thy triumph over them O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory O my soule where is all thy comfort If in this life thou art most miserable If thy life be hid with Christ in God then when Christ which is thy life shall appeare thou shalt also appeare in glory What though I mourne here I shall be comforted what though I fast here I shall be satisfied what though I be disgraced here I shal be glorified What though I am here trampled under feet I shall be there crowned What though my flesh bee eaten with wormes and these wormes turned into dust and that dust blowed by the wind over the face of the earth yet after thou turnest man to destruction Againe thou sayest Come againe yee children of men I know thou my Redeemer livest and shalt stand up at the last day and I shall see thâ—e in my flesh with these eyes and none other Lord establish this beleefe in me beat downe all the forts that naturall reason reareth against it Grant that I may every day more and more feel as the power of thy birth in my regeneration and of thy death in my mortification so also of thy Resurrection in my rising from the death of sinne to the life of grace Lord thou restoredst life to three men to one in his bed to another on the beare a third in the grave They who conceive sinne in their hearts are like him that was dead in his bed they who bring it forth into action are like him that was brought forth dead on the beare but they that continue in sinne and all impurity and putrifie in the custome therof are like him that was foure dayes dead and stanke in the grave such a one or worse am I for I have laine not foure dayes but many years in this loathsome grave and am even devoured of the worme of conscience Yet Lord this day of thy glorious Resurrection say unto mee as thou didst to him Come forth awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and I will give thee light Make this day of thy Resurrection from the death of nature the day of my rising from the death of sin and corruption first to the life of Grace and after to the life of Glory Amen MERCVRY OR A Meditation on Ascension day ACcording to my proposed method I should in this place shew how the sweet Incense of the blessed Sacrifice Christ Jesus ascended into heaven to bee as the Leviticall Sacrifices were an Oblation of a sweet savour unto the Lord for as God after the universall Deluge smelled a pleasant savour of Rest in the offering of Noah so likewise God the Father after the inundation of sin overflowing the whole world for the space of 4000. years and upwards did smell a sweet savour of Pacification Reconciliation and satisfaction in this last meritorious act of our blessed Saviour which I compare to the flight of winged Mercury who by Poets is fained to descend and ascend to keepe unity and concord between their fained gods being their observant Messenger And Christ the Angell or Messenger of the everlasting Covenant descended from heaven in the day of his Nativity and brought those blessed tidings of Salvation revealed in the Gospell to mankind and as this day ascended into heaven to accomplish the work of mans redemption but this glorious Act of our Saviour is so divinely pathetically and excellently accomplished by Mr. Austin in his divine Meditations that though I like foolish Icarus because as on this day I first drew breath received the common aire doe strive with waxen wings to take an higher flight than my learning is able to performe am so melted with the rayes of the scorching heat of his devotions that I am forced to dash out my dim taper before his bright Sonne and conclude with Master Doctor Featleyes divine Prayer saying Glorious and gracious Redeemer Lord Iesus Christ who huÌ„bledst thy selfe and didst become obedient to death even the death of the Crosse and therefore thy Father highly exalted thee above the Grave in thy Resurrection above the earth in thy Ascension above the heavens in thy session at his right hand and then He gave thee a Name above all names that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow both of things in heaven and in earth and of things under the earth I humbly bow the knees not only of my body but of my heart and soule unto thee I never heare of thee or remember never think or speak of thee but with greatest reverence and love that heart can conceive or tongue expresse I admire the mystery of thy Incarnation I tremble at the horror of thy passion I adore the power of thy Resurrection and triumph in the glory of thy Ascension My God and my Lord make me wholly thine as thou art mine Thy birth was my life thy life my merit thy death my ransome thy Resurrection my delivery out of the prison of death where thy Father laid thee for my debt thy Ascension my assurance and taking possession of an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance reserved in the heavens O Saviour if thou haddest not been borne I never had been born a new if thou hadst not dâ—ed for my sinnes I had dyed in my sins If thou haddest not risen from the dead my soule might have been with thee in Paradise but my body should not have rested in hope neither should I have seene God in my flesh If thou hadst not ascended I might have been freed from hell but I should never have had a place prepared for me in heaven O Lord when thou camest to us on earth Iohn was thy fore-runner but thou wert my fore-runner in thy returne into heaven Iohn prepared the way before thee on Earth but thou preparedst a way before me into heaven That way and those Regions in the aire which Lucifer defiled and cursed by his fall through them from heaven thou hast clensed and blessed by thy marching triumphantly thorow them into heaven O blessed Creator and Repairer of nature in thee not onely all the kindred of the Earth but all creatures under the cope of heaven are blessed and therefore they sigh and groane together with us desiring fervently thy second comming The earth was blessed and sanctified by thy birth and thy treading upon it The water by thy descending into the River Iordan at thy Baptisme and walking on the Seas Now the Aire likewise and fire expected an honour and a blessing from thee and both received it the Aire by thy Ascending thorow it the Fire by sending downe the Holy Ghost in the likenesse of fiery cloven tongues O Lord my Redeemer how excellent is thy Name in all the world Creatures without voice praise thee as the Heavens and Earth without understanding know thee as the Star that lighted the Sages to thee without will obey thee as winds and Seas without â—ares hearken to thee as the Fig-tree which
poison from the sweetest flowers But Bees draw Honey out of driest bowers I meane from bitterest things the honey flie Doth sucke much sweet Spiders in Roses lie Therefore though prying criticks prate their sill And thinke by envious words good deeds to spill And Momus-like to mocke to flout and jeere At me with envie ' cause I doe appeare In simple plainnesse yet I hope to be By wise Mecoenas lik't who out of me Though in my selfe I barren am and bare Will araw delicious and delightfull fare But what need I to feare detractors bent To none of those I hope I shall be sent Because my Authour will not have me prest In any print but what his Pen hath drest Except he be inforced thereunto Then what he would not that he must needs doe For he thinkes me unworthy to be showne To none but such as are ingenious knowne Cause as a Nosegay for his private use From famous Gardens he did me produce To give sweet sent and beautifie each part Of this rough worke and his affected heart And therefore if in Print you doe me see Blame not my Authour nor put fault in me The Pourtraiture of a Pious Man BEhold a Godly man that hath in heart True saving Faith Also in ev'ry part Of his affections is true and sincere Voide of hypocrisie and slavish feare From out his mouth doth gracious words proceed His eyes doe chiefly heav'nly objects heed His hands discharge his stewardships reckoning right His feet to walke in godly waies delight Heâ—'s mindfull of his death therefore his daies He takes account of how and in what waies He spends his time least that his godly light Should faintly blaze or be extinguisht quite And people doe delight to see his waies So full of good deeds to Gods glorious praise Yet is he humble for the good that he Doth doe he knowes to be a Gift most free Of Gods meere love and therefore doth despise The world the flesh and devill so the prize Of heav'nly blisse hâ— gaines that 's the Reward God gives the Saints for he doth most regard The pensive heart whose hope in Heav'n doth rest Thus is the man that 's truely Godly blest A preparatory prayer O Holy and everliving Lord God Infinite in Essence Glorious in Majesty terrible in Judgement and wonderfull in all thy waies how dare I a worme and no man of shallow judgment dull invention and brain-sick wit being as an Aery meteor in respect of those glorious starres men full-growne deepe judgements quicke inventions and ripe wits presume to write or speake of such holy mysteries in such unusuall tearmes as I here take in hand Certainely I must acknowledge it is thy onely worke in me and nothing in my unlearned selfe that hath induced me to undertake such a hard taske Therefore as thou hast thus graciously begun this worke in me so I hope and pray thou wilt magnifie thy power in my weakenesse and so strengthen and enable mee in the performance hereof that those who are more learned seeing and perusing this imperfect worke of mine may be induced to enforâ—e all their knowledge and skill to frame a more excellent worke to the praise of thy Name the â—difying of thy Church and salvation and consolation of thy chosen O Lord I pray Thee pardon and forgive aswell the errors and faults that I have committed in this Booke as all the grievous sinnes I have heretofore committed against thee from time to time in thought word and deed Give me I humbly beseech thee a true sight and feeling of them that the consideration therof may drive me to a serious hearty and timely Repentance for them O Lord increase my faith make it lively and operative in good workes for that purpose perfect thy love in me and my love to thy members make me now and ever thankefull for all blessings spirituall and temporall continually bestowed upon me and that for Jesus Christ his sake thy onely Sonne my alone Saviour to whome with Thee holy Father and thy blessed Spirit three Persons and one God be ascribed and given as most due is by me and all creatures all honour glory praise adoration obedience and thankesgiving from everlasting to everlasting Amen Let the words of my mouth and the Meditations of my heart be now and ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer Salomons Temple The figure of the Heauens and Elements 10 The first moveable Heavene 9 The Christaâ—ine Heaven 8 Leo * 4 ♋ Cancer * ♊ Gemini * 2 ♉ taurus * 1 ♈ Aries * 12 ♓ Pisâ—e * 11 â™’ Aqâ—*ar 10 ♑ Capri * 9 â™ Sagita * 8 â™ Scorp * 7 ♎ libra * 6 â™ virgo * 5 7 ♄ Saturne could and dry malevolent Lead 6 ♃ Iupiter hott and moyst Benevolent Tynne 5 ♂ Mars hott and dry Malevolent Iron 4 ☉ The sonne hott and dry Benevolent Gould 3 ♀ Venus Could and moist Benevolent copper 2 ☿ Mercury such as he is ioyned with Quick silver 1 ☾ The Moone could and moist Benevolent silver EARTH A generall Survey of this Annuall World THis insuing discourse may not unfitly bee compared unto the Temple of the Lord which King Solomon builded and would very well beseem the head and hand of such a workeman for finishing thereof for if he that was wisest that ever was or shall be did not disdaine to write of Trees from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hisop on the wal would never have thought it any disparagement to and for ought I know did write of all the works of God from the base Centre of this earthly Tabernâ—cle to the highest Mansion of the heavenly Spheares For I doe ingenuously confesse and humbly acknowledge that this worke rather requires the skilfull Pensill of a rare Apelles to draw to the life or the learned quill of an eloquent Cicero to demonstrate to the full than my unworthy illiterate Pen or dul invention to describe Yet having by Gods enablement upon my weak endevours framed this rare structure in my minde I could not rest satisfied till I had writ what I had so rudely formed And so I have beene bold to compare it to King Solomons Temple for as in that rare Fabrick there were three courts the Outward Middle and Sanctum Sanctorum so likewise in this worke I doe observe three kindes or Species of Meditations The first as the outward Court are Meditations of the foure seasons of the Yeare the foure Elements and their effects The second as the middle Temple are Meditations of the seven Planets on those dayes that commemorate the meritorious workes of our Saviour Christ And the third as Sanctum Sanctorum are Meditations of the starry Christalline and first moving heaven on divers festivall dayes in the yeare Now as in Solomons Temple there was a porch or gate where being entred you might discerne the spaciousnesse of the outward court and the decent behaviour of the people attending upon the royall High Priest
never till then was the like done Gods providence secretly working in this that it might bee the more evident that this was the time of the Messtah In whom as in their common Lord and Head people of all Nations throughout the world are united in humble obedience to him their Soveraign For the rest of the Nativity of our blessed Saviour it is so learnedly and divinely written by Mr. Austin that my weake invention is not able in the least measure to imitate much lesse should this my dim candle shew any light before his bright Sun Therefore I shut up all with what I find written concerning the Manger in which Christ was laid which by consent of Antiquity was a place without the Citie hewen out of a Rock and called by the name of a Manger Saint Basil saith The Birth of Christ was a common Feast for all creatures Angels came singing the Stars run about the heavens the Magi are brought from the Gentiles and the earth receiveth him in a Cave Justin Martyr saith That because Joseph had no place to turne into Bethlehem hee went into a Cave neere thereunto Origen There is shewâ—d in Bethlehem a cave wherin Christ was born and in it a Manger Theo Wee shew no magnificent things but a Den a Manger and a poore Virgin Jerome writes of Paula that shee went into the Den of our Saviour the Virgins Inne And Brocardus who travelled thither saith It was on the East part of the Citie And had it not been without the Citie the Shepherds had not found him it being late at night and the City gates shut And some affirme that part of it remaines to be seen at this day cut out of rock not of marble but other stone as many mangers be in that country But whether it was an Inne or a Cave within or without the City it is not materiall yet this shewes the poverty of the Virgin and her Spouse that they were not able to make any great provision Now I will conclude this dayes Meditation with that divine Prayer of Doctor Featley's in these words Gratious Lord Iesus Christ the Son of God and Saviour of Man the Ioy of Angels and dread of devils the Jewes Messiah and the Gentiles Starre the Hope of the living and the Resurrection of the dead the the Way to al that come unto thee the Truth to all that know thee and the Life to all that beleeve in Thee Make good all thy glorious and gracious Titles unto mee Lord protect me Iesu save me Christ my annointed King rule me my annointed Priest sanctifie me my annointed Prophet reveile unto mee the secrets of thy Kingdom Oh Christ whose Name is an Oyntment powred out annoint me with the oyle of Gladnesse this day above others This is the day which the Lord hath made I will rejoyce and be glad in it nay I dare take the note higher and sing This is the day in which the Lord was made I will exult and triumph in it Thou which madest al dayes wert this day made of a woman and made under the Law From all eternity it was never heard that eternity entred into the Kalender of time supreme Majesty descended into the womb Immensity was comprehended Infinity bounded Vbiquity inclosed and the Deity incarnated Yet this day it was seene for this day the Word became flesh God became man and to effect this wonderfull mystery a Virgin became a Mother one deepe calleth upon another one miracle begetteth another the Sunne bringeth forth all other dayes but this day brought thee forth the Sunne of Righteousnesse If we set our voyces and instruments and heart-strings to the highest straine of joy at the birth of great Kings and Princes what ought I to doe at this day on which thou the King of heaven wast borne upon the earth At the marriage of great personages men give full scope to all manner of expressions of carnall joy even oftentimes to the very surfet of the senses with pleasure how then should I bee ravished with spirituall joy at this time when heaven and earth the divine nature and humane were maried The contract was in heaven before all times but the marriage was this day consummated in the undefiled bed of the Virgin Lord who this day camest downe to me draw me up to thee and give mee accesse with more confidence and boldnesse for now thou art become my Brother and Ally by blood The rayes of thy divine Majesty will not dazle the eyes of my soule they being now veiled with thy flesh This day thou didst unite thy selfe to me naturally and substantially and becamest truly flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone unite me to thee this day spiâ—itually and make me a true member of thy mysticall body that I may be flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone Lord thou didst this day participate of my humane nature make me this day participate by grace of thy divine so far as I am capable therof and impart and communicate unto me the merit of al thyactions and benefit of all thy sufferings in this thy nature O my Lord and my God who by assuming flesh unto thy divine person hast sanctified it and highly advanced it farre above all creatures keepe me from defiling my flesh with sinfull pollutions or abasing or inthralling it to Satan O Son of God who by this incarnate Nature becamest the Sonne of Man make me the sinfull son of man by Grace and Adoption to become the son of God And as thou this day according to the words of thine Angell wert borne to mee bee borne also in mee that from henceforth I live not but thou in me Let thy Spirit quicken me thy Flesh nourish me thy Wisedome guide me thy Grace sanctifie mâ— and thy Word instruct me Let the Holy Ghost of Whom thou wast conceived beget thee in me by the Immortall seed of thy Word Let my Faith conceive thee my Profession bring thee forth my Love embrace thee and Devotion entertaine and continually keepe thee with mee till thy second comming So come unto mee Lord Iesus come quickly Amen THE MOONE OR A Meditation on New-yeares day AFter you have taken a view of the Sacrifice prepared A Lambe slain from the beginning you may bee pleased to behold how the Priest begins to draw its blood with the sharpe knife of the Ceremonial Law as on this day which may very wel be compared to the Moon from her foure-fold nomination First shee is called Lucina or Luna because shee is a light which appears in the dark night so the Ceremoniall Law was as a Light in the night of ignorance when all the world was in darknesse God separated the Jewes to himselfe as David saith God hath given Lawes unto Iacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel hee hath not dealt so with any other nation neither have the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes Secondly the Moone is called Cynthia which was an high hill in Delos that