Angels and Martyrs with the foure and twenty Elders that offer up golden Vials full of odours which are the Prayers of Saints but which is chiefe of all delights there will be GOD himselfe who will bee a Looking-Glasse to the eyes of his Elect Musicke to theyr eares Nectar and Ambrosia to their Palates odoriferous Balsamum to theyr Smelling There thou shalt see the variety and beauty of the seasons the pleasantnesse of the Spring the brightnesse of Summer the fruitfulnesse of Autumne and the quiet of Winter and there shall bee whatsoever may delight thy sences and every faculty of thy Soule there will be the fulnesse of light to thy understanding the aboundance of Peace to thy will and the contitinuance of Eternity to thy memory there the Wisedome of SALOMON shall seeme ignorance there the beauty of ABSASOM shall seeme deformity there the strength of SAMPSOM shall seeme weakenesse there the long life of METHVSALEM shall seeme a span there the Riches of CRoeSVS shall seeme drosse for there thou mayst worthily call the treasures of all Emperors and Kings starke poverty and beggery These things beeing thus Why shouldest thou O man delight to begge and live of Almes when thou shalt finde such aboundance in Heaven looke upon thy selfe and consider how the Lord hath bestowed upon thee a countenance of Majesty with thy face erected towards Heaven and thy eye-lids to move upwards thereby to teach thee that thou wert not formed to spend thy dayes in the moiling cares of this troublesome world but to aspire to that true Happines that maketh all the other Misery Marke the Sea-mans Needle whose nature of that Iron is that in what part it hath touched the Loadstone that part alwayes looketh towards the North and remaineth unsetled till it hath found the Pole even so hath God created Man and hath infused into him a naturall inclination and readinesse that hee should alwayes looke to his Maker as to the Pole and onely true happines When the Children of Jsrael in the Wildernesse were stung by fiery Serpents none could live but those that looked up to that brazen Serpent which MOSES erected so no man beeing stung by those fiery Serpents of sin can live but those that by the eye of Faith looke up to CHRIST IESVS beholding him dying upon the Crosse and applying his death and merits to their otherwise deadly-wounded Soule whereby that Vlcer is cured and they assured of life After ADAM had sinned in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 3. GOD sent him to Till the Earth out of which he was taken but the soule of man was infused into him by the breath of God Gen. 2. let therefore the cogitations of thy heart and Soule bee turned towards him from whence it had the beeing seeing as sayth Saint AVGVSTINE There is nothing more blessed than this life where there is no feare of Poverty no infirmity of Sicknesse no deceipts of the Divell neyther Death of body or Soule but a pleasant life through the guift of Immortality then there shall be no mischiefes no discords but all agreement because there shall be one concord of all the Saints peace and joy imbrace all things What is it that thou canst desire heere upon Earth that thou shalt not there freely possesse If thou defirest pleasures lift up thy heart and see how delightfull that Good is that contayneth in it the delight and pleasure of all good things If this life created doth please thee how much more shall that life please thee which hath created all things If health given make thee merry how much more shall he make thee merry that giveth all health If the knowledge of the Creatures bee sweet how much more sweeter shall the Creator himselfe be if beauty bee acceptable unto thee it is he at whose beauty the Sunne and Moone admire the glory of which was so great that when MOSES went up to the Mount though he saw but the hinder part thereof his Face became so bright and shining that the Israelites could not behold him what should I stand longer to set forth the beauty of that which if I had the tongue of Men and Angels I could not doe for as the Apostle fayth 1. Cor. 2. Eye hath not seene Eare hath not heard neyther hath it entred into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Wilt thou then choose with the Prodigall Sonne to eate Huskes with the Swine rather than to returne home to thy Heavenly Father will not all these delights move thee nor cause thee to desire it it may bee thou art timerous knowing thy owne unworthinesse but bee incouraged by the words of thy Saviour who seeing thy faint heartednesse sayth Feare not little flocke Luke 15. for it is your fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Thou art one of the flocke and this Kingdome is prepared for thee why dost thou not long to take possession of thy owne pu chased for thee by CHRIST who though hee be thy Elder brother yet thou shalt bee co-heyre with him whose love thou mayst see expressed by his infinite care for in his Prayer to his Father for his Disciples he remembred thee when he sayd I pray not for these alone Iohn 117. but for those that shall beleeve on me that they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee and the glory which thou hast given mee I have given them that they may bee one even as wee are one I will also that those thou hast given mee bee with me Canst thou now have any doubts or waverings in thy Mind Repayre unto him and in true humility of Soule confesse thy selfe unto him and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and I am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne This done doubt not but hee will imbrace thee in the Armes of his Mercy the Ring and Robe shall be brought and the fatted Calfe shall be kild for there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth than of ninety and nine just persons It is a place prepared for thee before the Foundations of the World were layd O happy Soule that art made possessor of this blessednesse How art thou able to behold any thing in this life with true contentment having seriously beheld this though thou didst dayly suffer torments if for a long time thou didst indure Hell it selfe so that at the length thou mightest see CHRIST in his glory and injoy this blessednesse and haue society with the Saints were it not worthy all Sufferings All Bitternes and all Crosses that thou mightest be partaker of all this good At last what though the world account not of thee but deride thee for thy vertuous living Remember ELIZEVS the Prophet of the Lord who was mocked and called Bald-head in contempt Resolve with thy selfe no sooner to enter into the path of Godlinesse but such is the malitiousnesse of thy Mortall
to the lips in water yet they are slaine with thirst as the Poets in times past fabled of TANTALVS But though many and great be the troubles of the Righteous yet the Lord delivereth them out of all For the eyes of the Lord is over the Righteous and his Eare is open to theyr cry but the Face of the Lord is against them that do evill Psalm 3 4 to cut off theyr Remembrance from the Eatth Who would be unwilling then to suffer ignominies and scornings rather then with the wicked to injoy the pleasures of Sin for a season Revel 2â— God himselfe will wipe all teares from theyr eyes hee will give them Ioyes for theyr Sorrowes as hee sayth Blessed are yee that now Weepe for yee shall Rejoyce troubles in this life are badges of Gods Children Whom the Lord loveth Prov. 3. hee chastiseth and correcteth every Sonne that he chuseth with Patience Luke 21. Therefore possesse your Soules Iohn 15. and remember who it is that sayd You are not of the World as I am not of the World the world hateth you because it hated mee first if you were of the world the world would love you Oh blessed Sufferings that makes us like to God himselfe if wee had the Wisedome of SALOMON the Treasure of CRoeSVS and the long life of METHVSALEM and out of the favour and love of God our Wisedome were Foolishnesse for to know him is perfect wisedome our Riches were drosse for riches will not avayle in the day of Wrath and that life so long and wickedly led no better then a man that dreames hee is a King honoured of all and wanting nothing when waking hee findes himselfe hated of all and wanting all things III. Of the Peace of a good Conscience and the Ioyfull end of the Godly SALOMON having set himselfe to behold all things that were under the Sun having taken to himselfe all that could bee delightfull for what can he doe more that commeth after the King at last concludeth Eccles 2. That all the dayes of Man are sorrowes and his travailes griefe therefore sayth he I hated life for all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit and perceiving how apt men were to follow what delights this world could affoord them scoffes at theyr folly and by way of derision sayth Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth Eccles 11 let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes yet would hee not let them goe on thus but gives them an Jtem saying But know that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgement for though sayth hee A Sinner doe evill an hundred times and his dayes bee prolonged yet surely I know that it shal be well with them that feare God These Caveats the godly man placeth before his remembrance least hee should fall into errors and making his life of no value to him hee despiseth all things onely ayming at that may make him happy which is a good Conscience for that will bring him peace at the last death being to a godly man the ending of Sorrowes and the beginning of Ioyes he doth then begin to live with God when hee dyes to the World Eccles â— as it is sayd in Ecclesiastes Who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and in the day of his Death hee shall be blessed And St. IOHN was commanded to Write Blessed are the Dead Revel 14. that dye in the Lord even so sayth the Spirit that they may rest from theyr labours their works follow them How can that man bee discouraged that heareth this of the Lord in the houre of his Death when he findeth himselfe hasting thither where hee shall receive that which he hath all his life-time desired And Saint AVGVSTINS speaking of the Death of a Good man sayth He that desireth to bee dissolved be with Christ dyeth not Patiently but liveth Patiently and dyeth delightsomely and it may be sayd That like a Swan he dyeth singing yeilding the glory to God which calleth him With what joy doth that Soule behold his end who hath all his Life-time possessed a good Conscience nothing fearefull can present it selfe before him he sees all his sinnes not of a Crimson die but White as wooll washed by the blood of Christ he beholds him not as his Iudge but his Sauiour and Mediatour his Iudge is his Brother God in Christ is become his Father hee hath no debts to pay Christ Iesus on the Crosse hath Cancelled the hand writing that was against him and hath not onely made him free but also an heyre of the Kingdome of Heaven The presence of Death is not terrible to him for he feareth not Death because hee feared GOD and hee that feareth him need feare none other hee feareth not Death because he feared Life but feare of Death are the effects of an evill Life hee feareth not Death because through all his life hee learned to dye and prepared himselfe to dye but a man prepared and provident need not feare his Enemy he feareth not Death because so long as he lived he sought for those things that might helpe him that is for Vertues and good Workes hee feareth not Death because to a Righteous man Death is not death but a sleepe it is not Death but an end of all labours it is not Death but away unto life and a Ladder unto Paradice for hee knoweth that Death hath lost all the bitternesse of Death after it hath passed through the veynes of Life and that it hath received the sweetnesse of life hee feareth not the presence of Divels because he hath CHRIST his defender and Captaine he feareth not the horror of the grave because he knoweth that his body is sowne a corrup tible body but shall rise againe in incorruptible body often boasting in the strength hee hath gained by Christ saying with cheerefulnesse of spirit O Death where is thy sting 2. Cor. 15. O Grave where is thy victory The strong man death comes not upon him unawares for hee hath layd up in store for himselfe a good foundation against this time 1. Tim. 6. which was to come that hee might lay hold on Eternall life Even the brest-plate of righteousnesse Ephes 5. the shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit having his loynes girt about with verity and his feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of Peace what hope now hath his enemy of any advantage though helped by the weakenesse of his owne flesh Death was ever expected and therefore provided for he alwayes lived as in the presence of GOD having a strict eye over all his actions and though now Satan bend all his Forces against him because hee hath but a small time before his siege must bee raysed and therefore presents that before him which he dearest loued his Wife
Enemie that hee will set his members in the way agaiust thee that if it bee possible they may hinder thy proceedings and turne thee backe againe into the broad way of Errors that leadeth to destruction No sooner did SAVL Prophesie but the wicked and the men of BELIAL had him in derision who better affected then PAVL the Apostle whilst he remayned a Persecutor of CHRIST in his members and carried with him the authority of the High Priests to strengthen his proceedings but no sooner was he converted but how many enimies had he which streight sought his destruction hayling him to Prisons to Scourging and to Stonings to death Yet so farre were they from being disheartned by this as that they reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of CHRIST When we enter into Baptisme we professe to become CHRISTS souldiers and to fight vnder his banner and is it the part of a Souldier to flye at the first onset he that indureth to the end gaineth not onely the honour but the reward nay the fiercer the assault is the more we ought to oppose our selues against it and though through the roughnes of the incounter we may thinke we haue the worst yet if with patience wee striue to perseuer our Captaine CHRIST IESVS will be at hand to helpe vs for carefull is he of his owne as his owne mouth testifieth when he saith to his Father All thou hast giuen me I haue kept and none of them is lost Let all these proofes arme thy minde to be resolute in going on in goodnes till thou attaine the end where thou shalt gaine the reward of thy abours and take with theel the Counsell of the Philosopher HERMES who sayth It is better to suffer shame for vertuous dealing then to win honour by vicious living When SALOMON had builded the Teinple and sanctified it none might enter into Sanctum Sanctorum the holiest of all but the Priest onely So none can enter into this Kingdome which is the true Sanctum Sanctorum but those who haue by a Religious course of life put off the vanities of this world and cloathed themselves with the Robe of CHRISTS Righteousnesse whereby they are Consecrated made fit to enter When the Children of Jsraell were in the Wildernes they were commanded every day to gather Manna but on the Sabboth they that went to gather found none for that they were on the Even to provide for that day so fayle not thou euery day of thy life to gather this Manna the food of thy soule and to lay vp in store against this day of thy rest least when thou hopest to find thou become frustrate and so thy soule starue with want thereof feede not thy selfe with hopes of entertainement vnlesse thou haue furnished thy selfe with the wedding garment neither thinke to passe with one that is counterfeit though neuer so neare the colour for if it be not found the right one thou shalt be taken and bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkenesse therefore it is that the Apostle sayth Examine your selves whither yee be in the Faith 2. Cor. 13. prove your selves There are many nay most that vnderstanding the infinitnesee of the happines of this place that with BALAAM will desire to dye the death of the Righteous Numb 33 but they will not liue the life of the Righteous because they exempt themselves from many things in the which the wicked place theyr whole felicity they accounting this world theyr Heauen shall therefore finde none other hereafter as in the parable Abraham sayd to the rich man in Hell Son remember that thou in thy life-time received thy good things they were his becausein them consisted all his happines therefore possessing of them here he could not expect a future For as the Apostle saith Be not deceiued God is not mocked for what a man soweth that shall he reape for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting For true blessednes consisteth not in meat or drink or in richnesse of apparell but in Righteousnes and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost A man who hath beene long kept from his father and mother wife or children by imprisonment being once at liberty and entred on his lourney toward thē regardeth not neither the length of the way the wearisomnes of his owne steps nor the dangerousnes of the places he is to passe but goeth on with chearefulnesse and longings till he attaine the end and as a spurre to whet on his speed placeth before the eye of his remembrance the sweete content hee shall finde at meeting can these earthly delights cause a man to vndergoe so many difficulties and shall not the delights which God hath prepared for his and whereof I haue giuen thee a glimpse cause thee with much more feruencie to long to attaine to this place of happinesse and setting a part all hinderances whatsoever six thy eye of Faith vpon those vnspeakeable pleasures which thy soule shall then gayne in Ioy when thou shalt meete with God thy Father Christ Iesus thy Brother and Sauiour who hath by the infinitenes of his love espoused thee vnto himselfe and made the possessor of Heauen where thou shalt as sayth Saint AVGVST imbrace a certaine imbracing aboue all imbracings Thou shalt find a sweetnes aboue all sweetnesse thou shalt see alight aboue all lights thou shalt smell a sauour aboue all savours most delectable thou shalt heare a voyce aboue all voyces for rarenes for that voyce doth sound where no ayre doth moue it this light doth shine where no place doth receiue it this savour doth smell where no blast doth carry it and this imbrace is there touched where it is not sundred to conclude if thou desirest to inioy all blessednesse and to escape all kinde of punishments tribulations and miseries there thou shalt find libertie freedome from them all The God of our Lord IESVS CHRIST the Father of Glory give vnto vs the spirit of wisdome knowledge of him that the eyes of our vnderstanding being inlightned we may know what is the hope of his calling and what the Riches of the Glory of the inheritance of his Saints Amen Of our losse by ADAM and our gayne by CHRIST The first Adam was made a living Soule the second Adam a quickning Spirit For as in ADAM wee all dye so in CHRIST shall all be made alive 1. Corinth 15. GOD by his Wisedame and all-seeing Pow'r Ordained Man vnto Eternitie Sathan through malice turnes that sweet to sowre Man eating the forbidden Fruit must Die No remedy was left to scape this Curse The sore still looked on became the worse He out of that delightsome place is throwne To travell in the Warld with woe distrest Through all his life a Pilgrim he is knowne With Cares and Sorrowes and with griefes opprest The more he lookes into his
wretched state The more he rues his fact but all too late Whereas he was created King of all The Creatures God on Earth created had His Glory bated is by this his Fall No creature now on Earth remaines so bad The sencelesse Beast the sence of this hath found And having Man possest with death doth wound The Earth disdaines to yeeld to him her strength But pricking Thornes and Brambles forth doth send Till with his sweat and labours she at length Onely for sustenance some food doth lend Thus he that was a heauenly Creature form'd By disobedience to a wretch is turn'd Of all the Trees that in the Garden grew He onely was forbidden that alone His Wife from that obedience soone him drew And taste thereof he did although but one O wretched man what hast thou lost hereby Wicked woman to cause thy husband dye T' is not saying the Serpent thee deceiu'd That can excuse the fault thou didst commit For of all Ioyes thou hast thy selfe bereau'd And by thy Conscience thou dost stand convict Thy husband not alone the fault must rue A punishment for sinne to thee is due For as thou now conceiues thy seed in sinne So in great sorrow thou must bring it foorth The gaine which thou by that same fruit didst winne Thou now dost find to bee but little worth Obedience to thy Husband yeeld thou must And both must Dye and turned be to Dust The Truth sometimes is vsed by the Divell When as he sayd Your eyes should opened bee And that you should discerne the good from euill When you the Fruit had tasted of that tree But hee told not your actions should be sinne And Death should be the good which you should winne For now your strength to weakenesse turned is You know the Good but have no powre to chuse't Your eyes is ope to see your owne amisse And to behold the blisse you have refus'd You see your nakednesse made vilde by Sinne And now seekes for a place to hide you in But O alas your deeds discover'd are You naked lye to those all-seeing eyes He viewes your actions and doth see you bare Bare of all Goodnesse vilde deformities And in your selves you have no power to mend For all your strength is sinne Sathan doth lend Now seizes on your sicknesse Griefes and Feares Which night and day with trouble will torment Your sweet Delights are turned all to teares And now what you haue done with woerepent Nothing but Griefes and Feares and sad annoyes You now possesse in stead of endlesse Ioyes You were immortall but are mortall made You were created pure but now are vilde Your splendant Glories turned all to shade Your Innocence the Deuill hath beguilde You were created Children of the Lord But now are loathsome Dung to be abhorr'd Which way can you recouer this your losse What friend have you that will this great debt pay Can you gaine pure gold from filthy drosse Or have you power to call againe that Day No you are in a laborinth of woe And endlesse is the maze in which you goe Yet courage Woman whose weake spirit 's dead GOD in his love a helpe for thee hath found Bee sure thy Seed shall bruise the Serpents head CHRIST by his Death shall Sathan deadly wound This Lyon of Iudea resist who can In him is blest the whole Off-spring of man This Promise in due time fulfill'd hath GOD Vnto the comfort of each mortall weight CHRIST payes our Debt hee 's beaten with that rod That doth belong vnto our Soules of right His Fathers wrath was powred vpon him Which doth belong as due to vs for Sinne. Hee dy'd vpon the Crosse and conquered Death That though wee dye yet live againe wee must He buried was and risen is from Earth And raignes with God in Heaven amongst the Iust With him our Soules and Bodies rais'd hath hee And from deaths thraldome now hath set vs free This causeth Sathan stir himselfe amaine To see if he can winne what he hath lost He strives to make our overthrow his gaine He stormeth now that he by CHRIST is crost And to his ayde he all his forces drawes That he may cause vs to obey his Lawes Whole Armies of his Furies forth he sends In shape transformed to delude our mindes And vnto them his greatest force he lends To seize where fittest for his turne he findes He marks to what men are by nature given And vnto that he turnes his Compasse euen Sathan's deceipts are covered all with smiles That sinne seemes pleasing which our Soules destroyes With quaint allurements hee man still beguiles With sweet delights he breeds Mans sad annoyes He imitates a Poyson rarely framed But once being taken all the life blood 's stained Old and craftie is our Enemy growne He knowes all Fish at one baite will not bite Hee 'l try a thousand wayes to gaine his owne He will not leave till he the marke hits right Some with Drunkennesse Murders Lust beside Others with Idlenesse exessive Pride BACCHVS that drunken God from Hell comes forth And reeling here and there few scapes his knockes Who shunnes his blowes esteem'd are of no worth One Drunkard at anothers weakenesse mockes What ISAIAH saith thereon they never thinke Woe bee to them are strong to pw'r in drinke GOD in his love form'd all things for mans vse That for his Comfort they might daily be But they prove poyson through mans vilde abuse Sinne changeth all into deformity PAVL for mans health to drinke Wine doth advise But through excesse both Soule and Body dyes Man by this Sinne more vile is than a Beast For but sufficient they will never take Mans sences fayles him sinnes are still increast He tracing vices doth all good forsake In Drunkennesse LOT doth to Incest fall NOAN in his Wine his secrets shewes to all Then Lust and Murther hands together take Like full fed Beasts they neigh at neighbours wife Stolne bread is sweet hid water theyr thirsts slake They fall to Murther through discord and strife For when mans reason fayles to guide his will He into mischiefe runneth headlong still Most people takes Idlenesse for no sinne Thus in Simplicitie Sathan deludes That precious time is lost that Grace might winne And want of action many sinnes includes That minde which vnto Idlenesse giues way Doth open lye to bee the Devils prey When DAVID vnto ease himselfe had giuen His eyes extravagantly looke about VRIAH's wife he spyeth in the Even He must and did enioy her without doubt Sathan by this his fall more strength doth gaine For DAVID bids VRIAH should be slaine Thus by one meanes or other Sathan snares Mans soule in Sinne and hudwinck'd tills him on His cup of Gold is filled vp with teares A bitter pittance to theyr sweetes belong Pride in it selfe doth beare a poyson'd breath No Sinne so small but punisht is with Death That sinn's thought least that 's spent in trimming fine That Carkasse vilde on which the Wormes