thing whatsoever is within Him or without Him or about Him whatsoever He thinkes upon remembers heares sees turne all to his torment No marvaile then tho the terrour of a wounded conscience bee so intolerable 3. As the exultations of the Soule and spirituall refreshments doe incomparably surpasse both in excellency of Object and sweetnesse of apprehension all pleasures of seâ—se and bodily delights so afflictions of the Soule and spirituall pangs doe infinitely exceede both in bitternesse of sense and intension of sorrow the most exquisite tortures can possibly bee inflicted upon the Body For the Soule is a spirit very subtile quicke active stirring all life motion sense feeling and therefore farre more capable and apprehensive of all kinds of impressions whether passions of pleasure or inflictions of paâ—â—e 4. This extremest of miseries a wounded spirit is tempered with such strong and strange ingredients of extraordinary feares that it makes a man a terrour to himselfe and to all his friends To flee when none pursues at the sound of a shaken leafe To tremble at his owne shadow to bee in great feare where no feare is Besides the insupportable burthen of too many true and causefull terrours it fills His darke and dreadfull Fancy with a world of fained horrours gastly apparitions and imaginary Hells which notwithstanding have reall stings and impresse true tortures upon his trembling and wofull heart It is empoysoned with such restlesse anguish and desperate paine that tho life bee most sweete and Hell most horrible yet it makes a man wilfully to abandon the one and willingly to embrace the other that Hee may bee rid of it's rage Hence it was that Iudas preferred an Halter and Hell before his present horrour That Spira said often what heart quakes not to heare it that Hee envied Cain Saul and Iudas wishing rather any of their roomes in the Dungeon of the damned then to have his poore heart so rent in pieces with such raging terrors fiery desperations upon his Bed of death Whereupon at another time beeing asked Whether Hee feared more fearefull torments after this life Yes said Hee But I desire nothing more then to bee in that place where I shall expect no more Expectation as it seemes of future did infinitely aggravate and enrage His already intolerable torture 5. The Heathens who had no fuller sight of the foulenesse of sinne or more smarting sense of divine vengeance for it then the light of naturall conscience was able to afford and represent unto them yet were woont in fiction to shadow out in some sort and intimate unto us the insufferable extremities of a minde troubled in this kinde by hellish furies following malefactors with burning fire-brands and flames of torture What understanding then is able to conceive or tongue to report in what case that sinfull conscience must needs bee when it is once awakened which besides the notions of naturall light hath also the full Sun of Gods sacred Word and that pure Eye which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and cannot looke upon iniquity to irradiate and enrage it to the height of guiltinesse and depth of horrour Both heart and tongue Man and Angell must let that alone for ever For none can take the true estimate of this immesurable spirituall misery but hee that can comprehend the length and breadth of that infinite unresistable wrath which once implacably enkindled in the bosome of God burnes to the very bottome of Hell and there creates the extremity and endlesnesse of all those un-expressable torments and fiery plagues which afflict the Diuels and damned Soules in that horrible Pit 6. Not onely the desperate cries of Cain Iudas Latomus and many other such miserable men of forlorne hope but also the wofull complaints even of Gods owne deare Children discover the truth of this Point to wit the terrours and intolerablenesse of a wounded Conscience Heare how rufully three ancient Worthies in their times wrastled with the wrath of God in this kinde I reckoned till morning saith Hezekiah that as a Lion so will hee breake all my bones Even as the weake and trembling limbes of some lesser neglected Beast are crusht and torne in pieces by the unresistable Paw of an unconquerable Lion so was His troubled Soule terrified and broken with the anger of the Almighty Hee could not speake for bitternesse of griefe and anguish of heart but chattered like a Crane or a Swallow and mourned like a Dove Thou writest bitter things against mee saith Iob and makest mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth The arrowes of the Almighty are within mee the poyson thereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in aray against mee O that I might have my request And that God would grant mee the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy mee that Hee would let loose his hand and cut mee off Nay yet worse Thou scarest mee with dreames and terrifiest mee through visious So that my Soule chuseth strangling and death rather then my life Tho God in mercy preserves his servants from the monstrous and most abhorred Act of selfe-murder yet in some melancholike moode horrour of minde and bitternesse of spirit they are not quite freed from all impatient wishes that way and sudden suggestions thereunto My bones waxed old saith David through my roaring all the day long Day and night thy hand was heavy upon mee my moysture is turned into the drought of Summer Thine arrowes sticke fast in mee and thy hand presseth mee sore There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for mee I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disqujâ—tnesse of my heart Heare also into what a depth of spirituall distresse three worthy servants of God in these later times were plung'd and pressed downe under the sense of Gods anger for sinne Blessed Mistris Brettergh upon Her last Bed was horribly hemmed in with the sorrowes of death the very griefe of Hell laid hold upon Her Soule a roaring Wildernesse of woe was within Her as She confessed of Her selfe She said her sinnes had made Her a prey to Satan And wished that she had never been borne or that shee had been made any other creature rather then a Woman Shee cryed out many times Woe woe woe c. A weake a wofull a wretched a forsaken woman with teares continually trickling from her eyes Master Peacock that man of God in that His dreadfull visitation and desertion recounting some smaller sinnes burst out into these words And for these saith Hee I feele now an Hell in my conscience Vpon other occasions Hee cryed
to sinke or swimme to eate the fruit of their owne waies to the fulnesse of that unquenchable wrath which by their innumerable sinfull provocations impenitency and unbeliefe they have treasured up against this Day and wrath That raging worme which never dies in the damned and naturally breeds in every gracelesse conscience by their insatiable surfet in sinne and greedy drinking-in iniquitie like water growes so strong and to such a strange bignesse that taking advantage especially in the time of terrour of their weakenesse and confusion of spirit upon the Bed of death at some dead lift and irrecoverable danger it surprises them upon the sudden with unexpected Hellish armies of guiltinesse and horror and over-throwes them quite horse and man never to rise againe in this world or the world to come Then would those wofull wretches who would never bee warned betime give tenne thousand Worlds if they had them for one moment of that mercifull time of grace which they have cursedly long abused for the benefit of the Ministry which they have insolently scorned for a drop of that precious blood which by their desperate villanies and hatred to bee reformed they have trampled under foote But alas no mercy no blessing no comfort will then bee had tho with prophane Esau they seeke it with teares and throw their rufull and piercing cries into the aire with hideous groanes and yelling And therefore turning their eye upon their torments will roare out like those sinfull Hypocrites Isai. 33.14 with un-utterable angvish of spirit Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who amongstus shall dwell with everlasting burnings In the Morning they shall say Would God it were Even and at Even they shall say Would God it were Morning for the feare of their hearts wherewith they shall feare and for the sight of their eyes which they shall see In their life-time they behaved themselves like cruell Beasts and bloody Goades in the sides of the Saints and against their syncerity and how at last themselves are caught with a witnesse and lie upon their Beds of extremity and terrour like wilde Bulls and Beasts in a net full of the fury of the Lord. 2. Others there are who finding their sinnes discovered and their consciences wounded by the light and power of the Word and now feeling sadnesse heavy-heartednesse uncouth terrours much perplexity and anxiety of spirit comming upon them addresse themselves presently and have speedy recourse to the Arme of flesh outward mirth carnall contentments and such other miserable comforters They falsely suppose and to their owne utter and everlasting overthrow that these spirituall pangs that are now upon them which if rightly managed might proove an happy preparative and Legall Petard as it were to breake the iron barres and open the everlasting doores of their Soules that the King of glory might come in bee nothing but fits of Melancholy or sowre and unseasonable effects and compressions of some Puritanicall Ministry dangerous temptations to despaire And therefore they hie out of them as fast as they can by posting after worldly pleasures Pastimes Plaies Musicke Gaming merry Company Ioviall meetings of good-fellowship Tavernes Ale-houses Visites Entertainements improovement of their chiefe carnall contentment c. If not to Wisards and even to light a candle at the Divâ—â—â— for lightsonmesse of heart Thus I know not whether with more sinne or folly they endeavour to come unto themselves againe by the mirth and madnesse of wine earthly joy carnall counsell c. Wherein they are not unlike those bloody Israelites who while they burnt up their children in sacrifice to Molech filled their eares with noise of Instruments lest by the rufull cries of their little Babes they should bee moved to pitie and so staied in the cruell service of that blood-sucking Idoll Iust so these Men of pleasure and perdition doe sinfully seeke to stop the guilty clamours of their vexed consciences with the comforts of this life and sensuall joy while their soules are sacrificing to Satan and making fit fewell for the fire of Hell lest by listning to their cryes and controlements they should bee stirred up to take compassion of their owne poore immortall Soules and stopt in the pursuite of their fugitive follies and delights of sense But alas in so doing they are also like a Man in a burning â—ever who lets downe cold drinke eagerly and mâ—rrily because in the extremity of thirst it cooles Him a little But after a while Hee shall finde the heat the paine and the danger all doubled upon Him Earthly pleasures may for the presens still the noyse of in accusing conscience and seeme somewhat to allay it's guilty â—â—ge but assuredly they will afterward kindle such a fire in the Bowels of these miserable men that will burne even to the very bottome of Hell and blow them up Body and Soule with irrecoverable ruine for ever Hee that goes about to cure the wound of his conscience for sinne with sensuall delight is as if to helpe the tooth-ake Hee should knocke out his braines or when hee is stung with a Waspe should rub with a Nettle the smarting place or finding no good by Physicke should runne 〈◊〉 Wise-men as if in extremity of thirst hee should drinke ranke poyson to quench it apply a venemous plaister to his sore and prop up his falling Roofe with burning fire-brands Remedies farre worse and more pestilentiall then the Malady For they either plunge them deeper into the Dungeon of Melancholy and heavy-heartednesse or else draw a skinne onely over the spirituall wound whereby it festers and rankles underneath more dangerously For thus stopping the mouth of that never-dying worme that insatiable Wolfe in the meane time doth make it when there is no more supply of carnall pleasures whereupon it feeds for a while to fall more furiously upon the conscience that bred it and to gnaw more ragingly by reason of it's former restraint and enforced diversion I know full well Satan is right-well pleased and doth much applaud this pestilent course of theirs and therefore Hee helpes forward this accursed businesse all hee can of abandoning and banishing all trouble of minde for sinne with worldly toyes For ordinarily out of his cruell cunning thus He proceeds in these Cases 1. In the first Place and above all hee labours might and maine to detaine men in that height of hard-heartednesse that they may not bee mooved at all with the Ministry or suffer the Sword of the Spirit to pierce And then like a strong man armed Hee possesseth their Bodies and Soules which are his Palace with much peace and disposeth them wholly in any hellish service at his pleasure Thus Hee prevailes with a world of men amongst us They heare Sermon after Sermon Iudgement upon Iudgement and yet are no more stirr'd with any penitent astonishment for sinne or saving worke of the Word then the very Seates whereon they sit the Pillars to which they leane or
ever the Obiect Now what a miraculous mercy was this that passing by such an un-numbred variety of incomparably inferiour creatures He should make Thee an everlasting Soule like an Angell of God capable of grace and immortality of incorporation into Christ and fruition of Iehova Himselfe blessed for ever Nay and yet further tho thou wast to haue the Being of a reasonable creature yet there was not an houre from the first moment of time unto the worlds end but God might have allotted that to Thee for thy comming into this world And therefore Thy time might have bin within the compasse of all those foure thousand yeares or there abouts from the Creation untill the Comming of Christ in the flesh when as all without the Pale and Partition-wall were without the Oracles and Ordinances of God and all ordinary meanes of salvation Or since the Gospell revealed under the raigne of Anti-Christ And then a thousand to One thou hadst beene choakt and for ever perisht in the damned mists of his Devillish Doctrines What an high honour was this to have thy birth and abode here upon earth appointed from all eternity in the very best and blesseddest time upon the fairest Day of peace and which is infinitely more in the most glorious Light of Grace that ever shone from Heaven upon the Children of men And so of the place Bee it so that Thou must needes bee in this golden Age of the Gospell and gracious Day yet thy lot of living in the world at this time might have lited for any part of the earth might have received Thee where Thou couldest have set but thy two feete amongst Turkes Pagans Infidels a whole world to Christendome Or if thine appearing upon Earth must necessarily bee within the confines of Christendome yet Thou mightest have sprung up in the Popish parts of it or in the scismaticall or persecuted Places of the true Church in it It was a very singular favour That thou shouldest be borne and bred and brought up in this little neglected Nooke of the world yet very illustrious by the presence of Christ in a mighty Ministry where Thou hast or mightest have enioyed in many Parts thereof the glorious Gospell of our blessed God and all saving Truth with much purity and power Now put all these together and tell me in cold bloud and after a sensible and serious ponderation thereupon Doest thou thinke that all this adoe was about Thee all this honour done unto Thee and when all is done Thou art to doe nothing but seeke Thy selfe serve Thine owne turne and live sensually Camest Thou out of Nothing into this world to doe iust nothing but eate and drinke and sleepe to game goe in the fashion and play the good fellow to laugh and be merry to grow rich and leave tokens of thy pleasure in every place c. If any after so much illightning bee so prodigiously mad as to continue in such a conceite I have nothing to say to Him but leave Him as an everlasting Bedlam abandon'd to that folly which wants a name to expresse it Turne then thy course for shame nay as Thou hast any care to be saved and to see the glory of the new Ierusalem as Thou desirest to looke the Lord Iesus in the face with comfort at that great Day as Thou fearest to receive thy portion in Hell-fire with the Devill and His Angells even most intolerable and bitter torments for ever and ever at least in this thy day in this heate and height of Thy spirituall Harvest awake out of thy sensuall sleepe come to thy selfe with the Prodigall strik◠upon thy thigh and for the poore remainder of a few and evill dayes addresse thy selfe with resolution and constancy to pursue the One necessary Thing and to treasure up much heavenly strength and store against thine ending houre Get thee under conscionable Meanes and quickning Ministery and there gather grace as greedily as the most gryping Vsurer graspeth gould contend with an holy ambition as earnestly for the keeping of Gods favour and an humble familiarity with His heavenly Highnesse by keeping faith and a good conscience as the proudest Haman for an high Place and pleased face of an earthly Prince And why not infinitely more This was the end for which thou wast sent into this World This onely is the way to endlesse blisse And this alone will helpe us and hold out in the Euill day 2. That upon the little ynch of time in this life depends the length and breadth of all eternity in the World to come As we behave our selves here we shall fare everlastingly hereafter And therefore how ought we to ply this moment and prize that eternity To decline all entanglement in those inordinate affections to the possessions and pleasures of the Present which hinder a fruitfull improovement of it to the best advantage for the spirituall good of our Soules Let us be mooved with such reasons as these which may be collected from the words of a worthy Writer which run thus with very little variation 1. If we could afford our selues but so much leasure as to consider That he which hath most in the world hath in respect of the world nothing in it and that he which hath the longest time lent him to live in it hath yet no proportion at all therein setting it either by that which is past when we were not or by that time in which we shall abide for ever I say if both to wit our proportion in the world and our time in the world differ not much from that which is nothing it is not out of any excellency of understanding saith Hee but out of depth of folly say I that we so much prize the one which hath in effect no being and so much neglect the other which hath no ending coveting the mortall things of the world as if our Soules were therein immortall and neglecting those things which are immortall as if our selues after the world were but mortall 2. Let adversity seeme what it will to happy men ridiculous who make themselves merry with other mens miseries and to those under the crosse grievous yet this is true That for all that is past to the very instant the portions remaining are equall to either For be it that we have lived many yeeres and according to Salomon in thē all we have reioyced or be it that we have measured the same length of time and therein have ever-more sorrowed yet looking backe from our present being we finde both the one and the other to wit the joy and the woe sayled out of sight and death which doth pursue us and hold us in chace from our infancy hath gathered it Whatsoever of our age is past death holds it So as whosoever he be to whom Prosperitie hath bin a servant and the Time a friend let him but take the accompt of his memory for we haue no other keeper of our pleasures past
with the Divels painting and false luster carries away captive all carnall men and detaines in a Fooles-Paradise indeed an hellish prison a world of deluded Ones Yet those few illightened Soules whose eyes have been happily opened by spirituâ—ll Eye-salve to turne from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God behold a double deformity and ouglines in so foule a monster deceitfully dressâ—d in the Divels counterfeite colours and guilded over garishly in His personated Angelical glory 3. It is most filthy Farre filthier then the most stinking confluence of all the most filthy fulsome nasty loathsome things in the world And it must needs bee so For whatsoever a Man can conceive to bee most contrary distant and opposite to the infinite clearenes purity sweetnesse beauty and goodnesse of God all that and much more is sinne in the highest degree Hence it is that in the Scriptures it is compared to the filthiest myre in which a Sow will lie downe to coole and cover her selfe To the loathsome vomite not of a man but of a Dog To the unsavoury poysonfull dampe which rotten Carkases exhale out of opened graves To menstruous filth To the dirt under the nailes or the stinking sweat of the Body or the putrified matter of some pestilent ulcer To the very excrements which Nature having severed froÌ„ the purer part of the meate thrusts out of the stomack casts into the draught To the filthinesse pollutions and impurities of the world so called by a singularity for sin is the transcendent filth of the world To all the uncleannesses for which the Purifications cleansings washings and sprinklings were appointed in the Leviticall Law To abomination it selfe c. Nay and yet further which makes for the further detestation of sinne Whereas all outward filth defiles onely the Body this of sinne by the strength and contagion of it's insinuating poyson soakes thorow the flesh and the bone and enters and eates into the very minde and conscience Tit. 1.15 defiles the pure and immortall Soule of Man How long might wee cast dirt into the Aire before wee were able to infect the bright shining beames of the Sunne Yet so filthy is sinne that at once with a touch it infects the Soule a clearer and purer essence then it and that with such a crimsin and double-â—â—ed staine that the Flood of Noah when all the World was water could not wash it off Neither at that last and dreadfull Day when this great Vniversall shall bee turned into a Ball of fire for the purifying and renewing of the Heaven and the Earth yet shall it have no power to purge or cleanse the least sinne out of the impenitent Soule Nay the fire of Hell which burnes night and day even thorow all eternity shall never bee able to raze it out 4 It is most infectious Spits venome on all sides farre and wide corrupts every thing it comes neare By reason whereof it is fitly resembled to Leaven to a Gangreene to the Leprosie which filthy disease quickly over spreads the whole Body Numb 12.10 Infects the clothes the very Walles of the House Levit. 14.37 c. Posterity 2 King 5.27 The first sinne that eveâ— the Sunne saw was so pregnant with Soule-killing poyson that it hath already damnably polluted all the Sonnes and Daughters of Adam that were ever since and will still by the un-resistable strength of the same contagion empoysâ—n all their natures to the Worlds end Nay at the very first breaking out it suddenly blasted as it were both Heaven and Earth And so stained the beauty of the one the brightnesse of the other and the originall orient newly burnisht glory of the whole Creation that from that houre it hath groaned under the burden of that vanity and deformity to which this first sinne hath made it subject and will travaile in paine under the bondage of the same corruption untill it bee purged by fire in the great Day of the Lord. It but one sinne bee doted upon delightfully and impenitently like a lumpe of Leaven it soures all the Soule defiles the whole Man and every thing that proceeds from Him His thoughts desires affections words actions and that of all sorts naturall civill recreative religious It doth not onely unhallow his meate drinke carriage His buying selling giving lending and all His other dealings in the world even His plowing The plowing of the wicked is sinne Prov. 21.4 But also turnes all his spirituall services and divinest duties His prayer hearing reading receiving the Sacrament c. into abomination If but one raging corruption in a Minister Magistrate Master of a Family as lying swearing filthy-talking scoffing at Religion opposition to godlinesse Sabbath-breaking an humour of Good-fellowship or the like represent it selfe to the eye of the World in His ordinary carriage and hang out as a rotten fruite in the sight of the Sunne it is woont fearefully to infect or offend by a contagious insinuation and ill example all about Him to diffuse it's venome to His Family amongst His Sonnes and Servants over the Parish where Hee lives all companies where hee comes the whole Country round about especially if Hee bee a Man of eminency and Place 5. It is extremely ill A farre greater ill then the eternall damnation of a Man For when Hee hath Ilen many millions of yeeres in the Lake of fire and under the dominion of the second death He is never the nearer to satisfaction for sinne Not all those Hellish â—lames thorow all eternitie can possibly expiate the staine or extingvish the sting of the least sinne Nay the very destruction of all the creatures in the world of Men and Angels Heaven and Earth is a great deale lesse ill then to offend God with the least transgression of His lawes For all the creatures of ten thousand worlds were they all extant come infinitely short in excellency of worth of the Hearts-blood of Iesus Christ. And yet without the effusion of it no sinne could ever have been pardoned nor any Soule saved A man would thinke it a lesser ill to tell a lie then to lie in Hell But heare Chrysostome Altho many thinke Hell to bee the supreame and sorest of all evils yet I thinke thus and thus wil I daily preach That it is farre bitterer and more grievous to offend Christ then to bee tormented with the paines of Hell 6. It is full of most fearefull effects 1. It deprives every Impenitent 1. Of the fauour and love of God the onely Fountaine of all comfort peace and happinesse which is incomparably the most invalue-able losse that can be imagined 2. Of his portion in Christs blood of which tho the drops waight and quantity bee numbred finite and measurable yet the Person that shed it hath stampt upon it such height of price excellency of merit un-value-ablenes of worth that hee had infinitely better have his portion
penitently and resoluedly to bee reformed if Hee recover and yet His sorrow of minde but such onely as the terrours of an awaked guilty conscience produce and His resolution to cast away His sinnes onely such as a man hath in a storme to cast away His goods not because hee doth not love them but because hee feareth to loose his life if hee part not with them Or a meere civill Man or formall Professour may upon His Bed of death bee very confident and seeme to bee full of comfort and yet that confidence no other then the strong imaginary ioyfull conceit of a covetous man grasping a great deale of gold in his dreame but when Hee awaketh behold his hands are empty For a more full and cleare apprehension of my meaning and iudgement in the Point let us take a survay of the different and severall kinds of death which ordinarily befall the Godly and the wicked The death of Gods Children are divers 1. Some of their holy and zealous lives doe determine and expire sweetly fairely and gloriously even like a cleare Sunne in a Summers evening without any storme or cloud of temptation and discomfort The darkesome and painefull passages and pangs of death are illightened and sweetned with the shining beames of Gods glorious presence and fast embracement of Iesus Christ in the armes of their Faith So that to them the very ioyes of Heaven and exultations of everlasting rest mingle themselues with those last agonies and expirations of death Their heads are as it were crowned with immortality and endlesse peace upon their beds of death Luther that blessed Man of God died sweetly and triumphantly over Hell the Pope and the Divell My heavenly Father said Hee at his death eternall and mercifull God thou hast manifested unto me thy deare Son our Lord Iesus Christ. I have taught him I have knowne him I love him as my life my health and my redemption whom the wicked have persecâ—â—ed maligned and with iniury afflicted Draw my Soule to Thee After this Hee said as insued thrice I commend my spirit into thine hands thou hast redeemed mee O God of truth God so loved the world that hee gave his onely Sonne that all that beleeve in Him should have life everlasting Ioh. 3. Heare how another blessed Saint of God ended his dayes Having the day before hee died continued his meditation and exposition vpon Rom. 8. for the space of two houres or more on the sudden Hee said O stay your reading What brightnesse is this I see Have you light up any candles To which I answered No It is the Sun-shine for it was about five a clocke in a cleare Summers evening Sun-shine saith Hee nay my Saviour-shine Now farewell world welcome heaven The Day-starre from on high hath visited my heart O speake it when I am gone and preach it at my Funerall God dealeth familiarly with man I feele his mercy I see his Maiesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God hee knoweth but I see things that are un-utterable So ravished in spirit Hee roamed toward heaven with a chearefull looke and soft sweete voyce but what Hee said wee could not conceive With the Sunne in the morning following raising himselfe as Iacob did upon his staffe hee shut up his blessed life with these blessed words O what an happy change shall I make From night to day From darkenesse to light From death to life From sorrow to solace From a factious world to an heavenly beeing O my deare brethren sisters and friends It pittieth mee to leave you behind yet remember my death when I am gone and what I now feele I hope you shall finde ere you die that God doth and will deale familiarly with men And now thou fiery Chariot that came downe to feth up Eliah carry mee to my happy Hold And all yee blessed Angels who attended the Soule of Lazarus to bring it up to heaven beare mee O beare mee into the bosome of my Best beloved Amen Amen come Lord Iesus come quickly And so hee fell asleepe That this is true the reporter and By-stander that ancient learned reverend Minister of God Master Leygh addeth I say the truth my Brethren I lie not my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the holy Ghost c. 2. Others may end their dayes very uncomfortably in ravings impatiencies and other strange behaviours Nay the fiery distempers of their hot diseases may sometimes even in the Saints of God produce furlous carriages fearefull distractions and some despairefull speeches But these being the naturall effects and issues of melancholike excesses Phrensies and burning Fevers are sins of infirmity in sanctified men For which if they come againe to themselves they actually repent if not they are all undoubtedly by a generall habituall repentance and Gods gratious acceptation thereof pardoned by the Passion of Christ and buried for ever in his bloody death That last and unreversable doome at the dreadfull Tribunall of the ever-living God must passe upon us not according to the violent and unvoluntary distempers at our last houre but according to the former Passages of our life the sinfull or sanctified expense of the daies of health Heare that other great Artist in the Mysterie of dealing with trouble consciences The common opinion is that if a man die quietly and goe away like a Lambe which in some diseases as consumptions and such like any Man may doe then hee goes straight to heaven but if the violence of the disease stirre up impatience and cause franticke behaviours then men use to say there is a judgement of God serving either to discover an Hypocrite or to plague a wicked man But the truth is otherwise For indeede a man may die like a lambe and yet goe to Hell and one dying in exceeding torments and strange behauiours of the body may goe to heaven 3. The death of some others is mixt to wit of fearefull tempestuous stormes and almost if not altogether despairefull agonies in the beginning of their last sicknesse and a faire refreshing glorious calme and ioyfull triumphs over temptations and feare towards the conclusion of their life For some secret end and holy purpose seeming good to his heavenly wisedome God suffers sometimes even his dearest servants to taste as it were of the fire of Hell and for a while to feele in their consciences those damned flames as a preparative to drinke more sweetly of the Well of life and Rivers of endlesse pleasures So himselfe is most honoured by helping when all hope is past The heart of his Child more ravisht with the first sight of those un-utterable joyes beeing suddenly rais'd to the height of happinesse from the depth of horrour The enemies to the narrow way dasht and confounded by observing his deliverance whom out of prophane blindnesse they deemed an Hypocrite Godly Christians gratiously reviv'd when they see That tho the Lord hide His face from his Childe for a moment
cause of damnation is their false persuasion and groundlesse presumption of salvation Of all the foure kindes of death which ordinarily befall such as are not saved this is the fairest in shew but yet of greatest imposture to those about them and of most pestilent consequence to harden especially all of the same humour that heare of it 4. Some die Penitently But I meane seemingly so not savingly Many having served their appetites all their lives and lived in pleasure now when the Sun of their sensuall delights begins to set and the darke midnight of misery and horrour to seize upon them would very gladly bee saved And I blame them not If they might first live the life of the wicked and then die the death of the righteous If they might have the earthly Heaven of the worlds Favourites here and the Heauen of Christs Martyrs in the world to come These Men are woont in this last extremity to take on extremely But it is but like their Howling upon their Beds Hos. 7.14 Because they are pinched with some sense of present horror and expectation of dreadful things They cry out mightily for mercy But it is no other then their early seeking Prov. 1.28 Because distresse and anguish is come upon them They enquire eagerly after God and would now bee gladly acquainted with Him But just like them Psal. 78. When Hee slew them then they sought Him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rocke and the high God their Redeemer Neverthelesse they did flatter Him with their mouth And they lyed unto Him with their Tongs For their heart was not right with Him They promise very faire and protest gloriously what mended men they will bee if the Lord restore them But all these goodly promises are but as a morning cloud and as the early dew They are like those of a Thiefe or murtherer at the Barre which beeing now cast and seeing there is now no way but one O what a reformed man would Hee bee if Hee might bee reprieved Antiochus as the Apocryphall Booke of the Maccabees reports when the hand of God was upon Him horribly vowed excellent things O what Hee would doe so and so extraordinarily for the people of God! yea and that He Himselfe also would become a Iew and goe through all the world that was inhabited and declare the power of God But what was it thinke you that made this raging Tyrant to relent and thus seemingly repent A paine of the bowells that was remedilesse came upon Him and sore torments of the inner parts So that no man could endure to carry him for His intolerable stinke And He himselfe could not abide His owne smell Many may thus behaue themselves upon their Beds of death with very strong shewes and many boisterous representations of true turning unto God whereas in truth and triall they are as yet rotten at heart roote And as yet no more comfort upon good ground belongs unto them then to those in the fore-cited Places And if any spirituall Physition in such a case doe presse it hand over head or such a Patient presume to apply it it is utterly misgrounded mis-applied Heare what One of the worthiest Divines in Christendome saith Now put case One commeth to His ghostly Father with such sorrow of minde as the terrours of a guilty conscience usually doe produce and with such a resolution to cast away His sinnes as a Man hath in a storme to cast away his goods not because Hee doth not love them but because Hee feareth to lose His life if Hee part not with them doth not hee betray this mans soule who putteeh into His head that such an extorted repentance as this which hath not one graine of love to season it withall will qualifie Him sufficiently for the receiving of an absolution c. And another excellently instructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven Repentance at death is seldome sound For it may seeme rather to arise from feare of iudgement and an horrour of Hell then for any griefe for sinne And many seeming to repent affectionately in dangerous sicknesse when they have recovered have been rather worse then before It is true that true Repentance is never too late but late Repentance is seldome true For here our sinnes rather leave us then wee them as Ambrose sayes And as Hee addes Woe bee unto them whose sinne and life end together This received Principle among the ancient Fathers That late Repentance is rarely true implyes that it is often false and unsound and so by consequent confirmes the present Point Too manifold experience also makes it good Amongst many for my part I have taken speciall notice of two The one beeing laboured-with in prison was seemingly so extraordinarily humbled that a reverend Man of God was mooved thereby to bee a meanes for his reprive whereupon a Pardon was procured And yet this so extraordinary a Penitent while death was in his eye having the terror removed returned to His vomit and some two yeeres after to the same Place againe as notorious a Belial as Hee was before Another having upon His Bed of sicknesse received in His owne conceite the sentence of death against Himselfe and beeing pressed to humiliation and broken-heartednesse for Hee had formerly been a stranger and enemy to purity and the power of godlinesse answered thus My heart is broken and so broke out into an earnest confession of particular sinnes Hee named uncleannesse stubbornnesse obstinacy vaine-glory hypocrisie dissimulation uncharitablenesse covetousnesse luke-warmenesse c. He compared himselfe to the Thiefe upon the Crosse. And if God saith Hee restore mee to health againe the world shall see what an altered man I will bee When hee was prest to syncerity and true-heartednesse in what hee said Hee protested that hee repented with all his heart and Soule and minde and Bowels c. And desired a Minister that stood by to bee a witnesse of these things betweene the world and Him And yet this Man upon His recovery became the very same if not worse then Hee was before Now sith upon this Perusall of the different deaths incident to the godly and the wicked it appeares that some men never soundly converted may in respect of all outward representations die as confidently and comfortably in the conceite of the most as Gods dearest Children and that Christs best servant sometimes may depart this life uncomfortably to the eye and in the opinion of the greatest part And wee heard before that our last and everlasting Doome must passe upon us according to the syncerity or sensuality the zealous forwardnes or formality of our former courses and not according to the seeming of our last carriage upon Bed of death and enforced behaviour in that time of extremity I say these things beeing so I hold my conclusion still and resolution not much to alter my censure and conceit of a mans spirituall state for
Ioannes percelebrem illam concionem in Ecclesiâ recitavit cujus exordiumest Herodias denuò insanire denuò commoveri denuò saltare pergiâ— denuò â—â—put Ioinnâ—s in disco accâ—pere quaerit Socra Hist. Ecclesiast Lib. 6. cap. 16. c Let none marvâ—ll why I 〈◊〉 medâ—le with 〈◊〉 especially in this time of peace and prosperity of the Gospell as tho it were unnecessary and unseasonable For Austâ—â— tels us truly Illi maxime perseâ—â—untur Ecclesiam qui â—â—â—reâ—â—iani nolunt benè vivere Per hos enim opprohrâ—um habet Ecclesia ab his inimicitias sustineâ— quando corripiuntur quando male vivere non permusuntur quando cum eis vel verbo igitur iâ—si mala in suis â—ordibus meditantur erumpendi occasionem requirunt In Psal. 30. pag. 205. Those especially persecute the Church who professing Christianity will not live graciously c. Ier. 20.2.3 1. King 22.24.25 1. Maccab. 9. Acts 12.23 Acts and Monuments pag. 1787. Nullus semel ore receptus pollutas patitur sanguis mansuescere fauces d Cum quotidiè nostram sanctificationem blasphemant quid aliud blasphemant quà m spiritum sanctum Aug. Tom. 10. par 1. pag. 45. e Et nulli nocentiores habentur quà m qui sunt ex omnibus innocentes Lactant. lib. 5. Cap. 9. f Bonus vir Cajâ—s Seius sed malus tantùm quia Christianus Tertul Apol. pag. 1. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 24.5 h 2. Timot. 4.17 Ezek. 2.6 i I know the Booke is not of divine authority and therefore the Place quoted taken only from the hand of an humane Historian And so conceiue of it But we see the Authors conceite of that wicked man If any thinke that God is said to have had no mercy upon him onely in respâ—ct of deliveranâ—e from his disease Heare what some say in the case Antiochus was indâ—ed reâ—lly and seriously grieved and acknowledged that his affliction was for His sins lib. 1. cap 6. â— 11. 〈◊〉 was nâ—t truly penitent for the offence committed against God and his neighbâ—â—◠〈…〉 his owne calamity and misery and therefore could not obtaine mercy to remision of 〈…〉 of the punishment So also the damned in Hell know and confesse that they are panâ—sheâ— for their sinnes but have not true repentance for their offence against God Of this easure and glosse let the Authours render a reason themselues In Antioche saith Cyprian Anâ—ichrâ—â—us expressus De Exhort Martyr ij Cap. 11. Est quaedam precum omnipotentia k Cùm Arrius Constantinopoli in Ecclesiae communionem recipiendus esset Alexander eâ—us urbâ—s Episcopus toâ—â nocte in templo prostratus oravit Deum ut Ecclesiam praesenti periculo liberaret de Arrio blasphemiarum poenas reposceret Postridie Arrius mâ—gnâ suorum catervâ in templum deductus inter cundum corripitur horribilibus ventris torminibus laxatâ—que alvo petit latrinam in quâ sedens vnâ— cum excremenâ—is effudit jecur intestina impuramque animam sortitus soedum suaque impietate dignum exitum Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 28. Bucol Anno Christi 336. l When the wicked perish there is shouting Prov. 11.10 m Haec forma praecipuè notat laxat eos qui eâ—ant in aliquâ dignitate seu authoritate uterant judices seniores plebis qut sedere convemâ—e solebant in loco publicorum judiciorum ubi de Râ—p rebus sorysageadum erat Iudicia enim exercebantur inportis Ruth 4. Putatis hoc fratres Christo tantummodò conâ—â—giâ—se Quotidie illi in membris ejus contingit quando forte necesse erit servo Dei prohiâ—erâ—eb ietatâ—s luxurias in aliquo velfundo vel oppido ubi non auditum suerit verbum Dei August in Psal. 69. Putatis Catholicos defuisse aut deesse posse qui causâ humanae gloriae paterentur Si non essent hujusmodi homines non dâ—â—ereâ— Apostolus si tradidero corpus meum ut ardeam charitatom auâ—em non habeam nihil mihi prodest Sciâ—bat ergò esse posse quosda qâ—i hoc jactatione â—acerent non dilectione August in Psal. 44. pag 474. This humour also haunted the Heathen amongst whom the most wicked did in some sort desire to leave some remembrance of themselves to posterity Witnes that unknowne fellow who of set purpose did burne the Temple of Diana in Ephesus who being demanded wherefore he did it answereâ— that hee determined by some notable villany seeing by vertue hee could not to leave some memory behind him after his death Hence it was that sometimes they would adventure desperately and passe thorow with extraordinary courage many corporall afflictions for praise of men or to bee any waies famous in following ages Ezek. 13 11. Isai. â— 15 The Prophet which telleth lyes is the taile Ezek. 13.10 Isai. 9.5 Matth. 7.23 Many having served their appetites all their lives presume to thinke that the severe CommaÌ„dements of the All-powerfull God were given but in sport and that the short breath which we draw when death presseth us if wee can but fashion it to the sound of mercy is sufficient O quà m multi saith a reverend Father cum hâc spâ— ad aeternos labores bella descendunt Rawl in the Preface to His History of the World Many coÌ„ceit as great an efficacy in these five words Lord have mercy upon mee spoken with their last breath for their translation of their soules into heaven as the Papists doe of their five words of consecration for the transubstantiation of their Hoste Dike a Osiander Cent. 4 pag. 174. b Epiphan Her 80. Many of the Turkes â—ight by turning Christians have saved their lives and would not chusing rather to dye and as iâ— is reported also to kill themselves then to forsake their damnable superstition Hist. of the Turkes pag. 284. The Assasins are a company of most desperate and dangerous meÌ„ among the Mahometans who strongly deluded with the blind zeale of their superstition and accounting it meritorioâ—s by any meanes to kill any great enemy of their religion for the performaÌ„ce therof as men prodigall of their lives desperately adventure theÌ„selves unto all kind of dangers Histor. of the Turkes pag. 120. a Vir pius ex periÌ„culis vires majores colligit Eos non vis temporis non Principis terror non oratio non invidia noÌ„ metê° no accusator non calummator non bellumapertè inferens non clandestinas insidias struens non in speciem noster non alienus non aurun hoc est occultus tyrannus per quem nunc multa sursum deorsumque velut in talorum ludo sactantur non verboâ—â—m illecebrae non minae non diuturna repetita exilia solt enim honorum proscriptioni in eos propter magnas iâ—as divitias quae in paupertate sitae sunt nihil licuit non aliud quidpiam absentium aut praesertium aut in expectaâ—ione positorum extulit aut adducere potuâ—t ut detertores fierent Iâ—rmò contrà ex ipsis periculis vires
sit materia gaudij unde Augustinus Semper dolcat Poenitens de dolore gaudeat Aquin. pag. 3. quaest 84. Art 9. Ad secundum As in prophane joy even in laughing the heart is sorrowfull So in godly sorrow even in weeping the heart is light and chearefull Though sinne grieve us yet our grieving for sinne pleaseth us As when wee see a good man wronged wee grieve at his wrong but rejoyce in His goodnes Dyke of Repentance cap. 4. c Concedo quidem illud in ipso mâ—â—rore dolore piorum plus gaudij inesse verae laetitiae quà m in risuhuius mundi Nam cum suspirijs inenarrabilibus coniunctum est gâ—udium ineffabile Rolloc in Ioan. cap. 11. p. 610. * Quid tristitiâ molestius Sed quando secundum Deum sit mundi gaudio melior est In 2. Cor. 7. Hom. 15. Sicut mundi gaudium tristitiae consortio câ—pulatur ita etiam secundum Dominuâ— lachryma iugem pariunt certámque laetitiam In Matth. 2. Hom. 6. Iamqueâ—ste talis ea quae videntur cuncta despiciens in compunctione continuá perseverat largo assiduè fluâ—â—s fonte lacbrymarum multámque hinc capiens voluptatem Ibid. d Hinc semper â—â—leat de dolore gaudeat Tom. 4. pag. 2. De verâ falsa poenitentiâ Cap. 13. s Beware thou become not a Papist in thinking to merit meerely by thy contritioÌ„ c. it is not thy contrition if it had been an hundred times more could merit pardon of the least of thy sinnes If the Lord Iesus had not suffered infinite sorrow and griefe in Soule and Body for them it is not all our grieving could satisfie Gods justice for the smallest offence no not tho wee should weepe out our eyes and mourne to death Therefore tho God hath appointed all to whom hee will shew mercy to bee contrite-hearted yet not to come to mercy thereby as by a meritorious meanes but as by a convenient and meet disposition to prepare us to seeke and receive mercy with thankfulnesse Rogers of Deaâ—aâ— Of Faith pag. 152. Nonin flatibus nostris non in actions nostris sedin Advocati nostri 〈◊〉 â—â—â—tione confidamus Gregor in Ezech. Hom. 7. t Ad recipiendam gratiam remissionis necessaria est ex nostrâ parte contritio fidei poenitentiae verae sed quod addit Bellarminus sc. Neminem scire an suae fides poenitentia sit talis tanta quantae à Deo requiritur falsissimum est Non enim ex gradu aut mensurâ fidei vel poenitentiae depeÌ„det iustificatio sed exveritate Davenant Expos. Epist. ad Colos pag. â—1 u Si dixisti Sufficit Perâ—sti August x And therefore will the Lord waite that Hee may be gracious unto you c. Isa 30.18 Oh thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted Behold I will lay thy sâ—oues with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires Cap. 54.11 Hee retaineth not his anger for euer because Hee delighteth in mercy Hos. 7.18 1. Pet. 1.8 Phil. 4.7 1. Cor. 2.9 y Resipiscentia illa non est vera ac solida quae non virtualiter continuatur actu renovatur subinde à tempore conversionis ad finem usque vitae Amesius Medulla Theol. Lib. 1. cap. 26. * Damus qui hypocriticâ temporariá fide credunt eos falli dum putant se veâ—è credere et non verè credunt Sunt enim illorum instar qui somniant se Reges esse cum sint pauperrimi At negamus illos qui verâ fide credunt ignorare an verè credant falti quum affirmant sentiunt se verè credere Sunt eium instar illorum qui gemmaâ— mâ—nu tractantâ—s quiâ— sâ—nsu praediti sunt sciunt aiunt se illam habere Quod si nemo posset certò nâ—sse an verè credat necuâ— cur ait Apostolus explorate vosmetipsos an sit is in fide As â— quis fidem adhibens alicuius verbis certò novit se verè illi credere quantò magis id is nâ—vit qui fide verâ donatus d Spiritu Sanctâ— credit Evangelio Zanch. de Naturâ Dei lib. 5. cap. 2. Matth. â—0 22 a Wee beeing taken out of the coâ—uytiâ—es of Adam and ingrâ—fâ—ted in Christâ— death and Passion can no lâ—ngâ—r live the life of the World but the life of Christ and must now looke upon the World 〈◊〉 as the World looâ—â—d 〈…〉 upon us 〈…〉 shall follow his steps toâ— it as upon â—o many abominable and crucified carcasses Bishop of Lincolne In H. Serâ—mon before the Higher House of Parliament pag 21.22 Hee doth not meane here to wit Galâ—l 6.26 the Heavens or the Earth saith Saint Chrysostome nor the World in the â— but the things of the World Glory Port Riches Greatnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that make a shining and glitteriâ—g in the World These are all but so many carcasses and a very abomination to a truly regenerate Man Idem Ibid. pag. 16.17 If wee begin to breathe the life of righteousnesse when the world fawnes upon us with Honours Riches greatnesse Favours or frownes upon us with Hatred Malice Persecutions Oppressions and the like wee must turne our head aside another way with a godly kind of pride as Picus Mirandula was wont to call it and no more regard her then a carcasse crucified pag. 23. b Et Ego mundo Non tamen Deo mundi Mundum enim quantum ad conversationem eius posuit cui renunciando mutuò transfigimur invicèm morimur Tertul. Adversus Marcion Lib. 5. 〈◊〉 concupiscit Apostolus mundi nihil agnoscit Mundus Apostoli Ambros. in Loc. Sunt sicut duo mortui ex quibus nullus tangit vel diligit alterum Remig. Doctissimo citante Episcopo Isai. 54.5 Psal. 103.13 Psal. 16.3 Colloss 3.11 * Dicimus creaturaâ—in Deo videri quialicèt in se ipsis secundum suum esse propriuÌ„ videantur videntur tameÌ„ ut quidame effectus Dei at que ut aliquid pertinens ad Deum Ãdque eadem visione quâ Deus Gregor de Val. Tom. 1. Col. 250. Res naturales veriùs Esse habent in mente divinâ quà m in seipsis Aqu. p. 1. q 18. Sicut domus nobilius Esse habet in mente Artificis quà m in materiâ Ibid. 1. Cor 3.22.23 c See Forbes upon cap. 14 of the Revel v. 2. 2. Cor. 5.17 a There are some will say They have felt terrour of their estate but they have out-growne it it is past yea What have you done with it Have you broke Prison or did God let you out If you have broke Prison you must even in againe and that worse then before c. All the counsell I can give thee in such a case is to call after these terrours againe which thou hast sought to drive away and call aloud ere they bee gone past call and call quickly ere thy heart bee hardened quite and then it will cost double labour And pray God to worke them upon thy heart againe
out groaning most pitifully Oh mee Wretch Oh mine heart is miserable Oh Oh miserable and wofull The burthen of my sinne lyeth so heavy upon mee I doubt it will breake my heart Oh how wofull and miserable is my state that thus must converse with Hell-hounds When By-standers asked if Hee would pray Hee answered I cannot Suffer us say they to pray for you Take not replyed Hee the Name of God in vaine by praying for a Reprobate What grievous pangs what sorrowfull torments what boyling heates of the fire of Hell that blessed Saint of God Iohn Glover felt inwardly in his spirit saith Fox no speech outwardly is able to expresse Being young saith Hee I remember I was once or twice with Him whom partly by His talke I perceived and partly by mine owne eyes saw to bee so worne and consumed by the space of five yeeres that neither almost any brooking of meat quietnes of sleep pleasure of life yea and almost no kind of senses was left in Him Vpon apprehension of some back-sliding Hee was so perplexed that if Hee had been in the deepest Pit of Hell Hee could almost have despaired no more of His salvation saith the same Author In which intolerable griefes of minde saith Hee although Hee neither had nor could have any ioy of his meate yet was Hee compelled to eate against his appetite to the end to differre the time of His damnation so long as Hee might thinking with Himselfe no lesse but that Hee must needs bee throwne into Hell the breath beeing once out of his Body I dare not passe out of this Point lest some Childe of God should bee here discouraged before I tell you that every One of these three last named was at length blessedly recovered and did rise most gloriously out of their severall Depths of extremest spirituall misery before their end Heare therefore also Mistris Bretterghs triumphant Songs and ravishments of spirit after the returne of Her Welbeloved O Lord Iesu doest Thou pray for mee O blessed and sweete Saviour How wonderfull How wonderfull How wonderfull are thy mercies Oh thy love is unspeakeable that hast dealt so graciously with mee O my Lord and my God blessed bee thy Name for evermore which hast sâ—â—wed mee the Path of life Thou didst O Lord hide thy face from mee for a little season but with everlasting mercy thou hast had compassion on mee And now blessed Lord thy comfortable presence is come yea Lord thou hast had respect unto thine hand-maide and art come with fulnesse of ioy and abundance of consolations O blessed bee thy Name my Lord and my God O the ioyes the ioyes the ioyes that I feele in my Soule Oh they bee wonderfull They bee wonderfull They bee wonderfull O Father how mercifull and marveilous gracious art thou unto mee yea Lord I feele thy mercy and I am assured of thy love and so certaine am I thereof as Thou art the God of truth even so sure doe I know my Selfe to bee thine O Lord my God and this my Soule knoweth right well and this my Soule knoweth right well O blessed bee the Lord O blessed bee the Lord that hath thus comforted mee and hath brought mee now to a place more sweet unto mee then the Garden of Eden Oh the ioy the ioy the delightsome ioy that I feele O praise the Lord for his mercies and for this ioy which my Soule feeleth full well prayse His Name for evermore Heare with what heavenly calmenesse and sweete comforts Master Peacocks heart was refresht and ravisht when the storme was over Truly my heart and Soule saith Hee when the tempest was something alayed have been farre led and deepely troubled with temptations and stings of conscience but I thanke God they are eased in good measure Wherefore I desire that I bee not branded with the note of a cast-away or reprobate Such questions oppositions and all tending thereto I renounce Concerning mine inconsiderate speeches in my temptation I humbly and heartily aske mercy of God for them all Afterward by little and little more light did arise in His heart and Hee brake out into such speeches as these I doe God bee praised feele such comfort from that what shall I call it Agony said One that stood by Nay quoth Hee that is too little That had I five hundred worlds I could not make satisfaction for such an issue Oh the Sea is not more full of water nor the Sunne of light then the Lord of mercy yea His mercies are ten thousand times more What great cause have I to magnifie the great goodnesse of God that hath humbled â—ay rather exalted such a wretched Miscreant and of so base condition to an estate so glorious and stately The Lord hath honoured me with His goodnesse I am sure Hee hath provided a glorious Kingdome for me The ioy that I feele in mine heart is incredible For the third heare M. Fox Tho this good Servant of God suffered many yeares so sharp temptations and strong buffetings of Satan yet the Lord who graciously preserved Him all the while not onely at last did rid him out of all discomfort but also framed him thereby to such mortification of life as the like lightly hath not been seene in such sort as Hee bâ—eing like one placed in Heaven already and dâ—ad in this world both in word and meditation led a life altogether celestiall abhorring in His mind all prophane doâ—ngs 7. No arme of flesh or Art of man no earthly comfort or created power can possibly heale or helpe in this heaviest case and extreamest horrour Heaven and earth Men and Angels friends and Physicke gold and silver pleasures and preferments fauour of Princes nay the utmost possibility of the whole creation must let this alone for ever An Almighty hand and infinite skill must take this in hand or else never any cure or recovery in this world or the world to come Bodily diseases may be eased and mollified by medicines Surgery as they say hath a salve for every sore Poverty may be repaired and releived by friends There is no imprisonment without some hope of enlargement Sute and favour may helpe home out of banishment Innocency and neglect may weare-out disgrace Griefe for losse of a wife a Child or other dearest friend if not by reasons from Reason that death is un-avoidable necessary an end of all earthly miseries the common way of all Mankinde c. yet at last is lessened and utterly lost by length of time Cordialls of Pearle Saphyres and Rubies with such like may recomfort the heart possest with Melancholy and drown'd in the darkenesse of that sad and irkesome humour c. But now not the most exquisite concurrence of all these nor all the united abilities which lie within the strength and sinewes of the Arme of flesh can helpe any whit at all in this Case Not the exactest quintessence extracted from all the joyes glory and pleasures that ever the world