Angels and Martyrs with the foure and twenty Elders that offer up golden Vials full of odours which are the Prayers of Saints but which is chiefe of all delights there will be GOD himselfe who will bee a Looking-Glasse to the eyes of his Elect Musicke to theyr eares Nectar and Ambrosia to their Palates odoriferous Balsamum to theyr Smelling There thou shalt see the variety and beauty of the seasons the pleasantnesse of the Spring the brightnesse of Summer the fruitfulnesse of Autumne and the quiet of Winter and there shall bee whatsoever may delight thy sences and every faculty of thy Soule there will be the fulnesse of light to thy understanding the aboundance of Peace to thy will and the contitinuance of Eternity to thy memory there the Wisedome of SALOMON shall seeme ignorance there the beauty of ABSASOM shall seeme deformity there the strength of SAMPSOM shall seeme weakenesse there the long life of METHVSALEM shall seeme a span there the Riches of CRoeSVS shall seeme drosse for there thou mayst worthily call the treasures of all Emperors and Kings starke poverty and beggery These things beeing thus Why shouldest thou O man delight to begge and live of Almes when thou shalt finde such aboundance in Heaven looke upon thy selfe and consider how the Lord hath bestowed upon thee a countenance of Majesty with thy face erected towards Heaven and thy eye-lids to move upwards thereby to teach thee that thou wert not formed to spend thy dayes in the moiling cares of this troublesome world but to aspire to that true Happines that maketh all the other Misery Marke the Sea-mans Needle whose nature of that Iron is that in what part it hath touched the Loadstone that part alwayes looketh towards the North and remaineth unsetled till it hath found the Pole even so hath God created Man and hath infused into him a naturall inclination and readinesse that hee should alwayes looke to his Maker as to the Pole and onely true happines When the Children of Jsrael in the Wildernesse were stung by fiery Serpents none could live but those that looked up to that brazen Serpent which MOSES erected so no man beeing stung by those fiery Serpents of sin can live but those that by the eye of Faith looke up to CHRIST IESVS beholding him dying upon the Crosse and applying his death and merits to their otherwise deadly-wounded Soule whereby that Vlcer is cured and they assured of life After ADAM had sinned in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 3. GOD sent him to Till the Earth out of which he was taken but the soule of man was infused into him by the breath of God Gen. 2. let therefore the cogitations of thy heart and Soule bee turned towards him from whence it had the beeing seeing as sayth Saint AVGVSTINE There is nothing more blessed than this life where there is no feare of Poverty no infirmity of Sicknesse no deceipts of the Divell neyther Death of body or Soule but a pleasant life through the guift of Immortality then there shall be no mischiefes no discords but all agreement because there shall be one concord of all the Saints peace and joy imbrace all things What is it that thou canst desire heere upon Earth that thou shalt not there freely possesse If thou defirest pleasures lift up thy heart and see how delightfull that Good is that contayneth in it the delight and pleasure of all good things If this life created doth please thee how much more shall that life please thee which hath created all things If health given make thee merry how much more shall he make thee merry that giveth all health If the knowledge of the Creatures bee sweet how much more sweeter shall the Creator himselfe be if beauty bee acceptable unto thee it is he at whose beauty the Sunne and Moone admire the glory of which was so great that when MOSES went up to the Mount though he saw but the hinder part thereof his Face became so bright and shining that the Israelites could not behold him what should I stand longer to set forth the beauty of that which if I had the tongue of Men and Angels I could not doe for as the Apostle fayth 1. Cor. 2. Eye hath not seene Eare hath not heard neyther hath it entred into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Wilt thou then choose with the Prodigall Sonne to eate Huskes with the Swine rather than to returne home to thy Heavenly Father will not all these delights move thee nor cause thee to desire it it may bee thou art timerous knowing thy owne unworthinesse but bee incouraged by the words of thy Saviour who seeing thy faint heartednesse sayth Feare not little flocke Luke 15. for it is your fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Thou art one of the flocke and this Kingdome is prepared for thee why dost thou not long to take possession of thy owne pu chased for thee by CHRIST who though hee be thy Elder brother yet thou shalt bee co-heyre with him whose love thou mayst see expressed by his infinite care for in his Prayer to his Father for his Disciples he remembred thee when he sayd I pray not for these alone Iohn 117. but for those that shall beleeve on me that they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee and the glory which thou hast given mee I have given them that they may bee one even as wee are one I will also that those thou hast given mee bee with me Canst thou now have any doubts or waverings in thy Mind Repayre unto him and in true humility of Soule confesse thy selfe unto him and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and I am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne This done doubt not but hee will imbrace thee in the Armes of his Mercy the Ring and Robe shall be brought and the fatted Calfe shall be kild for there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth than of ninety and nine just persons It is a place prepared for thee before the Foundations of the World were layd O happy Soule that art made possessor of this blessednesse How art thou able to behold any thing in this life with true contentment having seriously beheld this though thou didst dayly suffer torments if for a long time thou didst indure Hell it selfe so that at the length thou mightest see CHRIST in his glory and injoy this blessednesse and haue society with the Saints were it not worthy all Sufferings All Bitternes and all Crosses that thou mightest be partaker of all this good At last what though the world account not of thee but deride thee for thy vertuous living Remember ELIZEVS the Prophet of the Lord who was mocked and called Bald-head in contempt Resolve with thy selfe no sooner to enter into the path of Godlinesse but such is the malitiousnesse of thy Mortall
a Philosopher sayth Hee that seeketh for true Happines in this world followeth a shaddow which when hee thinketh hee is surest of vanisheth and is nothing and the Apostle PAVL sayth If in this life wee were onely happie wee were of all men most miserable Seeing then it is so Iob. 14. That man which is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and that few and euill are the dayes of his Pilgrimage pointed out but to Threescore and tenne and if Nature befriend him so farre as to affoord him life till Fourescore yet is it so full of infirmities that it becomes a burthen to him Life being a briitle and miserable fetter which chaineth the pure and everlasting soule to the vile sinfull and corruptible body Yet where is hee that takes the Wise mans counsell Eccles 12. To remember his Creator in the dayes of his Youth before the evill day comes and the time approach in the which he shall say I have no pleasure in them for if a man live many yeares and rejoyce in them all yet let him remember the dayes of Darknes for they are many the Sun sets and riseth againe but thou alas when thy glasse is run and the short gleame of thy Summers Sun is spent shall never returne againe How soone alas is thy span grasped thy minute wasted thy flower dead thy vapor of life gone without thought without dread eyther of sinnes past or accompts to come Where is there one that lookes into the estate of his Soule with a serious eye that examines his conscience unvayleth his heart and considereth his wayes and how that he is every day of his life a dayes journey nearer his end and nothing is wanting for the expiration thereof but the stroke of death which commeth in a moment and then thou art gone eyther to unexpressable end lesse Ioyes or caselesse and endlesse miseries For no sooner art thou borne to possesse this World but death issueth forth incontinently out of his Sepulcher to finde thy life neyther doth he alwayes send his harbinger before to acquaint thee with his comming but many times entreth unexpected unlooked for and yet darest thou rest in security me thinkes it should make thee tremble were not thy conscience seared to think of the divinenesse of that Iustice before whom thou art to stand being in the day of his Wrath and at the barre of his Iudgment canst thou thinke then to bee able to indure his angry eye whose sight will pierce to the very centure of thy heart and soule and rip up every festred corner of thy conscience O then bethinke thy selfe in time before that gloomy day comes that day of Cloudes and thicke darkenesse that day of desolation and confusion approach when all the Inhabitants of the Earth shall mourne and lament and all faces shall gather blacknesse Joel 2. Because the time of their Iudgment is come alas with what a fearefull hart and weeping eyes and sorrowfull countenance treÌ„bling loynes wilt thou at that last and great assize looke upon CHRIST IESVS when he shall most gloriously appeare with innumerable Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know him not What a cold dampe will seaze upon thy soule when thou shalt behold him whom thou hast all thy life long reiected in his ordinances despised in his members and neglected in his love what horror and terror of spirit will possesse thee how wilt thou cry to the Rockes and Mountaines to fall upon thee and cover thee from the fiercenes of his Wrath when thou shalt behold the Heavens burning the Elements melting the Earth trembling the Sea roaring the Sunne turne into darknes and the Moone incobloud how will thy numberlesse sinnes in hideous formes appeare before thee every one of them bearing the Ensignes of Gods heavie displeasure dipped in a bloudy coloured dye and crying out for vengeance against thee alas if thy faultring tongue should go about to faine some seeming shew of a colourable excuse how soone would it be stopped all thy actions both for thoughts words and deeds being registred in a booke and kept within the Court of Heaven Oh remember how terrible his voyce was when he gave his Law to his chosen people and thinkest thou it will bee lesse terrible when he shall demand an account of that Law which thou hast so many times carelesly broken Oh then whether will his wrath carry thee where will the blast of his breath hurry thee it was thy sins that inflamed his wrath his wrath will inflame that fire which will never goe out Oh then alas whil'st thou hast time become thy own friend looke into thy selfe and by a serious examination prove the Pilot of thy owne Ship which now lyeth floating on the Seas of this troublesome World ballanc'd onely with cares and disquieting pleasures of this life and how thou sayl'st with a full course towards the haven of endlesse Happines yet one blast of unprepared death will turne thy sayles and plunge thee irrecoverably into that bottomlesse Guife where one houres torment will infinitely exceed all the pleasures thy whole life contained and wilt thou now standing upon the very brim of Hell melt in thy delights Alas slippery is thy footing and thy hold but by the thread of life which stretched to the length soone crackes yet how triflingly spendest thou thy pretious time tyring out thy spirits and robbing thine eyes of their beloved sleepe for those things to the which the time will come that the very remembrance of them will be bitter and to the which thou must bid an everlasting farewell Yet not considering these things how many are there that only spend their time in jollity and sodainly goe downe to the Grave they cry to themselves Peace peace when sodaine Destruction overtakes them not once thinking of IEREMIA'S lamentation for Jernsalem wherein hee complaines That shee remembred not her last end Lamen 1. Would they but consider that as the Tree falleth so it lyeth and as Death leaves them so shall Iudgement finde them they would not draw Iniquity with cords of vanity nor sinne as with cart-ropes did they thinke upon the reward of Sinne did they consider how full of griefe and misery how short and transitorious this present life is and the vaine Pleasures thereof how on every side theyr enemies compasse them and that Death lyeth in wayte against them every where catching them sodainly and unawares Did that saying often sound in theyr eares Arise and come to Judgement they would not deferre theyr Repentance to theyr last end or their old-age when it can not be sayd that they leave Sin but sinne them Shall they offer to the Divell the World and their owne flesh the flower and strength of theyr yeares and serve God with the lees and dregs â—al 1. when the Prophet MALACHY complayned of the peoples evill Offerings hee sayd Offer it now unto thy Governour will hee be pleased with
wretched state The more he rues his fact but all too late Whereas he was created King of all The Creatures God on Earth created had His Glory bated is by this his Fall No creature now on Earth remaines so bad The sencelesse Beast the sence of this hath found And having Man possest with death doth wound The Earth disdaines to yeeld to him her strength But pricking Thornes and Brambles forth doth send Till with his sweat and labours she at length Onely for sustenance some food doth lend Thus he that was a heauenly Creature form'd By disobedience to a wretch is turn'd Of all the Trees that in the Garden grew He onely was forbidden that alone His Wife from that obedience soone him drew And taste thereof he did although but one O wretched man what hast thou lost hereby Wicked woman to cause thy husband dye T' is not saying the Serpent thee deceiu'd That can excuse the fault thou didst commit For of all Ioyes thou hast thy selfe bereau'd And by thy Conscience thou dost stand convict Thy husband not alone the fault must rue A punishment for sinne to thee is due For as thou now conceiues thy seed in sinne So in great sorrow thou must bring it foorth The gaine which thou by that same fruit didst winne Thou now dost find to bee but little worth Obedience to thy Husband yeeld thou must And both must Dye and turned be to Dust The Truth sometimes is vsed by the Divell When as he sayd Your eyes should opened bee And that you should discerne the good from euill When you the Fruit had tasted of that tree But hee told not your actions should be sinne And Death should be the good which you should winne For now your strength to weakenesse turned is You know the Good but have no powre to chuse't Your eyes is ope to see your owne amisse And to behold the blisse you have refus'd You see your nakednesse made vilde by Sinne And now seekes for a place to hide you in But O alas your deeds discover'd are You naked lye to those all-seeing eyes He viewes your actions and doth see you bare Bare of all Goodnesse vilde deformities And in your selves you have no power to mend For all your strength is sinne Sathan doth lend Now seizes on your sicknesse Griefes and Feares Which night and day with trouble will torment Your sweet Delights are turned all to teares And now what you haue done with woerepent Nothing but Griefes and Feares and sad annoyes You now possesse in stead of endlesse Ioyes You were immortall but are mortall made You were created pure but now are vilde Your splendant Glories turned all to shade Your Innocence the Deuill hath beguilde You were created Children of the Lord But now are loathsome Dung to be abhorr'd Which way can you recouer this your losse What friend have you that will this great debt pay Can you gaine pure gold from filthy drosse Or have you power to call againe that Day No you are in a laborinth of woe And endlesse is the maze in which you goe Yet courage Woman whose weake spirit 's dead GOD in his love a helpe for thee hath found Bee sure thy Seed shall bruise the Serpents head CHRIST by his Death shall Sathan deadly wound This Lyon of Iudea resist who can In him is blest the whole Off-spring of man This Promise in due time fulfill'd hath GOD Vnto the comfort of each mortall weight CHRIST payes our Debt hee 's beaten with that rod That doth belong vnto our Soules of right His Fathers wrath was powred vpon him Which doth belong as due to vs for Sinne. Hee dy'd vpon the Crosse and conquered Death That though wee dye yet live againe wee must He buried was and risen is from Earth And raignes with God in Heaven amongst the Iust With him our Soules and Bodies rais'd hath hee And from deaths thraldome now hath set vs free This causeth Sathan stir himselfe amaine To see if he can winne what he hath lost He strives to make our overthrow his gaine He stormeth now that he by CHRIST is crost And to his ayde he all his forces drawes That he may cause vs to obey his Lawes Whole Armies of his Furies forth he sends In shape transformed to delude our mindes And vnto them his greatest force he lends To seize where fittest for his turne he findes He marks to what men are by nature given And vnto that he turnes his Compasse euen Sathan's deceipts are covered all with smiles That sinne seemes pleasing which our Soules destroyes With quaint allurements hee man still beguiles With sweet delights he breeds Mans sad annoyes He imitates a Poyson rarely framed But once being taken all the life blood 's stained Old and craftie is our Enemy growne He knowes all Fish at one baite will not bite Hee 'l try a thousand wayes to gaine his owne He will not leave till he the marke hits right Some with Drunkennesse Murders Lust beside Others with Idlenesse exessive Pride BACCHVS that drunken God from Hell comes forth And reeling here and there few scapes his knockes Who shunnes his blowes esteem'd are of no worth One Drunkard at anothers weakenesse mockes What ISAIAH saith thereon they never thinke Woe bee to them are strong to pw'r in drinke GOD in his love form'd all things for mans vse That for his Comfort they might daily be But they prove poyson through mans vilde abuse Sinne changeth all into deformity PAVL for mans health to drinke Wine doth advise But through excesse both Soule and Body dyes Man by this Sinne more vile is than a Beast For but sufficient they will never take Mans sences fayles him sinnes are still increast He tracing vices doth all good forsake In Drunkennesse LOT doth to Incest fall NOAN in his Wine his secrets shewes to all Then Lust and Murther hands together take Like full fed Beasts they neigh at neighbours wife Stolne bread is sweet hid water theyr thirsts slake They fall to Murther through discord and strife For when mans reason fayles to guide his will He into mischiefe runneth headlong still Most people takes Idlenesse for no sinne Thus in Simplicitie Sathan deludes That precious time is lost that Grace might winne And want of action many sinnes includes That minde which vnto Idlenesse giues way Doth open lye to bee the Devils prey When DAVID vnto ease himselfe had giuen His eyes extravagantly looke about VRIAH's wife he spyeth in the Even He must and did enioy her without doubt Sathan by this his fall more strength doth gaine For DAVID bids VRIAH should be slaine Thus by one meanes or other Sathan snares Mans soule in Sinne and hudwinck'd tills him on His cup of Gold is filled vp with teares A bitter pittance to theyr sweetes belong Pride in it selfe doth beare a poyson'd breath No Sinne so small but punisht is with Death That sinn's thought least that 's spent in trimming fine That Carkasse vilde on which the Wormes
ALICE Ben. Ionson Vpon the Religious Meditations of Mrs. ALICE SVTCLIFFE TO THE READER WOuld'st thou fraile Reader thy true Nature see Behold this Glasse of thy Mortality Digest the precepts of this pious Booke Thou canst not in a nobler Mirrour looke Though sad it seeme and may loose mirth destroy That is not sad which leades to perfect ioy Thanke her faire Soule whose meditation makes Thee see thy frailtie nor disdaine to take That knowledge which a Womans skill can bring All are not Syren-notes that women sing How true that Sexe can write how grave how well Let all the Muses and the Graces tell THO MA To Mr. IOHN SVTCLIFFE Esq upon the receipt of this Booke written by his Wife SIr I receiv'd your Booke with acceptation And thus returne a due congratulation For that good Fortune which hath blest your life By making you the Spouse of such a Wife Although I neuer saw her yet I see The Fruit and by the Fruit I judge the Free My Praise addes nothing to it That which is Well done can praise it selfe and so may this To be a woman 't is enough with me To merit praise For I can never be So much their Friend as they have heretofore Deserv'd although they merited no more When therefore to their Woman-hood I finde The love of sacred Piety conioyn'd Me thinks I have my duty much forgot Vnlesse I praise although I know them not But when to Woman-hood and good Affections Those rare Abilities and those Perfections Vnited are to which our Sexe aspire Then forc'd I am to Love and to admire I am not of their mind who if they see Some Female-Studies fairely ripened be With Masculine successe doe peevishly Their worths due honour unto them deny By overstrictly censuring the same Or doubting whether from themselves it came For well I know Dame Pallas and the Muses Into that Sexe their faculties infuses As freely as to Men and they that know How to improve their Guift shall find it so Then ioy in your good Lot and praises due To Him ascribe that thus hath honor'd you Geo. Withers Vpon the Meditations of Mrs ALICE SVTCLIFFE I Have no Muse my owne but what I see Worthy of praise that is a Muse to me Divinity the highest theame will find No fitter subiect then an humble mind And as in scorne of them that are more fit By instruments lesse notable expresseth it Almes and Devotion Zeale and Charity Might for thy Sexe beseeming Scripture be But when thou speak'st of death and that iust doome Which shall on all conditions ages come And thence descending to Philosophie Teachest weake Nature how to learne to dye It seemes to me above thy Sex and State Some heavenly sparke doth thee Illuminate Live still a praise but no example to Others to hope as thou hast done to doe Live still thy sexes honour and when Death With whō thou art acquainted stoppes thy breath Fame to Posteritie shall make thee shine And adde thy Name vnto the Muses nine PET HEYVVOOD AN ENCOMIVM vpon the Authoresse and Booke GReat Ladies that to vertue are inclin'd See here the pious practice of a wife Expressed by the beauties of the Mind And now set forth in Pictures of the life Wherein matter and forme are both at strife Who shall be Master but i' th end hands shooke For that they have a Mistresse to theyr Booke Whose Language I must needs in truth admire And how such Elegance should from her spring Vntill I thinke of Zeale that Caeliquefire Which might transport her soule by Cherubs wing In Prose or Numbers piously to sing Precepts of Praise worthy your approbation For she is Rara Avis in our Nation And though her youth gives her no SYBILS name Nor doth she Prophecie as they of old Yet she 's indu'd with the most sacred flame Of Poesie Divine and doth vnfold Nought but the truth and therefore may be bold Whose holy paines and study here exprest Shall Register her name amongst the blest VRANIA is her most heavenly Muse Which flyeth vpwards where her minde is placed She sings such Songs as DEEORAH did vse When she and BARVCH had their foes abased For which with Lawrell shee may well be graced And stil'd the Paragon of these our Times In her sweet Prose and true composed Rimes But thinke not Ladies that I doe contrive Numbers to mend ought that is done amisse Or that I meane to keepe her name alive VVhen she is gone and pass'd to greater blisse For I ne're knew her when I framed this Onely I read her lines which forc't me praise The Picture of her minde with this course bayes FRA LENTON THE Contents of the ensuing Treatise I. VVHerie the vncertainty of Mans life expressed and of the fearefull end of the Wicked Fol. 1. II. Motiues and Jnducements to true Godlinesse Fol. 53. III. Of the Peace of a good Conscience and the Joyfull end of the godly fol. 57 IIII. Of the deferring of Repentance how dangerous it is and of the deceivablenesse of Worldly Pleasures fol. 74. V. Comforts for the weake Christian and to bee ware of Back-sliding fol. 101. VI. That man ought to bee wonne to follow Godlinesse in respect of the Eternall happinesse fol. 114. MEDITATIONS OF MANS Mortality I. Wherein the vncertainty of Mans life is expressed and of the fearefull end of the Wicked WHen I behold the Heavens the earth the workemanship of the Almighty and see in 〈◊〉 all Creatures both for commodity and pleasure which as a store-house preserue all things for the behoofe and benefit of Man I cannot but vse to my selfe the saying of the Prophet DAVID Psalm 8. Lord what is Man that thou shouldest thinke on him or the Sonne of man that thou shouldest be mindfull of him thou hast made him but a little lower then the Angels thou hast crowned him with honour and worship by reason of which I thinke him to be onely happy and a God vpon earth and that there is no blessednes beyond this but looking into him with more deliberation I find his breath is in his nostrils and that hee is as the Beast that perisheth Eccles 3. I find his wife to be but a span and the perpetuity of his Happinesse no better then a flower which flourisheth to day and to morrow is out downe and withereth and that his habitation is but a Pilgrimage hee hath no certaine abiding I perceiue there is no building of Tabernacles heere this is no place of rest I remember the foole that sayd to his soule Luke 12. There was much laid up for many yeares but that night his soule was taken from him and how that after Death hee must give an account of his Stewardship for they are not his but lent him of the Lord neyther to abuse through excesse nor niggerdice but to put them foorth to the best vse and to the glory of him who is the giver of all good things For it is true that
to the lips in water yet they are slaine with thirst as the Poets in times past fabled of TANTALVS But though many and great be the troubles of the Righteous yet the Lord delivereth them out of all For the eyes of the Lord is over the Righteous and his Eare is open to theyr cry but the Face of the Lord is against them that do evill Psalm 3 4 to cut off theyr Remembrance from the Eatth Who would be unwilling then to suffer ignominies and scornings rather then with the wicked to injoy the pleasures of Sin for a season Revel 2â— God himselfe will wipe all teares from theyr eyes hee will give them Ioyes for theyr Sorrowes as hee sayth Blessed are yee that now Weepe for yee shall Rejoyce troubles in this life are badges of Gods Children Whom the Lord loveth Prov. 3. hee chastiseth and correcteth every Sonne that he chuseth with Patience Luke 21. Therefore possesse your Soules Iohn 15. and remember who it is that sayd You are not of the World as I am not of the World the world hateth you because it hated mee first if you were of the world the world would love you Oh blessed Sufferings that makes us like to God himselfe if wee had the Wisedome of SALOMON the Treasure of CRoeSVS and the long life of METHVSALEM and out of the favour and love of God our Wisedome were Foolishnesse for to know him is perfect wisedome our Riches were drosse for riches will not avayle in the day of Wrath and that life so long and wickedly led no better then a man that dreames hee is a King honoured of all and wanting nothing when waking hee findes himselfe hated of all and wanting all things III. Of the Peace of a good Conscience and the Ioyfull end of the Godly SALOMON having set himselfe to behold all things that were under the Sun having taken to himselfe all that could bee delightfull for what can he doe more that commeth after the King at last concludeth Eccles 2. That all the dayes of Man are sorrowes and his travailes griefe therefore sayth he I hated life for all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit and perceiving how apt men were to follow what delights this world could affoord them scoffes at theyr folly and by way of derision sayth Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth Eccles 11 let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes yet would hee not let them goe on thus but gives them an Jtem saying But know that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgement for though sayth hee A Sinner doe evill an hundred times and his dayes bee prolonged yet surely I know that it shal be well with them that feare God These Caveats the godly man placeth before his remembrance least hee should fall into errors and making his life of no value to him hee despiseth all things onely ayming at that may make him happy which is a good Conscience for that will bring him peace at the last death being to a godly man the ending of Sorrowes and the beginning of Ioyes he doth then begin to live with God when hee dyes to the World Eccles â— as it is sayd in Ecclesiastes Who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and in the day of his Death hee shall be blessed And St. IOHN was commanded to Write Blessed are the Dead Revel 14. that dye in the Lord even so sayth the Spirit that they may rest from theyr labours their works follow them How can that man bee discouraged that heareth this of the Lord in the houre of his Death when he findeth himselfe hasting thither where hee shall receive that which he hath all his life-time desired And Saint AVGVSTINS speaking of the Death of a Good man sayth He that desireth to bee dissolved be with Christ dyeth not Patiently but liveth Patiently and dyeth delightsomely and it may be sayd That like a Swan he dyeth singing yeilding the glory to God which calleth him With what joy doth that Soule behold his end who hath all his Life-time possessed a good Conscience nothing fearefull can present it selfe before him he sees all his sinnes not of a Crimson die but White as wooll washed by the blood of Christ he beholds him not as his Iudge but his Sauiour and Mediatour his Iudge is his Brother God in Christ is become his Father hee hath no debts to pay Christ Iesus on the Crosse hath Cancelled the hand writing that was against him and hath not onely made him free but also an heyre of the Kingdome of Heaven The presence of Death is not terrible to him for he feareth not Death because hee feared GOD and hee that feareth him need feare none other hee feareth not Death because he feared Life but feare of Death are the effects of an evill Life hee feareth not Death because through all his life hee learned to dye and prepared himselfe to dye but a man prepared and provident need not feare his Enemy he feareth not Death because so long as he lived he sought for those things that might helpe him that is for Vertues and good Workes hee feareth not Death because to a Righteous man Death is not death but a sleepe it is not Death but an end of all labours it is not Death but away unto life and a Ladder unto Paradice for hee knoweth that Death hath lost all the bitternesse of Death after it hath passed through the veynes of Life and that it hath received the sweetnesse of life hee feareth not the presence of Divels because he hath CHRIST his defender and Captaine he feareth not the horror of the grave because he knoweth that his body is sowne a corrup tible body but shall rise againe in incorruptible body often boasting in the strength hee hath gained by Christ saying with cheerefulnesse of spirit O Death where is thy sting 2. Cor. 15. O Grave where is thy victory The strong man death comes not upon him unawares for hee hath layd up in store for himselfe a good foundation against this time 1. Tim. 6. which was to come that hee might lay hold on Eternall life Even the brest-plate of righteousnesse Ephes 5. the shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit having his loynes girt about with verity and his feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of Peace what hope now hath his enemy of any advantage though helped by the weakenesse of his owne flesh Death was ever expected and therefore provided for he alwayes lived as in the presence of GOD having a strict eye over all his actions and though now Satan bend all his Forces against him because hee hath but a small time before his siege must bee raysed and therefore presents that before him which he dearest loued his Wife
Enemie that hee will set his members in the way agaiust thee that if it bee possible they may hinder thy proceedings and turne thee backe againe into the broad way of Errors that leadeth to destruction No sooner did SAVL Prophesie but the wicked and the men of BELIAL had him in derision who better affected then PAVL the Apostle whilst he remayned a Persecutor of CHRIST in his members and carried with him the authority of the High Priests to strengthen his proceedings but no sooner was he converted but how many enimies had he which streight sought his destruction hayling him to Prisons to Scourging and to Stonings to death Yet so farre were they from being disheartned by this as that they reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of CHRIST When we enter into Baptisme we professe to become CHRISTS souldiers and to fight vnder his banner and is it the part of a Souldier to flye at the first onset he that indureth to the end gaineth not onely the honour but the reward nay the fiercer the assault is the more we ought to oppose our selues against it and though through the roughnes of the incounter we may thinke we haue the worst yet if with patience wee striue to perseuer our Captaine CHRIST IESVS will be at hand to helpe vs for carefull is he of his owne as his owne mouth testifieth when he saith to his Father All thou hast giuen me I haue kept and none of them is lost Let all these proofes arme thy minde to be resolute in going on in goodnes till thou attaine the end where thou shalt gaine the reward of thy abours and take with theel the Counsell of the Philosopher HERMES who sayth It is better to suffer shame for vertuous dealing then to win honour by vicious living When SALOMON had builded the Teinple and sanctified it none might enter into Sanctum Sanctorum the holiest of all but the Priest onely So none can enter into this Kingdome which is the true Sanctum Sanctorum but those who haue by a Religious course of life put off the vanities of this world and cloathed themselves with the Robe of CHRISTS Righteousnesse whereby they are Consecrated made fit to enter When the Children of Jsraell were in the Wildernes they were commanded every day to gather Manna but on the Sabboth they that went to gather found none for that they were on the Even to provide for that day so fayle not thou euery day of thy life to gather this Manna the food of thy soule and to lay vp in store against this day of thy rest least when thou hopest to find thou become frustrate and so thy soule starue with want thereof feede not thy selfe with hopes of entertainement vnlesse thou haue furnished thy selfe with the wedding garment neither thinke to passe with one that is counterfeit though neuer so neare the colour for if it be not found the right one thou shalt be taken and bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkenesse therefore it is that the Apostle sayth Examine your selves whither yee be in the Faith 2. Cor. 13. prove your selves There are many nay most that vnderstanding the infinitnesee of the happines of this place that with BALAAM will desire to dye the death of the Righteous Numb 33 but they will not liue the life of the Righteous because they exempt themselves from many things in the which the wicked place theyr whole felicity they accounting this world theyr Heauen shall therefore finde none other hereafter as in the parable Abraham sayd to the rich man in Hell Son remember that thou in thy life-time received thy good things they were his becausein them consisted all his happines therefore possessing of them here he could not expect a future For as the Apostle saith Be not deceiued God is not mocked for what a man soweth that shall he reape for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting For true blessednes consisteth not in meat or drink or in richnesse of apparell but in Righteousnes and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost A man who hath beene long kept from his father and mother wife or children by imprisonment being once at liberty and entred on his lourney toward thē regardeth not neither the length of the way the wearisomnes of his owne steps nor the dangerousnes of the places he is to passe but goeth on with chearefulnesse and longings till he attaine the end and as a spurre to whet on his speed placeth before the eye of his remembrance the sweete content hee shall finde at meeting can these earthly delights cause a man to vndergoe so many difficulties and shall not the delights which God hath prepared for his and whereof I haue giuen thee a glimpse cause thee with much more feruencie to long to attaine to this place of happinesse and setting a part all hinderances whatsoever six thy eye of Faith vpon those vnspeakeable pleasures which thy soule shall then gayne in Ioy when thou shalt meete with God thy Father Christ Iesus thy Brother and Sauiour who hath by the infinitenes of his love espoused thee vnto himselfe and made the possessor of Heauen where thou shalt as sayth Saint AVGVST imbrace a certaine imbracing aboue all imbracings Thou shalt find a sweetnes aboue all sweetnesse thou shalt see alight aboue all lights thou shalt smell a sauour aboue all savours most delectable thou shalt heare a voyce aboue all voyces for rarenes for that voyce doth sound where no ayre doth moue it this light doth shine where no place doth receiue it this savour doth smell where no blast doth carry it and this imbrace is there touched where it is not sundred to conclude if thou desirest to inioy all blessednesse and to escape all kinde of punishments tribulations and miseries there thou shalt find libertie freedome from them all The God of our Lord IESVS CHRIST the Father of Glory give vnto vs the spirit of wisdome knowledge of him that the eyes of our vnderstanding being inlightned we may know what is the hope of his calling and what the Riches of the Glory of the inheritance of his Saints Amen Of our losse by ADAM and our gayne by CHRIST The first Adam was made a living Soule the second Adam a quickning Spirit For as in ADAM wee all dye so in CHRIST shall all be made alive 1. Corinth 15. GOD by his Wisedame and all-seeing Pow'r Ordained Man vnto Eternitie Sathan through malice turnes that sweet to sowre Man eating the forbidden Fruit must Die No remedy was left to scape this Curse The sore still looked on became the worse He out of that delightsome place is throwne To travell in the Warld with woe distrest Through all his life a Pilgrim he is knowne With Cares and Sorrowes and with griefes opprest The more he lookes into his
must prey They thinke not how theyr hungry Soule doth pine They count not of theyr reckoning at last day But time of Grace once lost is without call So headlong to destruction they doe fall Pride of all other sembleth most the Divell 'T was Pride threw Sathan downe from Heaven to Hell 'T was Pride that Author was of all mans euill 'T was Pride made EVE desire still to excell When Sathan said as Gods you then shall be Incontinent she tasted of that Tree This Lep'rous sinne infected so the bloud That through her off-spring it hath who ly runne Before the child can know the bad from good It straight is proud Nature this hure hath done A female sinne it counted was to be But now Hermaphrodite proved is shee Like IVDAS Sathan with each mortall deales His haile is Hate his flattering kisse is death He every where still watching creeping steales With armed troupes to stifle his soules breath His Syrens songs mans mortall Death intends And hee must Dye that thereto his care lends As a Physition with his Patient still Applyes his potion as he findes it fit Giuing to some more strong because theyr ill Disposed body oft requireth it Euen so doth Sathan with each Creature deale But his is meant for death and not to heale Nature and Sathan are sworne Brothers still For neyther of them moveth man to good By Nature we incline to all that 's ill Which runneth through our body with our blood And by our Nature oft he vs assailes And through our weaknesse he oft times prevailes He by our Nature sees to what we bend Whether to goodnesse or to mischiefes run And if he sind man ayme at the best end Then strives he for to marre all he hath done And by a pride of Goodnes makes him be Towards his God like the proud Pharisie The blessings God to man doth often giue As beautie health riches honours and fame That he in thankefulnes for them shouldst liue Still vsing them to glorifie his Name Sathan transeformeth all this vnto sinne Through vilde abuse or considence therein This thing the Scripture euidently showes By DAVIDs numbering of Israell Whereby he thought more trust for to repose In his great army this to sinne befell And drawing on Gods Iudgement for the same A heavy plague he on his Realine did gaine There is a sinne on which small count is made And that is Disobedience for which sinne SAMVEL the Prophet vnto SAVL once sayd From being King God had reiected him When as he AMELECK all should have slaine Sathan mov'd him to let the best remaine This sinne so great in Gods pure sight doth seeme As that the Prophet plainly doth him tell The Lord no better of it doth esteeme Then of vild Witchcraft which in Israel The Lord commanded banish'd quite to be This like to that and to Idolatrie This onely sinne on all Mankinde did draw Gods heavy wrath for this we suffer still By ADAMS breaking Gods commanded Law Sinne with a poysned dart our soules did kill For through the breach thereof there entred death For so 't was sentenced by Gods owne breath O this same sinne as an accusing one On all occasions still it guilty sayth Fulfill Gods Law who did nere yet was knowne But CHRIST who came for to appease Gods wrath Then by his Law we all convicted stand And howerly may looke for Gods wrath at hand Deferring off Repentance is a bayte So closely layd by that old Enemy That sew doth diue the depth of his deceit But vnprouided many men doe die He bids them on the good theefe their eyes cast Who neuer did repent him till the last O slye deceitfull cruell enemy How deadly is thy hatred to vs all Thou EHVD like hides that will cause vs dye And sith thou fell'st thou aym'st still at our fall In Paradice the Tree death did vs give But by the Tree in Golgotha we live From a decline in goodnesse let each Soule With heedfull care still study to beware Least in the end for it he doth condole When as his foote is fettered in the snare Who once his hand vpon the Plough doth lay Must by no meanes looke backe another way Easie it is to plunge our selues in sinne But O alas hard to get forth againe If by our faults our Soules be black with in We then shall finde all his delusions vaine His voyce of peace all peace doth from vs take Then shun that hearbe where vnder lyes the Snake Man ought at all times have a carefull eye For many are the Snares which Sathan layes When least he thinketh on to cause him dye He hides the bayte the which mans soule betrayes Of ease and pleasures he will alwayes tell But his smooth path the brode way is to Hell Who on this Panthers skinne doth gazing stand Had need beware who lyes in wayte to catch Who holdes a Woolfe by th' eares but with one hand Must with the other muzzell vp his chaps If better thou dost get leave not off so But of all meanes to hurt deprive thy Foe That man the which his Enemy foyl'd hath Must straight vnarme him least he gather strength BENHADADS servants after AHABS wrath With feyned words did come to him at length And from his kindnesse they advantage draw For he that fear'd to dye now made a Law By his Example let vs warned bee Gods Prophet vnto AHAB straight doth come And sayd Because from death thou didst him free Be sure thy life shall stand in his lifes roome Leave thou not Sathan till thou seest him dead And IABL like kill SISERA in the head He aymes not at thy slips but overthrow Small hurts content him not he life would spill With slight advantages he will not goe When thou securest art he waites to kill And IOAS like of thy health he 'll inquire But 't is not life but death he doth desire Can this old Serpent this deceiuing Divell Get in his head then follow shall his tayle If man but yeeld a little vnto evill Sinne will increase though creeping like a Snaile And if vnto a Custome it doth come He feeles it not his soule is now growne num All Sathan baites are glittering to the eye He leades man on in a delight some traine Till death arrests them saying thou must dye And then he lets them see all was but vaine Then in the vgli'st forme hee shewes them all That into Desperation man may fall Now having such a strong and powerfull foe What need hath Man with heedfull care to watch Least on a suddaine he from hence doe goe For Death as well doth lye in wayt to catch Who proves a welcome guest to a good man For vnprovided come he never can Deaths ghastly lookes to a gtod man seemes sweet Who still prepared hath for that his end As ESAY IACOB did embracing meet So doth he death accounting him his friend If teares doe fall they are not shed through feares For ioy he 's
come forceth from him those teares Can he expect Death Enemie to be Who by his Present hath his force alayd He sent before good workes much Charity Blessings of Orphants which for him have pray'd His sighs and teares appeased hath his King And this supposed Foe glad newes doth bring Death is our guide vnto Eternall blisse Portall of Heaven by which we enter must The Ladder reaching a true happinesse Which bringeth man to live amongst the Iust By him we come Gods glorious face to see From which by life deprin'd we still shall bee Our flesh a prison is vnto our soule Which doth deprive it of that heavenly light With spirituall groanes sighs it doth condole Till it attaine vnto that wished sight Death is the key vnlocks our misery Looseth our bonds and gives vs liberty Death's fangs are par'd his bitter potions sweet His edge abaited all his hurt is done A godly man most kindly he doth meete And of a Foe he is a Friend become His strooke is like the striking of a veine By which small smart sick men theyr health doe gaine Death is the ending of our dayes not life For having clos'd these eyes we wake to live Death having finisht once this mortall strife Our Faith in CHRIST new life to vs doth give Our Night is past our Day star doth appeare Our Cloud is vanish'd and our Morne shines cleare Now ends all sorrowes now all griefes are done Sinne takes his leave and weaknesse hath his end And now behold our Iubilee is come The Haruest of our labors we attend Death's potion onely bitter is in show The taste once past no operation so Mans Glasse once run his flower of Life once dead That vapor vanish'd and that span once grasp'd His breath once failing all his body's Lead In sencelesse coldnesse all his parts are clasp'd He came from earth earth house-roome now him gives His spirit from God with God for ever lives The carnall wicked worldly minded men Who in this life their whole content have plac'd Doth tremble when Death mention'd is to them Because by him all Ioyes from them are chased Their ease and pleasures changed quite will be All mirth is dash'd by present miserie The sight of him vnto their mindes doe bring Remembrance of their sinnes they slightly past The which with woe their soules doe sorely sting For that they see the count call'd on at last Which sure on earth a hell may deemed be When without mercy man his sinnes deth see Those men which onely to delights are given At the approach of death doth feare and quake What earth afforded they accounted heaven And now perforce they must those ioyes forsake Gods blessings they most vildly have abus'd And proffered time of Grace they have refus'd And now those words which ABRAHAM did say To DIVES when for water he did call He findes too true whose smarts without alay His Sorrowes farre more better are then gall His good things onely were upon this Earth But life and them are parted quite by death Terrors and feares must needs their soules affright When guilty Conscience showes Gods angry eye O how they tremble to approach that sight To whom their sinne will out for vengeance cry He who on earth to grieve they did not feare Will give a sentence which their Soules will teare O how mans sinnes that mild aspect doth change He which for man did bleed doth man condemne If by their sinnes from the right path they range Wanting their guide dangers approacheth them The Woolfe once seazing 't is in vaine to flye Theyr Shepheard heares not bootlesse 't is to cry Alas who would this world as ought esteeme If truely he consider every thing Those pleasures which to man most happy seeme Doth soonest fade and gone they leave a sting Man vpon Earth no sure abiding hath Then feare betime before thou feele Gods wrath BELSHAZAR when hee was carrousing set Amongst his Princes in his royall Throne A writing turnes those faire delights to Iet A hand then shew'd makes bone incounter bone He fearefull sits whilst thus it doth indite Thou' rt weigh'd in ballance and art found too light Mans life 's a sceane and tragic ke wo's succeed A Comet alwayes future harmes foretell The happiest life by death is made to bleed If vnprepar'd he dye he goes to hell The gate is shut and they must take their lot For 't will be answered loe I know you not Vnto a thorney field and barren land How fitly may mans life compared be What cares what feares what griefes are still at hand And for one Ioy ten discontents we see We alwayes walke as on a bridge of glasse And oft it crakes as ouer it we passe Still barren is this world of true content Fruitfull enough in procreating wees Thorny afflictions towards vs are bent But certaine Ioyes still backwards from vs goes Who thinkes to catch them doth a shadow chase And like IXION doth a cloud embrace Then why should man thus waste his precious time And triflingly let slip his golden dayes O! turne to God whilst thou art in thy prime And put not off repentance with delayes For when death comes it then will be too late By teares or vowes for to prorogue thy state Boast not of youth or honours wealth or strength Who trusts to them vpon a reede doth leane The which be sure deceiue thee will at length Then strive from these vaine thy selfe to weane And fill thy Lampe with oyle thoughts whil'st thou hast space Least afterward too late thou call for grace Breake off thy sinnes by true repentant teares And turne to God whilst it is call'd to day And rest assured he their prayers heares That vnto him vncessantly doe pray For to incourage thee he this did say Who comes to me I will not cast away Is not mans life compared vnto a flower And O how soone alas the same doth fade and dye Then let man liue prepar'd each day and houre Least vnawares the force of death he try And beare this saying alwayes in thy minde As death thee leaves so Iudgement will thee find And as the Flower in the chiefest prime Doth fade and dye when Sun his face doth hide For 't is not in the earth 's vast slippery clime An euer fading beeing to prouide No more can strength or skill preuaile at all To lengthen life when God by death doth call And as the spring the water forth doth put And by the earth drunke vp no more is seene So when by death our thrid of life is cut On earth we are as we had neuer beene Then whil'st we liue let 's striue to purchase Grace That after Death in Heaven we may have place Alas how many are the snares and bayts Which Sathan layes our poore soules to betray HIENA like he murthers by deceites Through false delights to cause us misse our way His Mermaides Songs are onely sweet in sound Approach them not lest Death thy life doth wound Therefore the safest way vnto our blisse Is meditation of our certaine Death And though we tread the steps of carefulnesse And all our life in sorrow draw our breath The guerdon of our paines our CHRIST will give In causing vs eternally to live Thus by a godly and an vpright life Man of a deadly foe may make a friend And by a wise provision stint that strife Which Sathan laid to bring vs to our end And though our flesh prove false our God is Iust By death our soule gaines heauen our body dust Be ever vigilant in all thy wayes And alwayes live as in the sight of God Performe good actions and vse no delayes Then feare not Death it brings with it no rod With care attend that sure vncertainety And live as euery howre thou shouldest dye This watchfull care wounds Sathan in the head For hee that thinkes of Death doth shun all Sinne By thought of this man to the world proves dead He counts all drosse and only CHRIST would win No earthly Ioyes can cause him life to love His Soule is fixt and nothing can him move Thus each weake Christian may this tyrant foyle For by CHRIST's Death man armed is with strength Though in this Combate he a while may toyle But Faith in CHRIST gives victory at length And with a courage hold man now may cry Death where 's thy sting Grave where 's thy victory What though we dye as dye we surely must Yet by this death we now are gainers made For when our bodyes are consum'd to dust We shall be rais'd from that Eternall shade Our mortall bodyes shall immortall be And with our Soules inioy Eternitie Our troubles in this life now changed are From tokens of his wrath vnto his love For though a while vpon the Earth me share Of griefes and troubles yet when God above Shall by death call vs from the vaile of sinne Wee shall inioy Eternall blisse with him Where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes All griefes and sorrowes then shall ended be We shall be freed from all clamarous cries No discontents nor troubles shall wee see But Peace and Ioyes and comforts shall be found And alwayes in our eares a heavenly sound Our Sences shall partake all of this Blisse Our Eyes shall evermore behold our King Our Hearing heavenly musicke shall possesse Our Tongues shall evermore his Praises sing Thus Smell and Taste thus hands and eares and sight Shall evermore inioy a full delight Vnto this Happinesse and place of Ioy In thy good time sweet Saviour Christ vs bring Where being freed from Sorrowes and annoy Wee evermore thy blessed Praise may sing Where we shall never cease but Night and Day Sing Praise and Glory vnto Thee alway FINIS