Mat. 25. O God thou seest how my sins have taken such hold f Psal 40.15 upon me that I cannot look up to thy holy place Lord break the chains of my sins and let the pitifulnesse of thy great mercy loose me from the bondage of sinne the fear of death Rom. 8.1 the misery of this wretched life from the terrour and rigour of thy law that I may believe and feele that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Lord grant that we maybe fellow Citizens with the Saints and never look for a resting place here but let me say and sing with thy holy Prophet If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning yea If I remember thee not let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem in my q Psal 1â—â— mirth Sect. VII Of the Kingdome of Heaven The Kings Palace THe place of Joy and the eternall rest of the Saints of God is described unto us in the Word of God by four speciall names above the rest whereby we may guess at the happiness therein contained namely by the name of a 2 Cor. 12. Paradise of a b John 14. House a c Heb. 12. City and a d Mat. 5. Kingdome It is called a Paradise to shew that it is as a Garden or Orchard of all sweet pleasure and delight But least we might imagine by the name of Paradise that the place of joy is but as a Garden adjoyning to a backside or a place by some corner of a house It is called a Princely House or Palace where many mansions and chambers be where besides a Garden there are also Halls Parlers Chambers Galleries Banquetting-houses and all other Lodges of pleasure but because a house though never so great cannot contain any great company or extraordinary multitude whereby we might be induced to believe that there can be but very few that can be saved for want of roome in heaven therefore the place prepared for us is also called a City which containes many Houses many Palaces many Temples many Orchards and such like places fit to contain and entertain many millions of Saints and Angels but least we should imagine that a City may be little and not spacious enough for the Sonnes of God and such as follow the Lamb therefore it is not called onely a Paradise a House or a City but a Kingdome yea the Kingdome of Heaven in comparison of which the whole earth is but as a point So that the Saints of God shall not onely be â—â— a Garden or Paradise of all delight but also in a Palace of all pleasures In a City of all good Government acquaintance and familiarity yea in a Kingdome of all Glory and Majesty where every Servant of God shall be his Sonne and every Sonne a Citizen and every Citizen a crowned King to raigne with the King of Kings for ever Sparke 7. O God seeing there is with thee such a Paradise of pleasure q Psal 84.1 grant that I may not love this earth nor the vain delights therein and seeing thy House and Palace hath so many roomâ— and mansions f John 14 â— let me not delight too much in building houses here upon earth as if I meant to stay here for ever r Psal 49 11. but with the Patriarchs m Heb. 11 10. Prophets and Apostles be content with such tents and mansions as may best put me in mind of thy dwelling And seeing that holy and heavenly Jerusalem is so great and glorious d Psal 84.1 let not me look here g Heb. 11.9 for any abiding City nor greedily gape for the Kingdome and preferments of the world seeing such a Kingdome is prepared for me that is like a well governed City a strong Palace or a Paradice of pleasure But when I walk in my garden let me desire thy Paradise when I sit in my house let me think of thy Palace when I tread in the town let me remember thy holy City and when I see the glory of the world and this earthly Kingdome let me seek thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof Mat. 5. through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. VIII We must serve God in our prime and best time IT is a rule most certain in Reason and Divinity Abell's Oblation That man ought to yeeld his love and service to God as Creatures do give their love and service unto us who by the Ordinance of God do yeeld us both love and service in the best fashion or else man would not accept it And therefore the trees do not onely give their fruit willingly but such fruits as are seasonable sweet and delectable otherwise if they were bitter rotten and unpleasant we would not care for them For we ought to give our love and service to God when it is seasonable sweet and pleasant or else God will not accept of it Sparke 8. O gracious God as thou hast made me in the best fashion p Gen. 1. Psal â— Col. 3. more excellent than all other Creatures thy holy Angells excepted So grant I may yeeld the sweeter love more pleasant service than they by how much my Creation excelleth theirs Let me not bear leaves q Mat â—1 Mark 11. but fruits and those fruits which are most sweet and pleasant in thy sight Let my prayer be fervent r 1 Cor. 14. my zeal burning a Psal 69. and 119. 2 Kings 10. my faith unfained b Mat. 9. 1 Tim. 1. my fear filiall d Psal 86. my obedience child-like e Luke 2. my almes cherefull without ostentation and my whole life a pattern f Mat. 5 1â— for my posterity through that true pattern of all purity Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. IX Our love to God Sorrow's Antidote or Salve AS sorrowfulnesse is the death of the body and the grief of the soul so joy is the life of both For where there is no joy there is no life and where there is all sadness there is nothing but death For as the Soul's life consisteth in joy so the death thereof in sorrow So that he which hath true joy hath life but he which loveth his God in heart unfainedly hath true joy And seeing this joy doth arise from the love of God onely and from none other therefore it followeth that to have all our love all our good all our content and all our delight yea and all of life is to have the love of God And seeing the love of God I mean our love to God is within man that is in his will heart and affection it followeth therefore that to seek all our love all our life and all out contentment we need not to go out of our selves Spark 9. O gracious God teach me to have this treasure within me namely to love thee with all my heart d Deut. 6. with all
my soul and with all my strength and because sweet Father I cannot love thee e 1 John 4.20 whom I have not seen except I love my brother whom I see dayly I beseech thee that I f Levit. 19. may love my neighbour as my self and that I may love thee above my self that neither tribulation g Rom. 8. nor anguish nor famine nor nakâ—dnesse nor life nor death may be able to separate me from the love that I have unto thee in Christ Jesus That I may forsake b Mat. 10.81 Father and Mother Wife and Children and leave all and follow thee Sect. X. Of Christ's Passion O Sweet Saviour The Patient's Pattern we finde that most true which the Prophet Jeremy spake in thy person when he said My grief is above all grief For all thy five sences had no small taste of grief As the feeling vexed with the sharp nails wherewith thou wast pricked Thy hearing with the opprobrious termes wherewith thou wast blasphemed Thy tast with the vineger and gall wherewith thou wast fed Thy smelling with the filthy spittle wherewith thou wast besmeared and thy fight with that wicked crew by whom thou wast abused nay there was not one part in thee left untormented that might be afflicted For thy head was grieved with thornes thy hands and feet with the nailes thy back with the whip thy heart and side with a spear thy whole body with grief and nakedness and thy soul with heaviness Thus wast thou tormented in every part for me that have offended thee in every member giving mine eyes to behold vanity mine ears to listen to folly my tongue to speak blasphâ—my my throat an open sepulcher my hands the instruments of wrong my feet swift to mischief my heart to all wickedness and my whole body to uncleanness Spark 10. O most m rcifull Father behold thy Sâ—nne who did endure this for my sake q Isa 53. behold him that hath suffered and of thy goodnesse remember him for whom he hath suffered Behold his humble hands and forgive the sins which my harmefull hands have committed Behold his gracious eyes thâ—t never affected p 1 John 2.1 vanity and so give the wickedness that my greedy eyes have delighted in Behold his chast ears that never were attentive but to goodness and forgive my sins in hearkening to lewdness Behold his deep wounds in his mercifull hands and forgive the sins of my idle hands Behold his feet which never stood q Psal 1.1 in the way of sinners and make my pathes perfect in thy tract Behold how his side became bloody his bowels dry his sight dim his countenance pale his armes stiffe how his feet hung and his blood ranne in streams to the ground O Lord spare me for whom he hath spilt his blood O good Lord my sins were the thornes the nailes and the spear that wrought such a passion in him and shall such a passion work no compassion in me Shall not so powerfull a passion that wrought remorse in the Sun in the Moone in the Earth in the vail of the Temple in the dead bodies and in the very stones d Mat. 27.51 52 move me to pitty thy pains for whom thou hast suffered for thou diedst not for the Sun nor the Moon nor the Temple nor the Earth nor the Stones but for me Man and for my salvation thou camest down from heaven and wast made man crucified and buried therefore I will praise thy name for ever with the best member that I have Sect. XI Of our Filiation The Affinity of the godly BY Grace we may not onely call God our Father because by Christ we are his adopted sonnes but because we are also his creatures and the works of his hands For we call them rightly fathers which give their being to their children I mean which immediatâ—ly are the cause that their children hâ—ve substantial bodies and they are called sonnes to those men of whom they receive body and blood being and beginning Now as we have the substance and originall of our corruptible bodies from our earthly Fathers so have we our soules immediately from God who is our heavenly Father so that God by creation is the Father of us all and we his sonnes and as all those are termed brethren which receive their bodies and beginning from one man so may all those be well called brethren that receive their spirit life and soul from one God So that God both by Creation and Redemption is the Father of us all and all of us are brethren and look how much the soule doth excell the body so much the more farre doth our heavenly Father excell our earthly Father and so much doth our fraternity in God excell our brotherhood in man For without comparison God is more properly to be termed a Father in respect of the soul than a carnall Father is in respect of the body because the body in comparison of the soul is as nothing For a man is a man in respect of his soul and the body hath his being onely for the soul in respect therefore that the soul is the chief thing in man it is evident that God from whom it cometh is the chief Father So that every man is more the son of God than he is the son of his carnall Father because he receiveth this principall part immediately from God Nay which is more man receiveth from his carnal Father but some part of his body for he receiveth part from his mother yea both his Father and Mother are but the instrumentall cause in generation for God is the principal in the generation of the body and the onely and sole cause of the soul for man receiveth his soul onely from God not in part as his body from his carnal Father but wholely and entirely Now therefore seeing we are called sons more in respect of our soules than in respect of our bodies it followeth that we are brethren in respect of the soul more than in respect of the body for in respect of the body alone bruit beasts have a fraternity as well as we but not in respect of the soul because they have none properly So that it followeth that we are all rather to be tearmed brethren bâ—cause we receive our immortal souls immediately from one God created after his image than those who but in part and imperfectly receive their bodies from one and the same carnal Father therefore look how much more dear our soules are than our bodies unto us so much more dear ought God to be unto us than our carnal Fathers and our love to men as they are our brethren in God more than as they are our brethren in the flesh And if we be induced to love honour fear reverence and obey our carnal Fathers of whom as instruments we received but our bodies and those but in part then how much rather ought we to fear reverence love honour and obey our spiritual
and substance to our members it putteth us in minde that we received our flesh from man when we think of our heart which giveth vitall and naturall heat to our members it puts us in mind that we received our Soul from the living God Lastly when we think of our head that giveth sense and motion to our bodies it maketh us remember how that we receive in our last generation all sense and motion of grace from our head Christ And calling this to minde we must remember that every Christian is a threefold brother unto us First by man as having all of us our flesh from one and the same man Adam Secondly by God as having all our souls infused into our bodies by one and the self same God And thirdly by our Redeemer as having all of us that be Christians received all grace and good motions from one and the same Christ God and man Therfore we ought to love all as brethren in the flesh but love them the more as brethren in Soul but love them best of all that are brethren in grace unto us for whosoever is our brother in grace must needs be our brother in soul and body likewise And therefore a Christian is no half brother or base broâ—hâ—r Sparke 13. O Lord That we may be perfect grant that we may be born b Joh. 3.5 again of water and of the spirit And because our first generation in the flesh is foul and filthy lustfull and lawless grant we may d Rom. 8.13 mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit and subdue the rebellion thereof O Lord beget us again in thy Son e 1 Joh. 5.1 Joh. 3.3 Christ after thine own f Ephes 4 23 24. Image in righteousnes and true holiness of life O Lord grant that as the first Adam by his flesh g 1 Cor. 15.22 corrupted all thy children so the second Adam by his flesh may save all thy children Good Father seeing we are made h Gen. 1.27 by thee and i Joh. 3.3 born again of thee let us have no strife between us for our Fathers sake because we are brethren grant us to love our brother whom we see daily to love thee whom we have not seen least otherwise we be judged of thee to remain in death and counted as k 1 Joh. 3.14 15. Murtherers and man-slayers Therefore give us grace to love our Christian brother more for his father's sake for his own sake for Christ's sake and for thy Image sake than our brother cosen or kinsman in the flesh For by this love towards our brother we shall be known to be thy l 1 Joh. 2.3 disciples Grant us therefore sweet Jesus that we may follow thee as thy Disciples m Ephes 4.11.2 and as dear children walking in love as thou hast loved us and given thy life for us Grant this O Father for thy son and our Saviours sake Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XIV Christ our chiefest felicity VVE count him most happy The feliciâ—â— of the faithfull that hath all things at will wants nothing then most happy are we that are in Christ for he is all in all unto his servants For if we have wounds and would have them cured he is the best Phisician If we be wronged our Master is most just If we be poor our Master is Lord of Heaven and Earth and will not see us want If we fear death he is life If we would go to heaven he is the way If we be in darknesse he is the light If we desire to be nourished he is our meat If learning he is wisdome If strength he is power No marvell then though David had rather be a door-keeper in the house of such a Master than to dwell in the Palaces of Princes Sparke 14. O n Mat. 8.20 sweet Jesus thou wast poor q 1 Cor. 1.5 Luke 1 to make me me rich Thou wast stript stark naked to clothe my nakedness Thou hast spilt thy precious r Mar 15.46 Math. 26.28 blood to make a plaister for my putrified wounds Thou becamest a t Phil. 2. â— servant in earth among sinners that I might be made a King in heaven among Saints Sweet Saviour I honour thee and humbly embrace and kisse the wounds of thy hands and feet I esteem more of thy Crown of thornes thine hysop thy reed thy spunge thy spear thy vineger than of any princely Diadem I am more proud of thy thornes and nailes than of all Pearls and Jewells And I account thy Cross more splendent and glorious than any Princely Crown Teach us O Lord to know thee as we ought for thou art the way the truth and the life without a way men walke not without a truth men know not without a life men live not Be thou therefore still the way for us to walk in the truth for us to stick unto the life for us to hope in For indeed thou art the way inviolable the truth infallible the right way the chiefest truth and the truest life grant we never wander from thee never hope but in thee nor never learn but to know thee our onely Saviour Amen Sect. XV. Of Christ's Passion O Good Lord A Soveraigne Salve why doth not my heart bleed for my sins to think how often my Saviour bled for them First being but young and tender eight dayes old when he was circumcised Secondly when he was condemned and scourged Thirdly when he was nailed and crucified on the Cross And Fourthly after his death his side was pierced and his very body wept water blood for my sins And Fifthly in his bloody sweat when every member wept and melted for me Sparke 15. O dear Saviour make me sorry that I am no more sorrowfull for my sinnes For if my teares were in quantity like the Sea If my sighes were like the smoake of a furnace If my sobs could pierce the hardest Diamonds and my wailings like thunder yet have I still cause to weep sigh sob bewail my manifold sins Good Lord make my mouth to be filled with thy praise my eyes with tears for my offences and my heart to bleed with sorrow for my sins O Lord by thy blood b Mat. 9 3â— heal the bloody issue of my sins and through thy precious blood wash and cleanse me from all my sins c 1 Joh. 1.7 that through the blood d Rev. 7.14 of that tender Lamb the garments of our filthy spotted flesh may be made white through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XVI Of the holy Ghost's operation O Blessed comforter it was thy divine will to shew thy self to thy children in four sundry forms for our comfort and instruction First like fire to manifest thy love and power Secondly like a cloud to manifest thy pitty and compassion Thirdly like a Dove to declare thy patience and peaceableness Fourthly like tongues to shew thy wisdome and eloquence For as the
might and majesty both now for evermore Amen Sect. LVII Trust not unto a rotten stick HE that trusteth to his own strength leaneth on a rotten stick For we see the skilfullest Wrastler sometimes have a fall the cunningest Fencer to have the foyle the stoutest Cantain killed the best Rider under his horses feet the nimblest Swimmer sunk under the water the best wits perish and the wisest men erre Sparke 57. O Lord God let me acknowledge my weaknesse and not presume on my strength For it is better to trust in thee than to put any confidence in Princes O Lord in thee have I trusted let me never be confounded Amen Sect. LVIII The best increase THe Husbandman's field doth bring him for every grain sometimes thirty sometimes forty sometimes sixty and sometimes an hundred sold If God so blesse our bodily labour How much more will he bless the labor of our souls If therefore we sow in tears we shall reap in joy If we sow in the Spirit we shall reap of the Spirit life everlasting For he that first seeketh the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof shall have all other things added unto it Sparke 58. O Lord give me grace to labour in the Spiâ—it to seek thy Kingdome to lay up treasure in Heaven that when the generall harvest shall come my eyes may be waking my lamp light and my self as a sheaf of wheat gathered into thy farne through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. LIX The Servant's access to his Lord. MAny a man is sain to travell farre to see a great man and to suffer many dangers and perhaps when he comes to his journeys end he shall find either his Lord from home or not at leasure perhaps dead or if alive not willing to pleasure him It is not so with God For if I come once to Heaven to see my Lord and Master my dear Father and best Friend as Mary and Joseph after their journey found him in the Temple amongst the Doctors so shall I be sure to finde him in his holy Temple amongst the Angells yea I shall be sure of such kinde entertainment that I shall never think of my paines and labour in coming or once dream to returne Sparke 59. Lord give me grace to be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as I know that my labour is not in vain in the Lord. Lord I will come unto thee and seek thee whilest thou mayest be found I will knock and â—â—ll at midnight at thy mercy and though I have no friends either to plead my cause or to preferre my petition unto earthly Lords yet dear Father I have an advocate in thy Court that will both plead my cause and pitty my case even thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Sect. LX. Soon ripe soon rotten THere is no flower that will not fade no fruit that will not corrupt no garment that will not wear no beauty which will not wither no strength which will not weaken and no time so long but at last will pass I cannot see these vanish and not say that my self must pass The flower of my youth is gone already my best fruits are corrupt my time passeth while I speak of it Sparke 60. Lord teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart to wisedom and have understanding in the way of godliness For the longer time thou givest me the more I have to answer Lord make me ready at thy call and sweet Jesus pay my debts for me Sect. LXI The best Pattern O Lord I need no better Master to teach me than he that is my Saviour For by his nakedness on the Cross I may learn to clothe me By his Crown of thorns how to adorne me By his Vineger and Gall how to diet me By his prayer for his Murtherers how to revenge me and by his whole passion for me how to suffer for him Spark 61. Lord give me grace in all my actions to learn of thee to be mercifull as thou art mercifull meek as thou art meek holy as thou art holy true as thou art true and faithfull as thou art faithfull Let me honour thee as a Creator love thee as a Redeemer and expect thee as a Saviour And in the mean while let me rest in thy peace that I may rise in thy power Sect. LXII Take heed how you walk LOving Father what time so ever I bestow out of thy service I bestow it on my self am a Thief because I rob thee of thy due And if I be more enamoured with any of thy blessings than with thee I commit Adultery and take another God before thee And if I spend good houres in evill actions to bad purpose then I commit Treason against thy Majesty Sparke 62. Give me grace most loving Father to serve thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the days of my life to love thee with all my heart with all my strength and with all my soul and to do say nor think either in merriment or sobernesse but those things which may please thee and advance thy glory Sect LXIII The last Enemy THere is no Enemy which a man cannot avoid either by flying forward retyring backward or standing still hidden or disguised or at the least by prayer but death For if we go forward we meet death if backward it meets us If we stand still it is coming upon us Yea whether we sleep or wake go or stand all is one we must needs meet death Therefore we must be resolute and prepare our selves for this last enemy from whom we cannot fly It is but a bug-bear it hath lost his sting we need not fear Sparke 63. O Lord prepare thy servant to die Grant I may live the life of the godly that I may die the death of the righteous For what man liveth and shall not see death O Lord how precious in thy sight is the death of thy Saints for they sleep in thee and cease from their labour Grant Lord that I may put my house in order and joy that I must dye Sect. LXIV The insatiable Worm I See that all the Creatures and worms of the earth can live onely upon some kinde of food that comes from the earth either upon grasse hay or corne or upon some fruits of trees or herbes But man is from the earth and yet all the Creatures of the earth will not suffice him but he must go to the Fowles of the ayre and the fishes of the sea for daintie and all too little to satisfie his appetite So that if he had as many dishes as he lived dayes he would both desire and invent novelties Sparke 64. O Lord let me not pamper my body dayly with delicates but prepare my soul with dutifull obedience to feed on the heavenly Manna of thy word That having meat and drink to suffice nature I may learn therewith to be content Let his diet that was but a loaf and a fish with a cup of
cold water teach me to be content with the least of his blessings and to give him thanks knowing that man liveth not by meat onely but by every word that proceedeth from thy mouth through Jesus Christ our Saviour Sect. LXV Good Neighbours THe childe of God hath some comfort in adversity above all others because all his neighbours are his father's tenants at wil and hold both life and land of him during his pleasure Therefore he that is God's childe shall finde some that love the Lord of their life and land and will be ready to yield relief and comfort unto his son David was not unmindfull of this when he said I have been young and now am old yet I never saw the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging their bread Nay if all men should forsake Gods elect the bruit creatures would succour him at need for rather then Elias shall starve the ravens will feed him rather than Jonas should be drowned the Whale will preserve him rather than Daniel should perish the Lions will comfort him Sparke 65. O Lord Thou art my Father I am thy child but good Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee I am not worthy to be called thy son O make me as one of thy hir'd servants let me not want the thing without which I cannot serve thee For Lord in thee is my trust let me never be confounded Amen Sect. LXVI The sickness of the Soul THe diseases of the body as the Ague the Stone the Pox the Palsie the Plague Impostumes c. Are cured either by Physick tract of Time or ended by Death But the diseases of the soul as Pride Envie Malice c. are cured neither by Time Physick nor Death but onely by the blood of Jesus Christ therefore seeing the diseases of the soul be so incurable and the Physick so precious we had need to be watchfull of our selves that though we have a sick body yet a sound soul Sparke 66. O Lord my soul is sick with divers diseases my wounds great and my Malady grievous heal mâ— therefore O Lord for my bones are vexed yea heal my soul for I have sinned against thee speak the word Lord and thy servant shall be healed Sect. LXVII Paul's desire THey that live most honestly will die most willingly For willingly doth the traveller question about his Inne Often casteth the Apprentice when his years will expire Many times will the woman that hath conceived wish her delivery And he that knows his life to be away to death and his death the doore to joy will often covet to be dissolved and to be with Christ Sparke 67. O Lord while we breath here grant that we may live in thee and departing hence we may live with thee for ever being sound in faith and strong in hope looking with chearfullness for the day of our departure and the joyfull appeareing of thy Son Jesus Christ our Redeemer and in the hour of death Lord let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Grant this O Lord for thy sonne and my Saviour thy Lamb and my loving advocate Jesus Christ the righteous Amen Sect LXVIII The Sinner's Wound EVery worldling sometime or other is sorry for the vices he followeth as the drunkard for his drunkennesse the whoremonger for his uncleanness c. But the godly man never repents him of any vertuous action For when did any man repent that he did relieve the poor who was sorry that he kept himself chast who ever had cause of grief because he did not rob or steal who ever repented him for being patient humble mercifull sober honest and faithfull But sinfull actions leave a sting behinde them which hardly can be cured whereas Godly deeds how bitter soever they seem in the doing yet being done instead of leaving a sting behind them they minister a sweet comfort unto the doer Sparke 68. My blessed God give me evermore grace to avoid evill and to do good to hate the works of darkness which causeth nothing but shame grief repentance and to put on the Armour of light that may shield me with comfort and save me from confusion Sect. LXIX The Christian's Primer-Book HE that will be a Scholar in Christianity may take Mount Calvarie for his school the Crosse for his meditation Christs wounds for his letters his stripes for his comma's his nailes for his full points his open fide for his book and to know Christ and him crucified for his lesson Sparke 69. Lord open mine eys that I may know thy son Jesus Christ and him crucified Grant I may enter into life through theneer and living way which thou hast prepared that is through thy bloud and passion so that no tribulation nor anguish nor persecution neither hunger nor nakednesse neither perill nor sword neither death nor life may separate us from thee to whom be praise and glory both now and ever more Amen Sect. LXX The Courtier 's walke COurtiers desirous by following Prince's Court to benefit themselves and to raise their house for them and their posterity ought to be carefull to know the right way by which they may be exalted being but earthly men seeing there are but four ways ordinarily whereby all heavy things here below may be promoted first By art at the water that of it self is heavy and by nature runs downward is by skil and knowledge not onely drawn up as high as the fountain from whence it first sprang but far higher Secondly by nature's ordinary course in things here below as in trees and plants whose tops do mount up so much the higher above the earth by how much their roots are lower and deeper in the earth Thirdly by vertue power of the celestial bodies as those vapours that are exhaled up by force and vertue of the Sun-beames Lastly by force and violence used here below to drive things upward as when an arrow is shot up from a strong bow a stone from a sling or a bullet from a piece by which violence things suddenly mount up but doe as suddenly fall again In like manner are men exalted here upon earth Some by art learning and industry exalt themselves and their houses not onely as high as the fountain of their bloud linaege but far above them as Moses Solomon c. have done some again by their humble service to God and their Prince do root themselves to low in the earth that their fair boughes and branches of their name and posterity grow extraordinarily in height above others and by reason of their sure and sound rooting continue longer before they either fall or decay And so did Christ and his Apostles exalt themselves some like the vapours are immediately drawn up on high by the celestiall power and pleasure of God by his extraordinary mercies to try them as Lucifer Saul Herod Nabuchadnezzar c. who if thâ—y be earthly watery and impure vapours are cast down again after a while
the time of your dwelling here in fear AS we must give an account of every idle word which we speak so we must give an account of every idle hour which we spend Therefore when we see the glasse run or hear the clock strike or the sun passe in the Diall let us think that there is now another hour come whereof we are to yield a reckoning and so endeavour to spâ—nd one hour better than another Sparke 95. O Lord let me rejoyce in thee evermore pray continually and in all things give thanks redeeming the time because the dayes are evill let me passe no minute idlely but while I have the light walk in the light for the night will come wherein I can work no more Sect. XCVI The Merchant's gaine SAint Paul the vessell of honour doth teach that Godliness is great and true gaine Let us therefore seek and search hunger and thirst for this gain Let the love of godlinesse not of money break our sleep possesse our thoughts in the night let us minde it first in the morning and meditate on it most in the day time And as the Merchants for his gaines maketh long voyages hazards life and health sequesters himself from his wife and children So let us for the Kingdom of God indure troubles without terrours within leave wife and children and with a valourous mind passe all the seas and storms of this world and as the covetous Merchant the elder he waxeth the more greedy he is to gather so the elder we are let us make the more carefull provision of faith and good works If we be Merchants let us exchange our commodities for better let us leave our avarice that we may receive content refuse sin that we may receive our Saviour One soul is more precious than the whole world let us then sell the world to save our soules The Kingdome of Heaven is a Pearl that cannot be purchased except we part with all we have If we be merchants let us venture for it Who would not with the poor fisher-men leave an old net to follow Christ Math. 4. Who would not with the woman of Samaria change a cup of well water for the water of the fountain of life Luk. 19. Who would not with Zacheus do away half his goods to obtain a Kingdom Who would not with the penitent thief bestow a broken heart and a short prayer for a Crown of glory Luk. 21. Who would not with the poor widow forgoe a mite to receive a million Who would not with Christ and his holy Martyrs endure the Crosse that he may enjoy the Crown Who would not with the wise men exchange gold frankincense and myrrhe to obtaine Grace truth and mercy Spark 96. O God thou art my God my goods are nothing unto thee Whom have I in heaven but thee and whom shall I desire on earth in comparison of thee O Lord thou did'st with thy bloud arrest heaven for me when thou wast circumcised thou hast paid the whole when thou wast crucified then didst thou take our sins and gavest us thy salvation I am a poor banquerupt I can offer thee nothing that is of worth accept of my mite of devotion my cold water of almes my grain of faith my desire of sorrow my sighes of satisfaction and my purpose to praise thee Alas sweet Jesus I cannot give thee thy own goods to gain my own glory I have nothing left me but the name of Merchant Satan the man of War hath taken away the gold of my faith I have exchanged thy graces for the worlds vanity and I have so long listened to the sirens of my own concupiscence that I have made a shipwrack of all thy blessings Sweet Jesus pardon my doings and pay thou my debts Give me that life which thou hast purchased for me and forgive me that death which I have purchased for my self by my sins Amen Sect. XCVII A Christian Salutation WHen a man first comes to a house we use to say you are welcome when he is parting away God speed you or fare you well when we meet with him on the high way God save you So when we see a man born we may say you are welcome for he is but newly come When we see one under forty God keep you for he is at the best but if past forty God speed you or fare you well for he is going out of the world Sparke 97. Lord I am alwayes going out of the world therefore grant me a prosperous journey and a happy arrivall teach me betimes to take my leave of all and to follow thee let me never look back to the Sodom of sin till I come to the mountain of happy felicity through him and by him who is the way the truth and the life Sect. XCVIII The way to preferment HE that will be joyfull must weep he that will be satisfied must hunger and fast he that will be rich must give and he that will bear rule must obey Sparke 98. Lord give me grace to hunger for thee that I may be filled to weep for my sins that I may be comforted to give that it may be given to me to be mercifull that I may obtaine mercy to obey and be humble that I may be exalted Sect. XCIX The luke-warme Professor HE is like the twilight neither day nor night like the Autumne neither faire nor foule like one sick of an ague one day well another day ill or like the Mary-gold that openeth and shutteth with the sun having on eye towards Sodom and another towards Zoar or like the butterfly on the glasse window that will neither backward nor forward If he puts his hand once to the plough he is presently ready to look back he is but almost a Christian like Agrippa he is one while minded to be fellow-servants with Paul another while resolved to leave him and to follow Demas embracing this present world whose unconstant honour is so offensive and so loathsome to God that he threatens to spew him out of his mouth Rev. 3 16. He is earnest in nothing runs both with the hound and with the hare worships God and Baal weares garments of linnen wollen serves two masters God Mamon he is as well for Romish Babylon as for English Sion he can be conâ—ent with as many religions as he hath honours and vain affections Whereas one heaven held not Michael and the Dragon in peace nor one house the Arke and Dagon nor one womb Jacob and Esau nor one Temple prayer and merchandizing nor one Camp the clean and leprous nor one Bath John and Cerinthus nor one tongue God and Milchom nor one conscience true Religion and false superstition yet the lukewarme mans heart is a seat for all these and yet not constâ—nt and zâ—alous in any of these It is enough with such a one to be outwardly religious Iâ— he hath but a shew and shadow of religion he cares not for the substance