heavy laden I cannot travell upon this holy hill Oh! that thou wouldest ease me Mat. 〈…〉 2 as thou hast promised Oh! take off my burden adde to thy strength pluck off the plumets of my flesh and put to the feathers of thy spirit whose wings are silver and her feathers gold Psal 6. 〈…〉 57. Oh! that I had the wings of that Dove then should I flie away Oh! that I could but get up this Nebo and see my Canaan how dearly should I love Deut. 〈…〉 and long for her how boldly for her sake should I bid defiance unto whatsoever this wildernesse or world can tempt me with 15. But O Lord thou knowest my soul neither hath this happinesse nor can deserve it yea neither can deserve to have it nor to desire it But look not on my merits but on thy mercy if I had my desert I should have been long ere this past hope or help of Mercy That thou hast saved me from Hell is a Mercy no lesse then infinite but that thou shouldest also give me Heaven is a Mercy every way like thy self How can I deserve so great a Glory that am not able to aske or worthy to beg the least of thy Mercies How is my soul benummed with Flesh bemired with Earth besetted with Sin Lord thou art my hope my help help then thy servant that cannot help himself and as thou hast prepared glory for me so Lord prepare me for my glory 16. O God the Father of Light and Life from whom every good and perfect gift descendeth take this work into thine hand Iam. 1 〈…〉 and the glory of it perfect what thou hast begun O save my soul that putteth her trust in thee Wean her from the frothy milk of this world feed her with that Mannah that came down from Heaven thou that puttest Clay into the blind mans eyes and cured them 〈◊〉 9.6 wash out that clay in mine wherewith they are so bedaubed they can neither see Heaven nor thee It is thine hand that made the Heavens and it is thine hand that gives them and it is the same hand againe that lifts mine heart unto them O Lord though thou makest not mine heart heavy yet thou findest it so thou hast it in thine hand turn it and tune it as please thee make it light by the light of thy counteuance quicken it by thy Spirit take out her earth put in thy fire carry her up to Nebo shew her Canaan make her weary of this wildernesse and inlarge her longings after Heaven leave her not till thou make her pant after thee 〈◊〉 42. as the hart after the waters nor let her thirst ever be abated till she be filled with the presence of thee O God 17. 〈◊〉 18 〈◊〉 27. And since I have begun to speak unto the Lord of glory who am but dust and ashes pardon thy servant if while he plead with thee he urge thee with thy promise Hast thou not said O Lord that thou wilt give me life 〈◊〉 6.10 hast thou not bid me pray Thy kingdome come and hast thou not promised to give to them that ask and open to them that knock hast thou not alway declared thy self a God rich in mercy and delights to shew it I beg that which thou knowest I want I perish without it thou hast in abundance enough to spare to make Millions rich and happy I can have supply from none from nothing else the whole world besides is Misery if thou give not I shall never have it I beg no more but what thou hast given others how many thousand Saints and Martyrs hast thou crown'd with glory And pardon me O Lord and I shall speak once more hast thou not bought Heaven for me and paid for it a good price too and sufficient Oh! let these perswade with thee and let thy mercy in thy well-beloved Son prevaile in him look down on me and make me look up to thee with his blood cement and link all thy graces in a chain and let them down to me that laying hold thereon I may be drawne up to my glory 18. Yea be thou confident O my soule it shall be so Faithfull is he that hath promised â—or 1.9 â—or 1.20 〈◊〉 3.3 even God that cannot lie all thy sinnes cannot make his grace of none effect he counts his promise as a debt and will surely pay it yea he hath not onely bought Heaven for thee but bought thee also for Heaven and given earnest for thee the graces of his Spirit Be thou sure O my soule thy King and Saviour that hath fought so valiantly and paid so dearly for thy redemption 2 Cor. 〈…〉 will not now lose thee Who shall separate thee from this love of God Rom. 〈…〉 who can pull thee from thy glory if thy sinnes cannot thy afflictions shall not Go to thy rest then O my soule and there be thankfull 19. Now praise the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Ps 103 〈…〉 2 〈…〉 Who pardoneth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities which hath redeemed thy life from destruction and crowned thee too with everlasting mercies Oh! what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me What shall I what can I render Ps 116 〈…〉 What can I give thee O God which is not thine owne already Thou askest mine heart thou hast it I give it thee and thanke thee too with all mine heart Oh! Pro. 23 〈…〉 that it were worthy thy acceptance O Lord thou dost accept it as it is and therefore My soule doth magnifie the Lord Luk. 1. 〈…〉 and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for he hath highly exalted the low estate of his servant he that is mighty hath done great things for me and holy is his name and blesse be that God who hath made me blessed to all eternity Amen FINIS
TVVO MEDITATIONS 1. Of DEATH 2. Of LIFE ETERNALL By N. B. a Sequestred MINISTER OF JESVS CHRIST LONDON Printed in the Year 1648. To his dear Parents Mr. C. T. B. and Mrs E. B. increase of grace in this Life and everlasting glory in the life to come THat this world is Vanity and Vexation Eâ—les 1.1 is no need to tell your more then fourscore years apiece can preach Labour and Sorrow Psal 19.1 The Lord hath sufficiently weaned us if at least we will not be guilty of wilfull folly from the frothy milk of this world he hath not spared his mustard wormwood and gall And as if that were not sufficient to take off our doting appetites he hath even taken the world it self quite from us we have no breasts to suck no world to love Oh! what a sweet advantage have we now had we but wisdome and grace to improve it to fix our loves only upon God and Heaven now we are freed from other suitors Why doe we not advance our longings thither where we may be yet more secure from Plunder and Sequestration Here we have a little though a very little besides our lives there we shall have nothing that Theeves can medâ—le with We have I believe we have long agoe learn'd to be willing to live and yet content to die if God so please surely we have been trewants if by this time we cannot adde one line to that lesson and now be willing to die and yet content to live if God so please Tell me for ingenuously I know not what is there that may make us in love with Life or in fear of Death For the first love of the present world I do not much suspect you you have been sufficiently knock'd off from that dotage Against the second there is none but wants incouragements That King of feares and fear of Kings That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioâ— 18.14 That mighty Mawkin That terrible Scare-crow That ashcolour'd Vizard is many times ready to put us Children besides our little wits One good preservation against the frights of this Bug-bear is to get acquaintance with the Skeleton so have I known a fair Lady and a Coy by familiar converâ—e with an hard-favour at last by degrees to like and love Why not so here Surely ignorance of Death oftimes is one if not the only cause we are squeamish did we but know whence she is and whither she tends we should bid her better welcome These Meditations were my comfort as well as my imployment in my late long sicknesse I present them to you now as an expresse of my duty and thankes for your care and cost from my Childhood untill now for even yet such is the will of God whose justice I see quite through the malignity of the world I feed upon part of that little bread which is scarce sufficient for your own nourishment I hope and wish your Firkin and cruse may not be spent till the influence of Heaven send peace and prosperity to our King and Country I know this present will be pleasing for my sake I wish it may be profitable for your own You cannot but every day one way or other be put in minde of your dissolution you have pricks in the flesh the Messengers of Death to buffet you and no intreaty can take them off but they and you must remove together I wish you may improve these and other Meditations so to your comfort that at last even Death it self may be your consolation The God of Heaven blesse and keep you in his faith in his fear the Lord preserve and restore our King and in his good time send us peace in the mean time send us patience God forgive and convert our Enemies and once more look gratiously upon our Land and Nation Amen Amen N. B. Of Death 1. THe thoughts of Death are not alway pleasant alwayes profitable What Meditations more needfull O my soule or neerer allyed to wisdome then those of thy latter end what more uncertain then Life or more sure then Death Mine age is too little to learn to live not enough to learne to Die 'T is good then by frequent thoughts of Death to make her familiar that when she comes she may not looke strangely 2. And what is Death but the wink of life the rest of Nature the sleep of flesh and sence the taking downe these few sticks thy earthly tabernacle was built with the putting off and laying up thy garments of flesh and blood for a night till the great and joyfull day come the Farewell and goodnight of two old friends parted for a season Our journey and passage into that other world for which we and this world were made our souls Gaoles delivery from the prison of the body or birth delivery into a better world and so the way the gate of life 3. And this is that which we commonly call Death though there be others also of her name As There is a Death in sin Ephes 2.1 this is a miserable and yet this is thy condition O my soul Dead in trespasses and sins till thy mercy O God! Col. 2.13 in thy Son hath quickned me by a full remission And thus we come to another Death a Death to Sin or a Death of sin this may well be called the first Death for it is the best Death Happy is he that hath his part therein Rev. 20.6 for over him The last Death shall have no power And well may this be called last for it is lasting everlasting it is so great there can be none with it so infinite there can be none beyond it The horrours and terrours of this Death no mortall is able to see and live Oh! what horrour then is it to those that feel them But O Lord most holy O God most mighty O holy and mercifull Redeemer deliver me not unto the bitter paines of eternall Death Thy death O Christ hath saved me from this and thou wentest downe to hell that I might not goe thither â—â—m 6.4 and my first death and buriall with Thee by Baptisme which is my first Resurrection too shall be my passe port through and over the worst of Death 4. 〈◊〉 1.13 Thou O Lord mad'st not death but Man found it out by the works of his hands Man brought forth sin and sin brought forth death and no marvaile if the child be uglie that is begotten of such parents And this generation of vipers hath so thriven in this world â—â—n 1.18 as if Increase and multiply and Replenish the earth had been onely spoke to them What thing is there in the world that is not sin or oft-times a provocation thereunto What thing is there in the world that is not Death or oft-times an instrument thereunto Nothing so small but is big enough to hide a Death under it A Flie hath choakt one a Grape-stone another an haire of the head has done as much to a third
are as perpetuall as they are pleasant our glory as permanent as excellent Nor can they but be everlasting since they spring from a fountaine that cannot drie 〈◊〉 84.1 10. Oh how amiable are thy dwellings on Earth ô Lord of hosts how doth an holy soule long to go into thy courts for one day in thine house is better then a thousand otherwhere Oh! what then are millions of yeares in thy courts in Heaven yea what is Eternity in comparison whereof millions of yeares are not a moment 8. Now this life of glory will seem to give the greater lustre if we doe but compare it with those other lives of the middle and lower regions And first what is this World but a ship of vanity floating upon a sea of misery whose richest fraught and best commodities are not better then those of Solomon from Tharshish Gold and Silver and Ivory and Apes â—â—ng 10.22 and Peacocks Riches honours pleasures And what are these at the best but vanity what is Gold and Silver but red and white clay what is honour but a bubble what is pleasure but a squib or worse an Ignis fatuus And if this be the best what is the rest if this be her Welcome what is her Farewell if when she meet us she be vanity she cannot be lesse then vexation when she leaves us When the rust and the canker hath consumed thy gold and thy silver 〈◊〉 6.19 when Theeves have plunder'd thy goods and worse then Theeves have sequester'd thy Lands when thy State is wrack'd thy Credit crack'd when thine honours are flowen and thy pleasures gone then thou shalt not need an O Edipus to tell thee what this World is And next what is our whole Life on Earth but a vast composure of sinne and misery A couple of Harlots that can accord together to worke our mischief 1 Kin◠〈…〉 onely here 's the contention which of the twaine has the greatest right and share in us each pleads hard for all and will not be contented with an half and surely sinne would have the greatest part were it not that sin it self is a misery What are our bodies but bundles of diseases every member having more infirmities then arteries it is almost as impossible to know them as to cure them and more impossible not to have them if we could yet it would be more then tedious for to name them how tedious then to feel them And yet who is he that is not continually accompanied with some one or more of them our diseases which is strange being more diverse then our Deaths and which is more strange yet our grounds of grief within our little world our selves being more then all the great world beside can give us Now then O my soule thinke seriously on thy joyes above and thy miseries here and then neglect Heaven if thou canst and dote on Earth But if neither sorrows within thee nor troubles about thee doe not throughly affect thee thinke on those horrours of that lower world if thou thinkest those thoughts will not affright thee Isa 6 〈◊〉 Where the damned are ever dying never dead ever burning never consumed ever tumbling downe never come to the bottome where the Worme dieth not but her continuall gnawings make way for continuall gnashings Mat. 〈…〉 Where dismall feares and terrours frights and amazements utter darknesse and fire unquenchable with rivers of brimstone where roarings and howlings Mat. 〈…〉 yellings and shriekings Isa 3 〈◊〉 and cursings of ugly Fiends and gastly Ghosts are but parcels of torments and all that men can say are not halfe expressions of those woes which none can know but those that feel them And that which is heavier then all the rest this infernall Vault is so thick seeled with Despaire that there is no getting out for ever Think on this then O my soule and then think again that there was but one step between thee and this Death and if thy gracious Saviour had not stept in that step and catch'd thee thou hadst fallen irrecoverable yet this not half he not onely redeem'd thy life from Hell but crowned thee also in Heaven with mercy and glory everlasting Ps 10 〈◊〉 Thinke on this double mercy O my soule and be double thankfull double happy 9. 〈◊〉 30 But whereunto shall we liken this Kingdome of God or unto what shall we compare it It is like a Sea-scourged Marchant that hath been long tossed on the raging waves by the churlish windes beaten with many a billow dash'd on many a rock threatned with many a wrack and catarack that has gone over many a gulf past over many a pool fought with many a Pirate and now at last richly fraught is entred with joy and triumph into the safe haven and harbour of his own City It is like unto a Joseph imprisoned in a dungeon in stocks and irons and at last brought forth and set among Princes 〈◊〉 â—4 〈◊〉 2.2 and made to inherit a throne of glory It is like unto a David hunted persecuted banished and at last returne home and be crowned a King in Hierusalem 〈◊〉 â—5 9 It is like a year of Jubile after fifty years bondage Like a return from Babylon after seventy years captivity to a Temple more glorious then the first Or like a Sabbath of holy rest 〈◊〉 6. 〈◊〉 20 after a week of hard labour It is like a beggarly Lazarus full of sores that fain would have some crums of comfort from the seeming riches of this world but can get none tell he have his fill in Abrahams bosome 〈◊〉 1 Or like that other Lazarus sick dead and buried and perhaps stinking in the grave of this Earth the cold and hard and heavy stone of Misery and Necessity pressing him down till the voice of God cry Lazarus come forth It is like liberty and pardon to a condemned prisoner It is like a sumptuous Wedding-feast at the marriage of a Kings son who hath married not the rich and beautifull Daughter of a Noble nor the homely Daughter of a Citizen or Artizen but the deformed Daughter of a miserable Beggar for such were we whose first parents by their fall bemired both themselves and us who since have made our selves more filthy by continuall wallowing 〈◊〉 16. 〈◊〉 4. thus are we naked and wounded and in our blood even to the loathing of our selves no eye pitties neither Priest nor Levite can help us 〈◊〉 â—0 〈◊〉 1. till the Son of God come who has compassion who washes off our mud with his blood who takes our infirmities and cures our deformities wraps us in the garments of his own rightrousnesse gives us his grace and comelinesse and then lookes and loves and marries for ever and keeps an everlasting wedding at which all rejoyce but devils and damned These are glimples of our glory if so much sutable to our shallow fancies here we know but in part 〈◊〉 33.
to bring thee to this Saviour he hath given thee his Word to bring thee to this Faith he hath given thee his Merit he hath given thee his Spirit he hath given thee the hive and the honey too Look up unto God then O my soul as the beginner and the finisher of thy Glory and when thou art ravished with the glory of the worke forget not to magnifie him who is the Authour And indeed he is both the Authour of thy glory and thy glory too it self in him is all thy happinesse Canst thou want any thing then O my soule that injoyest him who is all perfection Canst thou thirst while thou dwellest in the fountain and well-spring of living Waters Canst thou hunger whilst thou art filled with Manna and bread of life Canst thou be naked whilst thou art wrapt in glory 〈◊〉 6.11 Canst thou be sad O my soule whilst thou art in his presence where is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore yea thou thy self art now sufficient in him who is All-sufficient 5. But what are the commodities of this kingdome of Glory surely the fruit must needs be both wholsome and pleasant that grows upon this Tree of life if the kingdome of God upon Earth be righteousnes and peace 〈◊〉 14. 〈◊〉 17. and joy in the Holy Ghost oh what is that kingdome then in Heaven All things must needs be pure there where no unclean thing can enter and they must needs also be as peaceable where there is no roome for jarre or discord and shall they not also be as pleasant 〈◊〉 21.4 when sorrow and sadnesse shall be no more shall not our eyes stand full with joy when all tears are wiped off When our hearts are then so merry how shall we chuse but sing or how can our mirth but be melodious and how can our songs but be continuall since our joyes are everlasting Our Hosannah's and Hallelujah's shal never cease because our joyes shall never end and our joyes are everlasting because our glory is eternall nor can we be weary of hearing or making that musick which none can beare a part in and not be happy 6. Who now are the Inhabitants of this happy Land the Inheritours of this blisse the Citizens and Subjects of this City of God who are they but Saints and Angels glorious Spirits or bodies transformed into a spirituall perfection Christ is King and God and he makes his subjects Kings 〈◊〉 1◠40 and as it were Gods too that they may reigne with him for ever and ever These bodies of ours which were earthy are now heavenly this terrestriall is become celestiall and this naturall body is made a spirituall And thus are we made fit to accompany Angels and hold fellowship with Prophets and Patriarchs these immortall crownes of glory are not onely prepared for us but we are also prepared for them and made able to receive that blisse of which before we were not onely unworthy but uncapable Our soule and body are not onely reunited but improved to such an inlarged perfection that they are able not onely to receive but retaine their fill their full of glory even of that transcendent glory which is so pure and bright that it would rather astonish then delight the best of mortalls What this blisse indeed is we doe not we cannot know untill we have it then shall we comprehend it as well as be comprehended by it here we know but in part then shal we know it fully and it is not lesse then half our happinesse that we are made so capable of knowing and receiving it 7. Nor is that a small blisse or glory that arises from the very place wherein we enjoy it The majesty even of earthly Princes is oft seen in their stately Palaces they have had their houses of Cedar and Ivory What is that Palace then that the God of Majesty hath made for himself when we say that this City of God hath her walls of Jasper Rev. 2 〈◊〉 her buildings of gold her foundations pretious stones her gates pearle these are but low expressions stooping to our weak capacities Psal 8 〈◊〉 Oh! how excellent things are spoken of thee thou City of God and yet all short of thy Excellency Even this world hath some glimpses and reflexions of glory her greatest is in her Canopie her sealed roofe that is so bespangled with glorious starres and yet even this is but the pavement of that City What then is her Canopie Blessed thrice-blessed ô God are they whom thou shalt count worthy to come under thy roofe And as the place so the Company much more adds to our felicity it is but halfe an happinesse to be happy alone Gen. 2 〈◊〉 When Adam had a Paradise to dwell in and a world besides to encompasse him yet he was not perfect till he had a Partner It is not so much a comfort to have Companiens of our miseries as of our joyes of which we lose the better part if we have not some to beare a part We have Friends and Companions in this life with whom sometime we have distasts and discontents yet when Death calls us how loath are we to go and leave them Death oft times hath not a greater grief then this to leave our Friends behind us Oh! how glad shall we be to meet again in that other world where our joyes and loves shall be redoubled to meet them in the midst of Myriads of Saints and Legions of Angels to meet them with God our Father and Christ our Saviour and that blessed Spirit who is the God of joy and love all which have their full of felicity and yet we have ne'r the lesse Their joyes and glories shall not over shadow or eclipse but adde to ours They shall joy in our happinesse and we rejoice in theirs for none shal think others much or their owne little The joy must needs be answerable to the glory of the sight to see the antient Kings and Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles in their glorious mansions to meet familiarly with the Fathers of the primitive and present Church to see those valiant and renowned troops of Martyrs and Confessors to see those squadrons of Angels marshalled in their glorious orders nay to see and be able to looke upon God himselfe Oh! my soule how canst thou think on this and not be ravish'd with desire to be added to this Company But that which crownes our comfort and fills our joy unto the brim is this our happinesse is eternall everlasting That is not halfe an happinesse that hath an end a period nay it adds unto our grief if we might have been to our misery if we have been happy and are not In this life our wine is mixt with teares our mirth with mourning 〈◊〉 14.13 we oft laugh and cry in lesse then an houre yea sometimes even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of mirth is heavinesse But our joyes in Heaven