THE SOVLES LIFE Exercising it selfe in the sweet Fields of Divine Meditations and Prayers Collected for the comfort of all those who willingly adventure their lives for the defence of the Gospel in these blood-thirsty times of War LONDON Printed for R. Harper and are to be sold at his shop in Smithfield 1645. The Printer to the Reader VVHen this Booke came into my hands by means of a wel-wishing friend after I had perused it and the Title thereof I thought it very sitting as well in regard of the Subject being Divine Meditations as of the devotion and intent of the Religious Author to raise up the mindes of men from the troublesome thoughts of these tempestuous times that their Soules sole hope might take Anchor hold upon God The Subject of our Meditation is divers as also of our prayer and thanksgiving in regard whereof Hilary compareth the Psalmes of David to a bunch of keyes which as by severall doors give us accesse to God as some admiring him in his creatures and wonderfull works some of thanksgiving for his mercyes and wonderfull deliverance of his people the children of Israell others of exhortation to al Nations to know and rejoyce in him and the like Meditation it is true though it be most proper to the private and solitary Soule retired from worldly affairs and busines yet is it a duty most necessary for all the servants of God at all times and in all places wheresoever to exercise themselves in Isaac we read went out to meditate at the eventide Gen. 24. 63. When I remember thee upon my bed saith David Ps 63. 6 and meditate upon thee in the night watches So that Meditation being so generally necessary for every true servant of God a Subject of such excellent use worth I could not but publish this to the view of the world though the pious Authors modesty is such that he could be content to live sibi notus ignotus aliis Farewell The Soules Life MEDITATION I. Meditations and confessions of mans sinfull wayes O Blessed God when I consider with my self how I have spent my time nay rather mis spent it I tremble for when I should have served thee my God I served mine owne lusts and evill affections I walked too often in the vanity of mine owne wayes and hearkened not to thy will and Commandements which should have been as a lanthorn and light to guide mee in those darker pathes It hath been mine unhappy errour to minde more the things of the world then the things which concerne thee I confesse O Lord that I have offended thee in all my wayes both in thought word and deed and have served the creature more then the Creator But O Lord I humbly beg pardon of thee who art the God of mercy Pardon therfore my misdeeds I beseech thee and cast not away thy servant in displeasure O Lord I come unto thee upon the bended knees of my heart and cry with the Publican Lord be mercifull unto me a sinner for I know O Lord thou delightest not in the death of a sinner but that he should repent and be saved Save me therefore O Lord and make my wayes so direct for the time to come that I may keepe thy commandements and that I may doe nothing but that which is acceptable in thy sight make me humble for thou standest afarre off from the proud make both my soul and body as they ought to be a fit Temple for the Holy Ghost out of which do thou O Christ drive away all worldly thoughts and vaine imaginations chase buiers and sellers of my heavenly treasure and make me meditate on things above Clense me O Lord from all filthinesse of sinne and evill concupiscence and grant that for the time to come I may serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life that when death shall ceaze on my body my soule may without fear rejoyce long to be with thee my Saviour and Redeemer there to enjoy that happines and blisse which thou hast prepared for them that love thee MEDITAT II. Meditations of a penitent sinner hoping for pardon through the merits of Christ O Lord how are my daies wasted and come to an end even as a dreame that is told how doe my nights passe away and are not to be recall'd againe and how doe I forget what I have done against thee my God the sinnes alas that I have committed are as innumerable as the sand on the sea shore not to be numbred by any but thy justice and what account shall I make to thee O Lord when this tabernacle of mine shall bee dissolved and my soule appeare before thy Majesty at the last and dreadfull day of judgement where all that I have done shall be laid open and shall be as so many witnesses against me and I not able to answer one of a thousand what shall I doe Lord or whither shall I go for succour no place can hide me from thy presence for thou fillest all places and art not excluded from any place therefore I have no place to flie from thy justice O Lord I beseech thee to remember the pretious bloud of thy dear Son which was shed for me his bloud is a sufficient ransome for the whole world and for as many worlds as there are people therefore O Lord I will not despaire of a share in my Saviours sufferings he dyed as well for me as for others and I hope through his merits I shall be saved therefore I beseech thee O my Saviour answer for me and plead thou my cause for in thee alone shall I be reconciled to my God and shall have forgivenesse of all my sins be they never so many or grievous Therefore O my Soule be not dismaied but comfort thy selfe in thy Saviour for in stead of punishment thou shalt have a reward thy reward shall be a Crowne of everlasting glory thy reward shall bee the rewarder even God himselfe thou shalt see and enjoy him whom none can see and not be blessed thou shalt see and enjoy the fellowship of all the blessed Apostles the holy Angels and Saints of God and shalt sing Hallelujahs and prayses to the heavenly King for ever and ever MEDITAT III. Meditations of the wonderfull goodnesse and love of God to mankinde O God how wonderfull art thou in thy works in wisdome hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy riches and so is the great and wide Sea also this was thy great care and providence to mankinde that before the creation of man thou createdst all things for his use before thou sentest him into the world to the end he might not perish but be relieved with all things necessary convenient and delightfull for him O God when I see the fields cloathed with corne it makes my heart rejoyce with an exceeding great joy and when I think thereupon I consider with my selfe it was thy providence that provided that for me
Christ that price of thy redemption Therefore endeavour O man before it be too late to make thy calling and election sure so shalt thou bee happy both here and eternally blest hereafter MEDITAT XII Meditations of the ingratitude of friends VVHat cause hast thou to build upon the friendship or favour of man I confesse when they see thee in prosperity wanting nothing then they will bee ready to offer their service and thou shalt have all the friendship and favour they can doe thee I can compare this friendship to no fitter thing then the casting of water into the Sea that needs it not but give me that man who will relieve thee in thy poverty yea when all friends and acquaintance forsake thee one dram of that mans friendship is worth a thousand of those friends But when I consider that man that hath been beneficiall to others nay hath been secondarily the cause of all they have and those friends to cast him off in his poverty and prove worse to him then strangers nay oftentimes become his enemies O God what ingratitude is this Surely these people have neither charity humanity nor any brotherly affection and are farre worse in their nature then brute beasts for they helpe and succour one another at all times O God let me cleave only to thee and thy providence and then I am sure to have a friend at all times I need not feare poverty nor ingratitude of friends if I depend upon thee I am sure to want nothing I shall have riches friends peace plenty and joy in the Holy Ghost I shall have all contentment that can be imagined I beseech thee O Lord to mold and fashion mee as thou wouldest have mee to bee then shall I in prosperity remember that all I have comes from thee O God and shall alway be mindfull to give thee thanks for those blessings I enjoy And in adversity I shall humble my selfe under the mighty hand of thee O God and shall acknowledge that my sins have justly deserved those sufferings and shall patiently wait upon thee O Lord untill thou have mercy casting all my care upon thee who abundantly providest for all those that put their trust in thee MEDITAT XIII Meditations of the vanity of Pride O God when I consider what man is in himself what a poore fraile weake and miserable creature hee is not able so much as to thinke one good thought of himselfe much lesse to do any thing that is good it makes me wonder how hee can be proud or what hee should bee proud of Is it thy cloaths thou vaine man that puffe thee up to pride thou hast little or no cause for that for thou art beholding to the wormes and beasts of the field for them they are but the rags they cast off therefore thou hast no cause to bee proud of them Is it thy learning knowledge wit and memory or any other endowment Surely thou mayest not be prond of these for what hast thou that thou hast not received if thou hast received those things from God why dost thou boast Is it thy riches store of bags and great posessions thy honour beauty or person Alas poor man deceive not thy selfe for those things cannot last long this night thy soule may bee taken from thee and what art thou the better for those things which of necessity thou must leave behinde thee nay rather how much worse art thou by the possession of those things which thou hast imployed to thy owne destruction Now mayest thou clearly know and understand that thou hast no cause to be thus exalted and the Scripture saith That the beginning of Pride is when a man departeth from God if it be so what a miserable case art thou in for surely if thou leavest God he will leave thee and if he leave thee what joy or comfort canst thou have in thy garments wit or learning or in thy riches honour or beauty or in any other thing nay what discomforts shall attend thee when thou pondrest with thy selfe that thou art a lost man and hast forsaken thy God who is the fountaine of riches honour beauty peace and plenty and from whom commeth every good and perfect gift how sad will thy soule be when it is bereft of all heavenly comfort how fearfull will the very name of death bee unto thee when thou shalt consider that thy soule shall after this life remain in hell for ever being deprived of all hope of comfort unlesse thou repent Consider therefore these things thou proud man and humble thy selfe betimes cast away all vaine imaginations of Pride and serve thy God with feare and reverence with meeknesse and true sorrow for thy sinnes and then shalt thou bee happy both here and hereafter MEDITAT XIV Meditations of Summer and Winter O God I cannot but admire the wonderfull goodnesse of thy providence to us miserable sinners what care thou hast O my God to provide all things necessary and delightfull for us With what joy doe we welcome Summer after a cold Winter and certaine it is we are not able to live without it doe but see how many thousands of acres all growne with corne see all trees herbes flowers pasture and all manner of green things each striving to set forth other see the birds how sweetly they chirp and welcome both Spring and Summer with their warbling notes see how that glorious lampe the Sunne cheers all creatures with his bright beams how temperate and delightfull is the aire inviting every man to take the benefit of it in the sweet meadows bedecked with variety of flowers the pleasantnesse of this time is such that a man could wish it would last ever but on a sudden after all these comforts joyes profits and delights we forget them and him that sent them then comes in cold hoary Winter that bereaves us of these delights see how all things change their hew how dull and dead doe the trees meadows and all other things looke the discomfort is such that men are unwilling to behold them how sad and dull are the birds as if they had lost their quality of warbling how dead and dolefull doth every thing appeare to us how blacke and dungeon-like are the long and cold winter nights Methinks this sudden alteration should put us in minde of our prosperity and adversity how doe men flourish in prosperity having all things at will how do they abound in their great possessions of lands and houses having coyne at all times to purchase all the delights the world can afford and the ingratitude of these men is such that they forget him that gave it them then comes in the cold winter of adversity that changeth their hue and plungeth them into a world of dolours and griefs then how unwilling are they to appeare to the world hiding themselves like an Owle in a bush how sad and dejected are they for want of those things which heretofore they did abound in O God thou in
many that scarce make any conscience how they come by their wealth they will cousen their friend their kins-man nay their owne father if it lye in their way and will venter both soule and body rather then faile of their desires What delight doe they take in the sight of their musty bags and what pleasure have they â—â— their gold no musicke in the world is so delightfull to them as the chinking of this fine dirt But what saith our Saviour Where your treasure is there are your hearts also and againe How hard is it for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heaven it is easier for a Camell to go through a needles eye then for a rich man to come there if it be so have a care thou worldling that thou art not snatched away from thy riches before thou hast made thy peace with thy God Set not thy heart too much upon those things thou canst not keep and remember that God sent thee not into the world to serve only thy selfe and thy covetous desires but to doe him service and to lay up treasure in Heaven for thy soules good I dislike not an honest and lawfull gain and true it is that it is a glory to a Nation to bee rich they may doe much good with it both to King and Kingdome they may build Hospitalls Schooles and Almes-houses they may erect houses to set the poore on worke they may relieve the widow the fatherlesse and all that stand in need If they imploy it thus they doe well but let them have a care they get their wealth honestly and conscionably otherwise all this will doe them no good Therefore be sure thou covetous man to preferre God and his service in the first place for otherwise thou robbest him of his honour and endangerest thine owne soul which Christ died for MEDITAT XVIII Meditations of the feare of death O God! with what dread do men expect death how loath are they to quit this their earthly Tabernacle Methinkes it is an ill signe either that they have not lived so well as they should have done or they love the world too well to part with it For mine owne part I see nothing in the world that should so invite mee to imbrace it I meet with nothing but care trouble vexations sorrow and a world of miseries O God I certainly know that the thing I most delight in I am weary of on a suddain and I find it a burden to me Perhaps some will say I have riches in abundance so that I can purchase all the delights the world can afford But what saith Solomon that exceeded all the world in wisdome riches honour and all delights whatsoever All is vanity saith he and vexation of spirit Suppose thou dost enjoy all these things they cannot last long they are but moment any either they are taken from thee or thou from them for David saith Thine age is but a span long therefore thou canst not possesse them long It may be this day thy soule shall be taken from thee nay perhaps this night it may bee this very houre therefore there is no cause why thou shouldest bee unwilling to part with that which thou art not sure of one houre and if thou hast lived well surely the very thought of death will be a great comfort to thee and death it self a welcome guest For certainly all the life of man is but labour and sorrow and where a man enjoyes one comfort he hath a thousand discomforts for it and there is no true comfort nor perfection in this world Consider therefore that thy dayes are few and thy griefes many wherefore then wouldest thou live O God! who would not exchange a miserable wretched world for a heavenly Kingdome who would not bee willing to leave the society of wicked and ungodly men to enjoy thee who would not gladly leave his riches honour and vaine delights to enjoy him who is the fountaine of everlasting riches honour and delight and to bee among the Angells and Saints of God where is all joy and no sorrow where thou shalt bee satisfied with all things thou desirest and there shall be no end of thy happines thou shalt follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth and shalt bee ravished with exceeding great joy and delight in him that liveth for evermore MEDITAT XIX Meditations on the same Subject with satisfaction to him that fears death THou O man what soever thou art that feares to dye what canst thou say for thy selfe perhaps thou wilt say thou fearest the pangs of death or that thou art unwilling to leave thy profits pleasures and delights of the world or it may bee thou art doubtfull whither thy soule shall goe after death To rhe first I answer That true it is the pangs of death are great but they endure not long I am perswaded that there are many torments in this world that are as great and are of a longer durance as for example a fit of the stone or gout or the paines of a woman in her travell These I conceive are no lesse torments of longer continuance and this is certaine that many men dye with lesser pain then any of these inflict for I have observed they lye quietly seldome or never complaining and so depart without either groane or sigh if this be true as I am sure it is thou hast no cause to fear death Then thou wilt say thou art unwilling to leave thy profits pleasures and delights of the world Certainly there can bee no profit pleasure or delight here that can be compared to those in heaven where thou shalt have the Kingdome of heaven for thy possession a Crowne of glory for thy reward with true pleasures and blisse for evermore The profits of the world are but for a short time but those are for eternity and surely if the profits and delights of this world please thee so much as that thou art unwilling to leave them without all question those in heaven will much more delight thee and they must needs be far exceeding these where God himselfe is in a more speciall manner then upon earth Perhaps thou wilt say my soule is safe here but when it shall depart from my body I know not whither it goeth Thou vaine man how hast thou spent thy time hast thou served thy God as thou oughtest hast thou visited the fatherlesse and widow in their afflictions hast thou kept thy selfe unspotted of the world If thou hast done these things thy soule shall as surely goe to heaven even as sure as thy body is here upon earth for the Scripture saith He that beleeveth in me althogh he dye yet shall he live And Iob saith My Redeemer liveth and I shall see him with these eyes O thou vaine man now hast thou no excuse for thy selfe thou needst not feare the pangs of death nor be unwilling to leave the profits and pleasures of the world neither needs thou doubt whither thy
soule goeth for certainly it shall bee with God for ever in Heaven where it shall enjoy the society of all the blessed Saints and Angels where it shall have riches honour peace and plenty where this soule shall bee ravished in her fruition which fruition like herselfe shall bee everlasting MEDITAT XX. Meditations of the joyes of Heaven reserved for the godly THe joyes that are prepared for the Elect are infinite beyond the capacity of any mortall man to conceive but so farre as they are revealed in the holy Scripture I may safely set downe here First that as soone as thy soule is departed from the body it goeth to Heaven where thou shalt see God thy Creator and Protector the Sonne thy Redeemer and Intercessor the Holy Ghost thy comforter and directer where thou shalt see Angels Archangels Vertues Powers Principalities Dominations Thrones Cherubins and Seraphins and these are a multitude of the heavenly hoast who are alway praysing God Thou shalt see the Celestiall Citizens arrayed in comely Robes of linnen pure and white like their innocency These are the soules of just and perfect men which even in the very in stant of departure from this life are presented by the Angels to their Saviour and by him adorned with these invaluable Robes of Righteousnesse Here mayest thou see the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Virgins and besides these an innumerable multitude of all Nations Kindreds and People and Tongues standing before the Throne of God and before the Lamb with palmes in their hands in token of assured victory and crying with a loud voice Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb And thou mayest heare all the Angels answering and saying Blessing and glory and wisdome and thanksgiving and honour and power and might bee unto God for ever and ever when God shall wipe away all teares from thine eyes and there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away Oh God! what soule would not desire to be uncloathed to be cloathed upon to be at rest with thee to enjoy all this happines which farre exceeds any happines we can possibly thinke off Be joyfull and glad O my soule for thou hast a Kingdome provided for thee a Crowne of glory a place where all joy and blisse abounds This world is but dung and drosse in comparison of it therefore mind not the world nor worldly things but let thy conversation be in Heaven let thy sole delight be there think upon it continually and give thy soule no ease nor rest till it attaine that eternall rest MEDITAT XXI Meditations of mans vain mispending his time HOw comes it to passe that many men set their hearts and sole delight upon the world and worldly things neglecting the service of God and their souls good spending the greatest part of their time in carking and caring how they shall gaine riches being never satisfied with that portion of meanes God hath lent them but coveting for more and more as if they made this world the end of their happinesse Others there are that spend most of their time in the pleasures and delights of the world as if they were sent hither to no other end and purpose but to serve their own vaine wills and filthy desires sporting and delighting themselves in courting of women in chambring and wantonnesse in lusts and evill affections setting their hearts wholly upon the pleasures and delights of the world and so trifle out their owne time Suâ—e these men know not what the power of religion is for if they did they would consider that this is no abiding place they must not remaine here long this is not their home their home is Heaven But let me tell this sort of men they are travellers and pilgrims and if they loyter and wander out of the way perhaps they may come short of home O God what soul content can these men have when they shall consider seriously how they have spent their time what account will they make when thou O God shalt reckon with them for all the sinnes that ever they committed what a sad and dismall day will that be when they will not be able to answer one of a thousand how terrible will it be to thinke on the torments of Hell where there is nothing but howling and crying weeping and gnashing of teeth and where those torments shall be everlasting how sad will they be to thinke how they have neglected the service of God and their souls good in pleasing themselves with their ungodly vanities Consider these things in time all yee that forget God and be sure to spend your time in his service casting away all covetous desires and worldly vanities then shall you bee right Pilgrims and Travellers indeed and shall never goe out of your way your journey shall bee pleasant and delightfull to the end your home shall be Heaven and your entertainment shall be riches honour delight and pleasures for evermore Such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor ever hath entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that love him MEDITAT XXII Meditations on the sight of a pleasant Garden MEE thinkes when I come into a faire and pleasant Garden and see the infinit varieties of flowers and herbs I cannot but admire the wonderfull goodnesse of God his power wisdome and love to mankinde I cannot but consider that these things had never been but for the bountifull providence of the Almighty intending the good of his creature man How pleasant and delightfull are these flowers to the eye we see various sorts of them yet not one like the other See the rarenesse of their dresse the beauteous variety of their colours how richly they are set forth and shadowed no Painter in the world is able to come neare them for excellency Art is but Natures ape doe but pluck them and make them into a Nose-gay and you shall see a most glorious shew and the scent of them will infinitly delight you See the different sorts of herbs they are all greene and yet if you view them well you shall find them all differ both in colour and fashion How pleasant and delightfull are they to the eye and scent nay that is not all they are usefull to some for food others for physick and many for green wounds and bruises nay the natures and uses of them all are not knowne to the rarest and most learned Herballist or Physitian in the world certainly none ever knew them rightly but King Solomon See the goodnesse of God to his people how he doth not only provide cloathing food and such necessaries but sends things delightfull medicinall and healing too My thinks this Garden puts me in minde of that heavenly Garden of Gods Word you may see there varieties of comfortable flowers both for soule and body and for all necessities There you may see