of his wrath and shalt Judge amongst the Heathen and shall fill the places with the dead Bodies and wound the Heads over many Countries When thou shalt put a two-edged Sword into the Hand of thy Saints to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishment upon the People to bind their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron to execute the Judgment written this honour have all the Saints Yea is this thy victorious Kingdome and Government wherein righteousness peace holiness and purity shall be so greatly exercised and exalted by and under thy Saints upon Earth confirmed by thee in a Vision to thy Apostle John who declares that after Sathan was bound by thee a thousand years He saw Thrones and they to wit thy Saints sate upon them and Judgment was given unto them The Prodromus to which Sessions he saw Revelations the 19. from Verse the 11. unto the end of that Chapter And shall not both my Tongue and Heart in the certain belief that these wonderfull prophetical promises shall yea are now at the point to be made good unto thy Church and to be fulfilled praise and glorifie thee in the joyfull expectation thereof in those words which thy own Spirit Indicted on this subject and for this purpose O clap your Hands all yee People shout unto God with the voice of Tryumph for the Lord most High is terrible he is a great King over all the Earth He shall subdue the People under us and the Nations under our Feet he shall choose our Inheritance for us the excellency of Jacob whom he loved For God is the King of all the Earth sing yee praises with understanding God raigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holiness The Princes of the People are gathered together even the People of the God of Abraham for the Shields of the Earth belongeth unto God he is greatly exalted O blessed Saviour who art that great Prophet promised by Moses yea the Lord God of the Prophets Hast thou foretold to us by them that after the binding and sealing up Sathan and all the Powers of Darkness in Hell the bottomless Pit thy Saints thy Church shall enjoy a Sabatisme a thousand years of rest and peace upon this Earth which I humbly expect when their six thousand years of trouble labour and persecution shall be expired typified and prefigured as I in all humility conceive in the Arks resting the 17. Day of the 7. Month as a Type of this rest in the six Days Creation and thy seventh Days rest and in thy appointing us a laborious Week and six Days of Work and every seventh Day to be a Sabbath a Day of rest to us and the Creatures And in the seventh Years rest to the Field and release to Servants the righteousness and holiness peace plenty and happiness of which their raign and Kingdome I but lately mentioned and evidenced by a few Scriptures of many that clearly hold it forth to us O let my Heart and Tongue in the assured faith of thy accomplishing this great work sing with joy the seventy-second Psalme The lively Prophesie of this thy peaceable Kingdome under thy Saints upon Earth under the Type of Solomon concluding with the Holy Psalmist Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who only doth wonderous works And blessed be his glorious Name for ever And let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen O Lord the Judge of all the Earth hast thou promised to come unto us the second time without Sin unto Salvation but in flaming Fire to take vengeance of all that know thee not Hereby destroying them and Hypocrites together with the Apostatizing Nations called Gog and Magog as Sprung from a Scythian Root seduced from the true Faith by the deceits of Sathan at his loosing for a season The number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea and by him gathered together to incompass the Camp of thy Saints and the holy City thy true Church made up of Gentiles and Israelites Hast thou then promised a Resurrection of the Just even of all thine Elect ones and Martyrs and that They shall be Priests of God and of thee O Christ and that they shall raign with thee a thousand years For thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raign upon Earth Even in that new Heaven and new Earth which thou wilt create shall our Salvation be then perfected and compleated in that first Resurrection the Redemption of our Bodies now sowen in Corruption but then raised in Incorruption sowen in dishonour but raised in Glory sowen in weakness but raised in Power sowen a natural Body but raised a spiritual Body and glorious like unto thee O Lord. For ever blessed Redeemer shall I according to Scripture-Chronology probably about twelve hundred and thirteen years hence with holy Daniel stand in the Lot at the end of the Days and in my glorified Body with the many myriades of Angels and glorious Saints upon the renewed Earth behold and enjoy thee personally a thousand years shall my Tongue then declare thy Acts and the wonders of thy love mercy and truth and praise thee with them for this thy great salvation as being in a sure possession of Glory O let my Heart and Tongue now praise thee in faith and assurance thereof Since Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Yea let me with thy Prophet and Apostle Tryumph over that last Enemy Death and singing say O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law Death is swallowed up in Victory Thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through thee our Lord Jesus Christ. O thou whose Name is called the Word of God who art the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Potentate to whom all Judgment is committed by the Father and who art ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and of the dead we must therefore all appear before thy Judgment Seat when thy righteousness shall shine forth as the Light and thy Judgment as the Noon-Day in giving to every one according to their works And to all thine Elect called thy Sheep at thy right hand who are freely justified by thy righteousness according to the goodness of their thoughts words and deeds which and not any of their sins as being fully satisfied for and blotted out by thy Death and Merits shall then be remembred as being the fruits of thy own Grace That so thy Saints may be gradually rewarded according to their works not for their works both in the new Earth and highest Heavens with Eternal Life and Glory And inherit the Kingdome prepared for them before the Foundation of
Order of Melchizedeck I say dost thou now being on Earth neerer to their reproaches and yet not further off from thy power pass over their iniquities suffering thy self to be crucified by them whom thy Justice should have crucified to be sacrificed by the wrath of them whom thy anger hadst thou come to destroy not to save should have sacrificed Was Noah Lot Moses Elisha all Prophets all Types of Thee by thee aided and made victorious over their unbelieving and insulting adversaries and why dost not thou O Lord of all Prophets being now thine own Orator and yet despised demolish Corazin or Bethsaida with other Cities of Judea either by Water or Fire O Lord thou art still the same God then thy Justice was manifested but now thy mercy is magnified as appears by that Deploration over Jerusalem where the Floods of Waters are now converted to an Inundation of Teares the Fire and Brimstone to love-burning and pittying sighes though some murmuring ask From whence hast thou this Authority others blaspheming make thee a Sabbath-breaker and esteem thee as a Conjurer a Glutton a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners yet hast thou not now a devouring Gulf for such Repiners Teeth of wilde Beasts for such calumniating Blasphemers unless we behold that one alone bottomless Gulf of thy mercy most extended and most deep even to Man in the depth of his misery Father forgive them for they know not what they do O Christ Did fear dead thy revenge due to those Sinners against their own Souls No fear is a duty of the Creature ruled by thee not over-ruling thee Passion is incident to inferiours and therefore below thee which hast no Superior Did want of ability smother thy anger No thy Power is not extinguished no less than â—nfinite although in thy humiliation clouded during thy pleasure Lord why did those many Legions of Heavenly Souldiers suffer thy Enemies to carry thee their General away Captive those Bonds which could not resist Sampson's force fetter the Armes of thee the Almighty who gave him strength those Nailes fasten thee to the Cross who wert as able to deliver thy self as thou wert willing to suffer O Saviour my thankful Soul by way of confession replies thus The unmeasurableness of thy love patiently swallowed up all these contumelies and reproaches for love instead of revenge thou forgavest thine Enemies instead of calling for power to destroy Man thou proclamedst his Salvation crying out It is finished the Angels when thou wert attached by Judas although within thy Call must only be admiring Witnesses of thy Patience not Executors of those Traytors Lastly thy Mercy only manacled thy hands and nailed thee to thy Cross making Thee a Transgressor by the bearing of our Sins that we might become righteous through the Imputation of thy Merits according to that of Peter Who his own Self bare our Sins in his Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live in Righteousness by whose Stripes we are healed These things gracious Saviour yea infinitely more hast thou done for us which since we cannot apprehend let us with reverence admire rejoycing that we have view'd thee in thy Birth to be our Kinsman in thy Life our Example in thy Death our Saviour after Death our Resurrection and Glory Lord what art thou not unto us a Balme for our Wounds a Laver for our Souls a Sacrifice for our Sins and the Life of our Death What hast thou not suffered for us Wert thou not humbled in thy Birth persecuted all thy Life and though innocent adjudged to Death that our Nature might be exalted our Life enlarged our Guilt acquitted Wert thou not scourged disrobed Crowned with Thorns lifted upon the Cross derided athirst forsaken and slain that we might be delivered from the Judgments of thy Father clothed with thy Righteousness Crowned with thy Glory lifted up into Heaven freed from the mocks of Sathan satisfied with the sweet draughts of thy Love received of thee for ever to Live Eternally What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon his Name saying Glory be to God in the Highest Peace on Earth good Will towards Men Praise and Honour and Glory and Power be unto Him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for evermore Soli Deo Gloria A Concluding Prayer O Eternal Infinite and Everlasting God by whom all things were Created that are made and in whom we Live Move and have our Beeing I thy poor Creature humbly beseech Thee to deal graciously with me thy Servant pardoning all my Offences and passing by all the errors wants and imperfections committed in these my feeble Meditations O Lord I praise Thee for thy favourable assistance of my weakness ever confessing thy gâ—eat Goodness in my Creation the Pride Incredulity and Weakness of my Nature in Man's Fall and thy Infinite Mercy in my Redemption O let the one rejoyce me the other humble me and the last make me obediently thankful in the observant performance of all thy Commands that so I may glorifie Thee which is the end of my Beeing repent and believe in Thee who art the Resurrection of my Fall and live with Thee Eternally which is the Compleatment of my Salvation and fulfilling of my Hope which is fixt in Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all possible Praise Obedience and Thanksgiving now and for ever Amen Vpon several temporal Mercies Providences and Deliverances Graciously Vouchsafed By the Lord Infinite in Goodness To the most unworthy Author And to many also of his neer Relations EBENEZER HETHERTO hath GOD helped me 1 Sa. 7.12 Bethel the House of God Gen. 28.19 A Pillar of PRAISE Erected by An English JACOB unto the onely Infinite Eternal and Almighty JEHOVAH in all Sincerity Humility Reverence and filial fear Hallelujah Eternal FATHER Glorious SON and Holy GHOST Three Persons but One GOD in Essence who the HOST Of Heaven and Earth did'st make and art Goodness Power Justice Truth Love Wisdome Holiness To Thee with JACOB SAMUEL A PILLAR I ERECT to tell All Future AGES to thy PRAISE Thy MERCIES to Me all my DAYES Their 's like their Faith was of firm Stone Mine weak like Me a PAPER One O let thy Strength made Perfect be In my Great IMBECILITY Two Mites Goats Hair from Hearts most free Are JEWELS in Thy TREASURY LORD had I Men and Angels Tongues That KEY would be below the SONGS Of THANKS-GIVING I owe to THEE For what in CHRIST thou did'st for MEE From which Eternal Love forth Springs The Temporal Mercies which these Hymns Commemorate O let Free GRACE Be Adamantine and my BASE And IRON-HEART to THEE attract Seal'd by Thy SACRAMENTAL Act So shall my Person and these Sheets Which I prostrate at THY blest FEET Received be as being PERFVM'D By thy sweet SPIRIT and only
thy free Grace who delightest to do good as being full of Bowels of pitty and compassion and shews Mercy to whom thou wilt shew mercy Wherefore O Lord since thou art not like to ill-natur'd Man but givest without grudging yea hast promised more to them to whom thou hast already given much Add I beseech thee this Grace that I may exceed others in real thankfulness as thou hast made me to precede many others in this and the like favours In testimony of which great and special Mercy to me and mine in our preservation I humbly present to thee this Cordial acknowledgment in this and the following Psalm of Praise Amen The PROTECTION Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject WHen Sin becomes Vniversal No wonder Epedemical Diseases answer Justice call Making each House an Hospital Such was unhappy England's fate When a Vsurper Rul'd our State Then Lord unto my Family Thou wast a healthful Sanctu'ry Thy Mercies great Indulgency Freed us from this Mortality Made Vs to Goshen-like when fear Sickness and Death Triumphant elswhere Sad was these times whon Corn and Grass Like to their owners withered was For want of help to Inn alas And tend them yea to such a pass Were many Housholds brought before It ceast three parts were sick or more Good God! how free 's thy Grace how great Thy Love how sinful uncompleat Am I the Subject Stage and Seat Of Favours which I here repeat With Praise since thou protection grants To worst of Sinners least of Saints Feavers O Lord of Luxury Tumors of Pride and Vanity Dropsies of swelling Gluttony Agues of sad Apostacy Most Families do now infect Make Sick O do thou mine protect And let not an Egyptian Night Of Error now Eclipse the Light Of Goshen but let thy might Preserve their Families upright So shall our Houses Churches be And give all Glory unto Thee Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's gracious Preservation of my Horses and other Cattle from dying in the time of a great Murrain under Oliver Cromwell's Government when many of my Neighbours were very much damnified Soliloquium or Discourse AS Achan's sin let Israel blood So Saul's guilt of blood made Israel fast perforce in three Years of Famine David's pride in Numeration concludes in Israel's humiliation and Pestilential substraction And the High presumption of the Princes of the Philistines in the captivating God's Ark ends in the shame and reproach Plague and destruction of the People of their principal Cities Ekron and Ashdod to all which Examples the Poet bears witness Delirent Reges plectuntur Achivi As Israel suffered for Korah Dathan's and Abiram's Rebellion So England was punished with several Judgments as I humbly conceive for Cromwel's unfaithfulness and ambition witness the great and strange Plague amongst Horses and other Cattle and which was very remarkable it raged most amongst his Troops the Pillars of his Pride Not but that in all these Inflictions the Peoples Sins was the principal cause and the Princes offence as it were the shooing-horn to pull them on them as the Holy Spirit witnesses as to Israels Plague The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David against them saying go and number Israel and Judah That is he permited Sathan to stand up against Israel and to provoke David to number Israel as it is clearly held forth in the first of the Chronicles Chapter the 21. Vers. 1. But to return This Plague or Murrain was so contagious that it cleaved unto the very Walls Planks and Mangers of Stables insomuch that the fresh and untainted Horses brought and placed in them to supply the former loss were presently infected and dyed alike Mortality was also amongst other Cattle So that it is hard to say whether the dying groans of Beasts and Horses or the Cryes of the Husband-men and Carriers and those whose livelyhood was swept away by this Beasom of destruction was the greater O most gracious God who in the midst of these general Losses and Complaints preserved my Stock untoucht and intire not for my righteousness sake which is as filthy Rags but for thy mercy sake Accept I beseech thee this my thankful acknowledgment of thy singular goodness and Fatherly providence amongst the rest of thy mercies which according to thy own example and thy Saints my duty and thy command I desire to record and declare to my Childrens Children and to all future Generations that when through the Redemption of my Saviour Jesus Christ thou shalt translate me to praise thee in the Heavenly Chore of glorious Saints and Angels They and thy People in succeeding Ages may continue to praise and bless thy Name here upon Earth and be incouraged by thy manifold favours to me thy poor Servant to fear love and trust in thee for ever Lord since thy Glory and the good of my own Soul and others is my only end in this Work Let it receive a blessing from thee Amen The SHAMBLES A Corolary Poem on the former Subject WHence is it that the stately Stalls for Horse Of Noble Men are empty And perforce The Grooms do idly wait bewaile the fate Of their dead Steeds who seem to lie in state Like some in our proud Age yea Gentry fear No course at Brackly will be run this Year For want of raceing Barbes And that their Hounds Will surfeit with much Horse-flesh be unsound For want of Exercise and Troopers cry Old pay will not suffice new Horse to buy Why are our Fields Vntill'd why doth our Grain Now sow it self before brought home again For want of Teames to Inn it And the Road Through Carriers loss of Horse so thinly's troad Yea Dairy-men and Graziers throw up Ground Because their Sheep and Cattle die unsound Our Oracle God's Word gives answer Thus All Plagues are fruits of sin And the first curse Which like the Jewish Leprosie infects All that is ours though Creatures innocent As be'ng on Vs in part a Punishment Thus Rulers righteously do confiscate Not only Rebels Lives but their Estate And Princes use for faults in the Non-age Of a beloved Son to whip his Page O let our sinless Brutes sad dying moanes Stir up in Vs Offenders hearty groanes For all our sins their Plague so shall this loss To Vs become a blessing not a Cross. Lord though my fault did greatly contribute Vnto this common harm yet at thy suite This Judgment thou on others laid Let fall Sparing my goods who was a principal Preserving unto Admiration My Stock in this so great Contagion Lord as thy Mercy here was singular So let my praise the common pitch as far Transcend That so thy favours magnitude May not bring forth make great ingratitude In Me Who for thy Preservation Offer my self for an Oblation Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's gracious Providence in the seasonable quenching and preserving Eleven times four of my Houses then in my possession from being burnt
But now thou art delivered from the Law that being dead wherein thou weart holden that thou shouldest serve me in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter as being a Member of my Body of my Flesh and of my Bones Lastly Art thou ashamed of the nakedness of thy Body as being the Mirrour yea the effect of thy Souls wants Know that thou in the loynes of thy first Parents weart not more willing to lose and cast off that robe of righteousness than I am to restore and give thee a better As I then cloath'd thy naked Body so I will now cloath thy naked Soul Hast thou been a Prodigal behold thy Heavenly Father for my sake doth embrace thee in the armes of his mercy and covers thee with the best robe of my righteousness Hast thou been a vagrant and wanderer in the High-ways of sin and by-paths of iniquity an Alien to the Common-wealth of England Loe now thou art an invited Guest unto my Heavenly Pallace Eternal Feast and endless Nuptials being arrayed with the Wedding and glorious Garment of my Immaculate Holiness These are those Garments whose smell is like the smell of Lebanon and whose sent is Myrrh Aloes and Cassia Whose excelling sweetness doth overcome the stench of thy sins perfumes thy best actions and makest thee an acceptable Sacrifice to God Yea it makes thy Body like Moses and Stephen's face glorious upon Earth Is it not I that gives beautifull Garments to Sion and that cloath her Priests with Salvation That councel Men to buy of me white Rayments that they may be cloathed and that the shame of their nakedness do not appear That have promised to Him that overcometh The same shall be cloathed with white Rayment That appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the Garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness Wherefore O my redeemed be thou no longer solicitous and doubtfull of thy blessed estate only believe and thou shalt see the Salvation and glory of God O Lord thou hast opened my Lips therefore my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise I will greatly rejoyce in thee O Lord my Soul shall be joyfull in thee my God for thou hast cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation thou hast covered me with the Robe of Righteoousness Even as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels Therefore as thou hast freely given me all so I desire thankfully to enjoy all to thy glory To which end assist me with thy grace that these Eyes which thou hast enlightened may always devoutly behold and admire thy works That these Eares which thou hast opened may be for ever dutifully attentive to thy words And that these other sences which thou hast rightly disposed and ordered may continually obey thy will and exalt thy praise Yea these my weak hands which thou hast lifted up my feeble knees which thou hast strengthned my sliding feet which thou hast kept from falling shall readily observe thy precepts and run in the way of thy Commandments because thou hast enlarged my heart Finally Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory For of thee through thee and to thee are all things to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen I have here Dialogue-wise for the more profitable and particular handling of things briefly and plainly shewed how many rare and precious gems are treasured up in this Ark of the Covenant the Prophetical office of our Saviour as also how graciously and comfortably they are offered to and received by the hand of faith to the benefit and Jubile of every true Believer It remains now that according to my former method my Meditations pass on unto the last object and foundation of faith the Kingly office of our Saviour which is as it were the tegment and compleatment of our salvation For we are therefore reconciled and justified by our Priest taught and sanctified by our Prophet that we may obey and be protected and governed in this life by our King and be for ever glorified with him in the life to come If Men enter the presence of Earthly Princes with much civil reverence with what divine worship honour adoration and admiration O my Soul oughtest thou to enter the presence of the King of Kings and meditate upon his wonderfull acts and office This is one of those glorious mysteries which the Holy Angels desire to look into yea with which their sublime understandings are and shall be for ever delighted busied and ravished How fervent then should thy thoughts be yea in humility how earnestly shouldst thou like Jacob strive with God by Prayer to give thee this blessing also that with the Eye of thy faith together with those blessed spirits thou maist prie into this Supream and perfect Monarchy of the Prince of peace and righteousness A King is the desire of most Nations yea those Barbarians which are ignorant of all other rules of life and civility do notwithstanding acknowledge the Maxime of a Soveraignty and as bound by a Cannon Law of nature do willingly subject their Necks to this Yoak Is rule and dominion then necessary so desirable and profitable in civil societies So much conducing to the flourishing of a Common-wealth Surely it is much more requirable and beneficial for the well-governing and flourishing of the Church In which as in a Kingdome there is a mixture of good and bad Enemies within and without and those the most powerfull pernicious and malitious of all others As also many Laws to be observed rewards to be conferred corrections and punishments to be inflicted Granted then it must needs be for these respects sake that the Universal Church which is a Body a spiritual holy and glorious Monarchie must have a glorious a wise and omnipotent King and Protector Wouldst thou now O my Soul see him and know him Loe thy Mother and his Spouse calls thee and all other longing Souls to view his tryumphs in these words Goe forth even with fervent affections O yee Daughters of Zion that is all yee pure and fruitfull ones in the Church of God and behold that is apprehend with a lively faith King Solomon that is the Lord Jesus Christ the true Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother crowned him in the day of his espousals that is in his glorious state wherewith his Father hath invested him after that by his death and resurrection he hath redeemed and married us unto himself in holiness and righteousness And that thou maist have further knowledge assurance and testimony of this thy King and Saviour hear the joyfull Predictions and unerring demonstrations of the Prophets In the life of old Jacob we have that he spake at his death these faithfull words The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet
until Shilo come and unto him shall the gathering of the People be Now it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda. Further Moses drawing neer to his dissolution Prophesies and that from the Mouth of God That God will raise them up a Prophet like unto him Now Moses was not only a Prophet but a King He was King in Jesurun In the next place hearken to the mellodious and foretelling Hymns of the royal Psalmist David who knowing that God had sworn with an Oath to him that of the Fruit of his Loynes according to the Flesh he would raise up Christ to set on his Throne At once beholds his Seed his Saviour and becomes the Herald of his King his Son thus Proclaiming I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion And again The Lord said unto my Lord set thou on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Of him also the Prophet Esay thus Prophesieth Vnto us a Childe is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end Zachary also remarkably points him out and that not only verbally but by certain actions of our King Rejoyce O Daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the Fole of an Ass. Lastly lest the testimonies of Men should seem weak the premulgation of Angels shall conclude and that undeniably this holy and comfortable truth Behold saith the Angel Gabriel to the blessed Virgin Thou shalt conceive in thy Wombe and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus he shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David And he shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever And of his Kingdome there shall be no end Again as his Birth and Kingdome over the Jews yea over the whole World was foretold by the Angel so correspondently they were proclaimed by an Angel and seconded by a multitude of the Heavenly Host saying unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. O my Soul I have hitherto like John by the finger of the Prophets pointed out unto thee thy King thy Saviour The Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World It is expedient and time now that with Andrew thou follow him home and by the eye of thy faith takest a particular view of his excellencies administrations and government That thy heart being bedewed with those many comforts benefits and blessings which descend therefrom may with those ravished Jews in the Gospel cry out Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Blessed be the Kingdome of our Father David that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest And also sing with that Heavenly multitude Salvation unto our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb Blessing and glory and wisdome and thanks-giving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Proceed then O my Soul and diligently consider first how thy King governs amongst his Subjects Secondly how he rules and reigns over his Enemies and lastly how in that great Assize he shall execute his last Judgment and translate his Kingdome on Earth to Heaven there establishing and fixing a glorious and tryumphant Monarchy even for Eternity The wisest Heathen whose choisest flowers of learning and knowledge were gathered out of our Paradise of God the Scriptures stiled their Kings Pastors of the People That the Spirit of God useth the like Metaphor and that it might well be that they stole it from thence may be supposed from these places amongst others The Psalmist glorifying God for the deliverance of his People out of Egypt concludes thus Thou leddest thy People like a Flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron And the same Moses neer the ending of his life desires God to appoint his Successor That the People be not as Sheep which have no Shepward Michaiah Prophesying of Ahab's death and the overthrow of his Army saith That in a Vision he saw all Israel scattered a Sheep that have no Shepward And the Lord by the Prophet Esay promising his People a deliverance from their Captivity by the means of Cyrus even many years before his birth â—aith thus of him He is my Shepward and shall perform all my pleasure Surely as there is good cause to commend the Heathens choice and application of this Metaphor So a-above all to admire the infinite wisdome of the Spirit of God as the Original who under this similitude comprehends and discovers the whole duty of a religious Prince and Governor as that like a Shepheard he is to feed his People to lead them to fold and keep them from straying and to protect them from those Wolves and wicked Enemies that seek to destroy them See all this exprest in that woe pronounc'd by the Spirit of God against the Shepward of Israel that do feed only themselves Should not the Shepwards feed the Flock The diseased have yee not strengthned neither have you healed that that was sick neither have yee bound up that that was broken neither have yee brought again that that was driven away neither have yee sought that that was lost But with fierceness and with cruelty have yee ruled them Seeing then that the Lord himself commends unto us this humble vocation offering it as a Glass unto Princes his Vice-roys upon Earth therein to see their duties It will neither be unfit nor unprofitable to meditate and consider the office and actions of the Lord of Lords even our Lord Jesus Christ under the same Metaphor And the rather because St. Peter gives us a Precedent who stiles him the chief Shepward and Bishop of our Souls and more especially for these reasons First because God the Father so calls him often in Scripture witness that Prophesie of Ezekiel saying I will set up one Shepward over them he shall feed them Secondly he so names himself and with abundance of affection and delight and prosecutes and applies the similitude saying I am the good Shepward and know my Sheep and am known of mine And lastly whatsoever he in that Chapter or elsewhere applies to himself in the office of a Shepward doth most aptly agree with his Kingly administration But to make this more cleer Is it the duty of a King to govern and direct his People by good Laws Which though written yet are as it were his lively fixt and continued voice And is not this verified of our King the Shepward of
or greater Assemblies the glorious fearfull and wonderful Name of the Lord our God that is his infinite and incomprehensible Attributes by which he is made known to his Creatures for every Attribute is God in the abstract as his Omnipotency wisdome holiness justice love mercy truth goodness life glory eternity and the rest As they have been are and shall be declared in his works of Creation then fully understood and revealed to us as to the causes and effects nature vertues influences and uses of all things that God hath made and that have a Beeing in Heaven or in Earth to the glory of our God their Creator Which is to me a strong reason and a great help to interpret many Scriptures as setting forth the great wisdome and justice of God in appointing a certain time for his Saints for whom he made the Earth and wherein they have so greatly suffered and been persecuted for his sake and to whom he hath redeemed and restored it shall with their Head the Lord Jesus in this new Heaven and new Earth before their second and ultimate Glory in the highest Heavens possess and enjoy know and understand this his lower Creation in its Primitive excellency That so they may sing to his praise and speak thereof one to another to the exalting God's Name and Glory as being the Chief end for which he Created it and them The second Chief Head of the Saints exercise of speech one with another will be concerning the wonderfull providences of God especially in respect of his Church from the beginning of the World a History never to be blotted out obliterated or forgotten by his Saints but to be frequently remembred and mentioned to the glory of his power wisdome love and faithfulness and of the rest of his Attributes A third and principal subject will be that which now and ever shall be the wonder of Heaven and Earth the admiration of Saints and Angels that Miracle of Divine love the Redemption of Man-kinde by the Lord Jesus God-Man in one Person In which above all other his works the Lord hath been pleased to draw neer and to manifest himself in all his glorious Attributes both to Saints and Angels This is that mystery of mysteries of which the Apostle witnesses That without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory This is that bredth and length that depth and height the knowledge of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge even the fulness of God and the riches of his Glory But I must return where I left off lest I be swallowed up in this Ocean of Divine love which both now and then shall far transcend not only the expressions but the Conceptions of Saints and Angels The fourth Subject about which the Saints Tongues shall be exercised respects their several employments and activities under their glorious Head and King in this transcendent Kingdom and Universal Empire which by way of allusion I may terme their Callings or degrees of Office under him and in Relation to one another For if the Holy Scriptures hold forth that in the highest Heavens there is the most excellent Order and Government evidenced by the gradual denominations and titles given unto those Aetherial subjects as Arch-Angels and Angels Principalities and Powers Thrones and Dominions Cherubins and Seraphins All which have their several Offices Imployments and Governments according to the appointment and establishment of our great and all-wise God in those vast Regions and innumerable starrified Orbes yea if in Paradise had our first Parents not fallen as they so also their Progeny should have dressed the Garden and not have been idle so also it is more than probable that as the Saints according to the Scriptures should have like the Stars different degrees of Glory so shall they have different actings Offices and Imployments for the performance of which the Tongue and speech above other parts and Members of the Body as being the Souls Image and Interpreter will have the greatest share and honour As for their Offices he who is truly the Fountain of honour our Lord and Emperor the Lord Jesus saith that the Saints shall be all Kings yet with a difference as to the extent of their Governments For some shall rule over five others over ten Cities in this Empire of Glory Now their several and respective Functions and atchievments in their Governments none will suppose can be performed without the use of the Tongue and speech If all things in the Church Militant must be done with decency and in order much more admirable shall be the unparallel'd order of this Church Tryumphant The regulation directory and carrying on of which I conceive shall not be as now by the use and help of any kind of Books or Canons but by verbal Orders and Acts flowing continually from their Souls now as full of Light as Life That gracious promise and prophesie being then to be compleated and fulfilled They shall be all taught of God Let none mistake me as though I here hold forth that Saints shall have any Dominion or Rule over their Brethren No I mean and intend no such thing For all here are Kings and free and shall be subject to none but God and Christ their Head But this I conceive that this Church Tryumphant being that glorious and mystical Body whereof only Christ is the Head it is as the Apostle elegantly concerning the Church Militant like the natural Body compounded and made up of many Members every one of which hath a different degree of honour grace and glory and are design'd for several uses and actions which without any servitude or disrespect from each other of their Members they do and chearfully execute in order to the good benefit and happiness of the whole according as they are continually influenced and directed by their Head the Lord Jesus who is the only Potentate The King of Kings and Lord of Lords I come now to the third and last particular the gubernative and mandatory acting of the Tongue and voice of glorified Saints upon the new Earth as in respect of all animate and inferiour Creatures as Fowles of the Aire Beasts of the Earth and creeping things some of all which kindes as being intelligible although not rationable are now subjected to and obedient to the voice of Man even to the command of wicked Men As first for instance are not Faulcons Lanners Gosshawkes and all kinde of ravenous Fowles brought and taught to obey the Rulers call and voice of the Faulkner And as for other Fowles how wonderfull is the subjection and observance of the Cormorants and the coy Ducks as to the Instructions and designes of their Masters And as for harmless lesser and singing Birds how speedy and trusty Conveighers of Letters are the Pigeons called Carriors
the World After which act of thy remunerative Justice and thy Raign upon the renewed Earth with thy Saints a thousand years thou wilt I believe raise and Judge all the wicked called the Goats at thy left hand and the Apostate Angels according as thou hast declared in thy Word of Truth when every ungodly one shall be sentenced and punished proportionable and according to the evil of their thoughts words and actions then being all made manifest who with the Devils their Tempters and Tormenters shall by thy mighty Angels be cast into the Lake of Fire the Locall Hell unto Eternity This is the second Death O my King my Judge my Spouse shall this dreadfull time of Judgment fearfull indeed to the wicked but a most joyfull Day to the Godly certainly come upon the World according to thy Word Shall there be a long tract of time measured out in the acting and manifesting thy Judgments and magnifying the glory of thy remunerative and vindicative Justice to the World as well as there hath been a long space of proclaiming and holding forth the Golden Scepter of thy free Grace and incomprehensible love and mercy to the Sons of Men Is this truth one of the Articles of the Christian Faith and as certain to us as the Day of our death according to that unrepealable Statute It is appointed to Men once to dye and afterwards comes the Judgment Shall the Crowns dignities and rewards conferred upon thy Saints be one chief subject of praise and fill the Mouths of Men and Angels with continual Hallelujahs unto God not only whilst they rest upon the renewed Earth but also in the highest Heavens after the end of this long Day and the pouring out of thy wrath and execution of thy righteous Judgments upon wicked Men and Devils when thy glorious justice in both the parts thereof shall be finished and compleated according to that Prophesie of the Psalmist then perfectly fulfilled Verily there is a reward for the righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth O let both my Heart and Tongue now inure themselves to this Subject since I live by faith and not by sense and sing with the Elect ones in the Revelations that prophetical Song calculated for this time saying Hallelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his Judgments Praise our God all yee his Servants and yee that fear him both small and great Hallelujah for the Lord reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and hiâ— Wife hath made her self ready And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linnen clean and white for the fine Linnen is the righteousness of Saints Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. O King of Saints and King of Nations our Almighty Saviour and Conquerer who hast fulfilled the Law satisfied Divine Justice overcome the World Crucified Sin spoiled Principalities and Powers and wilt at the Resurrection of the Just and the Redemption of our Bodies destroy our last Enemy Death and after the Judging and Hellifying of wicked Men and Devils wilt in Tryumph ascend on high with thy Elect and lead Captivity Captive that the Glory which thy Father gave thee may be given them that they may be with thee where thou art and may behold the Glory which he hath given thee and possess an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us where we shall be ever with thee our Lord and see God face to face and in thee the perfections of all Creatures as in their first cause And know thee according to our measure as we are known by thee Blessed Mediator this is that time when all rule all authority and power being put down and under thee in the Kingdome of thy Saints and under thee in thy personal and glorious raign upon Earth All Enemies even Death it self being destroyed and put under thy Feet thou shalt deliver up the Kingdome so far as it is Mediatory personal and singly acted and managed by thee in thy humane appearance and Man-hood to God even the Father That so thou the Son as being also as Man the Son of God might be subject as to thy present kinde of administration unto him that put all things under thee that God may be all in all And the whole Universe and Creation both in Heaven and Earth especially thy spiritual Body thy Church may be immediately governed and influenced by him who is three in one God-blessed for ever To which mystical Body thy Spouse and Church as also to Angels thou still remainest Head and Lord for ever which being now perfectly and inherently sanctified and graciously admitted through the glorious inhabitation and communion of thy most holy and eternal Spirit to an immediate fellowship real and spiritual union although not essential with the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever shall live eternally in the life of God and in whole and in part as respecting every individual Member and Vessel be always full yet always increasing in knowledge grace and glory as Eying and enjoying continually the Divine Nature and cast into an Ocean of infiniteness unto Eternity This is the Generation of them that seek thee that seek thy face O God of Jacob. Therefore let both my Heart and Tongue even now O Lord prepare and begin to praise thee as from Pisgath with beholding Canaan and by faith the eye of my Soul from the raised hill of holy Contemplation viewing this Saint Paul's third Heaven the Throne of God and of his glory and the many yea innumerable shining and starrified Mansions in thy Fathers house the places prepared by thee for thy Saints as also their Kingdome and State of endless glory happiness and blessedness In the ravishing Meditation of these things their translation and thy second most glorious and tryumphant Assention O let me sing and rejoyce in the words of thy Prophet David foretelling both thy Ascentions God is gone up with a shout the Lord with a sound of a Trumpet sing praises to God sing praises sing praises to our King sing praises Lift up your Heads O yee Gates and be yee lift up yee everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel Lift up your Heads O ye Gates even lift them up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord of Hosts He is the King of Glory Selah I have now by Divine assistance according to my weak-sightedness for all Men here know but in part and as in
the Dead know not any thing neither have they any more reward for the memory of them is forgotten Also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing done under the Sun Doubtless God is your Father though Abraham be ignorant of you and Israel acknowledge you not Unto whom you have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Me. Let no Man therefore beguile you of your reward in Voluntary Humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind An Angel when John fell at his feet to worship him said See thou do it not I am thy fellow-servant and of thy Brethren that have the testimony of Jesus worship God And an Angel said to Manoath if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering thou must offer it unto the Lord. I am the Way the Truth and the Life no Man cometh unto the Father but by Me that one Mediator betwixt God and Men. You know the Commandements Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the Earth beneath or that is in the Water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor serve them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God Visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate Me And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep my Commandements Why then doth the Beast that rose up out of the Sea having seven Heads and ten Horns and upon his Horns ten Crowns and upon his Heads the Names of Blasphemy And those that worship him and his Image and receive his Mark in their Forehead or in their Hand Reject the commandments of God that they may keep their own Traditions Blasphemously leaving out of their Decalogue in some of their Books this Commandement As hating the Light because their deeds are evil To whom will ye liken God Or what likeness will ye compare with him I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another nor my praise to graven Images They shall be turned back they shall be greatly ashamed that trust in graven Images God is not worshipped with Mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things They lavish Gold out of the Bag and weigh Silver in the Ballance and hire a Goldsmith and he maketh it a God Did not the Israelites thus worship God in the Golden Calf at Horeb In Mica's Teraphim and Images and in Jeroboam's Calves in Dan and Bethel Yea did not the Heathens formerly and do not the Pagans now profess that they worship not their Idols as believing them to be Gods But they worship their Gods in those Idol-Representations Wherefore confounded be all they that serve graven Images that boast themselves of Idols Worship him all ye Gods What is Man that he should be clean and he that is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one Behold you were shapen in iniquity and in sin did your Mothers conceive you And every Imagination of your Heart is evil and evil continually Yea by Nature you are all the Children of wrath and dead in trespasses and sins Who can say I have made my Heart clean I am pure from my sin There is not a just Man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not If my Servant Job abhorred himself and repented in Dust and Ashes And David professeth that in my sight no Man living shall be justified And Daniel confessed to him belonged confusion of face because he had sinned against Me And Paul my chosen Vessel cried out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death In me that is in my Flesh there dwelleth no good thing And my beloved John declares if ye say you have no sin ye deceive your selves and the truth is not in you Yea my self commanded my Apostles and all my Saints to acknowledg that when they have done all those things that are commanded them say Ye are unprofitable Servants We have done that which was our duty to do Then how dares that little Horn that hath a Mouth speaking great things and makes War with the Saints and for a time prevailes against them with his Abetters presume to assert and teach these damnable Doctrines That all Children after Baptism have no Original Sin And that in and by nature Man hath a free-will and is able and may with some help of grace keep and fulfill the whole Law And not only that some of them merit salvation and justifie themselves by their good works before God but do super-errogate and merit salvation for others also Wherefore let him that glorieth glory in the Lord For it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy To will is present with me saith my Servant Paul But how to performe that which is good I finde not For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure And your faith is the gift of God and so is Eternal Life The Dead shall hear the Voice of Me the Son of God and they that hear shall live For you hath God quickned together with me being dead in sins and trespasses Wherefore say with my Prophet Isaiah we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness are as filthy rags In the Lord have I righteousness and strength In the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified For by the Law is the knowledge of sin But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of me unto all and upon all them that believe For there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God For I which knew no sin was made sin for you that you might be made the righteousness of God which is in me Who am the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believes And am made of God to you wisdome and righteousness and sanctification and redemption This know also that in these last days perilous times shall come for Men shall be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents
Vew here his face from the Jngravers mint And in his workes his life and Soule in Print The True Effigies of Sir James Harington Knight and Baronet HORAE CONSECRATAE OR Spiritual Pastime CONCERNING Divine Meditations Upon the great Mysteries of our Faith and Salvation Occasional MEDITATIONS and Gratulatory Reflexions upon particular Providences and Deliverances vouchsafed to the Author and his Family ALSO A SCRIPTURE-CATECHISME Dedicated to the Service of his Wife and Children AND NOW Published together with other Treatises mentioned in the following Page for Common Use. By Sir JAMES HARRINGTON Kt. and Baronet London Printed for the Author 1682. The Contents of the Six Treatises I. Treatise THe Vision Exercise and Triumph of Faith In which is discovered from the Elevated and Holy Mount of Divine Contemplation 1. The shadows of Faith 2ly The true Faith and its Object God in Christ more particularly The Lord Jesus Christ in his Incarnation Life Death Passion Resurrection Ascension and coming to Judgment with the Benefits accruing from them to every true Believer 3dly The lost and miserable condition of every man by Nature 4ly The Restauration of man by Grace considered as accomplish'd by Christ in and by his Priestly Prophetical and Kingly Offices 5ly A Prospect of Eternal Life considered in the Glorification of the Soul and Body particularly as to the Faculties and Affections of the Soul and as to the Senses and Members of the Body in the new Heaven and new Earth during Christs personal Reign upon Earth for a thousand years 6ly A Prophetical Vision of Faith holding forth twelve great works of God which will shortly begin to appear and shall be fulfilled in their Respective Seasons and to be ended in the Translation of the Saints to Heaven The Compleatment of Scripture Prophesies the particulars of which Twelve Magnalia Dei View in the next page all which is intermixt with Holy Soliloquies and Divine Ejaculations applicable and profitable to every true Believer II. Treatise A Scripture-Catechisme contained in an Epistle sent by the Authour in the Name and Person of the Lord Jesus Christ to his Wife and Children wherein in Scripture-phrases only is held forth the Doctrine and Duty of a true Christian A work of excellent use for private Families as an Appendix to Catechising III. Treatise Divine Meditations upon the Creation Mans Fall and Redemption by Christ presented by the Author to his Parents in the one and twentieth year of his Age. IV. Treatise A Pillar of Praise or Occasional Meditations upon many Remarkable Mercies and Deliverances vouchsafed by the Lord to the Author and his nearest Relations V. Treatise The Lords days Preeminence above all other days held forth in an humble answer to a paper or Quere given to the Author by King Charles the First concerning the Observation of the Lords day and Easter day VI. Noahs Dove or an Epistle of peace directed by the Author to his Fatherly affected Brethren the Presbyterians and Independents as a probable means for their Agreement and Union TWELVE MAGNALIA DEI Or Heads of the wonderful Works and Actings of God on Earth by the Lord Jesus Christ during his Mediatorie Kingdome not yet Accomplisht All which are Treated of in three Tracts of this Volume I. THe Raising of the Witnesses Rev. 11.3 unto the 13th II. The Victorious Kingdom of Christ appearing in the Burning of the City of Rome Rev. 18.8 9. III. The Total and Final Ruine of the Papacie and of the Papal Kings of the Earth her Popish Supporter Rev. 19.19 20 21. IV. The Return to Canan of the Ten Tribes and the Jews and their Conversion Rom. 11.25 to the end V. The total Overthrow of the Turkish Empire by the Israelites and the subduing of all open Enemies of the Saints by the reformed Nations Ezek. 38 39. Chapters Dan. 2.44 45. VI. The Binding and Casting of Satan and his Angels into the Bottomless Pit the Local Hell for one thousand years to begin as I humbly conceive about the six thousand year of the world according to a true Chronology and Account Rev. 20.1 2 3. VII The Conversion of the whole World to the profession of Christianity Psal. 67. to the end Rev. 11.15 VIII The Peaceable Kingdome of Christ to be exercised by his Saints in this World for one thousand years the time of Satans Imprisonment which will begin as I humbly conceive in the year of the World six thousand and one being Daniels first Monarchy Rev. 2.44 45. Chap. 7.17 18.26 27. Rev. 20.4 And the Churches Sabbatisme upon this Earth Heb. 4.9 IX The Loosing and the Re-casting Satan and his Angels into Hell after the destruction of Gog and Magog by Fire Rev. 20.7 8 9 10. Together with the Consuming and Renewing of the whole Elementary World at our Lords coming the second time to Judgment by the same Fire 2 Thes. 2.7 8 9. X. Christs coming to Judgment under which is comprehended the Change or Resurrection of all the Elect to Glory 1 Thes. chap. 3. v. 13. to the end And Christs Remunerative Act of Justice to them in their Reigning with him upon the Renewed Earth a thousand years Rev. 2.4 5 6. XI The Raising of all the Wicked to Judgment a thousand years after the Elect Rev. 20.5 and the Sentenceing them and the Wicked Angels Rev. 20.11 XII The Translation of all the Elect to Heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 and the delivering of Christs Mediator Kingdome to his Father 1 Cor. 15.24.28 A Synopsis of the General Heads of this Treatise THe Definition of Faith Page 3 Diverse sorts of Faith viz Historical 4 Temporary 8 Miraculous 15 The Means of Faith 21 The Object of Faith Christ 22 Christ Born of the Virgin Mary 24 Persecuted by Herod ibid. His Agony 27 His Condemnation by Pilate 28 Crucified 30 His Death 33 His Burial 34 His Victory over Hell 35 His Resurrection 36 His Ascension 38 I. Man by Nature miserable in his Soul viz. in his Mind in general 41 Understanding 42 Conscience ibid. Will 44 Affections 45 The disorder in them namely in Joy which cannot be in Riches 48 Honours ibid. Pleasures ibid. Wisdom 49 Fear 50 II. Mans misery in body In general 51 In particular the sinfulness in his Eyes 53 Ears 54 Smell ibid. Taste 55 Touch ibid. Christs Priests Office in general 57 Intercession in particular 60 Satisfaction by both 61 Of Justification 62 Forgiveness of sins 63 Imputative Righteousness 63 The Definition thereof 64 Proofs of our right to Christs Imputative Righteousness by Scripture Demonstrations 65 General Questions and Objections answered 67 A Dialogue between Christ and the soul 74 The souls particular eompalint Against the mind and understanding 74 Christ answ 75 Against the Conscience 75 Christ answ 75 Against hardness of heart 76 Christ answ 77 Against the memories 78 Christ answ 79 Against the will 80 Christ answ 80 Against the affections viz. Love 81 Joy 81 Christ answ 83 Her general complaint of her Vniversal unworthyness 84 Christ
Garden rather express an excess of pain than an unwillingness to suffer rather declare his Humanity than contradict his Divinity might by these Speeches have been afresh molested and invited to a self-deliverance even in this entrance of death Further they might also thus suggest that he should not only by such 〈◊〉 giversation be freed from the present and unsupportable torment rescued from the all conquering Monarchy but also without controversie be received and acknowledged the Son of God the King of Israel Yea which is more miraculous than all the rest those that even now were impious Traitors will instantly become obedient Subjects those that ere while were execrable blasphemers will presently be changed into righteous converts those whom John rightly stiled a Generation of Vipers our Saviour a faithless Generation will in a moment be metamorphosed into believing Christians O blessed Redeemer had not our lives been more dear unto thee than thine own these Diabolical charms might have raised up such a self-love as would have forced a repreeval from death But thou O Lord searchest the heart yea thou knowest how exceeding full of hypocrisie the minds of these Men were So that if thou shouldest have descended from the Cross or sent unto them one from the dead they would neither have trusted in thee nor credited the other since they believed not Moses nor the Prophets Three hours measure out this last act of our Saviours sufferings That mass and full measure of sin which many thousand of years had treasured up must not be abolished or annihilated in an instant Why was not the infinite sufferings of Man deified though dated but for one minute of more rate price and estimation than the offences of Man mortall yea surely Wherefore then this overplus O it is the overflowing of this Fountain of love The immense disparity betwixt the offender and satisfier the Creature and Creator causeth this disproportion betwixt the debt and satisfaction Man cannot sin but finitely God cannot love but infinitely Man's actions to which his sin cleaves are finite God's Attributes one of which is his love are infinite O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! Lord grant that I being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth all understanding that I may be filled with the fulness of God The friendship of Man is momentary fickle and unconstant as wanting measure perseverance and a true foundation But the mercy of God expressed to Man his most unworthy Creature is the very quintessence compleatment and perfection of all other loves being not defective in quantity for in him doth all fulness dwell nor in quality for it is the love of God nor in stability for he is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the great Jehovah who is not changed With whom is no variableness nor shaddow of turning And lastly the cause of it is his own free grace the ground of it Jesus Christ. So that the Foundation of God standeth sure as having this seal the Lord knoweth who are his The glorious and infinite Attributes of the Almighty are so many glasses through which at distance the Creature in some sort may perceive the Majesty of the Creator Amongst which none is more usefully transparent than that of his love The mirrour of which mirrour is the passion of our Saviour The Centre of all which is this very point of his death O gracious Lord was it not enough that thou forsookest the Heaven of Heavens thy Throne of Glory to live amongst Worms on this Dunghill Earth the unworthy foot-stool of thy greatness Nay further was it not sufficient that thou endurest the stings and persecutions of those Muck-worms suffering such insects even the corruption of nature to brawle and tryumph over thee but that thou would'st also pray forgive and dye for thy Persecutors For a righteous Man perhaps some would suffer but thou dyest for sinners the just for the unjust Lord Jesus let the apprehension of thy wonderfull affection be as delightfull to the taste of my Soul as thy last draught of Gall and Vinegar was displeasant to the relish of thy pallate As thy sense of my sin and thy Fathers wrath made thee cry aloud for assistance so let the sense of thy mercy my happiness make me lift up my voice in thankfulness Yea let me conclude my hours each day of my life with that comfortable and Swan-like ditty of thine Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory the Sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be unto God which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Finis coronat opus the last acts of our Saviour are not the least In the foregoing encounters he was a Combatant In these following actions a glorious and peaceful Conquerour The account cast up the compleatment concludes the operation He was buried O my Soul should thy faith be so weak-sighted as to make thy Saviours Death the utmost extent of thy prospects thou mightest then as one without hope uncomfortably weep with the Marys at the Foot of his Cross. But thanks be unto God thou mayest overlook that fear being assured that the Grave of thy Champion is not his Prison but his resting place the conclusion of the fight being the beginning of his victory Upon the Cross our blessed Saviour accepted the challenge of Death fulfilling that of the Prophet O Death I will be thy Death And here in the Sepulchre beginneth his Tryumph For No Man can enter into a strong Mans House and spoile his goods except he will first binde the strong Man and then he will spoyle his House The Grave is the Metropolis of Death which our General enters that so the place might both assure us of his Combate his Victory and add glory to his Tryumph Had'st thou O blessed Saviour been led into this Cytadel of Death as his Captive the Gives of corruption would soon have made thee his bond-slave But behold the greatness of thy Power the innocency of thy Person tramples on this last Enemy that is to be subdued and makes thy Tombe his Grave Death being swallowed up in Victory As the Suns Eclipse makes us the more acknowledge the brightness and benefit of his light so the clouding of our Saviour by death teacheth us his Disciples at once the felicity of his presence the uncomfortableness of his absence and the perfection of his Person The descents of Mans misery are the degrees to Christs victory As we in this World inherited sin so he upon Earth merited righteousness As we in the Grave are subjects to death so he in the Sepulchre makes death his subject
being no Man that sinneth not whose best self-righteousnesses are not as filthy rags Would we therefore as our due presume to sit down with thee in thy Kingdome Lord let such pride be far from us and do thou cause us in an humble acknowledgment of our wants and merit readily to confess that we are unprofitable Servants having done that which was our duty to do Now if of Servants we are made Friends of Bastards we are Adopted Sons of Bond-slaves we are appointed Heirs shall we not cry out that our merit is thy grace and that thou O Jesus Christ art the Lord our righteousness Art made unto us righteousness And art the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Question not here my Soul why God doth not by his omnipotent and supreme Power in one and the same instant Call justifie sanctifie and glorifie his Elect since as he did not condemn us so he will not save us without our selves Saves us without our merits indeed not without our work He hath therefore in his infinite wisdome annexed conditions to his Covenant and ordained faith repentance and all other good works to be as so many degrees in our ascent to happiness That so Earth might be our School to fit us for Heaven and the life of grace which is imperfect glory might prepare us for the life of glory which is grace in perfection Neither be thou too curiously inquisitive to ask the reason why the Lord God in this his gracious looking back upon us doth not again build up that wide breach which Sin hath made in Mans nature That so according to our first beginnings in Adam we might have continued that course enjoying happiness here and attaining after translation glory hereafter Since that the Lord the great Architector suffered this specious yet brittle building of unstable Man to fall down flat that upon its foundation he might raise up to the glory of his grace a more beautifull edifice in which admirable structure he uses the same matter and that it might be stable for ever he Himself becomes the Head of the Corner Further the Builders of this spiritual Temple are Gods Spirit and Ministers the cement faith and all other graces the Buttresses or Pillars his Election and the tegment or covering his Providence In all this Man as of himself hath no work other ways grace would be no grace The perfect work of Redemption like that of the Creation being as above the resistance so without the assistance of the Creature Again had Man been only placed in a renued estate there would have been a possibility of falling and of plunging Himself into a double curse whereupon Sathan and evil Men would have taken an occasion to derogate both from the mercy and power of God according to those Objections of the Heathen rehearsed by Moses That because the Lord would not or could not save them he suffered them to be destroyed But some will say he might have confirmed them as he did the Elect Angels I answer that if it should have pleased God thus to have bestowed his mercy towards us his Children yet the Devil and wicked Men if in these days of our weakness much more in those of our perfection would have derogated from Gods grace that they might have attributed all or the best part to Mans merit Lastly in this our Justification by Christ mercy counterpoises justice yea in these there are to the eternal praise of our all wise God an admirable and due proportion The spirit of God observes it and shall not we in whom it is wrought with unspeakable joy and thankfulness remember That as by the offence of one judgment came upon all Men to condemnation Even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all Men unto justification of life O the miserable necessity of our nature the boundless compassion of God's Doth Man want holiness merit and obedience and will his Lord confer purity and offer up his own Life for him will no other security but himself be accepted for the payment of sin Surely this will serve not only to express his love but to informe our judgments how impossible it was considering Gods holiness the Laws rigour and the least imperfection for Man to be justified before God This work belongs to the Creator not to the Creature If in our first beeing the glorious Trinity were in an especial manner sole Agents much more in this our Eternal well-Beeing Wherein God the Father imputes and accepts God the Son becomes Man obeys and fulfills and God the Holy Ghost calls and sanctifies That Man in the last place may apply and put on by faith this spotless Robe and Imperial Crown of Righteousness To whom it may be said as of Mordecay Thus shall it be done to him whom the King of Kings delights to honour I should now proceed to observe what streams and blessed effects flow from this Priestly Fountain did not the neer and inseparable relation of the Prophetical Office unto it sweetly invite me to unite them also in my Meditations I am assured that every true Christian Soul that hath followed me hitherto in my weak yet sincere Meditations is here together with me ravisht in the apprehension of these infinite Priviledges and in tasting of these Waters of Life which flow from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Is any so welcome to the poor indebted Widdow as mercifull Elisha Is any so to be esteemed of rebellious Israel as interceding Moses Was there any Speech so pleasing to the Paralitique as Man thy Sins are forgiven thee Or any vesture so needfull and acceptable to those naked Beggars in the Gospel as the Wedding Garment And is not Christ who unto us is all these even the welcome Man the only Intercessor the Word remitting Sins the Royal Cloâ—thing our Wish our Aim our Crown our Glory No doubt but he is Why go we not then on to possess him O Lord we are all like unto those unbelieving Israelites that are over joyed with the good report of the Land of Canaan and delighted with the taste of the pleasant Fruit thereof and yet stand still even at the border discouraged As they cryed out because of the Sons of 〈◊〉 so we of our Gyant-like corruptions those opposed them theâ—e us Thou hast shewed us and we have read this thy gracious Covenant and we know thee both willing and able to perform thy part thereof But alass when we descend to the conditions on our part what have we or what can we do Thou requirest faith in us but behold doubting Repentance and behold hardness of heart O wretched Men that we are who shall deliver us from this Body of Death O let all that have such hungry Souls thank God for our Lord Jesus Christ. Who is a Joshua to overcome all these our mighty
though I had not received them Further as thine have many objects of holy joy within them so have they many also without them David preferred Jerusalem above his chiefest joy And the spiritual prosperity and welfare of the Church was St. Paul's hope joy glory and Crown of rejoycing But such O Lord is the natural depravation of my affections that instead of wishing well unto Sion I am ready did not thy grace restrain me to persecute thee with Paul in thy members and to cry with those wicked concerning thy Jerusalem Rase it rase even to the Foundation thereof rejoycing on the contrary part with those reproved by Job and the Apostle who make Gold their hope and whose God is their Belly hungring and thirsting after momentary honours like Balaam and Haman taking the Timbrel and the Harp and rejoycing at the sound of the Organ Lastly as within and without so also above themselves they have their objects of joy even thy glory What else made that royal Prophet so piously nimble and so chearfull and publick a dancer before thy Ark what caused the Songs of Moses Myriam and Deborah yea what occasioned those joyfull expressions of thy blessed Mother of Simeon Zachary and Anna together with those two transcendent and affectionate wishes of St. Paul and Moses I say what but the joyfull magnifying of thy glory in vouchsafeing thy presence in destroying thy enemies in fulfilling thy promises and in the Salvation and Conversion of thy People But in me Lord instead of this lightsomeness in seeking of thy glory there is naturally the sinfull popularity of Absolom yea the hypocritical zeal of Jehu the vain-glorious formality of Magus and the self-seeking pride of Herod So that considering these wants and disorders in my affections no wonder if I distrust my self and cry out to thee with the Publican Lord have mercy upon me a sinner Poor Soul let not these fears and doubts discourage thee they make thy state the better not the worse Ignorance of want is the more dangerous when stomachless and silent as being thereby disabled both to ask and to receive relief Thy many complaints of defects are the true effects of those graces thou desirest Neither canst thou mourn because of no affection without some affection But to answer all thy objections weart thou emptiness it self am not I he that made Heaven and Earth of nothing Do I fill all things with my Essence and cannot I fill thee with my grace Can I be love it self for God is love and not be both willing and able to impart some rayes thereof to thee my Creature The fruits of my Spirit is love and joy which Spirit I give unto all that are mine What though the Chaos of thy corrupted nature yields no such fruits The Paradise of God in which thou art replanted doth as being watered with those Rivers of love which flow from me the Fountain Thou therefore loving me because I loved thee first as I am the only cause of thy love for I loved thee freely so I am the continuer For thou shalt abide in my love yea I will continue to love thee for whom I love I love unto the end Wherefore fear thou not the Eclipses thereof Natural Men do not more certainly expect the one than all my Saints the other As their Sun is not extinct no more is thine I thus ordaining it that in my absence thou mightest have a longing for my presence and in my presence mightest lovingly fear my absence these intermissions preceding the increase not the dimunishment of affection And since thou canst cry with David Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation doubt not but thou shalt also confess with him that my anger endureth but a moment weeping may endure for a Night but joy cometh in the Morning Again whereas thou objectest and bewailest the want of the true spiritual mirth Be not discouraged for this thy humble craving argues that thou art free from pride and self-conceitedness which usually so swells the hearts of natural Men that no place is left for grace Further it assures thee of a present possession for thou could'st never have heartily longed for that which thou never tasted nor have hated this false joy hadst not thou had some experience of the true Lastly thou hast an interest in my promise for I fill the hungry with good things As I am always filling so my servants are always hungry A good Archer is not by thee condemned for sometimes missing his Mark neither will I reject thee for some miscarriage since thy affections are bent towards me and thy constant aime is my glory To conclude Longest thou for the joys of Habakkuk David and the rest of my Saints continually petition me to be indued with the same Holy Spirit which my Father will give to them that aske him and to support thee in thy Prayers Remember and rely upon these my promises Aske and yee shall receive that your joy may be full For I am sent to comfort all that mourn to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flie away Lord Kiss me with the kisses of thy Mouth for thy love is better than Wine But O diseased Creature that I am what shall I do or what will become of me The uncovering of one malady discovers more and my infirmities like the Oyl in the Widdows Cruse multiplies upon me So that in me is verified the complaint of thy Prophet The whole Head is sick and the whole Heart faint from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it but wounds bruses and putrified sores I had no sooner bewailed my want of love but my misgoverned hatred torments me No sooner I accused my self for worldly and exorbitant mirth but carnal sorrow and servile fear overwhelms me Whereas those that love thee hate evil yea every false way with the workers thereof and that with a perfect hatred My cursed nature with the fool hates knowledge Yea and him that rebukes being like to those wicked Israelites the Prophet Micah speaks of That hate the good and love the evil Whereas I should be humbled and penitently chatter thus with David I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long neither is there any rest in my Bones because of my sin And also be so much affected for thy glory as to cry out yea to die with Phineas his Wife because the Ark of God was taken Or be able to say that Rivers of Waters have run down my Eyes because Men keep not thy Laws My carnal and sinful disposition is ready to make me mourn and hang down the head with Haman
to be sick and heavy with Ahab yea to grieve and die with Nabal and Achitophel for being crossed in momentary honours in covetous desires in my estate or any other my designs And whereas the filial fear of God should be continually in my heart and before my eyes for Happy is the Man that feareth always following herein the blessed example of holy David whose daily Song was Fear the Lord all yee his Saints of pious Joshuah whose tender Heart feared and trembled at the words of the Law and of Religious Nehemiah who was zealous for the Commandements of the Lord. I have with those Collonies of strangers planted in the City of Samaria Feared the Lord and served my Gods that is My pleasures and vain lusts Or if at any time I have dreaded thee or been humbled it hath been either whilst thy Judgments have been threatned with the numerous Ninivites or when they have layn sore upon me with the Philistines or until they were removed with wicked Pharaoh Thus dear Saviour do all my affections degenerate and erre from that end for which thou hast plac'd them in my Soul O thou which by thy omnipotency didst convert Water into Wine work the like miracle in me also So changing me in quality relish and use that I may both now and hereafter be thought worthy to be admitted unto thy Table O spiritual Bridegroom Raise up thy dejected Spirits and disconsolate Soul For such is the goodness of my nature and the infiniteness of my mercy that these thy grievous maladies instead of provoking my displeasure move me unto pity and convert my justice into compassion I am the Physician of the Soul and come to heal not the whole but the sick I am he that grants Resurrection to the Dead in Sin as well as to the dead for sin And am as able to give Manasseth newness of life as Lazarus a new life Therefore be not faithless but believe Thou complainest to me of an evil and degenerated hatred that is ready upon all occasions to take up armes against God Good-men and goodness Indeed this is dangerous but not incurable Was not my Servant Paul a cruel Persecuter before a zealous Martyr yea and thousands of the Jews my Murderers before my Converts Be confident then that my love is also able to swallow up thy hatred and to perfect this grace of love in thy life which it hath begun in thy desires Further whereas thou art troubled and molested with the frequent inundations of carnal and worldly sorrows Know that the reason therof is the want of depth or scowring of the lower water-course even that Channel of thy Repentance which is as it were the drayn of this filthy Lake and muddy affection To the performance of which duty that thou maist be enabled and assured Know it is I that gives Repentance unto life not willing the death of a sinner but rather that he should repent and live Lastly Let not thy former slavish fear discourage thee since all things even these thy corruptions through my mercy shall work together for thy good My Law having by these terrors prepared thee for my Gospel which seeing by my grace thou hast received be assured that that perfect love which it produces casteth out fear and will free thee from all such base affrightments possessing thee of that legitimate fear which flows from duty and adoption In further assurance of which receive and apply this my promise They namely thee and all my faithfull shall be my People and I will be their God and I will give them one Heart and one Way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their Childrens children O thou my spiritual Elisha what shall I render unto thee for this thy great cure wrought upon my Soul for this thy miraculous cleansing of my sinfull Leprosie Are the Talents of Ophir the fruit of my Body of my ground or of my Flocks a fit Sacrifice for thee No Thine is the Earth and the fulness thereof I will therefore imitate that religious Proselite Naaman and give Glory to the Lord God of Israel I will offer unto thee thanks-giving and pay my vows unto thee O most High Yea my understanding which thou hast enlightned my minde which thou hast instructed my conscience which thou hast pacified my memory which thou hast strengthened my affections which thou hast ordered and my stony heart which thou hast mollified and all things else that are within me shall bless thy Holy Name Yea I will invert the speech of thy Servant David and say who am I and what is my poor Soul that I should be able to offer unto thee thus willingly and after this sort Lord I confess all things come of thee and of thine own have I given unto thee wherefore let what 's mine of grace and thine of merit be thy only glory And now since I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet again Thou hast been pleased to give unto me light in darkness and to make known unto me thy great Salvation Thou hast filled me with thy goodness and mercy and laid up in my heart the infinite treasure of thy promises But what avails all this Lord when as the Thief Sathan may break through and steal the Moth my inâ—bred corruptions may devour and consume these my spiritual riches there being no defence nor power in me to resist For those Cinque ports and Windows of my Soul my sences stand wide open not only admitting but inviting my cruel Enemies to enter Yea every Member of my body is not only assistant to my adversaries Sin the World and the Devil but also takes up armes against me and seeks my destruction My eyes which from outward objects even thy beautifull works should be instruments of begetting admiration praise and worship to thee in my heart are full of vanity lust and adultery My eares which should only be open to thy Word are thereto deaf and receptacles of oaths blasphemies lies slanders and all obscenity And those other sences of tasting smelling touching which thou hast given to be helps in piety and thanksgiving through the more ample fruition of thy Creatures are become the factors of pride covetousness and epicurisme Further my Tongue which should speak of thy praise all the day long and sing aloud of thy righteousness hath mischief under it and speaketh proud things Is full of flattery and frames deceit And is fraught with naughtiness and lying Yea it is a Fire a World of iniquity setting on Fire the course of nature and is set on Fire of Hell So that that Member which was once my glory is now my shame Lastly my hands and feet which ought to be Barnabasses and Barjonasses Brethren and Sons of consolation
own Proclamation He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance as also that Prophesie of his Office That he should be a light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide their erring Feet into the ways of peace Since then my Lord the King I have ten parts in thee and thou art Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh. Since thou tookest not on thee the nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham that thou mightest be as a mercifull High Priest so a true and natural head of thy Body the Church that King that shall reign in righteousness and whom God hath set upon his holy Hill of Zion Let me finde favour in thy sight and be inrolled as one of thy Servants Let thy glorious Scepter moderate me and let me be acknowledged one of thy Subjects Then shall I sit under my own Vine and my own Fig-tree then shall I be truly happy yea my Soul shall be filled as with marrow and fatness for what King is like unto thee in all the Earth The Walls and Rampiers of a Common-wealth are good Laws by which as by a fortified horn-work or Cyttadel the good are preserved and the enemy hindered and repulsed Is this an approved truth How happy and how safe then is the Flock of Christ the Monarchie of the Messias the Common-wealth of Christians the spiritual Jerusalem to whom that promise is made good as signifying the presence and righteous government of our Emanuel That the Lord will be unto her a Wall of Fire round about and will be the glory in the middest of her The Statutes of other People are but the weak inventions of Men. But the Ordinances by which we are swayed are the words of holiness of wisdome even of the Lord himself So that no desirable quality can be wanting in such Laws wherein exact justice and religious policy kiss each other So that to us now made one Church with the believing Jews may those gracious speeches of Moses be applyed Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding People For what Nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as his Laws which he hath set before us or who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Yea he loved his People all his Saints are in his hand they sate down at his feet every one shall receive of his words For the Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them he shined forth from Mount Paran and he came with ten thousand of Saints from his right hand went a firery Law for them The Heathen gave no small honour to Antiquity as supposing it had something in it of Divinity and therefore they would willingly forget the Original both of themselves and of their Laws that to after Ages they might set upon them the stamp of a Deity What they affected vainly we must affirm truly both of our selves and Laws For the proof of the first we have not only a sure word viz. that God made Man of the dust of the Earth after his own Image and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life But also the witness of their own Poets honourably backt by an Apostle In Him we live move and have our beeing for we are his off-spring For the other I will not only say what Laws but what Learning exprest in characters can be voucht so ancient as the Penteteuch of Moses Wherein observe not only our Laws of venerable Antiquity but also most clear manifest and undeniable proofs and demonstrations of their Divine fluence and constitution As the burning and quaking of the Mount Sinai the summons of the Heavenly Trumpet the visible presence of the Lord God like consuming Fire on the top of the Mount But above all the audible voice of God pronouncing those ten words by which we are governed as containing his whole will and our whole duty Lastly all these wonders are not confirmed unto us by the bare witness of Moses only although he being Gods Pen-man had been sufficient but as then six hundred thousand souls were Auditors and Spectators so ever since that whole Nation and now the Universal Church do receive believe and reverently obey them as the undoubted truth of God and rule of holiness Now that these happy Laws recorded in the whole Book of God are not only the first ancientest and therefore the foundation original and fountain of all other constitutions but also the best and holiest as being the lively Oracles of prudence and sanctifie it self appears first by the matter which is perfect according to that sweet Psalmist The Law of the Lord that is the whole Word of God is perfect If perfect then free from all carnal imperfections Here 's no Political winking at the least or at some commodious offences nor hiding places for any sinner nor exception and prerogative for Kings and Princes The wilely head of Man cannot invent sins without its precinct neither can the critical wits of Atheists or worldly wretches blemish it with the least aspersion of injustice or severity So that as there is in them no defect so no redundancy being profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good works Further as they are perfect so are they sure so that holy Singer The Testimonies of the Lord are sure makeing wise the simple The Ordinances of the World are subject to change as being the inventions of unconstant Man and not only in their frame and substance but also in their number construction and execution So that true experimental wisdome can never be learned from them But the Laws of God as flowing from an everlasting and wise essence who is without change or shadow of change admits of no alteration mis-interpretation sleeping or repeal And therefore teaches a Man wisdome a priori in the cause of punishment Sin So Solomon A prudent Man fore-sees the evil and hides himself Again The Commandement is a Lamp and the Law is light and reproofs of instruction the way of life In the last place let holy David as he began to prove this truth so conclude it even upon his own experience Through thy Commandements thou hast made me wiser than my Enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding than all my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my Meditation Again as the Laws of God are sure and perfect so they are right as sings the same Prophet The Statutes of the Lord are right And can there be a greater excellency since the justice of a Law is the sinnues thereof they binding but so far forth as they are righteous Who is there then amongst the Rulers of the Earth that in
exchanges Earth for Heaven even for the City of the ever living God the new Jerusalem her Earthly associates for the beatifical vision and presence of the glorious Trinity those many Myriads of Angels the general Assembly of the Church of the first-born and the spirits of all just Men made perfect As for the overplus of her treasure uninherited she hath and doth take order by good works as by so many Bills of Exchange for the receipt of them above herein obeying the precept and counsel of our Saviour to lay up treasure in Heaven Lastly a Sceptre is not a Bar neither doth the massy weight of a Crown nor felicity of terrene things depress the high-soaring affections of this Christian Soul King David's choice is hers rather To be a Door-keeper in the House of God than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness Neither is there fear of loss where it is The Fathers will to give a Kingdome For The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly O Lord of Hosts blessed is the Man that trusteth in thee Man being a compositum a sensible Creature is naturally deeply apprehensive of pain therefore impetuously an abhorror of separation Hence a third fearfull and violent assault of Death so powerfull and prevalent that it hath brought the strongest of Gods Warriours upon their knees and to a marvailous astonishment Hence as some interpret the reiterated and strong cries the wonderfull and bloody sweat of our great General Christ Jesus But because his apprehension and suffering are mysterious unconceivable and extraordinary see the conflict and hear the complaint of a dying sick Man Holy therefore truly royal Hezechiah I shall go saith he to the Gates of the Grave I am deprived of the residue of my years I shall behold Man no more with the Inhabitants of the World God will cut me off with pining sickness from Day even to Night wilt thou make an end of me I reckoned till Morning that as a Lion so will he break all my Bones Like a Crane or Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove I might further instance here the mournfull Lamentation of Job and David upon the like occasion But what need I when every one of us in our healths can witness that in our Meditation of our dissolution we have often felt strong sits of this dead Palsey I will therefore hast to the Allay or Antidote them O my Soul I confess I have undertaken a hard task to perswade against Natures prescription and sence For what more universal more common more necessary and therefore more natural than the marriage of Soul and Body What amity more ancient or more diffusive than this betwixt these two friends Yea what expresses the glory and regal Power of the one what gives an active beeing and lively existence to the other but this mutual communion and effectual union Neither wants there negative arguments to dishearten and weigh thee down my Soul in this thy Eagle-like flight as being the unwelcome concomitants fearfull consequents and direfull defects of this unwilling separation Such the darkning of the Sun Moon Light and Stars I mean the Eyes the obscuring of those that look out of the Windows viz. the receding of the Soul by reason of the debility of the optick Nerves as the holy Ghost elegantly expresses such the palsyness of our hands the keepers of our house of Clay the weakness and binding of the Legges the strong guard thereof the want of motion in the Teeth the mills and grinders of our food such the bringing low of the Daughters of Musick by deafness in the Eares and hollowness of voice such thy many and present fears equal if thou beest ancient unto thy gray haires white like the blossoming Almond-Tree The losing of the silver Cord viz. the evaporating of the natural and vital Spirits the drying up the marrow and the relaxing of the Nerves and sinews the ligaments of the Bones such the breaking of the golden Bowle Pitcher or Wheele at the Fountain or Cistern viz. the rending in two of the heart-string those last pangs disabling it to force the blood extracted from the Liver as being the Fountain into the Veins and to perform its circular motion But all these are but the associates and symptomes of Death the followers they are far more terrible and distractive such are the privation of life the Pallace of the Soul being now a dungeon of corruption the pale hue of the Face and Body the breathless Carcass now as it were mourning for her Spouses departure Such the strange deadness of the late sparkling Eyes yellowed now like unto a fallen Star To conclude the whole Microcosme of the Body deprived of her created light and of that Spirit that moved in her and informed her the Soul becomes nothing less than a motionless lump an obscure and deformed Chaos These considerations O my Soul at the first sight I confess render Death a terrible Goliah before whom most of the Armies of Israel turn their backs Yet do not thou fear for a stone or two chosen and taken out of those running and pure streams of Gods Word from that Rock hewen out without hands shall from the Sling of every faithfull David not only pierce his forehead but also swallow up terminate and intombe Death in death Is thy sick-Bed through the fury of this adversary as full of torture as the hot glowing Gridiron of holy Lawrence yet such a Metamorphosis will thy high-soaring Contemplations and the power of faith work in thee that the full sence and influx of Heavenly joyes and raptures shall make thee senseless of thy pains and sufferings Thy feavourish fits being but Eliah's Chariot thy cold sweats but thy passage through Jordan into the Heavenly Canaan Hast thou not seen a fierce flame in thy Chimny suddenly to damp and recoyle when the Sun shines full upon it Did any Conqueror feel or regard his wounds when about to ascend his tryumphal Chariot And can the weak blaze of Deaths consumption out-vie the shining of Gods face and not be swallowed up of glory Can Deaths wounds be felt in the neer apprehension nay fruition of Immortality Surely no. Thou mayest as being in nature mourn a day or two with Mary but when thy Christ approaches thus neer doubtless thou wilt forget thy grief and run not out of thy Doors but out of thy Body to meet him Swan-like singing with David As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God my Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Wherefore O my Soul or whosoever thou art that readest these Meditations amidst thy great pangs as the Apostle exhorts Look unto yea follow the example of Jesus the Author and finisher
of thy Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Where also we shall sit together with him and be then perfectly changed into the same Image from glory to glory Thus reckoning that the sufferings of this present life even Death it self are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Let us not faint for though our outward Man perish yet let our inward Man be renewed Day by Day being confident that our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding weight of Glory Looking as hath been shewed not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal Dread not then O my Darling this Lion Is not he faithfull who hath promised that he will never leave thee nor forsake thee That he will be thy guide even unto Death Or dost thou doubt his Power to whom belongs the issues from Death and at whose voice all that are in the Graves shall come forth Behold a Tree of Life indeed the spiritual Manna which do but feed on by faith and thou shalt not dye For He that eateth this Bread shall live for ever Was it with blessed Paul to live Christ and to dye is gain and shall thy cowardise and recoyling insinuate and imply a loss No let such thoughts as Impes of Sin first dye yea be annihilated since every true Believer is assured of a glorious change and an ineffable reward Corruption putting on incorruption and mortality immortality we dying no more but being made equal to the Angels For as we have been planted together in the likeness of Christs death so shall we be also in the likeness of his Resurrection Did many Worthies under the thunder of the Law and in the twilight of the Gospel as the Apostle witnesses undergo the exquisitest tortures not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection And shall we in this open day and Evangelical Revelation when by faith like Stephen we behold our Lord Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to receive us and having as he promised taken possession and prepared a place for us stand back like Saul And being neer our Coronation seek still to hide our selves under the rubbish of our Earthly Tabernacles No what was humility in him will be esteemed shamefull and distrustfull pusillanimity in us yea which is worse disobedience to the Almighties summons Let the wicked hang down their heads and cry to the Mountains and Rocks to cover them but let all of us that have obtained grace be faithfull be faithfull unto the death and he shall give us a Crown of Life lifting up our heads because the time of our redemption draws neer even that day of recompence when the Lord shall say well done good and faithfull Servant enter into thy Masters joy Not it into us because not enough capable but we into it that so we may be as it were swallowed up in that infinite Ocean of Glory What though the Soul and Body have been unseparable friends contemporaries in life and being associates in joy sympathisers in sorrow two in nature one in affection Do we not read of Jesse and his Darling David Of an Eliah and his beloved Elisha Of an Hanna and her long desired Samuel Of a Mordecai and his entirely affected Hester All which cheerfully consented to a disunion and separation that so the conjunction of hearts might appear inviolable which seeks not so much the presence as the happiness of each other And shall thy Soul O Earth be summoned not to play before a mortal King as David before Saul but to sing the Song of the Lamb even spiritual Hymns before the Throne of Glory Not to serve before the Arke as Samuel or to be the Paramour of an Assyrian Monarch as Esther but to be ravisht up with Eliah and Paul into Paradise To be the Eternal Spouse of Jesus Christ and to behold the splendour of God not vailed and in a type as under the Law but face to face as being changed into the same Image from glory to glory shall it I say be sent for by Gods Sergeant and thy Servant Death once unprofitable as Onesimus to Philemon but now most profitable to thee and all Saints and wilt thou delay and be unwilling to part intreating with the Levites Father-in-Law for one Day nay one Moneth or one Year longer exile from thy Heavenly home thy Crown of Glory O let such unwise and such unthrifty prorogations be far from thy thoughts farther from thy practise Rather let both Soul and Body unanimously sing the Song of Simeon and sigh out the vote of Paul crying out Oh how we desire to be dissolved That thy incompleat holiness O my Soul might be perfected and become compleat glory That thy faculties being not only unimprisoned but heightned may approve thee according to thy Saviours promise like yea equal unto the Angels in all spiritual excellencies and Heavenly Prerogatives Again how do I desire O sinfull corrupted and mortal lump of Clay thy reduction into thy first Atoms and matter that so sin which hath possest and accurst thee may dye and be intomb'd with thee as having no longer work or nourishment in thee That Heavens great Chymist the omnipotent Spirit of God may cherish encircle and hover over thee as once upon the Waters separating the pure from the impure and producing a body spotless perfect and immortal even like unto the glorious Body of thy Saviour That so being made a proportionable and capable Pallace for thy Soul thou mayest enjoy an eternal reunion with it and both an everlasting communion with God To conclude O Man Death is a necessary absolute and unchangable decree of God Therefore it is thy wisdome to make it voluntary For It is appointed unto Men once to dye saith the Apostle and then comes the Judgment Comes the judgment did I say at the mention of this word judgment my Soul recoyles again not daring to peep out of her earthly Cabbin For she knows that this general Assize is an undoubted truth an Article of her Creed annexed to that of the Ascention and Session of our Saviour at the right hand of his Father At which we left when we first entred upon the three Offices of our Lord. And therefore now it fitly and in order comes to be the practical object of our faith as being also the last act of our Saviours Kingly Office in the Kingdome of Grace This being his total victory and destruction of all his corporal and spiritual Enemies his Day of Tryumph reward and recompence to all
hath adopted thee his Son and esteemed thee and stiled thee his Sister and Mother To conclude lest these foregoing degrees may admit of a division he vouchsafes thee this high favour to call thee the branch He the Vine thee a member He thy Head He the Husband thee the Spouse that so a union yea the perfectest of unions might be exprest and that sweetest of Petitions be fulfilled That all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Those that are joyned unto the Lord being one spirit and one body in Christ. Tell me then O my Soul can such a Lord whose love to thee made him serve thee become a cruel Inquisitor to condemn thee Will thy friend thy brother be an Achitophel a Cain to thee Is it a thing possible that thy everlasting Father instead of the Bread of Life will give thee to the torments of Hellish Scorpions No though Parents may forget the Sons of their Wombe yâ—â— will He not forget thee Is it unnatural for the Root to suffer the Branches to wither for want of sap For the Head to deny animation to the Members yea cannot there be a true conjunction in Marriage without the cement of affection And wilt thou dare to think that that Root of Jesse thy Head thy Spouse the God of Order and Nature will destroy the Principlse of nature and with-hold the sap of his Grace and Mercy his all-quickening Spirit of Life and Glory his Eternal free and unchangeable love from thee a branch a member a beloved No account it impious Infidelity to give such a thought the least entertainment Rather if thou wilt meditate of that day which indeed is a Christians duty all being commanded to watch because we know not at what hour our Lord will come pitch thy thoughts upon the Resurrection and that happy and blessed assumption of thy Soul and Body reunited to meet thy Judge and Saviour The Apostle testifying that we shall be all caught up together in the Clouds to meet our Lord in the Ayre and that then we shall be ever with the Lord For wheresoever the Carkass is there will the Eagles be gathered together Wherefore as the same Apostle exhorts Comfort both thy self and others with these words Rely also upon and apply those golden and royal declarations of thy Judge As that he will not condemne thee when thou art judged That he that believeth on him is not condemned but hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Since God doth justifie thee who is he that condemns thee That we are often times corrected here that we should not be condemned with the World Further is it possible that thou shouldest be saluted with so sweet an invitation and denomination as Come thou blessed of my Father and be accursed Canst thou be the Heir yea the Possessor of a Kingdome and also the Slave and Prisoner of Sathan Will the righteous Judge give to them Torments of Fire and Brimstone to whom he hath promised a Crown of Glory Art thou commanded to pray for to long for to wait for thy destroyer No surely but for him that hath promised to deliver us from the wrath to come To conclude even amongst Men none that is a Delinquent must presume to possess the Bench the Seat of Judicature But know you not saith the Apostle that the Saints shall judge the World yea Angels Wherefore doubtless they must be just yea are acquitted and made innocent both imputatively and inherently in their own Persons Further if this be not sufficient to animate and strengthen thy hope let thy faith make the last Article of the Creed thy object Where thou believest everlasting life to take its beginning or rather begin its perfection immediately after death and the last Judgment The time appointed for the full reward and coronation of the Saints I know there are many gracious promises of temporal blessings and those often-times fulfill'd and confer'd upon the Saints in this life Some whereof though few of many as being a remunerating act of Christs regal and judicial Office I will by the way recite not impertinently as being earnests to them of future glory sensible tokens of Fatherly love a Pilgrims Staff for our Faith to lean upon in our lifes peregrination This maxime being first undoubtedly to be believed that the same promises made to perfect obedience under the Law had at the first a respect and are now truly applicable to faithfull sincerity under the Gospel Such that Magazene of blessings in the 28. of Deuteronomy where to the largest and several appetites every true believing and sincere obeying Christian as well as to the sacrificing Jew a most plentifull feast and satisfaction is offered Is thy calling in the City or iâ— the Field thou shalt be blessed in them both Desirest thou riches and plenty of all the fruits of the Earth and a numerous posterity and a blessed use and enjoying of them Thou hast a Pattent a great Seat for these also Art thou a Man of action and great employment for the Church or the Common wealth yea hath thy vertues splendour a shadow of envious and malitious adversaries If thou hearkenest unto the voice of the Lord thy God thou shalt be blessed when thou comest in and blessed when thou goest out and the Lord shall cause them thine Enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face Wouldest thou have thy forfeited Charter renewed and all the Creatures yea the most honourable serviceable unto thee Behold the Lord shall give his Angels charge over thee yea they shall pitch their Tents about thee and the Heaven shall give Rain unto thy Land in due season Dost thou wish for to the further glory of God a long life and an honourable place and esteem amongst Men The Lord hath promised that he will set thee on high that he will make thee the head and not the taile and with long life will satisfie thee Yea more which is the compleatment of all he will shew thee his Salvation But a long life if imbittered with sickness is but a tedious Death True But if thou fear the Lord and depart from evil it shall be health to thy Navil and marrow to thy Bones Yea thy light shall break forth as the Morning and thy health shall spring forth speedily Further dost thou desire wisdome beauty strength The righteous have promises of all these so far forth as they still perfect their happiness Whose Daughters so fair as Jobs Those that mourn in Sion have assured unto them beauty for ashes If the Feet of the Saints are beautifull surely no part else is deficient But
to make all good in few words hear thy King by the Prophet Isaiah The Lord of Hosts will be for a Crown of glory and for a Diadem of beauty unto his People and for a Spirit of Judgment to him that sits in Judgment and for strength to them that turn the Battel to the Gate But this World is a Bed of Vipers a bundle of snares a stage of dangers True yet if thou trust in him he shall deliver thee from the snare of the Fowler from the noysome Pestilence Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou trample under feet O read yee faithfully and digest this whole Psalme which I may truly stile the City of David for strength and beauty the fortress yea Paradise of every true Christian. But the godly have but a few friends I answer Comparatively they have but a few Enemies the whole Creation except Sathan and sinners being at peace with a reconciled Soul such as Job speaks of being in League with the very Stones and Beasts of the Field And the malice of the malignant turns all to their good Yea more if a Mans wayes please the Lord he will make even his Enemies to be at peace with him But to conclude a good Wife and good Children are amongst the chief blessings upon Earth They are so and have not the Saints strong and comfortable evidences for them if the Lord see them good witness those twine-like Psalmes the 117. and the 118. which for their excellency and comfort sake deserve the Readers more full and perfect Observation I will not be further tedious for the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly O Lord of Hosts blessed is the Man that trusteth in thee Having given my Soul by faith a taste of some few of those many temporal promises treasured up in the Scripture being they are to be but as Sallets to provoke my spiritual appetite I will return to feed upon Eternity O my Soul what surer Antidote against the apprehension of the last Judgment whose sting is Eternal Death than the Meditation and assured hope of Eternity of life which is Glory in grain and the deifying of Humanity Surely if there be any Spiritual weight that depresseth the Soul it is Judgment If there be any Heavenly Magnes that attracts and quickens it 't is Immortality For toucht with this though encircled with corruption thou shalt continue moving with the Needle until fixed upon the lines of life thou constantly adhearing to the true Flower-de-luce Christ Jesus Amongst Moses unfeigned Metamorphoses we finde the Rod chang'd to a Serpent a devourer of the Magitian delusions So this hope a branch of the Tree of Life springing from the Root of Jesse swallows up Death in victory in Eternity What seems yea is a fearfull truth to all unbelieving Egyptians becometh a Chimera a Phantasme to every true Israelite If any word is expressive or an Epitome of God of Heaven of Glory and consequently of all felicity it is this of Life I am the way the truth and the life I am the Resurrection and the Life saith our Saviour and he that hath the Son that is believes in him hath life saith St. John Since then God is life he that hath life hath God and he that hath God hath all things even the conflux of simple and unmixt happiness And therefore most wisely and succinctly those holy Men Penners of the Creed called the Apostles have coucht and exprest the excessive treasures and immense pleasures of the Heavenly Paradise under that one word life everlasting Herein O my Soul is included and assured unto thee the sublimest of Heavenly fruitions called by the School-men the beatifical Vision Which so far as I am able to express it is the Souls full repletion and apprehension of the excellencies of the Divine Essence not by the back-parts only and mediately as Moses but primarily and immediately in himself Yea also the Body being in the very moment of its resurrection spiritualiz'd as witnesseth the Apostle shall there with open face see and look upon the word of life receiving fulness of pleasure and satisfaction by those sences which now are unprofitable and uncapable of such glorious manifestations Here since this last act of our faith and last Article of our Creed is so full of comfort and unspeakable animation after the hearty and humble acknowledgment of my ignorance and fervent supplicating the assistance of the only illuminating Spirit I will more largely and particularly eye this Crown this unvaluable price even so far as my faith hath visual beames from Scripture or consequent demonstration If the Soul of Man in this state of her nakedness and deformity hath been by some Christians though therein Heretical deifyed and by most of the Heathen Magi magnifyed even to the heighth of created excellencies surely in her renovation and perfect reassumption of that her first Image and those first created Ornaments she must needs be more splendid and more to be admired But is this beauty of the first Adam in his innocency the heighth of a Christians hope No. As our second Adam in his divine descent and generation infinitely transcends our first Parent in Nature so he hath prepared a far more excellent weight of glory for his Children by Adoption his Members by Spiritual mystical and supernatural union Witness his own Oracle and declarative rather than necessary Petition The glory which thou gavest me I have given them Blessed Lord what a word is this What a communication my minde is entraunced and my weak Meditations swell even to an Impossibility of expression Can I not now know my Soul in her humiliation in the weakness of a Creature How can I then describe and conceive of her in her exaltation in the glory of her Creator Let this be sufficient for me to believe hence that that glory with which she shall be filled according to her Spiritual Nature is for quality infinitely excellent because Gods yet allayed and fitted to be received for quantity finite and limited as in her Not as divided from the Divine Fountain but by vertue of Inhabitation in a gracious real and inseparable union communicated to and made hers according to our Saviours Prayer That we all may be one as the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father that we may be one in them as also that the love wherewith the Father hath loved the Son may be in us and he in us Thus then the Souls of the Saints before the Resurrection and both Souls and Bodies after the Resurrection according to their several measures of grace here shall then have their divine plenitudes of Glory every Vessel being filled that is thrown into that Ocean of Life and Glory Further as a Wedge of
and shall be ever with the Lord. But this glorified fear is the most bright reflection in and from us of Gods glorious Soveraignty according to that of the Prophet If I be a Master where is my fear a fruit and an effect of Gods ravishing and transporting excellency and therefore this heavenly affection being so necessary a requisite in our heavenly condition is so far from lessening our perfection in glory as that without it it cannot be perfectly glorious O my Soul shall thy affections of love and fear be thus glorious in thy Heavenly state Let them not have a lesser or lower object than the most high let not such High-Born Princesses be enamoured with their Slaves Vse the World as not abusing it and as though thou used it not Neither fear any but him that only can cast both Soul and Body into Hell-fire Let these two graces be as Jethro to Moses eye in the Wilderness of this World to admonish and to keep thee from losing thy way when thou art turning to the right or to the left And like the Lords Pillar of a Cloud by Day and of Fire by Night to direct thee according to his holy will in thy Journey towards thy Heavenly Canaan Converse with these two Royal Virgins continually So shalt thou have Communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son in the Spirit be partaker of the Divine nature and begin to enjoy Heaven here upon Earth Prepare and so enlarge these Divine Vessels by a pious use and continued Exercise that they may be the more capacious of Glory For according to the measures and proportions of graces in this life shall be their repletion in the life to come where of Apprehensors the Saints shall be made Comprehensors according to their several enlargements For as one Star differs from another in glory so shall it be at the Resurrection of the Just when we shall see God face to face and know him as we are known and be made like him in Glory O my God my Father are these two sanctified affections of love and fear the two Eyes the two Armes of the Soul with which the Saints behold imbrace and enjoy thee in all thy glorious excellencies Are they the two Centinels and Guards by which every true Christian discovers and repells all sinfull thoughts looks words and actions Doth that root of all saving Graces Faith work by love in the application of what the Father Son and Holy Ghost hath done for us Turning our Hearts of Stone into Hearts of Flesh and melting them into teares of Gospel-Repentance Doth love oile the wheeles of our universal obedience so that they run swiftly in the pathes of thy Commandements when thou thus enlargest the heart And is fillial fear the whip in the hand of zeal the holy Chariteer to drive and carry us manger all stops of Sin Sathan and the World to the end of our race Is this divine love to thee and thy Saints the summe and the fulfilling of thy Law The more excellent way The compleating continuing and the greatest grace as most like unto thee For God is love and who so dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Shall these twin-like graces of love and fear not leave the Soul when it leaves the Body and accompany both Soul and Body at the Resurrection to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb and to the Marriage-Bed of Glory yea shall they be the measures and compleating of our Glory O holy Father who art the essential love my fear and my dread be thou pleased to sanctify inlarge and inflame these my affections that of sinfull passions in the old Adam they may be changed and Heavenized into active and holy graces in me thy new Creature Let them I beseech thee be effectual and usefull to all the aforementioned ends And since it is no sin but a duty to be ambitious of and to covet spiritual things let them be enlarged and heightned like Heaven even to the utmost of a created capacity that I may be as thou hast promised thy dwelling place upon Earth and thou mayest be my inheritance and my Heaven in Heaven Even so Amen Lord Jesus come quickly The sanctified affection of holy zeal in the glorified Saints deserves our next Meditation This to speak properly is not a simple grace but the highest and intense degree of every grace and holy action which if so famous and resplendent in the Saints upon Earth as in Moses in his exemplary Justice upon the false worshippers of the Golden Calf In Phineas his executing judgment upon that Idolatrous and adulterous payre Zimry and Cosby in David who declares that the zeal of Gods House had eaten him up In Elijah when he put to death four hundred of Baals Prophets in one Evening In Paul who preserved the glory of God in the Redemption of his Country-men the Jews before his own salvation and in that highest example of our dear Lord and Saviour in his purging of his Temple Then this Heavenly grace shall undoubtedly not only continue and have then a Beeing in each glorified Saint but shine forth and act in them much more gloriously Is that only infinite and pure Essence our Omnipotent God who is happiness blessedness and life it self so often declared in the Scripture to be zealous for his name and glory And shall not his Saints his Image be like him Is this grace exercised by glorious Angels as when one Angel destroyed all the first-born of Egypt in one Night Another destroyed a hundred fourscore and five thousand Assyrians at the command and in zeal for the glory of God Yea did an whole Host of Angels descend from Heaven and with a holy zeal Celebrate our Lords Nativity and Man-kindes Redemption in an holy Hymne And shall not the glorified Saints overflow and express upon all occasions to Gods glory the like zealous and inflam'd affections assuredly they shall For though Sin Sathan and the wicked World which by a kinde of spiritual Antiperistasis made their zeal here burn the hotter shall be cast out and banisht thence Yet the glorified Saints shall not want nor be without constant objects and continual occasions according to every ones measure to exercise this grace To instance only some successive ones Gods unparallel'd flaming Justice upon Gog and Magog and all wicked Men at our Saviours second coming with ten thousand of his Saints Christs Crowning and rewarding every Elect Member in righteousness according to their works together with all his glorious Administrations in that his holy righteous and personal Reign in the new Heaven and new Earth for a thousand years His powerfull raising of the wicked after the thousand years and curious Inquisition into and perfect discovery and bringing to Judgment of all their evil thoughts words and actions and his
righteous sentence pronounced upon them and the Apostate Angels and his translating his Saints from this Paradise of Earth to the Heaven of Heavens These objects and occasions of holy hatred anger and indignation against Sathan and Gods Enemies the wicked of unexpressable love joy delight praise and glorious tryumphing the holy Scriptures holds forth shall be in the state of glory And can we conceive holy zeal which is the height and crown of all these graces can be absent or unnecessary I shall further add that after our Lords yielding up his Mediatory Kingdome to the Father all the service and everlasting praises of the Saints in the remembrance of all Gods wonderfull works from the beginning unto Eternity in the Heavens Earth and Hell shall be heightned and winged with this holy zeal I shall assert this truth and conclude this ravishing Meditation with pointing at and refering the Reader to the frequent and zealous hallelujahs of the crowned Elders and glorified Saints in the Visions of Saint John set forth to us as the types and lively figures of our Heavenly and glorified condition Revelations Chapter the 4 th Verse the 8 th And the four Beasts rest not Day and Night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come And the four and twenty Elders fell down before Him that sate on the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were Created Like to this are their zealous Songs and Thanksgivings upon divers occasions Chapter 5. Verse 8. untill the end of that Chapter and Chapter 7. Verse 9. unto the end thereof and Chapter 11. Verse 15. unto the end of that Chapter and Chapter the 14. Verse the 1. unto the end of the 5. Verse and Chapter the 15. Verse the third and the fourth besides many more to the end of that blessed Book which for brevity sake I omit These being sufficient to prove the use and exercise of this Seraphical grace of holy zeal by the Saints in their state of Glory O my Soul Is this most Heavenly grace of zeal so illustrious and exemplary in the Saints that have lived upon Earth Doth it shine forth with a Heavenly light here in the actings of holy Angels of our for ever blessed Saviour and of our Almighty Father and Creator Yea shall this grace out-live thy hope and thy faith be the Crown and compleatment of thy divine love and the height and perfection of all other thy graces in glory Endeavour then to follow their famous examples Rest not in the cold and middle Region of bare profession with the careless Gallioes of the World and frozen Church-professors The Demasses of this last and worst age but let thy holy zeal upon all occasions for the glory of thy God and purity of his Worship and Doctrine mount up even to the Firie Region and In his cause be Boanerges and like Gods Angels and Seraphins a Cole a flame of Fire So shalt thou excell and exceed others in this grace in thy glorified state as far as thou hast gone before them in this life And as thou hast been more gracious here so thou shalt be more glorious hereafter The larger thy Vessel the larger thy Receipt Every Vessel shall be full and overflow although much different in their measure All shall be Stars although not of the like Magnitude The Saints at the first Resurrection being rewarded according to their works although not for their works O Lord my God is divine zeal a holy flame a Pyramid-like Fire a Spring towards Heaven as to its own place Is my heart my Souls shop where it forges affections and this middle Region of my Body like the middle Region of the Aire cold and naturally void of this thy heavenly Fire Be pleased I humbly beseech thee to cause the same holy Spirit that once sate in the likeness of Fiery Tongues upon the heads of thy Apostles to rest upon unthaw and inflame my frozen heart and affections Then shall not its earthly and sinfull qualities of coldness hardness and ponderousness chill resist or smother the fervency and intensness of any of thy graces in me since thy Almighty Power that produces lightning in the cold middle Region of the Aire that melts the Rock and causes the Mountains Aetna Vesuvius and Hecla to breath forth flames of Fire can yea will because thou hast promised it bring forth and create in me a greater wonder even a new heart and a new spirit a heart of Flesh instead of a heart of Stone Then shall I be not only zealous in all my actings for thee but frequent and zealous in my praises to thee in this life of Grace and that of Glory to Eternity Amen All affections in this life as love fear zeal and the rest although sanctified in their heighths and intensiveness by reason of the weakness of the Organ and our decayed nature may put the whole Man to pain and in that respect are called Passions yet it shall cease to be so with us in our glorified condition Where whatsoever that flowes from Infirmity or Imperfection shall be done away In the new Jerusalem there shall be neither sorrow nor pain We shall then be as the Apostle exhorts not only when occasions shall be offered not to be angry without sin but without passion or disturbance Being herein like to God and the holy Angels whose Image shall then be perfectly renewed in us and who in the Scripture although I grant it to be meant not properly but Anthropopathos is often declared to be angry But as to the Elect Angels I conceive they may as truly be said to be angry witness that famous opposition of Balaam and that action of the Angel that with his drawn Sword was ready to destroy Jerusalem for David's Sin as to rejoyce greatly for the conversion of a sinner If then such accidental affections are testified to be in glorious Angels why not much rather in glorified Saints unless by cessation of so eminent a grace as holy anger we should irrationally conceive the Saints less perfect in this new life than in the other Especially since the sole object of this holy affection the Sin Blasphemy and Rebellion of wicked Souls and Devils to the dishonour of God shall continue and in that great and long day or time of their Judgment be more universally manifested to their view than ever as also afterward in Hell to Eternity Anger here though for Gods cause may possibly inflame the Eyes distort the Visage of a Saint but its lipe as the modest blush of a Virgin doth add beauty to her Face so shall this
of Faith As an Introduction and substraction to what followes I shall premise First according to Scripture as hath been shewed Job chap. 19.25 That the same Bodies shall be raised that the Saints lived in here upon Earth as to their substance If so then the same parts members and senses shall then be raised and have a being also of which the Body consists and without which the Body is imperfect and incompleat and cannot be truly said to be the same Body Secondly that if necessarily and certainly they shall then have an existence in the Body then without doubt they must be for some most noble use and end For this is both a Scriptural and Natural Maxime That God and Nature made nothing in vain Yea the Scripture is cleer and express as to the glorious employment of some of them in this Heavenly life as of our Eyes and Eares as shall be shewed hereafter What reason then is there that we should exclude the exercise of the other Thirdly it is cleer and manifest that the glorified Soul when again united to the glorified Body shall not then act singly and by it self but organically as now it doth in and with the Body as having its seat and operation as to the understanding will and memorative faculties in the head and brain and as to the concupiscential appetite and affections in the heart and as to its external Instrument of expression and manifesting it self and mind to God Men and Angels in praises or otherwise it shall be with the Tongue as is proved by the discourse betwixt our Saviour and Moses and Elias and from many places in the Revelations and other Scriptures So also the Soul shall make use of the Feet to walk with although the whole Body as hath been shewed like the Wheels in Ezekiel's Vision shall swiftly descend or ascend according to the will and motion of the Spirit or Soul within them I say then it s now most truly as properly said that not the Body but our Souls in our Bodies see hear tast feel and smell Can it be rationally believed that the body that shall be raised in perfection shall be deprived of either the being or use of any one of its senses that the Soul should in respect of the want of them be less perfect in glory than it was in its state of misery yea be deprived of those actings or senses by its re-union to the body which it made use of in glory before its re-entry into the body Angels and therefore Souls after their manner have their seeing hearing feeling smelling and tasting when they took bodies and eat with Abraham Which senses they make use of at other times also for ought we know or are taught in Gods Word to the contrary The Scripture-allusion when it calls the Israelites Manna Angels food making more for it than against it as also when it saith that some things as wise Observers know yea many things on Earth are figures and patterns of things above in the Heavens from all which I conclude that should not the Soul re-united to the body have organically the use of all the senses it would be in that respect not so perfect in the glorified body as when it was in the corruptible body and streightned and deprived of so much of its freedome excellency and activity as it had and doth without doubt exercise as to most of the senses in the state of Glory before its re-union Fourthly if at the Resurrection of the just the glorified Saints shall then enter into the joy of their Lord and into their first degree of Glory and shall Raign as Kings and Priests with our Lord Jesus Christ personally upon the renewed Earth which he will then create according to his promise And if it be more than probable that the old furniture being all consumed the face and superficies of the Earth and Rivers for there shall be no Sea shall be beautified and adorned anew with such several kinds of vegetative and sensitive Creatures as shall be for the delight and benefit of the glorified Saints All which Creatures shall be new made and produced as they were in the first Creation out of the several refined and incorruptible Elements that so they may have a possibility if God please like them to be everlasting and be delivered from the curse vanity and bondage of Corruption that the first Adams sin had though unwillingly subjected them to into the glorious liberty of the Children of God by the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ the restorer of all things lost by the first unto their primitive though far better condition And if so shall the great glory goodness wisdome and other excellencies of Christ declared and held forth in the sweet-smelling Aire and in the odoriferous and most rare perfumes breathed forth as being an Elixa compared with what they were from Spice and fruit-bearing Trees Plants and Flowers be clouded and as it were lost for want of the sense of smelling to conveigh them to the understanding that so it and the whole Man may therefore and in these his wondrous works praise adore admire and worship God especially since at this time this so greatly heightned and meliorated Book of Nature shall be a glorious if not the Scriptures being now fulfilled the only Book of God Again shall the new Wine spoken of by our blessed Saviour in the Kingdome of God and the promise of eating and drinking with him at his Table in his Kingdome The Tree of Life the sweet Springs Chrystal Rivers and Waters of Life or living Waters for so Springs are called spoken of and alluded to in the 22. of the Revelations and in many other Scriptures wherein I exclude not high and mysterious Allegories also to be held forth I say shall these be in vain and signify nothing Shall also all those most mellifluous Roots Fruits and Plants that in this blessed and new-birth of things shall be delivered from corruption and therefore shall not as now they do defile the body and turn into putrifaction nor leave after all the Concoctions of Nature a remainder of stinking dregs which since Sin Nature by an instinct of self-preservation is forced to expulse and exonerate it self off shall they I say want this pleasing and distinguishing sense of tasting to glorify all the attributes and wonderfull name of God in the use benefit and enjoyment of them If the delight and use of this and all other of the senses now is not only lawfull but commanded and the Saints may and do greatly glorify God in the fruition of them And these delighâ—â— are only in a Scripture-sence become sinfull and sensual to the wicked whose sin and mixture of corruption adulterates defiles and turns the use and exercise of the senses upon their several objects or subjects into sin shall they not be much more usefull and necessary to the Saints
ravishing contemplation of the infinite Power and Wisdome of thy Creator manifested in the multiplicity variety and unexpressible excellencies of smells and odours as also of his wonderfull mercy love and goodness in making them and communicating them to thee for thy use and benefit that as in a clear mirrour and by this blessed medium thou mayest behold and enjoy him who is essentially sweetness and by whom through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ which grace as a spiritual internal and common sense and Architype of all thy Bodily senses beholds hears tasts smells imbraces and possesses him thou mayest I say in God alone be delighted refresht and nourisht unto Life Eternal O infinite holy ever glorious and Eternal Spirit who art the power and love the goodness holiness and sweetness of the Eternal Father and the Son as proceeding from all Eternity from them and who art co-equal co-eternal and co-essential with them in the unity of one Divine Essence and God-head who art the Comforter Counseller Preserver and Sanctifier of all the Elect and Children of God give me a new heart and a new spirit and make me a new Creature according as the Father hath promised in the new Covenant of grace so shall not only my Soul with all the faculties and affections thereof but my Body also with all its Members and Senses be meliorated renewed and sanctified and this rare wonderfull and curious sense of Smelling with the sinfulness of pride voluptuousness excess curiosity and vanity hath made not only unprofitable and destructive to me but of ill savour offensive and dishonorable to thee become like the laborious Bee a gatherer of sweetness out of every object thereof Of which various mixtures my Soul shall compound and make up an holy Incense in resemblance of that under the Law prefiguring this of love as in return for thy goodness of admiration in the acknowledgment of thy wisdome of adoration as declaring thy Omnipotency of praise and thanksgiving as glorifying thee for these thy manifold gifts and blessings and be not only Adamiz'd and like him as in Paradise before the Fall but Angeliz'd yea like my Lord and Saviour who from every object Creature and occasion observed and raised matter of honour and glory to God his Father and mine yea by such an holy exercise of this Sense my Soul as well as my Body shall be refresht delighted and nourisht in its Eternity of Life begun here and to be made perfect together with this sense at the first Resurrection of the Just in Glory I need not prove that the Sense of Feeling shall continue and have existence in the Saints glorified state since to deny it is tanto-mount as to affirm that their Bodies shall not have a beeing or which is equally absurd that they shall in this new life be sick of a dead Palsie This Sense being now and so without doubt shall be then one of the clearest signes and demonstrations of the life of the Body and hath in one respect a singular preheminency and difference above the rest of the Senses For whereas every other Sense hath its proper Seat and Organ This may be truly said to be like the Soul and to Organize and reside in every part and member of a living and perfect Body Neither is this Sense less necessary to motion than to life insomuch as that when a Body is totally deprived thereof it is insensible and moves not and is accompted no better than a dead Trunk and inanimate Corps I shall add further that this Sense as it is now so certainly it shall be then the Souls chief Instrument and Inquisitor to discern by and give Judgment with much pleasure and delight of those four principal Elementary qualities that are respectively inherent to and in all created things and bodies that consist of matter and are made up and compounded of the four Elements as to heat or coldness driness or moisture or of those remoter qualities and adjuncts soft or hard smooth or rough arising from them So that as the Soul united to the new-raised Body without Eyes and the Sense of Sighâ— may truly be said to be imperfect and blind as to all visible objects so should the Body want this Sense of Feeling the Soul may as truly be said to be incompleat and ignorantly dark as to its knowledge and understanding as to all Tangible subjects From what hath been said I assert that the Saints at the Resurrection shall in their glorified Bodies have both the continuance and exercise of this Sense of Feeling and that in an incomparable perfection as to what it is now I will not positively affirm that spiritual substances as Angels may be subjects of this glorified Sense that shall be spiritualiz'd with our Bodies which though now a Natural Body shall then according to the Word of Truth be raised a spiritual Body If so is it not probable that as now to our natural Bodies natural things are touchable so to our spiritual bodies spiritual substances as Angels may be Tangible Our Saviours expression to his Apostles not at all contraducing or excluding this inquiry or inference he affirming only that a spirit hath not flesh and bones as he had not denying that a spiritual glorified body may touch and feel a spiritual Beeing and Essence But should this not be I am assured we shall both touch and imbrace him and be imbrac'd by him I speak this according to the Scripture-phrase with all due and humble reverence who is far above all Creatures and Angels our Head our Spouse our Saviour the most glorious Lord Jesus Christ God-man in one Person as also Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Holy Patriarchs Kings Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors and glorified Saints as also our formerly neer and dear Relations which then shall be known of us in that perfection of knowledge and in this our exaltation that so their salvation may add such an accidental joy to the augmentation of our blessedness as the Holy Angels are said by our Saviour to have now super-added to their happiness at the conversion of a sinner To these I shall annex and subjoyn other more inferiour subjects of this glorified Sense the then refined and well-tempered Aire and Elements the delightfull contact of Fowles Birds and Beasts now willingly subject and obedient to Man the super-excelling and numerous Trees Fruits and Plants the Arbors of soft and sweet-smelling Roses the banks of Lillies the beds of Violets the Carpets of all manner of rarest Herbs and Flowers with which this new Heaven and new Earth this renewed Paradise shall be even to perpetuity plentifully garnisht and adorned with to the great glory of God the Creator of Christ the Restorer and of the Holy Ghost the Efficient and to the unexpressible pleasure and delightfull use and benefit of the Elect and glorified Saints As the blessed Canticles that Song of Songs hath been and is reproacht and abused by wanton Amorists
Persons with whom the Saints shall speak and frequently converse in this new life on the renewed Earth O let it be contemplated by us with a ravishing and admiring reverence and thankfulness Since it shall be with the most glorious Trinity in Unity God blessed for ever with the King of Kings the Lord of Lords The Mediator Spouse and Head of his Mystical Body the Church now perfect and compleat redeemed and raised in their Bodies also to Glory If now the Apostle witnesses We have fellowship with the Father and the Son How much more then when We shall Raign with Christ personally as Kings and Priests upon Earth Further in this Heavenly Jerusalem this City of the living God We shall have communion with an innumerable Company of Angels and with the general Assembly and Church of the first-born even with all the Elect from Adam unto the last Convert yea then shall that great truth in the Psalmist be fulfilled in this Restauration by the Lord Jesus Christ when the Saints shall be Crowned with Glory and Honour and made with and under him their Head to have dominion over the works of his hands Then shall all things be put under their Feet all Sheep and Oxen yea and the Beasts of the Field the Fowles of the Aire and the Fish of the Sea and whatsoever passeth through the Paths of the Seas I come now to the use and exercise of this glorious and glorified Member the Tongue speech and voice which I humbly conceive shall be then Musical and Laudatory and also precatory as and with respect to God and Christ. Secondly discursive declarative and communicative as in respect of Angels and their fellow-Saints as also gubernative and mandatory as and in respect of all inferiour Creatures As to the first that the chiefest duty and highest service of the Saints in this new life shall be the Loqual Musical and melodious singing praising and worshipping of God and Christ is in many Figurative Visions proved and held forth in the Revelation as Chapter the Fourth from Verse the 8 th unto the end of the 11 th Verse and Chapter the 5 th from Verse the 8 th until the end of the 14 th Verse and Chapter the 7 th from Verse 9 th unto the end of the 12 th Verse and Chapter 11 th from Verse 15 th unto the end of the 18 th Verse and Chapter 14 th from Verse the 2 d. unto the end of the 3 d. Verse and Chapter the 15 th from Vers. the 2 d. unto the end of the 4 th Verse and Chapter 19 th Verse the 1. unto the end of the 8 th Verse I am not ignorant that the places above cited do most of them respect the providential actings of God and Christ in the Church Militant before the Resurrection of the just and the Churches returns of praises and worship for them yet as I think none will deny the truth I assert so none but will confess these to be Types and Patterns of what is done now in Heaven by the Church tryumphant and shall be done by the Saints after the Resurrection to Eternity which I prove from Revelations Chapter 21. Verse the 22. which speaks directly of the time I write of even of the glorified state of the Saints upon the new Earth under the type of the holy City or new Jerusalem And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it and Chapter the 22. Verse the 3 d. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it and his Servants shall serve him To these I will only add the expressions of the Psalmist In God we boast all the day long and praise thy Name for ever we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for ever more And that of the Apostle By Him meaning the Lord Jesus Christ let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips giving thanks to his Name As to the second particular that the Saints after the Resurrection shall converse and have communion with the blessed Angels and with the rest of their fellow-members that Scripture before-cited out of the Hebrews Chapter 12. Verse 22 23. doth sufficiently evidence for if we have communion with them in this our militant condition as is there asserted by the Apostle how much more shall we have our Conversation with them in this state of Glory If the glorious Angels are now our Guardians and were often visible present and discoursed with Abraham Jacob Lot Joshua Gideon Manoah David Eliah Elisha Daniel the Shepwards the blessed Virgin John and others of the Saints on Eearth shall they not be much more intimate and conversant when glorified together with them shall we be as the Angels and not with the Angels shall we have a fellowship with the infinite and incomprehensible Trinity shall God and the Lamb be our Temple in this period of our raigning with Christ upon Earth as hath been before proved and shall any think us then below the society of the Elect Angels or that the Angels delight not to be present with them with and in whom the God and Head of Angels dwells and inhabits Did not Angels declare most of the holy mysteries to the Prophets and to Saint John and when through infirmity he fell down twice to worship them did they not both times say See thou do it not I am of thy Brethren the Prophets that have the Testimony of Jesus worship God As for the communion of Saints both here and hereafter it is one of the Articles of our Faith and asserted in many places of the Scripture As that where the Karkass is there shall the Eagles be gathered together That at this time the wicked shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God That we shall be taken up in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Aire And that then we shall be ever with the Lord as also throughout the Book of the Revelations especially in the two last Chapters where this time and state is prophetically and evincingly set forth and declared That the Angels and Saints exercise is and shall be then laudatory and precatory a melodious singing and continual praising adoring admiring and worshipping of God I think none doubts and I have already sufficiently proved And as to the blessed matter and subject of their discourse and communication one with another I humbly conceive it will chiefly respect and inspect as to time in imitation of our God things that are past present and things that are to come so far as are promised and shall be revealed to them And as to the most excellent matter of their discourse I humbly conceive it will be to keep in remembrance declare and communicate to and with one another in lesser
Millions of glorified Saints and Angels to sound forth and speak of to one another the wonderfull works and providences of God past present and to come divulged in the large Mapps of our Creation Redemption and Glorification to his continual and everlasting praise and glory Shall it be a principal Engine and Actor as to that Office and Government thou shalt be placed in amongst thy fellow Saints in this glorious and universal Empire of the Lord Jesus raigning Personally as King and Mediator in this his Mediatory Kingdome upon the renewed Earth Yea lastly shall it be the Expressor of all thy Orders and Commands in the Execution of thy restored Dominion over the terrene and inferiour Creatures O with holy David that now glorified Saint Set a watch over thy Lips that thou offend not with thy Tongue and remember that authentick Declaration of thy Judge Lord and Saviour By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned and that of every idle word thou shalt give an accompt at the Day of Judgment Because out of the abundance of wickedness that is within the Heart the Mouth speaketh If any Man saith St. James offend not in word the same is a perfect Man and able also to bridle the whole Body Behold saith the same Apostle we put Bits into the Horses mouths that they may obey us and we turn about their whole Body Behold also the Ships which though they 〈◊〉 so great and are driven of fierce Winds yet are they twined about with a very small Helme whether so ever the Governor listeth Even so the Tongue is a little member and boasteth great things Behold how great a matter a little Fire kindleth And the Tongue is a Fire a World of iniquity so is the Tongue amongst our Members that it defileth the whole Body and setteth on Fire the course of nature And it is set on Fire of Hell For every kind of Beasts and of Birds and of Serpents and the things in the Sea is tamed and hath been tamed of Mankinde But the Tongue can no Man tame it is an unruly evil full of deadly poyson Therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we Men which are made after the similitude of God shall out of the same Mouth proceed blessing and cursing O my Soul these things ought not so to be Doth a Fountain send forth at the same place sweet and bitter Can the Figg-Tree O my Soul bear Olive-Berries either a Vine Figgs so can no Fountain both yield salt Water and fresh Therefore If any Man seem to be religious and bridleth not his Tongue but deceiveth his own Heart this Mans Religion is vain Speak evil of no Man Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy Mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the Hearers Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks Since evil Communications corrupt good Manners O my Soul is cursing swearing vain wanton and evil-speaking the Rant and Garb of the wicked yâ—â— the Language of Hell And is holy and a religious discourse and communication the Character and Dialâ—â—t of Saints upon Earth and praises and thanksgiving the exercise of the Spirits of just Men made perfect and of the glorious Angels Yea the Language of Heaven O let not thy Tongue learn or speak the Language of Ashdod but of Canaan not the blasphemous roaringâ— of the Devils and the damned but the sweet Anthemâ— of the Saints and Angels Yea begin thy Heaven upon Earth and be warbling and tuning this blessed and usefull Instrument thy Tongue to Psalmes Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in thy Heart to the Lord For it is good to sing praises to our God For it is pleasant and praise is comely O bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth theâ— with loving kindness and tender mercies who satisfyeth thy Mouth with good things so that thy Youth is renewed like the Eagles O my Soul shall thy Tongue in the next glorious Life be thy Chronologer and Orator to Gods praise before and to thy fellow Saints of Gods works and providences past present and to come O be exercising and conning over thy Lesson in this Life And inâ—uâ—e it here to what it shall do hereafter Say to my friends relations and fellow Christians Come and hear all yee that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul Yea let thy Tongue be thy glory and as the Tongue of a ready Writer Let thy Mouth speak of wisdome and the Meditation of thy Heart of understanding Remember the Days of old meditate of all Gods works muse on the works of his Hands speak of the might of his terrible acts and declare his greatness Abundantly utter the memory of his great goodness and sing of his righteousness whilst thou livest â—raise the Lord yea sing praises unto thy God whilst thou hast any Beeing O my Soul shall the Saints in this glorious Empire of Christ in the new Heaven and new Earth be all Kings and yet as one â—tar differs from another in glory so they there shall have different degrees of gifts and graces offices and imployments every Vessel being full of grace and glory although of different measures and capacities not ruling or lording it over one another and yet of necessary and excellent use by reason of their various and different gifts manifestations and employments to add an encrease of happiness blessedness and glory to each other a pattern and resemblance of which joynt Kingship under one Head and King the Lord Jesus as was mentioned before is seen 〈◊〉 the natural Body and in the militant and mystical body of Christ The Saints glorified being like so many precious Stones which although of different bigness and value yet being judiciously set by a skilfull 〈◊〉 to radiate one upon other that they add luster each 〈◊〉 other and without any diminution to the worth of any individual Stone serve necessarily to the greater and fuller perfection of the Jewel Will it be thus O my Soul and will thy Tongue be then a principal Actor in this thy most honourable station and vocation Serve thy God with David in thy Generation not hiding any Talent God hath given thee with the slothfull Servant in the Earth Set not thy Candle under a Bushel but upon a Table that it may enlighten the whole House thy Family thy Friends thy fellow-Members yea all except Dogs or Swine that thou conversest with speaking unto them as the Saints no doubt shall do to one another in Glory to edification exhortation and
comfort declaring to them to the praise and glory of God thy experiences thy consolations and Divine manifestations And for as much as thou art zealous of spiritual gifts seek that thou maist excell to the edifying of the Church that spiritual Body of Christ whereof thou art a living Member And since God as the Apostle excellently observes hath set some in the Church First Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then gifts of healing helps Governments diversities of Tongues Covet thou earnestly the best gifts For there are diversity of gifts but the same spirit But the manifestation of the Spirit is 〈◊〉 to every Man to profit withall To one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdome to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by 〈◊〉 same Spirit to another the gift of Healing by the same Spirit to another working of Miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another diâ—vers kinds of Tongues to another the interpretation of Tongues but all worketh that one and the self same Spiâ—rit dividing to every Man severally as he will For 〈◊〉 the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body 〈◊〉 also is Christ. If they were all one Member where weâ—â— the Body The Eye cannot say to the Hand I have 〈◊〉 need of thee again the Head unto the Feet I have 〈◊〉 need of you Now we are the Body of Christ and Memâ—bers in particular Therefore O my Soul since 〈◊〉 Tongue as to all divine and spiritual gifts is now thâ— principal Agent and Expressor And shall be then 〈◊〉 as a Member of Christ mystical Body in this his glorious Kingdome thou shalt be plac'd in thy Function and respective administration be not spiritually idle but â—it and exercise thy Tongue continually in declaring to others according as it shall be revealed to thee by the Holy Spirit the Magnalia Dei the wonderfull ways and works of God Freely thou hast received freely give O my Soul shalt thou then be as one of Christs Viceroyes over all inferiour Creatures shall thy Dictates Orders and Commands be received and obeyed by them as the voice of God O let not then thy speech now to them be mixt with oaths and cursings according to the woâ—t and fashion of the wicked of the Earth whose behaviours towards the poor Brutes are more like to Devils than Men or Christians Yea let thy employment of them and rule over them be gentle milde and moderate not cruel or oppressive since the good Man with the Scripture is mercifull towards his Beast And 〈◊〉 tenderness of thy God towards them exprest as 〈◊〉 of the reasons of his commanding a seventh Days 〈◊〉 That thy Beast may rest as well as thee teaches what respect and considerate pitty and compassion he expects from thee towards them as being fellowâ—Creatures suffering what servitude they undergo for thy sin and from which they shall be freed and delivered in thy glorious liberty But instead of speaking evil of or to the inferiour Creatures do thou now as thou shalt do in the World to come with thy Heart and Tongue praise and glorifie thy God after the Example of holy David Psal. 148. throughout in and for them admiring his love and goodness to thee to them as also 〈◊〉 unexpressible yea unconceivable power and wisdome declared in their various formes wonderfull strength 〈◊〉 qualities excellent virtues and uses as being 〈◊〉 great end of theirs and thy Creation as the Lord â—â—clares to Job when he bids him behold Behemoth and â—â—â—iathan and leaves upon Record for our Instruction and Imitation so large a description of them and of others of his Creatures This holy exercise both of mind and voice in the contemplation of the Creatures was without doubt a chief employment of Adam in his innocency Let it be thine then in thy return and travailing to this second Paradise that what is begun by thee here in grace may be perfected there in Glory O glorious God and mercifull Father O infinite loâ—ing and gracious Saviour and Redeemer O holy and Eternal Spirit my Sanctifier three infinitely glorious Persons One Omnipotent onely wise and Eternal God Blessed blessed blessed from everlasting to everlasting who hath so highly honoured and dignified me a 〈◊〉 Worm and no Man As to love me freely in thy Eterâ—nally begotten and only beloved Son the Lord Jesus God-Man and in him from before all beginnings to elect me unto Eternal Life and Salvation Creating 〈◊〉 unto immortality and glory by giving me an immortaâ— Soul and a Body that shall assuredly be raised to life and glory by thy Almighty Power and by the virtue of the Resurrection of my Head and Saviour who hast miraculously raised me from a sinfull death unto a spiritual life in my effectual Calling through Adoption the Sanctification and Inhabitation of thy holy Spirit as 〈◊〉 freely justified me in thy Son the Lord my righteousâ—ness and by this blessed and inseparable union to 〈◊〉 in thy Son by the Holy Ghost given me assurance 〈…〉 Life and Glory which shall indubitably begâ—◠〈◊〉 my Soul at my dissolution and be compleat at the â—â—â—union of Soul and Body aâ— the Resurrection of the 〈◊〉 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise 〈◊〉 with my glory Awake my Heart awake my Tongue 〈◊〉 self will awake early and joyn with the Arch-Angels and Angels and the Church Tryumphant in Heaven and with the Holy Catholick Church upon Earth in 〈◊〉 Heavenly exercise of praise and thanksgiving O Lord whose only prerogative it is to search the heart knowest that these are the desires and petitions of 〈◊〉 Soul yet with holy Paul I cry out that to will is present with me through thy grace but how to perform know not Blessed Saviour give me of thy fulness so soâ—â— to receive grace for grace Yea be pleased to add 〈◊〉 to grace since thou alone workest in us both the will and the deed and the Heaven aspiring piercing 〈◊〉 of praise ariseth only from thy Divine Fire of Knowledge and holy affections Eternal Father let not this noble Instrument of thy Glory my Tongue be tuned to the vain and wanton Layes of the World and Sin lest thereby being crackt unstrung and made untunable for thy service here it and my whole Body with voluptuous Diveâ— be cast 〈◊〉 useless into the Fire of Hell where a drop of cold Water will not be 〈◊〉 to cool a flaming lascivious Tongue But let me O Lord be continually chaâ—â—ing the Magnâ—lia Dei and be singing those Evangelicalâ— and prophetical Songs of the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders the figure and representative of thy holy Church saying and singing
Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for 〈…〉 Created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were Created Thou O blessed Saviour art worthy to take the Book of the Providential Decrees and actings of the Father as concerning thy Chuâ—ch and to open the Sealâ— and to discover the meaning thereof for thâ—â— wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation And hast made 〈◊〉 unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall 〈…〉 the Earth Worthy 〈…〉 O Lamb â—hat was 〈◊〉 to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing Blessing â—â—nour glory and power be unto thee O Father That 〈◊〉 upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for eâ—er and ever Great and marvailous are thy works Lord God Allmighty just and 〈◊〉 are thy ways O King of Saints who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy Name for thou only 〈◊〉 holy For all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest and thy 〈◊〉 in the raising thy Witnesses thy Magistracy and Ministry and pouring forth thy wrath upon the Beast the Man of Sin that Western Anti-christ the Pope and upon that Mystery of Iniquity Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth which is also spiritually called 〈◊〉 and Egypt and literally Rome the Throne and Seat of the Beast and two-horned Beast the false Prophet which is come now into remembrance before thee O God to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of thy wrath she saith now in her heart I sit iâ— Queen and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her Plagues 〈◊〉 in owâ— Diâ—â—y Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly 〈◊〉 with Fire for strong are thou 〈◊〉 God that Judgeth her And the Beaâ—â— the Pope that was and is not that is the Eight Head and is of the Seventh shall go into Perdition and be taken and with him the false Prophet the Roman Church and Hierarchy that wrought Miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his Image These both shall be cast alive into a Lake of Fire burning with Brimstone First in this life by a direfull excommunicaâ—tion by all the Churches of Christ and after this life 〈◊〉 the Fiery Lake of Hell O Almighty Saviour who 〈◊〉 King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall my Tongue 〈◊〉 my glorified condition as hath been shewed sing thy praises declare and perpetuate the memory of these thy wonderfull actings after thou hast done them O 〈◊〉 me now before thou doest them as beholding 〈◊〉 very neer through the Perspective of thy Word by the Eye of my Faith Sing that new Song of praises before thy Throne concerning thy great and marvellous proâ—idences with the hundred forty and four thousand thy Virgins and redeemed ones that stand with thee oâ— Mount Sion the Figure of thy Church and tryumphingly declare with the Angel that the Hour of thy Judgment is come and that Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication Let me also as by the same prospect of Faith beholding the Call and Conversion of thy antient People Israel and scattered Jewes to be at hand and the total destruction of Gog and Magog the blasphemous Mahumetan Turk by their Sword and in their Land and bless and praise thy Name for it is wonderfull fearfull and glorious O my Lord hast thou also declared and promised by thy Holy Apostle John that thou wilt shortly Lay hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Sathan and bind him for a thousand years Casting him into the bottomless Pit and shutting him up and setting a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more untill the thousand years shall be fulfilled And that then all the ends of the World shall remember and turn unto thee O Lord and all the Kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee And the Kingdomes of this World shall become the Kingdomes of Thee our Lord and of thy Christ and He shall raign for ever Lord shall I we see such a blessed and happy age as this when as a natural and rational effect of Sathans binding and thy casting him and all his Legions of Devils into the local Hell and of thy plentuous pouring forth of the gifts and graces of thy Spirit according to the Prophets the whole World shall be converted to Christianity all Wars and Contentions shall cease Swords shall be turned into Plow-shares and Speares into Pruning-hooks and the Nations shall learn Warre no more And long life and peace and plenty shall Crown this Orbe when all Idolatry Ignorance open profaneness and wickedness shall be laid aside and purity light and unity in life and doctrine worship and discipline shall shine forth throughout the Earth even above the Primitive times when saving knowledge and a Salomonial wisdome shall cover the Earth even as the Waters cover the Seas Shall I I say behold all this by faith through the gracious illumination of thy blessed Spirit in thy Word of Truth And shall I not cry out with holy David Lord open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise yea often glorify thee in singing the 96. Psalme which being a clear Prophesie of this time thy Spirit indited to that purpose as also the 97. the 98. the 99. and the 100. Psalmes O Lord hast thou foretold and promised by thy Prophet Daniel That Judgment shall be given unto the Saints of the most High and that the Saints shall possess the Kingdome That then Righteousness shall be the Girdle of thy Loynes and faithfulness the Girdle of thy Reines That thou wilt give us Judges as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning and that thou wilt make our Exactors righteousness That the Judgment shall fit and the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all Dominions shall serve Him Yea is this that fift and universal Monarchie and victorious Kingdome which is by thy Almighty Power and Spirit to be acted and carryed on by thy Saints when as it is witnessed by the Prophets and thy Servant David Thou shalt break thy Enemies with a Rod of Iron and shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel when the Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the Day
a Glass darkly and imperfectly taken a view of the Land of Promise the Inheritance of the Saints in light and presented to the Lord and to his Spouse the Church what discoveries he hath in great mercy given me as concerning Eternal Life that last and great Article of the Christian faith begun visibly in the Saints glorified condition in the new Heaven and new Earth and continued unto Eternity in the Heaven of Heavens Wherein concluding with the glorification and blessed use and exercise of our Tongues in that happy state I thought it proper both as to the general subject I have been upon as being the Vision exercise and Tryumph of Faith and as to the subject matter both lauditory to God and declarative to one another about which our Tongues shall in our renewed life be imployed to declare in this life with all humility and thankfulness of Heart and Tongue to both which my Pen is but the Secretary in the Ejaculatory part of that Meditation what by faith I behold and am assured from the Word of Truth shall come to pass here and be injoyed by me and all Gods Elect in the life to come and shall be there a blessed Subject of our praises to all Eternity In which Song of 12. parts or Jacobs Laddar of 12. Staves whose foot stands upon Earth and top reaches to Heaven we may by faith ascend beginning here upon Earth in this present Year of our Lord 1666. by twelve successive Steps wonderfull and most signal periods noted afore in the Margint to the last and highest ascent the Glorification of the Saints in the Heavens Being now come to Hercules Pillars the Ne-plus ultra of Faith beyond which all sacred Scripture the light of Faith is silent I can proceed nor walk any further in these Contemplations lest walking without a Light I fall into the Darkness of Error It being alike sinfull curiosity and presumption to inquire what God will do after this silence When time shall be no longer as to ask what he did before time was and before this World was Created Wherefore I shall here conclude these my imperfect Meditations and with all humility and reverence return all Honour Glory and Praise to thee O glorious Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost one God blessed for ever for thy most gracious assistance by the light of thy Word and Spirit in this great Work a subject too weighty for Angels how much more for me a simple sinfull and weak Worm Lord I acknowledge that whatsoever is good right and true in this Treatise is of and from thee who art Goodness Light and Truth and to thee alone belongs the praise and that whatsoever therein is Hay or Stuble is mine who humbly takes shame therefore and Petitions for thy free pardon in my Lord Christ Jesus beseeching thee that in the assurance of thy love and mercy in him and in the faith light and assurance of thy glorious Truths herein declared out of thy Word I may with Holy Job all the Days of my appointed time wait until my Change come And with zealous Paul desire to depart and to be with Christ that so my faith and hope may be swallowed up in the possession of thee and Vision may be changed into fruition Thy Spirit and thy Bride say come And let him that heareth say come Thou O Lord that testifieth these things sayest Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all Amen Soli Deo Gloria An Advertisement by the Author to the Reader FOr the more cleer and fuller proof of the Twelve great things mentioned in the Conclusion of this Work I refer the Reader to my Treatise almost ready to be published Entitled An humble Exposition of most of the Scripture-Prophesies concerning Twelve great Periods to be fulfilled to the Church beginning to be manifested in the Year 1666. and concluding with the end of our Lords Mediatory Kingdome and the Translation of the Saints to the highest Heavens FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Of the Things contained in the TREATISE Intitulated MEDITATIONS ON FAITH A. THe Affections lose their appetite if ye do but change the object viz. Spiritual for Temporal Page 4 Christs Agony as described should much act upon our spirits Page 27 The use and abuse of the Affections Page 45 46 All Arts and Sciences are in the Scripture as Metaphysick Phylosophie Astronomy Chronologie Rhetorick c. Page 71 Christs answer to the soul complaining of her Affections Page 81 The Antiquity of the Scriptures Page 102 Of the Affections glorified Page 151 Of holy Anger glorified Page 160 A Soliloquium upon it Page 161 An Ejaculation upon it Page 161 A caution against blotting Assurance Page 185 B. The Body of man like the pool of Bethesda with its five Porches Page 22 The curse and judgement of the Body Page 52 The Souls complaint against the Body with Christs answer Page 88 89. c. Of the Body glorified Page 164 Of the spirituality and swiftness of our Bodies at the Resurrection Page 169 A soliloquium and ejaculation on those two qualities of the Body Page 170 The glorious shining of the Body at the Resurrection Page 171 A soliloquium on that shining of the Body Page 173 Item an ejaculation upon it Page 174 Of the Immortality of the Body glorified Page 175 C. The Certain condition of man is to be uncertain Page 8 A man may be a Conduit-pipe to others and be a Vessel of dishonour himself Page 15 17 Of Christs Death and Burial Page 33 34 His victory over Hell Page 35 His Resurrection Page 36 His Ascension Page 38 Man in respect of Conscience is as one possessed Page 42 A Contemplation on love Page 47 A Contemplation on the insatisfaction in Riches Honours Pleasures Wisdom Page 49 A Contemplation on fear Page 51 A Contemplation on the sinfulness of the Eyes Ears Nostrils Taste and Touch Page 56 Of Christs Priestly Office Page 57 The occasion of Christs Priest-hood Page 58 A Contemplation upon Christs Priest-hood Page 60 Of Christs satisfaction Page 61 Christs answer to the poor soul complaining of his Conscience Page 75 The souls general Complaint answered by Christ Page 85 86 The souls Complaint against her Senses Tongue and Members of her body and Christs answer to it Page 88 89 A meditation on the excellency of Christs person Page 99 Against Coveteousness Page 123 An Ejaculation upon the glorious Change of the body at the Resurrection Page 185 D. Demas described Page 14 A Dialogue between Christ and the poor complaining soul in many particulars which Christ answers and satisfies Page 74 Our victory by Christ over Death Page 130 Our victory over the fear of Death Page 132 Our victory over the pain and separation by Death Page 133 All things fall short of the Duration of glorified Bodies and Souls and the high
they may have a like effect upon you as to your spiritual food and edification as the â—irst and second concoction hath in the stomack as to a good and perfect digestion and turning the Meat into a fit Chile to be sanâ—â—fied and made good blood and spirits besides an after chewâ—ng of the Cud by remeditation and practice in a Gospel and spiritual signification will much difference and distinguish you that 〈◊〉 clean Christians from those that are unclean who for want of the heat of Divine affections devour but not digest holy things To include I desire my great suffering condition abounding with sorrows hopes and fears and all kinds of Tentations discomforts and distractions my above Twenty removes to several Residences and more than seven years Exile and separation from my â—ooks dearest Friends and Relations my ignorance infirmities and sinfulness as being the greatest of sinners the least of Saints 〈◊〉 excuse and apologize for me to any of my Brethren of the â—hurches of Christ that shall with you read these Contemplations â—â— to any defects or errors therein as being one of the lowest â—â—rms in the School of Christ and therefore ready in all humility to submit any thing herein contained to the Judgement of the Saints that are learned or judicious and to give or receive light or satisfaction to or from any that differ from me in Opinion Which I cannot but expect because of the diversity and rarity of a great part of this subject which may be a reason that plowing with no man's Heifer in some things I may walk alone yet left not in the dark and without as seems to me a clear light of holy Scripture hoping that this Essay of mine as to those great future mysteries and periods of the Churches state may give some new light through the free condescention of God's spirit to me his poor Exile in Patâ—os as to the understanding of many Scripture Prophesies in my Judgment much mistaken by former Expositors both ancient and modern and that though my weak light be but as a rush Candle yet it may be an occasion of the inflaming and lighting up of great and shining Tapers both in this generation and in the Age to come Most loving gracious and faithful Consort and hopeful Children whom I greatly long after in the bowels of Jesus Christ And for whom in the words of the Apostle Paul I frequently pray that your love may aboâ—nd yet more and more in knowledge and in all Judgment that ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ Being filled with the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.8 9 10 11. For this cause I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner Man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heigth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes. 3.14 15 16 17 18 19. Having the Eyes of your understanding enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us wards who believe according to the working of his mighty Power Ephes. 1.18 19. That you all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord may be changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Finally my dear Brethren Sisters and Fellow members in Christ for all other Relation and Denomination shall shortly be laid aside Farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace And the God of peace and love shall be with you 2 Cor. 13.11 Amen Yours in all sincere and tender affection as doubly Obliged by Nature and by Grace W. W. This 29th of June 1666. Sweetnese of Forme Feature Heere 's Combinde Yet much below the Beautie of her minde The True Effigies of the Lady Katherine Harington Wife to Sir James Harington and Baronet AN EPISTLE TO THE ELECT LADY And her Children My true Yoke-fellow and Dearly beloved Children Whom I love in the Truth HEar ye the Instruction of a Father and attend to know understanding forget it not neither decline from the words of my Mouth First seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Wisdome is the principal thing the one thing needful and with all your gettings get understanding forsake her not and she shall preserve you Love her and she shall keep you Exalt her and she shall promote you she shall bring you to honour when you do embrace her she shall give to your Head an Ornament of grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver unto you and the Years of your Life shall be many When you go your steps shall not be straitned and when you run you shall not stumble Take fast hold of Instruction let her not go keep her for she is your life Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the power of God and the wisdome of God God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son who he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation If he that despised Moses Law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not ye escape if ye turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Hear ye therefore the word which the Lord Jesus speaketh unto you who spake by the Prophets and is the Lord God of the Holy Prophets since all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God even from him who is the Eternal Word of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Counsel is mine
it is common among Men A Man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanted nothing for his Soul of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it this is vanity and it is an evil disease Let every Man abide in the same Calling in which he was called Let none stand idle all the Day For an idle Soul shall suffer hunger And by much sloathfulness the building decayeth and through idleness of the hands the House droppeth through Behold this was the iniquity of Sodom abundance of idleness Avoid ye therefore their sin lest ye be consumed as was that City upon which the Lord rained Brimstone and Fire from the Lord out of Heaven Seest thou a Man diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean Men But drowsiness shall cloath a Man with rags Wherefore be not sloathful in business as private Persons Let him that Ruleth do it with diligence lest when I come and reckon with you the sloathful and unprofitable Servant be cast into utter Darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Be ye angry but sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Like Simeon and Levy Instruments of Cruelty are in their habitations for in their anger they slew a Man and in their self-will they digged down a wall Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Therefore be not hasty in Spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fools Whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgment One of the works of the Flesh is hatred therefore thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart They that hate the righteous shall be desolate He that faith he is in the Light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer and ye know that no Murderer hath Eternal Life abiding in him Woe to them that hate good and love evil All they that hate me love death Use not your liberty for a Cloke of maliciousness But let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil-speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one to another even as God for my sake hath forgiven you The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out Water therefore leave off contention before it be medled with Walk honestly as in the Day not in strife and envying Let nothing be done through strife For where strife and envying is there is confusion and every evil work The Spirit that is in you lusteth to envy which slayeth the silly one and is the rottenness of the bones Charity suffereth long envyeth not Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speaking as new born babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord. Therefore if thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap Coals of Fire on his head Be not over-come of evil but overcome evil with good Pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate Only by pride cometh contention and where it cometh there cometh shame But with the lowly is wisdom Wherefore let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Be not high-minded but fear For who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou hast not received Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as though thou hadst not received it Thus saith the Lord let not the wise Man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty Man glory in his might let not the rich Man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord that exercise loving kindness Judgment and righteousness in the Earth For in these things I delight saith the Lord. Pride cast the Angels out of Heaven Your first Parents out of Paradice and the wicked World into Hell For the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God Behold that which I have built I will break down and that which I have planted will I pluck up And seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not For behold I will bring evil upon all flesh How can ye believe who receive honour one of another and seek not the honour which comes from God only He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest to your Souls Whosoever shall humble himself as a little Child the same is greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven Whosoever exalts himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted Be ye not ambitious like Absalon and Adonijah least ye partake of their Judgments and violent deaths Give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in my Name For it is good to sing praise unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely Be ye not therefore guilty of the great sin of ingratitude with Hezekiah and the nine Lepers who rendered not again according to the benefits done unto them In these last times Men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blaspheamers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without natural affection despisers of those that are good Traytors from such turn away Whoso rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his House Example in King Joash who remembred not the kindness which Jehojada the Father of Zacharias had done unto him but slew his Son Therefore his Servants conspired against him for the blood of the Son of Jehojada the Priest and slew him on his Bed Whoso loveth pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth Wine and Oyl shall not be rich Woe unto the Land whose Princes eat in the morning But blessed is the Land whose Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Woe unto you
continue you in the things that ye have learned and have been assured of knowing of whom ye have learned them For evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Consider one another to provoke to love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is But exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For there is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Since then you are the Body of Christ and Members in particular let there be no Schisme in the Body Now I hear that there be divisions amongst those that call themselves Christians For there must be Heresies also among you that those that are approved may be manifest among you which were spoken before of my Apostles that there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit Now by my Name I desire you that you all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions amongst you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment If you say then I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ Are ye not carnal Is Christ divided Who then is Paul And who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed Even as the Lord gave to every Man If then such an one as was Paul plants or as Apollo was watereth It is God that giveth the increase Therefore let no Man glory in Men But do you mark them which cause Divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine you have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not Me but their own Belly and by good words and fair Speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Finally whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Virtue and if there be any praise think on these things And those things which ye have both known and received and heard and seen in me do And the Father himself that loveth you the God of Peace shall be with you Holy Father who hearest me always This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God and Me whom thou hast sent Keep through thy own Name those that thou hast given Me that they may be one as we are one That they all may be one as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in us And the glory which thou gavest Me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And that the World may know that thou hast sent Me and hast loved them as thou hast loved Me. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which Thou hast given me I have given to them the words which Thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from Thee and they have believed that Thou didst send me I pray for them I pray not for the World but for those that thou hast given me For they are Thine and all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them I pray that thou wouldest keep them from the evil of the World and that my joy may be fulfilled in them Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Finally Beloved Wife of my Youth and dear Children Farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of peace and love shall be with you For this cause I bow my Knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named That he would give you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man That Christ may live in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with the fulness of God The God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is most pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us to him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ throughout all Ages World without end The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen A Post-script of the Father to his Wife and Children concerning the foregoing Epistle with some further Exhortations to the practice thereof MY dearest heart and intirely affected Children the good and salvation of whose Souls I pray for and labour for as for my own I have I trust by the direction of the holy Spirit chosen in this manner to write unto you as hoping that what is delivered to you in the Person and words of our Lord and beloved Saviour For such is every word in the Epistle except some words not substantial necessary for connexion explanation and application requisit in a subject of such various matter You will with the more reverence and affection delight and obedience attend to and receive For although all the words therein were not uttered by his own mouth upon Earth yet were they all indited by his holy Spirit who spake by the Prophets and Apostles and is the Lord God of the holy Prophets So that if ye will not hear and obey him herein speaking to you by himself and by them Neither will you be perswaded though one arose and spake to you from Hell and from the dead Ye know after what manner I have been with you at all seasons And how I have kept nothing back that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you both in private and more publiquely Testifying unto you and
exhorting you to repentance towards God and faith to our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold I am as one bound a Prisoner and a banished man separated from you not knowing what things shall further befall me But none of these things move or grieve me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy For I am perswaded and assured that neither Tribulation or Distress Persecution or Famine nakedness or peril or Sword Death or Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord or cause to cease my love to him As therefore loving him because he hath loved me first Yea I am further assured that when I have finished my course a Crown of righteousness is laid up for me which my Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto all those that love his appearing And now my dearly beloved ones I know not God he only knows whether we shall see the Face of one another any more Wherefore that living or dead I may discharge my duty as a Husband and as a Father I take you to record this Day that I am pure from the blood of you all For I have not shunned to declare unto you the counsel of God Take heed therefore to your Souls which God hath purchased with his own blood for I know that after my departure grievous Wolves and Enemies such as the mighty Powers of Darkness the numerous tempting and malicious men of the World and that out of your own selves which therefore are the most dangerous of adversaries will arise strong innumerable and impetuous Lusts all endeavouring to draw you from the Faith and to destroy your most precious Souls Therefore watch and remember that by the space of these many years I have not ceased to warn every one of you Night and Day with tears Therefore my dearly beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved And I intreat thee also true Yoke-fellow help counsel and encourage our Children in the way of godliness and righteousness which is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Hide not thy talent nor neglect the gifts that are in thee until I come again unto you Give attendance to reading to exhortation meditate upon these things that I have written and give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all Be an example to our Children in Word in Conversation in Chastity in Spirit in Faith in Purity For in doing this thou shalt both save thy Self and Family now solely under thy charge and as to the care of whose Soulâ— thou must shortly be accountable at God's Tribunal O ye that are my precious Jewels my chief and only riches upon Earth my mouth is open to you my heart is enlarged ye are not straitned in me be ye not therefore straitned in your own bowels Now for a recompence in the same I speak unto you as unto my Children be ye also enlarged And now dear and beloved Christians for this is the highest and shall be my concluding Title and sweetest compellation as therein not knowing you after the Flesh I commend you unto God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build up and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are sanctified Ceasing not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my Prayers That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ The Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him The Eyes of your understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling And what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints And what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us-ward that believe Your most affectionate Husband and Father J. H. From Antwerpe the First of January 1665. A Directory Letter Mutatis Mutandis sent by the Author to every one of his Twelve Children prefixt to the Manuscript of the following Epistle now Printed for the use and benefit of other Christian Families Dear Daughter Mary I Commend unto your serious and often Reading and Meditation this following Epistle a Work which cost me much labour study and time in the Collection yet performed with much delight and chearfulness as moved to write it to all my Relations by the good Spirit of the Lord as the best means I could use to counsel stir up and advise them with Mary to choose the better part which shall never be taken from them Wherefore loving Daughter let me lay this Paternal Charge upon you as I shall do upon the rest of your Brothers and Sisters for whom I am preparing Transcripts out of the Original written by my own hand That you read it over at least once a Quarter as long as you live as being not mine but the Epistle of our most dear Lord and Saviour presented to you only by my hands his most unworthy Instrument The subject matter thereof being his most sacred Word who is the Lord God of all the holy Prophets the Pen-men hereof And the great Prophet of his Church whose Word whosoever will not hear and obey are threatned to be destroyed My design herein I hope through the grace and mighty power of the most holy Spirit of Christ will be prosperous and effectual as being not only a Letter of advice and counsel from an earthly Father whom I am confident you love and will obey in the Lord But the Epistle and most powerful Exhortations of your heavenly Father yea the love-letter of your Head and Spouse the Lord Jesus Christ who hath married you unto himself in holiness and everlasting righteousness Dear Daughter the holy Scriptures being the Foundation of all saving knowledge and true Religion I have by the direction and assistance of the Lord skim'd off for you the Cream thereof and given you a few proofs of many holding forth as from his own mouth First The excellency of his Person Secondly The Fundamental Articles of the Christian faith and belief in the words of the holy Scripture only Thirdly what things are to be practised by you held forth in God's holy Law Fourthly what evil things are to be eschewed either respecting Doctrine or manners wherein you have the Lord Jesus Christ's encouragement and exhortation to the attaining of all saving graces and virtues and his Dehortation from all errors in Doctrine especially those that are sowen and profest in these worst of times and from all sins and vices in practice Fifthly You have herein many of his Holy Counsels directing
Object of misery is mercy Diseases if known and felt 〈◊〉 often obtain remedies when insensible maladies make Men â—â—glect the opportunity of recovery Man's worst Disease is sin â—â—iginally rooted in us in Adam nourisht and made fruitful by our 〈◊〉 actual transgressions the feeling and knowledge of whiâ—â—â— â—â—st first make us witnesses and publishers of our dangers and 〈◊〉 before God's mercy can be the prospect of our wretchedness 〈◊〉 goodness our healing Wherefore O my Soul let thy followâ—â—â— Meditations triply divide themselves First behold what thou 〈◊〉 in thy fall with the fearful adjuncts thereof that a true huâ—â—â—ation may make thee plyable to receive the happy impression 〈◊〉 God's Seal Secondly what thou art through the mercy of 〈◊〉 in Jesus Christ that thy heart being fraught with thankfulâ—â—ss may praise him both in word and action Thirdly what 〈◊〉 shalt be The consideration of which may make thee perseâ—â—â—â— and press towards the mark only Desiring to be dissolved 〈◊〉 to be with Christ. The judgments best evidence to conclude the praise or difâ—â—ise of things is by contraries therefore the view of our creaâ—â—d happiness will most aptly confirm and discover the infinite â—â—supportableness of our loss which a particular demonstration will better illustrate than a general surview The principal parts in the composure of Man is a Soul and Body of which the Soul as first in degree so in our Discourse The Heathens esteem'd the derivation of their Pedigree from famous Ancestors their chiefest honour some even coveting to line out their Originals from the shameful Adulteries of their imaginary Gods but let us in looking back to our Souls Original glorifie our Creator one not 〈◊〉 not fictitious as theirs but the God of Gods the Lord of Lords Thus the Soul in its Creation hath its beginning from God For in him we live and move and have our Beeing Nay Paul further adds that we are his Off-spring What Creature can be capable of more Honour more Glory The Soul is God's off-spring not in respect of its substance but its qualities even so far forth as it was then adorned by him with Divine gifts and therefore called his Image in respect of the whole Man but especially of the Soul created of a spiritual and immortal Essence as St. Augustine divinely glosses consisting and endued with three supream faculties the Memory Imagination and Will that these yet but one Soul might symbolize the Trinity in Unity The Memory could not then be over-burthened but like a constant good Soyle naturally received all Seeds of goodness and returned them with a plentiful encrease The Phantasie and intellect was as apprehensive as the Memory trusty like a mirrour as it were bâ— reflection discovering to the Souls sight the highest of revealâ—d mysteries being then a fit perspective to appropriate and distinguish all far distant and supream Contemplations The will wâ—â— constant like the Sun in a course of goodness and as a shadow followed the substance of vertue bowing with Mordecai to 〈◊〉 but God Thus in respect of himself was Man the Image of 〈◊〉 Creator behold him so in his domination over the Creatures God saying Let them have dominion over the Fish of the Sea and 〈◊〉 the Foul of the Aire and over the Cattel and over all the Earth As if he should say He is my Likeness my Vicegetent you inferiour Creatures obey him but let him love fear and look only towards me O inestimable favour O unvaluable priviledge and yet behold not valued neglected of Man all Earthly objectâ— quickly satiate the sight but who can sufficiently behold thee O Lord Thus have we glanced over the Compendium of the Souls Happiness a brief indeed For who can express it at large Rare objects are most attractive The Eye of my weak Meditations hath so long gazed on this now Eclipsed Sun that it hath almost forgot the Sphear wherein it is fixt the Body then a Chrystaline Lanthorn fit for such a Lamp now a Prison of a twilighted Soul Here needs not much illustration we may guess at Hercules Stature by his Foot but easily of his Foot by the rest of his Body God's works are all full of perfection the whole Creation had not one lame part In the Souls eminence view the Bodies excellence Man was Gods Image not the Soul only the Body was not God's Image in respect of its Forme since he is invisible incomprehensâ—ble and cannot be by us defined but as it is the inferiour part of Man and inseparable Companion of the rational Soul so it also enjoyed a right in the same Attributes and Priviledges the â—â—ul then giving a Majesty to the Face and being made more â—â—plendent by the fellowship and harmonious marriage with the â—â—dy the Body being necessarily most obvious to be imployed 〈◊〉 all terrene and inferiour actions as the other in Heavenly Conâ—â—mplations Thus with comfort have we gazed upon Man gloâ—â—ous in his Creation as the Sun ascending from Earth 2 ly As 〈◊〉 object to move a religious gratefulness shining in his Meridian of Happiness Let us now in the third place with shame and conâ—â—sion of Face and hearty humiliation of Soul behold him sitting 〈◊〉 darkness quenching his Light in the Ocean of sin and misery Which declining subject that we may more clearly perceive Let 〈◊〉 first consider the causes of our loss 2 ly The fall or act it self dly The fearful effects of so cursed a breach Almighty God â—â—ving Created the great World and lastly Man as an Epitome 〈◊〉 the whole Plants a Garden therein placing him both to be a â—â—esser and Surveyor of those rarities that with pleasure each â—â—ce might view in their Nature the Wisdome in their Forme 〈◊〉 Power of his Creator The merciful Lord makes him and â—â—â—ves him a Free-holder in this Eden this Heaven upon Earth â—â—ly reserves to himself this small Royalty the two Trees the one 〈◊〉 Life the other of good and evil in the midst of the Garden 〈◊〉 we may see it included in that first and general deed of gift â—elivered to Adam And the Lord God commanded the Man â—â—ying Of every Tree of the Garden thou mayst freely eat But of â—he Tree of Knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it 〈◊〉 in the Day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye O â—â—all command O easie Yoke O the free and infinite mercy of â—hee O Almighty Creator What hast thou made Man and 〈◊〉 the World for Man and yet for all this tyest him to no more â—â—vitude than the obedience of one sence Thou shalt not eat O â—â—retched Adam Why didst thou entertain such a cursed credulity believing rather thy Slave than thy Lord an inferiour Creaâ—ure before thy Creator the Father of Lies before the Truth it self Was thy free judgment thus soon captivated Lord leave not us weaklings to our selves but magnifie thy power in our imbecility Surely
Tun'd Unto thy Praise and thy Great NAME Be blest by ALL that read the same Who shall by Favours shew'd to MEE Be mov'd to Love and Trust in THEE Accept dear Lord in Goodness what 's here Thine And in Thy MERCY Pardon what is Mine Yea Let this Humble Work a future BASIS be For SAINTS to raise Colums of Glory unto Thee Place this afore Occasional Meditations at Folio 347 AN EXHORTATORY EPISTLE TO THE Nobility and Gentry of Great Britain Right Honorable NOble and generous Spirits of this famous Island Whose Persons I truly love and honour both as Christians and of the same Nation with me as also for your excellent wits parts and gifts who equallize Tully and Virgil in Eloquence and Poetry Witness your many Romances Comedies Tragedies and amorous Works now extant O consider all you that are thus rarely accomplisht both by Art and Nature that you must shortly give an account of these deposited Talents and of your mis-spent time and stewardships at the neer approaching Sessions and Goal-delivery of your Souls out of the Prison of your Bodies and at the great Assize the dreadful Day of Judgment to our great God and to the Lord Jesus the Judge of the quick and the dead Who hath made all things for his Glory and the wicked for the Day of his Wrath. O will you not then blush for shame and be confounded at what you now pride your selves in when Sathan your Maecenas shall then be your Accuser and produce as evidence against you Item so many precious Hours lost such high strains and Veines of Witrun wast such excellent Language defiled and abused and such and such a happy Muse ravisht and debaucht in the compiling and publishing so many false and unhallowed Legions to stir up and inflame your own Lusts and the sleeping passions and corruptions of the Youth of both Sexes in these Nations So many Stage-Playes the Scoffers of goodness and holiness of conversation the Consumers of useful time and of the innate Virtue Modesty and Estates of all kindes of Persons as also so many Frothy and Airy amorous Verses Ditties and Songs the Nurses and Panders of all manner of loosness and uncleanness in all sorts of People Had these precious Stones and Gems these sparkling Diadems I mean your choice Indowments been set in Aaron's Brest-plate or been offered up as a gift to God who gave you them to be for the Ornament and praise of his Church his Temple How brightly would they have shin'd as in their proper Sphear for which he created them Whereas they are now by their fall from their Heavenly Orbe to this vile Earth of sin and vanity become like so many sliding Stars which whilst they pass through the darkned Aire of corrupted and deceived Observers give forth a false Light and suddenly are extinct leaving behind them nothing but a corrupting Belly and a Hellish and sulphurious stink to the view and in the Nostrils of all Divine Astronomers Is it your highest honour to be stiled Christians have you at your Installment in Baptisme vowed and promis'd to resist the Devil the World and the Flesh And will you by your wanton Poems and vain Sonnets offer Sacrifices to Sathan the God of this World and to his Idol the World and blot and blur your sacred and glorious Title and dishonour and prophane that holy Name by which you are called Hath the Lord Jehovah your gracious God and Almighty Saviour who was the first great Orator and Poet that wrote upon Earth given you an unparallel'd Example by the Pen of Moses in the whole Book of Deuteronomy the very Marrow of Divine Eloquence Deut. chap. 1. vers 3. and in that Elixar of Poesie that Song of the Lord 's own composing Deut. 32. to the end of the 43. vers Hath his choicest Saints lest you sublime patterns of Heavenly Poesie Witness the Songs of Moses and Meriam Exod. 15. unto the 22. vers and Psal. 90. Of Deborath and Barak Jud. 5. to the end Of King David 2 Sam. 22. from Vers. 2. to the end Besides his Book of Psalms upon divers subjects witness also the 11. Psalmes of Asaph beginning with the 73. Psal. and ending with the 82. Psal The Psalmes of Heman and Ethan the Ezrahites Psal. 88. and 89. The Canticles or Song of Songs written by King Solomon besides One Thousand and Five other Songs 1 Kings 4.32 The Songs written by the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 5.1 and Chap. 26.1 the Song of Habakkuk Chap. 3. to the end And in the New Testament the Song of the blessed Virgin and of Simeon and the many Angelical and Heavenly Hymnes wherewith the mysterious Book of the Revelations is gloriously imbroidered Besides these excellent Presidents and Examples the sacred Scriptures are full of Precepts enjoyning and commanding this thankfull chearfull and singing temper to be in all his Saints in these words and the like Whosoever offereth praise glorifieth me Psal. 50.23 O come let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation Psal. 95.1 The like Psal. 96.1 98.1 Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely Psal. 147.1 In the New Testament we are commanded to rejoice ever-more 1 Thes. 51.6 and to sing with Grace in our hearts Psalmes and Hymnes and Spiritual Songs Col. 3.16 In which holy exercise our blessed Saviour hath given us his Example after his last Supper Math. 26.30 And that blessed Poet and singer of Israel that Man after God's own heart King David Who upon divers gracious providences deliverances and mercies as well private as publick penned many Psalmes As upon the occasion of his flight from his Son Absolon the slanderous words and treacherous actings of Cush the Benjamite the Psalm of thanksgiving before mentioned for his many deliverances from Saul and all his Enemies And at the Dedication of his House To these I shall add the Psalm penned by him when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech alias Achish King of Gath His Song of loves or commendation of Solomon's Queen the Egyptian The Tipe of the Gentile Church his penitential Psalm when Nathan had been with him after he had gone into Bathsheba his Poem concerning Doeg's false accusation of Abimelech the High Priest his Psalm upon the Ziphims discovery of him to Saul another when the Philistims took him in Gath Also his two thankful Memorials of his deliverance from Saul in the Cave and another for his preservation when Saul sent and they watched his House to kill him A third upon his Victory over Aram Naharaim Aram Zobath and against the Edomites A fourth concerning his abode in the Wilderness of Judah to these may yet further be observed the Song written for his Son Solomon and his Psalm for the Sabbath Day To these Scripture examples which are indeed the very sacred Rhetorick and Poesie of the
Eternal God the Holy Ghost lest you should think it too high presumption to write after so rare a Copy Let me remember you of and set before you also â—s so many laudable and excellent Patterns a few of the many famous Works of our own Country-men such as the divine and eloquent Contemplations and occasional Meditations of Doctor Hall Spencer's Fairy Queen Deveout Hâ—rberts sweet guards and honest Wither's Poems which are as so many eminent Piramides of white and black Marble whose tops point towards Heaven as glorifying God as their chief aime and end and whose substance and Basis shall as their living Monuments stand fixt and undemolish upon Earth to their perpetual honour and as â—eaching Pillars to Posterity for ever Here possibly some of you may object that you are to seek of subjects to imploy our parts and giftâ— upon to the glory of God and the good and Instruction of your Brethren To whom I answer View and contemplate the wonderful Works of our Almighty and most wise Creator in the vast Canony of the Heavens and the large Globe of the Earth and Seas and you shall finde matter enough for all the Tongues Pens and gifts of Men and Angels Be not like the bruit Beasts that remain sensual and dumb in the midst of wonders Are you professedly Christians and shall that great and glorious subject the admirable and stupendious work of your Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ God-Man the Saviour anointed the Mysterious work of the Incomprehensible Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost the Eternal God blessed for ever a work above all expressions and conceptions yea above the praises of holy Saints made perfect and glorious Angels wherein is held forth if ever you hope to be saved from Hell and endless torments your free and eternal Election by God the Father to everlasting Life and Glory your effectual calling and sanctification by the holy Spirit your free Justification by the alone righteousness of Christ and ravishing lively hope of a never ending happy and blessed state in the highest Heavens The blessed fruit and effect of the infinite and free love of God of the unvaluable Righteousness Merit Death Passion Satisfaction and continued Mediation of Christ our Lord that Person who is God in our Nature the eternal begotten and beloved Son of the Father the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his Person I say shall this Miracle of divine love this wonder of wonders these your chief and greatest concerns together with its most beautiful attendants Faith Hope Love and the rest of the holy Image of God in you be slighted forgotten and not thought worthy to be the subject of your choicest Oratory and Poetry and of the best of your gifts wit and parts O Jewish Ingratitude shall a Heavenly Host of Angels much less concern'd than you begin give and leave you a pattern in that short but full Anthem at our Saviour's Birth Glory be to God on High on Earth peace good will towards Men And will you be still wickedly yea brutishly unthankful and not follow their holy example shall not the French Druids and our own British Bards stand up in Judgment against you at the last Day But possible some of you will say you are as yet but Babes in Christ and your Muse cannot as yet mount so high as these sublime Misteries to whom I answer Is not the large Mapp of God's great constant and marvellous providences actings and deliverances towards his Church in all Ages even from the beginning of the World until this Day spread before your Eyes in the sacred Scriptures of truth and in Ecclesiastical and other Histories Yea in your own Nation in this our Age of wonders All which in honour and gratitude to God and the edification and encouragement of his Church calls for from you in Imitation of God's Saints in former times as hath been afore declared many Triumphant Arches Pillars and Monuments of praise both in Prose and Verse never to be worn out by time or thrown down by the Malice and slanders of traducing Persons But probably some of you may be Politicians and time-servers and therefore although convins't of your duty think it neither prudent nor safe to discover either your Religion Judgment or affection To such that like Naman to the Prophet Elisha say God be merciful to me in this I cannot say go in peace but this I will say that Ingratitude includes all other sins against God and Man Si ingratum dixeris Omnia dixeris Wherefore that all such may convince and Judge themselves notwithstanding all these Excuses and subter fuges Let me ask them this question Have you from your birth until now received no mercies nor blessings from God to your Souls to your Bodies or to your Relations No recovery from spiritual or bodily Diseases nor deliverances from spiritual and corporal enemies and dangers no blessings temporal spiritual and eternal no gracious and extraordinary providences to you or yours If then you cannot deny but must acknowledge to have received from the Lord many favours of this Nature O may I not say of the most of the English Nobility and Gentry as once our Saviour of the Ten Leapers Were there not Ten cleansed where are the Nine Only One returning to give thanks Wherefore lest your unthankfulness mud and stop up the stream of God's mercy to you and the Nation for the future and since it is God's commands the practise of God's Saints and your duty as Creatures and Christians to be Praisefull Yea lest your Talents be taken from you and given to others and you receive that most terrible Sentence declared by our Lord at his return to the unprofitable Servant that hid his Talent in a Napkin Bind him Hand and Foot and cast him into everlasting Fire O let that fearful Declaration like a Thunder-clap rouse and awaken you out of your sleepy sloathfulness the Night is far spent the Day is at hand even of your Judgment and mine Wherefore walk as Children of the Light and Husband that Inch of your Life which is behind redeeming the time because the Days you live in are evil Stir up the Grace that is in you meditate of and contemplate the ineffable excellencies and attributes of our Incomprehensible God as they are manifested in his glorious actings and the fore-mentioned particulars Pen Publish Print to this and future Generations his wonderful works and praises So shall you be Angelical Heralds of his Glory Grandize and Ennobilize your Nobility dignifie and hononourably perpetuate your Gentility And not like most of the preceding Peers and Gentry of this Nation which is worth your observation have like them your Names written in the Dust and buried in oblivion O joyn then with Angels and Ark-Angels and all the Triumphant and glorified Saints in Heaven in spiritual and divine Hallelujahs here and you shall certainly sing your part with them in the blessed
Chore of Glory to Eternity Right honourable and renowned Gentlemen as I have presum'd to present and direct this weak Piece to your view so what I have above written in Zeal to God's glory and unfeigned love to your Souls shall be my Apology to the following subject As that my end therein is primarily the glory of God whose praises is my duty as well as his command to exalt in my own Soul and others as hath been declared and to perpetuate as much as in me lies to my Posterity and to all future Generations what great and free love mercy and goodness he hath shewed to me and mine herein endeavouring to imitate the Holy example of that Royal Psalmist King David who hath thus in Verse exprest both his resolution and practise Come unto me all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul I say for my Soul as may appear in some degree in the alluzions and applications in several temporal mercies and personal deliverances commemorated in this Book I acknowledging to Angels and Men that God's Fatherly love in Christ and care of my poor Soul in supporting preserving and delivering it from Sin Sathan and the World my mighty Adversaries and from innumerable spiritual evils and temptations Do as far transcend to the glory of his free grace be it spoken my temporal and corporal deliverances and mercies as the Heaven is above the Earth and my unvaluable Soul is more precious than this poor Hut of Earth I sojourn in Here possibly some great Men or rare Wits who Eagle-like soar far above my mean parts and gifts may uncharitably sensure and object to say no more What doth this poor Man's Personal or spiritual mercies and deliverances concern us To such I answer Are you Christians and fellow-members of Christ's Body and will you not weep with those that weep and rejoice with those that rejoice As God commands you Can you be living Members although in the highest rank in this spiritual Body and not sympathize and be affected with the grief or weal of the lowest Christians its Feet O take heed lest such pride and insensibleness declare you to be no living Member of one Church However I am assured all those that fear God now and in Ages to come shall read with delight rejoice and praise God with me for his gracious providences and merciful deliverances recorded in this following Treatise Which I although cloathed in a plain and low stile in the Opinion it may be of some carping Momusses and over-curious Criticks whom nothing will please but what 's their own or what is like Sphynkes Ridles to be understood by a few Or that is not imbroidered with humane strains of Wit and Eloquence or bumbasted and imbossed with affected praises and needless Epithites For my part I have not endeavoured to humour such nor to drown matter in words but without affectation vaunting or racking in Prose or in Verse I have desired to keep to my own Genuine and natural Dialect And to be understood rather than to be so obscure as to need a Comment What you finde is good herein it flowes although through my Leaden Pipe from the Spirit of the Lord the unexhaustible Fountain of Grace and goodness what is incongruous or evil it is the sinful slime and filth which naturally cleaves to every humane Aquaeduct except the Holy Scripture Nam Humanum est Errare which being in voluntary is pardoned by the Lord I doubt not of yours unless I should be so uncharitable as to think you disdain to imitate so Divine a Pattern To conclude my Lords and Gentlemen I confess I was heartily grieved for my own and your great ingratitude when upon a diligent inquiry I could finde few or none Monuments or Returns of this Nature although I am assured all of you are vastly indebted to our great and gracious God for numberless spiritual and temporal blessings mercies and deliverances and which is worse many of you have great Incomes given you by him and to this end of wit parts and gifts with which you might and ought to make to him a just and thankful repayment especially since our liberal Heavenly Father expects from you but his own Coin lent you to improve to his glory and but a sincere praiseful and declared acknowledgments for real and unvaluable benefits This serious and sad consideration of my own and your sinfull Omissions stirred me up speedily lest I should dye ungratefull to Pen and publish this Work not only in discharge of my duty to the only great and glorious God my loving and merciful Father But as an humble Essay and Copy for you to write by which if but any one of you follow I shall rejoyce much because such an one hath received great good thereby and the Lord by him much glory But if none I shall weep in secret for your Ingratitude And have much joy and peace in that herein I have done my duty to God and to you But I hope better things of you In which charitable expectation I subscribe my self my Lords and Gentlemen Your most humble Servant In the Lord J. H. OCCASIONAL MEDITATIONS ARGUMENT Vpon the Lord's most gracious Sustentation of Me when I was Born a Moneth before my full time Soliloquium or Discourse EVery extraordinary acting of Nature is not only to be admired but to be observed by us wherefore was I so over-hasty to be Born which the wisest of the Heathen accounted the bginning of their misery Was I weary of my Eight Moneths Prison and ambitious of a freer Place and Air Or was my heart more hot than others and therefore sooner needed the refreshing fanning of my Lungs Or was the Womb weary of such a sinful burden or rather did my loving Mother's affectionate longing to see and enjoy me occasion this Abortion was it weakness in her or too early strength in me that relaxt or brake in Pieces the silver Bonds of the Womb was I by the care of the Nurse wrapt in the Skin of a Lamb as in a second Womb to preserve and renue my heat and life were some or all these the natural causes of my unexpected Birth and preservation yet it becomes me as a Christian to look far higher even to him who is the cause of causes the beeing of Beeings Natura Naturans God blessed for ever whose Eternal Will and Decree was the first cause the others but secondary Yea he was the Midwife that brought me forth thus sooner into this World of sin and misery In sense of which my sad condition as by a natural instinct with all other Infants the first thing I did then was to weep and cry How much more cause have I now and that experimentally with humble Paul to cry out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death and to sigh out this my Prayer and spiritual Hymn unto the Lord The NEW BIRTH
her Ape and imitatrix As for the Plain it self which I may well call Nature's great Oval Table because there she Daily teasted her Guests and off-spring it was most beautifully spread as it were with a green Carpet of unshorn Velvet imbroidred with many coloured and Gold like Flowers For it was now about the Moneth of May the gladsome and concluding time of her anniversary Feast in remembrance of her Creation the Beasts we call wild as though they had been metamorphized Acteons and had still retained his reason seem'd tame and civiliz'd feeding upon her Varieties cookt and prepared for them there without intemperance or gluttony But O how short and temporary are all Earthly delights and refreshments for no sooner was I cheared contented and revived after about ten Hours travel with this new Scene of things pleasant change and sweet prospect but the carreering of four Horse-men issuing out of several quarters of the Woods alarm'd me to prepare for an on-set and to alight with my Servant that drawing our Swords and cocking our Pistols and backt by our Horses we might not be surpriz'd but secure our selves and a considerable sum of Money This our prepared vigilancy as I conjecture being at a neer distance perceived by our adversaries they stopt united and wheeled about retreating into the Woods again thereby encouraging us to remount and to return that Night with safety home But the true cause of this great deliverance as being from thee O Lord is only known to thee who struck the Sodomites and Syrians with an intellectual rather than with an organical blindness that thou mightest preserve safe thy Lot and Elisha and caused the numerous Army besieging Samaria for the sake of a few there and to make thy Word good and thy Power known to be abused and deceived also by their other Sence of Hearing and to fly when none pursued them How and by what means these Robbers were diverted I know not but this I know that it is my duty O Lord greatly to praise thee for this preservation and to commemorate it to Posterity for ever which accept I beseech thee in this my poor Sacrifice of Thanks-giving and never-dying Record dedicated to thy Glory Amen The RESCVE Ejaculation or Hymn on the former Subject MY Life from first to last O Lord's A Pilgrimage a Journing tow'rds My home few evil are my Dayes As wrackt with sickness scortcht with Raies Of Earthly and Coelestial Suns Wearied with care dusted undone With slanders sweating all my race Vnder sad troubles and disgrace Amidst these travels thou didst please Good God to give to me some ease An interval wherein I did A sweet refreshing take and rid As on a Plain adorn'd with store Of Flowry blessings green all o're With mercies then I Brutes did see Grown tame and civiliz'd by Thee Yea there encompast with thy Armes I was from Sun and other harmes Secur'd then did I often hear Musick beyond that of the Spheres Without within me But alas This lasted not for soon I was Assailed by a Troop of slie And Hellish Thieves powers in high Places spiritual wickedness Skilfully arm'd none weaponless One Fiend as I remember well Had Darts of Lust inflam'd from Hell Another Bow and Arrowes on Feather'd with Pride Ambition A third was arm'd Cappee point Vâ—e With a Coat-Male of Avarice The last with Sword and Lance excess Of Pleasures and Voluptuousness O Lord I bless thee who didst then And since counsel even when I knew not how for to defend My Soul and Treasures from these Fiends Thou didst advise me to dismount From my own strength and to account Humility the surest Ground On which to stand and to confound These Robbers yea thou did'st prepare And cockt my heart full-charg'd with prayer Thou help'st me to draw out thy Sword The Devil-daunting written Word They thus repulst fled gave me space For to proceed on tow'rds my Place Of rest and peace That Tower wherein No fear of Sathan World or Sin The Soul and Body both which thou Didst and dost still preserve shall bow Vnto thy Praise Eternally And Triumph in thy Victory Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's good Providence over me and his Preservation of me from the Vices of the times when I was left by my Parents to my liberty and alone in the Cities of Westminster and London young and about Seventeen Years of Age. Soliloquium or Discourse O How early even in the Spring of my Youth did sin and vanity bud flower and bring forth clusters of Sodom and Apples of Gomorah no sooner was I mounted for London about the year 1625. but a Troop of Lusts were on Horse-back also ready to attend me thither Viz. Pride in a disguise and Garment of neatness Lust in a light riding suit of love and amorousness Lying in a divers coloured Coat of Complement and good language and Idleness in a wide-made Suit slasht and open-sleeved of recreation upon which was a travelling Cloak of friendly Visits seventy miles as to my labour seem'd but a short stage but as to my longing desires five hundred until I got a fight of the Southern constellation of the English Geminy Peter and Paul's Churches and the united Cities of London and Westminster where I was no sooner setled but I found my self unsetled through the multitude of temptations and incitations to sin and vanity Being almost suffocated with ill scent of pride and vanity I rode out for Recreation to a Park neer it to find out sweeter Air but there me thought the Proverb was verified The World runs upon Wheels which raised up Clouds of dust as though the Earth against Nature would take place of the Element of Air There I saw many Inchanters of both Sexes raise their familiars and command and charm them within multiplied circles of Coaches wherefore I returned from thence to walk as I conceived in a more private and reserved Paradice called therefore the Springs Garden but that I was so crowded and shouldred with the Gallants of both Sexes which as so many moving Groves fill'd up and replanted the Walks that the whole Garden was me thought changed into a wild Wood and Wilderness wherefore to avoid this throng through some solitary Meddowes and winding Paths I sought in the Centre of the Wood for some place of privacy and found some little Hermitages where I hoped to have discoursed with some sober or devout Persons but found them to be Chapels of ease dedicated to Bacchus Ceres and Venus which made me think of the truth and reason of that Sentence Sine Cerere Bacho friget Venus The Lord's Day being come I thought to spend that Day better than the Days of the Weeks past and therefore Visited the Church of Peter's Westminster which to say no more in its commendation according to Relations I found to be in some things like St. Peter's Church in Rome This being I was a Protestant and in a Protestant City
and other such like Is it so O my Soul And hath the Lord so extraordinarily and abundantly blessed this Ordinance and condition unto thee as thou hast declared in thy foregoing Memorial and thankful Acknowledgment Let upon this occasion thy Meditation be further stirred up and inlarged and from this great temporal blessing and mystery behold declare and point out the far greater and excelling blessings which are and shall be enjoyed by thee and the Church the Spouse of Christ by our spiritual Marriage and Union unto Him As Marriage in the Institution and in the particular Application is the Holy Ordinance of God and the blessed effect of his gracious Providence and Eternal Decree All Marriages according to the Proverb being made in Heaven so is that great Architype thereof the Marriage of the Church and in it of every true believer unto Christ. The Father bringing every one of us to him as he did Eve to Adam For none comes to me but whom the Father draws saith our Saviour Christ yea our Election effectual Calling and Regeneration together with our Union by Faith and spiritual Espousal to Christ our Heavenly Husband is of and from the Eternal Decree Love and Election of God our Father As the Woman was of the Man and not the Man of the Woman and the Woman was Created for the Man and not the Man for the Woman so was the Church typified by Eve taken out of the side of the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ that she might be made as being his Rib Beloved and neer to his heart Flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone his only Spouse and one with him as the Apostle Paul asserts Eph. the 5. ver 30. This was effectually done when being asleep in Death upon the Cross the Beeing and Redemption of his Church arose and sprung forth of his side in a Flood of infinite precious and Cordial Blood and Water To conclude this our spiritual Union and Marriage is by the Apostle called a great Mystery as being the blessed effect of the free grace of God who is assentially love and therefore it is as to the heighth and depth length and breadth thereof Incomprehensible and passing all understanding By vertue of this Espousal in Baptisme we as Wives amongst us change our names into his and instead of Adamites are called Christians And on our part promise to forsake Father and Mother and all things else for him and to honour love and obey him On the other part the Lord Jesus Christ thus betroth'd to us in holiness and everlasting righteousness becomes thereby our Lord Law-giver and Spouse our Pattern Protector and Saviour as in the Type Husbands amongst us are or ought to be unto their Wives and as they so he endowes us here not only with all temporal blesings so far as shall be for our good For Godliness hath the promises of this Life and of that Life which is to come But with the rich dowry of all the saving Graces of his holy Spirit Cloathing us with the white Robes of his perfect and immaculat righteousness As being made of God unto us righteousness wisdom sanctification and redemption Yea the Lord our righteousness And as for hereafter he gives us the earnest and assurance of being Co-heirs with him of Eternal Life and Glory Amen EPITHELAMIVM Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject BReath not this Aire Men of unchast desires No Fewels here for your unhallow'd Fires Lord I adore thy wisdome and thy love That shadow'st in blest Wedlock things above Teaching Vs that this Vnions Mystical And sets forth thine with Vs Before the Fall A crooked Kib thou streightnest gav'st it Life Mad'st it a Virgin pure first Adam's Wife That she of thy dear Spouse the Type might be Once crookt by sin but now made streight in Thee Yea in the chast delights of Marriage-Bed Her union thou holdst forth with thee her Head In which thou giv'st to her thy loves that she Be'ng first belov'd might flame in love to Thee Kissing her with the kisses of thy Mouth Quickned with sp'rit and life thy sacred Truth Thou also her incirclest in the Armes Of thy protection And her frees from harmes For why thy right hand-power doth her o're-spread And left hand-care supports her graceful head Her sp'rit'al senses ear tast smell touch sight Thou satisfi'st with ravishing delight Her piercing eye of Faith sees and applies Thy excellency hid from Worldly eyes Her eares be'ng fill'd with Musick of thy Voice Doth in thy Word and promises rejoyce Thou altogether lovely art unto Her inward touch whence mutual love doth flow She tasts thy Spice Myrrh Hony Milk and Wine Of Hope Joy Peace Delight all sweets Divine Thy Spicknard Camphire fills her smelling sence Also thy Cassida Aloes Frankinsence And fragrant Oyntments All which well express Thy love truth mercy wisdome holiness Thy power and goodness grace and righteousness Sweet Oders which her cherish and refresh In fine thy Nuptial-Bed is covered o're And pav'd with love and fill'd with Graces store Here in her thou shed'st incorrupted Seed Begets in her a Christ-like forme indeed Whence follows that which joyes both Heaven and Earth Divine Conception and thy Saints new-birth So that one Christ one Sp'rit one flesh and bone One Body is thy Church thus 't was made one Hence as of Faith and mutual love the effects Thou rul'st and in her dwell'st and her protects Cloaths her with Golden Robes thy righteousness Mak'st her within glorious through holiness Giv'st her the promises of this World's life And of that life to come and as thy Wife Crown'st her with Glory sets her on thy Throne With thee on Earth as thy beloved One Next to thy Fathers Kingdome her translates To live with God Thy Churches highest State Another Hymn upon the same blessed Subject being Meditations upon my Marriage-Day The TYPE BLest Miracle of Love whose sacred Rights Restores to Man his own and re-unites Natures Division Two Bodies were combin'd In Adam once Loe here two Souls I find Knit in a purer union How doth the smile of one Attend the others joy her sighs my groane If absence parts us like as though one breath Did fan two hearts both seem to suffer Death If distance Clouds our view the strength of Love Doth make our thoughts as well as Bodies move In visits to each other So though two parts We seem to be we still are one in Heart The Anti Type or Application MY Love my Spouse my Sav'our Can the Fires Sprung from weak Natures notions and desires Produce such Sympathies O let thy flame Spir'd by a purer spirit effect the same In my unworthy Soul The Loves of all Compar'd with that of thine the Original Are but as shades to substances the Ray Vnto its Globe of light as Night to Day Lord in my Baptisme
which from the middle story my vil'd heart Flamed through my Eyes Balcons and fill the highest part My mind with smokie darkness so that Flakes of Fire Indangered thence my Neighbours House yet hath not thy just Ire Good God left me thus foolishly by my own act To be burnt down but in remembrance of my firm contract To thy dear Son my Spouse thou didst bind up restrain Sathan that unclean Sp'rit the Wind that blew that Flame Yea pour'd by th' hand of faith thereon my Saviour's blood Which dampt those Fires repair'd and made thy Structure good Lord am I a Bankrupt unable to repay My Debt of Gratitude for favours every Day Deliverances from many Dangers Temporal What shall I render for these Mercies spiritual Lord I am wholly thine by right of Creation And thy Son's purchase constant preservation Wherefore accept thy own my all Let it suffice Since Soul and Body is thy living Sacrifice Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's gracious preserving of me from being Burnt in my Lodgings in Summerset House Soliloquium or Discourse DAy unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth knowledge as to the constant gracious and wonderful Providences of the Lord for the preservation of his People Amongst whom to the praise and glory of his free grace be it spoken I have had a large share witness the foregoing Records and this deliverance when in the conclusion of some Hours spent alone in Fasting and Prayers and I ready to arise from my Knees and to change my Cushion for my Bed at Ten a Clock at Night I heard a great crack as of a Pistol issuing from behind the Hangings and corner of the Chamber within two Yards of me at which suddain noise I arose up and pulled back the Hangings saw a Barrel full of small-Cole all of a flame occasioned by the innocent carelesness and thrift of my Fire-maker who had cast back some live small Coales into the Tub the breaking of whose burnt Hoops gave me this timely Alarm which had it been delayed but a few Minutes I and my Servant had been a Bed and asleep and lockt up in my Bed-Chamber within that Dining-Room And the Hangings that hung over the Barrel certainly Fired together with that Room and that whole stately Structure O Lord whilst we are faithfully imployed in thy service and worship we are assuredly under thy Almighty Protection who hast promised to those that make thee their Refuge That there shall no evil befall them nor any Plague come neer their dwellings That thy Angels shall take charge of them to keep them in all their ways that they shall bear them up in their hands lest they dash their Foot against a Stone O how sweet how comfortable how incouraging to thy People is the most firm belief of the constant presence watchful and powerful assistance of thy glorious Angels whom thou hast made Ministring Spirits for the good of thy Elect As thy Servant at this time found by experience Such gracious Providences as this being most probably timed acted and discovered by an Angel as the laying of the Train and kindling of the Fire and inflaming of the Barrel might possibly be the malicious contrivance of a wicked Spirit Who as the Scriptures witness are as constantly Instruments of evil to Man-kinde although the wicked World are ignorant thereof as the others are of all good to thy Children Lord probably it was the Devils will and design that the Barrel should not have flamed forth so soon by a quarter of an Hour and then without any noise that so the Chamber being empty and we a Bed and asleep and the Hangings on Fire we might have been first certainly smothered and afterwards burnt A Roman-like Obsequie But thy All-wise providence suffered him as thou didst his Guy Faulkes to bring his Plot to an accomplishment and then ordered thy Angel thus strangely and opportunely to discover to thy greater glory his disappointment and thy Servants wonderful Salvation and serious Observation of this thy most Fatherly love care and watchfulness over me thy poor Child and Creature Blessed God and Father how hast thou through our Adoption in Christ meliorated our condition so that our greatest Enemies in all their malicious actings against us are now made but Carriers to convey thy love-tokens unto us yea all our troubles and dangers are so many choice and faith-strengthning experiences of thy Power Goodness and mercy so that now instead of fearing of them we can rejoyce and triumph in and over them And give to our selves and others a satisfying reason why thou sufferest Devils and Diabolical Men thus to act rage and persecute thy Saints when thou couldest in a moment cast them all into Hell Why thou leadest us into various Temptations afflicts us with Diseases sufferest us to be Daily incompast about with troubles and dangers when in an instant thou couldest renew and make again this Earth our Paradice Is it not O Lord as well as to exercise and brighten our Graces and to purge out our sins that in and by these Trials thou mightest also have a frequent and fit occasion to manifest thy self unto us in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ in all thy glorious Attributes of Power and Wisdome Justice and Faithfulness Love Mercy and Goodness Thus O Lord this great danger of Burning was to me the Mother of a far greater mercy thy wonderful preservation and shall now and for ever be the subject of my praise and thanks-giving which I humbly present to thy most gracious Majesty in this Memorial and the following Poem Amen The DELIVERANCE A Corolary Poem on the former Subject O Lord how aptly doth thy sacred Word compare Men unto Travellers whose toilsome Journeys are Begun even from the Womb whence natures pass they have And make some short some longer steps unto the Grave Our common home fulfilling thy Decree most just For sin That Earthly Bodies shall return to Dust But is this all 's held forth by this comparison No our Life and Way like theirs is tiresome O're Hills through Vailes now high then low through passages That cragged Woody are untrode where Ambushes Of sundry mischiefs troubles Thief-like us engage Such hath my course been Lord throughout my Pilgrimage Instance amongst the rest of my Life 's Narrative This following danger and thy loves preservative Who would have thought dead small Coals laid some yards from fire Vnused for five Hours space should as it were conspire Behind my Hangings without sight or scent of fume Or crackling me and a great Pallace to consume Or that my harmless Maid should ignorantly lay A train o're Night to burn us all before next Day By her too careless thrift in casting back some Coales Inkindled when she made my Fire Who could controle But thou O Lord this dreadful fate of causes set Within few Minutes to produce a sad effect Thou forcest the dead Barrels Hoops i' th nick of time To sound
and unadvisedly shoot sharp Arrowes even bitter words In the same sence they may also be compared to Guns out of which Gun-powder-wits shoot forth piercing jeeres floutes and slanders to the blowing up and firing the good Names and passions of themselves and those they converse with O be thou therefore pleased to shield me in and deliver me from such Company Yea set a watch upon my Lips that I offend not with my Tongue so shall I not shoot at or be shot at by others And joyn that Mercy with this other to my Family in my Thanksgiving For which I praise thee as shall my Childrens Children when they shall read this and the rest of thy most gracious providences and merciful deliverances to me and mine Amen PROVIDENCE A Poem upon the same Subject ALl Actings here are ordered from above Although they seem excentrical to move Like Watches Wheels turn'd by a Spring unseen In this Worlds Play Dame Fortune hath no scean The Down of Snow and the white Candid Balls Of Hail do not irregularly fall Sparrowes and Haires do not upon Earth light Without Divine appointment and fore-sight No second cause prefer'd nor happy chance Did Esther to the Persian Throne advance Not Michal's wit nor Planets good Aspect Did David from the Sword of Saul protect But the Almighties presence which doth Eye And Govern all things this is Destinie Thus was a piece order'd to wound the Wall When carelesly discharg'd missing them all Within that Room unto the wonder joy Of our whole Family freed from annoy All kindes of Death are fearful most of all That which is suddain since by it doth fall Souls with Mens Bodies oft into a Tomb From whence there is no Resurrection How great was then this Mercy Lord that spar'd Some unconverted others unprepar'd For Death leaving to Vs within that Room Deep Characters of thy protection Vnto thy praise let 's raise Pyramidies And Print them here and in our memories And since thy presence only doth protect Let it produce in Vs this blest effect That we may alwayes fear to sin so shall we be Free from this double Death and Cas'alty Dreading no dangers fate or destiny Because before prepar'd to live or die Amen ARGUMENT Being a thankful remembrance and acknowledgment of the Lord 's great goodness and bounty in giving Me by one and my only Wife Sixteen Children Soliloquium or Discourse MArriage is honorable amongst all Men and the Bed undefiled not only to the Jewish but Gentile Nations Insomuch that some Common-Wealths have allotted great rewards priviledges and immunities to the Parents that in lawful Wedlock have had many Children Yea the Holy Ghost records it no doubt to the honor of Jaier the Gileadite that he had thirty Sons to whom he gave thirty Cities and of Gideon that he had three-score and ten Sons The poorest Man that hath a numerous Issue is therein more serviceable and a greater Benefactor to the Church and State than the noblest and richest Subjects that have few or none To whom the Scriptures gives this name of diminution that they are barren and dry Trees in the Vineyard of the Church and Common-wealth The consideration of which sad and unfruitful condition caused the Melancholy of Hanna the passionate speech of Rachel Give me Children or else I dye and the discontented reply to say no worse of faithful Abraham to the Lords most gracious offer and promise I will be thy Shield and thy exceeding great reward Lord what wilt thou give me since I go Childless On the other side the happiness and blessedness of fruitfulness is held forth in God's after-promise to Abraham that he should be the Father of many Nations and that his Seed should be as the Sand of the Sea-shore and the Stars of Heaven In his blessing upon Jacob in giving him Twelve Sons the Roots and Basis of that great and National Church and of his only people the Twelve Tribes of Israel This blessing as the greatest and richest of temporal good things is set in the front of the Psalmist's Song of praise that our Sons may be as plants grown up in their Youth and our Daughters may be as Corner-stones polished after the similitude of a Palace Yea it is held forth not only as a blessing too but as a discovering Character many times of a godly Man Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine by the sides of thine House Thy Children like Olive-plants round about thy Table Behold that thus shall the Man be blessed that feareth the Lord. O most gracious and liberal God and Father are a numerous Issue and many hopeful Children a great blessing yea the richest of all outward temporal gifts as hath been here noted and is observed in the following Poem How great hath been thy goodness unto me and how many are my Obligations to thee that hast given me by one Wife Sixteen Olive-branches and them circumstantiated with divers remarkable favours Many have had Children but much to their grief as mournfully falling out of a living Coffin of Flesh into a dead one of Earth or expiring not long after Whereas all mine except four are in great mercy continued to me in life and health unto this Day And as for the four deceased two of them being Daughters they departed hence about the age of four years a time of much innocency The other two being a Son and a Daughter and both gracious Children slept in the Lord after they had attained unto years of discretion and therefore I have good reason in Charity to hope they are all with God in Glory Divers Persons have Children but they through their Parents error or neglect involuntarily or voluntarily which â—â—st is most to be lamented have departed hence unsealed unbaptized But the Lord hath greatly favoured me in giving me the honour to offer all but one born when I was absent in the Wars to him in Baptism with fervent prayer and thanksgiving Many have Children but they are either redundant or defective in their Members or Senses or otherwise deformed But the Lord graciously gave unto me mine perfect and well-favour'd Others have Issue but they are all of one Sex But the Lord beneficially almost equally divided my number giving me Seven Sons and Nine Daughters Several Persons have a large Progeny but they prove to be pricks in their Eyes and thorns to their sides by their wicked lives and disobedience but the good Lord blessed be his Name hath given me to see some Characters of saving Grace ingraved by his blessed Spirit in the major part of mine and some good hopes of the rest in God's good time O Lord hast thou inricht me with the best Earthly Treasures sixteen Sons and Daughters and multiplied that number of Mercies as to the many blessings Temporal Spiritual Eternal conferred upon the greater part of them already and upon the rest in that thy Sealed Covenant of
Baptisme and in thy faithful promise made to me as well as to Abraham since thou hast given me to believe and to plead it here before thee I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed What shall I render unto thee O Lord for all these thy benefits Since I and my Children are but like seventeen Cyphers which signify nothing unless thou place with and before us that only blest Unite thy Holy One the Lord Jesus in and by whom we shall be accounted of a great value with thee and be numbred amongst thy Saints O let me and my Childrens Children obey and glorifie thee until time be swallowed up in Eternity that what is wanting now as to our thankfulness may be in some measure although never enough for thy mercies are unmeasurable be supplyed in the length of years and by so many and in and by their multiplyed Generations for whose sakes as well as for this present Age I humbly Register here both thy blessings and my perpetual praises Amen The BEE-HIVE A thankfull Poem on the same Subject HAst thou O gracious God so highly honor'd me As to co-work and be thy humble Instrument To bring forth Souls array'd with Immortality 〈◊〉 worth than this whole world with its rich ornaments 〈◊〉 being living Images of Thee by right Of Christ in posse to be glorious Saints in Light Hast thou by me O Lord as thy blest second cause 〈…〉 that for their rare excelling frame Are 〈◊〉 worlds and through obedience to thy Lawes And Faith shall be like thee and truly fear thy Name Hast thou me given sixteen Tongues and sixteen pair Of Hands and Feet to praise serve thee for thine they are And shall my Muse be silent All these Tongues be dâ—mb As to thy praise No Lord through thy assisting grace I and my swarm of Children shall become A holy Quire a little Church thy dwelling Place The Trumpets of that Goodness which gives me to see Sixteen fair Branches from one blessed Tree Lord did thy Abraham esteem one Isaac more Than all his Earthly wealth Are a Posterity The living Monuments of Parents a rich Ore Our lively Pourtraictures in whom we never die Pillars of Families and the Foundations And Builders up of Churches Cities Nations The strength of Kingdomes Riches of a State The honour and defence of their weak aged Sires As ready for to meet the Enemies in the Gate A gift only from thee the fruit of chast desires Natures prime Flowers for beauty and which long endure Our choicest Houshold-stuff and richest Furniture O let me as my prop'â—est act of Gratitude As living Sacrifices offer them to thee And to thy Service since such servitude Their freedome is as once I did in Baptisme Lord hear my fervent Prayer and answer give Granting them all in thee a renew'd life to live Amen ARGUMENT Vpon the Lord's most bountiful goodness in giving me an Estate of Inheritance of about Three Thousand Three Hundred Pounds a Year and upon his wise and righteous Providence since in his Re-assumption and taking it from me Naked come I out of my Mothers Womb and naked shall I return thither The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. Soliloquium or Discourse HOw wonderful various and mysterious are the actings of God in this World so that no Man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before them All things come alike to all There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Let no Man therefore rashly Judge himself or his Brother as to these mundain and subsolary Dispensations lest he be judged of the Lord and possibly before he dies in another give Judgment upon himself This was the great sin of Job's Religious Friends and David's wicked Enemies in their change and low condition who censured the one for his hypocrisie and the other as a Rebel and a Traytor Wherefore as private persons Judge not before the time when the Lord hath promised that the righteousness of all his people shall shine forth as the light and their Judgment as the Noon-day Man's state in this World is much like the Moon to Day in the full glorious and lightsome to Morrow in the Wane dark and scarcely visible The Holy Spirit styling all our good things here uncertain Riches and compares them to an Eagle that hath Wings and suddainly flies away Of this truth the Lord to his praise be it spoken for shall I receive good and not evil from the Lord hath made me an eminent Example when he ordered my light to be blown out by one breath And I and my numerous Family to be lest to starving and darkness And all this not in hatred but in his wonderful love which I shall here declare to all the people of God from experience which is the truest demonstration and to the carnal World to whom this is a great mystery My gracious God since this my suffering condition having instead of my Earthly possessions given me himself the everlasting fulness of all things to be my unvaluable Inheritance The knowledge and assurance of which inestimable gift of being his and he mine And of the Concomitants and fruits thereof Eternal Life and Glory notwithstanding my early Convertion I would had it been purchaseable have given a World for in my prosperity For what shall a Man gain though he possess the whole World if he lose his Soul yea what shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul And as to the present Cloud over me the World beholds only the dark not the light-side thereof Viz. The wonderful providences and preservations confer'd and accumilated both upon me and mine during my above Eight Years restraint and separation which is the Lord give me leave and life I shall in all humble thankfulness to God's glory and his Churches good more at large declare He having preserved me often as he did David Daniel and the Three Children in the Cave Lyons Den and Fiery Furnace and provided for me and mine as strangely as he did for Eliath when fed with Flesh by the Beaks of wilde and Flesh-devouring Ravens Eternal Father Son and Holy Ghost Three glorious Persons One Omnipotent and Incomprehensible God and Beeing my God in Covenant my gracious Father in thy only begotten and beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ my alone Redeemer The only Fountain of love and goodness for thou art love and a God of tender mercies Who didst not only give me a large paternal Estate but when that was all taken from me for five Years in the late Wars didst in that time of my want and necessity relieve me and my numerous Family by the gift of a good Revenue the Legacy of my Wiâ—es Father who did not only after the end of the late troubles in the Year 1646. Restore
lascivious or any other evil speeches enter let my heart and Tongue hate scourge and execute thy Law upon them by a zealous and holy reproof if the Speakers be not Dogs or Swine giving them a pass and sending thâ—â— packing O blessed Lord let not the delightfull sounds of Musick nor the natural or artificial pleasing voices of any Creature be thy rival steal away in the least my time or heart from thee Nor let me with the Whore of Babylon and her Imitators carnally legally and only outwardly give thee an unwarrantable and un-Gospel-like Ear and service without my understanding and without my heart But give me to joyn with and delight to hear the Musick of the lower Heaven the Songs Psalmes and praisings of thee in the Congregations of the Saints That being trained up to have a Childs place in this blessed Chore upon Earth I may be fitted and preferred to have a Man's place in the glorious Quire of Saints and Angels in Heaven O Lord let me I beseech thee not only externally but internally hear thy voice for it is sweet that my Soul may be inwardly acquainted with the Dialect of Heaven so shall my Soul speak and answer thee in the same Angel-like Language in mental and Ejaculatory Prayers and praises here a service not only required but most acceptable to thee and with Ear and Heart hereafter hear thee and return unto thee in Soul and Body praises and glorify thee Eternally in the Heavens Amen Having in the six foregoing preliminaries in all humility declared my Opinion answered the chief objections and given the reason and ground thereof both from Scripture and the light of Nature As also shewed the necessary happy and spiritual use and end of the Saints exercise of all the Five Senses as tending much more to the glory of God and the increase of their innocent and spiritual delight compleat happiness and blessedness both in Soul and Body in that their glorified state I shall not need to add much more as concerning the sense of Tasting which undoubtedly shall as well as that of Seeing and Hearing be much meliorated and heightned in this life of Glory It being cleerly evident and agreeable to right reason that as the objects and subjects upon which this Sense shall be frequently exercised be they things potable as Waters Juices and Liquors or things edible as Roots Flowers Plants Hearbs and Fruits shall much excell not only in their powers vertues and beauty but also in their juice and relish the choicest of that kind now in being as hath been formerly evinced and illustrated by reason of their new birth and incorruptible nature so shall our senses and particularly this of the Taste be wonderfully enlarged and raised and proportionably fitted and enabled accurately to distinguish and discern of the different and innumerable excellencies as to their taste by which even now a skilfull Naturalist can give a right judgment as to their vertues of such a multitude of simples and individuals that so by the exquisitness of this sense our Souls and Bodies may not only be made the more happy and blessed but delighted in the use of Gods good Creatures as the medium and conveighance of nourishment ordained of God as formerly in Mans innocency to be usefull and subservient although not absolutely necessary to our glorious and Eternal Life we having a far more virtual and higher Root of Life for our life is hid in Christ with God And also that by the testimony of this sense both Soul and Body may be the more enlarged and lifted up in the praises admiration and adoration of the wisdome power mercy and goodness of our God the Creator giver and free restorer of such manifold and wonderfull blessings in and by his Eternally begotten and only beloved Son our Head and Spouse the Lord Jesus Christ. As for the killing or eating of the Flesh of any of the sensible Creatures I humbly conceive and that upon good grounds there shall not then be any such use of them they being now made incorruptible and in their nature as everlasting as the Elements out of which they are taken and so shall continue by vertue of this new Creation so long as it pleaseth God The food of the Saints in this new Earth being only a lightning and exonerating the fruit-bearing vegitives that so they may be continually bringing forth new harvests to the glory of their Creator not a bringing in bondage or unto destruction any of the Creatures now delivered and admitted to enjoy the glorious liberty of the Children of God This blessed state being as it were Paradise revived a new Creation and restauration of all things in this new Heaven and new Earth by the obedience merit and righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ the second Adam although much more transcending of what was lost by the fall sin and disobedience of the first Adam That last Paradise being intended in the Eternal wisdome and decree of God as I humbly conceive and seems to me now to be clearly manifested to be but the Type shaddow and figure of this all things being made by and for him who is the Heir of all things the Head and Spouse of his Church the first-fruits of them that sleep the beginning and the first-born from the dead and the first-born of every Creature and the beginning of the Creation of God I shall now conclude this subject with this monition to all true Christians not to suppose or dream here of the Poets Elysian Field or of a Turkish Paradise in this glorious state nor to be so sinfully carnal as to imagine that the sinless Souls and Bodies of the new raised and glorified Saints either shall or can abuse this Sense by any excess and make it instrumental as now to sensuality gluttony and drunkenness nor on the other extream let no Christian be so unbelievingly spiritual as contrary to Scripture that affirms the same Bodies shall be raised to deny what it asserts as an object of our faith nor so absurd and irrational as the Papists in their Doctrine of Transubstantiation to deny to our Bodies raised the properties parts and senses of which a true Body subsists thereby to destroy the true nature and essence of the Body all that are truly Saints being practically and experimentally assured that if in this life wherein we are incompast about with a Body of Sin and Death this sense and the rest may be and is spiritually made use of by us in the enjoyment of Gods good Creatures to his great praise and admiration then much more will they be beneficial and He be honoured in them by us in that our sinless condition and life of Glory O my Soul shall thy sense of Tasting be not only retained but exceedingly perfected greatly enlarged and elevated at thy Bodies Resurrection and glorious living with thy Head the Lord Jesus Christ upon the renewed Earth Shalt thou eat
and drink as our Saviour did thrice after his Resurrection probably to shew not only that his Body was truly raised and that his stay upon Earth was a figure and pattern of his Saints first degree of Glory here after their Resurrection as his was his first degree of glory and exaltation after his but also that they should accidentally and at pleasure as he did although not out of a positive and natural necessity eat drink and make use of the Creatures Shall thy body not only have a kinde of secondary nourishment as our first Parents had in Paradise conveighed unto it with a far more exceeding and extraordinary delight that they had because of the excelling transcendency of the subjects and their much more sanctified and spiritualiz'd condition But shall the Taste also administer to thee continually much delight and knowledge from the unexpressible sweetness and wonderfull variety of innumerable Vegitives as to their admirable natures and qualities to thy great content and ravishment and thy Creators glory O do not therefore now vitiate and pollute it with gluttony or drunkenness nor make it a slavish Handmaid to any fleshly and inordinate appetite Be wise and guide thy heart in the way be not amongst Wine-bibers amongst riotous eaters of flesh for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty Who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of the Eyes They that tarry long at the Wine they that go to seek mixt Wine Look not thou upon the Wine when it is red when it giveth its colour in the Cup when it moveth it self aright at the last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder Thine Eyes shall behold strange Women and thy Heart shall utter perverse things yea thou shalt be as he that lyeth down in the midst of the Sea or as he that lyeth upon the top of a Mast They have striken me shalt thou say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not when I shall awake I will seek it yet again O my Soul in that new life thou shalt only eat and drink as the Apostle exhorts to the glory of God and more for pleasure and delight and that as to spiritual ends than for necessity but in this sinfull life if thou be given to appetite put a Knife to thy throat and watch over thy gust eating and drinking more for necessity than for pleasure as one that eats to live not lives to eat not making like those wicked ones reproved by the Apostle Paul thy Belly thy God But like thy for ever glorious and blessed Saviour at all seasonable Feastings do thou turn Water into Wine that is be a holy and Christian Phylosopher or Chymist extracting Life and Spirits out of every thing thou eatest or drinkest as tasting in the various gusts sweetness and vertues of the Creature the super-excelling sweetness wisdome and goodness of thy God the bountifull giver and the wonderfull Creator Do not with the Swinish and dropsical Drunkard turn Wine into Water but in thy Non-age so train up this Childish sense in all holy temperance and sobriety that it may be prepared and fitted for its sublimer exercise in thy Man-hood of Glory O my Lord and Saviour who art both our example and our Law-giver and therefore hast commanded us not to labour for the Meat that perisheth but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting life and doth exhort and precaution us to take heed to our selves that our hearts be not over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness lest that Day either of Death or Judgment come upon us unawares and hast also declared by thy Apostle that Meats are for the Belly and the Belly is for Meats but God shall destroy them both and therefore didst exhort and teach us how to purify and spiritualize our fleshly gust and appetite by faith offering thy self to be drunk and eaten by us when thou saidest My Blood is Drink indeed my Flesh is Meat indeed affording to us such an excellent nourishment that who so by faith spiritually eateth thy Flesh and drinketh thy Blood shall not dye but live to Eternity Yea further thou holdest forth to us that thou art that Bread that camest down from Heaven of which the Manna in the Wilderness was but a Type which whosoever eateth by faith that is by believing in thee shall not dye but live for ever as also that thou art that Water of Life of which whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more O Lord I cry unto thee with the Emauites Lord ever give unto me to eat of this Bread and to drink of this living Spring then shall I be so fully satisfied that I shall never hunger or thirst more after any of the things of this World The lusts of the Flesh the lusts of the Eyes or the pride of life yea Lord I shall not only have enough for my self but such plenty as there-with to feast others also as being enabled to say with thy beloved Apostle That which was from the beginning which we have heaâ—d which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon yea that which we have tasted and our hands have handled of the Word of Life declare we unto you that yee may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son even with thee O Lord Jesus Christ Lord give unto thy Servant an internal taste as well as thou hast given me an external sense that I may with holy David both taste and see how good the Lord is and binde the one Apprentice to the other making it serviceable to my Soul and unto thee Then shall I enjoy a double relish and sweetness in every drop of drink and bit of meat as being a love-token from thee and an earnest of Eternal Life and nourishment in thee so shall my Earthly Pallate at no time injure deceive or pollute my spiritual sense as Noah's and Lot's did by ignorance surprise and the sweetness of the Grape but be kept in order and in obedience sharpning not blunting the edge of my Meditation and Charity as the full Meats of Nabal and Dives did watering and enlivening not drowning my piety and obedience as it is probable Wine and strong Drink did Nabal and Abihu O Lord it is true that the Beasts of the Field partake and have the use of this sense as well as Man O that they might not one Day shame and rise up in Judgment against the Epâ—curisme of many Men Doth nature moderate the Horse and the Oxen as to their eating and drinking O let the addition of thy grace so order and sanctify my taste and appetite that in their sweetness I may admire thy delectableness mercy wisdome and goodness so shall this sense begin my glory