Subtilties and Assaults of the Devil and discover to thee the sin for which he now sees it fit to afflict thee anâ— make an absolute surrender of thy seâ—â— unto Gods all-wise disposal 2. As soon as thou art in thy Bed anâ— hast leisure and privacy begin whilâ— thou hast strength and the free use 〈◊〉 thy Reason which possibly in some acuâ— Distempers thou may'st not long enjoy to renew thy Repentance taking a freâ— survey of all thy Capital Sins which the former Catalogue will help thee in and of any others lately committed by thee remembring that God never corrects but for Sin When thou with rebukes saith David dost chasten Man for sin Psalm 39.11 These again humbly confess to Almighty God acknowledg thy de-merits and the justice of his proceeding and most earnestly implore his pardon 3. Next exercise thy Faith by a stedfast recumbency on God through Jesus Christ for the full pardon of all thy sins and resting upon those gracious promises of his that he hath made Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Isa 1.18 That God will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 That Jesus Christ is the propitiation for thy sins and that in him God hath said He is well pleased Math. 3.17 That God will deliver thy Soul from going down to the pit because he hath found a Ransom Job 33.24 and will certainly give thee Eternal Salvation if thou continue faithful unto Death Believe also that God is wise and just in sending thee Afflictions that he wil not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able That all things shall work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 That if thou live thou shalt live to him and if thou die Death shall be unto thee advantage In a word firmly believe all those Truths that thou did'st believe and wert perswaded of in the time of thy greatest health 4. The next Grace now to be exercised is Hope which is nothing else but a comfortable expectation of the performances of all those good promises made unto thee by God Job assures us that the hope of the Hypocrite shall perish because it was not founded upon a good bottom he continued in his sins and yet hoped for Mercy But thou hast repented of thy sins and purified thy self from them quite forsaken them and therefore thy hope is such as maketh thee not ashamed but thou may'st be assured that thou art of the number of those Righteous ones Who have hope in their death Prov. 14.32 Fifthly Exercise throughout the whole course of thy Sickness Prayer and Devotion This is a time of trouble and God bids us then to call upon him and to encourage us hath promised to hear us Psalm 5.15 besides as we have now greater needs than ever so for the most part the Devotion of every pious Soul is at this time raised to a greater height and accompanied with more fervency and humility than in the time of his greatest health Therefore frequently Pray and Ejaculate unto God as thou findest the temper of thy Soul requires whether it be for support under thy weaknesses against despondencies impatience distractions or confusions of Mind whether for Revelations of his Goodness and Irradiations of his Love and Favour and if thou art a constant Reader and Meditator of Gods Word thou canst not want suitable Expressions out of that rich Treasury the Holy Bible You may find some cull'd out for that purpose in the subsequent pages and in The Whole Duty of Man many more But if thy Devotion be not so much exalted as thou would'st have it remember this is a time for Passion not Action and God will accept thee 6. Exercise likewise throughout the whole time of thy Sickness Christian patience You have need of Patience saith the Apostle Heb. 10.36 That when you have done all you may inherit the promises Now is the chief use of this grace therefore you cannot want it It is that which crowns all the rest This discovers it self by a cheerful submission to Gods Fatherly Correction justifying God and condemning thy self saying with the Psalmist Thou hast punished me less than my sins have deserved or with the Prophet I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Micah 7.9 or with good old Ely It is the Lord let him do as it seemeth him good Or with the Apostle Chasten me here as thou pleasest that I be not condemned with the World And then resting in a cheerful Expectation that God will convert all to thy good and that he will be to thee both in life and death advantage taking up holy Job's resolve That tho he kill thee thou wilt trust in him Job 13.5 and that tho thou walk through the valley of the shadow of death thou wilt fear no Evil Psalm 23.4 Submit to the Rules of thy Physician and be kind and courteous not peevish as too many are towards thy Attendants and all that come to see thee and give them and thy Family good Instructions â—eeing those that are spoken from a Friend on a dying Bed stick closest â—f any Be sure no word drop from thee of repining or murmuring against Gods dispensations towards thee but let thy words be sueh as tend to the use of Edifying and in all things behave thy â—elf as if thou wert giving up the Ghost â—he next moment Be willing and content to die say as St. Paul did I desire to be dissolved and â—o be with Christ which is best of all or as David Like as the Hart desireth the Water-brooks so longeth my Soul aftee thee O God My soul is athirst for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before the presence of God O that I had Wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying Last of all exercise thy Charity not as if thou wert not to use it all along but now more particularly give and forgive Beg pardon for any injury done thy Neighbour and if it be in thy power make restitution for any Offence that is capable of it if not beg God to accept of thy Intentions and to pay thy debt in Blessings Forgive from thy heart all others who have injured thee as thou expectest to be forgiven by God When thou shalt find thy strength fail and Death approaching say or ejaculate thus Lord Jesus receive my Soul Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord thoâ— God of Truth Come Lord Jesus come quickly Remedies against some particular Temptations of the Devil in the time of Sickness THe Devil is so delusory and subtil a Spirit that like the cunning Angler he loves to fish in Troubled Waters and takes all Advantages of our weaknesses and disturbances of mind to insnare
Irreversible so certainly shall all the Off-spring of Adam High and Low Rich and Poor Learned and Unlearned descend unto the gates of the Grave mingle their dust and pay down their Symbole of Mortality Divesne prisco natus ab Inacho Nil interest infimâ De gente sub dio morieris Victima nil miserantis orci Omnes eoâ—em cogimur c. Horat. Carmin Lib. 2. Ode 3. St. Austin observes three kinds of â—eath The first is when God forsakes â—he Soul so he forsook Saul 1 Sam. 6.14 and so he forsook Pharaoh Exod. â—13 This Death is also mentioned Matt. â— 22 Let the dead bury their dead The second is When the Soul forâ—â—kes the Body which is in the common â—urse and order of Nature So Lazaâ—s died John 11. The last is When both Body and Soul â—ffer eternal Death and this is mentiâ—ned Matt. 25.46 and so also Luke 16. â—2 23. The Rich also Man died and was â—uried and in Hell he lift up his Eyes â—eing in torments c. Now Sin is the parent of all these â—ut great sins and a state of impenitency â—nd hardness of heart are the cause that â—ove God to the first and last First to â—rsake the Soul but not till the Soul â—rsakes him next to consign him over 〈◊〉 that state of Immortal Death The second kind of Death is common â—o the Godly as well as the Wicked to â—im that feareth an Oath as well as â—im that sweareth to the Religious as â—ell as the Profane because Gods Decree 〈◊〉 unchangeable Eccles 7.20 and because â—hat even they also cannot lead a sinless life but have many sins many frailties and imperfections that they cannot totally be freed from while they live Death saith the Apostle passed upon all Men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Death then is certain to all nullum Saevà caput Proserpina fugit and yet nothing more uncertain than the time of it Mors certa est incerta dies One dies in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and vigor of his Age when his Bones are full of Marrow and his Blood of Spirits Another in his Infancy wen there are great expectations of future comfort and hopeful successes Another is intombed in his Mothers Womb and never sees the Light Another dies in the Flower of his Youth Another in Old Age but all sooner oâ— later come to one Seat the Grave One goes well at Night to his Bed and in the Morning is found dead Lotus nobisum est hilaris coenavit ideâ— Inventus mane est mortuus Andragoras Martial l. 6. Another goes out of his doors anâ— his beloved Consort is with much joâ— and impatience expecting his happy reâ—urn and anon she receives the sorrowâ—â—l news of his Death by a Fall or a â—eavor Of all the uncertain things in â—â—e World I know not a more uncerâ—â—in thing than the times of our Death There are so many thousand Casualâ—es that may intervene to deprive a Man â—f life that it is a greater wonder that â—e is than that he is not A Plague or â—â—me popular Disease or Fevour or Smallâ—ox an Immoderate Grief or profuse â—y an Intemperate Draught or undiâ—ested piece of Meat yea a Hair or a â—rape-stone with Myriads of other acciâ—ents may introduce Death And as Death is certain so is Judgâ—ent too As it is appointed unto Men once to â—e so after this the Judgment As one fixed by an irrevocable unalterable Deâ—ee so is the other too He hath appointed a day in which he â—ill judge the World Acts 17.31 This Judgment will be universal both 〈◊〉 to persons and things God will judge â—e secrets of all hearts by Jesus Christ â—om 2.16 Every Man shall receive the â—â—ings done in his body according to â—â—at he hath done whether it be good or evil 2 Cor. 5.10 and to that end we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ God is said to be the Judge of all Heb. 12.23 which evinces the certainty of a day of Judgment Otherwise to what purpose is there a Judge And shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Here the good man finds the sharpest Misery and greatest Afflictions the Evil Man the sweetest Felicity and fullest Pleasures Here the Rich mans Table stands pressed with Delicacies and poor Lazarus lacks even Crums to feed him Therefore it would much impeach the Justice and Goodness of God if there were not a time and place to make some retribution to each of these to reward the Righteous and to punish the Wicked Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels 2 Thess 1.6 7. Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 So that a Man shall say Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth Psal 58.11 Otherwise where is our Hope For if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.9 Nothing could buoy up the Spirits of a good Christian amidst all the heavy Pressures and Afflictions of this Life but that he has the Hopes and Assurance that there is an exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory laid up for him in the life to come St. John in his Revelation tells us Chap. 20.12 13. That he saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works And the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them and they were judged every Man according to their Works From the whole you see there is a certainty nay a necessity of Death and Judgment This then should teach thee O my Soul 1. First to be often meditating of it before it comes Nil sic revocat a peccato quam frequens Mortis et Judicii meditatio This will restrain thee from Sin and make Death and Judgment less terrible when it comes Is there such a day approaching for all the Sons of Men How should we then resolve with David to make a Covenant with our eyes that they behold not vanity that we set a Watch before our Mouths and keep the door of our lips as with a bridle that we offend not with our tongues that we always have clean hands and a pure heart that at length we may dwell in his Tabernacle and rest upon his holy Hill for ever Si sapis utaris totis Colinediebus Extremumque tibi semper adesse puta Martial I know the sting of Death is Sin but thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Are there
Apple of thine Eye hide me under the shadow of thy Wings O keep my Soul and deliver me let me not be disappointed for I put my trust in thee Comfort in Troubles THe Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom then shall I fear He is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid When my Father and Mother forsake me the Lord will take me up Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of them all But thou O Lord art a shield for me my Glory and the lifter up of my Head I have set the Lord always before me He is at my right hand therefore I shall not be moved My defence is of God which saveth the Upright in Heart At what time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what Man can do unto me The Righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my Strength and my refuge is in God Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God Thanksgiving for deliverance from Troubles BLessed be the Lord God for he hath heard the Voice of my Supplication With my Song will I praise him O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me I will praise thee O Lord my God with my whole heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell The Snares of Death compassed me round about and the pains of Hell got hold upon me I found trouble and heaviness and I called upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul Gracious is the Lord and Righteous yea our God is Merciful I was in misery and he helped me Sing unto the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me sing praises at the remembrance of his Holiness Blessed be God which hath not cast out my Prayer nor turned his Mercy from me What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and praise thy Name for ever and ever Going to the Church or House of God I Will wash my hands in Innocency and so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. It is good for me to draw near unto God even unto God in his Sanctuary How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of my God When shall I come and appear before him As the Hart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God Immediately before entring into Church I Will enter into thy Gates with Thanksgiving and into thy Courts with Praise I will Worship in thy holy Temple and will praise thy Name I will wait for thy loving kindness O God in the mid'st of thy Temple In Church if thou happen to be there before Service begins BUt as for me I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercies and in thy Fear will I Worship towards thine Holy Temple Lord I have loved the Habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I might dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary Who is so great a God as our God I will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever I will trust in the Covert of thy Wings Blessed are they that dwell in thy House They will be alway praising thee A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him Thy Testimonies are very sure Holiness becometh thine House O Lord for ever This is my rest for ever Here will I dwell for I have a delight therein O let my Soul be satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness when my Mouth praiseth thee with joyful Lips Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning c. Returning from the Church O What shall I render unto thee O Lord for all thy benefits towards me I will receive the Cup of Salvation and will call upon the Name of the Lord. Worthy art thou O Lord to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Wherefore Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever The Law of thy Mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver I have had as great delight in thy Testimonies as in all manner of Riches I have thought of thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy Temple O let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed Hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Order thou my Steps in thy Word so shall I not be disappointed of my hope Thy Word is a Light unto my Feet and a Lanthorn unto my Paths O lead me in thy Truth and Teach me for thou art the God of my Salvation on thee do I wait all the day In the time of Sickness or approach of Death I. O Lord Correct me not in thine Anger neither Chasten me in thy heavy displeasure For thine Arrows stick fast on me and thy hand presseth me sore Mine Eye is consumed because of Grief There is no Health in my Flesh because of thy displeasures neither is there any rest in my Bones by reason of my Sin My Soul also is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Return O Lord deliver my Soul O save me for thy Mercies sake For in Death no Man remembreth thee and who will give thee thanks in the Pit What profit is there in my Blood if I go down into the Pit Shall the dust praise thee Shall it give thanks unto thee or declare thy Truth The living the living shall praise thee even as I do this day O Let my Soul live and it shall praise thee Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my Bones are vexed Cast me not away in the time of Age Forsake me not when my Strength faileth me Hide not thou thy Face from me for I am in Trouble make haste O Lord to deliver me Hear me O God and have
of the first Covenant The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Behold thou hast now made my days as it were a span length and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee and I am altogether vanity The sentence of Death hath passed upon all for that all have sinned And I who have had so great a share in sinning cannot but expect to receive the due Wages of it Death Only I beseech thee blessed God to make me wise now in the time of my Health and Srength to understand this and to consider my latter end Grant O Lord that by departing from every known sin by keeping Innocency and always taking heed to the thing that is right I may be in an habitual preparation for Death and find peace at the last Wean my heart daily more and more from the love of the World and worldly things and place my affections upon their right and more deserving Objects Heaven and Heavenly things that my heart may be where my Treasure is and that whenever I shall be called to part with them I may leave all without any murmuring or reluctancy and be willing and content to die Let every pain and sickness mind me of my last And that Death may not be a surprize unto me furnish my Soul with all those Graces before-hand which I shall have greatest occasions to make use of in my last Conflict Give me Repentance unto life not to be repented of A Stedfast Faith that worketh by Love towards thee my God and Charity to all the World A Firm Hope such as maketh not ashamed but may become an Anchor of my Soul entring even within the Vail True Christian Courage and Patience and a resolvedness of a cheerful submission to thy Fatherly Correction And Grant that in all things I may so put my Soul and House in order that when I come to die I may have nothing else to do but to die Let not my Death be unexpected untimely or violent if it be thy holy will And when it shall please thee to cast me on my last Bed give me Grace to search my Heart to renew my Repentance and Interest in Jesus and to compose my Soul for God Give me the opportunity and refreshment of thy holy Sacrament the Seal of the Divine Love the benefit of Absolution Some irradiations of thy Love and Favour in the assurances of pardon and peace together with a patient and comfortable expectation of the performance of all thy promises Let not the Devil take advantage of my weakness nor any of his Suggestions prevail upon me Let not his Accusations or my Sins distract me in my last hour but do thou interpose thy seasonable Relief O forsake me not when my strength faileth me but in the mid'st of the sorrows and temptations that I have upon my Bed let thy Comforts refresh my Soul O suffer me not for any pains of death to fall from thee And in my last Agonies when my Soul shall quit the ruinous habitation of my Body let thy holy Angels convey it into the Regions of a glorious Eternity where there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain Grant this O merciful Father for the sake of him who by death hath overcome death even Jesus Christ my High Priest and blessed Redeemer Amen A Prayer for Sincerity out of the Whole Duty of Man O Holy Lord who requirest Truth in the inward parts I humbly beseech thee to purge me from all Hypocrisie and unsincerity The heart O Lord is deceitful above all things and my heart I fear is deceitful above all hearts O thou who searchest the Heart and Reins try me and seek the ground of my heart and suffer not any accursed thing to lurk within me but purifie me even with Fire so thou consume my dross O Lord I cannot deceive thee but I may most easily deceive my self I beseech thee let me not rest in any such deceit but bring me to a sight and hatred of my most hidden Corruptions that I may not cherish any darling Lust but make an utter destruction of every Amalekite O suffer me not to speak peace to my self when there is no peace but grant I may judge of my self as thou judgest of me that I may never be at peace with my self till I am at perfect peace with thee and by purity of haert be qualified to see thee in thy Kingdom through Jesus Christ Amen For Contrition out of the same Author O Holy Lord Who art a merciful Embracer of true Penitents but yet a consuming Fire towards obstinate sinners how shall I approach thee who have so many provoking sins to inflame thy Wrath and so little sincere Repentance to incline thy Mercy O be thou pleased to soften and melt this hard obdurate heart of mine that I may heartily bewail the Iniquities of my life Strike this Rock O Lord that the Waters may flow out even Floods of Tears to wash my polluted Conscience my drowzy Soul hath too long slept securely in sin Lord awake it though it be with Thunder and let me rather feel thy Terrors then not feel my sin Thou sentest thy blessed Son to heal the broken hearted but Lord what will that avail me if my heart be whole O break it that it may be capable of his healing Virtue and grant I beseech thee that having once tasted the bitterness of sin I may fly from it as from the Face of a Serpent and bring forth Fruits of Repentance in amendment of Life to the praise and glory of thy Grace in Jesus Christ our blessed Redeemer Amen Those whose Devotions are apt to be assisted by variety or are desirous of Forms for other Graces or more particular occasions may find a plentiful supply in the Books of the aforementioned-Pious Author in Dr. Tailor's holy Living and Dying but more especially in the Book of Devotions composed by the Reverend and Learned Dr. Patrick A Prayer to be used by any Pious Christian in these difficult times O Most just and holy Lord God thou art Righteous in all thy ways and holy in all thy Works I must needs confess that when I seriously consider the multitude and hainousness of my own Sins and those of the whole Nation which cry loudly to Heaven for Vengeance that it is even a miracle of Mercies that we have not long since felt the severities of thy Wrath in some direful Judgments but thou O Lord hast been exceedingly gracious and with much patience and long suffering hast waited for our Repentance and Amendment of Life but yet we have abused this Mercy of thine beyond all the former and have not returned unto thee And now O Lord seeing we would not be allured by thy Mercies thou art pleas'd to threaten us with the approach of thy Judgments which if thou wilt not avert O fit and prepare me for the cheerful Entertainment of whatsoever thy Wisdom shall think fit to
Most cogent Arguments then well may he Such useful Counsels here for others frame Who hath himself so strictly lived the same Here learn the Art of Alchymy Divine Whereby we may our Earthly Minds Sublime On Muses Helicon let us not stay Whilst to Mount Olivet he shews the way There to the sweets of Contemplation pure Let us always our high-born Souls enure Thence let us freely draw some small fore-tast Of th' unmixt Joys that shall for ever last Which diff'ring quite from all things here below Nor end nor yet satiety shall know John Drake Bachelor of Physick THE CONTENTS THe Introduction Page 1. SECT I. Concerning God and what he is Page 6. SECT II. That the Existence of a God and a Providence in the World is as clearly demonstrable as any truth whatsoever Page 9. God's Existence proved from the impression made on our very Natures Page 10. From the consent of all Ages Page 11. A Digression concerning the degeneracy of ours Page 12. From the sense of Guilt and secret Conviction of Mens Consciences Page 13. From the uncertainty of Reasoning without the Concession Page 16. From the impossibility of any thing to Exist from it self Page 17. From the Perfection of the Creation and from the necessity of an intelligent Spirit for such accurate Productions as we find in the World Page 18. From the exact Order and Disposition of all Things to their designed and adequate ends Page 20. SECT III. That the Existence of a Providence in the World being granted all things must be conserv'd and governed by it and there is not the least inconsiderable thing that may be said to be obnoxious to the senseless guidance of chance and fortune Page 32. God's Providence and Gubernation not to be severed Page 33. The Opinion of the Stoicks and Epicureans condemn'd Page 35. The Stars and Planetary Bodies have no coactive influence upon Terrestrial Bodies Page 36. Neither were things made by the fortuitous concourse of Atoms Page 40. God that made the World still continues to take care of it and even the smallest things are adverted to by him Page 44. SECT IV. That all Minerals Vegetables and Animals with what ever else having in it a Medâ—cinal Virtue had it first impress'd on them by that Supream Being which was the first Author and Maker of them Page 47. Gods wonderful Providence in providing suitablâ— Remedies for the Diseases of frail Mankind Page 48. The ways of discovering their Vertues to us Page 50. We ought to praise God for them and to make use of them Page 54. SECT V. That although God did at first give such a particular Virtue to each particular Plant Mineral and Animal yet for certain providential Causes they may not always exert their natural Operations and prove successful to their desired end Page 55. God hath an absolute Soveraignty over all things and is not tied up to any particular method but may dispose of every thing as he pleases Ibid. Gods usual way of working is by Natural Means yet for several Reasons he may sometimes anticipate them Page 57. SECT VI. That Gods usual way of working is by fit and appropriate means and therefore the Empirick or he that understands nothing of the true cause of the Disease and nature of the Medicine is not to be trusted Page 60. All Medicines naturally produce their genuine Effects especially given by a skilful hand Page 61. Natural means used by our Saviour and the Prophets Page 62. Two sorts of persons condemned the Empirick who ignorantly ventures upon what he understands not and the Stoick who thinks an indispensable necessity of Events Page 63 68. The danger of confiding in the former and the unreasonableness of the latter Page 70. â—n case of necessity we ought to apply our selves to second means Page 72. SECT VII That a holy and vertuous Life is a necessary qualification for a Physician in order to the imbettering of his Judgment and his good success in Practice Page 73. Knowledge and Wisdom is acquired by Piety and destroyed by Vice Page 74. God secretly guides and directs the good Man whose Prayers co-operate with his Endeavours Page 77. The Conclusion by way of Advice to the rest of my own Faculty Page 79. The knowledg of our selves the way to acquire other Ibid. We must own Gods Mercies and not arrogate that praise to our selves which is due only to God Page 82. This is the best course in point of Prudence Ibid. Rules for Physicians Page 83. 1. To begin with Prayer 2. To proceed with reason and judgment and not try Experiments except in extream Cases where a known and tryed Medicine proves unsucessful 3. That they do not promise Cure in uncertain and dangerous Diseases and so flatter the Patient whereby the putting his House in order and his preparation for death is deferr'd if not wholly frustrated Page 83 84 85. The Common Objections against it answered Page 86. It is best whether the Patient be a good or a wicked Man Page 87. The Physicians Prayer and Ejaculations Page 90 92. The Second Part. DIrections how to spend every day in the fear oâ— God Page 1â— Of a private Fast and Directions for it Page 19. Rules for a Religious Fast Page 27. A Prayer for Grace Page 53. A Prayer of Intercession Page 55. The Thanksgiving and Conclusion of the Work Page 64. Reasons why we ought to keep a Narrative or Catalogue of our Sins and the benefit of it Page 71. The manner of keeping your Narrative and aâ— Exemplification of it in some sins Page 77. Directions for Saturday Page 86. Directions for the Lords day Page 89. Of the Holy Sacrament Page 103. Remote preparations for Death Page 107. Of the Proximate Preparations for Sickness anâ— Death Page 113. Remedies against some particular Temptations of the Devil in the time of Sickness Page 120. Of Meditation Page 126. The Thanksgiving after Meditation Page 134. Divine Meditations Concerning Gods Omnipresence Page 136. Of the Mercy of God Page 142. Of the certainty of Death and Judgment Page 151. Of Heaven and Hell the Joys of one the Torments of the other Page 164. Reflections upon Hell and the Torments of it Page 173. Reflections upon Heaven and the joys thereof Page 183. Job 16.24 When a few years are come then shall I go the way whence I shall not return Page 186. Meditations before or at Dinner or Supper Page 203. Occasional Meditations 1. On the sight of a dying Friend Page 205. 2. Vpon the sight of two Apple Trees growing one by the other The one tall and spreading but having only leaves no fruit the other low but full loaden Page 208. 3. Vpon the sight of a Wasp without a Sting Page 210. 4. Vpon the sight of two Doves billing each other Page 211. 5. Vpon the sight of a Lady's Fingers bedecked with many rich Diamonds of great value Page 212. 6. Vpon the sight of many Millepedes killed for a Medicine for my Patient Page
the good Creatures of God with an hearty desire of his Blessing Moderation and Thankfulness remembring that every Creature of God is good and not to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving and that it is sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer At any other time besides at Set Meals venture not to eat or drink without craving a Blessing and returning Praise at least by Ejaculation After a little Diversion return to thy Closet read a Psalm or two meditate and follow David's Example by offering up a Meridian Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving in the following or like Method Then betake thy self again â—o thy Employments or Studies and be â—iligent in them At Four in the Afternoon if thy occasions permit as there are but very few who can not spare so much time if the â—eart be inclin'd for thou maist do this â—n the midst of thy business and make â—hy Closet in the very Street use some â—f the following Ejaculations either as â—hy Devotion or particular necessities â—rompt thee to If there be again any Publick Prayers if thou be not a Man of Employment and Business omit them not Use the same Meditations again at Supper as before at Dinner and after Supper if the time of the Year or Season permits walk into the Fields and there contemplate and admire the wonderful Works of God the strange Effects of his Wisdom exhibited to us in the variety of Plants their decorous Order exact Symmetry of Parts and the like Praesentem narrat quaelibet herba Deum Let thy Soul say O how marvellous are thy Works O Lord in Wisdom hast thou made them all The Earth is full of thy Riches Who can express the noble Acts of the Lord Or shew forth all his praise c And if you use any Recreation have an especial care first that it be not unlawful or with evil Company next that it be not immoderate and take up too much time but that it may be such as may either tend to the health of thy Body or refreshment of thy Mind that so thou may'st be the better disposed either for the Service of God thy Neighbour or thy Self And because we are too apt to be led by Sense and to forget God in our Mirth thou may'st often lift up thy Soul to God to set a Watch before thy Mouth and to keep the door â—f thy Lips and take care that no lying â—ain-glorious Jesting frothy or idle Discourse proceed from thence consisering that thou must give an account â—f every idle word as well as sinful action Keep always a Religious sense of God in thy Soul and let no sensual pleaâ—ure or delight stain thy innocency When the time for Rest draws nigh â—etire to thy Closet cast off as much as â—hou canst all worldly thoughts and use â—hese or the like Ejaculations Let the words of my Mouth and the Meditations of my Heart be now and â—lways acceptable in thy sight O Lord my Strength and my Redeemâ—r O Lord I beseech thee bring into my â—emembrance the Sins of the day past whether of Omission or Commission whether of Thoughts Words or Actiâ—ns that so I may humbly confess them â—efore thee and find favour at thy Hands â—r the pardon of them in and through fesus Christ And also I humbly pray â—hee the mercies of the Day past wheâ—her Spiritual or Temporal that so I â—ay in some measure offer unto thy Divine Majesty that praise which is due unto thy Great and Glorious Name for them Then reflect and consider how you have spent the Day in what Company you have been how you have discharg'd your Duty in your Place Relation or Calling and how you have in all things behaved your self And if any Sin beyond the common frailties of Nature hath passed from thee keep a Diary of it that thou mayest repent it over again on thy Fast Days or before the Sacrament And that you may not think this Task and Discipline too severe to speak nothing of the common practise of pious Christians even Heathen Philosophers took this Course Pythagras Seneca and Plutarch yea the poor barbarous Indians as Apuleius reports used to call themselves to a daily account of the good and evil of the day and how much greater obligation lies upon us Christians besides the serenity and tranquility of mind every Man feels by such short reckonings with God Almighty I leave to every Man piously inclined to consider And that thou mayest do this the better after a general survey of thy Company Actions and the like in particular examine if thy thoughts have not been vain peevish uncharitable or unchast Whether they have been so holy or at least so innocent as they ought to have been c If thy words have not been vain and empty rash and inconsiderate Whether no foolish speaking or jesting lying or frothy and corrupt Communication hath proceeded out of â—hy Mouth Whether thou hast not slanâ—ered or back-bitten thy Neighbour Whether thy words have been mix'd with that Grace Discretion tending â—o Reprehension and Edification as they ought to have been Whether thy Actions have not been â—nweighed and inconsiderate Whether â—hou hast had purity of intention in â—hem Whether thou hast been so temâ—erate so chast so careful of spendâ—ng thy Time and Estate as thou oughtâ—st to have been Whether thou hast â—ischarged thy Duty in thy Calling as â—hou shouldest or whether thou hast oâ—itted any Duty which thou oughtest 〈◊〉 have perform'd and hast had opporâ—nity for Where thou hast been faulâ— confess it humbly to God and anâ—ex this short Ejaculation Lord be merâ—ful to me a Sinner And venture no more to sleep in thy sins unreconciled to God than thou would'st to die so for for ought thou know'st thou maist now sleep in Death and never see the dawn of another day Then seriously and thankfully consider also the Mercies of the day past both spiritual and temporal which may be commonly such as these delivering thee from those many sad casualties and accidents which might justly have faln upon thee by reason of thy Sins refreshing thee plentifully with his good Creatures blessing thee in thy Studies Labours and Undertakings giving thee leave to lift up thy Soul to him by some tho weak and imperfect Prayers and Praises and also preserving thee if it hath so happen'd from any presumptious sin into which thou would'st certainly have fallen had not Gods restraining Grace prevented thee c. Then say Not unto me not unto me but unto thy Name be the praise Blessed be the Lord God which daily loadeth me with his benefits even the God of my Salvation and blessed be the Name â—f his Majesty for ever Then read a Chapter in the New Testament meditate on it and theâ— immediately before you Address your ielf to God by Prayer to help your Devotion consider that God is a most Holy God that he will be sanctifi'd of all them who draw near unto him that
nothing but what comes from the ground of the Heart is accepted by him and that only the Fervent Prayer is effectual and prevails with him how great need you have of those things you ask and that for ought you know this may be the last time you may have an opportunity of putting up any Petition unto him Then draw near unto God in Faith and in Humility in a sense of his great Majesty and thy own Wretchedness and Misery In the entrance to thy Prayer earnestly desire the Assistance of Gods Holy Spirit and have a care to keep out all vain and wandring thoughts In the close of thy Prayer remember to give God thanks for that gracious opportunity vouchsafed thee for that strength of Body and Assistance of his Holy Spirit which he hath been pleased to afford thee in the performance of thy Duty and desire him for the continuation of the same Mercies to pardon the Frailties and Imperfections of thy Holy Duties and to do more abundantly for thee than thou art able to ask or think c. This being done prepare thy self for thy Bed unless thou art Major Domo Master of a Family and then call thy Family together read unto them or cause them to read a Chapter or two and afterwards Pray with them and be not unmindful to adapt thy Prayers as near as thou canst to their as well as thy own particular wants and necessities which by having an eye over them thou mayst without any great difficulty observe and know As thou art putting off thy Cloaths Meditate that it will not be long before thou put off thy Body also Beg of God therefore by Ejaculation that when this Earthly Tabernacle of thy Body shall be dissolv'd thou mayst have a building with God not made with hands but Eternal in the Heavens and that when thy Body shall lie down in its Bed of Darkness thy Soul may pass into the Regions of Light and dwell with God for ever more through Jesus Christ Amen After thou art in Bed use these or the like short Prayers or Ejaculations I will remember thee in my Bed I will think upon thee in the Night Season At Midnight will I give thanks to â—hee because of thy Righteous Judgments O Lord deliver me from the place works and spirits of Darkness O Let â—e not walk in the Night of Sin lest I â—umble and fall In the midst of Darkâ—ess and the shadow of Death O Lord â—e thou my Light Give thy Holy Angels charge over â—e to keep me in all thy ways and be â—hou O blessed Saviour unto me both 〈◊〉 life and death advantage I will lay me down in Peace and â—ake my rest for thou Lord only makest â—e dwell in fafety Consider and bear me O Lord my â—od Lighten mine Eyes that I sleep â—ot in Death Into thy hands I commend my Spirit â—oul and Body for thou hast redeemed â—â—em O Lord thou God of Truth Glory be to the Father and to the â—on and to the Holy Ghost As it was 〈◊〉 the beginning is now and ever sha◠〈◊〉 c. If any time remains before sleep seizeth on thee you cannot do better than to spend it in Meditation of some portion of that Scripture which you before read If you awake in the Night fill up the Chasms and Intervals with short Prayers Ejaculations or Meditations upon the four last things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell So shalt thou sleep and awake with God Prov. 3.24 yea thy sleep shall be sweet and no dangers of the Night or Spirits of Darkness shall terrifie thee So shalt thou be in a continual epectation of the coming of thy dearest Lord that if he call for thee at Morning or at Evening at Midnight or at Mid-day at the third or fourth Watch thou wilt be found prepared for his coming thou wilt lay thy head down in the dusâ— with joy rest in hope and at length rise to a glorious Immortality which will make an ample Compensation for these thy pains and services Of a Private Fast and Directions for it FAsting in its Definition I take to be nothing else but an abstaining from our lawful Food upon a Religious account which although it be no where in Scripture injoyn'd simply for its own sake yet if we consider the many advantages of it in order to the benefit of our Souls we shall not think the Commands of the Church and the Practice of the Primitive Christians too severe and inimitable The Jews fasted twice every Week sc Tuesdays and Thursdays concerning which is the boast of the Pharisee Luke 18.12 and the Christians have not come behind them and the Sabbath being for good Reasons altered they have observed Wednesdays and Fridays for a Religious Fast which days are taken notice of by Tertullian and called Dies Stationarii But alas we that now live in this profligate and degenerate Age are so far from following the steps of pious Antiquity or the Commands of our Holy Mother the Church that if we set apart a Day for this purpose once in a quarter shall I say before the Sacrament or a year rather we think we have sufficiently deny'd our selves and discharg'd our Duty But certainly did we seriously consider and put a due estimate upon the great Emoluments and Advantages of this Holy exercise we should not be so remiss and negligent in it which I shall in the next place give you a taste of 1. And first of all Fasting is very instrumental to all Acts of Devotion for seeing there is so near an affinity between the Soul and the Body the former using the Organs of the latter for its Operations and for the most part follows the Temperament of it it cannot be when the Body is stuff'd even to Satiety and clog'd with a Load of indigested Humours that the Soul should be so active and vigorous as at other times and mount with those Wings of Devotion with that Zeal and Affection towards Heaven as when it is freed from that Burthen which still presses it down to the Earth And if there were no other reason to be given for it every good Christian's own Experience will sufficiently evince the Truth of the Assertion 2. Fasting is very instrumental in order to our humilation for Sins past and subduing of Lusts for the future Such is the misery of Mankind That whilst we are driven by an indispensable necessity to Eating and Drinking that we may support our frail Beings we also by the same Act cherish and foment our Vices Our Flesh is apt to be too rebellious and we find a Law in our Members constantly warring against the Law of our Minds and leading us Captive at will Now fasting is the Soul's Physick and there is no better way to tame this Monstrous Panther than by substracting that Pabulum which nourishes and feeds it This course Holy David took he wept and chastened himself with Fasting and many of God's Children imitate his Example
Lord I beseech thee mercifully hear my prayer and spare me who now confess my sins unto thee that I whose conscience by sin is accused by thy merciful pardon may be absolved from all my offences through Christ our Lord. Amen O most Mighty God and Merciful Father who hast compassion upon all Men and hatest nothing that thou hast made who wouldest not the Death of a Sinner but that he should rather turn from his Sin and be saved mercifully forgive me my Trespasses receive and comfort me who am grieved and wearied with the Burthen of my Sins Thy property is alwayes to have mercy to thee only it appertaineth to forgive Sins Spare me therefore good Lord spare me whom thou hast redeemed Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant who am vile Earth and a miserable Sinner but so turn thine anger from me who meekly acknowledg my vileness and truly repent me of my faults and so make hast to help me in this World that I may ever live with thee in the World to come through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen This being done you are next to review your Sins again and consider what were the occasions which drew you into each particular Sin and then consider and think of those ways and mean by which you may for the future avoid them and arm your self before-hand with reasons and holy resolutions against their assaults whensoever they invade which you may do well to commit to Writing After this consider what Graces directly oppose your Vices that you may in the next place petition for them for it is not enough that you are pardoned but you must also remember that that will not stand you in stead If you again return to your Old Vices An Examplification of this you have in one or two Sins following As January I fasted and upon Examination I found my self guilty of unclean and unchast thoughts and that with delight and approbation which sometimes brake forth into corrupt frothy Discourse and immodest or unclean Actions Upon reflecting into the Causes of this Sin I found them to be Eating and Drinking too highly keeping light or idle Company not keeping that Guard over my self as I ought nor behaving my self in all places with that gravity and seriousness as I should and giving way to the first motions of vain and impure thoughts Upon which I resolved to use my self to a spare low Diet to avoid Drinking much Wine or Strong Liquors to avoid light Company and not suffer mine ears to hear or my tongue to utter any frothy or corrupt Communication to carry my self always with a becoming gravity in my behaviour to deport my self as in the immediate presence of God remembering that he is a God of infinite Purity and Holiness I will be watchful over my own Heart that I do not permit any unclean thoughts or fancies to enter within me much less give them Entertainment and as soon as they offer themselves to my fancy I will endeavour to divert them by holy and heavenly Meditations And last of all I will be frequent in my prayers to God for a clean heart and purity of spirit and for the Graces of Temperance and Chastity When I fasted likewise I found my self guilty of muth deadness and dulness in my Devotions vain and wandring thoughts in them c. Upon Examination of my self I found the great Causes of it to be the want of keeping my self continually in a serious frame and temper of spirit my not spending some some time in Meditation before I came to pray my want of frequency in my Devotions and want of the due sense of God's great and dreadful Majesty and my own necessities of those things I come to pray for Upon which I resolved constantly to keep my self in an habitual frame and temper of piety to be more frequent in Prayer and to praemeditate of the dread and awfulness of that Majesty before whom I appear to consider before-hand that nothing but what is hearty and from the ground of the Soul will be accepted by him and how great need I have of those things I ask I will pray often for the Spirit of Devotion and Sincerity and will be sure to watch over my thoughts when I am at my Devotions but if any such enter I will presently repel them and then pray with greater fervency to cross the Devil's design therein These meditations and resolutions being over you may begin again thus O Lord increase my weak Faith Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief and give me Grace to live and die according to my belief for I believe in thee O God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ thy only Son our Lord who was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried He descended into Hell The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into heaven and siteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins The Resurrection of the Body and the life everlasting Amen O Lord be with my Spirit O Most gracious God make me careful to discharge and perform all my Vows and Resolutions which I have made unto thee both in publick and in private Make me a serious and professed enemy to every sin and to all ungodliness especially O Lord to all c. Here meition thy most prevailing Sins and Corruptions and let no sinful thought surprize me without a sorrowful sigh no ungracious word pass me without a suddain retractation and devour confession no wicked action defile me without a sincere and godly humiliation Unto each measure of sin enable me to allow a due measure of sorrow Let those sins that have been reigning over me be at set times constantly revenged by me and as my body hath been a deep sharer in my Sins so let it have a daily share in my Sufferings Help me at set times to deny my self some of those outward Enjoyments which thou O Lord in mercy hast allowed me as a true sign of my godly sorrow for that sinful excess which I have too oft taken without thine allowance Let those sinful hours which have been vainly lost in idleness and emptiness be willingly redeemed in a constant observation of Religious Duties Let no day pass me with out a solemn and devout task of Devotion no hour without some sweet Ejaculation and when at any time the troubles and disturbances of this frail life shall deny me happy opportunities for those heavenly performances what is wanting in act let it be made up in desire which thou Lord I trust wi lt graciously accept and look upon because faithfully intended These and whatever mercies thou knowest needful and requisite I humbly beg in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ
let not the Lights of the World any more be put under Bushels but keep them in their Candlesticks that they may give light to all that are in the House Let not Jeroboam's Priests profane thy service but let the seed of Aaron still minister before thee And O thou Father of mercies and God of all comfort succour and relieve all that are in affliction and deliver the outcast and poor help them to right that suffer wrong Let the sorrowful sighing of the Prisoners and the Captives come before thee and according to the greatness of thy Power preserve thou those that are appointed to die Grant easie to those that are in pain health to those that are in Sickness Here mention any that you know in that Condition Give them patience and contentation under this thy Visitation and a happy Issue out of all their Afflictions when and which way it shall seem best to thy godly Wisdom only so preserve them by thy Grace that Christ may be unto them whether in Life or Death advantage Give suitable supplies to all that are in want to all presumptuous sinners give a sense of their sins and to all despairing a sight of thy mercy and do thou O Lord for every one above what they can ask or think forgive my Enemies Persecutors or Slanderers overcome all their evil with thy infinite goodness turn their hearts and draw them powerfully to thy self Pour down thy blessings on all my Friends and Benefactors all that have commended themselves to my prayer or that I am bound to pray for especially c. Here specify thy nearest relations particular Friends and all committed to thy Charge O Lord infuse Grace where it is not and where it is weak do thou strengthen it give them all things necessary for their Souls and Bodies guide them here by thy counsel and afterwards receive them to thy self in glory And grant O merciful Father that through this Blood of the Cross we may all be presented pure and unblamable and unreproveable in thy sight that so we may be admitted into that place of Purity where no unclean thing can enter there together with Saints and Angels to sing eternal Praises Doxologies and Alelujahs to Father Son and holy Ghost for ever Amen Either before or immediately after this Intercession make an oblation unto God of something for the Poor or Pious Uses and if it be the tenth of all thy Acquists thou wilt in the end be no looser by it but 't will prove unto thee a piece of frugal prodigality He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully 2 Cor. 9.6 We put our money into sure hands it is but lent though it be given We engage God himself and he will pay us again Pro. 19.17 This is the Fast that God hath chosen and delights in Isa 58.7 This stock that you thus lay up is the treasure that you send before you to heaven your Friend of the mammon of unrighteousness that when these earthly things fail will receive you into everlasting habitations 'T is call'd a Sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 and again Phil. 4.18 a Sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God St. Augustine saith that Jejunium sine Eleemosina Lampas sine Oleo Fasting without Alms is a Lamp without Oyl It may shew beautiful to the Eye but will never lead you by it's light to Heaven When you have separated that portion which you chearfully design for this Charitable Use it may not be amiss if you offer and devote it to God in this or the like manner O Blessed Lord God I know that my goodness extendeth not to thee thou art infinitely happy in and from thy self alone Lucret. and wants nothing of ours to make any addition to thy happiness Yea O Lord all that we have and enjoy is from thy bounty and goodness and I can retribute nothing to thee but what must first come from thee Yet O Lord seeing there are many of thy poor necessitous Servants that stand in need of our Charity and thou hast said that whatsoever we do unto these we do it unto thee in consideration of my duty and thy mercies I here offer and devote unto thee for pious and holy uses this small portion as thou hast been pleased to bless me the week past O let it be a Sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing in thy Sight throughâ— Jesus Christ Amen Put this up in the poor Man's Purse by it self By this course thou wilt have always something in store by thee to give all indigent persons as there is opportunity offered and this great advantage thou wilt have by it also thou wilt not give grudgingly as the Apostle terms it 2 Cor. 9.7 or murmur when a poor Man asks an Almes of thee Deut. 15.10 for thou lookest upon this stock as not thy own and thy self only as Gods Purser and the Hand to dispense it yea thou will rejoyce and give God thanks when thou hast a fit opportunity to distribute do good and refresh the hungry bowels of thy poor Brother After this spend some time in Reading or Meditating or both Then call to mind and consider your Mercies both Spiritual and Temporal which you have in the foregoing Week received at the hands of God and if they have been any way eminent omit not to commit them to your Diary where also you may place your Vows if you have made any the benefit which may accrue from hence I shall hereafter shew you If you have no other mercies but the preservation of you from your own vile-Lusts Lusts and Affections from Presumptuous Sins and from Death and Damnation for the Temporal Mercies of each particular day and the mercies even of this day thou hast Matter enough of thanksgiving therefore you cannot do better than conclude your Fast with Praises and Thanksgiving The Thanksgiving and Conclusion of the Work O Most holy and for ever blessed Lord God thy Name only is excellent and thy praise above Heaven and Earth Heaven is thy Throne and that thou fillest with thy Majesty the Earth is but thy Foot-stool and yet that thou fillest with thy Goodness O how great are thy tender Mercies to us O Lord how large is the Summ of them If I would declare them and speak of them they are more than I am able to express I may as well count the sands upon the Sea Shore or the drops of the Ocean as enumerate thy favours Thou didst at first create me out of nothing instamp thine own Image upon me and gavest me Dominion over the Works of thy hands Thou art he that took me out of my Mothers womb By thee have been holden up ever since I was Born thy Almighty hand hath constantly supported me and thy Providence watched over me and I still acknowledg my dependance on thee When Mankind had departed from thee by Disobedience and erased that Image and Innocency in which he was created and for feited that Right to all thy
That he would bless his Minister that hath this day blessed you that he would pour down a double portion of his Spirit into his heart and make him an eminent Instrument for his glory and finally may so live and so preach that he may both save himself and them that hear him Pray also that he would continue such his spiritual Mercies towards you and make you to grow in knowledg and to be more fruitful under all the means of Grace that so his Word may be unto you the savour of Life unto Life and not to any Soul of you the savour of death unto death c. Thus shalt thou sanctifie this day unto the Lord and the Lord will sanctifie thee unto himself He will give thee of the blessings of this Life and that which is to come Remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah ch 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a Delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thy own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the Earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Of the holy Sacrament SHould I here go about to enumerate the many great benefits of this holy Mystery I might in the next page also reckon up all the benefits of Physick Meat and Drink for what there are to the Body the other is to the Soul Meat and Drink are the Supporters of our Beings strengthen the Powers and Abilities of the Body preserve its natural heat and vigor and repair its decays and our Saviour saith of this Holy Sacrament my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed such as will not only like Meat strengthen and nourish but like Drink or Wine comfort encourage and revive even drooping dying Souls It came down from Heaven and it is of Efficacy sufficient to translate us thither and as the Body being but a little deprived of Food languishes and at last expires even so is it with the Soul being deprived of this spiritual Sustenance which is said to nourish the Soul unto Life everlasting it immediately grows sick and at length dead unto all good Works And then as the Body by too great plenty of feeding at last contracts Corruption and Diseases and hath need of some Physick to cleanse and purifie it and to preserve the Blood from dangerous putrefactions even so is it with the Soul which by conversing with the pleasures and delights of the World is apt to contract some stain and foulness which may here in this sacred Fountain be washed away and cleansed and the Soul by this Antidote preserved from future Corruptions It is not my design here to acquaint you with the nature use and end of this Sublime Mystery or with the manner of worthy receiving it this being a Province above my low Sphere or Capacity and already so exactly done by the Learned and Pious Authors of the Christian Sacrifice Whole Duty of Man Method of Private Devotions c. to which I refer you All that I shall say in it is to endeavour to press you to the frequency of communicating which if we consider the Will and Command of Christ Luke 22.19 our continual wants and necessities and the great and inestimable benefits we reap by it we should not think our selves excused from any opportunity that offers it self but rather court every one and if it be in our power make it rather than want it for certainly if thou be a good Christian thou wilt think every return too slow and confess with David That as the Hart panteth after the Rivers of Waters so panteth thy Soul after God That thy Soul is athirst for God even for the living God when shalt thou come and appear before him And if thou not knowing it before-hand come into a Congregation where the Table is spread or art sodainly invited to communicate with a sick or dying person I cannot see how thou canst turn thy Back upon that sacred Ordinance although thy preparations are not according to the Sanctuary or so strict as they ought to have been hadst thou had timely notice thereof Supposing thee therefore to be one who lives in an habitual preparation that is in a daily Examination of thy Conscience and calling thy self to an account of thy Sins and in a constant performance of Religious duties and even now lamenting that thou hast not more time to prepare thy self so that what is wanting in Act is made up in Desire thou may'st undoubtedly draw near with comfort and receive as worthily though not perhaps so much to thy own satisfaction as if thou hadst made a greater and more solemn preparation and I must tell thee who ever thou art that unless thou art thus always ready to receive thou art in no wise prepared to die which that thou maist be I shall in the next Section set down some short Rules and Directions which may help thee towards it Remote Preparations for Death THere is nothing so much sharpens the sting of Death and adds greater malignity and venom to it than the want of due Consideration of it before-hand and Preparation for it Inexpertata plus aggravant novitasadjicit calamitatibus pondus Senec. Epist 91. The suddenness and surprize of an evil adds to the weight and smart of it Death we are told is an enemy 1 Corinth 15.26 and you know to be surprized by an Enemy puts all into tumult and confusion and permits not the free use of that reason and conduct that we should otherwise have had upon a timely monition and preparation Nay we are told that it is the last enemy and being to fight but this one battle it will be the greatest imprudence in the World not to muster up all our forces not to make all the provision we can before-hand that we be not worsted in this last Conflict Non licet in bello his peccare To fail once here is to fail for ever And we shall never have any opportunity more to rectify a former fault And therefore that you may not miscarry in so momentous a concern take and follow these brief Directions First in the time of your greatest health carry your self with the greatest innocency watchfulness and circumspection Endeavour to keep your Soul in an habitual frame and temper of piety continually abstain from the commission of any known Sin and do not that at any time which if God should then call for thee for no Man hath any assurance that he shall not die suddainly thou wouldst not be ashamed to be found doing If a sharp Sickness seizes our Bodies whilst we have a load of guilt upon our Souls what consternation and terrour does it strike unto us Our Sins stare
certainly if we are dutiful Children we shall not suffer the remembrance of them to be buried in ungrateful silence but as the Heart will be filled with the sense so will the mouth with the acknowledgment of his Mercies Who can express the noble Acts of the Lord or shew forth all his praise Psal 106.2 Oh how great is the Sum of them If we tell them they are more in number than the Sand Psal 139.17 18. Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits 3. And is God so merciful Then this O my Soul should teach thee humility and to have low thoughts of thy self If thou wert not miserable thou hadst no need of Mercy If thou wert righteous 't were but justice to receive good from the hands of God not mercy Every particular blessing I enjoy is the fruit and effect of the mercy of God and ought to each me a Lesson of Humility Many Stripes many Judgments indeed have I deserved but I must confess with holy Jacob That I am not worthy of the least of all his Mercies Gen. 32.10 4. Is God a God of such infinite Mercies This then should teach thee O my Soul in all thy difficulties and distresses in all thy wants and necessities to have recourse unto him to rest and depend upon him The Angel of the Lord saith holy David tarrieth round about them that fear him Psal 34.7 and delivereth them And Psal 34.22 The Lord delivereth the Souls of his Saints and all that put their trust in him shall not be destitute And as in temporal dangers so in temporal wants we must cast all our care upon him for he careth for us 1 Pet. 5.7 They that fear the Lordlack nothing Psal 34.9 and v. the 10. They that seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good God is a God all-sufficient and able to help me in my greatest necessities He is a God rich in Mercy and will not suffer me to want therefore I will cast my burden upon him I will put my trust in him 5. Is God so Merciful This should teach me to fear him This may perhaps seem strange What shall I fear him because of his Mercifulness I have great reason to trust him indeed and to love him but shall I fear him for it Yes certainly we ought to fear him even for his Mercy There is forgiveness with thee saith David therefore thou may'st be feared Psal 130.4 and 67. ult God shall bless us and all the ends of the Earth shall fear him Though he forgives though he blesses though he shews us mercy yet we must fear him Yea I must needs say that of all Gods Attributes Mercy is the dreadfullest for where-ever his Mercy lights and is neglected or returns empty without answering Gods Designs he will certainly recompense his abused Mercy with double Severity Laesa patientia furor fit 6. Is God thus Merciful This should teach us to imitate his Mercy by being merciful to our poor necessitous Brethren Let us imitate it in its universality it is over all his works Who is there under the Sun that hath not tasted of it in its reality He giveth liberally and upbraideth not It is far from God to do any thing seemingly 't is not enough to profess Compassion and to say as those in St. James ch 2.16 Depart in peace be ye warmed be ye filled and yet give nothing to cloath or to feed them But thou shall do according to the Precept in Deuteronomy ch 15.10 Thou shalt surely give him and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him And to encourage thee take Gods own promise annex'd to it Because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy Works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto Thus we must imitate God in being merciful unto all and in being really merciful All our acts of mercy to our poor Brethren Christ takes as done to him Matth. 25.40 In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me The miseries of my Brethren are my own miseries and therfore your mercies to them are in a sense mercies to me Lastly Is God thus merciful This should teach thee O my Soul to be continually praising him for his Mercies Praise is a Duty incumbent on all the Sons of Men because that all have tasted of his goodness and his mercy Give the Lord saith David the honour due unto his Name Psal 29.2 Shewing that it is not an arbritrary or voluntary act but a just debt which we owe to God God not only supplieth but even daily loadeth us with his benefits as the Psalmist observes and as he expects no other so we can make no other retribution unto him but our Praises and Thanksgivings O let us never then defraud him of that so easie Tribute but let our Hearts be continually filled with the sense and our Mouths with the acknowledgment of his Mercies We confess O Lord that we are not worthy of the least of all thy Mercies and therefore the less we deserve them the more thou deservest our Praises O let us not by our ingratitude provoke thee to discontinue thy Mercies or to shut up thy tender Mercies in displeasure and so teach us to value them by making us feel the want of them Alelujah Of the certainty of Death and Judgment Hebrew 9.27 And as it it appointed unto Men once to die but after this the Judgment GOD at first Created Man in a state of Innocency and appointed him Laws to observe and gave him withal a power to keep them and to the keeping of which he annexed the continuation of a happy life and immunity from death and lest his credulous Nature might be too easily imposed upon to his own and his posterities ruin lest the ties of Love and promise of a Reward were not strong enough to bind him to his Duty and Allegiance God was pleased to hedg in his way with a denunciation of threatnings and judgments in case he should any way disobey those Laws set and tells him Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof transgressest my commands for I have told thee positively thou shalt not eat of it thou shalt surely die but Man degenerate Man soon cast off his primitive Innocence violates those Laws and thereby renders himself and all his posterity obnoxious to that Judgment of Death before threatned And now God ratifies his former denunciation establishes it by a perpetual Decree That unto dust he shall return Gen. 3.19 So that now we see whence Death had its first beginning Rom. 5.12 It is but the product and birth of Sin Sin having once conceived never prove abortive but brings forth Death James 1.15 It is now appointed unto Men once to die and as certain as the Decree of God is
Temptation can come thence or if we could come to it those pleasures now would have no gusts or relish The Flesh cannot tempt us for that is now refined and purifi'd from all Corruptions and vain Desires we are now so confirmed in our State of Happiness that God himself with reverence do I speak it cannot alter or change it to all Eternity Reflections upon Heaven and the Joys thereof AND now O my Soul Is Heaven such a glorious place Are the joys thereof so transcendant so satisfactory and so permanent without any fear of Diminution or Mutation Then this should teach thee to use all possible diligence that thou may'st in the end attain them and think no pain care or trouble too great for their Acquisition This is the Pearl of great price for which if thou sell all to purchase it thou wilt be a great gainer This is the Vnum necessarium the only thing necessary thy all that thou hast to do in this World 2. Is Heaven such a glorious Place and are there such Joys and Priviledges reserved for blessed Souls Then wo is me that I must remain in Meshech and have my habitation among the tents of Kedar I cannot but say with Elias I am weary of my life and with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace with St. Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better than to abide in this Baca of Tears and Wilderness of Fears for there all Tears shall be wiped away from mine Eys I shall cease to sorrow cease to grieve cease to sin If the poor deluded Mahometans can rejoyce at the expectation of a feigned sensual Paradise If a pooâ— Heathen could desire to die Cicero de Somn. Scipion. because he had hopes of conversing after death with such Heroick Spirits as Socrates Aristides Scipio c. â—ow much more should all true Christiâ—ns who have far greater hopes and firm assurance of the enjoyment of a real spiritual Paradise of conversing with Saints and Angels with our blessed Reâ—eemer nay God himself rejoyce to â—hink of that day and cry out with holy David Oh that I had Wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be â—t rest My Soul is athirst for God yea â—ven for the living God when shall I â—ome to appear before the presence of God For one day in thy Courts is better â—han a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God than â—o dwell in the Tents of Wickedness Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying 3. Is Heaven such a glorious Place And are there such joys and pleasures at Gods right hand Then this discovers unto me the madness and extream folly of the World who put so high a value â—nd estimate upon the pitiful contemptible empty things of this Life as riches â—onours pleasures and the like which we either lose living or leave dying without securing themselves of that Heaven and those Joys which are far above all value and comparison What a deal of toil and trouble do Men take for that Meat which perisheth And neglect that which endureth to everlasting Life How eagerly do Men gape after Riches rise early and late take rest endeavouring by all unlawful as well as lawful means to inlarge their Possessions to add Field to Field and House to House till there be no more place and neglect the true Riches Yet musâ— at last be content with a mouthful oâ— Earth whom many Mannors did noâ— content in life How do Men prefer aâ— little outward pomp and grandeur oâ— a fading title of Honour before the Ornaments of a meek and humble Spirit before the honour of being Gods Children here and of being admitted into his presence to raign with him for ever How do Men greedily hunt after and court the unsatisfactory yea troublesome pleasures of this vain World 〈◊〉 which are but momentany and aspire not to those which are at Gods righâ— hand for evermore O my Soul come not thou into their secret to their Assembly be not thou united 4. Is Heaven such a glorious Place 〈◊〉 Do the joys thereof so far transcend all â—umane Conceptions and Imaginations Then this should teach thee O my Soul â—o be content with whatever coarse Enâ—ertainment thou shalt meet withal in â—hy way thither be it poverty sickâ—ess disgrace disappointment losses â—r the greatest temporal Evil or Calamiâ—y that may befal thee Consider that Heaven will make amends for all O how great is the goodness which thou hast laid â—p for them that fear thee All the Afâ—lictions thou canst meet with here will â—ccompany thee no farther than the Grave and that is but a little way a â—hort time at most but a moment with respect to Eternity Those light Afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Those may not retard thy motion neither for commonly they rather acceâ—erate the course they work for us where as too much prosperity slackens â—logs us and works against us makes us apt to set up our rest on this side Jordan and never long for a better for a more heavenly Canaan If we come to a Friends House where we are well accommodated and have all things according to our desire we are inclined to stay longer than at first we designed and are very difficultly drawn thence but if we meet with bad Accommodation and unwelcome Entertainment we care not how soon we are gone and presentâ—y bethink us of our home where we shall have all things at our desire This World is but our passage our way not our home Heaven is our home our abiding our resting place and we can never be well accommodated till we arrive there We have many difficulties to pass through before we come to our Journeys end and then we may sit down and rejoyce Et olim haec meminisse juvabit and then it will be pleasant and delightful to reflect upon our past dangers Here I am in a state of Bondage I shall then enjoy perfect Freedom and Liberty yea the Liberty of the Children of God I cannot here attend one minute to thy service without distraction there I shall be free and find no interruption O bring my Soul out of Prison that I may give thanks unto thy Name and together with Angels and Arch-Angels and all the company of Heaven laud and magnifie thy glorious Name evermore praising thee and saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory Glory be to thee O Lord most high Amen JOB 16.24 When a few years are come then shall I go the way whence I shall not return THere is not a more powerful Argument to reclaim a Sinner from the wickedness of his ways or to incourage a holy man in the prosecution of Piety and Goodness than the frequent Meditation of Death When a wicked
Man shall seriously consider That though he now gives himself the full swing and liberty of his unlawful pleasures and desires and denies himself nothing that his depraved Appetite can crave or suggest unto him yet these are but fleeting and momentany That when a few years are come he shall be taken from them and go the way whence he shall not return this will certainly imbitter his false joys and lay some restraint upon him in the Career of all his Sensual Delights On the other side when a good and holy Man shall consider that although in the ways of Vertue and Holiness he meets with many straits and difficulties he hath many fears and troubles within many trials and temptations without yet these will not continue long when a few years are come he shall be free'd from them all he shall go the way whence he shall not return This certainly will encourage him to persevere and to continue faithful unto Death This was that which afforded holy Job so much comfort in the midst of all his Afflictions He was in a very miserable Condition under the power of Sathan's Malice full of noisome Boils and grievous Pains laughed at and mocked by his cruel Enemies nay reproached and contemned by his nearest Friends as you may see a Catalogue of his Sufferings from verse the ninth to the 17th yet he still maintains his Integrity with the considerations of the shortness of his life and consequently of the duration of his afflictions saying When a few years are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return from the words we may collect 1. The certainty of Death When a few years are come then I shall go the way c. 2. The uncertainty of the time of it When a few years are come The Prophet leaves it in indefinite he doth not say Such a number of years or in such a year I shall die but when a few years are come c. 3. The brevity of Mans Life Thought he mentions years yet they are but few When a few years c. 1. The certainty of Death St. Paul tells us Heb. 9.27 That it is appointed unto Men once to die and this Royal Decree of Heaven is like that of the Medes and Persians irreversible had Man continued in his primitive Innocence he should not indeed have died but when once Man put off that white Robe he became immediately obnoxious unto Death and God tells him Gen. 3. Dust thou art and to Dust shalt thou return The wages of sin is Death As certainly as we live so certainly shall we die Neither the Majesty of the Prince nor the meanness of the Peasant the Wealth of the rich Man nor the Poverty of the Poor The strength of the Mighty nor the holiness of the Pious can exempt from Death so that I may take up that Interrogation of the Prophet What Man is he that liveth and shall not see Death 2. The uncertainty of the time of it Astrologers by Calculating Nativities have pretended to foretell the Deaths of others as well as themselves but have seldom ever hit right in either and have been miserably deceived Our times are in God's hand This is one of the Arcana Imperis those incommunicative prerogatives God keeps to himself and dare any Mortal be so bold as to pretend to it God hath said that he comes as a thief in the Night and hath bid us Watch That of the hour and the season knoweth no Man and yet shall we say that we have any certainty of his coming Do we not see how many are daily snatch'd away by a sudden and untimely Death And yet shall we boast our selves of too morrow Infancy Childhood Youth Manhood and Ripeness of years can no more plead Exemption from Death than old Age so that you see how uncertain the time of it is 3. The brevity of Mans Life David observed that the days of our Age are Threescore years and ten and at most but fourscore and if we wade through many thousand Accidents and at last arrive to that Age it is still but short with respect to Eternity and we spend our years as a Tale that is told scarcely remembring when or where we began But it is not one of many thousands whose Lamp burn thus long to its lowest Basis but either the Oyl is consumed or a puff of wind hath blown it out long before What is our life saith St. James It is even a vapour that continueth but a little while and then vanisheth away David compares it to sleep which lasteth but for a Night to Grass which in the Morning is green and groweth up but in the Evening is cut down dried up and withered Lucian calls it a Bubble which by the next breath of wind vanisheth into Air. Homer a Leaf which if it be not gathered by the hand or eaten by a Worm or forced by the wind will wither and fall of its own accord at Autumn Pindar the Dream of a shadow what more vain unconstant short liv'd things than these Yet such is the Life of Man Well then might Job say When a few years are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return From the words we may gather these four Corollaries or Observations 1. From the Example of this holy Man I learn that we ought to think of Death before it comes When a few years are come then I shall go the way c. 2. That we ought not only to think of Death in general but of our own Death in particular I shall go the way whence I shall not return 3. That it is the highest piece of Prudence to prepare for it before it comes because that after Death we shall not be able to return to amend or rectifie the deficiency of our former preparations I shall go the way whence I shall not return 4ly and Lastly That to a pious and innocent Soul the consideration of Death and never returning again to a troublesome and sinful Life is matter of great joy and comfort When a few years are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return 1. As to the first That we ought from the Example of holy Job to think of Death before it comes There is nothing so much discomposes a Man or unfits him for the due Exercise of his Reason and Prudence in the conduct of any weighty Affair as to be surprized suddenly and without his expectation Even a sudden and profuse joy as well as an immoderate and unlook'd for grief hath cut off the thred of the lives of many What disorder and discomposure then will a sudden Arrest from Death make in the heart of that Man that never as much as thought on or looked for it before hand How will it amaze or distract him And turn all his Senses into Confusion If a Man had only one thing of great moment to do in his whole Life upon the success of which depended
either his happiness or misery we should count him certainly the most stupid and careless Fool that should not as much as think and consider of it and contrive all ways possible before hand how he might succeed in it You have seen already that Death is certain and upon our dying depends our Eternal Salvation or Eternal Damnation how insensible must we then be if we are not often in the time of our life and health taken up with some serious thoughts and contemplations of it 2. That we ought not only to think of Death in general but of our own death in particular I shall go the way whence I shall not return Death is a general term and if it touch not us or our Family our Friends or Relations we are as unconcern'd as to hear of a Sickness or Mortality beyond the Seas in which we are like to be no fellow sufferers or sharers We can read every Week the Bills of Mortality and hear of this and the other great Person dead nay we can take many turns in the Church and Yard and walk over the Graves of our deceased Friends and yet be as unmoved and unsensible of our own change as the Stones we walk upon But Alass Do we think that our selves alone are Immortal That we only shall have an Exemption from Death Shall not the Passing Bell at length Toll for us and shall it not at length be said in the Streets That such a one is dead Yes certainly when a few years perhaps weeks or days are come then thou in particular shalt go the way whence thou shalt not return O then think of Death before it comes and of thy own death in particular say thus within thy self I am now in a state of health and strength I have now time and opportunity for Repentance my Lamp is yet burning I am invited to the Marriage of the Bride and the Door is yet open now my Tears will be accepted now my Prayers will be heard now is the acceptable tme now is the day of Salvation Now or never must I prepare for Eternity now or never must I make my peace with God What madness what folly will it be in me to hazzard my Eternal Salvation upon the hopes of a long life Or upon the possibility of having time to repent on my Death-bed Our time you see is uncertain and many there are who are taken away by a sudden death even in the midst of their sins Why may not I be one of those Many that thought as little of it as I do and had as good Resolutions as I have have yet perished to all Eternity Others there have been who though they have had timely Warnings of their Death by a lingring and tedious Disease yet either their pains and uneasiness have discomposed them for Repentance and fitting themselves for their change or else God hath then in Justice denied them the grace of Repentance who have been so long time neglective of it Repentance is the gift of God and he that hath promised pardon to the Penitent whensoever he repents hath not always promised to give the Sinner Repentance And if God should thus deal with me as he may justly do even then deny me Repentance without which I cannot be saved when I call upon him for it Qui promisit paenitenti veniam non promisitpeccanti paenitentiam because I refuse to do it now when he calls upon me how miserable and deplorable will my condition be Can I endure the Wrath of a Sin-revenging God Can I dwell with everlasting Burnings Can any thing screen me from those direful Torments prepared for the Devil and his Angels but now I to have my share in them O remember what God says Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out minn hand and no Man regarded but ye have set at nought my counsels and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear comâ—th 3. That it is the highest pice of Prudence to prepare for Death before it comes because that after Death we shall not be able to return to amend or rectifie the deficiency of our former preparations I shall go the way whence I shall not return Vestigia nulla retrorsum The grave receives all that come into it but will never suffer any to return thence before it hears the Voice of him that hath the Keys of it saying Arise ye dead and come to Judgment As the Tree falls so it lies there is no Repentance in the Grave whither we all go As Death leaves us so the Resurrection will find us If we died Sinners no Purgatory can make us to rise Saints He that was filthy at his Death will be found to be filthy still and he that was unjust then will be unjust still and he that was righteous will be righteous still and he that was holy will be holy still Rev. 22.11 O then let it be now thy care as it is thy prudence and interest so to prepare in life that thou may'st receive comfort in death that thy accounts may be fair no error or deficicncy in them and thou may'st be able to give them up with joy and not with grief and receive that blessed Character and Reward of Well done thou good and faithful Servant enter thou into thy Masters joy 4. That to a pious and innocent Soul the consideration of Death and never returning again to a troublesome and sinful life is matter of great joy and comfort VVhen a few years are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return This life is a life of trouble we no sooner enter into it but we commence miserable the best part of it is Checkered with Sorrows and when we leave it it is not without pains and groans So that the whole Series of it from the Cradle to the Grave is nothing else but one Chain and Link of Misery This lot happens both to the good and to the bad to the just and to the unjust and the latter as well as the former might seem to solace himself with the consideration of the brevity of the duration but yet the righteous and holy Man as his troubles are far greater having the addition of grief for his own and others Sins the fears of Relapses into them the difficulty of conquering Temptations and being faithful unto death This enhanses his sorrow and multiplies his troubles and so consequently the consideration of his approaching Death and never returning more to so troublesome and sinful State of Life must needs revive his Spirits and magnifie his joy Methinks I hear him expostulating with himself in such language as this Ah Wretched Man that I am I came into the World with pains and tears my Infancy was spent in sleep and ignorance but yet not without its allay of sickness and inquietude My riper years have been wholly taken up with Folly and Vanity dishonoured with the
multiplicity of Lusts and Sins insnared with passions amazed with fears divided between cares and impertinencies wearied with labours loaden with diseases afflicted with want evil spoken of with and without a cause I have had many disappointments and losses been unfortunate in my Friends and Relatives and which is worst of all I have been daily harrassed with many impetuous Lusts and Temptations My sins have prevailed against me I have displeased my God and wounded my own Conscience interrupted my hopes of Heaven and am continually tormented with evil and wicked inclinations I find still a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Lavv of Sin and Death Those things vvhich I vvould do I cannot do but those things that I would not do those I do O Wretched Man that I am Who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin and Death that I carry about me I am afraid lest my Faith should fail lest having received the Grace of God and tasted of the heavenly Powers I should again be entangled by the Snares of my old beloved Lusts and so forfeit all my right to Heaven lose the Reward of all my strict and circumspect Walking and not continue faithful unto Death But O my Soul there is something the remembrance of which alleviates my grief and sweetens this bitter Cup These my sorrows will not last long a few years are the most and they will suddenly come and then I shall go the way whence I shall not return I shall then cease to grieve any more cease to sorrow cease to fear and cease to sin any more for ever All tears shall then be wiped away from mine Eyes and there shall be no more Sickness nor Sorrow nor Death nor Crying nor Pain I shall then have perfect rest and joy peace and quietness without any interruption for in his presence is fulness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore Though the way be foul and troublesome yet the Journey is but short and the end will be pleasant and peaceable and this consideration shall make me go cheerfully away with my present burthen for when a few years are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return Meditations before or at Dinner or Supper 1. VVHen you see the Table spread Meditate on Gods Fatherly goodness and providence towards all his Creatures what vast infinite numbers there are and yet he carefully as a loving Father for his Children provides for them all their Meat in due season 2. Meditate how much more gracicious God is to thee who hath richly furnished thy Table and prepared these his good Creatures for thee without any great care or trouble of thine whereas there are many thousands in the World far better than thy self who are sentenced to a necessitous Condition and are enforced daily to tug at the Oar to delve in the Dirt to wash their Faces and bathe their Bodies in their own Sweat and yet for all this must be content at last with course Fare and hungry Stomachs 3. Meditate that every Creature of God is good if it be received with Thanksgiving and that it is sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer and therefore resolve always to implore his blessing on the same in the first place 4. Meditate that several of Gods Creatures lose their lives to preserve thine whose Nature have as great a repugnancy to Annihilation as thy own and as thou now feedest on them so the Worms shall shortly feed on thee and let this excite thee to be temperate in the use of them and so to eat and drink as may the better dispose thee for any service of God thy Neighbour or thy self Let not the daintiness of the Cheer tempt thee to Luxury remembring that it is the greater Vertue to abstain when there is the greater Temptation 5. Lastly Meditate that God who filleth things living with his goodness expects no other return but praise and thanksgiving therefore when thou hast eaten and art full have a care that thou forget not to pay him that so easie Tribute Occasional Meditations Vpon the sight of a Dying Friend IT was not many days since that we had sweet Commerce together and our Conversation was dear to each other we frollick'd it till the Night parted us and then our separation was as the shadow of Death We thought the Nights tedious and the Days long till we should be again happy in each others Embraces but â—o how soon the Scene is altered my Friend is arrested by a fatal Disease and is just expiring his last Breath I came to comfort him and to receive Comfort and Satisfaction from him but alass all that is left me to do now is to be only a witness of his dying groans to close his Eyes and to receive his departing Breath Those Arms that used to hug and imbrace me at our first Meetings are now become so weak and languid that he cannot shake hands at parting nor lift them up unto his Maker That Tongue that was formerly the Conduit of Eloquence and Charm'd all that heard him by its sweet and mellifluous Expressions into a sensible but silent admiration is now become mute and speechless that he cannot as much as take his Vltimum Vale or bid me farewell at parting Those Ears that were heretofore delighted with pleasant Discourse and melodious Sonnets are now become thick of hearing and cannot distinguish between the soft murmurs of some and the louder cries of other his mournful Friends nor can admit of the least comfortable Advice in this his greatest extremity His Eyes sometimes so sparkling and sprightly that they would not suffer the most minute Object to pass their Advertency are now become so dull and heavy that they can scarce peep out of their Casements to behold the most glorious Object nay not so much as to salute that Heaven which he is just going to be the possessor of That countenance which a few days since was so amiable and pleasant as to attract the Eyes as well as raise the Envy of all beholders is now so pallid and ghastly and his Cheeks so bedewed with Cold Sweats that his dearest Friends and Relations draw the Curtains about him that they may not contemplate his grim Visage In a word his brother Body the Receptacle of his Divine Soul and partner with her in all her Actions which till now kept an indissoluble Relation with it is turning into Dust and says to the Grave Thou art my Father and to the Worms my Mother and my Sister Job 17.13 Good God how great a change is this in so short a span of time This shall teach me to put a very slight estimate on all the imperfect Perfections of this World and to seek after those things which alone are truly valuable This shall teach me also to think often of my latter end and all the days of my appointed time to wait until