in Thessalonica in that they receiued the word with all readinesse of minde and searched the Scriptures daylie whether these thinges were so As for difficulties we acknowledge that there bee many and great in Scripture but as for that which is absolutè simpliciter absolutelie simplie necessarie for our Saluation it is clearelie set down in Scripture if there be any difficulty in one place that which is there obscure will bee made cleare in some other parte of Scripture This much by the way concerning the obscuritie of Scripture Now to come to the wordes of S. Paul In the first verse it is said For wee know that if the earthlie house of this Tabernacle were dissolued wee haue a building of God an house â—… made with hand eternall in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some after this manner expourâ—… these words after that this body like a Taber nâ—…ele is takeÌ„ away from 〈◊〉 Soule the Soule shall bee in a beâ—… estate euen in euerlasting Glorie â—… to the Heauens The French marginall note vpoÌ„ this is that that eternall house in the he 〈◊〉 is the bodie after the resurrectionâ—… So long as we are here in the sinfull bodie the bodie is but like a Tubernacle vnconstant weake fraâ—… But in the heauens it shall be like 〈◊〉 house that is constant firme strong So corpus gloriosa ejus conditio the bodie and its glorious estate in thâ—… opinion of some is heere called 〈◊〉 house by that house then wee must vnderstand the glorie that is prepared for the Sainctes in he iuen which for its constancie and commoditie â—… called an house According to thâ—… the Apostle in the secoÌ„d verse saith That wee groane earnestlie desiring to bee cloathed vpon with our house which is from heauen That house from heauen is that Glorie which is from heauen Others of the Learned interpret that worde Superindui to bee cloathed vpoÌ„ vt siquis indâ—…tus est thoracâ—… superinduitur pallio Puâ—…o autem sic Explicanâ—…um ex versa 4 Sancti capiunt corpore câ—…lesti it â—… indui vt noâ—… prius exvantur corpore mortaliâ—…sed superinduantur câ—…lesti Sâ—… immortali hoc est â—… per 〈◊〉 transâ—…tationem absorbiator 〈◊〉 ab immortalitate Thus would hee say That the Sainctes beeing huing at the end of the world desired not to cast their mortall bodies from them but desire them to bee changed and cloathed aboue with immortalitie Mortalitie is one 〈◊〉 which must be put off that immortalitie may bee put on Others thinke that there be mention heere made of a double cloathing Alijs placet saith Beza primam vestem dici Christi justitiam alteram vero illius justitiae praemium quorum sententiae nolim praejudicium afferre the one they make to bee the righteousnesse of Christ the other the glorie purchassed by that righteousnesse S. Ambrose speaking of these words In this wee groane c. If so bee that beeing cloathed wee shall not bee found nacked saith Vt haec sit sententia destruendum quidem hoc tabernaculum morte sed ita tamen ut non pâ—…reat Imo ut corruptibilitate deposita restituatur nobis immortalitate induendum That is The Tabernacle of this bodie shal be dissolued by Death not so that it shal perish but that all corruption being taken away it may put on incorruption euen euerlasting glorie For if the bodie did perish then in that case the Soule should bee naked Now while wee are in the Tabernacle of the bodie beeing burdened with sinne and corruption wee grone not desiring to bee vncloathed that is altogether to want our bodie but that putting off the corruptions of the bodie wee may bee cloathed with immortalitie of life which shall swallow vp mortalitie with all cumbers and inconuenients whatsoeuer The Soule of man hath an ardent desire to bee clothed with immortality but hath not will to want its bodie without which it thinketh its selfe naked according to this the Apostle saith In this we groane earnest lie desiring to be cloathed vpon with our house which is from Heauen That is With glorie and immortalitie fast firme like an house If so bee that beeing cloathed wee shall not bee found naked That is Shall not want the cloathing and couering of our bodies The sicke Man My braine is so sore troubled that I cannot bend my Spirits so high for the vnderstanding of these things which are so far aboue my reach Happie is hee who with Dauid is not exercised in great matters which are too high for him Lord inlighten my mistie minde and make mee to know thee and thy Son Iesus Christ and him crucified Lord also helpe mee in the knowledge of all that may increase the knowledge of him into my Soule I haue heard you Sir at large vpon the last judgement and all the proceedinges thereof Yee haue also cleared some difficulties which this night did runne into my minde Nowe lest vaine thoughts should draw mine heart aside vnto toyes let â—…t please you to turne your purpose concerning the joyes of Heauen While I did behold but the outâ—…id of Heauen mine heart was euer rauished at the sight of that Tapestrie embroydred like most glorious Arrasse cloath O what Glorie muste bee within where the Lord himselfe is with all his endenized Citizens of glorie Let me heare you a little therevpon There by the grace of my God I hope to bee within a little space O what place of perfection and blisse my Soule longeth to dwel into that azured Palace Let mee heare of its Glorie The Pastour The prince of Philosophers most subtile in Naturall Science speaking of the heauens said That it was much to get any little knowledge therof All his knowledge câ—…ld reach no further but from motion to motion till hee come to the fiâ—…st Mouer who by the force of his Almightie arme turneth about these relestiall bodies But hee knew no more the great Mov â—… thâ—…n yee would know a man a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpâ—…n the toppe of an Hill displaying aâ—… Ensigne or Standart While the Mouer were casting his Standart yee might perceiue the motion of a Banner and by that motion yee might easilie judge that there bee a Mouer and yet for all that be ignorant not knowing the man who is the caâ—… of all the motion whether he were your foe or your friend The Pagans saw the motions of the heauens as wee see the shaking of a tree moued by the winds I see the Tree shaken and the Branches rushing one vpon another I heare also the noyse I also know that the Mouer is that which wee call the Wind But whence this mouer commeth and whether it goeth or what moueth it no earthlie tongue can tell Pagans which haue not Gospel writteÌ„ in quicke Letters by the dead knowledge of Nature will come from ens to ens that is from beeing to being till they come to ens entium
ground for Colewort or Cabbage for to liue vpon saying This will I giue thee for thy life-time But if afterward this Lord should say Fetch mee my good feruant out of his clattie Cottage and bring him to my Palace that he may eate at mine owne Table for euer Tell me if by the change that seruāt hath lost Would that seruant think yee say No Lord I will not come to thy Table for thou hast promised mee this Cottage-house for my life-time What Lord in the Land was euer troubled with such an answere And yet indeede it is so that God doeth with his faithfull seruantes when they die into the midst of their dayes When men are departed from this life it is the Lord that hath sent his messenger Death for to fetch their Soules from their bodies which Scripture calleth Tabernacles of clay vnto his heauenlie Mansions there for to banquet eternallie at his Table with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Now tell mee O man what haue yee lost for to goe from the Earth to the Heauens Is there any thing in this world of such worth that should make you desire to liue for to stay from your God but an houre The sicke Man That which yee say Sir is verie true But how few are these who in this world can gladlie condescend to depart out of this life The life is sweete The Pastour I confesse indeede that euery one hath not attained vnto this high degree of grace as to say with S. Paul I desire to bee dissolued c. Yet all the godlie will subscribe to this that all the faithfull are happie who are dissolued Though euerie man can not wish to die yet euerie man of God will say That Death is better than life Death is a salue which healeth vs of all our sores Is not Death Gods messenger sent for to pull the troubled Soule out of this sinfull world as Gods Angel pulled Lot out of S◅dom Is not our life heere a warfare Are we not here as Daniel was in the Dungeon among Lions Are not vvee here with Ieremie sticking fast into the myrie clay Are not wee heere with Israel into the House of bondage ouerburdened vvith sinne as they vvere vvith bricke Are we not heere with S. Paul vnder the bodie of Death And with Ioseph in the stockes not of tree but of sinne If it were well tolde a man what is heere and what hee may looke for in the life to come if hee had but a graine of grace as great as of Mustard seede hee should easilie discerne vvhereof to make choise Is not our life heere a wind and a vapour of vanitie But which is most of all to be considered Is there not heere a necessitie of sinning laide vpon all the liuing Who should not bee glad to bee fredde and ridde of these sinfull bondes Is not this life continuallie sicke of the filthie flooxe of sinne a most lothsome disease When wee seeke our daylie bread wee must immediatelie subjoyne forgiue vs our sinnes First as wee see heere wee must begge our bread and then pardon What then are wee heere but daylie beggers for the bellie The King must begge his bread from God In the Heauens there shall bee no begging but thanking of God for his benefites Who should for all that he can beg on Earth desire for to liue out of Heauen but one houre Are we not all heere vnder a corruptible burden a burden of corruption vnder which the Soule is pressed as a Cart full of sheaues So long as wee are heere our Soules are laden with sinnes A Soule burdened with such baggage runs on wheeles as it were downe an hill all post haste except that God stay it it shall neuer cease till it arriue in Hell where God shall breake it in sunder by the tempest of his wrath The sicke Man But Death is the wages of sinne who shall not feare The Pastour Indeed Death is such of the owne nature But God in great mercie hath made death to the godlie like the Raine-bow which being naturallie a signe of present raine by Gods Couenant becommeth a perpetuall signe of faire weather to come after that raine As throgh Death Christ wrought our Life so must wee bee killed for to bee made aliue The glorious Resurrection must bee through dust and corruption Our paines must goe before our pleasures and lashes before our laughters After that in come pleasures for euermore If wee had the faith of God wee should not much feare the smart of death which by Christ is made transitus ad vitam a passage vnto Life Let vs once passe thorow this Iordan and behold wee are in an instant in Canaan The sicke Man All that is true Sir No man can controle you yet naturallie all loue Life The Life is sweete The Pastour How sweete is it I pray you Is not our whole Life trouble and wearinesse What is our sleeping our resting our eating our drinking but a seruitude to the flesh Who should not desire to bee rid from such seruile necessities who for to bee free of such bondage should not renounce his deare selfe and all the loue of this irk some life To bee with Christ is it not our best Yea is it not our rest what shame is it for Christians to dote so after this present life who should haue learned to long after the life to come Christ came downe that wee might goe vp If wee desire not to goe vp wee know not wherefore hee came downe Hee came downe to bee a Seruant wee goe vp to bee Lords Hee came downe to bee hungrie wee goe vp to a perpetuall Feast Hee came downe to bee banished where hee had not wherevpon to lay his head we goe vp to dwell in Palaces of pleasures into euerlasting Tabernacles In a word hee came downe to distresse to sorrow to paine to miserie to fight against our enemies Deuils Death and temptations yea hee discended vnto Hell we goe vp to Ioy to Honour to Light to Life to Libertie to our Father to our Friends to our Sauiour and Comforter What shall I say more Euen to vnspeakable Glorie in Paradise with God his Angels What a folie is this that a man should desire to bee depriued of such Comforts for a puffe of breath Bee glad Sir to quite the ranke Onions of Egypt for that heauenlie Manna Sweete like Wafers made with honey The sicke Man If a man could bee fullie perswaded of that which ye say I think that hardlie could hee with-hold himselfe from putting hands into himselfe that so hee might change for the better If all that be why should any desire to stay from God but an houre If I may desire to bee dissolued why may I not dissolue my self The working out of a lawfull desire cannot bee vnlawfull The Pastour
No man liuing Sir may absolutelie desire to be dissolued but vnder condition that it bee for the glorie of God and the Saluation of his owne Soule For two respects a man may desire to be dissolued First for to bee deliuered from the bondage of sinne which the Apostle calleth A bodie of death Secondlie for an earnest desire to bee with his God a man may desire to bee dissolued But for no reason must a man dissolue himselfe that were selfe murther If we may not kill our Neighbour whoÌ„ we should loue as our selues neither must wee kill our selues who are the rule and square of neighbourlie loue Man in this world is as a set Watch hee must not remoue till it please him by whom hee was set to command him to come Though lawfullie wee may desire death that we may bee deliuered from the bodie of death which is sinne for to bee with Christ which is meekle better for vs yet wee must not cry for death for some triflles of worldlie troubles as Ionah did for the lossing of his leafes Our desire of Death should bee chieflie grounded vpon a desire to bee with Christ and to bee fredde from the spirituall bondage of our sins well is him that can sincerly say from his heart Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this bodie of death That Soule is happie whose desire is vpon that which is meakle better for it To bee with Christ in Scripture stile is called meakle better What say ye now Sir doeth not your heart grone vnder this burden of sinfull death Doeth not your Soule long to bee out of this bodie for to bee with him where it shall bee meakle better for you The sicke Man I take vp the matter better than I did I see by your reasons that there is no reason wherefore a man should desire to die but for to bee with his Christ and to be deliuered from the bodie of bondage which is a death But alas The Pastour I see you yet Sir into a plunge I heard that word Alas Wherefore say yee Alas Yee looke yet as one who desireth to liue My wordes are not gifted with perswasion yee seeme to be afraide at that word dissolued What aileth you There bee doubtlesse some thing within that troubleth you The sicke Man I am sorie to goe out of this world wherevnto I am chained by diuerse respects In the cutting off of my dayes I will mourne with sicke Hezekiah in the words of his doole I am depriued of the residue of my yeares c. The Pastour I see Sir that yee are taking vp the Lamentations of Hezekiah I will striue to make answere to euerie sentence apart Yee are depriued saye yee of the residue of your yeeres Hee is not depriued that hath changed for the better The residue of your few yeeres shall bee turned into eternitie Hee who seeth many yeeres seeth many miseries and which is worse contracteth many sinnes the cause of all our woe Moreouer what is a residue of life Death is not farre when it is farthest The sicke Man But if I die I shall not see the Lord euen the Lord in the land of the liuing The Pastour This is your ignorance What can man see of the Lord in the land of the liuing What can a sinner see of that great IEHOVAH here What is to bee seene on Earth but the Backe-parts of IEHOVAH Into the Heauens wherevnto yee now approach yee shall see that great and glorious IEHOVAH face to face What are all men on Earth but a number of wormes crawling and creeping vpon a clat or clod of clay But againe what is this that ye call the land of the liuing What is all the Land yee see but a dead lump of earth where the most part of men are dead in their sins Doe not the best part die daylie vnto Sin which death is our best life and yet laden with a bodie of death Can ye now call this earth the Land of the liuing Call me not Nahomi pleasant said Nahomi but call me Marah that is bitter for the Almightie hath dealt verie bitterlie with mee So may the Earth say Call mee not the Land of the liuing No rather call mee a dungeon of death a place for the burying of the dead a place where all must needs die and bee as water spilt vpon the ground which cannot bee gathered vp againe The sicke Man But alas if I die I shall behold men no more with the inhabitants of the world The Pastour This heere is your griefe that death will strik you with a blindnes so that yee shall not bee able to see any more the faces of these whom yee loue best into this world as of Wife Children and of Friends of your old acquaintance This is your dâ—…lour theÌ„ that ye shall see them no more Let such thoughts Sir moue these to mourne who know not Death better than that Pagan who speaking of a slaine man said In eternam clauduntur Lumina noctem That is Death closeth mans eyes for euermore This is most false A true Christian knoweth that though both his eyes should sinke â—…owne into his head or droppe out like blobbes or droppes of water yet that with these same eyes runne into water hee and none othér for him shall see his Redeemer Though after my skin said Iob wormes destroy this bodie yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another Lay this comfort to your heart Though your eyes were eaten out with the wormes if you die in the faith of Iesus yee shall see God and none other for you and that with these same eyes yee now looke vnto meeâ—… If yee bee perswaded that yee shall see your God in the Heauens in whose face is fulnesse of Ioye yee haue little cause of doole that yee shall no more behold man with the inhabitants of the world What are all the creatures of thiâ—… World but things that dwell in dâ—…st The Sainctes and Angels that dwell into these vpper Chambers whose feete are aboue ouâ—… head are so faâ—… in glorie aboue all the glorie of the world as the Heauens are aboue the Earth As Zebah and Zalmunah said of Gideons brethren so may we say of all these that dwell there euerie one of them is like the Sonne of a King What are all the Creatures below but beggerlie things The sicke Man But alas if I die mine age is departed and remoued from me as a Shepheards tent The Pastour What is your doole It is all then that yee must quite your shepheards tent Now poore man What haue yee lost Yee shall change a poore shepheards tent for the most pleasant Palace of your God a life mortall for a life that is eternall
workes may easilie ouertoppe all your sins iniquities God will haue man with his narrow bowels of mercie to forgiue his brother seuen times in a day if hee shall returne seuen times in a day saying It repenteth mee If God requireth such mercie of man whose bowels in the widest are not of a span breadth what shall hee doe whose compassions are rouled together into bowels broader than the Sea yea wider than the heauens If ye can repent Sir God can forgiue When man ceaseth to spurne God beginneth to spare The sicke Man I take God to witnesse that I am sorie for my sinnes and so ashamed that with the Publicane I cannot lift vp mine eyes to the heauens I would be content to kisse the ground a thousand times for to get but one kisse of the feete of him who is the on◅ lie helpe of the conscience and the health of the countenance I finde myselfe deepe to the Chine in a gulfe of miserie Tell mee truelie Sir I pray you Thinkeyee that if with a mourning heart I confesse my sinnes to God that hee will haue pittie of me I am sore perplexed the deepe thoughts of mine owne guiltinesse strike men with such a set silence that I am not able to vtter my griefe My feare is that I bee of the familie of hell an haire of horrour and vtter woe Be free with mee I pray you Thinkeyee th◅t such an hord of miserie as mine can euer meete with his mercie The Pastour It is great ignorance Sir to thinke that anie miserie of man can ouer reach the infinite power of his pitie and boundlesse compasse of his compassions It were more easie to turne the Sunne from his course than God from shewing mercie to repenting sinners both his Name and Nature is mercie See wee not out of what myres of miserie Gods mercie hath deliuered repenting sinners In Scripture wee may read long Catologes of pardoning sinnes Consider well I pray you thinke deepelie vpon the mercies of your God Look well what hee hath done to others Could the adulterie of Dauid the incest of Lot the drunkennesse of Noah the murther of Simeon Leui the persecutions of Paul the perjurie of Peter or any other like sinne hinder God to be mercifull to the◅ so soone as they repented * Wherefore wereall these pardons printed into God Booke but for to tell all ages that no man were hee neuer so sinfull should despaire of the mercie of his God As I liue saith the Lord take no delight into the death of sinners but rather that they should repent and liue These bee his owne words If words beare no weight behold effects God hath so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onelie Sonne that whosoeuer belieueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This is not a verball loue when a man giueth his best beloued for to die for another God hath not spared his onelie Sonne that by his satisfying sufferings his Iustice beeing payed hee might shew mercie to man his poore vnworthie creature not onelie the Father hath loued the world but also the Sonne out of vnspeakable loue was as desirous to die for man as the Father was to send him This out of his owne mouth hee declared that no loue could ouer-reach his loue No man said hee hath greater loue than this than when a man layeth downe his life for his friend The highest of mans loue is to die for his friend But Christs loue was greater hee died for vs euen when wee were his enemies In another point behold the loue of Christ scarselie saith the Apostle for a righteous mā wil one die yet per aduenture for a good man some would euen dare to die But God commendeth his loue towardes vs in that while wee were yet sinners Christ died for vs Who shall doubt of this loue which the Lord hath registred on earth with the dearest blood of his onelie begotten Sonne There is such a loue in the Father and such a loue in the Sonne and such a loue in the holie Ghost toward the Saluation of man that all the heauens are filled with loue of our well so that at the conuersion of one sinner on earth there is more joy among the Saints and Angels than for fourescore and ninteene righteous who neede not repentance * If Sir yee would haue the heauens to rejoyce cast your selfe into the armes of your God with these words Lord doe with mee what thou wilt though thou shuld slay me yet will I true in thee If yee would see the picture of Gods mercy ye must draw aside the curtaine of all carnall surmises The sicke Man Oh that I might cast my Soule into his Armes But how can I doe this The Lord hath turned his backe on mee shall I cast my selfe into a consuming fire At the first sight of his angry face my Soule will die for feare The Pastour Men often are deceiued So soone as Manoah had seene the Angel hee said to his wife Wee shall surelie die because wee haue seene God But his wife answered more wiselie If the Lord were pleased to kill vs hee would not haue receiued a sacrifice from vs As shee said to him so say I to you If the Lord were pleased to kill you hee would not haue giuen his Sonne in a Sacrifice for you * I is a greater loue token that God hath giuen his Sonne in a Sacrifice for you than that hee should receiue any sacrifice from you It is the Apostles argument that since God hath giuen vnto vs his owne Sonne hee will not refuse vs any other thing that may doe vs good Christ alone is the sinners refuge hee is a Rocke of comfort which cannot bee shaken a Rocke which commandeth all seas of sorrows the pole of our peace Be earnest in prayer with God cry till he hea◅e The sicke Man I am wearied with crying to God my prayers may be called The voyce of my roaring But what shall I say I cry but there is none that maketh answere God hath couered himselfe with a cloude that my prayers should not passe thorow hee hath stopped his eares that my prayer should not bee heard This is a most fearefull blast and blow in his bloo die battell The Pastour Deceiue not your selfe often our prayer framed and followed by the Spirit of grace is heard though the fense of grant bee not yet brought to vs God for causes will let a time goe betweene seeking and finding After this the Angel spake vnto Daniel At the beginning of thy prayer God heard thee and now I am come to tell thee See how a space will interceede betweene Gods hearing of mans prayer and mans knowledge that God hath heard him Though yee as yet know not whither God hath heard you or not yee must not
All his pleasures are out of tune and temper Beholde how this proude and loftie creature is so curbed withered and wrinkled that it hath nothing but the vgelie shape of a creature Thus after as in a dote hee hath tottered some space about at last hee falleth downe to dust and dust ◅neth to the earth as it was That is petere principium Then all his deuises and his discourses all his arguments and his syllogismes for Riches Honour and preferment inferre a conclusion which is but petitio principij a sort of argument scorned by the Learned as beeing an argument declaring the weaknes of the Disputer so after we haue spended our wits with our wordes all our dispute at last is foūd to be but vpō trashes triffles or as wee say de lana caprina At last all commeth to this that wee are in end found to haue beene neither in moode nor figure but onely jangling and cangling and at last returning to that where once wee beganne Thus hee who in his youth stepped statelie vpon the ground who hauing the world at wish was wont to brag it out with the brauest with big darring words after that in his life he hath beene tossed with losses cares and crosses hee lyeth down◅ into his greene growing bedde that dust may returne to the earth as it was The Sunne at night seemeth to lye downe in a bed of darknesse but like a Gyant in the morning hee ariseth with force of light But man once dead shall not awake till the heauens bee no more A man in his youth with a prophane seared Conscience may swallow ouer Camels of pleasant profitable sinnes without any paine his heart beeing secured with a slumbe◅ing and superficiall quiet But so soone as the tyme of the rotten Age commeth all the sweetenesse of the sinnes of his youth is turned into gall and worme-wood the Conscience of his by past euill spent life doggeth behind him All the dregges and drosse of dolouis fall downe vpon this tyme Then the mirth of youth is turned into mourning This is the nature of sinne the joye thereof euer endeth into sorrow Who doeth not see how the mirth of youthfull lusts passeth away with the faire blossomes of youth after that commeth old age life the time of the fall of the leafe a time of deadlie diseases After that man in his youth hath drunken at the brimme the clearest pleasures of sinne in his olde sicklie age when hee hath greatest neede of comfort then must hee drinke the doolefull and drumblie dregges of sorrow This is the course of mans pilgrimage in this valey of teares Wee come weeping into this Worlde where vvee walke through troubles and temptations vvhereof except that God bee more mercifull the end shall bee bitternesse brimstone fire Alas for our benummed heart Oh that vvee were sensible of our owne miserie and could weigh what it is to toile into this world a wildernesse of woe What is heere that should tye our heart from the loue of Heauen If vvee would speake with Scripture wee would say that a thousand yeares in Heauen are but like one day on earth and againe if vvee would speake with trueth vve must say that one day on Earth seemeth longer than a thousand yeeres in Heauen Dolour and griefe prolongeth that which is made short by joye and pleasure An houre in a painefull prison is longer than a vveeke in a pleasant Palace Let mee speake a Paradoxe A Child of a day is of a thousand yeares of age older than Methushelah Why A day on Earth is like a thousand yeares in Heauen for length Fye fye on our foolish vanitie that wee cannot consider A Childe of a day may bee content with a day of life and say if hee could speake I am full of dayes yea full of yeares and full of labour I wish to be in heauen wher a thousand yeeres seeme not so long as a day yea where Eternitie it selfe shal neuer seeme to be too lōg Eye vpon too great desire of dayes while wee liue on earth as vvormes vvee creepe on it In death we creepe in it Mans heart on earth is like a tooth in the jaw the deeper roote it hath the more paine it causeth when it is in drawing out with the Turkesse A heart fixed to the earth and nailed to the ground either with pleasure or profite or desire of yeeres cannot be rugged from thence without renting of its filme If mans heart bee sette vpon long life hee shall neuer want the disease of the feaze of disease the messenger of Death A feeble fitte of a feuer will put him in a maze of amazement In a vvorde doe the best hee can all the dayes of his life are but labour and sorrow The best man that liueth so soone as hee beginneth to liue must say with a sigh All the dayes of mine appointed time will I waite till my changing come See I pray you howe the life of man as with loose reines and a laide downe head is euer in a course like a swift Dromedairie posting to a change Beholde Sir howe foolish this world is that gappeth so for many yeares that all that men haue euen to their skinne they would giue it for their life See and consider how the olde man is besieged with dolours and diseases on all sids some set on his eyes some on his eares some on his teeth some on his tongue some on his legges some on his lights and some on his liuer See how all sortes of diseases is like flesh f◅es prey vpon the old man not leauing a free bit of him from the sole of his feete to the crowne of his head See what a gostlie sight it is to beholde such ratling bones couered with a wrinkled skinne Now after that hee hath coughed and spitted on a space some few yeares beeing a burden to himselfe and a cumber vnto others at last hee sickneth and taketh bed and falleth into the hands of Death which holdeth him with fearefull grippes Then Death commeth with a colde sweate ouer-running all his bodie looketh him grimme in the face Then his jaw bones beginne to hang down and his face to grow pale and his cheekes wan Then his eyes water their stringes breake his tongue faltereth his breath shorteneth and smelleth of earth his heart lifteth his throate rattleth his joynts stiffen After that Death hath made a breach with the shot◅es of great artilerie whereby it hath beaten and broken downe all the noble partes of the bodie Death commeth in like a strong man and grippeth so the hearte of the poore man that by diuerses gaspes hee maketh his heart-strings to leape asund◅ * That done the ruinous house of man falleth and his Soule leapeth out with his gaspes which in an instant must compeare before its Iudge either
before the Lord Let vs all humble our selues heere before our Maker A Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD prepare our heartes to prayer Let vs not be rash with our mouth nor hastie with our heart to vtter any thing before Thee O glorious GOD and all mercifull Father which art the true Physicion both of Soule and bodie we must humblie bend our knees before Thee intreating thee to be with thy seruant heere whom thou hast now laide into this bedde of languishing Let not his sinnes whereof hee hath beene guiltie from his youth vp prouok thy wrath any more against him Knit them all in a bundle and cast them all behind thy mercifull back burie them al into the bottomlesse sea of thy compassions that they neither bee able to accuse him any more in this worlde nor yet to condemne him in the world to come Though his sinnes LORD were like Scarlet and Crimsin there is vertue into the Blood of thy Lambe to make them white like woole and whiter than the Snow For thy Sonnes sake remoue all his transgressions as far frō him as the East is from the west Hell LORD Destruction are before thee how much more the hearts of the Sonnes of men Thine All seeing Eye pryes most clearelie into the in-most closet of mans heart Look with the Eye of thy compassions within the Doores of this wearied heart of thy Seruant Looke in and proclaime mercie and pardon vnto his sillie Soule Let him know that neither Death nor Life shal be able to separate him from thy Loue O LORD assist him and stand fast by him in this houre Desert him not in his greatest last agonie Let thy Spirit possesse him so fullie that there be none entrie or roume for Satans temptations whē the Temper is bufiest let thy Spirite bee strongest Arme him with all Pieces against the last conflict of this bloodie battell Honour him with the Lawrels of victorie Let thy strength be made perfect in his greatest weak nesse Doe the turne by thine owne force and take all the glorie to thy selfe By the vertue of thy Christ crucifie into him the olde Man and his vvorkes Make him to die into him that hee may liue to Thee vvho to all the Faithfull is aduantage both in life and death Hee is now LORD walking betweene thy Mercie and thy Iustice through many-temptations Gouerne thou his steppes vvith such vvisedome that the feare of Iustice may keepe him from presumption and the hope of mercie may preuent despaire Increase his patience vvith his paine Sanctifie his Sickenesse make it as Bellowes to thy graces that thereby they may be kindled and blowne vp to a greater flame Enamour him vvith the loue of thy goodnesse Powre in the oyle of thy mercie into his bruissed hearte which hath bene filled with mournfull groanes And seeing now thou art calling him to repetitions to see vvhat hee hath profited in thy Schoole cast into his rememberance all the good things that hitherto hee hath heard or meditate for to comfort this houre Bee strong in him now in this time of tryall Applye vnto his wounds the Balme of Gilead Hee is weake and therefore O LORD forbea◅e him in thy mercie O pittie this wounded man as did that Samaritane Powre Oyle into his wounds bind them vp and take him to thine Inne For thy mercies sake remember him Forthy Sonnes sake pittie him For thy promise sake forget him not Free his Soule f◅ the maze of all worldlie cares Inspite into him the life of grace with a most fresh vigout and feruent heate of zeale to thy Glorie Hee LORD in his most piercing paines knoweth not what to doe but his eyes are on Thee In thine handes is both Life and Death Thou bringest to the Graue and bringest backe againe In thy greate mercie O LORD make all his bedde in his sicknesse make his bedde to be a Schoole vnto him wherein hee may not onelie learne the hudgnesse of his owne miserie but also the greatnes of thy mercie Let neither Death fright him nor the Graue grieue him Let him knowe that Death is but a sleepe for the friendes of Christ and the Graue a bedde for the resting of their wearied bones Let not the weight of mortalitie beare downe his Spirite frō minding the things which are aboue Make him content to quite gladlie all earthlie pleasures and contentments for to goe dwell with Thee his GOD in immortalitie Let neither the sweetnesse of the Figge nor the grapes of the Vine nor the fatnesse of the O liue hinder his desire to reigne in heauen Against the feare of death comfort him with hope of the glorious Resurrection Assure his Soule though his bodie goe to bee eaten of the wormes that hee in that bodie againe shall see his Redeemer and none other for him Furnish him with spirituall courage vnto the end Giue him boldnesse to march without feare thorow the valey of death for to come to Thee yea to run were it thorow Hell for to come to Thee in Heauen Tell vnto his Soule that his paines dismay him not seeing his trauell is to bring foorth eternall life Let thy Iustice seate trouble him no more seeing Christ hath payed his debts Let him not bee afraide to come before the Face of his Iudge seeing the Iudge himselfe is his Brother who hath both cut cancelled that hand-writting of the Law which no flesh was able to performe Pittie him LORD pittie him for loe hee is nowe in thine handes looking pittifully vp to Thee for thy mercie Some of thy setters are yet vpon him none can loose him but the hands which haue bund him Pittie good LORD and pardon set vnto this Soule the seale of thy pardons by the Spirit of adoption Heale and sweetlie close vp the wounds of his Spirit by the vertue of thy most blessed Blood This is our confidence that thou who hast stricken him is able to heale him and will also doe it if it bee for thy glorie and his well if not Lord in judgement remember mercie If it bee his best that after some dayes sicknesse he depart out of this mortall life let these paines which hee suffers nowe bee like Ionathans arrowes which were not shot for to ◅urt but to giue warning Giue him grace that like an obedient Childe hee may as w◅ll kisse thine hand while it beateth as while it blesseth If thy decree be come foorth that hee must remoue from this World assure him of a better place where pleasures are in greater number th◅ the starres Teach him by thy Spirit that by death hee shall change a mortall habitation a dungeon of darknes◅◅ cage of corruptions for euerlasting T◅bernacles most heauenlie sacred M◅sions where constant peace vnmi◅ joyes remaine Weane his heart from the loue of all things that are vnder the Sunne Let the beautie and glorie of the Heauens whereof hee hath heard at length this day
the Kings Daughter which is all glorious within Make Her a Mother in Israel a Nurse Mother to thy Church an happie Mother of blessed Children Be mercifull to all the Nobilitie of our Land fixe fast their heartes vpon the thinges that are aboue Blesse our Pastours make them painefull Faithfull at thy Seruice that they may gaine with the Talents which thou hast committed to their keeping Make them to striue more then for states to bee in thy fauour Let their chiefest care bee to winne and wooe manie Soules to the loue of Iesus the blessed Bridegroome of the Church Good LORD bee mercifull to vs that are heere humbled before thee Encrease our Faith and better our feeling and apprehension of thy loue Look graciously vpon this our euening sacrifice which wee doe heere render vnto thy Majestic perfumed with the merits of thy Sonne in that prayer which hee by his most sacred wisedome hath taught vs saying Our Father which art c. The sicke Man Before the market time of my life be ended O my deare God let me haue a rich pennie-worth of thy mercie Thou who biddeth vs buy without money giue vs grace to tak the aduantage of the Market before the Sunne of our life bee set O that in this our day wee could know the things belonging to our peace that in an holie zeale the corruptions of our affections wherewith our hearts heere bee in◅hralled and sold vnder sinne may bee justled out and tread vnder foote THE EIGHTH DAYES Conference A Conference with a carnall Friend concerning his Buriall Concerning Funerall Sermons Diuerse prayers Death approaching A Soliloque◅ betweene the Soule and the bodie in a trance their last adewes The last gaspes Michael and Sathan disput for the Soule The sicke Man THE troublous toyles of this world are the bane of Mans life they surfet his minde with car◅s My Spirit is much wearied Oh that I had wings lik a Doue then would I flie away and rest O with how manie rootes are wee fastened vnto this earth The World Wife Life and Children but most of all our owne corruptions are burdens which hang so fast on that none hand but that of the Almightie is able to shake them off So long as wee haue health and wealth wee stalke in our vanities like Nebuchadnezar in his palace of confusion Wee neuer perceiue that wee dwell in Bable till one judgement or other bring vs to confusion Wee will not suffer to bee reproued while the time is fittest for repentance Wee are offended at the word except that it glyde by our faults Wee will not with Peter bee with-stood to the face The Preacher must whisper his reproofes behind our backes or he must speake vnto vs as vnto Princes into Parables Wee heare like stones and goe like snailes Fye vpon vs Oh that wee were wise A carnall Friend What are yee now doing Sir In all appearance yee are shortlie for to leaue this world yee haue said all your adewes and haue turned your backe vpon all worldlie things as Hezekiah did when hee turned his face to the wall I desire Sir to knowe of you but one thing Where would yee bee buried Were it not expedient that your Corps lye into the Church where are buried these which are in greatest account in this world The sicke Man What haue I to doe with this world or with the fashions of this worlde which passe away Wherfore should I make the glorious House of my God a flesh pot of corruption Fye vpon our folie Should it be conuenient that my stinking bones cast vp anie noysome vapours for to trouble the liuing at the seruice of the euerliuing What aduantage shall it be to my Soule to come and fetch this bodie out of a Church more than out of a Church yeard What prerogatiue shall it bee to my bodie in that day that it hath beene buried into Gods House Gods House in Scripture is called An House of prayer but in no place is it called A place of buriall Let no mā mak me an euill example after my death What is this How long shall foolish man goe round in his course and compasse of vanitie like a blind horse in a Mill The carnall Friend But would yee not at least haue a Tombe Sir and your name written vpon it with this Heere lyeth such a man The sicke Man Vaine man is glutted with vanitie euen vnto the gorge pype Why trouble ye me with vanitie in death who is now mourning for the vanitie of my life mine accoūt is cast vp for another world My name is written into the Booke of life what care I for Letters into stones away with such Banners of pride Such things are but cold comforts to a wearied Conscience Such thinges are but vanities of none abode Where are nowe the Mausels and most glorious Tombes of Emperours It was well said by a Pagan Sunt etiam sua fata Sepulchris That is for to giue a glosse to these words Tombes wherein the dead are buried will bee buried themselues Nothing is heere permanent Triumphs haue their Tombes and Crownes haue their compasse O my God faste◅ and fixe the eyes of my Soule vpon that which is eternall O the folies of mens hearts who vainelie and needleslie waste vpon their dead vanities that which might builde houses for the poore But let proud men lye vnder their statelie Towers such lifted vp stones must at last fall downe as he fell who now lyeth vnder them I like well of Beza his answere on his death bed to one that spak to him of a Tombe Sub cespi◅e viridi said he That is Lay mee vnder the greene Turfe A notable word of humilitie Good Deborah was buried vnder an Oke tree Manie may lie vnder painted stones whose Soules are pined into Hell God will neuer inquire of a mans Soule where was thy bodie buried But how hast thou liued into that bodie shall he say Lay mee then vnder the greene Turfe How manie Martyres haue beene burnt into ashes which haue beene cast vp into the winde and scattered vpon the waters Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam Hee is couered with the Heauens who wanteth a graue Facilis jactura Sepulchri est The losse of buriall is no great losse O that my Soule were truelie humble I haue alas in the dayes of my vanitie beene too much pined with the prid of life scādalously appearing without but O O O Si trabes in oculo strues in corde a litle beame of pride in the eye telleth that there is a stake of it in the heart And yet in this Turfe of humilitie which I cry for I spy a lurking pride Pride is a secrete thing so small spun that hardlie can it bee discerned A man will bee proude that hee is not proude or rather because hee will not seeme to bee proude This is priuie pride
The humblest heart is not euer couered with coursest apparell yet certainlie it is good both in life in death to shew good example Lesser sins at the first make way and paue a causey for greater folies framed by some are followed by others Woe to the world for scandales The chiefe thing at burials whereof men would take heede is that the dead burie not the dead Woe to these buriers when these who are dead in sinne burie them who are dead for sinne As for you Friend bee wise in your words The lippes of the foole said the wise man will swallow vp himselfe In many men the affections keepe captiue the vnderstanding The carnall Friend I pray God to make mee wise In all this which I haue spoken there is no great matter of follie Seeing the pompe of buriall displeaseth you yee may bee willing that a funerall Sermon bee made for your praise commendation no man of anie worth now wanteth this honour The sicke Man So manie men so manie mindes Away with the flattering panegyricks of such funerall praise Let Christ be preached and not sinfull man Away with that preaching whereof man is the Text Solomon speaking of the good wife sayeth wiselie Let her owne workes praise her in the gates So let the by past life of a man praise him in his death All men are lyers but Dummie cannot lye If I haue liued well my life shall grace and praise mee sufficientlie If not wherefore should I make the Trumpeter of truth to become a libeller of lyes Vivorum sunt haec solatia non mortuorum Such comforts are onelie for the liuing but not for the dead O the vanitie of stinking pride which blasteth the soules of men with most filthie staines Tell mee I pray you who made Christs funerall Sermon when hee was laide into the Graue Hee whose life could neuer preach is not worthie to bee preached vpon after his death If while wee liue our life preach it will preach also after our death The best funerall Sermon a man can haue is when his life maketh all his godly neighbours to say This man while hee liued 〈◊〉 a Nathanael an Israelite indeede without anie fraude or guile Hee was a man who truelie and sincerlie liued in the feare of his God But men must be preached will yee say for such is now the fashion Well if men will be preached with Seraphicall tongues let him who preacheth their vertues also preach their vices as the Prophets did of olde not sparing Kings Dauids treachery and his adulterie his murther and his numbering of the people are as well set downe as his desire of the building of the Temple So Solomons idolatrie and foolishnesse is as well put in write as his wisedome So Hezekiahs pride and Iohoshaphats louing of these that haâ—…ed the Lord and Iosiahs rashnesse in battell against Pharaoh Neco are plainelie declared faithfullie penned that all the world may knowe that they were but poore sinners It is written of Gods beloued people that for their sinnes God deliuered his strength into captiuitie By this appeareth euidentlie that the best Kinges and best people are in Gods word as well painted in their vices as in their vertues He who would rightly draw a mans portrature must paint his blamishes as well as his beautie In such a case his wrats his wrinkles must be wroght with the pinsell that his image may bee like vnto himselfe If men be onelie portreyed in their vertues the halfe of their face shall not be seene What is the most part of mans life heere but a sinning against God and a prouocation of the eyes of his glorie The best men that liue here in the greatest perfection of Gods image are like a quarter Moone inlightened but in a fourt part How many haue but a sharpe edge like the Moone first seene after the change If funerall Sermons were made after this fashion that mens vices were as well reproued as their vertues commended the Preacher should bee desired to keepe silence If yee would preach my vertues ye must also preach my vices and then when should that Sermon haue an end Fye on the pride of life which all good men chieflie at their death should both condemne and contemne Of olde in Scripture wee read of the pride of life But now in this last age Satan hath hatched a new pride called The prid of death eueÌ„ of death which bringeth all men low Pride printed into stones cryeth to the liuing Heere lyeth a proude Fellow Hee that will bee proude in death when shall hee bee humble * Away with that which is both hatefull vnto God and hurtefull vnto man For all that is said I would not absolutelie blame Funerall Sermons for the death of Gods Saincts is precious in his sight That which is precious in the eyes of God may bee declared glorious in the eares of men But yet with leaue I must say that with reason in a great part of our Churches they haue beene abrogate and casseered because of abuse Seeing the Brasen Serpent which was made at the first by Gods own appointment was broken in pieces for the abuse thereof and disdainefullie called Nehushtan a lumpe of Brasse much more things which God neuer commanded in his word for to bee beeing filthilie abused may be rejected For is it not now come to passe and that to the great disgrace of manie Preachers to the hearkening and hardening of lewd liuers that men whose life was full of scab scandales their names being rotten fore their bodies are so decked busked vp with flowers of Rethorick so wrapped vp into hyperbolicke commendations as it were into a seare-cloath for thereby to keepe close within smothered the stinking smell of their most filthie memorie Let all abuse bee taken away As for me I would not that men should bee too contentious and eager in things neither bidden nor forbidden by God Paul and Barnabas for an indifferent thing came at last to such an heate that they departed one from another But I cannot reade that euer they met againe If none but these whom God set out as lights of life were praised after death for to bee a spurre vnto the liuing for to follow their footesteppes it should not bee a misse brieflie to say some-what to the praise of the defunct Why should not the glorie of Gods graces in his Saints passe along glaunce clearely in the eyes of these that are aliue But let euer the bodie of the Sermon run vpon Christs life death wherefrae issueth all the grace and vertue of mans life within one periode of a preaching the praise of anie maÌ„ may find sufficient bounds Now I thanke you louing Friend for your kindnesse and good will But also let mee intreate you not to bee so worldlie minded It may be that shortlie as I am now so
thou separate them sâ—…ale surelie thy pardons within my Conscience and doe perfectlie away all my transgressions Guarde mee assist mee and harnesse my Soule against Sathan his last on-sette Let my Soule graspe with an holy greedinesse in the hand of Faith such spirituall comforts as thou O Lord makest to come from the boundlesse and bottomelesse fountaine of thy mercie toward all these whoÌ„ thouloueth Let my soule feele more and more sensiblie these mercies which fairelie oriently streame thorow the bloodie wounds of my blessed Sauiour Iesus the 〈◊〉 wash and bath my drooping Soule in the well of life Giue vnto it a drinke of the riuers of thy pleasures O Lord of loue shedde thy loue into mine heart thorow the bleeding bowels of my blessed Sauiour O blessed Redeemer of lost mankinde O Pelicane of pittie whose heart did euer melt with mâ—…rcifull compassions pittie my Soule in this painefull plight Mine heart strings are racked my bowels are rent the house of the Soule is falling downe nowe open the doore of thine euerlasting Tabernacles that my Soule may goe from Grace to Glorie Make the power of thy loue like a load stone for to draw mine heart after thee from the mudde of this mortalitie The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and fulfill the sute of thy Seruant burie all his sinnes and his sorrowes in the bottomelesse sea of thy mercie Entombe in the Tombe of Iesus where they may lye for euer without anie hope of a resurrection The sicke Man I waite for the Lord my Soule doeâ—…h waite in his word doe I hope My soule waiteth for the Lord more thaÌ„ they that watch for the morning I say More thaÌ„ they that watch for the morning My Soule is wearied of this earthlie Tabernacle O when shall I come and appeare before God O that I were at my wished home O nowe moue the poole of thy mercie and moue my Soule to runne into it The Pastour It is likly that within an houâ—…e God shall grant you your desire Could not you watch with mee but an houre said Christ to his Disciples Yee haue nowe but an houres absence from your God Yee haue but an houres voyage from the bodie to the sight of Gods face the place of your rest Fixe fast your eyes vpon the Crowne of immortalitie till your Soule be past from toilesome Time to Eternitie Yet a little while God shall retire you from the tyring trauels of this life Watch but an houre and your end shall bee peace The sicke Man The Lorde sende a good houre wherein I may lay downe the loade of this mortalitie Alas manie an houre haue I euill and idlie spent in pam pering this foggie flesh with the light and loose pleasures of this life O Spirite of Grace drawe neare vnto my Soule Make thy residence into this broken heart Correct cure and couer all the corruptions of my Nature Beginne and end crowne the worke with thy goodnes At last close in me thy graces with thy glorie O make mine eyes to see and mine armes to carrie and mine heart to bee filled with thy Saluation Conuoye vnto my Soule the warmest blood that euer heated the heart of Iesus Let that euer recking blood wherein is a Sauour of life vnto life Comfort and vp-holde my Soule in this last heauie houre Now Sir seeing the end draweth neare helpe mee to spend well this houre which in all appearance shall be my last I wish that all my thoghts and affections bee nowe so bended toward my God that they neither sway nor swerue from him by anie idle wandering of minde O Thou that art high and excellent who dwellest in the high and holie place Thogh thou be high thy promise is to dwell also with him that is of a contrite humble spirit According to thy promise reuiue the Spirit of the humble and giue life to him that is of a contrite heart O Lord according to thy wonted grace make mee in my last agonie to possesse my Soule in peace and patience Disapoint Satan in all his craftie fetches O couer this sillie Turtle vnder the mantle of thy mercie All other couerings are but light and slight like Spiders webbes which cannot endure the breath and blast of thy mouth The Pastour Lord hearken thou in heauen giue eare vnto the sute of thy Seâ—…uaÌ„t I perceiue indeede that now your words wearie you Lest yee faint I shall tak the speach vpon me If it be your will I shall let you heare a most diuine discourse taken from a godly preacher on his death-bed the words surely are weighty of great power If ye please I shal let you heare them while I speake them meditate yee and in your minde make them your owne wordes The sicke Man I intreate your Sir for to let mee heare them I shall follow you in mine heart as I can I finde that my tongue almost now faileth mee O God while I heare let the Spirit of grace take harbour into mine heart Set all mine affections on bensell that I may carefullie giue eare vnto thy comfortes the cordials of thy Gospel O cleare the sight of my minde dazeled with the mist of my corrupt affections The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and forgiue the sinnes of thy seruant After this manner Sir the man of God spake vpon his death-bedde I owe to God a death as his Son died for mee Euer since I was borne I haue beene sayling to this Hauen and gathering patience to comfort this houre therefore shall I bee one of these Guestes nowe that would not come to the banket when they were inuited What hurt is in going to Paradise I shall lose nothing but the sense of euill And anone I shall haue greater joyes than I feele paines For mine Head is in Heauen alreadie to assure mee that my Soule and bodie shall follow after O Death where is thy sting Why should I feare that which I wold not escape because my chiefest happines is behind I cannot haue it vnlesse I goe vnto it I wold goe through Hell to Heauen And therfore if I march but through death I suffer lesse than I would suffer for God My paines doe not dismay mee because I trauaile to bring foorth eternall life My sinnes doe not fright me because I haue Christ my Redeemer The Iudge doeth not astonish me because the Iudgâ—…s Sonne is mine Aduocat The Deuill doth not amaze mee because the Angels pitch about me The Graue doeth not grieue me because it was my Lords bedde Oh that Gods mercie to mee might moue others to loue him For the lesse I can expresse it the more it is The Prophets and the Apostles are my fore-runners Euery man is gone before mee or else hee will follow after mee If it please God to receiue mee into Heauen before them which haue serued him better I owe more thankfulnesse vnto
bee thankfull vnto thy good and gracious Lord O what tribulations am I come thorow O with what balmie comfortes hath the Lord asswadged the dolours of my Soule O my Soule I charge thee by the Roes and by the Hynds that thou haste thee vnto thy God in thy strongest affections Keepe nowe tryst with the Spirit of thy God who is now here waiting till thou bee readie The Pastour My Soule and all that is within mee praise the Lord for the powerfull working of his Spirite within you whereby hee hath made such a change as is wonderfull This particula◅ remembereth mee of a certaine Martyre who beeing condemned to bee burnt could feele no working of the Spirit within his hearte till hee came neare to the stake But beeing once come there with a cry hee clapped his hands and crying out amaine said O Austen hee is come hee is come The Martyr was called Master Goner The sicke Man By the grace of God I hope shortlie to say as much My Soule is readie bent waiting for his comming O come Lord Iesus come Let this mine hungrie Soule win in now at the ports of thy Palace for to get a share of the mariage supper of the Lambe in hope already I feast vpon the joys of eternitie In my Soule is now the Charter of my Saluation sealed with that most pure and purifying Blood of the immaculate and spotlesse Lambe that came to take away the monstrous and menstrous sin◅es of the world In the vertue of his Blood is my strongest comfort and highest resolution By it alone all my blacke and bloodie sinnes are clensed from their crimsin colour The Pastour Indeede Sir it is onelie that Lambes Blood that can purge away sinne and iniquitie Though man should wash himselfe with nitre and take him much sope yet for all that shall his iniquitie bee marked before God except that hee bee bathed into this blood of sprinkling Seeing now your Charter is well sealed hold fast these writtings that nothing aboue or belowe no not principalities and powers bee able to wrest them out of your hands Happie is your heart now wherein is that white jewell of the Reuelation euen the white stone wherein is a new name which no man can knowe except the receiuer O the boundlesse bleeding bowels of Gods compassions O that infinite store-house of Christs merites and mercies which no sinne were they neuer so hainous can bee able to stint or restraine before the repenting sinner get a parte of that purchase Neither Death nor Life things present nor to come shall be able to with hold a mourning sinner from a share in our Lords dearest compassions Christ now Sir is readie to receiue ◅ou Make your selfe readie for him Lift vp your hea◅ for your Redemption draweth neare The ende of your time and toile is fast comming The Angels of God are here waiting vpon your Soule which is now looking out to Christ as the morning faire as the Moone cleare as the Sunne and terrible as an Armie with Banners Wherevpon is your minde nowe fixed The sicke Man All mine affections are bended toward God O what shall bee able to hold or hinder me from hastening to my Lord the repairer of life the destroyer of death the conquerour of Heauen the vanquisher of Hell O my Sauiour come neerer yet vnto mee let my Soule creepe in by thy wounds euen to the verie bowels of thy mercie Warme it like a Chicken vnder the vvinges of thy loue The Pastour In Christ alone is Saluation Out of his side did issue the water that hath quenched the vnquencheable fyre of Gods wrath with the Blood that taketh away the sinnes of the world His holie Heart was racked his Armes of compassiō were stretched out vpon the Crosse for to declare to all repenting sinners the infinite widenesse of his mercies His sacred Head hang down bowed for to giue eare vnto the gronings of his prisoners His blessed Bowels rumbling with compassions rolled together made him to proclaime that Oyas of mercie Come vnto mee all yee that are wearied and ladened with sinne and I will ease you Much hath hee suffered for our cause Like a painefull labourer hee powred out sweate not onely of water but of blood at the working the great worke of mans Saluation At last by laying downe that Life of loue hee achieued the victorie ouer Sathan flesh the world all the enemies of mans Saluation Them all hee hath crushed and trodde vnder foote Stand fast by Iesus In Faith and Hope thrust your heart vpon him What now Sir thinke ye vpon The sicke Man Christ hath bund vp all my woūds he hath perfectlie closed them with the blessed Balme of his comfortes Now at the end of mine appointed time I am waiting earnestlie till my changing come I hope ere it be long to bee translated from grace to glory The Pastour O Lord set this Soule as a seale vpon thine Hearte and as a seale vpon thine Arme Out of thy great loue make this Soule beautifull as Tirzah comelie as Ierusalem terrible as armie with banners Thou Lord who crownest the yeare with thy goodnesse tak in thine hand the crowne of immortalitie in this Soule crowne thy graces with thy glorie Now Sir yee are neare the borders of Canaan three or foure steppes more would set you in that Land of life and loue The sicke Man Mine heart like an Hart braying after waters panteth after God O when shall I come and appeare before him Now mine heart shiuers within mee I am so sicke that I feare to faint The Pastour O Lord now be mercifull shew fauour toward this thy seruant Distill thy graces into his heart vvith a blessed influence from the Spirit of thy loue pull in all his spirits to Thee and thrust out all distractions O Lord of Life and Loue breath into his soule the life of immortalitie Take heede now vnto him ye who are neere about him for death now approacheth with its last assaultes in all appearance Looke well to him for hee seemeth to bee fallen into a sowne THE SICKE MAN IN A SOVVNE A SOLILOQVEE Or a priuie conference betweene the Soule and the bodie of the sicke Man lying in a sowne The Bodie MY Soule desireth thou now to leaue mee that haue borne thee about mee so manie yeares If thou goe from mee I must no longer remaine among the inhabitants of the world but incontinent after thy departure I a vassell of death must bee hid vnder the dust among crawling wormes farre from the eyes of the liuing These who were once glad to kisse my mouth shall abhorre to see my face Is not the Graue a Babel a place of confusion Doe not Iim and Zim resort there Doe not the Satyres and the Fairies daunce there Mine haire startes all vp for feare while I
custome of God as we see to put his dearest Ones to the hardest proofe as wise Builders put the greatest timber and the heart of the Oake to the greatest stresse Manie thinke that Heauen standeth hard by their Bed-side and that a light Lord haue mercie will make the doore of Heauen to goe wide open to the wall no not Through man◅e tribulations we must enter into that Kingdome As Aprill showers goe before the May flowers so must our teares trickle before our Triumphs Wee must smert before we smile and grone before wee glorie All Christian Soules like Christ himselfe must enter by the port of paines vnto the palace of pleasures for euermore No co-reigning without a co-suffering O let vs consider what paines this godlie man hath suffered in this fierie tryall since this Battell beganne O with what difficulties hath hee swimmed thorow so many temptations If the righteous scarcelie bee saued where shall the vngodlie and the sinner appeare O sowre Apple of Adams pride many teeth hast thou set on edge The Sparrow by wandering the Swal low by flying may escape but where sin hath beene once there must also be sorrow before that the sinner can come to joye It is not so easie as manie men thinke to winne in at the doores of heauen as though one Gods-mercy were enough for to doe the turne Before that a man be able to winne in at the straite gate for to enter into his euerlasting rest hee must be buffeted with diuerse temptations and broken with sorrowes till his heart become contrit that is grund bruished small as if it were corne in a Querne There is none entrie into rest for man before that in great griefe hee hath pluckt out his right eye euen his dearest darling best bosome pleasure Hee that would lodge with God in eternitie muste heere lay holde on his Kingdome with an holie violence What wonder that he auen be hard to win seeing with all the infernall powers of darknesse legions of our owne corruptions combined oppose might maine the grouth of Gods graces in our Soules Manie foolishlie in the idle rowings of their braines content with a blush of zeale thinke that Heauen may bee winne with wishes and therefore in their life skippe wantonlie ouer the threatnings of the Law in hope that easilie at death they may catch at the promise of the Gospel But who had seene this holie man of GOD vpon the painefull racke of repentance would count all the perishing pleasures of sinne too deare bought pleasures Sinne at the beginning is like poyson in perfume pleasant at the first but not long after it worketh deadlie except that it be repelled with some stronger Antidote The way to heauen as wee see is not like the way to great ma◅ket Townes easilie discerned by the multitude of footesteppes Our good Friende is nowe in the verie panges of death A patient and Lambe like death is this His life is on his lippe This wearied Traueler is nowe neare the ende of his journey Seeing that the ende of a worke crowneth it let vs conceiue a Prayer whereby wee may lay his Soule into the bosome of his God who shall refresh him with euerlasting comforts O Lord by the vigour of thy Spirit giue wings to our groueling prayers A Prayer for the sicke Man approaching vnto Death O GOD of mercle and of mans Saluation who thinketh nothing too deare for a repēting soule were it to giue it a draught of the heart Blood of thy Sonne wee heere vpon the knees of our hearts humbled againe before the foote-stoole of the the Throne of thy Grace put vp to thee our most humble sute for this thy seruant who is nowe comming to thee His words now faile him but thou Lord wilt neuer faile him In stead of wordes let the crouding sobbes the Turtle finde roome into thine eares Heaue vp his heart to thy mercie seate with the requests of thy Spirit in sighs which cannot bee expressed O charitable Almes giuer open the hand of this Begger and thrust the money of thy mercie into it Seale fast vp in his heart the remission of all his sinnes in the blood of Iesus Burie all his transgressions in Christes Burial Establish thy free Spirit within him Take from him all dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit all secure and hardened thoughts all that may hinder him from comming vnto thee Continue his comfortes begunne Bee thou the ende and the ender of his worke Lorde disapoint Sathan who by his charmes and cunning traines hath gone about both by force fraud to catch this Soule of thy seruant Now Death is approaching To thee belongeth the issues of death Thou killest thou makest aliue thou bringest downe to the graue and againe thou raisest vp Now as euidentlie appeareth thou art for to remoue this thy seruant from the Land of the l◅uing and thy will must bee done Wee could haue wished the continuance of his Christian fellowship with the lengthening and enlarging of his dayes But most humblie wee submitte all our affections vnto thy good pleasure and will O Father of mercies in whose boundlesse bowels are moste pittifull compassions without anie passion shew thy selfe mercifull louing and kinde towardes this Soule which in the dayes of its fleshe hath beene with thee but a stranger and ◅ sojourner His Soule now is saying to thee with Iohn his two Disciples Rabbi Master where remaineth thou Answere it as thou answered them louinglie Come and see and after that tak it home to thine own house as Iohn tooke home thy Mother O deare Father of our Sauiour by Nature O our dearest Father by adoption bee fauourable to this thy seruant euen for that blood wherewith thou art passing lie pleased Forget and forgiue all his sinnes whatsoeuer Lay now thy louing Armes about him Claspe him hard to thy bosome and keepe him fast till hee be surelie and softlie placed into the heauens Now Lord thou hast begunne to loofe this Soule out of its prison Let earth goe to earth and his Spirit returne to thee that gaue it Place it into one of these heauenlie Mansions which thy Sonne is gone to prepare for these that are thine Strengthen him now at the last and highest point of his tryall O Great IEHOVAH who neuer hucketh to giue mercie to heart broken sinners let him finde more and more that thy bowels ouerflowing with mercie are readie to receiue him In the bottomelesse sea of thy mercie make his sinnes all to bee choaked and his Soule deliciouslie to be bathed with euerlasting comforts And because Sathan in his last assaults is most furious bee thou most powerfull in him by the vertue of thy Spirite Blunt so the edge of all his temptations that they bee not able any more to wound his Spirit Let thy secret loue bee vnto his Soule lik a Secret or jack in this bloodie battell
mans life is but a winde in a worme * O happie is that man in whose heart Christ hath grauen deepe the shape of himselfe in this world when Death shall come then shall he know what blessed treasures of contentment God hath stored vp for his beloued When the Soules of the faithfull which on earth haue beene endued with a matchlesse concurrence of diuine graces shall come out of their bodies Christ the Father of mercies shall cast the armes of his cōpassions about their necks At their first entrie into Heauen hee shall giue them the comfortable kisses of peace Lord soften our stonie hearts enlighten our mistie minds that all our joye may bee in enjoying thee in whom is fulnesse without dislike O satisfie vs yearely with thy mercie the fairest flower of the Garland of thy Majestie While wee remember the death of others make vs carefullie to studie vnto newnesse of life that in this life wee dying vnto sinne may after death liue vnto Thee and with Thee vnto the vtmost bound of the euerlasting Hills AMEN FINIS A. H. THE LAST BATTELL OF THE SOVLE IN DEATH 2. Volume Carefullie digested for the comfort of the Sicke By Mr. ZACHARIE BOYD Preacher of Gods Word at Glasgow Bernard in Serm. Novissima sunt quatuor MORS IVDICIVM GEHENNA GLORIA Quid horribilius morte Quid terribilius judicio Quid intolerabilius gehenna Et quid incundius gloria Idem Senibus mors est in ianuis Iuvenibus vero in insidijs Printed at Edinburgh by the Heires of ANDRO HART 1629. TEMPVS TO THE MOST EXCELLENT PRINCESSE ELIZABETH Queene of Bohemia c. MADAME IN corporall troubles let vs seeke for spirituall Comfortes Dayes of sorrow are dayes of drousinesse For the remeede of such sorrowes heere followeth a Discourse of heauens Happinesse with diuerse other Christian comforts which I must humblie and heartilie dedicate to your Majestie If MADAME I were more able to present your Majestie with some matter◅ of greater worth my will should not bee deficient to mine Abilitie Thus presuming out of your Royall bountie that this little Offer from One of SCOTLAND your Majesties natiue Soyle shall bee graciouslie accepted I most humblie present it to your Majestie for to bee receiued and shrouded vnder your Royall safe-gard and louing protection After manie feruent and vnfained prayers made to God for the esta blishment of the Crowne vpon your Majesties Royall Heads and also for spirituall Graces to bee aboundantlie powred vpon you and vpon the rest of these Royall Plants which by the great mercie of God haue branched from You both I humblie take my leaue Your Majesties most humble and most obedient Oratour and Seruant M. ZACHARIE BOYD Preacher of GODS word at Glasgow From Glasgow the 12. day of Februrie 1629. THE QVEENES Lamentations for the death of her Son O But GOD is most terrible when hee is angrie He hath called as in a solemne day my terrors round about surelie against mee is he turned hee turneth his hand against mee all the day My flesh and my skinne hath he made olde hee hath broken my bones Hee hath builded against mee and compassed mee with gall and trauell He hath set mee in dark places as they that bee dead of olde Hee hath hedged mee about that I cannot get out Hee hath made my chaine heauie Hee hath turned aside my wayes and pulled me in pieces He hath made me desolate He hath bent his Bow set me as a marke for his arrowes He hath caused the Arrowes of his Quiuer to enter into my reines Hee hath filled mee with bitternesse Hee hath made mee drunke with worme-wood The verie Sea monsters are carefull for their young ones They drawe out the breast to giue them sucke How should I bee like the vnnaturall Ostrich which leaueth her egges in the earth and forgetteth that the foote may orush them or that the wild beast may breake them Shee is hardened against her young ones as though they vvere not hers God hath depriued her of wisedome neither hath hee imparted to her vnderstanding Alas alas the joye of our heart is ceased our dance is turned into mourning The crowne is fallen from our head Woe vnto vs that wee haue sinned for this our heart is faint for these thinges our eyes are dimme Wherefore Lord doest thou forget vs for euer forsake vs so long time Thou hast vtterlie rejected vs Thou art verie vvroth against vs O that mine eyes were a liuelie Spring of teares which day and night might trickle downe for the lamenting of my losse O yee Daughters of Britaine my natiue Soile Conueene your selues together Come all and joyne your sorrowes with mine Come contribute teares in aboundance that wee may deplore our domage Come come and helpe mee to mourne for my first Borne It is Gods will it is Gods commandement that yee mourne with these that mourne With whom will yee mourne if yee refuse to mourne with mee O noble Ladies of Britaine think vpon my sorrows My griefe is great mine heart is broken mine eyes doe faile with teares Come yee all and condole with mee Cast off your Rayments of joye And thou BOHEMIA with the PALATINAT mak to your selues new Robes of doole Fill al the Lāds with mourning like that mourning in Zacharie The mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon for the death of good Iosiah Mine heart is sore gripped with griefe Iam lik the Pelican in the vvildernesse Mine eyes doe faile with teares my bowels are troubled my Liuer is powred vpon the earth I was at ease but hee hath broken mee asunder Hee hath also taken mee by the necke and shaken mee to pieces and set mee vp for his marke His Archers compasse mee round about Hee cleaueth my reines asunder and doeth not spare Hee powreth out my gall vpon the ground Hee breaketh mee with breach vpon breach Hee runneth vpō me lik a Gyant My face is foule with weeping and on mine eye-lids is the shadow of death My Friendes scorne mee but mine eye powreth out teares vnto God When a few yeares are come then I shall goe the way whence I shall not returne The Lord hath made me as a by-word of the people Mine eyes are dimme by reason of sorrow and all my members are as a shadow Know now yee all that God hath compassed mee with his net Hee hath fenced vp my way that I cannot passe and hee hath set darknesse in my pathes Hee hath stript mee of my Glorie and taken the Crowne from mine head Hee hath destroyed mee on euerie side and I am gone and mine hope hath hee remoued like a tree His troupes come together and raise vp their way against mee and encampe round about my Tabernacle He hath put my brethrene far from mee My Kins-folke haue failed and my familiare friendes haue forgotten mee Haue pittie vpon mee O yee my Friendes for the hand of God hath troubled mee
THE LAST BATTELL OF THE SOVLE IN DEATH Diuided into eight coÌ„ferences 1. Volume Whereby are showne the diuerse Skirmishes that are betweene the Soule of Man on his Death-bedde and the Enemies of our Saluation Carefullie digested for the comfort of the Sicke By Mr. ZACHARIE BOYD Preacher of Gods Word at Glasgow IOB 14. Vers. 14. All the dayes of mine appointed tyme will I 〈…〉 my changing come I liue to die that I may die to liue Printed at Edinburgh by the Heires of ANDRO HART 1629 C. R. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DONEC·PAX·REDDITA·TERRIS· TO THE MOST SACRED AND Mightie Monarch CHARLES King of Great BRITAINE FRANCE IRELAND Defender of the FAITH MOST DREAD SOVERAIGNE It was wisely said by the Royall Preacher The memorie of the Iust is blessed But the name of the wicked shall rot To haue a good name both in this life and after Death is a blessing promised vnto the Righteous But as for the vngod lie their names become mouldie and rotten Qui injuste 〈◊〉 omâ—…tur just damnantur This consideration should rouse vâ—… all men to the doing of that which is good but chieflie KINGS and PRINCES whose liues are to bee seene in Chronicles by all ages which come after While other mens names within a little space are buried in obliuion the Chronicles the Registers of times cry vnto the World Read and consider vvhat sort of men such and such haue beene Of Saul it is writter that his sinne of rebellion in sparing Agag was as the sinne of Witch-craft that his stubbornnesse was as idolatrie His enuie against Dauid his consulting with the Witch at Endor shall bee manifest to all Ages to come Dauids Vertues and his Vices are penned Solomons vvisedome his folies Rehoboâ—…ms contemning of the olde counsellers A habs and A haz his wickednesse Iosiah and Iehoshaphats goodnesse shall bee to bee seene and reade so long as this world shall last Oh that Kings would consider how in a short life they may soone plot the euill which shâ—… staine â—…heir good name to the worlds end Manie may Flatter a Prince while hee liueth But so soone as hee is gone Trueth which while hee liued was warded then commeth out and plainelie declareth to the world whether hee was a wise man or a foole There is no sinne so secret but God in his owne time shall bring it to light If King CHARLES rule well and bee truelie godlie like Nathanael without guile An hundreth yeares after this Great BRITAINE shall blesse the Name of King CHARLES yea and that till God end Time in Eternitie * The seuen Stars of the Charles Waine are not so glorious as shall bee the seuen Letters of CHARLES in GODS Booke which is the Booke of Life Though your Maiesties Bodie after Death lye rotten in the Graue yet shall your Royall Name as if it were perfumed enbalmed haue a most sweete sauour like these Garments wherein Iacob got his Fathers blessing the smell whereof was as the smel of a field which the Lord had blessed Seeing there is nothing more powerfull to moue a man to liue well than to remember that hee must die and after come for to reckon with his God For this cause haue I penned this Treatise of Sicknesse bringing vnto death where your Maiestie may see the most fearfull Skirmishes which are betweene the faithfull Soule the enemies of our Saluation For this cause haue I called it THE LAST BATTELL OF THE SOVLE Loe this wee haue searched so it is heare it and know it for your good Let it please your Maiestie to looke vpon these my Workes with a fauourable eye and to take them into your Royall Protection They were brought foorth in the Land of Your Birth euen in your olde SCOTLAND Whereof your Maiestie is now the hundreth and ninth King The particular place where this Booke was penned is your owne GLASGOWE a Citie once greatlie beloued of great King IAMES your Maiesties Father of blessed memorie * A Citie that looketh for the like fauour from your Royall MAIESTIE My chiefest spirituall desire is that this may bee comfortable to sicke Soules My first temporall wish is that your Maiestie would daine it with a blink of your Fauour Let it obtaine your Royall Approbation which shall bee to it as a Passe-port which neither Pride nor Enuie shall bee able with Reason to reiect If anie man be contentious I heere appell vnto Caesar. Let mee bee so bolde as heere to aske a Petition from your Maiestie which granted I will atcount a sufficient recompence to all my Labours This is it That it would please your Religious Maiestie to take a specall care that the prophanation of the Lords blessed and hallowed day bee remoued from this Land It is come to such a custome and that chieflie betweene Edinburgh and Glasgow that by no meanes the Church is able to refine it except that by your Royall authoritie their Market dayes bee changed The abuse is so great that if your godlie Maiestie knew it yee could not indure it The keeping of this Precept is the onelie one which hath a memento before it and yet it is most forgotten It is the verie Key of Religion Let it please your Maiestie to consider what good Nehemiah did for the reformation of such an abuse I contended said hee with the Nobles of Iudah and saide vnto them What euill thing is this that yee doe and prophane the Sabbath day Did not your Fathers thus and did not our God bring all this euill vpon vs vpoÌ„ this Citie Yet yee bring more wrath vpoÌ„ Israel by prophaning the Sabbath See what Nehemiah did It came to passe that when the gates of Ierusalem beganne to be dark before the Sabbath I commanded that the gates should bee shut and charged that they should not bee opened till after the Sabbath And some of my Seruants set I at the gates that there should no burden bee brought in on the Sabbath day So the Merchands and sellers of all kinde of ware lodged without Ierusalem once or twise Then I testified against them and said vnto them Why lodge yee about the wall If yee doe so againe I will lay hands on you What wrought that From that time foorth came they no more on the Sabbath Afâ—…er he had done this good worke hee looked vp to God by prayer saying Remember mee O my God concerning this also and spare mee according to the greatnesse of thy mercie I pray God that your Maiestie may reforme this great abuse with that good Nehemiah If this yee doe I am assured that Your God shall remember You concerning it and that hee shall spare You according to the greatnesse of his mercie One thing I desire earnestlie that your Maiestie once at least in the day would carefullie consider these weightie wordes of
anima mea egredere quid dubitas Egredere quid times His multis annis Christo Domino servisti ad huc mortem timebis O anima insignita Dei imagine decorata similitudine desponsata in fide dotata in spiritu redempta sanguine deputata cum Angelis capax beatitudinis haeres bonitatis rationis particeps quid tibi cum carne qua haud aliud vilius sterquilinium invenisti Augustin Vita haec misera est mors incerta si subito obrepat quo hinc exibimus Et ubi nobis discenda sunt quae hic negleximus Annon potius hujus negligentiae supplicia luenda sunt TEMPVS IN OPVS CVM VIventibus tum Morientibus vtilissimum A. D. ZACHARIA BODIO Glasguensis Ecclesiae Pastore adornatum AD LECTOREM Epigramma FOElix qui sancte potuit traducere vitam Et tandem extremum Sanctè obijsse diem Haec duo qui didicisse cupis tibi pandit vtrumque Hic Liber hunc animo volue revolue tuo Ad Authorem Libri distichon ejusdem Qui calamo qui voce doces vitaque perennè Vivore in aeternum vivito ZACHARIA IOHANNES BELVS Glasguensis Ecclesiae Pastor Academiae RECTOR AD VIRVM PIETATE Et eruditione praestantem D. ZACHARIAM BODIVM GLASGVENSIS Ecclesiae Pastorem de praeparatione ad mortem postquam ex deplorato morbo convaluisset Scribentem ERGO te nuper mortis de faucibus atrae Ereptum nobis reddidit Omnipotens Vt Doctus moriendi artem expertusque doceres Qua datur aetheream transitus adpatriam Qui bene vivendi toties praecepta dedisti Doctrinae reserans horrea plena sacrae Foelix Zacharia Doctor Sanctisima cuius Vox pariter Scripta consona vita docent IOHANNES STRANGIVS S. S. Theologiae D. Accademiae Glasguensis Praefectus IN DIVINA INTEGERrimi viri D. ZACHARIAE BODII Ecclesiastae non è multis meditamenta cum è desperatâ valetudine ad pristinam salutem revaluâ—…rat FRustra veternum sollicitas meum Bodi Thaliae ad munta barbitos Obmutet exurdante nostras Voce Scholae strâ—…perâ Camoenas Iam colligendas sarcinulas monet Quae vulsit aurem Mors modo pallida Laureta Cyrrhae Musicasque Thespiadum fugito choreas Tu perge Homeri carminis alite Laudande quò te mens ammi vocat Qui baccare lauro revinctos Castalio lavis amne crines Fatalis ex quo crudâ Hecates manu Attonsa pene est caesaries tibi Fato superstes reditusque Incolumis renovas duellum De morte partam appendis adoream Vtque Hydra secto corpore fortior Crevit revîxti ter triumpho Clarior spolijs opimis Qualis Caystri fluminis accola Morti propinquus dulciter incinit Melos supremum talis ista Naenia quâ superos remulces Macte indole istâ macte faventiâ Excude fructus uberis ingenî O aureum vere libellum Melle sacro sale temperatum Hoc amoris ergò scribebat Io. Rayus ludi publici litterarii Móderator Edinburgi THE LAST BATTELL of the Soule in death diuided into eight seuerall Conferences The first dayes conference Of carnall and worldlie temptations The sicke man MY Bodie is sicke my Soule is wounded Gods wrath is fearefull it burneth to the bottome of Hell The heate thereof already maketh my Soule to sweate I can find no Skrine or Sconce to set betweene mee and this fire Oh in all appearance I shall shortlieâ—…ee dissolued for to be brought before that great Tribunall Alas what terrours are these Sinne Sicknesse Death the Graue and an vnprepared Soule I tremble all like Belshazzar Mine heart is entangled with feares my knees shiuer and smite one against another Mine heart is pricked while I remember mine euill spent life While I had time to doe good I was of the frozen Generation Nowe Gods glowmes like Boanarges Sonnes of Thunder armed with fierie furie make heart and Soule to melt and to fall downe in droppes within my bowles Oh for a drop of water for to coole the boyling heate oâ—… mine heart Is there no man heere that can affoord me a word of comfort for to vphold mine heart into this heauie houre A spirituall Friend Sir I thinke it expedient that ye send for your Pastour the man of God that beareth the keyes of â—…he Kingdome of heauen It may bee that the good God shall put some words of comfort into his mouth whereby your wearied Soule shall bee refreshed* while the chosen Servants of God speake his words to the fainte heart the Lord putteth foorth a power to enable them to doe all that wherfore they are spoken So soone as S. Peter had spoken to the lamed man his feete and ancle bones receiued strength Though miracles cease now yet this shall bee true so long as the world standeth The effectuall feruent prayer of a rightcous man auaileth much Will it please you Sir that I goe for to fetch him The sicke Man Hee shall bee welcome vnto mee But alas while I might I frequented him too little I haunted rather the coÌ„panie of these that delighted mee with sportes and jests whereof now I haue no comfort Because I thought I could repent heereafter I did that whereof I may now repent and whereof indeed as I feare I shall repent but too late â—… This now puts my Soule into the dumps now al my foolish laughters are turned into mourning for I feare exceedinglie to die I tremble and tosse within this bed GOD alone knoweth what shall bee the end of this lingring tryall Goe Sir I pray you and desire the man of God to come and visite a bruised reede and a smoaking flaxe A spirituall Friend I goe for him presentlie I hope before hee leaue you yee shall find this tempest of temptations to growcalme In the meane-time till hee come I pray you to remember that all your paines are but a crosse sent before to crucifie the loue of the world In your greatest distresse striue to bee a Disciple of Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joye that was set before him endured the crosse Bee not discouraged in your greatest smarts For reproofes of instruction are the way of life In your greatest feare remember the joy that is set before you The Pastour Sir hauing knowne of your disease by your godlie friend I am come to see you and to impart vnto you some spirituall comforts While the Soule is sore troubled thereis danger in delay A bruised Spiritis like a bone out of joynt the longer it be let alone the hardlier it is set If I had knowne of your sickenesse sooner I would haue visited you ere now The Sicke Man I rejoyce Sir to see you my Soule euer loued you But alas not as I should haue done If God should but at this time spare my life with the helpe of my God yee should see mee at once a farre changed man The Pastour Come Death come Life God maketh all
thinges to worke to the best of these that loue him Gods corrections are good directions With one crosse hee can worke two cures first a correction for by-past corruption and after a direction for times to come If God should not scourge vs betimes the reigning of the flesh should proue the ruine of the Spirit This was the vtter ouerthrow of the Sonnes of Eli God would not correct them because the Lord would stay thē As for that which ye speake concerning the changing amending of your life your resolution is good But seeing the houre of death is vncertaine it is good that yee bee presentlie prepared Death commeth vpon mā with stealing steps Let no man put far off the day of his death There is great danger that any man sooth himselfe with the vaine hope of this mortall life No man can tell how soone hee shall be arraigned to compeare before Gods Barre None said a Pagane is assured to liue vntill the morrow Nemo tam diuos habuit faventes Crastinum ut possit sibi polliceri It is good therefore daylie and hourelie to bee vpon our Watch-Tower preparing our selues for death which shall either be the end of all our miserie or the beginning of our euerlasting woe delay to prepare for death is a strong threed in the Deuils net A man will not die the sooner that he prepare himselfe to die If a man bee prepared to die and yet die not hoc sibi ponat in lucro that preparation is great aduantage vnto him But if hee die hee hath done that which hee should haue done What a dangerous venture is this to a man to delay to prepare himselfe to die because it may bee that yet hee may liue But may it not also bee that hee die It is a dangerous thing to perrell our Saluation vpon a may be which may as well no bee It is fearefull to bee hanged ouer Hell with the euill twined threed of a life that must end none can tell how where nor when No man is exeemed from this necessitie The post Pale Horse wherevpon Death is mounted caries his Rider thorow all Nations Cities and Houses pulling out of their beds Princes Prelats and priuate men without any respect of persons thus are their hopes cropped in their fairest flower It is good therefore that wee euer bee vpon our gard God offereth grace to day To day if yee heare his voyce But who promiseth to morrow well is him that feareth alwayes The sicke Man O the terrours of Death and of the Graue mine heart quaketh while I remember of these last strugglings that are in death It was not without reason that the Pagans called it terribilium terribilissimū of all fearefull things the most fearefull The Pastour If men knew what Christ hath made of Death the liuing would not be so afraid with the feare therof Isaiah saith that hee hath put it into his Stomacke hee hath swallowed it vp in victorie A wife man will not swallow ouer that which hee is not able to digest Christ hath swallowed Death and hath digested it perfectlie Nowe Death after Christs digestion hath lost all its poyson and is turned into a sleepe The name thereof is changed for to tell vs of the change of its nature Dead Lazarus in Christs language is called sleeping Lazarus Lazarus Our Friend sleepeth said Christ speaking of his death Hee that liueth and beleeueth in mee said Christ shall neuer die Death is not death to the Friends of Christ but a sleepe to their bodie a translation of their Soule from a prison to a Palace As by the grace of God it is made an Exodus of miserie so is it a Genesis of a better life the corruption of one thing beeing the generation of another What is this that men should so feare Death which is the end of the foule cōbersome way of our Pilgrimage Hath not God made death like a Chariote to a wearied man for to carie him to his euerlasting rest This was seene in a visible figure when Elijah in a firie Chariot went vp by a whirle wind vnto heauen The sicke Man All that is true Sir But yee know that death is fearefull to all flesh So soone as it commeth it maketh a Soule lyable to yeeld an acoūt for all the actions of the by-past life The bodie and the Soule are of olde acquaintance and haue not wil to part one frō the other I cannot expresse what a worsling I finde within mee there is such a working feare about mine heart that I tremble to thinke vpon it This maketh my words to wade in teares mine heart is cut with sobs of sorrow O death the enemie of Life is there no comfort against thee Is there no Balme in Gilead Of force then must I die The Pastour The woman of Tekoah said verie well Wee must all needes die and are as water spilt on the ground which can not bee gathered Death is an vnauoidable passage there is none entrie vnto Heauen but by it I will striue to let you see before that yee enter in at the doores of Death that your Soule hath no such cause to be afraide Indeed I confesse that death to these that know not Christ is indeede a most fearefull thing according to this Sathan said Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will giue it for his life See how a Naturall man would bee content that his skinne were pulled off him if it could bee a ransone for to saue his life Such is the feare of death that for to bee free of it a man would giue his skinne Agag called it a bitter thing Surelie said he The bitternesse of death is past The wilde Gourdes shred into the Prophetes pottage for bitternesse were called Death So soone as they had tasted them all cryed Death is into the pot The bitter torments of Hell are called so great a Death Dauid speaking of the pangs of death calleth them waues The waues of death cōpassed me See how death is compared to a raging Sea with rolling waues To this Dauid subjoynes The snares of death preuented mee Death indeed is fearfull armed with waues snares We in our weaknesse make it also fearfull painting it with bare bones with a skul girning with its teeth and with its sting like a flooked Dart for to pierce thorow the heart of man It is true that death is bitter in it selfe but hee that made sweetnesse to come out of the strong and meate to come out of the eater can bring both meate and sweetnesse out of death for the Christian Soule though no thing bee stronger than death the greatest eater of the world One saith well that there is in death but one bitter morsell to swallow The cheefe course that wee haue to tak for to win to
an happie death is that aboue all thinges wee striue to make our acquaintance with Christ the Lord of life Till a man know Christ who hath disarmed Death by taking away its sting and its dart hee will tremble at its buzze A Bee that wāteth the sting will afray a Childe with its buzze but the man of vnderstanding is not afraide for a sound I am assured that the excessiue feare of Death in a wicked man is a most powerfull meanes for to make him die before his day that is sooner than by course of Nature hee should haue died Though a mans day bee set yet God vseth meanes Death is a distresse vnto the wicked Let him thē that would die in peace make his peace with his God No man cā be willing to die before his Conscience bee at quiet till God and his Soule haue shaken hands beene friended A man that is at feed with his God will say to death Gods messenger as Ahab saide to Gods Prophet Hast thou found mee mine enemie But as for the godlie mā whose Soule is prepared to meete with his God he will say to Death welcome Friend take my Soule by the hand and draw it out of this prison Oh but it is wearied O but it longeth to be free from these bonds of mortalitie combersome clogges of claye Hee that is assured to goe to Christ cannot die vnwillinglie what careth hee to die an houre for to liue for euer I will neuer feare Death saide a Father which can doe no more than restore me to him that made mee To change a life that is mortall for an that is eternall is an vnspeakable profite The sicke Man But alas By what way may I come vnto that Life The Pastour I am the way said Christ None commeth to the Father but by mee This way is thorow the valey of death In this valey yee neede not to feare if Christ bee with you In the valey of the shadow of death said Dauid I will feare none euill his reason was this that God was with him For thou art with mee The sicke Man I finde my selfe Sir exceeding weake and that I drawe neere the doores of Death I take great delight to heare you I requeast you to continue your comforts I intreate you to call to remembrance these speciall comforts yee haue had either by your owne experience or by reading or by Meditation I am assured that yee haue some laide vp in store for your selfe against the houre of temptation Let me heare I pray you what yee thinke best to be said to a man in his greatest feares The Pastour First of all that yee may bee capable of comforts striue to bee patient in your trouble Acknowledge in this sicknesse the great mercie of your God In this affliction hee hath giuen to you the wish and choise of Dauids chastisement You are not fallen into the hands of men whose compassions are cruell but in the hands of God your Father whose bowels are full of mercifull remembrance Though a Mother should forget her Childe wee are printed vpon his Palmes It is true that no afflictiō for the present seemes joyous Yet afterward the bitter seed of sorrow bringeth foorth the sweet quiet fruit of righteousnes If yee would bee armed against the feare of Death my counsell is that aboue all things in the tempest of your temptations yee haue recourse vnto the bloodie wounds of Christ wherein as in the holes of the Rocke your Soule like a Doue may find a place of refuge His wounds well may I call The secret of the most High He who lodgeth there is vnder the shadow of the Almightie An afflicted Soule is like a Bee in a tempest tossed to and fro Frae once the Bee hath winne to its Hyue-hole it entereth into rest The poore Soule of a man for a space will be wonderfullie tossed with tempests and long will it wrestle But so soone as it can once win in at the holes of Christs wounds then it enters into Rest Out of these wounds as out of its Castle and fortresse it will boast the Deuill Death the Flesh and the World In these woundes is the Soules strongest Tower the secret place of the most High where none enemie of mans Saluation shall bee able to reach vnto it for to hurt it Let your chiefest care bee to creepe in into these wounds Againe after that yee haue shaken hands with Christ and made him your friend consider well what hee hath made of Death Christ hath made it a friend of a foe Is not Death now a sleepe Christs friends sleepe Sleepe as yee know is our great friend Hee must bee a great friend without whose friendship we can not liue As wee can not liue without Sleepe neither can we liue without Death Except that wee die on Earth we can not liue in Heauen Thou foole said S. Paul That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die The whole course of a Christian is contained within the compasse of these wordes I liue to die that I may die to liue If man will not resolue to liue for to die hee shall not die to liue The course of a Christian is from a good life to an happie death and from thence to life yea to life eternall Well is the man that runneth not without this compasse The sicke Man But alas O my God take mee not away in the midst of my dayes Alas Sir must I die so soone The Pastour The Apostle saith That we die daylie Tunc quoque cum crescimus vita decrescit It is certaine that so soone as wee beginne to liue wee also beginne to die What are all the dayes of our life but a progresse vnto Death which is the putting off of our Tabernacle What is this body but a mire of mortalitie Hominiquid vita cylindrus What is mans life but a rolling thing The sicke Man But will the Lord take mee away in the midst of my dayes Hath not God promised to the godlie man that his dayes shall bee long in the land Long life is a thing whereof God hath made promise vnto these whō hee loueth The Pastour I answere that such a promise is vnder two conditions First of Gods glorie secondlie of mans well If God loue a man dearlie hee will whiles take him away in his youth that hee may haue him neere to him selfe Moreouer God seeth that which no man can fore-see viz. the euill to come The righteous saith Isaiah is taken away from the euill to come God hath indeede promised many dayes to the righteous man But if God shorten them and take him away sooner what wrong hath he done vnto him If a Lord should giue to one of his seruants some cottage house of clay with some little piece of
if ye were once dead yee shall beholde man no more with the inhabitants of the world Yee are far beguiled into the sight of the wo◅ld wherewith yee are so rauished Change your Spectacles and all that is below shall seeme to bee of another colour If your Soule could once sore vp towardes Heauen the loue of the Earth and earthlie things would fall from you as did the Mantle of Elias when he was rapt and rauished vp vnto glorie The sicke Man But ye know Sir that it is verie hard not to bee sore grieued to goe out of this world Non amplius visur us neque videndus neither for to see anie more nor yet to bee seene Who without teares can say his adewes to all his joys pleasures and contentments that are here Whē I once shal be caried out of my house yee shall see mee no more Hencefoorth yee and I will speake no more together I departing from you must goe to the place of silence among stinke wormes Who can-without displeasure say to all worldlie joyes farewell The Pastour It is best that ye turne your backe vnto such naughtie things as Hezekiah turned his backe to the stocke and his face to the wall that hee might conferre with his God It is great folie to bee so fond vpon such transitorie trashes What is so pleasant in this world that should allure vs to it Are not all thinges inconstant heere below There is nothing that standeth at a stay but either it is comming in or going out like the Tyde There is no creature but while it beginneth to waxe it also beginneth to waine A child of the age of a day hath lesse time to liue at Eauen than hee had in the morning Since hee came out of the bellie from the morning vnto eauen hee hath made a dayes journey in the way to his graue In ipso ortu vergimus ad occasum Our arising vp is but a course to our fall The degrees of a mans life are as as manie stepp vnto his death All that wee see below is in a continuall whirling from a beginning to an end The course of all the Creatures below is in a trance of transitorie trashes I can but teach you with vvords as Iohn baptized with water It is onelie the Lord vvho can perswade The sicke Man I take delight to heare you I pray God to perswade mee Continue I pray you into that discourse concerning the vanitie and inconstancie of vvo◅ldly things ripe them vp and open them wider that I may see them within the bowels The Pastour The vvisest among men preached Vanitie of vanities and all is vanitie All things are vaine and all things cry vnto vs that wee are vaine So vaine a thing is man The Trees the Herbes the Flowrishes the Fruites the Fishes the Beastes the Spring the Summer the Haruest the Winter the Aire the Water the Earth the Heauens are all appointed teachers by God to tell man of his changing Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world All that haue eyes eares may heare read their doctrine that heere is nothing permanent One creature calleth to another Let vs leaue this World See wee not how vvee melt away by droppes for to bee dryed into dust Moses saith that wee spend our yeares as a tale that is tolde a strange speach for to declare the vanitie of lōg life so much desired while a tale is in telling it seemeth to bee something but when a tale is once told these that haue heard it will in end say That it is but a tale So long as mans life is lasting it is like a tale that is in telling But so soone as Death the end of all commeth it is but like a tale that is tolde Thus as yee see all mans life in Scripture language is called but a tale All the times of our life past present and to come are turned at last into a fuimus wee haue beene Wee that liue now let vs remember our case Ecce tempus nunc futurum quo dicen◅ nos fuisse The time shall bee shortlie that man shall say of vs that wee haue beene And thereafter a time shall come that none shall know that euer wee had a beeing Our life is like a sparkle fleeing out of the fire which dyeth out into the flight it failleth before it falleth The sicke Man These bee wordes of great power I finde now some working thereof within mine heart I pray you continue The Pastour Wee haue none abiding heere We all both yong old post swiftlie away to the graue the last bed wherein euerie man must sleepe we are long of comming to But how soone are wee pulled downe Our strength saith Moses is soone cut off and wee flee away Wee are like the Yee which thaweth sooner than it froze This is the Law of all flesh Prince People Poore and Rich all must goe to Golgotha The Preacher saith plainlie There is no discharge in that warre Though a man in the morning bee proude like a Peacocke with lifted vp feathers if Death come before the night come hee must lay downe his head among dead mens Skuls What a thing is this that within an hundreth yeares not one of vs all that are heere shall bee left aliue no not in this great Citie wherein wee liue Are wee not all as water spilt vpon the ground which can not bee gathered vp againe What memorie is now of these tha◅ are past And what shall bee said o◅ vs when wee are gone It is o◅ farre best then to follow our God and to turne our backe vpon all suc◅ lying vanities The sicke Man I requeast you Sir not to be wearied Proceede I pray you into tha◅ purpose that I may learne what vanitie is into this life which is so much desired The Pastour Mans life into this world is but a Pilgrimage and a race not of great length for man that is borne of a w◅man hath but a short time to liue Iacobs answere to King Pharaohs question concerning his age was few and euill haue my dayes beene What is man saith one but Vermis crasti◅ moriturus a worme that will die to morrow Dauid putteth the length of his dayes betweene his little finger his thumbe My life said he is like a span long some get but an inch consider well I pray you Sir seeing it is so what is it then of your life which is but of the length of a span what thogh it were an ell of length Is not Methusalah with his many hundreth yeeres as well in dust as as hee that liued but a day Other haue giuen place to vs and we must also giue place to others To mee to day to thee tomorrow There is no lodging
for immortalitie vpon the Earth The sicke Man My Soule rejoyceth to heare you Sir proceede I pray you The Pastour Wee haue no great cause to desire to sojourne on earth What are we heere on earth but like poore beggers shute downe to the lowest chambers of the world This low contrie may well be called Cabul as Hiram by disdaine called the dirtie cities of Solomon Be glad noâ—… Sir for to leaue this earth a dirtiâ—… dwelling Step vp the Staire eueâ—… the Ladder of Iaacob that yee may mount vp to your God for to see what hee is doing aboue Well is you who shall heare shortlie the musicke of Angels into that Palace whose pauement is the roofe of alâ—… mortall dwellings O if yee kneâ—… what is there Fye on our ignorance The ChildreÌ„ of God in this worlâ—… are like Lords children sent out to bee fostered into little Cottages oâ—… clay when they are sent for by sicknesse and death their Fathers messengers they weepe to come home to their Fathers Palace because they know not these many pleasant Mansions that bee in their Fathers house But after that they haue once tryeâ—… what it is to bee in Heauen with their God they shall wonder 〈◊〉 their childishnesse Be not Sir lâ—… these fort of men that cannot abidâ—… to heare speake of Death but euen sicken at the name thereof or waxe wroth at the speaker as Ahab fumed at the Prophet because hee spake not good thinges vnto him The sicke Man Hezekiah spake more wiselie while hee was threatned by the Prophet Good said hee is the word of the Lord I pray you to continue your purpose concerning death It is good that wee remember our latter end The Pastour Indeed Sir the thoghts of Death are helpefull and healthfull to the Soules of men to bee corrections for their corruptions Such thoughts keepe euer God in our sight They are like a strainer wherthrough the thoughts wordes and workes of men are purified Hardlie can a man thinke of a shoâ—…t life and thinke euill as hardlie can hee dâ—…eame of a long life thinke well All the sinnes of Gods Church in Icremâ—…es dayes vvere imputed vnto this that shee remembred not her end Wee for the most part deceiue our selues vvith the opinion of long life and so did they vvho are dead alreadie O how gracious vvould one day bee to these novv who vvhile they liued did scorne at these vvordes Redeeme the Time But their maâ—…ket time is now past Gods Faire vvas ended before they could vnderstand vvhat it vvas to buy without money Well is the man vvho vvhile he hath time so liueth to dye that hee may dye to liue If our life be good our death cannot be euill To the godlie man death is a comfort as beeing a medecine for all his diseases a cure for all his cares a restâ—… from his labours But in this is his greatest joye that by it the filthie flooxe of sinne is dryed vp into an instant * By it also the prison doore is opened that the Soule like a Doue may flie vp to its God The consideration of such things made Solomon to preach The day of death is better than the day that one is borne Hee spake the trueth for the one is the beginning the other is the ending of all our woe and miserie Now Sir before that I proceede any further I pray you to tell mee what yee thinke now of this world In this as I remember was your last temptation grounded that going out of this world yee should no more see nor bee seene I haue let you see as in a glasse what vanitie is in it yea that all is but vanitie of vanities the verie abstract of an abstract or for to speak so vanitie fined and quintessenced out of vanitie which I may call the spirit or quintessence of vanitie Now Sir tell me what ye thinke of this world wherin gods must die like men No worldlie thing below in the day of neede will bee able to keepe touch vnto vs. The sicke Man Fye fye on my faultes and my folie I foolishlie once thought that I should feather a nest into this world that should neuer bee pulled downe Mine heart hath beene so bent toward this vanitie that I haue neither moued foote nor finger toward eternall Life It is true that I haue beene nourished and brought vp into this world like a Child into a rurall cottage I like a Child thought that there was no better Ionah was angrie for to quite his Gourd The greatest pleasures that are heere beeing well weighed are but like the shadow of that Gourd euanishing and worme-eaten pleasures All such comforts are but slender they faile man in his greatest neede The Pastour Though worldlie pleasures be sweete for a space to these whose portion is into this Life yet as Abner said of the deuouring Sword to Ioab It will bee bitternesse in the latter end In all the gourdes of worldlie pleasures are wormes of paine which shall make them to wither The sicke Man That is most certaine well is him that hath turned his backe to all such lying vanities So long as a man is in nature not reformed by grace hee is but a stranger from heauen The loue of the world in his heart like a moth cats out all liking of Heauen I haue beene too long alas sucking the breastes of this Nourse whereout of I haue drawen nothing but the swill of wickednesse Blessed bee my God who hath sent this affliction for to waine my Soule from the loue of all things below I beginne now to incline for to returne to my Fathers house in Heauen where as I heare it shall bee much better for mee Oh forlorne Sonne that I am who haue wandered so farre from my Father The Pastour I thanke God Sir for these good motions flesh and blood cannot teach such lessons But one word I haue obserued into your speach yee haue said that ye beginne to incline to goe home to your Father Are ye not as yet fullie resolued Desire yee not indeede presently to be dissolued Is it not your greatest desire to flitte fâ—…om this bodie which is but a Booth a Shoppe or Tabernacle of clay Is not your Soule wearied to sojourne into such a reekie Lodge Is not your heart panting after God lâ—…ke an Hart panting after the water brookes He are yee not your Soule crying within you O when shall I come and appeare before God A small feeble inclination to goe to God is not sufficient ye must now come to a stedfast resolution He who is not resolued is not readie for to be dissolued Taâ—… courage bee not dashed into this danger declare your mind freely be not nice there bee none heere but friendes The sicke Man I am so pyned with sicknesse that hardlie can I
so fullie fraughted with all sortes of sins which like most filthie streames flow from the first fountaine or rather puddle of our originall sinne which wee haue from the Loynes of Adam Wee are all infected with this spirituall Leprosie there is nothing that can wash vs and make vs cleane saue onelie the Iordan of the blood of Iesus Besprinkle our consciences O LORD with the vertue of that Blood which cryeth for better things than the blood of Abel Seale vp thy Loue in our heartes by the blood of the Sealed man whom Thou the Father did seale and appoint to bring Life eternall to the world In him thou art well pleased In his Name and for his Loue wee begge thy fauour He himselfe hath tolde vs that what wee shall aske thee in his Name we shall receiue it O Father of mercies remember the promise of thy Sonne In confidence of his Command wee take the boldnesse at this time particularlie to put vp our prayers vnto thee for this thy diseased Seruant tossâ—…d to and fâ—…o with diuerse temptations Sathan the enemie of his Saluation the feare of Death the loue of the world and of worldlie things haue set themselues in Battell-array like armies betweene his Soule and the entrie of Heauen They haue maliciouslie ensnared his heart and taken his affections captiues with the immoderate loue of perishing thinges Oh how hath hee beene bewitched with the seeming sweetenesse of such vanities O Thou LORD IESVS the LORD of Life encourage him so with thy liuelie Spirit that he may be bold couragiously to face Death and the Graue Put these interrogations in his mouth O Death where is thy Sting O Graue where is thy victorie Cause thy Spirit whisper in his eare that thou hast put out the life of Death Cast into his rememberance the words wherewith Thou boasted Death and the Graue O Death I will be thy plagues O Graue I will bee thy destruction Let his Soule knowe that the Graue is a Bed of rest for all these that die in the LORD wherein they rest from their labours beeing at ease in peace without any toile or turmoile Worke in his heart a desire to be dissolued for to bee fred from the sinfull bonds of mortality for to goe dwell where hee shall neuer anger the Lord againe Let the Loue of Christ waine his heart from the desire of anie abiding heere O deare IESVS who was both buffeted slaine and buried for to saue man set the print and stampe of thy mercie vpon this Soule Seuer all his thoughts from all that is earthlie whether it bee Life Lands Children Houses or whatsoeuer other thing may allure him for to sojourne heere in a strange Land wherein wee are all strangers from God whom wee cannot see heere but behind Vntye his heart from the loue of this his natiue soile Purge him of this out-bearing humour O LORD flesh and blood will neuer teach a man to renounce his deare selte and such other carnall things wherewith hee is in phantasie The earthlie minde is so lumpish that it wearieth to thinke of thee and of the pleasures of thy Palace A carnall hearte is euer rouing and wandering heere about this worlds businesse Martha is a mother of many Children who trouble themselues about many thinges But few are these that with Marie can fold their heart for to sit downe at the feete of IESVS for to make choise of that best part which should neuer bee taken from them Thou to whoÌ„ nothing is impossible draw this Soule vnto thee make the bent of his affection to bee vpon thee O great IEHOVAH thou hast heard and seene how carnall temptations haue teared the Soule of thy Seruant this day in the bedde of his languishing Immoderat cares for thinges below haue depriued him of all rest and joyes which he should haue in thee Wee must confesse to thee and from his heart hee acknowledgeth to bee true that his minde hath beene too bent vpon such perishing shadowes which can not bee gripped Such trashes of no worth haue taken too much roome into his heart Hee who is not content to quite all for to come to thee is not worthie of thee But LORD if mans Saluation were grounded vpon the sand of his owne worthinesse such a building could not stand against the winds floodes of temptations But his Saluation shall neuer bee branled because it is builded vpon the euerlasting and most sure Rocke the foundation of thy Church O LORD wee faile all in many things If hitherto this thy Seruant hath not as hee should minded thâ—… thinges which are aboue but lodged in their place the desire of thinges below now in thy greaâ—… mercie inlighten his mistie mindâ—… and bee mercifull to him in thâ—… thing Make the flesh now to cede and giue place vnto the Spirit Let the heauens come in with the pledges of thy Loue which no mortall armes can fadome Come with thy Spirituall and diuine motions and fill therewith the chambers of his heart where earthlie thoughts had their abode Make his Soule to inuite thy Spirit to come in Saying with Laban Come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without O deare IESVS direct so all his thoughts that hee wearie himselfe no more with the desire of that which sooner or later heee must â—…orgoe Why should thornie cares for dust and clay choake the good motions of thy Spirit Let no such care cumber him any more for foolish fáding commoditie Dissolue this glew by which his heart is tyed to the ground In thy Light let him see Light whereby hee may perceiue how fraile fickle are all such transitorie trashes which beeing too much loued both coole our zeale and clogge our affections so that they can in no wise soare vp toward thee O blessed Sauiour in whom is the very pith sweetest marrow of Gods mercies make thy seruants heere to loue thee aboue all things in heauen or earth Make his heart to say Whom haue I in Heauen but thee Make him to loue thee for thy selfe and not for thine onelie which is but an hyred Loue Put in thine owne hand at the hole of the doore of his heart and let some droppes of the Mirrhe of thy mercie this night fall vpon the handle of the Barre that his Soule beeing affected therewith may runne out of the Chamber of sleepe for to seeke him who loueth his Soule euen his blessed Sauiour the LORD IESVS Bee mercifull to all thine afflicted members in the Church militant fighting vnder the bloodie Banner of the LORD IESVS CHRIST The Church is thy Spouse keep her as the Apple of thine eye make all her members with one minde and one mouth to glorifie thy Name Blesse our gracious Soueraigne the Kings Majestie with thy best blessings Adorne him with spirituall Graces and giftes wherewith hee may please thee in his whole carriage both Ecclesiastice and Ciuill Make Iustice and Iudgement the habitation
your Soule which maketh it abhorre all comforts as it is said of these that are bodilie sicke in the Psalme Their soule abhorreth all manner of meate and they draw neare the doores of death What was their remeedie Earnest prayer to God Then they cryed vnto the Lord in their trouble and hee deliuered them from their distresses Mans extremitie is Gods opportunitie Bee of good comfort Sir haue the Faith of God within you Bee earnest in prayer and God shall deliuer you from all your feares The sicke Man Oh that I had Faith Oh that I could pray I finde my griefes to growe I spake neuer in earnest till now All other temptations before were but for carnall thinges They were all but sport in comparison of this of my sins where with my Soule is pressed and borne downe I take this to bee the forebrunt of endlesse plagues and paines prepared for the damned I abhorre my selfe fye on mee What am I but a dead Sardian or which is worse a lukewarme Laodicean neither colde nor hote a fitte prouocation of vomite to my God It is a vvonder if by this death he vomite mee not out of his Church for to cast mee into Hell Now what pleasure can I haue of all my sinnes where of I am ashamed All the joyes of my bygone life beeing joyned together counteruaile not the least part of my present paine Alas Sir how can I gladly draw neare the doores of death while there bee such impedimentes betweene mee and the doores of Heauen The Pastour I loue these lamentations It is good that a Soule be sensible of sin Woe to that Soule that is past all feeling Blessed bee God that hath wakened you out of the slumber of your sinnes Gods wrath euer followeth drowsie consciences for to giue them vp to the spirit of slumber or to sporting spirites that make men to sport themselues with their own deceiuings It is good that in our afflictions we consider well the cause for Affliction commeth not out of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground leremie in this is plaine Man suffereth for his sins It is your part to make a carefull search for the capitall sinne which as yee thinke may chieflie be the cause of so great a wrath Till Achan was found Israel could not stād before their enemies But say on Sir let mee heare you to Amen The sicke Man God hath set all my sinnes in order before mee I see nothing but a burning wrath which Scripture calleth a consuming fire Mine euill thoughts which I euer thought to bee free stand now vp in battell array against mee◅ O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our heart from thy feare I haue no comfort within my Soule I heare a clamour within my conscience crying vnto mee What part or interest can thou looke for in the Kingdome of him whom thou hast so highlie dishonoured How can thou be of that number that belongeth to the election of grace I find my conscience raging within me lik a swelling sea except some calme of mercie come my Soule shal be swallowed vp with some fearefull surge Alas Sir what is your counsell All that is within mee is into an vproare despare is working within the bowels of my bellie The Pastour These secret throwings in the bellie are but Gods secret reproues tokens of his Loue Such secret checkes are like the rebukes of a Father taking his Child apart to some quiet chamber for to admonish him This is Gods customable doing with his owne Children if by their open and scandalous sinnes they haue not moued the enemies of God to blaspheme hee will take them to the secret chamber of their heart there apart as it were after that hee hath barred the doore and put all out hee will tell them what they haue done Ioseph would not tell before the Egyptians how his Brethren had solde him But while hee reuealed himselfe to his Brethren hee commanded all others to goe foorth Cause euerie man said hee to goe out from mee and there stood no man with him while hee made himselfe knowne to his Brethren God would not reproue Iob before Elihu El◅phaz his vncharitable friends but a part out of the while winde After that hee had rebuked and scooled his Seruant Iob in the secret whirle of the winde and hade made him to acknowledge his faultes hee came to his friendes and told them that his wrath was kindled against them After that Peter had thri◅e most shamefullie denyed his Master Christ who heard him so perjuredlie lye would not reproue him openlie before the wicked but onelie turned his eye with a looke towards him With that secret looke which no man perceiued but Peter himselfe hee gaue him such a secret checke and nippe of reproofe that incontinent hee went out and weeped bitterlie * Yee shall find at last Sir all these temptations that trouble you within are but God taking you apart and telling you with Ioseph what yee haue done God is now in the whirle winde working secretlie with you as with Iob till ye bee humble in dust and ashes All this bitternesse which ye finde within is but from a Loue-looke of Christ that yee may bee saued by weeping bitterlie for your sinnes Bee of good comfort Sir all these troubles within are but God out of loue whispering some reproofs into your eare for some bygone faultes The sicke man I wish that it were so But O what a stir is this within my Soule I thinke those wordes of God in Ierimie to bee directlie said vnto mee Thine owne wickednesse shall correct thee and thy backslidinges shall reproue thee know therefore and see that it is an euill thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not in thee The Pastour While the dregge and mudde of a melancholious minde is stirred vp from the bottome with grieuous temptations the sinner must spare to judge till the Soule bee settled Let that muddie minde of yours first bee settled and yee shall shortly see that matters are not as they seeme to bee When Christ said to Peter Get thee behinde mee Sathan it was a speach of glouminesse But O the sweete gloumes of Iesus more sweete than the worlds smiles Let that righteous reproue mee and it shall bee as oyle which shall not breake mine head God may seeme to be angrie at his Darlings but yet in great loue hee hath locked vp their Saluation and made it sure in his vnchangable decree The sicke Man Mine heart is pricked with paines and grieued with griefe This is the mischiefe I see none out-gate my Soule is enuironed with temptations The Pastour The wordes of S. Peter are comfortable The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godlie out
bee shortlie deliuered Hee who is tyred with sin is tyred not to bee a drudge of sin Sinne is not heauie to the Wicked because it is in them as water in its owne element though it bee of weight yet it weigheth not Well is the wearied Soule it hath Christs promise of ease But woe to them who with Laodicea haue neede of no thing For the most part men are drowned in drowsinesse Securitie is farre more dangerous than despaire As was sung of Saul and of Dauid so may bee heere Despaire hath slaine her thousand but Securitie her ten thousand Manie are not wakened till they bee so wakened that their judgement and senses are lost It is a fearefull curse for a man to blesse himselfe while hee should mourne for his sinnes Such as blesse themselues while the Lord pronounceth the wordes of the curse The Lord will not bee mercifull to that man Securitie hath shaken hands with Hell and Death But well is him who feareth alwayes Hee is greatest in Gods sight who is least in his owne eyes The sicke Man But alas Sir my conscience speaketh home that I haue beene a stranger from my God O but I am wearied how shall I bee deliuered from this burden of bondage The Pastour These who are ladened and wearied may heare Christ in his Gospel crying vnto them Come vnto me Goe to him who cryeth so louingly Come Striue aboue all things to get a sight of your Sauiour by the eye of Faith Vrge vpon your heart a deepe meditation of his mercie his merits are able to cure our maladies The sicke Man There is such a mist betweene me and the Messias that it is not possible for me to see him Oh that my eyes were cleared with Gods Eye-salue that I might clearelie be hold him The Pastour The great desire ye haue to see him is a sort of sight All men see not Christ alike All goe not vp to the mount with Peter Iames and Iohn All see not God face to face with Moses All men lay not their head in Christs bosome with his best beloued Disciple Be not discouraged thogh ye cannot winne so neare to Christ as ye would If ye cannot winne to him for to embrace him as Simeon did striue to touch the border of his garmēt behind with the finger of faith and it shall stay the bloody fluxe of your Sinnes Ye sigh for a sight of Christ * A sigh for a sight of him is a sight of him indeed He who wold be found of these that sought him not will bee much more found of these that seeke him and sigh for him Bee of good heart Though for a space your spirituall day be mistie yet at last your drumly sky shal be cleared Christ is not euer absent while hee is not seene The Sunne as we see will be couered with a cloud the Moone will bee vnder wake but incontinent thereafter the cloudes beeing ouer-blowen wee enjoye their brightnesse and their beames What shall bee able to separate a Christian from the Loue of his Christ What then shall be able to mak a Christian soule despaire Shall Damnation No For Christ Gods Saluatiō is ours Shall Hell No For our Christ hath the keyes both of Heauen of Hell Shall the World No For Christ hath ouercome the World Shall the Law No For our Christ hath fulfilled the Law Shall Death No For our Christ is the Way and the Life Shall the Fathers wrath No For Hee hath troden the wine-presse of his wrath for you and for all repenting sinners All Scripture pointeth at him saying This is the way walk ye in it Run Sir to him he shall deliuer you from all your sinnes and from all your feares Striue to curbe your owne corruptions which are so broodie within you The sicke Man I cannot alas bee quite of my sinnes I striue to runne away from them but the faster they follow mee like curre Dogges that are so accustomed to follow their Master they will not bee boasted home againe Where euer I goe with my thoughts aboue or below my sinnes follow hard after mee Though I threaten them thogh I boast them yea betimes intreate them to depart their answere is Wee are thy vvorkes wee will goe with thee This putteth my Soule out of peace and order and thrusteth mee away from the Lord my God I haue beene long seeking and sighing for comforts But as yet I can espye none appearance The Pastour Comforts sought sought and sighed for are not aye seene at the first Elijahs seruant went vp the hill Carmell eight seuerall times to espye some appearance of raine The first seuen times hee could see nothing at the eight hee saw but a little cloud of comfort Behold said hee there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea like a mans hand A little after that the heauens were blake with cloudes and winde and there was a great raine Hold your face Sir a little space with Elijah betweene your knees and cast your selfe downe vpon the Earth as hee did that is fall downe in all humilitie of Soule before your God in prayer That done send vp your prayer the spirituall spye vnto the top of the hill Send it againe and againe euer till it espye some little cloud of comfort If your Soule take paines in prayer till ye perceiue but an hand breadth of mercie at last Gods comfortes shall raine downe in great aboundance vpon your wearied Spirit What shall I say if yee will not bee informed yee cannot bee reformed The sicke Man Indeede that is a pleasant and fit comparison worthie to bee printed with a Note on the margent It hath beene well adapted by you Oh that it could bee as well applyed by mee Oh that the Lord whose loue expelleth feare would strengthen my weake Faith with an hand-breath of his mercie O for such a little cloud of comfort it would lif◅ vp mine hands which hang downe and strengthen my weake knees But in steede of such a comfortable cloude I see nothing but cloudes of w◅ath readie to fall and become a deludge of vengeance from my birth I must not dissemble I haue dallied with my God and haue dispised the gratious day of his visitations And now all my comforts resemble to the Eagle that taketh her to her wings and flyeth aloft high into the Skye from my sinfull reach O feare O horrour O the multitude of my transgressions how shall I be quiet The Pastour The best way to be quite of sin that it reigne not in vs is to bend vp our hearts to Christ who is Emmanuel God with vs Thogh all be worthie to bee damned yet there is no condamnation to these that are in Christ Hee is that heaue-offering which wee must euer
By his Blood the Bill and Bond of the Law is crost and cancelled Hee is that Carkasse wherevnto all faithfull Soules like Eagles must resort Hee is our refuge against the dint of Gods wrath The Spouse could not come vp from the wildernesse but by leaning vpon her beloued Christ. As the Propitiatorie couered the Tables of the Law that were in the Arke so Christ couered our sinnes against these Tables As the cloud couered the Israelites from the fight of Pharaoh hotelie following after them so Christs righteousnesse like a cloud couered vs from the judgements of God his fierie wrath pursuing vs. Let men couer themselues neuer so carefullie still some part of them shall peepe bare vntill Christ come with the couering of his righteousnesse If by the temptations of Sathan your Soule hath beene ruffled or galled vpon the sore The best balme that euer dropped from the pen of Gods Spirit vpon the leaues of his Sacred Booke is the Historie of Christs Bloodie passion There wee may see the dearest mercies that euer moued the relenting bowels of Gods tenderest compassions Behold the Sacred Blood of that vnspotted Lambe which saued the Soules of those that spilt it If yee bee pined with Corrasius of terrour in him are Cordials of compassions the onelie salue for the sores of the Soule Though ye were couered with scarlet abominations heere is vertue whereby yee shall be made whiter than the snow Did hee not pray for them yea did hee not saue them who by bitter railing discharged vpon him the vtmost of their gall The sicke man Such men at last were pricked in their heartes they truelie repented Their sighes and sobs were supported sinewed with the strength of Grace Such men became godly indeede But I did neuer passe the pitch of formall pietie I euer desired more to seeme godlie than so to be I haue beene betimes sore shaken with awfull terrours But I neuer yet could say that the softening blood of Iesus did melt my marble heart What euer had I but some light of reason glimmerings of generall grace which cannot soare so high as to conuoy the soule to the doores of Heauen The word of sauing grace implanteth it selfe into the heart of the godlie man Hee onelie is furnished with a resolute vnswayed vprightnesse Alas alas alas mine heart is throwen with a sore wringing There is a large haruest for Hell many called but few chosen The Pastour What shall I say Mans thoughts are framed into a sinfull mould The sillie sonnes of Adam are wonderfullie tossed with the contrarie Tyd◅ of Satans temptations Some he benumeth with the sweetnes of Sec◅ritie others hee troubleth with the tartennesse of terrours O but Sathans Balow is sweete to the Soule in the craddle of Securitie But O how dreadfull shall hee bee when hee appearing grieslie and fierce vnto the Soule shall waken it with a cry and a glowre saying Damned soule come out to fire faggot come out to vnqueancheable brimstone beames come out to weeping and gnashing of teeth A man after this manner wakened in conscience is like a man wakened out of his sleepe on a sudden At the first hee is in such a maze that till hee bee better wakened he cannot well vnderstand what is said to him All his thoughts are into an hurlie burlie Then his outward rebellions and his inward repynings with all his abominations seeme to fall downe vpon him like cloudes of blood There bee no comforts that can settle his feares till the Spirite of grace appeare vnto him in the calme Looke vp with your eye Sir and seeke a blinke of the face of Iesus Hee onelie is the Prince and Pryce of our Peace our joye and our libertie If the Sonne make vs free wee shall bee free indeede Wrestle with him vse violence in an holie boldnesse vis Deo grata In him are the lasting treasures of mercie and immortalitie Hee it is onelie who can make this biting Conscience to bee toothlesse he onelie can command this raging sea I know Sir that your sorrowes are sore and my Soule pittieth you for I see you in the verie pangs and terrours of the new birth I perceiue your Soule gasping for grace as the drie and thirstie ground for droppes of raine The sicke Man O the boisterous blastes of temptations able to make the tallest and deepest rooted Cedars to stagger yea the Sirion to skippe like an Vnicorne What shall I doe The Pastour Seeing Christ alone is our protection and perfection let all your courage bee in him In him yee must bee valiant for none but the valiant can by violence enter into the Kingdome of God If a man know Christ well hee shall not be discouraged though hee were cast into a raging sea of temptations Though a mā were cast into a gulfe of twenty fathome deepe if hee can keepe his head aloft he cannot be drowned So as long as Christ our Head is aboue wee his members may well bee dowked but wee cannot bee drowned All Christian comforts runne vpon him like the title of a Booke wherein is contained the substance of the whole If Christ Sir bee yours yee cannot perish Hee who is rooted in him can neuer bee rooted out The sicke Man But how can Christ bee mine seeing I am but a bagge of corruption a bodie of Death What hath mine heart beene but like a vipers bellie filled with a deadly brood Miserable man that I am will Christ euer daine to looke vpon such a vile wretch as I am who hath turned my Christian libertie in a fleshlie licence The Pastour These who are least into their own eyes are in greatest account with him When yee heare of the wandring sheepe brought home and of the lost groat found and of the forlorne Sonne returned to his Father Ye should cast your figure say Of whom is this written but of mee for whom is it written but for mee If yee sticke fast by him no perrell shall make an haire of your head to perish Bee of good comfort for your life is hid with Christ in God The sicke Man I am so vile that hardlie darre I presume to think that Christ would die for such a filthie rotten creature as I am who from the sole of tbe foote to the crowne of the head is filled with botches boiles and putrifying sores When I behold my selfe into the glasse of Gods Law I abhor the monstrous face of my Soule I am one of those in whom Satan hath parbreaked and spewed the spawne of all sorts of sinne Of all sinners I am the first For I haue not sinned of ignorance but of knowledge against the light of my mind against the voyce of my God against the workings of his Spirit against the cryes of
in the dumbe choppe of the conscience The Pastour As I perceiue ye are in the storme of temptations As the shippe in a tempest goeth with a low saile So is it good and most sure in the tempest of temptations to take downe the top sailes of our owne worth But yet Sir in your humilitie beware to disprise and set at nought the graces of God that are within you Vertue standeth in the midst As the Publican would not brage vainlie with the Pharisee that he was not like other men so neither would hee desperatlie say with Cain Mine iniquitie is greater than that it may be forgiuen The sicke Man Alas Sir yee know not what weight hangeth vpon mine heart ye are not priuie vnto my secret sinnes which I thinke shame to vtter O these gnawings of my wormish Conscience hardlie can yee imagine what filthie thoughts haue beene into my heart since I came into this world Hitherto they haue all beene hidde from mine eyes But now I thinke that I see all my sinnes set in order before mee My Soule is poisoned with the stinke of such corruptions I abhorre my selfe and what wonder that God abhorre mee The Pastour The more a man abhorreth himselfe God who is milde mercifull loueth him the better It is good for a man to stinke in his owne nose A wicked man may bee well compared to the Latin Cimex French Punaise Tree Lice that stinke most vilelie and yet feele not the stinke of their own breath Laodicea thought her selfe happie and yet God said that he wold spew her out of his mouth Gods thoughtes are not mans thoughts Yee complaine Sir of the filthines of your bygone thoughts it is well done But heere is your comfort Now is that fountaine of God in Zachrie opened to the house of Dauid for sin and for vncleannesse Though through sin yee were lepper in soule as Na◅man was in bodie the Iordan of Christs Blood is able to mak you cleane The precept is not of hard practise Wash and bee cleane belieue and bee saued If yee would haue the Spirit of God to take a Chamber into your heart keepe your hearte cleane Gods house must be a cleane house it must often bee sweept If the dust or dirt of sinne defile the pauement thereof it must first bee watered with the teares of repentance The stoure dust must be laid with holie water then wee must sweepe out all filthinesse with the besome of godlie reuenge This doing Sir God shall delight to dwell in you If Sathan blow at the juniper coales of your sinnes kindled with sparkles of fierie wrath runne with the Bucket of Faith to the Blood of Iesus which is onelie able for to quenche that flamme The sicke Man My cheekes are watered with teares trickling downe both day and night * my moist eyes are soked in this salt brimie water O but they are comfortlesse teares The Pastour God at last shall make them comfortable like the bowle full of dewe which Gideon wrāg out of his Fleece Gods signe of Israels Saluation Haue patience a little Sir and your waterie eyes shall receiue the other dryē signe of the fleece all your teares shall bee dryed and wyped away so that yee shall neuer weepe any more The houre is fast comming that God shall wipe away your teares the waters of your weeping after that there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor paine Seeke the Lord while hee may be found and call vpon him while hee is nigh To him alone in Iesus must yee haue all your recourse on him alone must yee relye The sicke Man I wote not where to goe I can neither sitte stand nor lye Mine heart alas is hardened yea hard like the heart of the Leuiathan which is hard like a piece of the nether milstone I thinke that such hardnesse is from the deceitfulnesse of sinne The Pastour It is a sort of softnesse when we feele our owne hardnesse He who hath begun such softning will bring his own work to perfectiō in his appointed houre The seedes of grace are like Corne they are not ripe the first day they are sowen but ripen by degrees From this is that saying Grace requyreth space or in space commeth Grace A reprobate sense is not so neare at anie time as when it is least suspected and most neglected Say in all patience with the Prophet Micah I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him He will turne againe he will haue compassion vpon you Hee will subdue your iniquities cast them in the depths of the sea Holde vp your heart toward the Father of Lights the giuer of euerie good gift Let your foule flee vp to the Throne of his Grace The sicke Man My Soule is not fit for fleeing to the Heauens It is lik a pulled foule that wanteth the feathers It may well nod with its head and make a mint with the stumpts of its wings but can by no meanes hoise it selfe from the Earth All my comforts are clipped from me Sinnes heauy like milstones are hung about my necke Oh that I were cast into the sea with my sinnes there to be buried for euer farre if it were possible from the presence of my God Since yee came to mee mine heart was not in such a plounge of miserie as it is now There is nothing within me but wrath and woe warring against my Saluation Gods heauie hand hath distressed mine heart wonderfullie My Soule is so besieged with temptations that it may well be called Magor missabib feare round about This I feare that my name bee crossed out of the Booke of Life The Pastour I remember of a wise counsel which a learned Diuine gaue to a man sore assaulted vpon his death-bed with the temptations of the deuil When thou art tempted of Satā said he seest no way to escape euē thē plainly close vp thine eyes and answere nothing to his temptations But commend thy cause to God This said hee is a principall point of wisedome that we must follow in the houre of death That is That we daine not to giue Sathan an answere but say with Michael The Lord rebuke thee Sathan If thy flesh tremble and feare to enter into another life and if it doubt of saluation if thou yeeld to these things thou hurtest thy selfe therfore close thine eyes as before and say with S. Stephen Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit and then certainelie Christ will come vnto thee with all his Angels and bee the guider of thy way At the entrie of the red Sea when Israel enuironed on both sides with mountaines hauing the sea before and the Egyptians behind could see no meanes of escape Then Moses said to Israel The Lord shall fight for you and yee
nothing from no-beeing hee brought a beeing Hee would not make some-thing of some thing but made all of nothing God would not builde vpon another foundation Once hee destroyed the world with raine now saith the Lord I shall neuer doe it againe But how shal a man know it euen by his Raine-bow a certaine signe of raine Behold how in the Heauens hee setteth his raine armour for a signe of peace to the world declaring that he will no more shoote downe a deludge for to drowne the Children of men Before that God would send downe fire vpon the sacrifice of Elias for the tryall of the true God hee appointed the ditch about it first to bee filled with water God is best known in the contrarie meanes So Christ would open the blinde eyes by spittle and clay which naturallie are more fitte to put out the sight than put it in By the heauing vp of Moses weake hands helped vp by others God made choise to ouerthrow Hamalek rather then by the sword of Ioshuah By the bluenes of the wound he purgeth away euill Christ by death ouercame Death and purchased life In wrath hee remembreth mercie where mercie would seeme to bee forgotten Hee first killeth that after hee may make aliue His strength is made perfect in weaknesse Out of the seede of teares hee bringeth an haruest of joye applie all this to your selfe Before that God make a new Creation in you hee will let you see first that there is nothing in your selfe whereof to make it Though God for a space hath opened the Windowes of his wrath and powred downe vpon you deluges of troubles and as yet seemeth to bend his Bow for a new shot If hee were of minde to shoote hee would not shew his Bow Behold and see a signe of peace a Bow without a string Though it were bended as a token of warre by Gods merci◅ it betokeneth peace While the ditch about the sacrifice of the he◅r is fullest of water viz when all is swimming with aboundance of teares God then shall bee most readie to answere by fire Bee of good courage Sir let Christs morter lye style vpon your eyes vntill his worke bee finished that yee may recouer your sight Though clay blind-foldeth his spittle inlighteneth The sicke Man I am but a lumppe of clay shutte vp vnder vnbeliefe I cannot practise your precepts I haue a will to doe so But I finde stronger powers within mee leading this Will into Captiuitie What can this bee can both good and euill tarie together in one heart that is Gods The Pastour That is most certaine There is both fish and drosse in Gods net both corne chaffe in his barne both Wheat darnall in his field both Sheepe Goates in his folde To will is present with mee said Paul But how to performe that which is good I finde not The sicke Man While I behold such floods of temptations my braine is so troubled with dizinesse that all seeme to goe round My Soule is like a Land lying frin the sea which is beaten with billowes and with waues on all sides mine head is giddie while I beholde the strict streame of such tumbling waues The Pastour The temptations and troubles of this world may well be compared to a Riuer that runneth with a quick streame If while yee ride thorow ye euer look downe vpon the streame your head will waxe dizie indeede so that yee shal be in danger of a fall But those who know what it is euer behold the yonder brinke fixing their eyes vpon that which moueth not It is so that wee should doe while wee passe thorow the swift running streames of temptations wee must not fixe our eyes vpon the streame which runneth but vpon yonder immouable shore of eternitie where wee minde to land after that wee haue waden thorow the combersome foord of this life In hope against hope relye vpon Gods mercie Challenge your interest therein thorow Christs bloodie merites The sicke Man While I desire to doe so the arrowes of fearful temptations come vpō me with poisoned points I heare a voyce within me crying What hast thou to doe with the shore of eternitie thou who hast wearied thy selfe in the way of wickednesse and hast spended thy whole life into blacke dismall dayes by making others to mourne in blacke thou shalt neuer weare the white garments of Christs righteousnesse neither in grace nor glorie Oh that mine heart were in a true spirituall temper Oh that it were seasoned and softned with the dew of Grace Oh where shall I hide mee vntill these calamities bee ouerpast The Pastour Your Soule Sir within you is like a man in a shippe tossed with a tempest as the Disciples on the Sea fearing to drowne cryed to Christ Master saue vs for wee perish◅ So doe ye though for a space he seeme to sleepe carelesse of your saluation hee shall shew himselfe broad awake at your cry Behold hee that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe My counsell is that yee wrap and infold your sillie Soule in his bloody merites as in a close warme garment that shall keepe you safe and sure against the wind and weather of all temptations I like your feares better than the securitie of these who thinking that they sleepe in a sound skin care not whither judgements blast or mercie blesse If the Hypocrite content man hee careth not for God All his best thinges are but forme and outwardnesse hee hath a forme of knowledge he also hath a forme of godlinesse In this forme hee sleepeth not troubled with any checke or counter-blast of Conscience Waite ye vpon Christ. The sicke Man Christ hath forgotten mee If hee had minde of mee would hee suffer my Soule thus to bee eaten away with the bloodie gangrene of an euill Conscience happie are the wicked for they are not plagued like other men The Pastour Nay vnhappie are the wicked vvhat euer their estate bee while they studie to vvorldly joye encompassing themselues with carnall contentments it is for nothing but that as the deuils desired they should not bee tormented before the time In such false joyes they are ledde hood-winkt to destruction While God suffereth his owne for a space to bee afflicted it is no token of forgetfulnesse nor yet of vncomfortable strictnesse Did hee not suffer his owne Sonne to suffer till hee cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee God in great mercie to vs hath set out his owne Sonne as a patrene of patience for to let all the godlie see that seeing he hath torne with bloody whipes the backe and shoulders of his onelie Son that no man should tak exception to drinke in the same Cup as also that no man should despaire or take in euill part to bee chastened of the Lord But when wee are judged saith
ruines Listen vnto his voyce crying to all sorrow beatē sinners Come vnto mee Thinke often vpon this Sir if ye desire comfortes in your distresse The great worke of mans redemption finished by the Blood death of God is a worke worthie of continuall wondering As for the work of the Creation it cost the Lord but his Will and his Word But the worke of mans redemption was a costlie worke it was chargeable to God it cost him the best thing that hee could giue euen the lif of his Loue our Lord O what a mercie O what a liuelie Loue The meditation of this worke should worke in our heart a louing compulsion and a compelling loue The thought of this made S. Paul to say The loue of Christ constraineth mee What shall a Christian man feare hauing Christ his Brother to bee both his Aduocat and his Iudge his Suretie and his Sauiour Was not his blessed Bodie displayed abroad vpon the Crosse with his armes spred a crying jesture a jesture crying with a voyce Come vnto mee all ye that are leadened and wearied Oh that we were sicke for the loue of him who died for the loue of vs Oh that we were wounded with loue vvhen vvee remember his precious wounds from which gushed out the streames of our Saluation Flee Sir to the holes of this Rocke flee to the bores of his woundes runne not with Adam vnto the shrubbes for to hide your selfe from God heere is your hiding place in the Lords deepest wounds Hee is the fortresse of your Faith our strength and our stay the onelie helpe and ground of all our hopes our warrantable justice Hee onelie is the bodie of all spirituall comfort all other things were they neuer so specious are but shew and resemblance Shroud your selfe vnder his protection and throw no more your selfe vpon temptations whereby ye may bee disabled from manfullie fighting out the good fight followed with a Crowne filled with massines of glorie The sicke Man Now well is me that euer I heard tell of Christ Blessed bee the day the Sonne of God was borne But alas where are the holes of that Rocke where my wearied Soule may enter in The Pastour Lift vp your lumpish thoughtes seek first to the naile holes in his feet beginne humblie creepe in into these lowest wounds and there for a space settle your abode kisse his sacred Feete wash them with the true teares of repentance wype them with the haires of your head from thence looke vp and come to the naile holes of his Hands Bee busie there like a Bee sucke out of them the Honey of Heauen from thence goe to the Speare hole in his side Let your Soule sit downe there and croud like a Doue euer till Christ let it in into the hole of the Rock the place of its euerlasting rest If once the faithfull Soule Christs Turtle win in into the fortresse of his woundes from thence it will boast all the enemies of its Saluation Frō thence wil it cry to the flesh crouch There it careth not for the Serpents hissing nor for the Cockatrices denne nor for the Graues gaping nor for Deathes dungeon nor for the Popes Purgatorie his pardons his dirges and his Trentals which bring fatte morsels to Baals Priestes Christ is mine will hee say Hee is to mee aduantage both in death and life As the Doue found no footing till shee came to the Arke so the Soule can find no rest till it come to Christ I◅ euer totters til it leane vpō his Loue. Happie is the Soule that is secured with the seale secret impression of Gods fauour The sicke Man If I had faith to belieue all wold be wel I acknowledg that there is sufficient helpe in Iesus but such a helpe is only for these that are strōg in faith my faith is both faint fecklesse The Pastour Christ hath said plainelie that he wil not quēch the smoking flax S. Peter was not a man of strong faith whē he began to sink down into the Sea Said not Christ vnto him Thou man of little Faith why hast thou doubted Hee reproued him for the weaknes therof but cast him not off for the littlenes thereof The sicke Man That was another matter Christ was with him Christ took him by the hād * Ther was vertue in the grip of Christs hand as was in the hem of his garment while it was touched Such a weake Faith as mine cannot mount vp so high as that it may reach vnto Christ into the heauens The Pastour Though your faith bee weake and Christ also bee absent in bodie yet bee not for that disquieted he is present in his God-head As for the weaknesse of your faith pray God to strengthen and increase your faith Faith though little is of great force a graine of it is able to remoue Mountaines and cast them into the Sea I pray your Sir to intreat God for a fixed heart for as I perceiue endlesse are the mazes of Sathans circular temptations which vnavoidablie if they bee not barred out by grace wind themselues into mans heart with a slie and craftie insinuation The sicke Man O man of little faith that I am if I had Faith I would belieue that I had it if I had Faith I am perswaded that I should haue Peace Being justified by Faith wee haue Peace towardes God That Peace I seeke and cannot finde These troubles wherewith I am tossed plainly argue that my Faith is failed The Pastour I answere that who euer are justified by Faith they also haue peace toward God though such a Peace bee not euer felt That which a man feeleth not is not euer absent A man in a trance knoweth not that he liueth and yet hee is not altogether depriued of life The tree seemeth to be dead in time of Snow and frost and yet it hath life and sappe at the roote These then that are justified by Faith haue Peace but their peace is not euer sensible but often is disturbed with fearefull temptations The sicke Man I desire to know of you what is that yee properlie call the peace of Conscience The Pastour I take the qualmes of Conscience chieflie to proceede from a sense of Gods wrath kindled for some sins of commission or omission Sathan also with his billowes bloweth at this fire yea often while God is pacified he assaulteth the sillie Soule with false feares and counterfeit alarums Nowe when by the vertue of Christs intercession the fire of Gods wrath is quenched the Conscience of man beginneth to settle and growe calme and in stead of accusing vs any further it beginneth to excuse and acquite vs before the Tribunall of our God Vpon this doeth ensue a pleasant calmenes quietnesse and rest in the Soule of a sinner Though this Peace bee sore enuied and often troubled by Sathans railing and
â—…aging yet the Soule hauing peace with God is at last after a litle space made free of all its fearâ—… is made sensible of that truce atonement euen of that Peace which passeth all vnderstanding The sicke Man I would earnestlie learne of you how a man whose Conscience is troubled may recouer that Peace which once hee had The Pastour The best methode I know is that a man ripe first vp his Conscience and spy what mot of sinne is fallen into his Conscience which is the eye of the Soule The eye beeing hurt will water powre out teares so must the Conscience bee sore grieued for offending of God Secondlie out of this griefe it must sigh before the Lord in feruant prayer first for forgiuenesse chieflie of that sinne which lyeth heauiest vpon the heart Thirdlie and last of all the Soule must sute earnestly for the restoring of that joye After this manner Dauid did proceede in that penetentiall Psalme First of all he was exceedinglie grieued which griefe did burst out in wordes watered with teares Haue mercie vpon mee O God according to thy louing kindnesse c. Thus after hee had cryed for to bee washen purged with Hysope hee cryed that God would restore vnto him the joys of his Saluation Aboue all thinges let such a person bee often groaning to God in prayer for to catch some blinke of Gods reconcealed face in Iesus his bloodie woundes That blood of sprinkling is the onelie Salue for the sores of the Soule To all this let not these helpes bee neglected viz. that such troubled Soules make vse of good Bookes by whose helpe their deuotion may bee roused vp for to remember the dayes of olde My chiefe counsell is that such persons fixe stedfastlie the eye of their Faith vpon Iesus bleeding on the Crosse wherevpon hee payed our ransome and triumphed ouer all the enemies of our Saluation This is the trueth whereof Israel had the typ in the brasen Serpent which healed al the be holders My counsell also is that such troubled persons frequent the Sermons of powerfull Preachers and seeke conference with them whom God hath stamped with a powerfull gift of Teaching and integritie of life men who haue had great experience in the wayes of God and who haue smarted themselues at other times by such fearefull nipping checks men who are not ignorant of the Deuils deuices It is said of Christ himselfe the Orient and Day-spring That in all things it behoued him to bee made like vnto his Brethren that hee might bee a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he himselfe hath suffered being tempted hee is able to succour them that are tempted See how it behoued Christ himselfe for to suffer temptation that hee might bee able to succour vs in our temptations While the troubled sinner is in doing all these dueties he must carefullie watch ouer all his wayes that by no sin either in thought word or deede hee grieue the Spirit of God againe For a new sinne thrust vpon the hearte will make all the closed woundes of the Conscience to gap and to bleed afresh A Soule that is become relaps shall finde God harder to bee intreated than of before not without much adoe shall it get peace that after by any knowne sin it hath quarrelled againe the Spirit of comfort But indeede hee or shee whose Conscience hath beene once well lashed with Gods whip and battered with his blowes had rather run throw a fire than anger the Lord againe At the first appearance of a temptation they will start for feare and with a sigh will cry to God with a trembling voyce O my God how should I thinke this wickednesse let bee to doe it Who knoweth the power of thy wrath According to thy feare so is thine anger Too too many in this Nation affect this sicknesse of Conscience as beeing onelie the disease of the holiest This they will vtter as ye would thinke with bleeding groanes before men while indeede they are but scorning the world sporting wantons laughing vnder a painted maske of miserie Their teares are praeficarum lachrymae teares without trouble water sold for the wind of mans praise They are spots in the Church which make the wayes of God to bee euill spoken of such open a wide doore vnto Atheisme The sicke Man Fye vpon hypocrisie God will not bee scorned there is nothing so secret but at last it shall bee made manifest I am assured that who for to caâ—…ch mens applauses faine a mourning for their sinnes the Lord shall suffer them to fall either in some scandalous sinne or other fearefull inconuenient whereby they shal be forced in earnest to mourne to their shame In my judgment there is no such bitter and comfortlesse mourning as is that of these for their manifested sinnes who once did most faine deepe groanes for catching of applauses The Pastour To such may well bee applyed that of the Prophet Thine owne wickednesse shall correct thee thy back-slydings shall reproue thee know therefore and see that it is an euill thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hostes. Let no man sport in secret sinnes were it in a thought for that which hath wings will declare the matter The sicke Man I haue often beene seeking out the reason wherefore the wicked in the world for the most part know not what trouble of Conscience meaneth What thinke yee The Pastour Their heauen is on earth Dauid seeing their peace and prosperitie did beare them at enuie yea so that his feete were almost gone They are not in trouble said hee in trouble like other men neither are they plagued like other men c. Euen at their death he could perceiue no bands of any vehement paines after that the whole space of their life they had enjoyed morethan their heart could wish How euer it bee that they prosper in this world yet certainlie if a man will goe and seeke God in his Sanctuarie there hee shall tell him that hee hath sette them in slipperie places and that when hee awaketh hee shall despise their image There is a hell for them after the heauen of this earth The sicke Man I would gladlie bee instructed of you that I might discerne betweene the true solide Peace of conscience which the godlie enjoye and that senslesse benummednes of the wicked wherein they beeing deceiued cry Peace peace euen while God is putting the fierie lunt vnto the mosine of their sudden destruction Let mee heare of the peace both of the one and other I thinke all men should studie to marke the difference The Pastour The Reprobates who haue their portion in this life will seeme indeede to haue that true Peace of Conscience because
many doe But yet yee must know that hee that made the Time will not bee subject vnto Time the King of Time is Eternall GOD is eternall and hath all Times at his command There is no Time that can hinder him to bee mercifull to a sinner at whatsoeuer time he sha◅l repent For this cause Christ for to let the world see that hee can forgiue when a sinner can repent hee took from the Crosse the Soule of a condemned Theefe and after that hee had absolued it hee carried it to Paradise God hath said That at whatsoeuer time a sinner shall repent that hee will put away his wickednesse out of his rememberance Fra once hee hath said the word hee cannot take his word againe He is constant in all his wayes and therfore neuer saith and vnsaith one thing Hath he said shall hee not doe it If yee can but waite a little ye shall finde all the fiercenesse of his fur◅e to bee turned into the fulnesse of his fauour * Hee who shall seeke him earnestlie shall not receiue an emptie answere There is mercie in heauen for an hell of conscience vpon earth Cast all your cares aside cast your selfe into the armes of your God Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and hee shall sustaine thee Be strong in the Faith of God In hope belieue against hope though for a space your Spirit bee distempered yet still relye vpon the mercie of your God Goe not off this that the Blood of Iesus was shed for you that Christ hath payed your ransome What euer Sathan by his temptations suggest vnto you belieue him not Take my counsell I pray you Sir that I speak the trueth heere I darre take it vpon my Soules Saluation The sicke Man I thank God from mine heart that euer I heard you your words are ful of comfort O how indebted am I to the mercy of my God who hath vnlocked the bowels of his loue towards me At our first meeting I found my selfe inuolued with much miserie and mischief but since I haue heard you I finde I blesse God some stirring of God Spirit within mine heart mine heart before this time hath beene lik that Altar at Athens wherin was ingrauen in great Letters TO THE VNKNOVVNE GOD I heard often of God but I neuer knew him truelie vntill now This is the infancie of my regeneration I haue beene too long a stranger from so good a God My Soule now rejoyceth after many toes and froes I finde mine heart loosed from the cartropes of my sinnes and linked vnto my Sauiour with stronger chaines than of before There bee better motions within than euer I did feele before this houre O thou who is Loue let my Soule bee possest of a sound and constant loue to thy most mercifull Majestie Bring my Soule from the shadow of death to the light of thy countenance O Lord my strength and my Redeemer O Lord of Hostes giue me strength and courage to fight out this Christian fight whereof the victorie is glorious and the reward a Crowne of immortalitie Inspire mine heart with the life of Grace If thy care had not hitherto preserued my Spirit my Soule had long since bene drowned in a sea of sin and sorrow There haue bene such lecks into mine heart that except the Lord in time had pumped it with repentance my Soule long since had made ship-wracke of Faith O how much am I beholden to my God who hath taken longer day with mee than within any others from whom before they were prouided hee hath demanded his due Blessed bee my God who hath made mee free from the frenzie of Spirite by appearing vnto mee in a greater calme The feeling of his wrath past I hope shall be a sauce for to sharpen my blunted loue towardes him in all times to come with vndaunted constancie I perceiue nowe that the day is darkened and that the night approcheth Oh that I might cōtinue conference with you but least I should wearie you from the best of my bowels my deare Pastour I bidde you farewell I looke to morrow for a new conference for with many difficulties mine heart is yet troubled and tossed I requeast you before yee goe to helpe mee with your prayers The Pastour I blesse God who hath begunne to intermingle the sweete honey of some comfortes with the bitter gall of painefull temptations GOD who hath begunne to make you his his Prentice in Grace shall an one mak you a free man in Glorie As Ministers must first sit at Gamaleels feete for to learne before they sit in Moses chaire for to teach so must Christians first bee humbled with temptations on earth before they bee honoured with exaltations into the Heauens Well is the man that is truelie humbled by GOD and made a foole in his owne eyes for hee which thinketh himselfe wise is a foole ipso facto All naturall wisedome without Spirituall humilitie is like ouernights Manna which did no good but mould and fust God by diuers temptations first carnall and after spirituall hath besieged the corruptions of your nature and hath battered downe the strong holds and fortified Castles of your imaginations and reasoning the high thinges which exalt themselues against the knowledge of GOD Before hee leaue you hee shall bring into Captiuitie euerie thought of your heart to the obedience of Christ According to your desire wee shall bend our knees to GOD in prayer that yee may spell his loue out of such a Fatherlie correction and learne in time to stay your selfe vpon his kindnesse and good will A Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD of Mercie whose bowels are turned within thee when thou beholdest the griefe of the godlie Bee heere present for the reliefe of this thy poore distressed Seruant His eyes are stedfastlie fixed vpon Thee as the eyes of the hand maide are fixed vpon the hands of her Mistresse Behold LORD and heare his amazed broken heart braying after thee as an Hart panting after the Riuers of waters Pitie this sillie Soule which is like the drye ground gaping for droppes of Raine Oh LORD his strength is d◅yed vp like a Pot shard his tongue cleaueth vnto his jawes and thou hast brought him into the dust of death Let the sweetest comfortes of thy bleeding bowels bee powred into his broken heart Make the joyfull Light of thy countenance breake foorth vpon his drooping and cloudie Conscience O strengthen his sillie Soule in this heauie houre Pacifie the pangs of his remorse that hee may laye holde vpon the merits and mercies of thy Sonne IESVS Come gracious GOD with thy strength for his succour Sathan a most bitter enemie hath besieged his Soule with most fearefull temptations There is no mischiefe which could bee deuised but hee hath m◅stered it and set it in battell arraye against him While hee had health and youth this enemie
like wole light like Belshazzar But his paines should be foūd to be like Pharaoh his Armie that sank downe like Leads in to the might it waters Such light pleasures are soone ouerswayed with leadē paines Too great pleasure in Children is but a childish pleasure The best of it is of ten laden shortly after with a lumpish crosse vvhich hath neede of a Simon for to beare vp the end of it for the helpe of the bearer Alas the hearts of most men are too too much taken vp vvith that which may bee termed the sicknesse of Eli or fathers follie vvhich hardlie can suffer controlement or contradiction They are so in loue with their Children that though they by a leud life mak themselues vile they vvil not restraine them Their minds are so giuen to them that they are grieued to grieue them with fathers reproofes But at last out-commeth the voyce of judgement When I beginne I will also make amend 8. LONG LIFE Last of al if there be any thing that wold seeme to be desired it shuld be long lif all that a manhath he will giue it for his life Though these be the vvords of a Lyar yet most men will put their hand to the pen and subscribe the trueth thereof All that most men haue as Strength Honours Riches Beautie Pleasure* Wisedome Children and all will they giue for their Life But vvhat is this life were it neuer so long but a season wherein poore men is tyred with toyles What is it but a long martyr dome and a stormie time of teares What is this life Let S. Iames answere It is said hee but a vapour Nubicula est cito evanescit Nascimur flentes morimur gementes It beginneth with teares and endeth vvith groans What is life Let Iob answere Mylife saith hee is wind What is life Let Isaiah answere It is but a breath in our nostrile What is life Cry said the Lord to Isaiah What shall I cry said Isaiah Cry All flesh is grasse * What is life A tale that is tolde saith Moses What is it A flitting shaddow a bubble in the vvater a deceiueable dreame the working of a weeuers Sh◅ttle which by winding heere and there vnwindeth it selfe to an end Our life like the shadow on the Dyall insensiblie stealeth away See what it is of the vanitie of this life It is begunne with weeping and maintained by sweatting and at last endeth with a gaspe Mors vltima linea rerum Thus mans life like the beautifull Apple of Sodome so soone as it is toucht is turned into dust What should moue a man to desire many dayes While a man desireth many dayes hee desireth that vvhich hee desireth not viz. olde Age What is olde Age but manie dayes Are not the old mans dayes called The euill dayes and the yeares of which he saith I haue no pleasure in them What hath hee then vvill ye say if hee hath no pleasure All sorts of paines olde Age sets on foote all the sortes of diseases The Guts and the Grauels and diuerse Defluxions with many other maladies run vpon him and write a Kalender in his bones vvherin his pain full itchings like Astronomers declare to him vvhat weather it will bee to morrow Thus as ye see manslife is but an irksome occupation an houre of tediousnesse to be short a verie compend of miserie casie to bee vnderstood without any commentarie of long discourse if wee were schollers willing to learne May not men see how all that is below is sicke of the fluxe for nothing is permanent Hee onely fitteth sure who can say with Dauid Mine heart is fixed O Lord. What shall I say more of this whole world Let men thinke of it what they will this is the constant trueth of an vncreated Testimonie this present euill world It is so euill that it is said to lye in wickednesse The Lord neuer suffer out Soules to bee its Bed fellowes such a Bed is a bloody bed like that of Iezabel A nest wherein is no rest but terrour of Conscience Before I end this point concerning long life let vs roll a space this short meditation in our minds What is in this world so worthie that it should bee so eagerlie desired Continuallie while wee liuewee are in feare of Death for this cause seeke wee Physicke Mirth and Musicke and all for to b◅rre Death to the doore And yet fooles that wee are cerius out citius soone or since wee must all draw neere to the doores of Death There is no discharge in this warre Euerie man in this life hath his appointed time wherein night and day he must waite till his a◅ange come Mens dayes are distributed vnto them like houres seuemilie diuided vpon the Horologe Some must liue but till One another vnto Two another vnto Three The Palme turneth about with its finger pointeth at the houre So soone as mans appointed houre is come whether it bee the first second or third there is no more biding for him Nec prece ni◅ precio neither by pryce not prayer can Death bee moued to spare him but an houre no not As the sound of the Clocke Bell ringing his last houre passeth away with all speede and turneth not againe so must the poore man at Death with all haste packe him out of sight and no mo◅e be seene vpon the land of the liuing His houre beeing sounded hee must with all haste remoue that another might take place One of whom none can surelie say Hee shall bee a wise man or a foole Then all that the sillie man had painefullie prouided must bee giuen to him whom the father often in his life beholding said with a sigh within himselfe Beholde him for whom is all this drudgerie behold him for whom is all my toyle and turmoyle Who knoweth whether hee shall bee a wise man or afoole yet shall hee bee master of all my labours Now happie and thrise happie they whom GOD in mercie remoueth in time from seeing heart-break of follie and deboched manner of their godles posteritie Scripture accounteth this for a singulare benefite to the Righteous when he is remoued that hee should not see the euill day to come The sicke Man Alas of our follies While wee should seeke GOD and our Soules Saluation with the strongest straine and power of our Soule by the corruption of our Nature wee are caried on the by We liue heere in a sinke of sinne The older the world groweth it groweth the worse Euery Age in its foolish dotage commeth in with the own guise scorning former phancies with greater follies yea with foolish phrancies of which this predominant that the wisedome of God which in all times seemed follie to the wicked did neuer seeme such a follie as it doeth now from the vpper brimme of sinne the world
for to heare Come or Depart Let your attention yet goe a little a long with mee See what it is of olde age Consider how feeble it is being a burden vnto it selfe a time vnfitte for anie affaire And yet most men in their youth swynishlie wallow in vncleannes thinking to keepe the old yeares for the amending of their life for all other spirituall adoes as repentance and returning vnto God as if a man beeing for to goe a farre and foule journey should lay the greatest burden vpon the weakest horse A good man regardeth his beast how much more should hee regard himselfe What regard is heere when a man in his youth rolleth his originall sinne like a snow-ball among actuall sins to such a huge greatnesse that in his strongest youth hee is not able to moue it and yet delayeth thinking that when hee is olde hee shall easilie remoue it and remeede it The sinnes of youth draw vpon old age deadnesse of heart and dulnesse of zeale It is good that man with a watchfull eye holde in perpetuall jealousie the cunning slightes and windings of the deceit of sinne in youth And therefore while it is youth time while God calleth while the wind serueth while the Sea is calme while the Shippe is sound let vs sette foorth in time to saile toward the port of Saluation the harberie of Grace in Glorie O vaine man who in thy youth turneth the grace of thy God into wantonnesse and thinketh to come home to God againe when thou is olde what shall God doe with thy blind lame olde age Is that a sacrifice for God Offer it vnto thy Gouernour saith Malachie If a blind or lame beast wil not please a man what shall God doe with that which is more blind than a beast The King of Babilon commanded Ashpenaz the master of his Eneuches to mak choise of Childrē in whom was no blemish such as had ability in thē to stand in the Kings Palace What shall the Deuill get the finest flower of our age the strength of our dayes and the abilitie of our Soule and thereafter shall God the King of Heauen bee serued with the blind and the lame such as the verie Soule of Danid did hate It is good afore hand to bee furnished with Graces which may be as the staffe of our old age * If we spēd our strēgth in our youth at the seruice of God he shall neuer cast vs off in our olde age But what shall I say nothing will waken foolish Virgines while they sleepe till that shrill voyce bee heard The Bridegrome is come When it is no more time mē who cōtented themselues with counterfeit shewes deceiuing shadowes arise run seeke for Oyle which they shall not be able to get either for buying or begging By all this my discourse Sir ye may perceiue that the long date of dayes bringeth men vnto dotage after dotage vnto dust from thence hee came Man of few yeares is foolish vnto fourtie a little after that folie hath left him dotage succeedeth which vnderstandeth no Precepts In this Mappe of the olde mans miserie yee may see whether or not man haue cause to bee greedie of many yeares Though the world were not vaine yet yee see that man is but vanitie in the world Let all men heere lay aside such doting vanities that bring too doolefull miseries Let all flesh learne that Nothing out of God can affoord sound joye and contentment If a man want God were hee an Emperour as high indeede as the King of Babylon was in conceite euen aboue the stars of God his life shall bee crossed with these th◅ee shrude companions viz. The griefe of thinges by past the paines of things present and the feare of after claps The sicke Man The thought of such thinges beginne to waine mine heart from the loue of all thinges worldlie I pray you yet a little to continue in that purpose concerning the vanities of things below The meditations therof lik sharpe keene spurs should prick and stirre vs forword from the loue of this vnto the loue of these lasting things which are aboue The Pastour The sight of this worlde is like that vision of Ezechiel wherein is often said Turne thee yet againe and thou shalt see moe abominations than all these So say I Sir Turne you yet againe heere and yee shall see greater vanities than either these of Strength or of Honour or of Riches or of Beautie Pleasure Wisedome or long Life Beholde a vanitie which is the cause of all these vanities viz. Sinne and iniquitie where vnto we are all subject so long as we liue in this world the region of corruption where if a man stand on Gods side he shall become the drunkards song with Dauid or a by-word with Iob among the chidren of Beliel Looke thorow this world and consider sin in all sortes of men sorrow following euer sinne at the heeles In this place behold Dauid making his bedde to swimme with his teares for his adulterie In that place againe behold Peter weeping b◅tterlie for his denyall In this place againe behold Lot vexing his righteous Soule from day to day for the vnlawfull deedes of the wicked In that place behold S. Paul groaning vnder a dead bodie of sinne euen a bodie of death No man is able to hunt all the corners of mans corruption From particular men let vs come to whole Churches defiled with spots and blemishes Heere is the Church of Ephesus which hath left her first Loue. There is Smyrna where some of Gods best seruantes are cast into prison Heere againe is Pergamus defiled with the doctrine of Balaame and of the Nicolaitanes In Thyatira the whoore Iezabel sat as a Prophetesse teaching and seducing Gods seruants to committe fornication to eate things sacrificed vnto idoles Sardis had a name to liue and yet was dead Laodicea was neither cold nor hote so that God threatned to spewe her out of his mouth Among all the seuen Churches onelie Philadelphia kept the word of his patience and yet her life was not without feare to losse her Crowne Behold I come quicklie said the Lord hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crowne But long since hauing neglected this precept shee is bereaued of that comfort Crowne Where nowe are all these most flourishing Churches of Asia where now are all these Churches of Grecia most glorious in Constantius dayes Because they helde not fast that which they had they haue all lost their Crowne By deare Experience haue they learned what vanitie is Behold and see how this world is like a working sea wherein sinne like a gall winde or strong Tyde carrieth many tribulations and destructions from Countrie to Contrie All is made thereby
subject vnto changes lik the Moone Crownes haue their composse triumphs haue their tombes All our sweetest thinges in end proue but honied poyson Thus all that yee see heere below is vnconstant The greatest kingdomes are turned about as with whirling wheeles The Kinges vpon its spokes are marked vpon this dittâ—… 〈◊〉 Regnabo regno regnam suâ—… 〈◊〉 sine regno One Prince is lying vpon his backe another hath a spok in his hand climing vp the Wheele The third is vpon the top The fourth is fallen hauing his heeles vp his head down All the things of this world are diuided into foure Either they lye low or they climbe they stand or they are fallen The poore man is lying vpon his backe without any helpe or hope Another is fall of climbing conceits The third beeing there where all would bee euen vpon the toppe the higher hee is mounted the greater is his fall He then falleth that another may stand in his place while hee againe is lifted vp hee must stand with feare and heare Let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall At last also to him the haÌ„dwritting commeth foorth that in Gods ballance he is found wanting that therfore his kingdome must bee taking from him Then all the pleasures of his wine of his whoores then all his feasting his mirth and his Musicke is turned into a trembling feuer which maketh all his joyntes to shiuer and his knees to smyte one against another Beholde and consider how the glorie of Kings the gods of this world is brought to destruction Though their heads bee golden their feete are but of clay like Nebuchadnezars image Gods litle stone cut out without hands is able to bruise grinde in powder their Golde Siluer Brasse Yron and Clay for the allaying of the pride of their peacocke feathers Hee can let them see the blacknesse of their feete None of them can stand before the winde of that voyce Returne ye ChildreÌ„ of men Though their honours which they doe broach with so bold a face were reared aboue the highest cloudes and exalted aboue the starrie Skie yet must they descend at the Euening of their life and make their bed with the beggers in the dust Thus after they haue drunke vp the pleasures of this world as Behemoth the Riuer of Iordan they at last find all to be but vanitie and change When their houre is come they must quite all and make resignation of all into the hands of a new succession for to goe dwell in the Land of darknesse and shadow of death Who knewe the weight of their Crownes they would neuer be so sicke for them as King Ahab was for Nabothes vine yarde If of any man may bee said this is most true of him who is in highest places While his flesh is vpon him hee shall haue paine and his Soule within him shall mourne After that for a space hee hath feasted with Belshazzar and fatted himselfe against the day of slaughter with Wheat Wine and Oyle at last shall hee know but too late that no Feast is continuall but that of a good Conscience * Oh that great men while their minds with Dauid are beastlie would with Dauid goe to the Sanctuarie of God for to learne that if great men be not good men though they were Kinges they are sette in slipperie places Seeing Kings and Kingdomes are but vanitie what is that on earth that is not vaine There is nothing that can stretch to eternitie below In this world all men are strangers in their birth Pilgrimes in their life at last lik combersome guests by death they are thrust out at doores The language of Tabor was that It is good for vs to bee heere But the language of heaueÌ„ proclaimed that Peter knew not what he said Striue to keepe euer your heart loose from the earth The glassie sea of this vvorld is neuer without tempests Hee that would haue his Soule wained from the loue of this world let him remember but these sixe things 1. What hee is in himselfe 2. What is within him 3. What is aboue him 4. VVhat is beneath him 5. What is before him 6. What is behind him Man in himselfe is but dust and ashes a cage of corruptioÌ„ Thrise with one breath is he called Earth earth earth Earth by creation sustentation and corruption saith Bernard Within him is a blind minde a peruerse will and most vile affections yea so that euerie imagination of the thoughts of his hearte are onelie euill continuallie Aboue is a weightie vengeance hanging by a small twined threed of Gods patience Below him is a fierie fornace and the smoking brimstone gulfe of euerlasting burnings Against him Sathan and sinne with their legions posting to and fro so that when one departeth it is but to fetch seuen others worse than himselfe Before him is nothing but miserie volumnes of woes and lamentations Those bee his Day-booke Behind him pale Death followeth with stealing steppes See vvhat a masse of miserie like an hudge armie besetteth and besiegeth the whole course of the life of man till death at last come with the dead stroke and separate the Soule from the lumpish heauinesse of clay Then they that die in the Lord are blessed yea saith the Spirit That they may rest from their labours But because the day is alreadie spent yee shall now carefullie thinke vpon that which hath beene said It was a speciall propertie required in Sacrifices fitte for God that they could chewe the cude I leaue that which ye haue heard vnto your nights meditations I pray God that by his Spirit he would conuoy into the substance of that which your eare hath receiued Before I leaue you let vs all bend our knees vnto God in prayer that it would please his Highnesse to blinke downe vpon you with a reconcealed face His boundlesse and bottomelesse mercies did neuer yet know how to breake a bruised reed or quench a smoaking flaxe Let vs pray A Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD the GOD of the Spirits of all flesh the preseruer of men in whoÌ„ is both power for to saue and to destroy Thou art the true Teacher of Israel Thou hast the keyes of Heauen of Hell and of the Graue Come and cast the armes of thy mercie about this sorrow-beaten sinner Rejoyce him with the comforts of thy Spirit Inspire him with holy motions and with the life of Grace till hee bee made partaker of the diuine Nature Thou hast alreadie made his heart to melt within him at the sight of his transgressions Thou hast sette all his sinnes in order before him This is out of thy great mercie wherby thou wold not suffer him to freeze in the dregs of his corruptions Now at last LORD after thou hast refined him in the fierie fornace of temptations send him
terrours shall most violentlie rush vpon their Soules standing in an heauie dumpe waiting on their dreadfull doome While they liue heere the stone of their heart is like an grauell stone so bedded in the bladder that it cannot be painefull Little dreame the wicked now that such fearefull and hellish horrours are preparing for them But O their euerlasting woe is presentlie in hatching and hammering It is neerest to the birth while the wicked are most secure Sudden destruction is neerest while the preaching of peace are doubled by crying Peace and saftie Happie is the man to whom the Lord doeth vouchsafe the grace in this world to waken out of the drousie slumber of sin for to repēt in time Woe to these in whose hearts the long forebearance of Gods wrath hath wrought a more frozen coldnesse presumptuous securitie wherein being lulled they are carried in a most sweete and sound sleepe to places where their eye-lids shall neuer bee refreshed with rest any more O how shall they fling and cry when they shall feele themselues stung galled vpon thesore After that the Lord hath brow-beaten them with the biggest lookes of his wrath and hath terrified them with his piercing eyes of fire and after that he hath disclaimed all interest that euer hee had into them hee shall cause take these Foxes that spoiled his vines That done he shall vnsheath the flamming sword of his vengeance with these most fearefull wordes of excommunication Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fyre prepared for the Deuill and his Angels In that fire like dry chippie burne-wood they shall burne but in this they shall bee like Salamanders that they shall neuer bee consumed By that moste fearefull blast of wrath the LORD shall chase them all away from before his face as the chaffe of the mountaines before the winde and like a rolling thing before the whirle wind The mightie Lord lowring with a darke and cloudie countenance shall then in great furie lay about him with the heauie hammer of his judgements and that with full weight With one stroke without any iteration of strokes from the best strength of a diuine Arme Hee shall bring downe their hairie scalpes to the lowest dungeon of Death euen to euerlasting burning brimstone beames which no mercie shall be able to coole or quench There shall they drinke in cuppes of wrath for euer If these miserables could bee put out of paine vpon the sudden they should not be altogether comfortlesse But the mercilesse vengeance of Gods wrath shall adde leasure and lingring to their dying life and liuing death that sensiblie they may feel death in a life of vntollerable sufferings No mercie no pittie no regard shall bee had vnto them no not but the Lords justice shall charge the edge of his flamming sword vpon the heads and heartes of these doolefull creatures of infamous ranke These fearefull blowes of Iustice shall bee without any mixture of mercie He who created them without any labour shall destroy them without any losse Snaires fire and brimstone in that day shall raine downe vpon the hairie scalpe of euerie one which in their life-time did goe on in their sins without ◅emorse In this perplexitie anguish besieged with judgements both felt feared shall they slād before their Iudge all trembling and waiting vpon the sentence of that doolefull doome The sicke Man What shall become of the wicked after that the Lord hath dischairged them his presence any more by commanding them to depart The Pastour So soone as the Lord hath pronounced these words of euerlastingexcommunication they shall all incontinent goe downe to Hell in heapes for to bee scorcht parcht with the euerlasting burninges of a deuouring wrath They who haue bene intrapped in their sins shall be entombent in Gods plagues There shal be no more abiding for them in his presence they shal be chassed frō their God vnto euerlasting exile in dungeons of Deuils and of darknes where they shall bee pestered with vnspeakable doole in floods of fire wherin they shall waile and yele for euer Gods most heauie vengeance lik a Barley Loafe tumbling from aboue shall thrust them downe and crush them altogether like the Tents of the Midianites Sathan then with all the spight he can shall lay on load with milstones of miseries hung about their neckes Hee shall drawe them down with chaines of curses to the dungeons of darknesse Thus Hell with a gaping gulfe shall swallow them all at once They shall goe downe most fearefullie with grappling Deuils with squeeles roaring voyces which beeing heard by the blessed in whose eyes and sides they once were prickes and thornes shall rouse vp their hearts wonderfully to rejoyce and sing with such an high tune that shall mak the whole world to resound with a reboūding noise Mine heart trembleth to thinke vpon these torments which the wicked shall suffer into the fierie Lake after their departing from before their Iudge All wordes faile mee I finde my conceptions too weak in thinking vpon that infinite wrath O then these who enjoyed once all the pleasures which could bee purchased on Earth shall want all the good which they can desire and receiue all the euill which they can deserue They shall for euer be dying in a life which shall neuer end that they may dye continuallie and that in vtter darknesse where Sunne neuer shined where Day shall neuer dawne because that in the days of their flesh on earth they wold not so liue to die that they might die to liue they shall for euer in the Hell dye to liue that they may liuing to dye a liuing death a dying life a life death of woes These miserable creatures shal be so perplexed that they shall both grieue to liue and feare to dye They shall desire absolutelie neither death nor Life yet in a manner shall they wish for both but all in vaine The full bended Iustice of God shall giue no truce to their teares nor place to their plaints Vnto all these terrours of Gods wrath shal be joyned another feare euen Sathan the king of feare hee in most bitter spight shall besiege these trembling Soules with vnspekable terrours For he shall stare them in the face with most grizlie formes and terrible representations Hee in great furie shall hunt out vpon them most fearefull gnawing wormes which shall feast on their Consciences The thoughtes of such thinges should pierce as I thinke euen vnto the verie center of leared Consciences O but the assurance of happinesse in many is false and misgrounded Obstinate sinners whose hearts are hard paued with obstinate rebellion think now that they shall neuer see that day because God now keepeth silence they thinke that he is lik vnto them But the slower Gods hand be in comming on the fadder and ◅orer shall his stroake bee While the wicked most securelie snort in
their sinnes dreaming of saftie and suretie euen then their judgement lingreth not and their damnation is not in a slumber This shall they know by sense and feeling when Gods most fierie jealousie shall breake foorth vpon them like the sorrowes of a woman in trauell No sorrow can be heere like vnto their sorrowes Fire chaines rackes and lashing whips cannot expresse the shadow of one infernall tor tour All the woes that euer were heard on earth are nothing to the least of these vnpittied plaints The sicke Man I haue one question for to propound to you It is concerning the order of Christes proceeding into Iudgement What reason is there thinke ye that the Iudge in that day shall first absolue the godlie by bidding them Come with his Fathers bl◅ssing before that he speake a word vnto the wicked whose hearts in their life-time for the most parte were sealed vp by the spirit of slumber The Pastour I finde two probable reasons first because the great God of mercie is more bent to shew mercie toward his creatures than to powre vengeance vpon them and that for to teach all Iudges to execute Iustice with Grauitie and griefe Beholde heere howe our God while hee is euen come vnto the last periode giueth vnto the wicked who in their life with Whoorish fore-heads out faced the Sunne behold I say how hee giueth them a certaine respite and a delay from Hell in that space while hee is speaking vnto the Godlie And yet the more slowlie hee striketh the surer shall hee sette his blow which shall shake euerie sinew of their bodie and each power of their Soule The other reason wherefore he speaketh first to the Godlie such words of comfort and of comming is that the wicked who in the dayes of their vanitie combined sport with spight against him may see how good a God hee shall bee to all these which haue serued him heere in Faith and trueth O what shall the trembling Soules of these vvorldlre brates that would not serue Christ in their life thinke when they shall heare that Lord so sweetlie in so sweete heauenly honey vvords say vnto al his Saints his dearest Darlings whom they as out-casts despised on Earth Come yee blessed of my Father come and be all Kings with mee for euer more Come from the ◅awes of Death to the joyes of an euer blessed Life Such wordes shall make the heartes of the Godlie to daunce and leape within them for joye but shall make the heartes of the wicked to droope and to bleede for sorrow O what would Diues in the fyre boyling Lacke then giue for to bee in the place of Lazarus Manie Kings of Princelie but prophane blood which haue borne the Crowne and swayed the Scepter aboue the heades of many thousāds being drunke with idolatric Secret murther of their Parents for to sit vpō their Throne shal thē spue and fall but shall neuer rise againe They all drenched in a poole of vvrath shall wish in that day that they had vvept and vvypt the feete of Le◅s with the haires of their head yea that they had beene borne Beggers hauing the Faith and feare of Iesus My heart trembleth to think how so many thousands who deemed dreamed once to bee saued shall with damned Deuils rush downe to the snakie poole of perdition because like Swyne in their life they trampled vnder feete the precious pearle of mercie purchased by the Blood of Iesus The sicke Man After that the sentence shal be pronounced whether thinke yee that the wicked shall first goe to paine or the Godlie vnto pleasure The Pastour It would seeme by the words of the Gospel that the wicked that base brood of corruption to whome Christ hath spokē last shal first goe to torment After that the doome is giuen out with a roaring thūder it is said these shal goe away to euerlasting punishmēt but the righteous vnto life eternal After that the wicked are like chaffe chaissed away to brimstone beames the Armes of Christ and the Gates of Glorie shall stād wide open for to giue entrance to the righteous whō the Father Christ of Iesus shall receiue with most cordiall embracements vnto their euerlasting comfort Blessed are they who nowe cast their bread vpon the vvaters looking neither for thankes nor recompence from men for then they shall bee richlie rewarded by God The sicke Man What reason thinke yee can bee of that order that before the Godlie goe to Glorie the vvicked all in a r◅ue shall bee hurled away to euerlasting punishment beeing thrust downe into the dominions of darknes most fearfull spectacles of amazement O how these so mi◅ie men shal then bee pensiue and perplexed The Pastour This would seeme to be the maine reason viz. For thereby to kindle vp so much the more the loue of the Godlie toward their God The bitter bickering and fearefull squeeles of the Reprobate hurling downe to hell beeing heard and seene by the Godlie shall make the joyes of heauen to relish the sweeter vnto them If while a people were in a Church the Church should fall downe and smother the one halfe not doing any harme vnto the other these who should escape should by beholding the crushed and bloodie bones of others much more be rauished with the joy of such a deliuerance than if the house had not fallen at all When Dathan and Abiram with their companies sanke down to Hell in the sight of all Israel what joye thinke ye had these whom the earth did beare aboue Manie who neuer in their life gaue God thankes for that the sward of the earth hath borne them aboue if they should see such a sight as of Dathan and of Abiram they would regard the benefite the more and would giue God moe thankes for that one mercie than for all by-gane fauours shewed vnto them since they beganne to vvalke vpon the ground Wee thanke God little that the earth beareth vs aboue because wee see it not swallow vp sinners with a gaping gulfe while men see the miserie of others it wakens into them the sense of Gods mercie toward them O how glad shall the Godlie bee then that they haue serued God when they shall see the Deuil his Darnell the wicked seede cast into a fierie Lake when these blessed soules shal see the hels opē the black deuils flashing fire into the faces of the wicked hurling away these damned spirits with fearfull cryes shrikes downe to the dungeons of distresse to most vile Vaults of darknesse entrinched among gnawing wormes stinking Scorpions and hissing Serpents then they who were wont to weepe for the sins of the wicked in this life shal haue no cōpassion on them but shall laugh to see them lashed rejoycing in the justice of their God powred out vpon these that in a selfe liking of their owne estate despised the sweetenes of his mercie O happie
some glimpse of joye may yet more clearlie appeare for the recreating of my wearied Soule O deare Redeemer no tong can tell how much poore sinners are beholden vnto Thee who with a strong Arme hast brought them out of a dry pitte wherein was not a drop of comfort O that deepe and darke dungeon of sinne that I haue beene into O these blessed beames which my Soule fealeth comming from his countenance O the Light of that Face which putteth more joye into mine heart than all the worlde can haue when their Wheat Wine and Oyle doe most abound O infinite weight of glorie O pleasures euer to be spoken of though vnspeakeable O joyes euer to bee thought of though none heart bee able to conceiue them O pleasures most pleasant to the eye though eyes below cannot see them O O euerlasting mirth of Musicke O yee celestiall Tunes most worthie to bee heard though eares of flesh cannot heare you O Tree of Life most sweete to the taste though sinfull tongues may not taste of thee O Crystall River proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lambe when shall my soule drinke of thee with a full Cuppe Mine heart like an Hart panteth brayeth after these water brooks Oh when shall I come and appeare before God O my God keepe mine heart vnder some spirituall serise of these blessed delights till perfectlie I enjoye thee into the armes of my Soule with the contentment of all contentmentes then which there can bee no greater The Pastour It is the Lord who with the Eye-Salue of his grace hath enlightened your minde He hath taken out the mots of temptations which of before did mak the eyes of your Soule so to water till they become drumlie Now Sir yee know full well what it is of God and his goodnesse in the Heauens where faithfull Soules shall be fed with the bread of Angels and feasted with the daintiest delicates that are aboue The wicked in this world are like blinde men which eate many moats and flees They eate them because they cannot sec to discerne them All the knowledge of the wicked is but â—… carkase and carion of knowledge To know God his Son Christ him crucified is the verie marrow kernell of true happinesse A Soule whose eyes the Lord hath enlightned with grace can no more rest off its God than an element out of its own place It may well bee detained with-holden from its place by some stronger power but no power can make it to rest till it be there where God hath appointed it to rest Your Soule now Sir is drawing neere vnto its Rest The neerer 〈◊〉 bee vnto it let your motion towards it bee the swifter In this Grace is like Nature swiftest at the end of the motion which tendeth vnto rest Vp still with your heart rejoyce in your God Happie are yee who now are flitting from this worlde wherein the sillie Soule as a Ball in a Tenice is tossed from wall to wall scourged with the Racket of diuerse temptations which by course one after another are readie to catch it at euerie rebound Let your Soule now altogether rejoyce in your Sauiour That is the only joye which shal neuer be taken from vs All other joyes are but liâ—… flying moats in the aire toyle and toyes toylesome toyes For euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse The sicke Man Blessed bee my Lord for euer I finde now the beginning of these joyes which passe all vnderstanding My Spirit hath receiued the earnest of immortalitie I finde now my Soule in the kindlie temper of a spirituall constitution which as I am fullie perswaded shall neuer bee troubled with anie moodie mixture of distempered mortalitie if once this Battell were ended O the blessed beames of that righteous Sun which shine so brightlie vpon my Soule They shall neuer be intercepted by any earthlie interposition of sinfull shadows Hence foorth nothing shall bee able for euer to â—…et God my Soule at oddes O now nothing shall bee able to affright my Soule any more with dreadfull distempers to God alone belongeth the glorie Well may I say If the Lord had not helped mee it had not failed but my Soule should haue beene put to silence I esteeme all the joyes which I feele to be a Cluster of Canaan which my faith lik a trustie Spy hath broght vnto mee that thereby I may know the goodnesse of that Land But because I cannot tell what assaults my Soule may yet suffer for I finde my former joyes a little ouerclouded I pray you Sir to conceiue a prayer to God for mee that the assurance of his pardons may more and more be sealed vp into mine heart that death bee not vnto mee as a king of feare but rather as a passage and an entrie to life eternall Make earnest requeast for mee that I die not as the wicked whose hope doeth perish with their breath hauing their Soules goared with sinne the sting of Death O Lord bring mee an Out law by Nature within the bounds of thy Sheep-folde Fill nowe my Soule with spirituall and heauenlie inspirations I haue alas the most parte of my life beene like roustie yron vnfitte for anie worke It hath fared with mee as with the Eye which seeing other thinges seeth not it selfe nor the face wherein it is fixed In knowing other things I haue remained ignorant of my selfe a great stranger at home into mine own bosome from my youth my Soule sicke of â—… spirituall dropsie did swell in a conceit of its owne excellencie Now Lord wound this pride of life within mine heart wound it in the head and craze it in the braine Separate all iniquitie from mee that nothing wherewith thy Spirit may bee grieued may harbour in mine heart Vpon this earth there hath beene none hoe with my desires which lik the sore crauing Horse-Leach culd say nothing but Giue giue Now Lord make my Soule to loath that which I haue too much loued prepare my Soule emptie it of all that is euill before it come before thy Face wherein is fulnesse of joy for all Saints and Angels which are aboue Now Lord after that thou hast cleansed mee by the fierie tryall by beating and battering mine hard heart let the workman-ship of thine holie hands be to refine me more more till I become perfectlie a newe creature O powre this heart into the calmes of thy compassions that therein as in a mould it may receiue thy liuelie Image Weede out of mine hearte all carnall and earthlie desires The Pastour I blesse the Lord for such working of his Spirit According to your desire wee shall bend our knees to God in prayer While wee are praying lift vp your heart vnto God and pray with your Spirit Set now all your affections in bensell
good therefore that yee summon your hearte and your glorie to giue praise vnto your God Let not a thought of your heart absent it selfe from this point of seruice God must not bee serued by halfes As for mee I am but the Lordes weak Instrument for your well Giue God the glorie The sicke Man Blesse the Lord O my Soule all that is within mee blesse his holie Name I desire now to come with Dauid to my last words A speach of the sicke Man to his Pastour First of all I addresse my speach to you my worthie Pastour Gods mercie in you toward mee hath beene great for yee haue soundlie vnfolded all the intricate difficulties wherwith my Soule hath beene fearefullie entangled Yee are one of these that may well say Wee haue the mind of Christ God by his Grace haue made you that one of a thousand you haue I found to bee like Ionah the sonne of Amittai that is the sonne of trueth Happie is that Preacher who is ledde in all trueth O the Majestie of that message O the wisedome of these that gaine Soules vnto Christ Wisedome hath said That hee that winneth soules is wise O but my Soule loueth you My loue toward you assureth mee of Gods loue toward mee for by this wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee loue the Brethren I loue you Sir in the dearest blood I haue for yee haue beene the good instrument of God for my conuersion ye in all my troubles while mine heart was toucht to the quicke and my Conscience ransackt to the bottome haue beene to mee a Barnab as a sonne of consolations where with as with splents ye haue bound mine heart God in great mercie hath giuen vnto you the tongue of the Learned with lippes touched with a coale from his Altar for the relieuing of my wounded Conscience with words of comfort O but that is true a whole some tong is a tree of life By the sword of the Word ye haue cut the twisted bonds of my greatest temptations wherein my Soule lay fast fettered Mine heart hath beene greatlie rejoyced to heare you resoluing al my doubts and difficulties O howe beautiful are the feete of these that bring goâ—… tydings Now I finde that of Solomon to bee true The word of the wiâ—… are as goads and as nailes fastened by the Masters of assemblies which are giuen from one Shepheard Christ that great Shepheard of the flocke 〈◊〉 with your words as with goades â—… nailes so fastened me to himselfe that Death it selfe shall not bee able to seuer vs Yee haue wonderfullâ—… restored my sicke Soule with flagonâ—… of the most sweete juice of the cluster of wine Ye haue bound vp my broâ—… ken joynts with the spirituall splenâ—… of diuine comforts O in what woefull plight O in what seas of gall was I plunged when yee came first vnto mee there was nothing sound into my Souleâ—… All was full of botches boiles and puâ—…trifying sores But yee like a cunning Surgeon in curing tumours haue broght the matter to an â—…ead and at last with great skill ye haue launced the boiles of my corruptions whereof nowe God in mercie hath made mee free I tremble to remember these fearefull temptations wherewith yee found mee at the first beset and besieged These were indeede such temptations as Bernard called Terribilia de fide horribilia de divinitate Sathan hath assaulted mee both in a blacke shape and into an Angel of light By your sweete comforts my Soule hath beene reuiued like that dead man that liued by touching the bones of Elisha Yee haue fed my Soule with the doctrine of your breastes bigge as Towers Yee haue strengthened and sinewed my weake Soule with comfortable words wouen and wrought out of a feeling heart by the strength of holy meditations And now happie are yee who haue beene the instrument of my conuersion I hope to bee one day one of these that shall stand at your backe when yee shall say to your Master Christ Behold heere I am and the children that God hath giuen mee Account me Sir one of these Talents that yee haue gained with the Talent of your gift Your wordes haue stricken home vnto mine heart with powerfull and particular applications of comforts whereby my disaffected Soule hath beene wooed and wone vnto the loue of my Sauiour Iesus account me therefore a seale of your Ministerie Ye know better than I what God hath promised to these that with a readie minde shal conuert a sinner from his euill ways such as God himselfe hath promised shall bee like the starres in the Firmament for euer From your lips is come the sweetest balme that euer dropt from the penne of God vpon the leaues of the Booke of life Blessed bee my God who by his good Spirit into your mouth hath breathed most sweete comfortes into my Soule Woe to all Doctours of dispaire Blessed bee your lips wherein God hath placed the preseruation of knowledge Your tongue to mee hath beene like a siluer watch bell to rouse and waken vp the gifts of God within my Soule God by his words in your mouth declaring vnto man his righteousnesse hath blowne vp his Graces which were weake into mine heart like a smoking flaxe or a sparkle of fire vnder greene wood Blessed bee my God who by your diuine instructions hath made mee to bee acquainted with himselfe Your comforts hath beene cordials and lenitifes to the ranking and festered sores of my Soule To God bee glorie who hath made you moste cunning of that great Arte of sauing sinners O my deare Pastor by the refreshing Balme of your consolations ye haue infinitly indeered my soule you to gâ—…s one of a thousand I am assured that God hath made you faithfull with Ieremie for to take foorth the preciouâ—… from the vile Nowe my God with whom I thinke to bee shortlie bee with you in your Ministerie make you his faithfull seruant vnto death that ye may bee a worthie wooer for Christ for to bring home manie straggling sinners vnto him the blessed Bridegroome of our Soules Farewell now my faithfull Pastour My Soule now is glad to flitte from this house of clay As for my bodie it must goe to the graue where for a space it shall bee confined but not confounded for I looke assuredlie for the day of the Resurrection O Lord seale vp in my Conscience the discharge of all my sinnes that I may gladlie lay downe this Tabernacle The Pastour Mine heart rejoyceth with an exceeding great joy to reape such fruits of my labours But this know that what good yee haue by mee it is not from mee but from him that sent me * It is God that giueth life Soule vnto the Word that is powerfull to Saluation Paul may plant and Apollos may
water but it is God who giueth the increase The best of all Preachers are but like Iohn the Baptist the voyce of a Cryer who could not make all the crooked straight nor the rough plaine If any good bee conuoyed vnto your Soule by mee I am but the Instrument or Channell wherethorow the Spirit of Iesus hath made his Graces to flow vnto you To Him alone belongeth the Glorie and the Thankes It is not humane eloquence which conuerceth Soules One word quickened and enliued with his Spirit is more fruitfull than all the glorious eare-pleasing pompe of mans wordes which like Agrippa and Bernice are full of phantasie All the good that man can doe either by word or worke is like the honie in the combe gathered out of many flowers But the euill is lik the Spidders webbe drawne out of our owne bowels The griefes of your heart Sir haue bene very great but now ye are mercifullie comforted Manie in this world plod on from sin to sin marching merrilie feareleslie towards the plagues of Hell But O how much are yee beholden vnto your GOD who in all your wearisome mazes hath supported and sinewed your Soule by his sauing Grace Because Sir there be here diuerse of your Friendes and other acquaintance vnto whom it may be ye wold desire to speake I giue place to them that now they may learne something of you The last words of a godlie man are verie forcible vnto the liuing And therefore Sir while ye haue breath spend your short time vpon this that by your good counsell yee may doe good to these that are for to liue after you That once done commit your Soule to God as a faithful Creator He himselfe hath said I will not leaue thee neither will I forsake thee A speach of the sicke Man to his Friendes And now yee my trustie Friends whose age God hath crowned with ripenesse of judgement I turne my selfe to you But first of all let mee speak vnto you my spiritual special Friend who in my deepest plunge while I was fast sticking into the myrie clay did vphold me with your comforts Your counsell to sende for my Pastour hath prouen a speciall salue for my sore God by that man of whom yee spake hath now healed my Soule of all its harmes O blessed be that vnspeakable mercy of my God Though Sathan had bereaued mee of my puritie he could not bereaue my God of his pittie The Lord of light hath brought my Soule out of that long and loathsome night which is in the valley of the shadow of death in comparison whereof the most palpable darknesse of Egypt might haue beene esteemed to bee day O that pleasant Sunne-shine wherewith my Soule is nowe inlightned O my God breath more more into my Soule the life of grace The spirituall Friend Glorie bee to God for his wonderfull mercies towardes you The Lord now set your Soule on wing that swiftlie like an Eagle it may flie vp to its God Many a sore assault haue yee suffered since I spake with you at the first Satan his temptations with the world the corruption of Nature had gathered themselues against you like Gebal Amon and Amaleck against Israel Of them may yee well say nowe They compassed mee about like Bees they are quenched as the fyre of thornes To Sathan may yee now say Thou hast thrust sore at mee that I might fall but the Lord hath helped mee When I mette with you first yee were compassed with a chaine of calamities one linked into another To mee yee appeared to bee hanging ouer Hell by the slender twined threed of a lifelesse hope Yee were plunged deeper downe than Ionaâ—… was when hee went downe to the bottome of the mountaines where the weedes were wrapt about his head Now let your Soule say with Ionah I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voyce of thankesgiuing I will pay that that I haue vowed Saluation is of the Lord. The sicke Man Blesse the Lord O my Soule and all that is within mee blesse his holie Name Blesse the Lord O my Soule and forget not all his benefites Farewell my trustie Friend Now as for you mine other friends I turne my selfe to you Hee that is conuerted with Peter should labour the conuersion of others Hee whose weaknesse the Lord hath helped should strengthen his brethren It is nowe time to take our last good night Heere in your presence I say Farewell O world wherein I haue liued which I haue too much loued Learneye in time to set your affections vpon God None of you can tell if God shall giue you such laiser to repent as he hath granted vntome If yee forsake not in time the sweete pleasures of your sins feare lest at last that that be found true which Abner said to Ioah Knowest thou not that it will bee bitternesse in the latter end There is no sinne so sweete to man in his life but before his death it shall bee dissweetned and turned into gall and wormewoode within the bellie of the Conscience I speake by experience as one who hath knowne the terrours of the Lord O my deare friendes looke ouer your shulder back to your bygone life and consider how grieued yee shall bee for the sinnes of your pleasures when yee shall bee warded into your death beddes readie to compeare before the great Iudge of the world As yee see mee this day so shall others see you ere it bee long I haue often beene glad among you Yee see now by mee what it is of all worldlie â—…oye With a little blast of sickenesse such comfort like chaffe are chassed away Your time is fast comming Your Glasse is running my sicknesse cryeth vnto you Learne of the estate of this your olde Friend to make your selues readie for another world To mee to day to you to morrow Where the tree falleth there shall it lye Whether the Glutton and the Begger are gone thither must wee all that is either to 〈◊〉 hams bosome or to the Deuils 〈◊〉 The death of one is like a 〈◊〉 charging all others to bee readie 〈◊〉 flitte and remoue Happie yea thrise happie is that man who in these 〈◊〉 and desperate dayes is not dulde with securitie Blessâ—…d is hee who is forâ—… warned striue to bee forewarned Blessed is that man who is eueâ—… vpon his watch hauing his loineâ—… girded and his Candle in his hand waiting for the comming of his Lord. A dew my louing Friendes Seeke in time the friendship of your God Striue to be worthie the stile of Abraham that was called The friend of God O my deare Friends let mee now tell you what the Lord hath done to my Soule Hee hath at last beene sensiblie gracious to my poore Soule which Sathan hath long hunted vp downe like a Patridge on
are boiling in it reigne and rage vnhallowed heate and passionate distempers which except they bee repressed with the strength of grace breake out into the thunders and tempestuous stormes of vncleannesse of ryot of drunkenesse and such like which make most fearefull breaches and deepe gashes into the Conscience Beware therefore at the first to sinne lest at last ye sinne by custome The hardening custome of sinne is in Scripture called An yron sinew in the necke and a brasen brow If custome of sinne make you impotent in well doing it shall at last mak you impudent in euill doing Hee who manteth or stammereth in his speach while hee is young will in all appearance speake so vntill his dying day Fooles dreame that man is like March if hee come in with an Adders head they thinke that hee shall goe out with a Peacoks taile as if an euill beginning were the way to an happie end Bee wise in time my deare hearts from your youth consecrat your selues Nazarites vnto the Lord that is Bee pure and holie touch no vncleane thing giue not prouocatiō to the flesh but rather abstaine from all fleshlie lustes which warre against the Soule What shame for Gods sons to bee sinnes slaues If ye wold liue long liue well The wicked saith Solomon shall not prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because hee feareth not before God For this cause it shall be your best to take the first handsell of time for well doing Resist the Deuill in the beginning of sinne Fight against iniquitie as against a foraine enemy at the borders of your heart euen at the first landing before it get fitting in fast and stable groūd While it is fleeting fight it off the shore Sinne is like a Cockatrice it must bee killed into the shell before it come out with piercing venemous lookes Satan in this last and most corrupt age hath with manie blots branded earelie holinesse As for you my counsell is that with great care yee striue to beginne well earely in the morning of your age and that thereafter yee constantlie goe on till like a Sunne yee come to the Noone of grace in glorie In three times of our age wee should striue to three degrees of holinesse In Child-hood wee must bee good in Youth head wee must grow better in olde Age wee must bee best Hee who is not best at last in mine opinion was neuer good at all In all Ages tak heed to all your ways be neuer wedded vnto any sin thogh it seeme like Zoar but a little one There is no sin so base that it wil goe alon without a Page at its back while yee heare of others faults practise Plato his Precept Numquid ego tale Haue I done any such lik thing my selfe Striue in all your affaires to be vpright before God and man Be euer of these that stand on the Lords side for the good cause Let no consideration of profite or preferment mak you to stiffle the voyce of your owne Conscience Shute not your eares at its cry like the Adder at the voyce of the charmer Bee not loth to know your selues trye and examine well your inward parts Doe neuer with great confidence that which yee can not doe with a good Conscience If yee sinne delight not in sinne such pleasures are too deare bought at too high a rate In your whole like reuerence your Pastour though subject to manie infirmities for wee faile all in many things Elias refused not his meate because a Rauen an vncleane fowle brought it vnto him Best men often are signes and wonders euen in Israel Oh that I had words of motion that might stirre you vp to all Christian dueties Beware I exhort you to follow anie euill example giuen by mee Striue by grace to bee better than the Rocke wherout of ye haue beene hewen Manie a time haue I started aside and stumbled in the way It is a rare mercie of God that hath brought mee thorow this world with honesty It is only Gods guarde euen his sauing grace which hath kept my life from scab scandale for in trueth I speake it to my shame that God may haue the glorie I haue beene like a foolish Flee that flutters about the Candle It is by the meere mercie of my God that the winges of my profession haue not beene scorched with the flammes of some one temptation or other which should haue beene to me the cause of some filthie downe-fall A scandalous sinne is like a dampe which quencheth the bright Candle of a glorious profession Let these that are forwarned striue to bee forearmed Happie is he who in time beateth downe his own corruptions and tameth his wild heart like an horse whom the Ridder breaketh that hee may trauell him the parts and the pace as he best desireth It it onelie Gods mercie which hath stopt the torrent of my corruptions Learne therefore of mee to passe the time of your sojourning heere in feare The euill which man least feareth he is nearest to fall into Take heede my deare Children and giue eare vnto my counsell * Where euer yee bee thinke shame to commit that which yee would think shame to confesse In all things striue to have a cleare Conscience toward God and man Respect more goodnesse than greatnesse and its sway Bee alway courtesse Cut not a man in the current of his speach bee not selfe conceited but bee little in your owne eyes Striue rather to bee good than to seeme to bee so Obey your betters hearken to the wise reuerence the gray haires found in the way of righteousnesse Suffer rebuke patientlie for it is better than secret loue faithfull are the wounds of a friend Haunt euer the companie of the godly In all affaires be like the Bee such out of all things the best and leaue the worst seeke out the honie leauing the venome to the Waspe Let euerie day bee to you as your last day Before you goe to bed at night make your score euen with your Iudge Be daylie carefull to fit your count so shall ye haue the lesse to account for at your finall reakoning In all things be vpright and doe well for as Iehosaphat said The Lord will bee with the good If ye would dye the death of the righteous striue first to liue the life of the righteous If ye would come to the end ye must not leape ouer the meanes While yee are young kill your sinnes in their youth euen in their first motions while they touch but the spirit of the minde before they bee hatched out from vnder the affections Breake betimes the Cockatrices egge lest at last it breake out into a Viper Beware to conceiue mischiefe lest ye bring forth iniquitie By the corruptiō of our corruptions is the generation of our regeneration Pamper not the Carion
the Lord and therefore if yee would please good men or haue good men for to please you walke in the wayes which will please the Lord All mens hearts are in his hands like riuers of water Hee can make a foe of a friende and a friende of a foe If yee neglect this counsell yee shall at last be forced to stand at staues end with the whole world Hee who is at variance with his God will neuer agree with himselfe and so shall bee in discord with all for as the Pagan said well Conveniet nulli qui secum dissidet ipse Hee who is not good to himselfe can bee good to none Though commonlie men say of some Hee is or was euill to none but to himselfe A wise man in this land hath made a good replye to that speach viz. It were almes to hang him that is not good to himselfe Now yee are young yet breath is in the bodie Worke while it is light Bee carefull to keepe a Callender as it were of your dayes which may call vpon you hourelie bee diligent for the time is short By years dayes and houres our life is continuallie cut and sklised away What shall I say more The Lord giue you wisedome in all thinges Godlinesse is true wisedome Best spirited men are not euer most spirituall As for you striue truelie to bee religious Nathanaels Israelites indeed Euerie night before ye goe to bedde set before your eyes the mercies of that day Muster them orderlie and take a view of them carefullie that vpon your knees from your heartes yee may giue God his praise While ye are gone from the publick prayer of the Familie vnto your priuate bed Chamber remember Gods mercies afresh While yee remember them let this bee your last collation drinke before yee goe to bedde take with Dauid the cup of Saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord As trades men haue a day Booke for daylie receites it were expedient that all the godlie haue a register wherein may bee written the noble actes of the Lord for to helpe ou◅ weake memorie lest wee suffer his mercies to slippe out of our minde If yee either forgette your sinnes or Gods mercie remember that yee haue a Conscience which is a daylie obseruer a night watch and a secret spye into your Soules In all your adoes striue to be righteous before God and vpright before men See in a short verse what shall bee the end both of the godlie and wicked The memorie of the just is blessed But the name of the wicked shall rotie O my deare Children lay vp carefullie these wordes into your hearts which I your olde Father haue spoken with much paine Thinke vpon this one day Death will inquire what Life hath beene doing As for my worldlie affaires as Rents or Goods if they bee great lippen not to them If they be little little with Gods grace is enough If yee bee godlie God shall bee your Father and your feeder If yee abound bee not prodigall Make not a god of your Bellie Beware to tipple or quaffe or with the glutton to feede delicatelie Care not for panch pleasures Iohn liued on locusts It is better to liue on Cake and water with a godlie Elias than to feast royallie with a foolish Nabal Though feasts bee pleasant they are dangerous When the dayes of feasting were ended Iob sent sanctified his children rose vp earelie in the morning for to offer burnt offerings for them al for Iob said It may be that my sons haue sinned cursed God in their heart Single feasting is fittest for the Soule and most wholesome for the bodie God sendeth sluggardes to the Pismire as to a Master of worke for to direct them from loitering to labour Let gluttons whose dearest delightes are in panch-pleasures from morning vntill euen learne of the Swallowes who sit not down to dine but feede while they flee As they feede on flees so they flee while they feede What should man doe with his Bellie but feede it as in a flight Let the winges of sobrietie carrie you from glutting plentie before yee bee ouer-taken with that which shall make you to be ashamed to morrow While yebegin to drinke beware of after-clapes Men by a litle distemper at the fi◅st contract easily an habit of sine S. Augustine speaking how his Mother MONICA learned to tipple ◅aith Primoribus labijs sorbebat exiguum Itaque ad illud modicum quotidi◅na modica addendo in eam consuetudinem lapsa erat vt prope jam plenos mero calices inhianter hauriret That is At the first shee began but to kisse the cuppe and to sippe a little of the wine while shee filled the Cup to her Parents but anone shee came to this that shee made no bones to sucke drie full Cups of wine See how from sipping at last shee came to carousing Oh but that is a deare drink which costeth a man a Spot in his name a blot in his conscience Experience telleth that pleasures is more dangerous than paine and feasting thā fasting Remember Iobs children see in what a feare that godlie Father was concerning their ◅easting Certainelie his feare was not a foolish feare without anie ground It is set down in Scripture for to teach men feare in feasting Too manie at such times turne themselues into barrels and beastes swinishlie ouerturning all reason judgement that is within them As for you be yee sobber if yee would bee holie God will not tarie into that heart which hath a god in the bellie Hee who would lodge the Arke must chasse Dagon to the doore like a dogge Manie who neglect the bellie haue pride printed in great capitall Letters vpon their backe Bee yee not sumptuous in apparrell Let God giue you the coat according to the cold Follow not new fashions Beware of euill example Woe to the world for scandales As yee should not bee prodigall bee not also misers pinch-pennies Defraude not your selues of your graunted good Bee thankfull to God for all his giftes Away with these who after they haue receiued that which they sought haue done with God till they neede him againe In all the course of your life striue to hold the Ballance equall vertues in the midst Extremities are like Border Theeues not subject to the Lawes Bee neither too nice nor too pert too scurrile nor too silent In worldlie wealth trye before yee treasure If yee bee rich glorie not in your riches if yee bee poore pray God to keepe you from the extremitie of pouertie lest that yee put foorth your hand to steale If God send pouerty be not discouraged Though it bee sore it is no sinne Lazarus with his ragges was welcomer to God than Diues with his purple Hee who begged from that rich man on earth saw the rich man a begger into Hell Hee is rich enough
thee in righteousnesse in judgement in louing kindnesse in mercies come now and perfect the marriage in glory before the Sainctes and Angels that are aboue where pleasures are for euermore The Pastour Amen Amen The Spirit of God Sir is with you within you Continue in such holie and heauenlie thoughtes Contemne still the transitorie triffles of this world that gladlie yee may desire to goe dwell with your God Naturallie all men are so stiffe-necked and so steele hearted that they cannot submit their will to the good pleasure of their God O that men would bee wise in time and could consider how they must bee accountable for euerie houre of time they haue imployed in their life Our Soules alas are so sensuall that they will not knit into acquaintance with Right and Reason but like factious ligged lieges rebell stifelie against their Lord Hardlie will mans heart rander vnto that petition which is often in his mouth viz. Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen The pride of mans heart perketh it selfe aboue the Lawes of humble obedience Blessed bee God whose mercie hath made you a resolued man such wordes as I haue heard of you were neuer teached in the Schoole of Nature Nature cannot speake the language of Canaan We haue nothing to rander vnto God for his working mercies but the mites of praise O but ye are much beholden vnto GOD who hath endued your Soule with his loue subdued the raging power of temptations whe◅with your Soule at the first was caried lik chaffe or dust before a gale mightie winde O but your heart at the first was fearefullie hacked and mangled with most terrible temptations O but the Spirite of Iesus hath wrought wonderfullie within you Now by him are ye made free from all the terrors of temptations which like venemous hornets did flie in your face The sicke Man I finde now all that to bee true Glade is my Soule that euer it knew that Lord Full welcome is his Spirit to me Christ is now my Loue mine hearts delight Hee hath ridde my Soule of all mine heauie-hearted thoughts By his blessed Spirit hee hath perswaded mee that my Soule hath a true and reall enterest in these blessed tidings of peace and Saluation which hee by his Blood hath bought and broght from the Heauens O the mercie of my God! O the Ocean of his compassions which hath swallowed vp the most hudge mountaines of mine iniquities O what a redemption is this to bee deliuered from so great a death wherin the damned must die so long as God shall liue O death of torments without anie end O life of continuance without anie ease O the immortalitie of that death wherein sinners shall euer bee dying but neuer dead wherein the least touch of paine cannot bee counteruailed with the millions of pleasures O the tumbling and tossing that shall bee there where the wrath of God shall infinitelie burne Now Christ the Lord of life hath made mee free of all these fear◅s I hope shortlie to bee with him I rejoyce in hope of the glorie of God To him will I say as hee said to Zacheus Today I must bide with thee I long to bee out of this state of strife My bodie is weake and mine ◅eart fainteth within mee O Lord recreate and refresh my Soule with the blessed Blood of the Lambe orientle streaming thorow the channell of his wounds Giue mee a constant assurance that all my sinnes are blotted out of thy Register Where no woode is there the fyre goeth out Where sin is taken away there wrath ceaseth to bee O Lord conduct the Ruther of my Soule till it hath sailed thorow al the seas of sorrows and become to the Port of pleasures for euermore The Pastour Take courage and continue so Lift vp your head with the eye of Faith behold the other Shore euen the Land beyond the riuer The Land of vprightnes Canaan which is aboue Bend vp all your heart-strings with hauenlie desires Fixe fast your eyes vpon that Crowne of immortalitie Let now all your thoughts claspe fast about the mercies of your God Hee nowe imbraceth you his hand is a sure hold fast which neuer letteth slip that which it once hath seized on In al appearance your Battell is neare an end Waite stedfastlie vpon the Lord Christ shortlie with a soft hand shal loose the knot of your life that your Soule may goe free to the place of its rest your Soule alreadie by the mercifull Arme of Iesus hath beene deliuered from the painefull racke of repentance and now is sette vpon the rocke of your Saluation The gracious God hath beene your Father Feeder and Defender Your desirs which of before were grappled to the ground now only aspire to things which are aboue Afflictions to the Soule is like the gade to the Oxe a teacher of obedience Finde ye now the tempest of your Conscience so allayed as yee would wish Is all calme and at quiet within I hope that the blessed droppes of the Lambes Blood haue quenched that wilde fyre wherewith once your troubled Conscience was enflammed Yee as I esteeme are no more troubled for your sinnes as though God neither would nor were able to forgiue I pray God that yee may boldlie say with a godlie Father What shall I returne vnto my gracious God that I darre now looke my sinnes in the face and not bee afraide The sicke Man My sinnes I blesse God fright mee no more O the rich bowels of Iesus wherein is a Myne of mercie I remember now of a sweete saying of a godlie mā on his death-bed When mine iniquities saide hee are greater than thy mercies O God then will I feare and despaire The comfortes of my God now refresh my Soule lik the Riuer of Siloah that watered the Citie of God I blesse God for all my try all troubles which hee hath made to worke together to my well Grace in the heart is often like fyre in flint insensible vntill it bee beaten It is good for vs that wee bee afflicted The bluenesse of the wound purgeth away euill My Saluation now is surelie sealed by the hand of the Spirit By his seale it is made sure and authenticall O how my Soule hath with a bright eye discouered the fauours of his face O if God forsake a man hee will shortlie with Iudas passe from the horror to the halter O the mercies of God towards me The Pastour O how much are yee beholden vnto God who by his Spirit hath so directed your heart and mouth with wordes perfumed with the sauour of life vnto life yee haue refreshed all our Soules as with a sweete breath If the Spirit of Grace guided not our tongues in our temptations our mouths to our euerlasting shame should breath out stiffe and stinking blastes of blasphemie against the Lord our
Creator Praised be the Name of the most High who hath borne and broken that vnspeakable burden of wrath where with yee were surcharged at our first meeting The sicke Man Amen Amen Blessed bee the Name of Iesus At that Name the knees of my Soule bowe in a most humble manner to the ground for to kisse it with my mouth a thousand times vpon Conscience of my bygone miserie and of his present mercie All mine affections are set on foote and are so cheered and rauished with the loue of my God as no tongue can expresse O happie thrise happie change Once I feared damnation nowe Christ is my Saluation Once I sat in darknesse hee is now my Light Once I was in Death hee is now my Life Once I was in bondage hee is now my Libertie Once I was in want hee is now my Wealth Once I was in sicknesse hee is nowe mine Health Once I was in shame hee is nowe my Glorie What shall I say mo◅e Hee is mine onelie Deare and and dearest heartes desire Hee is my strongest Tower I haue none other Arke to saue mee from the flood Mine heart is prepared mine heart is prepared Oh that I were where without let I shall sing Halleluiah for euer where all earthlie objects shall seeme but filthie abjects in comparison of him Now Sir I intreat you to conceiue another Prayer that thereby as by the Charet of Elijah my Soule may bee carried vp into Heauen Commend my Soule into the hands of Christ the Redeemer Yee the Lords Priest stand still with the Arke till my Soule hath passed the Iordan for to enter into Canaan O Lord Iesus pittie this poore Soule that panteth at thy feete draw it out of this clogge of clay B◅e with mee vnto the end Graue thine owne shape deepe within mine heart that it may bee in judgement as a piece of euidence that the Heauens are mine heritage O look vpon mee who am heere waiting vpon that blessed hope Comfort refresh mee with the sweetest breath of thy blessed Spirit Set my sillie Soule upon Pisga the sight hill of Canaan Guarde mee with the invinsible troopes of thine Angels O thou whose Name and Nature is mercie take my wearied Soule and lull it sweetelie in the softest armes of thy most tender compassions Ioyne your prayers vnto mine The effectuall feruant prayer of a righteous man auaileth much The Pastour According to your desire Sir wee shall worsle with God in prayer that your end may bee peace The Lord gather all our scattered thoughts that beeing as twisted together into one threede they may be like the three-fold corde which is not easilie broken powerfull to draw downe Gods Graces from aboue Let vs pray A Prayer for the sick mā O Lord settle earnest prayer in our Soules vpon true sense of our neede Let not our prayers be tumultuous Tune thou our words by thy Spirit while our lips walke make our hearts to moue Preserue vs from vaine babyling lest our prayers bee turned into sinne O God the God of all Spirites who hast the keyes of Heauen and of Hell Thou steeketh and no man openeth Thou openeth and no man steeketh Open now thy mercifull doores vnto this poore Soule which panteth after thee as the chassed Hart panteth after the water brookes Let none of his sinnes stand betweene thy face and him for to ecclipse his Soule the light of thy countenance Seale vp in his heart by thy Spirit the free full forgiuenes of all his transgressions Thou who by the vertue of thy death made the vaile of the Temple to rent for to mak an open way to the Holie of holies mak also the partition wall of all his iniquities to cleaue from the toppe to the bottome that his Soule remoued from his bodie may get entrie to the Highest and holiest of the Heauens where thine honour dwelleth Make thy Graces in him to growe like Elias his cloud which at the first no bigger than an hand at last by and by did ouer spread the whole skie Sanctifie his Soule and soften his heart with the diuine dew of thy Grace Say vnto his Soule I am thy Saluation Behold Lord his Soule is seeking thee let nothing in his search carie him on the by Keepe fast in his remembrance the blessed bloodie passion of his Redeemer Iesus When Death shall come let him die with thy Christ in his Armes Strengthen and increase his desire to be dissolued assuring him that it shal be much better for him Furnish him with strength whereby he may row against the strictest streams of all temptations till hee arriue into the hauen of the Heauens the sole and safe harberie of Saluation And seeing no vncleane thing can enter into Heauen Lord wash this thy seruant and wash him throughlie that by the vertue of thy Blood his sinnes though they were red like scarlet and crimson may bee made white like wooll and whiter than the snow Pull off his Soule the menstrous cloath of his owne righteousnes and cloth him with the righteousnes of him whose statelie style is THE LORD OVR RIGHT TEOVSNES Thou who hast alreadie added strength vnto his Faith while it was scant like a smoking flaxe let not the sparkle which once thou hast kindled for euer bee quenched Amid the sight of his sins make him to lay hold vpon the merite and full satisfaction of his Sauiour Let him with all the Faithfull receiue of that fulnesse and grace for grace And seeing nowe Lord hee is comming vnto thee thorow the snakie fielde of manie temptations lette his feete bee shod with the preparation of thy Gospel Thou Lord wilt neuer suffer anie that trust in thee to bee confounded Hee followed thee constantlie in his life nowe let thy Spirit tryst him at the houre of death Hee disclaimeth all hope of helpe by anie other than by thy selfe alone Though hee knoweth not perfectlie what to say yet his eyes are on thee Thou who is Alpha and Omega hast begunne this good worke in him crowne it with the perfection of thy goodnesse Let him more more feele that hee is euerlastinglie acquite by the Blood of the Lambe from the terrors of Gods Tribunall Refresh his Soule more and more with celestiall spirituall joyes proceeding from the Spirit of Grace Let him feele himselfe assuredlie knit vnited to thee O thou preseruer of men that in and by thee hee may be presented blamelesse before thy Majesties Iustice-seate Furnish his minde with light and his memorie with strength that hee may vnderstand and remember that Christes death is an absolute and all sufficient Sacrifice for remouing the guilt of all repenting sinners Shewe him a signe of thy loue Multiplie in his heart the pledges of thy kindnes Make him faithfull vnto death that hee may receiue the Crowne of life Thou hast alreadie subdued in him alloue and liking of this world
brought me out of an horrible pitte out of the myrrie clay and set my feete vpon a Rocke and established my goings He hath put a new song into my mouth euen praise vnto our God many shall see it and feare and shall trust in the Lord. O that I had breath for the setting foorth of his praise Happie is he who while he may vtter words praiseth God continuallie Blessed is that man who may call his tongue his Glorie O my Soule I charge thee by the Roes and by the Hindes of the fielde that thou cease not to praise his Might his Mercie and his Majestie O my Soule take heede and listen vnto his voyce O Iesus the great Deputie of mercie sent by the Father forsake mee not in this heauie houre Now I sore sicken so that all naturall force faileth me My words now so weaâ—…ie mee that I thinke ere it be long this bodie shall bee lodged in the place of silence But let mee intreate you Sir so long as ye shall perceiue life to bee in mee let it please you to continue in some good purpose concerning the world to come By some holie discourse rouse vp my drousie Spirit hold mine heart vpon an edge Let me not die like a senselesse Nabal of whom it is written that his heart died within him so that hee became like a stone Manie blindlie and boldlie rush into hell I beseech you Sir to waite well vpon mee till yee see the ende I thinke that ere it bee long my Soule shall bee at the farthest tryst O Lord warme my frozen Soule with the sense of the kindled compassions of the bowels of thy loue Inlighten my mistie minde cleare it with thy countenance Bee thou the comforter of my Conscience vntil the day break and the shadows flie away Take now Sir my Soule into the armes of your prayers lift it vp and lay it into that blessed bosome of my Lordes mercies Bend yet againe your knees before God in prayer that hee for his mercies sake would receiue mee into my Masters joye O but my Soule fluttereth fast within mee for to bee at my God Let it please you to bee feruent in prayer for mee that I may foile vnder my feete the Deuill Death and all the powers of hell The Deuill in death will not faile to giue mee a furious assault at the chiefest fortresse of my Saluation for to batter it downe to the ground Intreate the Lord that his mercie may bee a strong rempart and a blessed Bul-wark against all the Engines of hell which are readie bent to waste and hauock all Gods graces within mee O Lord campe thine Angels about mee Place thy Pauilions of war betweene mee and mine enemies Refresh mee more and more with thy comforts Giue mee the earnest of these joyes which passe all vnderstanding Possesse mee with the Spirit of gladnesse for that thou in mercie hast forgiuen mee my sinnes Continue so vnto the end that in the heauens for euer this may be the burden of my song For his mercie indureth for euer Let it please you Sir on whome God hath vouchsafed the Spirit of Prayer in a good and great measure to assist mee with your comforts and prayers lest by temptations I should beginne to slacke off my care and watchfulnesse The Pastour Hold fast your eye vpon Christ your Redeemer Follow him thorow the valey of death for hee hath not onelie pointed out our path but as Captaine of our Saluation hath troden euery steppe before vs Yee may well sticke a little in the narrow throate of Death but that one steppe being past yee enter into Rehoboth a place of roome farre from the reekie smoke vaine shadowes and dreames of earthlie vanitie and perishing pleasures Bee glad Sir to flit from this barren moorish ground and muddie mortalitie for to goe to a paradise a Palace a place of pleasures for euermore According to your desire wee shall returne to God by prayer A Prayer for the sicke man drawing neare to the doores of death O Father of mercies and God of all comforts in whom all goodnesse and graces are treasured let it please thee fauourablie to regard the soule of this thy seruant here whose heart panteth after thee as the wearied Hart panteth after the water brookes Refresh his Soule with the diuine dew of thy grace till it bee entered in at the gates of Glorie Powre into his hearte the sweete streames of thy loue Settle his soule in a right and vpright course so long as it remaineth in this mistie muddie mortalitie send out thy light and guide it by thy Grace till it hath passed the straites of Death for to enter into the Land of vprightnes O Father of mercies perswade him by thy Spirit that the comming of Death shall bee to him a time of discharge a time of freedome from sicknes of bodie anguish of Spirit trouble of Conscience and from all possibilitie of sinning anie more Let him know that while hee is going to the Graue hee is going to a bedde of ease where most quietlie he shall rest from all his toylesome labours Turne all feare of Death into a chearefull expectation and longing for the houre of dissolution Make quiet his Conscience that he may die with comfort O thou Sauiour of mankind whose boweles are filled with mercifull compassions spreade the wing of thy righteous garment ouer this Soule of thy seruant Thou hast shaken him with thy terrours in diuerse assaults Thou hast broght him low for to make him a fitte passenger for the little doore which leadeth vnto Glorie Leaue him not now Lord in his greatest neede Make thine Angels camped about him powerfully to assist him against al the last assaults of that euill one Thou who hast heard all his groanes registrat thou his sighs and put all his teares into thy bottels suffer not thy kindled zeale to coole in him In an holie despaire of his owne worth make him whollie to relye vpon thy meere mercies in Christe the onelie salue for sicke Soules and remeed for broken bones While hee is weakest work with thy Spirit feelinglie and powerfullie into his hearte Subdue euerie euill motion that may arise therein for the troubling of his soule Draw vp his desire aboue the pitch of all natural knowledge Banish all earthlie thinges cleane out of his minde and make all his thoughts to attend vpon thee In thy diuine might rebuke Sathan that hee interrupt not thy comforts Let him not bee able by his secret craft and vyles to steale from him the pledges of thy loue O Sonne of GOD O Sunne of Righteousnes send a quickning heate with a shining light into his sillie Soule Make thy blessed Beames to strik on his heart for to warme it with thy loue Set all his desires a floate from the moode of sinful mortalitie Thou at diuerse times hast affrighted him fearefullie with
dreadfull visitatations of Conscience His Soule hath bene sore racked with the pitifull perplexities of a vexed minde Now death is approaching Sight senses all are failing but thou Lord will neuer faile him While the naturall eyes of his bodie beginne to growe dimme then cleare thou the spirituall eyes of his soule that hee may with Stephen see the heauens opened and the Sonne of man readie to receiue him And alwayes Lord as the time of death shall approach so let his Soule draw nearer vnto thee that while sicknesse shall take away the vse of his tongue his heart may cry to thee Come Lord Iesus come in thine hands I resigne my Spirit Nowe Father of mercies seeing thy Girnels are prepared for him by the power of thy grace fanne this Corne cleane from its chaffe that it may bee treasured vp therein Put his life in a readinesse that hee may giue thee a chearefull account of all wherein hee hath imployed thy Talents Let him heare these words of joye Faithfull seruant come and enter in thy Masters joye Long hath his Soule beene wooing the heauens with weake fluttering desires Nowe open the window of thine Arke and let in this wearied Doue crouding for thy Rest Manie depthes bee betweene vs and heauen One deepth calleth vpon another deepth for flesh and blood there is no possibilitie of passing thorowe But Lord that which is impossible with men is possible with thee Let therefore the vertue of thy death be to him like a Bridge for to sette him safe ouer all the gulfes of miserie In his journey to thy Kingdome remoue all rubbes out of the way O Lord listen to our cry Put these our vnworthy prayers into thy golden Censer Perfume them with the incense of thy righteousnesse and offer them vp to thy Father vpon the Altar of thy diuinitie And thou Fatherof mercies for the merites of thy Son his all sauing death which hee hath suffered for al repēting sinners Receiuein mercy this Soule which Sathan hath sought to sift Receiue the deare price of the Blood of thy Son Let thy Iustice say I am satisfied Let thy mercie so smile vpon him that it may bee the health of his countenance and the comfort of his Conscience While hee shall finish his course finish thou his Faith with perfection whereby hee may die hauing a settled assurance of that blessed Inheritance and massie Crowne of immortalitie which Christ hath conquised by his bloodie merites To whom with Thee and the Spirit of Grace bee all Glorie honour dominion and euerlasting power for now and euer Amen The sicke Man Lord heare thou in Heauen O blessed God and Father of eternity seeing my time nowe is short giue mee grace to manage it well Shute not thine eares to my sighes while my tong in the jawes of death shall cleaue fast to the roofe of my mouth O follow me with thy fauours euē thorow the valey of the shadow of death O Lord because thou art faithfull cannot lie I look shortlie to receiue in hand that which I haue in hope O come now and put an ende to the dayes of my vanitie The Pastour Blessed magnified be the Lord of eternitie for such wonderfull mercies towards you He most powerfullie most wonderfully hath brought you back from the corrupt course of Nature as a Boat rowed against the streame by the force of Armes and of Oares Behold now ye approch vnto your Heauen Be of good heart Sir ye are neare vnto your rest the place of pleasures for euermore Nowe seeing the ende draweth neare yee haue to remember well if yee haue anie grudge against anie that before yee decease they may be fetcht and friended with you The sicke Man I wish all men to be well I hope that no man wisheth otherwise to mee My desire was neuer either to reuile or to reuenge I am readie to satisfie where I haue failed and to forgiue where I haue receiued the greatest wrong Mans wronges against mee are but light in comparison of my wickednes against God Hee is not worthie that God shuld forgiue him his sinnes who will not forgiue his neighbour an injury My good God hath forgiuen mee all As hee hath forgiuen mee so I forgiue all men and desire the lik to be done by others vnto mee My Soule abhorreth these words of ranckour I may forgiue him but I will not forgete him The softning Spirit of God cannot dwell where there is such stonie steelie hardnesse of heart O Fountaine of Grace powre the powers of thy Spirit within my breast that my Soule may bee refreshed with thy blessed balmie comfortes of sauing grace Draw vp my spirit toward the Tabernacles of immortalitie O when shall I come and appeare before God! Put to the Spure to this dull jadde of my foggie flesh that I may make more haste in my journey The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen Seeing God hath blessed you with Wealth I doubt not but that ye will doe some thing for the well of Colledges Hospitales Colledges are the Seminaries or seede-plotes of vertues out of which come these who become Rulers of the Church Common-wealth Hospitals are shelters for the poore the friendes of Christ Christs counsell to the rich is that they make friendes of the Mammon of vnrighteousnes Such words were not spoken by our Lord without great and weightie reasons The sicke Man All these things were done in my Testament while I put mine house to an order I haue not forgot that point of duetie Hee is not worthy to be called a faithfull man who leaueth not behind him some fruits of his Faith That Faith which cannot justifie a man by good works before men will neuer justifie his soule before God Remember mee O Lord cōcerning this wipe not away my good deedes which I haue done for thy glory Let men dreame of Saluation as they please S. Iames his precept is that men shewe their Faith by their workes Though Pharisees doe all that they doe for to bee seene men must not in mens sight forbeare to doe well Because Hypocrites come to preaching prayers publicklie true Israelites for that must not sitte at home The Godlie must not bee so base in heart as to abstaine from all publicke good because the wicked worshippe but outwardlie Shewes without substance in some should not bee able to banish the shewes of substance from others The Pastour Indeede Sir yee speake wiselie As the tree is first seene in the budde and then in the flourish and after in the fruite so muste the life of man bee Because the barren figge tree had nothing but leaues the fruitfull tree must not grow bare the leaues of the tree haue their owne vse among the fruites So haue godlie shewes good vses when they are joyned with true substance The Faith of a Christian should not think shame to shew
him And because I haue deferred my repentance till this houre whereby my Saluation is cutte off if I should die suddenlie Loe how my God in his mercifull prouidence to preuent my destruction calleth mee by a lingring sicknesse which stayeth till I bee readie and prepareth mee to mine ende like a preacher and maketh mee by wholesome paines wearie of this beloued world lest I should depart vn willing like them whose death is their damnation So hee loueth mee while hee beateth mee that his stripes are plasters to saue mee therefore who shall loue him if I despise him This is my whole office nowe to strengthen my bodie with mine heart and to bee contented as God hath appointed vntill I can glorifie him or vntill hee glorifie mee If I liue I liue to sacrifice and if I die I die a sacrifice for his mercie is aboue mine iniquitie Therefore if I should feare death it were a signe that I had not Faith nor hope as I professed but that I doubted of Gods trueth in his promise wh◅ther hee will forgiue his penitent sinner or not Hee is my Father let him doe what seemeth good in his sight Come Lord Iesus for thy seruant commeth I am willing helpe mine vnwillingnesse Heere is the end of that godlie mans speach As at that Brydell in Cana the best wine came last so shall it be heer◅ After the words of a godlie man I shall let you heare the words of God spoken by a man inspired by his Spirit euen the last words of Dauid the man whose praise is this that hee was a man according to Gods owne heart The last words of Dauid Dauid the sonne of Iesse said and the man who was raised vp on high the a◅ointed of the God of Iaacob and the sweete Psalmist of Israel said The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee and his words was in my tongue The God of Israel saide the Rocke of Israel spake to mee Hee that ruleth ouer men must bee just ruling in the feare of God And hee shall bee as the light of the morning when the Sunne riseth euen a morning without cloudes as the tender grasse springing out of the earth by cleare shining after raine Although mine house bee not so with God yet hee hath made with mee an euerlasting couenant ordered in all things and sure For this is all my Saluation and all my desire although hee make it not to growe But the sonnes of Belial shall bee all of them as thornes thrust away because they cannot bee taken with hands But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with yron and the staffe of a speare and they shall bee vt◅er lie burnt with fyre in the same place Alittle before his death at the inauguration of his Sonne Solomon he spake manie notable words among others these bee of great weight O Lord wee are heere but strangers before thee and so◅ourners as were all our fathers Our dayes on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keepe this for euer in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heartes vnto thee That hundreth and two Psalme is excellent It is intituled a prayer of the afflicted when he is ouerwhelmed and powreth out his complant before the Lord. Heare my prayer O Lord and lette my cry come vnto thee hide not thy face from mee in the day when I am in trouble incline thine eare vnto mee In the day when I call answere mee spe◅dilie For my dayes are consumed like smoke and my bones are burnt like an hearth c. Seeing as wee see that nothing is stable in this world but as it is in that Sermon of the Preacher vanity of vanities and all is vanitie wee haue to intreate the Lord earnestlie as Moses did a little before his death That hee would so teach vs to number our dayes that we may applye our hearts to wisedome and to well doing All things below wither and decay our best beauties are w◅ithed and wrinkled by time But the beautie of the Lord is of euerlasting continuance Let the beautie of the Lord our God bee vpon vs. O the beautie of the things aboue O the beautie of the Firmament O these azured Curtaines spangled with stars of light What jewels of joy are within no mortall tongue can tell Looke vp nowe Sir with the eye of your Faith and visite these heauenlie Mansions and blessed buildinges for immortaltiie Yee are shortlie for to change for the better So long as our sillie Soules are here they are but poore Soules reading and meditating the mercies of God within a cottage of clay hauing nothing to see with but the weak light of the small Candle of grace a light dimmed and darkened with the reekie smok of our sinfull corruptions But so soone as wee shall bee dissolued by Death we shall come to the euerlasting Beames of a Sunne which by nothing is able to bee ecclipsed alight which knoweth no darknesse euen that Light which bringeth light out of darknesse Now Sir vp with your heart saile out your course Be like the Pylot who while hee hath hand on the Helme hath his eye fixed on the heauen Take now the Cuppe of Saluation the great Mazer of his mercie and call vpon the Name of the Lord Hee is worthie to bee praised for his vnspeakable fauour toward you He in great mercy hath toward you turned all the sharpe corrasiues of the Law into most sweete cordials of the Gospel He hath now made you free of all these terrours whereinto yee found your selfe once lyable Oh Lord how did once the sharpe edge of thy Law laide to his mourning heart cutte him thorow the verie gall But blessed bee thou who in thy great mercie hast cut the Cartropes of his sinnes where with hee was once kept fast vnder the most heauie bondage of Hell What say yee now Sir How is it of all Haue yee heard all these words and laide them vp into your minde The sicke Man I haue heard them all that with great comfort now mine heart is in heauen Christ by the vertue of his vnualuable Blood-shed hath takē away the gall of my guiltines Now my bodie is wholly dead to its paine and my Soule is whollie aliue to its glorie I see a Crowne of immortalitie which my Soule would not sticke to fetch thorow the brimstone beames of hell My Soule seeth the face of its Redeemer Christ with a soft hand is now loosing all the bondes of my miserie His most sacred Blood hath melted my marble heart Nowe come Lord Iesus come Long haue I looked for thy Saluation Nowe let thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation O my deare Soule I summond thee with all thy powers and faculties to
thinke vpon these solitudes and mansions of silence I faint at the verie thought thereof Oh my deare Soule wilt thou abide with mee no longer If thou depart my Beautie my Colour my Conference my Companie and all is gone Oh shall all my senses now bee closed vp shall I speake no more heare no more see no more than if I were a stone Must I nowe goe remaine into the myre of mortalitie the place of silence Must I abide the long nights among the Graues places fearfull to the liuing where men make no resort O wretched weakling that I am by Death as I see I shall bee grapled to the ground where I shall bee forced to make my bedde in the da◅ke The Soule My Bodie bee not thou disquieted I am but for a little space going before thee for to take seasin of Heauen for thee and for mee Though I bee absent for a space I shall neuer forget thee In Gods appointed time I shall come againe and fetch thee out of the muddie moulde of mortalitie At the first blast of the last Trumpet I shall come downe shall enter into thee and quicken thee againe At that time God shal cleanse thee from all thy corruptions and shall mak thee like an Angel of God My sillie Bodie wee haue taken much pains together for to get a rest which we haue looked long for but culd not find now goe to thy rest till come againe for to bring thee to eternall repose If thou were cōmanded to goe to labour to pains thou should haue some cause indeede to whine and to shrinke as one hampered in a snare But the Lord is now desiring thee like a wearied man to goe to thy rest for to sleepe soundlie into a bedde wherein thou shalt no more bee disquieted with dreames or with visions When thou shalt once awake thou shalt bee still with Iesus If in mercie hee hath made mee to preuent thee in the possession of eternitie let not his fauour toward mee worke in thee anie heart rising against that Majestie who as the Potter doth with his clay may doe with all his creatures what hee pleaseth The Bodie But O my Soule the Graue is fearefull It is a retired solitude and a place of silence a place of filthie stinke I abhorre to thinke of it how that in that dungeon of darknesse and denne of corruption I must lye downe naked implunged in myrie slime among wormes a lumpe of most vile and lifelesse clay Alas my Soule The Soule My Bodie bee not discouraged The Graue is a place where the bodie must lye till with the Eagle there it cast its Bill a meanes for to renew its youth So soone as once there it hath cast the old slugh of Nature incontinent thereafter it shall become a new creature Except saide Christ that the corne of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone Haue patience but a little New corne will come at the day of the resurrection The dayes of mans mortalitie are the Lords seede time The bodies of the Saincts are his seede the Church yard is his fielde Suffer now the Lord to sowe his owne ground Bee not disquieted nor cast down with griefe It shall bee thy gaine to goe downe to the graue There shalt thou be sowne in corruption but thou shalt bee raised in incorruption Thou shalt be sowne in dishonour but thou shalt bee raised in glorie Thou shalt bee sowne in weaknesse but thou shalt bee raised in power Thou shalt bee sowne a naturall bodie but thou shalt bee raised a spirituall bodie See what by Gods mercie shall bee the great gaine of the Graue After that the Graues of the godlie shall bee ripe the Lord by an infinite power shall make all their bodies to bee taken vp for like fine wheate to bee laide vp within his heauenlie Girnals When thou shalt arise it shall bee to an immortall happie life Haue patience for a little space and bee not crabbed Yet a little while and I shall not see thee and againe a little while after the resurrection I shall see thee when thou shalt bee transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortalitie Then shall I dwell in thee without anie spot or wrinkle Let the hope of this temper thy present griefe Let not the Graue afray thee my deare Body for it is the last bed which euerie man must sleepe in Lye downe into it gladlie Bee content with the silke worme an argument of the resurrection to bee enwrapped for a space in thy Winding sheete till the chill colde winter-tide of this mortalitie bee pas◅ At the glorious spring of eternitie at the returne of the Sun of righteousnes so soone as the heat of the beating beames of Gods loue shall pierce in vnto thy Graue in a moment in the twinkling of an eye thou shall be quickened and raised vp yea renewed and refined from the sinfull dust of corruption and after that carried aboue the brightest azured skies vnto the place of immortalitie among pleasures for euermore The Bodie I cannot but lament and waile to bee depriued of thy companie My dearest Soule full deare art thou to mee If two strangers had beene but some fewe dayes in their journey together they will haue a certaine regret for to leaue one another What wonder is it then that wee two who haue beene of such olde acquaintance mourne at this last and long adew The Soule As thy loue is great toward mee so is mine also great toward thee my Bodie But seeing it is the will of him who married vs together that nowe wee bee put asunder wee must submit our selues vnto his good pleasure This separation shall be but or a little space and that for the well of vs both The husband will saile the seas and goe farre from home in hope to returne with aduantage The same hope encourageth his wife to liue lik a vvidow for a space At last the husbāds returne with expected profite is welcomed with greater joyes thā was his former presence It shall bee so with vs my deare Bodie At my returne in the day of the Resurrection there shall enter such a joy into thee as eye neuer saw eare neuer heard yea which neuer could enter into the heart of man As the long dark night maketh the morning seeme sweete to the wearied watch who hath long looked for it so shall our little absence be a certaine commendation of that presence which after the great day shall bee for euer Cease in time I pray thee to stick at such earthlie conceits I may no longer tarrie with thee the Crowne of immortalitie is alreadie in sight The Bodie But alas howe is this that thou should goe to glorie before mee and leaue mee in the dust of death a peace of moulding clay Haue I done anie wrong but by thy counsell and direction What haue I beeene but the instrument of thy
sinne All the action is from thee Of all that is done amisse thou hast beene the inuenter the contriuer and arch-plotter God is no accepter of persons or of parties What then is my guilt that I shuld be behind thee left into the Graue a fearefull denne of death and pite of corruption What a miserie is this for me that I should lye vnder the power and bonds of Death a Carion vnder a Turfe warded in deaths most loathsome denne and abhorred jayle There must I lye chill with cold stinking and rotting with my mouth full of earth and my bellie full of wormes closed in a Coffine O what matter of melancholie is this that within a few dayes where are my two beautifull twinkling eyes shal be nothing but fearefull eye-holes in a rotten skull which shall bee nothing but a nect of clockes and abominable creeping thinges Within a few yeares this head which nowe lyeth softlie vpon this Pillow shall bee rolled and trinnelled vp and downe by the feete of the posteritie Heere a bone and there a bone and not a bone together all shall lye scattered heere and there the dogges shall play with some and Children shall playe with others some shall lye drying before the Sunne and others shall be bruised into pieces and grund into powder O what a change is in this our mortalitie Behold presentlie what a starueling I am beeing nothing but skinne and bone Behold and anone all shall be turned into stinke The Soule All such thoughtes are all but worldlie heauie dull and formall Suffer the Lord to sow his owne seede Thou art afraid for the Turfe of the Graue Care not for the Turfe for vnder it shalt thou bee as a pickle of Corne vnder a clod The Spring time of the Resurrection is not farre froe when thou shalt rise vp more beautifullie in honour power and glorie than euer thou was before Shall anie thing bee impossible vnto God Hee who in his death reuiued manie Sainctes vvhose bodies Death had fast vnder the key of its power shall with a blast of his voyce make open Gâ—…aues to let out all these who were prisoners of death from Adam vntill that day Let this comfort cheare vp thine heart my Bodie The Graue shall not bee able to keepe thee long As Ionah was vomited out of the Bellie of Hell so shalt thou bee deliuered from that Monsters mawe The Bodie But in the meane time what reason is it that I a carrionlie carkase shuld bee bund â—…oth hand and foote and committed close prisoner to the graue a cold and chillie house while thou art set at libertie Behold how alreadie I am both withered and wanzed The Soule The Graue to the Godlie is no prison but a resting bedde from their labours where God reâ—…resheth with sleepe the wearied bones of his beloued The Prophet saith That they rest in their beddes and that they enter in peace While the moulds are cast on them in the Graue it is but the drawing of their Bedde curtaine The buried bodies of the Saincts are in their graue lik Babs lapped in swadling clothes in their Cradles As a tyred man will not bee offended if hee bee sent to his bedde for to sleepe neither should the wearied bodie bee grieued to goe to the Graue the place of rest and quietnesse Bee not peeuish nor peruerse my Bodie enuie not mine happie estat Though the Graue should bee to thee a prison why should thou complaine because I am set at libertie If it hath pleased God in mercy to bee good to mee why art thou offended May not the Lord say vnto thee Is thine eye euill because I am good What happier should thine estat bee though God should command mee to bee buried besides thee May not God doe with his owne as hee pleaseth Hee might haue taken thee to Heauen and haue shute mee a prisoner in the Graue In his justice hee might haue cast vs both into Hell Thinke it then a mercie that hee is so good vnto mee who shall neuer count my glorie full till wee bee both crowned vvith immortalitie in the heauens Bee not offended at the Lords good will towards mee but rather thank him that he hath made death to bee temporall in his mercie which was eternall in his threatning Of a corrasiue hee hath made a cordiall Haue patience O distressed Body Suffer a little that God may be true Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou returne Dust beeing once deliuered from the power of the Graue shall reigne with God in glorie The Bodie is like gold which cannot bee rid of its drosse till it bee molten and dissolued Againe as this death is not total neither shal â—…t be perpetuall for at that first sound of the last trumpet all the beried bodies of that faithfull shall lik the Eagle cast the bill of their mortalitie Now mine olde companion and yoke-fellow art thou not content to goe to bedde and there to sleepe till the morning of theresurrection come That day shall mak an amends for all that we haue suffered in this valey of teares Then shall all thy confusion bee turned into comforts Let vs nowe bee content that the Lord loose the pines and slacke the cordes of this our Tabernacle of clay The Bodie Now glad am I my deare Soule that euer I had such a Soule as thee now my deare Turtle goe with my blessing to the seruice of our God Goe from the Crosse to the Crowne from a prison to a Palace from the mourning-weede to the wedding-garment Goe dwell with the Lord and the Lambe waite well vpon him Goe nowe from the blacke and dismall dayes of drooping distresse and dirtie distractions to joye to peace to pleasure to light to life to libertie Goe heare that happie harmonie of heauenlie Musitians in heauenlie Mansions where mercies blesse without judgments blasts Goe heare the voice of all the Menistrels of that celestiall Quire Bee thou aboue the Starres while I am vnder a Turfe All my comfort is in this that wee shall meete againe in Blisse Now blessed Soule prepare thy Lampe powre out thine oyle the heauenlie wooer the Bridegroome is come for to take thee to his Chambers of Charitie wherein are pleasures for euermore In hope of the Resurrection I goe gladlie to my Graue whereout of I am assured to arise for to meete my Redeemer in the clouds This Candle of my comfort shall neuer bee put out Nowe before wee shedde let vs shedde some teares The last raine of our afflictions wherewith we may bath the bruises of our Lord which he in loue did suffer for our glorie Now I goe to rest in the dust a prisoner of hope Goe thou to thy God attend well his seruice and court his Countenance for euer in his most pleasant Yuorie Palaces I am nowe refreshed with a cooling taste to immortalitie to come Farewell my deare Soule and truest Turtle mount
vp nowe to the Heauens Thou hast alreadie past all toyle and turmoyle The way that rests vnto the Kingdome is both smooth euen without anie rubbe of opposition thou shalt enter into immortalitie O the showres of grace and mercie which raine downe vpon vs both Farewell till that desired day of the Resurrection come The Pastour His eyes stirre a little they are full of teares the tribute of Repentance He beginneth to shake he now seemeth to bee wakened out of his traunce I will inquire what his minde is set vpon What meditations are these Sir that yee are vpon Yee seeme to haue beene in some good motion The sicke Man My Soule Sir and my bodie after a blessed agreement haue beene taking their adewes one from another They haue bene blessing each other beâ—…ause they haue serued God together they looke to bee one day both glorified together A sea of comfortes hath rained downe vpon my Soule from the Heauens in most sweete and pleasant showers The Pastour Surelie that is a worthie exercise Such good motions are plants of God and impressions of his finger Happie are the Soule the bodie that can serue God together with one shoulder At that last day they shall haue a joyefull meeting they two shal be clasped together in loue with such contentmentes as tongues of Angels are not able to expresse But O when the vvicked soule shall returne from hell to take vp its bodie for to carie it to euerlasting torments then shall they curse each other with manie a woe for their Fornications Adulteries Lyes Deceits Ryot Drunkenesse Then would the bodie if it could haue intelligence of the soules comming wish that a rock or a mountaine would fall vpon it for to hide it from the Soule that beeing voyde of life it might bee free of feeling But the decree is come foorth of necessitie they must bee joyned together O but they then shall looke one to another like Lyons Their feede shall receiue none agreement no not They shall neuer agree in anie thing but in this to 〈◊〉 together that their comfortlesse dolours may bee doubled This is a deare pennie-warth so little pleasure for so much paine In that day all the wicked shal bitterlie repent such barganes Now happie is your Soule Sir and your bodie both that are so well resolued to depart Yee are certainelie blessed that euer yee were borne Behold nowe yee rest in hope of the resurrection which shall bee in that great day of Gods generall assemblie when all that euer tooke breath shall compeare before Christ the Iudge of the World for to receiue that which they did in the flesh bee it good bee it euill Now Sir seeing yee are an inrolled Citizen of Heauen and an adopted haire of God vp still with your heart towarde that heauenlie Heritage with sighes and grones beate on still at the doores of Gods mercie God giueth vnto prayer victory against himselfe Nowe the time draweth neere Sir your houre is come to a quarter fight out the good fight fixe the eyes of your Faith vpon the bloodie wounds of Iesus Lay hold on him listen to his voyce ere it bee long yee shall heare these words of joye Come faithfull seruant and enter into thyÌ„ Masters joye O Lord the giuer of grace and of glorie out of the blessed bowels of thy mercie bath and wash this Soule with that arteriall blood which sprang thorow the pierced filme of the heart of his Redeemer At the beginning of this Battell Lord thou did see howe his poore Soule was scorched with the flames of hellish temptations which did burne the verie marrow out of his bones this is thy ordinarie dealing with thine owne Hell on earth is for the heires of Heauen But heauen on earth is the portion of the heires of hell Now Lord from his hell bring him to thine Heauens Mak his Soule more clearelie to look vp toward the blessed bloodie wounds of his Sauiour wherein hee may perceiue the props of his protection Make his Soule now to be fullie possessed with an entire loue to the fairenesse of thy face wherein are pleasures for euermore The sicke Man Lord Iesus make clay againe with thy Spittle for to anointe my dimmed eyes that clearelie with Simeon my Soule may see thy Saluation We in our life receiue but the first impositioÌ„ of handes like the man that saw men walking like trees Now Lord at death giue mee the second imposition that I may see thee euen as thou art The Pastour Lord heare thou in Heauenâ—… Maintaine the life of his loue towards thee Now vvater the seede vvhich thou hast sowne Weede out the tares vvhich Sathan hath sowne Pittie and pardon Lay all his sinnes vpon the Sonne of thy loue Now let his feete be shod for the journey which hee is making to a better place Inspire his Soule with the spirit of grace till his life bee expired Saue him by thy blood which saued theÌ„ that spilt it The sicke Man I finde Death besieging my heart with seÌ„sible blowes O bring out my Soule out of this bricke of bondage of the bodie Mine heart stringes are so racked within mee that they are like to breake The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the Soule Lord helpe mee in this heauie houre The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and satisfie his hearts desire The sicke Man Pray pray that the Lord vphold mee in the throng of these throes wherewith mine heart is gripped lest I be whollie swallowed vp of despaire The Pastour O Sauiour of mankinde who out of thy meere mercie and loue came vnder the charge of his accounts Mak now answere for him as his Aduocat before that high Tribunall before which his poore Soule is now arraigned to coÌ„peare Turne all thy wrath in mercie and thy Iustice-seat in a Throne of grace Call home all his wandering thoughtes settle and them vpon thy selfe Maintaine the life of his loue Make death to him a Messenger of mercie and his paines a meane to bring him to thy pleasures O Captaine of his Saluation vnder whose bloodie banner hee hath in his life made warre against the enemies of thy glorie at death ouercome thou all the enemies of his Saluation With thy Trumpets and Lampes terrifie all these merciles Midianites Make them like a wheele as the stubble before the winde Graunt the victorie vnto thy weake Seruant heere that in the Heauens thou may crowne his Soule with glorious garlands of immortalitie Lord heare vs for the sake of thy Sonne vnto whom with thee and the Spirite of Grace bee all glorie and honour Amen Now Sir vp with your heart to the Father of mercies Fight out couragiouslie the fight of Faith Christ now is holding out the Crowne your Saluation is sealed yee neede not feare yee haue your warrant vnder the Broad Seale of the King of Heauen The sicke man O My deare
Pastour hee is come hee is come whom my Soule loueth I am my Beloueds his desire is towards mee The lost sheepe is found The vnthriftie Son is come home againe All the snares of destruction are broken My Soule is escaped like a Birde I am now at a point infinitlie desirous rather to goe to my God than to sojourneanie more on earth Mine heart is more in God than in my selfe I haue a begunne possession of Heauen by the first fruites I looke for perfection in fulnesse of joye and pleasures fore euermore O blessed Iesus set me as a Seale vpon thine heart O deare Sauiour the Roote and the Rocke of my Saluation loe I come stretch out thine Armes and take my Soule into thy bosome yet a little while and I shall bee no more a stranger vvith thee and a sojourner The Pastour O blessed bee our God for euermore who hath made you to triumph so ouer all your enemies after such vnuterable groanes of griefe where your mind was sore perplexed at the first Hold fast now that which yee haue Your heart is now richlie stored with the true treasures of godlinesse Yee are but sipping of these joyes wherof in Heauen ye shal drink in a full cup. The sicke Man Christ the Lord is mine Hee is mine Hee is to mee hoth in life and death aduantage My comforts are in my Bosome The Angelicali Guardes are heere about mee I dye in the Faith of Iesus Come euen Lord Iesus come quicklie and loose this Soule a prisoner in clay groning to bee at liberty O my Soule returne vnto thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now may I say This poore man cryed and the Lord hath heard him deliuered him out of all his troubles The Pastour The Lord is with you who ere it be long shall fulfill all your hearts desires yea hee shall doe aboue all that yee can thinke or wish Now Sir yee haue him whom your soule loueth His Spirit is in the verie bosome of your heart Hold fast the grip yee haue Dye in his Armes sleepe in the blessed bosome of your God Full libertie is at the doore readie to enter in Yet a little and yee shall haue a joyfull meeting with Christ and all his Angels in the Kingdome of your Father Till yee come out of this bodie sticke fast by Faith to Christ your Redeemer Claime boldlie that which hee hath deerelie purchased by his Blood O deare Iesus his Staffe and his Strength wrape now his Soule into the white winding-sheete of thy righteousnesse While hee hath life liue thou in him that while he breaths hee may liue to thee and after death may liue with thee for euer Let neither life nor death bee able to separate him from thy loue The neerer death approacheth for to separate his Soule from his bodie d◅aw thou the neerer vnto his Soule till thy Spirit the Spirit of Life fullie finallie in all perfection liue into him the Soule of his Soule Fixe your eye nowe vpon the heart of Christ deadlie wounded for your transgressions Behold that Speare-hole in his heart which hee suffered for to sa◅e you Consider his bleeding woundes all dropping the balme of mercie which hath proceeded from the bowels of his compassions Hee it is who hath died for your sinnes and is risen againe for your righteousnesse The sicke Man I know that my Redeemer liueth his blood of an vnualuable price is the onelie ransome of my Soule Hee onelie is the joye of mine heart and the health of my countenance The Pastour Holde fast that confidence Let your Soule repare vnto the euerlasting Armes of his loue Shroud shelter your selfe vnder the winges of the Almightie Yee are nowe neere the ende of the Race The Lord guarde you with his Grace that no temptation of Satan be able trippe your heele before that yee be entered in his rest Nowe the lowring showring seede-time of teares is past and the Haruest of joye is hard at hand Now Sir Christ is at the doore Beholde hee standeth at the doore and knockes hee is nowe for to suppe with you on earth that yee may suppe with him for euer in the Heauens Behold hee is with you The sicke Man I haue found him whom my Soule loueth I will surelie hold him and will not let him goe My Soule hath already taste of the fruite of Canaan by the report of the spye of my faith Christ now is mine The Pastour Seeing yee haue him wrap your soule into the bowels of his euerlasting compassions waite on perfectiō is the last gift Lift vp continuallie the eyes of your spirit to the worthy woundes of Iesus In them behold read in great Capitall characters the vnspeakable loue of the Father The sicke Man O Lord I haue waited for thy Saluation Remember mee nowe while as thou art into thy Kingdome Father into thine handes I commend my Spirit my Soule I giue to thee who hast giuen it to mee The Pastour Now Sir your wished houre is come Christ is laying his Arm◅s about you for to receiue your Soule in his bosome Solace your selfe in your Sauiour who hath made it free of al weights that swiftly without anie let it may flee vp to its God O the loue of Iesus towardes you Hee hath not onelie beene an Inte◅cessour to pray for you but an Advocatalso to pleade for you By the vertue of his Blood your cause is win And therefore homage ye now your heart sealed with the sense of his loue Yeelde and surrender your Soule into the Armes of his mercie that hee may perfect his graces in you with glorie in immortalitie The sicke Man Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit and glad it with thy glorie The Pastour He againe is fallen into a traunce His battell is now neere an end Let vs waite a little see what he doth Hee now beginneth a little for to stir There is yet some life into him as I perceiue Now Sir be glad Christ is knocking at the doore for to call foorth your Soule from bondage to libertie from your banishment to an heauenlie home from a prison of paine to a palace of pleasures for euermore That we may haue assurance that ye die in the Faith of Iesus shew vs some signe Lift vp your hand in token that yee are assured to goe to God Behold how he hath lifted vp his hand Cortenet quod lingua tacet His hande telleth what is in his heart O but this poore Soule since the beginning of this bloodie Battell hath beene miserablie mangled howed and hacked vpon by most bitter and bloodie temptations what carnall what spirituall Now blessed bee God from all his troubles he is come to his good things We are all oblished to giue praise vnto God who hath set out this man before vs as an excellent example and mirrour of his mercie It is the
whereby he may be shielded from the bloodie blowes of a most cruell aduersarie Put on him Lord the compleate armour of God that hee may bee able to with-stand in this euill houre and hauing done all to stand Before this Battell end make him with stomacke and courage to runne all his enemies throgh with the two edged sword of thy Spirit Haue now Lord a speciall care of him Hemme in all his thoughts within the compasse of thy will Possesse him so with the fulnes of thy presence that in him there be found no roome for any ill motions Furnish him with the supplie of all these graces which thou knowest to bee wanting into him Let thy Spirit make residence in his heart as in an house of God Now Lord while it is time to saue saue the Soule of thy Seruant which is now readie to remoue Open vnto it that euer-flowing fountaine promised to the penitent of the house of Dauid for to tak away sinne and vncleannesse O Fountaine of Grace wash him and wash him throughlie with the blessed Blood of thy satisfaction After that thou hast made him perfectly cleane hold out thy succouring helpful armes vnto this Soule and take it into thy bosome Let it there taste of the honie of thy Compassions In this time of gloummines darknesse of death inlighten his Soule with the light of thy countenance Turne thy face now vnto it Hitherto it could see nothing but the Back-parts of Thee that Great IEHOVAH which bringeth joye but in parte From such parts now bring him vnto the fulnesse Turne thy selfe vnto this Soule that it may fullie see thy face wherein is fulnesse of joye And seeing no man can see thy face liue let this thy Seruant now see thy face and die that after death hee may liue with thee for euer in the Heauens Let neither the loue of life nor the feare of death turne his eyes from the prize of the high calling of God Make him now with a long steppe from the earth to the heauens to step in into immortalitie Now Lord engraue deepelie this Soule into the palmes of thine hands Set it as a seale on thine heart Wrap it within the Mantle of thy mercie warâ—…e it within the bowels of thy loue lappe it in thy bosome with that vnspeakable joye which Christ hath purchased with vnspeakable paine euen through the bloodie merites of his most bitter passions His wordes now are failed Square thou all his thoughts by the rule of thy Spirit of grace Lord make these our weake prayers to mount vp lik Pillars of smoke parfumed with the mercifull merites of thine onelie Sonne To him with thee his Father and with the Spirit of Grace be all Glorie Praise Power and Dominion for euer AMEN The spirituall Friend O deare Friende whome I haue seene a sorrow beaten sinner Rejoyce now in your Sauiour whose mercies haue beene the Bane of all your sinfull miseries Cleaue still fast vnto your Sauiour Let not him goe whom your soule loueth till ye come to Peniel where yee shall see him face to face The Lord refresh your wearied soule with the soft sweete breath of his Spirit The Lord kned into your heart these spirituall meditations which are of the purest straine O Father of mercies giue vnto this soule a most sure Infefâ—…ment of heauen by the hand of thy Spirit Make some drops of thy Myrrhe to enter in by some litle creuice of his heart Put in thine hand by the keye hole of the doore that his bowels may bee moued for thee Let such a strength now repare from thee vnto him that the world may see that thy strength is made perfect in weaknesse It shall bee expedient that nowe yee his Pastour in a short prayer recommend him to God againe Behold him now at the last gaspes his eye stringes are broken The water of death trickleth downe ouer his cheekes His life is now drawen to an haire O Lord while bodilie sight and senses faile make spirituall sight and sense succeede in a greater perfection Make a spaite of thy grace with a mightie streame to carrie him to glorie O deare Friend vp with your heart to your God Nowe all your sins shall die with your sicknesse The Rocke of your Saluation Iesus hath shiuered them in pieces There is 〈◊〉 condemnation to these that are in Christ who out of the pangs of loue suffered that paines of hell for mans RedeÌ„ption His Angels Sir are heere waiting vpon your Soule for to carrie it to pleasures for euermore Yet a little while and loe yee shall bee at the vpshotte of all your woe Yee are nowe vtterlie out of the reach of all the powers of hell euen vpon the borders of euerlasting pleasures vnmixed pleasures which shall turne all your teares into triumphes The Pastour Now Sir Gird vp the loynes of your minde make haste to your God who shortlie shall put into your haÌ„d the palme of victorie Sathan is chained vp now for doing you anie more harme The night of your trouble is past Christ that blessed Day spring hath brought a morning mercie vnto your Soule His graces in you hath shined more and more and so shall doe vntill the perfect day euen vntill your Soule carried on Eagles winges reach the hight of Heauen where without teares or tediousnesse are pleasures for euermore Though your tongue now faile you Sir let your heart be busie with God in prayer hee will hearten and encourage you in all the businesse Your taske is at an end Heaue vp your heart to Christ crucified with vs and that with sighes and sobbes the groanings of his owne Spirit Though your bodie now be cold the Spirit of Iesus shall by a free and vitall operation maintaine the heate and vigour of your Soule The Spirit of comfort conueye vnto your soule the warmest blood that euer heated the heart of Iesus Let vs pray The last prayer for the sicke Man in the verie jawes of death O LORD whose mercies are aboue all thy workes it was neuer thy custome to send away a broken heart without comfort Now heare the secret gâ—…oanes and sighes of thy seruant whose soule is ready in this gasping agonie to come out of its Tabernacle for to coÌ„peare before thee Thou who hast giuen him thy Son for a ransome giue him thy Spirit for a pledge Furnish him with force for to fight and finish this Battell in victory As thou hast bene at the beginning of his beeing euen the beginner of his beeing so now bee thou the ende at which hee aimes euen the ende of all his woes And seeing hee is now in the narrow throat of death helpe him by thy power till hee hath past this passage Put now into him a fresh liâ—…e that in a strong vigour hee may runne with the feete of the Hinde till hee come to thee in eteâ—…nitie Make him now supple and nimble
of the Resurrection Let the meditations of Gods mercie and promised fauour rouse vp your Soules from that lumpishnesse and melancholious drowsinesse which may creep in into your hearts in this troublous time Striue to bound and fence your heartes about deligentlie with the thoughts of Gods Fatherlie fauour who shall neuer leaue you fatherlesse Though your father be dead yet God is aliue Now Sir yee who aâ—…t the elder bee yee the more thankfull to God who hath giuen you the first place Shew good example vnto the yonger Oppresse them not but rather bee a father vnto them By your good counsell striue to make them plyable and frameable to Gods will reuealed in his word As for you who are yonger ones bee not discouraged for often grace maketh the yonger to bee the elder and sinne maketh the elder the yonger So Iacob found the blâ—…ssing though Esau was the first borne It is Vertue that maketh the Heire Let your heartes therefore relye vpon the Lord Let him bee the caruer of all your cares If yee depend on him yee shall not want Hee who created the world without matter and preserueth it without meanes is God all sufficient who can easilie finde out meanes for the maintenance of al these that by faith can laye claime to his promise If wealth bee expedient for you the Lord will giue you a large allowance till hee make your Cuppe to ouer flow But if otherwise hee hath appointed to exercise you with pouertie know that he who hath the hearts of all men in his hands can easilie for your comfort stirre vp some who by their liberalitie towards you shall prouide themselues bags vvhich waxe not olde If yee can bend your whole endevour to the seruice of your God hee shall satisfie you with the prouisions of his mercie But if otherwise yee become lewde and prophane haunting euill companie the verie canker and cut-throate of all godlinesse yee shall neuer prosper no not though by a painefull drudgerie ye should draw out the verie life-blood of your hearts It is not earlie rising noâ—… late going to bedde but Gods blessing that enricheth Now the Lord of grace blesse you mine hearts The Lord teach you to set seale these comforts with prayers patience vpon your hearts And seeing the dayes are now euill euen the dregges of dayes I intreate the most High to graunt you grace hour lie to renâ—…w and strengthen your watch that your hearts spirits may be preserued vnblamable and that vntill the day of his most glorious appearance AMEN A diuine and heauenly discourse fit to be read to these that are conueened in the house of mourning that thereby the liuing may be remembered of their mortalitie DEarlie Beloued this our godlie Friend one of Gods excellent Ones is now deceased that peacâ—…ablie like a Lambe into the armes oâ—… his God who hath euer lasting lie fast bund his Soule in the bundle of life The death of such is often a fearfull preâ—…age of much anger and euill to come His Soule is now glorious in the Heauens like a Starre new created in the Skie It is now liuing the life of God aboue where it is filled with the infusion of that 〈◊〉 which wee haue heere on earth 〈◊〉 by imputation Hee hath now alâ—… God and all that is in God in â—…speakable perfection beeing in that place where God is all in all At last after sore fighting and bitter bickering as diuerse godlie persons haue seene through the bent browes of an angrie Iudge hee hath seene the yearning and relenting bowels of a louing Father Now after his Battell ended he hath 〈◊〉 the Spirit Clepsydrâ—… 〈◊〉 his houre glasse is now runne out and his Soule is come to its wished home where it is free from the fetters of flesh Nowe from the â—…hanging turnes of time hee is at last come to Eternitie Thorow many seas of â—…orrows both bitter and brimie hath he sailed before that hee could ariue at that blessed Port. Our hearts cannot be but sorrowfull to bee depriued of such comfortable companie as was â—…is But here iâ—… our comfort and the matter of our joye hee is well and shall bee so for euer By the mercie of his God hee is now passed ouer thâ—… knoppes of the mountaines of miserie and thorow the muddie myres of sinfull mortalitie thorow fearefull tryals and troubles euen from the dyets of grace to the dainties of glorie from the Villages of this world vnto euerlasting 〈◊〉 farre aboue the rolling wheele of all changeable pleasures and smarting paines Poore mans life on earth is like a restlesse whirle-gigge whirled about The mouing heauens are the place of our rest and the resting earth is the place of our restlesse motions The way of this life as wee may see is not adorned with Violets and Roses No not It is full of rubs and thornes and pricking whinnes of piercing griefe O with what paines hath his sillie Soule sought vp the sweete streames of Gods mercie 〈◊〉 to the Fountaine it selfe which is 〈◊〉 to the Heauens God in great mercie hath now 〈◊〉 last after manie dolours and bitter bickerings put his Spirit into the acâ—… tuall and full possession of his 〈◊〉 all joyes Through fyre and water 〈◊〉 Lord hath broght him out into a 〈◊〉 place Now he is free from the bodie of bondage which did hang so fast 〈◊〉 His Soule is set out of the reach of 〈◊〉 troubles and sublunary toyes Now blessed bee our God hee is no 〈◊〉 lyable to our sinfull mortalitie into this earth a gulfe of corruption God at last hath recompenced his light affliction with an euerlasting weight of glorie O but he hath had a painefull time in his sicknes with manie deepe sigh and heauie groane hath hee beene heard in his feares His face could neuer bee dryed for teares continuallie trickling ouer his cheekes Happie is hee now for all the cloudes of his sinnes haue bene dissolued by the raine of mournâ—…full teares where with all Soules must be baptised before that they can be members of the Church Triumphant Now blessed bee God all his teares and his trauels are turned into triumphes If men shedde not â—…eares on earth God cannot wypt them away in heauen All as wee must fight the good fight before â—…hey can catch the Crowne Let vs all learne in him and in â—…his House of mourning to see and conâ—…der the end of vs all that while wee are liuing wee may lay it to our hearts and make it a matter of our nights meditations Happie and thrise happie is hee that can practise that saying of Iob All the dayes of mine appointed time will I waite till changing come It is good that wee euer bee watchfull vpon our guarde well prepared for our last departure and finall accounts No man can â—…ll how soone hee shall bee arraigned in the great
Iudge his Consistorie The day of this life wherein onelie wee can worke declineth a pace The fearfull night cloud hath taken post So soone as it shall come man shall bee discharged to worke any more It is good often to consider le◅ wee should dote and dreame of Immortalitie heere that the short threed of this life will bee soone drawne out to an end that by such thoughts we may learne in time not to bee taken vp with abortiue earthlie pleasures which perish in the budde What is this earth but a muddie myre What is poore mans life on this earth but a map of miserie The best of it is white and blacke checker work mixed with paines pleasures lashes and laughters Euen in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse This godlie mans death should bee warning for vs Death knocking at our neighbours doore should remember vs of our mortalitie There is no case of humane calamitie but it is insident to all In this our old friend wee may see and reade that we haue none abiding heere Hee is nowe gone to his long home by the way of all flesh Aboue the rolling circumference of heauen hee hath found the center of his rest Natures necessitie subjecteth all flesh to mortalitie Hee is gone before vs from the land of the shadowe of death thorow the valey of the shadow of death vnto euerlasting felicitie and we all soone o◅ since must all treade the same way Let vs prouok our watchfulnes with this that wee shall goe to him but hee shall no more come to vs Let vs worke while the day lasteth Before wee bee benighted by death let vs wot where we shall get a lodging So long as wee haue breath and being let vs like Moses bee instant with God in prayer that hee would so teach vs to number our few and euill dayes that vvee may apply our heartes to vvisedome and to vvell doing Wee haue all great neede to goe to this Schoole for the learning of that lesson because death in this narrow passage of mortalitie stealeth vpon vs all with insinsible degrees The course of our dayes is like the course of the Sunne the ruler of the Day whom our owlish eyes cannot perceiue to moue though hee rejoyce as a strong man to runne a race we know him to be more swift than winde yet while wee behold him in his course wee cannot perceiue his motion It is euen so of our life Our dayes runne fast away but wee perceiue not how It is not long that wee stand but when wee beginne to fall wee are like the Yce which thaweth sooner than it froze Our life like smoke or chaffe is carried away as with a gale winde and yet we cannot consider Oh that this meditation like the Rowell of a Spurre could pricke vs forward in our voyage from grace to glorie Nature hath taught the ◅sillie Birdes the Cranne Storke and Swallows our winter strangers to know their seasons As if they had numbered the dayes of their absence they come precisely at their appointed Spring The Salmons also in their season returne to the place where they were spawned They like skilled Airthmeticiens number well the dayes of their absence and for no rubs in the way will they be moued to cracke their tryst All this haue they learned in the Schoole of Nature But men who should haue grace with Nature forget to desire to returne to their God who at the first spawned or as Scripture speaketh breathed within them their liuing Soules Men are often worse than the beasts who wold faine know their duety but cannot Many mē can but will not lik these whom S. Peter calleth Willinglie ignorant The God of grace giue vs wisedome that before our day bee spent and our Sunne set wee may weigh well and consider how wee may so liue to die that wee may die to liue Happie is the man whom God his white man hath in this life marked with the mourning marke The way to Heauen is not so easie as manie dreame Oh how many lets bee within vs and without vs Oh howe manie weightes hang ◅o fast on whereby the vnstable Soule of man is tossed and swayed hither and thither Seeing this holie man of God such a strong Oake hath beene so sore shaken what may we poore little shrubs expect O but we haue great neede to coffer vp some comfortes against the euill day All worldlie helpes depart from vs when we depart out of this life but Gods fauour faileth neuer When all thinges haue forsaken vs then onelie hee will stand by vs and at last will draw vs out of this myrie lake of miserie Happie and thrise happie is the man that is holie heere whome the Spirite of God may point out with an Ecce Behold a true Israelite Such a man after death shall obtaine a name which shall giue him after death a second life O thrise blessed is hee whom God in mercie remoueth in time that his eyes should not see the euill to come The world now is come to its dregs From little to little our zeale is come to its last gaspe Now if euer the Church is a Lillie among the thornes Our sinnes are become like Oakes but our vertues are pinched smal lik graines of mustard seede Wee look in drumblie waters and therefore we cannot see our sinfull blots and blamishes Lord teach vs to grow better that so long as we sojourne in these mansions of dying wightes wee may striue without guile to glid thorow this world that at last following this our olde deare friend wee may come to him and to all the Sainctes into to that celestiall Palace a place of plentie peace and pleasures for euermore Another discourse of the same sort O How hard a thing is it for the liuing to remember that wee are but weedes of a day fading and flying vanities Wee are all heere like poore Trauellers who haue farre to goe and little to spend In our most constant estate below we are like Ionahs gourd that sprang vp into a night withered into another euen a ◅oish vanitie This life said a Father is miserarable Our death is vncertaine If it surprise vs vnawares whither shall wee goe where shal we learne that which wee haue neglected heere Men for the most part wallowing in their sins while they looke most for life are by their expectation surprised of Death But Oh then whether shall they goe Alas that we cannot consider while we haue time and breath Man naturallie is so dull and dumpish that hee cannot imagine that he is possest with a melting mortalitie The best of vs in spirituall matters are pure blind Wee cannot see farre off no that which is neere euen this mortalitie among vs yea within vs That which hath breath can
hardlie thinke of buriall A morning mementomori is not able to waken vs so fast are wee lulled asleepe in carnall securitie euen while the dead Bell soundeth wee forget o◅ niortalitie The House of mourning is become an house of drinking of snuffing and of sneuelling with Tobacca Though wee bee warned wee are not wiser In Solomons dayes the liuing in such places laid such thinges to their heart But alas euen while in the thoughts of the gastlie visage of death we are carrying others to the graue our hearts are not molten and liquified for sinne the cause of our mortalitie While wee put our hand to the Beire wee may get some light sudden flashes of deuotion but anone we forget that within a short time as wee doe to others so shall bee done to vs Euen while wee walke with the dead to the Graue wee dreame of immortalitie forgetting our borrowed dayes If there bee any heate of zeale in our hearts how soone is it cooled Mans heart is like water which as the Learned obserue becommeth more cold after the heating than it was before Such heate because it is not naturall and kindlie but forced by fire it cannot continue but must bee foorth-with extinguished Man is like an Horse that naturallie ◅rots though by industrie hee bee broken and made to ◅mble for a space yet euer and anone hee preaseth to goe out of his amble for to enter into his trot While we are at the Beire and the dead corp◅ in sight an ambling sorrow for a space may make the bowels of our bellie to wamble But haue wee once turned our backe vpon the Graue and wee anone to the olde trot of our former folies While wee should learne to die wee plant our selues in the face and glorie of the world Wee are so troubled with Marthas many things that wee forget Maries best par◅ Many come to their death-bed before that they had euer earnestlie thought of their life They die euen then whē they thought to begin to amend their life Thus as ye see they die deceiued in their delayes they die before they know wherfore they liued Their Sunne setteth while they are entering on the journey The euening of their life is the morning of their task By by base respects their mind◅ are caried on the by Foolish fancie◅ creepe in by stealth slilie insinuate and winde in themselues into their heartes wherein beeing once fast cogged they keepe the minde musing on vanitie till the Sunne of their life bee set While their time is thus spent they can doe nothing but lament the losse of that which they cannot recouer Vitae summa brevis spem Nos vetat in choare longam A short life is not for long and large projects Poore man is sent vnto this world for a great businesse to bee done in a short time Hee must first of all glorifie his God and in that doing hee must worke out the great worke of his Saluation All the time alloted to this businesse is but threescore and ten yeares or foure score at the most But alas most men sleepe both the morning and noone of their life And yet which is worse euen while they see their Sunne going downe and posting to the west they haue no care to redeeme the time At the comming of death their assigned businesse is scarchlie well begunne Most men are so miserablie muffled that they cannot see the sand of their houre glasse in a continuall course Oh that we were wise to bee forearmed for death whereof wee are forewarned As the Cananitish woman picked comfort out of the reproachful name of Dogge so out of all thinges should wee without daintie nicenesse bee storing vp comforts for to vphold vs in our last and most heauie houre But Oh where is the man who in time is carefull to redeeme his euill idly spent houres O foolish man fye vpon thee shall the sickle follie of an houre cost thee the lose of that glorious immortalitie Wilt thou not thinke in time that grimme Death shall come at last like an armed man for to bereaue thee of thy Soule thou neither can tell how when nor where Happie is that man whose journey time businesse and breath are finished together Happie shall that t◅yst be when these foure shall finish in immortalitie It is good that in time wee set all the powers of our Soule vpon Christ that out of his Sacred person wee may suck the influence of his goodnesse whereby wee may bee saued from the traines treasons of the Deuill He is euer readie to strik fyre with his frezell and his flint if wee will find him tinder Oh that our hearts continuallie could minde things that are aboue All things below are vnconstant as water they sl◅d away but Gods fauour is more fixed than Mount Syon What an heart-scald should this bee vnto vs that wee haue so long neglected this best part not remembering our latter end Let vs now therefore consider in time that wee are all into this world but Tenants at will Prince people great and small all must leaue this Cottage of clay at the first warning Pale Death at its first approach will anone change the copie of their countenance Stat sua cuique dies Euerie mans day is set None can transgresse his appointed houre God absolutelie at Death must bee obeyed None by force or fauour may sit his summonds Wee by the death of others are all lawfullie forewarned to flit remoue All things aboue vs beneath vs about vs cry vnto vs that wee must shortly leaue this world for to goe sleepe in slime No contentment of man below can out-last the date of foure score year◅s O Lord open our eyes that we may see how the sickle figure of this world passeth away Happie and thrise happie is hee who after the bitter and bloodie Battell of this life is with olde Simeon departed in peace As the life of the godlie is gracious so is their death precious This wee learne in Scripture Precious to the Lord is the death of his Sainctes But as for all the wicked who while they liued did justle out of their hearts all feare of God they shall be so wrapped in his wrath that their hearts shall bee slitted with sorrow While the godlie with Elias shall bee princelie carried into Gods royall Coach vnto heauen the wicked Ahab shall be sent into a bloodie Charet vnto hell depriued of all these comforts which they on earth did most eagerlie desire All their princelie pleasures shall be followed with pinching paines Such will boast boldlie before death come but at the slight and light touch of a Feuer or Fluxe they quickelie plucke in their snailes hornes like Ahab lowring in sacke-cloth When sicknesse beginneth to lay siege to their noble parts they weakly waile womanly lament Then know they but too late that