Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A33986
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Divine songs and meditacions composed by An Collins.
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Collins, An, 17th cent.
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1653
(1653)
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Wing C5355; ESTC R20679
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35,368
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106
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in Gath let it be published That those that seek the Lord and him alone In any case should be discouraged Lest it rejoyce the wicked this to see Who think the wayes of grace unpleasant be Where as they are most pleasant sweet and fair Yeilding delights which onely satisfy Our minds which else transported are with care And râ—stlesse wandrings continually But those that do no taste hereof attain Seek rather for content in pleasures vain When Kain had lost the happy harmony He by a peace â—ull Conscience might enjoy His nepâ—ew â—ball then most skillfully Invented Musiâ—k thereby to convey Unto the outward eare some melody But no true joy come to the heart thereby For it is onely a Certificate Brought by Gods Spirit from the Throne of Grace That may delight the Soule Regenerate Which certifies her of her happy case That shee 's already in a gracious state Which will in endlesse glory consummate Again the blessed Soule may take delight To think on Sions great prosperity In that the Gospell long hath shined bright Sustaining no Eclips by Heresy So that the meanes of knowledg is so free Gods Worship rightly may performed be If then my Soule the Lord thy Porcion be Delight'st his Word and sacred Covenants Wherby his Graces are conveyed to thee As Earnests of divine inheritance And which may cause tru comfort to abound Thy Lot is fallen in a plâ—asant ground Then let not any trouble thee dismay Seeing the Light of Grace to thee hath shonâ— The sable Weed of Sadnesse lay away And put the Garment of â—alvacion on With chearfullnesse Gods blessings entertain Let not the object of thy mirth be vain Which as a Cloud would stop the influence Of that true Light that doth the Soule refine And prediâ—poseth it through lively sence To that eternall brightnesse most divine Then cheifly to admit that joy accord Which commeth by the Favour of the Lord. God's Favour ever highly estimate As the prime motive of tru happinesse VVhereof since that thou didst participate In Life or Death feare no kind of distresse VVhen humane help sha l fayl thee utterly Then is Gods saving opportunity Deadnesse of spirit that thou mayst avoyd The lively means of godlynesse embrace And cease not seeking though thou be delayd But wait till God do manifest his grace For thy deliverance prefix no day But paciently the Lords due leisure stay The fourth Meditacion ALas my Soule oft have I sought thy Peace But still I find the contrary encrease Thou being of a froward disposicion Perceivest not thy mercyfull Physician Doth give thee forâ—hy health these strong purgacions So may we call out daily molestacions VVhich how to beare that thou mayst understand Take heed of two extreams under Gods hand The one is too light takeing thy Distresse The other 's hopelesse Greife or Pensivenesse Between these two observe with heedfull eye A middle course or mediocrity Consider for the first if one correct His Child who seemeth it to disrespect VVarding the blow or setting light therby How is he beat again deservedly So if that thou should'st seem to disregard The Chastisments of God or seek to ward The same by wayes or meanes impenitent How just shall God renew thy punishment If Physick for our Bodies health be tane VVe hinder not the working of the same Strong Physick if it purge not putrifies And more augments then heales our malladies And as is sâ—yd our manifold Temptacions Are nothing but thy scouring Purgacions VVherin a dram too much hath not admission Confected by so Skilfull a Physician VVho will not have their bitternesse abated Till thy ill humors be evacuated Then loose it down for thy Humilliacion And hinder not its kindly Opperacion As thou mayst by untimely voyding it By vain contentments which thou mayst admit VVhich makes us drive repentant thoughts away And so put far from us the Evill day But that content which is by such meanes got Is like cold water tane in fevers hot VVhich for the present though it seem to ease Yet after it encreaseth the disease But thou dost rather unto Grief incline At Crosses therfore subject to repine Supposing oft thy present troubles are Intolerable and thy bane declare VVhilst thou for this thy selfe dost maserate Dispair unto thee doth intimate That none hath been afflicted like to thee Unparaleld thy visitacions bee The by-waies being thus discovered Endeavour in the right way to be led With tru Repentance hope of pardon joine Deny thy selfe and trust for help divine Seek first with God in Christ to be at peace Who onely can thy Tribulacion cease For he that laid the Rod affliction on The power hath to pull it off alone T were but in vain for one that were in debt To see the Officers a discharg to get Till with his Creditor he doth agree He cannot walk out of his danger free So vain are they which think their course is sure When in the use of meanes they rest secure Whereas if God his blessing doth restrain VVe by the creature can no help attain Though it hath pleased God out of his grace Naturall cauâ—es over things to place Yet keeps he to himselfe blest be his name The staffe and operacion of the same Then do not think my Soule to find redresse By meanes of Freinds or by self Skilfulnesse But rather all created helps deny Save as they serve for God to work thereby Now forasmuch as God is just alone Know without cause he hath afflicted none Sith without doubt his wayes so equall be For som great fault he thus correcteth thee Therfore to lowest thoughts thy self retire To seek the cause that moved God to ire Which when thou findest whatsoere it be As thy right hand or eye so dear to thee Resolve for ever to abandon it Be watchfull lest the same thou recommit Renew thy Covenant with God and vow In the remainder of thy dayes that thou Wilt walk before him with an upright heart If for that end his grace be on thy part If when hereto thou dost thy forces try In them thou find a disability Then look to Christ who doth thy weaknesse veiw And of compassion will thy strength renew From him alone thou mâ—yst that grace derive Which like a Cordial or Restorative Will strengthen and repair thy faculties Which else are dead to holy exercise T will make thy Understanding apprehend God as a Father who in Love doth send Correction to his Children when they stray When without check the wicked take their sway This grace once tasted so affects the will As it forsaketh that which cannot fill The well of living waters to frequent Can onely fill the Soule with tru content The memory it doth corroberate To keep a store the Soule to animate Gods precious promises the treasures be Which memory reserves to comfort thee The over-flowings of this grace divine To goodnesse the affections will encline Turning the hasty current of thy love From things below unto those
perfect God and perfect man was he This much touching our Saviours person Now His Offices we ought to know likewise And what he hath performd for us and how He freed us from the foresaid miseries And how Gods dreadfull wrath he satisfies His Offices shall briefly named be A Priest a Prophet and a King is he A Priest for that he hath for mans transgression Full satisfaction made to God the father Heb. 7.15 And likewise makes continuall intercession For those who to his fould he means to gather Or to eternall heavenly mancions rather The means wherby Gods wrath he satisfies Was his obedience and his sacrifice The Law of God he perfectly fulfild VVith full obedience and integrity As God had pre-ordained then did he yeild A painfull ignominious death to dy The wrath of God appeased was thereby Which in full measure came upon him then Even what was due unto the sins of men A Prophet to instruct his Church he is Which doth him honour by sinceare profession His Spirit qualifies the hearts of his And makes them pliable to such profession His word doth take when grace shall have possession For by the word no good efect is wrought But where the heart is by Gods spirit taught Our Saviour is a King undoubtedly Although he seemes to have no Kingdoms here Yet in their hearts he means to Glorify A Kingdome he erects of grace and there Hee raignes and by his spirit rule doth beare But here appears his machlesse dignity Hee King of Glory is Eternally For when he by his death had finished The work of our redemcion freed from paines He took his body that before was dead With all that to a perfect man pertaines With which he gloriously ascends and reignes At the right hand of God he doth remain Vntill to Iudgment he returns again Christs sufferings are sufficient for to free All men from wo and endlesse misery 2 Thes 3.2 But all men have not faith and therfore be Vnlikely to have benefit thereby For it is Faith with which we must apply The merrits of our blessed Redeemer And to our selves each in particuler Faith is a Grace which doth the soul refine Wrought by the Holy-Ghost in contrite hearts And grounded on Gods Promises divine Things superexcellent this same imparts To those that have it planted in their hearts But ere this faith is wrought the heart must be Made capable of it in some degree First God doth take the hammer of his Law And breaks the heart which he for Grace will fitâ— Then the seduced soul is brought in aw And doth immediatly it selfe submitt When sight of sinne and sorrowing for it Hath wrought humility a vertu rare VVhich truly doth the soul for Grace prepare The Law of God is most exact and pure Requireing of us perfect holinesse Psal 19.1 To which is life eternall prâ—mis'd sure But curses unto them that it transgresse Whether by frailty or by wilfullnesse Though none but Christ and Adam ere his fall Could keep this Law yet it may profit all For here we may perceive how much we fail VVithall what danger we incur thereby Then if we can our own deâ—ects bewail We may for sucour to our Saâ—iour fly Whose Righteousnesse will all our wants supply Then here are Rules set down for Gods Elect Whereby they wiâ—l their course of life direct This Law by Gods most skilfull Hand was wrot And placed in two Tables orderly Shewing what 's to be done and what is not Withall what good or evill coms thereby In Ten Commandements so distinctly Wherewith as with a Touch stone try we may How we offend our God or him obay 1 They sin against the first who think or say As doth the fool there is no God at all So they that through profanenesse disobay And want of knowledg is a breach not small Who loves or fears a creature most of all And puts trust therein and seeks there to Makes that their God and so break this they do 2 The second violated is by those That Images erect or them adore By such also who in devocion goes To Saint or Angell succor to implore VVho set by superstisious Reliques store And worship God after mens fantasies And not as he commands breaks this likewise 3 When those that seem religious prove profane Gods name is much dishonoured therby Even so likewise their error is the same Who use his word or works or Titles high For evill ends or elce unreverently By witchcraft cursing swearing blasphemy This violated is undoubtedly 4 Whoso by preparation doth not fit Himselfe to keep the Sabbath breaks the same As those that holy exercise omit Or come thereto only for fear of blame Nor have delight or profit by the same So it is broke by carnall recreations By worldly works by speech or cogitacions 5 When that inferiors disobedient are Vngratefull stubborn saucy impudent Fayling in reverence love respective care To their superiors hating Government Such grosly break this Fift Commandement As those superiors whose bad Disciplin Or ill example makes inferiors sin 6 This is transgrest by murther or debate By being mindfull of revenge likewise By sinfull anger envy malice hare By vexing words and scornfull mockeries Which are occasions of eâ—treamities Distresse of mind heart-griefe perplexity And life hath often prejudice thereby 7 All thoughts impure this CoÌ„mandment breaks So lewd pastimes light gesture wanton lookes Wearing apparell contrary to Sex Ill company vain â—alk lacivious books An all that may enâ—ice like baites or hooks To Fornication or Adultery VVhich breakes this Precept most apparently 8 This is transgrest by any kind of stealing By coveting our nighbours goods also By fraud oppression or deceitfuâ—l dealing By nâ—t disposing well of that we ow Refusing honeâ—t works to undergoe By being not content with our estate Not helping those we should commiserate 9 This violated is by false witnesse bearing Likewise by any Lie we breâ—k the â—ame By raiseing false reports or gladly hearing Ill of our nighbour touching his good name By not maintaining his deserved fame By speaking truth of him maliciously And not exhorting him in secresie 10 This is transgrest by lusts and mocions vain Though we thereto give no consent at all Ro. 7.7 As the rebellion of the flesh or stain And blot we have by sinne Originall Corrupsion of our nature we it call From which because that no one can be free Then all transgressors of the Law must be Who by the morrall Law beholds his sin And sees withall ther 's left him no defence To sorrow therefore now he doth begin His Conscience being toucht with lively sence Of Gods displeasure for his great offence Dispairing of salvation in respect Of ought that by himselfe he can effect The curse contain'd in this exquiset Law Doth work this sorrow so effectually For truly he alone is brought in aw Whose Conscience is inform'd of this hereby Who breaks but one commandement only In all his