We scarce heare of any man preferred but wee thinke of our selues that wee might very well haue beene that Man Why might not I haue beene that Man that is carried to his graue now Could I â—it my selfe to stand or sit in any Mans place not to lie in any mans graue I may lacke much of the good parts of the meanest but I lâ—cke nothing of the mortality of the weakest Thâ—y may haue acquired better abilities than I but I was borne to as many infirmities as they To be an incumbent by lying down in a graue to be a Doctor by teaching Mortiâ—ication by Example by dying though I may haue seniors others may be elder than I yet I haue proceeded apace in a good Vniuersity and gone a great way in a little time by the furtherance of a vehement feuer and whomsoeuer these Bells bring to the ground to day if hee and I had beene compared yesterday perchance I should haue been thought likelier to come to this preferment then than he God hath kept the power of death in his owne hands lest any Man should bribe death If man knew the gaine of death the ease of death he would solicite he would prouoke death to assist him by any â—and which he might vse But as when men see many of their owne professions preferd it ministers a hope that that may light vpon them so when these hourely Bells tell me of so many funerals of men like me it presents if not a desire that it may yet a comfort whensoeuer mine shall come 16. EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God I doe not expostulate with thee but with them who dare doe that Who dare expostulate with thee when in the voice of thy Church thou giuest allowance to this Ceremony of Bells at funeralls Is it enough to refuse it because it was in vse amongst the Gentiles so were funeralls too Is it because some abuses may haue crept in amongst Christians Is that enough that their ringing hath been said to driue away euill spirits Truly that is so farre true as that the euill spirit is vehemently vexed in their ringing therefore because that action brings the Congregation together and vnites God and his people to the destruction of that Kingdome which the euill spirit vsurps In the first institution of thy Church in this world in the foundation of thy Militant Church amongst the Iewes thou didst appoint the calling of the assembly in to bee by Trumpet and when they were in then thou gauest them the sound of Bells in the garment of thy Priest â— In the Triumphant Church thou imploiest both too but in an inuerted Order we enter into the Triumphant Church by the sound of Bells for we enter when we die And then we receiue our further edification or consummation by the sound of Trumpets at the Resurrection The sound of thy Trumpets thou didst impart to secular aâ—d ciuill vses too but the sound of Bells onely to sacred Lord let not vs breake the Communion of Saints in that which was intended for the aduancement of it let not that pull vs asunder froÌ„ one another which was intended for the assembling of vs in the Militant and associating of vs to the Triumphant Church But he for whose funerall these Bells ring now was at home at his iournies end yesterday why ring they now A Man that is a world is all the things in the world Hee is an Army and when an Army marches the Vaunt may lodge to night where the Reare comes not till to morrow A man extends to his Act and to his example to that which he does and that which he teaches so doe those things that concerne him so doe these bells That which rung yesterday was to conuay him out of the world in his vaunt in his souleâ— that which rung to day was to bring him in his Reare in his body to the Church And this continuing of ringing after his entring is to bring him to mee in the application Where I lie I could heare the Psalme and did ioine with the Congregation in it but I could not heare the Sermon and these latter bells are a repetition Sermon to mee But O my God my God doe I that haue this feauer need other remembrances of my Mortalitie Is not mine owne hollow voice voice enough to pronounce that to me Need I looke vpon a Deaths-head in a Ring that haue one in my face or goe for death to my Neighbours house that haue him in my bosome We cannot wee cannot O my God take in too many helps for religious duties I know I cannot haue any better Image of thee than thy Sonne nor any better Image of him than his Gospell yet must not I with thanks confesse to thee that some historicall pictures of his haue sometimes put mee vpon better Meditations than otherwise I should haue fallen vpon I know thy Church needed not to haue taken in from Iew or Gentile any supplies for the exaltation of thy glory or our deuotion of absolute necessitie I know â—hee needed not But yet wee owe thee our thanks that thou hast giuen her leaue to doe so and that as in making vs Christians thou diddest not destroy that which wee were before naturall men so in the exalting of our religious deuotions noâ— we are Christians thou hast beene pleased to continue to vs those assistances which did worke vpon the affections of naturall men before for thou louest a good man as thou louest a good Christian and though Grace bee meerely from thee yet thou doest not plant Grace but in good natures 16. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who hauing consecrated our liuing bodies to thine owne Spirit and made vs Temples of the holy Ghost doest also requirâ— a respect to bee giuen to these Temples euen when the Priest is gone out of them To these bodies when the soule is departed from them I blesse and glorifie thy Name that as thou takest care in our life of euery haire of our head so doest thou also of euery graine of ashes after our death Neither doest thou only doe good to vs all in life and death but also wouldest haue vs doe good to one another as in a holy life so in those things which accompanie our death In that Contemplation I make account that I heare this dead brother of ours who is now carried out to his buriall to speake to mee and to preach my funerall Sermon in the voice of these Bells In him O God thou hast accomplished to mee euen the request of Diues to Abraham Thou hast sent one from the dead to speake vnto mee He speakes to mee aloud from that steeple hee whispers to mee at these Curtaines and hee speaks thy words Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Let this praier therfore O my God be as my last gaspe my expiring my dying in thee That if this bee the houre of my transmigration I may die the
vnto me if I bee aloneâ— Elias himselfe fainteâ— vnder that appreheÌ„sionâ— Loe I am left alone anâ— Martha murmured at that and said to Christ Lord doest not thou care that my sister hath left me to serue alone Neither could Ieremiah enter into his LameÌ„tations from a higher grouÌ„d then to say How doth the citie sit solitary that was full of people O my God it is the Leper that thou hast coÌ„demned to liue alone Haue â— such a Leprosie in my Soule that I must die alone alone without thee Shall this come to such a Leâ—rosie in my body that I must die â—â—lone Alone withoâ—â— them that should assiâ—â— that shold comfort mâ—â— But comes not this Eâ—â—postulation too neere murmuring Must I bâ—â— coÌ„cluded with that thâ—â— Moses was commaunded 〈◊〉 come neere the Lord alonâ—â— That solitarines dâ—â—reliction and abandoâ—ning of others disposeâ— vs best for God who acâ—coÌ„panies vs most alonâ—â— May I not remember apply to that thoghâ— God come not to Iacob till he found him alone â—et when he found him alone hee wrestled with him and lamed him That when in the dereliction and forsaking of friends and Phisicians a man is left alone to God God may so wrestle with this Iacob with this Conscience as to put it out of ioynt so appeare to him as that he dares not looke vpon him face to face when as by way of reflection in the consolation of his temporall or spirituall seruants and ordinances hee durst 〈◊〉 they were there But â— faithfull friend is the phisicke of life and they thâ— feare the Lord shall find him Therefore hath thâ— Lord afforded me boâ—â— in one person that Phâ—â—sician who is my faithâ—full friend 5. PRAYER O Eternall and moâ—â— gracious God whâ—â— calledst down fire from Heauen vpon the sinfuâ—â— Cities but once and opâ—â—nedst the Earth to swallow the Murmurers but once â— and threwst down the Tower of Siloe vpon sinners but once but for thy workes of mercie repeatest them often still workest by thine owne paternes as thou broghtest Man into this world by giuing him a helper fit for him here â—o whether it bee thy will to continue mee â—ong thus or to dismisse me by death be pleased to afford me the helpes fit for both conditions either for my weak staâ— here or my finall tranâ—â—migration from henceâ— And if thou mayest râ—â—ceiue glory by that waâ—â— and by all wayes thoâ—â— maist receiue glory glâ—â—rifie thy selfe in preserâ—uing this body from sucâ— infections as mighâ— withhold those whâ— would come or in daâ—â—ger theÌ„ who doe comeâ— and preserue this soule 〈◊〉 the faculties thereof frâ—â— all such distempers 〈◊〉 might shake the assuâ—rance which my selfe others haue had that because thou hast loued me thou wouldst loue me to my end and at my end Open none of my dores not of my hart not of mine eares not of my house to any supplanter that would enter to vndermine me in my Religion to thee in the time of my weaknesse or to defame me magnifie himselfe with false rumors of such a victory surprisall of me after I am dead Be my saluation and plead my saluation work it and declaâ—â— it and as thy triumphaâ—â— shall be so let the Mâ—â—tant Church bee assureâ— that thou wast my 〈◊〉 and I thy seruant to anâ— in my consummatioâ— Blesse thou the learning and the labours of thâ—â— Man whoÌ„ thou sendeâ—â— to assist me and sincâ— thou takest mee by thâ— hand puttest me intâ— his hands for I come tâ— him in thy name who in thy name comes tâ— me since I clog not mâ— hopes in him no nor my â—â—ayers to thee with any â—â—mited conditions but â—wrap all in those two â—etitions Thy kingdome â—â—me thy will be done proâ—er him and relieue â—â—e in thy way in thy â—â—me and in thy meaâ—â—re Amen 6. Metuit The Phisician is afraid 6. MEDITATION â— Obserue the Phisician with the same â—iligence as hee the disâ—ase I see hee feares â—nd I feare with him I ouertake him I ouem him in his feare anâ— go the faster becauseâ— makes his pace slowâ— feare the more becaâ—â—â— he disguises his fear 〈◊〉 I see it with the moâ—â— sharpnesse because 〈◊〉 would not haue me 〈◊〉 it He knowes that 〈◊〉 feare shall not disordâ—â—â— the practise and exerciâ—â—â— of his Art but he knoâ—â— that my fear may disoâ—â—der the eâ—fect and woâ—â—king of his practise 〈◊〉 the ill affections of 〈◊〉 spleene complicate anâ— â—ingle themselus with â—â—ery infirmitie of the â—â—dy so doth feare insiâ—â—at it â—elf in euery actiâ—â— or passion of the mind â—nd as wind in the body â—ill counterfet any disâ—ase and seem the Stone â—eem the Gout so feare will counterfet any disâ—ase of the Mind It shall â—eeme loue a loue of hauing and it is but a fear a iealous and suspitious â—eare of loosing It shall â—eem valor in despising and vnderualuing danger and it is but feare in an ouer-valuing of â—â—â—â—nion and estimation and feare of loosing that man that is not afraidâ— a Lion is afraid of a 〈◊〉 not afraid of staruiâ—â— yet is afraid of soâ—â— ioynt of meat at the tabâ—â— presented to feed hiâ— not afraid of the soâ—â—â— of Drummes and Truâ—â—pets and Shot and thoâ—â— which they seeke 〈◊〉 drowne the last cries oâ— men and is afraid 〈◊〉 some particular harmâ—â—nious instrument â— so mucâ— afraid as that with anâ— of these the enemy might â—riue this maÌ„ otherwise â—aliant enough out of â—â—e field I know not what fear is nor I know â—ot what it is that I fear â—ow I feare not the hastening of my death and yet I do fear the increase â—f the disease I should â—elie Nature if I should deny that I feard this â—f I should say that I feaâ—ed death I should belye God My weaknesse is â—rom Nature who hath â—ut her Measure my â—trength is from God who possesses distriâ—butes infinitely As the euery cold ayre is noâ— dampe euery shiuering not a stupefaction so eueâ—ry feare is not a feareâ—â—â—nes euery declinationâ— not a running away â—â—uery debating is not resoluing euery wisâ— that it were not thus â— not a murmuring noâ— deiection though it bâ—â— thus but as my Phisiciâ—â— fear puts not him froâ— his practise neither doâ—â— mine put me from râ—â—ceiuing from God anâ— Man and my selfe spirituâ—ll and ciuill and morall â—ssistances and consoâ—ations 6. EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God I find in thy Booke that â—eare is a stifling spirit a spirit of suffocation That â—â—shbosheth could not speak not reply in his own defence â—o Abner because hee was â—fraid It was thy seruaÌ„t â—obs case too who before hee could say any â—hing to thee saies of thee Let him take his rod awaâ— froÌ„ me and let not his fearâ— terrifie mee then would speake with him and 〈◊〉 feare him but it is not â—â— with mee Shall a feare 〈◊〉 thee take away my dâ—â—uotioÌ„ to thee Dost
Seuenth day my Euerlasting Saboth in thy rest thâ— glory thy ioy thy sight thy sâ—lfe and where I shall liue as long without reckning any more Dayes after as thy Sonne and thy Holy Spirit liued with thee before you three made any Dayes in the Creation 14. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who though thou didst permit darknesse to be before light in the Creation yet in the making of light didst so multiplie that light as that it enlightned not the day only but the night too though thou haue suffered some dimnesse some clouds of sadnesse disconsolatenesse to shed themselues vpon my soule I humbly blesse and thankfully glorifie thy holy name that thou hast afforded mee the light of thy spirit against which the prince of darkenesse cannot preuaile nor hinder his illumination of our darkest nights of our saddest thoughts Euen the visitation of thy most blessed Spirit vpon the blessed Virgin is called an ouershadowing There waâ— the presence of the Holy Ghost the fountaine of all light and yet an ouershadowing Nay except there were some light there could bee no shadow Let thy mercifull prouidence so gouerne all in this sicknesse that I neuer fall into vtter darknesse ignorance of thee or inconsideration of my selfe and let those shadowes which doe fall vpon mee faintnesses of Spirit and condemnations of my selfe bee ouercome by the power of thine irresistible light the God of consolation that when those shadowes haue done their office vpon mee to let me see that of my selfe I should fall into irrecouerable darknesse thy spirit may doe his office vpon those shadowes and disperse them and establish mee in so bright a day here as may bee a Criticall day to me a day wherein and whereby I may giue thy Iudgement vpon my selfe and that the words of thy sonne spoken to his Apostles may reflect vpon me Bâ—hold I am with you alwaies euen to the end of the world Intereà insomnes noctes Ego duco Diesque I sleepe not day nor night 15. MEDITATION NAturall Men haue coÌ„ceiued a two fold vse of sleepe That it is a refreshing of the body in this life That it is a preparing of the soule for the next That it is a feast and it is the Grace at that feast That it is our recreation and cheeres vs and it is our Catechisme and instructs vs wee lie downe in a hope that wee shall rise the stronger and we lie downe in a knowledge that wee may rise no more Sleepe is an Opiate which giues vs rest but such an Opiate as perchance being vnder it we shall wake no more But though naturall men who haue induced secondary and figuratiue considerations haue found out this second this emblematicall vse of sleepe that it should be a representation of death God who wrought and perfected his worke before Nature began for Nature was but his apprentice to learne in the first seuen daies and now is his foreman and works next vnder him God I say intended sleepe onely for the refreshing of man by bodily rest and not for a figure of death for he intended not death it selfe then But Man hauing induced death vpon himselfe God hath taken Mans Creature death into his hand and mended it and whereas it hath in it selfe a fearefull forme and aspect so that Man is afraid of his own Creature God presents it to him in a familiar in an assiduous in an agreeable and acceptable forme in sleepe that so when hee awakes from sleepe and saies to himselfe shall I bee no otherwise when I am dead than I was euen now when I was asleep hee may bee ashamed of his waking dreames and of his Melancholique fancying out a horâ—id and an affrightfull figure of that death which is so like sleepe As then wee need sleepe to liue out our threescore and ten yeeres so we need death to liue that life which we cannot out-liue And as death being our enemie God allowes vs to defend our selues against it for wee victuall ouâ— selues against death twice euery day as often as we eat so God hauing so sweetned death vnto vs as hee hath in sleepe wee put our selues into our Enemies hands once euery day so farre as sleepe is death and sleepe is as much death as meat is life This then is the misery of my sicknesse That death as it is produced from mee and is mine owne Creature is now before mine Eies but in that forme in which God hath mollified it to vs and made it acceptable in sleepe I cannot see it how many prisoners who haue euen hollowed themselues their graues vpon that Earth on which they haue lion long vnder heauie fetters yet at this houre are â—sleepe though they bee yet working vpon their owne graues by their owne waight hee that hath seene his friend die to day or knowes hee shall see it to morrow yet will sinke into a sleepe betweene I cannot and oh if I be entring now into Eternitie where there shall bee no more distinction of houres why is it al my businesse now to tell Clocks why is none of the heauinesse of my heart dispensed into mine Eie-lids â—hat they might fall as my heart doth And why since I haue loâ—t my delight in all obiects cannot I discontinue tâ—e facultie of seeing them by closing mine Eiâ—s in sleepe But why rather being entring into that presence where I shall wake continually and neuer sleepe more doe I not interpret my continuall waking here to bee a pâ—rasceue and a preparation to that 15. EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God I know for thou hast said it That he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe But shall not that Israel ouer whom thou watchest sleepe I know for thou hast said it that there are Men whose damnation sleepeth not but shall not they to whom thou art Saluation sleepe or wilt thou take from them that euidence and that testimony that they are thy Israel or thou their saluation Thou giuest thy beloued sleepe Shall I lacke that seale of thy loue You shall lie downe and none shall make you afraid shal I bee outlawd from that protection Ionas slept in one dangerous storme and thy blessed Sonne in another Shall I haue no vse no benefit no application of those great Examples Lord if hee sleepe he shall doe well say thy Sonnes Disciples to him of Lazarus And shall there bee no roome for that Argument in me or shall I bee open to the contrary If I sleepe not shall I not bee well in their sense Let me not O my God take this too precisely too literally There is that neither day nor night seeth sleepe with his eies saies thy wise seruant Solomon and whether hee speake that of worldly Men or of Men that seeke wisdome whether in iustification or condemnation of their watchfulnesse we can not tell wee can tâ—ll That there are men that cannot sleepe till they haue done mischiefe