reasonably thought a prophanation of and violence done to his Excellency He who was consecrated in the womb had sorrows in his soul before on the cross wounds from spears in his side that he might appear to be A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief whose soul had the propassion before his body the Passion Yet further verse 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief What means this is there any degree of misery beyond that of a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Is not every twitch of anguish an Orator to God and mans pity What can be a depression more irrecoverable then to be condemned to the Cross for the Son of God to bear the sins of men yet this puts a further emphasis on Christs Suffering God permitted him to be bruised in the mortar of mens malice that the fragrancy of his charity may affect his and make them admire him for this savour of his oyntment Cant. 1.3 And 't is well coupled To bruise him with It pleased the Lord God commended his love to man by giving his San to die an act of pure choice and perfect charity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simul affectum acceptationem includit Pagn in verbo Nothing could have moved Christ to come from heaven to suffer on earth but free and unmerited benignity Christ had a body given him to be broken for us that our Ransome might be effected by his lifes dissolution our debts solution Thus it pleased the Lord what to doe To bruise him not to humble him as a Virgin robbed of her Ornament that could not be Christ is what hee was and ever will be a Lamb without blemish this Hellen of heaven hath no mole or black spot on the face of his glory though Hee was apprehended by Club-men yet was Hee Lord of Millions of Angels The humiliation of Christ consisted in this that Hee should lie in the dust as man Home rarus home singularis home extra omnium hominum numcrum solus talis in hoc mundo Corn. Mussus in concione de Pass habâ—u Romae in Palatio who could not see corruption in the grave because God that he must die an unusuall way who was an unusuall Sacrifice He must be bruised Our Lord Jesus not like Jonah for disobedience but like him in the tumultuous sea of sorrow had a grave prepared to lodg him in till his time of detension was over and that of Ascension was come then hee opened Deaths prison doors and took a speedy cours â—o heaven where he is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father O Lord how great sorrows pressed upon Christ What unparallell'd grief had he who was the Son of God and could not sin the Son of God and deserved not to suffer 't is we O Lord that provoked thee what did that Lamb do Nay rather Lord what did hee not do that deserves our admiration and eternal gratitude yet behold his sorrowes Sorrow that 's an unworthy singular of detraction such a prelation of passion calls for a plurality of expressive Gratitude Come then O holy soul to this sacred Audit and behold sorrowes numberless Love without merit O opus absquâ— exemplo O gratia sine merito O amor sine mensura Cornel Mussus Epis Bitont in Ser. de Passione Luke 2. Charity beyond Measure Had he not sorrow who was the Son of God yet became the son of Man and that of no King no Grandee but the reputed son of a Carpenter born in an Inn in the Stable of that Inn laid in the Manger of that Stable Had he not sorrow who wanted a hole to hide his head in bread to feed upon unless by Miracle whose Followers were poor whose Tribute was paid by a fish and Triumph solemniz'd by an Ass Colt and by boughs and garments spread in the way Had he not sorrow who spake and did as never man his enemies being Judges yet was traduced envied followed with Reproach betrayed by his own servant and put to death by his Country men after a shameful manner and by a lingring and protracted Engine of dispatch the Cross on which he was exposed to shame naked unpitied reviled given Vinegar and Gall to yea as it were forsaken of God What call yee this if not forrowes Was is shall be any sorrowes like these sorrows of Christ When his soul was made an offering for sin his body subjected to violence yea body and soul for a time parted to joyn God and man together whom sin had severed whom only his death could reconcile Mat 2.7.45 Wel might the Sun refuse to give light to such a deed of darkness as was the Jews cruelty in crying to death their King John 19.15 which the wisdom of Pilate hinted to them by way of Reproach in these words Shall I crucifie your King Well might the vail of the Temple be rent when the Temple of his body more glorious then Solomons Temple not made with hands as was that but compaginated by the miraculous art of Omnipotency was torn apieces by cruelty Matth. 27.51 52 53. Well might the graves open and the dead yeeld themselves no longer prisoners when Jesus Lord of the grave was on his march to the grave Well might the dead appear to many in the holy City since the City appeared but a grave of dead men who knew not what they did nor whom they acted cruelty upon O holy soul since it is thine ambition to have Christ thy reward resolve to follow him bearing his reproach Fear not the infultings of men nor the oppositions of flesh and bloud If to accompany Christ to Golgotha be to be vile be yet more vile The Cross of Christ hath treasure under it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marcus Anton ad Silenum much glory results from contempts for his sake There is nothing so becoming thy holy Prosession as to imitate Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nissen de relig Christian Profes Christianity is nothing else but to live holily and die patiently as did Christ and so much neerer him shall we be in glory as we are here like him in our Conversation Christ made it his meat and drink to do his Fathers will Thou O holy Soul must not think his good pleasure thy pennance his providence thy disappointment his service thy slavery He uttered no discontent thou must not rave and rage He suffered contradiction of sinners thou must not expect approbation from them Hee forgave his Enemies thou must not remember injuries to revenge them Percussorem Episcopum ille condemnat qui dorsum suum posuis ad flagella maledicius non remaledicit S. Hieron Epist 83. ad Oceanum Hee came unto his own and they received him not thou must not wonder if thou suffer from those whom thou hast obliged He wanted a hole to put his head in use thy plenty well that thy Lord
suaviloquius charmes and compleasant influences his Pharisees that swallow downe Widowes houses in the hollow of long Prayers that are all to all men that they might reduce all men to be nothing to any but themselves his Saduces that deny Resurrection Angels Spirit but what is theirs those they cry up as Ocular execrating all that are not of their party and cry not Grace Grace to this Apollyon of their designing Lord what a Gallamaufry of Frauds hath this great Engineere on foot How is he furnished to deceive who hath not only the tongues and pens of many men Learned but lying Wonders and miraculous Artifices at his service But we know his methods and may see this Apicius gaping to devour all contented with nothing but ruine and disorder though he cry out with Jehu Behold my Zeal And it were well if men would try the spirits that now are abroad for Satan is often a Lying spirit in the mouth of Prophets and a Prophecying spirit in the mouth of Lyers and if he durst mingle himself with the Sons of God when they came before him of old may he not now be well mistrusted Job 1.6 though he quote Scripture with the zeal of a Seraphim and in the meetings of Christians pray and speak with notable evidence he who durst appear before Christ with Scripture abused to his own purpose Matth. 4.6 dare do the like to Christians whose weakness is more opportune to his Conquest He is that Evil one who in his whites is a Divel of Deceit in his blacks a Divel of Malice in his Crimsons a Divel of blood a Divel in all shapes actions senses and happy is it for us that we know his Methods And Agents not men of triffling talents who need vulgar helps to make them eminent but men of great parts noble wits yea often noted lives speaking to wonder writing to amazement living to envy and example the Leaders of Israel sometimes caused them to err Isai 9.16 The Priests divined a falsehood the Divel of Sauls heart in Samuel flesh as it were is potent enough to misguide millions O Lord what a Progress hath the mystery of iniquity made when the Serpent stings the Dove to death Religion becomes politized What an Egypt will Gunaan be when Mannah is exchanged for Garlick and Onions when the Screech Owl extrudes the Turtle and that be upon us which the Jewes feared John 11.48 The Romane come and take away our Religion and I pray God not our place and Nation Is not this evil of the Divels designing Is not the hand of hells Joab Satan in it but the sword of the Lord and of his Gideon Christ Jesus shall prevent this though none stand in the gap no Moses intercedes no Phineas executes Judgment yet this Plague shall cease God for his own namesake will turn those Locusts the Jesuits back to their quarters and make their Design as a red sea to bury themselves in The Thumbs of these Adonibezeks shall be cut off the Pride and Policy of these Absoloms become their ruines So let all thine enemies perish O Lord. Well we have a sight of Satan in his power and agents now see him in his Policy and end which is to cut off Samsons locks to destroy the Males of Israel to ruine all the Smithes and Forges by which our Spiritual weapons should be edged to oppose him and defend our selves against his assaults thus did the Philistims of old to Israel 1 Sam. 13.9 But I hope God will turne this Wisdom into Folly and this Babel of Hope into a Babel of Defeat yea I will bespeak these Gates of Hell to give way to the Rock of Ages and to Christ the Corner stone who is with his Church to the end of the world and I will pray that the iniquity of their hearts may be forgiven them who hate the Church of England without a cause and endeavour to subvert the Religion of it against Scripture that asserts it And now is not custody from this evil an unspeakable Blessing Is it not as rain to the parched grass and ought we not to receive this Mercy with the joy of Harvest Is it not a serious collect which deprecates Satans success while he with Herod acts a Tragedy on Innocents and labours to steal away the Babe Christ out of his mothers lap the Church his mother the Church not to rob the blessed Virgin of her Crown All Generations call her Blessed because she bare his body in her womb but to right the Church against her Rival the Synagogue of Satan which disowns her and seeks Christ out of her who spiritually is only formed in her from which evil and the infatuation of it good Lord deliver us This is the first Evil Satan from which the Peace of God shields us the next is from Sin like father like child a chip of the old block a branch of that Lye which was from the beginning From sin the evil of inquination that which defiles the man defaces Gods image passes an eternal exile twixt the soul and him for he hath no fellowship with unfruitful works of Darkness His eye is on them that are upright Prov. 2. ult but he cutteth off the wicked from the earth and rooteth out the Transgressors From sin the Evil of Angels for because of folly beheld in them they were cast from Heaven 1 Pet. 2.4 Isai 30.33 the evil of Kings and great men for whom Tophet is prepared of old Sin the evil of men of low degree sin the evil of all 1 John 5.19 for the whole world groaneth under it and lies in it From sin the eyes grief Gen. 3.6.66 because by that it prevailed against Eve by that against the sons of God of the old world Sin the hearts ake thus in Saint Paul crying out Rom 7.24 Psal 39. â— O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Sin the feets snare against which David cautions I said I wil take heed to my ways Sin the tongues temptation to speak unadvisedly Sin the Catholick Cross to all that are crucified with Christ and mystical members of him Sin the breach of Gods Law the grief of his Spirit the price of his Son the torment of his Combatant and the triumph of his Crowned ones Sin the Monster of Paradise for there it was plotted the first born of life for therein it is acted the plague of this world on whose Stage it is attyred and thence maturated Sin something of nothing a tumourous bubble of pestilent pride scorching Lust and empty vanity evaporating in nothing but the Lust of the flesh Lust of the eye and the Pride of life Sin an evil inward in the thought outward in the act upward against God whom it contemnes and downward against earth whom it burthens and all to gratifie him who is Prince of the Air and rules in the hearts of the Children of disobedience Sin against
it so earnest a plea for Judgment as that Hell out of Heaven is plague little enough for the matchless pollution of it then it is not safe to look back wishfully God can distinguish an eye of desire from that of pity and he punisheth according to the tendency of the aim he must needs give righteous judgment who weighs in the ballance touches by the Standard and measures by the line of Justice every thought word and work therfore ought man to be exact and wary that there be not in his soul any guest without the wedding garment any desire or fear which is not qualified and brought into subjection For as temporal Thrones are never secure while any emulous Competitors continue in power unsubjected to the one that pleads he has the right or that resolves he wil have it so in mans Mind there is no serenity while Passions importunity be subjected to Reason's Empire and the will of man strikes sail to the pleasure of God Which is the next Argument to be urged Hitherto I have borrowed Ear-rings as it were from Egyptians drawn water out of the wels of humane Learning and produced Instances out of Moralists now I will be bold with the fruit of Paradise such Arguments as being drawn from Gods purpose and his Saints sufferings ought to be very perswasive to us The first whereof is the Will of God Argum. 1 that his in this world should not have a serenato but be chastened 1 Cor. 11.32 that they might not be condemned with the world God suffers his to be often stung by the Taratantula of this World that they may cry out for the musick of his Mercy for cure Alas O holy soul this world is thy Pathmos t is thine Egypt wherein thou hast load of labours laid on thee by thy merciless Task-masters t is thy nonage and thy Gardians in it are such as sell thee to what Vice and what Mischiefe bidds most 't is the Den into which Gods Daniels are shut that they may by faith conquer difficulties and civilize Lions Heaven that remains is thy Rest thy livery and seisin thine emancipation God commands his to wait for that blessed reversion to pray that it may come and till it comes to submit to feed on short commons O these children of the Kingdom have often bread of sorrow and water of affliction given them yea so great exigents are they driven to that sometimes they deceive the dogs in licking up the crums that fall from mens tables whose portion is in this world Psal 17.14 and whose bellies God fils with his hid treasures And fit it is they that would succeed to Christs purchase Heaven should clear the encumbrances and carry the crosses of this world exsultingly not with repinings not crying out mournfully Euseb l. 4. but resolutely as Polycurpus did Malus miles est qui Imperatorem gemens sequitur whom his persecutors burned No matter quoth he what becomes of my body so my soul get to heaven He is an ill souldier that follows his Commander weeping and as bad a Christian that comes to the stake lamenting resolving to keep his place in Paris Foelix vita beatitatis plena semper ac verè vitalis in numinis comitatu perpetuo boni participes Sabellicus Exemplo l. 1. c. 6 Tom. 4. Jude ver 14 Memento Philippe te esse mortalem though he lose a Mansion in Paradise I read of the Saints of God glorious by sufferings but never glorious without them Indeed Enoch who lived heaven upon earth is said to be translated without any mention of sorrows though I beleeve he had them from the wicked world of whom he prophesied But besides him do I finde none but had these mementoe's of mortality and fescues to fear Abraham the friend of God was he not in a strait when Grace and Nature like two violent torrents met in him or like notable Advocates tempted him by turns to gratifie requests antipodick each to other God commands him as it were to imbark his son Gen. 22.2 and hoist sail to the port he appoints Moriah Faith bids him get ready the wind was fair the fraught beneficiall the return safe no miscarrying if wee keep Gods way on Gods errand Wel when Abraham comes whither he is bound what must he do He must unlade and ease the vessels of her burthen Isaac must be sacrificed Faith calls to him to run not halt to obey not dispute and that because the supream Power willed it which was able to raise children to him out of stones and to remand life into its forsaken cell Isaac's body But Nature much amused boggled somewhat at the action and Abraham me thinks thus reasoneth What O Lord my Son What mine onely Son the Son of the Promise and of mine old Age What Isaac What is effusion of innocent bloud a childs by his Father unlawful And shall I be president to this cruelty Shall I who am noted for sanctity teach others upon occasion of passion and displeasure to be Assassines of their Issue That be far from thee the Judg of all the world to command from me the Father of the faithfull and of Isaac to doe O the good mans agony Did he not think ye repent he was a Father who was commanded to unchilde his child and destroy the temple of his sons body which not long before he was instrumentall to build by Gods blessing on his generative energie In this difficulty what course steers hee Abrahams Isaac and Abrahams God must not be Competitors the Father of the faithful is faithfull to his Father God who commands and resolves Isaac for a Sacrifice Gen. 22.13 But see the grace in the reward Abraham above Nature prepares his son for God and God beyond nature provides a Lamb hung by the horns for reprieve Abrahams Faith was not more mirculous then Gods Mercy in accepting so poor an exchange for so rich a captive How ready is God to accept our wils for deeds God looks at the willing minde and rewards Abrahams faith with Isaacks freedome Thus God tried Abraham and were not his sorrows like those of a woman in travel fit only for his faith the windes sutable to the sail that this vessel of glory navigated by to Eternity Next was Moses the servant of God who spake with God as never meer man did Exod. 33.11 face to face 40 dayes together in the Mount ver 28. and was kept without food all that Lent the power of God for that time heaventizing his body and giving it priviledg from natural indigencies and satisfying it without their ordinary supplyes yet was this man not without troubles and cross gales One while his Wife with a feminine clamour and in a motherly rage cries out to him Exod. 4.25 Thou art a bloudy Husband words like the messenger of death portentous and ghastly words that deserved which by no worthy husband ever can are potent enough to
and to draw me into fellowship with him O my God give me grace to welcome the crosses I have or further may have as my Saviour did his revilings not reviling againe not returning but remitting injuries Rejoyce O holy soul in those Monitors which rouse thee from thy sinfull slumber Remember the Coâ—k crew and minded Peter of a glorious Master denyed by a presumptuous servant And fear not but thy frailty may have an aspect of mercy as had his the more thou art at loss the greater ought thy care be to seek God with more ardency and serve him with less indevotion Trust not too much in any arm of flesh which sayes life and lustre is in mee Falix necessitas quae in meliora compellit S. Aug. ep 45. all things here passe and repasse by uneven vicissitudes and leave their confidents in trouble and complaints In the Lord Jehovah put thy confidence He only is the same yesterday to day and for ever O holy soul thy time here is but short thy task great thine opposites many be diligent improve opportunities warily practise that sacred chimistry which from fetid simples outward crosses extracts the precious Elixar of divine cordials Be not weary of wel doing study rather how to quit sin then wave the cross there is no lesson it learns but is savory and thou art not to refuse the point of Doctrine it commends to thy meditation Think upon good things had as trials how thou wouldest use them and lost how thou canst beare them bemoane not so much what thou hopest for but hast not as what thou hast and usest not aright perhaps God hurls thy pride from the pinnacle whence it took rise Great thoughts are often confronted by him who will have no Dagon of folly cheek by joll with his Ark of Vertue O consider hadst thou not Babels in thy brains wa st thou not of their minde who thought of nothing but sitting at the right and left hand of glory If so art thou not befriended that payest fine and ransome for thy Rebellion in the stubble and straw of an external Content Is God contented with a turtle Dove and art thou discontented because hee hath that which thou sayst was the Lamb that rested in thy bosome Is any thing too good for God too great for him who is thine all O holy soul study thy self better God hath been mercifull to thee thou art a gainer by every losse which if it had not betided thee had endangered heaven Lift up thine eyes the Canaan Mercy promiseth thee is in view that is thy Country that thine Inheritance that the Haven to which thou art bound and in which onely thou shalt be safe Chear up O holy soul thy drooping spirits Remember thy treasure is in heaven there ought also thy heart to be Call upon thy Saviour in glory and ask in his way that thou mayest receive for his sake Is any thing too hard for God Do not all things serve Providence and laquey to Power Why doth thy Faith misdoubt accesse to God and success in those things thou with Conscience and Wisdome managests The holy confidence of a Beleever scales Heaven and by an humble pertness obtains it so great a prize is worth waiting for though it be attended with Serpents of craft and Dragons of felness He that said Though thou slay me Job 13.15 yet will I trust in thee counsels thee to venture all thy welfare upon mercy There is no fear of miscarriage where good things in a good manner are prayed for and pursued after Then onely we miss our wages when we work amiss Then our Prayers are returned without answer when we turn our Prayers into Subsidies to lusts when we pray for accommodations to our vices and forget that of our Saviour Matth. 16.26 What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his soul Much then hath been written of the benefit of Afflictions But the great Argument which puts all Question of the advantage of them out of question is behind that is the Sufferings of Christ potent enough to force a thaw on Marbles and to liquifie Adamants Quis talia fando Temperet à lachrymis Whoso those troubles doth conceive Can't chuse but from the heart to grieve He it was that went before his Apostles and Martyrs in treading the Wine-press of wrath Like that Commander Monstrat tolerare labores Non jubet To others he doth not command What he himself don 't take in hand God appointed the Man of his right hand his fellow Alas we cannot drink of the cup of wrath nor be baptised with that baptism he was baptised with for our sakes to be our forerunner in sorrowes Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world declared a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Isa 53. A man of sorrows t is an Hebraism denoting fulness of sorrows a sea of sorrowes in Christs soul Tristis corde propter multitudinem afflictionum suarum Rab. David in lib. Radicum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin imputed and mercy inherent were at a holy contest as it were for Mastery and the pangs of such twins must needs be grievous The word sorrowes comes from a root which signifies to be weakned and denotes a sorrow internal even to expiration and the learned distinguish it from those words which they express outward sorrowes by Verus boâ—â—o vere doluit Gloss Lyrae Christs sorrowes were such as brought grief upon him even to the decision of the silver thred of his life Yet further he is said to be acquainted with grief the word rendred acquainted comes from a root that signifies to apprehend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Learned say Verbum mentis et intellectus Pagn in verbo t is a word of the Mind and Understanding importing that Christ was so qualified and obfirmated that no sorrowes with reverence be it written could come amiss to him he had a sinless Manhood to undergoe and a divine power to overcome sorrowes God had made him the Churches rock against which the waves of sorrow could not prevaile He must himself have armour of proofe upon which no humane Machination can hurtfully prevaile who is the captaine of a Christians salvation and who has gloriously triumphed over all the enemies of it Acquainted with grief I cannot but renew the thoughts of these Sorrows of my Saviour O beatum mortem unde vita nostra nata est O falicem stultitiam quae nostram pâ—perit sapientiam because his sorrows are my rejoycings not as they were exprobratory from the Jews but as they are expiatory for me There was not onely dolour but externall disdain as the Jews managed the death of Christ they crucified him and that between two theeves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a word neere of kin to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophanari or violari John 19.34 Might not this dishonour of Christ be
him by Grace cannot be sever'd from him and themselvs through Evil. Here is the best Exchange for profit here is the Indiaes of holy Riches here is Canaan flowing with Milk and Honey here is the light which admits no darkness and the day that never sees night here is the Price and the Pearle the work and the wages God to whom by faith we must run and Mercy which by faith from him we may receive here is the door by which we must enter into the joy of our Master and here is the Master who will not shut the door against us because we come not before bid nor can we stay there longer then welcome By thee O Sun of the Morning and first born of Heaven for thou wast in the beginning is our Acquaintance wrought with God and our evil from sin prevented 2. This comes to be the holy souls priviledg from the Purchase of Christ Pâ—t 1.21 He he redeemed us not only from our vain conversation but from the wrath to come from the bondage of sin and Satan into the glorious liberty of the sons of God Gal. 3.13 Rom. 8.21 Ephes 2.14 'T is he that is our Peace and 't is he that keeps us from that Evil one The Redemption wrought by him on the Cross was not only from wrath but to himself He hath redeemed us to himself out of every Nation c. Rev. 5.9 10. Not only to free us from the rage of sin and Satan but to make us Kings and Prists to preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdome and herein he is a Saviour to the utmost to the utmost of men Hebr. 7.25 he is the Saviour of his whole body Jewes Gentiles far neer bond free rich poor high low his Providence is over his whole family his rain rains upon bad as well as good To the utmost of things all co-operate hy his interposition and ordination to the good of his the Graces of Godly men make them admire him the sins of others to watch over themselves more nay their own failings carry them to God by Petition for pardon and grace sufficient for them the crosses they carry have Christ in them the reproaches they suffer have Christ with them the glory they aim at Christ will bring them to Life which to many is a pleasure Christ imbitters and yet rescues them from any provocation to impatience they use it as the time wherein to work but they desire to be dissolved in Christs time For to be with him is best of all To the uttermost of time his merit is a light unextinguishable was is and ever shall be the Patriarks before the Prophets in the holy men after the Law got to Heaven upon this wing in this Chariot were they thither transported in the garment of this elder brother were they wrapped for that only is the Wedding garment This is the one and only way narrow not open to all but to those that believe but yet a sure way bounded by the sure mercies of David and herein he is a Saviour beyond all a Superlative Redeemer for he is eternal whereas others are but Temporary he is complete whereas others are but partial Where are Moses and Joshuah David and Jeptha who saved the Jewes Where Caesar Scipio Metellus the Deliverers of the Romanes Where Codrus Themistocles Photion by whom the Greeks were delivered These are dead and their Territories by others possessed nay their ashes are become the prey of Tyrants who glut themselves with revenges on their relicts but Christ is the Saviour of his body the Church for ever he is and ever will be the light in the midst of it and a wall of fire round about it For Christ hath purchased its peace and paid with reverence be it conceived for that interest in God which will keep off evil from coming to his 3. This priviledg from evil is the natural child of Acquaintance with God God never gives himself without all that is his and if all then his peace then his protection from evil the Prophet tels us of Gods speaking peace to his people Psal 85.8 Isai 26.20.41.14 Psal 145.20 of his counsels to them to enter into rest till the indignation be over of his cordial Fear not thou worm Jacob I will be with thee of his corrasive to wicked men whom he will destroy And whence O holy soul comes all this but from that proximity twixt God and the soul This is the pay of our patience the result of our fidelity to God he that followes the Lamb Rev. 2.17 shal not miss his white stone and new name God never difmisses his without a blessing like that from the womb of the Morning he gives them peace to poyse them here amidst their many storms in this life and he keeps evil far from them yea that which is the greatest evil after their deaths eternal evil And now me thinks I am of S. Peters mind on the Mount It is good to be here here are three words in this Scripture like the three Tabernacles in that Acquaintance with God Peace and Protection from evil and these are as Christs face was transsigured in a sort seraphickly expressed and proposed after a celestial method here is Acquaintance usually res doloris a vanity of vanity in the multitude of which there is sorrow and distraction strangely meliorated by its adjunct highly imbeautied by its entail to God of a Ceremony and a necessity made a virtue Acquaint thy self with God Next here is the Lady Peace not like that of the world with Rachel mourning with Thamar thrust out of doors after it hath served a turn but like the Queens daughter glorious within as beloved of God and beauteous without as decked with the Needle work of external accommodations Lastly here is evil profligated and dismantled of its force the Lion exungued and the sting taken out of the Serpents tail as an effect of divine bounty and this by the Chimistry of God who is able to bring good from evil What then remains to this Meditation but to summon the last Quere to give in its verdict And that is the season when this Acquaintance w th God is to be had and these consequences obtained in the Particle now Acquaint now thy sef with God c. Now Season seasons every thing the Wise man said it Prov. 25.12 A word in season is like apples if Gold in Pictures of Silver a fair shew but Mettal upon Metal makes no Heraldry but in a Picture 't will pass and so will time pass of which this now is a part and the best part because present Acquaint now Now when in life in the day of time in the season of Mercy in Youth before time be not thou go down into the grave and be seen no more yea before thou be gathered to dust and worms feed upon thy flesh Now not anon Now lest sickness age death prevent anon and thou have no time to groan for Peace or cry for Mercy our pardon is ever in danger where our repentance is in debate Now this is to be wise for thy self O soul for it only is in thy possession what a day wil bring forth thou knowest not therefore hearken to Wisdoms voice While it is called to day delayes ought to be as past time out of thy power since to work out now thy salvation with fear and trembling is thy prudence Time hath no longer a race than a Creature hath it is alwayes on a swift Ebb ere long it will be low water and then where the tree falls it must lye and since time and tide stay for no man O my soul do thou watch them and take time to do thy task eternity gives good wages Remember who said 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith from henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness Now not at the sixth or last hour of the day for it is not certain whether thou shalt live upon this hazard to receive the penny of Eternity which followes the orderly expence of time but now this instant moment set to thy Tackling the storm is great and thy vessel queasie and therefore put in to the next Habour What thou dost do quickly Eccles 9. â—â— For there is neither wisdom nor strength in the grave whither thou goest nor ever will be in thy power to untie thy chain of torments or regain a lost happiness Therefore O my soul receive thou this counsel with joy and perfect it by holy industry while thou hast time talents and what may further help thee in this blessed Husbandry and Sacred Thrift Look not upon the Lions in the way the narrow passage to life eternal the obloquies of men who will judge thee mopish because thou labourest for that Jewel that thou hast lost and wouldst find again These discouragements may work on lazy and thriftless souls who starve when there is bread enough in their fathers house follow thou the Saints of all ages who by Faith and Patience inherit the Promises and by their holy example be thou stimulated to take the Cross for thy Title to the Crown of Life yea contest thou for their Crown not to rob them but to right thy self who art born to equal hopes with them and comfort thy self in that promise of the holy Apostle who is now at peace with God and is taken from the evil of this world unto the glory above In due time ye shall reap if you faint not Gal. 6.9 FINIS