have a curing vertue in them strengthning and corroborating the heart there are words even those words in my text that are Cordialls against all faintings of spirit they will beget new spirits in a man Wherefore comfort one another with such words Every relation wherein we stand towards others are so many bonds and sinewes whereby one member of Christ is fitted to derive comfort to another through love the bond of Perfection Col. 3. 14. we can attaine to no perfection of comforting without love if ye love one another ye will comfort one another yee are of relation neere enough that is the chiefe enforcement of this duty from our Christian Sympathy Now very briefly of other Perswasives which have their force too and no doubt but if they all concenter and meet together in our practise there will quickly be comfort sealed up to one anothers soules 2. Perswasive others may comfort us as much another time when we may suffer what others now feele wherefore comfort one another 3. Sorrow is a gulfe in which many are swallowed up for want of comfort and if God commands us to pull an oxe out of the pit and to cover the pit that the oxe fall not into it againe doth God take care for oxen and not we for one another 4. We receive comfort from God to this very end that we might be able to comfort one another 2 Cor. 1. 4. Let us give to others as we receive from God 5. By comforting others we emprove the stock of our own comfort 't is not empaired but encreased by giving it to others the heate of comfort by warming others is not abated but enflamed In strengthning others we strengthen our selves at the same time with the same acte this should encourage us to comfort one another Lastly we derive upon our selves the blessing pronounced on those that consider the needy Psal. 41. 1. the Hebrew signifies the needinesse of the soule as well as of the body Depauperari to be any way empoverished now the want of comfort is a miserable poverty of the soule better be a beggar then need comfort and 't is better to give spirituall almes then any other they may doe more good Now 't will be our comfort here and crowne hereafter a double recompence God and man shall blesse us if we comfort one another thus blessed is the man that gives comfort to them that need and if I cannot perswade you to be happy give me leave to passe from the Perswasives to the Disswasives The Disswasives from the neglect of going forward with the Building of Comfort 1. 'T is a vilifying and slighting of an Ambassador sent from Heaven his Ambassie is this waighty businesse in the Text of mutuall comfort any neglect of an Ambassador is a disrespect to the Master if yee care little for Saint Pauls exhortation yee despite despite yee the Holy Spirit dictating to St Paul and what shall we be guilty of if we will not come in by faire entreaty when St Paul exhorts us but to doe our Duty 2. 'T is no lesse then high Treason a revolting from our God yee may read this heavy imputation on those that comforted not the weake Ezek. 34. 4. and Iob 6. 14. if we neglect to pay this due debt of comforting each other marke the heavy censure 't is no lesse then the forsaking of the feare of the Almighty oh fearefull Revolt they feare not God that comfort not men in misery Thus 't is when men will not owne men in trouble but as the heard of deare forsake and push away the wounded deere from them they will turne their backs and only cry God comfort thee indeed immediate comforts from God are the sweetest yet for the most part the Sunne of Righteousnesse that hath this healing in his wings conveigheth the Beames of comfort by the help of others and he is an unworthy Servant that thinks scorne to carry a message of comfort from his Master to any one of his Fellow-Servants Now if yee love to flie such an heavy imputation and censure from God and man or if yee love the blessing of God and man or if yee love the encrease of your owne comfort or if yee love to attaine to the end of Gods comforting you or if ye love to keep others or to be kept your selves out of the gulfe of sorrow or if yee love to carry your selves as fellow-travellors to heaven as members of Christ and as good Christians neglect not this Apostolicall exhortation Wherefore comfort one another with these words The materialls of this Building these words in the Text We must use the right and lawfull meanes of comfort {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} these words Either in the particular relation of these words to St Pauls former Doctrine or in the generall relation to the whole Word of God Pars prototo comfort one another with these words or any the like words of comfort out of Gods Word 1. These words in the particular relation to St Pauls former Doctrine the first word of the Note of Illation {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Wherefore is St Pauls inference of a good use of Consolation raised from his former Doctrine touching the estate of the dead in Christ a blessed change they make that dye in the Lord that 's our Christian Hope Give hopelesse menleave to tremble at Death whose portion is in this life let Gods children lift up their heads for joy towards their dissolution and solace themselves on their death-beds as Simeon sings his Nunc Dimittis quasi necesitate teneretur in hac vitâ non voluntate St Ambrose descants r as if the Childe of God staide in this life of necessity and not by his good will sure I am St Paul by his good will would faine be with Christ which is much more the better Phil. 1. 23. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by farre very farre much more and very much more the better both simply in it selfe and in respect of St Paul himselfe had there been no necessity of his living in respect of others For as St Cyprian reasons it in his Book to this purpose s Cum mundus oderit Christianum quid amas eum qui te odit non magis sequeris Christum qui te redemit diligit The World hates a Christian Christ doth not command us to love the World that hates us but rather to follow Christ who is our Redeemer and best Lover too Wherefore if yee be Christians comfort one another as not to feare the death of your selves so not to mourne immoderately for the death of others though never so neare to us that dye in the Lord Here I shall trouble you to cite the forenamed Father t Hoc nos oftendamus esse quod credimus ut neque Charorum lugeamus excessum cum accersitionis
That is the Fountaine of all Comfort Zech. 4. 12. Christ is the Fountaine out of which all Comfort is emptied the two Testaments of God are the two Olive branches as Beda but Christ is the roote and juycy oyle and what though many Expositors a make the two Olive branches Enoch and Elias converting the Jewes to be Christians yet that cannot be but by preaching and emptying out the golden Oyle that makes a cheerefull countenance a joyfull Convert to Christ so that still Christ is the Fountaine of saving soule-suppling Oyle A sealed Fountaine to the world but for Gods Word to reveale it and set it open Indeed Tully and Seneca writ large discourses of Comfort but St Augustine ravished with Tullies style yet one thing discomforted so farre as not to care so much for Tully Quia Nomen Christi non fuit ibi That Treasurie of Comfort the name Jesus of Christ not once to be found in all Tully And surely had Seneca been so well acquainted with S. Paul as some will have him being of Neroes houshold then Seneca might have learnt to have knowne nothing for his Soules comfort but Christ Iesus and him crucified and not have stood so much upon those common Pleas of Comfort against death as he doth Eâ lege nascimur the Law of being borne is to dye Death is inevitable foolish for a man to grieve for that no man can avoyde Exitus communis none scapes it alasse poore Comfort But what Comfort is to be looked for in their writings who knew not how that to die in the Lord is to rest from our labors but God be praised we know it out of Gods Words and happy are we if we beleeve that Death separates not from the Love of God in Christ Jesus b That is Comfort indeed And not to grieve for the Death of friends as without Hope of the Resurrection of the Dead that is the very point S. Paul treats of in my Text The wisest of the Heathen judged it the best thing first not to be borne the next to dye as soone as we are borne any Christian may be wiser to judge it the best thing first to be borne againe in Christ Jesus the next to dye in the Lord as soone as it pleaseth God we must not leave off worke till he that sets us a worke calls us off Seneca used to comfort his friends at Funeralls thus praemittimus non amittimus We send our friends before us we loose them not yet they were at a sore losse they knew not to what place they sent their dead friends before them But beloved to gather Grapes of thornes comfort from them who had not the true comfort if they so esteemed of death who knew of no life after death no abiding out of the body what is fit that we Christians should prize death at who ought to make reckoning of no life but after death no abiding but out of the body no dwelling but in heaven We have heere no abiding Citie but we looke for one that is to come c The Greek is we seek out we look out earnestly for one to come and that we may not loose all our looking our Saviour directs us where to look for it d In my Fathers house are many Mansions 't is my Fathers house 't is your Fathers house as ye are in me that is the Comfort and to fill up the comfort they are Mansions there places of aboad there but Innes here or rather Tents or Booths moveable Everlasting habitants there Luk. 16. 9. but nothing will last here yea here we thrust one another out of house and home there are severall Mansions enough for us all to live by one another Wherefore comfort one another with these words 3. And briefly à Doctrinae certitudine Only Gods Word hath full power and authority to comfort mans heart from the certainty of the Doctrine which the Word of God hath from God himselfe 1. Virtute the strength and vertue of Gods Word accompanied with Gods Spirit can never faile to worke comfort 2. Veritate the whole Truth of solid Comfort that is communicable to mankinde is sincerely and truly published in Gods Word in that onely and yet in that perfectly 3. Complemento in fulfilling and in the accomplishment of all the comforts prescribed in Gods Word for they are all most certaine and true as in the substance so in the event of them Heaven and Earth shall passe away but my words shall not passe away e there shall be a revolution and a passing away too of all things in this world but this very Word of God that all things shall passe away this Word shall not passe away no nor any one Word of comfort in Christ Jesus shall ever passe away Wherefore comfort one another with these words But what good doth the bare knowledge of the Materialls without Habituall and Actuall Abilitie to use them 1. The Habituall Abilitie to make good use of this Art of comforting that is the sixt generall Part. Now the spring head of comfort infusing into this habituall ability either we must goe out of the world for that or that must come from another world for us but we cannot stir one foote of the soule the least affection or so much as one winged thought to goe to that that must come to us to raise our flight with the wings of that Dove whose wings are silver and her feathers like gold I meane the Holy Ghost The Eternall Breath of the Father and the Sonne must breath into us the breath of Life a Life of comfort the Love of the Father and the Sonne descending upon the Sonne in the likenesse of a Dove without gall must purge out of us all gall of malice and bitternesse that we may comfort one another in all meeknesse of spirit the invisible spirit descending visibly upon the sonnes of men in the liknesse of fiery tongues must enable us to give light and warmth of comfort to one another If it be urged that Faith is the only strong Conveyance and true Receiver of spirituall Comfort 'T is quickly satisfied that even Faith also is the gift of the Spirit The Comforter gives us Faith to take Comfort from him else we can take none at all so that in the conclusion 't is the Comforter that workes all in all in us For as it was said of the Masse and Chaos f Tohu vavohu an emptie vast solitary solitude 'T was without forme and voyde darknesse that is a Privation of Light was upon the Face of the Earth before the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters The soule of a naturall man is like the earth lumpish sad without forme and voyde of comfort darknesse of discontent is upon the face of the man inward and outward a vacuity a vast solitary Privation of comfort untill the Spirit of God move
ARCHITECTONICE CONSOLATIONIS OR THE ART OF BVILDING COMFORT OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF THAT RELIGIOVS GENTLE-WOMAN IANE GILBERT TO BE STVDIED AND WITH ALL A PLATFORME OF COMFORT TO BE RAISED VP BY HER HVSBAND WILLIAM GILBERT DOCTOR IN DIVINITY Ierem. 8. 22. Question Is there no balme in Gilead Is there no Physitian there Rom. 15 4 Answer Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Reason Aegrotanti animo Medious est Oratio Consolatoria Comfortable words are a Physitian for one not well in minde even to cure One Sicke at the Heart 1 Thes. 4. 18. Illation Wherefore Comfort one another with these Words London Printed by Iohn Legatt for G. Lantham and are to be sold at the signe of the Bishops-head in Pauls-Church-yard 1640. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE EDWARD LORD VISCOVNT CONAWAY AND â—ILVLTA BARON OF RADGLEY MARSHALL OF IRELAND AND ONE OF HIS Majesties Most Honourable Privie Councell of 〈◊〉 May it please your Honour TO admit this Act of Recordation that 't is full Fourteene yeares since the happy Aspect of your gracious Favour did reflect upon me for my good both by Sea and Land which left in me such an Impression of the Character of your Noble and Religious Disposition that to this very Day edgeth a fresh desire to take this advantagious though in another respect a sad Opportunity to testifie my dutifull respect to your Honour It may be this Art of Building Comfort is not so artificially and laboriously composed as you have heard and was pleased to countenance some Vniversitie-Pieces of mine there might be more oyle bestowed on them to varnish the Face of their style but this Treatise is allowed more Wine to comfort the Heart of the Reader This induced me to present to your gracious Acceptation this Earnest of that Debt of Thankfulnesse wherein both your Favours and Deserts tà m Arte quà m Marte have bound me to you a small Earnest is sufficient to binde the greatest Contract twiâ—t a bountifull hand and a thankfull Heart Let this be such of my Gratitude and not onely a Pledge of Mine but a Remembrance of Hers I meane my dead Wife whose Living Thankfulnesse to God for your Favours to me you had though not made knowne unto you And if your more then ordinary Employments will permit you to read over either Her deserved Commendation or Her Epitaph which is much too narrow for her worth both are in the adjoyning Pages then I hope your Lordship will have no cause to repent the Dedication of this Treatise In the meane time my Experimentall knowledge that in you the Nobilitie of Descent and Minde concurre the Eminencie of Parts in your selfe and Affabilitie of Disposition to others do mutually reflect each on the other which Harmonie may well challenge this my voluntary Oblation as a necessary Obligation that for ever tyes me to fixe my Devotions on Heaven and heartily to pray for your temporall spirituall and eternall Happinesse Your Honours to dispose of William Gilbert EPITAPH AND A DEFENCE OF IT THE Imputation of Superstition or Gentilisme in them that raise up Memorials of the Dead is easily wiped away 1. By Reason 1. 'T is an Honour to the Dead to have their Memories survive them 2. 'T is a comfort to the Living to treasure up the worthy Acts of the Dead 3. The Religious vertuous Practise of the Dead is an admirable Paterne for the Living to worke by 2. By Scripture where are Pillars set up as Civill Monuments and Remembrances of mens Fame Absalom reared up for himselfe a b. Pillar to keepe his Name in Remembrance But yet which is more apposite and adaequate to my purpose Rachel dyed And Iacob set a Pillar upon her grave b Iacob a President unparallel'd Therefore will I lay a Grave-stone on my wife and set this Commemorative Epitaph upon it The Remaines of Iane Gilbert Favour is deceitfull and Beauty is vaine but a woman that Feareth the Lord She shall be praised Prov. 31. 30. The Ring of her Life set with the Diamond of Feare Th' Poesie of Faith to Trust in my God All my Care Her Hope tryed like Gold And the Circle of Her Love From God to man from man to God againe did move 1639. Septemb. 4. And She dyed TO THE DISCONSOLATE AND SORROWFVLL FRIENDS OF IANE GILBERT DECEASED WILLIAM GILBERT WISHETH TRVE COMFORT OVT OF GODS WORD IN this Case that of the Psalmist is the Pinacle of Comfort to be placed on the top of this Building a The Righteous shall be had in everlasting Remembrance The Righteous Such a One was this our Sister and my Wife One clothed with the Roabe of Righteousnesse which was woven out of Christs side adorned and embroidered with sanctifying graces in her life and conversation Is it not a Christian Duty that such a One should be had in Remembrance so farre as we can propagate her worth to Posteritie She did not seeke Fame by well doing to be remembred but Fame comes unsought for and Her well doing shall be remembred after Her death for 't is worth our observation that David sets it not down in the present time are but in the future shall be had in remembrance What though the Righteous in their life time are little thought of except to be ill spoken of yet Time the Mother of Truth shall bring all things to light and cause the Righteous to be had in everlasting Remembrance before God and his Angels and the whole Theater of Righteous just Men b The Fame of the Righteous buds forth when He is in the grave then we may best speak of the Mariner when He is at his Haven and praise the Captaine when He hath got the Triumph and set the Crowne of Praise upon this our Sister now She hath fought her long fight and finished her course with Ioy who every day for many moneths before Her Death did pray that Prayer which is the last in the Handmaide to Devotion c and thus begins Welcome blessed houre the Period of my Pilgrimage the End of my Cares the Close of my Sighes the Bound of my travailes the Goale of my race the Heaven of my Hopes Is She not worthy to be had in remembrance who did give the houre of Death so good Entertainment as so long before to bid it heartily welcome with so many sweet Names as End Period Close Bound Goale Heaven What shall I say next for your Comfort But this the the better She was the greater her Gaine for ever and my losse for the present Yet her Gaine waighes downe my losse I confesse the losse of her enters deepe into my heart and deeper it would goe but that her Gaine cannot enter into the Heart of man to conceive it her Gaine to the tongue of man unspeakable but my losse is unvaluable onely according to the Common waights of the World because She was of
propriae Dies venerit incunctantèr libentèr ad Dominum ipso vocante veniamus Let us shew our selves to be the same in our life that we are in our Faith that we may not over-mourne for our dearest friends and when the appointed day of Gods sending to any one of us shall come Come let us goe without delay and willingly to the Lord who himselfe cals us Here after that Father before I fall into him againe I can quickly tell you all that Oecumenius doth on my Text 't is to interpret my Text by those foregoing words of St Paul that yee sorrow not even as others that have no hope i. As the Heathen that had no hope of the Resurrection {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Oecumenius holds it proper for such onely to grieve excessively for the dead who have no hope of the Resurrection and how doth it traduce hopefull Christians as hopelesse men when we bewaile as utterly lost and extinct those whom we professe to live with God To this purpose that elegant tongu'd Father v Fidem quam sermone voce depromimus cordis pectoris testimonio non probemus Spei nostrae ac fidei praevaricatores sumus simulata ficta fucata videntur esse quae dicimus nil prodest verbis praeferre virtutem factis destruere veritatem The Profession of our hope of the Resurrection to life is but varnished over and dissembled because we destroy it more with our actions then we doe preferre it by our words else why doe we take on in such a grievous manner when God takes our Friends away from us I know that where hearts have been knit together by God they cannot be rent a sunder without exceeding great griefe as Iacobs could not from Rachel nor Davids heart from Ionathan I also know that our Lord and Master himselfe wept for Lazarus x I finde no fault with naturall affection much lesse with Christian compassion let Nature have her course but let Religion set her bounds let us water our plants of sincere affection and compassion but not drowne them by sorrowing as others doe that have no hope I finde no other fault but that St Paul findes in the proofe of the Doctrine of which my Text is the use when mourning exceeds Christian proportion and all true Measure Ioseph loved his Father better then the Egyptians did yet Ioseph wept but the tithe that the Egyptians did They mourned 70. dayes Gen. 50. 3. he but seven dayes vers. 10. All that I speak is to condemne those who are too little like Rachel in serving the living God but too much like Rachel in weeping for the dead She would not bee comforted but these hopelesse Mourners cannot truly urge the Reason that Rachel did because they are not for we know that they are living with God that dye in the Lord we know that the good theefe was on the day of his death with Christ the Lord in Paradise and as 't is a comfort to know where they are so 't is a further comfort to know what they doe they follow the Lambe wheresoever he goes and is it not a height of comfort to know what they say they cease not to cry day and night Holy Holy Holy they are still a singing Halleluiah and shall not we give over weeping on Earth for them who shall never give over singing in Heaven shall we refuse to be comforted because they are not on earth who are and enjoy all the comforts in Heaven Wherefore comfort one another with these words and with the words of that judicious Father y Contristamur in nostrorum mortibus necessitate amittendi sed cum Spe recipiendi inde angimur hinc consolamur inde infirmitas afficit hinc fides reficit The necessity of loosing our friends that cuts us but the hope of receiving them againe this heales us that is our griefe this is our comfort wherefore against the losse of our deerest friends comfort one another with these words As Apothecaries make singular use even of the dust of gold so the Jewish Rabbins those Apothecaries of the Hebrew simples make profession that great Mountaines hang upon the smallest Jods in the Bible Then surely a discourse like a Mountaine for largenesse but above a Mountaine for fruitfulnesse may be raised from this conjunctive particle in my Text {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Itaque Wherefore and to make it so I passe from the particular relation of these words to S. Pauls former Doctrine I passe unto the generall Relation of these words to the whole Word of God Pars pro toto comfort one another with these words or with any the like words of Comfort out of Gods Word In the Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} these Ratiocinations Arguments rather then bare words so it is that Scripture words are the strongest Reasons to evince and perswade Comfort the true Hearts ease growes only in Gods Paradise in Gods Word There may be some Tulip of Comfort some colour bark or flowre in the words and writings of men but the very pith and marrow of comfort effectuall for all the soules Maladies is no where to be found but in the Word of God in these words As it was said of the words spoken by the Word God Christ Jesus that Hee taught with Authoritie and not us the Scribes z the Scribes taught poore jejune heartlesse matter unprofitable uncomfortable and their forme of teaching was without Majesty without any command but our Saviours both Matter and Forme of teaching carried Authority with it the unusuall unheard of Majesty of the words accompanyed with matter most profitable and most comfortable did command his Auditors Now Christ hath still left the same Matter to us 't is true of all the Word of God that it comforts as having Authority and not as the Scribes not as humane writers who would usurpe upon this Authority which is the absolute Prerogative of Gods Word so that the maine point is this Only Gods Word hath full power and Authority to comfort mans heart 1. à Causa 2. à Subjecto 3. à Doctrinae certitudine 1. From the Efficient cause the Scriptures Authority of comforting is the same with Gods Spirit dictating both matter and words the saving worke of the Holy Ghost the Comforter that also goes along with the Word of God Gods Spirit and Gods Word goe together by way of Covenant Isaiah 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth where Gods Word is the Counsellor Gods Spirit is the Comforter 2. à Subjecto the Subject of Gods Word carries with it the greatest and most infallible Authority of Comforting because 't is the onely Store-house of true Comfort in it is that supreme Treasure the Mediator Christ Jesus that dyed to reconcile us to God Rom. 5. 10.
Greek Epithet is so expressive 6. Consolation never goes single without confortation a strengthning power of the Grace of God accompanies it this is a reparation of our Christian forces and a congruous fortification against all evill y There remained no strength in Daniel untill one touched him and said O man greatly beloved feare not be strong yea be strong and when he had spoken unto me I was strengthned saith Daniel Gods comforting of us is a strengthning comfort Beloved this is a strong durable Building of Comfort for no Earth-quake no heart quake can shake the foundation of it no Canon shot with all the powder and power of hell can batter down the walls of it no Tempest of affliction can beat down the Roofe of it no theeves though they be subtile evill spirits can rifle the roomes of it no cruell Land-lord to thrust us out of doores but a loving kinde Lord our God who doth all to keepe us within doores within comfort no false Neighbours can take our house over our heads no envying at one anothers dwellings here are severall Roomes of comfort for young and old rich and poore well and sick men and women husbands and wifes King and Subject widowes and orphans comfort enough for all beleevers of all Families Townes Cities Countries Nations and Languages under Heaven Now where can I better lodge my discourse then in this strong durable Building of most divine comfort and so I shall at this very instant if ye will but promise me to doe your best to comfort one another with these words or with any the like words of comfort out of Gods holy Word And we beseech thee O Lord to teach us this art and to make us all such spirituall Builders that we may not be cast down under the Burthen of temporall losses and crosses or of spirituall temptations but that every one upon all occasions may expostulate the matter seriously with his own soule Why art thou cast down ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee and thy Comforts for in the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my Soule Therefore ô my soule cast thy Burden upon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee Even so O God of all Comfort now and ever sustaine us with the Comforts of thy sacred Word and of thy Holy Spirit Amen An Electuary in forme of a Prayer called a Manus Christiani a comfortable Confection out of the former Treatise to repell the Infection of all kinde of Affliction O Lord my God and I beleeve there is no other Gods besides I beleeve therefore I call upon thee that as the first Commandement thou givest to me is to have no other gods but thee so my first care may be to settle all my thoughts and affections words and actions upon nothing in Heaven or in Earth besides thee b For whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Thou art my Refuge my Rock of defence my sure stay my whole Hearts delight O Lord accept this Expression of my Faith whom have I in Heaven to relye on but thee in all my Necessities accept this expression of my devotion whom have I in Heaven but thee to call upon in all my troubles accept this expression of my affections whom have I in Heaven to love but thee the Giver of all things to be beloved whom have I in heaven to feare but thee the Disposer of all things to be feared Whom have I in Heaven to rejoyce in but thee the Infuser of all true Joy Whom have I in Heaven to desire but thee the Satisfier of all lawfull desires and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee yea I confesse there is nothing in the World that is worth the desiring but in thee and from thee In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my soule In the great throng of all my perplexed thoughts thy Comforts delight my soule the Comforts of thy Providence over me as a faithfull Creator and Preserver thou didst create me of nothing hast preserved me from nothing even from my Mothers wombe and wilt still preserve me even to my last houre these thy Comforts delight my soule Nay more Comfort of thy speciall care as a gracious Father and Redeemer Care of Provision and Protection of all good from all evill of Mercy Grace and Favour from Sinne Satan Death the Grave and Hell These are thy Comforts O Lord And whensoever these thy Comforts doe not delight my soule give me grace to check and chide my soule sharply for it d Why art thou cast downe ô my soule why art thou disquieted within me thou hast no reason to be cast down or to be disquieted at all as long as thou hast a God to hope in hope thou in God I lay this charge upon thee O my soule and this my charge is grounded upon my confidence of better times to come when I shall yet praise him and this my confidence is strengthned by my experience of what God is unto me the health of my countenance Salvation to my inward man Joy to my heart 〈…〉 my outward man cheerefulnesse 〈…〉 And this my experience is well backed by my interest that I have in God my God in Christ Iesus my Saviout and if my God be with me what can be against me neither health nor sicknesse neither wealth nor want neither principalities nor powers nor death nor life 〈◊〉 nor depth nor things present nor things to come nothing can separate me from the Love of God my God in Christ Therefore will I now and ever cast my Burden upon thee O Lord with assurance that thou wilt sustaine me e the greatest Burden in the world Sinne My sinnes are gone over my head and are too heavy a Burden for me to beare therefore will I cast them upon thee my Lord and my Saviour yea the afflictions and punishments that lye at the doore of my sinnes they are able to presse me down to the lowest pit but in an humble awfull submission to thy will trusting that thou wilt lay no more upon me then I am able to beare I will beare according to my Ability and awaite thy goodnesse either to deliver me from or to sustaine me in all thy Will be done O Lord and give me Patience Amen Glory be to God on high On Earth Comfort FINIS Imprimatur Iohannes Hansley Feb. 4. Anno Dom. 1639. 1. By Reason 2. By Scripture b. 2 Sam 18. 18. b Gen. 35. 19 20. a Psal. 112. 6. b Satis est coram Deo Angelis totóque piorum theatro benedictam esse eorum Memoriam Cal. in locum c Worthy Dr 〈◊〉 Manual 1.