psa 37.5 and he will bring it to pass Use 2 Learn to suspect rather than envy that estate which knows no changes It is the sinners saddest lot to be settled on the Lees and never moved nor changed from Bottle to Bottle Jer. 48.11 Let my Soul never sleep the sinners unbroken sleep of security they have no change Psa 73.5 and are not in trouble like other men But the righteous and whom God loves find manifold diversities of Gods proceedings with them because he means to make something of them His reason for his last request Lest I be like them that go down into the pit Not the Pit or Lake of Hell or Purgatory nor the depth and profundity of sins as some would have it but the pit of Golgotha the place of dead mens skulls the Chambers of mortality the Grave Elsewhere he seems so to reason Psa 30.9 Shall the dead praise thee what profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit Note here how David joyns Gods love and his life together and counts the hiding away his face to be death and that which carries him to the grave Doct. The faithful heart finds no life but in Gods love Gods favourable face is the Christians health and life his maintenance lies all in Gods countenance The basest low condition'd life is royalty with Gods favour and the royallist life is but a painted dunghill or a golden grave if his face be hid from it and shine not there Yea but David thou may'st be a living man eat drink and sleep though his face be hid from thee Thou hast Musick to chear thee art thou not a Prince thâ— hast the Sovereignty of a Kinâ—dom to comfort thee Nobles aâ— High Estates to attend and aâ— company thee thou mayst haâ— all the delights of the Sons of mâ—â— and earthly contentments to eâ—hilerate thee why dost thou thâ— speak of a grave or pit can man die among so many livinâ— comforts Thus indeed migâ— reason reason the case But Dâ—vid spoke advisedly he did nâ— as sometimes he did speak 〈◊〉 his haste he is often saying thâ— same Psal 119.77 ver 88. Let thy tender mercies coâ— unto me that I may live There 's nâ— life without assurance of his meâ—cies Quicken me after thy lovinâ— kindness He counts himself deaâ— without his loving kindness thâ— quickens him and puts new liâ— into him It is a great dignitâ— and comfort to a man to havâ— birds beasts fishes Sea Aiâ— Earth and all things to be madâ— for him and subjected to him Now David looks higher than thâ— Psal 8. 8th Psalm there must be more than all this to make a man to have a true and worthy life Though the body live by the Soul yet there wants Gods favour and face which is the Soul of the Soul and more to it than it is to the body The spiritual life to have to have the vital powers of grace the inspiration of Gods quickning Spirit an inward sight â—iewing of Gods face in Christ and sweet sâ—nse of his loving counâ—enance as John saith of the true â—ight so this is the true life In anotner place he has the very words His anger endureth but for a moment Psal 30.5 ver 7. Anima hominis Christiani Tulipae instar est quae se ad Spiritus Sancti radios explicat iisdem absentibus contristatur Causin Parab Hist lib. 10. and in his favour is life Again Thou didst turn away â—hy face and I was troubled There is death in â—he hiding of his countenance In the first Psalm the righteous man is compared to a tree and here methinks the righteous man is compared to a flower the Tuliâ— or Marygold if the Sun open hâ— bright lightsome face upon them these open their leaves but if 〈◊〉 set and shut up his shining shopiâ— Heaven these lour and clasp tâ—gether their leaves on earth Such is Gods favour and facâ— of love Davids Soul and evâ—ry Christians holy Soul rises aâ— sets with it Absalom couâ— tell us though he had lands aâ—â— maintenance from his father yâ— he lived bion ' abion Principis sideris absentiam gemere diceres a lifeless lisâ— so long as he might not come in his fathers presence and behoâ— his face The face of God recoâ—ciled has more ravishing sweâ—â—ness in it for every adopted Chilâ— who has tasted how gracious tâ—â— Lord is and how can they bâ— droop when that is hid froâ— them under seâ— and feeling of displeasure Psal 90.9 Redde oculos mea vita tuos ni cenere pergam Frigidus exanimi pectore dispeream Jan. Lernut in Poem Ocelli Cain Saul Judas Spira Wâ— thou art angry our days are goâ— The Idoliziâ—â— Lover will tâ— you his life lies in his Mrs eyes an amorous and pleasant look quickens him a frown or neglecting countenance casts him into deep vexations of heart This is but the Creature shall there not be thought there is more power of life and death in the Creator appearing graciously favourable or displeased Real proofs of this have been the horrible vexations even to dispair of wretched men when the ireful face of God has been set against them for their sins and presented to their Souls As also those bitter cries and prayers of the Godly in deep afflictions when no glasses could shew unto them the face of Gods favour this made them averse and pull back their hand from all offered comforts Natura speciem ita formavit oris ut in ea penitus reconditos mores effingeret Is qui appellatur vultus qui in nullo amimante esse praeter hominem potest indicat mores Cicero de Legib. lib. 1. Psal 51. because they wanted the sense and sight of this only comfort And this is a common phrase of Gods favour and love the shewing of his face because the heart acts all the parts of its several affections upon the Stage of the face it is the outward Map of the inward passions of the mind If there be fear within it may be seen in the trouble of the countenance and paleness clothing the face without If anger rise then cloudy frowns and angry demonstrations
give warnings of it If love and favour sweeten the disposition of the Soul then a pleased look a chearful eye a gladsome contented countenance will declare the good pleasure and acceptation of the mind According to those variations of Gods face do the Saints vary their prayers one while praying the Lord to shew them his face and the light of his countenance to shine upon them that is to shew them his divine favour and fatherly good pleasure otherwhiles praying him to turn away his face that is his angry countenance and face of displeasure Reas Reason why the life of the faithful lies in Gods loving face is because it is the very life and happiness of the Saints in Heaven For those even in Heaven in the presence of all good things and want of all evils had but a miserable happiness if either God were not present with them or being present if they did not always behold his blessed face of â—ove and favour If this be the â—ife of Heaven much more must â—he comfort of it quicken the â—aints upon earth Use Here will be a fair trial of the â—incerity of a good Christian â—eart hereby may be known 2 Corintâ— 8.8 To â—nesion tes ' agapes the sincereness and genuineness of our love wheâ—her our service and obedience be grounded upon a right love to God or no. How are we affected to the Lord do we lay up all our treasure in his love and loving countenance can we content and â—uiet our hearts with this that God is well pleased with us in the midst of our calamities Canst thou say in the midst of ease riches friends honour and the fullest streams of wordly contentment Alas foolish vanities one glance of Gods face the perswasion of Gods favour do I delight in more than all you yea I had rather be the basest footstool of the world with Gods love than a glorious Monarch with a graceless Soul Wicked men always love Gods hand better than his face the gifts better than the giver Give them the worlds marrow and fatness let their Corn and Wine and Oyl increase let them walk in Sunshine of earthly prosperity and they never finde a want of inward assurance of Gods love in the Soul they want eyes to see the want of spiritual life and want Grace to long after Gods countenance to shine upon their Souls in sanctification and true peace The worlds voice is who will shew us any good that is gifts of Gods hand but the Godlies voice is Psal 4. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us If thou canst make it all thy care to keep the assurance of Gods love and all thy joy to rejoyce in his face when thou hast it and make it all thy grief that nothing can comfort thee when thou wantest it all thy labor for to regain it doubtless thy love to God is sincere and true you are reconciled ones for one friend cannot brook the absence of another Use 2 What esteem will this teach us to give to the life of a wicked man doth he live who wants the Spirit of life the face of Gods favour which is better than life No his life is a spiritual death he may live in the eyes of men but he is a dead stinking Carrion in the eyes of God Dead nay that is not enough he is thrice dead and pluckt up by the roots Jude ver 12. For first he is dead in sin next he is more miserably dead because Gods face is turned away from him he loves him not delights not in him and which is worse than death this wretched Soul perceives it not and is not grieved for it O man pray for an Heavenly light that thy eyes may be opened to see thy misery Thou art merry and jolly for all things fall out to thy wish Thou growest from weak to strong from young to old this is but the life of trees and plants Thou walkest eatest drinkest sleepest well this is but the sensual life of birds and beasts Thou buildest talkest reasonest this is but the life of men even Heathens and strangers to Christ thus thy life passes but alas among all these thou wantest the life of Grace the loving countenance of God in Christ the assurance of salvation by faith in him Thou yet wantest the seeds and principles of a true Christian life and therefore art a poor dead wretch before God and canst not but perish if thou seekest not for better comforts and a better life than these even that Christ may be thy life and visit thy dead Soul with his quickning Spirit Colos 3.4 and set his face of favour upon thee for his own chosen One. This is the misery of a senseless sensual Soul Ahab like to grieve for no wants but only of earthly things If the Children of the most High so hardly come to Heaven with faintings of spirit and approachings to the very grave and pit in seeking Gods face what shall become of them then that count Gods face not worth looking after sure against such the Lord hath set his face of wrath and displeasure for ever Use 3 This will discover the common spring whence these troubled waters arise which so often almost drown the godly Their anguish flows from a mistaking and misinterpretation of this face of favour Facìes hominis est speculum cordis Bernard ad sorot de modo bene viv cap. 65. Whensoever they fall into any temptations they pass an hard sentence against themselves that God has turned awy his face from them and is angry with them because their anguish continues and he doth not presently deliver them When Gods face is towards thee why dost thou deny it the Sun shines though there be a Cloud 'twixt it and me and even now Gods face shines upon thee though Satan hath placed some foggy vapours and clouds of distrust and temptations 'twixt thy Souls eye and it It is no difficulty to prove that we complain of Gods hiding his face when it is not hid from us The best parts of a mans face for comfort is the eye and the ear the one to see and look kindly on us the other to hear us willingly Dost thou though sore afflicted trust in God and wait on him are thy eyes to him then I am sure his eyes are upon thee his eye of pity of love of tender compassion he will not withdraw his eyes from the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayer What wouldst thou have more than an open ear and piteous eye what dost thou in this thy trouble thou callest on God by prayer thou mortifiest every known sin thou labourest to finde God in every promise who guides thee to do this not the tempter for this is the way to break in pieces all his Temptations not thy self for thou knowest not aright what course to take it is because Gods eye is upon thee for his eye guides thee to
grave not shaking the hands of others but wringing their own hands in a woful farewel the fingers pidling with the bed-clothes Animam quod imodo inter dentes habentem August id Epist Joan. tract 10. Aristaeas Proconnesis Hujvs animam corvi specie visam ex ore evolantem tradiderunt Plin. Hist lib. 7. Jo. Franc. Picus Mirandula praenot lib. 9. cap. 2. Maximus Tyrius Platonicus Serm. 22. and the Soul now standing upon the lips like a bird ready to take her flight and if it were visible should be seen like his soul which was said to be seen to flie out of his body in shape and colour of a Crow that then at last alas too late it should come to this sober and sad reckoning O let me die the death of the righteous and let my later end be like unto his Num. 23.10 Children when they are asleep look the prettiest the Godly man is a fool in his life yet the worlds deepest heads would be no wiser in their deaths his last sleep has form and comliness in it Our Prophet intends iâ— these words to tel us as much thaâ— under the hard shell of death hâ— findes a sweet kernel of life hâ— is taken away from evils anâ— troubles quietly to rest as if he were laid in his own Bed chamber This Prophet has many drops to comfort Gods Servants he writes like an Evangelist our Saviour and his Apostles dwelt much in his leaves for he spake the Gospels Language of consolations Verse 3. Musculus in Praefat. ad comment in Esay the New Testament has honoured him above other Prophets with quoting his Prophesie 60 times from Chapter 40. to the end of the whole Prophesie it is like Canaan full-stream'd with milk and hony almost altogether consolatory This very Chapter among the rest is not so short as sweet having goodly beams come from it First It gives a bright and clear beam to stand like a light over the grave of the Rightâ—â—â—s to let us see how they are buried in â—eace to the third verse Secondly a sharp piercing â—eam of reproos for conviction of the ungodly of divers sins mocking of the Holy Idolatry c. to the thirteenth Verse Lastly an heating beam of comfort promises of favour reconciliation and peace to stay the tears of all Zions mourners to the end of the Chapter These words otherwise may be named the short Table or view of the Child of God in his life and death 1. In his life and so he is described two ways 1. God-ward so he is righteous Life 2. Manward so he is merciful 2. In his death which we consider two ways 1. How expressed Death 2. How respected 1. Expressed two ways he is said to 1. Perish 2. Be taken away out oâ— the world 2. Respected two ways 1. Of God he respectâ— them with care to free them from the evil to come 2. Of wicked men theiâ— respect is respectlesness set out Two ways by two Phrases of careless neglect 1. They never take it to heart 2. They little consider or minde it Or more briefly the whole may be summed into these two Heads 1. Gods Judgment in the death of the Righteous taking them away to himself when he means to punish the world 2. The worlds want of judgment and consideration of Gods end of it None considers it none lays it to heart Let some light of explication make clear the words The righteous Rom. 3.10 Eccl 7.20 Righteousness is hard to finde Are there some Righteous is it not the voice of the Scripture there is none righteous no not one Not a Just man upon earth True when we name Righteousness we call to mind our lost Pearl God made man Righteous This Apple of our eye was given away for an Apple of the Tree of Knowledge If we speak of men Righteous and Just in respect of their deeds among men we mean upright and honest dealing if we speak of Righteousness in respect of God then we mean no more a righteousness of inherence that is gone but of adherence and cleaving to Christ by faith Christs Righteousness and merits are imputed to us Just and righteous is that stile holy and good men are honoured withal in the Scriptures denoting fruits of righteousness in an upright life according to that 1 Joh. 3.7 Mat. 1.19 Act. 10.22 he that doth righteousness is righteous Thus Joseph is called a Just man so Cornelius where the word Just notes the universal and general carriage in uprightness holiness and Gods fear Perisheth This word sounds harshly as to die miserably untimely but surely the righteous so perish not unless the Prophet speak after the opinion and in the phrase of the ungodly Wisd 3.2 Perishing is taken for any ordinary or natural kind of death as well as violent Job 34.15 Prov. 31.6 to him that is ready to perish that is ready to die In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die or perish and their departure is taken for misery yet to perish is expounded afterward to be nothing else but to be taken away and depart this life No man layeth it to heart No man that is very few or none mind to take care for the worlds loss of the Righteous their hearts are nothing at all moved or toucht with it Things that come near the heart most affect us To lay to heart is a common phrase in Scripture and is expounded after by the word consider It is used again verse the eleventh Thou hast not remembred me nor laid it to thy heart It seems to imply three things First to understand the thing we would consider Secondly To consider and earnestly to think of the causes and consequents of it Thirdly to be affected with it upon that consideration so as the heart joys in it if it find it good is greatly grieved and sorry for it finding it evil the affection of sorrow arising in a matter deplorable of joy in a thing comfortable So then none lays it to heart is thus much None considers at all Gods anger intended to the world in the death of the godly none repent of their sins or stand in fear of some ensuing Judgment Mic. 7.2 Psal 12.1 Significat pro natura loci vel benigne acceptum a Deo vel benignum erga alios Tarnov in Psal 4. ver 4. Merciful men The word signifies Good or kinde men and it is Translated Good or Godly in other places To shew us that Mercy is a great part of Godliness It is taken passively for one that has receiv'd mercy from the Lord or Actively for one that shews mercy to others in which acception it stands here Are taken away Colliguntur are gathered together so the Patriachs dying are said to be gathered to their fathers which is not so meant of their bodies which were it buried in Tomb purchased by their Kindred for a burial place to that family but especially it is meant of the Souls
and as the Rich man said come into the same place of torment Alas when they die all their good days are done now they are taken away from evil and vengeance to come The Godly should lay it to heart also and it should cause them to depart from iniquity Psal 73. This was the Prophets practise and ought to be ours to consider the end of them how God sets them in slippery places and at length they rumble and fall into the pit and sin and death push them down into perdition Yea but are we not to mourn for them as such by the loss of whom the Church and Common-wealth have received some sore stroke No such matter nay rather it behoves us to joy when these horns that pusht at Jurusalem and hurt Gods Children are thus broken in pieces It is for some good to come unto the Church that they are removed out of the way yea when God picks out prophane and wicked men especially great Branches then may we have hope he is procuring same great blessings for his people Take away the dross from the silver and there shall come forth a Vessel for the Finer Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousness Prov. 25.4.5 When the Godly are taken from among us we lose a precious liquor of soverain vertue for good to the Church if wicked ones be taken from among us let their sinful associates mourn for the loss of one of their hellish Confederates and Companions But count we no better of them then the Holy Ghost doth Ps 108.9 their death is but the emptying of a filthy washpot Moab is my wash pot Corn will grow the better when Weeds are taken from it which hinder the growth Our account must go like Gods account The wicked are vile and base in their lives in his esteem but more vile in their deaths Precious is the life and death of the Saints in his sight so let it be in ours for 〈…〉 and laying to heart their departure from among us lamenting in Jeremiahs tone The Crown is fallen from our Heads woe unto us that we have sinned they are taken away for our evils of sin Lam. 5.10 and for some evils of punishment to come upon us FINIS AN ELEGIE OR The flowing Tears of a mourning friend poured upon the Grave of the Holy living and Happy dying Christian the Lady Mary Gryffith first wife to Sir Henery Gryffith Barronet of Burton Agnes who ascended to Christ the day named from his Ascention An. Dom. 1632. THus run Heavens VVheel Then Peace my plaining Heart Such Heaven-born purposes 't is not thy part To cross with Murmers May not Providence His Colonies of Hopefull'st souls from hence Translate to seat them in a happier Clime Far above these Regions under the Line Of frailtie and sin Are there not Eastern Fruits Whose Seeds disdain with us to spread their Roots Bread in more generous soil and purer air Each flower has its own Orb where it most fair Doth grow show and in strange Earth doth pine As being from home Thus thou O Soul divine In this great Garden of the world didst spring ' Mongst lewd Mortals and such fruit didst bring As sham'd our barren plants sin-blasted Trees Yet for all this by manifold degrees Our ground it was base yea too much unfit For thee a Graffe of Grace coelestial Slip. Therefore that hand which first thee planted here Heavens holy hand because thou couldst not bear Such flowers and fruit in this corrupted soil As thou desired'st O now incorrupt Soul Has thee transplanted Happie thou so dies To Re-grow a Prime-rose in Gods paradise Our eyes are needless Garden-pots with Tears To water thee there are no doubts or fears Of parching heat which siccity doth bring So near to living water blessed spring But O my thaughtful Heart thy Sighs supplie The Rainy moisture of my Aprild Eye Oh that the puling Poet whose purest skill Was threneful Elegies writ with Ravens quill Would now lend Verses to my grief-drown'd Muse Or into me their poetick Souls infuse Sure then this Name posterity and all times Should find Immortalized in my lines Yet shall our Pen drop some black Tears for thee And write long Virtue 's short Epitomie Dumb grief shall lend us Mutes Liquits wet eyes Which joyn'd with Vowels of Sighs thence will arise Words to set forth that which Mankind may vex All virtues strong in one of weaker Sex Two things there are denominate one compleat Concurring in her she was Good and Great Twice born first great next Birth did stile her Good Noble by man far Nobler by Christs Blood O how swells Wormseed Man lifts Crest on high If Or Gules Argent deck his Blazoncie This honour here counted such Glory loss Chuse Faith her Herald for Arms a bloudy cross Thus Born choice education brings her up Seasoning with sweetest liquors this fresh cup. Her Infants age gives Childhood full of hope Childhood brings youth where Piety is the scope Of all her actions Single Married both To virtue Husband Christ she keeps firm troth And now my Boat being entering on the Main For life full-stream'd with good gifts fullest strain Of Art is needful Since I cannot skill To handle curious Pencil yet I will Use shadowing Charcoal Vertue needs no lace No Jaggs or Fashes her plain Coat to Grace When Sea Earth Air Woods Gardens at on time Do deck and dish a Table with the prime Of all Tooth-witching Cates stomach doth stand A doubtful Question is' t how to move the hand This 's good that dainty palate likes th' other best This sawce that Junket's rarity 'bove the rest Such is the Tooths tempation like 's my case A Squadron of air qualities are in Chase Before my Pen which first to single out In midst of such rich choice I stand in doubt Yet none so fit I find to have first place As that Great-little Virtue High-low Grace Humility which ne'r could Trumpet blow Plaies least in sight and hides it self from show Who ever saw Prides Chair set in thine eyes Or like the swellig Bubble saw thee rise Above the level of Waters Glories seat Follows the lowly-little flies the great Thou sought'st not earths applause or fumy same Whose heart was modeld to a better frame It is in th' Sphere of Saints as in the Skie The highest Stars seem smallest to the Eye What needs it name thy Faith thy love we guess Poor long since styl'd the Pities patroness Touching thy Zeal whiles here we thee did hold Winter was warm now midsummer is cold Some Querists ask what this cold weather meant Why Have we not lost Zeals fervid Element Chast modest sober patient discreet A very Center where Virtues did meet Thrifty in words shunning her Sexes blot A Tongue that hangs too loose without a knot Yea you corrupted Times worlds worst curst dreggs The Dam that daily hatches some blaâ—k Eggs Of Lust