terrible pains and cruel torments the Apostles and Martyrs have voluntarily suffered for the Defence of Christ's Faith when they might have lived by dissembling or denying him how much more wilâ—ing should'st thou be to depart in the â—aith of Christ having 〈◊〉 pains to torment thee and â—ere 〈◊〉 to comfort thee The spiritual sigh upon the seventh Thought O Lord my sins have deserved the pains of Hell and eternal death much more these fatherly corrections wherewith thou dost afflict me But O blessed Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon me and wash away all my filthy sins with thy most precious blood and receive my soul into thy heavenly Kingdom for into thy hands O Father I commend my spirit and thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth The sick Person ought now to send for some godly and religious Pastor IN any wise remember if conveniently it may be to send for some godly and religious Pastor not only to pray for thee at thy death for God in such a caâ—e hath promised to hear the prayers of the righteous Prophets and Elders of the Church but also upon thy confession and unfeigned Repentance to absolve thee of thy sins For as Christ hath given him a calling to baptize thee unto repentance for the remission of thy sins so hath he likewise given him a calling and power and authority upon repentance to absolve thee from the sins I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And again Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye lâ—ose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And again Receive ye the holy Ghost whose soevever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained This Doctrine was as ancient in the Church of God as Job for Elihu tells him That when God strikes a man with malâ—dy on his bed so that his soul draweth near the grace and his life to the burieâ—â— if there be any messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousness then will â—e have mercy upon him c. and answerable hereunto saith St. James if the sick have committed sins upon his repentance and the Prayers of the Elders they shall be forgiven him These have power to shut Heaven and to deliver the scandalous impenitent sinner to Satan For the weapons of their warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to cast down c. and to have vengeance in readiness against all disobedience They have the key of loosing therefore the power of absolving The Bishops and Pastors of the Church do not forgive sin by any absolute power of their own for so only Christ theâ—r Master forgive 〈◊〉 but ministerially as the seâ—vants of Christ and Stâ—wards to whose fidelity their Lord and Master â—ath committed his Keys and that is when they do declare and pronounce either publickly or privately by the Word of God what bindeth what looseth and the meâ—cieâ—â— of God to penitent sinners or his Judgments to impenitent and obstinate persons and so do apply the general promises or threatnings to the penitent or impenitent For Christ from Heaven doth by them as by his Ministers on Earth declare whom he remitteth and bindeth and to whom he will open the gates of heaven and against whom he will shut them And therefore it is not said Whose sins ye signifie to be remitted but whose sins ye remit They then do remit sins because Christ by their Ministry remitteth sins as Christ by his Disciples loosed Lazarâ—s Joh. 11. 44. And as no water could wash away Naaman's Leprosie but the waters of Jordan tho' other Rivers were as clear because the promise was annexed unto the water of Jordan and not of other Rivers so tho' another Man may pronounce the same words yet have they not the like efficacy and power to work on the conscience as when they are pronounced from the Mouth of Christ's Ministers because the promise is annexed to the Word of God in their mouths for them hath he chosen separated and sâ—t apart for this work and to them he hath committed the ministry and word of reconciliation by their holy calling and ordination they have received the holy Ghost and the ministerial power of binding and loosing They are sent forth of the holy Ghost for this work whereunto he hath called them And Christ gives his Ministers power to forgive sins to the penitent in the same words that he teacheth us in the Lord's Prayer to desire God to forgive us our sins to assure all penitent sinners that God by his Minister's absolution doth fully through the merits of Christ's Blood forgive them all their sins So that what Christ decreeth in heaven in â—oro ju â—icii the same he declareth on earth by his reconciling Ministers in foro poenitentie so â—hat as God hath reconciled the world to himself by Jesus Christ so hath he saith the Apostle given unto us the ministry of this reconciliation He that sent them to baptize saying Go and teach all nations baptizing them c. sent them also to remit sins saying As my Father sent me so send I you whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them c. As therefore none can baptize tho' he use the same water and words but only the lawful Minister which Christ hath called and authorized to this Divine and Ministerial Function so tho' others may comfort with good words yet none can absolve from sin but only those to whom Christ â—ath committed the holy Ministry and Word of reconciliation and of their absolution Christ speaketh He that heareth you heareth me In a doubtful Title thou wilt ask the Counsel of a skilful Lawyer In peril of sickness thou wilt know the Advice of the learned Physician and is there no danger in dread of damnation for a sinner to be his own Judge Judicious Calvin teacheth this point of Doctrine most plainly Etsi omnes mutuo â—â—s debeamus consolari c. Altho saith he â—e ought to comfort and confirm one another â—n the confidence of God's Mercy yet we see that the Ministers are appointed as witnesses and sureties to ascertain our Consciences of the â—emission of sins insomuch as they are said tyremit sins and to loose souls Let every faithful man therefore remember that it is his duty if inwardly he be vexed and afflicted with the sense of his sins not to neglect that remedy which is offered unto him by the Lord to wit that for the easing of his conscience he make private confession of
THE PRACTICE OF PIETY Directing a Christian how to walk that he may please God Amplified by the Author Piety hath the Promise 1 Tim. 4. 8. London Printed for Edward Brewster 1695. Lately Printed a very usefull Book To be sold by Edward Brewster at the Crane in St. Paul's Church-Yard viz. THE Mirror of Martyrs First and Second Part lively Expressing in a short view the force of their Faith the fervency of their Love the wisdom of their Sayings the patience of their Sufferings c. with their Prayers and Preparation for their last farewell As also Exercitations and Meditations c. wherein the chief Duties of the Christian Religion are opened and apply'd By Samuel Tompson M. A. late of Magdalen-Hall Oxon. TO THE High and Mighty Prince CHARLES Prince of WALES CHrist Jesus the Prince of Princes bless your Highness with length of Days and an increase of all Graces which may make you truly prosperous in this life and eternally happy in that which is to come Jonathan shot three Arrows to drive David further off from Saul 's fury And this is the third Epistle which I have written to draw your Highness nearer to God's favour by directing your heart to begin like Josiah in your youth to seek after the God David and of Jacob your Father Not but that I know that your Highness doth this without mine admonition but because I would with the Apostle have you to abound in every grace in faith and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to Gods Service and true Religion Never was there more need of plain and unfeigned admonition for the Comick in that saying seems but to have prophesied of our times Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit And no marvel seeing that we are fallen into the dregs of Time which being the last must needs be the worst days And how can there be worse seeing Vanity knows not how to be vainer nor Wickedness how to be more wicked And whereas heretofore those have been counted most holy who have shewed themselves most zealous in their Religion they are now reputed most discreet who can make the least profession of their Faith And that these are the last days appears evidently because the security of mens eternal state hath so overwhelmed as Christ foretold it should all sorts that most who now live are become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God and of those who pretend to love God O God! what sanctified heart can but bleed to behold how seldom they come to prayers how irreverently they hear God's Word what strangers they are at the Lord's Table what assiduous spectators they are at Stage-plays where being Christians they can sport themselves to hear the Vassals of the Devil scoffing religion and blasphemously abusing Phrases of holy Scripture on their Stages as familiarly as they use their Tobacco-pipes in their bibing-houses So that he who would now â—days seek in most Christians for the power shall scarce almost find the very shew of godliness Never was there more sinning never less remorse for sin Never was the Judge nearer to come never was there so little preparation for his coming And if the Bridegroom should now come how many who think them selves wise enough and full of all knowledge would be found foolish Virgins without one drop of the Oil of saving Faith in their Lamps For the greatest Wisdom of most Men in this Age consists in being wise first to deceive others and in the end to deceive themselves And if sometimes some good Book haps into their hands or some good motion cometh into their heads whereby they are put in mind to consider the uncertainty of this life present or how weak assurance they have of eternal life if this were ended and how they have some secret sins for which they must needs repent here or be punished for them in Hell hereafter Security then forthwith whispers the Hypocrite in the Ear that though it be fit to think of these things yet It is not yet time and that he is yet young enough though he cannot but know that many millions as young as himself are already in Hell for want of timely repentance Presumption warranteth him in the other Ear that he may have time hereafter at his leisure to repent and that howsoever others die yet he is far enough from death and therefore may boldly take yet a longer time to enjoy his sweet pleasures and to encrease his wealth and greatness And hereupon like Solomon's sluggard he yields himself to a little more sleep a little more slumber a little more folding of the hands to sleep in his former sins till at last Despair Security's ugly hand maid comes in unlooked for and shews him his Hour-glass dolefully telling him that his time is past and that nothing now remains but to die and â—e damned Let not this seem strange to any for too many have found it too true and more with out more grace are like to be thus sooth'd to their end and in the end snared to their endless perdition In my desire therefore of the common salvation but especially of your Highness's everlasting welfare I have endeavoured to extract out of the chaos of endless controversies the old Practice of true Piety which flourished before these Controversies were hatched which my poor labours in a short while come now forth again the 42. time under the gracious protection of your Highness's favour and by their entertainment seem not to be altogether unwelcome to the Church of Christ. If to be pious hath in all ages been held the truest honour how much more honourable is it in so impious an age to be the true Patron and Pattern of Piety Piety made David Solomon Jehoshaphat Ezechias Josias Zerubbabel Constantine Theodosius Edward the VI. Queen Elizabeth Prince Henry and other religious Princes to be so honoured that their Names since their deaths smell in the Church of God like a precious oynment and their remembrances sweet as honey in all mouths and as Musick at a Banquet of Wine when as the lips of others who have been godless and irreligious Princes do â—ot and stink in the memory of God's People And what honour is it for great Men to have great Titles on Earth when God counts their names unworthy to be written in his Book of life in Heaven It is Piety that embalms a Prince his good name and makes his face to shine before Men and glorifies his soul among Angels For as Moses his face by often talking with God shined in the eyes of the People so by frequent praying which is our talking with God and hearing the Word which is God's speaking unto us we shall be changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord to the Image of the Lord. And seeing this life is uncertain to all especially to Princes what argument is more fit
Belly his God his Lust his Law as in his life he sowed vanity so he is now dead and reapeth misery In his prosperity he neglected to serve God in his adversity God refuseth to save him And the Devil whom he long served now at length pays him his wages Detestable was his life damnable his death The Devil hath his Soul the Grave hath his Carcass in which Pit of Corruption Den of Death and Dungeon of Sorrow let us leave the miserable Caitiff rotting with his Mouth full of Earth his Belly full of Worms and his Carcass full of Stench expecting a fearful Resurrection when it shall be re-united with the Soul that as they sinned together so they may be eternally tormented together Thus far of the miseries of the Soul and Body in Death which is but cursedness in part Now follows the fulness of cursedness which is the misery of the Soul and Body after Death Meditations of the misery of man after death which is the fulness of Cursedness THe fulness of cursedness when it falls upon a Creature not able to bear the brunt thereof presseth him down to that bottomless deep of the endless wrath of Almighty God which is called the damnation of Hell This fulness of cursedness is either particular or general Particular is that which in a less measure of fulness lighteth upon the Soul immediately as soon as she is separated from the Body For in the very instant of dissolution she is in the sight and presence of God For when she ceaseth to see with the organ of fleshly eyes she seeth after a spiritual manner like Stephen who saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand Or as a Man who being born blind and miraculously restored to his sight should see the Sun which he never saw before And thereby the testimony of her own Conscience Christ the righteous Judge who knoweth all things makes her by his omnipresent Power to understand the doom and judgment that is due unto her sins and what must be her eternal state And in this manner standing in the sight of Heaven not fit for her uncleanness to come into Heaven she is said to stand before the Throne of God And so forthwith she is carried by the evil angels how came to fetch her with violence into Hell where she is kept as in a Prison in everlasting pains and chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day But not in that extremity of torments which she shall finally receive at the last Day The general fulness of cursedness is in a greater measure of fulness which shall be inflicted upon both thy soul and body when by the mighty power of Christ the supreme Judge of heaven and earth the one shall be brought out of Hell and the other out of the Grave as Prisoners to receive their dreadful doom according to their evil deeds How shall the reprobate by the roaring of the Sea the quaking of the earth the trembling of the Powers of heaven and terrours of heavenly signs be driven at the worlds end to their wits end Oh what a woful salutation will there be betwixt the damned Soul and Body at their re-uniting at that terrible Day O sink of Sin O lump of Filthiness will the Soul say unto her Body how am I compelled to re-enter into thee not as into an habitation to rest but as a Prison to be tormented together how dost thou appear in my sight like Jephthah's Daughter to my greater torment Would GOD thou hadst perpetually rotted in the grave that I might never have seen thee again How shall we be confounded together to hear before God Angels and Men laid open all those secret sins which we committed together Have I lost Heaven for the love of such a stinking Carrion Art thou the flesh for whose pleasures I have yielded to commit so many fornications O filthy Belly how became I such a Fool as to make thee my God! How mad was I for momentany joys to incur these torments of eternal pains Ye rocks and mountains why skip ye so like rams Psalm 144. 4. and will not fall upon me to hide me from the face of him that comes to sit on yonder throne for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6. 16 17. Why tremblest thou thus Earth at the presence of the Lord and wilt not open thy Mouth and swallow me up as thou didst Korah that I be seen no more O damned furies I would ye might without delay tear me in pieces on condition that you would tear me into nothing But whilst thou art thus in vain bewailing thy misery the Angels hale thee violently away from the brink of the Grave to some place near the Tribunal Seat of Christ where being as a cursed Goat separated to stand beneath on Earth as on the left-hand of the Judge Christ shall rip up all the benefits he bestowed on thee and the torments he suffered for thee and all the good deeds which thou hast omitted and all the ungrateful villainies which thou didst commit against him and his holy Laws Within thee thine own Conscience more than a Thousand Witnesses shall accuse thee the Devils who tempted thee to all thy lewdness shall on the one side testifie with thy Conscience against thee and on the other side shall stand the holy Saints and Angels approving Christ's Justice and detesting so filthy a Creature behind thee an hideous noise of innumerable fellow-damned Reprobates tarrying for thy company Before thee all the World burning in flaming fire above thee an ireful Judge of deserved Vengeance ready to pronounce his Sentence upon thee beneath thee the fiery and sulphureous mouth of the bottomless pit gaping to receive thee In this woful estate to hide thy self will be impossible for on that condition thou wouldst wish that the greatest Rock might fall upon thee to appear will be intolerable and yet thou must stand forth to receive with other Reprobates this thy Sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Depart from me There is a separation from all joy and happiness Ye cursed There is a black and direful Excommunication Into fire There is the cruelty of Fain Everlasting There is the perpetuity of punishment Prepared for the Devil and his Angels Here are thy infernal tormenting and tormented Companions O terrible Sentence from which the condemned cannot escape which being pronounced cannot possibly be withstood against which a Man cannot except and from which a Man can no where appeal so that to the damned nothing remains but hellish torments which know neither ease of pain nor end of time From this Judgment-seat thou must be thrust by Angels together with all the damned Devils and Reprobates into the bottomless lake of utter darkness that perpetually burneth with fire and brimstone
immediately carry her into Heaven and there present her before Christ where she is crowned with a Crown of Righteousness and Glory not which she hath deserved by her good works but which God hath promised of his free goodness to all those who of love have in this life unfeignedly served him and sought his glory Oh what joy will it be to thy Soul which was wont to see nothing but misery and sinners now to behold the face of the God of glory yea to see Christ welcoming thee as soon as thou art presented before him by the holy Angels with an Euge bone serve well done and welcome good and faithful servant c. enter into thy Master's joy And what joy will this be to behold thousand thousands of Cherubims Seraphims Angels Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers All the holy Patriarchs Priests Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors and all the Souls of thy Friends Parents Husbands Wives Children and the rest of God's Saints who departed before thee in the true Faith of Christ standing before God's Throne in bliss and glory If the Queen of Sheba beholding the glory and attendance given to Solomon as it were ravished therewith brake out and said Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand ever before thee and hear thy wisdom How shall thy soul be ravished to see her self by grace admitted to stand with this glorious Company to behold the Blessed face of Christ and to hear all the Treasures of his Divine Wisdom How shalt thou rejoyce to see so many thousand thousands welcoming thee into their Heavenly Society for as they all rejoyced at thy Conversion so will they now be much more joyful to behold thy Coronation and to see thee receive thy Crown which was laid up for thee against thy coming For there the Crown of martyrdom shall be put on the head of a Martyr who for Christ's Gospel-sake endured Torments the Crown of Virginity on the head of a Virgin who subdued concupiscence the Crown of Piety and Chastity on the head of them who sincerely professed Christ and kept their wedlock-bed undefiled the Crown of good works on the good Alms-giver's head who liberally relieved the Poor the Crown of incorruptible glory on the head of those Pastors who by their preaching and good example have converted Souls from the corruption of sin to glorifie God in holiness of life Who can sufficiently express the rejoycing of this heavenly company to see thee thus crowned with glory arraied with the shining robe of righteousness and to behold the Palm of Victory put into thy hand Oh what gratulation will there be that thou hast escaped all the miseries of the World the snares of the Devil the pains of Hell and obtained with them thy eternal rest and happiness For there every one joyeth as much in another's happiness as in his own because he shall see him as much loved of God as himself Yea they have as many distinct joys as they have co-partners of their joy And in this joyful and blessed state the Soul resteth with Christ in Heaven till the Resurrection when as the number of her fellow servants and brethren be fulfilled which the Lord termeth but a little season The second degree of Man's Blessedness after Death is from the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the final Sentence For at the last day 1. The Elementary Heavens Earth and all things therein shall be dissolved and purified with Fire 2. At the sound of the last Trumpet or voice of Christ the Archangel the very same Bodies which the Elect had before though turned to Dust and Earth shall arise again And in the same instant every Man's Soul shall re-enter into his own Body by virtue of the resurrection of Christ their Head and be made alive and rise out of their Graves as if they did but awake out of their beds and howsoever Tyran's be mangled their Bodies in pieces or consumed them to ashes yet shall the Elect find it true at that day that not an hair of their head is perished 3. They shall come forth out of their Graves like so many Josephs out of Prison or Daniels out of the Lion's Den or Jonahs out of the Whale's Belly 4. All the Bodies of the Elect being thus made alive shall arise in that perfection of Nature whereunto they should have attained by their natural temperament if no impediment had hindred and in that vigour of age that a perfect Man is at about 33 years old each in their proper sex Whereunto Divines think the Apostle alludeth when he saith Till we all come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the age or stature of the fulness of Christ. Whatsoever imperfection was before in the Body as blindness lameness crookedness shall then be done away Jacob shall not halt nor Isaac be blind nor Leah bleer-ey'd nor Mephibosheth be lame for if David would not have the blind and lame to come into his House much less will Christ have blindness and lameness to dwell in his heavenly Habitation Christ made all the blind to see the dumb to speak the deaf to hear the lame to walk c. that came to him to seek his grace on Earth much more will he heal all their imperfections whom he will admit to his glory in Heaven Among those Tribes there is not one feeble but the lame man shall leap as an Hart and the dumb man's tongue shall sing And it is very probable that seeing God Created our first Parents not Infants or old Men but of a perfect age or stature the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or new Creation from Death shall every where be more perfect than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first frame of Man from which he fell into the state of the dead Neither is it like that infancy being imperfection and old age corruption can well stand with the state of a perfect glorified Body 5. The Bodies of the Elect being thus raised shall have four most excellent and supernatural qualities For 1. They shall be raised in Power whereby they shall for ever be freed from all wants and weaknesses and enabled to continue without the use of Meat Drink Sleep and other former helps 2. In Incorruption whereby they shall never be subject to any manner of Imperfections Blemish Sickness or Death 3. In Glory whereby their Bodies shall shine as bright as the Sun in the Firmament and which being made transparent their Souls shall shine through far more glorious than their Bodies Three glimpses of which Glory were seen First In Moses's Face Secondly In the Transfiguration Thirdly In Stephen's Countenance Three Instances and Assurances of the glorification of our Bodies at that glorious Day Then shall David lay aside his Shepherd's Weed and put on the Robe of the King's Son Jesus not Jonathan's Then
shall know them 2. Adam in his Innocency knew Eve to be Bone of his Bone and Flesh of his Flesh as soon as he awaked much more then shall we know our Kindred when we shall awake perfected and glorified in the Resurrection 3. The Apostles knew Christ after his Resurrection and the Saints which rose with him and appeared in the holy City 4. Peter James and John knew Moses and Elias in the transfiguration how much more shall we know one another when we shall be all glorified 5. Dives knew Lâ—zarus in Abraham's Bosom much more shall the Elect know one another in Heaven 6. Christ saith that the twelve Apostles shall sit upon twelve thrones to judge at that day the twelve Tribes therefore they shall be known and consequently the rest of the Saints 7. Saint Paul saith that at that day we shall know as we are known of God and Augustin out of this place comforteth a Widow assuring her that as in this life she saw her Husband with externaâ— eyes so in the life to come she should know his heart and what were all his thoughts and imaginations Then Husbands and Wives look to your actions and thoughts for all shall be made manifest one day See 1 Cor. 4. 5. 8. The faithful in the Old Testament are said to be gathered to their Fathers Therefore the knowledge of our Friends remains 9. Love never falleth away therefore knowledge the ground thereof remains in another life 10. Because the last day shall be a declaration of the just judgment of God when he shall reward every man according to his works and if every man's work be brought to light much more the worker And if wicked men shall account for every idle word much more shall the idle speakers themselves be known And if the Persons be not known in vain are the works made manifest Therefore saith the Apostle every man shall appear to account for the work that he hath done in his body c. See Wisdom ch 5. ver 1. Though the respect of diversities of degrees and callings in Magistracy Ministry and Oeconomy shall cease yea Christ shall then cease to rule as he is Mediator and rule all in all as he is God equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost The greatest knowledge that man can attain unto in this life comes as far short of the knowledge which we shall have in Heaven as the knowledge of a child that cannot yet speak plain comes of the knowledge of the greatest Philosopher in the World They who thirst after knowledge let them long to be Students of this Vâ—iversity For all the light by which we know any thing in this World is nothing but the very shadow of God but when we shall know God in Heaven we shall in him know the manner of the work of the Creation the mysteries of the work of our Redemption yea so much knowledge as a Creature can possibly conceive and comprehend of the Creator and his work But whilst we are in this life we may say with Job How little a portion hear we of him And assure our selves with Syracides that There are hid yet greater things than these be and that we have sâ—eâ— but a few of God's works 2. They shall love God with as perfect and absolute a love as possibly a creature can do The manner of loving God is to love him for himself the measure is to love him without measure For in this life knowing God but in part we love him but in part but when the Elect in Heaven shall fully know God then they will perfectly love God And for the infinite causes of love which they shall know to be in him they shall be infinitely ravished with the love of him 3. They shall be filled with all manner of divine pleasures At thy right hand saith David there are pleasures for evermore yea They shall drink saith he out of the river of pleasures For as soon as the Soul is admitted into the actual fruition of the beatifical Essence of God she hath all the goodness beauty glory and perfection of all Creatures in all the World united together and at once presented unto her in the sight of God If any be in love there they shall enjoy that which is more amiable If any delight in fairness the fairest beauty is but a dusty shadow to that he that delights in pleasures shall there find infinite varieties without either interruption of grief or distraction of pain he that loveth Honour shall there enjoy it without the disgrace of cankered envy he that loveth treasure shall there possess it and never be beguiled of it There they shall have knowledge void of all ignorance health that no sickness shall impair and life that no death can determine In a word look how far this wide world surpasseth for light pleasures and comforts the dark and narrow womb wherein thou wast conceived a child so much doth the World to come exceed in joys solace and consolation this present World How happy then shall we be when this life is changed and we translated thither 4. They shall be replenished with an unspeakable joy In thy presâ—nce saith David is the fulness of joy and this joy shall arise chiefly from the vision of God and partly from the sight of all the holy Angels and blessed Souls of just and perfect Men who are in bliss and glory with him But especially from the blissful sight of Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament our Emanuel God made Man His sight will be the chief cause of our bliss and joy If the Israelites in Jerusalem so shouted for joy that the earth rang again to see Solomon crowned how shall the Elect rejoyce in Heaven to see Christ the true Solomon adorned with glory If John Baptist at his presence did leap in his mothers womb for joy how shall we exult for joy when he will be not only with us but in us in heaven If the wise men rejoyced so greatly to find him a Babe lying in a manger how great shall the joy of the Elect be to see him sit as a King in his celestial Throne If Simeon was glad to see him an Infant in the Temple presented by the hands of the Priests how great shall our joy be to see him a King ruling all things at the right hand of his Father If Joseph and Mary were so joyful to find him in the midst of the Doctors in the Temple how glad shall our Souls be to see him sitting as Lord amongst Angels in Heaven This is that joy of our Master which as the Apostle saith the eye hath not seen the ear hath not heard nor the heart of man can conceive which because it cannot enter into us we shall enter into it 5. Lastly They shall enjoy this blissful and glorious
thy sins have deserved Count therefore Christ thy chiefest joy and sin thy greatest grief esteem no want to the want of Grace nor any loss to the loss of God's favour and then the discontentment for outward means shall the less perplex thine inward mind And as oft as Satan shall offer any motion of discontentment to thy mind remember Saint Paul's admonition We brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Pray therefore with wise Agur O Lord give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me lest I be too full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain 7. Bestow no more thought upon worldly things than thou needs must for the discharge of thy place and the maintenance of thy estate but still let thy care be greater for heavenly than earthly things and be more grieved for a dishonour done to God than for an injury offered to thy self but if any private injury be offered unto thee bear it as a Christian with patience Never was an innocent man wronged but if he patiently bare his cross he overcame in the end But thy good name in the mean while is wounded bear that also with patience For he that at the last day will give thy body a resurrection will as sure in his good time grant a resurrection to thy good name If impatiently thou fretrest and vexest at thy wrongs the hurt which thou dost thy self is more than that which thine enemy can do unto thee Neither canst thou more rejoyce him than to hear that it thorowly vexeth thee But if thou canst shew patience on earth God will shew himself just from heaven Pray for him for if thou be a good man thy self thou canst not but rejoyce if thou shouldest see thy worst enemy to become a good man too But if he still continueth in his malice and encreaseth in his mischief give thou thy self unto Prayer committing thy self and commending thy cause unto the righteous Judge of heaven and earth saying with Jeremy O Lord of host that judgest righteously and triest the reins and the heart vengeance is thine and unto thee have I opened my cause In the mean while wait with David on the Lord be of good-courage and he shall comfort thine heart 8. The more others commend thee for an excellent act be thou the more humble in thine own thoughts Affect not the vain praises of men the blessed Virgin was troubled when she was truly praised of an Angel They shall be praised of Angels in heaven who have eschew'd the praises of Men on Earth Neither need'st thou praise thy self deal but uprightly others will do that for thee Be not thou curious to know other mens doings but rather be careful that no man know any ill dealings by thee 9. Esteem no sin little for the curse of God is due to the least and the least would have damned thee had not the Son of God died for thee Bewail therefore the misery of thine own state and as occasion is ministâ—ed â—orn for the iniquity of the time Pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse 10. Lastly Think often of the shortness of thy life and certainty of death and wish rather a good life than a long For as one day of Man's life is to be preferred before the longest age of a Stag or Raven so one day spend religiously is to be higher valued that a man's whole life that is consumed in prophaneness Cast over therefore once every day the number of thy days by substracting those that are past as being vanished like yester-nights dream contracting them that are to come since the one half must be slept out the rest made uncomfortable by the troubles of the World thine own sickness and the death of friends counting only the present day thine which spend as if thou wert to spend no more Secondly For thy Words 1. REmember that thou must answer for every idle word that in multiloquy the wisest man shall over-shoot himself Avoid therefore all tedious and idle talk whereof seldom ariseth comfort many times repentance especially beware of rash answers when the tongue out-runs the mind The word was thine whilst thou kept'st it in it is anothers as soon as it is out O the shame when a man 's own tongue shall be produced a witness to the confusion of his own face Let then thy words be few but advised forethink whether that which thou art to speak be fit to be spoken affirm no more than what thou knowest to be true and be rather silent than speak to an ill or to no purpose 2. Let thy heart and tongue ever go together in honesty and truth hate dissembling and lying in another detest it in thy self or God will detest thee for it for he hateth a lyer and his father the Devil alike And if once thou be discovered to make no conscience of lying no Man will believe thee when thou speakest a truth but if thou lovest truth more credit will be given to thy word than to a lyers oath Great is the possession which Satan hath in those who are so accustomed to lying that they will lye though they get nothing by it themselves nor are not compelled unto it by others Let not thine anger remain when thou seest the cause removed and ever distinguish 'twixt him that offendeth of infirmity or against his will and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose let the one have pity the other justice 3. Keep thy speech as clean from all obscenity as thou would'st thy meat from poyson and let thy talk be gracious that he that hears thee may grow better by thee and be ever more earnest when thou speakest of Religion than when thou talkest of worldly matters If thou perceivest that thou hast erred persevere not in thine errour rejoyce to find the truth and magnifie it Study therefore three things especially to understand well to say well and to do well And when thou meetest with God's children be sure to make some holy advantage by them learn of them all the good that thou canst and communicate with them all the good things that thou knowest The more good thou teachest others the more will God still minister unto thee For as the gifts of Men by much using do perish and decrease So the gifts of God by much using do the more grow and increase like the widow's pitcher of Oil
fiat Justitia But whilst thou art pronouncing the sentence of judgment on another remember that thine own judgment hangs over thy head In all causes therefore judge aright for thou shalt be sure to find a righteous Judge before whom thou must shortly appear to be judged thy self at what time thou maist leave to thy friend this for thine Epitaph Nuper eram Judex jam judicis ante tribunal Subsistens paveo judicor ipse modo Many I know not upon what grounds seem to be much aggrieved with the Laws of the Land but wiser men may answer them with the Apostle Nos scimus bonam esse legem modo Judex eâ legitimè utatur We know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully And he shall be unto me a righteous Judge whose heart neither corruption of bribes fear of foes nor favour of friends can withdraw from the conscionable practice of these precepts And to that rare and venerable Judge I say with Jehoshaphat Be of courage and do justice and the Lord will be with the good 10. Lastly Make not an occupation of any recreation The longest use of pleasure is but short but the pains of pleasure abused are eternal Use therefore lawful recreation so far forth as it makes thee the fitter in body and mind to do more chearfully the service of God and the duties of thy calling Thy work is great thy time is but short And he who will recompence every man according to his works standeth at the door Think how much work is behind how slow thou hast wrought in the time which is past and what a reckoning thou should'st make if thy master should call thee this day to thine accounts Be therefore careful henceforth to make the most advantage of thy short time that remains as a man would of an old lease that were near expiring and when thou disposest to recreate thy self remember how small a time is allotted for thy life and that therefore much of that is not to be consumed in idleness sports plays and toyish vanities seeing the whole is but a short while though it be all spent in doing the best good that thou canst for Man was not created for sports plays and recreation but zealously to serve God in Religion and conscionably to serve his neighbour in his vocation and by both to ascertain himself of eternal salvation Esteem therefore the loss of time one of the greatest losses Redeem it carefully to spend it wisely that when that time cometh that thou mayest be no longer a Steward on earth thy master may welcome thee with an Euge bone serve and give thee a better in heaven where thou shalt joyfully enjoy thy Master's joy for evermore Meditations for the Evening At Evening when thou preparest thy self to take thy rest meditate on these few points 1. THat seeing thy days are numbred there is one more of thy number spent and thou art now the nearer to thy end by a day 2. Sit down a while before thou goest to bed and consider with thy self what memorable thing thou hast seen heard or read that day more than thou sawest heard'st or knewest before and make thy best use of them but especially call to mind what sin thou hast committed that day against God or Man and what good thou hast omitted and humble thy self for both If thou findest that thou hast done any goodness acknowledge it to be God's grace and give him the glory and count that day lost wherein thou hast not done some good 3. If by frailty or strong tentation thou shalt perceive that thou hast committed any grievous sin or fault presume not to sleep till thou hast upon thy knees made a particular reconciliation with God in Christ for the same both by confessing the fault and by fervent praying for the pardon of the same Thus making thy score even with Christ every night thou shalt have the less to account for when thou art to make thy final reckoning before his Majesty in the Judgment day 4. If thou hast fallen out with any in the day let not the Sun go down in thine anger that night If thy conscience tells thee that thou hast wronged him acknowledge thine offence and entreat him to forgive thee If he have wronged thee offer him reconciliation and if he will not be reconciled yet do thou from thy heart forgive him Mat. 5. 23. But in any case presume not to be thine own revenger For in so doing thou do'st God a double injury First in offering to take the Sword of Justice out of his hand as though he were not just having reserved the execution of vengeance to himself Secondly in usurping authority over his servant without referring the cause to his hearing and censure being his and thy Master Besides thou art too partial to be a Revenger For if thou be to execute revenge on thy self thou wilt do it too lightly if on thy enemy too heavily It belongeth therefore to God to revenge to thee to forgive And in testimony that thou hast freely forgiven him pray unto God for the forgiveness of his fault and the amendment of his life and the next time that occasion is offered and it lies in thy power do him good and rejoyce in doing it for he that doth good to his enemies shews himself the child of God and his reward is with God his Father 5. Use not sleep as a means to satiate the foggy litherness of thy flesh but as a medicine to refresh thy tired Senses and Members sufficient sleep quickneth the mind and reviveth the body but immoderate sleep dulleth the one and fatneth the other 6. Remember that many go to bed and never rise again till they be wakened aâ—d raised up by the fearful sound of the last trumpet But he that sleepeth and wakeneth with prayer sleepeth and wakeneth with Christ. If therefore thou desirest to sleep securely and safely yield up thy self into the hands of God whilst thou art waking and so go to bed with a reverence of God's Majesty and consideration of thine own misery which thou maist imprint in thy heart in some measure by these and the like meditations Read a Chapter in the same order as was prescribed in the morning and when thou hast done kneel down on both thy knees at thy bed-side or some other convenient place in thy Chamber and lifting up thy heart thine eyes and hands to thy heavenly Father in the name and mediation of his holy Son Jesus pray unto him if thou hast the gift of Prayer 1. Confessing thy sins especially those which thou hast committed that day 2. Craving most earnestly for Christ his sake pardon and forgiveness for them 3. Requesting the assistance of his Holy Spirit for amendment of life 4. In Giving thanks for benefits received especially for thy preservation that
iniquities are full he will make the land to spue out every Canaanite Religion then and the Service of God in a Family is the best building and surest entailing of House and Land to a Man and his Posterity for the righteous Man shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever As therefore thou desirest to have the blessing of God upon thy self and upon thy family either before or after thy own private devotions call every morning all thy family to some convenient room and first either read thy self unto them a Chapter in the Word of God or cause it to be read distinctly by some other If leisure serve thou maist admonish them of some remarkable notes and then kneeling down with them in reverent sort as is before described pray with them in this manner Morning Prayer for a Family O Lord our God and heavenly Father who art the only Creator and Governour of heaven and earth and all things therein contained we confess that we are unworthy to appear in thy sight and presence considering our manifold sins which we have committed against heaven and before thee and how that we have been born in sin and do daily break thy holy Laws and Commandments contrary to our knowledge and consciences albeit that we know that thou art our Creator who hast made us our Redeemer who hast bought us with the blood of thine only begotten Son and our Comforter who bestowest upon us all the good and holy graces which we enjoy in our souls and bodies And if thou should'st but deal with us as our wickedness and unthankfulness have deserved what other thing might we O Lord expect from thee but shame and confusion in this life and in the World to come wrath and everlasting condemnation Yet O Lord in the obedience of thy Commandment and in the confidence which we have in thy unspeakable and endless mercy in thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ we thy poor servants appealing from thy Throne of Justice where we are justly lost and condemned to thy Throne of grace where mercy reigneth to pardon abounding sin do from the bottom of our hearts most humbly beseech thee to remit and forgive unto us all our offences and misdeeds that by the virtue of the precious blood of Jesus Christ thine innocent Lamb which he so abundantly shed to take away the sins of the world all our sins both original and actual may be so cleansed and washed from us as that they may never be laid to our charge nor ever have power to rise up in judgment against us And we beseech thee good Fatherâ— for Christ his death and passions sake thaâ— thou wilt not suffer to fall upon us thaâ— fearful curse and vengeance which thy laâ—â— hath threatned and our sins have justly deserved And for as much O Lord as we arâ— taught by thy word that Idolaters Adulterrers covetous Men contentious Persons Drunkards Gluttons and such like inordinate livers shall not inherit the kingdom of God pour the grace of thy Holy Spirit into our hearts whereby we may be enlightned to see the filthiness of our sins to abhor them and may be more and more stirred up to live in newness of life and love of thy Majesty so that we may daily increase in the obedience of thy Word and in a conscionable care of keeping thy Commandments And now O Lord we render unto thee most hearty thanks for that thou hast elected created redeemed called justified and sanctified us in good measure in this life and given us an assured hope that thou wilt glorifie us in thy heavenly kingdom when this mortal life is ended Likewise we thank thee for our life health wealth liberty prosperity and peace especially O Lord for the continuance of thy holy Gospel among us and for sparing us so long and granting us so gracious a time of repentance Also we praise thee for all other thy mercies bestowed upon us more especially for preserving us this night past from all dangers that might have befaln our souls or bodies And seeing thou hast now brought us safe to the beginning of this day we beseech thee protect and direct us in the same Bless and defend us in our going out and coming in this day and evermore Shield us O Lord from the temptations of the Devil and grant us the custody of thy holy Angels to defend and direct us in all our ways And to this end we recommend our selves and all those that belong unto us and are abroad from us into thy hands and Almighty tuition Lord defend them from all evil prosper them in all graces and fill them with thy goodness Preserve us likewise this day from falling into any gross sin especially those whereunto our Natures are most prone Set a watch before the door of our lips that we offend not thy Majesty by any rash or false Oaths or by any lewd or lying Speeches give unto us patient Minds pure and chaste Hearts and all other graces of thy Spirit which thou knowest to be needful for us that we may the better be enabled to serve thee in holiness and righteousness And seeing that all Man's labour without thy blessing is in vain bless every one of us in our several places and callings direct thou the work of our hands upon us even prosper thou our handy-work for except thou guide us with thy grace our endeavours can have no good success And provide for us all things which thou O Father knowest to be needful for every one of us in our Souls and Bodies this day And grant that we may so pass through the pilgrimage of this short life that our hearts being not setled upon any transitory things which we meet with in the way our Souls may every day be more and more ravished with the love of our home and thine everlasting Kingdom Defend likewise O Lord thy universal Church and every particular Member thereof especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live Preserve and defend from all evils and dangers our gracious King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue Multiply their days in bliss and felicity and afterwards crown them with everlasting Joy and Glory Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with all graces needful for their places and govern thou them that they may govern us in peace and godliness and of thy mercy O Lord comfort all our brethren that are distressed sick or any way comfortless especially those who are afflicted either with an evil conscience because they have sinned against thy Word or for a good conscience because they will not sin against thy truth Make the first to know that not one drop of the blood of Christ was a drop of vengeance but all drops of grace powerful to procure pardon upon repentance for
Practice of Piety both in private and publick Now followeth the extraordinary practice of Piety whereby God is glorified in our lives THe extraordinary Practice of Piety consists either in fasting or feasting 1. Of the Practice of Piety in Fasting There are divers kinds of fasting First a constrained Fast as when men either have not food to ear as in the Famine of Samaria or having food cannot eat it for heaviness or sickness as it befel them who where in the Ship with St. Paul This is rather Famine than Fasting Secondly A natural Fast which we underâ—ake Physically for the health of our body Thirdly A civil Fast which the Magistrate enjoyneth for the better mainâ—â—nance of the Common-wealth that by 〈◊〉 Fish as well as Flâ—sh there may be greater plenty of both Fourthly A miraculous Fast as the forty days fast of Moses and Elias the Types and of Christ the substance This is rather to be admired than imitated Fifthly A daily Fast when a man is careful to use the Creatures of God witâ— such moderation that he is nâ—t mâ—de heavier but more chearful to serve God and to do the duties of his calling This is especially to be observed of ministers and Judges Sixthly A religious Fast which a man voluntarily undertakes to make his body and soul the fitter to pray more fervently unto God upon some extraordinary occasion And of this Fast only we are to treat The Religious Fast is of Two sorts either private or publick 1. Of a Private Fast. THat we may rightly perform a private Fast Four things are to be observed First the Author Secondly the Time and Occasion Thirdly the Manner Fourthly the Ends of private Fasting 1. Of the Author The first that ordained Fasting was God himself in Paradise and it was the first Law that God made in commanding Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit God would not pronounce nor write his Law without fasting and in his Law commands all his people to fast So doth our Saviour Christ teach all his Disciples under the New Testament likewise By religious fasting a man comes nearest the life of Angels and to do God's will on Earth as it is done in Heaven Yea Nature seemeth to teach man this duty in giving him a liâ—tle mouth and a nâ—rrower throat for Nature is content with a little Grace with less Neither doth Nature and Grace agree in any one act better than in this Excercise of Religious Fasting for it strengtheneth the memory and cleareth the mind illuminateth the understanding and bridleth the Affections mortifieth the flesh and preserveth Chastity preventeth sickness and continueth health it delivereth from evils and procureth all kind of blessings By breaking this Fast the Serpent overthrew the first Adam so that he lost Paradise But by keeping a Fast the second Adam vanquished the Serpent and restored us into Heaven Fasting was she who covered Noah safe in the Ark whom Intemperance uncovered and left stark naked in the Vineyard By fasting Lot quenched the flame of Sodom whom Drunkenness scorched with the fire of Incest Religious Fasting and talking with God made Moses's Face to shine before Men when Idolatrous eating and drinking caâ—sed the Israelites to appear abominable in the sight of God It rapt Elias in an Angelical Coach to Heaven when voluptuous Ahab was sent in a Bloody Chariot to Hell It made Herod believe that John Baptist should live after death by a blessed Resâ—rrection when after an intemperate life he could promise nothing to himself but eternal death and destruction O divine Ordinance of a divine Author 2. Of the Time The holy Scripture appoints no Time under the New Testament to fast but but leaves it unto Christians own free choice Rom. 14. 3. 1 Cor. 7. 5. to fast as occasion shall be offered unto them Mat. 9. 15. As when a man becomes an humble and earnest suiter unto God for the pardon of some gross sin committed or for the prevention of some sin whereunto a man feels himself by Satan sollicited or to obtain some special blessing which he wants or to avert some Judgment which a man fears or is already faln upon himself or others Or lastly to subdue his flesh unto his spirit that he may more chearfully pour forth his soul unto God by prayer Upon these occasions a man may fast a day or longer as his occasion requiees and the constitution of his body and other needful affairs will permit 3. Of the manner of a private Fast. The true manner of performing a private fast consists partly in outward partly in inward actions The outward actions are to abstain for the time that we fast First from all worldly business and labour making our fasting day as it were a Sabbath day Lev. 23. 28. for worldly business will distract our minds from holy devotion Secondly from all manner of food yea from bread and water so far as health will permit 1. That so we may acknowledge our own indignity as being unworthy both of life and all the means for the maintenance thereof 2. That by afflicting the Body the Soul which folâ—loweth the constitution thereâ—f may be the more humbled 3. That so we may take a godly revenge upon our selves for abusing our liberty in the use of God's Creatures 4. That by the hunger of our Bodies through want of these earthly things our Souls may learn to hunger more eagerly after spiritual and heavenly food 5. To put us in mind that as we abstain from food which is lawful so we should much more abstain from Sin which is altogether unlawful Thirdly From good and costly apparel that as the abuse of these puffs us up with pride so the laying aside their lawful use may witness our humility And to this end in ancient times they used especially in publick Fasts to put on Sackcloth or other course Apparel The Equity hereof still remaineth especially in publick Fasts at what time to come into the Assembly with starched Bands crisped Hair brave Apparel and decked with Flowers or Perfumes argueth a Soul that is neither humble before God nor ever knew the true use of so holy an exercise Fourthly From the full measure of ordinary sleep That thou maist that way also humble thy Body and that thy Soul may watch and pray to be prepared for the coming of Christ. And if thou wilt break thy sleep early and late for worldly gain how much more should'st thou do it for the service of God And if Ahab in imitation of the godly did in his fast lie in such-cloth to break his sleep by night what shall we think of those who on a fasting-day will yield themselves to sleep in the open Church Fifthly and lastly From all outward pleasures of our senses So that as it was not the throat only that sinned so must
believe life everlasting but also Edo vitam eternam I eat life everlasting And indeed this is the true Tree of life which God hath planted in the midst of the Paradise of the Church And whereof he hath promised to give every one that overcometh to eat And this Tree of life by infinite degrees excelleth the Tree of life that grew in the Paradise of Eden for that had his root in the Earth this from Heaven that gave buâ— life to the Body this to the Soul that did but preserve the life of the living this restoreth life to the dead The leaves of this tree heal the nations of believers and it yields every month a new manner of fruit which nourisheth them to life everlasting Oh blessed are they who often eat of this Sacrament at least once every month taste anew of this renewing fruit which Christ hath prepared for us at his Table to heal our infirmities and to confirm our belief of life everlasting Of the seventh end of the Lord's-Supper 7. To bind all Christians as it were by an oath of fidelity to serve the one only true God and to admit no other propitiatony sacrifice for sins but that one real sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered and by which he finishâ—d the sacrifices of the Law and effected eternal Redemption and Righteousness for all believers And so to remain for ever a publick mark of profession to distinguish Christians from all Sects and false Religions And seeing that in the Mâ—ss there is a strange Christ adored not he that was born of the Virgin Mary but one that is made of a Wafer Cake and that the offering up of this breaden god is thrust upon the Church as a Propitiatory Sâ—crifice for the quick and the dead all true Christians upon the danger of wilful perjury before the Lord Chief Justice of heaven and earth are to detest the Mass as the Idol of Indignation which is most derogatory to the all-sufficient world-saving merits of Christ's Death and Passion For by receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we all swear that all real Sacrifices are ended by our Lord's death and that his body and blood once crucified and shed is the perpetual food and nourishment of our Souls 2. How to consider thine own unworthiness A Man shall best perceive his own unworthiness by examining his life according to the Ten Commandments of Almighty God Search therefore what duties thou hast omitted and what vices thou hast committed contrary to every one of the Commandments remembring that without repentance and God's mercy in Christ the Curse of God containing all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in hell fire when this is ended is due to the breach of the least of God's Commandments And having taken a due survey both of thy sins and miseries retire to some secret place and there putting thy self in the sight of the Judge as a guilty malefactor standing at the Bar to receive his Sentence bowing thy knees to the earth smiting thy breast with thy fists and â—edewing thy cheeks with thy tears confess thy sins and humbly ask him mercy and forgiveness in these or the like words An humble confession of sins to be made unto God before the receiving of the holy Communion O God and heavenly Father when I consider the goodness which thou hast ever shewed unto me and the wickedness which I have committed against heaven and against thee I am ashamed of my self and confusion seems to cover my face as a veil for which of thy Commandments have I not transgressed O Lord I stand here guilty of the breach of all thy holy Laws For the love of my heart hath not so intirely cleaved unto thy * Majesty as to vain and earthly things I have not feared thy judgments to deterr me from sins nor trusted to thy promises to keep me from doubting of my temporal or from despairing of mine eternal state I have made the rule of thy divine worship to be what my mind thought fit not what thy Word prescribed finding my heart more prone to remember my blessed Saviour in a painted Picture of Man's device rather than to be behold him crucified in his Word and Sacraments after his own ordinance Where I should never use thy Name whereat all knees do bow but with religious reverence nor any part of thy worship without due preparation and zeal I have blasphemously abused thy holy Name to rash and customary oaths yea I have used oaths by thy sacred name as false covers of my filthy sins And I have been present at thy Service oft-times more for ceremony than conscience and to please Men more than to please thee my gracious God Where I should sanctifie thy Sabbath-day by being present at the publick exercises of the Church and by meditating privately on the word and works of God and by visiting the sick and relieving of my poor brethren alas I have thought those holy Exercises a burden because they hindred my vain sports yea I have spent many of thy Sabbaths in my own prophane Pleasures without being present at any part of thy divine worship Where I should have given all due reverence to my Natural Ecclesiastical and Politick Parents I have not shewed that measure of duty and affection to my Parents which their care and kindness hath deserved I have not had thy Ministers in such singular love for their works sake as I ought but I have taunted at their zeal and hated them because they reproved me justly And I have carried my self contemptuously against thy Mâ—gistrates and Ministers though I knew that it is 〈◊〉 ordinance that I should be obedient unto them Where I should be slâ—w to wrath and ready to forgive offences and not 〈◊〉 the Sun to go down upon my wrath but to 〈◊〉 good for evil loving my very enemies for thy sake I alas for one sorry word have burst out into open rage and harbouring thoughts of mischief in my heart I have preferred to feed on mine own malice rather than to eat of thy holy Supper Where I should keep my Mind from all filthy lusts and my Body from all uncleanness O Lord I have defiled both and made my Heart a Cage of all impure thoughts and my Mind a very stâ—e of the unclean Spirit Yea the remedy which thou Lord hast ordained for incontinency could not contain me within the bounds of Chastity for by doting on beauty whose grounds is but dust Satan hath bewitched my flesh to lust after strange flesh Where I should have lived in uprightness givâ—ng every Man his due being contented with mine own Estate and living consâ—ionably in my lawful Calling should be ready according to mine Ability to lend and give unto the Poor O Lord I have by oppression extortion bribes cavillation and other indirect dealings under
fearful estate of those Pastors who minister unto them without Catechising 2. Of sincere Faith required to make a worthy Communicant Sincere Faith is not a bare knowledge of the Scriptures and first grounds of Religion for that Devils and Reprobate have in an excellent measure and do believe it and tremble but a true persuasion as of all those things whatsoever the Lord hath revealed in his Word so also a particural applications unto a man 's own soul of all the promises of mercy which God hath made in Christ to all believing sinners And consequently the Christ and all his merits do belong unto him as well as to any other For first if we have not the righteousness of Faith the Sacrament seals nothing unto us and every man in the Lord's Supper receiveth so much as he believeth Secondly because that without Faith we communicating on earth cannot apprehend Christ in Heaven For as he dwelleth in us by Faith so by faith we must likewise eat him Thirdly because that without faith we cannot be perswaded in our consciences that our receiving is acceptable unto God 3. Of unfeigned Repentance requisite a for true Communicant True Repentance is a holy change of the mind when upon the feeling sight of God's mercy and of a man 's own misery he turneth from all his known and secret sins to serve God in holiness and righteousness all the rest of his days For as he that is glutted with meat is not apt to eat bread so he that is stuffed with sins is not sit to receive Christ. And a conscience defiled with wilful filthiness makes the use of all holy things unholy unto us Our sacrificed spotless Passover cannot be eaten with the sowre leaven of malice and wickedness saith Paul 1 Cor. 5. 8. Neither can the old Bottles of our corrupt and impure Consciences retain the new Wine of Christ's precious Blood as our Saviour saith Mar. 2. 22. We must therefore truly repent if we will be worthy partakers 4. The duty to be performed in respect of our Neighbour is Charity Charity is a hearty forgiving of others who have offended us and after reconciliation an outward unfeigned testifying of the inward affections of our hearts by gestures words and deeds as oft as we meet and occasion is offered For first without love to our Neighbour no Sacrifice is acceptable unto God Secondly because one chief end wherefore the Lord's Supper was ordained is to confirm Christians love one towards another Thirdly no man can assure himself that his own sins are forgiven of God if his heart cannot yield to forgive the faults of men that have offended him Thus far of the first sort of Duties which we are to perform before we come to the Lord's Table called Preparation 2. Of the Second sort of Duties which a worthy Communicant is to perform at the receiving of the Lord's Supper called Meditation THis Exercise of spiritual Meditation consist in divers Points First when the Sermon is ended and the Banquet of the Lord's Supper begins to be celebrated meditate with thy self how thou art invited by Christ to be a Guest at his Holy Table and how lovingly he inviteth thee Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters of life c. Come buy wine and milk without money and without price eat ye that which is good let your soul delight it self in fatness Take ye eat ye This is my body which was broken for you drink ye all of this for this is my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins What greater honour can be vouchsafed than to be admitted to sit at the Lordâ— own Table What better fare can be afforded than to feed on the Lord 's own Body and Blood If David thought it to be the greatest favour that he could shew unto good Barzillai for all the kindness that he shewed unto him in his Troubles to offer him that he should feed with him at his own Table in Jerusalem how much greater favour ought we to account it When Christ doth indeed feed us in the Church at his own Table and that with his own most holy Body and Blood Secondly As Abraham when he went up to the mount to sacrifice Isaac his Son left his Servants beneath in the Valley so when thou comest to the spiritual sacrifice of the Lord's Supper lay aside all earthly thoughts and cogitations that thou maiest wholly contemplate of Christ and offer up thy Soul unto him who sacrificed both his Soul and Body for thee Thirdly Meditate with thy self how precious and venerable is the Body and Blood of the Son of God who is the Ruler of Heaven and Earth the Lord at whose beck the Angels tremble and by whom both the quick and dead shall be judged at the last day and thou among the â—est And how that it is he who having been crucified for thy sins offereth now to be received by faith into thy sâ—ul On the other side consider how sinful a Creature thou art how altogether unworthy of so holy a Guest how ill deserving to taste of such sacred food having been conceived in filthiness and wallowing ever since in the mire of iniquity bearing the Name of a Christian but doing the works of the Devil adoring Christ with an Ave Rex in thy mouth but spitting Oaths in his face and crucifying him anew with thy graceless actions Fourthly Ponder then with what face darest thou offer to touch so holy a Body with such defiled hands or to drink such precious blood with so lewd and lying a mouth or to lodge so blessed a Guest in so uncle an a stable For if the Bethshemites were slain for but looking irreverently into the Ark of the old Testament what Judgment maist thou justly expect who with such impure Eyes and Heart art come to see and receive the Ark of the New Testament in which dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily If Vzzah for but touching though not without zeal the Ark of the Covenant was stricken with sudden death what stroke of divine Judgment mayst thou not fear that so rudely with unclean hands dost presume to handle the Ark of the Eternal Testament wherein are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge If John Baptist the holiest man that was born of a Woman thought himself unworthy to bear his shooes O Lord how unworthy is such a Prophane Wretch as thou art to eat his holy Flesh and to drink his precious Blood If the blessed Apostle Saint Peter seeing but a glimpse of Christ's Almighty Power thought himself unworthy to stand in the same Boat with him how unworthy art thou to sit with Christ at the same Table where thou mayest behold the infiniteness of his Grace and Mercy displayed If the Centurion thought that the roof of his house was not worthy to harbour so Divine a Guest what room
can there be fit under thy ribs for Christ's holiness to dwell in If the Blood-issued sick Woman feared to touch the hem of his garment how should'st thou tremble to eat his flesh and to drink his all-healing Blood Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid unto thy charge and this Sacrament shall seal unto thy Soul that all thy sins and the Judgments due unto them are fully pardoned aâ—d clean washed away by the Blood of Christ. For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners unto perfection Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And he saith that the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Those hath Christ called and when they came them hath he ever helped Witness the whole Gospel which testifieth that not one Sinner who came to Christ for mercy went ever away without his errand Bathe thou likewise thy sick Soul in this fountain of Christ's Blood and doubtless according to his promise Zach. 13. 1. thou shalt be healed of thy sins and uncleanness Not Sinners therefore but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Sacrament Fifthly Meditate that Christ left this Sacrament unto us as the chief token and pledge of his love not when we would have made him a King John 6. 15 which might have seemed a requital of kindness but when Judas and the High-Priests were conspiring his Death therefore wholly of his mere favour When Nathan would shew David how intirely the poor man loved his sheep that was killed by the rich man He gave her saith he to eat of his own Morsels and of his own Cup to drink 2 Sam. 12. 3. and must not then the love of Christ to his Church be unspeakable when he gives her his own flesh to eat and his own blood to drink for her spiritual and eternal nourishment If then there be any love in thine heart take the Cup of Salvation into thy hand and pledge his love with love again Psal. 116. 11. Sixthly when the Minister beginneth the holy Consecration of the Sacrament then lay aside all praying reading and all other cogitations whatsoever and settle thy Meditations only upon those holy actions and rites which according to Christ's institution are used in and about the holy Sacrament For it hath pleased God considering our weakness to appoint those rites as means the better to lift up our Minds to the serious contemplation of his Heavenly Graces When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lord's-Table and consecrating them by Prayers and the rehearsal of Christ's Institution to be a holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his mere love to Mankind set apart and sealed his only begotten Son to be the all-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to his grace and to bring us to his glory When thou seest the Minister break the Bread being blessed thou must meditate that Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was put to death and his blessed Soul and Body with the sense of God's anger broken asunder for thy sins as verily as thou now seest the holy Sacrament to be broken before thine eyes And withal call to mind the heinousness of thy sins and the greatness of God's hatred against the same seeing God's Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When the Minister hath blessed and broken the Sacrament and is addressing himself to distribute it then meditate That the King who is the Master of the Feast stands at the Table to see his guests and looketh upon thee whether thou hast on thee thy Wedding-Garment Think also that all the holy Aâ—gels that attend upon the Elect in the Church and do desire to behold the celebration of these holâ— mysteries do observe thy reverence and behaviour Let thy soul therefore whilst the Minister bringeth the Sacrament unto thee offer this or the like short Soliloquy unto Christ. A sweet Soliloquy to be said betwixt the consecration and receiving of the Sacrament IS it true indeed that God will dwell on earth Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens are not able to contain thee how much more unable iâ— the soul of â—uch a sinful Caitiff as I am to receive thee But seeing it is thy blessed pleasure to come thus to sup with me and to dwell in me I cannot for joy but burst out and say What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou so regardest him What favour soever thou vouchsafest me in the abundance of thy Grace I will freely confess what I am in the wretchedness of my Nature I am in a word a carnal Creature whose very soul is sold under sin a wretched man compassed about with a body of Death Yet Lord seeing thou callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I have thrust my self in among the rest and seeing thou callest all with their heaviest loads I see no reason why I should stay behind O Lord I am sick and whither should I go but unto thee the Physician of my Soul Thou hast cured many but never didst thou meet with a more miserable Patient for I am more leprous than Gehazi more unclean than Magdalen more blind in Soul than Bartimeus was in Body for I have lived all this while and never seen the true light of thy Word my soul runs with a greater flux of sin than was the Hemorrhoise Issue of blood Mephibosheth was not more lame to go than my Soul is to walk after thee in love Jeroboam's Arm was not more withered to strike the Prophet than my Hand is maimed to relieve the Poor Cure me O Lord and thou shalt do as great a work as in curing them all And though I have all their Sins and Sores yet Lord so abundant is thy grace so great is thy skill that if thou wilt thou canst with a word forgive the one and heal the other and why should I doubt of thy good will when to save me will cost thee now but one loving smile who didst shew thy self so willing to redeem me though it should cost thee all thy heart-blood and now offerest so graciously unto me the assured pledge of my Redemption by thy blood Who am I O Lord God and what is my merit that thou hast bought me with so dear a price It is merely thy mercy and I O Lord am not worthy the least of all thy mercies much less to be partaker of this holy Sacrament the greatest pledge of the greatest mercy that ever thou didst bestow upon those sons of men whom thou lovest
day of affliction in the time of health think on sickness in the time of sickness make my self ready for death and when death approacheth prepare my self for Judgment Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulness unto thee for thy Grace and Mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottom of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the four Beasts and twentâ— four Elders and all the creatures in heaveâ— and on the earth acknowledge to be due untâ— thee O Father which sittest upon the Throneâ— and to the Lamb thy Son who sitteth at thâ— right hand and to the Holy Spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinity 〈◊〉 Persons in unity of substance all praisâ— honour glory and power from this timâ— forth and for evermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy Sickness be like to encrease unto Death then meditate on Three thingsâ— First how graciously God dealeth with theeâ— Secondly from what evils Death will freâ— thee Thirdly what good Death will brinâ— unto thee First Concerning God's favourable dealing with thee 1. Meditate That God useth this chastisement of thy Body but as a Medicine to cure thy Soul by drawing thee who arâ— sick in Sin to come by Repentance unto Christ thy Physician to have thy Soâ—â— healed 2. That the sorest Sickness or painfulleâ—â— Disease which thou canst endure is nâ—â—thing if it be compared to those dolours and pains which Jesus Christ thy Saviour hath suffered for thee when in a bloody sweat he endured the wrath of God the pains of hell and a cursed death which was due to thy sins Justly therefore may I use those words of Jeremy Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath Hath the Son of God endured so much for thy redemption and wilt not thou a sinful man endure a little sickness for his pleasure especially when it is for thy good 3. That when thy sickness and disease is at the extreamest yet it is less and easier than thy sins have deserved Let thine own Conscience judge whether thou hast not deserved worse than all that thou dost suffer Murmur not therefore but considering thy manifold and grievous sins thank God that thou art not plagued with far more grievous punishments Think how willingly the damned in Hell would endure the extreamest pains a thousand years on condition that they had but the hope to be saved and after so many years to be eased of their eternal torments And seeing that it is his mercy that thou art not rather consumed than corrected how canst thou but bear patiently his temporal correction seeing the end is to save thee from eternal damnation 4. That nothing cometh to pass in this case unto thee but such as ordinarily befell to others thy Brethren who being the beloved and undoubted servants of God when they lived on earth are now most blessed and glorious Saints with Christ in Heaven as Job David Lazarus c. They groaned for a time as thou dost under the like burthen but they are now delivered from all their miseries troubles and calamities And so likewise ere long if thou wilt patiently tarry the Lord's leisure thou shalt also be delivered from thy sickness and pain either by restitution to thy former health with Job or which is far better by being received to heavenly rest with Lazarus 5. Lastly that God hath not given thee over into the hand of thine Enemy to be punished and disgraced but being thy loving Father he correcteth thee with his own merciful hand When David had his wish to chuse his own chastisement he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of God than by any other means Let us fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man Who will not take any affliction in good part when it cometh from the hand of God from whom though no Affliction seemeth joyous for the present we know nothing cometh but what is good The confideration hereof made David to endure Shimei's cursed railing with greater patience and to correct himself another time for his impatiency I should not have opened my mouth because thou didst it and Job to reprove the unadvised speech of his Wife Thou speakest like a foolish Woman What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not receive evil And though the Cup of God's wrath due to our sins was such a horror to our Saviour's humane nature that he earnestly prayed that it might pass from him yet when he considered that it was reached unto him by the hand and will of his Father he willingly submitted himself to drink it to the very dregs thereof Nothing will more arm thee with Patience in thy sickness than to see that it cometh from the hand of thy heavenly Father who would never send it but that he sees it to be unto thee both needful and profitable The second sort of Meditations are to consider from what evils death will free thee IT freeth thee from a corruptible Body which was conceived in the weakness of flesh the heat of lust the stain of sin and born in the blood of filthiness a liviâ—g Prison of thy Soul a lively instrument of â—in a very sack of stinking dung the exâ—â—ements of whose Nostrils Ears Pores and â—ther passages duly considered will seem more loathsome than the uncleanest sink â—r vault Insomuch that whereas Trees and Plants bring forth Leaves Flowers Fruits â—nd sweet smells man's body brings forth â—â—turally nothing but Lice Worms Rottenâ—ss and filthy stinks His affections are alâ—ogether corrupted and the imaginations 〈◊〉 heart are only evil continually Hence 〈◊〉 is that the ungodly is not satisfied with prophaneness nor the voluptuous with pleasures nor the ambitious with perferments nor the curious with preciseness nor the malicious with revenge nor the leacherous with uncleanness nor the covetous with gain nor the drunkard with drinking New passions and fashions do daily grow new Fears and Afflictions do still arise here Wrath lies in wait there Vain-glory vexeth here pride lifts up there disgrace casts down and every one waiteth who shalâ— arise in the ruine of another Now a Maâ— is privily stung with Back-biters like fiery Serpents anon he is in danger to be openly devoured of his enemies like Daniel's Lionsâ— And a godly man where ere he liveth shall ever be vexed like Lot with Sodom's uncleanness 2. Death brings unto the godly an end of sinning and of all the miseries which arâ— due unto sin so that after Death there shaâ—â— be no more sorrow nor crying neither shalâ— there be any more pain for God shall wipe aâ— way all tears from their eyes Yea by death we are separated from
blessed â—eath Say cheerfully Come Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 thy Servant cometh unto thee I am willing Lord help my weakness Seven sanctified Thoughts and mournful Sighs of a sick Man ready to die NOW forasmuch as God of his infinite mercy doth so temper ouâ— pain and sickness that we are not always oppressed with extremity but gives us in the midst of our extremities some â—espite to ease and refresh our selves thou mâ—st have an espâ—cial caâ—e considâ—ring how short a 〈◊〉 thou hast either for ever to lose or to obtain Heaven to make use of every breathing time which God doth afford thâ— and during that 〈…〉 time of ease 〈…〉 roweth with all his force to arrive at the wished Port and that the Traveller never resteth till he come to his Journeys end we fear to descry our Port and therefore would put back our Bark to be longer tossed in this continual tempest We weep to see our jorneys end and therefore desire our journey to be lengthened that we might be more tired with a foul and cumbersome way The Spiritual Sigh thereupon O Lord this life is but a troublesome pilgrimage few in days but full in evils and I am weary of it by reason of my sins Let me therefore O Lord intreat thy Majesty in this my bed of sickness as Elias did under the Juniper tree in his affliction It is now enough O Lord that I have lived so long in this vale of misery take my soul into thy merciful hands for I am no better than my Fathers The Second Thought THink with what a body of sin thou art loaden what great civil wars are contained in a little world the flesh fighting against the Spirit Passion against Reason Earth against Heaven and the World within thee bending it self for the World without thee and that but 〈◊〉 only means remains to end this conflictâ— death which in God's appointed time will separate thy spirit from thy flesh the pure and regenerate part of thy Soul from that part which is impure and unregenerated The spiritual Sigh upon the second Thought OWretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death O my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ thou hast redeemed me with thy precious blood And be cause thou hast delivered my soul from sin minâ— eyes from tears and my feet from falling I do here from the very bottom of my heart ascribe the whole praise and glory of my salvation to thy only grace and mercy saying with the holy Apostle Thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Third Thought THink how it behoves thee to be assured that thy soul is Christ's for death hath taken sufficient gages to assure himself of thy bodâ— in that all thy senses be all ready to die save only the sense of pain but sith the beginning of thy being began with pâ—in marvel the less it thy end conclude with dolours But if these temporal dolours which only afflict the body be so painful O Lord who can endure the devouring fire who can abide the everlasting burning The spiritual Sigh upon the third Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God who art the only Physician that caâ—st ease my body from pain and restore my soul to life eternal put thy 〈◊〉 Cross and Death betwixt my 〈◊〉 and thy Judgments and let the merits of thy obedience stand betwixt thy Father's justice and my disobedience and from these bodily pains receive my Soul iâ—to thine everlasting peace for I cry unto thee with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The Fourth Thought THink that the worst that Death can do is but to send thy Soul sooner than thy flesh would be willing to Christ and his heavenly Joys remember that that Christ is thy best hope â—he worst therefore of death is rather a help than a harm The spiritual Sigh upon the Fourth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of all them that put their trust in thee fâ—rsake â—or him that in misery flâ—â—â—h unto thy graceâ— fâ—â— succour and mercy Oh sound that sweet Voice in the ears of my Soul which thou spakest unto the penitent thief on the cross This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise For I O Lord do with the Apostle from my Soul speak unto thee I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. The Fifth Thought THiâ—k if thou fearest to die That in Mount Sâ—on there is no Death for â—e that believeth in Christ shall never die And if thou desirest to live without 〈◊〉 the life eternal whereunto this 〈…〉 their miseries live with Christ in joys and thither shall all the godly which survive be gathered out of their troubles to enjoy with him eternal rest The Spiritual Sigh on the Fifth Thought O Lord thou seest the malice of Satan who not contenting himself like a roaring Lion all the days and nights of our life to seek our destruction shews himself busiest when thy Children are weakest and nearest to their end O Lord reprove him and preserve my Soul He seeks to terrifie me with death which my sins have deserved but let thy Holy Spirit comâ—ort my Soul with the assurance of eternal life which thy Blood hath purchased Asswage my pain increase my patience and if it be thy blessed will end my troubles for my Soul beseecheth thee with old blessed Simeon Lord now let me thy servant depart in peace according to thy word The Sixth Thought THink with thy self what a blessing God hath bestowed upon thee above many millions in the world that whereas they are either Pagans who worship not the true God or Idolaters who worship the true God falsly thou hast lived in a true Christian Church and hast grace to die in the true Christian Faith and to be buried in the Sepulchre of God's Servants who all wait for the hope of Israel and raising of their Bodies in the resurrection of the Just. The spiritual Sigh upon the sixth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the life in whom whosoever believeth shall live tho' he were dead I believe that whosover liveth and believeth in thee shall never die I know that I shall rise again in the Resurrection of the last day for I am sure that thou my Redeemer livest And tho' that after my death worms destroy this body yet I shall see thee my Lord and my God in this flesh Grant therefore O Christ for thy bitter death and passions sake that at that day I may be one of them to whom thou wilt pronounce that joyful sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world The Seventh Thought THink with thy self how Christ endured for thee a cursed death and the wrath of God which was due unto thy sins and what
his sins unto his Pastor and that he desire his private endeavour for the application of some comfort unto his soul whose office it is both publickly and privately to administer Evangelical Consolation to God's People Beza highly commendeth this practice and Luther saith That he had rather lose a thousand worlds than suâ—â—er private confession to be thrust out of the Church Our Church hath ever most soundly maintained the truth of this Doctrine but most justly abolished the Tyrannous and Antichristian abuse of Popish Auricular Confession which they thrust upon the souls of Christians as an expiatory Sacrifice and a meritorious satisfaction for sin racking their Consciences to confess when they feel no distress and to enumerate all their sins which is imposâ—ible That by this means they might dive into the secrets of all Men which oft-times hath proved pernicious not only to private Persons but also to publick Estates But the truth of God's Word is that no person having received Orders in the Church of Rome can truly absolve a sinner for the Keys of Absolution are Two the one is the Key of Authority and that only Christ hath the other is the Key of Ministry and this he gives to his Ministers who are therefore called the Ministers of Christ the Stewards of God's Mysteries the Ambassadors of Reconciliation Bishops Pastors Elders c. But Christ never ordained in the new Testament any order of sacrificing Priests neither is the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth Sacerdos or sacrificing Priest given to any officer of Christ in all the New Testament Neither do we read in all the new Testament of any who confessed himself to a Priest but Judas Neither is there any real Priest in the New Testament but only Christ. Neither is there any part of his Priesthood to be now accomplished on Earth but that which he fulfilleth in Heaven by making intercession for us Seeing therefore Christ never ordained any order of sacrificing Priest and that Popish Priests scorn the name of Ministers of the Gospel to whom only Christ committed his Keys it necessarily followeth that no Popish Priest can truly either excommunicate or absolve any sinner or have any lawful right to meddle with Christ's Keys But the Antichristian abuse of this Divine Ordinance should not abolish the lawful â—se thereof betwixt Christians and their Pastors in cases of distress of conscience for which it was chiefly ordained And verily there is not any means more excellent to humble a proud heart nor â—o raise up an humble spirit than this spiritual conference betwixt the Pastors and the People committed to their charge If any sin therefore troubleth thy Conscience confess it to God's Minister ask his counsel and if thou dost truly repent receive his absolution And then doubt not in foro Conscientiae but thy sins be as verily forgiven on earth as if thou didst hear Christ himself in foro judicii pronouncing them to be forgiven in heaven Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth you heareth me Try this and tell me whether thou shalt not â—ind more ease in thy Conscience than can be expressed in words Did prophane Men consider the dignity of this Divine Calling they would the more honour the Calling and reverence the Persons The sick Man having thus eased his Conscience and received his absolution may do well having a convenient number of faithful Christians joyned with him to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to encourage him in his Faith and to discourage the Devil in his assaults In this respect the Council of Nice termeth this Sacrament Viaticum the Soul's proâ—ision for her journey And albeit the Lord's Supper be an Ecclesiastical action yet forasmuch as our Lord the first instituter celebrated it in a private house and that St. Paul termeth the houses of Christians the Churches of Christ and that Christ himself hath promised to be in the midst of the faithful where but two or three are gathered together in his Name I see no reason but if Christians desire it when they are not through sickness able to come to the Church but that they should receive and Pastors ought to administer unto them the Sacrament at home He sheweth more simplicity than knowledge who thinks that this savours of a Private Mass. For a Mass is called private not because it is said in a private house but because as Bishop Jewel teacheth out of Aquinas the Priest reciveth the Sacrament himself alone without distribution made unto others and then it is private although the whole Parish be present and look upon him There is as much difference between such a Communion and the Antichristian Idol of a private Mass as there is betwixt Heaven and Hell For at a Communion in a private Family upon such an extraordinary occasion Christ his Institution is observed Many faithful Brethren meet together and tarry one for another Christ his Death is remembred and shewed and the Minister together with the faithful and the sick party to communicate Mr. Calvin saith That he doth very willingly admit administring of the Communion to them that are sick when the case and opportunity so requireth And in another place he saith That he hath many weighty reasons to compel him not to deny the Lord's Supper unto the sick Yet I would wish all Christians to use to receive often in their health especially once every Month with the whole Church for then they shall not need so much to assemble their friends upon such an occasion nor so much to be troubled themselves for want of the Sacrament For as M. Perkins saith very well The fruit aâ—d efficacy of the Sacrament is not to be restrained to the time of receiving but it extends it self to the whole time of man's life afterwards the efficacy whereof did men throughly understand they should not need to be so often exhorted to receive it Pastores omnes hic exoratos vellem ut in hujus controversiae statâ—m penitiùs introspiciant nec fideles ex hac vita migrantes panem vitae petentes viatico suo fraudari sinâ—nt nè lugubris ista in iis adimpleatur lamentatio Parvuli panem petunt non sit qui fâ—â—ngat eis As therefore when a wicked liver dieth he may say to death as Ahab said to Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemy So on the other side whâ—â— it is told a penitent sinner that Deaâ—â— knocks at the door and begins to look him in the face he may sâ—â— of Death as David said of Ahimaaz Let him come and welcome for he is a good man and cometh with good tidings he is the messengâ—â— of Christ and bringeth unto me the joyful 〈◊〉 of eternal life And as the Red Sea was a gulf to drown the Egâ—ptians to destruction but a passage to the
Amos 5. 8. e To distinguish 'twixt Spring and Harvest Summer Winter and to foreshew Judgments to come f Moadim fig. Sacred times appointed for God's holy worship having special significations promises g One of the seven days of the week from the other h Solar Sabbatarian and Jubilee Exod. 23. 11 12. * Index Chr. apud An. Mundi 1968. After Mr. Rob. Pont. his computation Treatise of the last decaying age of the World publish'd An. Dom. 1600. R. Pont. treat of the last age p. 17. Jer 25. 11 12. Rev. 5. 1. a Rev. 8. 2. and 9. 7. Napier on the Apoc. Proposition 6 8 9. and his Resolution b Pont. of the last age of the World p. 12. Buchol 2. Index Chr. c Broughton's consent A. M. 1430. Deu. 31. Pont ibid. Sâ—aliger Buchol †Pont. p. 21. Buch. Chro. apad A. M. 2500. b Jubilee some derive â—f trumpeâ—s â—r Raâ—is 〈◊〉 wherewith the Jubilee was foundâ—d others from Juâ—â—l a â—â—ream because they carry us to thâ— death of Christ the â—uthâ—r of our eternal rest and joy c Isa. 61. 1. Luk. 4. 18. * Pont. of the last decaying age of the World p. 12. 13. 21. †Expertum â—st in plerisque omnibus 63. annum cum periculo clâ—le aliqua venire aut corporis morbique gravioris aut vitae interitûs aut animi aegritudinis Aul. Gell. lib. 1. 15. c. 7. August in Ep. ad Caium Nepotem exultat se Climactera communem saniorum omnium 63. evasisse Bodin de Repub. l. 4. c. 2. * Aristotle Cicero Bernard Bocace Erasmus Luther Melancthon Sturmius †She was she is what can there more be said In Earth the First in Heaven the second Maid Bodin Bucholc Climax vitae virorum ferè septenariis aut novenariis faeminarum verò senariis definitur Bodin de Rep. lib. 4. c. 2. a Wis. 1 1. 17. Wolph Prooem Chron. b Rev. 10. 6. c Tempus est rerum mundanarum duratio extrinsecus observata †H. Wolph Chron. c. 1. Tempus cum mundo coepit una desisturum est ibid. d Gen. 2. 3. e Rev. 1. 10. * Si quid hâ—rum tâ—to die per othem frequentat Ecclesia Nam hoc quin ita faciendum sit disp â—tare insol◠〈◊〉 infaniâ—â— est Aug. Epist. 1 8. ad Jau †Synod Col part 9. c. â— * Ignat. ad Magnes Apol. 2. Origen homilia 7. super Exod. 1. Epist. ad Januar 〈◊〉 c. 13. ad Casal Epist. â—6 August de temp ser. 251. a Psal. 87. 3. b Aug. de temp ser. 152. 154. Conc. Const. Can. 8. Wolphios Chr lib. 1. c. 10. Must. â—ipont post Dom. Pasc. c Mat. 27. 52. Cedoman Annal. An. Mund. 2515. d Rev. 10. 7. e Joâ—h 6. 13. * Aug. ad Casâ— am â—p 86 ad Jaâ—â—ar 119. c. 19. †Aug Ser. de temp 151. 15â— Conc. â— Constant. can 8. * Non dubitamas quin vâ—riè apud Christiâ—nos â—â—â—bathum 〈…〉 do 〈…〉 aliis diebus 〈…〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 Prae 〈◊〉 in Gen. 2. 3. * Exod. 31. 13 14 c. Ezek. 2â— 12 20. †Ezek 46. 1. 2 3 c. * Exod 35. 2. Armin. disp Theolog. in praecept 4. Thes. 14. †Act. 10. 15. Isa. 58. 13. * Read H. Wolphius Chron. de Temp. l. 2. cap. 4. p. 118. c 7. p. 140 c. Num. 15. 32. 2 Mac. 8. 28. Cent. Mag. de l. 12. c. 6. Disp. de Tempore Ser. 117. Tho. Cantiprat lib. 2. de apid Timpii admiran vindict div Theat hist. Johan Finc lib. 3. de miraculis Stow's Abridgment An. 1582. Discite jam moniti Dominum non temnere Christum †Whilst the Preachers â—ied in the Church prophaneness prophaneness Gain would not suffer them â—hear â—herefore when they â—ried Fire fire in the street God would not suffer any â—o help * Num. 15. 38. †Num. 28. 9 10. b Exod. 35. 2 3. c Exod. 16. 23. d Deut. 5. 16. e It was the Sabbath day on which Moses and the Children of Israel sang to God when Pharaoh and his host were drowned in the Sea Ex. 15. See Trem. Jun. notes on Deut. 5. 15. and on Exod. 12. 15. Object 1. Gal. 4. 10. 1 Cor. 16. 1. 14. 37. Act. 20. 7. Col. 2. 17. Lev. 23. 37 38. Object 2. Col. 2. 16. Object 3. Rom. 14. 5. Rom. 15. 1. * Exod. 31. 12 13. Exod. 31. 15 c. Exod. 34. 21. Neh. 13. 15. Jer. 17. 21 22 27. Deut. 5. 14. Rom. 8. 22. Deut. 25. 4. 1 Cor. 9. 9. Neh. 13. 15 16 19. Rev. 1. 10. Isa. 58. 13 14. Psal. 37. 4. Eph. 5. 18 19. Rom. 12. 11. Deut. 28. 47. 1 Cor. 10. 7. Exod. 32. 6 18 19. Melius enim â—rare quà m salâ—are in sabbato Aug. in â—it Psal. 91 Act. 17. 31. Rom. 2. 12 c. 2 Thes. 2. 8 c. Lactan lib. 7. cap. 1. Rev. 22. 11. This was the last and heaviest curse that St. John wished spiritual Babylon Rev. 2 3. Isa. 56. 2. c. and 58. 13 c. Exod 16. 33 c. 1 Cor. 7. 5. Gen 35. 2. 1 Thess. 4. 4. 1 Sam. 21. 5. Exod. 19. 15. Col. 4. 3. Psal 92. 1 2 5. 1 Cor. 29. 11 c. * Here thou maist confess whatsoever sin of the last week clogs thy conscience †Joh. 1. 29. Matth. 13. 4 c. Luk. 8. 5 c Col. 4. 3. Acts 26. 18. a 1 Thess. 5. 13. b Heb. 13. 17. c 1 Cor. 11. 10. Eph. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Isai. 58. 13. Psal. 100. 4. Psal. 42. 1 2. Psal. 84. 10. Psal. 5. 7. Gen. 28. 16 17. 1 Cor. 14. 25. Psal. 26. 8. Psal. 27. 4. Verse 6. Psal. 23. 6. Eccl. 5. 1. 1 Cor. 12. 12. a Act. 2. 1 46. b Chap. 4. 32. Eccles. 5. 1. Ezek. 46. 10 Psal. 110. 3. †Cùm Romam venio jejuno Sabbato cùm hic sum non jejuno Sic 〈◊〉 ad quam fortè Ecclesiam veneris ejus morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquam tibi Amb. consi August Epist. ad Januar a Luk. 4. 20. b Luk. 19. 48. * Isa. 2. 3. Act. 10. 33. Gal. 4. 14. 1 Thes. 2. 13 †Rev. 2. 7. Luke 24. 32 a Luk. 11. 28. b Rom. 15. 16 c Deut. 33. 3 d Joh. 10. 4. e Joh. 8. 47. and 18. â—7 f Luke 1 21. Mark 3. 35. Ezek. 46. 10. Luke 10. 16. Numb 6. 23 27. 1 Cor. 16. 1. 2 Cor. 9. 5 6 7 c. Lev. 11. 3. Psal. 119. 11. Mat. 13. 19. Job 31. 17 18. Hest. 9. 22. Deut. 15. 10 c. Matth. 25. 35 c. †If thou be a private man â—ither perfâ—rm these holy dâ—ties by thy self or joyn with some godly Family in the performance of them a Act. 17. 11. â—eb 5. 14. a Deut. 6. 7. b Mat. 26. 30. Jam. 5. 13. c Heb. 6. 1. Heb. 5. 14. Psal 〈…〉 19 1 c.