the feare of Death and Hell 6 How rich and stately a thing to be heire of glory Say to thy self as Paul to the Corinths 1 Cor. 5.8 Let us feast and be merrie CHRIST hath made us holy-holy-dayes our Paschall Lamb is slain have any more cause to be merrie With these Soliloquies mingle some Ejaculations to Heaven for â—râ—ce and aid and descend not this 〈…〉 till thou findest and feelest thy soule in some cheerly plight revived and warmed with these spirituall Flaggons of Wine in the strength whereof thou mayest walk all the day following And this in plaine termes I call using of faith and living by faith which if thou wilt duely inure thy self unto thou wilt not marvell why I call it ascending Mount Tabor thou wilt stay thy selfe upon good proof It is good to be here daily to be here often to come hither oh that this did as clearly appeare to the world in this matter of faith as it doth in all other habits graces gifts vertues and good things whatsoever that the principall beautie and benefit of them consists in use fruition and action not the bare profession yea the very increase and perfection of them Vse limbs and have limbs The more thou dost the more thou mayest Vse will bring perfectnesse and thorough disuse things perish and come to nothing As the Plough-share laid up rusts and consumes employed glisters doth good and lasts the longer Let any man diligently and throughly improve the greater will be his faith and great comfort it will bring in And againe after the end of the Sermon in his Epistle to the Reader which he purposely then enters and not before it to leave the better impression he hath a farther passage to this effect Let me minister unto thee an Interrogatory or two and answer me in good serious sooth betweene God and thy soul Hast thou and dost thou thy self letting others alone live by faith Proove and examine thyselfe and take for instance this present week or day past wherin thou readest this little Manual How hast thou or usually dost thou spend the day What thought didst thou awake withal what was the morning draught for thy foule next thy heart What hath cheered and made thee merrie in private and in company whether thy sports or thy meales more then the heavenly ejaculations Deale plainly not with me and this Booke which yet shall witnesse against thee if thou refuse to practise it when thou hast read it but with thy selfe Hast not thou challenged some time more or lesse halfe a quarter of an houre at the least in the day for this exercise of thy faith if not as it is neglected by most men not for dayes or weekes but for moneths and yeares let thy heart smite thee for thy folly and say have I lived or rather not lived by consuming pretious time in vanities How commeth it about that the greatest part of my life is the least part wherein I have lived Oh then recover and recollect thy selfe before thou go hence wilt thou die before thou hast lived as boies slabber their books before they have learned their lessons Oh learn to live this life it is never too late it is never I am sure too soone It is no shame for thee to learne it of what age or condition soever thou be The Introduction to my MEDITATIONS OF MOUNT TABOR My work is done I can no longer toyle under the restles cares of worldly things Come then my soul let 's prove another while what sounder comfort thought of heaven brings For here we see by selfe-experience the fruits of this world wheresoe're they grow In Citie Court high place of eminence in Cottages or Countrey shades below Yeeld but the spirits vexation If not confusion Or vanity at best The spirits illusion Then leaving all below let us ascend the sacred Mount of Tabor where we may With humble quiet thoughts attend our Saviours call from day to day For we should now make every day our last not needing or desiring any more If God another to our life shall cast spend it likewise with thanks to him therefore And so being freed from earthly perturbation Make heavens care our daily meditations Waiting the period of our fraile lifes story Vntill his calling of us to himselfe in glory The first Meditation How excellent a thing it is to have all our debts cancelled Places of Scripture shewing how this benefit belongs to us Daniel 9.24 SEaventie weekes are determined upon thy people to finish transgression to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse and to annoint the most holy vers 25. Messiah the Prince 26. who after sixty two weeks shall be cut off but not for himself â—sayâ— 3.5 He was woundâ—d for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes are we healed Matth â— 2 IESUS seeing their faith said to the sicke of the Palsie sonne be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee And undoubtedly saith Bishop Cowper this is a standing sentence spoken not only to this Paralytick but as a generall proclamation to every believer This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many Mat. 26. â—â— for the remission of sins I came not to call the righteous Mark â— 17 but sinners to repentance To give knowledge of salvation unto his people for the remission of their sinnes Luke â— â—7 Through the tender mercy of our GOD â—erâ—e â—8 whereby CHRIST the day spring from an high hath visited us To give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Verâ—e â—â— to guide our feet in the way of peace That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations Luke â—4 47 Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the world Iohn â— 2â— And he is the propitiation for our sinnes Iohn 13. â— To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10.43 Acts 13.32 We declare unto you glad tydings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers Verse 33. God hath fulfilled the same to us their children in that he hath raised up IESUS againe Verse 38. Be it knowne unto you therefore that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sins Verse 39. And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moses Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in IESUS CHIRST Verse 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins Heb. 9.26 But now hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Verse 27. And
of life and death of salvation and damnation at that Acts 2.20 great and terrible day of the Lord wherein 2 Pet. 3.10 the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up the dead raised the living changed and all mankinde brought together to give a most strict accompt not for their ill works alone but for their neglect of good duties not for actions alone but for their words and that not for filthy and mischievous words only but for every idle word and the thoughts of the heart And this my soule is that infinite almighty and most glorious and dreadful Majestie against whom we have rebelled in the highest treasons his wisdome power justice being incomprehensible and his wrath insupportable O come let us worship and fall downe prostrate with all aweful reverence trembling and feare and then in the second place consider how infinitely gracious and good this our most blessed God the King of eternall glory hath beene to such a worme and vile wretch as my unworthy selfe For besides those most blessed and extraordinary priviledges which I have with my countrey-men in being borne an Englishman in the time of the most glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell of grace seconded with such Halcyon daies of blessed peace the publike miracles of mercy which God hath wrought even in my life time in the preservation of this Church and Kingdome our gracious Princes our selves and our posterities specially in these two famous deliverances never to be forgotten by any true English heart from the Spanish invincible Armado and the Popish hellish Powder plot O blessed Lord God how infinitely good and gracious hast thou been unto me most unworthy in all the particular passages of my earthly pilgrimage First in spirituall blessings by thy preventing mercy keeping me from some grievous sinnes into which my owne wicked corruptions by Sathans damnable enticements had els drawne me In thy sparing mercies in my acting of other sins wherinto I was faln In thy pardoning mercies that miracle of miracles in translating me out of that damnable estate of mine unregenerate time into rhe glorious liberty of thine owne children of grace and adoption in IESUS CHRIST and for thy renewing mercies by the work of thy holy spirit making me to loath all sinne and to apply my selfe to all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse in universall new obedience to thy most holy will and a constant will and resolution to serve and please thee love feare adore and obey thee in all true repentance and sanctification all the remaining houres of my life and lastly for the assurance thou hast given me of the upshot of all thy finall and crowning mercies in the life to come Then again in temporall blessings by preserving mee from harme in most desperate dangers giving mee the helpe of good education blessing me with a most gracious and comfortable fellowship in marriage and us both with hopefull children and grandchildren especially for our eldest son the true staffe of our age and for thy bountifull providing for us and them in outward necessaries and shewing us mercy in all our occasions yea good Lord for thy fatherly chastisements sent amongst us and therein for that gentle paralyticall infirmity of mine owne aged body whereby I have beene gratiously taken off from worldly cares and employments and have held and still by thy goodnesse have this blessed time and opportunity for heavenly meditations and Christ in preparation of my self for my change and dissolution and my finall translation into those glorious mansions which our most blessed Saviour hath provided for us in his heavenly kingdome O most blessed Lord God how shall I poore weakling do to admire thy providence adore thy Majestie love feare serve and obey thee and glorifie thy most holy name as I am most bounden and heartily desire to do in all sincerity duty and thankfulnes for all thy numberles and incomprehensible mercies blessings comforts and deliverances vouchsafed unto me even in this fraile life and valley of teares and for the glorious upshot of all thy crowning mercies reserved for me in the life to come Oh fill my heart with thy gracious spirit for enabling me to pay my humble vowes unto thy Majestie in all true sanctified obedience and faithfull and serious endeavours of soule and body to walke acceptably before thee from henceforth and for ever Amen And now my soule should wee in the third place consider how wickedly and ungraciously I have misbehaved my self all the days of my flesh towards this most high glorious almighty and most dreadful Majestie and towards this most gracious and mercifull God and Saviour of ours But here alas I am confounded wâ—h shame astonishment of heart and horror of conscience but to think of the manifold frailties prophannes pollutions of my youth and the sinful negligencies rashnesses improvidence unfruitfulnes and unthankfulnes and other sins and transgressions of thought word or deed of my whole mispent life by past Yea O Lord my God in my ungrateful and froward neglect of thy gracious time of visitation graunted mee of thine unspeakable mercie these foure last yeares aswell for my sound humiliation and serious daily repentance for my manifold sins and corruptions as for improving that precious time in those gracious duties and spirituall exercises publike and private which my conscience tels me I should have performed with more fervour of spirit feare and trembling and syncerity and intention of heart then I have done But O Lord I finde that were mine eyes fountaines of teares powred out every moment of my life should my heart fall asunder into drops of blood in my brest for anger and indignation against my selfe for my grievous sins and transgressions yet should I come infinitely short of that sorrow and hearts griefe which mine offences would justly require and exact at my hands And therefore O Lord my God though it bee my most earnest suit and the earnest desire and constant prayer of my humble soule that my hard and dull heart may by thy grace be so softned and quickned as to be truly broken and dissolved into sighs of true contrition and that I may weepe day and night for my sinnes and offences all my life long unto my dying houre yet all could not serve to draw thy mercy upon me for the least of my transgressions for in the point of redemption of mankind and purgation of sinne nothing could serve the turn but the precious blood of IESUS CHRIST God and Man in one person blessed for ever Either the sonne of God must die or else all mankind be eternally damned and their sinnes only are properly said to have pierced him who at length are saved by his blood Come then my soule let us set our humble faith on worke to lay fast hold upon this blessed Saviour of ours who only is become our reconciliation and peace-maker
and reliefe Amen 14. Vpon the words Hodie mihi cras tibi commonly used for an Embleme of our Mortality I Have often seene painted and set out for an Embleme of our mortalitie a naked boy with a dead skull in his hand sitting upon the ground with this motto subscribed Hodie mihi cras tibi To day for me to morrow for thee In which invention no doubt the Author intended well and right good use may bee made of it by the sober and humble minded that if wee should expect death to morrow wee should bee carefull to spend to day well But lately reading a Treatise intitled Learne to Dye written by that holy man of God Doctor Sutton and published Anno 1626. in the 3. Chap. and 28. page I found these words Thy neighbours fire cannot but give warning of approaching flames mihi heri tibi hodie yesterday for me to day for thee saith the wiseman whose turn is next God only knows who knowes all Wherupon finding those words differing from the motto of the old embleme I turned to the place there vouched Eccl. 38.22 and found the Doctors words agree with the text which faith Remember my judgement for thine also shall bee so yesterday for mee and to day for thee which saying brings the remembrance of death and judgement neerer home unto us as to be thought upon to day and not put off till to morrow for it is the tempters suggestion that cries Cras cras to have our conversation put off till to morrow well knowing the old saying Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit whereas the spirit of grace saith Heb. 3.7 To day if if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts least there be no after entring into his rest O blessed Lord what a little distance of time is between to day and to morrow and yet what weightie consequence depends upon it when it may so fall out that if wee use to day as the Holy Ghost requires we may be in heaven to morrow if we defer till to morrow we shall never come thither O most gracious Lord God who callest upon us to day not to harden our hearts mollifie them now even now O Lord by thy powerfull spirit of grace that being truly converted unto thee in this our day we may be for ever delivered from the law and bondage of sin and from henceforth become the true and faithfull servants of righteousnesse and so daily waiting for thy blessed call may be graciously fitted and prepared every day with comfort and humble confidence and thankefulnes to deliver up our soules into thy blessed arms of peace through Iesus Christ our most glorious Saviour and only peacemaker Amen 15. Vpon the observing of a Grave-stone in Pauls London REading over a Christian meditation of death in French upon the 12. verse of the 90. Psalme So teach us to number our dayes c. written by Francis Lansberque and reprinted the third time Anno 1624 I observed a place pag. 136. where the Author reprooving the vanity of some men that even when they are a dying take care of eternizing their names by sumptuous tombs and pompous burials instead of vertuous and honourable actions in their life-time hath a passage in these very words Poore bones and stinking prey of wormes what doth all this availe you you seek to eternize your name in things of frailtie and in forgetfulnesse it selfe to preserve your perpetuall memorie Thinke I pray you that the very stones which cover your rotten bones have their old age that the brasse and Iron of your graves will be eaten with rust that the magnificent inscriptions are by little and little worne out by the feet of those who walke over you Believe you not this goe to the Church and if you be not blinde you shall see this made good Which words pointing me as it were to Pauls for the proofe of that is there alleadged it brings to my minde an observation of mine owne concerning a grave-stone in that Church as if it had beene one of those very stones which the first author intended For at my first comming to London about fiftie yeares since I observed a very faire and large grave-stone of a brownish colour in the pavement of the middle walke of the body of that Church betweene the two pillars next the staires that goe up into the chancell wherein at the upper end therof was an inscription engraven in the stone in old Latine letters which I could then perfectly reade in these words Non aspecies hominem ultra and in the midst or heart of the stone this one word oblivio engraven in much larger and deeper letters About thirty years after I found out the same stone removed into another place in the same walk but the upper inscription so utterly worn out that I should hardly have knowne it but by that other word in the middle of the stone the letters whereof were about seven or eight inches long and that word oblivio was then to be read though it may bee worne out also by this time This observation of mine besides that it is a demonstrative proof of the French Authors proposition toâ—ching the decay and wearing out of such kind of monuments whereby wee seeke to perpetuate our memories may also bee the precedent of a strange kinde of Epitaph far differing from those large inscriptions approved by the Author this serving every mans turne and shewing us all what the greatest of us be when we once are dead covered with oblivion and never in this world to be seene againe And this meditation doth properly joyne with that forreigne author in producing this use of instruction for us all to leave those vaine and pompous follies and to draw neere in time before we go hence to get our names written in the Lambs booke of life in heaven and then we shall be sure to have an eternall name indeed amongst all the Saints and Angels for ever O blessed Lord for thine holy names sake guide us by thy spirit in that blessed way of grace whiles we live that we may be assuredly thine when we die and then how meane soever our names or Tombes be here we shall be sure to be raised againe unto glory to celebrate and praise thy holy and blessed name in the land of the living for evermore Amen 16. Vpon a short Inscription upon a great mans Tombe I Observed upon a tombe where lay interred one in Barons robes this short inscription Fuimus which puts every reader noble or of meane condition young or old in minde that howsoever wee are yet declining sum or sumus in the present tense ere long we must come to fui or fuimus the preterperfect tense as well as those that are gone before us and this gives us a proper lesson of our mortality and if we enquire further what was the honour high place or dignitie of those that are gone to the grave take but the least
also appeare with him in Glory Philippians 3.20 For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ Verse 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himselfe 1 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not unto me only but unto them also which love his appearing Titus 3.7 That being justified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life 1 Pet. 5.1 The elders which are amongst you I exhort who am also an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of CHRIST and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed 2. Feed the flock of God 4. And when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare yee shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not a way 10. But the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternall glory by CHRIST IESUS make you perfect 2 Pet. 1.3 According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine unto life and godlin sse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glorie and vertue 11. For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost 4. Jn whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of CHRIST who is the image of God should shine unto them 5. For we preach not our selves but CHRIST IESUS the Lord 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of IESUS CHRIST 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power may be of God and not of us The sixth Meditation NOw my soul are we by Gods mercy come to the sixth and uppermost step propounded to us in these our meditations namely to â—onsider how rich and stately a thing it is to be an heire of glory And this indeed must needs be the most high and transcendent priviledge of all that can bee bestowed upon the children of men who being by nature children of wrath and in bondage to sinne death and damnation are by grace brought to this most blessed estate of changing sinne into righteousnesse death into life and hell and damnation into heaven and glory And how comes this blessed worke to bee effected for us most unworthy wretches but onely by that most blessed Saviour and redeemer of ours God in the flesh manifested who brought us up the first step of these our meditations and so from steppe to step all along to this the highest of heavenly glory For hee is the onely naturall sonne of GOD and thereby the onely proper and immediate heire to that blessed inheritance whereunto hee hath a twofold right one by his eternall generation and so hee is the heire of his Fathers Kingdome in a manner proper and peculiar to himselfe alone The other right hee hath by purchase for by the merit of his precious death and passion hee hath purchased eternall liâ—e for all the members of his Churcâ— whom having espoused unto himselfe by grace wee also by that â—lessed union with him became heires annexed with him of the same glory In the first right he can admit no companion in the second all the members of his mysticall body are made partakers with him O my soul what shall we say to this transcendent dignitie of all truly penitent believers but as the Psalmist saith Psalme 87.3 glorious things are spoken of thee ô thou Citie of God so may we say of every citizen of the holy City new Ierusalem the Lambs wife Rev. 21.3 For God will dwell with them and they shall bee his people and God himselfe shall bee with them and be their God 4. and God shall wipe away all their teares from their eyes and there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there bee any more paine For Psalme 144.15 Blessed are those people whose God is the Lord and are called to this happie fellowship and union with him who is the king of Saints O my soul come let us with all humble reverence heartily love and adore the Lord who hath of his free grace made us partakers of this unspeakable mercy let us rejoyce and bee glad in the Lord and let my heart and mouth be filled with his praises for ever For Esay 1.9 except the Lord had reserved mercy for us wee had beene made like unto Sodome and Gomorah whereas by this blessed Saviour of ours our most gracious Lord and husband the lots are fallen unto us in pleasant places and we have a faire heritage Blessed be the God of our salvation for ever and ever And although all the adopted children of God members of Christ are heires of this glorious inheritance yet is not the same diminished to any one of them for the rich portion of one shall bee no prejudice to another but every one shall bee filled with the fulnesse of the glory of God But withall we are to observe that howsoever in earthly inheritances the father must first die before the sonne come to the full possession thereof yet for this heavenly inheritance wee our selves must first die that wee may possesse the same For our Father is the ancient of dayes the heavens are the worke of his hands they shall perish but hee doth remaine we all shall wax old as doth a garment but he is the same and his yeares shall not faile for he is the Father of eternitie in whom there cannot fall so much as a shadow of change But as for us our condition is such that by suffering death we must enter into the kingdome we cannot see him so long as wee live nor bee satisfied with his image till we awake in the resurrection Therefore should the day of death be a ioyfull day unto us because it is the day of our glorious inheritance Dies mortis aeternae vitae natalis est and as this serves unto us for a speciall comfort in the houre of temptation and day of death so it should provoke us to answer this our heavenly vocation by the holy and heavenly disposition of our minds and affections whiles we live and a gracious and Christian preparation from day to day for the time of our dissolution waiting for it with cheerfulnesse and joy Seeing we are the sonnes of God shall wee not make it our studie and care to use all blessed meanes for renewing his image in us which our former sins have defaced and to serve him in holines and righteousnes all the
remaining daies of our life seeing we are called to be heires of an heavenly inheritance shall we any longer minde and affect earthly things nay rather with the holy Apostle Philip. 3.8 9. Let us accompt all things to bee but dung in respect of the excellent knowledge and fellowship of the Lord IESUS Seeing CHRIST must be our comfort in death when all other comforts will forsake us let us make him out joy and pleasure and our portion in this life and so shall he be both in life and death an advantage unto us O most gracious Lord God and our mercifull heavenly father give us grace we most humbly beseech thee seriously to consider of this high calling of ours being by adoption made thy children members of CHRIST and heires annexed with him of glory of rebels and slaves of Sathan made the happie servants of our blessed Redeemer nay more then so his friends Iohn 14.15 Henceforth call I you no more servants but friends yea more then friends for he hath made us his brethren Heb. 2.11 He that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all one wherefore hee is not ashamed to call them brethren O transcendent and wonderfull comfort God the Father cries from heaven This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him The Sonne againe speaking unto us here on earth saith Iohn 20.17 I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God He that is my God and my Father is also your Father and your God Therefore goe ye unto him and with confidence cal upon him as your Father and your God and hee will heare you and helpe you O most glorious and most merciful heavenly Father confirm us more and more in the assurance of thy eternall love free grace and unchangeable mercies towards us in Christ Iesu that in lively sense and inward assurance thereof wee may with comfort and cheerfulnes waite for love and long for his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 for our deliverance from this bondage of corruption and receiving of us to himselfe in glory To whom with thee O Father of mercies and God the Holy Ghost most holy glorious and ever blessed Trinitie in the unity of one only true and everliving God of incomprehensible glorious essence and most adored and coeternall Majestie be all glory praise dominion and thankesgiving ascribed for ever and ever Amen Amen Amen FOR A Seventh MEDITATION OF MOUNT TABOR NOw my soule having by our most gratious GODS fatherly indulgence and mercie had time and beene enabled though with much humane weaknesse to consider distinctly and severally of those sixe maine points of meditation propounded unto us for Mount Tabor the same indeed comprehending all manner of spirituall comforts and refreshings for the Christian soule wee are by course and order come to a seventh stepp which very name puts mee in minde of the seventh day of our weeke the fittest of all the rest for heavenly contemplations Almightie GOD after his six daies worke of wonder in the creation of the visible World consecrating the seventh day for a holy rest to himselfe and for his owne immediate worship and service which was the Iewes Sabbath and the glorious resurrection of God the Sonne manifested in the flesh for the most gracious worke of our redemption being also celebrated in the Church ever the seventh day of the week which is the Christians Sabbath and both of them types of that everlasting Sabbath which the triumphant Church shall celebrate for ever in the kingdome of Heaven The consideration of which particulars might bee a theme large enough and fit enough for a seventh Meditation of Mount Tabor But being sensible of my owne weaknesse I am resolved here to set up my rest and instead and place of this seventh and concluding Meditation of mine to set downe two exercises of this kind heretofore composed by me the one fitting the Christians Sabbath to the worlds end the other a contemplation of the new Ierusalem and heavenly Sabbath world without end recommending the foure other heads of meditation set downe by Master Downâ—m and the twelve priviledges of the faithfull set downe by Master Byfeild as fit arguments for divine contemplations to such as are better able to travell therein no day of the weeke no nor of our whole life being to bee exempted from that most necessary duty of daily renewing our faith and repentance whereof see Downam at large in his Guide to Godlinesse lib. 3. cap. 2. A MEDITATION On the Incarnation and Passion of our most glorious Saviour the Lord Iesus and our blessed union with him alluding to the song of Simeon called Nunc Dimittis SImeon was one of those which waited for the Messiahs comming Israels consolation Whom that himselfe should see before he died was shewed to him from God by revelation And when the Virgin mother brought her Son up to the Temple to present him there Simeon by motion of the Holy Ghost came in and praising God with joyfull cheere The blessed babe with arms he gently claspt about This Swan-like song divinely warbling out O Lord since thou hast let me live to see the Christ thy promised salvation Whom thou hast now prepar'd reveald to be before the face of every nation A saving light unto the Gentiles who in darknesse and in shade of death did dwell The glory and the way of peace unto thine owne beloved people Israel Now lettest thou thy servant blessed Lord Depart in peace according to thy word If Simeon at the sight of Christ a child new come into the world for our salvation That glorious work not then accomplished was yet so wrapt with joy and exultation As disesteeming all the world beside he had no mind of living longer here How then O Lord should I affected be who live in this thy Gospels light so cleare My Saviours acts and sufferings all to see And know the benefit therof belongs to me O thou divine peace-maker how shall I admiâ—e and praise thy mercy infinite That being God our nature wouldst assume and to thy sacred person it unite That so thou being God and man in one 〈◊〉 perfect Mediator might become To God for man who els had perished and without thee beene utterly undone Good Lord how should my soule affected be At this thy wonderfull humility That thou th' almighty maker of the world for by thy word all things at first began Should'st yeeld thy self a creature to become and to be made twise made for sinfull man Made of the blessed Virgin so to take with our fraile nature our infirmities And made under the law to undergo the burthen of our sinnes and miseries How then good Lord should I affected be To this great work of mercy towards me That thou to whom all powers in heaven did bow and thought it their honour to be serviceable Should for us wretched men descend so low as to be born heire in a homely stable Laid in a cratch pursued
next the sealing a narrow white border wherein was written in one continued line round about the roome these verses Sith it is uncertaine where death shall us meet And yet most certaine that he follows our feet In all our waies let us be so wise and steady That whersoere he meet us he may find us ready Alas how dull and slow are wee to entertaine this one most necessary Meditation of our owne mortality when in our beds and at our tables in our restings at home or travailes abroad whatsoever we doe whatsoever we see in the cloudes above or the earth or sea below we may observe such a vicissitude of changes and alterations in all creatures and things as might make us expect in ourselvs a change too yet such is our strong forgetfulnes as the complaint of Cyprian one of the ancient Fathers of the Church in his time may be now justly verified against us Nolumus agnoscere quod ignorare non possumus We will not acknowledge that which we cannot possibly but know O blessed Lord God pardon we beseech thee our former negligences and manifold infirmities and by thy grace sanctifie and strengthen us to consider so seriously of our owne fraile condition that since every day that goeth over our heads may be our last we may live so graciously prepared both at home and abroad from day to day as needing no morrow and then where or whensoever death shall meet us our redeemed soules may welcome him as the porter sent to open heaven gates for us for our finall and everlasting peace through Iesus Christ our most blessed Saviour and peacemaker Amen 11 Vpon a pedegree found in a private mans house GOing with one of mine honest neighbours in a Towne within the Marches of Wales to see a house which hee had new built there when wee came into the parlour as the best roome I observed a table hanging over the mantletree of the chimney with two columnes of Pedegrees crowned on either side one The one column containing a pedegree or descent from the princes of south Wales the other from the ancient princes of north Wales and from both those descents the pedegree was deduced and concluded in the foot of the table with the name of the good man of the house as lineally descended from those two ancient Princes the lines of their principalities being cut off two hundred yeares before At the sight whereof I bethought my selfe what a strange and poore bragge it was for this meane neighbour of mine to fetch his pedegree from Princes when it might happen that the Smith or the Shoomaker should take place above him in all the publike meetings in the Towne till withall I considered that there is not so contemptible a wretch in the world but if he could deduce his pedegree high enough would bee found of kin to nobles and the greatest Lord if his pedegree were set forth in all the collaterall lines and branches thereof should be found to have meane or poore creatures of his kindred or allyance It being certaine that wee all are one mans children all sprung from Adam by nature who was made of the clay or dust of the earth Genesis 2.7 and hee and his posterity to returne to earth and dust againe Genesis 3.19 From hence wee may observe the vanities of this transitory world and the glory of it which howsoever it differenceth betweene one and another whiles they are living yet when we turne againe into our dust there is no such inequalitie for there is no disparity in death and no difference at all betweene the delicatest Lady and the fowlest kitchin-stuffe when they lye both in their dust Mors Sceptra ligonibus aequat And it may be observed that many gallants which have boasted of their great blood by many descents of gentrie have by their pride and foolery wasted the great estate which their frugall ancestors left them and then may come to sit below the Smith or the Shoomaker with this goodman who could fetch his pedegree from Princes Since therefore every man none excepted in his best estate is but vanitie Psa 39.5 this should teach us to be humble in our selves and as wee know more wickednesse and corruption in our selves then we can doe in others so in lowlinesse of minde to esteeme others better then our selves as the Apostle requireth Thâ—l 2.3 which would be a good meane to avoid contention and vain glory O blessed Lord God have mercy upon us poore wretches that have nothing in our selves from nature but dust and corruption and give us a new birth and generatiâ—n by thy holy spirit of grace which only can truly enable us making us thy children by adoption in Christ Iesus and heires with him in the kingdome of heaven Amen 12. Vpon a pedegree seene in a Noble-mans house LVmley Castle in the Countie Palatine of Duresme was built by that noble and worthy Lord John Lord Lumley after the manner of some Castles hee had observed in his travailes beyond the seas with two faire passages into it up two paire of staires large but short both standing the one over against the other at the lower end of the Hall all the rest of the maine roomes being of the same floare equall with the Hall the most eminent roome whereof at the upper end of the Hall being the great Chamber was adorned with the pictures of all the Barons of that family in their robes at full length beginning with the first who was set forth kneeling before King Richard the second and receiving his Writ or Patent of creation at his hands and so from one to another to that Noble-man himselfe that built the house with the picture also of his Lordships sonne and heire apparent then a young man with a Hawke on his fist In that faire chamber at the upper end of it in a Bay window I observed a long Table hanging fitting the one end of the window containing a faire written or painted Pedegree setting out not onely how the Barons of that house succeeded one another but also how the first Baron was lineally descended from Adam himselfe But hee that lived to build the house and to adorne it with such Monuments of Noble Ancestors from so high a descent as the very Creation of the World and having a sonne then living like to have succeeded him in the Barronie dyed himselfe childlesse in Queen Elizabeths time and so the Barony dyed with him and there was no Lord Lumley to entertaine King Iames there at his first comming into England upon her Majesties decease and so that pedegree which I know not by what heraldry brought that worthy nobleman by many generations of Kings and Queenes and other famous ancestors by a lineall descent from Adam himself could not deduce it one descent further but it ends in him for whose honour it selfe was devised And that noble Lord when he was at the highest of the pedegree what could hee finde there of Nobility
and penitent sinner for the strengthening of his faith and hope to rely constantly and confidently upon his infinite mercies O blessed Lord God of our Fathers who even in the time of the law under the covenant of workes wert thus good and gracious towards sinners before the manifestation of our blessed Saviour thine eternall sonne in the flesh and salvation in him proclaimed to all nations by the golden trumpet of the Gospell mercifully sanctifie and strengthen us poore sinfull wretches by thy holy spirit to lay fast hold upon those thine eternall mercies exhibited unto us by thy new covenant in Christ Jesus and sealed up unto us in his most precious blood for the full and sure remission of all our sinnes in him our perfect reconciliation with thy Majestie and the assurance of thine unchangeable love and our owne finall peace and salvation in him whom thou of thine incomprehensible mercies towards poore penitent sinners hast sealed and sent into the world to bee relyed upon for salvation that so by humble and lively faith with true and hearty repentance relying and resting upon those mercies of thine which have beene ever of old unto the end and in the end we may receive the end of our faith in the salvation of our soules through the precious merits and blessed mediation of that prince of peace our most gracious Saviour and eternall peacemaker Amen 20. Vpon the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to breath THis little word consisting but of two letters the first and last of the Greeke Alphabet yet makes two syllables and gives a weighty signification the english of it being I live or breath which in my conceit may note unto us the shortnes of the life of man and the neernesse of death to every man breathing when we cannot say I breath but the last letter must conclude it as the first began it the one following the other as close as the shadow doth the body or the night the day without any other letter interposed betweene them or so much as an aspiration to prolong the word but no sooner Alpha begins but Omega concludes and if all the other twenty letters of the Alphabet should bee interposed and reckoned after the greatest computation of mans life not by dayes but by yeares where how many be there that come not to so many moneths or weekes some not to so many houres or minutes yet must we all that read that Alphabet come to Omega at last And if any be so strong as to read it over in the largest extent of yeares there times and a halfe over yet were his life but labour and sorrow so soone passeth it away and we are gone O Lord my God thou hast prolonged my life to the 69. yeare of mine age which brings mee to the confines of Moses his computation of the life of man and therfore howsoever others may reckon the Omega to be far off from them which no man can bee sure of for an houre yet must I continually expect it aâ— at hand O most mercifull Lord Jesus who hast called thy selfe Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the fâ—â—sh and the last who art the author and finisher of our faith the beginner of every good worke of grace in us and 〈◊〉 perfecter of it have mercy upon me and by thy holy spirit perfect that good worke begun in me for preparing my soule in true faith repentance and obedience all the dayes of mine appointed time so to wait till my change commeth that when that happie houre shall come J may be found ready for heaven and hee finally received of thee in peace into thine everlasting kingdome Amen 21. Vpon the words of S. Paul 1 COR. 9.24 So run that ye may obtain IT is the saying of Theophylact that oâ— the children of God Quidam sunâ— in patria quidam in via ad patriam some are at home in their countrie some in their way towards it some have obtained the goale already the rest are running their race towards it some have finished their course have fought the good fight of faith in grace here and are now at rest in glory some in the beginning of their course and others in our apprehension more forward but all tending to the end And as it is with Gods children that they are not yet at home in their country whiles they are in this world but are travelling thitherward so also the wicked whiles they live here are not where they must be hereafter for they are runners too how well soever they think they have setled themselves in this world and must of necessity leave it when their turnes comes For there is one thing to be done by every man and woman living high or low good or bad rich or poore one with another which it concernes every man to be sure to doe well or else hee can never come to heaven it being not possible to do it more tâ—en once and that is to die If thou runne well in the race of thy life thou shalt bee sure to dye well and he that so doth is safely gotten in patriam but if death once surprize thee in an ill case thou canst never come to dye againe in a better Therefore since the life of man is a race to all men and howsoever we runne or walke or play by the way we must all come to the goale at last what an excellent caveat hath the Holy Ghost given us here by the Apostle so to run that wee may obtaine It is not in our choise whether we will runne or no for wee are all runners our life runnes away like the sand in the houreglasse without staying the twinckling of an eye whether wee observe it or no and it is no small matter that lies at stake even no lesse then salvation or damnation a crowne of glory if wee follow this gratious counsell or Commandement of God by the Apostle of so running that wee may obtaine everlasting horrour and confusion if wee obtaine not Men that use to runne a race for a wager walke over that peece of ground often where they are to performe their race at last to observe on whether side the advantage lyeth at this downe with or that rise of the way and what bee the impediments which may hinder them in their speede that they may avoid them and all to win the wager which is but for a Nag or a suit of cloaths or some other like triviall or transitory thing how much more need have wee then that have our soules at stake to take a daily view of our way and of the short race whereupon eternitie depends not to bee taken with the goodly buildings faire flowers sweet valleys or pleasant fields and other delights offered to our senses but to marke seriously what dangerous letches what thornie passages what nets or gâ—â—ns what bogs or false ground lye in our way that wee may avoid them in our race and runne on
great Clock in Westminster Palace THis Clock strikes foure and twentie times a day And every striking shewes one hower is past Thus houre by houre our daies do weare away And one those houres must shortly be our last But which we know not that poore sinners we In faith repentance and obedience From houre to houre by grace prepar'd may be For our last houre and happie going hence When our dear Saviour shall call us home in peace And sin death sorrow shall for ever cease 34. Home LOrd Iesu keepe my heart which by thy grace would faine keep thee excluding all beside O let thy spirit sanctifie the place and by his sacred influence still rule and guide My thoughts words actions studies and desires To heaven-ward whereto my soule aspires For thence it came I have no home but there and thitherward am travelling as I may A sojourner and wearied pilgrim here waiting my calling home from day to day Till mine appointed time of change shall come And thou dear Lord my soul shall welcome home Meane while thy grace increase my faith in thee with true repentance and obedience That these thy graces may abound in me and I may die in them when I go hence And so by grace prepar'd as I should be Sweet Saviour receive my Soule in peace to thee 35. A Dialogue betweene an old sick man and his neighbour visiting him Q. HOw do you Sir A. I praise God never better Because I never was so neere my home Q. What home mean yoâ— nature to death is debtor And old or young we all must thither come A. True deâ—th the common passage is betweene This mortall life and that which lasts for ever The body carries th' immortall soule unseene Along with it so far but their they sever The bodie dies the soule to heaven straight From whence it came and where its dwelling is And that 's the home I meane for which I waite The glorious mansions of eternall blisse Q But ere you can get thither you must die A. My body must indeed but that 's not I. Q. And should the bodies death so slighted be The king of terrour to all living things A. I slight not death Gods messenger is he And therefore welcome and good newes he brings T'uncloath me of this body that I may Be cloath'd upon with immortalitie And so brought home to dwell in heaven for ayâ— In glorious joyes and true felicitie And though death laies my bodie in the dust As if I never should behold it more Yet rise it shall and he restore it must In better plight then ere it was before The sooner I get home the better then Sweet Iesus take me home in peace Q. Amen 36. A Hymne for Christmas-day Gloria in excelsis Deo ALL glory be to God on high and peace on earth good will to men This was the Chore of Angels song at Iesus birth in Bethlehem For then the eternall sonne of God became the blessed virgins sonne God manifested in the flesh to save mankind els quite undone Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels still And sing All glory be to God and peace on earth to men good-will For by this worke of God made man both th' heavens and earth have cause of joy The heavens new glory have thereby the earth doth heavenly peace enjoy And both from Gods good will to man for loe this blessed heavenly child Hath sinfull Adam and his race redeem'd and to his Father reconcil'd Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels then And sing all glory be to God and peace on earth good will to man This babe though cradled in a cratch was yet the King of glory borne And came from heaven man to save who otherwise had beene forlorne He is our only peace on earth the conscience pacifier here He is our glory in the heavens our blessed glorifier there Come then above all creatures we should sing this Angels Antheme still All glory be to God on high and peace on earth to men good will But first from men on earth below should glory mount to God on high Then God from heaven would shower downe peace to men on earth abundantly For God being now at peace with man through Christ the Lord both God and man The heavens and earth are likewise friends as 't was when first the world began Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels then And sing All glory be to God and peace on earth good-will to men O what transcendent love was this of that great God to poore mankinde When men and Angels both were falne God tooke man up left them behinde And that man might be quit from hell and brought to heavens glorious blisse The Prince of heaven man became was ever mercy like to this Come then and let us praise his name with Angels and Archangels still And give God glory in the highest that shâ—wed to man such high good-will To thee O most Almighty Lord most holy gâ—â—â—ious Trinitie The Father Goâ—â—â—d Holy Ghost in ever blessed nâ—â—e From hearts and soules and all our powers all glory prâ—â—â—e â—â—â—nksgiving be As in beginning was is now and shall to all eternitie For Christ the Lord our Iesus borne at time prâ—fixt in Betâ—lehem Let heâ—ven and earth with all their hosts come joyne with us and say Amen A Prayer and Meditation for my wife and my selfe to joyne together she being in the 67. year of her age and I â—n the 74. of mine and both full of bodily infirmities for our daily waiting for the blessed houre of our dissolution 1 HEre at thy foot-stool blessed Lord do we â—calâ— Thy weak unworthy servants wait thy gracious Our work draws to an end and now we come to thee Whose blessed will is so declared we shall Blesse this our waiting time and by thy grace Support us joyfully to end our race 2 For thou already hast of thy good will In truth and mercy us espous'd to thee Although the mariage day must rest untill This mortall puts on immortality Meane while thou hast thy holy spirit us given To guide us all along our way to heaven 3 Whose sacred hand within the first degree Of life eternall hath already brought us â— Vniting us renewed by grace to thee Most glorious Saviour who hast deerly bought us And by this first degree assures the rest To make us finally for ever blest 4. The second step to lifes eternitie Is by deaths passage which we now attend Where laying down all our mortalitie Our soules by Angels conduct shall ascend Members of thy Church thine own espoused wife Into thy palace of eternall life 5. Where we instead of flesh that 's transitory And must be laid to sleep here in the grave Shall have new robes of everlasting glory As all our fellow members there shall have O what a blessed glorious change is this To leave this world for heavens endlesse blisse 6. And yet there rests behind a third degree When these fraile bodies rais'd from death agen Vnto eternall life rejoynd shall be Vnto our soules and glorified with them When all things shall receive their consummation Our soules and bodies both compleat salvation 7. Now whiles we wait in this our pilgrimage When our appointed time of chang shall come Lord Iesu help in this our lifes last stage And our redeemed soules bring safely home To that safe home of thine where al things bee In perfect peace and true securitie 8. For in this life such our corruptions are As hinder when we any good intend But headlong running into every snare To make us our most gracious God offend Vnder this bondage of corruption thus Lye we till thou good Lord deliver us 9. Here then with panting longings after thee Most glorious Saviour for our finall rest With sighs of hope and teares of joy do we Attend thy blessed call to make us blest Call then sweet Iesu when it shall thee please Into thy hands receive our soules in peace Amen Iob 14.14 All the daies of mine appointed time will I waite till my change shall come